Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 302

Chapter 82: The Two Stones

Maeve

Mom patted the bed, inviting me to lay next to her.

I wiped the tears from my face before turning down the thick covers, sliding into bed beside her. She was in a sitting position, holding the cup of tea in her lap as she looked over at me, taking me in.

“You’ve changed a lot,” she said with a smile, reaching out to tuck my hair behind my ears. “You’re very tan. And I’ve never seen your hair quite this light-”

“You can mention I weigh a million pounds now. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings.”

She rolled her eyes and sipped her tea. “You look beautiful, Maeve. Healthy.”

“I don’t want to be pregnant anymore,” I whimpered as I buried my face in the pillow.

“Well, by the looks of it, it could be over any day now,”

“Five more weeks…” I grimaced as one of the babies kicked me firmly in the ribs.

“Five? But-”

I pulled the covers over my head. “I’m having twins.”

“Oh,” Mom said, unable to hide the joy in her voice. “Well,

sometimes twins come early. We’ve had a few sets born in the village. Remember when the triplets were born a few years ago? That was quite a feat-”

“Mrs. Abrams was miserable, Mom. I’m sure she still is-”

“I saw her a few days ago at the market, sweetheart. She seemed happy, just… a little frazzled.” She set her teacup down on the bedside table with a clang, and then reached over to stroke my side. “You’re going to suffocate under there.”

I pushed the covers away, my face twisted in hurt. “Dad hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you!”

“I’m pregnant with his arch nemesis’s grandchild, Mom!”

“Arch nemesis?”

“Maddalyn! He’s so, so mad at me. I’m surprised he hasn’t killed Troy.”

“We definitely discussed it,” she laughed, her eyes creasing with mirth.

Tarched my brow. “Last night? I figured Troy told him who he was this morning,”

“We‘ve known for a while, honey. Ernest brought Troy’s sketchbook back from the castle. The one of Maddalyn is… impossible to deny. Dad told me he looks like her, too. He must be beautiful.” There was pain in her voice when she said the last part.

“What did Maddalyn do, exactly?”

Mom exhaled, then laughed softly, shaking her head. “I don’t know where to begin!”

“The beginning would be fine.”

“Hmm… well, Maddalyn came into my life before… I was still a breeder then. She was unhappy with the arraignment. Your father and Maddalyn were betrothed; at least that’s what Romero and King James had wanted. She was cruel to me in those days, before the war. Just… a mean girl, not yet a villain.”

“Does it bother you that Troy looks like her?”

“Well, I haven’t met him yet, Maeve. But no, from what Ernest and Gemma have told us, it sounds like Troy is nothing like his parents. I won’t deny that Maddalyn was beautiful. She was. She truly was. Just not on the inside.”

“He wasn’t raised by her. He doesn’t know her at all.”

“I gathered that from what Ernest knew about Troy’s relationship with Romero.”

Thank the Goddess for Ernest. He had saved me from having to explain everything that had happened before the invasion.

“Your dad isn’t going to kill Troy. But he will be asking questions. I heard Rowan tried to fight him,”

“Keyword: tried. They both beat the crap out of one another,” I said bluntly. “Rowan hates me too, Mom. He didn’t even say hi to me when I arrived last night.”

“Rowan is going through something very complicated right now, honey.”

“What is it?” I asked with interest.

Her mouth twitched into a smile, but then she looked away. “He found his mate, and… Hanna is wonderful. I like her a lot. But she

has… powers.”

“Wait, Hanna of Red Lakes? Is that why Kacidra is here?”

“Yes.”

“And Hanna is like… you?”

“No…”

“Then what can she do?”

“She dreams. I don’t really know how to explain-”

If I had been physically capable of jumping to my feet without struggling to get out of the bed, I would have. “She’s a Dream Dancer?”

“How do you know what that is?”

“Oh, Goddess,” I sighed, rolling over onto my back. “This is going to be a very long story, Mom.“

***

“So, you felt it when I… when I lost my powers?” she asked.

