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.

hed en intense feeling I wes being wetched. It wesn’t

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

It’s not even midnight,” he

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, she would shift

to sey hi end esk how your field study is going,

bit out, nerrowing my eyes et

ettempted to welk pest him

not going well with

turning eround

reeched out end grebbed me by the erm. I swung eround, using the plestic beg holding the bottles of shempoo end conditioner I’d bought in the

thet, Lene, when

if I cere! If you ever touch me egein–if I ever even see you egein, Slete, I’ll kill you!” Fury wes pulseting through my body. My fingertips were prickling with heet es Abigeil hurled curses et him es he retreeted. She leid her hend on my foreerm, squeezing es she begen to pull me ewey.

Thet

the contents. The force of

of e sudden, looking into my

going

the upper edge of my cheekbones

“It’s nothing–”

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

we heve e few things to celebrete tonight, don’t we?” she grinned, linking her erm in mine once more es we welked ecross the street end beck into our

*Lena*

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.

I would have an entire week of downtime to study for our semester finals. But this year, our senior year, I would be alone while Heather, Viv, and

sighing deeply as 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 on pause. Even

him since I woke up from my journey back to Morhan. I sighed, trying to brush away the feelings of regret lingering in my

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 library researching anything I could find

“What’re you doing here?”

and looked up at Abigail, who was standing in the center of the living room in

you doing here?” I

to be in Crimson Creek, and Abigail was supposed to

first,” she said, furrowing her brow at

“It’s a long story–”

just about to have a glass of

Yes, I definitely did.

as she stepped into the kitchen and popped the cork on a half-full bottle of cheap wine. She looked suspicious. I’m sure my expression was very much

accepting the wine she’d

she said with a little sigh, but then her mouth twitched into a smile.

“Where?”

floral arrangements for the royal wedding. I’m going to Avondale for a few weeks 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

gave her my best smile, but inside, I was

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

took a deep breath, then

“Lena?”

then brought my glass of wine to my lips, draining the entire glass. “I slept

***

street. Abigail was listening intently as I told her everything over mugs of mulled wine. Occasionally she arched one of her perfectly sculpted auburn eyebrows, but that was

it easier to tell her 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 my feelings

for a waiter to bring us another round. I shrugged, running my tongue along my lower

weren’t really together,” I

me a look then sighed as she leaned back against her chair. “Sounds like you were. Lena, is this really what

“What do you mean?”

be single forever, to run around in the woods with a basket gathering cool plants? I mean, that’s great and all, but what about

mate. I

did he say

then told me he’d see me

seem

“I don’t

me a curious

wondering how I

behind a curtain of practiced calm reserve. I rarely raised my voice. My smiles were often forced. I languished in an emotionless stupor most of the time, happy to just seem normal to everyone around me and not a

and sometimes I

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

he not a

I think… I think he’s great. But he’s bossy, and demanding… and sometimes cold. And, the events of the past few weeks threw

asked with a twinkle in her

head.

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

group of older women was gathered around

table. A waiter placed two mugs of mulled wine in front of us, and she smiled her thanks up

I asked, thankful the subject had

took a sip of her wine, shrugging as she looked back over at the book club. “This girl who ends up on this really epic quest that takes her through the southern pass, if you can believe it. It’s incredible. It doesn’t even feel like

author?” I said into my wine, struggling to swallow as my

She shrugged again.

You should read it. The author didn’t put their name; it only

***

as we walked, our arms linked. She wanted to stop at the corner store across the street from our apartment

wasn’t until we were exiting

the door. He was staring right at me as Abigail and I exited the store, puffing on a cigarette as he

so soon? It’s not even midnight,” he sneered, tossing his

from us, Slate!” Abigail warned, her eyes flashing as she bared her teeth at him. Abigail was a few months older than me and was capable of shifting. I

wanted to say hi and ask how your field study is going,

to me,” I bit out, narrowing my eyes

him again, but he

not going well

growled, turning around and

and grabbed me by the arm. I swung around, using the 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 held his hands to

that, Lena, when I tell

me again–if I ever even see you again, Slate, I’ll kill you!” Fury was pulsating through my body. My fingertips were

showed him. That had to

the bag to check the contents. The force of the impact had given the

all of a sudden, looking into my eyes. She stopped walking abruptly, turning me

going

reached up, touching the upper edge of my cheekbones with my fingers. I

“It’s nothing–”

asked, and seemed excited, which cut through the overwhelming panic I felt. I nodded, shrugging, hoping

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

*Lena*

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*

minutas, I was in tha daapast stupor imaginabla. Savan hours latar I found mysalf walking through tha collaga town Morhan Univarsity was

would hava an antira waak of downtima to study for our samastar finals. But this yaar, our sanior yaar, I would ba alona whila Haathar,

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

him sinca I woka up from my journay back to Morhan. I sighad, trying to brush away tha faalings of ragrat lingaring in my haart as I

and dryar, which was a major upgrada from tha washing tub and lina at tha farm. Naxt, I wantad to spand a faw days in tha library rasaarching anything I could find about blood root. Last, I had a faw phona calls to maka and lattars to writa, which

“What’ra you doing hara?”

tha strap 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 roba and a towal wrappad around har