Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1637 - 79 : Passion in Disguise

*Briella*

“I can’t believe I’m actually here!”

I smirked at Alyna, who was beaming so brightly that I almost had to shield my eyes. In the years I had known her, I had never seen her so happy.

“You’re acting like this is the first healing center you’ve ever been to,” I said teasingly.

Alyna didn’t even seem aware that I was teasing her. She was looking around wildly, her small hands clasped in front of her.

I couldn’t really blame her for her enthusiasm since the Ethereal Grove healing center was quite the spectacle. Like many of the other major buildings in the grove, this medicinal haven was built into the massive trunk of a tree that more than doubled the width of one of the larger buildings in Celestial Valley.

When we stepped through the doorway, the scent of herbs and flowers wafted through the entire space, promising healing and restoration. The vaulted ceilings stretched upward into the canopy of the forest, causing me to wonder where the healing center ended and the rest of the forest began. The whole space was filled with soft golden light that flickered gently as if coming from gentle light bugs.

“I haven’t been to that many healing centers,” Alyna said with a wistful sigh. “Even if I had, how many actually treat people in addition to animals?”

I had no answer, but I was fairly certain that this was the only one. At least, it was the only one I had heard of.

Alyna suddenly looked over at me and laughed. “You look like a little kid playing dress-up,” she teased.

I rolled my eyes and looked down at the cream-colored coat I was wearing. We were helping out at the healing center that day. Alyna was hoping to gain some insight and hone her own healing skills while I was along mainly to give back to the community of Ethereal Grove.

It was partially to thank the people for their hospitality but also to gain more trust from the people as well. Maybe then, we could convince them that they were in very real danger.

Although, I wasn’t sure I would be taken seriously since I was wearing a coat that was far too big for me, but the healers had given the last small size to Alyna.

I was just about the make some smart remark before we were approached by the head healer, Fauna. She smiled at us. Her kind amber eyes were warm. “You two truly look like the honorary healers that you are today. Please follow me. I can’t remember the last time I had the pleasure of showing off our gorgeous facility.”

Alyna and I grinned at each other eagerly before following the older woman. We weaved through the tranquil gardens, which were a gorgeous landscape of flowers and small ponds that allowed guests to engage in spiritual healing. The inside healing areas were extremely natural, with indoor gardens and natural fixtures to mimic the outside.

“We want to keep our animal companions as comfortable as possible. A large part of that is ensuring that we mimic their natural homes as much as we can,” Fauna explained, gesturing to a vast indoor field used for both people and animals to practice physical movements after recovering from injuries.

“This place is huge,” Alyna commented as she continued to look around in awe.

Fauna nodded. “Yes, it needed to be if we were to treat both our people and companions.”

Fauna showed us a few surgical rooms that weren’t being used. All the furnishings were made of wood. We saw right away that one of the many advantages of the healing center treating both humans and animals was that the people could bring their companions to their check-ups and be examined together.

“Being examined together allows human and companion to have a great level of comfort,” Fauna explained. We were peering through a glass window into one of the medical rooms where a woman and her companion were being given a routine check-up. The woman was stroking the fur between her companion’s ears while the animal was having their mouth looked at.

“Now,” Fauna continued as she turned away from the window, “I thought we could have you girls help in the nursery. There are a few baby companions that need tending to. Is that something you’d be interested in doing?”

Alyna and I cast excited looks at one another before nodding eagerly to Fauna, who grinned and laughed knowingly. “I thought you might like that assignment,” she said before turning down a brightly lit corridor with rainbow lights. “This way.”

The Sweet Sprouts Nursery was tucked away on one side of the healing center. It was probably the smallest section but still large compared to the healing center back in Celestial Valley.

Mystical murals in soft colors covered the wooden walls. Rocking chairs made out of woven tree branches sat against the far end. Similarly made cribs lined another wall, each cozy cradle surrounded by a canopy of twinkling lights. Soft cooing sounds and giggles filled the air as we all stepped inside. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Several healers were tending to the youngest members of the community, many of them in the rocking chairs nursing the infants or simply soothing them to sleep. It was a beautiful sight to see both human babies and furry, animal companion infants swaddled in blankets being rocked side by side.

