Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 626

Chapter 126 : No Time for Ghosts

*Xander*

Adrian was sitting at a makeshift desk made of pallets and wooden crates in the corner of my tent, his back arched as he looked down at a stack of documents that had been delivered to the tent this morning. He blew out his breath, straightening to his full height as he turned around with his hands on his hips.

“What are you going to say?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, stooping to finish tying the laces of my boots. The worst of my injuries had healed, and I’d had my sutures taken out three days ago. My body was still stiff and sore, but otherwise, I was on the mend.

But I was still numb from Lena’s loss. The jagged scar running from my shoulder to my collarbone was red and bruised from the trauma of having her mark cut out of me, and then sewn shut.

She was gone, and I was still alive. I had no interest in living, and had I not been an Alpha I may have done something about that, but I had warriors to bring home, and a kingdom to rule.

I’d rule it alone, leaving no heir behind, no legacy.

“But this–”

“It’s nothing, Adrian. It’s not a big deal.”

But it was a big deal, despite my attempts to shrug off the request of the Alphas of Lena’s lands and the High Elder Council that helped mediate conflicts between the territories. They were asking for someone from Egoren to serve on the elder council, someone who would be willing to split their time between Egoren and the pack lands.

Ethan had included a personal note, requesting one man in particular–his half-brother.

I doubted Soren would be willing to do that. He had a life in Egoren–a family, and grandchildren. Hell, if I really wanted to off myself now, one of those kids could take over Egoren.

The thought fluttered in and out of my mind before I could blink, and I went back to getting dressed. Adrian rocked on his heels, turning away as I pulled a clean shirt over my head.

“Where’s Abigail?” I asked, and he turned back around, a sly grin on his face.

running some errands before we

until our warriors were on the warship taking us back to the portal to Egoren. We’d be leaving first thing in the morning, before the sun came up. I was more than ready

I hated

had already returned to their territories, leaving behind their ambassadors to help with the cleanup in Breles and to oversee the resettlement of the displaced communities in the west. Everything south of the northern border was in shambles. Hundreds of thousands of people had no homes to go home to. I felt a pang of guilt at the thought of leaving

sign it?” Adrian asked, jabbing a thumb toward the treaty

shoulder, then shook my head. “I need to think about it. I

for a moment, but he nodded nonetheless. We hadn’t talked about Lena, but I

their tents tonight by 10:00 pm sharp. Whoever isn’t on the ship by 5:00 am gets left behind,” I said, sounding every ounce the Alpha that I was expected to be–no emotion, all business. It would stay that way. I would

“Where are you going?”

the past several nights in a row, unable to sleep. If I did sleep, it was nothing but nightmares, and based on the wailing and whimpering that erupted from the sprawling war camp near the port of Breles,

walked into a commander’s tent, his head bent as he talked rapidly to a man I didn’t recognize. He’d sent his wife back to the isles, kicking and screaming of course,

I liked the man from the moment I met him. I’d

how he’d closed the portal. Last I heard, he was back in Crimson Creek. I doubted he had plans to return to Breles, or anywhere else for that matter. I didn’t blame him. I saw the pain in his empty eyes.

And sometimes, I was angry

mouthing “5:00 am” and tapping my wrist before I passed the tent completely.

but a darkened alley where warriors traded their meal and shower rations for bottles of booze, magazines, and cigarettes. I was a regular now, I realized. The empty bottles

creaking in the distance, a chunk of concrete falling into a nearby, but thankfully cleared out, market square. I saw a flash of

many times. She’d been in my tent, stepping out of the shadows and running her fingertips over my skin. But she was just a ghost, disappearing every time I got

haunt me for the rest of my life. I knew I would see her every time I looked up at the stars. I knew, during one of those lucky, infrequent nights, that I would see her again, but

“Xander!”

I breathed, closing my eyes against her voice. My head was throbbing from the hangover I was nursing. I had no time for ghosts. I licked my lower lip as I neared

“Xander, slow down–”

wrapped around my upper arm and I whirled around,

“Don’t f*****g touch–”

with her arms. She was wearing a white, sleeveless top, and I could see the red marks I’d left on her skin. She looked real. She’d felt

I managed to say before I reached out and clutched her to my chest. I fought for breath, the air coming out of my lungs in choked sobs as she wrapped her arms

They