Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 284

Maeve

“It’s coming toward us from the east.” Pete pointed to the radar screen, the green blotch inching toward the Persephone and then cutting backward as the image timed out. I couldn’t make sense of the screen, but I looked up at Troy, who was watching it with intensity, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Where the hell did it come from?” he said to himself, leaning toward the screen.

“What is it?” I asked, looking around the engine room. It was a small room with a wide window overlooking the water. Keaton was leaning against the far wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Weather,” he said shortly, running his tongue along his lower lip.

“Unusual weather,” Pete replied, glancing at Keaton before looking back at the screen. “There are no surrounding storm patterns, it’s just… there.”

“Well,” Keaton kicked off the wall, clapping his hands together. “I’ll warn the crew-” “We need to get the ship closer to shore,” Troy said as he turned to Keaton, his voice edged with seriousness.

“I don’t think we have time,” Pete said hurriedly, watching the green blob on the screen inch

closer to the dot that I assumed was the ship.

I walked toward the window, looking out over the white-capped sea. In the distance, I could see dark, swirling clouds. The clouds lit up as a jolt of electric blue ripped through them, followed by several faint booms of thunder.

“We ride it out, then,” Keaton said dramatically, giving Troy a cold look. Things hadn’t been the same between them since Robbie decided to stay behind in Dianny. Keaton left the room, and Troy turned to me, his hands on his hips.

“I’m staying with you,” I said firmly, tilting my chin.

“I’m not arguing with you about this. Go back to our room,”

“I can help above deck!”

“Doing what, exactly?” Troy was teetering on the edge of fury. His eyes narrowed on mine.

I bit my lip, inhaling deeply as I stepped away from him, walking briskly to the door, I turned to him before exiting the room, looking over my shoulder. I had it in mind to remind him what had happened the last time I had been in our stateroom during a storm, but I swallowed back the words when I saw the expression on his face.

I had no earthly idea what the radar screen was showing us, but whatever it was, it was making Troy and Pete very, very nervous

crewmen to pass. I could hear the rain beginning to pound the deck as I reached our room, and I climbed up onto the bed and stood to peer out of the circular window. The storm was funneling over the water, moving so quickly, I could see the wind manipulating the water as it drew near at an incredible pace.

“Holy shit,” I whispered, watching as the storm seemed to pull apart, the clouds suddenly racing toward us at an unnatural speed.

I barely had time to brace myself before the ship was thrown sideways. Everything in the room seemed to be suspended in the air for a split second as I fell onto the bed and gripped the mattress.

Not again, I thought bitterly. I had almost lost Troy once. That had been enough.

The ship veered to its side once more, another violent swell shaking the room. I got up, stumbling around as I made my way to the door.

The hallway was empty. I knew Myla and Cleo would be holed up in Keaton’s quarters. I heard shouting above my head on the deck and turned toward the stairs.

“Goddess, help us.”

“Douse the sails!” Troy bellowed over the wind. His hair was flying around his face as he spoke, his eyes wide and focused as he barked commands. “We‘re lying ahull, everyone brace!” A wave crashed over the railing, sending crates sliding across the deck in the wave’s wake.

I was gripping the entrance to the lower levels of the ship, watching in awe as Troy took command. Keaton was at the helm, his voice lifted in shouts as the crewmen ran from one end of the boat to the other, drawing in the sails.

I looked around, losing sight of Troy. Panicked, I stepped out onto the deck, looking side to side.

“Troy!” I screamed into the storm, looking up as the crew climbed the ratlines, tying the sails back. Troy was with them, his shirt billowing around him as he worked, the muscles in his forearms taunt as he yanked a rope into a huge knot.

The violent jerking motion of the ship ceased as the sails were brought in, and suddenly we were still, rocking in the waves as the storm spun over the top of our heads.

“What the f*ck are you doing out here?” Troy called out to me, jumping down to the deck. He stalked over to where I was standing, the wind whipping his shirt open to reveal his chest. I felt a blush rise on my cheeks as he moved toward me, eyes blazing with anger. My mouth went dry. He was like a predator moving in on his prey.

Whatever look I saw in his eyes made my stomach tighten with need, and a warmth spread

through my body.

Oddly timed, I thought, just as his hand clasped around my arm and yanked me back into the stairwell.

“Go back to our room, right now!”

I opened my mouth to reply, but then stopped, bringing my hand up to shield my face from… the sun?

Troy turned around and let go of my arm, spinning around and looking up toward the sky where the clouds had parted, the sun shining down on the deck.

