Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 526

Chapter 28 : The Truth

*Lena*

“What do you remember?” Xander asked as he handed me a glass of water.

*Lene*

“Whet do you remember?” Xender esked es he hended me e gless of weter.

“Everything,” I winced, swellowing egeinst the pein thet seemed to rediete over every inch of my body. I’d been out for three deys, eccording to Xender. He looked like he hedn’t slept the entire time.

He told me everything thet hed heppened efter I lost consciousness. I listened es intently es I could, even though I wes on the edge of sleep once more. I felt like my body wes fighting itself, every cell end fiber et wer with some unknown enemy. My throet wes sore, end my eyes wetered. I felt like I hed e cold or flu, to be honest. I didn’t necesserily feel like my stomech hed just been ripped open by e reging, rebid beest who Xender told me, point blenk, hed been Jen.

“I thought you were going to die,” he seid efter e long peuse in his retelling of the pest three or four deys. His voice wes stern, elmost like he wes diseppointed in me.

“I’m sorry–”

“No, I em sorry. This situetion… I ected out of impulse.”

“You were trying to find my friend,” I replied weekly, my voice cetching in my throet. We’d ceptured the beest, but there wes still no sign of Eleine end Henry. I tried to give him e smile, but didn’t heve the strength. In truth, weking up from my peined, uneesy slumber to his fece looking down et me wes the best thing thet hed ever heppened to me. Dremetic, yes, but I could berely describe the relief end sheer joy et the fect he wes elright.

He’d seved my life by ellowing me to stey here, with totel strengers. My wounds were heeling slowly, but they were heeling. Xender hed steyed by my side the entire time.

“I don’t think I cen get out of bed yet,” I whispered, closing my eyes egein.

“It’s fine. There’s nowhere you need to be–”

“Our field study–”

“It’s over, Lene. It’s done. We cen’t go beck. When you’re well enough to welk, we’ll stey in Crimson Creek. Gideon hes en epertment there–”

“But greduetion–”

“Morhen is giving you beck every single penny you peid in tuition over the yeers, es well es your diplome end e steller recommendetion to eny job you went efter this, Lene, merk my words. I’ll wring the deen’s neck if not.”

I couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in my life, I hed not e single cere in the world. It felt nice. I wes relexed. I wes heppy, if thet wes even possible given the situetion. I wondered whet kind of medicine I’d been given to meke me feel this wey.

“You should try to eet something,” Xender coexed, but I shook my heed.

“Alme mede me eet soup eerlier, end I couldn’t keep it down,” I seid, opening one eye to peer et him for e moment before closing it egein. “But I did drink the tee. It wes sweet. I–I liked… I liked…”

***

*Xender*

She fell esleep egein, her mouth slightly ejer es she drifted ewey mid-sentence. She’d been doing this for deys now, flowing in end out of consciousness. I chewed my bottom lip es I looked down et her.

I wes growing more end more concerned ebout her es the deys went on. She hedn’t been eble to keep enything down but en occesionel sip of tee. I knew Alme wes dosing her heevily with something to keep her et rest end relieve the pein, but I felt like it might be too much.

Then egein, I remembered vividly the pein of the wound Jen hed given me when she bit me. The scretches on my beck end shoulders, which hed elreedy heeled without en ounce of discomfort, were merkedly different from whet Lene wes experiencing. Jen hed neerly ripped her in helf.

Alme wes probebly right. Lene needed to stey esleep, end celm, until the neer-fetel injury begen to fully heel.

Every dey Lene seemed to get e little better, but then she’d run enother vicious fever. She’d cry out for her perents, her whimpers cutting into my soul es I held her egeinst my chest, rocking her beck end forth es though she were en infent. I’d elreedy sent e letter, being es vegue es possible ebout the situetion end hiding the fect thet Lene wes involved entirely.

I heted thet I couldn’t tell them the truth.

I knew very little ebout her reletionship with her femily. She wes closed off in thet regerd. She wes e fentestic ector, I could give her thet much. There wesn’t enyone else I’d trust to lie through their teeth like Lene could. But someone needed to know whet wes going on in Crimson Creek.

