Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 269

Chapter 49: The Sacred

Maeve

Troy and I walked through the building, surprised by the amount of noise coming from the corridors as we headed down the many, many stairs to the lower-level courtyard.

The buildings are where everyone lives, stacked on top of each other,” Troy said, smiling as a little girl ran past us, chasing after what must have been her older sister.

*This place is ancient, Troy. How old do you think this place is?”

Troy exhaled, looking around as we walked towards the courtyard, reaching up to run his hand along the wall.

“A thousand years, maybe more?”

“More?” I sucked in my breath, unable to process it.

“Well, how many White Queens have there been over time? Count back and that’s likely as old as this place, and even Winter Forest, should

be.”

“Mom said Winter Forest wasn’t the original settlement of the White Queens. There’s a ruin on an island across from the inlet. That’s where the pack used to live, but everyone believes it was taken over by the water hundreds of years ago.”

“See? This is very, very old stuff.”

I nodded, swallowing against the anxiety tightening my chest and throat. This was an old place. A strange place. And I had the oddest “out of body feeling as we walked the halls. We finally turned the corner and passed through the archway leading to the courtyard, stopping short of the entrance as Duck came bounding towards us, followed by Myla and Pete.

“Where’s Robbie?” Troy asked, furrowing his brow.

“He’s out chasin’ tail,Myla said with a laugh. Pete blushed deeply, lowering his gaze to his feet.

“Still?” Troy snorted, shaking his head.

“So, you saw him? And he was alright?” I asked hurriedly. Myla nodded her head, wiggling her eyebrows at me and Troy.

“Oh, he’s more than alright, I’ll say that much. He told me all about it,” Myla said.

“Why?” Troy asked, looking from Myla to Pete, who was looking more and more uncomfortable with the conversation.

“Why not?” Myla said with a soft chuckle, “What else were we supposed to do while we were waiting for you guys to come down? What were you up to, anyway?”

Troy cleared his throat, and I stifled a blush. Myla arched her brow, puffing out her cheeks as she tried not to laugh.

“Alright!” Pete said, annoyed, “Please, can we talk about something else?”

“Pete is a little jealous-” Myla began.

“I am not!” Pete was blushing. And I had the opportunity to, you know, do what Robbie is doing…”

“Why didn’t you take it?” Troy laughed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Petey here is saving himself for his mate.” Myla teased.

“Leave him alone, Myla. I think that’s very gallant of you, Pete.” I said, smiling at Pete, who gave me a small smile of gratitude.

“Dinner is starting, if you will follow me,” came a voice from behind us. We turned around, finding a young girl standing still as a rod in the archway, her eyes wide with nerves as she spoke. She was young, very young, likely no more than ten or eleven years old. She turned on her heel, and the group of us followed her through the corridor and out into the square, but we didn’t stop there.

We followed her through the market and across one of the narrow bridges rising up over the river. People were swimming in the slowly moving, shallow water. It looked like a refreshing activity in this unforgiving heat. I made a mental note to do the same before leaving this strange place

After a few minutes of walking, we entered a narrow gravel pathway leading downhill into another shallow valley through a thicket of trees. Stepping out of the trees, we stopped, all of us looking out over a massive, turquoise colored lake that was sparkling in the light of the

setting sun.

At the lakes edge were several buildings made of the same red stone as the towers at the city’s entrance. Music was wafting up from the lake, and voices lifted in gaiety and laughter rang out as we walked along the path, nearing the party.

“Wow!” i said beneath my breath, inadvertently taking Troy’s hand as we passed beneath several rows of paper lanterns that were strung through the trees. It was beautiful, and quite romantic, and I felt a sudden urge to find a dark corner and rip Troy’s clothes from his body.

I blushed deeply, clearing my throat. Troy looked down at me, squeezing my hand. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing. I’m just losing my mind,” I murmured, feeling a little hot. What was wrong with me?

“Oh, I wish Keaton were here to see this!” Myla exclaimed, looking up at the sea of paper lanterns above our heads.

“Hey, Myla!” Troy called out, “Have you been able to mind-link with him since getting here?”

She pursed her lips, shaking her head, “No, I tried but I couldn’t get through. Do you think we’re out of range?”

Troy shook his head, sighing deeply. He bent his head close to mine as we walked, “Something is weird about this place. Do you feel it too?”

“Yeah, definitely.” I replied. “But I don’t think these people are going to hurt us.”

“Neither do 1,” he said firmly, but his eyes were still hyper focused on the area around us.

The girl led us out onto a wide dock. Flowerpots lined the dock, and sprays of flowers I couldn’t name were in full bloom. The deep floral smell was intoxicating.

