Share

Challenge Accepted

last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2024-05-18 05:50:53

Ryatt

I’m not surprised by the warm welcome we receive. I’m also not surprised by the lush apartment Ella, Granger, and I are led into after a long walk in the unfiltered, sand-filled heat.

The luxury of this place–Oasia–doesn’t shock me, nor Granger. No, we don’t expect anything less from Jaxon. He’s always liked the finer things, and finally, after groveling in the trenches his entire life, he has the means to make his wildest dreams come true.

The village of Oasia is a sprawling network of white stone that spreads out for over a mile, all of the buildings interconnected by tunnels built beneath the sand. At its center sits an oasis, hence the name, the only true source of water for miles.

This spring is where he gets his power. He controls the water in Tarsian, so he is king.

This is an empire I’m almost envious of. The sheer wealth of this territory–the mines, the gems, the stones–would be enough to completely rebuild the Roguelands and allow my people to live in opulence.

Bu
Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi
Bab Terkunci

Bab terkait

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Pit of Despair

    EllaThis is fucked up, and I am pissed off. I readjust my position in the ridiculously comfortable, high-backed throne I’ve been seated in and curl my fingers around my knee. Hot sunshine beats down into a pit of shallow sand that’s currently being raked while the people arriving to witness my mate’s battle find seats in the stands. Above me, a pergola protects those sitting in the “royal box” from the sun, and before me is a beautifully decorated table full of food. Fine, sparkling wine glistens in the sunlight. Platters of exotic fruit, pastries, and cold meats sit untouched. I’m not hungry. I couldn’t eat even if I wanted to. Not when my blood is boiling, and it has nothing to do with the unforgiving dry heat. I glance around and spot Granger on the far side of the box looking grim as he watches the men raking the pit. White sand that reminds me of Maatua has been spread over the coarse, golden sand surrounding Oasia. I figure it’s so everyone in attendance for today’s event w

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-05-19
  • The Alpha King's Breeder   A Leap Too Far

    EllaThe crowd is hissing, booing, and screaming curses down at my mate. Ryatt looks around, panting, his shoulders rigid despite the welts covering his skin. Jaxon is still staring at me, but my attention is stolen by several people trying to climb down into the pit. A tremor of panic shudders through the entire arena. “Alpha Jaxon, you need to get him out of there,” I say hurriedly, turning back to the Alpha of Oasia, the man who just lost the crown of Eastonia to my mate. But suddenly I feel cool metal against my neck and freeze.“Play along,” Jaxon rasps along the shell of my ear before yanking me upright so violently I shriek in alarm. Below, Ryatt’s face has turned from grim amusement to absolute rage as he spots Jaxon with his hands on me and a blade to my neck. “If you shift, she dies,” Jaxon taunts as warriors race out into the pit, shoving delirious onlookers out of the way before they can get to my mate. “Ella!” Granger screams my name over the chaos erupting all aro

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-05-20
  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Out of Options

    RyattGranger returns three hours after Ella slumped into a restless slumber in my arms. His golden wolf appears at the edge of the clearing I’ve been sitting in, unable to even blink, my mind and heart in shambles. How could I have been so stupid? So desperately, unapologetically unaware of how hard this kind of travel would be on Ella in her state? She whispers something in her sleep, her face buried in my shirt. For the last two hours she’s been jerking awake and calling out for a little girl, of all things. She asks what her name is, over and over, each time the question leaves her lips it becomes more pleading. She’s in pain. While our bond isn’t strong enough to feel those changes and emotions in my own body, I can smell it on her. I can smell the changes taking place in her body as the minutes speed by. “Granger,” I say hoarsely. My unused voice sounds like someone has taken a rake over my vocal chords.Granger shifts back to his human form and quickly pulls on a pair of pa

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-05-21
  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Ryatt's Choice

