Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 102: Our World Would End

Troy

Maeve was sleeping soundly beside me, Will and Charlie nestled in her arms. Oliver was asleep on my bare chest, his mouth moving in a suckling motion as he slept. I rested my hand over his back, closing my eyes for a moment. Oli seemed to melt into me, succumbing to full sleep as the minutes ticked by.

It was not very late, but getting all three boys to sleep was an exhausting undertaking. It was not uncommon that one, or both of us, fell asleep with the boys while we fumbled through their bedtime routine.

I waited a few minutes longer before slowly rising from the bed, careful not to wake any of my sleeping family mem bers. I patted Oli softly on the back while I crossed the room to where their bed was, which was just a twin-sized mattress. with a railing all the way around it, like an oversized crib.

Rowan and I had built it only a few days ago, shortly after the gala. We found that the triplets slept better in the same bed, and I understood why. They had been together since the moment of conception. Who were we to separate them when all they had known was each other?

One by one I carried the boys to bed, laying them down next to each other. Will turned to his side and snuggled into Oli, their tiny noises touching, while Charlie sprawled out in the shape of a starfish, his tiny fingers splayed as he dreamed.

They were beautiful. I didn’t know it was capable of loving something so deeply, while also being terrified of that some thing at the same time.

Who would they become? And what would life be like for them when they were my age? I had made a promise when the High Priestess placed the crown of Poldesse on my head that I would help shape a world worthy of not only my sons but my grandchildren, and so on and so forth. That burden, even in its infancy, felt almost impossible to bear.

I left their crib and walked to Maeve’s side of the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and tucking them around her. I wasn’t afraid of waking her up. I could beat on a drum next to her head and she wouldn’t even stir. She slept through the stirrings of the boys as well, and because my sleep was of ten paper-thin, I was the one awake in the dead of night when the boys woke up, and I didn’t mind it at all.

Rocking them back to sleep in the rocking chair near the window made me feel as though I was back on the Perse phone, slowly lulled to sleep by the soft pitch of the boat.

I knew I had at least an hour or so to myself now that ev eryone was asleep.

I could’ve slid into bed beside Maeve, but I was wide awake. I decided to go down to the library and sit beneath the mural for a moment and enjoy the solitude.

But I found myself sharing that solitude with Ethan.

Three days had passed since the gala. Three days of try ing to convince Ethan that Hayden wasn’t a threat, just a menace. Three days, and no word of Tasia’s whereabouts or plans.

We had been busy, however, with the boys and making plans for the future. Maeve and I would need to leave for Poldesse, and soon, to start our new life. But Maeve was re fusing to leave on the grounds that the moonstone business was unfinished, and I agreed with her.

stuck in place, not sure of what to do

as he looked down at a letter in his hands. He hadn’t noticed me come in, so I walked loudly

down to the library to fight the wet chill in the air

he closed his book and leaned back in his chair,

sank into the couch and chuckled to myself, remembering the

remembered the second night we had spent in the library, which had been

get punished for allowing Hayden to get away. So far, Ethan had only been angry he

himself.

the pocket of the thick cardigan-like sweater he was wearing and tossed me a package. It was small, wrapped in brown paper, with a

Mirage separate the pages. It took him a while, but he got it done, says it’s still

knowing full well Ethan

him triple to keep his mouth shut in the event he saw something he shouldn’t have.” Ethan settled back in his seat, opening his book

speaking further. I leaned against the couch cushions and quietly unwrapped the paper, looking down at

terest.

the pass and the discovery of the tomb. The beginning of the journal was frayed and the pages

was readable, the man who had repaired had sewn a new spine. I could now flip through it

at first but found it mostly about his family life. Skipping forward, I began to unravel the story of how Charles ended up on such a quest

with a summons from

Priestess had come from the North one day, demanding an audience with the King. The Priestess, Onya, had brought two maids

King was immediately taken with her. But Onya refused to give her daughter to the

but he soon realized he could

had washed their vil lage, and during the frantic process of trying to save what they could from their ancient temple, a gemstone had been picked from the statue of the

decades and had heard the king had an explorer in his court who she wanted to hire to find the stone, since

ex plorer, a man named Casimir, in exchange for Alouette’s hand in marriage. Onya took it one step further, saying that he could have Alouette as his wife and Luna if his explorer re turned from his journey

would lead Casimir to what she said

for many years at that point and was immediately summoned to assist the royal ex plorer Casimir in his quest.

Charles’ words several times to make sure I was interpreting them correctly. I stood, which caused Ethan to look

wrong?” he asked, but I shook my head, begin ning to

a ca sual supper. A fortnight were we from a journey that seemed like it would be endless, and I feared the length in which I would be separated from my family. King Hector was a kind man, however. He invited not