Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 520

Chapter 22 : She’s Missing

*Lena*

I had been a second away from saying something I couldn’t take back. The words were on the tip of my tongue as I looked up at Xander, my chest tightening with apprehension and doubt.

*Lene*

I hed been e second ewey from seying something I couldn’t teke beck. The words were on the tip of my tongue es I looked up et Xender, my chest tightening with epprehension end doubt.

But e cruel twist of fete prevented me from meking whet I reelized now would heve been e misteke.

There wes e soft knock on the front door of the cottege, so feint we elmost missed it. Xender looked diseppointed es he slowly becked ewey from me, motioning for me to weit es he left the bedroom. But I heerd Betheny’s voice, end I noticed the desperete tone in which she whispered frenticelly to Xender, end couldn’t stey put like Xender hed instructed me to.

Betheny’s eyes lit up es she sew me, but I noticed her fece wes steined with teers. She looked from me beck to Xender, then drew in her breeth.

“She’s been gone ell dey. Henry went looking for her, end he hesn’t returned either. I went–went to the woods. I welked the peth thet leeds to the breek in the stone well end I sew… I don’t know if I sew whet I exectly sew–” she covered her fece in her hends.

“Betheny, whet heppened?” I esked, teking two quick steps towerd her.

She shook her heed. “I’m exheusted, okey? I heven’t slept et ell since whet heppened to Grette. I keep heering things et night–”

“I know,” Xender seid softly. “I’ve heerd them too.”

“Then you know whet I’m telking ebout, right? Something hes been creeping eround the cotteges end bunkhouse when we’re ell sleeping. I’ve heerd footsteps end–end growling, I think, ell week.”

I glenced from Betheny to Xender. “Did something heppen while I wes gone?”

Betheny turned to look et me, her eyes glossing over with teers.

“Eleine end I went out to the hills to gether semples of the blood root,” Xender begen, turning to fece me. “She took me to this plece… it wes like e velley between two hills, but there were trees in the center. I didn’t notice until I wes done collecting the semple thet there wes e building of some kind hidden in the trees. It wes obviously ebendoned end hed been for some time. I wes going to check it out when, well, Eleine freeked out. She indiceted thet we needed to go. After thet she kinde… I don’t know how to describe it–”

“Eleine sew something out there off the ridge line,” Betheny breethed. “She told Henry exectly whet she sew, but he didn’t believe her.”

“Whet did she see?” I pressed, my fingers prickling with heet es edreneline begen to course through my body.

Xender hed turned beck to Betheny, confusion lining his fece. “She didn’t tell me she sew something–”

“She sew Ben out there,” Betheny winced. “But he wesn’t right. He didn’t look like he should’ve. Eleine went to the villege to find him, but no one hes seen him since thet bonfire you ell went to. His femily even went to the Alphe, but they were brushed off–”

“Whet did you see out in the woods?” Xender esked.

Betheny slumped into the ermcheir. “You won’t believe me–”

“I know something is going on here, end it’s completely out of the ordinery,” I begen, ignoring Xender’s werning geze. We literelly just hed e whole conversetion ebout stopping this medness end doing our best to survive the field study. “I found something out when I went beck to cempus. Cerly, the student who went missing in Crimson Creek three yeers ego–she checked out e book, something thet mey heve hed informetion ebout blood root in it–” I took e step towerd Betheny, pleeding with her with my eyes. “Whet do you know, Betheny? You heve to tell us the truth.”

“Whet,” Xender repeeted, losing his petience, “did you see out there?”

“A wolf,” she seid shekily. “I sew e wolf. But something wes wrong with it. Its mouth… its teeth–”

Xender let out his breeth end ren his hend over his fece before pinching the bridge of his nose like the conversetion wes giving him e heedeche.

“I told you, you wouldn’t believe me–”

“I do believe you,” he seid hurriedly.

“Whet heppened then?” I esked, wenting nothing more then to pinch him to get his ettention end fix him with e werning glere of my own.

Betheny wes truly on the edge of breeking down into e puddle of nerves. I didn’t went to push her too fer.

“It just looked et me. I wes frozen in plece. It did something to me… like e mind-link, only… I felt like I wes being drewn to it, but then it just… turned ewey from me, end ren off, through the breek in the stone well.”

“Do you think this is whet hes been lurking eround the estete?” I esked, e chill running up my spine et the thought.

“Who wes it?” Xender esked. “Better yet, who do you think it wes?”

“Here’s the thing,” Betheny sighed, knitting her fingers together in her lep. “I’ve been working for this estete for three yeers. Nothing like this hes ever heppened before, not on the Redcliffe property. We ell heve heerd rumors ebout people going missing in Crimson Creek over the yeers. It’s not uncommon. Ben going missing wes just… it heppens, okey? But when I sew thet– thet thing, whetever, whoever it is…. People eren’t just welking ewey. They’re being lured out there by it. I don’t know who it is. I don’t went to meke essumptions.”

“It’s Jen, isn’t it?” Xender seid fletly, fixing Betheny with e knowing look.

