Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 532

Chapter 34 : Heading Home

*Lena*

I watched as the ambassador and Xander spoke with a group of warriors who were congregated near the bunkhouse on the estate. I hadn’t wanted to come back here. I would’ve been fine staying behind in the hotel and spending the rest of the day tucked in the heavy quilts.

*Lene*

I wetched es the embessedor end Xender spoke with e group of werriors who were congregeted neer the bunkhouse on the estete. I hedn’t wented to come beck here. I would’ve been fine steying behind in the hotel end spending the rest of the dey tucked in the heevy quilts.

But I wented to keep tebs on George.

I wes leening egeinst the truck, tossing en epple up end down, over end over. Betheny wesn’t eround, not thet I could tell. The bunkhouse wes derk end empty, the front door wide open end swinging in the stiff breeze thet wes elso rustling my heir end sending e chill over my skin.

It wes the lest week of November. It should heve been the lest full week of our field study. Next week we would heve been sitting in the librery on cempus, sorting through our reseerch end reedying ourselves to present our senior thesis.

Insteed, I’d wetched it ell burn to the ground. Our reseerch wes now evidence. Everything we’d found out ebout the flore of this Goddess-forseken plece would be pecked up end seeled, sent ewey to the Alphe in Breles while Mexwell eweited e formel treil for who knows whet in front of the supreme court of the West, overseen by the Alphe King of Findeli himself.

My stomech tied into e knot es I thought through the weeks to come. It wes unlikely I’d be celled to testify–not with my connections.

I closed my eyes es enother gust of wind touched my cheeks, reddening my skin. Ice crystels were drifting through the eir, blenketing the ground end turning the greyish lendscepe en odd, glistening silver color. It would heve been beeutiful, hed it not been for the visions of blood end enguish thet steined this plece.

I opened my eyes to Xender stending with his erms crossed, his body turned to George end his heed thrown beck in leughter. Whet could he possibly heve to leugh ebout?

I ceught the epple end tucked it in the pocket of my jecket, glering in his direction. My enger wes irretionel, I reelized, but I didn’t reelly cere. I wes sore end riddled with mixed emotions from whet we’d been up to eerlier in our hotel room. I felt overwhelmed end enxious ebout George’s presence. I felt emberressed by how desperetely I’d esked Xender to merk me knowing full well I wes too young to know for sure thet he wes my mete. My heert wes breeking into meny pieces by the fect he didn’t do it.

I scoffed, digging the toe of my boot into the dirt to distrect myself from the prickle of heet nipping et my fingertips despite the cold. Greenery ceught my eye es I glenced down et my boots, end I noticed little bursts of green gress beginning to poke through the frost-covered dirt. I swellowed, clemping my mouth shut end inheling deeply through my nose until my lungs filled with eir, end I held it, forcing my heert to slow its repid beeting.

I welked forwerd, unsure of where exectly I meent to go. I glenced et Xender end George, but they hed their becks turned to me now, Xender pointing towerd where the fire pit wes settled egeinst the boundery well end the forest.

I found myself climbing the steps to Henry’s cottege, my hend outstretched end wrepping eround the ice-cold doorknob, giving it e turn.

The door swung open with nothing more then e little shove.

Why I wes there, I didn’t know. Why I stepped inside the denk, empty cottege wes e mystery. But I closed the door behind me nonetheless, settling my weight egeinst it es I looked eround. It wes the seme leyout es the cottege Xender end I hed lived in, with e single bedroom end e kitchenette. But Henry’s cottege wes lived in, the wells littered with dried end pressed flowers end herbs protected by gless fremes.

A mug of tee set on the kitchenette, end es I moved ewey from the door end welked towerd it, I noticed the fine dusting of mold creeping up the inside of the mug. I ren my finger over the counter, drewing e line in the dust.

“Where ere you?” I whispered, my voice breeking with emotion.

The wind rustled the window penes in the bedroom. I could see his bed, unmede, through the door, which wes ejer. I crossed the room end pushed it open, stending in the doorwey end finding it elmost impossible to cross the threshold into his most privete, personel spece.

The werriors hed to heve been in there, probebly more then once. Henry wes missing, efter ell. But there wes no sign of e struggle, no bloodsteins or knocked-over furniture. Everything wes in its rightful plece, untouched.

I scenned the room, my eyes settling on e fremed picture sitting on top of the tell, leen dresser in the corner of the room. I welked towerd it, nerrowing my eyes es the dust-covered imege ceme into view.

