Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1261 - 16 : The Search Continues

*Zara*

Begrudgingly, I had to accept that I was to be here in the Drogomor mansion indefinitely. Noah wasn’t taking no for an answer.

I still hadn’t had any leads on my true mate, which was bothersome, to say the least. There was no attempt at contact from him, either. Could he be in trouble? That thought caused me to shudder.

I was exhausted, but I’d been given a lot of attention from the Drogomor healer, Calvin. A day after Noah’s decision to make me stay, Calvin was checking in again.

“How are you feeling Zara?” he asked, giving me a warm smile. Despite my situation, his smile was contagious, and I found myself smiling back.

“Exhausted,” I admitted, reaching up to rub my cheek. “Thank you for all the care. I didn’t know the journey would take that much out of me,” I said.

Calvin shook his head, no doubt amused. “The journey and the baby, Zara. Let me do a few checks to make sure all is well.” I didn’t protest, waiting through for his examination.

When he finished up, he said, “No fever, nothing new, but it has only been a day. Still, if there was a problem, it would be popping up sooner rather than later. We are in the clear.” He studied me for a moment, raising a brow.

“What?” I asked, realizing his glance had turned wary.

“What compelled you to do something like that when pregnant, Zara? A journey to the Dark Realm could have endangered you and your child.”

“You’re starting to sound like Noah,” I said in a joking tone, but I sobered. “Actually. He’s the reason. He’s stubborn, so wouldn’t be convinced marrying Serena was a mistake.”

“He believes it now?” Calvin asked.

“He does,” I sighed. “But the wedding is still on. I wish I had more time to help find his true mate. It would be better for your pack, and him.”

“Well, don’t stress too much,” Calvin said softly. “Some things don’t work out the way you wanted. You did your job and, in the end, we appreciate it.”

I nodded, though inwardly wasn’t so sure. My thoughts were primarily locked on finding my mate so we could both care for this child and start a life together, but I still wanted Noah to be happy too.

It was obvious that he and Serena were not happy together at all. I mused, partially to myself, “I wonder how the wedding plans are going.”

“Last I heard, Serena wanted specific floral arrangements and was being... what’s the term... a bridezilla about it,” he said with a hint of amusement.

I tried to smile at that but found myself feeling more uneasy about it. Serena’s complaints during the entire journey had really gotten on Noah’s nerves.

Their attitude toward each other was devolving into exactly what I remembered Giovana’s parents had gone through.

Later that day, I sat down in the dining area for some lunch, catching the usual pack gossip as I ate. I was still feeling down about the wedding plans going through, and what I heard didn’t help.

A Drogomor warrior said, “Have you ever heard someone put so much emphasis on a shade of pink being slightly off from expected?”

“Nope. It’s a bit much, but hopefully she will be a less finicky Luna.”

“At least the guests seem excited. I’m glad she isn’t so picky about the food.”

“Are you kidding? There will be so many great dishes on the table. She can’t complain about all of them!”

The talk of the wedding plans carried on, causing my mood to tank further. I felt my phone vibrate and brought it up to the table, letting out a sigh. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

My mood brightened somewhat when I saw a text from my friend, Giovanna. She was checking in, and I told her vaguely of some of my frustrations, particularly with the lack of progress in finding my mate.

After a series of worried and intense back and forth texts, she decided to stop by for a visit to help. I didn’t want to trouble her, but there was no use convincing her otherwise.

As I headed to the front entrance to meet her, I passed by one of the offices. I couldn’t help but listen in on the conversation as I passed. Serena was speaking with one of Drogomor’s servants about the wedding.

“You wasted so much time on the floral arrangements when you should be more focused on the cake,” Serena said in a somewhat nasty tone.

The servant responded with a measured tone. “You seem to have that entirely covered, as any and all of my suggestions were rejected.”

“What? I went with your suggestion on the candle arrangements. I agreed with everything there,” Serena said with a defensive tone. “This is my–I mean, Noah’s and my–wedding! Of course, it has to be perfect!”

I heard the servant give a light sigh and shook my head. Did Noah know about how Serena acted toward the servants? This was a nightmare.

Noah was a stubborn ass, but I knew he wouldn’t let her get away with that. I wondered if he would believe me if I told him. Probably, I decided, but I wasn’t sure if it’d make a difference.

Pushing that thought aside, I went to the entrance of the mansion to meet Giovanna. She was all smiles and wrapped me in a huge hug.

“Oh Zara!” she exclaimed. “It’s been a while. You have so much on your plate. Thank you for making time to see me. Gosh, you look exhausted.”

