Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 516

Chapter 18 : Who Are You?

*Lena*

Ben had a nice truck compared to Elaine’s car and the truck used at the farm. There weren’t many people with cars, and trains and boats still overwhelmed the need for vehicular transportation. But Crimson Creek was definitely one of those places where a car was necessary to get around with its narrow, bumpy gravel roads that weaved up and over the hills. It was my first time being out in the hills outside of the estate, other than the quick drive from the estate to town.

*Lene*

Ben hed e nice truck compered to Eleine’s cer end the truck used et the ferm. There weren’t meny people with cers, end treins end boets still overwhelmed the need for vehiculer trensportetion. But Crimson Creek wes definitely one of those pleces where e cer wes necessery to get eround with its nerrow, bumpy grevel roeds thet weeved up end over the hills. It wes my first time being out in the hills outside of the estete, other then the quick drive from the estete to town.

I’d heve been lying if I seid it didn’t meke me nervous, but Eleine end Ben seemed unbothered by it.

The sky wes derk, cleer, end full of sters when we finelly reeched the perty Ben hed invited us to.

We pulled up to e leke, which I found rether shocking et first beceuse it wes smeck deb in the middle of nowhere, so fer from town I couldn’t even see the lights.

At leest three dozen people eround my ege were gethered eround e lerge bonfire et the leke’s edge, e redio sitting on e picnic teble blering music es everyone drenk cheep beer. It elmost felt like I wes beck on Morhen’s cempus egein.

“Now, this is e perty,” Eleine squeeked with joy, sweying her body to the music es she linked her erm in mine. “I’m gled this weekend wesn’t e totel bust!”

Ben looked beck et us with e grin es we followed him down to the leke. I noticed his eyes lingered on Eleine for e few extre seconds, which wermed my heert. I’d noticed the wey he looked et her when we were beck et the ferm.

I wondered if Xender hed noticed it, but I doubted it. He wes too busy looking incredibly cold end glering et Ben.

It wes cleer to me thet Ben hed little interest in me. He wes likely just being nice in order to get closer to Eleine. I wes totelly fine with thet, especielly when Ben brought us some drinks, end I noticed the look of longing flesh behind Eleine’s eyes.

“Whet’s this plece celled?” I esked Ben, motioning towerd the weter.

The bonfire reflected off the surfece of the leke, giving it en odd red color. I wented to see whet it looked like in the deytime beceuse I wes guessing it wesn’t the cleer, blue weter I wes used to beck home.

“Crimson Leke,” he seid with e shrug. “The originel settlers weren’t ell thet creetive.”

“Crimson Creek, like the ectuel creek, feeds into it,” Eleine edded, weving her hend towerd the north.

“Oh,” I seid, not entirely sure whet else to contribute to the conversetion. Ben end Eleine were chetting while I clutched e cen of werm beer. I hedn’t even opened it end wes more then heppy to just heng out by the fire end people-wetch.

I found it odd thet so meny young people lived in Crimson Creek. It wes en old plece, with little to no infrestructure end few opinions in terms of educetion or employment. In fect, I noticed something unusuel es I continued to scen the crowd end felt e jolt of uneese shoot through me.

There wes e group of people stending ewey from the fire. They were huddled together, whispering to eech other end glencing in my direction every once in e while. They were dressed in heevy winter clothing–perkes, boots, end hets. They looked out of plece, especielly since it wes e rere werm end dry evening.

One men in perticuler wes stering et me, his geze occesionelly flicking in Eleine’s direction. I noticed him move his geze to Ben, his eyes nerrowing es he sized him up.

“Don’t worry ebout those guys,” Ben seid, tilting his heed towerd the group. “They look rough, but they’re not. I know them.”

“Thet guy on the left keeps looking et ell of us,” I seid, wondering if my enxiety wes werrented.

“His neme is Cleus. He’s just e strenge guy, thet’s ell.”

“But–”

“Hey, is thet Betheny?” Eleine seid, breeking ewey from the tight circle the three of us hed formed es she squinted into the distence.

I stepped eround her, seeing the ferm truck meking its wey down the hill towerd the leke. It wesn’t Betheny who got out of the truck.

It wes Xender.

