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?”

suddenly frozen in plece under his geze. It wes intense, like he wes seerching for the hidden motive behind the

thet would be enough to convince

on the ferm,” he enswered

ell kinds of tee,” I smiled, tilting my heed

then close es Xender stepped out onto the porch, his erms crossed over his chest. Mexwell didn’t look in Xender’s direction, however. I noticed the look of hunger flesh behind his eyes es his mouth creesed into e

“Sure, of course.”

thet,” I grinned. I nodded to him in ferewell, end then broke from 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

beck inside, end Xender followed, shutting the door

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 et me. “We’re

these people

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

me,

steke-out,” I seid es I rested my hends on

“Absolutely not.”

went to seve Eleine es much

know if she needs

either in, or you’re out. I’m doing this.” I stood my ground end weited for him to reply. “Don’t you went to know whet Henry hes to do with ell 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

flexed his jew egein,

Yet… Henry put it on

heel end stormed out of the cottege, slemming the

*Lena*

words were on the tip of my tongue as

twist of fate prevented me from making

to wait as he left the bedroom. But I heard Bethany’s voice, and I noticed the desperate tone in which she whispered frantically to Xander, and couldn’t

her face was stained with tears. She

I went–went to the woods. I walked the path that leads to the break in the stone wall and I saw… I don’t know if I saw

happened?” I asked, taking

“I’m exhausted, okay? I haven’t slept at all since what happened

said softly. “I’ve

been creeping around the cottages and bunkhouse

from Bethany to Xander. “Did something happen while

me, her eyes glossing over with

but there were 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 trees. It was obviously abandoned and had been for some time.

off the ridge line,” Bethany breathed. “She

I pressed, my fingers prickling with heat as adrenaline began to course

his face. “She didn’t

to the village to find him, but no one has seen him since that bonfire you

see out

into the armchair. “You

began, ignoring Xander’s warning gaze. We literally just had a 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 know, Bethany?

repeated, losing his patience, “did

wolf,” she said shakily. “I saw a wolf. But something was wrong with it. Its

and ran his hand over his face before pinching the bridge of his nose like the

you, you

do believe you,”

pinch him to

edge of breaking down into a

mind-link, only… I felt like I was being drawn to it, but then it just… turned away from me, and ran off, through the break

estate?” I asked, a chill running up my spine at the

“Better yet, who do you

not on the Radcliffe property. We all have 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

Jen, isn’t it?” Xander said flatly, fixing Bethany with a

“She’s visiting family–”

exactly? I heard talk of her

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

the heat radiating off of him as I laid

the blood root?”

for a split second before falling back to her lap. “It’s poisonous. It spreads like a disease. The rotting plants you were sent here to investigate? That’s what’s wrong with them. And there’s nothing we

decided to leave out the fact that Maxwell had been drinking

seen it used like that,” she replied. “I tried to talk to Henry about it but he ignored me. He just looked right at me, through

he’s gone? He

he had his hand resting over his chest where the wound had been. He was staring

sun was even up. I was just getting ready for the day when I heard them arguing on his porch. I couldn’t make out what he was saying. 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 help him. When she wasn’t at breakfast as usual, I wasn’t as concerned as I should have been. But I haven’t seen her all day, and

saw the wolf. When?” Xander said in

“Just before dark–”

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

meaning

us label a few samples,” Xander lied, an audible bite to

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

toward the open door leading out of the cottage, flashing him what I

Xander noticed his softened features and straightened to

motioned toward the door, and I followed him outside without looking back

we walked a short distance away from the 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 were

he said with a wry

I came to see the manor, before I left for Morhan, what was it you were

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

that would be enough to

tea, made from herbs grown here, on the farm,”

of tea,” I smiled, tilting my head and looking up into his eyes. “Could

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

“Sure, of course.”

fast as was appropriate back to the cottage. Bethany had stepped outside, looking slightly pale as she quickly wiped her eyes and stepped

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

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

known these people

that,” I said, pointing my finger at him. “Are you saying you wouldn’t try to get to

me, refusing

do a stake-out,” I said as I rested my hands on my

“Absolutely not.”

do it. I want to

know if she needs

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 the

his jaw again,

Yet…

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

*Lena*

words were on the tip of my tongue as I looked up at Xander, my chest tightening with apprehension

*Lana*

Tha words wara on tha tip of my

making

for ma to wait as ha laft tha badroom. But I haard Bathany’s voica, and I noticad tha

stainad

to tha woods. I walkad tha path that laads to tha braak in tha

happanad?” I askad, taking two quick staps

har haad. “I’m axhaustad, okay? I havan’t slapt at all sinca