Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1267 - 22 : Rival Arrival

*Zara*

A few hours into the ball, I still didn’t feel a pull toward anyone. I exchanged polite greetings with many members of the Windy Clouds pack, along with visitors from other packs, as well.

My wolf remained bored and unimpressed with anyone who was trying to court me. There was no surge, at all, between me and any other wolf here.

I started off the night with a lot of hope, but that slowly bled away.

I was resting after giving an honest attempt on the dance floor when I spotted Noah and watched him out of sheer curiosity. He walked casually into the ball wearing a fancy suit, some strands of his dark hair falling over his gorgeous blue eyes.

His posture was stoic but also radiated the strength I’d always seen in him. He moved with confidence as he spoke with his relatives, giving a dazzling smile every so often that lit up the room.

Serena appeared by his side long enough for important introductions, then vanished again to mingle with the Lunas.

Noah’s blazing blue eyes met mine from time to time. I felt a weird surge within me that even my wolf noticed. I wondered if it was pregnancy hormones or something.

Despite everything, I considered him a friend now. I wanted to see him happy. But I wouldn’t let that desire compromise what was best for me and my child. I broke eye contact first, closing my eyes and reaching up to rub my temples.

The awkward dance of meeting each other’s eyes then quickly looking away repeated itself several times. It was as if we were both trying and failing to avoid the other’s gaze, inevitably finding ourselves staring into the eyes of the other.

I could see him contemplating whether to come to my side. I was overwhelmed with how much I wanted him to.

An image of my encounter in the woods flashed through my mind, reminding me why I was there. A dizzying feeling overcame me as I fought back the desire for something... or rather, someone I knew I couldn’t have.

I became breathless and needed some air.

I exited the hall to get it, gazing up at the full moon and letting the light of it calm me. I wondered if the moon would guide me to my mate.

Most magic and legends had some bit of truth to them, even if they weren’t entirely true.

My thoughts were interrupted by a gasp off to my side. I blinked, turning my head to spot someone I really didn’t want to see when stressed out.

It was Sandra Blue.

I remembered immediately how she had always tried to one-up me with her talent. It went beyond clawing for merit. She tried to brag about herself and bring me down the entire time we attended matchmaking school.

She even had a posse that she’d put together just to spread gossip about how ineffective my powers were. Yet, I always surpassed her with not only my skill, but my passion for the work.

Now, here she was, grinning from ear to ear while staring me down.

“Zara Star! My, it’s been a while,” she said.

I inwardly groaned. Meanwhile, my wolf was agitated, either wanting me to run off or get all snappy.

I planned on doing neither. Instead, I forced a smile and nodded, trying my best to be pleasant. “Ah, Sandra. Indeed. How are you?”

“Wonderful! Oh, this ball is the perfect venue for my clients. So many of them are here and ready to mingle, right on the edge of finding their loves! Oh, is that why you’re here too?”

“Not... necessarily. I’m here to have a good time and make connections,” I said.

False sympathy flashed in her eyes. “Oh? What a shame! I thought the famous Zara Star would have people lining up for her services, especially at a Moon Ball like this.”

“Not quite,” I muttered.

Before I could get another word in, she beamed at me. “Speaking of connections, I’ve made quite a few! Let me show you.”

Sandra rummaged through her bags and took out her phone, then pointed to some photos of couples together. “See this? These are wedding pictures. I’ve already matched two so far!”

I blinked, noticing how high-ranking the couples in the photos were.

I felt a pang of jealousy hit me, which was entirely unpleasant.

Her passion for this wasn’t nearly as strong as mine. She was obsessed with the business aspect.

Niva had told me as much. Yet, here she was, clearly rubbing this in my face. It took a stab at an already wholly disappointing night, that was for damn sure.

To be professional, I forced a smile and shook my head. “I’m happy for you. In my case, I have big plans for this ball.”

“Oh! You mean with the Luna Lilies?” she asked. When I widened my eyes, she blinked. “Oh, I heard rumors of you going to the Dark Realm to get them.”

Hesitantly, I shrugged, neither confirming nor denying it. She chuckled, and then her tone had a hint of actual admiration within it.

“Oh, don’t be humble, Zara! You are quite the impressive woman, and so I wanted to ask you something,” Sandra said.

She looked left, then right. Then, she locked eyes with me again. “Can I buy one?”

“Come again?”

“The Luna Lily! I’d like to buy one, and for a hefty sum, I promise.”

“What? No,” I said firmly, narrowing my eyes. “It isn’t for sale.”

I had just confirmed that I’d found it. Damn it. I hadn’t realized it until too late.

