Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 58 : All Grown Up

*Xander*

I'd never seen so much pink in my life.

I felt a little nauseous as I walked through the throng of people gathered to witness the nuptials of

Prince William of the Isles and whoever the hell he was marrying. Pink flowers lined the walkway that

wove through the tropical back garden of the palace, which would have been beautiful had it not been

tarnished by the bubblegum color streamers hanging from the palm trees.

People did comment on the absurd decorations, but nobody looked more uncomfortable than the Luna

of Poldesse, who was looking just as green as I felt as she greeted the guests with a mask of dignity

and grace.

William hadn't been at the dinner the night before, and neither had his betrothed, and as dinner

progressed and the wine was poured, it was painfully obvious to me that no one was particularly

looking forward to the marriage.

I'd heard the rumors, of course. It was hard not to after spending several months on campus in Morhan,

where every girl had a marked obsession with the princes of Poldesse. Poor Prince Oliver was jilted by

his longtime lover, and now she was marrying his brother.

It made my complicated relationship with Lena look like a walk in the park.

Speaking of Lena, I hadn't seen or heard from her in the past twenty-four hours. I knew she was

avoiding me, especially since I'd been invited to stay at the palace until the wedding took place and had

accepted the invitation. I'd hoped to get her alone again by now to clear the air and patch things up, but

that seemed more and more unlikely as the day went on.

Now the guests were filling the aisles of white wrought-iron chairs woven with pink tulle, and Lena was

nowhere to be seen.

I lingered in the back, hoping to catch a glimpse of her before I took a seat but found myself glancing

toward the only shred of gold shimmer against the dense foliage and tower palms that sheltered the

garden. The palace was just visible as I turned around, watching as two figures moved behind the

foliage. If they were trying to stay hidden, well, they weren't doing a very good job.

Curiosity got the best of me and I broke for the trees, nodding my hellos to the passing nobility of

whatever the hell packs they came from as I walked briskly toward the palms.

I saw the glint of a glass bottle catch in the sun as I walked around the palms along a stone pathway,

and I came face to face with Oliver and Charlie, who were standing out of view from the guests and

leaning against the back wall of what looked like a pool house. Oliver paused with the bottle of bourbon

in his hands, his eyes meeting mine before he lifted the bottle to his lips and took the longest, most

deliberate swig I'd ever witnessed.

“You're going to throw up," Charlie said as he took the bottle from his brother, then tilted his head to me

in greeting. Oliver wiped his mouth, his cheeks going ruddy as the alcohol burned through him.

“If you do, aim for the flutist," I said, giving both men a wry grin.

“Ears ringing too?" Charlie said with an arch of his brow.

I liked Charlie. He'd been at dinner that night before, and I found his company agreeable and

enjoyable, which was rare. I was only a few years older than the triplet princes, and Charlie and I were

both men of the world and had an awful lot in common.

Everyone had been kind, actually.

Oliver, on the other hand....

“What do you want?" he slurred, reaching for the bottle that Charlie was holding just out of his reach.

“Entertainment," I deadpanned, motioning for the bottle, which Charlie handed to me without hesitation.

I took a swig, but not nearly the amount that Oliver had just downed. He looked as though he was

maintaining his composure, at least.

The three of us stood in awkward silence for a moment before Oliver fixed his gaze on me, looking me

up and down.

“Have you seen Lena?" I asked.

Oliver narrowed his eyes, giving me a ferocious scowl. Charlie, ever amiable, shrugged and shook his

head.

“I've seen her like, twice, the entire time she's been back on the island," Charlie said as I passed him

back the bottle. He bent down and tucked it behind a rock, ruffling the leaves a bit to cover it lest

someone walk by. “She keeps to herself."

“Oh–"

“She's avoiding you," Oliver said sharply, pointing a finger at me.

“I'm sure she is," I replied, which startled him a bit. “I did wrong by her. I'm here to make it right."

“Really?" Charlie chuckled, looking somewhat confused.

I'd talked to him for most of the dinner the night before, but not once had anyone mentioned Lena's

name. It wasn't for me to talk about, anyway. This was her family. This was her decision.

“He said she's his mate," Oliver said hotly, but Charlie only seemed slightly amused as he looked at me

with those familiar blue eyes–blue gems, sapphires. Oliver had one that color. He had his father's set of

mismatched eyes, one blue, and one gray. The combination made Oliver look like some unearthly

being, especially with his red hair and the snarl plastered on his face as he looked at me.

“She is," I said slowly, beginning to raise my hands. “But we ended things–"

“She obviously doesn't want anything to do with you," Oliver snapped, but Charlie held his hand up, his

curiosity overwhelming whatever desire he had to protect his cousin's heart.

