Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 1017 - 80 : A Whole New World

Chapter 1017: Chapter 80 : A Whole New World

I opened my eyes in a familiar bedroom. It only took me a few seconds to realize it was Stone’s master bedroom in his massive mansion.

“What the....”

I sat up and looked around. The room looked almost exactly like it had the night before, but there were a few differences, like the fact that I was in pajamas and there was a second dresser full of my clothes. I could see a familiar nightgown hanging over the corner of the drawer.

“Hey, Babe, when you’re up, come on down. I want to show you something I’ve been working on,” Stone’s voice came from downstairs.

I cringed. Babe? He called me Babe?

This had to be a new time loop. Too many things were different. That meant... Stone and I were together in this time loop.

Dammit. I should have known he’d know how to use the orb to his advantage. I was foolish to think I could steal it and just slip away.

I stood up and threw a robe on. The last thing Stone said to me in the previous timeline was that none of this would matter to me soon. He was expecting me to forget everything again.

I went downstairs and joined Stone in his office. There were some new memories scattered inside my real memories–memories of a relationship with Stone. I pushed them away as best I could. I really didn’t want those memories.

“Hey, you’re up.”

He came around his desk and hugged me. I played along, despite my stomach flipping nauseously. He kissed my forehead.

As soon as he released me, I turned away and stuck my tongue out, holding back my gag.

I plastered a smile on my face and turned back to him. “What did you want to show me?”

“Take a look at this.” He laid several large blueprints out on his desk. “I’ve just been commissioned for a restoration project on some newly unearthed temples.”

“W-wow....”

I couldn’t help but compare this new venture of his to the one I’d made up in the previous timeline.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. If Stone was the one messing with the timeline all along, he knew who I was in the last timeline. But did he know that I had my memories?

“It’s a huge project for me and will lead to nothing but success.”

“That’s really good to hear. I bet you’ll do great.”

He looked at me and grinned. “Aren’t you going to be late for your work-study?” He trailed his eyes up and down my robe-clad body.

“Oh... right. I just got so excited about your project. I’ll go get ready.”

“Great. I’m taking off, I’ll see you tonight.”

He packed up his briefcase and gave me a quick hug. I continued to play along, walking him to the door and waving goodbye. As soon as his car pulled away, I sighed and dropped the act.

“This is so weird... and gross.”

I raced up the stairs and found the orb right where I found it the last time. Sighing, I rolled my eyes. He really couldn’t get more creative than that?

As long as he thought I didn’t have my memories in this timeline, he wouldn’t suspect me of taking the orb and he wouldn’t have a reason to use it again.

I needed to find Lucas. Hopefully, he still had his memories from the right timeline, and with the orb, we could get back to work.

I grabbed my school bag from the living room and headed to Lucas’s house.

I got to his old house and stopped dead. Instead of the house I was familiar with, there was a big field with soccer goals on it.

Lucas’s house wasn’t even built in this reality....

My heart hammered in my chest and I started breathing heavily. Shadows crept in on the edge of my vision and I felt lightheaded. Groaning, I clutched my chest and leaned against the nearest tree for support.

How was I going to find Lucas if I didn’t know where to start? He wasn’t living in his house, and he probably wasn’t even connected to the school anymore.

I couldn’t control the panic that rushed through me. My legs trembled and I thought I might pass out. Was this what Lucas felt when he woke up and didn’t know where I was?

I never realized how hard it was for him to go into a new timeline and lose his mate. Guilt flooded me as I thought of all the times I’d accidentally caused him to go through this same feeling again and again. I never wanted him to go through anything like this again.

How was I going to find him?

I closed my eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. I had the orb. That meant I was already ahead of the game in this reality. I just had to find Lucas.

Stone told me I had a work-study project, and that meant I was enrolled in school. If Lucas was still working with the school, they’d have a record of him.

That was a starting point.

I ran my fingers through my hair and straightened my clothes. If I was going to talk to my work-study advisor, I had to look presentable.

Fortunately, the college campus layout was the same as I remembered it. I went to the work-study office and found my advisor.

“Sasha, what are you doing here? Your work-study is in session right now.”

