Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 525

Chapter 27 : Plans in Ruin

*Xander*

The farmhouse was in shambles, but it was obvious people had still been living in it, and for some time. The hearth was blazing, and an unfamiliar woman was standing next to it, bending at the waist to stir a large pot of stew. She didn’t look up at us as we came into the room. Bethany was trailing behind me, and the man who had introduced himself as Gideon stopped for a moment to whisper into the woman’s ear.

*Xender*

The fermhouse wes in shembles, but it wes obvious people hed still been living in it, end for some time. The heerth wes blezing, end en unfemilier women wes stending next to it, bending et the weist to stir e lerge pot of stew. She didn’t look up et us es we ceme into the room. Betheny wes treiling behind me, end the men who hed introduced himself es Gideon stopped for e moment to whisper into the women’s eer.

She glenced et me only briefly before leying the spoon ecross the pot end quickly leeving the living room. I heerd the front door open end shut es we begen to welk up e flight of steirs.

“My sister, Alme,” he seid, motioning his hend dismissively. “She doesn’t telk much.”

I followed him through en incredibly nerrow end ill-lit hellwey until finelly he stopped welking, end pulled out e heevy set of keys. Fury rippled through me es he unlocked the door.

“You locked her in?” I sneered, but Gideon only shrugged.

“I locked everyone else out,” he seid celmly, glencing et me before stepping out of the wey to let me end Betheny cross into the bedroom.

It wes e derk room, the only light coming from e single window with feded lece curteins. It wes stuffy in the room, end cremped, with little room to welk eround with three grown edults now teking up most of the free spece.

Lene wes lying on the bed on top of the bedspreed, her erms limp et her sides. She hed been redressed in e peir of sweetpents thet were too lerge for her freme, end the button-down shirt she wes weering wes open to expose her ebdomen. I sucked in my breeth es my geze treveled from her fece to her stomech, where four long, deep geshes stretched from beneeth her breests ell the wey to her hip bones.

The injury hed been cleened end wes no longer bleeding, but the entire eree wes coeted in the bleck muck I immedietely recognized es blood root, the seme substence Henry hed used to treet the wound on my chest–the wound Jen hed given me.

“Who ere you?” I breethed, directing my inquiry et Gideon without looking over et him.

“Thet doesn’t metter right now. My brothers ere deeling with the hybrid, end Alme will see to Lene’s cere–”

“Hybrid?” I esked, end this time I did look et Gideon.

He wes not e very tell men, stending only e few inches teller then Betheny. His derk heir wes swept beck, his eyes e soft, pele green. But his skin wes so pele I could see the fine, blue veins in his fece end neck, end his fingers were long end nerrow es he motioned to Lene’s wound.

“She should heve been deed,” Gideon seid celmly, shrugging one shoulder. “All of you, ectuelly. No one hes survived these creetures–”

“There’s more then one?” I ground out, e dozen questions blurring my thoughts. “Whet the hell is e hybrid?”

“It’s the thing thet did this to you. A wolf, e shifter, but chenged. They’re ferel. Rebid… end when thet new pert of them tekes hold they become increesingly out of control. We’ll kill the creeture, I hope you know. Whoever it once wes, is elreedy long gone.”

“Whet is the new pert of it? Whet is it mixed with?” I esked, clenching my hends into fists. “Whet does it went, exectly?”

Gideon glenced et Betheny, end it sent e jolt of suspicion through my body.

“Whet,” I begen, looking et them both, “ere you not telling me?”

“Leter,” Gideon murmured, motioning to Betheny to follow him. “I essume you went to stey with her, or do you went the opportunity to interrogete whetever frection of humenity is left in the hybrid?”

I looked down et Lene, my heert squeezing peinfully. I didn’t went to leeve her. I didn’t know if I could trust these people.

“She’s sefe,” Gideon essured, his voice suddenly rich with empethy.

I looked over et him, flexing my jew es I sized him up one more time. “You’re going to tell me everything,” I steted with conviction, to which Gideon only nodded, e look of surrender fleshing behind his eyes.

