Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1277 - 32 : Disenchanted

*Noah*

An uneasy feeling settled in me on the way back to Drogomor. I knew I should feel beyond happy and excited about seeing Merida.

I was... I think.

My wolf was not, which was frustrating, to say the least.

The positive memories of me with her—watching the stars, running through the woods, and talking about our feelings together—bombarded my mind. I scolded myself, wanting to focus on that, not any sadness related to leaving Zara.

Zara and I would remain friends, and that would be just fine. I wasn’t sure why I felt hollow every time I had to chase away the thoughts of her.

Running my hands through my hair, I let out a sigh.

One of the Drogomor guards next to me, Felix, asked, “Are you doing alright, sir?”

“I am,” I said. “I’m very excited to see Merida again. I thought... I thought she was gone forever.”

“Everyone else did too,” he said. “It must be a relief for her to come back now that you’re open to true mates again.”

“It is,” I said, hoping to convince myself with that statement too.

It was for the best. The night I shared with Zara had me spellbound. It was hard to get out of my mind, but it was something I needed to do.

Zara needed a chance to find her true mate. Her baby needed its true father. She made a huge point to me that true mates were happier, and she knew her mate was out there already.

It bothered me that he hadn’t come forward yet. I wondered if he was out there looking for her, too. I pondered this and let out another sigh.

Zara and I had been together for a while now, and she’d know if we were the match.

But that dream had been so vivid, and the way she described her night with her mate in that clearing had been so familiar.

Now, it didn’t matter. I would go and see Merida, who was most likely my true mate. The love we’d shared was pure, after all. It felt pure. The relief I felt about her being safe lifted a weight, and I let myself smile.

We pulled into the mansion, and I got out, letting my thoughts switch to Merida. I felt a bit of anxiety pooling within me, wondering if she would still love me after all these years.

The silhouette of a woman appeared in the entrance of Drogomor mansion, and I gasped when she came into view. It really was Merida, safe, and wearing the biggest, radiant grin of her life.

My heart leaped, and my eyes widened. “Merida,” I said in a breathless voice.

She rushed up to me and took me into a tight hug, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d feel the magic while hugging her.

It was a warm, friendly hug, but nothing electrifying like when I held Zara in my arms. I cursed myself inwardly, knowing I needed to put my thoughts about the matchmaker aside and focus on who may be my true mate.

When she stepped away, I reached up and cupped her cheek, running my thumb over it and giving a smile. “Merida,” I said softly. “I’m so glad to see you alright. What happened? Where have you been?”

Merida let out a soft sigh. Some strands of her brown hair fell into her face, and her beautiful grey eyes fixed on me.

“I missed you so much, Noah,” she said softly. “That is a pretty long story.”

“Let’s go inside and sit down. We can talk about it over lunch,” I said.

I held out my arm to her, and she linked hers into mine. We walked inside, settling in the dining area as some Drogomor servants began to set up lunch.

Merida gazed at me lovingly, then began her story. “The ship had gone down, and it was absolutely terrifying. It’s good my survival skills were up to par.”

“Why is that?”

My tone was concerned for her. She had a tired glint to her eyes, and I realized after all these years, she’d probably been through a lot.

“I landed on an island and needed to stay strong. There were people there, but when I washed up, I was unconscious and woke up with no memory,” she said.

I noted her caressing a new shell-shaped charm on her neck, wondering if she got it from the people who had found her.

“I’m glad you were rescued. I really missed you, Merida.”

“Thank the Goddess I was,” she said. “I missed you when I realized what had happened, too. But sadly, I’d suffered brain trauma during the ship wreckage. I’ve been in therapy for it for so long.”

My heart clenched at her solemn expression. She closed her eyes and put her hand on her forehead for a moment before regaining her composure and looking at me lovingly.

“I am so relieved you finally remembered the pack, Merida... that you remember me,” I said, my voice dripping with enthusiasm.

My wolf didn’t share my sentiment, but I didn’t care.

“Of course, I do, Noah. I came back as soon as I remembered everything. Some of it is still foggy, though,” she said with a sigh. “I wish I could remember... everything, crystal clear.”

“Will you ever get the memories back?”

“I’m not sure. Can you forgive me if I can’t remember some things, Noah?”

“Of course, I can, Merida,” I said firmly. “We can make new memories together. Listen, I found out about true mates. They’re very possible. A good friend of mine showed me the truth.”

“True mates?” she asked, her eyes twinkling. “Do you think we’re true mates, Noah? I think fate brought us together now. Otherwise, why get my memories back right when you realized that?”

“Good point. We may be,” I said. I smiled at her, reaching over to take her hand. “Would you like to spend some time under the stars with me tonight, like we used to?”

