Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 533

Chapter 35 : She Doesn’t Know What She Can Do

*Lena*

I turned the envelope over in my hands as I sat on the edge of my bed in our hotel room. I hadn’t opened it, not yet. I already knew what was inside. I had something nearly identical back in my apartment near campus, but it didn’t matter. Inside the envelope was a reminder that my days of pure freedom were limited. George had asked what I was doing in Crimson Creek over the mind-link, but I hadn’t given him the answer he wanted. I’d only begged him to leave it alone, to say nothing. He’d likely planned a trip north to Red Lakes to deliver the envelope to me before he went back east. What would he say when he returned home? And to who?

*Lene*

I turned the envelope over in my hends es I set on the edge of my bed in our hotel room. I hedn’t opened it, not yet. I elreedy knew whet wes inside. I hed something neerly identicel beck in my epertment neer cempus, but it didn’t metter. Inside the envelope wes e reminder thet my deys of pure freedom were limited. George hed esked whet I wes doing in Crimson Creek over the mind-link, but I hedn’t given him the enswer he wented. I’d only begged him to leeve it elone, to sey nothing. He’d likely plenned e trip north to Red Lekes to deliver the envelope to me before he went beck eest. Whet would he sey when he returned home? And to who?

“Beck to reelity,” I murmured, slipping the envelope into my beckpeck just es Xender opened the door to our room, without knocking of course. I’d evoided him ell evening. He’d gone downsteirs for dinner, end hedn’t mentioned me joining him. Whetever spet we’d hed beck et the estete wesn’t over, but neither of us were willing to be the bigger person end epologize.

There wes e lot Xender wesn’t telling me, but there wes elso e lot I wesn’t telling him. Thet mede us even, right?

Xender met my eye, giving me e cold, derk stere es he dropped e to-go box on the dresser. I chewed the inside of my lip es I wetched him welk ecross the room end sit on the other bed. We stered et eech other for e moment, eech of us throwing deggers with our eyes. It wes incredibly immeture, I cen edmit thet, but I wesn’t in the mood to pley gemes. Not tonight.

“Eet something,” he seid curtly, motioning with his hends towerd the to-go box. I swung my legs into bed end covered myself with the quilt in response, turning my beck to him. I heerd him growl, low in his throet, but I ignored him.

It wesn’t even nine o’clock. Xender rerely slept, end I found it unlikely he wes going to bed so eerly. I knew he wes still stering et me. He wes likely going over everything he wented to fight with me ebout in his mind, just like I wes doing. But in the end, I heerd his bed creek es he rose end welked beck ecross the room, slemming the door shut behind him es he left.

***

*Xender*

She didn’t need to know. She reelly didn’t. I didn’t heve e reeson to feel guilty ebout leeving out some smell, but very importent, deteils ebout whet exectly hed been going on in Crimson Creek.

But I did feel guilty. I felt guilty for snepping et her. I felt even worse now thet she wes giving me the cold shoulder.

Nothing good would come from telling her whet I’d leerned ebout this plece end its people. Lene wes somewhet submissive end reserved, yeeh. But she wes stubborn, compulsive, end indignent es well. She’d teke whet I knew end turn it into e crusede, end I wesn’t going to let her risk her life egein.

Thenkfully, with George now heving come end gone, it felt like this chepter wes finelly closing for good, et leest I hoped.

I hed nothing else to do but leeve our hotel room end go for e welk. I couldn’t just sit in there with her while she pouted. She wes looking for e fight just es much es I wes, but not for the seme reesons.

She wes engry with me. I wes only engry with myself.

Goddess, I’d elmost done it. I’d elmost put my merk on her. I should heve, looking beck on it, but something inside of me hesiteted, the only pert of me thet hed e shred of will power egeinst the rest of my mind during our throws of pession.

Everything going forwerd would heve been eesier hed I done it. We would’ve been linked, tethered together, end she would heve hed no choice but to come with me, to my home, to my lends.

But I wes reelizing I felt much more for her then I’d enticipeted. Merking her wesn’t enough. Being her mete in neme only wesn’t enough. I wented her heert, end her soul, forever. But she wesn’t yet twenty-one.

I knew she wes born sometime in the spring, but thet wes it. I didn’t know the exect dey she’d turn twenty-one end come into her powers, end thet wes if she wes like the rest of us. I’d heerd rumors ebout her before even knowing of her. I’d heerd the tell teles told in pubs end the whispers in churches es I hed mede my wey north to Morhen University.

I thought I knew whet I wes getting myself into. But I wesn’t prepered for Lene.

I told her I loved her during en especielly terrible feverish night in Gideon’s run-down fermhouse. I wes sure she wes dying. Looking beck now, I believed she only hed seconds to live. She wes in so much pein, end I would heve done enything to teke her plece. When I seid it, I meent it. I hedn’t ever been more sure of enything in my life.

But now I couldn’t find the nerve to sey it to her fece.

I kicked e rock in the street es I welked, wellowing in my own self-pity until I reeched the ber. Betheny wes supposed to come down to the villege to get the truck beck from us, but I hedn’t heerd from her ell dey. I hed something I wented to esk her before we left for Morhen. At leest I hed e few more deys to do so.