Just moments later, Alyna and I were sitting side by side in the rocking chairs, each with an animal infant of our own to cradle lovingly. I was bottle-feeding some kind of creature that resembled a large rodent. Its coat was a light brown with gray stripes, and it had long, soft ears and the largest dark brown eyes.

The baby watched me the whole time it suckled. I stroked the top of its soft head as it nursed, its eyes slowly falling shut. It wasn’t long before it fell asleep. I felt so much affection for the creature. I looked over at Alyna, who had a similar adoring look on her face as she rocked a dark-winged animal to sleep.

I could have stayed in the nursery forever, helping out with the adorable infants. Before I knew it, it was late afternoon. The guys were due back by nightfall. They had left with a bunch of the other men to search for the missing animal companions. Kryzen and Roy volunteered to go to defend the guys if possessed companions were to show up.

“So, you and Kryzen, huh?” Alyna asked as we stepped out of the healing center.

I blinked and gave her a confused look, my eyebrows going up at the sly look on her face. “What about me and Kryzen?”

“Oh, nothing really,” Alyna said with a wide grin. “I just never got to tell you how happy I am that you two are finally together. You know, my parents and I used to tease Kryzen about you all the time.”

My jaw dropped at her words, my cheeks turning pink. “Really?” I asked, grinning and shaking my head at the image of a young Kryzen clenching his jaw as his entire family teased him relentlessly about a girl he used to fight with.

Alyna nodded with a giggle. “Yes, really,” she said. “He was such a serious kid, and you were the only one who could really get under his skin. We knew the two of you would eventually be bit by the love bug.”

Even though Kryzen and I were already mates, there was something about Alyna’s tone that embarrassed me. I found myself reacting a little defensively. “I was actually quite shocked when things started happening between us,” I protested lightly. “We really did hate each other when we were younger. It felt like we were fighting constantly.”

Alyna’s smirk only deepened. She nudged me playfully with her elbow. “Of course, you were fighting all of the time,” she said. “That fighting was just passion in disguise. Anger is one of the most passionate emotions, you know.”

I thought back to when I was a kid and even a teenager. It felt like Kryzen and I spent most of our time either yelling at one another or glowering at each other. There never seemed to be any peace between us when our families got together.

Kryzen had been the only one who could make me feel that much emotion. It was true that he had the strongest effect on me, even back when I was a child. He still did. He could make me extremely sad one moment if he was ignoring me or acting aloof. The next minute, he could make me the happiest woman alive and make me feel very loved.

It took me a while to realize it was because I loved him so much. Everything he did affected me, whether it was directed at me or not.

My face was still bright red. It was a little embarrassing to be discussing this with my mate’s older sister. I decided to change the subject, giving the older woman a sly look of my own. “What about you and Roy?”

Alyna’s eyebrows went up, but her cheekbones were now dusted a light pink as she averted her gaze. “What about me and Roy?” she mumbled.

I giggled and threw my arm around her shoulders. I felt a little bad about bringing it up, but I was also dying to know if anything happened between them while they traveled to meet up with Kryzen and me. “I see the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him,” I said. “It’s obvious that he’s attracted to him, and I know you at least care about him. Do you like him in that way?”

Alyna opened her mouth to answer but then froze, her large gray eyes widening in horror. “Briella!” she screamed before tackling me to the ground.

I gasped as we both hit the ground hard, my eyes rounding when a large furry paw swiped at the air right where our heads had been just a second earlier.

Alyna and I were completely covered by a large shadow. I looked up into the large red eyes of a thick, furry beast with pointed ears and jagged teeth.

It snarled. Thankfully, my body immediately went into defense mode. I wrapped my arms around Alyna’s shoulders and rolled us to the side right as the beast descended on top of us. Adrenaline pounded in my ears as I quickly stood, pulling the other woman with me as we sprinted away.

“What is that thing?” she shrieked in horror.

We both gasped when it turned its red eyes on us and started to charge.