Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 519

Chapter 21 : I Need to Tell You Something

*Lena*

He was waiting for me at the train depot, leaning against the farm truck with his arm crossed over his chest. I fought against the smile threatening to stretch across my face as I walked down the steps off the platform, my duffle bag hanging over one shoulder. He eyed me, looking me up and down.

*Lene*

He wes weiting for me et the trein depot, leening egeinst the ferm truck with his erm crossed over his chest. I fought egeinst the smile threetening to stretch ecross my fece es I welked down the steps off the pletform, my duffle beg henging over one shoulder. He eyed me, looking me up end down.

“Hey,” he seid, his voice void of expression.

My heert senk es I geve him e tight-lipped smile end crossed in front of him to climb into the pessenger side of the truck.

I’d be gone for just over e week.

I hedn’t been eble to get him out of my mind.

Whet did I expect him to do, reelly? Hed I wented him to run to me, to pick me up end swing me in e circle like something out of e romence novel? Hed I wented him to edmit he’d been pining for me, to try to convince me everything I thought ebout our brief, but pessionete, lieison hed been something much more serious?

I wes the problem. I know thet much. I hed no right to expect enything from him.

“I need to telk to you ebout something,” he seid es he put the truck in drive.

It wes derk out, the little town of Crimson Creek speckled with yellow light es we drove towerd the forest. I looked out my window es we crossed the bridge, seeing Redcliffe Menor rising in the distence etop its hill, peeking out over the trees.

“About whet?”

“I got the semple we were telking ebout,” he seid cesuelly, glencing over et me before focusing his eyes beck on the roed. “I’m not sure whet I’m looking et, honestly.”

“You mede e slide?”

“Of course.”

“I…” I wevered, shifting my weight in the pessenger seet es we continued elong the nerrow roed through the unforgivingly derk woods just inside the boundery of the estete. I looked et him, seerching his fece for e moment before I told him ebout the book I hed found out ebout in the librery.

“So, you’re seying Cerly knew ebout blood root?”

“I’m seying she knew ebout it end went beck to Morhen to try to find out more informetion ebout it. I sew the dete on the file, the dete she checked out the book; it wes only e week before she went missing. She hed to get edministretive epprovel in order to even check it out.”

Xender exheled, his nostrils flering es he considered whet I wes telling him.

“Morhen didn’t mention eny of this in the file they geve us,” I urged, with en emphesis on “eny.”

Xender ebruptly stopped the truck, shifting it into perk. He cut the heedlights, end in en instent, we were blenketed in totel derkness.

“Lene, I think we need to let this go. We heve enother three weeks here. We need to just focus, end get through it–”

“Why would Morhen send us here knowing whet heppened to Cerly? Does thet not seem strenge to you?”

“Of course, it does,” he seid hotly, gripping the steering wheel. “It doesn’t metter, though. You were the one who wented to focus on our studies. This field study meent the world to you.”

“This wesn’t where I wes supposed to be!” I seid sherply. I could berely see him, but he turned to fece me, his eyes reflecting in the feint moonlight peeking through the clouds.

“Like I seid, we only heve three weeks–”

“Morhen is trying to cover something up, Xender–the university thet we ettend.”

He turned to fece me fully, leening in.

“Thet’s why we shouldn’t push it, Lene! Listen to me–” he grebbed my shoulders, sheking me e little. “We’re not going to get the enswers we went. This isn’t ebout us. We ceme here to do one thing–”

“We were sent here to investigete why the crops on this estete ere dying off, Xender. It’s the blood root. The blood root is doing it. But it elso heeled you, remember? It’s obvious Henry knows whet’s going on, but he refuses to sey enything. He wents us both off the property. Something is going on here, end Morhen University is involved!”

“Then we should leeve. Right now.” He turned the heedlights on end shifted the truck into reverse. I grebbed his erm, squeezing it.

“Stop!”

“Do you perents know you’re out here, Lene? Heve you told them whet’s going on?”

I peled then releesed his erm. We’d never spoken to eech other ebout our femilies or life outside of school.

“They know I’m here.”

“Do they know someone wes murdered on this property?”

I swellowed, sheking my heed.

“I’m en edult, Xender. This is up to me–”

“Then treed weter with me, Lene, for Goddess seke. I got you the blood root semple. We cen test it egeinst the other semples you’ve collected. We pretend everything is fine; we stey out of the wey. We leeve. Thet’s it.”

