Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 142: A Man-to-Man Talk

*Theo*

Before I could do or say anything else, Ciana artfully avoided my half embrace and skittered away.

I remained speechless as I stood there, watching her run away from me again. My head tilted back and

I closed my eyes.

She had been so close. I could still sense her warm presence in the air and I inhaled deeply to indulge

myself in her enticing, waterlily scent a little longer.

However, that single word breathed out from her pink and alluring lips rang in my ears and was sharper

than any knife. It sliced through my chest and left my heart throbbing helplessly.

***

It only took Alpha Black two days to arrive at the palace. I was waiting for him at the front doors before

he could run into Ciana. We hadn't had a chance to fill him in on what she was going through.

"Alpha Black," I greeted, nodding respectfully to him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. I didn't expect the king himself to be my welcome party," he replied politely,

slightly lowering his head to show respect to the crown, but the way he carried himself made it feel as if

we were equal in status.

And I greatly appreciated it. Because he treated me as someone that he respected as a person, not

due to my title. Even if I hadn't been the king, I was confident that he would do the exact same thing.

He lifted his eyes and looked me over quickly and meanwhile, I also got the chance to do the same to

him.

He was a tall and good-looking man with a full build. Jake told me he was my father's age, but other

than some hint of gray in his jet-black hair, I wouldn't think he was in his fifties. Probably because his

piercing grayish-blue eyes caught most of my attention immediately.

They were deep and calm and through them, I knew for sure that their owner was a man full of stories.

I could see where Ciana got her bright, captivating eyes from.

"You got here a bit sooner than we anticipated," I said as I gestured toward the meeting room.

"Where my daughter is concerned, I don't leave anything to chance. Where's my daughter, Your

Majesty?"

"I assure you, Ciana is fine right now," I stated quickly so he wouldn't get the wrong idea. "However,

she is dealing with something and I wanted to update you before you saw her."

He narrowed his eyes at my reply. Without saying anything, I could already sense the warning from his

gaze.

"Please, tell me what is happening with my daughter."

His piercing eyes told me silently that if anything happened to Ciana, we'd all feel Alpha Black's wrath,

something I would never want to deal with from my future and only possible father-in-law anyway, but

especially after meeting Soren Black in person. I bet no one in the world would want to mess with this

composed yet extremely dangerous man's beloved family.

So I decided to be completely honest and straightforward with him. If anything could help me with the

man in front of me, my gut told me it was honesty and sincerity.

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I looked him in the eye. “I'd like to start by saying that I love Ciana more than anything in the world. I'll

do anything to protect her and treat her well.'

My words seemed to have taken him by surprise, and he remained silent for a few seconds.

I didn't rush him and waited for him to respond to me. Maybe some fathers in this country would feel

that their daughters being favored by the crown was an honor, but I was sure my title wouldn't earn me

any additional points from Alpha Black when it comes to his daughter's happiness.

I didn't have any problem with that. In fact, I was grateful that my Ciana had loving parents who truly

cared about her.

It took him a few seconds, which felt like hours, before he said, "I appreciate that. Fathers like to hear

that their daughters are cared for."

His reply was vague, and I got the impression that while he appreciated my gesture, he wasn't over the

moon about his daughter having the king's favor without knowing Ciana's own opinion.

"The reason I would like to meet with you before you see Ciana is that we need your help. Actually,

Ciana needs your help," I clarified. "Not long ago, she was injured, and while she's on the right track

with her recovery physically, she lost her memory."

The atmosphere in the room immediately changed. Tension started to build up as Soren’s expression

grew darker at the bad news.

"I'm really sorry for not doing a better job protecting her," I apologized sincerely. "Please allow me to fill

you in with more details."

I'd been thinking about how to explain to her father everything that Ciana and I had been through

together, especially with some parts of them being secrets of the royal bloodline and our unpleasant

past.

But once I'd met Soren in person, I decided to be completely transparent with him, not just because I

immediately knew we both had a common goal to help Ciana, but also because as dangerous as he

was, I knew I could trust him.

It was my instinct.

"Please take a seat. It might take a little time, but I'll be as concise as I can be."

Soren made himself comfortable and listened to me patiently without any interruption. He was attentive

and seemingly calm the entire time. The only way I knew he was worried and upset from time to time

was when I noticed that his fists were clenched slightly, usually whenever I mentioned Ciana being hurt

or in danger.

When I was done, he took a few moments to process the information and creased his brow. "She

doesn't remember anything?"

"She seemed to remember everything before she arrived at the palace. As for her memories about the

palace...She’s expressed familiarity with some things but she cannot recall what happened here

before."

Soren nodded his acknowledgement and stood up. "Your Majesty, I appreciate you taking care of my

daughter in her time of need. Now, I really would like to see her on my own."

"One moment, please. I have a request." I took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, calming my rapid

heartbeat. Yes, I was nervous. How could I not be?

If I was a father, would I allow my daughter to marry someone she couldn't even remember?

I'd have to convince Soren that I could make Ciana happy and that I was going to protect her, but

ironically, I was the one who almost sucked out her life!

