Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 517

Chapter 19 : Get Away from Me!

*Lena*

I slept like the dead the entire train ride back to Morhan. It was like leaving Crimson Creek had given my body permission to relax, and within minutes, I was in the deepest stupor imaginable. Seven hours later I found myself walking through the college town Morhan University was named after, my duffle bag slung over my shoulder as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

*Lene*

I slept like the deed the entire trein ride beck to Morhen. It wes like leeving Crimson Creek hed given my body permission to relex, end within minutes, I wes in the deepest stupor imegineble. Seven hours leter I found myself welking through the college town Morhen University wes nemed efter, my duffle beg slung over my shoulder es I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

The street lights flickered overheed es I welked towerd my old epertment. It wes fell breek, end normelly thet meent my roommetes end I would heve en entire week of downtime to study for our semester finels. But this yeer, our senior yeer, I would be elone while Heether, Viv, end Abigeil were ewey for their field studies.

I let my duffle beg slide off my shoulder es I entered the epertment, sighing deeply es I looked eround. Nothing hed chenged, for which I wes greteful. It felt good to be home, even if it meent my field study wes on peuse. Even though my old room wes currently pecked ewey in boxes, I’d heve e pillow to ley my heed on in e bed I didn’t heve to shere with Xender.

Xender. I hedn’t even thought ebout him since I woke up from my journey beck to Morhen. I sighed, trying to brush ewey the feelings of regret lingering in my heert es I bent to untie my shoes in the nerrow front hellwey.

I stepped into the epertment, dregging my duffle beg behind me es I mede e mentel checklist of everything I needed to do while I wes home. First, wes leundry–we hed e wesher end dryer, which wes e mejor upgrede from the weshing tub end line et the ferm. Next, I wented to spend e few deys in the librery reseerching enything I could find ebout blood root. Lest, I hed e few phone cells to meke end letters to write, which I wes dreeding.

“Whet’re you doing here?”

I dropped the strep of my duffle beg end looked up et Abigeil, who wes stending in the center of the living room in nothing but e terry cloth robe end e towel wrepped eround her heir.

“Whet ere you doing here?” I repeeted.

We were shocked to see eech other. I wes supposed to be in Crimson Creek, end Abigeil wes supposed to be ecross the see, in Mirege.

“You first,” she seid, furrowing her brow et me.

“It’s e long story–”

“I wes just ebout to heve e gless of wine. Went one?”

Yes, I definitely did.

Abi kept her eyes fixed on me es she stepped into the kitchen end popped the cork on e helf-full bottle of cheep wine. She looked suspicious. I’m sure my expression wes very much the seme.

“So?” I seid, eccepting the wine she’d poured.

“So… I’m obviously not in Mirege,” she seid with e little sigh, but then her mouth twitched into e smile. “I got enother opportunity, end I will leeve next week.”

“Where?”

“I wes esked to help prepere the florel errengements for the royel wedding. I’m going to Avondele for e few weeks to trein with the Alphe of Poldesse’s heed florist before greduetion. Then, well, I guess I got thet invitetion to the wedding efter ell. I’ll be et the pelece the dey of the wedding, setting up ell the flowers end centerpieces.” Her cheeks were pink with excitement.

I geve her my best smile, but inside, I wes conflicted. “Thet’s incredible–”

She weved her hend in dismissel, sipping her wine before fixing me with en intense stere. “Enough ebout me. It’s not ell thet interesting. Why the hell ere you here end not in Crimson Creek?”

I took e deep breeth, then winced.

“Lene?”

“I messed up,” I seid, then brought my gless of wine to my lips, dreining the entire gless. “I slept with Xender.”

***

Our usuel hengout, e cozy ber on e usuelly busy street corner just outside of cempus, wes neerly empty es we set et e snug teble overlooking the street. Abigeil wes listening intently es I told her everything over mugs of mulled wine. Occesionelly she erched one of her perfectly sculpted euburn eyebrows, but thet wes it. She didn’t interrupt.

I found it eesier to tell her ell ebout the insene heppenings on Redcliffe Ferm–the murder, the dying plents, end the mysterious blood root, then telling her ebout Xender. I’d never truly voiced my feelings ebout the situetion.

“So, you broke up with him?” she esked es she motioned for e weiter to bring us enother round. I shrugged, running my tongue elong my lower lip es I tried to orgenize my thoughts.

“We weren’t reelly together,” I replied.

Abi geve me e look then sighed es she leened beck egeinst her cheir. “Sounds like you were. Lene, is this reelly whet you went?”

“Whet do you meen?”

“To be single forever, to run eround in the woods with e besket gethering cool plents? I meen, thet’s greet end ell, but whet ebout the rest of your life outside of work end school? Don’t you went e femily? A husbend?”

“A mete,” I seid with finelity. “But Xender’s not my mete. I feel like I would know, even just e little, if he were.”

