Sold To The Alphas: A BBW Paranormal Romance (6 page)

Flora looked at me with her blonde brows drawn together, though with the hint of a smile playing around her mouth. "Chase and Grayson haven't told you what they do for a living, have they? What they lead the whole pack in doing. I guess I thought they might have told you, but I should have considered that you only just got here last night, and the three of you might not have had time to discuss things."

With a little heat rising to my face, I recalled the previous evening and cleared my throat. "Yes, we...well, with me getting settled in, I guess we didn't really have much time to talk. Though in the truck, I guess Chase did ask me if I wanted to know more about him and Grayson and what they do, and...." I trailed off, suddenly and surprisingly a bit ashamed. "I guess I told him, 'Not really.' Probably a little rude."

Flora smiled, her blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight flooding the kitchen. "Maybe, but I'm sure you had all sorts of thoughts going through your mind right then, and you were probably a bit stressed. A snappy response is more than understandable in that situation. And if you want to know more about Chase and Grayson and what they and the pack do, I'll go ahead and tell you right now."

I nodded. "Yes. Please."

Flora took a sip of her coffee, leaning back in her chair, then set the cup back on the table. "Okay. Well, Chase, Grayson, my husband Hunter, and all the other wolves in the pack work for the royal family of Ashcrest. Basically, they are protectors. They protect all the little human-inhabited towns and villages in the area from other wolves. Wolves who are exactly like the ones I'm sure you've always heard about. Wolves who take pleasure in hurting, killing, and robbing; basically, all other wolves besides the ones in our pack.

“See, the wolves in our pack all realized long ago that they're not like other wolves. They don't take sick joy in all the typical wolf activities. Chase broke away from his home pack at a young age and started his own, and Grayson did the same. Then, eventually, they merged packs in order to have more strength in numbers. That's why our pack is a larger one than probably is typical, and that's why we have two alphas.

“So, anyway, not long after the pack merger, Lord Ashcrest, who hates the sick, cruel kind of wolves more than anyone, asked Chase and Grayson if they'd work for him, helping to defend some of the little towns and villages in the state, which Chase and Grayson were already doing, anyway. The only difference was that after being hired by Lord Ashcrest, they actually started getting paid."

I sat speechless for a long moment, stunned. "So...Chase and Grayson aren't the 'bad' kind of wolves? They're...they're actually 'protectors?'"

Flora nodded. "Yes, though honestly, that's not really even a strong enough descriptor. They're really
lifesavers
, in the most literal sense. Over the years, they've saved dozens, if not hundreds, of innocent lives, my own and Lily's included. I wouldn't even be here talking to you right now if it weren't for Chase, Grayson, and Hunter."

"What happened?"

Flora took another sip of her coffee before continuing. "Well, I'll try to make a very long story short. I come from a tiny little village called Springbrook about sixty miles east of here. My husband, my first husband, that is, Lily's biological father, lost his life in an accident when Lily was just a year old. Not more than a few months after that, wolves began attacking our village, and one night, the few dozen men in our village couldn't hold them off with guns and arrows any longer.

“The wolves came into the village in full force, killing people as they went, just for sport. Being that my husband was gone, and being that the other men were busy protecting their own families, Lily and I had no one to defend us, so I thought my best chance at keeping her safe would be to take her into the woods. But that wasn't smart. There were more wolves waiting, and one of them knocked Lily from my arms."

With her eyes becoming slightly pink, Flora paused for a long moment. "I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. Lily was crying...screaming. I couldn't get to her. The wolves were between us. But just when I thought all hope was lost, that we'd both soon be killed, three wolves came charging in and started battling the wolves who'd been trying to hurt Lily and me. These three wolves, who were Chase, Grayson, and Hunter, eventually killed them all. Then, the three of them shifted, and Hunter grabbed Lily and put her back in my arms."

Flora smiled, giving her head a quick shake. "I think I fell in love with him that very second. In fact, I know I did. He, Chase, and Grayson went on to save most of the people in my village that night, and when Hunter asked if Lily and I would like to come back here to Shadowfen with him, just as a guest, just on a trial basis, I said yes right away.

Turned out to be the best decision of my life. Although I guess I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little lonely for a female friend my age, which is why I'm so happy that you came here. Lily would love a little playmate, too. So...not to put pressure on you getting pregnant right away or anything, but...."

Flora gave me a big grin, her big blue eyes twinkling, but I couldn't return even the weakest of smiles. I felt sick. I felt ashamed. I felt like a complete fraud, which I was.

Back in Greenleaf, I'd thought nothing of my fertility deception, just wanting to spare Skye what I thought would be a terrible life with the "evil" wolves. But now I knew that the wolves weren't evil, at least “my” wolves weren't, anyway. They were actually protectors, savers of innocent lives. They were good men who'd purchased me with hard-earned money in the hopes of producing a child or two to help their village grow. But I couldn't give them that child or children.

No matter how many nights of passion we shared. I'd eventually have to dash their hopes by telling them that I was infertile. I'd eventually have to tell two noble, heroic men that I'd deceived them; that I was a complete fraud.

Flora studied my face, frowning. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sure you already feel enough pressure to become pregnant right away."

I shook my head, clutching my suddenly-churning stomach. "No. No, it wasn't anything you said. It's just...it's just me."