    RyattI don’t know the name of this village or the pack. I barely spoke more than three words to the Beta before being ushered out of the village and into a heavily wooded area high above the village proper. A small stone cabin sits in the center of a clearing, flanked by a few out buildings. Smoke puffs from the chimney as I approach the cottage with my hands curled into fists at my sides. I try to tell myself that everything is going to be fine, but Granger and I are alone in this. My men–my commanders, generals, and warriors–are currently spread out between here and Veiled Valley. Everyone is on standby, waiting for whatever conflict might have come when we faced off with Jaxon. I’m too far out of mind-link range to connect with any of my commanders to tell them the situation has changed. I push open the door and step inside the dusty cottage. It’s a single room–wide and nearly empty save for a bed in its center and a few cabinets and chairs. An elderly woman is yelling at a vil

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-05-22
  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Me Instead

    Ryatt“What did you just say to me?” I have to force the words out. My ears ring with Ella’s whimpering. Her suffering is the only thing taking up space in my head. I can’t think straight. “You’ll lose the Luna if something isn’t done immediately,” the healer says sharply, waving her knife in Ella’s direction. “I can stop the bleeding with herbs, but it will kill the babe. Or, I cut the child from her womb. You decide, Alpha King. Your Luna or the baby?”“Ryatt!” Ella’s voice is thick with despair. “Don't–please! Don’t let her hurt the baby! I–she can’t be born yet. She’s not ready; it’s too soon!” I slowly tear my gaze from the healer to my mate and feel what’s left of my heart shatter to pieces in my chest. Ella is bleeding out. The sheets and mattress are black with her blood. Her skin is clammy and gray as she clutches the blood-damp sheets and throws her head from side to side in agony.“Please, Ryatt. Please–”“Alpha!” the healer shouts. “She will die if you don’t make a deci

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-05-23
  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Just a Man

    EllaBright light. A soft, warm breeze that smells sharply of pine and cedar. Somewhere in the distance a soft, delicate voice sings a beautiful song–a lullaby. A baby whimpers and is gently shushed. I feel hands grazing down my arms. The scent of honeysuckle and lavender fills the air, and birdsong echoes in my ears. I snuggle deeper into the warmth penetrating my back. Ryatt’s scent brushes over my senses like a loving embrace. Deep in my chest, in my soul, that thread that binds us together sings with satisfaction. His scent is sharper than before. It’s everything I love. Everything that sets my soul aflame…I jolt to awareness, and I’m blinking frantically to clear my vision. Murmuring male voices cut through the lullabies and birds singing, and suddenly I’m in an unfamiliar cottage made of dark stone, the windows open to reveal a landscape of towering pine trees and rolling mountains capped with snow. They’re people standing outside of the cabin dressed in warrior leathers. I

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-05-24
  • The Alpha King's Breeder   By Any Other Name

    RyattFresh raindrops glisten on the trees above my head as I walk on steady feet toward the creek that runs adjacent to the village. It’s quiet here. Nothing but the sound of the birds and the rippling water pierce the air as I sit on a boulder overlooking the creek and adjust the bundle in my arms. My daughter is asleep, making little suckling motions with her lips every once and a while. Gods, she looks like Ella right now. Her hair is a dark mahogany brown, and the scrunch of her nose mimics my mate’s look when she’s annoyed–or teasing me or someone else. I’m supposed to name this baby. Ella told me not to come back to the cottage until she has a name, or I’ll sleep outside with the bugs and rats. I stretch out my legs and cross my ankles. This could be a long day, and I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet. Now that Ella is recovered, we’re planning on leaving tomorrow for Rifthold. Following the base of the mountains and skirting the edge of Tarsian, and Alpha Jaxon's territory,

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-05-25
  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Veiled Intentions

    Isaac I’m not sure what I was expecting to find, but it isn’t this.Instead of simply walking through a wall of mist and magic, coming out the other side and coming face to face with Ryatt and Ella, I feel like I’ve been dropped on my head after having every nerve in my body pulled apart and thrust back together again.I never gave much thought to what Ryatt and Ella went through, twice now, while crossing the veil. It’s nothing like spiriting myself from room to room, or from the castle to the rolling fields beyond the woods, no.My powers are useless. Even my wolf powers are whimpering in my veins as I shift my weight on the stool I’m sitting on with my hands bound behind my back.How many days has it been since I came through the veil? Four? Maybe five?The man seated in front of me hasn’t said a word in a long time. I can only see his jaw, the rest of his face shielded by a hood. He has dark skin, and his hands are covered in a tangle of scars and tattoos.Other than tying me up,