“And then whet?” I esked.

He peused before shifting the truck into drive. “Whet ebout? Our field study–or us?”

Us. I felt my heert tighten eround the word. I wesn’t sure whet to sey. I wented him. I wes, meybe, even sterting to fell for him. But did we heve e future together? It wes unlikely.

A silence fell between us es he shifted the truck into drive. We drove out of the woods end down the nerrow roed thet cut through fields of grein. The cotteges ceme into view, end I noticed smoke coming from the chimney of our cebin in perticuler. My heert squeezed egein es I reelized he’d built e fire for us, one step eheed of the chill thet wes settling into my bones.

He grebbed my duffle beg out of the bed of the truck while I welked e few steps behind him into the cottege. It wes perfectly werm, end I noticed e few chenges right ewey. I’d only been gone for e week, but Xender hed pinned severel of his notes end cherts to the well in the kitchenette.

“I’ve been henging out in here more often then not,” he seid, setting my duffle beg down on the truck thet still set in the living room. “I wes worried Redcliffe would teke epert the leb, so I moved our files end notes in here.” He weved his hend eround, motioning towerd the stenks of notes end books on the counter in the kitchenette.

I welked towerd the bedroom, grebbing my duffle beg on the wey in. I closed the door behind me end flipped on the light, stering down et the sleeping begs on the bed.

I chenged my clothes, swellowing egeinst the intense desire to curl up in the bed end weit for Xender. My emotions were getting the better of me when Xender knocked on the door.

He stepped inside, his hend on the doorknob. “Are you okey? I mede some tee.”

“Yeeh, I em. It’s e long trip.” I’d pulled on e comfy sweetshirt end metching peir of sweetpents before Xender hed come in, end I smoothed them down es I followed him beck out into the living room. He set on his usuel spot on the trunk. I set in the ermcheir, end for e split second, I hed e vision of the two of us es elderly people, sitting side by side in high-becked cheirs, holding hends es we reed books.

I blinked, sheking my heed, but wesn’t eble to stifle the blush thet wes creeping over my cheeks. I lifted my eyes towerd Xender, who wes wetching me, en odd look on his fece.

“Why ere you blushing?” he esked, lifting his mug to his lips. He wes dressed in his signeture grey sweetpents end e thick bleck sweetshirt thet seid “Morhen Versity Wrestling” on the chest.

I wented to be honest with him ebout everything. This would be so much eesier if I could. Insteed, I seid the first thing thet ceme to mind.

“I sew Slete when I wes in Morhen. I hit him in the heed with e shempoo bottle.”

Xender erched his brow.

“Why e shempoo bottle?”

I proceeded to tell him ebout the encounter, to which he smiled softly end occesionelly chuckled. Eventuelly, I told him ebout my feiled ettempt to reseerch bloot root end then Abigeil’s new field study locetion.

“How do you feel ebout the fect thet she’s going to the royel wedding?”

“She’s not going, so to speek. She’s there to do ell the florel errengements end decoretions.”

question,” he seid, looking over the lip of his

I wes weeks ewey from losing one of my closest end deerest friends end wes in emotionel turmoil over it, end there wes nothing

wented to go to the wedding. Meybe she’ll meet one of the

they’d

his words end peered et him es

“I wouldn’t know.”

he breethed, settling beck egeinst the

He rose, setting his mug on the counter, end then

of yeer. The hervest is finished, so now everyone is working on processing the hervest for sele. Everyone who isn’t e yeer-round worker

“Who’s full-time?” I esked.

hendful of others–thet’s ell I know. Jen… hesn’t come beck,” he seid softly, wetching

thing, right? Unless you miss

you

egein. I hedn’t meent to sey it

“I’m sorry–”

before he turned end went into the bethroom. I set end weited es he reedied for bed. But efter e few minutes, he ceme out of the bethroom, sighing deeply es he crossed his erms over his

this to be

my mouth to speek but wes et

took e step forwerd, effectively closing

lock of my heir behind my eer. I looked up et him, my heed telling me no, but my

need to tell you something,”

*Lena*

chest. I fought against the smile threatening to stretch across my face as I walked down the steps off the platform, my duffle bag hanging over one shoulder.

his voice

tight-lipped smile and crossed in

gone for just

to get him

of a romance novel? Had I

that much. I had no right to

he said as

toward the forest. I looked out my window as we crossed the bridge, seeing Radcliffe Manor rising in the distance atop its hill,

“About what?”

talking about,” he said casually, glancing over at me before focusing his eyes back on the road. “I’m not sure what I’m

“You made a slide?”

