Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 69 : In the Builder’s Garden

*Xander*

I realized quite suddenly that something was off about this place. I'd been following the orbs of light

through the forest for what felt like ages. At first, I daydreamed. I went over my argument with Lena on

the beach and the storm that had come out of nowhere.

I was going to ask her to marry me, but not there. Had her demonic little cousin not ratted me out for

having a ring, I would have waited until the perfect moment and gotten down on one knee.

But I'd thought, at least at the time, that a discussion beforehand was the right thing to do given the

situation. She knew I had the ring, so why not make my intentions clear and give us both a chance to

talk about a probable future instead of just springing the question on her?

That conversation needed to happen regardless. The idea of being separated was the only thing

keeping us apart, and I hadn't had the chance to sit Lena down and explain to her that it was likely we'd

be apart for a very long time, and not because we were ruling different kingdoms, no.

War was coming. War was already happening in Crimson Creek. War was threatening both of our

realms if I didn't stop it.

Her grandfather had passed me a note on the day of the wedding. He'd stared at me during the

ceremony, no doubt trying to catch a glimpse of my answer in my eyes. When I'd gone to see him in

Winter Forest, I'd told him everything I knew, warning him of what I believed was to come. I'd left to find

Gideon and only found ruin.

And his note during the wedding? A simple question. “When?"

The longer I walked through the forest, the more time I had to wonder how the hell Rowan had been

able to ship me off to Goddess knows where without me having had a chance to answer to the

patriarch of the family first.

It didn't make sense, but neither did the trees and flowers I passed that looked nearly identical. Neither

was the strange vacuum of silence in the forest, not a bird nor rustle of leaves to be heard. The sky

remained a pale pinkish violet, never once fading or brightening to show the changing of the hour, yet

my legs were growing faint from hours upon hours of walking.

I paused, letting the orbs carry on without me, and gazed at a rock formation I could've sworn I'd seen

before, just a few hours ago, actually. White roses bloomed from throned vines that snaked around the

top of the rock, like a crown.

These vines weren't even connected to the soil–

I whirled around, peering closely at the trees around me.

Perfect–everything was too perfect to be real.

I dropped to my knees and ripped at the grass, which was plush, blemishless, and as soft as

cashmere.

Wrong, wrong! Everything was wrong!

“Where the f**k am I?!" I screamed with my fists clenched to my sides. Laughter ripped through the

silence, fading away as the orbs disappeared from view.

“It's not far now," said the voice, but I shook my head, breathing heavily as I whirled around again.

“What are you? Who are you?"

“You've already asked that question. I don't know. I just am."

“This place isn't real, is it? I'm dreaming? I'm dead?" I looked down at the ground. I'd just torn several

fist-sized patches from the earth. I'd held them in my hands, felt the deep brown soil falling between my

fingers. But now? The grass was untouched, long, green, and dappled with dew. “f**k me–"

“You're not dead," the voice said as though whoever or whatever was speaking was standing right

behind me. It snickered into my ear. I punched the air wildly, which elicited more laughing.

“Then where am I?"

“The Builder's realm," said the voice with an air of pride.

“Who is the Builder?"

“The Goddess. You should be grateful she granted you entry to this place."

The Goddess?

I chewed my cheek, staring blankly through the trees as reality crashed down on me.

“No way," I said with a little laugh, shaking my head. “Hm, no. Nope. No, No–"

The answer should have been clear from the beginning when I opened my eyes to this place for the

first time and realized I had no memory of leaving the beach. One minute I'd been standing in front of

Lena, begging her to listen to me, and the next?

“You've gotta be f*****g kidding me!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air in surrender. “What the

f**k? What exactly did she do to me?"

“Who?" asked the voice, and this time its reply was not followed by mocking laughter.

“Lena, the motherfucking Moon Goddess, that's who. She zapped me here–"

“Zap?"

“She tossed me into this realm, however it works. Sucked me in. Does she know that I'm here? How do

I get out?"

There was no answer.

So, I lost my mind. I started running, turning in random directions and sprinting as fast as I could into

trees and bushes, wondering if I could break out of this place. I hurt myself over and over, my face

bruised and skin torn from my attempts to climb trees and reach the top of the canopy that sheltered

the forest floor, but every time I reached the upper branches, the tree would simply bend, dumping me

back on the ground.

“LENA!" I screamed, but it was no use. She'd trapped me here.

