Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Maeve

Damian was not what I was expecting. He was an older man, tall and lean. He was probably not much older than my own father, but was significantly gray, his eyes framed by wire-rimmed

glasses. He looked more like a kind old schoolteacher than the super-villain of my nightmares, but based on Troy’s body language I realized there was much more to the man than I could gather based on a single glance.

Damian was standing, rocking on heels, and watching us. Pete was lying on the ground nearby. unconscious, and another unfamiliar man of a size that rivaled Robbie was leaning against one of the dead trees, his arms crossed over his chest.

“What are we waiting for?” Damian said in a casual, almost friendly voice.

Troy didn’t move; he was still as a statue, his focus on Damian.

“How are you here?” Troy finally said, his voice edged with fury and confusion. Damian arched his brow, giving Troy an incredulous look.

“I made some new friends,” Damian smiled, shrugging as he took a single step forward, craning his neck to look around Troy to catch a glimpse of me. “Ah, would you look at that? The rumors are true She does look like Ethan.”

“We‘re leaving,”

“And going where exactly, Troy? I owe you; you know. When I first got word about the level of your intimacy with the princess, well, I thought it would cause me nothing but grief. But you’re here now, with her. This will all be over quite soon, and you can have your prize-”

“Prize?” I asked, looking up at Troy.

His shoulders fell a fraction of an inch, but he still stared straight forward, his eye on Damian, unblinking

I knew the original plan and the fact Troy was going to be paid handsomely for breaking Romero out of the castle, but that wasn’t what Damian had been planning all along. Troy was tricked. Surely, Damian didn’t mean to pay him still, if he had been planning to do so at all.

“I did promise you didn’t l?” Damian took another step forward.

“Promise him what?” I snapped, attempting to step out from behind Troy.

Troy blocked me, pulling me back behind him. But Damian had seen me fully, and his eyes widened, then his mouth curled into a malicious smile.

“Well done, Troy.”

“Don’t speak to me, or to her. Leave, now!”

I’d never heard Troy speak in such a tone before, his voice carrying through the clearing in a crisp. commanding way

“I was going to make you my heir, you know. You, the rightful prince-but wait, Romero is dead, isn’t he Troy? My man Horace saw to that, for you.”

“What is he trying to say, Troy?” I whispered into his back.

“Why don’t you tell her for yourself, Troy? Who you really are?”

“I suspect she already knows.” Troy answered, his tone biting.

I had no idea what he meant, honestly. He was Madalynn’s child; I knew that much. He mentioned his father’s name had been Behar. And his grandfather was

“You’re a prince,” I said quietly, the pieces falling into place. I didn’t know why the thought hadn’t crossed my mind before.

“More than that,” Damian folded his hands behind his back and paced, meeting my eye. “He’s the hereditary Alpha of Poldesse.”

I bit my lip to prevent myself from saying my thoughts aloud. Surely, Troy wasn’t planning on acting on that

“It can be all yours, Troy. The Kingdom of the Isles. Valoria is weak, ready for your hand to rule. I paved the way for the dynasty your grandfather always wanted. All you have to do is give me the girl.”

“No,” Troy said firmly without hesitation.

This was your mother’s dream, you

“I didn’t know her,”

would’ve been a different man had she

allow you to lay

matter? I just need her

But before I could act, the large man, Damian’s crony, had his arm around Troy’s

got to his feet, gracefully brushing the dirt

my stomach. Old Maeve would’ve given this man a piece of her mind,

was a

just as the large

still sprawled out on the ground. I caught myself on one of the beams holding up

in my hair as he yanked me off

reaching up and pinching his hand with my

his age, but he wasn’t much taller than me. I thrashed and squirmed against his hold on my hair until I heard

been cursing and trying to

his head toward her,” Damian commanded, and the man knelt on top of Troy, his knee keeping Troy flat on his stomach. Troy was furious, his lips pulled back over his teeth. “If you shift, Troy, I’ll kill her right now, right in front of you.” Damian produced a knife from his pocket, testing the sharpness of the blade on the sleeve

closed my eyes, trying to calm

to be

hair again, making me wince. He laughed,

don’t even know her powers, do you, Troy? Spawn of a White Queen,” Damian pulled up the sleeve

into power yet!” Troy

to cry. Had it just been me, Damian would

and if I cooperated, I could likely secure Troy’s

you know how to open the tomb?” I exhaled, turning to look Damian square in the

submission, but seemed pleased, loosening his grip on my

you‘re not going to

me,” I said, my

gripping it tightly as he let go of my hair completely and positioned himself between me and Troy, blocking Troy’s

A dead White Queen must be laid before

courage

giving me a

knife, I’ll show you. You need me, don’t you? I will open this door for you. I

corner of his mouth twitching as he contemplated his response. “What makes you think I

my bluff. I didn’t know what to do with the

then turned his head to look down at Troy. Shrugging, he handed me the knife, taking a step away from me lest

thought about it, especially as I examined the knife’s weight and feel in my hands. I could

have his big, burly bodyguard to worry about after that, the same man who had his

calmly, tilting his head as he watched me while I lifted my hand up, bringing the tip of the knife to the palm of my

grimace as the blade sliced shallowly into my skin. Damian was grinning broadly, his eyes creasing with pure, unadulterated greed as I squeezed my hand, my blood

as I stole a glance at Troy, who was glaring at

do it, Maeve,”

he could see the desperation in my gaze. Then I turned from him and walked to the entrance of Lycaon’s tomb, my breath catching in my throat as the air seemed to still around me, as

What next?

deeply, then placed it on

tips of my fingers. It was uncomfortable, but I fought against it, keeping

in excitement as the door

my chest and moving me out of harm’s way as the

the hill, carved into the stone. Damian was already inside of it, looking around, his face twisted in delirium. He looked

the first

Pete and

you not remember what happened in Dianny?”

can’t use it without you,” Troy protested, his voice a low