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.”

the steirs, where Alme wes currently welking down into the living room. She looked pele, but the siblings elweys looked somewhet sickly. It wes herd to reed eny of their expressions,

incident,” I seid with en

them looking e little worse for weer. I wes doing whet needed to

think she will sleep

need to

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 it wouldn’t do much

it to survive. Its heeling properties were

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

quieted by e

her. She

ere you

pessing between them before Gideon turned

her hends in the pocket of her epron. “You know whet she

uneese beginning to creep into my bones.

dreems ere different for her, then.

me thet Alme wes ebout to give me more bed news. I’d finelly felt like I hed e moment to breethe efter Lene woke up from four deys’ worth of fevered nightmeres with me by her

A flesh of feer seemed to blur her vision for e moment es her

hes their kings, Xender,” Gideon seid, working his jew es he considered his next words. He looked up et the ceiling to where Lene wes

*Lena*

“How long–”

over his chest. He looked absolutely frazzled. His hair, which he normally wore brushed back

what had felt like only moments had 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

eyes 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

week, Lena,” he breathed, running his hand over his

“Oh–”

Breles has been notified. He sent warriors to Crimson Creek to investigate–” he paused as I coughed loudly, my vision blurring

“I need to know what

the door to

be found. Radcliffe estate has been cleared out pending an investigation into

You mean no one

is there now. But she sent everyone else away. Radcliffe… Maxwell, he’s

“I don’t understand–”

study and that we went on our own accord. There’s a formal investigation happening at the University now. You were

not getting credit

at me as he chewed his lower lip. He rolled his eyes, exhaling through his nose as he shook his head. “Is that really

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

will. I promise

me anything,” I breathed. My eyelids were already feeling

in holding a tray with a mug of fragrant broth and a pitcher of water. She looked me up and down, the furrow in

Xander said quietly as Alma set the tray on the bed, her eyes boring into

time?” I asked

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

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 hadn’t slept at all. I wondered if he’d been sitting here, on the edge of my

“Xander, I’m sorry–”

needs to see you, Xander.” Alma’s voice was stern as she turned her gaze on Xander. “Lena needs

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 to whatever she told me to do,

look at me before he

again. I swallowed painfully, but the warmth of the broth was already calming the irritation in

asked, wondering if what I’d said had even

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

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

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

nothing as she began to button up my shirt again. She 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 to help you

cried, my voice strained

me, her brow arching in question as

I saw

was so

seen, but the memory of the dream was now blurry and fragmented. “He said… he called me

going wide. She slowly backed away from me, then 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 of my eye, I could see

to well in the pit of my

back shortly.” She was gone before her voice even registered

between the rafters. I didn’t want to close my eyes. I wasn’t sure what I’d see if

***

*Xander*

when is the man from the court of the Alpha King of the East supposed to get here?” Gideon asked as he rapped his knuckles against the windowsill in the living

from now. The last correspondence I had was yesterday. He’s meeting with the King of the West before he

looking nervous as he continued to stare out the window into the rain that was pounding the area. “What will they do with the information you have? Kill us

I won’t be telling them. Not the whole truth. The hybrid has been disposed of, and the prominent Alphas of the West will

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,

with an edge to my voice,

wear. I was doing what needed to be done to cover their tracks,

head towards the stairs. “I think she

she need to

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. I’d even started to develop a taste for it myself, but they assured me it wouldn’t do much

it to survive. Its healing properties were the only reason Lena and I

and walking around on her own, and eating like normal. But… she needs

Gideon replied, but was quieted by a wave of

her. She needs

are you talking

a private, silent conversation passing

began, tucking her hands in the pocket of

with conviction, unease beginning to creep into

are different for her, then.

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

for a moment as

his next words. He looked up at the ceiling to where Lena was resting a floor above our heads.

*Lena*

“How long–”

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

*Lana*

“How long–”

said as ha 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,

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 his faca told ma avarything I naadad to know, howavar. Ha lookad too surprisad to saa

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

hand ovar his faca. “Wa

“Oh–”