Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 45: Duck and Run

Troy

“Look at that thing.” I said to Keaton as we pulled the skiff to shore once again, the high tide beginning to retreat as we dragged the skiff onto the beach. I tied the rope to the stake above the shoreline, double checking the knot before looking back at the dog, who was following Maeve around as if she were a mother duck, and he was the duckling. “That’s it. That’s his name.”

“What is?” Keaton asked, wringing water from his shirt. We had almost capsized the skiff as we broke over the reef where the waves crashed into the shallows with vigor. Keaton had gotten the worst of it, the wave soaking him from the neck down.

“Duck, that’s a perfect name for him.”

“You’re naming the thing now? I thought we weren’t keeping it.”

“Try telling that to Myla and Maeve,” I said, shaking my head.

Robbie was walking towards us, looking out over the water before stopping short of us, allowing us to catch up to him.

“The crewmen we sent out as scouts last night are back,” he said, motioning to the group of men congregating around Olly’s cooking fire. “Pete said they saw no signs of the other skiffs.”

“Any signs of other people?” I asked, running my fingers through my hair.

“No, not even a scent. They did pick up on a lot of wildlife, though. Pete went a little nuts, according to the others.”

“Well, none of the crew has shifted in weeks. I don’t blame him for feeling the urge to chase lizards through the brush.” Keaton leaned over and shook his wet hair back and forth, spraying me and Robbie with water.

“I could use a shift,” Robbie said, wiping the water from his shirt as he glared down at Keaton.

“Aye, we all could. Go ahead, Rob. Let us know if you run into anything worth noting,” Keaton said as began to walk up the beach ahead of us, his sights on Myla.

“Want to come with?” Robbie asked.

“Sure, why not.” 1 shrugged, glad he asked. I hadn’t shifted since I was at the castle and had access to the grounds.

We walked up the beach for a moment with the intent of letting the others know I would be joining Robbie.

But then I had an idea.

Maeve was sitting on the beach, rolling a seashell in the palm of her hands as we approached. She looked up, shielding her eyes from the Sun with her hand.

“Hey, what’re you—”

“Where’s the dog?” I asked, looking around. Robbie whistled loudly behind me, the sound startling me and making me flinch.

The dog came bounding up the beach towards us, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.

“How big do you think his brain is?” Robbie asked.

“Pretty small. I mean, look at him,”

a stop in front of her and leaned into her, sitting down on

to the dog. He seemed to understand this. He barked excitedly, his tail smacking Maeve repeatedly in

herself from the attack. Duck bounded past us, zooming across the sand in a wide circle at least three times. Robbie watched in delight, clapping his hands as Duck did a fourth

wrong with that thing,” I said, reaching down and ruffling Maeve’s

call him? Did

“Yeah, that’s his name.”

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Chapter US Dexa

un

when that’s a terrible name for

you later I’m going out for a

couldn’t shift or because we were taking the dog with us. “You might

Maeve. He was obviously someone’s pet at

down at the

some more. We can decorate our tent with them. I said, and she glared up at me, tossing the shelt back into the

are you even going to run

fine, really i insisted. The break was healing just fine, and the bruising from being tossed across the ship was starting to fade. need to do this.

sighed, stretching her legs out in the sand, Just don’t lose

had been easier between us, but there was still an obvious rift. I kissed her, nonetheless,

was a

hand clenching into a fist to stop myself from messing with her just to see the rush of

watching the dog run excited circles around the camp, and

out of our clothes, Duck sitting patiently by the

not to scare him. Maeve will kill me if he takes off,” I said to Robbie as I shook out my stiff muscles, moving

pawed the ground, testing out my

up beside me, his deep chestnut coat shining in the soft sunlight coming through the canopy of

was staring at us, his eyes wide. He was trembling slightly, his tail slowly moving

understand us?” I asked Robbie over the

him something, Robbie replied, sniffing the

do I ask a dog?’ I stared at Duck, tilting my head

‘Do you

already outside Robbie,’i huffed, pawing at the ground again. “He can’t understand us, man. Don’t tell

shoulders at Duck, who had risen to all fours and was nervously shifting his weight. I barked, once, getting his attention. His ears perked up, accepting whatever silent invitation passed between

into the depths of the

a few hours since we left camp, and the sun was beginning to set. Duck was lapping water from a small creek we had found, panting happily

he’s a greyhound. He looks like one,’ Robbie said as he sniffed

Avondale? I haven’t thought about that in years, ‘I answered, sitting down and resting my front legs. I could definitely feel my injury now. The bone was sore and catching occasionally when I

the beach on our way back,

suddenly Duck stilled, his ears perking up and eyes going wide as he lifted his snout to the air

smell?’ Robbie asked as he sniffed. I

that coming

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