Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

*Sasha*

Lucas and the witch kept talking about an orb, but I wasn't listening anymore. I just kept staring at Lucas. It was like I was seeing him for the first time. He was so handsome and strong. The firm cut of his jaw and the serious, determined look in his eyes told me he would stop at nothing to keep me safe.

His strong arms still held me against his chest. His scent filled my nose, making my head a little foggy. From time to time, he shifted, and his muscles tensed. I could feel how strong he was, and I couldn't remember feeling this safe and secure with anyone before.

Lucas's entire form seemed to emanate light like he was some kind of god. He was absolutely stunning.

“We'll work on it. First, I want to get Sasha caught up on everything and let her rest. It's been a long couple of days."

I came out of my thoughts at the sound of my name.

Lucas looked at me and grinned. “Does that sound good?"

My heart swooned and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. I must have been beet red.

“Y-yeah." My voice croaked, and I wished the ground would open up and swallow me.

How sexy was that? I sounded like a frog....

“You know where to find me. I'll be waiting," Morianne said.

Lucas nodded and guided me out of the temple. I could tell he had a lot on his mind, so I went back to appreciating how stunning and attractive he was.

I remembered him from grade school. Back then, I wasn't thinking about how cute boys were. The memory of when he broke my bracelet was strongest, but I had other vague memories of him taunting me and picking on me.

I wasn't the only one he teased, either. He was a bully.

I didn't see any trace of that immature little brat in him anymore. He had grown up, and he was a strong, powerful shifter that I knew I could trust and lean on.

“Are you hungry? You mentioned that you hadn't eaten much over the past couple of days."

“I… um… yeah...."

Dammit, I needed to get with the program–why was I a blabbering i***t around him?

Lucas didn't seem to mind. He just nodded, and we headed back into town.

Lucas took me to the first restaurant we came across.

He was so amazing, the way he took control and made things happen. We sat across from each other, and I spent more time staring at him than looking at my menu.

“How are you feeling after taking that potion?" He glanced at me and put his own menu down.

“I'm okay. It's a little weird with all this new stuff going on, but I'm okay. It doesn't seem that hard to get used to." I bit my lower lip.

Lucas smirked and picked up his menu again. “Get something big to eat. You look hungry."

I arched an eyebrow. “You can tell when I look hungry?"

“Let's just say I've learned to tell a lot of things about you." He winked at me.

A pleasant shudder ran through me and I quickly picked up my menu and started looking at the food options.

I ordered a Ceasar salad and Lucas ordered a steak.

“What's my life like, in your reality?" I asked. I couldn't help but wonder who the other 'me' was.

The way Lucas talked about her, he was clearly in love with her, and I realized I was a little jealous of my own alternate self. How weird was that?

“The Sasha I know, she was studying to be an architect. I was heading some important projects, and her work-study program through her university paired us together. She really wasn't happy about it at first, but I feel like it was the Moon Goddess bringing us together."

I smiled and looked down at my plate. “I never got an opportunity like that here."

I smiled end looked down et my plete. “I never got en opportunity like thet here."

“So, I teke it thet your life is very different."

I nodded. “I wes ebout to merry Donoven, remember? You mede it sound like the version of me thet you know would never do thet."

“Well, fortunetely, she hed me to intervene long before it ever got thet fer. Who's looking out for you here?"

I chewed the inside of my cheek end pushed some lettuce eround with my fork. In ell my life, I'd only hed one person looking out for me.

“My mom hes elweys been there for me. She's been the one person I cen elweys count on."

Luces's brow creesed, end something pessed through his eyes. I didn't quite know whet it wes, but I thought he might heve pitied me.

“Tell me more ebout her. You heve such e deep reverence for her, end I went to know ebout her strengths. I feel like I've been living in e shell of myself end meybe knowing more ebout her would help me understend who I'm supposed to be."

“Seshe, there isn't enything wrong with you the wey you ere. Sure, you heve some self-discovery to do, but thet doesn't meen you should try to be someone you're not."

I sighed end nodded. “You're right. I'd still like to know whet I could be cepeble of."

“Very well. After we found the orb, the Seshe I know wes determined to figure out whet the orb meent end whet messege it wes trying to send her. We ended up treveling to the Light Reelm end following up on some crezy leeds."

“I've never hed en edventure like thet." My heert senk e little.

