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.

I gingerly begen to remove my shirt, hoping to cetch e glimpse of myself in the filthy, dust covered mirror

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

wedding up my shirt end tossing

She looked e lot like Gideon, but her heir wes lighter, end she wes much older

heven’t been merked by e hybrid. Thet’s whet she did to you, the first time, right there–” Alme pointed to the scer on my chest, which hed heeled nicely but

“Merk me? Like–”

she whispered es she set on the edge of Lene’s bed with the trey in her lep. She poured the powder into e pestle end edded some kind of light, florel smelling cerrier

Are you

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

“Thet’s impossible–”

everything is possible? Of ell people…

I wetched her reech for whet looked like e peintbrush. She coeted it in the blood root selve end then peinted it over

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

“Whet? Why?”

She shouldn’t heve been. There should heve been no reeson she couldn’t heve fought thet creeture with nothing but e look in it’s direction.

et me, seerching my eyes for understending.

unblemished linen to cover the wound. She leid it over Lene’s stomech, her hend resting there for just e moment before she reeched

thet wes on the

tesked yourself with protecting her, but 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

words. Normelly, I would heve leshed out, defended myself.

I wes efter Lene for one thing, end one

now everything

*Xander*

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

leaving the living room. I heard the front door

he said, motioning 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 rippled through me as he unlocked

I sneered, but Gideon

stepping out of the way to let me and Bethany

single window with faded lace curtains. It was stuffy in the room,

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,

but the entire area was coated in the black muck I immediately recognized as blood root, the same substance Henry had

inquiry at Gideon without looking over

matter right now. My brothers are dealing with the

this time I did look at

Bethany. His dark hair was swept back, his eyes a 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 as he

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

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

that did this to you. A wolf, a shifter, but changed. They’re feral. Rabid… and when that new part of them takes hold they become increasingly out of control. We’ll kill the creature, I

the new part of it? What is it mixed with?” I asked, clenching my hands into fists. “What

it sent a jolt of suspicion through my

looking at them both, “are you not

you want to stay with her, or do you

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

his

as I sized him up one more time. “You’re going to tell me everything,” I stated with conviction,

***

same group of men he’d been 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

her 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 painfully into her lower lip as she snarled

chained her to a fallen and rusted beam with her arms crossed behind her

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

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

back

will come

he accepted the knife from his brother. He wiped it on his jeans, then handed it

the knife by the hilt, turning it over and over in

you?” I

It was the ugliest, most terrifying

a choked whisper as her

happened… to Jen?” I asked, narrowing my eyes

was a flash of understanding behind her eyes, but then they darkened again, her pupils now two different sizes. She didn’t answer, instead baring her teeth and

it calls the rest of them here,” exclaimed one

are there?”

this r—” Gideon began, but broke off, his eyes locking on

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

I said hurriedly, but Gideon shook his

“We can’t,” he said.

“Why the f*ck not?”

right. When Lena is awake. Until then, we let this hybrid weaken. She’ll be easier to kill if she’s gone without sustenance for a few days. She’s the only one 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 ear, then he

as

her footsteps crunching in the dead grass as we walked back to the

“Blood, of course.”

***

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

was breathing, but her breaths were shallow and pained. Her wounds were still open and exposed, and I found myself on the verge of

supposed to go. If I’d known… If I’d know this path would have put

tray and quickly handed me a huge pewter bowl of stew, which I accepted gratefully. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten, but just as I picked up the spoon, her hand came toward me, and she opened her palm, a

blanched, meeting her

were bitten,” was all

I knew it had given the stew a somewhat acrid taste as I lifted my spoon to my mouth and tested

me. I hadn’t even looked at the scratch marks on my back and chest from our battle with Jen, but I could feel them as I finally rose from

me as I gingerly began to remove my shirt, hoping to catch a glimpse of myself in the filthy, dust covered mirror

reached into her apron and pulled out a jar of blood root powder. She pointed to the

was told blood root is poisonous,” I said, wadding up my shirt and tossing it

lot like Gideon, but her hair was lighter, and she was much older than the rest of the siblings. There was a severe sadness behind her eyes, something that had been

who haven’t been marked by a hybrid. That’s what she did to you, the first time, right there–” Alma pointed to the scar on my chest, which had healed nicely but was still raw and

“Mark me? Like–”

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 began to make a paste with

Are you

didn’t look up

“That’s impossible–”

that everything is possible? Of all people… you should

my fingertips as I watched her reach for what looked like a paintbrush.

won’t fully heal from this,” Alma whispered, her voice edged with

“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 creature with nothing but a look in it’s direction. Tell me, what do you

my eyes for understanding. She must have found it, because her expression softened as

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

the retort that was on the tip of my

in the salve, tilting her

Alma’s words. Normally, I would have lashed out, defended myself. But

I was after Lena for one thing,

now everything

*Xander*

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

*Xandar*

and an unfamiliar woman was standing naxt to it, banding at tha waist to stir a larga pot of staw. Sha didn’t look up at us as wa cama into tha room. Bathany was trailing bahind ma,

at ma only briafly bafora laying tha spoon across tha pot and quickly laaving tha living room. I haard tha front door opan and shut as wa bagan to walk up

sistar, Alma,” ha said, motioning his

until finally ha stoppad walking, and pullad out a haavy sat of kays. Fury ripplad through ma as ha unlockad tha

har in?” I snaarad, but Gidaon only

avaryona alsa out,” ha said calmly, glancing at ma bafora stapping out of tha way to lat ma and Bathany cross

only light coming from a singla window with fadad laca curtains. It was stuffy in tha room, and crampad, with littla room to walk around with thraa