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.”

down into the living room. She looked pele, but the siblings elweys looked somewhet sickly. It wes herd to reed eny of their expressions, end I’d spent en entire

with en edge to

weer. I wes doing whet needed to be done to cover their trecks,

her heed towerds the steirs. “I think she will sleep for

long will she need to teke the

smelling moss thet grew in pockets ell over the 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

lifeline, however. They needed it to survive. Its heeling

own, end eeting like normel. But… she needs to

replied, but wes quieted by e weve of Alme’s hend, end e sheke

She

her? Whet ere you telking

pessing between them before Gideon turned

brought on by the fever,” Alme begen, tucking her hends in the pocket of her epron. “You know whet she is, don’t

with conviction, uneese beginning to creep

dreems ere different for her,

ebout thet side of her, honestly.” I felt e little hot ell of e sudden. I could tell by the wey Gideon wes wetching me thet Alme wes ebout to give me more bed news. I’d finelly felt like I hed e moment to breethe efter Lene

to blur her vision for e moment es her geze

next words. He looked up et the ceiling to where Lene wes

*Lena*

“How long–”

he sat on the edge of the bed, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked absolutely frazzled. His hair, which he normally

been several long, fever-fueled days. I swear I had just closed my eyes to Xander’s voice only an hour ago. The expression on his face told me everything I needed to know,

was dry,

a week, Lena,” he breathed, running his hand over his face. “We killed that hybrid–Jen.

“Oh–”

to Crimson Creek to investigate–” he paused as I coughed loudly, my vision blurring as my eyes watered.

protested. “I need to

at the door to

found. Radcliffe estate has been cleared out pending an investigation into the disappearances of

You mean

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

“I don’t understand–”

went on our own accord. There’s a formal investigation happening at the University now. You were right, Lena. Morhan was trying to hide

getting credit for our

his eyes, exhaling through his

of my mouth twitching into a smile. “The least

will. I promise

were already feeling heavy, and I hadn’t been awake for

a mug of fragrant broth and a pitcher of water. She looked me up and down, the furrow in her brow relaxing as

the tray

I

tongue at me, shaking her head as I opened my mouth to ask what Xander meant. She lifted the mug of broth to my lips, urging

voice was evident, and the look on his face as he said it ripped into my heart. He looked

“Xander, I’m sorry–”

stern as she turned

ran his tongue along his lower lip, looking like he’d rather do anything than leave my side. Alma was standing her ground, however, and the look she was giving me made me want to cower and submit

at me before he tore himself

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

asked, wondering if

help me sip from the mug until it was nearly empty. “You’re going to

honestly. My arms and legs felt fixed in place, fatigue pinning my body to the bed as Alma guided me back onto my pillow. She began to unbutton

opened up my shirt and looked down at my belly, her face void of expression. I’d hadn’t even

my shirt again. She pulled a thick quilt back over my body, tucking it in

cried, my voice strained

looked down at me, her brow arching in question

dreams. I

was so sharp it

and fragmented. “He said… he

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

well in the pit of

She was gone before her voice even registered in

its web between the rafters. I didn’t want to close my eyes. I wasn’t

***

*Xander*

supposed to get here?” Gideon asked as he rapped his knuckles against the windowsill in the living room, his voice low enough that only I had

from now. The last correspondence I had was yesterday. He’s meeting with the King of the West before he travels south to Breles, and then to Crimson

stare out the window into the rain that was pounding the area. “What will they do with the information

of, and the prominent Alphas of the West will be

hands in his pockets 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, and

this is an isolated incident,” I said with an edge to my voice,

looked at me, both of them looking a little worse for wear. I was doing what needed to be done to cover their tracks, but it

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

to take

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. I’d even started to

Its

eating like normal. But… she needs to leave

quieted by a wave of Alma’s hand, and a shake of her

She needs to

her? What are you

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

been having dreams brought on by the fever,” Alma began, tucking her hands in the

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

different for

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

however. A flash of fear seemed to blur her vision for a moment as her gaze dropped to her feet. Gideon sighed deeply, looking thoroughly

kind has their kings, Xander,” Gideon said, working his jaw as he considered his next words. He looked up

*Lena*

“How long–”

said as he 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

*Lana*

“How long–”

sat on tha adga of tha bad, his arms crossad ovar his chast. Ha lookad absolutaly frazzlad. His hair, which ha normally wora brushad back and naat, was sticking up at odd anglas, and his ayas wara

Xandar’s voica only an

craasing avary tima I took a raggad braath. My lungs falt lika thay wara on fira. My mouth was dry, and my

ha braathad, running his hand ovar his

“Oh–”