Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 556

Chapter 56 : The Mark of the Dark King

*Lena*

I spent the remainder of the day avoiding everyone. It was rather easy to do, given the immense size of the palace.

I even missed dinner, which was being held in the formal dining room. I knew Xander would be there. I knew without a shadow of a doubt as I went hungry in my room, telling a maid to relay a message to my parents that I wasn’t feeling, that he was schmoozing with my family and using every charismatic weapon in his arsenal to win them over.

He was likely being totally honest about who he was, too. Out of everything we’d done, and we’d done a lot, that was something he’d chosen not to do with me.

I went to bed, expecting Xander’s voice to creep into my head again, but I fell asleep to silence, nothing but the waves outside my balcony lulling me to sleep.

***

The morning of the wedding.

I wanted to throw up.

I stood on my balcony with my arms crossed as I stared down at the beach below, where people were walking along the sand in total ignorance of the chaos going on inside the castle. My view was of the public beach, which was surprisingly quiet. I longed to be free of the tight hot rollers covering every inch of my head and the constricting shapewear I was wearing under my robe.

The red dress I’d bought in Morhan had arrived before I’d even touched down in Avondale. It was quickly altered to fit my frame, but I’d chosen the dress before Xander had marked me. The mark would be on full display above the neckline that had my breast on display, even if it was modest enough for a family wedding.

It was too late to turn back now. I’d either have to deal with the questions about my choosing a different dress, or come clean. I didn’t have a choice.

Maeve had seen the dress and thought it was perfect. Mom, on the other hand, was a little vexed at the idea that I’d chosen something so vampy for my cousin’s wedding. Had Maeve not told my mom about the dress before I came up with some excuse not to wear it, this day may have gone smoother than I expected it to now.

Maybe everyone already knew. Maybe Xander had told them everything at dinner the night before. Maybe he’d even explained what happened in Crimson Creek.

But I doubted it. He’d already said he wouldn’t. I had to trust him.

But the mark on my chest… how the hell was I going to explain that?

“There you are!” Eliza said as she came into the room, closing the door behind her with a grin of pure elation on her face. Her hair had been styled in tight curls that bounced on her shoulders as she walked toward me, a tiara laced with pink jewels glinting in the soft midday light.

I wouldn’t have said yes. Hollis had

put on makeup, but I had at least

any of Hollis’s friends,” I said softly, leaning on the railing of

think all of them

even though no such thing existed. Hollis had skyrocketed to fame in the last year after her relationship with Will

Viv were going to be here today.

to wear,” Eliza grimaced. “Pure pink. Like, the worst shade of pink you can imagine. Frills, lace… I think it’s

with her, known her practically my entire life. I couldn’t be upset with her

things off with Oliver before…. I felt my cheeks flaming as I thought about it. Despite what she’d told Oliver, I suspected

retrospect. Oliver would’ve married her solely out of love, making her a princess while his mate

emotion that washed

go?” she asked, seemingly reading

shifting my weight as I looked out over the beach. Oliver wasn’t one of Will’s groomsmen. I’d heard that Charlie had even tried to get out of it, but Maeve had

comes to the reception at least,” Eliza said softly, twirling a curl around her manicured finger. “I need to go get dressed. Pictures, and all–” she said with a

Just as I finished my makeup, my mom walked in the

a little laugh, glancing at the clock on

have time, don’t

she walked toward the four-poster bed and ran her fingers over the fabric of the red dress I’d hung from the canopy

the reflection of the mirror. She had dressed already and looked pretty in her muted gold gown with her hair loose over her shoulders. But I

if I

man, that Alpha

I said softly as she

the mirror as I opened

I thought of all the ways I’d punish

I met the man formally at the party, of course. But

I said, trying to stifle the emotions threatening to bubble to the surface as I applied the

nice.

from another realm?” I said

him, Lena?” Her voice was still soft, but I could hear a whisper of concern touch her lips as she

a shade of lipstick darker than I’d ever worn before. “I met him at Morhan,” I said

“At school?”

student there, apparently. We did our field study together.” I swallowed, glancing at her face through the mirror as I willed myself to go further.