Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 45 : Stay

*Sasha*

“Your hair is so beautiful," Trina gushed as she brushed through my long, blond locks. Another new friend was doing my nails, as I had done for her.

“I wish I had those tight curls you have," I responded.

Phoebe sipped her mimosa and then raised her glass to us. “Pedicures next!"

“I like the way you think," Trina said.

It was a lovely afternoon, in a series of lovely afternoons. The women of New Dianny had welcomed me with open arms. I'd never been so pampered, nor felt so much like I… belonged. There were more dream dancers in New Dianny that I could exchange experiences with. None of them had my kind of power, but it was still nice to talk to people who “get" it.

“You know," Trina mused, sharing a wink with another girl, “you should stay here, like, permanently. Make New Dianny your home."

I blinked at her, startled. “You… you'd really like me to stay?"

“Of course, silly!" Trina said. “You're the coolest person we've ever met!"

“But I bring… a lot of trouble with me," I replied with a wince.

Trina shrugged. “Our Alpha was an accomplished pirate. I'm sure any trouble you bring will just end up walking the plank."

Laughter bubbled up in me and soon we were all giggling. “Yeah, I got that impression about him," I said.

“There's nothing Alpha Robbie can't handle. Just think about it, okay?" Trina asked.

“Okay," I agreed with a nod. “I'll think about it."

“Oh!" Trina exclaimed. “How excited are you for your birthday?! Luna Alison and Joy have been planning the bash of the century!"

I blushed. “They really shouldn't go to so much trouble."

“Sure they should! It's not every day a dream dancer comes into her wolf," Trina winked.

“Well… I suppose not, though it must happen here more frequently than anywhere since Lycennia," I said.

“Probably. But it's still a big deal." Trina finished my nails and flopped back on her lounger, soaking up the sun. “And you'll find out you're mates with that handsome devil you pal around with."

I pushed my hair behind my ear nervously. “Actually, I'm kind of worried about that. I have feelings for him. But what if he's not my mate?"

“He's your mate," every woman there, including Phoebe, insisted.

“And… you know… there's all the stuff we have going on back home and in the Dark Realm and...." I went on.

“Ugh. Honestly, people in love are SO silly sometimes!" Trina sighed. “If he's your mate, and we all know he is, that stuff isn't going to matter. Really. You'll just want to be together all the time."

“I already want to be with him all the time," I admitted softly.

“Then you should tell him so," Phoebe said. “I mean, what does this mate business even mean? If my true mate walked right in front of me right now, you know what I'd be doing? Racing right back to Brady. It's biological, yeah, but it's also a choice. Why don't you two just decide to stay together regardless?"

I gave that some thought. “Yeah. We could decide to stay together regardless."

not be a huge rush of wolfy hormones, but it's something

right," I

got up and tugged me out

I asked,

have to go talk to

“Now?" I repeated.

yes. Right now. Get it all ironed out before tomorrow," Trina

at Phoebe, who

action, really,"

nodding now. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. “Alright,

went up as I went back inside the packhouse

was brooding in our bedroom, staring at the orb as though

to touch it again?" I asked, rapping my knuckles gently on the bedroom

you guess?" Lucas responded

that it nearly blasted you right out of our cabin the

covered the orb again with the silk. “I was just wondering what the other orb is going to look like,

down on the bed next to him.

our heads, and besides that we're both trying to be Royal

twisted a lock of

nestling the orb back

you know I love you, right?" I

turned back to look at me, frowning in confusion. “...

me?"

a conversation we should be

on his knee. “I mean it. I mean, Brady's not Phoebe's true mate and they've decided to stay together. If… if WE'RE not

of your true mate. Let's just

to stay with me even if we're not mates?" I whispered, feeling my

didn't say that...." Lucas

how calculated he was being about all of this. “Never mind, Lucas. If being true mates is sooo important to

“Sasha...."

over his protests and stomped toward the door.

washed over me when Lucas didn't follow. Sometimes, men were SO

beach, finding a little, hidden alcove just for me. If Lucas was going to

sand and

and brought me somewhere… else. Only this time it was a place I

perhaps… nine years old? The book in my lap nearly dwarfed me, but

I started heading over to see what I'd been reading that day, only to freeze when

playground much these days," one of them snarked, filing into a line across from

me replied with a shrug,

around at his cohorts

you can go away," nine-year-old

turned bright red. “You trying to tell me what to

wouldn't dream of it," nine-year-old

right now," the boy said while the other boys snickered at his predicament. He must have been twelve or older, yet this little wisp of a bookworm was telling him

nine-year-old me grunted, turning back a page. “Could you just go, please? You're interrupting an

the book out of my hands, landing it right in the rich, wet dirt around the roots of the stump. “What did you