Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 359

Chapter 17: The One She Cares for the MostI let out a low whistle, and the next moment, a lion came flying through the doorway, aiming rightfor my assailant, who had to let go of me.Perceval slithered in, tripping Luther up, and the Samson the tiger came charging in with a roar andforced the man to back further away.I rushed to Brook and wrapped my arms around her. “We need to get out of here,” I whispered toher. “Are you well enough to stand?”She had a confused look on her face as her eyes shifted back and forth, but she quickly collectedher senses and gave me a firm nod.As we moved toward the door, I caught a glimpse of Luther. He pulled a long blade fromsomewhere I hadn't seen and swiped at Linus, cutting the lion in the leg, then he turned to the tigerand did the same.“No!” I cried. The last thing I wanted was for my friends to get hurt.He kicked Perceval aside and quickly closed the gap between us. I realized that the animals wereoutmatched by him since he had weapons, and that Brook and I would be as well. I could only praythat with the animals running through the palace to get here, it had caused enough commotion todraw the attention of the guards.“Brook, keep running and get help!” I was about to stop and go back to deal with the attacker whenI heard a piercing howl. We turned around and saw a large wolf. It wasbeautiful-its fur was a deep onyx black that shimmered in the light, with glimmering gold stripes onboth sides of its back.That had to be Prince Theo.He took one look at the bleeding animals and went after Luther, who still hadn't shifted.Luther swiped at the upper shoulder of the wolf. Theo lunged at him anyway, pushing the attackerbackward, causing Luther to almost collide with us. Immediately, the tables had turned on thisbattle.I let out a breath of relief. The most powerful warrior of the country had arrived, I knew we weresafe. But then Luther let out a chuckle and whispered in a voice that only I was close enough tohear, “Naughty girl...”Before he stood to go after the prince again, he shoved something in my hand. “You may think youknow everything, Ciana, but you don't. Use that when you want to see me again -if you're still alivethen.”Everything happened so fast, and before I knew it, Theo went after Luther again. The kidnapper wasback up, swinging the blade toward the prince's wolf.I didn't have time to stand around and see who won the fight because Brook still looked quiteconcerned. “It's all right,” I told her. “The prince will protect us.” I believed those words, and as hewent at the man again, I saw his teeth chomp down on the hand holding the blade. The kidnapperroared, let theblade go, and tossed himself into the woods.Night had completely engulfed the forest. Knowing that we were safe now, Brook and I dropped onthe ground to catch our breaths, then I heard a familiar voice behind us."What did you think you were doing, leaving the castle like that?!” he asked, storming up behind usand dropping a shirt over his head. The fact that his clothing wasn't shredded made me think hemust've undressed before he shifted, rather than just bursting into his wolf to run into the house tosave

1. us.Priorities...“I had to get to Brook,” I explained.A dull pain began to form in my head, and I thought it might be a stress headache from too muchexcitement all in one day. I loosened my grip slightly on my friend, which was her cue to break awayfrom me. She took my hand instead, fully capable now of walking on her own“Not your job,” the prince said, coming up on my other side. “This is what we have guards for.”“Well, if the guards were so good, Brook would've never been kidnapped by Luther to begin with,” Isaid, tilting my head up. to stare down my nose at him the best I could, considering he was a full sixor seven inches taller than me. “I am sorry about your animals, though.” That was true. I hopedthey'd all be all right.“Luther?” he asked. He had a bit of blood on his neck, chest, and shoulder-based on how he movedright now, I assumedthe blood was from our enemy.My head began to hurt even more, and I didn't answer. I had to turn my attention back to thewalkway so I didn't lose my footing as he continued to berate me. “Whoever that was... your job isto be with me at all times, remember?” he said. “From now on, you don't leave my sight.”I whipped my head around so fast, stars formed in my field of vision. How badly did I want to tellhim where he could shove that directive, but before my mouth opened, Brook was squeezing myhand.She leaned in close to my ear and whispered. “Oh, how romantic! He loves you so much, he can'tstand the idea of the two of you ever being apart!”I turned to face her, wanting to tell her that wasn't it at all, but then I remembered I was supposedto be pretending that Theo and I were in love-to everyone. So I kept my comments to myself.Besides, the pain in my head was beginning to splinter now. Every ounce of light was like an iciclebeing rammed into my eyes, and I felt the world beginning to slip away.“Do not run away from me again, Ciana,” Theo was telling me in a voice that seemed quite a bitmore calm than the tone he’ d been using previously.“I wasn't way... running from prince... you..." My words were becoming jumbled, and I suddenly hadto stop walking.Brook was swaying back and forth when I looked at her, and I thought she was going to tumbleover again, but as theground reached up for me, I realized it wasn't her that was having the problem staying on both feet.It was me.“Ciana!” Prince Theo shouted as strong arms surrounded me. I heard Brook scream, and then, bothof them faded away and all I could think about was how unbelievably badly my head hurt.