Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 300

Chapter 80 : Blood in the Snow

Maeve

Snow was falling in thick, heavy sheets as we walked along the dock, our footsteps absorbed into the vacuum of total and complete silence that accompanied such weather. I could barely see the village through the snow, just hints of the multi-colored cabins that were nestled near the shore. The snow was heavy, sliding from the metal roofs as the cabins warmed within and wood-smoked funneled through chimneys.

My steps felt unsteady as I walked, not used to being on solid ground after five weeks at sea. The journey took longer than we expected, having met bad weather as we passed through the Isles and various challenges with the boat as we crept through the ice filled water of the north-eastern coastline. There had been a few times we had almost given up, debating whether to turn west and seek refuge in Breles, unsure of what awaited us if we stayed east and landed in Valoria.

But none of that mattered anymore.

I was home.

I stopped at the edge of the dock where the wide–plank floorboards met the rocky trail leading back to the village. I remember stopping here before, but on the other side, looking out over the port at the seaplane idling on the water, waiting to take me to Mirage, to my destiny

1. LV.

Would I have still gone if I knew what was in store for me?

Troy had said something to me, but his words vanished into the snow. I looked up, seeing a darkened figure standing on the bluff just above the port. I immediately knew it was my dad.

Troy fell behind as I walked forward, the snow piling around my ankles as I trudged up the slope leading into the village. I watched my feet, unsure of what to do or say when I faced him. I knew Dad was matching my pace. He always had. He had never let me get too far ahead of him or fall too far behind.

He was waiting for me at the top of the slope where the gravel road began. I could just make out his face in the dim light cast by the porch lights of the nearby cabins. His hair was wild, much longer than when I had last seen him. Snowflakes were sticking to his beard and eyelashes. His face was expressionless.

“Hi, Dad,” I said softly, biting the inside of my lower lip. I didn’t realize I had my arms wrapped beneath my belly before I felt a wave of shame wash over me, causing me to tuck my chilled fingers into the pockets of the oversized wool coat I was wearing.

“Hey, kid,” he breathed, and the briefest hint of a smile touched his cheek and was gone before I could even blink.

I stared at him, my mouth opening and closing as I tried to will myself to speak. He tilted his head, his eyes creasing against the silent tears welling in the corners of his eyes. “Where’ve you been? It’s been a long time”

I ran to him, throwing my arms around him as he curled his body around mine, locking me in a warm embrace. I didn’t try to stifle the sobs as I broke down, clinging to his jacket so hard my nails left marks in the leather

“It’s okay,” he said into my hair, resting his cheek against the top of my head. “It’s fine. You’re home now.”

“I’m home,” I mumbled against his jacket, the words barely audible, “Where’s Mom?”

“She is at the house, asleep.”

“Oh,” I said weakly, a fresh wave of my tears soaking into his jacket as I pressed my face against his chest. She was alive. She was still alive.

“We need to talk about-” Dad paused, his body going rigid with tension

I squeezed him harder, knowing he had spotted Troy, who had likely just reached the top of the slope and was in full view of Dad. I turned my head to look over my shoulder at Troy, giving him a weak smile. He gave me one of his signature crooked smiles, but then he shifted his gaze toward the road, his brow furrowing as he began to slowly lower our bags onto the ground.

I peeked over Dad’s arm just in time to witness a blurred figure sprint by, stopping in front of Troy in a spray of snow, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“You get one shot,” Troy said slowly, letting go of our bags and straightening to his full height. “Because I deserve it.”

Rowan wound his arm back and punched Troy cleanly in the jaw. Troy shook his head, spitting blood into the snow before looking back up at Rowan. He caught Rowan’s hand in his as Rowan attempted to swing at him again, and arched his brow. “I said one!”

“Troy!” I squeaked, but Dad promptly shushed me, an odd look in his eyes as he watched Troy and Rowan start to beat the living hell out of each other in the middle of the road.

“You have a lot of explaining to do, Maeve,” Dad said, continuing to watch the fight. He grimaced when Rowan reared back and headbutted Troy in the nose, and then arched his brow, slightly impressed, when Troy put Rowan in a headlock in return, forcing Rowan to his knees.

“You’re enjoying this,” I hissed, trying to free myself from his embrace.

He chuckled silently, his chest vibrating as he loosened his grip on me.

“This is really the guy, then?”

“I love him,” I said bluntly and with enough force to draw Dad’s attention away from the fight.

He stared at me, searching my eyes for understanding. “I know,” he replied, his voice soft and calm against the sounds of Troy and Rowan fighting in the background of what could have been a sweet father daughter moment.

I turned away from Dad to glare at the two idiots behind me, losing my patience. “We get it, you’re very strong and manly!” I snapped.

Troy was flat on his back, his leg wrapped around one of Rowan’s and his arms pinning Rowan’s arms to his side. Troy had taught me that move, something he called a sweep, and I knew he was only moments away from flipping Rowan onto his stomach and holding him down until he tapped out.

Troy immediately released Rowan from his hold on him at my words and my dad’s steely gaze, but Rowan used that to his advantage, turning on Troy and continuing the match.

“They’re enjoying themselves,” Dad said beneath his breath, tilting his head as he watched them continue to roll through the snow and murmur curses. “I used to be young once, you know. I used to do… whatever it is they’re doing.”

Rowan had met his physical match in Troy, and had resorted to throwing snowballs to ward off any further attacks, one of them hitting Troy squarely in the chest where his wound was. I flinched as I watched Troy double over, holding his hand out in momentary surrender. It had healed well over the past several weeks, but was still tender

“Are you mad at me?” I asked Dad, not daring to look at him.

He was still for a moment, then shrugged, shaking his head as he rested his chin on the top of my head. “There’s nothing to be mad about. Are you upset with me, though?”

“Why would I be upset with you?”

“I didn’t find you.”

I didn’t know what to say. I could hear the hurt in his voice as he spoke, and my eyes began to water as I turned my focus back on Troy and Rowan, who were, of course, back to throwing punches, although it was obvious they were beginning to tire.

I almost said I hadn’t wanted him to find me, spilling my long-held anxieties about the idea of him, and Mom, falling into Damian’s trap. I swallowed my words, resting my head against his arm as we watched Troy and Rowan. I shifted my gaze to the side, catching Pete out of the corner of my eye. He was standing still with his backpack sliding off of his shoulder and onto his arm.

He dropped it into the snow as he took a single step toward the blonde woman standing in front of him, facing him. She was wearing nothing but a plush bathrobe and flannel pajama pants, her hair knotted in a loose bun on the top of her head, ruffled from sleep. Pete took her hand.

“How is this possible?” I whispered to myself, watching them with interest. We had been in Winter Forest for ten whole minutes and Pete had found his mate.

“You’re shivering,” Dad said as he wound his arm around my shoulder and turned me toward the village, our house in the distance blanketed in snow and perched on the hill overlooking the village. “Let’s go home.”

“Okay,” I replied, too overwhelmed to argue that we should break Rowan and Troy up first.

We walked past Pete and the blonde woman, and I couldn’t help but stare. Neither of them looked at us as we passed by, but I recognized her-Kacidra, Aaron’s twin sister, who I had only met the one time their family had visited Winter Forest ten years ago. I opened my mouth to ask Dad what she was doing here but was interrupted by Dad’s voice drifting through the chilled, snowy air.

“There’s a lot we need to discuss.”

“1-I know.”

“Something happened while you were gone,”

“It was Mom, wasn’t it?”