“Of course, I took some time to see you, Gia,” I said, returning her hug warmly and using my favorite nickname for her. “I am exhausted, yes. It’s been a lot.” I refrained from telling her the exact reason yet, not wanting her to practically announce it to the rest of the pack.

I was sure Noah would take care of that and amplify the embarrassment of carrying a baby while not knowing where my true mate was yet.

Gia and I made our way through the mansion.

“This place is so fancy, so beautiful!” she said, giving a wave to some Drogomor warriors as we passed.

They gave her a friendly smile, which made me a touch less miserable.

At least I was in a pack right now that was kind to me and other visitors.

When we arrived at the room I was staying in, I pulled up a comfortable chair for Gia to sit in and let out a sigh. “Are you sure you want to join me on this wild goose chase?” I asked.

“Oh, is he a goose shifter?” Gia joked. “Do those exist? You have an exotic taste, Zara.”

I leaned forward and elbowed her, giving a light giggle. She was already helping me feel better. From there, we took out our phones and began scrolling through maps of where I’d last seen him.

“He was in the clearing when we had our outing,” I said, trying to mince words to avoid teasing. With Gia, of course, that didn’t work.

“Outing,” she said, amused. “A hot, frisky one-night stand being described as an outing... I am curious as to what turning up the heat would do if you consider that just an outing.”

“I didn’t even describe in detail what happened,” I complained, wearing a smile.

“No, but I know how to decipher your formal talk, Zara,” Gia said.

Eventually, the teasing died down, and we got to work focusing on serious matters. As we brainstormed ideas, I said, “There isn’t much to go on. Given the location, I’m certain he must be close to my school near Mirage.”

“That seems logical,” Gia agreed. “And that pinpoints a better location to go off, at least. Hm... well, if he’s worth his salt as your mate, surely, he is looking for you too.”

I nodded, as that seemed reasonable. We just hadn’t run into each other yet because life had gotten in the way.

Gia said, “Perhaps an anonymous inquiry online, targeting that location, could get a few leads?”

I thought about that for a moment. It was better than searching aimlessly in a clearing, that was for sure.

“Alright,” I said. “It’s worth a try.”

***

*Noah*

“Everything okay, Noah? You seem a bit distracted,” Serena said as we sat for a private dinner.

I let out a soft sigh, wishing I could take my mind off of Zara and focus on the wedding.

Despite our arguments on the journey, Serena was sweet and trying to make the best out of our situation.

“I know I probably come across as annoying with my obsessions,” she said gently. “But the whole pack will need to be impressed. I will become the Luna, after all. They need to know we can handle something like a wedding.”

“We just need to put on a fancy party, feed the pack, and remember our vows. It’s sweet to focus on the details, but try not to get too hung up on them,” I said, trying to remain gentle.

“Getting the details just right shows our dedication to the pack,” Serena explained. “They need to know I am the right fit, even if I am not your fated mate or other such fairy tale.”

“Whatever you think is best,” I replied. “We need to lead with strength and compassion, Serena. Don’t feel like you need to focus over every tiny detail.”

“I’m glad you understand and that we can work together, Noah,” she said. “I know this stuff may not seem important to you, but it is to me. Everyone has loved you since the day you were born. I feel like the only thing the pack is certain of when it comes to me is that I am not your fated mate.”

She made a good point. It seemed like she was putting a lot of effort into trying to be there for the pack.

“I know it’s important for you to make a good impression,” I said. “You will be their Luna.”

“Thank you,” she said, placing a hand on my arm for a moment. She gave me a genuine, happy smile.

Then she pulled a wedding catalog from her purse and began flipping through pages. “Can I have your opinion on some floral arrangements?”

We went through the catalog for a while, and I did my best to pay attention, even though I really didn’t have my heart in this wedding.

Serena was dedicated, but in a different way than Zara. I hoped Serena’s dedication to the pack was more than just wanting to make a good impression.

Zara’s passion showed through like a bright star in her work.

I felt my mind drift to the matchmaker. Hearing the way she spoke about wanting to make people happy was wonderful. It was true, and amazing.

My heart clenched at the thought of Zara searching or waiting for her ‘true mate.’

If she already knew about him, where was he? Why was he suddenly missing, out of nowhere? Something wasn’t adding up, and there was a lot she wasn’t telling me.

If I tried to pry, she would shut down even further. There was nothing I could do, which caused me to spiral even further into the depths of my annoyance.

Damn her for being someone I just couldn’t get my mind off.