Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 83 : Common Ground

Troy

Well, I was still alive.

I hadn’t been sure what to expect when we finally reached Maeve’s homeland, but I thought Maeve would have been more at peace.

Instead, I watched her crumble at the edge of her parents’ bed, the moonstones in her hands, realizing the act of bringing them together hadn’t worked.

That had been the first time I met her mother, the famous White Queen Rosalie… my future mother-in-law, if Ethan didn’t kill me before a wedding could take place.

We had been in Winter Forest for a full day at that point, and my conversations with Ethan had been short and to the point. I had turned over Opaline to him. I had returned his daughter to her pack. I had given him a complete report on everything that had happened from the moment I first stepped foot in Valoria to the day our boat pulled into the inlet that hugged the shore of Winters Forest’s main village.

Outside of that, he didn’t even look in my direction.

I was only slightly embarrassed that I fell off the dock in front of him, but Rowan made me look slightly better than himself when he jumped in a second time to help me get the moonstone before it was carried away by the tide.

The icy, glacial water had been a baptism of some kind, something that cemented an unlikely friendship between Maeve‘s brother and

me.

So, I wasn’t entirely surprised when I woke up the next morning to Rowan in the doorway of Maeve’s bedroom, peering down at me.

“Why are you sleeping on the floor?” he asked in a whisper, arching his brow.

I ran my fingers through my hair and then over my face, rubbing my eyes. “More room down here,” I tilted my head toward the bed where Maeve was still sleeping like a rock with basically all of the pillows in the house tucked around her body. “What time is it?”

“A little after seven,” he replied, leaning against the doorway and crossing his arms over his chest. I looked out the window behind the bed, seeing nothing. It was pitch black. “The sun doesn’t come up until, like, eleven this time of year. You’ll get used to it.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot.” I blinked a few times, my body and mind not yet acclimated to the strangeness of this place. The sun had set the day before at just after 3:00 p.m., and all my body wanted to do was sleep even though I wasn’t particularly tired.

“It’s hard on everyone for a while,” Rowan continued as I stood and folded up the blanket I had been sleeping on. I laid it over Maeve’s feet, which were peeking out of the thick quilt that she had tucked up around her ears. “How’s she doing?”

I could hear the guilt in his voice as his gaze shifted from me to the bed.

In truth, Maeve wasn’t well. She had cried until she fell asleep the night before, spilling her feelings about her homecoming to me while I held her, whispering reassurances against her neck. Maeve was a wreck, and I couldn’t blame her. It was mostly my fault.

me.

So, I wasn’t entirely surprised when I woke up the next morning to Rowan in the doorway of Maeve’s bedroom, peering down at me.

“Why are you sleeping on the floor?” he asked in a whisper, arching his brow.

I ran my fingers through my hair and then over my face, rubbing my eyes. “More room down here,” I tilted my head toward the bed where Maeve was still sleeping like a rock with basically all of the pillows in the house tucked around her body. “What time is it?”

“A little after seven,” he replied, leaning against the doorway and crossing his arms over his chest. I looked out the window behind the bed, seeing nothing. It was pitch black. “The sun doesn’t come up until, like, eleven this time of year. You’ll get used to it.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot.” I blinked a few times, my body and mind not yet acclimated to the strangeness of this place. The sun had set the day before at just after 3:00 p.m., and all my body wanted to do was sleep even though I wasn’t particularly tired.

“It’s hard on everyone for a while,” Rowan continued as I stood and folded up the blanket I had been sleeping on. I laid it over Maeve’s feet, which were peeking out of the thick quilt that she had tucked up around her ears. “How’s she doing?”

I could hear the guilt in his voice as his gaze shifted from me to the bed.

In truth, Maeve wasn’t well. She had cried until she fell asleep the night before, spilling her feelings about her homecoming to me while I held her, whispering reassurances against her neck. Maeve was a wreck, and I couldn’t blame her. It was mostly my fault.