There was no gleam of surprise in her eyes, though, meaning she fully believed that I had. Apparently, rumors were spreading about my journey for the Luna Lily.

I wasn’t sure whether to be worried about that, or not.

Regardless, Sandra frowned, then said, “Would it be for sale if I offered a hundred thousand?”

My jaw almost dropped at such a huge offer. I wasn’t even sure I’d ever seen that amount of money before. But my integrity was on the line. I couldn’t just sell the Luna Lilies.

“It wouldn’t change anything,” I said firmly, without wavering.

It didn’t matter how much the money would have helped me. I couldn’t let her use them irresponsibly.

Sandra frowned and gave a dramatic sigh. “Well. I’ll be here when you change your mind.”

“When?” I said, raising a brow.

She grinned. “Yes, when.”

With that, she went back to the party, causing me to let out a soft sigh. So much for relaxing and getting some air, I thought.

An hour or so later, I was back inside, having properly gathered my bearings. Annoyance swirled in my gut, but I was determined to have a good time and hopefully still have a chance to find my mate.

Serena was off chatting the ears off the visitors.

Noah was coming toward me.

I was sitting at a table, sipping on some fruit juice with no alcohol. I’d nibbled a bit on hors d’oeuvres, but I wasn’t hungry otherwise.

“So. Enjoying the party?”

My breath caught and held it as I looked to see Noah taking a seat next to me. I swallowed, forcing myself to remain calm,

“Eh. I suppose,” I said honestly, even though the interaction with Sandra was still on my mind.

He chuckled, then eyed me up and down. He gave a whistle, causing the slightest uptick in my pulse and tinge of blush to form on my face. Then, his wary frown turned into a warm smile.

“Angelica really helped you find the perfect dress, huh? The way the deep blue lightens to white toward the bottom and gives the illusions of stars falling from the sky is beautiful,” he said. “It suits you.”

“Thanks,” I said genuinely, beaming at him.

“You’re very welcome, Zara,” Noah said softly.

The way his eyes gleamed in the dim light made my heart skip a beat. I felt something surge through me once more.

I wondered how he could have such a strong effect on me.

He looked at the dance floor, then up at the moon. Then, his blazing eyes fixed on me, sending what felt like electricity flowing through my body. I could never get used to that.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked.

“Dance with me,” he said.

“Noah, I–”

I was here to meet my mate, not to dance with the stubborn Alpha Heir. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“As a friend,” he added. “Come on, the night is beautiful. Dance with me, Zara,” he said.

His expression was too charming to resist.

I realized it’d be a wonderful time to share a moment with him like this.

“Alright,” I said softly.

He beamed at me and held out his hand. I accepted it, feeling warmth flow through me, a different feeling than the jolt that sometimes happened when we touched.

It was very pleasant, but I tried not to think about that.

A slow, relaxing song was playing as Noah led me to the dance floor. He wrapped his arm around my torso, gazing into my eyes and capturing me with his stare.

It was always so intense, and I found myself getting lost in it for a moment.

Here with him, the music playing in just the right tone, things felt right.

My wolf tugged at me for some reason, but I ignored her. Whatever it was, I wanted to be in this moment, here and now. There was no need to think about mates. I’d get back to that right after the dance, I thought.

A happy smile rested on Noah’s face as he stared right back. I saw adoration and curiosity in his eyes. He genuinely cared about me, and that touched my heart.

The moment ended, though, when something caught the corner of my eye... something wonderfully golden with a hint of blue. It was oddly familiar.

Now, my smile turned to a frown as I began to comprehend what I was seeing.

Blue and golden threads were intertwining and flowing around several couples who were dancing. I noted a few of them even exchanging a deep kiss right on the dance floor.

My heart began to pound, and I widened my eyes.

That was the sign of a Luna Lily at work.

I gasped at the realization and watched as strangers sought each other out, and I even witnessed a few partners split up to pair off with different mates.

“This is not good” I murmured.

Noah took notice of this and asked, “Zara? What’s wrong? Do you need to sit down?” Concern was dripping from his tone.

“Not quite. Something’s going on with people here,” I muttered.

Noah glanced around and noticed the building mayhem among couples. He blinked as some made hasty exits and others put on outlandish displays of affection. A few fists fight broke out, and some women were left stunned and crying.

“What is going on?” Noah asked.

“I can see threads flowing between couples, blue and golden. It’s a sign of the Luna Lily.”

“Wait, you’re actually seeing this stuff right now?” he asked.

“That’s right.”

“How is that even possible?”

“Good question,” I answered with a frown.

That was when my eyes landed upon Sandra, who gave me a smirk as she started approaching us from the shadows. The look on her face was mischievous and self-satisfied.

‘What has she done?’