Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 132 : A New White Queen

*Xander*

Maeve walked toward us, a beaming smile stretching across her face. She was dressed casually in a pair of pale

blue gym shorts and a T-shirt, her hair knotted in a large bun on the top of her head. Lena looked surprised to see

her, which I found odd.

“I decided to stop here on my way to Winter Forest," Maeve said as she pulled Lena into a hug. “I'll be back before

the baby is born; I promise. I'm catching a flight to Winter Forest after dinner tonight."

“You're leaving so soon?" Lena was disappointed, I could tell. I'd just arrived, so I had no idea who was currently

staying in the castle. Lena's surprised expression told me Maeve had just arrived, and likely while we were talking

with Carly and Lincoln.

“I have a few things I need to discuss with your grandma. Plus, Troy is meeting me there. I finally convinced him to

leave Breles for a few weeks and take a break."

“Has he not been back to Avondale?" I asked, and Maeve shook her head.

“No, not at all. Will has been standing in as Alpha for over two months now," she replied.

An odd feeling settled in my stomach and I glanced at Lena for confirmation that something was up. I felt the

change radiating off of Maeve already. She was… relaxed, peppier than I'd known her to be.

Troy's behavior in Breles suddenly made sense. I'd seen him briefly when I arrived back in the Realm of Light. I

spent a few nights in Breles searching for Oliver. I wasn't going to make the trip to Crimson Creek, at least not yet.

The only thing on my mind after crossing the portal into Lena's world, was her.

Troy had been wholly focused on rebuilding Breles. We'd had a conversation about the most recent plans for who

would claim the title of Alpha of Breles, and I was shocked to learn that Charlie's mate was related to the late Alpha

in some way, a distant niece. There was talk of Charlie becoming the Alpha of Breles, and his mate ruling as Luna.

Talk wasn't a great word for it, actually. Troy was talking about it like it was already set in stone.

With Will ruling Avondale in his parent's absence, and Charlie in Breles, Troy and Maeve were… free. But that didn't

feel right.

“Are you moving to Winter Forest?" I asked without meaning to say it out loud.

Maeve stared at me for a moment, her mouth twitching at the corners into what I thought might have been a

smile.

“It's hot as hell out here," she said, wiping her brow.

The sun was beating down on us, and my own skin prickled with heat. Maeve and Lena were already turning a

bright pink, and I nodded my ascent as Maeve turned Lena toward the castle.

But before we walked through the great, arched wooden doors, Maeve turned to look at me, a twinkle in her eye.

I felt my breath catch in my throat as an understanding passed between us, and months and months of pressure

eased from my shoulders in a single second.

***

Hanna passed me a bowl of green beans as I passed a bowl of mashed potatoes to Maeve. It was an informal

dinner, and we were serving ourselves, but that really meant I was the one passing every bowl and serving platter

between the women as they chatted over glasses of sweet iced tea and plates of barbecued chicken.

Lena was picking her food, her eyes meeting mine every once in a while. She gave me a weak smile as she brought

her tea to her lips, and I felt a prickle of heat run down the length of my spine. We'd spent the majority of the

afternoon tucked away in Lena's bedroom, and we definitely hadn't been resting, but I felt a fresh wave of desire

creeping through my body as her cheeks began to burn under my gaze.

I was hoping dinner wouldn't take long so I could go back upstairs with Lena. Two months had felt like an eternity,

and we had a lot of catching up to do.

“I don't mind the walk. The airport's not that far," Maeve replied to Hanna's offer to have a car brought around to

take Maeve to the airport. “My luggage is in Winter Forest already, I had it shipped three days ago."

“How long are you planning to stay?" Hanna asked with a hint of suspicion to her voice. She eyed Maeve, who was

loudly stirring a spoonful of sugar into her iced tea.

“I already told Lena I'd be back before the baby is born, and stay until shortly after the birth," Maeve replied

matter-of-factly, her chin lifting slightly as she peered over at Hanna. Something flashed between the two women,

some silent, knowing conversations only the two of them could hear. Hanna's eyes narrowed, and she gave Maeve

a look I didn't know Hanna was capable of giving anyone. I saw her for the Luna she was at the moment, as well as

the legendary Dream Dancer who'd saved her realm from ruin two decades ago.

She was part of Lycaon's line, and I could feel it now.

“When are you going back to Avondale, Maeve?" Hanna asked in a lifted voice, her voice as sweet as candy.

Lena's eyes focused on her mother, her brow slightly furrowed. The air in the room shifted, and I felt tension

descend on the table as Maeve pursed her lips and c****d her head to the side, obviously more than happy to drag

this discomfort out as long as possible.

“I'm getting a little tired of feeling like I have sand sticking to my skin all day," she drawled, leaning back in her chair

as she sipped her iced tea.

I could practically hear Lena's heart thundering her chest as she leaned forward, her eyes flicking between Hanna

and Maeve.

Maeve waited several excruciatingly long seconds before she huffed out a breath and rolled her eyes, crossing her

legs beneath the table.

“Troy and I are moving to Winter Forest. It's not a big deal."

Lena rose from the table, the dishes clattering as her belly knocked against it. I started to stand but Hanna

motioned for me to stay seated, her face shadowed by confusion.

