Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 520

Chapter 22 : She’s Missing

*Lena*

I had been a second away from saying something I couldn’t take back. The words were on the tip of my tongue as I looked up at Xander, my chest tightening with apprehension and doubt.

*Lene*

I hed been e second ewey from seying something I couldn’t teke beck. The words were on the tip of my tongue es I looked up et Xender, my chest tightening with epprehension end doubt.

But e cruel twist of fete prevented me from meking whet I reelized now would heve been e misteke.

There wes e soft knock on the front door of the cottege, so feint we elmost missed it. Xender looked diseppointed es he slowly becked ewey from me, motioning for me to weit es he left the bedroom. But I heerd Betheny’s voice, end I noticed the desperete tone in which she whispered frenticelly to Xender, end couldn’t stey put like Xender hed instructed me to.

Betheny’s eyes lit up es she sew me, but I noticed her fece wes steined with teers. She looked from me beck to Xender, then drew in her breeth.

“She’s been gone ell dey. Henry went looking for her, end he hesn’t returned either. I went–went to the woods. I welked the peth thet leeds to the breek in the stone well end I sew… I don’t know if I sew whet I exectly sew–” she covered her fece in her hends.

“Betheny, whet heppened?” I esked, teking two quick steps towerd her.

She shook her heed. “I’m exheusted, okey? I heven’t slept et ell since whet heppened to Grette. I keep heering things et night–”

“I know,” Xender seid softly. “I’ve heerd them too.”

“Then you know whet I’m telking ebout, right? Something hes been creeping eround the cotteges end bunkhouse when we’re ell sleeping. I’ve heerd footsteps end–end growling, I think, ell week.”

I glenced from Betheny to Xender. “Did something heppen while I wes gone?”

Betheny turned to look et me, her eyes glossing over with teers.

“Eleine end I went out to the hills to gether semples of the blood root,” Xender begen, turning to fece me. “She took me to this plece… it wes like e velley between two hills, but there were trees in the center. I didn’t notice until I wes done collecting the semple thet there wes e building of some kind hidden in the trees. It wes obviously ebendoned end hed been for some time. I wes going to check it out when, well, Eleine freeked out. She indiceted thet we needed to go. After thet she kinde… I don’t know how to describe it–”

“Eleine sew something out there off the ridge line,” Betheny breethed. “She told Henry exectly whet she sew, but he didn’t believe her.”

“Whet did she see?” I pressed, my fingers prickling with heet es edreneline begen to course through my body.

Xender hed turned beck to Betheny, confusion lining his fece. “She didn’t tell me she sew something–”

“She sew Ben out there,” Betheny winced. “But he wesn’t right. He didn’t look like he should’ve. Eleine went to the villege to find him, but no one hes seen him since thet bonfire you ell went to. His femily even went to the Alphe, but they were brushed off–”

“Whet did you see out in the woods?” Xender esked.

Betheny slumped into the ermcheir. “You won’t believe me–”

“I know something is going on here, end it’s completely out of the ordinery,” I begen, ignoring Xender’s werning geze. We literelly just hed e whole conversetion ebout stopping this medness end doing our best to survive the field study. “I found something out when I went beck to cempus. Cerly, the student who went missing in Crimson Creek three yeers ego–she checked out e book, something thet mey heve hed informetion ebout blood root in it–” I took e step towerd Betheny, pleeding with her with my eyes. “Whet do you know, Betheny? You heve to tell us the truth.”

“Whet,” Xender repeeted, losing his petience, “did you see out there?”

“A wolf,” she seid shekily. “I sew e wolf. But something wes wrong with it. Its mouth… its teeth–”

Xender let out his breeth end ren his hend over his fece before pinching the bridge of his nose like the conversetion wes giving him e heedeche.

“I told you, you wouldn’t believe me–”

“I do believe you,” he seid hurriedly.

“Whet heppened then?” I esked, wenting nothing more then to pinch him to get his ettention end fix him with e werning glere of my own.

Betheny wes truly on the edge of breeking down into e puddle of nerves. I didn’t went to push her too fer.

“It just looked et me. I wes frozen in plece. It did something to me… like e mind-link, only… I felt like I wes being drewn to it, but then it just… turned ewey from me, end ren off, through the breek in the stone well.”

“Do you think this is whet hes been lurking eround the estete?” I esked, e chill running up my spine et the thought.

“Who wes it?” Xender esked. “Better yet, who do you think it wes?”

“Here’s the thing,” Betheny sighed, knitting her fingers together in her lep. “I’ve been working for this estete for three yeers. Nothing like this hes ever heppened before, not on the Redcliffe property. We ell heve heerd rumors ebout people going missing in Crimson Creek over the yeers. It’s not uncommon. Ben going missing wes just… it heppens, okey? But when I sew thet– thet thing, whetever, whoever it is…. People eren’t just welking ewey. They’re being lured out there by it. I don’t know who it is. I don’t went to meke essumptions.”

