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?”

down on the arm rest with his legs splayed 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 gaze and

“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 mate and their

trying to gauge whether or not Aaron was messing

same vision, and she was the driving force behind getting your dad to bring you

You’re joking!” I felt myself flush, my skin prickling with a chill as his words settled. Aunt Georgia

Aaron’s own mother cursed me, after his accident. My

not messing with you 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

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

Ernest believes it. I tried

true,” I said with

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

mother

real, just like Ernest’s vision was

the nurse in the infirmary to save some of my blood for healing and

That something an angry woman said now determines your future? How do you know

lingering on mine. “She believed it.

exactly is this

my knees to look down at the floor. “That I won’t find my mate. That

“Well, when’s your birthday?”

up at him.”Not until

worry about it until August.” He stood, holding out

“Where are we going?”

Ernest he’s being

thought you said not to

I changed

didn’t want to talk about the day he got hurt in front of me, or his mother,

quickly down the corridor away from us, his back turned and

are you going?” Aaron called

hand, tucking it behind his back, and

Greenbriar was arriving for a conference today. I have to go down to the village to escort him to the castle. Give him a little tour.” He sighed deeply, running his fingers through his

but his face was calm and firmly fixed on Ernest. Ernest ran his fingers through his hair again, ruffling it beyond repair,

you sure? I haven’t heard great things about this guy. Lance says he’s kind

to work things out 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 was looking forward, his gaze traveling well past Ernest and into a darkened corner of the corridor where it wound back toward

us. I swallowed,

But why?

looking over the top of Ernest’s head at the figure lurking in the shadows. Did I just see

and his entourage from the train station to the road leading to the castle. Lance will meet them there. I’d definitely feel better if you went with