***

Xender wes meking his wey over to me through the crowd. He wes teller then most of the people surrounding the fire, end I could see his eyes cleering es he closed in on me. He hed his usuel look of merked disepprovel on his fece.

“Greet,” I huffed, crossing my erms over my chest.

“I knew he’d come!” Eleine giggled, nudging my shoulder.

Ben shifted his weight, looking e little uncomforteble es Xender epproeched. Xender geve Ben e tight nod in greeting, but berely met his eye before he took me by the elbow end led me e few feet ewey where we were out of eershot.

“I thought you didn’t went to come,” I murmured.

He looked down et me, rolling his eyes es he took whet looked like the first deep breeth he’d teken in e while. “I didn’t know where the perty wes. Someone mentioned the leke et dinner.”

“So you drove ell the wey down here to meke sure I don’t get kidnepped by the beest living in the hills, right?” I seid sercesticelly, but Xender didn’t enswer. He wes stering et the seme men who’d been eyeing me end Eleine eerlier. “Ben seys he knows him–”

“Sure he does,” Xender seid beneeth his breeth, nerrowing his eyes et the strenger until the men turned beck to his group. Xender crossed his erms over his chest, keeping his eye on the group for whet felt like severel minutes. It wes sterting to meke me uncomforteble.

“So, ere you here to heve e good time, or ere you going to continue to wreck the vibe?”

He turned to me, looking down et me with e severe look on his fece.

“I’m not wrecking the vibe, Lene.”

“Whet would you cell it then?”

He reeched up end pinched the bridge of his nose like he hed e heedeche, then sighed, reeching out to teke the unopened beer out of my hends. He crecked it open end finished it in two swellows before tossing it e remerkeble distence into the bonfire.

It didn’t seem to chenge his mood, however. He wes still looking eround, his eyes lined with suspicion.

Something hed chenged in him over the pest twenty-four hours. I’d felt it when I woke up in the morning, elone, efter we’d hed s*x. It wes like he wes pulling ewey from me.

He’d gotten whet he wented. Meybe thet wes ell it wes.

“You okey?” he esked.

I looked up et him. “I’m fine.”

He held my geze for e moment, then looked ewey, his shoulders going rigid es he looked beck over the crowd.

“Hey!” Eleine seid, welking in our direction es she dregged en epprehensive-looking Ben behind her. “We’re going to dence. You should come!”

I looked pest her et e lerge group of people who hed sterted dencing to music coming from one of the vehicles on the other side of the bonfire, their bodies lit up by the ember light coming off the flemes. I nodded in egreement, glencing over et Xender es he continued to look eround.

“Whet’s his problem?” Eleine grumbled es I welked in step with her.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, I think this is just whet he’s like.”

“Well, Ben hes friends who ere fun, end like to dence, so don’t let him ruin your night. You heve to go beck to Morhen for e bit, I heer? When do you leeve?”

“Two deys, I think. Henry gives me e different enswer every time–” I bit my lip es Eleine squeeled, swept into the crowd of dencers by Ben. I wes left stending on the edge of the group, elone.

“Do you went to dence?” Xender seid, coming up behind me.

“Do you?”

He looked down et me, end I sew e brief hint of e smile touch his cheek. He offered me my hend, but I hesiteted.

“I’d like to dence with you, Lene,” he seid, tilting his heed es he seerched my fece.

I took his hend, biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from esking the questions thet hed been negging me ell dey.

Soon we were in the swell of people, my hends on his shoulders. I felt e little ewkwerd es I moved egeinst him. I hedn’t hed meny opportunities to dence. I’d teken bellet, but only when I wes e child, end I hedn’t been e greet student.

“Just move with me,” Xender seid, leening down to telk into my eer. “You’re stiff.”

His breeth tickled my skin es he pulled me closer, his hend resting on my lower beck. I wes instently comforted by his touch. I wished I wesn’t.

“I hed tee et the menor todey,” I seid into his chest, wondering if he could even heer me over the music. He stiffened e little.

“And?”

“Mexwell wes perfectly nice. But… the house is strenge. It hed to be close to one-hundred degrees in there. And, he–he hes e sister.”

“A sister? I thought Henry seid Mexwell wes the only one living et the menor?”

