Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder by Alice Knightsky
Chapter 64 Push Ethan Out of My Mind
The following days after the dinner, Soren was in the house more often than before. However, he still seemed to be working in the study or on phone calls most of the time.
Meanwhile, I had been busy reading the books Lola dropped off.
Or, in other words… I had been busy keeping myself busy.
“The Isles of Denali consist of over a hundred small islands, many of which have their own unique culture…” “…Although the islands do not have as abundant natural resources as the East continent, their comfortable climate, variety of sea products, and unique cultures still make them one of the best choices for those who are seeking a peaceful and relaxing lifestyle. They hold special appeal for those who are from the far deserts of the West continent…”
I was flipping through the travel magazine on my warm cozy bed under the morning sun when I heard a knock on the door again.
“Come in.” I called out softly, expecting to see Lola. She normally dropped off breakfast for me around this hour. However, no one opened the door.
I waited for a few more seconds and decided to check who was out there. I opened the door and came face-to-face with Soren’s bright smile.
“Good morning, Ro.” He paused, as if he was trying to find a way to phrase what he wanted to say. “I happened to just be passing by, and thought to myself, ‘Maybe I should check on her. I just need a good excuse.’”
He always had a way of starting fun conversations, I reflected.
I looked at him with a smile and said nothing, knowing he was going to continue talking anyway. He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged with a smile. “It took me like ten minutes to get the courage to knock. Then I kinda forgot about my excuse.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Do you remember now?”
“Oh-” he replied with a jokey grin, “I was thinking about starting with, ‘I don’t want her to starve,’ so I was about to bring you everything from the kitchen. But then I thought maybe it wasn’t good for you to start your day with anything greasy, so finally I settled on bringing you this special blueberry jam.”
He held up a glass jar, and I could smell the delicious blueberry scent even without the lid open.
“So,” he continued in an exaggerated tone of voice that once again made me smile openly, “if you haven’t had breakfast yet, I highly recommend giving it a try. It’s a secret island recipe. The berries are from here, picked with love.
The jar itself was shaped like a cute bear, and it reminded me of the person who had just gifted it to me. No one could resist something adorable like that, so I accepted my newest gift from Soren as he handed it over to me.
Sometimes his silly sense of humor made me wonder how he managed to handle such a big island as an authoritative figure.
“You are just too kind. Um, would you like to come in?” I figured that was the appropriate thing to ask. “I was just wondering when are you going to ask me that.”
He blinked a few times, but his lighthearted tone a*s*sured me that it was safe to be alone with him. He took a seat on a chair across the room, keeping a safe distance between us. “How do you feel today?” While he didn’t have a smile on his face, his tone was gentle.
“I feel great. I really appreciate your kindness in letting me stay here.”
“My pleasure.”
He smiled. Then he noticed the open magazine on the bed, and exclaimed, “So I was right!”
I was confused, “About what?”
“I was thinking the other day that you must be so bored by now, but the doctor had ordered you to take it easy. I was wondering what might help you to kill time. See, I just had the feeling that you love to read!” He looked proud of himself. “And I was right!”
I smiled. “You weren’t just right- it was as if you read my mind. Lola dropped them off just as I was thinking about reading.”
“Ha, I am good like that!” he said grandly, and I replied with an agreeing chuckle.
He got up and paced over to the window, gesturing toward that part of the room. “I’ll have them add a lounge chair here so that, if you want to sit up to read, you’ll have a place in your room to do so.”
His back was to the sun, and his face was darkened by the shadow. I could only see his overall silhouette.
For a moment, I thought it was Ethan speaking to me. “…what do you think, Ro?”
I sighed inwardly. What was wrong with me?
Soren was not Ethan. No matter how similar they looked, he was opposite the Alpha of Drogomor in every way. For example, Ethan would never ask my opinion of anything.
I looked up to him to answer his question. “Soren, please do whatever you think is the best. This is your home.”
“But this is your room-”
I sighed. “Soren, I appreciate your help. Really, without you, I can’t even bear to think what might have happened to me and my baby…”
I had made up my mind. The sooner I left here, the better.
I could not allow myself to rely on someone else any more… especially someone who looked so much like Ethan. “…However, I cannot stay here forever.”
No matter how nice Soren seemed to be, I did not need another man in my life.
The smile on his face had faded away, as if he was disappointed at my answer. But my mind was set. I could not allow myself to be trapped with anyone else.
If I could run away from Ethan, I was sure I could escape Soren.
He didn’t pressure me further, simply nodding in understanding. “What a pity. I’ve really enjoyed your company. In that case… Do you know where you would like to go? Have you picked out a neighborhood? What kind of job would you like to have?”
Alright… I had to admit that I haven’t fully thought through everything.
“I used to be a waitress and a singer in restaurants, but I could also work as a maid, babysitter…” “Hmm…waitress and singer.” He was more serious than a few moments before. “Let me talk to my a*s*sistant. How about this- either way, you are supposed to take it easy for at least another two weeks. Why don’t we use this time to figure out a solid plan for you?”
