Semua Bab The Alpha King's Breeder: Bab 221 - Bab 230

*Isaac*I walk right out of the castle, not looking over my shoulder. I pass guards and servants, leaving them in my wake without a word in passing. Am I angry? I can’t really decide. Whatever I feel is new, and I don’t like it at all. Rejection. That’s what this sinking, curling feeling in my gut must be. “Where–hey!” Cassian’s deep voice booms somewhere behind me, but I shove open the doors to the back terrace and begin unbuttoning my shirt, my fingers moving swiftly until I’m able to just rip it off completely and throw the fabric over my shoulder. “Oh, we’re doing this right now,” Cassian says as he gains ground. I’m already almost to the back wall and the gate leading into the foreboding woods beyond by the time he catches up to me. “Open it,” I say to the two guards posted at the gate. They heed my command without a second of hesitation, and I’m gone in a flash, nothing but a blur of deep brown fur as the transformation I seek rushes through my veins. Cassian, a rich crims

*Isaac*I watch her leave my office, taking note of the way she moves, the way her long red hair nearly touches her waist as it sways. She looks at me over her shoulder before slipping out of the room, and those stormy blue eyes settle on mine. She is familiar. But is she really the young woman I danced with at the ball all those years ago? If so, maybe this is a gift from the Goddess in lieu of allowing me to find my true mate. But that spark isn’t there behind her eyes anymore. That coy smile doesn’t tilt at the edges or reach her eyes. Madeline. That’s her name, and I believe her. I let out my breath and sink into the chair behind my desk, running a hand over my face before reaching for my phone. Cassian is correct in that I need to woo her. If we’re ever going to have sex without it being an absolutely grating and stale experience for both of us, I need to do something to show her I appreciate her… sacrifice… to my kingdom. Arranged marriages happen every day, but very few,

*Maddy*I wake with a start to my bedroom door opening. After a week spent living in this castle full time, I’m still not used to the maids fluttering in and out and around the castle day in and day out. They move like ghosts most of the time, save for Hannah, who always stops to talk if she has a moment to spare. I roll over and find that the young maid who tends to my room in the early morning–stoking the fire and laying out fresh clothes or dropping off baskets of laundry–is not who's currently shutting the door snuggly behind them. I pull the sheets up to my chest as King Isaac walks into the center of the room, his hands tucked into the pockets of his gray sweatpants. A white shirt hugs his torso, showing off every broad muscle of his chest and shoulders. Ruffled from sleep, and looking slightly dazed as if he just woke up, he stares at me for a long time before he finally says something. “Good morning.”“G-good morning,” I stammer, sitting up a bit and letting the sheets fal

*Maddy*Once a Luna, always a Luna, at least that’s 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 Isaac’s, and it gives me a start to look directly into them. I’m sitting before a goddess–kind and warm–and I am no one, yet I’m taking her place. “Isaac says your parents are no longer alive, but you have a stepmother and stepsister. Will you be inviting them to the wedding, now that we’ve… been given more time?” She blushes a bit, which surprises me. I don’t know what was said before I came into the room, but it’s almost as if she feels guilty for throwing off the rushed order of things. “Oh, them,” I sigh, unable to stop myself. I meet her eyes, blue gems behind gold dusted lashes. “We’re not close.”“How come?”I grit my teeth in an effort to stop myself from speaking before thinking. While my fluency in their languag

*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 I’ve 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 don’t have jewelry. I haven’t 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