I cleared my throat and took a seat across from her desk. “I was on my way there but I had a question for you first. I wanted to catch you while you were still in the office.”

“What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for someone–Lucas Black. I heard he offered work-study programs, and I wanted to know what was available.”

My advisor steepled her fingers and arched an eyebrow. “Is there something wrong with your current work-study?”

“No. Nothing is wrong with that. I just like to keep my options open. Anything could happen. I mean, look at the Northern Library.”

I bit my tongue quickly, hoping things with the Northern Library were the same in this timeline.

She sighed and nodded. “That’s a good point. As unfortunate as it is, it does happen. I’ve never heard of Lucas Black, but I’ll look him up for you.”

My heart sank. If she hadn’t heard of Lucas, then he probably wasn’t listed in the computer. My work-study advisor was incredibly on the ball with everything.

She typed away at her computer keys for a few moments. Her eyes scanned back and forth on the screen.

“Well, I hate to say it, Sasha, but I’m not finding a Lucas Black in the system. He’s not listed as a manager or foreman on any of the projects. Are you sure you got the name correct?”

I sighed and shrugged. “Maybe I got it wrong. I’ll figure it out and get back to you.”

“Sounds good.”

I picked up my backpack and left her office, a new sense of despair settling over me. Would I ever find Lucas?

My work-study project in this timeline was at a bridge being constructed on the opposite side of the capital. It was meant to bring another road into the city.

This project hadn’t started in my timeline yet. I wondered if it ever would. When I got to the project site, a burly looking guy with a hard hat approached me. He waved a clipboard around and glared in my direction.

“Look who decided to show up. Late, again!”

“I’m sorry, I had a meeting with my advisor this morning.”

“Whatever. Get suited up in the trailer.”

“Suited up?” I creased my brow.

“Yeah, you know, hard hat, utility belt. I want you up on the scaffolding in five minutes.”

I looked at the half-completed bridge and studied the scaffolding that rose up hundreds of feet in the air. Whenever other workers walked around, it trembled and clanged.

Was he serious?

“You don’t want me working with the architects?” My voice croaked.

The foreman glared at me again. “You’re kidding, right? Get up there and start hauling steel!”

He thrust his thumb toward the bridge.

I nodded and scurried into the trailer. This reality was even worse than the last. Stone really knew how to degrade me and put me down.

Only now, I was onto him and I wasn’t going to let him get away with any of this.

In the trailer, I found a cubby with my name on it. There was a jumpsuit, an orange vest, and a hard hat inside. I shoved my backpack in and quickly threw on the construction gear. Under the jumpsuit, I found a construction harness and strapped it on. I had a feeling I’d need it to keep me from falling off the scaffolding.

“Chop, chop, Sasha!” the foreman barked. “I don’t care if the queen herself recommended you for this work-study. I need interns that will be here and that will work! You’re not a princess and you’re not a diva. Stop acting like one!”

What did he just say?

I hurried to the scaffolding and another crewmember handed me a tether. They clipped me in and tugged.

“All good Sasha. Don’t worry, the foreman is just pissed because we’re behind. It isn’t your fault; the weather has been messed up.”

“Thanks.” I nodded and grabbed his hand as he pulled me up.

I climbed the scaffolding and got a good look at what everyone was working on. I hadn’t worked on a bridge before, but I still had all my knowledge of architecture and engineering. The bridge looked really good.

It was a large, ambitious project. It would bring more traffic into the capital from the north, and those settlements wouldn’t be as isolated anymore.

As I worked, I thought about what the foreman had said, that Queen Lena had recommended me for this position. That meant Lena knew me in this reality. If we had a good enough relationship for her to recommend me for a work-study, then I could probably call on her socially.

Lucas was Lena’s cousin. If anyone could tell me where to find him in this timeline, it would be her.

“Heads up, Sasha!”

I snapped out of my thoughts and jumped out of the way just as a giant steel rod fell from a higher level. It clanged all the way down, shaking the scaffolding.

“That was close,” I muttered. I looked over the edge of the scaffolding and watched the metal rod crash into the ground below. I shuddered.

That settled it. I had to go see Lena and find out where Lucas was.