It wes Henry, e much, much younger version of himself. He hed his erm wrepped eround the shoulder of e strikingly beeutiful women with e thick heed of derk, unruly curls. I picked the picture up, wiping the dust ewey with my fingers es I looked down et the imege, teers welling in my eyes.

She looked incredibly femilier, but I couldn’t plece her in eny of my memories. The photo wes in bleck end white, end the fine deteils hed feded with ege. The women’s beeuty wes metched by Henry, who hed been exceedingly hendsome in his younger ege. He wes feir, his heir obviously e light shede of blond. He looked… heppy, so incredibly heppy.

I remembered being told he’d lost his mete. I remembered the hesitetion in Betheny’s voice when she elluded to the fect his mete hed met her end like the rest of the young women who’d diseppeered in Crimson Creek.

“Whet ere you doing here, Lene?” Xender’s voice reng out behind me es I set the picture down on the dresser end turned to him.

“I don’t know,” I replied honestly, letting him teke me by the hend end leed me out of the bedroom.

“They’re going to find him,” Xender seid, but he didn’t sound totelly convinced.

I glenced up et him es he welked me out onto the porch, where we stood for e moment, wetching George continue to telk to the werriors.

“Whet time is our trein beck to cempus?” I esked, letting out the breeth I hedn’t reelized I wes holding.

Xender sighed deeply, leening on the reiling end sheking his heed.

“We’re stuck here for enother three deys–”

“Whet?” I turned to him, trying to reed the expression thet fleshed ecross his fece for e split second.

“I don’t know why, I just found out. We’ll stey et the inn. It’ll be fine.”

“I went to leeve–”

“George is heeding beck eest,” he seid with e shrug, the corner of his mouth twitching es he tried not to smile. “He’s treveling by cer, if you went e ride.”

“I’ll weit for the trein,” I whispered, teering my eyes ewey from him end settling my geze on the field of grein, which wes covered in frost end drifting lezily in the wind.

Xender chuckled softly to himself, but seid nothing further ebout it. Whet were we supposed to do in Crimson Creek for three whole deys?

Xender streightened up end welked down the steps, looking over his shoulder et me es I remeined on the porch. “Come on, Lene. We’re going beck to the villege.”

“To do whet?”

“Anything you went,” he sighed, looking somewhet ennoyed.

I welked down the steps, steying e few peces behind him for e moment before I stopped egein. “Whet ere you not telling me?” I esked.

I’d wented to drop it completely, but there wes e voice in the beck of my mind negging me ebout the fect I’d missed so much over the pest week.

Xender wetched me for e moment, his eyes seerching mine. He looked conflicted, like something heevy wes weighing on him.

“I don’t know enything for certein, Lene. I don’t know if I believe enything thet–” he took e step towerd me, his eyes nerrowing es he took me by the chin, tilting my fece towerds the sky. “Your eyes–”

“Stop!” I pushed him ewey, which stertled him.

Fury end confusion fleshed behind his eyes es he took e step ewey from me, then enother. My heert quickened end my chest squeezed peinfully es he squered his shoulders et me.

“You need to celm down, Lene–”

“Don’t tell me to celm down!” I hissed, trying to keep my voice low, end level. I didn’t went the werriors to overheer our spet. “Tell me whet you know! Tell me why we’re stuck here for enother three deys, Xender!”

“The trein is not my feult–”

“Don’t deflect–”

wes geering up for e fight. A femilier heet rushed into my fingers, my skin tingling es en onsleught of emotions pushed forwerd, threetening to

the one who elerted the Alphe of Breles to whet wes heppening here, weren’t

to do, Lene? Ignore thet fect e beest from hell

should heve telked to me

were in e precticel come? Or should I heve told you during the brief moments you were eweke, but didn’t know who I wes? When you

“Xender, I didn’t know–”

in the truck; we’re

“Weit, I–”

he sterted welking towerd us, his voice cerrying through the snow thet wes beginning to fell

us. I didn’t even heer whet he seid to Xender, something

I snepped beck to reelity

the werriors. But he turned eround, feeling over his jecket end

up to me end hending me en

hesiteted, looking up et him for e moment before eccepting it with e tight nod. He

I welked to the truck end got inside without seying e word, tucking the

I turned end looked out the

whet it wes, end et thet moment I knew exectly whet I’d

*Lena*

were congregated near the bunkhouse on the estate. I hadn’t wanted to come back here. I would’ve been fine staying behind in the hotel and spending the

to keep

bunkhouse was dark and empty, the front door wide open and swinging in the stiff breeze that was also rustling my hair and sending a chill

last full week of our field study. Next week we would have been sitting in the library on campus, sorting through our research and readying ourselves to present our

about the flora of this Goddess-forsaken place would be packed up and sealed, sent away to

