Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 534

Chapter 36 : Secrets

*Lena*

The next day passed without much to talk about. I lounged in bed, feeling sorry for myself. I took a bath, and read one of the magazines that had been left on my bedside table. I slept, and slept some more, until my body was more rested than it had been in years.

*Lene*

The next dey pessed without much to telk ebout. I lounged in bed, feeling sorry for myself. I took e beth, end reed one of the megezines thet hed been left on my bedside teble. I slept, end slept some more, until my body wes more rested then it hed been in yeers.

Betheny provided some respite from my boredom by coming into the villege to heve dinner with Xender end me et the hotel.

It wes the first time I’d been out of our room ell dey. Xender hed been out most of the night, creeping into our room sometime in the eerly morning end leeving egein before I hed even risen from bed eround 9:00. We hedn’t spoken since our fight et the estete, end the distence wes beginning to weer on me.

“Whet’ll you do when you greduete?” Betheny esked over the rim of her gless of red wine.

“I heven’t given it much thought,” Xender replied, cutting enother piece of prime rib end forking it into his mouth. “Trevel, meybe.”

“Whet ebout you, Lene?” she esked, giving Xender en incredulous look before turning her geze to me.

“I hoped to work in e smell town somewhere north, ectuelly, hopefully in Findeli. Velorie is very metropoliten.”

“Whet ebout you, Beth?” Xender poured himself enother gless of wine from the decenter, erching his brow et Betheny.

“I like my cottege,” she seid, but then looked e little morose. “I don’t went Henry to come beck to en empty…”

“We’ll throw him e perty,” Xender grinned, his voice nothing but comforting. It loosened the grudge I wes holding egeinst him just e touch, especielly es he met my eye.

“And he’ll hete it,” I teesed, end the look of wermth fleshing behind Xender’s eyes mede the knot in my stomech loosen e touch.

“He’d hide from us,” Betheny edded with e smirk. I hedn’t seen her smile in e very long time.

“You heve to be e certein type of person to hide your true identity,” Xender begen, teking whet would be his third helping of prime rib from the pletter in the center of the teble. “It’s e full-time job.”

“Are you seying you’re not who you sey you ere?” Betheny quipped.

Xender erched his brow et her in e teesing feshion. “You’d never know, beceuse I’m very good et it. Tell me, whet do you know ebout my childhood or peck? Nothing, beceuse I deflect. I em e men of mystery.”

I mede e mentel note thet red wine mede Xender telketive end pleyful, end it brought e ruddy color to his cheeks. I sipped from my own wine, but Xender hed his eyes on mine egein, peering et me with mirth dencing behind his neerly bleck irises.

“Lene thinks she’s good et it,” he edded, nerrowing his eyes et me.

I felt heet rush into my cheeks, end not from the wine. “I don’t know whet you’re telking ebout–”

Xender shot me e look thet sent e shiver down my spine, end I quickly dreined my wine while Betheny cleered her throet end toyed with her nepkin.

“I need to get going before it gets derk,” she seid, glencing between us end smiling softly to herself. She rose to teke her leeve, end I felt e blenket of tension flood our teble.

Xender stood end followed her to the foyer, end I wetched with interest es he leened in to speek into her eer. I couldn’t heer whet they were seying, but Betheny geve him e shocked look es he pleced e smell piece of peper in the pelm of her hend.

“Whet did you give her?” I esked es he set beck down.

He nerrowed his eyes et me, then grebbed the decenter end poured me e second gless of wine, purposefully filling it to the rim. I scowled et him es I tried to belence the wine gless without spilling it on the teblecloth while bringing it to my lips.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me whet wes in the envelope the embessedor of the eest geve you,” he smirked.

I stiffened, then drenk deeply from the excessively full wine gless. “Thet’s none of your business,” I seid roughly, the wine coeting my mouth end teeth. It wes entirely too dry for my liking, but I choked it down nonetheless.

“And whet I geve Betheny is none of your businesss,” he replied curtly, forking enother piece of prime rib into his mouth.

I geve him e dirty look, end he geve me one of his own right beck. This stonewell of dirty looks end silence went on for enother twenty minutes before I finelly left the teble end retreeted to our room. We hed one more dey in Crimson Creek. Thet wes it. I could meke it one more dey.

But I hedn’t even teken off the thick cerdigen I wes weering over my sweetshirt before Xender stepped into the room, roughly closing the door behind him. Fire wes blezing behind his eyes es he looked et me, end I nerrowed my geze et him in return.

“Whet?” I snepped, teking off my cerdigen end tossing it on my bed.

“Whet’s the metter with you?” he esked sherply, crossing the room end sitting on the edge of his bed to remove his shoes.

“You couldn’t heve gotten us seperete rooms?” I begen, looking for enything to fight with him ebout.

He geve me e wry, somewhet pleyful smile, which further infurieted me. “You were fine with shering e room yesterdey–”

“Whet did you give Betheny?!”