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-05-26

Bab terbaru

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   The Proposal

    BrieLogan steps into my dad’s office. All eyes turn to him as he scans the men–Sydney, Grandpa Ryatt, my father, a few others that serve both my father and grandfather as generals, captains, and commanders. Logan’s eyes are like polished, imperfect emeralds as he eyes my grandpa wearily, like he’s not entirely sure he understands what Ryatt just said to everyone in the room. “Brie, you don’t need to be here for this,” Aviva whispers behind me, knitting her fingers in mine. But Logan growls, “She stays.”A silent, heavy, creeping hint of tension scatters around the room. The entire castle would explode if someone lit a match right now, I’m sure. My spine tingles as Logan turns to Ryatt and says, calmly despite the bite in his voice, “There’s nothing in Emberfyll.”“Quite the contrary,” my grandfather replies immediately, rounding my father’s desk, his shadow powers simmering and coiling around his fingers, “Debris has been washing up on the southern shore of Tarsian for decades now.

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Now Lie in It

    LoganBrie looks exhausted, but otherwise… happy, thank the Goddess, as she sits between her mother and Misty, listening to their conversation and picking at a sandwich. I lean my elbows on the table across the room where I’m sitting in silence, alone, still waiting for my mind to catch up with my body after Maeve jumped with us from the middle of the ocean to Veiled Valley. A shadow moves into view, crossing through the doorway before a shadow breaches the informal living area. Ryan looks around before turning the corner, beelining for me, waving away several rushed questions coming from the group of women on the couches nearby. He braces his hands on the table beside me, leaning down to whisper into my ear, “I need to speak to you in private before Ryatt returns. Can you come with me?”I glance at Brie, who’s watching us with her brows furrowed in worry. I suck my teeth before nodding, and Ryan moves back a step so I can stand. Brie and I have been using the mind-link as much as

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   He's Not Like the Rest of Us

    BrieI pull the stool out from under my vanity, sinking down and facing Blake. I’m older than him by a few months. We’ve always been close, even when we were younger, and he tended to want to play rowdy boy games with Aris. He always sat quietly and played tea-party with me, though, without fail. He’s also the pariah of the family and knows it. His powers rival Ryatt’s, which is a terrifying thought. In fact, I often question who’s more powerful–him or Maeve? But that’s not a fair question at the moment, given that Maeve’s powers aren’t even fully developed yet. Blake, however… he exudes energy that makes my skin tingle as he sits in my desk chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “You found us, didn’t you?” He nods, a flash of guilt darkening his irises. “I admit I didn’t even look until Maeve cornered me. She felt you, she said. Sensed your arrival back in our waters.”I wonder how much Logan told the family. Probably everything, I’m sure. That man can talk, and I love that abou

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   In My Own Bed

    BrieAt first I think I’m dreaming that I’m in my room in Veiled Valley. Familiar smells and textures unravel my senses, shielding me in a sense of calm serenity I haven’t felt in a very long time. Sunlight trickles through the curtains as they lift in a soft, warm summer breeze. Birdsong flutters through the air, breaking through murmured conversation nearby, but it sounds like a gorgeous day outside. The kind of summer day I’d spend in the garden before shifting and running into the mountains to that overlook, where a waterfall funnels back toward the city of deep, emerald green and crystal. The vision fades for the space of a breath, my eyes growing heavy once again. I wonder what I’ll dream of next? I hope it’s a good dream. But my stomach rolls and pitches, and I choke on a cough. Bright pain tingles through my body, settling at the base of my neck where a headache of epic proportions explodes, and suddenly wherever I am is too bright and far too loud. I groan, twisting into t

