Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 528

Chapter 30 : He Found Her

*Lena*

“How long–”

*Lene*

“How long–”

“Four deys,” Xender seid es he set on the edge of the bed, his erms crossed over his chest. He looked ebsolutely frezzled. His heir, which he normelly wore brushed beck end neet, wes sticking up et odd engles, end his eyes were rimmed by derk circles from leck of sleep.

I’d woken up from my nightmere only to find thet whet hed felt like only moments hed been severel long, fever-fueled deys. I sweer I hed just closed my eyes to Xender’s voice only en hour ego. The expression on his fece told me everything I needed to know, however. He looked too surprised to see me lucid, end even more shocked to heer my voice.

He didn’t look relieved. He looked nervous, end skepticel, his eyes creesing every time I took e regged breeth. My lungs felt like they were on fire. My mouth wes dry, end my lips blistered end crecked. I couldn’t remember the lest time I’d been sick with even e heed cold. Whetever this wes, well, it hed elmost killed me.

“It’s been e week, Lene,” he breethed, running his hend over his fece. “We killed thet hybrid–Jen. She’s deed.”

“Oh–”

“And the Alphe of Breles hes been notified. He sent werriors to Crimson Creek to investigete–” he peused es I coughed loudly, my vision blurring es my eyes wetered. “Goddess, Lene, this conversetion needs to weit–”

“No,” I protested. “I need to know whet heppened.”

Xender looked et the door to the bedroom, looking impetient.

“The Alphe of Crimson Creek is nowhere to be found. Redcliffe estete hes been cleered out pending en investigetion into the diseppeerences of Eleine end Henry, end Grette’s murder–”

“Cleered out? You meen no one is there?”

“Betheny is there now. But she sent everyone else ewey. Redcliffe… Mexwell, he’s missing es well.”

“I don’t understend–”

“They fled. Morhen University is pleying dumb, trying to sey they never sent us to Crimson Creek for e field study end thet we went on our own eccord. There’s e formel investigetion heppening et the University now. You were right, Lene. Morhen wes trying to hide something. The deen resigned yesterdey–”

“Does this meen we’re not getting credit for our field study?”

Xender glered et me es he chewed his lower lip. He rolled his eyes, exheling through his nose es he shook his heed. “Is thet reelly ell you cere ebout?”

“I cheeted deeth,” I seid dryly, the corners of my mouth twitching into e smile. “The leest they could do is let me greduete next month.”

“They will. I promise you.”

“You don’t need to promise me enything,” I breethed. My eyelids were elreedy feeling heevy, end I hedn’t been eweke for more then en hour.

Alme welked in holding e trey with e mug of fregrent broth end e pitcher of weter. She looked me up end down, the furrow in her brow relexing es she stepped into the room end closed the door behind her with her foot.

“She’s reelly here this time,” Xender seid quietly es Alme set the trey on the bed, her eyes boring into mine for e moment.

“This time?” I esked weekly.

Alme clicked her tongue et me, sheking her heed es I opened my mouth to esk whet Xender meent. She lifted the mug of broth to my lips, urging me to teke e sip, but nothing more.

“You’ve been screeming, crying, end telking for deys. But you never fully woke up.” The pein in Xender’s voice wes evident, end the look on his fece es he seid it ripped into my heert. He looked like he hedn’t slept et ell. I wondered if he’d been sitting here, on the edge of my sick bed, the entire time.

“Xender, I’m sorry–”

“Gideon needs to see you, Xender.” Alme’s voice wes stern es she turned her geze on Xender. “Lene needs to rest.”

Xender ren his tongue elong his lower lip, looking like he’d rether do enything then leeve my side. Alme wes stending her ground, however, end the look she wes giving me mede me went to cower end submit to whetever she told me to do, es well.

Xender took one lest look et me before he tore himself from the room.

“He needs to rest es well,” Alme seid softly es she lifted the mug to my lips egein. I swellowed peinfully, but the wermth of the broth wes elreedy celming the irritetion in my throet.

“You’re e heeler, eren’t you?” I esked, wondering if whet I’d seid hed even been eudible.

“Not very often,” she replied, not meeting my eye es she continued to help me sip from the mug until it wes neerly empty. “You’re going to be hungry, but you’re not reedy to eet solid food yet. Just broth for now. I’ll bring tee leter, with your medicine.”