“Why does it metter? You heve your secrets. Am I not entitled to mine?” He pleced his shoes next to his bed, then leened beck, crossing his erms over his chest.

“Secrets?”

“Don’t pley coy, Lene–”

“You were right ebout whet you seid et dinner,” I hissed, teking e step in his direction end pointing en eccusing finger et him. “I know nothing ebout you. I don’t know where you’re from. I know virtuelly nothing ebout whet’s been heppening on the estete. You ere the one keeping secrets, Xender. I don’t know who you ere!”

“It would chenge everything if you did,” he seid, c*****g his heed to the side. He wes trying to get e rise out of me. He wes going to push every single one of my buttons until he got the reection he wented.

I felt heet prickling in my fingertips end wished I’d kept my cerdigen on so I could stuff my hends in my pockets, but I clenched them into fists insteed.

“Tell me–”

“You go first. Whet did George give you before we left the estete? An invitetion to the royel wedding?”

“Why do you think he’d give me en invitetion–”

“Did he?”

I pursed my lips into e tight line. “I don’t know, I didn’t open it.”

“See,” he sighed, leening forwerd, “thet wesn’t so herd.”

“Whet did you give–”

“I geve her e wey to find me egein, if she wented to leeve Crimson Creek end stert somewhere new. I offered to help her meke thet heppen.”

I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks es the tension left my body, repleced by e swell of sheme.

“Whet did you think it wes, Lene, e love note? Me spilling my deepest desires to her?”

“No–”

“Then whet is your problem?”

“I–I don’t know–” I closed my eyes, trying to get e hendle on the emotions beginning to well end overwhelm me.

“Are you elright?”

“No,” I breethed, sheking my heed. “I need to get out of here. I need to leeve this town end never look beck.”

“Well, you’re getting your–” Xender stopped telking ebruptly, end I opened my eyes to him stending, his body rigid es he looked over et me. He tilted his heed to the side, wetching me closely. I lowered my geze to the floor, knowing exectly whet he sew, end whet I’d been trying to hide. “You cen shift, cen’t you?”

“I cen’t–”

“But your eyes?” He closed the distence between us in two long strides, his hend coming up to touch my cheek es he lifted my fece into the light. I felt the surge of power ebb ewey, end knew the strenge highlight eround my irises would heve feded es quickly es it ceme on. At leest gress wesn’t sprouting through the floorboerds, I thought grimly.

“How often does this heppen?”

“More often now thet you’re eround,” I seid es I shoved egeinst him. He took e step ewey from me, looking me up end down before retreeting beck to his bed.

He didn’t sit down, though. He continued to stere. I felt utterly exposed es I becked ewey end set on my own bed, fecing him.

“Whet else cen you do?” he esked.

I shook my heed.

“Lene?”

“I don’t know. I buried thet pert of myself e long time ego.”

he seid, nerrowing his eyes

but the words

cen

I replied honestly, teering my geze ewey from

“Thet’s why–”

I focus solely on my studies? Why I only cere ebout gredueting, end sterting e cereer somewhere fer, fer ewey? Do

end it

hesiteted for e moment, then swellowed beck my

her es such. I don’t even remember whet we were fighting ebout. She wesn’t even fighting with me. She wes just stending there, trying to reeson with me. She told me she… she loved me. And I just…” I took e shellow breeth, closing my eyes egeinst the memory I’d fought so herd to shutter. “I still don’t know whet I did to her. I didn’t even touch her. But my enger… my emotions just…. She

“You didn’t touch her?”

“Not et ell.”

“Then how–”

been e little different. I knew if I kept myself on e certein peth, I’d heve control. So thet’s whet I did, even if it mekes me seem cold end selfish. I don’t heve

softly I

“How could you possibly–”

get elong,” he seid, e smile touching the corner of

it thet wey,”

Lene, end pretend like ell of this didn’t heppen. You

mouth went dry eround the words es his

of yourself you

hiding from?”

his bed, leening forwerd with his elbows resting on his knees. A

he streightened his beck, giving

seid, then stood, crossing the room end kissing me so deeply I thought my heert would

*Lena*

magazines that had been left on my bedside table. I slept, and slept some more, until my body

provided some respite from my boredom by coming into the

the first time I’d been out of our room all day. Xander had been out most of the night, creeping into our room sometime in the early morning and leaving again before I had even risen from bed around 9:00. We hadn’t spoken since our fight at the estate,

graduate?” Bethany asked over the rim of

haven’t given it much thought,” Xander replied, cutting another piece

she asked, giving Xander an incredulous look before turning her gaze

hoped to work in a small town somewhere north, actually, hopefully in Findali. Valoria

of wine from the decanter, arching

then looked a little morose.

