Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 49 : Back Home

*Lena*

I woke around 4:00 a.m., taking a hasty shower and readying for my journey. The last three years of my life were packed in boxes and stacked in a pile next to the front door of our apartment, waiting for the postman to pick them up later in the day.

I wouldn’t come back here. Maybe to visit, maybe, but otherwise, this chapter of my life had closed. I looked around the living room and kitchen as I slung my duffle bag over my shoulder, taking it all in–the twinkling lights that hung over the window, the pothos vines that climbed up the brick wall in the living room, the empty bottles of wine and pizza boxes in the kitchen.

Heather and Viviene were still asleep. We’d said our tearful goodbyes last night. They thought it would be for a long time, but they were wrong. I slid two envelopes on the kitchen counter, one for each of them before I headed out the door.

It was a short walk to the train station. It was frigid, but the sky was clear and stars still hung bright over the top of my head as I walked through the snow. I only saw a few people waiting for the morning train to Breles, which was less than a two-hour journey by train, their figures shrouded in shadow.

But one of the figures turned to me as I walked up the steps to the platform, and the thread tied around my heart tightened, taking my breath away. Xander walked toward me, his face void of expression, and took my duffle bag from my shoulder, carrying it for me as I followed him to the opposite end of the platform.

I was too shocked to speak. His cheeks, and the tip of his nose, were reddened from the cold. He’d been out here for a while then, and for a moment I thought he might be taking the same train. But he had no luggage with him. He set my duffle bag on a bench, exhaling deeply before he turned to me.

His eyes were dark wells, the little sparks of amber on display beneath the fluorescent lights of the station.

“I’m sorry.”

“What happened?” I whispered, my voice edged with a nearly inaudible plea.

“It doesn’t matter right now,” he replied. He made no moves toward me. He tucked his hands in his pockets, his gaze drifting from my face to the snow-covered trees beyond the tracks.

“Are you rejecting me?” I dared to ask. I had to know.

But he didn’t answer. He continued to look out over the park, his expression totally unreadable. “What did I do wrong?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong–”

“Then why–”

“I can’t keep you safe,” he said sharply, his eyes meeting mine again so intensely I took a step away from him.

“Safe from what?”

He shook his head, shifting his weight as he looked away from me again.

was going to

I began, but he snapped his head toward me, fixing me with

“I don’t hate you–”

games with me. I thought you…

wanted to sob. I

I whispered, low enough I wasn’t sure he’d heard

“It doesn’t matter–”

Xander? Were you just in this to sleep with me? To claim me as some prize, to be able to say you bagged the Princess of Valoria?

head to

really think I’d use you

Xander. You did. And then you sent Adrian to

taking a step in

to my apartment yesterday. He asked me if you’d told me… told me the

doesn’t know what he’s talking

had come looking for

said, his voice so sharp it

do this to me? You push me away, then do everything you can to pull me back in, making me promises, telling me

feel better, then by

if I actually marked you first, which I don’t believe for a single second, you marked me, Xander. I’ve never experienced the

“I’m sorry–”

sorry! You keep saying that,

to get a reaction out of him, but my arms felt weak at my sides. My heart was shattering in

was wrong. I woke up that morning and I knew it was a mistake.

to my chest. The platform began to vibrate as a soft rumble sounded in the

gave me a single shred of hope. It was a look of absolute distress, like every word

out by the train as it pulled into the station. He reached for my duffle bag, but I grabbed it, moving away

“Lena–”

possibly have to say to

me, I would really hit him, not just think about it. He was silent, however. I gave him one last look before I slung my bag over

Xander would run after the train as it pulled away, rain would fall from the sky as I jumped out and

on the platform as the train lurched forward. I set my

rejection like I had the day before. My heart was broken, shattered beyond repair, but I didn’t feel

crawl at first, then gaining substantial speed as it traveled out of