Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 985

*Lucas*

Two hours sped away, and we were barely dressed and decent in time for dinner. It turned out Sasha did have a lovely blue sundress that she had now FORBIDDEN me to shred, which clung to her in all the right places.

This caused the same dilemma for me as the halter top and jean shorts. On the one hand, the sundress made her look good enough to eat. On the other hand, other men were going to be feasting their eyes on what was mine.

What I hoped was mine.

Dear Goddess, let her be my mate....

Robbie eyed us as we scurried in, the very last people to arrive. We squeezed in next to Joy and George–Robbie and Alison's daughter and her mate–and across from Brady and Phoebe. Phoebe's cheeks were flushed, so I guessed she hadn't been spending the past two hours “shopping" either.

“Now that we're all here," Robbie said, looking pointedly at me. “The High Priestess will give thanks to the Goddess, and then we can all dig in."

An ethereal woman all in white, with whitish hair, early for her age, stood from Robbie's left side and began singing a soft prayer. Where we knew the words to the call and answer, we joined in.

“A priestess!" Sasha whispered to me as the chanting died down. “Maybe we should try talking to her about the orb?"

I groaned as I passed the sweet potatoes. “That didn't go so well for us the last time."

“This one's got to be trusted if she's sitting at Alpha Robbie's left hand," Sasha pointed out. “I figure it can't hurt to try."

“I don't know...."

Sasha leaned in closer and whispered in my ear. “I'll let you do that thing we were talking about."

“So," I said to Joy, “how does one go about getting an audience with that priestess?"

“You want an audience with the High Priestess?" Joy asked.

I nodded. “We were hoping to ask her a few questions."

“I'll let Mother know. I must say, you four have been the best entertainment we've received around here in a long time," Joy beamed.

“Thought Alpha Robbie was going to do cartwheels and start singing pirate shanties when he heard you were in danger," George added over a mouthful of barbecue. “Been far too peaceful around these parts for his liking."

“Father's always been a bit of an adventurer. Now that New Dianny's all constructed, fortified, and has a reputation for being able to defend itself, well… he's run out of things to occupy his time," Joy agreed.

“Glad we could help," I said sardonically.

Joy laughed. “You're quite safe here. We don't get many strangers. They'd draw a lot of attention if your pursuers just showed up. Not that Father isn't hopeful."

“He's probably polishing his sword every day now," George chuckled.

“Well, we do thank you very much for your hospitality. I'm sorry to disappoint Alpha Robbie, but we are kind of depending on it being safe here," I said.

“Of course you are. We're just teasing," Joy replied.

Sasha swatted my arm. “Way to kill the conversation."

“Ow," I grunted, rubbing my arm. She was getting quite good at that.

“You two are so adorable together. I hope you're mates," Joy said.

Sasha and I both blushed. “We'll find out while we're here, if it really does take Oliver a week to get here. Sasha's turning twenty-one in a few days."

Joy clapped her hands. “Oh! How wonderful! We'll have to throw a BIG party."

“Oh, you really don't have to–" Sasha began.

“Nonsense. You only turn twenty-one once. You'll get to meet your wolf!" Joy said excitedly.

“And possibly have rocking good s*x with that guy," George added.

George got a swat for that one. I supposed it was a mate thing.

Sasha gave a nervous giggle, and I reached under the table and squeezed her hand.

“I'm seeing fairy lights. I'm seeing gauzy, draped white fabric. I'm seeing cocktails and dancing…" Joy mused.

Sasha's grip tightened.

“But… mostly low-key, right?" I said, and Joy and George both frowned at me.

“Why would it be low-key?" Joy asked.

“Well… I mean… we don't know many people here...." I tried.

Joy waved a hand. “That's easily remedied at a party. You can meet all sorts of people and come out of it fast friends with half of New Dianny. You'll see."

I gave Sasha's hand a helpless squeeze back. There was nothing we could do. Sasha was having a big twenty-first birthday bash.

“Th-thank you. That's very kind of you to throw me a party," Sasha said politely.

“Oh, believe me, it's my pleasure. We don't get more than the usual celebrations around here most of the time. This will be the event of the season!" Joy announced.

I winced at the force of the pressure Sasha was putting on my hand.

“It'll be so much fun. And it'll help take your mind off worrying about your wolf and your mate," Joy said sagely. “Otherwise you could spend the whole day in a tizzy."

“She'll be in a tizzy anyway, darling," George put in.

“I know. That's why she'll need distracting," Joy replied.

Sasha was starting to look a bit pale.

I subtly switched her water for my spring wine. “So… just out of curiosity, would you say the High Priestess is a… good priestess?"

George chortled while Joy laughed. “Alpha Robbie would have keel-hauled her by now if she wasn't."

