Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 49: The Sacred

Maeve

Troy and I walked through the building, surprised by the amount of noise coming from the corridors as we headed down the many, many stairs to the lower-level courtyard.

The buildings are where everyone lives, stacked on top of each other,” Troy said, smiling as a little girl ran past us, chasing after what must have been her older sister.

*This place is ancient, Troy. How old do you think this place is?”

Troy exhaled, looking around as we walked towards the courtyard, reaching up to run his hand along the wall.

“A thousand years, maybe more?”

“More?” I sucked in my breath, unable to process it.

“Well, how many White Queens have there been over time? Count back and that’s likely as old as this place, and even Winter Forest, should

be.”

“Mom said Winter Forest wasn’t the original settlement of the White Queens. There’s a ruin on an island across from the inlet. That’s where the pack used to live, but everyone believes it was taken over by the water hundreds of years ago.”

“See? This is very, very old stuff.”

I nodded, swallowing against the anxiety tightening my chest and throat. This was an old place. A strange place. And I had the oddest “out of body feeling as we walked the halls. We finally turned the corner and passed through the archway leading to the courtyard, stopping short of the entrance as Duck came bounding towards us, followed by Myla and Pete.

“Where’s Robbie?” Troy asked, furrowing his brow.

“He’s out chasin’ tail,Myla said with a laugh. Pete blushed deeply, lowering his gaze to his feet.

“Still?” Troy snorted, shaking his head.

“So, you saw him? And he was alright?” I asked hurriedly. Myla nodded her head, wiggling her eyebrows at me and Troy.

“Oh, he’s more than alright, I’ll say that much. He told me all about it,” Myla said.

“Why?” Troy asked, looking from Myla to Pete, who was looking more and more uncomfortable with the conversation.

“Why not?” Myla said with a soft chuckle, “What else were we supposed to do while we were waiting for you guys to come down? What were you up to, anyway?”

throat, and I stifled a blush. Myla arched her brow,

can we

is a little jealous-”

had the opportunity to, you know,

you take it?” Troy laughed, crossing his

saving himself

I

archway, her eyes wide with nerves as she spoke. She was young, very young, likely no more than ten or eleven years old. She turned on her heel, and the group of us followed her through the corridor and out into the square, but

followed her through the market and across one of the narrow bridges rising up over the river. People were swimming in the slowly moving, shallow water. It looked like a refreshing activity in this unforgiving heat. I made a mental note to do

a few minutes of walking, we entered a narrow gravel pathway leading downhill into another shallow valley through a thicket of trees. Stepping out of the trees,

setting sun.

were several buildings made of the same red stone as the towers at the city’s entrance. Music was wafting up from the

my breath, inadvertently taking Troy’s hand as we passed beneath several rows of paper lanterns that were strung through the trees. It was beautiful, and quite romantic, and I felt a sudden urge to find a dark

down at me, squeezing my hand. “What’s

just losing my mind,” I murmured, feeling

to see this!” Myla exclaimed, looking up at the sea

you been able to mind-link with

tried but I couldn’t get

deeply. He bent his head close to mine as we walked, “Something is weird

replied. “But I don’t think these people are going to hurt

said firmly, but his eyes were still hyper

onto a wide dock. Flowerpots lined the dock, and sprays of flowers I couldn’t name were in full bloom. The deep floral smell was

plush pillows had been laid out around a huge, circular table that was low

stiffened suddenly, then relaxed, nodding to one of the two men sitting on the cushions. The older man must have been Ismir, Una’s husband. The younger one couldn’t have been older

girl, who elbowed her brother before taking a seat next to him. “This is my family,”

said, her eyes wide,

his head close to mine as we sat

I replied, watching Myla gush over Una’s brood. “Myla will have ten children,

seeing the confusion flash behind his eyes, his tanned face blushing deeply the same way mine had when I imagined ravaging him in public. He hadn’t meant to say

is it about this place that is making us

I answered, looking directly into his eyes, my heart quickening as

eyes creasing with what I can only describe as pure,

my mouth to say something, but the words were lost, hanging on the tip of my tongue, just out of

love you, I thought, unable to say

over the course of

several occasions, my eyes met Una’s, who was watching me closely, a look of mingled