The Breeder

by L G Nauck

  “Get. Out. Of. My. Way.”

  “You’re not thinking straight. What are you going to do in there? Get in the way and then she may truly die.”

  Tane struggled to get his beast under control as he processed her words. Even though his instinct told him he could fight death itself to save her, he saw the value in her words.

  He struggled to contain the rage inside him as he let himself be led to another room by Serena. Once they were in the other room, he struck out, punching his arm through a wall. He clenched his teeth as rage and desperation filled him.

  The uncertainty was killing him.

  Would she die?

  How did this happen?

  How would he stop this from happening again?

  “You need to calm down, they are doing the best they can. Something like this is not going to kill your mate. As for the child…well that may not happen.”

  Tane turned his furious gaze onto Serena, glaring at her.

  “I am only trying to prepare you for all possibilities. I don’t want to poke the wolf, but I did warn you.”

  Tane stormed over to her, baring his fangs, daring her to test him. Serena did not move, her expression blank as she observed him.

  “You can only push so much before something snaps. You said you enjoyed her fire. Well a fire can be extinguished, and you are seeing the results. Did you really expect someone to live in misery and be content?”

  Tane’s face fell, his fangs covered as he stood there shocked as reality crept into his conscience. It had been him. He had pushed her until she thought her only option was to stab herself. Was she hoping she would die as well?

  With a outraged yell, he struck out, punching another hole into the wall that was behind Serena. She didn’t flinch as stone and wood exploded behind her.

  Tane began to pace back and forth across the room, his mind racing as he thought of the past couple of weeks. He was supposed to have everything. He was getting married next week to a mate that would give him power, security, and children. He was currently engaged in a war that needed her influence. She was supposed to relent and find the benefit that came along with her new life. She was going to be queen. He could give her pleasure, wealth, and the world if she wanted. She only had to submit to him.

  As he thought back to the past couple of days he realized how some of his actions could be interpreted as cruel. He had scoffed at her attempt to escape and forced more pain onto her. In his mind he thought it would be the final power play that would show her the futility of fighting. That he was her mate and her dominant. The sooner she realized her position, the sooner things would get easier for her.

  What could he do now?

  “What should I do?” He asked and honestly was at a loss, his confusion and regret consuming him.

  “Perhaps take it slow. Put the wedding on hiatus and try to get to know your mate. She is a Dayuki which means she has amazing power. But even before that, she was a warrior. I heard how she fought in the competition. Your mate had a life and skills before she met you. She had ambitions. It’s not easy to have such a stark transition in life. She is not like us. Meticians are used to violence and adaptations, humans are not. If you want to keep your mate you will have to learn what makes her happy.”

  He turned and looked at his friend before slowly nodding. Perhaps she was right. Meticians were raised in an environment of constant uncertainty. They were taught to fight and adapt to their circumstances. In a mated relationship, partners tended to fight constantly for dominance. But they would also know the hierarchy. Since he was the alpha, others knew that his will came first. His mate knew nothing of their kind or their practices. If it had been a different situation, then he would have gotten to know his mate and courted her before proposing a partnership. Instead, everything had moved quickly because he was desperate to secure his and the kingdom’s future. He hadn’t thought about how she was feeling because frankly, he didn’t care. Perhaps he had wanted to establish the power hierarchy before she realized her powers. That way, she would already be used to her position. He had struggled to break her rebellious nature. And now he was paying the price.

  He couldn’t let her leave but perhaps he could make her life more comfortable.

  “I want every physician and staff person to be attending to her. If she dies, everyone will die. I want her in as little pain as possible when she wakes up. Her every need will be catered to and I want everyone to know that. She will have access to the grounds and all areas of the palace. I want guards watching her though, there is no guarantee that our enemies will not attempt to capture her…or that she will attempt to hurt herself again. There will be no wedding until she is fully healed. And I want to know as soon as she wakes up.”

  Tane strode past Serena and made his way to his sparring chamber. He needed to work out some of the stress he was feeling. He also would also move from his bedchamber into one of the other rooms. Even though the room was being repaired, he did not want to be reminded of the events that had occurred. He would wait and pray that the Gods did not take away his gift.

  As Tane disappeared down the hallway, Serena wondered if she had contributed to the young girl stabbing herself. She had only encouraged the girl to find happiness and to discover her powers. Those were all good things, weren’t they? The girl obviously did not want to be pregnant and took matters into her own hands. Serena actually kind of admired the amount of flare the girl had. She really knew how to do things with a bang.

  Serena sighed, looking at the door where Alena was being operated on before walking in the opposite direction. She hoped the Gods were reluctant to give up their chosen one. She knew Tane would be in chaos if she were to die. And Serena did not want to be plagued with thoughts that she had somehow contributed to the girl’s death. That would not do well for her karma.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Alena was floating in what felt like water, her body completely at ease. It was wondrous, floating in darkness, nothing to disturb her. Could this be what heaven was?

