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

“I didn’t know her,”

man had

to lay

I just need her blood. You can have the child

lunged forward, knocking Damian flat on his back. But before I could act, the large man, Damian’s crony, had his arm around

brushing the dirt from

Maeve would’ve given this man a

Maeve was a little

Troy bellowed, just as the large

but tripped over Pete, who was still sprawled out on the ground. I caught myself on one of the beams holding up the entrance to the tunnel, one arm

my hair as he yanked me off the

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

to twist out of the

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 of

and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself by

be okay,” Troy said

making me

know her powers, do you, Troy? Spawn of a White Queen,” Damian pulled

power

it just been me, Damian would be on the ground beneath

Damian needed me, and if I cooperated, I

to open the tomb?” I exhaled, turning to

my sudden submission, but seemed

do, but you‘re not

said, my

knife in the air and caught it, gripping it tightly as he let go of my hair completely and positioned himself between me and Troy, blocking Troy’s view of my face. I swallowed the fear that tightened my throat and waited for him to say, or

White

mustered all of the courage

me a look of pure challenge.

knife, I’ll show you. You need me, don’t you? I will open this door for you. I will show you how to access the moonstone’s power. But I want

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

Damian,” I said, hoping he didn’t call my bluff. I didn’t know what to do with the

me for a moment, then turned his head to look down at Troy. Shrugging,

my hands. I could throw it at him, aiming

the same

he watched me while I lifted my hand up, bringing the tip of the knife to the palm

as the blade sliced shallowly into my skin. Damian was grinning broadly, his eyes creasing with pure,

as I

it,

walked to the entrance of Lycaon’s tomb, my breath catching in my throat as the air seemed to still around me, as though it was holding

What next?

hand, inhaling deeply, then placed it on the symbol in the center

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

me, his voice lifted in excitement as the door began to give way, the rock crumbling at

I was being pulled backward by Troy, his arms coming around my chest and moving me out

the stone. Damian was already inside of it,

the first

going, we have to get Pete and get

not remember what happened in Dianny?” I whispered,

without you,” Troy protested, his voice