“So, you know the Builder personally?" said the voice.

My skin crawled at the idea of some unseen entity watching my every move, but so far it, whatever it

was, was the only other being around to converse with. I straightened my shirt, the same one I'd been

wearing the morning I'd asked Lena's parents for their blessing, and examined the cuts and bruises on

my hands that healed right before my eyes.

“She's my mate."

“Ah, so you ARE the man."

“I don't understand a f*****g word you say," I mumbled, picking a few twigs from my hair and flopping to

the ground, my arms and legs outstretched. I was exhausted. I felt like I'd been up for days. I had no

concept of time anymore. I closed my eyes and heard an annoyed sigh drift in the silent breeze that

ruffled my hair, but didn't touch the trees or foliage around me, of course.

“We're not far–"

“Not far from what?"

“The Builder's garden–"

“I'm not going anywhere. I'm tired."

Silence. I opened one eye, watching for those strange white orbs, but saw nothing.

“I'll go to this garden if you explain to me what you are. You're some kind of spirit, right? Or are you a

manifestation of Lena's subconscious sent here to torture me?"

“The Builder, you mean–"

“Yes, for the love of the Goddess. What is this place? Am I… am I dream dancing right now? Is that

what she calls it?"

The voice let out a low laugh, and I imagined it shaking its head at me.

“No. Are you familiar with the story of Leto?"

“Of course. Who isn't?" I griped, knitting my hands over my chest and looking up into the canopy,

watching the leaves. This place looked and felt like I was inside of a painting. The colors were vivid,

dreamlike. If what the voice was saying was correct, Lena had made this place.

“Leto, the original Moon Goddess and the mother of your false God Lycaon–"

“False God?" I said with a little laugh.

“And Morrighan, the first White Queen. Leto and her children could build realms, but Morrighan never

tapped into those gifts. Lycaon built your home realm as a final gift to his most devoted followers, those

who followed him through the southern pass. Thus, your realm was born, and the White Queens

remained in the realm Leto built when she separated from the realm of the Gods to be with her mate."

“Is that where I am now? In the realm of the gods?"

The voice laughed, loud and boisterous.

“No, you're not. Even the builder cannot enter that realm–not until she returns to them to rule as the

Moon Goddess. But she has the powers of those gods. She doesn't use them, not outside of this

place."

“She comes here?"

“Not often. Only once in the last five years–"

“Damnit," I groaned, running my hands over my face. “Does she know I'm here?"

“It's unlikely."

“Why? How could she not know? This place has to be an extension of her mind!"

“Come to the Garden," the voice urged.

I exhaled, then stood up and crossed my arms over my chest. “How long is this going to take?" I

growled, looking around for the direction of the voice.

The trees rustled again, and then the orbs reappeared, showing me the way.

***

The only variance in the realm Lena had created was settled before me in a glen of sorts. There was

an easy decline, and then a clearing was visible through a thicket of wide, weeping willow trees. A pond

sat in the center of the clearing, and a gentle waterfall trickled down over a far hill covered in white,

smooth rocks I couldn't name. It was beautiful. It honestly took my breath away.

Specks of white light zoomed through the willow branches that hung so low they floated on top of the

water.

I stepped into the clearing, and for the first time since I'd woken up in the forest, saw the sun shining

above me, the rays warming my skin. There was a little blue building near the pond, and through the

windows, I could see shelving filled with paint cans.

Did Lena paint? She'd never mentioned it. Curiosity got the best of the feelings of unease currently

tying my stomach into knots as I walked forward and opened the door to the building. It was a shop, a

studio, and smelled strongly of acrylic paint and dried flowers.

Canvases were propped up against a far wall, and a sketchpad was sitting on a worktable next to a

multi-pane window.

I held up one of the canvases, tilting my head to try to make sense of what exactly she'd been painting.

“She's not very good," the voice deadpanned, and I smirked.

If I ever got out of the prison she was keeping me in, well, I'd make her paint something to make up for

it, and I'd hang it in the foyer of whatever castle we ended up living in.

I spent some time rifling through the building but found nothing of substance to help get me out of the

situation. All I really wanted to do was sleep.

So, I lay in the shelter of a willow tree, watching the branches dance across the water. The waterfall

lulled me into a meditative stupor, but just as I closed my eyes....

“Adrian?" I whispered, opening my eyes to the voice that had suddenly filled my mind, frantic and

confused.

But I was alone.