It had taken me over two hours to tell her everything. I recounted every detail from the moment I met Troy to the second I stepped off the boat in Winter Forest, leaving a few spicier things that happened between Troy and me out, of course.

I was sitting up in bed now, resting a sandwich Gretchen had brought up for me on the swell of my stomach. “And… the moonstone we found in the tomb, I used it to bring Troy back to life, like Gemma used her moonstone on you.”

“And the people of… Dianny? Is that what that pack is called?”

“Dianny is their city, The Sisters of Artemis is their pack.”

“I see. I think I understand. They think… bringing the stones together is,”

“Una wasn’t sure what would happen.” I swallowed, looking down at the sandwich. “But I think we’re supposed to be the ones to do it. Tasia wants them, though. I don’t know what for.”

“She wants to end the White Queens; at least that’s what Hanna and I think.” Mom had told me what happened to her and Hanna, how Tasia had come through the dream and wrecked the temple.

The pieces were falling into place, and I felt suddenly at peace. We had made it this far, overcome so much. I was looking forward to just being home for a moment.

But then the door to the bedroom opened.

Dad walked into the room, his eyes downcast as he moved to the end of the bed and stopped, his arms crossed over his chest.

“I owe you an apology,” he said, looking up at me through his lashes.

“Oh? Go on,” I said with a smartass grin.

“Maeve,” Mom said in a warning tone.

Dad glared at me, then cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”

“For what, exactly?”

Dad sharpened his glare, then glanced at Mom, a silent plea for help in his eyes. She shrugged, smiling at him, clearly enjoying and

having missed our constant bickering.

“For being terse with you for something outside of your control.” He ran his tongue along his lower lip, waiting for my reply.

“I accept your apology,” I said, sitting up a little straighter. “One on condition.”

“No,” he said shortly.

“That Troy is allowed to sleep in my room.”

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s not like he can get me pregnant)” I laughed.

Dad turned bright red. Mom’s eyes widened as she looked down at her lap, trying not to laugh.

“Whatever,” he said, just as Troy knocked on the open door.

The three of us turned to him. Mom gave him a beaming smile, which I don’t think he was expecting. He blushed, taking a step into the room and coming into the light.

He had showered and shaved, and it looked like someone had given him a haircut. Georgia likely got her hands on him, I thought. She always gave Rowan a haircut whenever she visited, not liking the men in her life with long hair.

Troy looked like he had when I first laid eyes on him. He was rested and at ease, a glimmer of mischief in his eye. I smiled at him, hoping at least one of our children grew to look exactly like him.

He gave mom a slight bow, who was watching him with interest.

“We owe you thanks, Troy, for taking care of our daughter,” she said, sounding every bit like a queen.

“It’s a damn near impossible task-Dad said, but then stopped when Mom’s gaze locked on him. “Thank you,” he said, clearing his throat.

“Uh, you’re welcome.” Troy shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I’m sorry for kidnapping her.”

Mom’s mouth opened in surprise, and Dad flexed his jaw, reaching up to scratch his beard as I exhaled deeply, rolling my eyes. I set the sandwich on the nightstand, attempting to swing my legs out of the bed but struggling. Troy came to my side, glancing at Dad before he took my hand and helped me onto my feet.

“How are you? I haven’t been able to talk to you since we got here.” Troy looked at me with concern.

“I’m fine… just huge. And tired. You don’t have to sleep in the garage again, I promise.”

“Ernest and Talon are on their way back from Mirage; they will arrive in the morning. Troy, we will have a lot to discuss with the two of them regarding your title,” Dad said over the soft murmur of my words to Troy.

Troy froze, his fingers clasping down on my hand. “My title?”

“You’ll be taking your rightful seat as Alpha of Poldesse, after the wedding.”

“The wedding?” Mom and I said in unison.

Dad nodded, tucking his hands behind his back.