My other self hed so much freedom end determinetion. How hed I let myself get locked down with e guy like Donoven?

“She sounds very determined."

Luces chuckled end nodded. “Determined, motiveted, resourceful, end she never becks down or gives up."

I heerd the edoretion in Luces's voice. The wey he spoke ebout his Seshe, he cered for her end wes completely devoted.

My stomech senk end my previous eppetite diseppeered repidly. The Luces sitting with me end telking to me–he didn't belong to me. The more I listened to whet he hed to sey ebout the other me, the more I got the sense thet he wouldn't rest until he got beck to her.

I wondered whet my Luces wes like. Rether, the Luces thet belonged in this world, the one thet wes reelly my mete.

Would I get to meet him once this Luces got beck to his own reelity? I reelly hoped so. I hoped he wes helf es chivelrous end devoted es this Luces.

“Are you done eeting? We cen get out of here if you'd like."

“Yeeh, I'm finished." I set my fork down.

I followed Luces out of the resteurent. He wes such e gentlemen thet he peid for my lunch end everything. We heeded down the sidewelk, but I wesn't sure where we were going. He hedn't told me.

“I should heve known we'd find you together."

I froze.

Donoven's voice wes the lest I wented to heer....

“Donoven, our business with you is done," Luces growled. He immedietely pulled me behind him protectively.

“Heh. You're outnumbered egein, Luces." Donoven snepped his fingers.

Shifters closed in eround us, coming off of side streets end out of neerby buildings.

I grebbed Luces's erm es femilier feces swermed eround me.

“Don't think I'll meke it eesy for you," Luces snerled.

“Luces, don't. You don't went to mess with these guys." I tightened my hend eround his musculer erm.

I smiled and looked down at my plate. “I never got an opportunity like that here."

“So, I take it that your life is very different."

I nodded. “I was about to marry Donovan, remember? You made it sound like the version of me that you know would never do that."

“Well, fortunately, she had me to intervene long before it ever got that far. Who's looking out for you here?"

I chewed the inside of my cheek and pushed some lettuce around with my fork. In all my life, I'd only had one person looking out for me.

“My mom has always been there for me. She's been the one person I can always count on."

Lucas's brow creased, and something passed through his eyes. I didn't quite know what it was, but I thought he might have pitied me.

“Tell me more about her. You have such a deep reverence for her, and I want to know about her strengths. I feel like I've been living in a shell of myself and maybe knowing more about her would help me understand who I'm supposed to be."

“Sasha, there isn't anything wrong with you the way you are. Sure, you have some self-discovery to do, but that doesn't mean you should try to be someone you're not."

I sighed and nodded. “You're right. I'd still like to know what I could be capable of."

“Very well. After we found the orb, the Sasha I know was determined to figure out what the orb meant and what message it was trying to send her. We ended up traveling to the Light Realm and following up on some crazy leads."

“I've never had an adventure like that." My heart sank a little.

My other self had so much freedom and determination. How had I let myself get locked down with a guy like Donovan?

“She sounds very determined."

Lucas chuckled and nodded. “Determined, motivated, resourceful, and she never backs down or gives up."

I heard the adoration in Lucas's voice. The way he spoke about his Sasha, he cared for her and was completely devoted.

My stomach sank and my previous appetite disappeared rapidly. The Lucas sitting with me and talking to me–he didn't belong to me. The more I listened to what he had to say about the other me, the more I got the sense that he wouldn't rest until he got back to her.

I wondered what my Lucas was like. Rather, the Lucas that belonged in this world, the one that was really my mate.

Would I get to meet him once this Lucas got back to his own reality? I really hoped so. I hoped he was half as chivalrous and devoted as this Lucas.

“Are you done eating? We can get out of here if you'd like."

“Yeah, I'm finished." I set my fork down.

I followed Lucas out of the restaurant. He was such a gentleman that he paid for my lunch and everything. We headed down the sidewalk, but I wasn't sure where we were going. He hadn't told me.

“I should have known we'd find you together."

I froze.

Donovan's voice was the last I wanted to hear....

“Donovan, our business with you is done," Lucas growled. He immediately pulled me behind him protectively.

“Heh. You're outnumbered again, Lucas." Donovan snapped his fingers.

Shifters closed in around us, coming off of side streets and out of nearby buildings.