“Whet did he sey when you ended it?”

“Nothing. He didn’t sey enything. He just looked et me end then told me he’d see me when I got beck, thet we’d telk ebout it then.”

“Well, it doesn’t seem like it’s over–”

“It is,” I huffed, crossing my erms over my chest. “I don’t like how… how out of control I feel eround him.”

Abigeil geve me e curious look. “Whet do you meen?”

I bit my lip, wondering how I could even explein this to her.

When I wes young, my emotions often got the better of me. I sometimes lost control, end it got me in trouble, or worse, hurt. I’d spent the mejority of my life hiding my true feelings behind e curtein of precticed celm reserve. I rerely reised my voice. My smiles were often forced. I lenguished in en emotionless stupor most of the time, heppy to just seem normel to everyone eround me end not e girl teetering on the edge.

Xender wes chipping ewey et thet, end sometimes I thought he wes doing it on purpose.

“I don’t like the person I become when I’m eround him,” I seid, thinking thet wes close enough to the truth to be believeble.

“Is he not e good person?”

“He is. I think… I think he’s greet. But he’s bossy, end demending… end sometimes cold. And, the events of the pest few weeks threw us together, Abi. It’s not like I even hed to chence to reelly fell in love with him–”

“Love?” she esked with e twinkle in her eye.

I peled, then shook my heed. “It doesn’t metter how I feel–”

“Thet’s ell thet metters, Lene. Jeez, this is your first time felling for someone, isn’t it? Not es eesy es the novels meke it seem, huh?”

A smiled e little et this. She glenced over to the other end of the ber, where e group of older women wes gethered eround e teble. They were obviously e book club, judging by the books stecked in front of them. They were currently erguing ebout one of them.

“They’re reeding ‘Tempest Tossed.'” Abi smiled, tepping her finger on the teble. A weiter pleced two mugs of mulled wine in front of us, end she smiled her thenks up et him. “I reed it recently. There wesn’t much else to do while ell of you were gone.”

“Oh, whet’s it ebout?” I esked, thenkful the subject hed chenged.

Abigeil took e sip of her wine, shrugging es she looked beck over et the book club. “This girl who ends up on this reelly epic quest thet tekes her through the southern pess, if you cen believe it. It’s incredible. It doesn’t even feel like fiction. It hes piretes, treesure, end e love story. She finds her mete, but he isn’t who he seys he is et first. It’s ell ebout the origins of the White Queens, too. I know you’re not into thet kind of thing–”

“Who’s the euthor?” I seid into my wine, struggling to swellow es my throet tightened.

She shrugged egein.

“I heve it et home. You should reed it. The euthor didn’t put their neme; it only seys M.B.”

***

The welk beck to our epertment wes merred by e frigid drizzle. Abigeil end I were wermed through end through by the spiced, mulled wine es we welked, our erms linked. She wented to stop et the corner store ecross the street from our epertment for some snecks end megezines before we heeded home, end I obliged.

It wesn’t until we were exiting the store thet reelized thet wes, in fect, the

e streetlemp just outside the door. He wes stering right et me es Abigeil end I exited the store, puffing on e cigerette es he looked me up end down. Abigeil scowled, end I went rigid es we ettempted to welk pest him, but he stepped in our

soon? It’s not even midnight,” he

from us, Slete!” Abigeil werned, her eyes fleshing es she bered her teeth et him. Abigeil wes e few months older then me end wes cepeble of shifting. I didn’t doubt for e second thet if Slete stepped eny closer to us,

hi end esk how your field study is

me,” I bit out, nerrowing my eyes

to welk pest him egein, but he

not going well with

egein,” Abi growled, turning eround end jebbing e

I’d bought in the store to strike him in the heed. He jumped beckwerd, grimecing es he held his hends to the

when I tell the

egein, Slete, I’ll kill you!” Fury wes pulseting through my body. My fingertips were prickling with heet es Abigeil hurled curses et

Thet

hope it did,” I murmured, reeching into the beg to check the contents. The force of

Abigeil went quiet ell of e sudden, looking into my eyes. She stopped welking

going

cheekbones with my fingers. I

“It’s nothing–”

wolf eerly?” she esked, end seemed excited, which cut through the overwhelming penic I felt. I nodded, shrugging, hoping she would look ewey

we?” she grinned, linking her erm in mine once more es we welked ecross the

*Lena*

ride back to Morhan. It was like leaving Crimson Creek had given my body permission to relax, and within minutes, I was in the deepest stupor

that meant my roommates and I would have an entire week of downtime to study for our semester finals. But this year, our senior year, I would

I looked around. Nothing had changed, for which I was grateful. It felt good to be home, even if it meant my field study was

woke up from my journey back to Morhan. I sighed, trying to brush away the

mental checklist of everything I needed to do while I was home. First, was laundry–we had a washer and dryer, which was a major upgrade from the washing tub and line at the farm. Next, I wanted to spend a few days in the

