Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 17: Ernest’s Mate

Maeve

“Don’t say your name? Why?”

*Just in that context. I don’t… we can’t-”

“I know,” I said hurriedly, feeling foolish. It couldn’t be personal. That had to be what he meant. I fidgeted, looking past him toward the door. He followed my gaze, then snapped his head back around, giving me a serious look.

“Leave them alone, Maeve. I know what you’re thinking.”

“I just really need to talk to Ernest—”

“No, you don’t.”

“You don’t understand, Aaron. Gemma is in a bit of a crisis right now,”

“Because they’re mates? That doesn’t sound like a crisis to me.” He stood there, staring at me blankly as my jaw dropped open.

“How the hell did you know that?”

“Uh, he told me? Is it supposed to be a secret-”

I turned from him, pacing over to a set of couches that had been pushed up against the wall so that the maid could polish and wax the floor. I felt a little guilty as I looked down at the very obvious footprints left in the fresh wax, but the room was rarely used. It was my first time spending more than a few minutes here myself. “Well, if you know about it then it’s not a secret, is it?”

He shrugged, reaching up to crack open the window. “What do you need to talk to him about that’s so pressing you’d interrupt them?”

“I wasn’t going to interrupt them,” I lied, pursing my lips as he cast me an incredulous look. “I just wanted to talk to him privately.”

“About why he won’t marry and have children?”

Igaped at him again, my jaw nearly hitting the floor. “You know about that? You know why?”

“Yeah, he told me all about it.” Aaron’s tone was so casual that I laughed, unable to stop myself. He peered at me, tilting his head as I sat down on one of the dusty couches. “Do you seriously not know? How could you not know? Your whole reason for being here is to produce the heir he refuses,”

“Refuses? No, he can’t have children.”

“Oh, he’s perfectly capable of having children.”

“1-How?”

open. I could see the outline of his cock in the comically tiny shorts he was wearing, and he made no move to hide it, either. He caught my

“Aaron!”

He pivoted on the arm rest and put both of his feet on the couch, facing me. “Ernest said he had a vision that his

to gauge whether or not Aaron

own mother had the same vision,

prickling with a chill as his words settled. Aunt

rare if they were real at all. At least, that’s what my parents told me after Aaron’s own mother cursed me, after his accident. My mom’s powers were well known, but we descended

right now, I promise. And I know how ridiculous it sounds. He said he thought it was just a dream until his mom said something about it. This all happened shortly before they left, I guess, his parents,

his words. My Uncle Talon and Aunt Georgia had ruled over Drogomor in my father’s place. Dad wanted to be in Winter Forest with us, not thousands of miles away in Valoria. I didn’t know the details of the exchange of power, but I do know Ernest became Alpha at a ridiculously young age, sixteen or seventeen, when his parents decided to leave Valoria and travel west to take up residence in Breles. Ernest had refused to go

well, Ernest believes it. I tried to talk him out

true,” I said with

eyes at me, shaking his head. “You’re kidding, right? It’s fanciful at best-” He paused, the muscles of his neck contracting in the dim light as

own mother

not real, just like

told the nurse in the infirmary to save some of my

your future? How do you know your blood doesn’t have

intentionally, his eyes lingering on mine. “She believed it. I could see it in her eyes. I

exactly is this

I won’t find my mate. That I won’t come into my powers as

“Well, when’s your birthday?”

up at

until August.” He stood, holding out his

“Where are we going?”

he’s

said not

I changed

his hand, suspicious beyond measure. Aaron was a master of deflection. He obviously didn’t want to talk about the day he got hurt in front of me, or his mother, or my possible curse.

but we were surprised to see Ernest walking quickly down the corridor away from us, his back turned and his shoulders rigid

are you going?” Aaron called

from his grasp, but he squeezed my hand, tucking it behind his back, and we all came to stop in

to go down to the village

into Aaron’s hand. I felt him stiffen beside me and inhale, but his face was calm and firmly fixed on Ernest. Ernest ran his

I haven’t heard great things about this guy. Lance says he’s kind of a

with—”Aaron stepped backward, his heel crunching my toes. I let out my breath in a hiss, glancing up at him and noticing the abrupt change in his demeanor. He

of us. I swallowed, exhaling as Aaron removed his

But why?

fetch this guy, how does that sound?” Aaron said, still looking over the top of Ernest’s head at the

his entourage from the train station to the road leading to the castle. Lance