“She didn't know who I was, not fully. I need to talk to her. Where can I find her now?"

“Well, the ceremony is starting any minute," Charlie said, straightening up and smoothing his tuxedo.

He was dressed to the nines, whereas Oliver was wearing a loose-fitting button-up shirt, shorts, and

sandals. He looked more like he was going to the beach than his brother's wedding. “The bride is

running late. I assume Lena is with the other women, helping her dress, or whatever they do during

these things." Charlie waved his hand in dismissal.

“In the palace?" I asked, taking a step to the side to take my leave.

Charlie nodded, but Oliver straightened to his full height, his chest puffing out like he was readying for a

fight.

I could take him. All of the princes were strong, built like workhorses just like their father. I doubted

Oliver had done much combat training, however. I'd have him on his belly the second he lunged at me.

I eyed him, nostrils flaring as I silently willed him to try.

“Would you relax?" Charlie hissed at his brother.

“Leave Lena alone," Oliver growled. I realized then, based on the look of pure, unadulterated hatred

toward me in his eyes, that Oliver might know the whole truth about us. I'd wondered if Lena had a

close familial confidant, and that was definitely Oliver.

“I will," I said, taking another step backward, “once I have a moment to talk to her–"

“Hey!" Oliver snapped as I turned on my heel and walked briskly toward the palace.

I heard Charlie mumbling at him, telling him to calm down.

I walked along the side of the palace where guests were mingling in small groups, standing in the

shade while they waited for the wedding to begin. No one seemed to notice when I rattled a few side

doors to the palace, eventually finding one unlocked, and slipped inside.

***

*Lena*

The red dress fit like a glove. I ran my fingers over it as I stood in front of the full length mirror in my

room, my mom looping the crimson pearl buttons up my back.

“It's beautiful," she breathed, her eyes twinkling as they met mine in the mirror. “This color is incredible

on you."

“I thought the wedding was taking place in the cathedral," I murmured, unable to hide the color rising in

my cheeks. “It feels too formal for a garden wedding."

“It was a last-minute change. Your aunt is… Maeve told me she's taking a long vacation after this is all

said and done," Mom said with a wry smile, walking around to look at the front of the dress. She fluffled

the sleeves and smoothed the fabric over the bodice as I held my arms out for her. “Just lovely, Lena.

I'd never thought of a cut like this for you. It suits your body so–so well–"

Her eyes were watering as I looked up at her. She was starting to cry.

“Mom?"

She smiled, shaking her head. “I'm fine. You're just so… so grown up now, is all. A graduate, with a

mate–"

“Maybe a mate," I murmured, sighing through my nose. “Xander and I have a lot we need to discuss,

and not about… not about us, really. More about his lies."

“Well, you attended Morhan under an alias. He was just doing the same–"

“He knew who I was from the beginning, and he kept that from me because he was looking for

someone from the White Queen line to take as a wife," I said hotly, adjusting my voluminous hair in the

mirror.

“Well," Mom said, pursing her lips, “if you love him–"

“We have to consider more than love, as royals."

She gave me an odd look, some pain lingering behind her eyes as she took a step back to allow me to

twirl my skirts.

“Especially now that I'm to go to Winter Forest–"

The door burst open, bouncing off the wall. Maeve caught it, looking rather frazzled as she stepped into

the room. Her cheeks were flaming a deep fuschia.

“Goddess, Maeve, what's the matter?"

“Hollis," Maeve said hotly, “wants alterations done to her dress, and we're nearly an hour late for the

ceremony already! I need your help, Hanna. I know you can sew."

“Sew? Now? What kind of alterations?" Mom gathered up her skirts and began to walk toward the door.

Maeve's eyes flicked to me, then she turned to face me fully, sucking in her breath.

“Oh, my Goddess. You are a vision," she said, some of the heated color leaving her face. She smiled,

her brows raised as she took what looked like the first deep breath she'd taken all day.

Mom placed a hand on Maeve's shoulder as both women looked lovingly at me, their eyes misting with

tears.

“Stop," I murmured, blushing furiously as they continued to stare.

“I feel like she was just born," Maeve said, her voice cracking with emotion. Mom's tight, pained smile

told me she was thinking the exact same thing. “Look at our girl, Hanna."

“You're going to make me cry," I whispered, “and I just fixed my makeup."

Maeve hiccuped, then took my mom's hand, and the two walked out into the hallway, talking in low

whispers as they walked away.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror for a moment, fluffing my hair and running a finger under my

bottom lashes to stop a rogue tear from spilling down my powdered cheeks. I looked aflame, like hot

embers burning in the snow.

“You're beautiful," came a low, rasping voice from the doorway.

My heart nearly burst out of my chest as I turned to the voice.