“She’s fine. Tired,” I answered shortly, pulling one of the thick knit sweaters Gretchen had laid out for me over my shoulders. Rowan watched me closely. His eyes were so much like Maeve’s, the same color and shape, in fact. But Rowan looked more like Rosalie in the face, at least in my opinion. He had his father’s jaw, though, which tightened and flexed whenever they held back their words.

I

noon most days. It’s a lot… the pregnancy, you

yeah,” he said awkwardly, pursing his lips and tilting his head from side to side,

you want me to

to, uh, talk to you for a minute before Talon and Ernest get back from Mirage today.” Rowan shifted uncomfortably, then tilted his head toward the hallway. I nodded firmly, my chest tightening with anxiety as followed him down the hallway and

as she chopped potatoes. She looked up from the butcher block, her eyes creasing as her mouth stretched into a beaming smile. “Good morning!” she exclaimed, setting the knife down and turning to pull

and added a liberal amount of fresh cream, which made my stomach tighten with anticipation. We had been eating nothing but dried food and grains for weeks, and no one aboard Damian’s cruiser could cook worth a

breakfast.

a stool next to the kitchen island, and I followed suit, sipping my coffee and watching as Gretchen began to pour pancake batter into a large

patient as I imagined you, Troy dear,” Gretchen said sweetly as she flipped the pancakes. “It certainly takes

him a dirty look. She was a friendly older woman who exuded what I could only describe as “grandma energy,” and she looked the part as well, dressed in an apron decorated with

and Maeve should’ve been twins, I always say. So alike. It’s no wonder your mates are such quiet, humble people. Is Hanna

Rowan said, watching as Gretchen grabbed two plates from the dishrack. “Could we

of being uncomfortable. This was Rowan’s domain. Maeve’s childhood home. I

up with the plastic containers in his hands, thanking Gretchen as

helmet, Rowan. You know how your mother feels

said over his

there the night we arrived in Winter Forest, but it had been very dark. I could only make out the immediate area around me, which was a tool bench and

I followed him down the

“I’m from the Isles,”

but for snow. It’s very similar.” He flipped on a light switch as we reached the bottom of the stairs, and the garage erupted into light. I took a moment to be shocked, then composed myself and

of the garage next to what looked like a tractor, both covered in tarps. I hadn’t been around cars in my life, but I could tell

he find it? I’ve never seen a vehicle that old before.” | ran my tongue along the inside of my lower lip, wondering if Rowan would protest if

towed up here from the port, and it’s been sitting

my shock, “I don’t think that matters that much. This

on one of the snowmobiles and started to grab gear off the shelves on the far wall, pulling down an assortment of gloves and padded jackets. I walked

in the back, a bathroom and what looked like a small office or storage room. I could see an icon bouncing around

a computer?” I

the helmet he was holding and

“Yeah, it is.”

I’ve never

built it.” I could hear the apprehension in his voice, and I quickly realized why his cheeks had colored.

only ever read about them. I didn’t

war had destroyed most of the technology to use them, so there was no reason for anyone

up on my excitement. “I’m building more radio towers. I needed a way to test the frequency needed to connect the packs of Valoria and keep track of the data. It

said earnestly, wanting nothing more than for him to show me exactly what he could do with

on his hip. “Maybe when

he paused, pursing his lips and shaking his head. “I’m not supposed

the next fifteen minutes suiting up to take the snowmobiles out. It was

to tell you how to ride one of these!” Rowan shouted

sure if he could hear me. “You’re not planning on leading me away from the

expecting you to be, Troy. I think that would be a waste. Plus, Dad would kill me if

***

a sound as we parked the snowmobiles and stepped off of them. I looked out over the village, which seemed to be miles below us, the lights of the cabins just

above us were like something I had never seen before, so close I felt like I could touch them. A green band of light danced over the mountains on the other

said as I set my helmet down on the snowmobile and lifted the thermos

But nothing is worse than getting

yeah. I

our snowmobiles to eat in relative quiet, watching the aurora

you,” Rowan said after