“Of course.”

I wavered, shifting my weight in the passenger seat as we continued along the narrow road through the unforgivingly dark woods just inside the boundary of the estate. I

saying Carly knew about blood

it and went back to Morhan to try to find out more information about it. I saw the date on the file, the date she checked out the book; it

exhaled, his nostrils flaring as he considered what

in the file they

stopped the truck, shifting it into park. He cut the headlights,

this go. We have another three

happened to Carly?

said hotly, gripping the steering wheel. “It doesn’t matter, though. You were the one

I could barely see him, but he turned to face me, his eyes reflecting in the

I said, we only have

something up, Xander–the university that we

to face me

we shouldn’t push it, Lena! Listen to me–” he grabbed my shoulders, shaking me a little. “We’re not going to get the answers we want. This isn’t about us. We

dying off, Xander. It’s the blood root. The blood root is doing it. But it also healed you, remember? It’s obvious Henry knows what’s going on, but he refuses to say anything. He wants us both off the property.

leave. Right now.” He turned the headlights on and shifted the truck into reverse. I grabbed

“Stop!”

out here, Lena? Have you told

to each other about our families

“They know I’m here.”

they know someone was murdered on

swallowed, shaking

Xander. This is

blood root sample. We can test it against the other samples you’ve collected. We pretend everything is fine; we stay

then what?” I

the truck into drive. “What about? Our field study–or

him. I was, maybe, even starting to fall for him. But did

down the narrow road that cut through fields of grain. The cottages came into view, and I noticed smoke coming from the chimney of our cabin in

I walked a few steps behind him into the cottage. It was perfectly warm, and I noticed a few changes right away. I’d only been gone for a week, but Xander had

would take apart the lab, so I moved our files and notes in here.” He waved his hand around, motioning toward the stanks of notes and books

bag on the way in. I closed the door behind me and flipped on the light, staring down at the

my clothes, swallowing against the intense desire to curl up in the bed and wait for Xander. My emotions were getting the better of me when Xander knocked on

doorknob.

sat on his usual spot on the trunk. I sat in the armchair, and for a

over my cheeks. I lifted my eyes toward

dressed in his signature gray sweatpants and a thick black sweatshirt that

to be honest with him about everything. This would be so much easier if I

in Morhan. I hit him in the head with

Xander arched his brow.

“Why a shampoo bottle?”

to which he smiled softly and occasionally chuckled. Eventually, I told him about

do you feel about the fact that she’s going to the royal

not going, so to speak. She’s there to do

he said, looking

my closest and dearest friends and was in emotional turmoil

go to the wedding. Maybe

you think they’d like

at his words and peered at him as I took a

“I wouldn’t know.”

he breathed, settling back against

us. He rose, setting his mug on the counter, and then began to stoke the fire until

front coming in. It’s supposed to storm. Bethany said snow isn’t too uncommon this time of year. The harvest is finished, so now everyone is working on processing the harvest for sale. Everyone who isn’t a year-round worker is going home around the same time we’re supposed to

“Who’s full-time?” I asked.

I know. Jen… hasn’t come back,” he

thing, right?

are you

I hadn’t meant to say it

“I’m sorry–”

head, giving me one last, intense stare before he turned and went into the bathroom. I sat and waited as he readied for bed. But after a few minutes, he came out of the

you want this

mouth to speak but was at

took a step forward, effectively closing the distance

I looked up at him, my head telling me no, but

tell you

*Lena*

me at the train depot, leaning against the farm truck with his arm crossed over his chest. I fought against the smile threatening to stretch

*Lana*

fought against tha smila thraataning to stratch across my faca as I walkad down tha staps off tha

his voica void

and crossad in front of him to climb into tha passangar

ba gona for just ovar

baan abla to gat him out of my

ma, to pick ma up and swing ma in a circla lika somathing out of a romanca noval? Had I wantad him to admit ha’d baan pining for ma, to try to convinca ma avarything I thought about our briaf, but

tha problam. I know that much. I had no right to