Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 248

Chapter 28: The Rejected Mate

Ethan

Rowan’s chestnut hair was falling around his face, casting long shadows over our sharp, sharedfeatures. Looking at him was almost like looking in a mirror sometimes but with lighter, wavier hair.He had my build and my height, and there had been times when someone had approached himfrom behind, thinking it was me, and vice versa

But he had his mother’s emotionally driven personality. He was sensitive, shy, and somewhat boyishin demeanor. I had hoped sending him to Red Lakes would break him out of it.

But as we sat in Rowan'’s lodgings, a big log cabin overlooking a large bluff leading down to the seabelow, I could see I had been very, very wrong.

Kacidra was sitting on the other side of the living room, her hands folded in her lap. She was theone Rowan was supposed to marry. And judging by the look on her face as she gazed at him, herblonde brows knitted in a tight frown, she wasn't all too pleased about it. Neither was Rowan."What happens if she rejects me?” Rowan was picking at the seam of his jeans, his light blue eyesdowncast and focused on everything, and nothing, at all once.

“It's supposed to be dreadfully painful,” Kacidra quipped, but she quickly shut her mouth andlooked at the floor as 1 gave her a stern, fatherly look of disapproval.

I would give anything to see Kacidra and Maeve go head-to-head.

*Are you certain you're being rejected?” I asked, scanning his face. Rowan shrugged, looking up toglance at Kacidra.

"Hanna hasn't spoken a word to him since he’s been here,” she said, but then bit her lip, shaking herhead.

“She's said one word to me-"

“Rowan, don't-"

I watched them, an unspoken exchange passing between the two youngsters as they glared at oneanother. “What exactly is going on around here?”

“Do you want to tell him, or should 1?” Rowan peered over at kacidra, who significantly paled.

“I don't think we should,”

"We could use his help, Kass. Please.”

Kacidra sucked in her breath, looking from Rowan to me. I was growing impatient with them, thetwo of them having been so secretive since I had arrived in Red Lakes the day before. I had beenmissing Rowan and was excited and incredibly shocked to see his progress on the solar farm when Iarrived. The entire project was nearly complete. The crew in charge was busy running lines to thebuildings and houses in the village, with Rowan overseeing everything

Oh, yes, Rowan would get his radio towers. He had earned them.

And Rowan should have been excited about that, but he was forlorn and distracted, constantly inthe company of Kacidra, who hovered around him like an anxious bird, her eyes wide and mouth athis ear.

I had made it clear within an hour of arriving that I had no expectations that they would marry,unless they chose to go through with it. Rowan had found his mate. Kacidra had no interest inmarrying Rowan and sacrificing her own happiness in the event she found her mate in the future.Rosalie and I wouldn't force them into a union, even if Eugene demanded it.

Rowan could, and would, marry Hanna. She was his mate, after all. Their marriage would still uniteour packs.

"My sister sees things,” kacidra said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh?" I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Visions, Dad.”

Tsees

“No, you don't. Look-we-"Rowan paused, closing his eyes for a moment as he gathered histhoughts. It was something I had seen Rosalie do on occasion. If Maeve favored me in physical looksand personality, Rowan heavily favored my wife..

“Hanna is rarely ever lucid, Alpha Ethan.” Kacidra swallowed, her neck moving against the words.She was nervous. “Please don't tell my father I'm telling you this.”

"Why?" I asked, genuinely curious.

“Because he plans to send her away. She's betrothed, you know, to a man from another pack.”

"Ah, the man named Wrenn who everyone in the village has been talking about, I presume?”0.00%

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Chapter 28: The Rejected Mate

well, he needs to send her away, or so he thinks. Something about this place

"Yeah.. that's the one,” she growled, shaking her head. “My father wants to it just do you remembermy mother at all, Alpha Ethan?”

“I do. How could I forget?”

Rowan snorted, crossing his knee over his leg as he leaned back in the chair. Kacidra pinkened andinhaled deeply.

“She saw things too. Her dreams were at their worst in her last few months of life. She she was veryclose with Hanna. Hanna was especially devastated by her death but.. but after Mom passed away,Hanna began to have dreams. She started sleep-walking; dream dancing is what Mom called

“And you think this is getting in the way of her bond with Rowan?”

“Yes, I am certain of it. But...”

“She said my name when she was sleep-walking, I mean, dream dancing,” Rowan said quickly, hischeeks flushed with color.

"She doesn't ever talk when she’s dreaming, so it was significant.”

“But people dream all the time? In fact, I had a dream last night-"I began, but was quicklyinterrupted by Kacidra, her face drawn in frustration.

“It's not the same. I guarantee that it's not the same. She goes somewhere, I think. And not in thisnot in this plane, if that makes sense,” Kacidra said.

“It doesn't, but-"I began.

“She keeps a journal. Kacidra and I have been looking for it for the past week,” Rowan cut in, givingKacidra a sober smile.

“I think she writes down her dreams in it. My mother kept a dream journal. My father has it. Henever let me see, but she would have taught Hanna to do the same thing, I know it,” kacidraexplained.

“I'm not sure what you're trying to say,” I looked from one to the other, my eyes narrowed as I triedto understand. “I don't feel the mate bond with her when she’s dreaming, Dad. And she dreamsalmost constantly,” Rowan told me.

“It got worse after Rowan arrived, Alpha Ethan. It wasn't nearly so frequent before,” Kacidra said.

“If we can replace her journal,” Rowan explained, we might know why she’s why she’s-" He lookeddown at his hands, shrugging helplessly.

"Why she’s stuck,” kacidra finished, sighing deeply as she looked up at me expectantly. They bothwere looking at me, in fact, as though I had all the answers.

I blinked, shifting my gaze from Kacidra to Rowan. They were both serious about this, I could tell“Well, what do we do? You are asking for my help by telling me this aren't you?”

“I guess so, yeah. We are, aren't we Rowan?”

Rowan nodded in response to Kacidra's question, biting the inside of his cheek.

Oh, Goddess. I wished Rosalie were here.

"My dad will send her away before”

“I won't allow that. My alliance with your father will be cemented by the unions of our children, evenafter”

“I won't do that to Kacidra, Dad. What happens when she replaces her mate?” Rowan snapped, hishands clenching into fists on his lap. Kacidra was surprised by his outburst, her mouth slightly ajaras she gawked at him.

“You won't be marrying Kacidra, Rowan, not any.”

Someone was yelling outside of the cabin, their voice carried by the stiff breeze coming off thewater. There was more shouting, and several people ran by outside of the bay windows on theopposite wall from where we sat.

Rowan leaned forward in his chair, peering at the shadows racing past behind the curtains. Kacidrastood, concern lining her features, “I have to-"