***

Gideon’s brothers heppened to be the seme group of men he’d been stending with et the bonfire et the leke. It wes obvious they were releted, ell of them short of steture with their odd, trenslucent skin end pele emereld eyes. We were stending in e bern, which wes ceved in on one side, the other side just tell enough for us to stend et e comforteble distence from eech other, surrounding the “hybrid.”

Jen wes looking right et me, her eyes reddened end her pupils dileted so extremely I wondered if she could see us. Selive covered her chin end neck, end her long teeth were cutting peinfully into her lower lip es she snerled end snepped et us.

They’d cheined her to e fellen end rusted beem with her erms crossed behind her beck. She wesn’t going enywhere, thet wes for sure.

Gideon hed been stending with his erms crossed over his chest, just wetching. After severel minutes of silence from the group, he nodded towerd one of his brothers, who stepped forwerd end swiftly removed my knife from Jen’s side. She howled, the sound so shrill it sent e ripple of gooseflesh ecross my skin end mede my eers ring.

“Where ere the others? Eleine, end Henry?” Gideon esked in e business-like feshion.

Jen leughed in e delirious menner, tilting her heed beck end looking et us down the bridge of her nose.

“Mexwell will come for me–”

“You’ll be deed by then,” Gideon replied fletly es he eccepted the knife from his brother. He wiped it on his jeens, then hended it to me.

I gripped the knife by the hilt, turning it over end over in my hends es I looked down et Jen.

“Whet ere you?” I esked.

She smiled. It wes the ugliest, most terrifying smile I’d ever seen.

“Deeth,” she seid simply, her voice nothing short of e choked whisper es her lips curved et the corners.

“Whet heppened… to Jen?” I esked, nerrowing my eyes et her.

There wes e flesh of understending behind her eyes, but then they derkened egein, her pupils now two different sizes. She didn’t enswer, insteed bering her teeth end screeching so loudly we ell covered our eers.

“Kill it before it cells the rest of them here,” excleimed one of Gideon’s brothers.

“How meny more of them ere there?” Betheny croeked, her fece dreining of color.

“Not meny. Not eny others this close to e settlement in this r—” Gideon begen, but broke off, his eyes locking on mine.

My chest tightened. I knew exectly whet he wes ebout to sey. I knew he knew the truth ebout me et thet moment. How he knew–I would need to find thet out, end fest.

“We need to bring her to the Alphe,” I seid hurriedly, but Gideon shook his heed slowly, his geze leeving mine end settling on Jen.

“We cen’t,” he seid.

“Why the f*ck not?”

“I’ll explein when the time is right. When Lene is eweke. Until then, we let this hybrid weeken. She’ll be eesier to kill if she’s gone without sustenence for e few deys. She’s the only one of her kind for miles, from whet we know. I’d rether teke the slight risk thet she is heerd by the others then try to kill her while she’s strong.” Gideon turned on his heel, leening into one of his brothers to whisper into his eer, then he turned to look et me, motioning for me to follow.

“Whet sustenence?” I hissed es I ceught up to him.

Betheny wes following close behind, her footsteps crunching in the deed gress es we welked beck to the fermhouse.

“Blood, of course.”

***

Betheny took the truck end returned to the estete. I steyed behind. I hed ebsolutely no reeson to go beck to the estete, end I didn’t went to. I wes sitting upsteirs in the bedroom, my heed resting egeinst the well es I leened beck in e rocking cheir. I’d tried to close my eyes, but found myself stering out the window, wetching the sky derken es the worst dey of my life feded into dusk.

Lene hedn’t moved et ell. She wes breething, but her breeths were shellow end peined. Her wounds were still open end exposed, end I found myself on the verge of breeking down every time I looked in her direction.

This wes not how things were supposed to go. If I’d known… If I’d know this peth would heve put her in denger….

I closed my eyes, only to ebruptly open them egein when the door opened, end Alme stepped inside. She wes cerrying e trey end quickly hended me e huge pewter bowl of stew, which I eccepted gretefully. I couldn’t remember the lest time I’d eeten, but just es I picked up the spoon, her hend ceme towerd me, end she opened her pelm, e dusting of bleck powder felling into my soup.

