Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1341 - 96 : A Chance to Heal

*Lorelei*

“Miss Winter?”

I turned to find little Zephyr looking up at me with large sky-blue eyes. She was an inquisitive child and was my little shadow here at the daycare where I worked.

I smiled kindly down at the little girl. “What is it, Zephyr?”

Zephyr crossed her arms violently, causing her thick auburn braids to bump against her shoulders. “Miles isn’t giving anyone else a turn with the new board game.”

I frowned. “It’s a four-person game,” I said with confusion. “Does he know that he’s supposed to be playing with three other people?”

“Yes, but he won’t listen to me,” Zephyr said with a pout forming on her lips.

I inwardly shook my head and smiled down at her. “Alright, thank you for telling me Zephyr. I’ll be there in a moment.”

The little girl nodded seriously before turning to probably tell Miles that he was in trouble. I shook my head once again, this time not bothering to be subtle about it, and giggled slightly. Even when I needed to help with conflicts between them, the children were fascinating and upbeat individuals.

It took some time, but I was finally starting to feel like I belonged in the Midnight Sun pack. Everyone was so welcoming and although I’d felt shy and out of place at first, I finally felt like I found my place at the little daycare that I worked part time in.

I was just in the middle of getting some supplies ready for a painting activity when Zephyr rushed over to me so I quickly started to set the supplies aside, closing bottles and stacking things neatly before some tiny, curious hands could make a mess out of any of it.

“Hello, Miss Winter.”

I looked up at the handsome brunette. I tried to hold back a grimace and smiled politely. “Hello, Russell. Are you here to pick up Tabitha?”

The man nodded, eyeing me with his dark eyes. “Yes, I am.”

I straightened and adjusted the apron I was wearing. “Just wait here a moment. I’ll go and fetch her for you.”

Russell’s eyes widened and he put a hand out to stop me. “Thanks, but in a moment please,” he said, his voice full of urgency. “I need to speak with you first.”

The grimace probably formed on my face before I could reign it in.

Russell was a nice man and I know he was still mourning the loss of his wife, which was why I was shocked when he’d started to show an interest in me over the past couple of weeks.

He was a kind man. Many of the men in Midnight Sun were extremely nice, but I just couldn’t fathom the thought of putting myself out there again.

Not after Gray.

My heart clenched as I pictured Gray’s dark brown eyes in my mind. It had been a few months now since he’d rejected me, and it still hurt as if it just happened yesterday.

I gave Russell an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry, but I’m fairly busy at the moment. Let me just fetch Tabitha for you so that I can send you on your way.”

I turned to do just that without giving the man a chance to answer, my heart feeling heavy as I did so.

Later that evening, I stepped through the door of my tiny apartment. The people of Midnight Sun were so accommodating and understanding of my situation. I was able to get a good deal on the apartment along with some financial aid to help me support myself. I was so grateful, and I knew I was extremely fortunate.

I glanced around the small, cozy space as I set my bag down, my chest constricting as I swallowed back a sob.

I was lucky. I knew I was, but I was still extremely lonely as well.

I was sure that anyone who heard that would roll their eyes and tell me to just start dating if I was actually so lonely.

I wished that I could. I had heavily debated it with a few male shifters showing me attention since I arrived, but I wasn’t ready, and I wasn’t sure how long it would take before I was either.

I was just sitting down after making some warm chicken soup when the phone rang. I swallowed a mouthful of food before answering it. “Hello?”

“Hi Lorelei. It’s Zara. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”

I straightened on the sofa and set my bowl down on the coffee table. “Zara! It’s so good to hear from you. Not at all. How are you doing?”

“I’m well. My daughter is growing each and every day. Noah and I are very happy.”

I sighed in amazement. “Congratulations, Zara. I am so, so happy for you!” And I meant it. I owed her much for helping me escape the Silver Fang pack.

“Thank you!” she chirped. “How are things in Midnight Sun? I trust you are all settled in. I would hope so though since it’s been a while. I apologize for not checking in with you sooner.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” I said, amazed by her kindness. “Yes, I’m all settled in. I’m working part-time at a daycare. It’s been so fun!” My throat tightened a little bit toward the end as I was suddenly reminded of my loneliness.

“I’m glad you’re doing so well,” Zara said happily. It almost made me tear up. She lowered her voice. “I actually called because I have some news about Gray.”

I felt my eyes widen as the name came through the phone, causing my brain to buzz uncomfortably. “Gray?” I echoed, my voice cracking, wondering when the last time was that the name had passed my lips.