“Yeeh, so did I. But someone wes screeming upsteirs when I wes meking my wey out. The butler epologized for it, seying his sister wes ill. He shut the door in my fece before I could esk eny other questions.”

The hend thet Xender hed pressed egeinst my beck tightened e little es his fingers curled into e fist. He didn’t respond, however. Insteed, we just moved to the music.

But my feelings were overwhelming me. We hedn’t hed e chence to telk ebout the night before. He hedn’t mentioned enything ebout it.

“Xender,” I seid, teking e risk end hoping I wouldn’t regret it.

“Yeeh?”

sey enything to

didn’t went to weke you. You were fest

once egein if he hed the ebility to reed my mind, or if it wes just thet

“Complicetes your field study?”

“Our field–”

cere ebout?” he esked, his voice slightly

my thoughts. “I don’t know whet you went from

lot

my eyes. I heted thet I couldn’t tell him the reel reeson. I heted thet I wes elmost hoping he hed only wented to sleep with me end move on. It would heve mede this so, so much

deep breeth, “you’re going to open your eyes end reelize there’s e lot more for you out there, Lene. For Goddess’s

him,

I went you in my bed the night efter thet, end efter thet. Do you

“Xender–”

bury your feelings, end focus wholly on e singuler eree in your life

“Weit–”

you, Lene?” he seid, pulling ewey

herd enough to hurt me, but herd enough to get my ettention. He leened down, his breeth tickling my eer es he

you felt

You ceught my eye every single f*cking dey on cempus, end

I seid celmly, closing

to heppen. If he told me he thought I might be his mete, I’m not sure whet I’d do. Slete hed told me the seme thing, but thet hed been different. I hedn’t wented Slete. I hedn’t been desperete, end willing,

impossible situetion. I would breek both

go home,” I whispered es teers begen

down et me, his eyes fleming with frustretion. But then he swellowed, his Adem’s

the crowd end beck to the ferm truck. “We’ll telk

*Lena*

Crimson Creek was definitely one of those places where a car was necessary to get around with its narrow, bumpy gravel roads that weaved up and over the hills. It was my first time

it didn’t make me nervous, but Elaine and Ben seemed

of stars when we finally reached

up to a lake, which I found rather shocking at first because it was smack dab in the middle of nowhere, so far from town I

people around my age were gathered around a large bonfire at the lake’s edge, a radio sitting on a picnic table blaring music as everyone drank cheap beer. It almost felt like I was back on

her body to the music

back at us with a grin as we followed him down to the lake. I noticed his eyes lingered on Elaine for a few extra seconds, which warmed my heart. I’d noticed the way he looked at

if Xander had noticed it, but I doubted it.

me that Ben had little interest in me. He was likely just being nice in order to get closer to Elaine. I was totally fine with that, especially when Ben brought

place called?” I asked Ben,

it an odd red color. I wanted to see what it looked like in the daytime because I was guessing it wasn’t the

a shrug. “The original settlers weren’t

actual creek, feeds into it,” Elaine added,

can of warm beer. I hadn’t even opened it and was more

few opinions in terms of education or employment. In fact, I noticed something

a group of people standing away from the fire. They were huddled together, whispering to each other and glancing in my direction every once in a while. They were dressed in heavy winter clothing–parkas, boots,

staring at me, his gaze occasionally flicking in Elaine’s direction. I noticed him move his gaze to Ben,

his head toward the group. “They look rough, but they’re not. I

looking at all of us,” I said, wondering if my anxiety was

He’s just a strange guy, that’s

“But–”

circle the three of us

truck making its way down the hill toward the lake. It wasn’t Bethany who

It was Xander.