“Good point," I said.

“I think he was just trying to subtly change the topic, and prod me into getting their introduction," Joy responded sagely.

“Well-spotted, love," George smiled, kissing Joy's temple.

Joy patted his hand and stood. “I'll go speak with Mother, Father, and Priestess Canela," she said, winking at us.

“Thank you," Sasha and I said together.

Joy smiled and walked up to the head of the table where she, her parents, and Priestess Canela put their heads together.

“It will be such a relief when you know you are mates," George continued when she was gone, and I wanted to kick him under the table.

Sasha looked at George, then at me, then asked softly, “What if we aren't?"

The words stabbed me in the gut.

“I'd find it highly unlikely that you aren't," George said, “but if you aren't, well, you still have options. You can stay together until you find your true mates, or decide you're going to stay together regardless. It's happened. There's no law saying you have to be with your true mate, or that it's not possible to love more than one person. It's not the end of the world, I promise."

“Easy for him to say," Sasha muttered in my ear, making a big show of leaning over to get a bread roll. “He's with his true mate."

I squeezed Sasha's thigh reassuringly, even though my own stomach was roiling at the unsavory possibilities. “We'll work it out," I whispered.

Joy came back to the table all smiles. “High Priestess Canela will be delighted to see you after dinner."

“Good. Thank you," I said.

Dinner went on very pleasantly, with Robbie's booming voice sometimes carrying over the whole table, but otherwise rather low-key. Sasha was clearly enjoying herself, which made me relax. It was a relief to be doing something that had nothing to do with the orb.

A variety of sorbets were served for dessert, from lemon, to mint, to strawberry. I chose lemon and Sasha chose strawberry.

Phoebe and Brady began making a scene by dabbing sorbet on each others' noses, which made everyone laugh.

I was about to bring my third teaspoon of lemon sorbet to my lips when I saw Sasha had already finished hers.

“Open," I said as she looked up from her crystal dish.

Sasha quickly got my meaning, blushed, but did open her mouth.

I was soon spoon feeding her the rest of my sorbet, which I enjoyed far more than eating it myself.

“You two are just so cute," Joy sighed.

George chuckled. “You want me to spoon feed you sorbet now, too?"

“It'd be nice sometimes," Joy sniffed.

“Aww, honey, if I knew this young and in love thing was catching...." George said.

Joy harrumphed and stood when the High Priestess nodded our way. “Priestess Canela is ready to see you now. I'll escort you all to a sitting room."

“Aww, Joy, now don't be that way...." George pleaded, but Joy was already heading toward the head of the table with Sasha and me scrambling in her wake.

Brady and Phoebe started to get up as well, but I waved him back into his seat, figuring that someone should be free to just enjoy the evening, after all.

Priestess Canela alighted more than sat on a delicate chair in a sitting room that was clearly meant to entertain groups of women rather than men. All the furniture ended in carved, spindly little legs, and I looked dubiously at the loveseat, wondering if it would hold both Sasha and me.

“Please, sit," Priestess Canela said, gesturing.

Joy gave us a wave and slipped out.

I held my breath as I sat slowly down on the loveseat. It creaked ominously beneath me.

Sensing the problem, Sasha swallowed and carefully lowered herself down next to me. More creaking, but the seat held.

I dared to lay my arm across the back of the loveseat, but didn't move beyond that. Sasha had also frozen. We were both terrified the intricate yet insubstantial thing was going to give beneath us.

“I'm High Priestess Canela," Priestess Canela said. “Joy told me you were hoping for an audience with me?"

“Well...." I rubbed the back of my neck and looked at Sasha.

“Good priestess," Sasha reminded me.

I sighed. “We found something in a temple north west of Egoren capital, near the site of the northern library...."

“Oh. That explains it," the priestess breathed. “There's been a terrible disturbance in the timeline of late."

“Yeah, that's kind of the thing's main job–disturbing the timeline," I said.

The priestess looked from me to Sasha and back again. “And you have united it with a dream dancer." Her eyes fixed on Sasha.

“Y-yes, priestess, we did," Sasha gulped.

“That is… unfortunate," Priestess Canela said sadly. “The Slipstone was buried for a reason."

“Oh, you know about that, too? They keep calling it that when I go back and forth– Sasha responded.

Then High Priestess dropped the bomb. “I know if it's the one buried with the temple to the White Queen, then yes, it is the Slipstone."

“The… one from…?" I wheezed.

“There is more than one of these things?" Sasha gasped.

The high priestess nodded. “There is another stone, called the Lightstone. Your Slipstone glimpses the past. The Lightstone glimpses the future."

“Please tell me we don't need...." I didn't know if I was begging her or the goddess.

“You will need the second stone," the priestess intoned.

And just like that, my hopes were dashed.