Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 288

Chapter 68: Death of a White Queen Hanna The waves were lapping against the shore in a graceful, rhythmic pattern. I like this water.

It was frigid, biting, and sent a jolt of electricity through my body whenever I reached my hand down into the rocks and let it glide over my bare skin.

Rowan swam in it on occasion.

I loved to watch him as he did laps back and forth along the breakwater where the water was calm and safe from the swirling rip currents.

We had been taking long walks together lately, always ending at the port.

I would perch on a rock and watch him dive into the water, his chestnut hair clinging to his skin as he moved gracefully against the heavy silt.

Like a seal, I thought with a smile.

Or an otter.

My Rowan.

How odd we must seem to other people.

We were not the typical mates.

We’d known each other for almost three months and had yet to touch more than occasionally intertwining our fingers while we walked.

We barely spoke, in fact.

But I found solace in our silence.

Rowan had never once chastised me for my uncontrollable powers.

He never judged, rejected, or ignored me.

I was just Hanna to him.

Not a witch.

Not a dream dancer.

I was just the girl I hadn’t yet had a chance to be.

Watching him board the seaplane once again stung more than it had the first time.

They were all going, the men, leaving us women behind while they congregated with the Alphas of the East to settle things in Mirage.

I stood on the bluff overlooking the port while the plane took off and circled over the village until it disappeared into the low hanging clouds, and I could feel Rowan’s presence no more.

This time was different and would be different.

I wasn’t a stranger to Rowan’s people any longer.

Rosalie was interested in me, enthused by my powers.

She could sense them and make sense of them in a way no one else had done before, save for my mother before she died.

Even Kacidra had softened to me, opening up her heart and accepting me for who, and whatever, I was.

And then there was Gemma, who had the strangest aura about her, something that pulled me in and kept me hooked on her every movement and every word.

She had felt so familiar to me in the same way Rosalie felt familiar.

I often wondered if Gemma had powers of her own, something buried deep inside, something dormant.

But that didn’t matter at the moment.

I was standing along the shore as Rosalie, Kacidra, and Otto’s wife Shelly fussed over the row of white roses that lined the stone fence along the inner wall of the cemetery further up the hill.

The Temple to the Moon Goddess was nestled snugly in a crop of tall spruce trees overlooking the water, and the voices of the women carried on the soft breeze that touched my cheek as I closed my eyes and breathed deeply the scents of salt and pine.

I was supposed to be here right now.

I felt it in my bones.

Why, I didn’t know.

It had taken some coaxing to get Shelly to join us on this trip.

The temple was a good thirty minute walk from the village, and she was reluctant to leave her young children behind.

But I knew there was more to it.

Shelly didn’t worship the Goddess.

She had been reeling from the events Rowan had described during one of our walks.

She was a strange person in a strange land, someone who didn’t quite fit in.

Much like myself.

I hadn’t had a single conversation with Shelly, but I felt a bond with her, nonetheless.

her voice mingling with the crashing

at her, her blonde hair

had been

been practicing for this moment I had successfully pulled myself in and out of

confirmed she was safe and

Rosalie wanted more, something I wasn’t sure

wanted to try to go with me

I wasn’t about to

spray, and turned toward the temple, tucking my

I maneuvered over the rocks to what felt like an

entered the cemetery

evident on the corner of her mouth as she watched me, her gray eyes focused on

once, then turned away as she continued to

the temple,

used to light the candles at the

an odd rush of air touch my skin despite the stillness

candles didn’t even

downy hairs on my arms and neck rose as I watched Rosalie move around the altar, striking match

rippling over her hair and cheek as she turned to light a single

the lump in my throat as I gazed up at the faceless statue

as though the temple had been built around

the candle, while the other hand was outstretched, fingers splayed and palm facing the ceiling The fingers of that hand were darkened from centuries of being touched by parishioners who knelt before the statue, reaching their arms up to touch

prayed

But I sought her.

her in

a glimpse of her, maybe I would know her reasons for giving me the burden

I was standing before her likeness, I felt

Unsure.

don’t think we should do

as Rosalie turned around, her

force

I promised you that.”

don’t think

What if-”

is her place, her

why I chose

several white roses on the altar that was situated between the stone benches and the statue, her fingers lingering on the petals as she

me, that

her desires to

stoic woman, but

carried herself with

us see her falter or give in to her

overwhelming part of me told me that

was gone to Mirage, and she had no witness to protest

U

need to see

need to see what

understand how this

What this means.

for

for Maeve, and Rowan.” “1-1 know-” “You

Lycenna needs you for something

and I

I need to know for sure so we can

right,” I

instead of leaning against my deeply rooted anxieties about attempting to take Rosalie, the White Queen herself, into a realm outside of

have to try,”

I nodded tightly.

come in, murmuring in low

smell the roses

Kacidra asked

then me, her expression softening as she smiled and

her hand, see if she can take me wherever she

sounds too

gave her a motherly look of warning, then turned her attention back to

the statue nonchalantly, her eyes

we just

be able

that makes sense I know your method

do,” she

the idea of her being able to Dream Dance with

sounded impossible,

Queen If anyone could do this,

breath, looking over

nervous but

looked oddly excited and

the silent encouragement began to course through my

toward Rosalie, my eyes flitting up to the faceless

had practiced, and practiced, and practiced until I got

in my abilities to will myself in

could always

I worried about