  Give in

  A voice whispered in her ear and she couldn’t think of any reason why she should argue. If she gave in, did that mean she could stay here?

  Fight

  Another voice whispered causing her forehead to wrinkly in confusion. Fight what? What did she have to fight in such a calm and relaxing place?

  You have more to do, this is not your end.

  End? Was she truly dying then? If this was death, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing. She was tired of suffering. She was tired of fighting and only losing. She didn’t want to do it anymore.

  Without you, they will die.

  Who? Who will die? And why did she care? No one had been there to help her, so why should she help anyone else? Couldn’t she just float on this river and go to sleep? She was so tired…

  You are the last one left. It is only you that can change fate. Do not give up, we will not forsake you.

  Where were you before?

  The silence that followed was deafening. Whoever was talking had interrupted her peaceful drifting and she found their answers unhelpful. Yea, they said she had the ability to change fate, but they were not in her shoes. They did not know the pain she suffered or would continue to suffer.

  Don’t give up.

  She saw a flash of Kaleck, the house mother, and some of the other orphans that lived at the house flash before her eyes. They were all laughing and happy and then there was fire. And all she could hear was screaming.

  Alena gasped, trying to raise her hands to cover her ears but found herself immobile.

  Powerless, like always.

  Wake up.

  She clenched her eyes shut, starting to feel an aching in her body that hadn’t been there before. Was she transitioning to hell?

  Wake up.

  She didn’t want to. She wanted the pain to go away. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out.

  Wake up.

  She gasped, light briefly blinding her
before she was surrounded in darkness once again.

  Two Weeks Later

  Tane sat at his desk looking at the various pieces of paper that were scattered on the surface. Over the past couple of weeks, he had tried to keep himself focused on the various issues plaguing the nation, but every time he tried to work on something his mind would wander back to his mate.

  Damnit, why would she do it!?

  The mating connection caused him to occasionally feel her pain and emotions. Most of the time, he would block it out or take satisfaction in it. But his beast was upset at the knowledge that his mate was in a critical condition. She had almost died. She had almost been stripped away from him.

  His beast roared, demanding that she be kept safe.

  And to do that? He needed to assure her happiness.

  Something that he had never worried about or thought necessary.

  Another pain of having a human for a mate.

  No.

  Not a human.

  A Dayuki.

  Tane looked at the papers in front of him. Kathal was already making moves to declare war on Barthamos. Their arrogant prick of a king had already sent out small raiding parties to target some of the outer cities.

  He had been able to send some units of the army to defend these cities, but since his attention has been divided lately, he had given over military authority to Grizma.

  Until his mate awakened, he would be useless. His spirit felt panicked with their mate being in a such a precarious position. And, of course, the loss of the child.

  Tane gripped his head in his hands, letting out a long breath.

  It was not the time for this. He needed her to wake up. She was instrumental in maintaining the safety of the kingdom. With the power within her, she would be invincible.

  So, why had he kept her power a secret from her?

  The obvious answer was fear.

  He enjoyed the power hierarchy and did not want her being able to rebel against him. He needed her to be adequately submitted to him before practicing the art of summoning. Then, when she can master her abilities, they would be tied to his own. She would be an extension of his power. It would maintain the security of the kingdom as well as himself.

  He had been informed of the book on the desk in his bedroom. He knew that she now was aware of her powers. He guessed Serena had been helping her.

  But apparently it had not been enough.

  Had she tried to utilize some of her power yet?

  What could be expect once she did?

  Tane looked from the desk to the window, observing the birds who were flying in the distance.

  He could offer her much, but he could not offer her freedom.

  He had already arranged for her room to be filled with flowers of every type and color. When she woke, she would be allowed to walk wherever she wished and eat anything she wanted. Although she had been offered many of the same amenities previously, she had never accepted any of them.

  His advisors had called it depression.

  She would simply just have to get over it and start receiving some of the gifts he was offering her. He already decided to put their sex life on hiatus. He would not risk further injuring her or making her feel even more overwhelmed. Which was a huge sacrifice on his part. Just the thought of not being able to bask in her body… He mentally shook himself, reminding himself that he needed to concern himself with making her happy. She would be pampered and then the wedding would be scheduled once she was feeling better.

  It was important that their relationship was solidified as soon as possible.

  With a war on the horizon and other potential enemies rearing their heads, he would need her firmly by his side to face them. Unlocking her power may not have been as simple as binding her to him. He would need her cooperation. But surely once she knew of the stakes, she would willingly comply.

  Tane’s head swerved up as he felt a prickle in his awareness. He felt as soon as she woke up and instantly stood to run to her. He stopped himself before he could take a step though, reminding himself of his plan. She would need some time and the doctors would need to check in with her. Even though he may not be able to see her instantly, he could still be outside the door if the doctors needed him. He nodded, telling himself that was a good enough reason to briskly walk across the palace and stand outside her door.

