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Then I Saw Her Face
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2023-11-09 03:28:11
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The Alpha King's Breeder   Portrait of a Queen
*Maddy*Once a Luna, always a Luna, at least thatâs how I perceive the woman sitting across from me in a high back armchair. Soft afternoon sunlight makes her glow a pale gold, an aura nearly the same color as her long, silken blonde hair. Her eyes are exactly like Isaacâs, and it gives me a start to look directly into them. Iâm sitting before a goddessâkind and warmâand I am no one, yet Iâm taking her place. âIsaac says your parents are no longer alive, but you have a stepmother and stepsister. Will you be inviting them to the wedding, now that weâveâĶ been given more time?â She blushes a bit, which surprises me. I donât know what was said before I came into the room, but itâs almost as if she feels guilty for throwing off the rushed order of things. âOh, them,â I sigh, unable to stop myself. I meet her eyes, blue gems behind gold dusted lashes. âWeâre not close.ââHow come?âI grit my teeth in an effort to stop myself from speaking before thinking. While my fluency in their languag
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-11-11The Alpha King's Breeder   Gravity
*Maddy*I follow Isaac through the castle. Itâs busier than usualâmaids fluttering about and weaving in and out of random doorsâbut Isaac is hyper-focused on something, and I have to refrain from pulling him to a stop to ask where exactly heâs taking me. When he pulls me into his bedroom, I freeze, my heart coming to an abrupt stop. âWhy are weâââHere,â he says with a boyish gleam in his eyes, tossing me a sweater to wear over my sleeveless dress. âI would have taken you to your own room to change, but I didnât want to get interrupted by Hannah or anyone else.âI gingerly pull my arms through the soft, baby blue material. Itâs cashmere, I can tell. My father used to have a sweater just like this one and wore it when the weather had even the slightest hint of a bite in the air. The sweater hangs nearly to my sides but the warmth penetrates my skin within seconds. And seconds is all I have because Isaac clasps his hand around mine and yanks me toward the door, and weâre off at the sp
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-11-13The Alpha King's Breeder   Battle Plans
*Maddy*I had enough time to go back to my room to change, but once I got there, I was a little lost. Standing in front of the closet looking into the darkened depths which Hannah had filled with clothing in exactly my size, ranging from soft linen and silk lounge wear to the most incredible gowns and dresses Iâve ever seen in my life, I take several minutes to contemplate, wondering what to wear to a family dinner with the royal family. For whatever reason, wearing a gown tonight feels too formal. Much, much too formal. With a sigh, I settle for tailored black slacks and a dark blue cashmere sweater. I pull my hair back into a long ponytail, pinning it away from my face. A smidge of makeup completes the look. I donât have jewelry. I havenât ever really worn it. This will have to do.I give myself one last look in the mirror over my vanity and see, for the first time, myself. Not a lowly slave. Not a maid. Not a severely underfed and overworked orphan resigned to a life of lonelines
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-11-21The Alpha King's Breeder   Claim Me, My King
*Maddy*Iâm not sure what else there is to say between us right now. Everything seems to have been set into motion alreadyâour marriage, his departure to war, the fact Iâm being left here to act like a Luna when only weeks ago I was scrubbing floors. Any residual feelings from our intimate moment in the astronomy tower had vanished during the tense family meeting in the sitting room after dinner. The tension in the family is thick, and I feel like Iâm in the middle of it. I follow Isaac to his office through the surprisingly quiet house. There are so many people here tucked in the bedrooms and suites, but it feels like we're totally and utterly alone. As he closes his office door behind me, and motions for me to sit on the red leather sofa in front of his desk, I fight the urge to immediately ask the questions burning little holes in my mind. He leans against his desk and crosses his arms over his chest, looking withdrawn and exhausted. âIâm sorry to have dragged you into all of t
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-11-25The Alpha King's Breeder   Taken by the King
*Isaac*I pick her up in one swift motion, clutching her body to my chest. Iâm not doing this on the couch in my office like sheâs someone I brought home after a rowdy night at one of the bars downtown, no. This woman is going to be my wife in a few days. Sheâs different. She means much more to me that Iâm even willing to admit. Unlooking the office door, I quickly move through the second floor of the house. âIsaac,â she pants, gripping my shoulders. âI can walkââI turn a shadowed corner and walk down the hallway that leads to my roomâsoon to be our chambers. The full bedroom suit and adjoining sitting room. I do my best not to kick down the door in my haste to get inside, driven mad by the feel of her in my arms. Her scent is everything I love and everything I find hard to explain. Like a fresh, clean spring day mingled with a warmth that reminds me of sitting by a fire with a drink in hand after being outside in the cold for hours. Her touch sends ripples of heat through me tha
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-11-26The Alpha King's Breeder   The Baby Girl
*Maddy*I might be dreaming. The distant echoes of a scream flicker through the room. I look down at the moonlight dusted arm of Isaac, who is still holding me against his chest as he sleeps. He doesnât wake to the sound, and itâs gone in an instant, replaced by total silence. But every fine hair on my body is standing on end. Something isnât right. I feel it deep in my bones but second guess myself. Isaac would have woken up if the scream had been real, right? I close my eyes and breathe deeply. Our scents mingle. The bed smells like us, together. Everything is right in the world right now. Nothing but this moment matters. At least, I tell myself that, because internally Iâm on the verge of losing my Goddess damned mind at the idea that thereâs a ghost walking the walls and screaming at the top of his or her lungs. When another ear piercing howl sends a tremor through the castle, Iâm up out of bed, sprinting toward the door, naked as the day I was born. I look back at the bed. Is
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-11-28The Alpha King's Breeder   Mystica
*Isla*The Temple of the Moon Goddess rises above the city like a silver fortress, glinting in the soft spring sunlight. Itâs a gorgeous day, not a single cloud in the sky. A warm breeze rustles the wildflowers that are just starting to bloom on the sloping green hills surrounding the temple. I stand with Madeline on the marble steps, looking out over the kingdom. Our kingdom, me, and my soon to be daughter-in-law, the future Luna. The heir to my title. Standing beside me with her hair pulled back away from her face and wearing a sleeveless shirt, I notice little scars along her shoulder and arms, and feel a sudden urge to reach out and touch her. Guilt washes over me as I take her in, the slightness of her body, the way her eyes always seem lined with griefâand suspicion. I donât know all of what sheâs been through, but I feel like itâs partly my fault. âSheâs ready for you.â A temple attendant in a white and silver robe appears behind us. I turn to the woman, who is not even si
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-11-30The Alpha King's Breeder   What Are They Doing Here?
