Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 140: You’re Not Uncontrollable

*Theo*

Every time I tried to get close to Ciana, she pushed me away or avoided me completely. Since she

yelled at me in the garden, it was harder to get close to her. I'd been keeping a close eye on her

because I needed to know she was safe but she was making it difficult.

While standing nearby in the garden, I signed off on a new budget plan with Simon while Ciana was

smelling flowers and talking to Brook. I knew better than to interrupt a girl's afternoon.

I glanced over at Ciana and saw her describing something with big arm movements. A smile tugged at

my lips.

I thought back to the beginning of our relationship when we first met. She'd worked hard to avoid me

then, but fate kept throwing us together, like with Perceval and the Dreamberry.

If we were really destined to be together, fate would do its job again and bring us back together.

I was too impatient for fate!

Sighing, I handed the signed documents back to Simon and sent him on his way. I took a few steps

toward Ciana and Brook but was interrupted again.

"Alpha, I have a report on the scroll translation," Jake said, coming up to me from another direction. "I

think you'll want to see what we've come up with."

I looked back at Ciana and Brook. They were giggling together and having a good time. I knew my

guards would keep a close eye on them.

"Alright."

As we walked through the palace, Jake caught me up on some of the new information.

"We haven't come across any information about how to control your power, but the scroll does say your

power is only activated through physical contact," he explained.

"Hmm." I acknowledged. That made sense. The first time I thought I'd killed Maggie, I never even

touched her. I hadn't felt her life force, either. She'd been able to trick me because I was so out of

control, I thought I'd just hadn't noticed what I was doing.

"That explains why Maggie only faked her death. What about you and Ciana at the pavilion? The two of

you fainted. Why was that?"

"At the time, we assumed it was because of your power. With this new information, the Moonlit Crystal

was also there. We don't know everything it can do, only Luther understood its true power. It could have

easily been the cause of us fainting," Jake theorized.

"Hmm..." I pondered for a moment and thought of something that was far far away in my memory.

Something that haunted me till this day. "There was still one more time that doesn’t make sense."

I stopped walking and turned toward Jake. He met my gaze and I knew that both of our minds

wandered to the same incident.

"Jake, be honest. Have you ever resented me for making you my Beta?" I asked in a heavy tone,

looking at my most loyal friend and subordinate.

"Alpha, if it weren't for you. I'd be dead." Jake shook his head and chuckled dryly.

"I killed two of your people. You don't hold that against me?"

It was a topic we both tried our best to avoid for years.

No one knew Jake was one of the innocent prisoners who shared the same cell with me when I was

ten, along with twenty of his other pack mates. He was one of the kids.

Jake looked back at me a little longer this time. "With everything that has been happening lately, I've

had a lot of time to think about things and,” he said, slowing down his usual speaking speed, "some

memories from back then have started to come back to me."

"Sorry man." It must be hard to harbor the thoughts of seeing his friends and family killed by a ten-year-

old monster.

"I'd been wanting to tell you about it for a while, but the timing was never right." He let out a breath, a

hint of pain flickered in his eyes, but he kept his usual, calm tone. "That year, back when you were ten

and Sebastian threw you in jail with us. Well, I remember how you would rather starve to death than to

kill any of us. And no matter how bad it got..." Jake trailed off.

"But-"

"Let me say this, or I might lose my nerve because it is heavy," Jake interrupted me. This almost never

happened.

I nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"We knew that if you died, Sebastian would have killed the rest of us, too. We were watching you

getting weaker and weaker. I was just a kid and I barely understood what was going on. But my

grandfather and another elder decided you were our only hope to survive, even if sacrifice was also

needed."

Jake's face contorted slightly and I understood how painful the memory was for him. He'd lost family

that day.

"My grandfather... Well, he and another elder decided to hold your hands."

My eyes popped open wide and I stared at Jake. What was he saying? I couldn't remember the details.

I’d been starving and half out of my mind. I looked at my hands and just couldn't believe what I was

hearing...

"Alpha Theo, are you listening to me?"

I lifted my gaze to meet my Beta's, but I looked through him and saw the young kid curled up in the

corner of a dark dungeon. His words continued to flow into my ears.

"I was only seven and I was pretty traumatized, so the memories were buried pretty deep." He took a

deep breath and let it out as if he felt relieved of what he told me.

"You didn't choose to harm us. It was my grandfather's choice to help save the rest of our clan."

I couldn't believe what I heard.

"Therefore, your power isn't as uncontrollable as you think. It wasn't uncontrollable when you were ten.

You fought it and almost killed yourself doing so, Alpha."

I flexed my fingers and lifted my hands. They'd been weapons for so long that sometimes I forgot they

were also just hands.

"If you can avoid physical contact, your power won't activate," Jake concluded.

I was happy to hear that I had more control over my power than I thought, even if I didn' t know how to

turn it off when I wanted to. It was good news.

"Thank you for telling me this, Jake. And, still, I'm sorry for your loss."

"It’s been years. I've moved past it. Especially now," Jake managed to put on a small smile.

As good as the new information was, however, it didn't help me with Ciana and her memory loss, or the

fact that I might actually hurt her with my touch now.

"I know, it doesn't help with Ciana," Jake said, like he was reading my mind.