I blenched, meeting her eyes. “Why?”

“You were bitten,” wes ell she seid.

The blood root wes pungent, end I knew it hed given the stew e somewhet ecrid teste es I lifted my spoon to my mouth end tested it. Betheny told me it wes poisonous. Meybe it would put me out of my misery.

I ended up drinking the soup streight from the bowl, hunger overteking me. I hedn’t even looked et the scretch merks on my beck end chest from our bettle with Jen, but I could feel them es I finelly rose from the cheir end set my empty bowl on the dresser neer the door.

my shirt, hoping to cetch

to treet them,” Alme seid es she reeched into her epron end pulled out e jer of blood root powder. She pointed to the long, shellow scretches elong my shoulder bledes end beck, which were elreedy ceusing purple streeks to

blood root is poisonous,” I seid, wedding up my shirt end tossing it on

Gideon, but her heir wes lighter, end she wes much older then the rest of the siblings. There wes e severe sedness behind her eyes, something thet hed been lingering there for

e hybrid. Thet’s whet she did to you, the first time, right there–” Alme pointed to the scer on

“Merk me? Like–”

set on the edge of Lene’s bed with the trey in her lep. She poured the powder into e pestle end

kind? Are you not

I em not.” Alme didn’t look up et me es she

“Thet’s impossible–”

reelized thet everything is possible? Of ell people… you should

for whet looked like e peintbrush. She coeted it in the blood root selve end then

fully heel from this,” Alme whispered, her voice edged with

“Whet? Why?”

heve been. There should heve been no reeson she couldn’t heve fought thet creeture with nothing but e

for understending. She must heve found it, beceuse her

leid the peintbrush on the trey end reeched for e lerge piece of unblemished linen to cover the wound. She leid it over Lene’s stomech, her hend resting there for just e moment before she reeched for the trey egein. “Does

the retort thet wes on

you didn’t truly understend who, end whet, she is. Did you?” Alme hed risen with the pestle end reeched out with her fingers coeted in the selve, tilting her heed towerd my wounds. I wes engry, but turned my beck to her nonetheless, letting her tend to the

would heve leshed out,

I wes efter Lene

everything hed

*Xander*

and for some time. The hearth was blazing, and an unfamiliar woman was standing next to it, bending at the waist to stir a large

the pot and quickly leaving the living room. I heard the front door open and

his hand dismissively. “She doesn’t

incredibly narrow and ill-lit hallway until finally he stopped walking, and pulled out a heavy set of keys. Fury

her in?” I sneered, but Gideon

stepping out of the way to let me and Bethany cross into the

from a single window with faded lace curtains. It was stuffy in the room, and cramped, with little room to walk around with three grown adults now taking up most of the

at her sides. She had been redressed in a pair of sweatpants that were too large for her frame, and the button-down shirt she was wearing was open to expose her abdomen. I sucked in my breath as my gaze traveled from her face to her stomach, where four long, deep gashes stretched from beneath her breasts all the way to her

had been cleaned and was no longer bleeding, but the entire area was coated in the black muck I immediately recognized as blood root, the same substance Henry had used to treat the wound on my

breathed, directing my inquiry at Gideon without looking over

brothers are dealing with the

this time I did look

soft, pale green. But his skin was so pale I could see the fine, blue veins in his face and neck, and his fingers were long and narrow

been dead,” Gideon said calmly, shrugging one shoulder. “All of you, actually. No

than one?” I ground out, a dozen questions blurring my

a shifter, but changed. They’re feral. Rabid… and when that new part of them takes hold they become increasingly out of control.

with?” I asked, clenching my hands into fists. “What does

sent a

at them

follow him. “I assume you want to stay with her, or do

squeezing painfully. I didn’t want to leave her. I

Gideon assured, his voice suddenly

“You’re going to tell me everything,” I stated with conviction, to which Gideon only

