Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 94 : I Kissed Her

Rowan

“It wasn’t easy,” said the metalsmith as he wiped his grimy hands on a rag. He spun around in his car, plopping a small, smooth ring in the palm of my hand. “You were right about the stone; it was jade-a sizable, practically flawless hunk of it. Say, where did you find it?”

“On the beach,” I said softly, turning the ring over in my hand.

The entire thing was made of jade, carved right out of the stone Hanna had found on our walk on the beach several weeks before the snow had begun to fall. That was months ago, I thought, wrapping my fingers around the ring. Things had some how felt easier then.

“There’s enough of the mother-stone left for a second ring, at least partially. Half would need to be metal of some kind, I rec ommend platinum. It’s what I used to give the first ring support, you see.”

“It’s… it’s fine. It’s just a gift.”

A parting gift.

Something I had planned on giving to Hanna under very different circumstances. I had carried that damn rock around in my jacket since the day she found it, marveling at the pale sea–green band of jade running through it whenever I had a moment of solitude to fish it out of its resting place.

I had imagined making a ring with it, one of pure jade, think ing the color would look perfect against the paleness of her skin. I

had imagined slipping it onto her finger and taking her hand in mine, as my wife.

I swallowed back the pain and paid the metalsmith, thanking him for his time. The ring felt heavy in my hand as I walked through the center of the village, crossing the road leading up to my house and through the woods toward Hanna’s cabin.

It had been a week since Maeve and my parents left for Mirage. Two days ago, a pilot from Mirage had arrived in a Cessna 210, large enough to fit six passengers. He had come bearing news of Maeve, but we didn’t have much time to grieve her experience. She was fine, as were my three nephews, but the large seaplane that had been carting my family back and forth to Mi rage for decades had crash-landed and needed repairs.

We had all been summoned to Mirage. And I knew in my absence, Hanna would likely go back to Red Lakes as planned.

I wanted to ask her to come with me. I was ready to beg. But I knew it would be fruitless.

Any future I had with her seemed to evaporate the second she told Maeve and me what she had seen in her vision of Maeve’ s future. Maeve and Troy had been discussing what sounded like a succession of sorts, facilitated by my dad. My interpretation of the dream was that one of their sons was ascending a throne, which couldn’t have been Troy’s soon-to-be – title of Alpha of Poldesse. That left only two options: Alpha King of Valoria, or Al pha of Drogomor.

Which were the titles I was meant to inherit.

Which could only mean that I would have no children to pass them on to.

1 The only shred of hope I had was that Hanna had been Wrong about only two of the triplets surviving. The entire vision

but what did it matter? Hanna was leaving. There was nothing

hunk of jade in

i was

no sooner had i put my foot on the first step did she open the door,

late afternoon, the sky an inky purple dappled with stars. I needed to be at the seldom used and grossly neglected landing

was it. This was

shovel the stairs for you again, but 1-” | started, motioning toward the three or

doorway, her eyes shining in the porch light. “It’s okay,

of my hand. I wanted nothing more than to toss it to her without a word and run then try to continue to stifle the heavy, overwhelming heartbreak. I understood her reasonings for want ing-no, needing to leave. But I would never understand why she felt like I wasn’t

said you’re

I have to… I

case you weren’t… weren’t here when I re turned.” I climbed a single step, unsure if my feet would let me go any further. The truth was, I

of Drogomor, officially. And I would set

I placed the ring in her open palm, wrapping my hand

I thought… I want you to have it, despite everything. I couldn’t leave without knowing you had it. I don’t expect you to wear it. I don’t expect… I don’t expect anything. I respect you, Hanna. I respect you as much as

into her eyes for a split sec ond before I turned and walked away, letting the dark of our early nights

compared to the glossy two-prop Cessna 210 that was idling only ten yards away on the ice-covered river. He handed George to Gemma, who immediately started

bright purple wool hat Gretchen had knit for him, and he was staring forward at the dashboard of the plane, mesmerized by the lit-up switches and

have his blanket?” Gemma asked, her

in question, then stepped into the plane to drape a heavy wool

put over Gemma’s hat, securing

tucked a duffle bag next to Gemma, then grabbed the front passenger seat, which had been folded forward to allow Gemma to climb into her seat, and put it back

this thing?” he joked with a wide smile, securing his own headset

his mic, and

looking a little pale as she sat behind us with George

six months old,” I laughed, which elicited a steely glare from Gemma. “We’re just waiting on

had allowed me to take actual lessons from someone in Winter Forest when I turned eighteen. I turned my gaze to the other plane, watching as

If the pilot was smart, he would cut Talon’s mic.

how to fly the

adults at the most. It also

voice cut through my headset, and I turned to look at her, adjusting my

hours, but we’re going with the wind, not against it. We’re landing on the strip near the castle so that cuts our trip short.” And that was the truth. The seaplane could fit our entire family in

Gemma glared