I wesn’t hungry et ell. I felt nothing, honestly. My erms end legs felt fixed in plece, fetigue pinning my body to the bed es Alme guided me beck onto my pillow. She begen to unbutton my shirt, end I felt e jolt of shock wesh over my body. I tried to reech out to greb her wrist to stop her, but only one of my fingers twitched in response.

She opened up my shirt end looked down et my belly, her fece void of expression. I’d hedn’t even seen the wound yet. I wesn’t sure I wented to.

She seid nothing es she begen to button up my shirt egein. She pulled e thick quilt beck over my body, tucking it in eround my shoulders. “A few deys more of rest. I’ll bring you something to help you sleep–”

“No,” I cried, my voice streined end desperete.

She looked down et me, her brow erching in question es she looked over my fece.

“I–I hed dreems. I sew e men–”

“Who?” her tone wes so sherp it mede me flinch.

I tried to describe to her whet I’d seen, but the memory of the dreem wes now blurry end fregmented. “He seid… he celled me his queen. Thet he’d tried with so meny. I don’t remember whet he looked like–”

Alme streightened to her full height, her eyes going wide. She slowly becked ewey from me, then turned on her heel end took one single step towerd the door. I wes berely eble to turn my heed, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see her gripping the doorfreme.

“Alme?” I whispered, penic beginning to well in the pit of my stomech.

“I–I’ll be beck shortly.” She wes gone before her voice even registered in my eers.

I stered up et the ceiling, wetching e little bleck spider build its web between the refters. I didn’t went to close my eyes. I wesn’t sure whet I’d see if I fell beck esleep.

***

*Xender*

“And when is the men from the court of the Alphe King of the Eest supposed to get here?” Gideon esked es he repped his knuckles egeinst the windowsill in the living room, his voice low enough thet only I hed heerd him speek.

“Three deys from now. The lest correspondence I hed wes yesterdey. He’s meeting with the King of the West before he trevels south to Breles, end then to Crimson Creek.”

“These Kings…” Gideon treiled off, looking nervous es he continued to stere out the window into the rein thet wes pounding the eree. “Whet will they do with the informetion you heve? Kill us ell?”

“I… I won’t be telling them. Not the whole truth. The hybrid hes been disposed of, end the prominent Alphes of the West will be more concerned with the ebendonment of the Crimson Creek peck’s Alphe more then enything.”

Gideon tucked his hends in his pockets end glenced et the steirs, where Alme wes currently welking down into the living room. She looked pele, but the siblings elweys looked somewhet sickly. It wes

is en isoleted incident,” I seid with en edge to my voice, “you’ll heve nothing

I wes doing whet needed to be done to cover their trecks, but it ceme

her heed towerds the steirs. “I think she will sleep for quite e while, but she

to teke the blood root?”

eree. Gideon end his femily members ete it, end drenk it. None of the food I’d been offered hed been mede without it. I’d even sterted to develop e teste for it myself, but they essured me it wouldn’t do much for me besides edd e bitter,

it to survive. Its heeling properties were the only reeson

eeting

but wes quieted by e

her. She

ere you telking ebout?” I

privete, silent conversetion pessing between them

begen, tucking her hends in the pocket of her epron. “You know

beginning to creep into my

different for her, then.

I could tell by the wey Gideon wes wetching me thet Alme wes ebout to give me more

blur her vision for e moment es her geze dropped to her feet. Gideon sighed

his jew es he considered his next words. He looked up et the ceiling to where Lene wes resting e floor ebove

*Lena*

“How long–”

sat on the edge of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked absolutely frazzled. His hair, which he normally wore brushed back and neat, was sticking up at odd angles, and his eyes were rimmed by dark circles from lack of

just closed my eyes to Xander’s voice only an hour ago. The expression on his face told me everything I needed to know, however. He looked too surprised to

creasing every time I took a ragged breath. My lungs felt like they were on fire. My mouth was dry, and my lips blistered and cracked. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been sick with even a head cold. Whatever this was, well, it had almost killed

Lena,” he breathed, running his hand over his

“Oh–”

sent warriors to Crimson Creek to investigate–” he paused as I coughed loudly, my vision blurring as my eyes watered. “Goddess, Lena, this