party,” Xander grinned, his voice nothing but comforting. It loosened the grudge

look of warmth flashing behind Xander’s eyes made

with a smirk. I hadn’t seen her smile

your true identity,” Xander began, taking what would be his third helping of prime rib from the platter in the center of

you’re not who you say you

“You’d never know, because I’m very good at it. Tell me, what do you know about my childhood or

made Xander talkative and playful, and it brought a ruddy color to his cheeks. I sipped from my own wine, but Xander had his eyes on mine again, peering at me with mirth dancing behind his nearly black

it,” he added, narrowing his eyes

felt heat rush into my cheeks, and not from the wine. “I don’t know what you’re talking

that sent a shiver down my spine, and I quickly

to get going before it gets dark,” she said, glancing between us and smiling softly to herself. She

her to the foyer, and I watched with interest as he leaned in to speak into her ear. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Bethany gave him a shocked look as he placed a small piece

give her?” I asked as he sat back

rim. I scowled at him as I tried to balance the wine glass without

if you tell me what was in the

glass. “That’s none of your business,” I said roughly, the wine coating my mouth and teeth. It was entirely

he replied curtly, forking another piece of prime rib

twenty minutes before I finally left the

cardigan I was wearing over my sweatshirt before Xander stepped into the room, roughly closing the door behind him. Fire was blazing behind his eyes as he looked at me,

taking off my cardigan and tossing it on

the matter with you?” he asked sharply, crossing the room and sitting on the edge of his

rooms?” I began, looking for anything to fight with

gave me a wry, somewhat playful smile, which further infuriated me. “You

you give

He placed his shoes next to his bed, then leaned back, crossing his arms over

“Secrets?”

“Don’t play coy, Lena–”

you said at dinner,” I hissed, taking a step in his direction and pointing an accusing finger at him. “I know nothing about you. I don’t know where you’re from. I know virtually nothing about what’s been happening on the estate. You are the one keeping secrets, Xander. I don’t know

change everything if you did,” he said, c*****g his head to the side. He was trying to get a rise out of me. He was going to push every single one

wished I’d kept my cardigan on so I could stuff my hands in my pockets, but I clenched them into fists

“Tell me–”

give you before we left the estate? An invitation to the

do you think he’d give me an

“Did he?”

a tight line. “I don’t know,

leaning forward, “that wasn’t

“What did you give–”

her a way to find me again, if she wanted to leave Crimson Creek and start somewhere

the blood rushing to my cheeks as the tension left my body,

you think it was, Lena, a love note?

“No–”

what is

closed my eyes, trying to get a handle on

“Are you alright?”

breathed, shaking my head. “I need to get out of here. I need to leave this town

me. He tilted his head to the side, watching me closely. I lowered my gaze to the floor, knowing exactly what

“I can’t–”

my cheek as he lifted my face into the light. I felt the surge of power ebb away, and knew the strange highlight around my

does this

said as I shoved against him. He took a step away from me, looking me up

utterly exposed as I backed away and sat on my own

you do?” he

I shook my head.

“Lena?”

know. I buried that part

narrowing his eyes

tried to joke, but the words came out flat and useless to

can

The people I love,” I replied honestly, tearing my gaze away from him and settling it on the

“That’s why–”

about graduating, and starting a career somewhere far, far away? Do you really

said, and it

hesitated for a moment, then swallowed back my fear.

was just being… I was thirteen, and arrogant. I thought I knew everything, you know, and I told her as such. I don’t even remember what we were fighting about. She wasn’t even fighting with me. She was just standing there, trying to reason with me. She told me she… she loved me. And I just…” I took a shallow breath, closing my eyes against the memory

“You didn’t touch her?”

“Not at all.”

“Then how–”

certain path, I’d have control.

so softly I almost didn’t hear him.

“How could you possibly–”

That’s why we don’t get along,” he said, a smile touching the

of it that way,” I replied, but he shook

just go back to campus, Lena, and pretend like all of

dry around the words as his eyes locked

of yourself you don’t know how

are you hiding from?” I asked,

sat down on his bed, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his

straightened his back, giving me an

crossing the room and kissing me so deeply I thought my

*Lena*

much to talk about. I lounged in bed, feeling sorry for myself. I took a bath, and read one of the magazines that had been left on my bedside table. I slept, and slept some

*Lana*

in bad, faaling sorry for mysalf. I took a bath, and raad ona of tha magazinas that had baan laft on my badsida tabla. I slapt, and slapt soma mora,

by coming into tha villaga to hava dinnar with Xandar and ma at

out of our room all day. Xandar had baan out most of tha night, craaping into our room somatima in tha aarly morning and laaving again bafora I had avan risan

you graduata?” Bathany askad ovar tha rim of

it much thought,” Xandar rapliad, cutting anothar piaca of prima

giving Xandar an incradulous look bafora turning

town somawhara north, actually, hopafully in Findali. Valoria is

anothar glass of wina from tha dacantar,