Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

| barely noticed how far I had walked, lost in thought, until i was standing at the bottom of the steps

leading into her cabin.

She must have heard me coming because no sooner had i put my foot on the first step did she open the

door, her black hair hanging loose over her shoulder and a plush bathrobe covering her flannel pajamas.

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

grossly neglected landing strip outside of the village in the next hour.

This was it. This was goodbye.

“I meant to shovel the stairs for you again, but 1-” | started, motioning toward the three or so inches of

fresh snow blanketing the stairs.

Hanna leaned on the doorway, her eyes shining in the porch light. “It’s okay, Rowan. Pete can do it.

You’ve… it’s been a rough week.”

“Yeah, it has been.” The ring was burning a hole through the palm 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 strong enough to protect her, and my family, from whatever was coming.

“Kacidra said you’re leaving soon.”

“I am. Now, actually. I have to… I wanted to give you some

thing before I went. In 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 likely wouldn’t be returning to Winter Forest for a

long time. Dad had called a major conference in Mi rage, and all of the Alphas would be required to

attend.

I would be made Alpha of Drogomor, officially. And I would set up residency in the castle immediately.

I looked up at Hanna, holding out my hand. I placed the ring in her open palm, wrapping my hand around

hers.

“I had it made from the piece of Jade you found on the beach. 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 I love you… and Goddess, I love

you. I just needed you to know that.”

I took my hand from hers, looking into her eyes for a split sec ond before I turned and walked away,

letting the dark of our early nights wrap itself around me.

Ernest lifted George into the snug cabin of my Cessna 180, which looked like a toy 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 fussing over the white snowsuit George was wearing, which

made him look like a marshmallow.

His black curls were sticking out of the 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 gauges.

“Do you have his blanket?” Gemma asked, her voice distorted by the sound of the engine.

Ernest handed her the fluffy blanket in question, then stepped into the plane to drape a heavy wool

blanket over his mate and their child, tucking the blanket around Gemma’s hips.

“Here,” I said, reaching back to hand Ernest a headset, which he put over Gemma’s hat, securing the

headset over Gemma’s ears. I reached down to the controls and switched on her mic.

Ernest 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 into position. He climbed in next to

me, closing the door and buckling his seatbelt.

“Do you know how to fly this thing?” he joked with a wide smile, securing his own headset over his ears.

I reluctantly switched on his mic, and his laugh boomed in my headset.

“No barrel rolls, Rowan,” Gemma said sternly, looking a little pale as she sat behind us with George in

her lap.

“Not until Georgie is six months old,” I laughed, which elicited a steely glare from Gemma. “We’re just

waiting on the other plane to taxi. Shouldn’t be long.”

Talon had taught me how to fly. He was a shitty pilot, howev er, and Mom and Dad 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 Georgia and Vicky settled all three of my young cousins into their seats.

Talon was, of course, sitting in the co-pilot seat. If the pilot was smart, he would cut Talon’s mic.

Otherwise, Talon would be

directing him on how to fly the plane for the entire flight.

I smiled a bit at the thought then turned back to the dash board of my own tiny vessel. It had only two

rows of seats, big enough to carry four adults at the most. It also didn’t have heat, so we were all

bundled up in parkas and heavy gloves. George seemed fine with the arrangement, and within minutes,

the heavy vibration in the cabin had lulled him into a deep sleep.

“How long is the flight in this thing?” Gemma’s voice cut through my headset, and I turned to look at her,

adjusting my mic over my mouth.

“Roughly four 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

comfort but needed to be landed at the port or the lake, which were both far from Mirage. Small Cessnas

could land on the practically forgotten airstrips with relative ease, but it was a less comfortable ride.

“I’ll never forgive you if you crash!” Gemma glared forward and swallowed hard, obviously nervous.

“I promise I will try to land this hunk of rust in one piece, by at least the second attempt!”

“Rowan! Stop messing with me!”

Ernest was laughing despite his mate’s turmoil. I reached down and shut off her mic to thwart any further

attacks on my pi loting abilities.

“How come you didn’t just take this thing down to Mirage when you stopped hearing from me and

Maeve?” Ernest asked, resting his head against the headrest.

| pursed my lips, tapping my fingers on the yoke, which is what was used to steer the plane.

“The water on the inlet is too rough for a plane of the size. I can’t fight the tide with it. It’s better to take off

on the ice, with wheels instead of floats. I’d love to take this thing out in the sum mer, but Dad thinks I’m

going to die in this one day, so he refuses to build an actual airstrip.”

“Well, you’re about to become Alpha of Drogomor. You can build as many airstrips in Mirage as you like.”

| smiled to myself, thankful things between Ernest and I weren’t at all awkward, even though I was taking

the title he had recently given up.

Ernest and I hadn’t ever gotten along very well. He was closer to Maeve’s age, and we hadn’t had much

in common as kids. But he was very much changed now, I realized. Gemma had gotten to him,

smoothing his rough edges.

We also now had Troy in common, who seemed to be pulling everyone together lately, his friendship

almost as magnetic as his personality, despite the fact that he had kidnapped my sister.

“Well, I gotta build those radio towers first.”

I wasn’t sure if he’d heard me. He had turned to Gemma, holding his headset off one ear as she

complained about the fact Thad turned off her mic.

This was going to be a long flight.

The pilot of the other plane came over my headset, telling me he was about to taxi out. There were

several warriors on the ice holding flashlights to help guide us along. I watched them spread

out, moving out of the way as the larger plane powered forward.

I caught movement out of my peripheral and turned my head just as the first plane took off. I had my

hand on the yoke, sec onds away from taking off.

Hanna. She was talking to a warrior, pointing to my plane.

The jade ring was on her finger.

I opened the door of the plane, fighting against my seatbelt and cursing audibly as I fumbled with the

clasp. Ernest reached over and freed me, giving me a look and nodding, a whisper of a smile touching

his lips.

slipped on the ice, twice, as I made my way to Hanna. I was breathless and ruffled when I finally closed

the distance between us. I stopped short of her, apprehension sweeping over me. Why was she here, if

not for me?

“Is there room for one more in that tiny plane?” she asked, her mouth widening into a brilliant smile

Then I kissed her.