Semua Bab The Alpha King's Breeder: Bab 551 - Bab 560

ColeMisty falls into a dead sleep in my arms on Georgia’s old bed. I can’t sleep. I try, but it’s useless tonight. I’m not sure about leaving her here alone, so I bide my time, sliding out of bed and tucking her in tight before standing by the window and watching the square below as the fires turn to embers and warriors go back to wherever their comrades are bunking down for the night. Maybe it was selfish of me to take Misty here, to sleep in an actual bed, while warriors are literally sleeping outside in the square. The room starts to close in on me, and I make the snap decision to leave. The dorm is mostly empty. A few students mill about, their faces marred with confusion. Students who survived the attack but didn’t get away from Richard and his magic. Students who were turned into voiceless, mindless warriors and remember nothing of the weeks they spent in Richard’s clutches. With our bond back in place, I can sense that she’s still asleep, still safe, as I cross the square.

MistyWe finish dinner and eat Mom’s burnt Solstice cake. The kids get tucked into bed upstairs, and for a while, the adults sit out on the covered deck, sipping wine–except for me and Aviva (we were given hot chocolate) and pouring drams of Grandpa’s best and favorite whiskey. I listen to stories about my grandparents that I’d never heard before and lean my weight against Cole, his arms wrapped around me, warming me against the chill of the rain and brisk ocean air. It’s after midnight when we finally go to bed, falling into the covers, curling up nose to nose. “Mom got you a stocking,” I tell him in a whisper. “Watching us open them is her favorite part of the whole day, so act really surprised and excited about it, okay?”He runs his fingers through my hair. “I will.”I want to ask about his mom and sister but their whereabouts, and the status of his relationship with them–whether they know what he had to do to his own father, her mate–we haven’t talked about it. I tell myself w

MistyThe royal temple in Crescent Falls is the shining star of the city–the center of the capital of my kingdom. My parents got married here. I attended services and funerals here. I’ve always been in awe of the craftsmanship that went into building this place. Every inch of the temple is detailed. Depictions of great battles, of central characters in the Goddess’ narrative, sweep across the walls as I travel down a quiet corridor toward the small group of people taking refuge in an alcove. Kenna looks solemn as she scrunches the fabric of her dress between her fingers. Evander’s hand rests on her waist as he watches memorial goers leaving the temple. Mom and Dad stand at the temple entrance nearby, shaking hands and accepting condolences. Sydney sighs heavily, watching our parents. “Just family back at the castle for the luncheon, right?”“That’s what Mom said,” Ryan replies. It’s been ages since I’ve seen Ryan in a suit. He looks stuffy and uncomfortable as he slides his hand o

RyanSpringI try to flatten my back against the wall of the impossibly narrow corridor in the depths of the castle in Moonrise. It’s nearly street level, and dim, with witch nurses in starched white uniforms darting from door to door tending mother’s and new babies. I’ve been here all morning long. Since last night, actually, when I woke up to Aviva clutching the dresser on the far side of the bedroom in our Moonrise suite, screaming in pain, and then the sound of water hitting the floor. She’s two weeks overdue. For a while, we considered just having the baby in Silverhide. During the course of her pregnancy, when her morning-sickness waned, things had been… fine. Amazing, actually. I’ve never seen my mate look more beautiful than she does now…. Well, maybe not right now. I edge into her delivery room as silently as I can, not that it matters. Aviva screams, her face dripping with sweat. Her eyes are bright, however, and set with determination as I walk to her side, smoothing her

MistyTwo weeks after Georgia asked me to be her matron of honor, technically, at her wedding next fall, I wake up with a start–alone–in the cottage I share with Cole. It’s the middle of the night, and Cole’s at the hospital. His side of the bed is cold when I stretch my arm across it, pinching the sheets between my fingers. Echoes of pain drift in waves over my belly. My muscles are painfully tight as I roll onto my side, curling around the swell of my stomach. It hurts enough that it’s hard to catch my breath, and when I finally do, I feel… a pop, deep within me. “Oh, Goddess,” I rasp, sliding out of bed as my water breaks, soaking the sheets and falling onto the floor. My hands tremble, and my mind goes completely, utterly numb while I take the comforter off the bed and waddle to the laundry room where I do a load of laundry like… like this isn’t happening. I change my clothes. I pull my hair into a bun and brace myself on the bathroom sink before turning to leave the bathroom,