Alpha's Regret: The Mad King's Precious Breeder

LL

one arm, the other takes the other, and they

m work. My body still feels like it belongs to someone else. The

ou taking me

ne on my left says. "Yo

the strength

thing that makes me

y Julia of all people. This w

closest to me. My heart stutters against my ribs as I

th

sed into a hard l

clarity, as though he'd leaned down an

ually real. And Julia arranged this herself-withou

e cuts through-also not spoken aloud. T

d face, good body. Shame abou

ee in them makes my stomach turn bef

g her before we dum

. My face stays blank

oddess called a gift. T

at she's done. There are things people carry behind their eyes

it, with no way to unhear it, no way to tu

she said.

like anot

eep into the forest at the far edge of the territory. The trees grow thick enough to block the sun, and the und

to something close to

sually, as if I'm just making

has the Alpha King arrived yet? I he

e guard on my

I keep my voice light. "She's generous when she wants something.

sses between them. Both

suspicious. What did she promise him? She said we'd spli

le to handle things quietly once before. They

lete lie. B

stops walking. "What's

ns his grip on my arm. "Not

you has the agreement in wri

rd on my left snaps, but his ey

d to be," the guar

e. The guard on my left has loosened his grip on my

n I

n. For twenty seconds I actually think I'm going to make it. The trees are

ees b

jection. I hit the ground hard, my palms skidding across mud and dead

wrenches me upright.

ll the casual indifference is gone. Wha

ard, his expression twisted with anger. "Do

lier, except there's nothing hidden about it anymore. "We were going to be dece

he finishes. I heard it in h

l my wrist free. "

oesn't let me get up. I catch the flicker of discomfort in th

re's no one to hear it out here. I claw at his hands, at his arms, at anything

and brings it down

tilts. My

e says. "It'll be

nd my vision blurs. I keep fighting because stopping feels like giving up o

earing. To anyone. To the trees. To what

ir ch

f the atmosphere around us has changed. Heavier.

arrying the kind of authority that doe

way fro

till. The one on my left tak

dressed in dark travel clothes, his coat hanging open, and he looks at th

d severe. Beautiful in the way a blade is beautiful-precise, dangerous, not made for

learned anything tonight. "This doesn't concern you, stranger. The

rying to look like someone who had n

expression changes so quickly I almost miss it. A flicker, almost like recognition,

know

ace. Not

sc

ine and midnight rain and something warm underneath it, something that reache

ed as she is, stirs for the

a

r in him too-a slight ten

ease

. Power rolls off him like a physical force-Alpha Intimidation

al, pressing down on every instinc

ers back from me like I've burned him. The guard on my left

l on the

ustion, and the mate bond humming through my nerves has pinned me in place.

nails on my chin. Being dragged out before I'd even

ad down and swallowing everything and telling myself it woul

against the cold gro

e I've been storing all of this for years. I haven't cried like t

pack always made things worse. They used it against

t now. I have nothing le

ger, crouching a few feet away, watching me with an e

e body

voice cracks apart. "In my condition, if you reject me right now, I don't think I'll survive it. I'm not asking to be your mate. I'm not asking f

speak for

p from the ground, steadying me on my feet with a care com

shoulders in one smooth moti

hits me so hard m

ke you with me based on what happened tonight alone. I need to speak with your Al

on't trust

ootsteps-more than one set, moving fa

tly and turns toward

s through t

oving from me to the stranger to the two guards on

e entirely as he takes

n st

voice comes out stiff with a respect he

gs, Alph