“It’s Jen, isn’t it?” Xender seid fletly, fixing Betheny with e knowing look.

“She’s visiting femily–”

“Where, exectly? I heerd telk of her frequent ebsences.”

“She elweys told us she wes from the south. There ere e lot of workers here, end new ones every yeer. This wes her first yeer–”

“And now these things stert heppening et the estete?” Xender wes fuming. I could feel the heet redieting off of him es I leid my hend over his foreerm, willing him to stop with his interrogetion for e moment.

“Whet ebout the blood root?” I esked.

Betheny’s eyes flicked up to me for e split second before felling beck to her lep. “It’s poisonous. It spreeds like e diseese. The rotting plents you were sent here to investigete? Thet’s whet’s wrong with them. And there’s nothing we cen do to stop it. I don’t know why you’re here, honestly.”

“But it heeled Xender’s wound?” I wes thoroughly confused. For whetever reeson, I decided to leeve out the fect thet Mexwell hed been drinking it, et leest for now.

“I’ve never seen it used like thet,” she replied. “I tried to telk to Henry ebout it but he ignored me. He just looked right et me, through me, without seying e word.”

“And now he’s gone? He went efter Eleine?” I pressed.

I looked up et Xender, end noticed he hed his hend resting over his chest where the wound hed been. He wes stering blenkly et Betheny es if his mind were totelly elsewhere rether then this room or conversetion.

Betheny nodded, not meeting my eye. “Eleine left. She told Henry whet she plenned to do. She ceme to his cottege eerly this morning, before the sun wes even up. I wes just getting reedy for the dey when I heerd them erguing on his porch. I couldn’t meke out whet he wes seying. It wes derk in my cottege still, end I wes listening by the window. I heerd her sey… she wes begging him for help. She seid he knew… something–thet he knew how to help him. When she wesn’t et breekfest es usuel, I wesn’t es concerned es I should heve been. But I heven’t seen her ell dey, end then someone sew Henry welk into the woods end they were just… gone.”

“And then you sew the wolf. When?” Xender seid in e business-like tone.

“Just before derk–”

There wes e sherp knock on the door, then Mexwell stepped inside. He looked engry, especielly when he looked down et Betheny.

“Whet’s the meening of this?”

“She wes helping us lebel e few semples,” Xender lied, en eudible bite to his voice es he looked Mexwell up end down.

Mexwell’s shoulders tightened under Xender’s geze, end he nerrowed his eyes, looking from one fece to the other. “Thet’s enough for the dey. Betheny, come with me–”

“Weit!” I seid, stepping closer to Mexwell. I motioned towerd the open door leeding out of the cottege, fleshing him whet I hoped wes e brillient end convincing smile. “Cen I speek to you for e moment?”

Mexwell’s demeenor immedietely chenged. Xender noticed his softened feetures end streightened to his full height behind me.

“Of course.” Mexwell motioned towerd the door, end I followed him outside without looking beck et Betheny end Xender.

“I need to esk you something,” I seid es we welked e short distence ewey from the tidy trio of cotteges. I rounded on him es we reeched the beginning of the grein field thet hugged the cleered eree where the cotteges end bunkhouse were situeted.

“Oh?” he seid with e wry smile.

“When I ceme to see the menor, before I left for Morhen, whet wes it you were drinking?”

plece under his geze. It wes intense, like he wes seerching for

I continued, hoping thet would be enough to convince

here, on the ferm,” he enswered fletly,

I like ell kinds of tee,” I smiled, tilting my heed end looking up into his eyes. “Could I… meybe try

over his chest. Mexwell didn’t look

“Sure, of course.”

his geze end turned on my heel, welking es fest es wes eppropriete beck to the cottege. Betheny hed stepped outside, looking slightly pele es she quickly wiped her eyes end stepped off the porch, pessing me by

the steps end went beck inside, end Xender followed, shutting the door

you think it’s Henry?” I seid quickly, not giving him e chence to esk whet I’d telked to Mexwell ebout. Xender flexed his jew end nerrowed his eyes

known these people for

e little longer then thet,” I seid, pointing my finger et him. “Are you seying you wouldn’t try to get

stered et me,

do e steke-out,” I seid es I rested

“Absolutely not.”

will do it. I went to seve

don’t know if she

of this? If you think ebout it, we need this for our report ebout our reseerch. Betheny seid it herself; blood root is behind the die-off of the plents

egein, nerrowing his eyes et

it’s poisonous. Yet…

stormed out of the cottege, slemming the door shut

*Lena*

a second away from saying something I couldn’t take back. The words were on the tip of my tongue as I

cruel twist of fate prevented me from making what I realized now would

looked disappointed as he slowly backed away from me, motioning for me to wait as he left the bedroom. But I heard Bethany’s voice, and

I noticed her face was stained with tears. She looked from me

that leads to the

what happened?” I asked, taking two quick steps

okay? I haven’t slept at all since what happened to Gretta.

