Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1278 - 33 : Beware the Lilies

*Zara*

The botanists who remained on board for the Luna Lily project were very helpful and pleasant every time I visited them, which was a huge relief.

I spent the day visiting the cave, which the archeologists had again confirmed was perfect for the Luna Lilies. I shoved the thought of Noah to the back of my mind, and no progress had been made in finding my mate, either.

As I walked around and noted the structures meant to hold the vines, I smiled, realizing we would have quite the garden there. I couldn’t help but stop and admire the glowing crystals that were growing around the cave, either.

I spoke to one of the botanists named Doctor Maybel. “It still boggles my mind that this will be enough light for the lilies. I’m relieved we were able to find just the right spots.”

“Agreed,” the scientist said, giving me a smile. “It’s no surprise that it took the others a while to find this place. Now, we will have to set up some artificial lights here and there or figure out how to move some of these crystals. But for the most part, what we’ve set up will do.”

“That is wonderful to hear!” I said cheerfully. “Thank you so much for all your help on this project. So many people can be brought together this way.”

“It’s been an honor, Zara,” Doctor Maybel said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, after all, being able to study magic like this.”

I tilted my head. “Have you been able to work with many magical flowers in your time?”

She was about to respond when I was interrupted by a beeping. “Feel free to check that,” she said. “We can talk later!”

I nodded and excused myself, heading off to the side so I wouldn’t be in the way. I was not expecting to see Noah’s name pop up on the screen, and I blinked several times.

I answered. “Hey. Something the matter, Noah?”

“Yes,” he said. “Good guess. I wish this were just a check in, but unfortunately, a priestess is here, the leader of those rogues who attacked us.”

I gasped, shock rushing through me. My wolf was outraged, wanting me to go give that interrupting bitch a piece of my mind. I needed to calm down and think rationally, and so after a few deep breaths, let out a sigh.

“Are you alright? Did she end up attacking Drogomor?”

“No, she came peacefully, but is very pissed,” he said. “She wanted to talk to you and me about the matter of the cultivation project.”

“I see. I can return to Drogomor. Hopefully we can come to an understanding.”

“Other than that, how’s the project going?” He was definitely trying to lighten the mood.

I chuckled. “It’s going well, other than the looming threat of the rogues, Noah. Thank you for asking. See you soon. Oh, how are things with Merida?”

There was silence for a moment on the other end, then Noah’s cheerful tone. I wondered if it was forced, but decided it was not. I needed to ignore any spark of hope that it could be.

“It’s going very well. We’ve been catching up. Any luck on finding your mate?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure I’ll make progress soon,” I said. “See you in a bit.”

With that, I bid him farewell and prepared to leave for Drogomor once more.

But before I left, I was stopped by my mother. “Hey honey,” she said. “Your father and I are concerned. Why are you leaving so soon?”

I shifted awkwardly from foot to foot as I stood there in the living room, trying to think about how best to explain it without getting her even more worried.

“Well....”

“Is this about Noah?”

“No,” I insisted. “It’s about my business, Mom. I’m trying to get it established, and things have come up. I will be okay. I promise.”

She looked skeptical, but she eventually gave a nod. “Okay. We’ll be here for you whenever you need us. I hope you know that.”

“I know. Thanks, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She gave me a hug, and when my father walked into the room, I gave him one and bid him farewell too, explaining the same thing to him.

Both my parents were concerned, but I really didn’t want to burden them with the rogue problem.

Truthfully, I didn’t think I’d be going to the pack’s mansion so soon, and I was lost in thought on the road.

At least it was a chance to solve this.

When I arrived, I was greeted by Caleb once more, who escorted me inside and to a lounge area. Noah and Merida came to meet me. Their arms were linked, and they looked very content and happy.

“Hello Zara,” Merida said. She gave me a happy smile. “Thank you for helping Noah so much. Now, we can spend time together again. I truly appreciate the amount of care you have for your work.”

I forced a smile even as my wolf balked at the idea of Noah being in close contact with this woman. Truthfully, she seemed to be incredibly sweet and perfect for him.

But I wasn’t prepared to see it. I thought I’d told myself to shove my feelings down and focus on his happiness, but that didn’t erase the sorrow pooling within me.

I wondered why I felt so disappointed, and why my wolf seemed to be so hung up on him too.

I shoved that thought aside and focused on getting down to business. I looked at Merida. “You are very welcome. I am so happy for you and Noah.”

Then, I looked at Noah, feeling determination swell within me to replace my melancholy... for now. “Let’s go talk to the priestess. Surely something can be worked out.”

Soon, we sat in the Drogomor office, facing the unamused woman who stared me down with a scowl on her face. “Zara Star,” she said. “I’ve heard much about you.”

