Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 608

THE MAGIC BOOK

*Lena*

Time passed in a blur of mingled stillness and impossible activity. I spent much of my days in Winter Forest sitting in the library at the castle, snuggled in a plush blanket and flannel pajamas while I stared blankly at the same page of the same book I’d been trying to read for nearly a week.

I knew I wouldn’t hear from Xander for a while, likely a very long time if I was being honest with myself. Mom did her best to lift my spirits. On the third day after Xander and Oliver left, she started reading aloud to me in the confines of the library from books I’d loved from my childhood spent running wild in this territory.

Maeve joined in on the fourth day, sitting with her long legs draped over my mother’s lap as she rested her head on the armrest and stared at the ceiling with the same blank expression I wore on my own face. All three of her sons, my cousins, were in Breles. Her husband, her mate, was there too. Her brother, my father, would be fighting beside them all.

We just didn’t know when the first thundering of war would sound, and every minute waiting was a cruel game of what-ifs.

Grandma Rosalie was the one who kept us fed and warm while we holed up in the library. Snow fell heavily outside the frosted windows as cart after cart of tea was wheeled in, though often left untouched, untasted.

On the fifth day, Grandma joined us in the “depression nest,” wrapping a thick blanket around her shoulders as she settled on the couch next to me, resting her hand against my knee.

But on the sixth day, my grandpa came to the library, and our self-pity party was forced to an abrupt end.

“This is getting ridiculous,” he grumbled, easing himself into an armchair with a view of all four of us.

“Why? I thought you’d enjoy a break from all of us women,” Maeve yawned, twirling a lock of her red hair around her finger.

“Every blanket in the castle is currently in the library,” he continued, motioning toward the twin couches we had claimed, which faced each other with a coffee table in between, which was currently littered with books. The spell book sat on top of the strewn books, its leather cover shimmering in the reflection of the fire. We’d taken turns flipping through the pages, looking for something, anything, substantial, but had found nothing.

“Leave us be, Ethan,” Grandma smiled softly.

Grandpa furrowed his brow, looking at us one by one. Maeve narrowed her eyes at him, sizing him up.

“Don’t look at us like that, Dad.”

“Why not? You’re all acting like infants.”

“You know for a fact that if I had a choice, I’d be in Breles with the rest of the armies, not wasting my years of warrior training trying to figure out what I’m meant to do with this!” she waves her hand toward the book for emphasis, then tucked her hand back under her blanket, scowling. “I hate that I’m not there.”

“Me too,” I agreed, and Grandpa settled his gaze on me. He’d been filled in on the situation when he returned to Winter Forest two days ago, after a long trip from Breles with a stop in Mirage. All of the Alphas were congregating in Breles, where news of new night attacks was starting to trickle in from the westernmost packs in Findali.

armies of vampires yet, though. They hadn’t found the portal, or they hadn’t figured out how

or high ranking men and women tasked with forming the committees that kept peace in the pack lands, had taken over for the younger Alphas who were leading their

elder now, and

the book and then you can go, Maeve,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s

it’s not that simple,” Mom cut in, casting Grandpa a

about… contacting the

head, considering. “It’s actually not a bad idea. Monica has been helpful in a lot of different ways. Maybe she can grant us access to the records they keep in the temple,” Maeve said as

should involve Mara as well,” Mom added, and I immediately went rigid, remembering my meeting with Mara, one of the refugees from Dianny and the younger sister of none

have to tell them the

be much need to explain. Word is already spreading about what’s being seen in the rural villages in Findali. Rumors are spreading. Oliver, Xander, and his Beta have been tasked with readying the forces of the

I asked hurriedly. Grandpa nodded, settling back

head south for Egoren, with his Beta. He brought a family of…. vampires, to

near jumping to my feet. I got tangled in the blankets and nearly tripped over my grandma,

I didn’t ask

Xander was leaving Breles. He was going to Egoren. He’d be safe, at least for a little while longer.

a flicker of longing in his eyes. He hid it well, and

Grandma, “is she still coming

Grandma asked with a laugh. “Yes.

to love. She looked rather bored when they came to dinner

as I was hit with a sudden realization that, hopefully, would change things for the better when it came to

you about her history?” I asked my mom and Maeve, looking between

at Mom, the two of them

a seer. Her mother was Lycennian. She… she might be

***

in the dining hall just across the foyer from us, her blonde pigtails

see anything at all. But she could feel things, which seemed significant to me, since we’d looked and looked through the book and were obviously missing something

crossing her arms over her chest, her golden brown hair trembling as she shook her head. She was dressed in a cream colored turtleneck sweater and jeans, and had the same scowl on her face that I remembered her by. She hadn’t bothered to tell me what happened to her after the fall of Cedar Hollow. I wasn’t even going to ask. Xander was convinced that Hale had died in that battle, and I didn’t want to bring

pursed her lips, taking a step toward the book with

barrier around it. It hurts to even come near it,”

I said. “And he’s

see anything?” Maeve

toward the

and opened it to the title page. Clare stepped forward, her jaw flexing as she leaned over the table to get a

was incredibly small, almost hard to