Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

*Saoirse*

A fresh wave of determination swept over me as I took my time returning to my chambers. I relished the ability to control my body again, something I had taken for granted before.

I wanted nothing more than to flee this prison they dared to call a sanctuary so I could reunite with Rhys, but I needed to be patient. I decided to round the corner to see more of the sanctuary with my own eyes when I nearly collided with someone else.

Stumbling back, I realized that I nearly ran right into Axureon.

“Shylah!” he exclaimed in surprise. “I thought you were sleeping to restore your energy. Are you not well? Can you not sleep?”

His eyes showed concern, but I didn’t have time for his concern over Shylah’s welfare when he had completely ignored mine.

“I’ve actually been feeling rather cooped up, unable to share my thoughts, say my piece, or do what I want when I want.” I leveled a stern stare at him to prove my point.

“Shylah, I’m confused. Staying within the hidden sanctuary was your idea. You said it was of paramount importance.” Auxureon’s brow wrinkled as he continued, “And what do you mean do as you wish? I know we must strategize further, but please be assured we are doing everything we can to make sure you have everything you need to defeat Pyroth.”

I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes at Axureon. Maybe I was being petty, but I wanted him to realize on his own accord that he wasn’t talking to his long-lost mate. Instead, he was talking to me, the savior he appointed and then abandoned.

“I’m not convinced your heart is really in the right place or that you’re seeing things clearly. I mean, do you even know who I am?” I challenged, my resentment and anger bubbling up like a boiling-over pot.

“What do you mean, Shylah? My heart has always belonged to you and our people.” The man in front of me squinted a bit before taking a step back. “You’re our hope, our sovereign, our hero.”

Axureon feared Shylah. Despite everything that had happened and everything he had done, I pitied him for fearing his soulmate.

No one should fear the one they love.

“Axureon, you came to me and awoke the dragon magic in me and told me I was the only hope for your people due to my bloodline, and now you say this about Shylah?” My rage didn’t simmer as hot as before. It was now an annoying thorny ball in my lungs.

I had lost too much respect for Axureon and his desperation to now feel much sympathy for him.

“Saoirse? My dear, is that you?” Axureon asked as if he cared about my welfare. I inwardly scoffed.

“Yes, Axureon, it’s me, and it should be me,” I said, voice raised. “It shouldn’t even be a question of who you are talking to, and I’m so frustrated that you’re okay with this that I could scream.”

“Saoirse, I... I don’t know where to begin. My mate, Shylah, as you can imagine, has quite a temper and overbearing attitude. I shouldn’t have believed her when she said you submitted to her control willingly.” Axureon’s shoulders slumped. His movement frightened me more than I liked to admit.

What if Axureon was too afraid of Shylah’s wrath to be her ally?

“I need your help to get her to leave my body. It isn’t right that she is doing this, and you know it,” I insisted, taking a step closer to him to get in his space.

“She won’t leave your body willingly,” Axureon sighed. “She will do everything in her power to maintain control over it due to your closeness and ability with dragon magic.”

“Yeah, I know. She enlisted a magic user named Sasha and is keeping her in the magic channeling room to have my soul exorcised from my body.” I sneered, thinking about how underhanded Shylah was acting in the name of saving her people.

“Oh gods, I had no idea. How did this get so dire?” Axureon looked past me to the gilded door of the magic channeling room.

“You don’t even know the half of it.” I caught his attention again. “I’m not just fighting for myself but also for my unborn child.”

“You’re with child?” Axureon paled, the blood draining from his face. I nodded.

“Yes. Axureon, I will not have her harming me or my child. I need to regain control of my body, and I need your help to do so. Sasha, the Dream Dancer, is on my side, but we still need your support.” My gaze drilled into his eyes as he gathered himself.

“I understand. She’s gone too far. I was willfully blind to her actions. I wanted to believe her because she was my mate, but I knew deep down she was up to something. I’ll help you move Shylah to a new vessel.” Axureon leveled a determined stare back at me, and I scoffed.

“Do you seriously want to find her another vessel? Do you hear yourself? She only wants a vessel with powerful magic ability, and I’m the most powerful magic user we know of.” I flailed my arms to the side in exasperation.

I knew that a mate bond was strong. If there was a chance to save Rhys, I would, but some things were just not meant to be.

“Let me take care of that,” Axureon assured, but I wasn’t done.

“You would also have to find someone willing to have her take over their body. How are you going to find someone who would willingly volunteer their life?” I challenged, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“Like I said, I will handle this.” He pursed his lips in thought.