Yet, as confused, anxious and...helpless as I was, I was desperate for her. I loved her

and I needed her. Nothing could change that.

I knew she once felt the same, and given time, she would feel the same again.

No matter what it might take, I would never allow myself to just give up on our relationship and our

future. At least, not without trying everything I could.

At least, not now.

I looked him in the eye and said slowly, “Alpha Black, I love your daughter, and I would like to ask your

permission for her hand."

He didn't agree or reject immediately.

"I know it's a lot to ask," I added firmly, "but I'll keep trying until everything is fixed and I'll never allow

anything bad to happen to her again."

His piercing eyes held my gaze as he responded slowly and seriously. "Your Majesty, with all due

respect, I'm afraid I have to say no."

I sighed.

To be honest, I hadn't expected him to immediately agree to my request for her hand. It sounded

illogical, but somehow I was glad he said no, because again, it showed that he only wanted the best for

his daughter.

Politely, he stated his reasons, "I can't make this decision for her, and based on what you told me, she's

not in the right frame of mind. Not to mention, life with you is too dangerous. She's already been hurt."

I heard the determination of a protective father coming out in his words, and I knew it would take a lot

more for me to convince him, which I was prepared to do.

“Alpha Black, no one is more heartbroken or concerned about Ciana's injury than I am. I'd rather die

ten times over than see her hurt. At least, may I have the honor to court your daughter?"

"Your Majesty, as a father, I appreciate your consideration. However, I can't allow my daughter to be

injured again, and unfortunately, royal life by default would be filled with danger. I would like to take her

home."

"I would like to ask you to reconsider it," I stood up, reacting quickly.

"Humph," Soren narrowed his eyes, and then questioned with a dangerous glare. 'She’s my daughter.

Are you going to force me to leave her here? My pack supported you because they believe you can

restore justice and peace. If you're planning to go to war simply to force my daughter to marry you, how

are you any different from your father?"

he questioned.

I shook my head. "You misunderstand. Alpha Black. I wouldn't attack your pack should Ciana reject me.

We love each other, even if she doesn't remember it. Given time, I'm confident she will fall for me

again."

"Is that so?" Soren asked, scoffing. "You seem overly self-confident and arrogant. I’m not sure you're

my daughter's type?"

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That was Ciana's initial reaction to me too. Now I knew where she got that from. The only way I could

convince him was to show him my heart.

"We were in love, Alpha Black, before her memory loss. If you take her away from me now, aren't you

taking away her chance to get to know me again and make an informed decision?" I countered.

Like me, he obviously wasn't used to people questioning his decision, but he didn’t let his frustration

show through. Instead, he maintained his level tone and asked me something that had been on my

mind too.

"Even if you can protect her and win her heart again, she's not even twenty-one yet. What if she isn't

your mate?"

I told him the answer that had been in mind for a long time. It never changed since the day she kissed

me after knowing my dreadful ability.

"To me, it doesn't matter. My mate sense has been suppressed."

His brow slightly furrowed.

"Believe it or not, I won’t be able to feel my mate even if she is right in front of me. I used to hate my

fate for it, but now I'm thankful. Because my heart will forever only belong to Ciana. If the Goddess

blesses us and she's my mate, I'd cherish her the way I' m cherishing her now. If somehow she's

not...Well, I guess I would never find out because I won't take the risk."

He stared at me with surprise and his brow furrowed more. His face softened a little then he asked,

"You're only talking about you. How about her? What if her mate is someone else, and she finds him?”

I'd thought about it too.

I turned my gaze to the horizon outside of the window. Of course, I'd thought about this possibility, and

for a while, it haunted me day and night. But eventually, I'd come to a conclusion that I could live with.

I smiled bitterly, "Then I’ll bury my love for her in my heart and do everything I can to protect her, her

family and her peaceful life from a distance, as that would be the only solace for my lifelong loneliness."

Astonishment flickered in his eyes. I didn't know whether he believed me or not, but that was the only

answer from the bottom of my heart.

There was no way out for me when it comes to Ciana. If the Goddess blessed her with a mate that

could bring her a better life, I would have to let her go. I'd be happy to let her go, as long as that was

what she wanted.

He didn't say anything for a while this time, eventually, he let out a sigh. "You remind me of when I was

in my twenties..." His voice trailed off, and then he smiled. "But then I met Ciana’s mother. Your

Majesty, you and Ciana both are still very young, and life changes. You can never say never."

His tone was much softer this time. It was a good sign, but it wasn't enough for him to relent yet. I

needed one more reason to convince him and I knew exactly what it was.

"Alpha Black, again, I sincerely ask you to reconsider allowing me a chance to pursue your daughter.

Besides, you wouldn't want your grandchild to be born without a father, would you?"

Soren gaped at me. “Ciana is...."

"Yes, she is pregnant!" I confirmed and couldn't help the upcurl of my lips. "However, I haven't told her

yet. I didn't want to scare her."

Soren let out another heavy sigh.

"Your Majesty, I need some time to rethink your request. However, you mentioned you need help. You

have my service here. What can I do?"

That was the best outcome I could ask for at this moment.

Well, first of all, please tell me everything you know about the White Queen.”