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."

love. It might not be a huge

right," I agreed.

got up and tugged me out of my lounger by

doing?" I asked, stumbling

to go talk to him now,"

“Now?" I repeated.

all ironed out before tomorrow," Trina

Phoebe, who was

course of action,

I took a deep breath

up as I went back inside the packhouse

find. He was brooding in our bedroom, staring at the orb as though it were a snake that was

asked, rapping my knuckles gently

you guess?" Lucas responded with a

that it nearly blasted you right out

orb again with the silk. “I was just wondering what the other orb is going to look like, where it is, and what the hell

on the bed next

so much hanging over our heads, and besides that we're both

lock of hair

nestling the orb back in

I love you,

look at me, frowning in

love me?" I asked

you know very well this isn't a conversation we should be having until tomorrow night,"

Phoebe's true mate and they've decided to stay together. If… if

deprive you of your true mate.

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

say that...."

hand out from under his and stood, deeply hurt by how calculated he was being about all of this. “Never mind, Lucas. If being true mates is sooo important to you, maybe I shouldn't be depriving YOU

“Sasha...."

and stomped toward the door. “Don't you dare follow me,

when Lucas didn't

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

under me, I sat lotus-style in the sand and held the orb in

seemed to be working as usual. My vision swirled and brought me somewhere… else. Only this time it was a place

myself, perched on an old stump. I was perhaps… nine years old? The book in my lap nearly dwarfed me, but that was

I started heading over to see what I'd been reading that day, only to freeze when a bunch of boys wandered

the playground much these days," one of them snarked, filing into a line across from me. In the line were Lucas and

you cared," nine-year-old me replied with a

around at his cohorts to make sure the others

you can go away," nine-year-old me sniffed, turning

me turned bright red.

dream of it," nine-year-old me

sassing me 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

grunted, turning back a page. “Could you

right in the rich, wet dirt around the roots of the stump. “What did