  He couldn’t stop fidgeting as he stared at the closed door, straining to hear conversation. He could hear the doctor’s voice, but where was his mate’s?

  Just as he decided his plan was foolish and moved to go inside, the physician stepped out. The human physician stared at him wide-eyed, apparently not prepared to see an aggravated alpha wolf standing outside the door.

  “Your majesty, I apologize. I did not expect to see you here.”

  Tane dismissed the physician’s display of subservience with a nod towards the door.

  “How is she?”

  The physician looked towards the floor, his face remaining blank.

  Damn physician training.

  “Well your mate has been through some trauma, but she is recovering at an accelerated speed. She is a strong one. I am actually quite surprised at how fast the scar is going away. It does not appear there is any internal damage thankfully. However…”

  The physician cleared his throat and quickly continued when Tane took a hostile step forward.

  “Your mate’s spirit does not seem to be faring as well. I could not make her talk. It may be because of the trauma, but it seems she may need some more rest before returning to her duties. I am sure after some time, she will be happy and back to her old self.”

  Her old self was miserable.

  What was she even like? Tane had only glimpsed small facets of her personality but nothing he could discern for certain.

  He remembered the fire he saw in her violet eyes on a number of occasions and wondered at it. He had always been excited when he had seen that spark because it was a challenge. It showed strength which the Meticians revered. But the depression would quickly replace it, something that he could not tolerate.

  The thought of him being responsible for what happened was hard for him to process.

  He was king. Those around him were supposed to live their lives thinking about how to please him. To be submissive.

  She was not, and it had led to such a drastic display of rebellion.

  Which meant it could happen again.

  Tane forced his frustration down as he addressed the human physician that was shuffling his feet nervously.

  “Very well. You will check on her daily and get other opinions. She needs the best care possible or it will be your head.”

  The physician flinched but nodded in agreement before scurrying off when Tane made a gesture for him to leave. Tane immediately turned his attention to the door which separated him from his mate. What was she currently thinking about? Was she in pain?

  Tane forced himself to block those thoughts out of his head as he turned to walk away. He knew his inner wolf would not allow him to stray too far from his mate until it knew for sure she was safe. He would need to make sure he was close. He would order all his meals and work to be brought to the study that was located across the hall.

  If anything happened, he would be close. He would have to be satisfied with that.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Alena stared down at the white covers, her mind and body feeling numb. She had woken up to the bleak realization that she was still in the palace. And apparently, she was “healing nicely,” as stated by the bubbly doctor who encouraged her to keep her spirits up.

  Why would she need to do that?

  She had been told she lost the child. Oh, what a shame.

  Poor, poor queen.

  She had been through such a trauma, accidentally hurting herself like that.

  Couldn’t have anyone thinking she would rather die than bear him a child.

  She may have won one battle, but her healing body meant her value as a breed
er was not diminished. He would come back, and the horror would begin again.

  Alena slowly brought up her arms to hug herself around the waist as she clenched her eyes shut.

  Why was she back? Why wouldn’t the Gods let her go? Couldn’t they take pity on her for once?

  Alena remembered some blurry dreams of voices encouraging her to wake up, to fulfill her destiny. Was being constantly tortured part of her destiny? Because her life seemed like a cruel joke.

  Alena opened her eyes, slowly looking around to see a hoard of flowers in every corner of the room. Every type, color, and species seemed to be surrounding and blinding her with their color. And their smell. She wanted them gone but didn’t have the ability to call out to someone to take them away. There was just no motivation to use her voice. She would rather lie here and block out the offensive foliage.

  Alena laid back, knowing it was only a matter of time until she would need to see the king again. She did not think she could face him or deal with his fury at her actions. Thankfully, the numbness was protecting her mind from the chaos that lurked around the corner. But she knew as soon as she saw him, she would be sent right back into the flurry of pain and anguish.

  She couldn’t do this.

  Fuck the Gods and their plans.

  Alena looked at her right hand in confusion when she felt a tingle. She lifted it slightly, turning it to see a small blue light was shining from her palm.

  What was this?

  She slowly sat up, bringing her hand closer to her face to inspect it. The light seemed to be growing slowly, expanding until it was as big as her hand. The light slowly leaked out to become a blue liquid that pooled on the floor.

  Alena watched in amazement as the blue liquid shone brightly and began to take a form. She knew she should be more afraid, but strangely, she felt relaxed and confident. As if she knew whatever was going to appear wouldn’t hurt her. She waited, watching at the shape molded until what looked like a green fox jumped out.

  She examined the creature, tilting her head at it as it blinked at her with large navy-blue eyes. Although the creature was shaped like a fox, the entire body gave off a florescent glow and it had two tails. The creature shook itself before jumping on the bed, moving closer to her and emitting a light purring sound.