Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Sold As The Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 326

Chapter 106: Something Is Wrong

Maeve

We ran in circles around the castle, yipping and howling with delight as we pounced in front of unsuspecting warriors. who were leaning against a thicket of trees while they guarded the outskirts of the castle grounds.

One of the warriors shifted, thinking we were a threat be cause he didn’t yet recognize Rowan’s wolf, which caused Rowan great embarrassment and distress, and he had to shift back to his regular form and explain the situation, naked as the day he was born, in front of a group of warriors in which he was now the Alpha just to prove he was in fact who he said he was, rather than just using the mind-link.

An hour passed. I didn’t feel the pained rush of my milk letting down, or the looseness and ache of my hips. I felt, for the first time since I started to lean into the general malaise of my pregnancy, powerful and strong. Like my old self.

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‘We should head back; it’s starting to rain. You both left your robes in the grass near the terrace.’ Troy turned to look back at the castle, which was just visible in the distance. We were standing on the edge of the forest, resting our paws for a moment. I heard a sound, then saw the grass parting as some thing moved toward us at a high rate of speed.

Chapter 106 Something to Wrong

‘It’s just the dog,’ Rowan huffed, falling in step with Troy as they began to trot back across the field. Duck must have been coming to join us in whatever game he thought we had been playing, but to my surprise he ran between us, darting into the dark forest.

‘Duck!’ I cried over the mind-link, but he was gone in an instant.

‘What the hell was he chasing? I didn’t see anything run past-‘ Rowan said, his voice distorted by a breeze that rustled in the trees, twigs snapping over our heads.

‘I don’t smell anything. No rabbits, or squirrels.’ Troy added, lifting his snout and sniffing deeply.

I was truly concerned. Duck had taken to the castle imme diately, spending his time much like he had in Winter Forest by sprawling out on the carpet with his belly toward the hearth, or wrapped around someone’s ankles while they lounged in the library. He rarely went out on his own to ex plore the castle grounds.

‘We have to go get him,’ I said, turning to the forest.

‘No, Maeve, it’s dark!’ Rowan stepped forward, his eyes sharp and dark in the fading light. Clouds had moved in over our heads, casting the grounds in nothing but darkness.

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‘What are you, scared?’ I retorted, shaking rain from my

coat. ‘It’ll only take a minute.’

Hanna was silent, her head turned to where Duck had dis

appeared between the trees. The path he had taken was not well beaten and was severely overgrown with brambles and wispy, dried vines.

‘Two minutes, then we go back,’ Troy said in a command ing tone, walking between Hanna and I into the forest. Rowan

followed.

I stole at glance at Hanna, who was still fixated on the silent depths of the forest. An eerie feeling swept over me as she turned her head, the fur on her back rising as another stiff breeze sent a vibration through the canopy of trees over our

heads.

‘Is it her?’ I asked, already knowing the answer deep in my

bones.

Hanna lowered her head and walked into the forest after

Rowan and Troy.

When we caught up to him, Duck was digging against the base of a huge oak tree, its roots snaking several yards around its base as it towered over us. Troy barked sharply at Duck, but he didn’t cease his digging. He was frantic, huffing and snarling.

‘Troy, listen-‘I said, a little breathless. I had been trying to

catch up to Rowan and Troy as they chased after Duck. I felt off and didn’t like the feeling I was getting in the forest. I was regretting insisting on chasing after Duck, especially after Hanna had gone silent and still when the breeze hit us.

We were outside of the castle grounds now.

Duck started to snarl, then backed away from the tree.

‘Troy!’ I howled, willing him to listen. He turned his head toward me, his eyes glistening the moonlight coming through the canopy of dried, yellow leaves above our heads.

o

‘What the hell is that?’ It was Rowan who spoke, gingerly stepping toward whatever Duck had found beneath the tree. He nudged Duck out of the way, and once Duck’s body had moved from the base of the tree, a faint glow seemed to lift from the forest floor.

‘It’s a tunnel. There’ s… there’s a light on down there – Rowan’s words were cut short by howling coming from deeper in the forest. All of the fur on my back stood up, and I felt an intense fight or flight response.

But then there was a smell, faintly sweet. I sniffed, sensing the smell growing more intense, closer, as if…

Troy began to bark frantically, his teeth latching onto my rough to pull me away. Smoke had filled the area, mingling with the fog swirling around our feet. I turned to see Rowan

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flat on his stomach, back in his human form, fog rolling over his body.

