Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 563

Chapter 63 : Can I Marry Her?

*Xander*

Breakfast was being served buffet style in the cozy, informal dining and kitchen area in the back of the palace, closest to the guest's wing of the behemoth that was the family home of the Alpha of Poldesse.

I'd never witnessed anything like this place. The size of the palace was similar to the one back in Egoren, which would cover the same amount of ground taken up by a small village. That didn't include the acreage, cabanas, and guest cottages that dappled the palace's extensive grounds. But unlike the palace in Egoren, this place was open, immaculately clean, and didn't seem nearly as full of dark places and secrets.

And given the amount of people, not including Lena's extended family, it had been damn near impossible to sneak out of her room when I woke the morning after the wedding and make it back to my room unseen.

I'd turned the corner to the hallway near my room and ran right into Georgia and Vicky, Lena's elderly Great Aunts.

There had been no formal greeting fit for an Alpha King from these two old hens. They'd clucked at me, smiling at each other as they turned to face me, blocking me from walking past and into my room.

“I take it you had a fun night?" Georgia had grinned, her blue eyes so like her brother's, Ethan, shining against the gold flaked marble column she was leaning against. “Is Lena awake yet? Breakfast is being served downstairs–waffles, her favorite." Her tone had been teasing and playful, not a single hint of malice, but I'd narrowed my eyes at her nonetheless.

“She's sleeping in," I'd said with the most genuine smile I could muster. My head was pounding and I desperately needed a cup of coffee before delving into conversation with her family, especially these two. I'd already been stuck in a conversation with Georgia and Vicky during my first night at the palace, and an hour later I had still been stuck until George, her grandson and namesake, came to my aid with some made up emergency.

I'd nodded at them both and slipped between them before Georgia could say another word, but as I'd opened my door and stepped inside my room, I'd heard Vicky quip, “I cannot wait for their wedding."

Well, I couldn't be upset. Neither could Lena. Her family was obviously aware there was something more than friendship between us, and our not-so-private jaunt through the palace as we made our way to her bedroom likely solidified it as being much, much more.

I'd sighed, undressing quickly and tossing my dress shirt and pants on the floor, realizing with a curse beneath my breath that I'd left my suit jacket on the beach.

A button-up shirt and trousers had seemed appropriate enough for what I was planning on doing this morning, so I'd gotten dressed and came downstairs for breakfast.

Rowan Gray, the Alpha King of Valoria, blinked at me several times as I sat across from him at a cozy mosaic-tiled bistro table on the private terrace outside of the dining room. Inside, at least a dozen extended family members were milling about, drinking coffee and eating a late breakfast. A group of children sat on the other side of the terrace playing some board game, and their presence was likely the only reason Rowan hadn't reached out to strangle me.

I pushed the velvet drawstring bag he'd been ignoring for the last two minutes toward him, resisting the urge to chuck it into his lap. He sucked on his lower lip for a moment, then exhaled, nostrils flaring.

“You had no right to mark her. She's not of age to know her mate."

“She was under the impression that she wouldn't be able to feel the mate bond because of what she is. I feel the bond–"

“Because you imprinted and marked her," he interrupted.

I swallowed, flexing my jaw. “No, because I felt the mate bond for her, and I acted on it with her permission. She marked me first."

“I don't believe that–"

“Ask her," I pressed, knowing I was playing with fire.

Rowan, compared to everyone else in his family, seemed to be the only level-headed Gray in the three or four generations I'd met so far. Even his Luna, Hanna, was sensitive and stoic. But I could see the fury blazing in Rowan's eyes, which had not yet glanced down at the velvet bag. I was growing impatient and pushed the bag a fraction of an inch toward him again.

His hand clamped down on my wrist, fixing it in place against the tiles.

“No," he said in a firm hiss, low enough that the children playing on the other side of the terrace couldn't hear him.

“Uh, yes," I retorted, and his grip on my wrist tightened.

My powers were not as strong as the powers possessed by some of the White Queens. I could will all of the darkness and shadows I wanted and if they countered them, they would have little effect. So I was stuck with my arm pinned, looking into Lena's father's eyes while he told me there was no way in hell that I was marrying his daughter.

“Why?" I asked sweetly, mockingly, which was a really stupid thing to do. He was going to be my father-in-law, after all, regardless of how he felt about it.

“Why?" he repeated. “Because–"

“Because she's the Moon Goddess, and no one is worthy of her hand? Or because she's needed in Winter Forest immediately? Speaking of which, it wasn't very cool that no one told her about Luna Maeve's plans–"

“That is enough," he growled, his eyes narrowing into slits.

“She was very upset about it last night," I continued, ignoring the way his fingernails were biting into my skin. “I did everything I could to calm her down, you know–"

The noise he made, low in his throat, sent a chill up my spine. I could see the faint glow around his irises, and felt his nails sharpen into claws, drawing blood. Shift, I thought. Let's do this right here, right now, in front of your whole damn family.