I looked at Soren’s sincere gaze and felt guilty.
The entire time I was with him, he was nothing but helpful and respectful. Was I unreasonable for being so suspicious?
“Thank you, Soren,” I said with all my heart. “I will find a way to repay you.”
“You are too serious. This is what I am supposed to do- I look out for everyone on this island.”
Soren gave my hand a couple of gentle pats, and then stood back up.
“Hey, no tears. You’re going to ruin my reputation as a gentleman. I’m NOT a heartbreaker!” He winked as he said this, successfully defeating my urge to cry.
Once I had a smile back on my face, he asked, “Would you honor me with a walk?” After all his kindness, I didn’t want to refuse him. “I would love to.”
He offered me his arm. “You’re with child right now, so let’s be one-hundred-percent cautious in those shoes.” I hesitated for a moment before looping my hand around his elbow.
After a short moment of silence, I decided to be the one to start the conversation. “It’s rare to see you not working.”
“Believe me, I would love to take more breaks if I could. But I’m really glad I didn’t the other day- otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to be the hero of a beautiful young lady.”
Knowing this was just who he was, I smiled.
Soren led me through a back door. The second we walked outside and the sunlight hit me directly in the face, I felt my mood change. A light breeze stirred my hair, and I paused for a second to raise my face to the bright azure sky. It was my favorite color, for it was the color of Ethan’s eyes.
Stopping alongside me, Soren let out a little chuckle. “It’s been a while since you’ve been outside, huh?” he said. I looked at him. Soren looked so much like Ethan.
I had hoped that after leaving, I would be able to let Ethan go. However, fate found a way to always remind me of him.
“Yeah, I guess so,” I admitted, opening my eyes. I felt my cheeks heating up with embarra*s*sment at my behavior.
“You’re so adorable,” he muttered, and I felt like he was talking more to himself than to me, so I didn’t comment. “Come on,” he added. “I have something to show you.”
I walked with him, my arm still through his so I didn’t trip. He led me to a little wooden gate, and a sweet floral fragrance told me where we were going well before we got there.
Soren pushed open the quaint wooden, round-topped gate with chipped, white paint, and we walked into a large garden.
I couldn’t help but gasp at how beautiful it was. Flowers in every color bloomed alongside the cobblestone walking paths.
I immediately understood where he got all of the flowers he brought me and why they were always different. The flowers that grew here were not all tropical, either. Many of them grew on the mainland.
They were all beautiful. Their petals danced in the breeze, and their fragrances mingled together.
It was enchanting, and for a moment, I stopped to savor the image. I felt like I’d stepped inside the pages of a book—a fairytale.
“Do you like it?” he asked me.
Perhaps I simply hadn’t been outside in a while, and my emotions were running wild, but I felt tears threatening to dampen my cheeks.
“I love it,” I told him.
“I’m so happy to hear it,” he said. “Let’s keep walking. There’s a fountain I’d like to show you.”
We walked along, arm in arm, and he told me about some of the flowers. We also talked about day-to-day activities.
“Here it is,” Soren said as we rounded the corner, and the sound of trickling water became even louder.
We were standing outside of a beautiful fountain, where two chubby cherubs were splashing water at one another. It was a cute fountain, and I adored it.
It wasn’t nearly as large and fancy as the ornamental fountains in the capital, though.
For a moment, my mind went to Ethan again. I wondered what he would say, standing next to a fountain featuring a couple of winged babies splashing each other. He would probably just grunt and have nothing else to say about it.
But that didn’t make me miss him any less.
“Do you want to have a seat?” Soren asked, gesturing to a bench nearby.
“Sure,” I said, pushing Ethan out of my mind.
I knew he wouldn’t completely go away, though. He never did.
We sat, and Soren waited a moment before asking, “So… I was thinking, it might be a good idea for you to have a midwife.”
I turned and looked at him. “A midwife? Now?” I was thinking of leaving soon.
“Yes, that’s right. I have connections all over the island, and if you’re still thinking of moving out on your own soon, I want to make sure you have the very best midwife to care for you and the baby.”
I stared at him for a moment, not sure what to say.
Soren chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised, Ro. You know I care about you and that little bundle you’re carrying, right? The more time we spend together, the more I feel that way. I want to make sure that you’re well looked after, no matter where you are. So… can I help you find a good midwife? It means a lot to me.”
How could I possibly deny him that?
“Of course, Soren.” I smiled up at him. “Thank you so much- for everything.”
“It’s my pleasure, Ro.” He squeezed my arm gently. “At first, I thought I was just helping a young girl who’d been injured, but now I know what we have here is so much more. Ro, I’m beginning to count you as a friend.” A friend—I felt a pang of guilt about him calling me that.
“I hope that I will not let you down,” I sighed.
“How could you?” he chuckled, seeming to think that I was just being funny or humble.
I didn’t dare look into his smiling eyes, and turned my gaze to the fountain instead.
How I wished I could be the innocent “me” again and simply trust a dear friend.