Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 82: The Two Stones

Maeve

Mom patted the bed, inviting me to lay next to her.

I wiped the tears from my face before turning down the thick covers, sliding into bed beside her. She was in a sitting position, holding the cup of tea in her lap as she looked over at me, taking me in.

“You’ve changed a lot,” she said with a smile, reaching out to tuck my hair behind my ears. “You’re very tan. And I’ve never seen your hair quite this light-”

“You can mention I weigh a million pounds now. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings.”

She rolled her eyes and sipped her tea. “You look beautiful, Maeve. Healthy.”

“I don’t want to be pregnant anymore,” I whimpered as I buried my face in the pillow.

“Well, by the looks of it, it could be over any day now,”

“Five more weeks…” I grimaced as one of the babies kicked me firmly in the ribs.

“Five? But-”

I pulled the covers over my head. “I’m having twins.”

“Oh,” Mom said, unable to hide the joy in her voice. “Well,

sometimes twins come early. We’ve had a few sets born in the village. Remember when the triplets were born a few years ago? That was quite a feat-”

“Mrs. Abrams was miserable, Mom. I’m sure she still is-”

“I saw her a few days ago at the market, sweetheart. She seemed happy, just… a little frazzled.” She set her teacup down on the bedside table with a clang, and then reached over to stroke my side. “You’re going to suffocate under there.”

I pushed the covers away, my face twisted in hurt. “Dad hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you!”

“I’m pregnant with his arch nemesis’s grandchild, Mom!”

“Arch nemesis?”

“Maddalyn! He’s so, so mad at me. I’m surprised he hasn’t killed Troy.”

“We definitely discussed it,” she laughed, her eyes creasing with mirth.

Tarched my brow. “Last night? I figured Troy told him who he was this morning,”

“We‘ve known for a while, honey. Ernest brought Troy’s sketchbook back from the castle. The one of Maddalyn is… impossible to deny. Dad told me he looks like her, too. He must be beautiful.” There was pain in her voice when she said the last part.

“What did Maddalyn do, exactly?”

Mom exhaled, then laughed softly, shaking her head. “I don’t know where to begin!”

“The beginning would be fine.”

“Hmm… well, Maddalyn came into my life before… I was still a breeder then. She was unhappy with the arraignment. Your father and Maddalyn were betrothed; at least that’s what Romero and King James had wanted. She was cruel to me in those days, before the war. Just… a mean girl, not yet a villain.”

“Does it bother you that Troy looks like her?”

“Well, I haven’t met him yet, Maeve. But no, from what Ernest and Gemma have told us, it sounds like Troy is nothing like his parents. I won’t deny that Maddalyn was beautiful. She was. She truly was. Just not on the inside.”

“He wasn’t raised by her. He doesn’t know her at all.”

“I gathered that from what Ernest knew about Troy’s relationship with Romero.”

Thank the Goddess for Ernest. He had saved me from having to explain everything that had happened before the invasion.

“Your dad isn’t going to kill Troy. But he will be asking questions. I heard Rowan tried to fight him,”

out of one another,” I said bluntly. “Rowan hates

is going through something

I asked

looked away. “He found his mate, and… Hanna is wonderful.

has… powers.”

Hanna of Red Lakes? Is that why Kacidra is

“Yes.”

is like…

“No…”

can

I don’t really know

had been physically capable of jumping to my feet without struggling to get out of the bed, I would have.

know what that

onto my back. “This is going to be a very long story,

***

you felt it when I… when I lost my powers?”

her everything. I recounted every detail from the moment I met Troy to the second I stepped off the

the swell of my stomach. “And… the moonstone we found in the

Dianny? Is

city, The Sisters of

They think… bringing the stones together

at the sandwich. “But I think we’re supposed to be the ones

what Hanna and I think.” Mom had told me what happened to her and Hanna, how Tasia had come through the dream and

I felt suddenly at peace. We had made it this far, overcome so much. I was looking forward to just

the door to the

room, his eyes downcast as he moved to the end

he said,

I said with a smartass

in

me, then cleared

“For what, exactly?”

silent plea for help in his eyes.

missed our constant

control.” He ran his tongue along

apology,” I said, sitting up a little

“No,” he said shortly.

to sleep in

“Absolutely not.”

can

widened as she looked down at

he said, just as Troy knocked on the open

him. Mom gave him a beaming smile, which I don’t think he was

had showered and shaved, and it looked like someone had given him a haircut. Georgia likely got her hands on him, I thought. She always gave Rowan a haircut whenever she visited, not liking the men in her

rested and at ease, a glimmer of mischief in his eye. I smiled at him, hoping at least one of our children grew

a slight bow, who was watching him

of our daughter,” she said, sounding every bit like

a damn near impossible task-Dad said, but then stopped when Mom’s gaze locked on him. “Thank you,”

welcome.” Troy shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I’m sorry for kidnapping

as I exhaled deeply, rolling my eyes. I set the sandwich on the nightstand, attempting to swing my

to you since we got here.” Troy looked at me

just huge. And tired. You don’t have to sleep in the garage again, I

will have a lot to discuss with the two of them regarding your title,”

down on my

your rightful seat as Alpha of Poldesse,

wedding?” Mom and I said in

his

course,” Troy said,

taking care of our daughter,”

impossible task-Dad said, but then stopped when Mom’s gaze

shifted his weight uncomfortably. “I’m sorry for kidnapping