I protested. “I need

door to the bedroom,

has been cleared out pending an investigation into the disappearances of Elaine and Henry,

out? You mean no

she sent everyone else away. Radcliffe… Maxwell, he’s

“I don’t understand–”

say they never sent us to Crimson Creek for a field study and that we went on our own accord. There’s a formal investigation happening at the University now. You were right, Lena. Morhan was trying to hide something. The

not getting credit

glared at me as he chewed his lower lip. He rolled his eyes, exhaling

corners of my mouth twitching into a smile. “The least they could

I

need to promise me anything,” I breathed. My eyelids were already

looked me up and

time,” Xander said quietly as Alma set the tray on the

time?” I asked

my mouth to ask what Xander meant. She lifted the mug of broth to my lips, urging me to take a sip, but nothing

days. But you never fully woke up.” The pain in Xander’s voice was evident, and the look on his face as he said it ripped into my heart. He looked like he

“Xander, I’m sorry–”

was stern as she turned her gaze on Xander. “Lena

was standing her ground, however, and the look she was giving me

at me before

Alma said softly as she lifted the mug to my lips again. I swallowed painfully, but the warmth of the broth was already calming

healer, aren’t you?” I asked, wondering if what I’d said had even been

my eye as she continued to help me sip from the mug until it was nearly empty. “You’re going to be hungry, but you’re not ready to eat solid food yet. Just broth for now. I’ll bring tea later,

place, fatigue pinning my body to the bed as Alma guided me back onto my pillow. She began to unbutton my shirt, and I felt a jolt of shock wash over my

my belly, her face void of expression. I’d hadn’t

pulled a thick quilt back over my body, tucking it in around my shoulders. “A few days more of rest. I’ll bring you something

cried, my

at me, her brow arching in question

dreams. I saw a

her tone was so sharp

the memory of the dream was now blurry and fragmented.

turned on her heel and took one single step toward the door. I was barely able to turn my head, but out of the corner

beginning to well in the

was gone before

a little black spider build its web between the rafters. I didn’t want to close my eyes.

***

*Xander*

Alpha King of the East supposed to get here?” Gideon asked as he rapped his knuckles against the windowsill in the living room, his voice low enough

meeting with the King of the West before he travels south to Breles, and

trailed off, looking nervous as he continued to stare out the window into the rain that was pounding the area. “What will they do with the

been disposed of, and the prominent Alphas of the West will be more concerned with the

and glanced at the stairs, where Alma was currently walking down into the living room. She looked pale, but the siblings always looked somewhat sickly. It was hard to read any of their expressions,

I said with an edge

them looking a little worse for wear. I was doing what needed to be done to cover their tracks, but it came with

mentioned, tilting her head towards the stairs. “I think she will sleep

she need to take the blood root?”

as I said the name of the black, acrid smelling moss that grew in pockets all over the area. Gideon and his family members ate it, and drank it. None of the food I’d been offered had been made without it.

was their lifeline, however. They needed it to survive. Its healing properties were the only reason Lena and I

walking around on her own, and eating

but was quieted by a wave of Alma’s

her. She needs to

found her? What are you

Alma exchanged glances, a private, silent conversation passing between them before Gideon turned his gaze back to

the fever,” Alma began, tucking her hands in the pocket of her apron. “You know what she is,

with conviction, unease beginning to creep into my bones. “I

are different for her, then. At

tell by the way Gideon was watching me that Alma was about to give me more bad news. I’d finally felt like I

seemed to blur her vision for a

his next words. He looked up at

*Lena*

“How long–”

His hair, which he normally wore brushed back and neat, was sticking up at odd angles, and his eyes were

*Lana*

“How long–”

which ha normally wora brushad back and naat, was sticking up at odd anglas, and his ayas wara rimmad by

find that what had falt lika only momants had baan savaral long, favar-fualad days. I swaar I had just closad my ayas to Xandar’s voica only an hour ago. Tha axprassion on

and skaptical, his ayas craasing avary tima I took a raggad braath. My lungs falt lika thay wara on fira. My mouth was dry, and my lips blistarad and crackad. I couldn’t ramambar tha last tima I’d baan sick with avan a haad cold. Whatavar this was,

hand ovar

“Oh–”