“You have?” I asked, inwardly sighing.

News of the incident had leaked into even the Dark Realm, not that I should have been surprised about that.

She nodded. “I have, particularly regarding the use of the lilies at the Moon Ball.”

“That was unfortunately was the result of a rival tampering with a lily I had brought to the ball,” I muttered.

“And yet it still fell into the wrong hands,” she said. “I implore you to think about that. It was irresponsible.”

“I very much disagree with how it happened, but true mates did discover themselves that night, which counted for something, in the end,” I insisted. “I refused the money offered. The ethics were not sound.”

“We can agree on that part,” the priestess said, dipping her head. An ounce of respect had entered her voice before it faded out again. “But have you ever considered how that could be a bad thing? Counted for something, you say... but for what?”

I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean? True love is a wonderful thing.”

“What about the mates who had chosen each other already?” she asked. “The Luna Lily could have torn them apart. True mates are fine and well, until they tear apart people who are otherwise in love.”

I mulled that over, then gave a shrug. “But true mates are true love. Other love wasn’t meant to work out, in that case.”

I wasn’t sure if that was completely true, but it held at least a kernel of truth to me.

The priestess shook her head. “No,” she said calmly. “Sometimes, it is okay to go against fate. It is okay to fall in love with someone else. The lilies used in this way will cause doubt to mates who formerly were truly in love, fate or not.”

Her eyes fell upon Noah. “What if your father and stepmother experienced the power of the lilies and found they were not true? What if you did, with your lost love now found?”

“How do you know about Merida?” Noah growled.

The priestess raised a brow.

“As for my father and stepmother—” He shrugged, seeming uneasy about that idea.

“Your pack has a gossip mill that did not take long to hit my ears,” she replied with the slightest bit of sass.

Noah rolled his eyes. “Fair point,” he said in a low, annoyed tone. “But be careful what you say. This situation is already very tense.”

“My point stands. Tell me. What would happen if the Luna Lily told us that Alpha Issac and Luna Estella were not true mates, or the same for you and Merida?”

“I... am not sure,” Noah confessed, looking over at me.

He knew I was the expert on this matter, after all.

I shook my head. “I wouldn’t use them on people who had already found their love,” I said firmly.

The priestess scoffed. “Would you refuse even people offering a lot of money just to make sure because they are so madly in love, they wanted this to completely confirm it? But when the lily denies them, it plants the seed of doubt.”

“I am only interested in matching couples who truly desire a match. Those who have each other already wouldn’t need the lilies.” I kept my tone firm and confident, refusing to back down on the matter.

“We already know you can be irresponsible with the lilies,” she said. “That much was proven at the Moon Ball, regardless of whether you did it or not. The power of the lilies can be corrupted if in the wrong hands.”

“I will make sure that never happens again,” I insisted.

“I don’t trust you will be able to do that,” the priestess said flatly, shaking her head. “I implore you not to cultivate the lilies. They are not meant to be used en masse.”

“But—”

“Are you looking to disrupt the power, and will, of the Moon Goddess?” she asked.

“I—”

I frowned, furrowing my brow.

The answer was no, of course not. But true mates had such a hard time finding each other, and combining my powers with the lilies could help them.

I opened my mouth to explain, but the priestess continued, “The mate bond isn’t as important as a shifter’s choice to be with someone. A lot of money can be made from this, yes. But it is not the right thing to do.”

I hung my head, feeling completely defeated. I truly did just want to use the lilies for people searching for their true mates, not to break up people who had found each other already.

Noah spoke up, his tone edged and with the hint of a warning. “The lilies are now in our possession. We will decide what to do with them. Your warnings regarding the ethics of the situation has been noted.”

“Have they?” the priestess asked Noah flatly. “You would do well to listen to—”

Noah interrupted her. “We will proceed with our plans. Zara already explained how they will be used, which will not break apart any pairs who have already found themselves, mated or not.”

He then narrowed his eyes as the priestess fixed a glare on him. Noah spoke next with a tone even more hostile than before.

“Any further aggression will be considered an act of war. That is not something you would like to initiate, ma’am.”

Disgruntled, the priestess let out a sigh. “You are making a mistake,” she said. “You may not understand it, but it is a mistake.”

She stood up, looking from Noah to me. “My pack will be the least of your worries if you proceed. I hope you understand that.”

“Is that a threat?” Noah asked, letting out a snort.

My wolf was displeased with this development as well, and I felt her surge with anger. I was lost, trying to piece together what this all meant and how it could disrupt our plans.

“Take my words how you will,” the priestess said to Noah. “But one thing is certain. You have been warned.”

What did she mean by that, I wondered, and why didn’t she dare elaborate further?