*Maddy*I hadnât realized what changes had taken place in the city outside the castle since I first came to stay there. Even during my last trip into town to be fitted for a wedding dress with Ella, Rosie, and Hannah, there hadnât been this manyâĶ people. Warriors, all of them. Some are so young they look barely old enough to be leaving their mothers, let alone going to war. Isla sits between me and Ella in the backseat of the car as we drive toward the castle through the city center. She holds our hands and stares blankly out at the window at the armies gathered in camps in what looks to be a stadium of some kind with a wide, grassy plain out front now covered in tents. Even Ellaâs in shock, her eyes glued to the window and her mouth slightly parted. âThereâs so many of them,â she whispers, turning to her mother. âYour father and brother have been busy the last few days,â Isla murmurs with a hint of annoyance, but her eyes betray her casual demeanor. âThese warriors are from the ne
āļāļĢāļąāļāļāļĢāļļāļāļĨāđāļēāļŠāļļāļ : 2023-12-09
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The Alpha King's Breeder   Taking Back What's Mine
BrieI take a step away from Logan, then another, until my back hits the wall just outside of the bathroom. The room blurs, the soft cream fabrics and dark wood turning dreamlike and hazy. We could be anywhereâany kingdomâany room or darkened forest, and I wouldnât know it because right now itâs just me and him, and Iâm utterly, wholly exposed. Iâm sure my family and those others who know me well would say Iâm a complicated person. Theyâd be right. Below the surface, beyond my mask of resilience, Iâm like ice, and within that icy fortress is something akin to fear. No one has been able to penetrate those walls. Not even Maeve. But Logan is looking right through me, shoving those walls down, clawing at them until they topple and shatter. âIf you donât feel the same,â he says, his tone softening, âIâĶ I understand. I know our situation is complicated, Brie, I get it. I have anâĶ obligation to return to Emberfyll, and youâââI regret it.â My voice shakes, but my gaze stays locked on hi
The Alpha King's Breeder   Regrets
BrieI canât be your friend. I lean my forehead against the railing, closing my eyes as I dangle my legs through the rails. What feels like fathoms below me, the ocean stretches toward the milky light of the last minutes of what had been the most spectacular sunset Iâd ever seen in my life. Stars flicker into view overhead, nestled against a blanket of deep orange and crimson, and behind me, I listen to Sawyer and Logan pouring over a map spread out on a table bolted to the floor just beside the helmâthe massive wheel used to steer a ship only a pirate would have. Logan doesnât want to believe we have, in fact, been thrust through time and now sail the open seas in the company of pirates. In his rational defense, I havenât seen a single person with a peg leg, a parrot, or an eye-patch, so heâs probably right. Itâs a fun thought, though. I kick my legs, my bare toes chilled by the wind whipping into the sails as we practically fly over the water. I like this better than the yacht.
The Alpha King's Breeder   Let's Just Be Friends
LoganSunlight pours over the deck of the Asteria, glinting off the sails. I watch the Artemis drift past, Alex waving from the upper deck before fading into the bright glare of the sun. I grip the railing, closing my eyes for a moment and taking a much needed breath that catches in my throat the second footsteps sound on the stairs nearby. Sawyer grunts softly as he reaches the top of the steps and turns in my direction, squinting against the sun but smiling as he says, âYou settled in?âI nod, biting back that breath I desperately needed and all the other feelings threatening to make themselves known the next time I see Brie, which is hopefully several hours from now after Iâve had a chance to cool off. âThe Asteriaâs the oldest and slowest,â Sawyer says under his breath, joining me at the railing. âBut sheâs a solid ship. A good girl. My favorite of the fleet, actually.ââWhy arenât you captaining her, then?âHe grins and shrugs. âThe same reason Iâm not on the Artemis with Alex.