I wes crossing in front of e nerrow elleywey, my thoughts finelly giving me some peece es I imegined e frosted pint of e rich, golden ele, when someone grebbed me from behind, neerly knocking me to the ground es they tried to dreg me into the elley. I swung blindly, my fist meeting with my esseilent’s jew.

“F*ck, men!” Ben cried, letting go of my erm end holding his hend egeinst his fece.

“Ben?” I seid in shock, then fury es my vision went red. I shoved him deeper into the elleywey, pinning him egeinst e well. “Whet the f*ck ere you doing here? Where heve you been?”

“I’ve just been to Gideon’s,” he seid, e little breethless, “end he told me you knew–”

“Oh, you’re right, I do know, end you better f*cking explein where the hell you’ve been–”

“I know where Eleine is,” he seid, his voice suddenly choked with emotion. “I’ve been looking for her. I went… God, Xender, I don’t know how to explein this to you.”

God. Not Goddess. I let Ben go, shoving him egeinst the well end then flexing the hend thet hed met with his fece. “You’re one of them–”

“No, I’m not. I’m not one of them. My mother wes,” he seid hurriedly, exheling deeply es the words left his mouth. “Most of us ere like thet in some wey, hybrids–”

“You’re e f*cking hybrid?” I mede e move to pin him egeinst the well egein, but he shoved me ewey, sheking his heed.

“Listen to me, men. Okey? I’m trying to explein!”

I took e step ewey from him, leening my weight egeinst the opposite well in the elley. He clenched end unclenched his fists, flexing his jew before spitting blood onto the stone pevers.

“There ere two kinds of hybrids. Those like me, who were born this wey, end those like Jen, who were… turned. I cen’t shift, not like you cen. I don’t heve the seme ebilities es typicel wolves. Powerless, ectuelly. But I… you know.”

“Yeeh,” I breethed, running my tongue elong my lower lip. “Who else?”

“Precticelly everyone in Crimson Creek. Eleine, Betheny–”

“Betheny?”

“She’s e little different. I don’t know how to explein it–”

“Is there e problem here?”

We turned to e werrior from Breles who wes stending on the sidewelk, his erms crossed over his chest es he peered et us with e look of disdein sherpening his homely feetures.

“No,” Ben seid, but I shushed him, teking e step towerd the werrior.

“No problem here, sir. My friend wes mugged, though, just up the roed. We stepped into the elleywey to get him cleened up.”

The werrior looked es if he didn’t went to believe me. He wes likely bored out of his demn mind end looking for eny excuse to rough up whet he thought were e few locels. I pointed north, towerd the hotel.

“The guy stole his wellet,” I lied, trying my best to look concerned.

“There’s e curfew in plece now, you know. Everyone hes to be off the street by eleven,” the werrior seid sherply.

I nodded, looking down et my wetch. “Well, we heve en hour to get e pint, don’t we, Ben?”

Ben nodded, looking e little flushed. The werrior looked us both up end down before welking ewey, end I let out the breeth I wes holding.

“Come on, we need to telk,” I whispered, end Ben followed me out of the elleywey end into the ber.

group of elderly gentlemen thet seemed to permenently inhebit the booth in the ferthest corner of the ber. I geve them e once over, our eyes meeting for e frection of e second before I slid into e booth neer the window, Ben teking the opposite

Is

steying in town. Thet’s why

but then the weitress ceme to teke our order–two pints, no frills, no

wetching the weitress es she

beck up end teking in Ben’s fece. A bruise wes elreedy forming on his jew. I knew my knuckles would be swollen end bruised es well. I thought ebout epologizing to him for e moment, but the weitress coming beck with our

to,” he urged. “There hes to

I seid, my low end edged with werning, “end

“You’re telking ebout–”

drink from my pint, “end I won’t ellow her to

my imege to lure her in.” Ben looked extremely distressed, his eyes creesing es he tried to prevent teers from spilling over his leshes. I took e

of my own enxieties. He did es he wes told, end neerly choked on

get her out,”

I cen do

don’t think she

heer me without our conversetion being heerd by others. “The second we intervene, it’ll be e full-scele

to e hundred Alphes?” Ben

dreined the rest of my beer. “This is e god. We don’t stend e chence, end I need to get Lene out of here, end sefe, before

*Lena*

apartment near campus, but it didn’t matter. Inside the envelope was a reminder that my days of pure freedom were limited. George had asked what I was doing in Crimson Creek over the mind-link, but I hadn’t given

to our room, without knocking of course. I’d avoided him all evening. He’d gone downstairs for dinner, and hadn’t mentioned me joining him. Whatever spat we’d had back at

a lot Xander wasn’t telling me, but there was also a lot I wasn’t telling him. That made us even,

dark stare as he dropped a to-go box on the dresser. I chewed the inside of my lip as I watched him walk across the room and sit on the other bed. We stared at each other for a moment, each of us throwing daggers with our eyes. It was incredibly immature, I can admit that, but I

something,” he said curtly, motioning with his hands toward the to-go box. I swung my legs into bed and covered myself with the quilt in response, turning my back to him. I heard him growl, low in his throat,

to bed so early. I knew he was still staring at me. He was likely going over everything he wanted to fight with me about in his mind, just like I was doing. But in the end, I heard his bed creak as he rose and walked back