“What in the hell,” he said as the clouds spiraled away from us as quickly as they had come. The only sound was the waves lapping against the side of the ship as we rocked in the surf. Everyone was looking up in mingled shock and awe.

“Did everyone see that?” Keaton’s voice rang out through the silence.

The crewmen were stunned, glancing at each other. The men who had climbed the ratlines to draw in the sails hadn’t even been able to climb back down the lines before the storm abruptly disappeared.

Troy turned to me, his eyes shining with confusion as the last of the clouds disintegrated over our heads.

“Troy,” I said slowly, a strange, uncomfortable feeling washing me. “What just happened?”

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Troy answered, reflexively taking my hand in his as we looked out over the water.

“Maeve, go check on Pete,” Keaton said, sounding every bit the captain and not in the snide, ridiculing way in which he usually spoke.

I acted immediately, letting go of Troy’s hand and disappearing into the darkened stairwell, my footsteps echoing on the stairs as I ran to the engine room.

Pete was standing in front of the radar screen, bent to grip the seat of the chair as he shook his head at the screen.

“Pete, are you okay?” I said, a little too loudly.

He jumped, his hand over his heart as he turned around to face me. “I-I’m fine. I’m fine. Did you

see it-”

deck.”

Pete swallowed, shaking his head. “I’ve been… I’m new to this, you know? I’d only been Robbie’s apprentice for a few months. I thought… I just had a weird feeling

“About what?” I coaxed, a cold chill running up the length of my spine as I looked into Pete’s face. He was afraid.

“I swear a voice came over the radio during the storm, a woman’s voice. It was familiar, but I just couldn’t place it.”

“You mean, from another ship?”

“No, it couldn’t have been. We’re totally alone out here. There’s nothing but us on the radar. I just…” He exhaled, tucking his hands in our pockets. “You’ll think I’ve lost my mind if I say it aloud, Maeve.”

“Oh, Pete! That’s far from the truth,” I rested my hand on his shoulder as we turned to the wide window, looking out at the eerily calm water. “We’re all crazy after what we saw in Dianny.”

That’s just it. Maeve. I got the same weird feeling I had the entire time I was in Dianny, like I was being… manipulated, in some way. I think… I think someone actually caused this storm.”

“How is that possible?” I swallowed against the nervous lump forming in my throat.

“How is any of what we’ve been through possible, Maeve?”

Tasia

gasped, falling to my knees as my lungs stretched to welcome a full, much-needed breath. Deacon moved toward me, his dark hair falling over his shoulders as he bent and wrapped his arm around me, hoisting me to my feet.

I felt dizzy, the spell nearly bringing me to my knees again, but he caught me, holding me upright.

“It’s done,” I said weakly, shaking my head. “They’re stalled.”

“How do you feel?” Deacon said hurriedly, reaching up to try to brush the hair out of my face.

I pushed him away, swaying for a moment before regaining my composure.

Then, I laughed.

“Oh, Lycaon. My God. Thank you for this gift!” I was beaming, reaching my hands up toward the sky in gratitude. Another wave of dizziness took hold of me, making me pitch forward. I righted myself, reaching up to wipe a trickle of blood from my nose.

“We‘d better get back to Dianny.” Deacon was shuffling his feet, growing anxious. He was a young, lean man. Probably no more than sixteen.

I let my arms fall as I looked at him, seeing the apprehension in his eyes. “Yes, you’re right,” I said with a sly smile, looking out over the beach as the storm I’d created disappeared over the distant horizon.

I had never done it before, not like this. Every cell in my body felt like it was on fire as I pulled every ounce of energy out of the air around me, willing it to build and explode between the palms of my hands. I was spent, my body shaking as I laughed and laughed.

Yes, oh, yes. Everything I wanted to happen was coming to fruition.

“What do we do now?” Deacon said shyly, his voice wavering as he followed me away from the beach and into the dense jungle.

We had traveled far, walked for most of the day to reach the beach where I had summoned the powers of Lycaon and Dream Danced the Persephone to a halt.

I had created wind before brought the cool air of the mountains to chill Dianny during our intense summer months. I had made rain, hail, and even snow.

But I had never done this. I had never willed violence.

Nothing was ever going to be the same.

“Damian will have time now.” I coughed, the air burning my lungs as I shifted, stepping out of my clothes and stretching my limbs before shaking out my dark fur.

Deacon shifted as well, his eyes still wide with marked suspicion as he followed me into the dense thicket of trees.