A pallet of blankets and plush pillows had been laid out around a huge, circular table that was low to the ground, and Una was sitting there, waiting for us, flanked by nine unfamiliar faces.

Troy stiffened suddenly, then relaxed, nodding to one of the two men sitting on the cushions. The older man must have been Ismir, Una’s husband. The younger one couldn’t have been older than sixteen.

“Come, friends, sit with us!” Una said, excitement evident behind her eyes. We sat around the table, as did the young girl, who elbowed her brother before taking a seat next to him. “This is my family,” Una said, beaming with delight, “My mate, Ismir, and our children.”

“You have eight children?” Myla said, her eyes wide, and a look of sheer longing on her face.

“Poor Keaton,” Troy whispered, leaning his head close to mine as we sat down.

“Mhmm,” I replied, watching Myla gush over Una’s brood. “Myla will have ten children, I’d bet my life on it.”

“And how many will we have?” Troy asked, his voice low and filled with yearning. I hadn’t expected it. I looked at him, seeing the confusion flash behind his eyes, his tanned face blushing deeply the same way mine had when I imagined ravaging him in public. He hadn’t meant to say it aloud

What is it about this place that is making us act, and think, the way we were?

“Four,” I answered, looking directly into his eyes, my heart quickening as he knitted his fingers in mine underneath the table, “All boys.”

“All boys?” He laughed, his eyes creasing with what I can only describe as pure, unadulterated joy.

I opened my mouth to say something, but the words were lost, hanging on the tip of my tongue, just out of reach.

I love you, I thought, unable to say it..

Several large platters of the most delicious food I had ever tasted were brought out over the course of three hours. Hot, spiced tea was poured in a constant stream despite the warmth of the night.

On several occasions, my eyes met Una’s, who was watching me closely, a look of mingled hope, and maybe even fear, etched across her face.

Una’s eldest daughter, Tasia, was seated next to Robbie, who had joined the table late, his face pink, and his eyes unable to hide the fact that he was having the best day of his entire life.

Tasia was a true beauty, curvy and strong, with an angular face and thick, glossy black hair that fell over her shoulder in tight ringlets. Her eyes were a strange color, however, a shade of gray that reminded me of the color of the inlet back home. Gray like glacier silt, the clay left behind as the glaciers moved across the land over the millennia. Neither of her parents had the same color eyes as she did, nor did any of her many, many siblings.

“Tomorrow is the full moon ceremony.” Tasia said, her mouth stretched into a wide smile. “We celebrate it the entire day and into the night.”

* That sounds wonderful!” Myla said excitedly.

glanced at Troy, an unspoken question passing between us. Are we staying?

Why not? He seemed to reply, his eyes shining in the light of the paper lanterns.

Whatever was happening between us was being exasperated by whatever was in the air of this place. Mutually, we weren’t ready for it to end

Tasia was chatting away with Myla, who seemed at home in this place. I wondered briefly if Keaton would ever put down roots somewhere, especially now that he had a mate. I couldn’t imagine Myla spending the rest of her life aboard the Persephone, ten or more kids in tow.

Troy’s hand was on my thigh, his fingers inching down to pull up the hem of the dress and run his hands against my bare skin. I shivered, a warmth spreading over my body.

Oh, how I wished we were back in the apartment right now, alone.

Eventually Una rose, and we were ushered to the shore of the lake, where more cushions were laid out, and we sat under the stairs.

Myla, Robbie, and Troy were loose and lighthearted with drink, and Pete was curled up on one of the cushions, fast asleep.

I was sitting next to Troy, his arm wrapped around my shoulder as he contributed to a spirited conversation with Ismir and Robbie about what had happened during the storm.

But suddenly, I was flanked by Tasia and Una, who appeared as though out of thin air. They didn’t speak to me, not out loud, but a silent conversation was passing between us as we looked out over the lake, then up to the stars.

I felt dizzy as though I had been drinking, even though I had not.

“What is it about this place?” I asked aloud, looking to Una for a reply.

She smiled at me, then looked at Tasia, who was grinning broadly.

“You feel it, too?” Tasia said, her voice soothing to my ears.

“What’s happening here?” I asked, trying to make sense of it all.

“This is a sacred place, Maeve. We walk on sacred ground, drink the sacred water, and eat the food grown from sacred soil. She’s all around us, here.”

“Who?” | asked, feeling suddenly overwhelmed.

*The Moon Goddess, of course,” Tasia laughed, touching me gently on the shoulder. “Don’t you know why you’re here?”

“What? |—” I looked over at Troy, finding him staring back at me with a look so intense it sent a shiver up my spine. I felt like rising, like going to him, placing my hands on him just to feel the electricity pass between us. “Why am I here?” I asked, but the words were carried away in the gentle breeze,