Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 69:1 Felt Her Go

Ethan

Mirage was in shambles, but it was quiet. All around us people were moving as though in slow motion.

It had been roughly

eight weeks since Damian invaded and tore the place to shreds. But oddly enough, the destruction was

the only trace left of his invasion.

All of his warriors were gone. The castle was empty.

We had left Winter Forest three days ago, shortly after Ernest and Gemma had arrived. Rosalie and

Georgia had stayed behind, and with good reason. Gemma was too far along to risk travel, and Rosalie

seemed to have plans for Hanna.

U glanced over my shoulder at Rowan, who was huddled amongst a group of men pouring over several

sheets of blueprints. Rowan was pointing to the lopsided radio tower that rose out of the trees and was

covered in vines, his eyes shining as he explained his course of action.

I watched him for a moment, seeing at once the man he would one day become. A leader. The next

Alpha King. He would inherit it all. The West. The East. Whatever lands Maeve found past the

Southern channel. It would be his.

I wouldn’t let him inherit ruin. I was going to end this, whatever it was.

Ernest was walking ahead of us as we sauntered around the castle grounds, bending every once in a

while to examine debris left behind by Damian’s men.

“He feels guilty for leaving,” Talon said, tucking his hands into his pockets as we walked.

“He shouldn’t; there was nothing he could have done.”

I believed it wholeheartedly. Mirage was a city of many packs, the territories bleeding into each other

the closer you got to the city. Ernest didn’t flee like a coward. He had hidden Gemma in the center of

Mirage while he gathered the other Alphas. together, placing a few in charge of caring for those people

who had been displaced, and the rest to fight and guard their hold on their territories that bordered the

city. Then he brought Gemma home, praying to the Goddess that things didn’t unravel further in his

absence.

He was born and bred to be the Alpha of Drogomor, the sole ruler of Mirage. Ernest felt like he had

abandoned his people, but what choice did he have? We didn’t know then what we knew now.

And he was after her, right now, while we tried to put the pieces of Valoria back together.

“He will come back to rule, of course. Gemma too.” Talon bit the inside of his cheek, shaking his head.

“I think you and Georgia should stay as well-”

“Of course, we wouldn’t think of leaving. But this is his throne now, Ethan. I have no desire to take

over.”

“I wasn’t asking you to,” I breathed, tucking my hands into my pockets. I already knew Ro would fight

the decision to break the family apart again, and she was probably right about it. Regardless of the fact

that Damian and his army had already left Valoria, we were on the brink of another major, far-reaching

war. The Alpha’s of the west were already gathering thanks to Paul and Vicky. We had to take care of

Poldesse, once and for all.

But then there was Lycenna to think about. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around

who those people were or what they wanted. I dismissed the thought, for now.

Ernest was standing next to the castle now, looking up at a window on the fourth floor. A piece of

plywood covered it from the inside, the glass broken and glistening in the sun in the shrubbery below.

“Troy… broke out the window to get Maeve out of the castle,” Ernest said sadly as we caught up to

him, flanking him on either side. “Gemma heard it happen, but she was… she…”

“It’s alright, son.” Talon laid his hand on Ernest’s shoulder, squeezing. “We‘re safe, all of us,”

“I should never have let her go to get Maeve alone. I thought we had more time. We all did.”

“They came in through the tunnels. There was nothing you could have done,” I said sternly, hoping to

ease some of his guilt. Ernest looked at me, his blue eyes sharp and focused as he let out his breath.

“It was my fault. I showed… I showed Julian of Greenbriar the tunnel system. He asked me about it and

… I didn’t think…”

“Ernest, come on kid. This wasn’t-” Talon began, but I turned to Ernest, cutting off Talon with a wave of

my hand.

“Alpha Julien? How-but he’s an old man? What use would he-”

“Old?” Ernest looked confused. “No, he wasn’t old. He was close to Rowan’s age-”

“You said Greenbriar?” Talon looked from Ernest to me, his eyes shining in confusion.

“I did, yes. He came with his sister, or wife, I honestly wasn’t sure. She was the Luna of,”

“Oh, shit,” I said, running my fingers through my hair, remembering the blonde woman with the beady

black eyes who had been in the castle whén Rowan and I came to the Mirage for the first time after

Damian’s invasion.

“What?” Talon arched his brow, waiting for someone to explain, but Ernest shrugged.

“Alpha Julian of Greenbriar was blond, wasn’t he? Strange looking guy?” I asked Ernest. Ernest

nodded. “F*ck. We need to go back to Winter Forest, now. All of us.”

“What? Why? I can’t leave before-” Ernest began, but I cut him off.

“Lycenna. Damian was working with Lycenna this whole time. That woman… I didn’t even realize it until

now,” I was stuttering, trying to organize the plot playing out in my head. Blond, black eyes, the strange,

lifted accent. Opaline and Julian weren’t of Greenbriar, no. They were Lycennian. I’d bet my life on it.

Julian was likely a grandchild, or however his crisscrossed genetics tied him to Alpha Julien of

Lycenna. Ernest had unknowingly opened the door to him, giving him a glimpse of the inner workings

of the castle so Julian the younger could go back to Damian with a plan. With a map of the tunnels.

“What would Lycenna want with Mirage? From what you told me about them”

“This goes beyond territories, Talon,” I snapped, my skin prickling with adrenaline. Goddess, this was

getting more and more complicated by the minute.

“What’s wrong with you guys?” Rowan walked up to us, eyeing us coolly.

“We‘re going back to Winter Forest,” I said, giving Ernest a commanding look.