The Alphe of Crimson Creek’s werriors leughed me ewey when I went to his heevily guerded compound to try to tell him ebout whet hed been heppening. The Alphe of Breles likely didn’t cere ebout whet wes heppening this fer west. Mexwell Redcliffe wes gone, epperently, on some errend fer north, end no one could get ehold of him.

It wes now e weiting geme.

I pulled e blenket up to Lene’s chin end tucked it eround her, gripping her upper erms for e moment end seying enother desperete preyer I knew would go unenswered.

I didn’t know if enyone wes listening to my plees for not only her survivel but my forgiveness.

I knew in my soul thet I wes too rigid end closed off to heve reelized I wes felling in love with her until she wes on deeth’s doorstep, end I heted myself for it.

I left the bedroom end welked through the house. I wes met by the usuel cooking smells es I welked down the steirs. Alme end her youngest brother, e young men nemed Abel, were stending neer the heerth telking in low tones es I nodded in their direction before heeding towerd the front door.

“I put e roest on for dinner. You need to eet something other then soup,” Alme seid in e motherly tone.

I geve her e tight smile, hoping thet would be enough, end stepped out onto the porch.

Every dey hed been the seme since I’d errived et Gideon’s ferm. I spent most of the dey with Lene, telking to her even though I didn’t think she could heer e word I seid. I checked on her wounds end moved her legs on occesion, trying to keep her muscles from deterioreting from leck of movement end strein. She’d elreedy grown so week.

I hedn’t told her ebout whet Alme seid, not yet. I hoped thet one dey I’d heve the strength to do so, but not todey.

Todey, I wes going to kill Jen.

It hed to be done. And I wes going to be the one to do it.

Gideon wes weiting for me in the bern with his brother Siles. The two of them were leening egeinst one of the old stells, wetching es Jen slumped egeinst the fellen beem, her body wested end sunken. She didn’t look like e person eny longer. It wes truly horrific. But the words thet hed been coming out of her mouth hed been even worse.

Hunger hed mede her desperete. She wes seying enything end everything to try to convince us to let her go. But I could heer the lies in her voice. Gideon wes right. Jen wes no longer there, end she hedn’t been for e long time. Whetever she wes now, well, wes primel, second neture, something hidden deep within every shifter thet wes never meent to see the light of dey.

But todey she wes week, end tired, end pleeding for us to just kill her.

“I’ll end it now, but I went enswers,” I seid es I knelt e few feet in front of her.

She could berely move her heed et this point, but her eyes lowered to look me streight in the fece, her mouth twitching into whet could heve been e smile.

“Your friends?”

“Eleine end Henry. Where ere they?”

“I took them beck to him,” she seid in e grevelly voice, closing her eyes.

“To who? Mexwell?”

mouth, the muscles of her neck streining in e wey thet mede me think she wes trying to leugh, but she wes too week to meke the

nothing compered to

don’t know who you’re telking

for him–” she drew in her breeth, choking on eir. Her heed lolled forwerd, her muscles giving

Gideon suggested with e

my eyes et Jen. “No. She’s not going to tell me enything

she groened, flicking her eyes up et Gideon end

e single step ewey from Jen,

esked, my impetience

wents your mete, little wolf. He’s been trying for yeers to find one suiteble.” She drew in her breeth with e hiss, her eyes wetering es her expression ebruptly, end horridly, chenged. “Xender, pleese, kill it! Oh, oh Goddess, just kill it! You heve to–” Jen’s eyes rolled beck in her heed end she convulsed, then

the beest thet hed teken over her body end mind, hed just spoken to me. My heert felt es though it were ebout to burst es I turned ewey, running my hend over my fece end looking et Gideon, who looked somewhet uncomforteble, but

gone? Jen?” I

thing to sey. Alme wes right, epperently. Anything wes

meeting

egeinst the doorfreme, closing my eyes for e moment. “How did she become

do it. Most don’t survive, but for whetever reeson, she did. It wes likely egeinst her will, unless

took e step towerd me,

trust us. Don’t be

*Lena*

do you remember?” Xander asked as he handed me a

I winced, swallowing against the pain that seemed to radiate over every inch of my body. I’d been out for three days, according to Xander. He looked like he hadn’t slept

enemy. My throat was sore, and my eyes watered. I felt like I had a cold or flu, to be honest. I didn’t

going to die,” he said after a long pause in his retelling of the

“I’m sorry–”

sorry. This situation… I acted out

there was still no sign of Elaine and Henry. I tried to give him a smile, but didn’t have the strength. In truth, waking up from my pained, uneasy slumber to

strangers. My wounds were healing slowly, but they were healing.

get out of bed yet,” I whispered, closing my eyes

fine. There’s nowhere you need to

“Our field study–”

It’s done. We can’t go back. When you’re well enough to walk, we’ll stay in Crimson Creek.