Suddenly Troy let go of me and fell to his knees, back in his body. “Wolfsbane. Maeve, she’s h-”

He fell flat on his face before I could catch him.

But I was still a wolf. I turned to Hanna, who was still a wolf as well.

‘What’s happening?’ I said over the mind-link.

‘Duck, run home! Go!’ Hanna howled, and to my surprise, Duck understood her. He took off through the forest in the di rection of the castle without looking back.

Within seconds we were surrounded by unfamiliar, enemy wolves. Some had eyes that glowed a vibrant red as they stepped out of the darkness. Hanna and I stood shoulder to shoulder, guarding

Rowan and Troy, who were totally uncon scious.

I remembered Troy’s story about how the people of Dian ny had used torches laced with wolfsbane to create a noxious smoke that pulled them from the wolf forms, knocking them out cold.

I also remembered how the ancient healer in Dianny who had used it to bring me back to my senses after what hap

pened in the stone circle.

It had a different effect on me, and on Hanna. I didn’t dare glance at her, but I could feel the tension and fear between us.

A man stepped out of the woods into the clearing. He was dressed in all black, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of a trench coat. His hair was incredibly blond, nearly plat

inum, but he had the telltale black eyes that marked him as

Lycennian.

He looked remarkably like Opaline, and Alpha Julian the younger. They had likely been siblings.

He threw a handful of linens in front of us without saying a

word, but his meaning was clear.

I stole a glance at Hanna, knowing this was it.

I reluctantly shifted back to my human body, finding the act slightly painful but not nearly as bad as the first time. Naked in front of at least a dozen wolves, I reached down to pull a length of linen up to cover my body. Hanna did the

same.

They were dresses, ankle length a pale cream in color. Ar chaic. Sacrificial. I swallowed against the fear gripping me as I adjusted the linen over my body, smoothing it over my hips.

“You’re Carl,” I said shortly, looking up at the man. He nod

ded, once, his eyes boring into mine, searching for something. “Your sister is Opaline I’m guessing?”

“Where is she?”

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“She failed. She is my father’s prisoner now. You’ll never find her.” And that was true. Opaline had told us everything in her attempt to gain my father’s mercy. We knew all there was to know about Lycenna because of her.

Opaline was in shackles now, crossing the formidable, bar ren ice land that was known as the Northern Pass with the refugees from Lycenna, heading into either land’s unknown, or certain death.

Carl considered my words but didn’t seem the least bit af fected by them. He shrugged, then reached up to run his fin gers through his filthy hair.

“You stink,” I bit out. He glanced at me, then chuckled.

“I didn’t expect you to be a white wolf. Tasia will be pleased.”

“Tasia can kiss my ass,” I bellowed, hoping she was close enough to hear.

“Ah, I see her descriptions of you have been correct. She said you were bullheaded with a foul mouth.”

“I’ve been called worse,” I said coolly.

“Well. I’m not disappointed. Shall we?”

“Shall we do what, exactly?” My heartbeat was thundering in my ears as I fought to keep myself under control. I was try ing as hard as I could not to think about the boys or Troy. I was on the edge of tears, but I couldn’t let them see it.

“Don’t you want to see her again?”

“Not particularly.”

Carl laughed, then snapped his fingers. Four large, burly men stalked out of the woods and stood behind me.

“Come. Tasia is waiting for you.”

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What were our options? Fight, totally outnumbered so close to the castle where my family was readying for dinner? Where my children were presumably safe, and sound?

“Let’s go, Hanna,” I whispered, willing my voice not to shake as Carl’s cronies stepped around us to pick up Troy and Rowan. “Let’s finish this.”

***

Rosalie

I was playing the piano in the library with George balanced on my lap. He was bent forward, chewing on the keyboard and smiling whenever I touched the keys nearest to his mouth. Gemma danced around the room with Charlie and Will in her arms, who were cooing with delight.

Ethan sat in a chair, resting, near the hearth, his head slumped to the side as he snored softly with Oliver sleeping against his chest.

I glanced out the windows, seeing nothing through the dense fog. It was starting to rain.

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“They’re fine, Rosalie!” Gemma said as she spun in a slow circle. Charlie was beaming, his chubby little body clenched as a thrilled laugh escaped his gummy mouth. Will, on the other hand, had been looking for Maeve for quite some time, and

wasn’t nearly as enthused as his brother.