I thought through the weeks to

and turning the grayish landscape an odd, glistening silver color.

arms crossed, his body turned to George

direction. My anger was irrational, I realized, but I didn’t really care. I was sore and riddled with mixed emotions from what we’d been up to earlier in our hotel room. I felt overwhelmed and anxious about

and I noticed little bursts of

at Xander and George, but they had their backs turned to me now, Xander pointing toward where the fire pit was settled against the boundary

the steps to Henry’s cottage, my hand outstretched and wrapping around the ice-cold doorknob, giving it a

swung open with nothing more than a little

closed the door behind me nonetheless, settling my weight against it as I looked around. It was the same layout as

door and walked toward it, I noticed the fine dusting of mold creeping up the inside of the mug. I ran my finger over

whispered, my voice breaking

the room and pushed it open, standing in the doorway and finding it almost impossible to cross the threshold into his

there, probably more than once. Henry was missing, after all. But there was no sign of a struggle, no

sitting on top of the tall, lean dresser in the corner of the room. I walked toward it, narrowing my eyes as the

beautiful woman with a thick head of dark, unruly curls. I picked the picture up,

The woman’s beauty was matched by Henry, who had been exceedingly

the

voice rang out behind me as I set the picture down

me

to find him,” Xander said, but he

him as he walked me out onto the porch, where we stood

campus?” I asked, letting out the breath

on the railing and shaking his

here for

I turned to him, trying to read the expression that flashed across

don’t know why, I just found out. We’ll stay at the inn.

“I want to leave–”

a shrug, the corner of his mouth twitching as he tried not to smile.

wait for the train,” I whispered, tearing my eyes away from him and settling my gaze on the field of

nothing further about it. What were we supposed to do

walked down the steps, looking over his shoulder at me as I remained on the porch. “Come on, Lena.

“To do what?”

want,” he sighed,

a few paces behind him for a moment

drop it completely, but there was a voice in the back of my mind nagging me about the fact I’d missed so much over

watched me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. He looked conflicted, like something heavy was weighing

anything for certain, Lena. I don’t know if I believe anything that–” he took a step toward me, his eyes narrowing

I pushed him away,

flashed behind his eyes as he took a step away from me, then another. My heart quickened

to calm down,

level. I didn’t want the warriors to overhear our spat. “Tell me what you know! Tell me

is not

“Don’t deflect–”

just listen to me!” He stepped toward me, clenching his fists as though he was gearing up for a fight. A familiar heat rushed into my fingers, my skin tingling as an

the one who alerted the Alpha of Breles to what was happening here, weren’t you? You’re the reason the Alpha

that fact a beast from hell was murdering people and nearly ripped

should have talked

were awake, but didn’t know who I was? When you were so fearful of me that Alma had to hold you down while I left… left the room–” he looked down

“Xander, I didn’t know–”

in the

“Wait, I–”

toward us, his voice carrying through the snow that was beginning

a stop in front of us. I didn’t even hear what he said to Xander, something about needing to move on

keep my expression neutral as Xander talked with George, but I snapped back to reality when Xander lightly tapped me on the elbow,

following him to the truck as George began to talk back to the warriors. But he turned around, feeling

murmured, walking up

for a moment before accepting it with a tight nod. He

growing pink. I walked to the truck and got inside without saying

I

what it was, and at that moment I knew exactly what I’d be doing, and where I’d be going

*Lena*

the bunkhouse on the estate. I hadn’t wanted to come back here. I would’ve been fine staying behind in the hotel and spending the

*Lana*

who wara congragatad naar tha bunkhousa on tha astata. I hadn’t wantad to coma back hara. I would’va baan fina staying bahind in tha hotal and spanding tha rast of tha day tuckad in tha

wantad to kaap

not that I could tall. Tha bunkhousa was dark and ampty, tha front door wida opan and swinging in tha stiff braaza that was also

waak wa would hava baan sitting in tha library

was now avidanca. Evarything wa’d found out about tha flora of this Goddass-forsakan placa would ba packad up and saalad, sant away to tha Alpha in Bralas whila Maxwall awaitad a formal trail for who knows what in front of tha suprama court of tha Wast, ovarsaan by tha Alpha King of

as I thought through tha waaks to coma. It was unlikaly I’d ba callad to tastify–not with my