The Alpha King's Breeder   In the Shadows
MaeveThe hallowed halls of the palace in Moonrise are quiet and somber. Normally, light would spill through the ancient stained glass windows lining the foyer, casting sunlight that made the golden walls gleam, but today everything is dark. Gray. Lifeless. Rain thunders across the glass ceiling, echoing down hallways usually alive with conversation and bodies bustling from room to room. Now, my only company is my shadow, and even thatâs trying to curl away, just as worn and empty as I feel. Itâs been nearly a week since we lost Brie. I couldnât stay in Maatua for another second waiting for news.I walk up the grand staircase, wearing a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, a far cry from the sweeping, luxurious gowns of silk I normally dress in when visiting my future home.Yes, one day all of this will be mine. Iâve known itâfelt it in my bones since I was just a little girl. I will be queen. Soon. Three years from now, Iâll stand on the balcony and wave down at the people of Moonriseâof a
The Alpha King's Breeder   Mateâs Scent
BrieAt first, I feel nothing but his mouth on mine. He inhales, but otherwise, is still as stone. The tension between us is so thick I could drown in it, and I wouldn’t bother saving myself by coming up for air.I pull away just a touch–just enough to take a shuddering breath. Maybe this was a mistake. I’m not sure what I was thinking kissing him back, but… here I am, wondering when he’s going to start laughing at me.Logan’s nose brushes mine as he closes his eyes. His hands drift to my waist, and my eyes flutter closed as his grip tightens. He takes a step toward me, then another, until I’m forced back, until my shoulders hit the wall. Time moves in slow motion as his lips brush the corner of my mouth, and he groans.Logan presses me to the wall and kisses me hard enough to steal my breath away. I rise on my toes to meet him, my lips parting as I try to suck in another breath, but his
The Alpha King's Breeder   ShaveâĶ and Not a Haircut
BrieNight falls on the trio of ships. During the course of the evening, the ships had been readied, and the camp on the beach had been totally dismantled, leaving no trace that Alex’s pack had ever been there.Now, against a blanket of silver moonlight, the Artemis bobs in the shallows just beyond the mouth of the lagoon, engines purring and sails drawn.I lean against the railing and soak in the cool night breeze. It smells amazing here–like salt and tropical flowers. It’s almost exactly like Maatua but far more rocky and mountainous. Beyond the mountain shielding the lagoon, nothing but calm, open water stretches as far as the eye can see… which means we’ll be totally exposed to whatever enemies are lying in wait.The deck teems with people waiting for the two other ships to silently leave the lagoon. It’s a rough looking bunch–mostly hardened men with deep suntans and scars on
The Alpha King's Breeder   A Pirate Life for Me
BrieMonica arches her brow as she plucks another petal off the flower she’s been defacing for the last ten minutes in relative silence. She’s precariously perched on the railing of the upper deck, with an insane drop to sudden death beneath her, yet she doesn’t look the least bit fazed by it.Me, however?I adjust my position on a crate nearby, neatly crossing my legs and refusing to look over the railing and the lagoon below.“Afraid of heights, Princess?”“No,” I rush out, but the word wobbles. I straighten my back, brushing invisible dust from my dress, and fix her with a cold look. “I’m not.”“Come sit with me then.” She pats the railing, a cocky smile tugging on the corner of her mouth.“I’m fine here,” I counter, narrowing my eyes.“Suit yourself. You’re missing the show.&rdquo
The Alpha King's Breeder   Unexplainable Choices
LoganI don’t remember falling asleep. I don’t remember much of the past day, actually, not since washing up on the shore on some nameless island. I slowly sit up, wincing as bright, fresh pain ripples through my back. I press my hand to my chest where the bandages cover most of my skin and find them damp with blood, but it’s not fresh. No, I must have stopped bleeding like a stuck pig a few hours ago. That’s one thing going my way, at least.A soft murmur beside me steals my attention from my pain, and I turn to find Brie fast asleep, her hands tucked beneath her cheek. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her wear her hair natural before. It’s wild and… lovely. But looking at her–at the soft, relaxed expression on her face as she sleeps–has me careening back to going into the water with her and realizing that was it.I’m not sure how we survived. Call it divine intervent
The Alpha King's Breeder   Tell Them Everything
BrieThis giant boat is something out of a fairy tale… well, I’ve just found out that Alpha Alex not only has these three but two more tucked away in some island chain about as far from the capital of KiloKilo as he could get. It’s hard to believe these boats even exist. It doesn’t make sense. This room and its finery doesn’t make sense.I watch Logan resting only a few feet away, his large frame eating up the dainty armchair perched in front of a dormant hearth. He hasn’t touched any of the food laid out for us, but I have. I’m on my second bowl of stew, swiping the nearly empty bowl with my fourth or fifth piece of rustic sourdough bread. With food in my body for the first time in what feels like days, I’m acutely aware of my senses and the room around me… and the people within it. The ship's ornate details come into startling view as I scan the room under the shadow of my eyelashes, carefully not
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