“Yes,” Zara confirmed. “He’s here in Drogomor and is very sorry for what he did to you. He’d like to see you again and try to make things up to you.”

My mind spun as it failed to fully process the words that Zara was speaking. After all this time, why would Gray want to reach out to me now?

I remembered the way his dark eyes flashed as he rejected my profession of unwavering love. And even if he was sorry for being cruel, did he actually want to pursue anything with me? Even if he did, was I ready?

“Lorelei?” Zara said after a couple of moments of silence. “Are you there?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes, I’m sorry. That was just a bit of a shock I suppose.”

Zara seemed to understand immediately that I wasn’t sure what to do with the information she just gave me.

“I see,” she said, her voice filled with compassion that almost brought tears to my eyes. “May I suggest you come and visit Drogomor sometime soon? We would love to have you here, and it would be great to see you again. You could meet with Gray in a neutral setting and maybe talk things over.”

Panic filled me at the thought of seeing Gray again so soon after I had been wrestling with the idea of never seeing him again. Any kind of response got caught in my throat as my jaw hung open in disbelief at what this phone call had become.

Zara continued as if I wasn’t currently losing my mind. “Gray is actually imprisoned here and—”

“Imprisoned?” I gasped in shock. “Whatever for?”

“It’s a long story,” Zara said.

I could practically hear her shoulders sag.

She sounded exhausted. “Don’t worry though. He’s completely fine, but he does seem desperate to make amends with you and is genuinely remorseful.”

Hearing that Gray was being imprisoned put a whole new unexpected layer to the situation. I felt awful for him, even though I was still hurt by his rejection. Even though he treated me so badly, I still would have never wished that for him.

Still, as much as I still had feelings for him, most of those emotions were not positive ones. He hurt me. He caused several months of heartache and nightmares. I still had nightmares about his rejection, and it felt like those wounds were just now starting to heal.

What if I decided to face him again and he just added salt to the wounds that already existed? I wasn’t sure I could handle even more heartache than I had already endured.

“I-I’m sorry, Zara,” I said finally, and I hated the way my voice cracked. “I’m just not sure I can face Gray after the trauma he caused me.”

“I understand that completely,” Zara said. She let out a shuddering breath. “Noah and I have had our share of pain and bumps along the way. I know it’s not comparable to what Gray did to you, but there was a time when I thought that Noah and I wouldn’t make it.”

That did little to convince me. I took a deep breath, willing the tears away that were threatening to form. “I just really want to fully move on,” I said finally.

“It sounds to me like Gray does as well,” Zara said gently. “I know what he did to you was awful, but he truly does seem like he’s hurting as well. Maybe he deserves it, but I do think it would do you both some good to talk things out again now that he’s remorseful.”

I could feel my protective walls crumbling very slightly as she spoke. “Maybe,” I murmured.

“At least hear Gray speak his piece,” Zara urged. “Then you can decide for certain if reconciliation is possible.”

That was true, I realized. Even if Gray and I weren’t meant to be, maybe this was what I needed to finally move on for certain.

“Okay,” I finally agreed. “I’ll speak to Gray.”

Zara was thrilled to hear that I was willing to meet with Gray. She started to make arrangements for Noah’s aunts to escort me to Drogomor, which I greatly appreciated.

***

Noah’s aunts were extremely kind and quirky. I enjoyed talking to them on the drive to Drogomor. Not even an hour into the ride, I found myself opening up about my situation with Gray and how I wasn’t sure if I could face him.

“He just hurt me so badly,” I concluded after telling them the terrible story of my rejection. “I know it’s probably the right thing to give him a second chance, but I’m just not sure if I can.”

The three women glanced at one another, and their eyes were filled with so much sympathy and compassion that it made me all choked up.

“You must not force yourself, darling,” said Genevieve, who was sitting to my right. She set a hand over mine.

“She’s right, dear,” Harriet chimed in. “Although we have never settled down with mates ourselves, it is not too different from the relationships we hold with family members or friends. You must be aware of your limits.”

“Give the boy a chance,” added Marguerite with a decisive nod. “Do be open so that love can play out if it is meant to be. However, set boundaries as you see fit. You are a sweet girl, and we would hate to see you hurt again.”

“Thank you so, so much,” I told the three women, who were quickly becoming my good friends.

I sucked in a breath and tried to calm myself as we got closer and closer to Drogomor.

And to Gray.