“What do you mean, you're moving to Winter Forest?" Lena said sharply, her cheeks flushing of color. For a

moment I couldn't tell if it was relief or disappointment that flashed behind her eyes.

I continued to eat my dinner like nothing was happening.

“Will is the new Alpha of Poldesse. It's been decided," Maeve stated, her voice calm and steady. Hanna arched her

brows, glancing at Lena. “And I'm going to… I'm going to step in when Mom is ready to step down," Maeve

continued, casually sucking on a piece of ice. “I'm the next White Queen, after all."

Lena choked on a laugh, her eyes welling with tears. I took another chicken leg off the platter in front me, not even

bothering to use the serving utensils that had been laid out. I bit into it as I glanced from woman to woman, trying

to read the conflicting emotions crossing over the faces of my mate and her mother. Maeve, however, looked as

though she had just been talking about something as trivial as the weather.

Lena's shoulders fell a fraction of an inch, her face washed with disbelief. “Really?" she asked. Maeve nodded,

shrugging a shoulder. “You're going to be the next White Queen–"

“I thought you were abdicating the title?" Hanna gasped, shock etched into every line and curve of her face.

“Well, that was before that stupid book showed me my death, and before I spent weeks battling against the

undead. I think maybe I was wrong in giving that up. I want a little more out of life." She turned to look at Lena, a

soft smile touching her mouth. “As long as you're okay with it, honey. If you want the title, it's yours. Otherwise...."

Otherwise, it would likely be decades until Lena needed to go to Winter Forest to rule.

Lena damn near pulled me out of my seat. I stumbled as she dragged me toward the doorway leading out of the

dining room. I muttered a curse under my breath, as Lena's nails bit into my skin. She was trembling with

excitement, which was a relief.

“Uh, thanks. For dinner," I mumbled over my shoulder to Hanna, who just nodded with a confused smile on her face

before turning back to Maeve.

I heard Hanna's muted exclamations as the door to the dining swung closed, and Lena and I were alone in the main

corridor. She spun around and heaved a breath, her mouth curving into an almost delirious smile.

For the very first time in the entirety of our relationship, the future was open to us.

“W-what now?" she breathed, her voice laced with excitement.

I couldn't do anything but shake my head and smile.

“Come on. I have something for you." I extended my hand and she took it, letting me lead her back upstairs to her

room.

I walked into the room behind her and immediately went to the old “Morhan Varisty Wreslting" duffle bag I'd been

carrying around for months. That bag had seen some s**t, that was for sure. But it had kept my belongings safe

and accounted for.

And, it had just carried a gift for Lena across two realms–a birthday gift.

I took the book from my bag and turned around with it in my arms, extending it toward her. She arched her brow

as she took it from me, looking down at the cover with wide eyes.

“It's an encyclopedia–"

“It's about the plants of Egoren," she whispered as she sat on the edge of her bed, which was still ruffled and

undone from what we'd been up to earlier in the afternoon. She opened the book and began thumbing through the

pages as I sat down next to her.

I had something else for her, but that could wait a moment.

“Happy Birthday," I said, tilting my head to look down at a picture at a basic looking shrub of some kind that had

caught Lena's interest. She looked up at me, her eyes creased with pleasure. “I'm sorry I missed it."

“It's not a big deal. I already had my wolf powers, remember? Mom and I just went out for ice cream."

“No party?"

She chuckled, shaking her head. “No party. Everyone was still over in Breles, you know–almost everyone." She

looked back down at the book, her eyes taking in every word on the page.

“I have something else–"

“If you think I'm the kind of girl who needs to be showered in gifts–"

I reached into the pocket of my pants and pulled out a velvet sack. She immediately recognized it, her eyes

darkening as she looked up at me.

“Before you shot me into your garden realm and trapped me there," I teased, watching her initial guilt fade into

annoyance, “I was going to give you this." I emptied the contents of the sack into the palm of my hand, the ring

reflecting little blue spheres over my skin as it caught the light of the chandelier above my head.

“Xander–"

“I know it's ugly," I said with a little laugh, holding it by the band. “But it's yours, regardless of whether you chose to

marry me and be my Luna, or not."

“What makes you think I wouldn't–"

“Because I don't want you to marry me because we're having a child together, or because you think this is

expected of you. I want you to have a life, Lena. I want you to use the degree you worked so hard for and live for

something outside of the obligations passed down to you through the White Queens. And if–" I ran my knuckles over

her jaw, looking deep into her eyes. “If you need time to just be you, to be Lena, not the Princess of Valoria or the

Luna of Egoren, I would understand. I'd love you for it."

“You made me a promise," she replied in a whisper, knitting her hand in mine, the ring pressed between our palms,

“that we'd be okay–that'd I'd be okay. I trusted you, even when I didn't want to. You kept that promise, Xander. You

never broke it."

“I–"

“I love you," she said, her voice trembling as leaned into me, her cheek resting against my chest. “I want to be your

Luna. I'll be–I'll be your Luna. But I especially want to be your wife. I don't think there's anything I've been more

sure about in my life."

“So… That's a yes?"

“You technically haven't asked me anything yet," she giggled, and for the first time in what felt like my entire life,

my heart felt whole.