*Theo*“Ciana!” I shouted her name as I scooped her up into my arms. She didn’t answer though, and as herfriend began to scream, all I could do was rush her back to the castle as quickly as possible,swearing under my breath.Foolish woman! How did she let this happen?Using the mind-link, I called ahead for the healers to be ready in my room. Her blubbering friendtrailed along behind us, crying and calling out her friend's name.As soon as I reached the castle, the guards threw the doors open for me. They waited for her friendto catch up, but I sprinted down the hallway and shoved my bedroom door open with my foot as Ibacked into the room, spinning her around and laying her on the bed.The royal healer Dottie, a larger woman who was old enough. to be my mother, went aboutchecking her-listening to her heart, checking her pulse, all of the things one usually did whensomeone was involved in some sort of an accident or anattack.“This isn't an ordinary injury.” She turned to face me. “I'm afraid the girl has had a curse cast on her.”My heart plummeted at the words. It was exactly as I had suspected.Next to me, Ciana’s little friend began to cry again. Jake handed her a tissue and comforted her.I had more important things to think about than the fact that the redhead was crying once more.This was a serious problem. Ciana couldn't die.I needed her blood at the next Blood Moon, after all.“What can be done?” I asked the healer. Not only had Dottie studied medicine, she'd also donequite a bit to learn about different magic and potions since she was in the service of my father. In aplace like this, one needed to know about all kinds of magic-particularly the dark kind.And curses certainly fell into the realm of dark magic.“I'm not exactly sure,” Dottie replied, walking over to Ciana’s side. She arranged her hair so that itwas lying neatly around her face, framing it.Whenever Ciana was awake, it was hard to not pay attention to her eyes-she was kind, witty, andbrave, and her eyes reflected those qualities, which shone even brighter than her stunning naturalbeauty.Right now, her eyes were closed, and I couldn't deny her pretty facial features.However, I shouldn't let myself think about how beautiful she looked or how delicate she seemedwhen she was so still, like she was sleeping. No, at a time like this, I couldn't let such thoughtsinvade my mind.“Do you have any ideas?” I asked Dottie, wondering if I should head to the library and begin lookingat books about curses.“Well, I do have one,” she said. “Sometimes, when a curse affects the mind like this one obviously is,it's best if one can jar a person from their agitated state of mind with a delicate touch to theforehead.”I was puzzled over her words. “That seems simple enough.”"Yes, but it can’t be just anyone to do it, or else it won't work,” Dottie continued, settling her handson her ample hips. “It can only be the person that the one in the coma cares for the most. If it'sanyone else, not only will it not break the curse, but there's a possibility it could force the afflictiondeeper into the mind, and it could make it even more difficult for the person to snap out of theirsleep-like state.”I listened to her, scratching my chin in contemplation. “Are there any other risks?” I asked her.“Well, whomever takes on the task most certainly must care about her as well. They couldpotentially end up shouldering part of the burden. They will bear the emotions of the curse as well.It's not a task to take on lightly.”It all became clear to me, then. Luther had assumed that Ciana and I were in love because he'dheard the rumors about her and I having a child. He naturally had assumed Ciana would care for memost of all, and I'd be the one who wouldhave to break the spell by touching her.But then, Luther obviously knew about my power...He probably hoped that I would be the one to try to break Ciana from the sleeping spell, and when Idid, I would kill her, which meant she'd never be able to have an heir to the throne for my father.“Your Highness,” Dottie began, her voice a quiet whisper, “we all heard about you and Miss Black...would you like to help her, since obviously you are the one she loves and I assume she cares aboutmost?”I shook my head.Dottie took on a disappointed look. In her view right now, I must be such a selfish jerk.The fact was, put aside the potential harm my power could cause her, most importantly, I was mostdefinitely not the one who could lift the curse.I thought back over all of the conversations I'd had with Ciana. While we'd had a few amicableconversations, for the most part, it seemed quite clear to me that Ciana couldn't stand me in theleast.Dottie sighed, “Well, perhaps there's someone else nearby that she cares about.” She turned herattention to Brook.The girl was no longer crying, but her eyes were almost as red as her hair, and her cheeks werepuffy.Jake asked Brook, “Miss Ellsworth, you're friends with Miss. Black. Who do you think she may careabout..." Jake thoughtof something, and added, “...ahem, um, besides Prince Theo?”The girl named Brook shook her head, as if she was worried that she might get into trouble if shetold the truth.Jake analyzed the situation for her. “There's nothing you need to worry about,” he assured her, “Yourfriend is dying and we’ re trying to help her. So... is there anyone you can think of?"She weighed her options for a moment and eventually, she took a few deep breaths and said, “Ithink I know someone that she cares for very much... here in the castle.”Dottie sighed with relief as I braced myself. “And who might that be?”With another deep breath, the girl said the one name I most definitely did not want to hear.“Prince Warren.”