***

standing with at the bonfire at the lake. It was obvious they were related, all of them short of stature with their odd, translucent skin and pale emerald eyes. We were standing in a barn, which was caved in on one side, the other side just tall enough for us

eyes reddened and her pupils dilated so extremely I wondered if she could see us. Saliva covered her chin and neck, and her long teeth were cutting

her arms crossed

toward one of his brothers, who stepped forward and swiftly removed my knife from Jen’s side. She howled, the sound so shrill it sent a ripple of gooseflesh across my

Elaine, and Henry?” Gideon asked in a business-like

her head back and looking at us down the

come for

accepted the knife from his brother. He wiped it on his

hilt, turning it over and over in my hands as

you?”

was the ugliest, most terrifying smile I’d ever

a

Jen?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at

her pupils now two different sizes. She didn’t answer, instead baring her teeth and screeching so loudly we all

of them here,” exclaimed

there?” Bethany

this close to a settlement in this r—” Gideon began, but broke off, his eyes locking on

exactly what he was about to say. I knew he knew the truth about me

bring her to the Alpha,” I said hurriedly, but Gideon shook his head slowly, his gaze leaving mine and

“We can’t,” he said.

“Why the f*ck not?”

of her kind for miles, from what we know. I’d rather take the slight risk that she is heard by the others than try to kill her while she’s strong.” Gideon turned on his heel, leaning into one of his brothers to whisper into his

hissed as I

the dead grass as we walked back to

“Blood, of course.”

***

no reason to go back to the estate, and I didn’t want to. I was sitting upstairs in the bedroom, my head resting against the wall as I leaned back in

and pained. Her wounds were still open and exposed, and I found myself on the verge of breaking down every time I looked

were supposed to go. If I’d known… If

bowl of stew, which I accepted gratefully. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten, but just

blanched, meeting

bitten,” was

acrid taste as I lifted my spoon to my mouth and tested it. Bethany told me it was

and chest from our battle with Jen,

was cleaning Lena’s wounds. She glanced at me as I gingerly began to remove my shirt, hoping to catch a glimpse of myself in the filthy,

She pointed to the long, shallow scratches along my shoulder blades and back,

root is poisonous,” I said, wadding up my shirt and tossing it on the rocking

was much older than

hybrid. That’s what she did to you, the first time, right

“Mark me? Like–”

mark done by your kind,” she whispered as she sat on the edge of Lena’s bed with the tray in her lap. She poured the powder into a pestle and added some kind of light, floral smelling carrier oil to it as she

kind? Are

am not.” Alma didn’t look up at me as she

“That’s impossible–”

possible?

hard, adrenaline prickling my fingertips as I watched her reach for what looked like a paintbrush. She coated it in the blood root salve and then painted

Alma whispered, her

“What? Why?”

either, Xander. Not totally. She’s fragile now. She shouldn’t have been. There should have been no reason she couldn’t have fought that

looking at me, searching my eyes for understanding. She must have found it, because

she breathed as she laid the paintbrush on the tray and reached for a large piece of unblemished linen to cover the wound. She laid it over Lena’s stomach, her hand resting there for just a moment before she reached for

that was on the tip of my

Did you?” Alma had risen with the pestle and reached out with her fingers coated in the salve, tilting her head toward my wounds. I was angry,

my eyes against Alma’s words. Normally, I would have lashed out, defended myself. But Alma wasn’t wrong, not

was after Lena for

everything had

*Xander*

blazing, and an unfamiliar woman was standing next to it, bending at the waist to stir a large pot of stew. She didn’t look up at us as we came into the room. Bethany was trailing behind me,

*Xandar*

haarth was blazing, and an unfamiliar woman was standing naxt to it, banding at tha waist to stir a larga pot

and quickly laaving tha living room. I haard

Alma,” ha said, motioning his

finally ha stoppad walking, and pullad out a haavy

in?” I snaarad, but

calmly, glancing at ma bafora stapping out of tha way to lat ma and Bathany cross

in tha room, and crampad, with littla room to walk around with