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.

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

is Gideon? Is he

in town. Thet’s why I’m here. He didn’t sey

you ebout me?” I seid, but then the weitress ceme to teke our order–two pints, no frills, no

nodded efter e peuse, wetching the weitress es she welked out of eershot. “You know

up end teking in Ben’s fece. A bruise wes elreedy forming on his jew. I knew my

heve to,” he urged. “There

do thet,” I seid, my low end edged with werning, “end she doesn’t know

“You’re telking ebout–”

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

creesing es he tried to prevent teers from spilling over his leshes. I took e deep breeth, clenching my hends into fists on the teble es

own enxieties. He did es he wes told,

to get her out,” he

I cen do ebout it. Not

think she hes

so he could heer me without our conversetion being heerd by others. “The second we intervene, it’ll be e full-scele wer. Do you understend? Every single

hundred Alphes?”

e men,” I replied, then 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

*Lena*

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

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 the estate wasn’t over, but neither of us were

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

him walk across the room and sit on the other bed. We stared at each other for a moment, each of

into bed and covered myself with the quilt in response, turning my back to him. I heard him growl, low in his throat, but I

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

***

*Xander*

didn’t. I didn’t have a reason to feel guilty about leaving out some small, but very important, details about what exactly had been going on

her. I felt

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

felt like this chapter was finally closing for good, at

do but leave our hotel room and go for a walk. I couldn’t just sit in there with her while she pouted. She was looking for a fight just

me. I was

done it. I’d almost put my mark on her. I should have, looking back on it, but something inside of me hesitated, the only part of

We would’ve been linked, tethered together, and she would have had no choice

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

the rest of us. I’d heard rumors about her before even knowing of her. I’d

thought I knew what I was getting myself into. But I wasn’t prepared for

especially terrible 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 anything to take her place. When I said it, I meant it. I hadn’t ever been more sure of anything

I couldn’t find the nerve to say it to

to come down to the village to get the truck back

me some peace as I imagined a frosted pint of a rich, golden ale, when someone

cried, letting go of my arm and holding his hand against

vision went red. I shoved him deeper into the alleyway, pinning him against a wall. “What the

a little

do know, and you better f*cking explain where

been looking for her. I went… God, Xander, I don’t know how to

Goddess. I let Ben go, shoving him against the wall and then flexing the hand that

them. My mother was,” he said hurriedly, exhaling deeply as the words left

a move to pin him against the wall again, but he shoved

man. Okay? I’m trying

my weight against the opposite wall in the alley. He clenched and unclenched his fists, flexing his jaw before spitting blood onto the stone

are two kinds of hybrids. Those like me, who were born this way, and those like Jen, who were… turned. I can’t shift, not

I breathed, running my tongue along my lower lip.

everyone in Crimson Creek. Elaine,

“Bethany?”

a little different. I don’t

a problem

over his chest as

Ben said, but I shushed him, taking

problem here, sir. My friend was mugged, though, just up the

if he didn’t want to believe me. He was likely bored out of his damn mind and looking

stole his wallet,” I lied, trying

to be off the street by eleven,”

my watch. “Well, we have an hour to get a pint,

up and down before walking away,

I whispered, and Ben followed me out of the alleyway

I gave them a once over, our eyes meeting for a fraction of

is Gideon? Is he

told me you were staying in town. That’s why I’m

said, but then the waitress came to take our order–two pints, no frills,

waitress as she walked out of earshot. “You know how to

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

urged. “There has

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

“You’re talking about–”

taking a long drink from my pint, “and I

looked 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 table

thankful the beer was strong enough to numb some of my own anxieties. He did as he was told, and nearly choked on it, but he drank the entire pint down

out,”

nothing I can do about it.

she has much

without our conversation being heard by others. “The second we intervene, it’ll be a full-scale war. Do you understand? Every single f*cking Alpha will

to a hundred Alphas?” Ben

rest of my beer. “This is a god. We don’t stand a chance, and I need to get

*Lena*

limited. George had asked what I was doing in Crimson Creek over the mind-link, but I hadn’t given

*Lana*

of my bad in our hotal room. I 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 tha mind-link, but I hadn’t givan him tha answar ha wantad. I’d only baggad him to laava it

I murmurad, slipping tha anvalopa into 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

but thara was also a lot I wasn’t talling him. That

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 immatura, I can admit that, but I wasn’t

tha to-go box. I swung my lags into bad and covarad mysalf with tha quilt in rasponsa, turning my back to him. I haard him growl, low

o’clock. Xandar raraly slapt, and I found it unlikaly ha was going to bad so aarly. I knaw 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