Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 254

Chapter 34: Kneading and Needing

Maeve

“If you wake up earlier, you'll have a better shot of getting a real breakfast, miss.” Robbie was sittingon a crate, a thick canvas sail laid over his waist as he sewed a patch into it, the needle nearly aslong as his hand,

I looked down at my bowl of cold sludge, which was the only way I could describe such a thing. Itwas oats, probably, with a hint of fly. I picked the fly out of the bowl with my finger, wiping it on thecrate I was perched on and looked around, taking it all in as though for the first time

"Why does the Persephone use sails and not engines? I know this ship has power. I saw the electriclights.”

“No one can see us if the ship's powered down.”

"What do you mean? A ship like this? It stands out, trust me.” I stirred my oatmeal, trying to replace theconfidence to take a bite.

“Captain Keaton is a traditionalist, you could say.” Robbie breathed, wincing as he pricked his fingerwith the needle.

"You mean a pirate”

"Aye, a pirate. He is. He can't have other ships picking up on our location while were runnin’ goods,so we turn the engines off and power down when we don’t want to be picked up on radar, you see?That's why he chose a Galleon ship when he went into this trade. Cruisers don t have sails.”

"How did he replace this thing? Did he build it?”

“A story for another time, miss. Eat.”

I scowled down at my bowl. I was starving, but I couldn't bring myself to eat it.

"How do you shift, on the boat?” I asked, saying whatever was coming to mind to cut through theboredom.

“That's easy. We just turn into dolphins,” Robbie said, his face totally serious and focused on hiswork.

I opened my mouth, shocked, but then heard a snort from above our heads, where Troy was at thehelm, his hands wrapped around the great wooden steering wheel with a crooked smile on his face.“Whatever.” I said under my breath, stirring my cold oatmeal again.

“You should eat, Maeve.” Troy said, looking down at me. “I'm sorry.” i said to Robbie. “Do you hearsomeone talking?”

Robbie's eyes went wide, and he puffed out his cheeks, shaking his head as he looked back down athis work. “What did you get yourself into, Troy?”

“Nothin’ I can't handle,” Troy laughed, looking down at the compass in his hand before turning thewheel a fraction of an inch,

"Where is the real captain today? I'd like a private audience with him.”

"He's likely in the infirmary, with Myla,” Troy said down to us, arching his eyebrow in my direction.He was trying to get a rise out of me.

“Stop talking to me,” i bit out, setting my untouched oatmeal down on the crate and turning myback on Troy, my eyes focused on Robbie.

Robbie scratched his beard, looking up at Troy for help. “Don’t leave me with this one-"

"Well, she won't talk to me. She needs someone else to harass. Looks like that's you, pal,” Troy said.I knew he was smiling, I could feel it. Damn him.

“It's kind of the captain to look in on my friend”I began, giving Robbie a fake smile.

“He likely has other motives,” Troy interrupted.

spun around, glaring up at him. “I said STOP talking to me,” I snapped, turning back around andfixing Robbie with a glare, sizing him up.

He swallowed, squaring his shoulders.

“She wants a fight, Robbie,” Troy said with mirth.

Chapter 34: Kneading and Needing

Robbie looked around, uncomfortable, his shoulders tensing as I narrowed my eyes at him. “Whencan I expect to see the captain?

"He's right there, miss,”

“NOT Troy. I need to see Keaton.”

"Well, I can't say for sure”

“I want to know where we're going. I need to get word to my family somehow so they know I'malright.”

"We're heading into open waters, Maeve,” Troy said, completely ignoring the fact that I didn't wanthim to speak to me for the rest of our lives.

I ignored him, staring Robbie down.

"We're, uh, heading into open waters,” he said nervously, looking back up at Troy.

I stood, stalking over to where Robbie was sitting, frustration and pent-up energy coursing throughmy veins. I was going to get something out of someone. Someone had to know what the plan was.“Careful Rob, she bites,” Troy laughed.

Abruptly I turned on my heel to look up at him as Robbie let out an audible sigh of relief. “Stop-"“Leave Robbie alone, Maeve. I'm the one you're mad at.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

"You keep talking, though?” Troy gave me a smirk, shrugging his shoulders.

That was it. I was about to lose it. I had no qualms of handing his ass to him in front of his entirecrew.

I marched up the stairs, my hands clenched into fists so tight that my nails were digging into thepalms of my hands. Robbie called for me, his voice shaky as he did so. Other crew membersstopped what they were doing to watch as I walked up to Troy, fury flaming behind my eyes.

Oh, how I wanted to scream, to hit something. The past day and a half had been a living nightmare.I was sick over it, of the loss of the terror and the grief. I blamed Troy for all of it. I was out for blood.And Troy was enjoying it. He was watching me spin out of control and taking pleasure in it. I pulledmy arm back, thrusting it forward with every intention of socking him cleanly in the jaw whensomeone grabbed my arm, their fingers tightening around my flexed muscles.

“Not here,” Keaton said, his voice low.

Troy steeled his expression, nodding toward the lower deck. “She's idle. She needs a job, Keat.”

“I can see that,” Keaton turned me around, looking me up and down before leaning to speak intomy ear. “What did I say would happen to you if you risked the safety of my crew?”

* didn't-"

“I don't tolerate fighting on my ship.”

"He deserves,” I began.