"Does the scroll say anything else?"

We started walking again, toward the room where Jake had the scroll tucked away. Only a select few

were allowed to work on it, at least until we knew more about what it said and what power it had. Right

now, no one else was around, just me and Jake.

"Well, we’ve got a few theories about that," Jake said. "Now, keep in mind, we don't know if any of them

are true or have any merit, but they are working theories."

"Elaborate," I demanded, holding my hand out and beckoning Jake to continue.

"According to the scroll, we were able to confirm that Dottie’s tale about the White Queen and Dark

King weren't just legends. Like our Dark King Lycaon, the White Queen also exists somewhere, and

possibly still does," Jake began.

"If Ciana has some connection to the White Queen, or even of the Moon Goddess herself, that could

explain her immunity to your power."

I stroked my chin and contemplated what Jake was saying. Could Ciana be the descendent of the

White Queen like I was of the Dark King? It would be poetic if that were the case. We were like yin and

yang.

"Remember the first time we encountered Luther? He put a curse on Ciana, one that she was able to

wake up from on her own," Jake reminded me.

I nodded slowly. It had been a mystery at the time. Dottie hadn't even been able to figure out what the

curse was or what would break it. But Ciana still came back to us- backto me.

"Dottie and Warren have looked into it more extensively. They think that Ciana's connection to the

White Queen, or even the Moon Goddess, is what protects her from your power," he elaborated, "to a

degree."

Things were starting to make sense. The curse was lifted spontaneously, and when Ciana and I were in

the Moonlit Crystal we were the only ones that were able to recover our real world memories.

She'd made a joke about how maybe the Moon Goddess really liked her...

Maybe it wasn't a joke after all.

Frowning, I looked at the floor. "Does that mean... you think Ciana is also descended from the Moon

Goddess?"

"Not necessarily... It would have been more likely that she was a descendant if she hadn't been

affected by you when she was weak. We think now that it is more likely she was blessed by the Moon

Goddess or the White Queen." Jake stopped walking and sighed suddenly.

I slowed down and glanced over my shoulder at him. His head was bowed as he studied the floor.

"You think the blessing is wearing off, and that's why I... hurt her?”

"The thought crossed my mind. I know that isn't what you want to hear, but it is just a theory," Jake

said.

Perhaps it wasn't a blessing at all. Ciana had been given protection just long enough for me to know

what it was like to touch someone I loved and hold her, to know her intimately and have a sense of

every inch of her body curved into my soul, just for me to learn that I wouldn't be able to feel her again.

Perhaps, it was my punishment all along to feel that joy only to have it ripped away.

"You know, it is possible she is still blessed and the blessing was only weakened by her injury," Jake

interrupted my thoughts.

I muttered. "I guess the only ones that know for sure and can give us any answers are her parents,

right?"

"Talking to them would be helpful. It would also bring her comfort, I'm sure. She still feels surrounded

by strangers," Jake agreed.

"Well, then we should invite them here. Send for Alpha Soren Black. Hopefully, he’s back from his long

trip," I demanded.

Jake grinned at me. "Actually, that was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. We finally received

word. Alpha Black is on his way back. He should be here in a few days."

I nodded absently and glanced down the hall toward the garden. Maybe it was my imagination, but I

swore I could hear Ciana laughing in the gardens still. What was I going to do about Ciana and her

father, now that he was coming here?

"Alpha, what's wrong? You look concerned."

Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Her father is coming."

How was I supposed to persuade Alpha Black to let me marry his daughter?

Should I even bring it up until we were sure I wouldn't hurt her? Let alone, she still didn't remember me.

Jake chuckled understandingly. He knew what was going through my mind. "I think you'll have to win

her over first. You've got a couple days to do it!"

I groaned and shook my head. "Are you helping or taunting?"

"A little of both. But seriously, if you want your Ciana back, perhaps approach her differently. When she

first came here, she was headstrong and stubborn. That kind of woman isn't going to respond to you

following her around and quote, protecting her. She can't even remember what she needs protection

from."

"Then what else should I do?"

Jake's eyes widened, and he stared at me.

"What?"

“D-did you just ask for advice?"

"Jake, not the time."

He couldn't hold back the grin on his face and shared his opinion enthusiastically.

"Just be nice to her!”

"Like keeping her safe and showing up every fifteen minutes to say hi? I've already done that. It didn't

work.“

"Then do something else!" When was the last time I saw my Beta so passionate about any actual work

of his?

He continued, "Do something for her that will make her feel special and cared for."

"Like what?"

"Like something that she had asked you for in the past."

"In the past when I asked her what she wanted, she said she wanted to spend time with me. But now,

all she does is push me away and avoid me. It is hard to show her anything," I grunted.

"Quickest way to a woman's heart is a gift, trust me on that. Now, I don't mean some normal, corny gift

like chocolates, flowers, or jewelry. No, you need to do something personal that speaks to her

interests," Jake told me. "What does she like?"

I was quite pleased to discover my Beta's new skill set as a romantic advisor. He had some practical

theories.

"Um... other than me, she always liked animals."

Jake slapped a hand on his thigh. "That's a great idea! How about a cute cat as a pet for her?"