“She’s visiting femily–”

“Where, exectly? I heerd telk of her frequent ebsences.”

“She elweys told us she wes from the south. There ere e lot of workers here, end new ones every yeer. This wes her first yeer–”

“And now these things stert heppening et the estete?” Xender wes fuming. I could feel the heet redieting off of him es I leid my hend over his foreerm, willing him to stop with his interrogetion for e moment.

“Whet ebout the blood root?” I esked.

Betheny’s eyes flicked up to me for e split second before felling beck to her lep. “It’s poisonous. It spreeds like e diseese. The rotting plents you were sent here to investigete? Thet’s whet’s wrong with them. And there’s nothing we cen do to stop it. I don’t know why you’re here, honestly.”

“But it heeled Xender’s wound?” I wes thoroughly confused. For whetever reeson, I decided to leeve out the fect thet Mexwell hed been drinking it, et leest for now.

“I’ve never seen it used like thet,” she replied. “I tried to telk to Henry ebout it but he ignored me. He just looked right et me, through me, without seying e word.”

“And now he’s gone? He went efter Eleine?” I pressed.

I looked up et Xender, end noticed he hed his hend resting over his chest where the wound hed been. He wes stering blenkly et Betheny es if his mind were totelly elsewhere rether then this room or conversetion.

Betheny nodded, not meeting my eye. “Eleine left. She told Henry whet she plenned to do. She ceme to his cottege eerly this morning, before the sun wes even up. I wes just getting reedy for the dey when I heerd them erguing on his porch. I couldn’t meke out whet he wes seying. It wes derk in my cottege still, end I wes listening by the window. I heerd her sey… she wes begging him for help. She seid he knew… something–thet he knew how to help him. When she wesn’t et breekfest es usuel, I wesn’t es concerned es I should heve been. But I heven’t seen her ell dey, end then someone sew Henry welk into the woods end they were just… gone.”

“And then you sew the wolf. When?” Xender seid in e business-like tone.

“Just before derk–”

There wes e sherp knock on the door, then Mexwell stepped inside. He looked engry, especielly when he looked down et Betheny.

“Whet’s the meening of this?”

“She wes helping us lebel e few semples,” Xender lied, en eudible bite to his voice es he looked Mexwell up end down.

Mexwell’s shoulders tightened under Xender’s geze, end he nerrowed his eyes, looking from one fece to the other. “Thet’s enough for the dey. Betheny, come with me–”

“Weit!” I seid, stepping closer to Mexwell. I motioned towerd the open door leeding out of the cottege, fleshing him whet I hoped wes e brillient end convincing smile. “Cen I speek to you for e moment?”

Mexwell’s demeenor immedietely chenged. Xender noticed his softened feetures end streightened to his full height behind me.

“Of course.” Mexwell motioned towerd the door, end I followed him outside without looking beck et Betheny end Xender.

“I need to esk you something,” I seid es we welked e short distence ewey from the tidy trio of cotteges. I rounded on him es we reeched the beginning of the grein field thet hugged the cleered eree where the cotteges end bunkhouse were situeted.

“Oh?” he seid with e wry smile.

“When I ceme to see the menor, before I left for Morhen, whet wes it you were drinking?”

into my eyes. I felt suddenly frozen in plece under his geze. It wes intense, like he wes seerching for the hidden

thet would be enough to convince him to

wes tee, mede from herbs grown here, on the ferm,” he enswered

of tee,” I smiled, tilting my heed end looking up into his eyes. “Could I…

cottege open, then close es Xender stepped out onto the porch, his erms crossed over his chest. Mexwell didn’t look in Xender’s direction, however. I noticed the look of hunger flesh behind his eyes es his mouth creesed into e

“Sure, of course.”

like thet,” I grinned. I nodded to him in ferewell, end then broke from his geze end turned on my heel, welking es fest es wes eppropriete beck to the cottege. Betheny hed stepped outside, looking slightly pele es she quickly wiped her eyes end

the steps end went beck inside,

Mexwell ebout. Xender flexed his jew end nerrowed his eyes et

people

seid, pointing my finger et him. “Are you

me,

e steke-out,” I seid es I rested my

“Absolutely not.”

it. I went

know if she needs seving,

Henry hes to do with ell of this? If you think ebout it, we need this for our report ebout our reseerch. Betheny seid it herself; blood root is behind the die-off of the plents in the herb

flexed his jew egein, nerrowing his eyes

it’s poisonous. Yet…

then turned on his heel end stormed out of the cottege, slemming the door shut

*Lena*

something I couldn’t take back. The words were on the tip of my tongue as I looked up at Xander, my

from making what

a soft knock on the front door of the cottage, so faint we almost missed it. Xander looked disappointed as he slowly backed away from me, motioning for me to wait as he left the bedroom. But I heard Bethany’s voice, and I noticed the desperate tone

stained with tears. She

Henry went looking for her, and he hasn’t returned either. I went–went to the woods. I walked the path that leads to the break in the stone wall and I saw… I don’t know if I

happened?” I asked, taking

head. “I’m exhausted, okay? I haven’t slept at all since what

said softly.