"Your utmost respect, darlin’. You don't realize the position he’s in now, do you?” Keaton asked.

I sneered, pushing Keaton away, but he only tightened his grasp on my arm, squeezing until Iflinched from the pain.

Troy wavered, taking a step forward as though to break us apart, but then he stilled, watchingKeaton with a careful eye.

Keaton straightened up, looking around until he spotted Robbie on the deck below. “Take her toOlly.”

"Olly?" I squeaked, remembering my conversation with Pete the night before. I swallowed, shakingmy head. “No, I won't.”

“Then you can apologize to Troy for being a right pain in the ass, Princess,” Keaton said as he leanedtoward me again, his eyes wide and serious

i bit my lower lip pushing past him and darting down the stairs toward Robbie, who looked up atTroy with another helpless expression.

Troy only nodded, looking grave as I pushed through the doors leading to the lower levels of theship, fighting back tears of anger, fear, and frustration

Who were these people?

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Chapter 34: Kneading and Needing

Olly was a portly man, short and stocky with a mass of gray hair that he wore in a tight bun at thenape of his neck. He was dressed in a shirt and trousers much like my own, but wore a surprisinglyclean apron for how busy the kitchen looked as peered around.

"Ever cooked before?” he asked, his eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down.

I nodded, looking at the wide table in the center of the kitchen that was covered in pots and bags ofgrains and beans. “I can make eggs. um. I baked a cake with my mom once-"

Olly shook his head, reaching into a cabinet and pulling out a fresh apron, tossing it in my directionI grabbed it, unrolling it and tying it behind my back. “Put your hair up, too. And wash your hands.”I nodded, tying up my hair in a bun on the top of my head and walking toward the sink, but I foundthe faucet was dry.

“No power right now, kid, you have to use the pump.”

I looked around, seeing a water pump and a second sink, this one much larger than the first, on theother side of the room.

When I had finished washing and drying my hands I made my way back over to the center table,watching Olly with interest as he chopped several large carrots with quick precision. Four large,plucked chickens were sitting in pans on one side of the table, waiting to be dressed. My stomachrumbled loudly and painfully at the sight.

Olly looked up, his eyebrow arched. “Didn't eat breakfast?”

“1-1 slept late. There was only oatmeal left.”

“Well, that'll need to change if you're going to be working in the kitchen. I need you here at sixevery morning, on the dot. Breakfast starts at seven, and then we clean up and lay out dried goodsfor lunch. Then we start on supper.” He pushed a bowl covered in a towel in my direction. I peakedinstead, seeing a large, bubbling mound of dough. “Knead it will ya? Dust the table with flour beforeyou do; otherwise, it Il stick.”

I looked at him helplessly for a moment as he dumped the carrots into the pans of chicken, rollinghis eyes as he went to the water pump and washed his hands.

“Like this,” he said, sprinkling flour on the table and dumping the dough out onto the surface. Hebegan to push against it, folding and turning it as he repeated the motion. I nodded inunderstanding, taking over as he went back to work on the carrots and potatoes.

“You gotta eat kid. What do you think happens on a boat full of wolves if people start goinghungry?” He was chopping potatoes as he spoke, his eyes on his task. “Hunger exacerbates thepent-up energy they're already experiencing by not being allowed to shift on board. That's whyyou're here, you know. You need an outlet. You're my bread maker now, kid.”

Kneading dough did feel nice. After kneading three large batches my shoulders were burning witheffort, and the anger and frustration that had been causing my body to tighten had lessened, thetension working its way out as I shaped the dough and plopped it in bread pans.

Olly began to stoke the wood-powered oven as I cleaned up, wiping the debris off the table andscrubbing it with a soapy rag. I looked over my shoulder at the shiny electric stove and oven in thecorner next to a refrigerator, which had been propped open. He noticed me looking at it, shakinghis head slightly as he closed the wood oven’s heavy iron door.

“There's a cooler downstairs, at the bottom of the ship. Keeps the fresh produce cold in lieu of thefridge. And we have fresh dairy. chickens, and eggs from the goats and poultry downstairs as well.”"Goats?" I asked, unable to hide my excitement. The castle had had a few goats. They were menaces,constantly breaking out of their pens and ravaging the kitchen garden.

"Yeah, my wife Meran tends to them. You'll see her at supper when she brings up the milk. Ill teachyou how to make cheese and yogurt tomorrow.”

Another few hours passed in light conversation centered around Olly’s expectations for the kitchen.I washed dishes and laid out plates and utensils in the dining room in preparation for dinner.

The sun was setting by the time Olly brought the bread and chicken out of the ovens, and the twoof us carried the food out to the dining room as the crew was beginning to trickle in, grabbing theirplates and serving themselves as the room filled with laughter and loud conversation.

I saw Cleo as I grabbed my own plate. I went to her, hugging her gently before sitting down next toher and eating like my life depended on it. When I finally looked up from my meal and glancedaround, I saw Troy sitting with a group of men, a pint of beer in his hands as he spoke, his eyesalight with joy and laughter.

I'd never seen him smile like that. It made my heart tighten to see it. He was home.

He looked at me, his mouth open in a smile that hadn't been meant for me, but it was there,nonetheless. After a long moment, he winked, then slowly turned his gaze back to his companions.I had the sudden desire to have him in bed with me tonight. Damn it all.