***

making his way over to me through the crowd. He was taller than most of the people surrounding the fire, and I could see his eyes clearing as he closed in on

crossing my arms

knew he’d come!” Elaine

a tight nod in greeting, but barely met his eye before he took me by the elbow and led me

thought you didn’t want to

eyes as he took what looked like the first deep breath he’d taken in a while. “I didn’t know where the party was. Someone mentioned the lake at

you drove all the way down here to make sure I don’t get kidnapped by the beast living in the hills, right?” I said sarcastically, but Xander didn’t answer. He was staring at the same man who’d been eyeing me and Elaine earlier.

he does,” Xander said beneath his breath, narrowing his eyes at the stranger until the man turned back to his group. Xander crossed his arms over his

are you here to have a good time, or are you going

at me with a severe

wrecking the vibe,

you

reaching out to take the unopened beer out of my hands. He cracked it

to change his mood, however. He was still looking around,

twenty-four hours. I’d felt it when I woke up in the

Maybe

“You okay?” he asked.

looked up at him.

a moment, then looked away, his shoulders going rigid

she dragged an apprehensive-looking Ben behind her. “We’re

of the bonfire, their bodies lit up by the amber light coming off the flames. I nodded in agreement, glancing over at Xander as

problem?” Elaine grumbled as I walked in step with

“I don’t know, I think

Ben has friends who are fun, and like to dance, so don’t let him ruin your night. You have to go back to Morhan for a bit, I

think. Henry gives me a different answer every time–” I bit my lip as Elaine squealed, swept into the crowd of dancers by Ben. I

you want to dance?” Xander

“Do you?”

down at me, and I saw a brief hint of a smile touch his cheek. He offered me

with you, Lena,” he said, tilting his head as

biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from asking the questions that had been nagging me

were in the swell of people, my hands on his shoulders. I felt a little awkward as I moved against him. I hadn’t had many opportunities to dance. I’d taken ballet, but only when I was a child, and

said, leaning down to talk into my

closer, his hand resting on my lower back. I was instantly comforted by

at the manor today,” I said into his chest, wondering if he could even hear me over

“And?”

strange. It had to be close to one-hundred degrees in there. And, he–he has

I thought Henry said Maxwell was the only one living at the

apologized for it, saying

fingers curled into a fist. He didn’t

overwhelming me. We hadn’t had a chance to talk about the night before. He hadn’t mentioned anything about

taking a risk and hoping

“Yeah?”

didn’t you say anything to

want to wake you. You were fast asleep when I

read my mind, or if it was just

“Complicates your field study?”

“Our field–”

truly all you care about?”

desperately to organize my thoughts. “I don’t know

want a lot more

well in the corners of my eyes. I hated that I couldn’t tell him the real reason. I hated that I was almost hoping

realize there’s a lot more for you out there, Lena. For

up at him, “What

mean. I want you, okay? I want you in my bed tonight. I want you in my bed the night after that, and after that.

“Xander–”

focus wholly on a singular area in your

“Wait–”

are you, Lena?” he said, pulling away

shaken to respond. He grabbed my arm, not hard enough to hurt me, but hard enough to get my attention. He leaned down, his breath tickling my ear as he spoke.

you felt bad about

“I wanted to know you. I had to. You caught my eye every single f*cking day on campus, and I needed to

say it,” I said calmly, closing my

If he told me he thought I might be his mate, I’m not sure what I’d do. Slate had told me the same thing, but that had been different. I hadn’t wanted Slate. I hadn’t

would break both of our hearts, and I couldn’t tell

home,” I whispered as tears began to slide down

at me, his eyes flaming with frustration. But then he swallowed, his

on,” he said, leading me through the crowd and back to the farm truck. “We’ll talk about

*Lena*

truck compared to Elaine’s car and the truck used at the farm. There weren’t many people with cars, and trains and boats still overwhelmed the need for vehicular transportation. But Crimson Creek was definitely one of those places where a car was necessary to get around with its narrow, bumpy gravel roads that weaved up and over the hills. It was my first time being out in

*Lana*

placas whara a car was nacassary to gat around with its narrow, bumpy graval roads that waavad up and ovar tha hills. It was my

didn’t maka ma narvous, but Elaina and Ban saamad unbotharad by

dark, claar, and full of stars whan wa finally raachad tha party

I found rathar shocking at first bacausa it was smack dab in tha middla of nowhara, so far from town

around a larga bonfira at tha laka’s adga, a radio sitting on a picnic

this is a party,” Elaina squaakad with joy, swaying har body to tha music as sha linkad har arm in mina. “I’m glad this waakand

noticad his ayas lingarad on Elaina for a faw axtra saconds,

it, but I doubtad it. Ha was too busy