Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Brook’s eyes widened, and her mouth formed an O, but she didn’t speak, and I couldn’t read her

thoughts.

“What is it?” I asked her.

“Well, nothing. It’s just… he’s been so kind and loving toward you lately. I thought… a lot of people

thought… he was going to choose you to be his luna. Some of the other girls have given up all hope.”

She smiled at me with kindness in her eyes, and I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry.

“Well, they shouldn’t. He was never interested in me in that way,” I said with a smirk. “I’m no longer his

attendant. Hopefully this news will cheer some girls up.”

“What happened?” Brook was surprised.

“I wish I knew. I’m just so confused.”

“Um,” Brook thought for a while. “I’m quite sure he hasn’t changed his mind about you so quickly. I think

he really likes you. But… do you want to be with him?” She looked at me as if she already knew the

answer.

That would be quite the feat, though, because I didn’t know the answer myself. “I don’t know for

certain,” I told her. “The situation between us is… strange.”

She nodded in understanding. She knew as well as anyone else what I meant. “Perhaps you shouldn’t

give up so quickly. You could make him a gift. That might make him see that you have gone to a great

deal to help him because you care for him.”

I couldn’t help the skeptical face I made. I was not an arts and crafts kind of gal. I preferred to be

outside, working with my hands in the forest or the garden, not sitting at a table sewing or hot gluing

sequins to foam wreaths.

And even though Brook probably couldn’t remember the disastrous cooking incident from the dream

realm, it was safe to say I would not be making Prince Theo cookies to impress him either.

“You could make him a lapel pin!” she exclaimed.

My eyes bulged and my nose wrinkled. “A lapel pin? Isn’t that kind of… odd?” Who had ever heard of

making someone a lapel pin as a gift?

“No!” she insisted. “Trust me, it’s not odd. You really should read the history of the other packs one day,

Ciana. It will be enlightening to you.”

Lalmost laughed. She was so funny when she was trying to scold me.

“I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“I have a kit!” she said, standing up and clapping her hands in joy. I giggled. She really was adorable.

“You have a kit for making lapel pins?” I was surprised. I wanted to question whether she planned on

making one for Beta Jake but decided not to tease her for fear someone else might overhear. We were

meant to be there for Theo, after all.

“I do have one,” she said, going to her bag that she’d stored beneath her bed. She pulled out a couple

of boxes of crafting items and shouted with happiness when she found the right one. I had no idea she

was so into arts and crafts.

She carried it over to a little table in our room, and I pulled myself up off of the bed to follow her.

“It’s not that hard,” she told me, but when I looked at it, I had my doubts. “Just choose the items that

you think most represent how you and Prince Theo feel about one another, put them in this little round

clear circle, then, press the back of it on. You have to be careful, though. The back is sharp.”

I looked at all of the items she had spread out on the table, and considered if any of them reminded me

of Prince Theo.

I saw a heart–that was out of the question–an angel–also a no, and a set of red lips for kissing. No to

that as well.

Then, I saw a berry. It wasn’t the same color, but it would still remind him of what we’d gone through

together. I saw a few other items that might also fit. A red moon, a black wolf and a pair of gloves.

“All right,” I told her. “I guess I can do this.”

288 Vouchers

Again, she was clapping and leaping up and down. “Yeah! He‘ s going to love it, and then the two of

you will be back to how you were before.”

With a halfhearted smile, I sat down at the table and set to work. Brook gave me some space, but I

wished she would’ve hung around because I had no idea what I was doing. I almost glued my fingers

together trying to get the little symbols into the clear circle, and when I went to push the back on, it

sliced through my finger, leaving me searching for a bandage.

Finally, after what was probably an extra hour on top of what it was supposed to take, I had the pin put

together. I put the little round back on it that was supposed to keep it in place and let a few deep

breaths in and out of my lungs.

I didn’t want to go back over to him. I was afraid he’d yell at me and tell me I should’ve been gone by

now.

But I had to do it. Otherwise, we’d leave so much between us unsaid, and I’d never know if he’d really

wanted me just for my blood–or for something more.

When I walked to his wing, I was surprised to see that he wasn’t in his room.

Where would he be? But then I saw him, standing at the end of a long hallway that led to the royal

garden.

He wasn’t alone, though. I held my breath as I watched the scene play out in front of me.

Sophia was standing behind him, helping him slip into a jacket. She placed her hands on the top of his

shoulders and smoothed them down.

“There you are, Prince Theo,” she said, her voice a purr. “You truly are one of the most gorgeous men

I’ve ever seen.”

I must’ve made a noise then because Theo lifted his gaze. I was sure he saw me. A hint of surprise

flashed in his eyes, but then his eyes narrowed, and I had a feeling he was going to yell at me for not

having left.