“Oh, there you are. Good morning, Alpha King Alexander," came a honeyed voice in the doorway to the terrace.

Rowan let go of me and removed his hand from the table, clearing his throat as Luna Queen Hanna of Valoria set a plate of fruit and a cup of coffee on the table, taking a seat between us.

“You can call me Xander," I smiled, removing my arm from the table.

Blood was seeping through the sleeve of my shirt, which was now torn from where Rowan's nails had pierced the fabric. She smiled back at me, a genuine smile, warm and welcoming. I glanced at Rowan, raising my brow at him in a mocking fashion. He glared.

“What's this?" she asked her husband, reaching for the velvet bag, but Rowan snatched it from her before she could grasp it.

“Nothing–"

“It's a ring that belonged to my mother," I said softly, forcing my face into the warmest yet most forlorn expression I could possibly achieve.

“A ring?" Hanna said, her eyes focusing on mine. Her cheeks colored, and an excited smile twitched against her lips. Rowan was practically steaming with fury.

“I'd like to give it to Lena."

“To Lena?" Hanna repeated, looking a little shocked.

“I want to ask her to marry me. I was just asking for her father's blessing–" I set my eyes on Rowan.

He swallowed, his jaw set. I could see him grinding his teeth as he clutched the bag in his fist for dear life.

“Oh, Rowan, this is wonderful!"

“Isn't it?" Rowan ground out, holding my gaze with furious intensity.

“May I see the ring?" she asked, and I nodded, but Rowan made no move to let go of the bag and hand it to her.

She gave him a quizzical look as she pried his fingers loose and took the bag from him. “Goddess, Rowan, are you all right? You look like you're having a stroke–"

“I believe I just might be," he said under his breath. “Excuse me."

He slid his chair back and stood abruptly. He looked down at me like he wanted nothing more than to grab me by the collar and toss me over the side of the terrace, but then thought better of it, looking down at his wife.

“I'm going to take a walk."

Before she could reply, her face twisted in concern, he was gone.

“He told me no," I said, leaning back in my chair.

She blinked at me, then shrugged, opening the little bag and fishing for the ring at the bottom.

“It's not our decision to make," she said with a kind smile. “It's Lena's. Rowan comes from an old-fashioned family, you know. Times are different now."

“Old-fashioned as in arranged marriages and breeders?" I said with a little laugh.

She gave me a knowing smile in return. “He was supposed to marry my sister. Did you know that? But it turned out he was my mate." She pulled the ring from the bag and sucked in her breath, her brow furrowing as she held it by the band, letting the sun catch on the smoky, charcoal-colored diamond at the center that was flanked by sapphires of the deepest blue. It was set in platinum with flakes of sapphire, obsidian, and smoky diamonds through the band.

She was speechless, and I'd expected that. Compared to the bright, colorful jewelry favored by the women in the family, this ring was pure night, pure shadow and darkness. Hanna herself wore a band of jade around her ring finger.

She looked thoughtful, almost melancholy as she turned the ring in the sun, watching the colors dance within the main diamond. I figured she'd hate it. It wasn't a beautiful ring by the standards of this realm. It was gothic and dated.

I was the King of the Dark Realm after all.

“You know, don't you?" she said softly, her eyes misting with tears. “You've seen her glow–"

“At night? Yes. That's her… her best time." I didn't anticipate the sudden rush of emotion that hit me like a rogue wave as I watched Lena's mother turn the ring, marveling at the way it cast speckles of color across the palm of her hand. She looked at me eventually, her eyes so deep and full of emotion.

“You love her," she said, a statement, not a question. All I could do was nod. “But she–"

“She has to go to Winter Forest and take over the throne. Soon, from what I understand."

Hanna licked her lower lip, nodding as she slipped the ring back into the bag.

“We didn't know Rosalie's intentions until two days ago. I thought she would rule for another ten years at least, and then Maeve.... But–"

“Lena knows," I sighed, looking down at Hanna.

Hanna chewed the inside of her cheek, then broke from my gaze to look out over the water. “I didn't want this for her," she whispered. Her words broke my heart.

“She could rule my kingdom, with me–"

“How?" she said, not looking me in the eye. Her gaze was firmly fixed on the distant waves rolling away from the beach.

That was a question I couldn't answer.

Silence filled the space between us, broken only by the sound of the children fighting over the board game and people talking in the dining room. I heard Maeve's voice fill the room, her laughter booming through the area.

“You have our blessing," Hanna said after a long moment of reflection.

I could also see the memories flickering behind her eyes. I wondered what she was thinking about, if maybe she had been thinking about her own challenges when it came to marrying her mate. She said he was meant to marry his sister. Was there more?

But then I heard Lena's voice raised in protest, and turned to see her making her way through the crowded dining room, a plate of waffles balanced in one hand. She met my eye, arching her brow as she noticed me sitting with her mother.

I quickly tucked the velvet bag in my pocket and motioned her over.