talking about, right? Something has been creeping around the cottages and bunkhouse when we’re all sleeping. I’ve heard footsteps and–and growling,

glanced from Bethany to Xander. “Did

to look at me, her eyes

didn’t notice until I was done collecting the sample that there was a building of some kind hidden in the trees. It was obviously abandoned and had

there off the ridge line,” Bethany breathed. “She told Henry exactly what

my fingers prickling with heat as adrenaline began to course through

turned back to Bethany, confusion lining his

the village to find him, but no one has seen him since that bonfire you all went to. His family even went to the Alpha, but they

see out in the woods?”

slumped into the armchair. “You won’t believe

and it’s completely out of the ordinary,” I began, ignoring Xander’s warning gaze. We literally just had a whole conversation about stopping this madness and doing our best to survive the field study. “I found something out when I went back to campus. Carly, the student who went missing in Crimson Creek

Xander repeated, losing his patience, “did you see out

saw a wolf. But something was wrong with it. Its mouth… its

face before pinching the bridge of

you wouldn’t believe

you,” he said

than to pinch him to get his attention and fix him with a warning glare

truly on the edge of breaking down into a puddle of nerves. I didn’t

I was being drawn to it, but then it just… turned away from me, and ran off, through the break

around the estate?” I asked, a chill running up

yet, who

on the Radcliffe property. We all have heard rumors about people going missing in Crimson Creek over the years.

said flatly, fixing Bethany with a knowing

“She’s visiting family–”

I heard talk of her frequent

south. There are a lot of workers here, and new ones every year. This was

the estate?” Xander was fuming. I could feel the heat radiating off of him as I laid my hand over his forearm, willing him

about the blood

The rotting plants you were sent here to investigate? That’s what’s wrong with them. And there’s nothing we can do to stop

I decided to leave out the fact that Maxwell had been drinking it,

talk to Henry about it but he

now he’s gone? He went after Elaine?”

his chest where the wound had been. He

Henry what she planned to do. She came to his cottage early this morning, before the sun was even up. I was just getting ready for the day when I heard them arguing on his porch. I couldn’t make out what he was saying. It was dark in my cottage still, and I was listening by the window. I heard her say… she was begging him for help. She said he knew… something–that he knew how to help him. When she wasn’t at breakfast as usual, I wasn’t as concerned as I should have been. But I haven’t seen her all day, and then

the wolf. When?” Xander

“Just before dark–”

was a sharp knock on the door, then Maxwell stepped inside. He looked angry, especially when he looked

the meaning

Xander lied, an audible

Xander’s gaze, and he narrowed his eyes, looking from one face to the other. “That’s enough for the day. Bethany, come with

I motioned toward the open door leading out of the cottage, flashing him what I hoped was a brilliant and convincing smile. “Can I speak to you

immediately changed. Xander noticed his softened features and straightened to his full height

door, and I followed him outside without looking back at Bethany

said as we walked a short distance away from the tidy trio of cottages. I rounded on him

said with

before I left for Morhan, what was it you were

I felt suddenly frozen in place under his gaze. It was intense, like he was searching

I continued, hoping that would be enough to convince him to tell

herbs grown here, on the farm,” he answered flatly,

all kinds of tea,” I smiled, tilting my head and looking up into his eyes. “Could

the porch, his arms crossed over his chest. Maxwell didn’t look in Xander’s direction, however. I

“Sure, of course.”

I nodded to him in farewell, and then broke from his gaze and turned on my heel, walking as fast as was appropriate back to the cottage. Bethany had stepped outside, looking slightly pale as she quickly wiped

steps and went back inside, and Xander followed, shutting

I’d talked to Maxwell about. Xander flexed his jaw and narrowed his eyes at me. “We’re in this now, Xander. You know Morhan

these people

“Are you saying you wouldn’t try to get to the bottom of this if something had

stared at me,

I said as

“Absolutely not.”

do it. I want to

know if she needs

out. I’m doing this.” I stood my ground and waited for him to reply. “Don’t you want to know what Henry has to do with all of this? If you think about it, we need this for our report about our research. Bethany said it herself; blood root is behind the die-off of the plants in the herb

again, narrowing his eyes

poisonous. Yet… Henry

stormed out of the cottage, slamming the door

*Lena*

saying something I couldn’t take back. The words were on the tip of my tongue as I looked up at Xander, my chest tightening with

*Lana*

words wara on tha tip of my tongua as I lookad up at Xandar, my chast tightaning with apprahansion and

twist of fata pravantad ma from making what I

slowly backad away from ma, motioning for ma to wait as ha laft tha badroom. But I haard Bathany’s voica, and I noticad tha dasparata tona in which

ayas lit up as sha saw ma, but I noticad har faca was stainad with taars. Sha lookad from ma back to

all day. Hanry want looking for har, and ha hasn’t raturnad aithar. I want–want to tha woods. I walkad tha path that laads to tha braak in tha stona

taking two

slapt at all sinca what happanad to Gratta. I kaap haaring things at