Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1268 - 23 : Luna Lily Punch

*Zara*

Sandra winked mischievously as she approached me, my heart sinking and my anger rising as she did so.

“Give me a moment,” I muttered, feeling a wave of sheer anger come over me.

Noah didn’t protest, though he continued to stare at the chaos on display. I went off to the side, grabbing Sandra by the arm and practically dragging her into the shadows.

“What is going on?!” I hissed.

Sandra chuckled, but there was a flash of worry in her gaze as she cleared her throat. “Well, I found out you had a Luna Lily here. You really shouldn’t have left your purse unattended.”

I couldn’t believe it.

“So, you stole it?” I asked flatly through my teeth.

She shrugged, though this no longer felt like she was trying to rub it into my face, because she grew excited. “You can see it happening? Live?! Look, I made tea with the lily and mixed it with the punch. Speaking of which, did you have a sip before it was all gone? Apparently, the mix of flavor was a huge hit.”

I didn’t answer, and rather needed to clench my fist and gather my bearings. My wolf was going wild, wanting me to fight her for what she’d done, but that really would not be appropriate.

Instead, I said in a low voice, “I can’t believe you stole from me. Worse, these matches were made without these peoples’ consent, Sandra! How could you?”

“It’s a Luna Lily, not a drug, Zara,” Sandra mumbled, rolling her eyes. “My clients consented. Everyone else... well, they’re clearly happy with the results.”

“You can’t be serious!” I sputtered, trying my best to keep my voice low.

“Relax,” she said. “Look, you helped me in this, and even though you didn’t willingly sell me the flower, I’ll pay for that and the results we see here. You underestimate how much money was in this endeavor.”

With that, she pulled out a huge wad of cash and put it into my hand, something that clearly would add up to a lot of money that in the end, would help me a lot.

That didn’t change anything, and I stood my ground, giving it back.

“Are you crazy?!” I asked. “I won’t accept that. Sandra, the ethics of this are twisted. There is supposed to be a connection, a buildup, a search, not...this!”

“How is this any different than the legend of being guided by the moon? This time, people know for certain because they’re guided by the lily,” Sandra argued.

I gritted my teeth and looked back to the dance floor. Couples were twirling about in the most beautiful way because golden and blue threads seemed to dance as they entwined around them.

Sandra said, “Whether you like it or not, they’re happy. It worked out in the end. Ethics be damned. Isn’t that what you want, Zara, for people to be happy?”

“Of course, I do!” I said. “But I want that to happen in the right way, with everyone being well aware of these things before imbibing them!”

“What’s the point of the Luna Lily, then? Why make that trip if you were never going to use it? Hell, why bring one to a party of all places?” she asked.

I bit my lip, not wanting to admit to her, of all people, why I’d brought the Lily. It was to be a last resort thing only because I wanted to find and connect with my mate if I found him.

I shook my head. “That is none of your business,” I said finally. “I was going to use it for someone consenting to it being used, if it came down to that.”

Sandra let out a sigh. “Well, you could have gotten your pay. Look, Zara. Mad at me as you are, I’ll be willing to buy more lilies in the future. Granted, you may be opposed to the competition, but it’s actually quite healthy.”

I rolled my eyes, growling, “I doubt it, especially with you pulling things like this.”

She shrugged. “That’s your point of view. You’re talented. You may be flooded with clients soon. The rumor mills are painting you in a great light. You’ll need someone to send clients to.”

“And you really think that after you pulled this stunt, I would even think to contact you?” I muttered in disbelief.

She shrugged, giving a light grin. “Maybe.” With that, she wandered off into the crowd, most likely to speak with her clients.

I was fuming, and I sat there rubbing my temples for a while, keeping my jaw clenched. I felt someone sit down in the chair next to me. I looked up to see Noah, raising a brow.

“Was the Luna Lily used like you suspected?” he asked.

“Yes. My rival, Sandra, made some tea and mixed it with the punch,” I said, my tone beyond irritated.

Noah furrowed his brow, studying my expression for a while and asking, “And... that’s a bad thing?”

I nodded. “Yes, because they drank the punch without knowing it,” I said.

He looked skeptical, and I could tell he was still on the fence as to whether the Luna Lily worked.

“So, it’s like drugging a drink? Should we make people aware of any side effects?” he asked, then he furrowed his brow. “I don’t remember feeling anything when I drank it.”

“There are no side effects. It just helps open the connection between mates so they can feel the mate bond. It isn’t technically urgent,” I muttered, and my eyes fell upon Gia.

I blinked, tilting my head. Marcus and Gia were dancing to a slow song as golden and blue threads encircled them. I widened my eyes with realization.

“Gia... she found her mate,” I muttered, feeling my heart sing for her.

I knew she wouldn’t be opposed to what happened at all. It happened so quickly, but she and Marcus had been connecting so much.

I hadn’t been digging into their connection much, what with how we all were so focused on finding my mate. Now, though, I knew for sure.