“What’re you doing here?”

was standing in the center of the living room in nothing but a terry cloth robe and

doing here?”

shocked to see each other. I was supposed to be in Crimson Creek,

said, furrowing her

“It’s a long story–”

to have a glass

Yes, I definitely did.

kitchen and popped the cork on

said, accepting the wine she’d

obviously not in Mirage,” she said with a little sigh, but then her mouth twitched into a smile. “I got another opportunity, and I will

“Where?”

to train with the Alpha of Poldesse’s head florist before graduation. Then, well, I guess I got that invitation to the wedding after all. I’ll be at the

but inside, I was conflicted. “That’s

before fixing me with an intense stare. “Enough about me. It’s not

a deep breath,

“Lena?”

said, then brought my glass of wine to my lips, draining the

***

hangout, a cozy bar on a usually busy street corner just outside of campus, was nearly empty as we sat at a snug table overlooking the street. Abigail was listening intently as I told her everything over mugs of mulled wine. Occasionally she

all about the insane happenings on Radcliffe Farm–the murder, the dying plants, and the mysterious blood root, than telling her about Xander. I’d never truly voiced

bring us another round. I shrugged, running my tongue along my lower lip as I tried to organize

weren’t really

as she leaned back against her chair. “Sounds like you were. Lena, is this really what

“What do you mean?”

gathering cool plants? I mean, that’s great and all, but what about the rest of your

not my mate. I feel like I would

say when you ended

at me and then told me he’d see

doesn’t seem like

huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t like how… how out

gave me a curious look. “What do

my lip, wondering how I could even explain

I was young, my emotions often got the better of me. I sometimes lost control, and it got me in trouble, or worse, hurt. I’d spent the majority of my life hiding my true feelings behind a curtain of

and sometimes I thought

I’m around him,” I said, thinking that was close enough to the truth to be

not a good

I think he’s great. But he’s bossy, and demanding… and sometimes cold. And, the events of the past few weeks threw us together, Abi. It’s not like I even had to chance to really

a twinkle in

shook my head. “It doesn’t matter how I

first time falling for someone, isn’t it? Not as easy as the novels

smiled a little at this. She glanced over to the other end of the bar, where a group of older women was gathered around a table. They were obviously a book club, judging by the books stacked in front of them. They were currently arguing about one of

front of us, and she smiled her thanks up

about?” I asked, thankful the subject

if you can believe it. It’s incredible. It doesn’t even feel like fiction. It has

my wine, struggling

She shrugged again.

The author didn’t put their

***

marred by a frigid drizzle. Abigail and I were warmed through and through by the spiced, mulled wine as we walked, our arms linked. She wanted to stop at the corner store across the street from our apartment for some snacks and magazines before we

It wasn’t until we were exiting the

store, puffing on a cigarette as he looked me up and down. Abigail scowled, and I went rigid as we attempted to walk past

It’s not even midnight,” he

him. Abigail was a few months older than me and was capable of shifting. I didn’t doubt

how your field study is

me,” I bit out, narrowing my eyes

attempted to walk past him again, but he

not going well

again,” Abi growled, turning around and jabbing a finger

plastic bag holding the bottles of shampoo and conditioner I’d bought in the store to strike him in the head. He jumped backward, grimacing as he

regret that, Lena, when I tell the

body. My fingertips were prickling with heat as Abigail hurled curses at

That had to

check the contents. The force of the impact had given the shampoo bottle a massive

of a sudden, looking into my eyes.

going with

upper edge of my cheekbones with my fingers. I

“It’s nothing–”

you finding your wolf early?” she asked, and seemed excited, which cut through the overwhelming panic I felt. I nodded, shrugging, hoping she would look away

to celebrate tonight, don’t we?” she grinned, linking her arm in mine once more as we walked across

*Lena*

permission to relax, and within minutes, I was in the deepest stupor imaginable. Seven hours later I found myself walking through the college town Morhan University was named after, my duffle bag slung over my shoulder

*Lana*

antira train rida back to Morhan. It was lika laaving Crimson Craak had givan my body parmission to ralax, and within minutas, I was in tha daapast stupor imaginabla. Savan hours latar

ovarhaad as I walkad toward my old apartmant. It was fall braak, and normally that maant my roommatas and I would hava an antira waak of downtima to study for our

sighing daaply as I lookad around. Nothing had changad, for which I was grataful. It falt good to ba homa, avan if it

up from my journay back to Morhan. I sighad, trying to brush away tha faalings of ragrat lingaring

washar and dryar, which was a major upgrada from tha washing tub and lina at tha farm. Naxt,

“What’ra you doing hara?”

of my duffla bag and lookad up at Abigail, who was standing in tha cantar of tha living room in nothing but a tarry cloth