I was starting to think Maeve, Troy, Hanna and Rowan had been gone long enough. I abruptly stopped playing the piano, which sent a wave of somber energy over the room. Gemma stopped dancing abruptly, her brow furrowed.

“Do you think something is wrong?”

“I don’t think everything is right,” I breathed, balancing George on my hip as I rose from the bench and crossed the room to look out the window. Droplets of rain were falling against the glass now.

Ethan stirred, groaning as he rolled his neck. “How long have I been out?” he asked, glancing down at Oliver, who smiled in his sleep at Ethan’s voice.

“Two hours,” I said nervously, moving to the next window to get a better view of the field. I couldn’t see anything but rain and fog. I tried to mind-link with them, any one of them, but was unsuccessful.

“Two hours? Good Goddess-” Ethan grunted as he rose from his chair, careful not to rouse Oliver. Gemma looked from Ethan to me, her cheerful countenance waining as she studied the look on my

face. Ethan noticed the tension in the room as he blinked away sleep from his eyes. He looked around, his face undergoing an incredible transformation.

“They’re not back yet, are they?” he asked.

I shook my head, turning to face them.

“Alright, take Oliver–”

“You mean to go out there and look for them?” I said, my chest tightening as he nodded.

Gemma looked frantically from me to Ethan, clutching the boys to her chest.

Suddenly, a gust of wind slammed into the castle, rattling the windows so violently it made us all jump. Oliver woke with

a start, his lower lip quivering as he threatened to scream in

alarm.

All of the downy hairs on my arms stood on end as the air outside abruptly quieted. The light’s flickered, and then turned off, the entire castle powering down.

I turned to Gemma slowly, then nodded, seeing her under standing of my inner thoughts flashing behind her eyes.

Something was wrong, and that something was Tasia.

“Get the nanny,” I said softly to Gemma, patting George vigorously on the back to keep him calm. Gemma adjusted her hold on Will and Charlie. She nodded, but tears were welling in

her eyes.

“Where can we hide the babies?” she whispered, the fear in her voice tearing me to shreds.

“Just fetch Ingra, and we will figure that out,” Ethan said calmly, still cradling Oliver. Ethan was the picture of calm re serve, but I could feel his anxiety. He glanced at me, and I nod ded, letting him pass Oliver to me so I was juggling both of the boys in my arms as he swiftly left the room, leaving me alone.

Not half an hour later, I joined them outside. Keaton was pacing back and forth across the terrace, talking to Robbie. A dozen warriors were waiting for direction in the field below, shuffling their feet uncomfortably as rain pounded against the

tops of their heads.

George and the triplets had been safely removed to an undisclosed safehouse in Mirage with Gemma and Ingra, the nanny. Ernest and Myla went with them, but no warriors. Ethan reiterated Keaton’s opinion to me about Tasia picking us off one by one, and I agreed that surrounding our family with warriors made us stand out too much.

All I could do was pray that they had made it safely, and that when this was all over, I would see them again.

“It’s not the solstice, though.” I whispered as Ethan pulled a thick wool hat over my ears.

“It’s close enough, Rosalie, Another three days. If she has them, she could be meaning to keep them until then. If Maeve and Rowan are just out there in the forest, goofing off and all is well…”

“I want to believe that, but I don’t,” I said, giving in to my worries. I blinked away tears as Ethan turned from me to ready himself by pulling a coat on.

“The stones, are they hidden? Don’t say where. Goddess forbid this bitch can read our fu*king minds.”

“They’re hidden.” It was all I could say.

We walked out onto the terrace together, but Ethan quick

ly broke away from me and passed Keaton and Robbie. He stood in front of the warriors and began barking commands.

I looked behind me, my gaze traveling up to the upper sto ries of the castle where I could just see the outline of three fig ures looking down from a window on the fourth floor. Vicky, Georgia, and Alison were staying behind, left in the care of

Talon.

Keaton was silent. Robbie was anxious. We were all wait

ing for Ethan to tell us what the plan was.

But then I spotted him.

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Duck was running through the field, the grasses parting as he leapt through the air, his feet barely touching the ground as he sprinted towards the castle. I called out to Ethan to look, and soon everyone was watching as the dog neared, barking frantically.

He spun in a circle several times.

“He wants us to follow him-” I began to say, but Ethan al ready knew.

He yelled at the warriors to follow Duck, and suddenly we were off, running as fast as our feet could carry us into the un

known.