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.”

enough,” Adrian began,

them,” she began with a ragged breath, “a Dream Dancer… not a strong 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 he’d

said through gritted

finding it hard

the glassy moisture from

Goddess–” I breathed, bringing my hands to my face. This was just awful, unforgivable. I felt like a monster for ever thinking a harsh, unkind thought about

than a

I know

have the power of sight–” he

short. “Enough to know darkness is coming. I can’t will the future into my

up his hand to cut me

I swallowed hard, tilting my head as I looked

like?” I asked. “So I know who to look out

be out in public in the first place,” Adrian said before

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

brows in surprise at Clare’s harsh tone, but he said nothing further as Clare’s

tall, with blond hair and

Lycennian?” I said, almost

had

would he be? Does he

been born at the castle, a girl child… the bastard child of the teenage

surged forward, threatening to spill over as I thought about what Clare had

red in the face and quite upset. He glanced at me long enough to see the silent plea in my eyes

began to explain the Dark Realm to Clare, who listened intently but kept

and gave her the real reason I was here, as well as his reasons for

the grandfather clock along the

Alpha?” she said

her and tucked his hands into the pockets

left,” I replied, unable to hide

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

quickly, but

and flexed her jaw, her gaze leaving mine to eye Adrian with

up to her, as his mate. If the bond is still intact, I may be able to give you

a full picture,” Adrian

visions like that,” she

shaking his head. “So