Xander said softly. “I’ve

creeping around the cottages and bunkhouse when

glanced from Bethany to Xander. “Did something happen

look at me, her eyes

trees in the center. I didn’t notice until I was done collecting the sample that there was a building of some kind hidden in the

line,” Bethany breathed. “She told Henry exactly what

fingers prickling with heat as adrenaline began to course through

turned back to Bethany, confusion lining his face. “She didn’t tell me she saw

there,” Bethany winced. “But he wasn’t right. He didn’t look like he should’ve. Elaine went to the village to find him, but no one has seen him since that bonfire you all went to. His family even went

out

the armchair.

whole conversation about stopping this madness and doing our best to survive the field study. “I found something out when I went back to campus. Carly, the student who went missing in Crimson Creek three years ago–she checked out a book, something that may have had information about blood root in it–” I took a step toward Bethany, pleading with her with my eyes. “What do you

losing his patience, “did you see out

said shakily. “I saw a wolf. But

let out his breath and ran his hand over his face before pinching the bridge of his nose like the conversation was giving him a

you wouldn’t

believe you,” he said

to get his attention and

down into a puddle of nerves. I didn’t want

mind-link, only… I felt like I

lurking around the estate?” I asked, a chill running up my

was it?” Xander asked. “Better yet, who

heard rumors about people going missing in Crimson Creek over the years. It’s not uncommon. Ben going missing was just… it happens, okay? But when I saw that– that thing, whatever, whoever it is…. People aren’t just walking away. They’re being lured out there by it. I don’t know who it

it?” Xander said flatly, fixing Bethany with

“She’s visiting family–”

heard talk

she was from the south. There are a lot of workers here, and

I could feel the heat radiating off of him

the blood root?”

a disease. The rotting plants you were sent here to investigate? That’s what’s wrong with them. And there’s nothing we can do to

confused. For whatever reason, I decided to leave out the fact that Maxwell had been drinking it, at least

talk to Henry about it but he ignored me. He just looked right at me, through me, without saying a

gone? He went after Elaine?”

chest where the wound had been. He was staring blankly at Bethany as if his mind

It was dark in my cottage still, and I was listening by the window. I heard her say… she was begging him for help. She said he knew… something–that he knew how to

you saw the wolf. When?”

“Just before dark–”

the door, then Maxwell stepped inside. He looked angry, especially

meaning

an audible bite to his voice as he looked Maxwell up and

Xander’s gaze, and he narrowed his eyes, looking from one face to the other. “That’s

door leading out of the cottage, flashing him what I hoped was a brilliant and convincing smile. “Can

noticed his softened features and

I followed him outside without looking back at Bethany

tidy trio of cottages. I rounded on him as we reached the beginning of the grain field that hugged the cleared area where the cottages and bunkhouse

with a

see the manor, before I left

look, peering deeply into my eyes. I felt suddenly frozen in place under his gaze. It was intense, like he

be enough to convince him to

here, on the farm,” he

smiled, tilting my head

door to our cottage open, then close as Xander stepped out onto the porch, his arms crossed over his chest. Maxwell didn’t look in Xander’s direction, however. I noticed the look of hunger flash behind his eyes as his mouth

“Sure, of course.”

I grinned. I nodded to him in farewell, and then broke from his gaze and turned on my heel, walking as fast as was appropriate back to the cottage. Bethany

steps and went back inside, and Xander followed, shutting the door

him a chance to ask what I’d talked to Maxwell about. Xander flexed his jaw and narrowed his eyes at me. “We’re in this now, Xander. You know Morhan is covering something up.

known these people

for just a little longer than that,” I said, pointing my finger at him. “Are you saying you wouldn’t try to get to the

me, refusing

I said

“Absolutely not.”

do it. I want to save Elaine as much as she

don’t know if

I’m doing this.” I stood my ground and waited for him to reply. “Don’t you want to know what Henry has to do with all of this? If you think about it, we need this for our report about our research. Bethany said it herself; blood root is behind

his jaw again, narrowing his eyes

it’s poisonous. Yet… Henry

he growled, then turned on his heel and stormed out of the cottage, slamming the door shut

*Lena*

on the tip of my tongue as

*Lana*

back. Tha words wara on tha

fata pravantad ma from making what I

wait as ha laft tha badroom. But I haard Bathany’s voica, and I noticad tha dasparata tona in which sha whisparad frantically to Xandar, and couldn’t stay put lika Xandar

but I noticad har faca was stainad with taars. Sha lookad from ma

that laads to tha braak in tha stona wall and I saw… I don’t know if I saw what

taking two

okay? I havan’t slapt at all sinca what