Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 574

Chapter 74 : Visions

*Lena*

Clare paced in front of the hearth, her hands tucked behind her back. Occasionally she’d pause and face Adrian and me, but then shake her head and continue to move back and forth in deep concentration as she gathered her thoughts.

Adrian was losing his patience. It was late, damn near the middle of the night, and I could see the lines of fatigue shading his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest and waited, and waited, for Clare to speak.

“You have to tell us if you know anything about the pack Lycenna,” I said softly, trying my best to hide the urgency in my voice. Lycenna had been a secret, cult-like pack deep in the eastern mountains of Valoria and had fallen some twenty years ago, their Alpha’s death causing an internal war that splintered the pack into factions. They had been dangerous followers of Lycaon, and bred their women to create what they hoped were powerful lines of Dream Dancers. My grandmother had been from the pack Lycenna, but she had escaped with her mother as an infant.

Long ago now, a group of survivors from Lycenna’s inner war had passed through Winter Forest before going north over the endless, bleak tundra. They’d never been seen or heard from again.

“Sasha is with the servants at the castle,” Clare murmured, even though no one had asked. She seemed to be talking to herself, reassuring herself that Sasha was alright. “Hale should be there by now….”

“Clare!” I ground out, arching my brows as she turned to face me. “What is going on?”

She chewed her bottom lip, looking me up and down before taking a shallow breath and shifting her weight to one leg, her hands resting casually on her hips.

“My mother was a Lycennia refugee,” she said flatly, waving a hand in dismissal as though it wasn’t a big deal at all.

“What? How?” I pressed, gripping the top of the couch as I stood and watched a bored expression flit across her face.

“Do I really need to get into all of that?”

“Yes,” Adrian and I said in tandem.

Clare chewed the inside of her lip, shrugging as she let her shoulders slump. “I don’t know the details of the story, but somehow she ended up here and my father got her pregnant. Cedar Hollow was brand new, you know. She left us when we were kids, and I have no idea where she went.”

“Is that who you’re keeping Sasha away from?” I asked, but Clare scowled, shaking her head.

“I’m keeping Sasha away from her father, okay? He’s Lycennian as well. He was an infant when the last of the Lycennians went north over the Tundra. He showed up here one day and, well, you know–” she shrugged, trying her best to look uninterested in the conversation, but the hurt behind her eyes was undeniable. Adrian huffed a breath, but it wasn’t out of impatience. I glanced at him, seeing the sudden fury behind his eyes.

“Were you together… as a couple?” he asked sternly. Clare hesitated, then shook her head. Adrian’s cheeks burned. “He took advantage of you then?”

“Yes,” she replied without hesitation, and I felt a lump form in my throat.

“Oh, Clare–”

“I don’t need your sympathy,” she said shortly, her eyes narrowed into cat-like slits. “I need you to help me locate him so he can be dealt with.”

Adrian began, but Clare

one from what he said. He knew I was Lycennian. I don’t know how, but he did. I turned down his advances but he overpowered me. He… he ensured what

Adrian said through gritted

finding it hard to

a few times, clearing the glassy moisture from her

Goddess–” I breathed, bringing my hands to my face. This was just awful, unforgivable. I felt like a monster

your child would have powers,” Adrian went on, a statement rather than a question. Clare nodded shortly, then shrugged, her eyes

I

power of sight–”

him, her expression cutting his words short. “Enough to know darkness is coming. I can’t will the future into my vision, okay? But I can feel

Adrian interrupted sharply, holding up his hand to cut me off as I opened my mouth to

suspicion. I swallowed hard, tilting

“So I know who to look

first place,”

him, narrowing into a scowl. “It’s not her fault, you prick. She’s just a kid, and

but

with

Lycennian?” I said, almost

genetics. Blond hair and black eyes had been common for the ruling house of Lycenna, but some had darker hair and skin, with pale gray

he know about her?”

child… the bastard child of the teenage princess of Cedar Hollow.” Clare swallowed back what sounded like shame, and my heart began to shatter as I looked into her eyes. Sasha was five, and Clare, as Hale’s twin, would have just turned twenty-one. “I was sixteen when she was born,” she continued, as though she’d been reading

rippled through me, settling in my fingertips. That heat I could will into light and power surged forward, threatening to spill over as I thought about what

red in the face and quite upset. He glanced at me

also followers of Lycaon and his teachings….” He began to explain

it, he had spilled everything to Clare. He talked about Xander, and about me, and gave her the real reason I was here, as well as his reasons for finding me despite my not wanting to be found. I couldn’t do anything but listen, and secretly hoped he spilled whatever secrets he was keeping from me about Crimson Creek, the secrets he’d told me were Xander’s to

on the chiming of the grandfather clock along the far wall, and Clare turned her head to

she said shortly, snorting

eyes at her and tucked his hands into

I replied, unable to hide the hurt

flicked to mine, understanding flashing across her features. “Do you want to find

Adrian said quickly,

her gaze leaving mine to

the bond is still intact, I may be

full picture,” Adrian

like that,” she

shaking his head.