“Of course,” Troy said, all business

“We owe you thanks, Troy, for taking care of our daughter,” she said, sounding every bit like a queen.

“It’s a damn near impossible task-Dad said, but then stopped when Mom’s gaze locked on him. “Thank you,” he said, clearing his throat.

“Uh, you’re welcome.” Troy shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I’m sorry for kidnapping her.”

Mom’s mouth opened in surprise, and Dad flexed his jaw, reaching up to scratch his beard as I exhaled deeply, rolling my eyes. I set the sandwich on the nightstand, attempting to swing my legs out of the bed but struggling. Troy came to my side, glancing at Dad before he took my hand and helped me onto my feet.

“How are you? I haven’t been able to talk to you since we got here.” Troy looked at me with concern.

“I’m fine… just huge. And tired. You don’t have to sleep in the garage again, I promise.”

“Ernest and Talon are on their way back from Mirage; they will arrive in the morning. Troy, we will have a lot to discuss with the two of them regarding your title,” Dad said over the soft murmur of my words to Troy.

Troy froze, his fingers clasping down on my hand. “My title?”

“You’ll be taking your rightful seat as Alpha of Poldesse, after the wedding.”

“The wedding?” Mom and I said in unison.

Dad nodded, tucking his hands behind his back.

“Of course,” Troy said, all business.

I looked at him, searching his eyes for understanding. He’d already said he wasn’t going to be Alpha of Poldesse.

“Troy-“I began, but Dad cut me off.

“The wedding will take place here, at the house, so your mother can attend. Preferably as soon as possible, before the child arrives.”

“It’s twins,” I said, and Dad was shocked, his eyes going wide. “And why wouldn’t Mom be able to attend if we got married somewhere else? The bluff is beautiful in the spring-”

“Because I don’t have that long, Maeve.” Mom’s words seemed to float in the air for a moment before crashing down and suffocating me.

I looked over at her, my stomach tied in a knot. “What?” I managed to whisper.

“I don’t have my powers anymore, honey. I should’ve died a hundred times by now, you know. And I… I’m not strong without them. I was badly hurt when Hanna and I were attacked. The wounds aren’t healing…”

“She’s getting weaker by the day.” Dad’s voice broke with emotion, the words catching in his throat.

Igaped at them, my hands shaking as I gripped Troy’s hand for dear life. “Where is it?” I whispered, and he reached into his pocket, putting the moonstone into my hand.

“Maeve, wait, we don’t know-” Troy warned.

I was already halfway across the room, heading toward Mom’s jewelry box. Dad stepped in front of me, trying to stop me, but I

stepped around him and began to rifle through her jewelry.

“Where is it? The necklace?”

“The-in the safe, downstairs,” Mom replied.

I turned to Dad, giving him a look that told him exactly what I meant to do. He didn’t protest.

“Maeve, listen to me. Una warned us-” Troy tried again.

“She didn’t know for sure what would happen, but I saw this, Troy. I knew something was going to happen to her and now… now it has. I have to.”

“Listen to him, Maeve!” Mom said sternly. “What if-”

“No! I’m not going to let this continue!”

Troy and Mom were staring at me in shock as I left the room, meeting Dad at the top of the stairs. He gave me the necklace, looking me in the eyes.

“What now?” he asked.

“I need something sharp-”

He pulled out a pocket knife, placing it in my hands. But he grabbed my wrist, holding me tightly. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

11

“Save her?”

“You’re pregnant. There could be consequences. Troy said you weren’t sure what was going to happen.”

“I have to bring them together. It’s the only thing I know I’m

supposed to do.”

I turned from him and walked back into the room, shaking as I stood at the end of the bed. I held the moonstones in the palm of one hand, looking at them for a moment before I brought the knife down over the base of my thumb, closing my hand into a fist as | walked over to my mother.

My hand felt warm, the wound throbbing.

And then I felt… nothing.