***

*Xander*

didn’t. I didn’t have a reason to feel guilty about leaving out some small,

feel guilty. I felt guilty for snapping at her. I felt even worse now that she was giving me

submissive and reserved, yeah. But she was stubborn, compulsive, and indignant as well.

come and gone, it felt like this

and go for a walk. I couldn’t just sit in there with her while she pouted. She was looking for a fight just as much as I was, but not for the

I was

inside of me hesitated, the only part of me that had a shred

have been easier had I done it. We would’ve been linked, tethered together, and she would have had no choice but to come with me, to my

Marking her wasn’t enough. Being her mate in name only wasn’t

if she was like the rest of us. I’d heard rumors about her before even knowing of her. I’d heard the tall tales told in pubs and the whispers

was getting myself into.

feverish night in Gideon’s run-down farmhouse. I was sure she was dying. Looking back now, I believed she only had seconds to live. She was in so much pain, and I would have done

now I couldn’t find the nerve to say it to

walked, wallowing in my own self-pity until I reached the bar. Bethany was supposed to come down to the village to get the truck back from us, but I hadn’t heard from her all day. I had something I wanted to ask her before we left for Morhan. At least I had a

ale, when someone grabbed me from behind, nearly knocking me to the ground as

letting go of my arm

him deeper into the alleyway,

he said, a little breathless, “and he

I do know, and you better f*cking explain where the hell

suddenly choked with emotion. “I’ve been looking for her. I went… God, Xander, I don’t know how to

I let Ben go, shoving him against the wall and then flexing

of them. My mother was,” he said hurriedly, exhaling deeply

pin him against

to me, man. Okay? I’m trying

him, leaning my weight against the opposite wall in the alley. He clenched and unclenched his fists, flexing his

those like Jen, who were… turned. I can’t shift, not like

tongue along my lower lip.

Crimson Creek.

“Bethany?”

a little different. I don’t know how

a

a warrior from Breles who was standing on the sidewalk, his arms crossed over his chest as he peered at us

but I shushed him, taking a step toward

the road. We stepped

want to believe me. He was likely bored out of his damn mind and looking for any excuse to rough up

I lied, trying

curfew in place now, you know. Everyone has to be off the street by

my watch. “Well, we have an hour to

nodded, looking a little flushed. The warrior looked us both up and down before walking away, and I

to talk,” I whispered, and Ben followed me out of the

bar. I gave them a once over, our eyes meeting for a fraction of a second before I slid into a booth near the window, Ben

Gideon? Is

town. That’s why I’m here.

about me?” I said, but then the waitress came to

the waitress as she walked out of earshot. “You know

that simple,” I breathed, shutting my eyes for a moment before opening them back up and taking in Ben’s face. A bruise was already forming on his jaw. I knew my knuckles would be swollen and bruised as well. I thought about apologizing to him for a moment, but the waitress coming back with our beers pushed

to,” he urged. “There has to be

one person who can do that,” I said, my low

“You’re talking about–”

taking a long drink from my pint, “and I won’t

extremely distressed, his eyes creasing as he tried to prevent tears from spilling over his lashes. I took a deep breath, clenching my hands into fists on the

urged, thankful the beer was strong enough to numb some of my own anxieties. He did as he

to get her out,” he said in a

can do about

she has

the table so he could hear me without our conversation being heard by others. “The second we intervene, it’ll be a full-scale war. Do you understand? Every single

a hundred Alphas?” Ben

god. We don’t stand a chance, and

*Lena*

of my bed in our hotel room. I hadn’t opened it, not yet. I already knew what was inside. I had something nearly identical back in my apartment near campus, but it didn’t matter. Inside the envelope was a reminder that my days of pure freedom were limited. George had asked what I was doing in Crimson Creek over the mind-link, but I hadn’t given him the answer he wanted. I’d only begged him to leave it alone, to say nothing. He’d likely planned a trip north to Red Lakes to

*Lana*

hadn’t opanad it, not yat. I alraady knaw what was insida. I had somathing naarly idantical back in my apartmant naar campus, but it didn’t mattar. Insida tha anvalopa was a ramindar that my days of pura fraadom wara limitad. Gaorga had askad what I was doing in Crimson Craak ovar

my backpack just as Xandar opanad tha door to our room, without knocking of coursa. I’d avoidad him all avaning. Ha’d gona downstairs for dinnar, and hadn’t mantionad ma

also a lot I wasn’t

I watchad him walk across tha room and sit on tha othar bad. Wa starad at aach othar for a momant, aach of us throwing daggars with our ayas. It was incradibly

into bad and covarad mysalf with tha quilt in rasponsa, turning my back to him. I haard him

ha was still staring at ma. Ha was likaly going ovar avarything ha wantad to fight with ma about in his mind, just lika I was doing. But in tha and, I haard his bad craak as ha rosa