"I understand. I know you're probably still adjusting, still just getting used to being here. I bet you probably miss your family and friends, too. Have you had a chance to call any of them yet?"

I suddenly sat up a little straighter. "You mean that's...that's completely allowed?"

Flora smiled, her pearly white teeth sparking in the sunlight. "Of course. I know Chase and Grayson can seem stern, and...well, I guess they
are
stern, most of the time, anyway. I guess they have to be, being alphas and having to be in control all the time. But despite that sternness, I know they both have good hearts. They're both good men. I know neither of them would mind at all if you called your family. Do you have a phone of your own?"

I nodded, suddenly desperate to call Skye. "I know my sister is probably so worried about me, and she'd be so relieved to hear from me."

Smiling, Flora stood up from the table. "I'll leave you to it, then. Lily and I will come back after lunch to check up on you."

Not a moment after she'd left, carrying a sleeping Lily, I grabbed my phone and dialed Skye's number. She answered on the first ring, and I blurted out that I was okay even before saying hello. Skye heaved a sigh of relief, then asked if I was sure, and I said I was.

"Positive. These wolves aren't evil. In fact, they're...Skye, they're...."

With tears suddenly prickling my eyelids, I trailed off, unable to finish the thought, because what I was thinking was that Chase and Grayson were good men who I was ultimately going to disappoint and hurt. I couldn't tell Skye that, because then I'd have to explain my deception. I just wasn't ready to do that yet. I needed time to think.

Fortunately, before Skye could ask any more questions, I was spared by typically bad cellphone reception. The line began to get fuzzy with static, and I heard Skye apologize, speaking loudly.

"The reception has been so terrible all day."

"It's no problem, Skye. Maybe I'll try calling you back soon...in a few days.""What?""I'll try you again in a few days. Maybe we'll see if we can get a better signal.""I wish I could hug you, too. Miss you so much, Ro."

The conversation went on similarly, with lots of failed communication, for another minute or so, before the call dropped and my phone showed zero bars, meaning no signal at all.

After wiping my teary eyes, I tidied up the kitchen in a daze, still somewhat in a state of shock about what Flora had told me. Once the kitchen was sparkling, I went to rest in bed, eventually falling asleep, despite feeling troubled and anxious.

That afternoon, Flora and Lily came back to visit, and the three of us took a walk around the quiet little village. While we strolled in the warm April sunshine, Flora asked me to tell her more about myself, and I told her some about my life in Greenleaf, including how close I was to Skye and how much I missed her.

Flora looked thoughtful for a few moments before responding. "You know...maybe she could join us here someday. Maybe even someday soon. I've been the only young woman here for so long, simply because Chase and Grayson and the rest of the men had to save up a lot of gold in order to go to their first auction and get you. Not to remind you of the possibly unpleasant fact that you were purchased, but as you know, fertile women are very, very expensive.

“But with your sister Skye
not
being fertile, as I'm just assuming she's not, since she wasn't sold at your town's auction...well, maybe the mayor of your town would just let her go willingly, if she wanted to, of course. Maybe he would just let Chase and Grayson get her and bring her back here without them having to spend months and months saving up a ton of gold from Ashcrest again. And it would be no problem at all for Skye to be matched up with a mate here, even though she's infertile.

“I think many of the pack members here are so starved for love they wouldn't even care about that. I think, really, it's Chase and Grayson who are most concerned about continuing their family lines. I know it's a huge priority for both of them."

I bit my lip, trying not to cringe.

Seeming not to notice my discomfort, Flora shrugged. "Anyway...just something to think about."

I had an awful lot to think about. Maybe even more than I'd ever had to think about in my life. In my wanting to protect Skye, I'd screwed up. Royally. And I knew it. I also didn't know how I was ever going to be able to come clean to Chase and Grayson. I couldn't deny that I had very much enjoyed the physical intimacy the three of us had shared the night before, and I didn't want to lose it. I wasn't sure if I could stand to lose it.

However, I knew my deception couldn't go on forever. After maybe several months, I knew Chase and Grayson might become suspicious when I didn't get pregnant.

I thought this over while Flora, Lily, and I ambled down the sunlit dirt road leading through the village, and I eventually realized something. Maybe I could just play dumb. Maybe I could just pretend to be completely surprised and baffled when I didn't get pregnant.

After all, unless I told them the truth, there was really no way Chase and Grayson could ever find it out themselves. I'd altered the medical records too well. They could suspect, but they could never prove it. I'd just maintain that I'd been declared fertile, and I had no idea why I wasn't getting pregnant. Maybe our steamy little threesome could just continue on forever.

Though after thinking over this scenario of me continuing my deception, of me actually
increasing
my deception, I knew I could never go through with it. As tempting as it was, I knew in my heart of hearts that I just wasn't that kind of a person. I wasn't the kind of person who could go on with a lie forever. I wasn't the type of person who could hurt and disappoint two good men by never providing a child, all the while insisting that I had no clue why when I damn well did.

I would tell them. Sometime. Sometime soon. But first, I just wanted a little more time. I knew it was too late for me to trade places with Skye anyway; she'd never in a million years ever sleep with any man I'd already slept with, even only once. We'd once discussed the scenario of one of us sleeping with a man the other had already slept with, and we'd both agreed that the idea was infinitely creepy. So, I knew it was too late to simply reveal the truth to Chase and Grayson and switch places with Skye.