Merida gave me a soft smile, then shook her head. “I’d rather cuddle by the fire. There’s a bit of a chill tonight.”

I nodded, though I felt inwardly disappointed. She probably needed to relax a little before settling in, though the old Merida was always insistent on spending time outside despite the cold winds.

She’d have suggested that we just bring thicker jackets.

Her time on that island probably changed her a bit, and she’d be back to her old self in no time.

***

I’d dedicated all my time to Merida, wanting to spend it with her after being without her for so long, but she had not been interested in returning to a night under the stars these past few days.

“Dinner by the fire?” I suggested.

She agreed to that, at least. We sat by the fireplace together, leaning against one another while eating dinner.

“Things have been busy here in Drogomor since I’ve been gone, huh? I’m relieved you haven’t taken someone else yet, Noah. Now we have a chance to be together,” Merida said.

“I almost did,” I admitted. “Her name was Serena, but we weren’t meant for each other. It’s not something I really want to dwell on.”

“Why not?”

“It’s just a painful subject. I almost made a big mistake.”

“Well, you didn’t, and here you are. Thank the Goddess for that,” she said, turning to hug me. “Still, you should tell me that story sometime.”

“I will. What about you? Any harrowing stories from your experience on that island that you remember?”

“Oh, nothing major, it was all very rough. I can’t think of anything specific,” she said.

I’d expected her to have something on her mind.

Merida was always a bit of a headstrong daredevil, making the best out of the worst situations. I figured she’d have all sorts of wild adventures to speak about when she settled in. Maybe it was too heavy for her.

“Well, we can make our own adventures now. Would you like to stop by the animal sanctuary sometime? Maybe get some good exercise with a long hike? Both our hobbies would be taken care of then,” I said warmly.

Merida wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “No,” she said softly. “Curling up with a book by the lake sounds more likable. You can get your exercise in by swimming. I’d give you a good watch.”

She winked, and I gave a faint smile. I felt a bit disappointed that she wasn’t into our old hobbies, things we had done together for fun... not that reading by the lake was a bad thing by any means.

It wasn’t the best way to spend time together, though. I was hoping she’d have suggestions for more engaging things we could do.

The disenchantment settled in. There were subtle things here and there—the lack of spark when we kissed, her lack of attention when I spoke up about my feelings on something.

She seemed to be listening, but I wasn’t sure whether she was pretending. Maybe she was lost in her own mind due to everything that had happened. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on.

Merida was the love of my life, and she’d been through a lot. She was someone I’d always imagined spending the rest of my life with, and when I lost her, I lost a huge piece of my heart.

Now she was back, and I needed to remain loyal. She was right. We may very well be true mates.

I told myself that over and over, and though my wolf protested, I tried getting myself to believe it.

When I opened my heart to Zara, though, she listened. I really needed to get her out of my head, but I couldn’t. My mind always seemed to wander right back to her.

I wondered if I could really pick up where I’d left off with Merida.

“Something wrong, Noah?” Merida asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Nothing at all.” I smiled warmly. “I’m just excited about everything we’ll be able to do together.”

“I am too,” Merida said. She reached over and put her hand over mine. “If you do have anything to say, I will listen. I promise, I am here for you. Alright?”

I nodded, though felt inwardly that her words were a bit hollow. I cursed myself for thinking that way. Of course, she meant it.

My feelings were just completely conflicted, and I wasn’t sure why. I knew I should be grateful I had Merida back. I felt that I could work through these feelings.

I had to.

I was happy to have my dear friend back. We’d grow truly close again, in time, where things didn’t have to feel weird.

I had opened my mouth to continue our conversation when suddenly Caleb entered the room, his eyes wide. He looked between Merida and me.

“Sorry if I am interrupting,” he said.

I shook my head. “Not at all,” I told the pack’s Beta. “What’s wrong?”

His voice had been laced with alarm, and I widened my eyes.

“A priestess from the pack ‘Shadow’s Flicker’ is here. She claims to have sent a warning to you and wants to do so here. She is not friendly and demanded to meet you in person,” Caleb said.

I didn’t want this stress to be on Merida, so I said to her, “Wait here. I’ll go see what this is about.”

When I got to the office and spotted the woman in question, my mouth fell open in shock. I recognized both her eyes and her scent.

She was one of the rogues who had attacked us during the Luna Lily cultivation.

Her amber stare was locked on me, and she scowled deeply. “You. Noah Black, you need to stop aiding the cultivation of the Luna Lily.”

Shit. I needed to get a hold of Zara immediately.

The priestess had a very tense, aggressive stance as she looked upon me.

Who the hell did she think she was? I sized her up a bit, feeling a surge of protectiveness toward Zara.

“Is that so?” I growled.

She nodded. “I have come to give you a final warning.”

I wondered if Zara was getting this same ‘final warning.’