***

*Noah*

“What do you mean? How do you know?” I asked.

If there were no side effects other than supposedly finding your ‘mate,’ I didn’t see the problem.

Unless it was causing Zara herself to see hallucinations. I wondered if she had drunk any of the Luna Lily punch-tea. I eyed her curiously but decided not to ask for now.

“There are beautiful golden and blue threads swirling around them right now. I can see them. It means they are true mates,” Zara said in a dreamy tone. Her smile was slowly fading as she looked at her friend.

I focused intently on my cousin and Giovanna. The way they looked at each other seemed magical, but I wondered if it was real magic.

I watched as Marcus leaned in for a kiss, and they held each other there for several moments. It certainly looked very real. It could have been just a quick relationship, though.

“I wish you could show me what you were seeing,” I finally said with a sigh. I wanted to believe, and I was on the edge of doing so.

Zara replied, “I wish I could too. But it really isn’t just me seeing things. Remember my story during our journey, of how my parents met? It was true love for them, just like you are seeing now, between Marcus and Gia.”

I continued watching, noting how when the kiss ended, Marcus gently ran his fingers through Giovanna’s hair. They couldn’t keep their eyes off each other as they resumed their slow dance.

“They’re not the only ones, either,” Zara added.

I turned my attention to the other couples dancing under the moonlight.

There was a heavy feeling in the air that I just couldn’t place. Electricity crackled through the room, and it was clear that there would be no need for a midnight run to find mates.

I began to realize that Zara’s passion and faith were right.

My wolf tugged at me, encouraging this feeling.

“I see. Well, I have a lot to think about. You look exhausted.” I stared Zara down with a frown. “You should go get some rest.”

Zara shrugged, and I resisted the urge to move a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“I suppose I’ll take your advice,” she said softly. “Thank you for the dance. I’m sorry it got interrupted.”

“Not a problem. I enjoyed dancing with you, beautiful.”

Later that evening, I approached Marcus after Giovanna took a trip to the ladies’ room. I sat down at his table and raised a brow.

“So, you and Giovanna hit it off, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Marcus said, his tone dripping with enthusiasm. “I think she’s the one, man.”

“You just met her,” I said skeptically.

“I did, but there’s a certain feeling... a surge of lightning, a connection, something right and wonderful. When we danced, when we kissed, everything felt right.”

“Lightning? Everything felt right? You’re making it sound like a storm.”

“A good storm,” Marcus chuckled. “There was a burst of powerful, positive emotions between us. I feel so happy.”

His gushing, faraway tone was convincing, but I needed to make sure it wasn’t some sort of love potion or spell that would simply wear off once it got through his system.

I left him and Gia to hang out, casting glances at them throughout the night, but none of their passion reduced at all.

It was the same situation the next day.

At breakfast, Marcus and Giovanna exchanged a passionate kiss dripping with as much love as when I’d seen them do so last night.

I shook my head. My cousin really was totally in love. So was Giovanna.

Searching the room, I spotted Zara sitting at a table having a meal and walked over to her. I pulled up a chair and sat next to her but rotated it so that I was facing her.

“You know what?” My heart skipped a beat as her gorgeous eyes met mine, and she tilted her head. “I believe you.”

“What?” she asked, widening her eyes. “Believe me regarding what?”

She sounded so skeptical... not that I could blame her.

“All of this... everything, true mates. I feel it’s right. I believe you,” I said with a sigh.

Suddenly, I was taken by surprise as Zara leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me in a hug. I was shocked at first, but returned it, letting out a chuckle.

“That surprised, beautiful?” I asked gently.

She let go of me and snickered, dipping her head. “You’re a stubborn asshole,” she told me. “But I want the best for you. Despite how stubborn you were, I really want you to be happy. And one way for that to happen... is for you to believe me.”

“I could still remain on my current path, though, couldn’t I?” I asked, giving a light smile.

“You could.” She paused, furrowing her brow. “Are you?”

I shrugged, letting out a sigh. “It’s complicated, Zara. True mates are real, I believe you on that now. But I don’t think I have one. I’ll need to think about the wedding. I still have a little time.”

Zara deflated, moving away from me and frowning, looking deeply into my eyes. I almost wished she would reach up and cup my cheek again. She had been so sweet when she’d done that before.

Instead, she shook her head. “Well, I’m here to talk, Noah,” she said. “You know my stance. If you’re set on this, at least give it a little bit more time after what you’ve come to accept tonight.”

“Yes, I know your stance. You make damn sure it’s known every time this sort of thing comes up,” I replied, though with a teasing tone to my voice.

Zara chuckled, then let out a snort. “Quite like you, making damn sure to swear up and down that you won’t budge from your beliefs... until now.”

“Until now, beautiful,” I agreed with a wink.

My heart grew heavy, though, as I realized that after everything, I was no closer to finding my own true mate.