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."

Phoebe replied. “Love is love. It might not be a huge rush of wolfy hormones, but it's

right," I agreed.

got up and tugged me out of my lounger

I asked,

have to go talk

“Now?" I repeated.

it all ironed out before

looked at Phoebe, who

action, really,"

women were nodding now. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. “Alright, I'll go talk to

up as I went back inside the packhouse

at the orb as though it

asked, rapping my knuckles gently on the

Lucas responded with

fact that it nearly blasted you right

other orb is going to look like, where it

on the bed next to him. “That's a lot of

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

a lock of hair behind my ear. “Um…

the orb back

love you, right?"

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

love me?" I asked

this isn't a conversation we should

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 mates, we could do the same. I can't… I can't imagine loving anyone but

you of your true mate.

me even if we're not mates?" I whispered,

didn't say that...."

of this. “Never mind, Lucas.

“Sasha...."

bag over his protests and stomped toward the door. “Don't you

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

me. If Lucas was going to be so disappointing

sat lotus-style in the sand and held the orb in my hands, letting my

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

my little clearing all by myself, perched on an old stump. I was perhaps… nine years old? The book in my lap nearly dwarfed me,

reading that day, only to freeze when

these days," one of them snarked, filing into a line across from me. In

replied with a shrug,

the boy stuttered, glancing around at his cohorts to make

go away," nine-year-old me sniffed,

who'd been starting to taunt me turned bright red.

of it," nine-year-old me

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

me grunted, turning back a page. “Could you

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