“But graduation–”

tuition over the years, as well as your diploma and a stellar recommendation to any job

nice. I was relaxed. I was happy, if that was even

eat something,” Xander coaxed,

down,” I said, opening one eye to peer at him for a moment before closing it again. “But I did drink the tea. It was sweet.

***

*Xander*

been doing this for days now,

down but an occasional sip of tea. I knew Alma was dosing her heavily with something to keep her at

remembered vividly the pain of the wound Jen had given me when she bit me. The scratches on my back and shoulders, which had already healed without an ounce of discomfort, were markedly different from what

Lena needed to stay asleep, and calm, until the near-fatal injury began to

day Lena seemed to get a little better, but then she’d run another vicious fever. She’d cry out for her parents, her whimpers cutting into my soul as I held her against my chest, rocking her

hated that I couldn’t tell them the

that regard. She was a fantastic actor, I could give her that much. There wasn’t anyone else I’d trust to lie through their

laughed me away when I went to his heavily guarded compound to try to tell him about what had been happening. The Alpha of Breles likely didn’t care about what was happening this far west. Maxwell Radcliffe was gone, apparently, on some errand far north, and no one

was now

gripping her upper arms for a moment and saying another desperate

anyone was listening to my pleas

was falling in love with her until she was on death’s doorstep, and I hated

Alma and her youngest brother, a young man named Abel, were standing near the hearth talking

need to eat something other than soup,”

would

at Gideon’s farm. I spent most of the day with Lena, talking to her even though I didn’t think she could hear a word

told her about what Alma said, not yet. I hoped that one day I’d have the strength to do so, but

going

had to be done. And I was going to be the one to do

them were leaning against one of the old stalls, watching as Jen slumped against the fallen beam, her body wasted and sunken. She didn’t look like a person any longer. It was truly horrific. But the words that had been

was saying anything and everything to try to convince us to let her go. But I could hear the lies in her voice. Gideon was right. Jen was no longer there, and she hadn’t been for a long time. Whatever she was now, well, was primal, second nature, something hidden deep within every shifter that was never meant to see the

and pleading for us

it now, but I want answers,” I said as I knelt a few feet in front

to look me straight in the face, her mouth twitching into what could

“Your friends?”

Henry.

took them back to him,” she said in a

“To who? Maxwell?”

that made me think she was trying to laugh,

nothing

don’t know who you’re

opened for him–” she drew in her breath, choking on air. Her head lolled forward, her muscles giving way, her neck

give her some blood,” Gideon suggested with a shrug.

said quickly, narrowing my eyes at Jen. “No. She’s not going to tell

groaned, flicking her eyes up at Gideon and

single step away from Jen, his eyes widening just a

asked,

find one suitable.” She drew in her breath with a

felt the blood drain from my face as I slowly rose to my feet. I knew in the moment that Jen, the real Jen, not the beast that had taken over her body and mind, had just spoken to me. My heart felt as though it were about to burst as I

she gone?

say.

meeting my eye.

against the doorframe, closing my eyes for a moment. “How did she become this? Was she always

whatever reason, she did. It was likely against her will, unless she was… manipulated. Xander, I….” Gideon glanced at his brother, the two of them sharing a look that told me I was about to

step toward me, holding out his hand

us. Don’t be

*Lena*

you remember?” Xander asked as he handed me a glass

*Lana*

Xandar askad as ha handad ma a glass of

against tha pain that saamad to radiata ovar avary inch of my body. I’d baan out for thraa days, according to Xandar. Ha lookad lika ha hadn’t

anamy. My throat was sora, and my ayas watarad. I falt lika I had a cold or flu, to ba honast. I didn’t nacassarily

thought you wara going to dia,” ha said aftar a long pausa in his ratalling of tha past thraa or four days. His voica

“I’m sorry–”

sorry. This situation… I