After everything that happened and his clear bias toward Shylah, I didn’t believe him. But I still needed his help. Right now, I had to fight the battles right in front of me.

I sighed through my nose, not overly happy with the outcome of this conversation but relieved enough that Axureon had at least seen the error of his ways and was willing to help.

“Thank you, Axureon. I’m going to go back to bed now so that when Shylah awakens, she doesn’t have any idea about what happened. Act as if everything is normal, okay?” I instructed him, trying my best to stay calm.

“Yes, I understand. I will not fail you or your child.”

Axureon led me back to Shylah’s quarters to make sure that I wasn’t spoken to by any of her disciples.

Once I closed the door, I sighed heavily. I took off the golden slippers, which still made me smile because of Rhys’ comment. I loved him, and I wasn’t going to let Shylah take me and our unborn child away from him just because she thought she had the power to achieve it.

I laid down. Before I knew it, the familiar vise of darkness clamped down on me again. I plunged back deep into myself. My arms stretched on their own volition.

“Mmmmm, I have a feeling it’s going to be a productive day,” Shylah said with my voice. I inwardly smirked.

“Yes, for me as well, Shylah,” I thought.

Shylah got up, showered, and slicked my hair in a tight, authoritative bun that I’d never choose for myself. It was strange seeing someone else style my makeup and hair in a way that felt so unlike me.

As Shylah marched into the strategy room, ordering one of her lieutenants to summon coffee and breakfast for the room, I kept reminding myself that this was only temporary.

They discussed strategy and estimated the manpower that Pyroth commanded. She had a map laid out on the table, discussing which weapons to source and where to place them.

“If we could place a squadron here in qua–” She was in the middle of explaining when a sudden wave of nausea rocked through my body.

Shylah put a hand to her mouth.

“If we cou–” Another violent wave of nausea rose like a storm swell.

“Excuse me!” Shylah fled the strategy room. A dozen pairs of confused eyes and one pair of suspicious eyes watched her leave.

I knew exactly what this was.

Shylah didn’t make it four steps out of the strategy room before retching into a bronze pot. Her meticulous makeup ran as she emptied the breakfast she’d eaten.

“You’re with child, correct?” Axureon’s voice caught Shylah off guard. She instantly stood upright.

He was holding out a cloth napkin and a bottle of water.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Axureon. I haven’t laid with another,” Shylah scoffed, wiping her mouth with the cloth napkin.

She wasn’t fooling anyone. Of course, Axureion didn’t think she was pregnant. Suddenly, my mind froze stock still.

I wondered if she had thought about being intimate with another using my body. That would be wrong on so many levels. I fought another ripple of revulsion.

Axureon seemingly also did because blood rushed to his head and then drained from it completely.

“Shylah, you know exactly what I mean. Saoirse, the young woman you’ve overtaken, is pregnant,” Axureon said, his eyes bright with anger.

“Fine. So what if this vessel is a little... encumbered? It is early in this species’ gestation cycle.” Shylah put a hand on her hip and grabbed the water bottle with the other.

A wash of fury spread over Axureon’s face as a red flush and sharp eyes.

“Shylah!” he shouted, his voice booming through the corridor, which jolted Shylah. “You must vacate that human vessel. This is unacceptable.”

Shylah’s jaw dropped in shock.

I silently cheered Axureion on for standing up to her. I smiled, wishing that I could properly celebrate. This situation might not achieve anything, but it was a good first step.

“Axureon, you’re overreacting. If our calculations are correct, we will defeat Pyroth, and I will release this human vessel long before she is due to give birth.” Shylah recovered her composure.

“Shylah, you cannot lead an army into war with this young woman’s body. I should’ve said something before I learned she was with child, but this is the final straw.” Axureon’s voice lowered to an intimidating bass tone.

“Axur–”

“No, Shylah. You cannot endanger them like this. The other disciples, while thankful you have rescued them, also have their concerns about this arrangement. If you do not have the trust and faith of your lieutenants and a healthy, able body, how do you think you’re truly fit to command? How can we possibly be victorious over Pyroth?” The male dragon put his foot down, shaking his head.

I thanked Axureon in mind. If this logic didn’t get through to her, I didn’t know what would.

“Axureon you’re being drama–” Axureon cut her off with a flash of dragon magic.

“I will not allow it, and neither will our forces. You must choose, Shylah. Will you keep this mortal form, or will you defeat Pyroth?” Axureon shook his head, his eyes softening. “You may be my mate, but that does not mean I will support you no matter what.” Axureon turned on his heel and went back into the strategy room without looking back.

For the first time since Shylah took over my body, the darkness around me didn’t seem so dark.