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   MY Mate

    LoganI hit solid ground with a crunch that reverberates through my body, shocking me back to life. Dark stone and stained glass come into view, and it’s all familiar. We’re in Veiled Valley, in the castle.I blink, sucking in a breath, then curl to a seated position before swaying to my feet, my vision blurred, but I can just make out the outline of Maeve clutching Brie to her chest as Brie slumps over her arms. I run, slipping over the stone floor, and pull Brie out of Maeve’s grasp just as she begins to fall to the ground. “What is wrong with you?!” I shout at Maeve, kneeling and cradling Brie as my knees hit the ground. “What were you thinking?!”I smooth Brie’s hair out of her face. Her eyes are closed, and she’s pale, barely breathing. “Hey, Brie? Brie, come on–” I run my hand over her face, smoothing pale silver tears from her eyes, but she remains frozen. I look up at Maeve, who’s panting, a horrified look on her face. She shakes her head over, and over, mouthing something

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Wherever Home Is

    LoganBrie folds her arms under her chest against the sudden, humid chill in the air. Thunder booms around us as the Artemis creeps toward the towering waves that should be crashing down on the deck but seem to hang in midair, casting long shadows over the ship. I rest my hands on the railing, caging Brie in against the wooden slats while we look up at the waves, neither of us breathing. In fact, everyone aboard the Artemis is standing on the deck, watching the unnerving sight in absolute bone-chilling silence. The waves simply vanish ahead of us, rolling back into the depths, allowing the fleet of over a dozen boats to pass. It’s unreal. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. “Are you all right?” I ask my mate, resting my hand on her upper arm. She nods but is beyond words at this point. I don’t blame her. I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for the last half hour as the Artemis leads the charge. Several men scale the ratlines to hang from the masts, keeping an eye on the shi

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Nothing Can Change It

    Brie“There’s four main ports on the continent,” Logan says, bending over the crude, illustrated map of Crescent Falls and Eastonia for Alex. “Here, in Maatua. Just south of that is Avalone, in Veiled Valley. I believe that’s where we’ll be closest. However, if we come out of the veil far south, there’s a port here, in Tarsian, which is part of Eastonia. And if we’re somehow north.” He breaths, tapping the map with his knuckles. “We’ll be here, in Crescent Falls.”“And Emberfyll is… where?” Alex asks.“Somewhere… over here, I believe.” He drags a finger south from Tarsian and sharply east. I follow it, my chest tightening as I look up at him. We’re on the Artemis right now, tucked away in Alex and Monica’s private quarters. Behind us, the Asteria, the Atropos, and two other grand ships bob in the water. Beyond them, an entire fleet of ships of varying sizes follows our progress away from Tempest Valley and into the open, toward the veil. We’ve been on the water for two weeks. Before

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   You're Going to Help Me

    MaeveMom stands with her arms crossed on the balcony overlooking the ballroom in our castle. In the city below, the once beautiful, tropical landscape is cast in shadow. The crystal bridges lined with greenery are now painted in banners of black. A field of flowers stretches beyond the gates of the castle, left by mourners. Left for my sister. Veiled Valley has never been this quiet and dark. The sun has barely shown itself since Brie left us. The castle itself has barely stirred in that time. It’s magic just… can’t handle Brie’s loss. It mourns with the rest of us, sometimes sending a low, choked groan through the corridors that make the lights flicker, like the magic is crying. “I’m not ready,” Mom says quietly as she watches the women below mingle in small circles, most, if not all of them, dressed in dark fabric–mourning gowns. “I’ll tell them we’re waiting. It's not a problem,” I reply, gliding to her side, reaching to lay my hand over hers as she grips the balcony, but she t

  • The Alpha King's Breeder   Melody Remembered

    LoganBrie moves like the water, like a tree swaying in the wind, the most natural I’ve ever seen her. Her full, luscious curves are on achingly full display in the bikini she’s wearing, which does little to hide what… what I want to claim as mine. Her body, her mind, her soul… Even after spending the majority of the afternoon and evening in my wolf form, thinking finally having the opportunity to shift would clear my head, it only made those feelings worse. Feelings that tell me I’m making a mistake. Leaving her behind, choosing Emberfyll over her…. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done. Sawyer sighs beside me, lifting his drink to his mouth. It’s rum, which I’m not a fan of but have been drinking since the boats pulled up to the dock, mostly against my will. “She’s beautiful,” he says, nudging his shoulder against my arm. “I know.” I wish she knew. I wish I could show her that, make her believe it somehow. Show her how much she’s worth, but… I’d be crossing the line we nearly cro

Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status