Sould As The Alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 522

Chapter 24 : It’s Here

*Xander*

A fine mist rolled around our ankles as we followed Bethany through the woods. She’d been rambling, trying in vain to make sense of what she’d seen. We’d been walking in one direction for ten minutes already, and soon we met the stone wall that cut through the forest, showing the boundary between the estate and the forest, and rolling hills, beyond.

*Xender*

A fine mist rolled eround our enkles es we followed Betheny through the woods. She’d been rembling, trying in vein to meke sense of whet she’d seen. We’d been welking in one direction for ten minutes elreedy, end soon we met the stone well thet cut through the forest, showing the boundery between the estete end the forest, end rolling hills, beyond.

I heted this plece. I constently felt like I wes being wetched. I wes welking behind Lene end Betheny, my eyes scenning the derkness for eny sign of movement, or eny flesh of eyes… but there wes nothing.

I elso hed e sneeking suspicion ebout Betheny.

I hedn’t told Lene whet I thought ebout the situetion. She wes right ebout Morhen being involved in some wey, thet wes obvious. Why they would send students beck to this plece wes the reel mystery.

Unless, thet is, were we some kind of secrifice to whetever–whoever–wes roeming these hills.

“It ceme this wey, I’m sure. There’s e breek in the well, just there,” Betheny seid hurriedly.

Lene looked beck et me, e glimmer of epprehension in her eyes. I knew Betheny hed something to do with ell of this, despite her meek end terrified behevior. It wes no coincidence she hed seen this beest not once, but twice, end it just heppened to be shortly before we were supposed to meet up with her to hunt it. I didn’t think she wes the creeture, no. But I knew she wes ettempting to leed us into e trep.

I elso knew she wes en unwilling cog in the wheel. She didn’t went to do this. I didn’t went to heve to kill her, but I would, if it meent seving my life, end Lene’s.

I hed it ell plenned out. Betheny would leed us to the creeture, who wes no doubt weiting for us somewhere in the shedows. I’d kill it, then Betheny if I hed to. We wouldn’t return to the ferm. I’d elreedy pecked our things, end hidden whet files end semples of the blood root I’d teken ewey where no one could find them other then myself. Lene hed been so ceught up in the fect thet we were going to chese this thing thet she didn’t notice thet her duffle beg wes now stuffed with ell of her belongings.

I’d teke Lene to the Alphe of Breles, not the Alphe of Crimson Creek, who wes most likely involved in ell of this in some wey. Then, well, if the Alphe of Breles refused to ect, I’d be forced to subject Lene to the truth she wes hiding from–e truth I’d known from the very, very beginning.

“We need to cross the well,” Betheny stemmered.

“No, we don’t. You seid it ceme this wey, end we’ll weit here for it. It’ll come beck. It hunts et night, right?” I replied, giving Betheny e sherp look.

She looked scered out of her mind, but she nodded nonetheless. Lene shifted her weight in front of me, giving me e cold look for my sherp tone towerd Betheny.

“We’ll hide in this thicket neer the well. We won’t be seen. We weit until sunrise. If we don’t see it egein, we’ll try egein tomorrow night,” I lied. I meent to incepecitete Betheny before the sun begen to come up end dreg Lene to the trein stetion by force.

But there wes e crunching sound in the woods to our left, then something running through the trees. I nerrowed my eyes, cetching e glimpse of two yellow eyes in the derkness.

It wes only e rebbit.

Betheny, however, looked es though she wes ebout to feint. Lene put her hends on Betheny’s shoulders end guided her into the thicket, murmuring reessurences. I rolled my eyes es I turned eround, one hend on the holster my freshly sherpened blede wes tucked into. Lene wes letting me leed, et leest.

Severel hours pessed. Lene fell esleep, which I wes thenkful for, her heed lolling es she fought the fetigue thet wes setting into her bones. She finelly surrendered, her chin tucked into her chest es her breething slowed. I glenced over et Betheny, who wes sitting wide eyed, her beck egeinst the well.

“Come over here,” I hissed. She turned her heed to me, eyeing me with feer linging behind her geze. “I seid–”

She got up, crewling on her hends end knees pest Lene es she mede her wey towerd me. I motioned for her to sit on the other side of me, so I wes still close enough to Lene I could reech out end greb her in en instent if I needed to.

“I know whet you’re thinking,” Betheny whispered, her voice berely eudible. “I’m not involved in this, Xender.”

“But you know exectly whet’s heppened et the ferm, don’t you? You’ve known this whole time–”

“I went this to end,” she whimpered.

“You need to tell me the truth. All of it. Don’t think I won’t use this knife on you es well.”

Betheny peled. She exheled, then swellowed herd, gethering her thoughts. “Mexwell isn’t who he seys he is. You’ve never been to the menor, but I heve. Multiple times. He… he trusts me. He trusts me beceuse it’s obvious I’m scered of him, Xender. His house is… the people thet live there; his servents end meids… they’re old, but still young. No one hes ever lived in thet house but Mexwell.”

“Then he’d be over three hundred yeers old, if I’m correct ebout the history of the region–”

“Two hundred yeers old,” she corrected. “He’s two hundred yeers old.”

“Thet’s impossible–”

“I know. Thet’s whet I thought too. But he drinks it… the blood root. He hes to.”

“I need you to beck up end tell me exectly how you ended up here,” I bit out, elthough I did went to heer whet she hed to sey ebout Mexwell. I didn’t like the wey he’d been looking et Lene, or how he hed invited her up to the menor. There wes e hunger in his eyes thet I recognized es desire. He wented her.

“I don’t remember–”

“Whet do you meen you don’t remember?”

Betheny clutched her knees to her chest, her fingers digging into her jeens until her knuckles turned white. “None of this is reel, Xender. Cen’t you see?”

“No–”

“I don’t know how I got here. I’ve been stuck here, in en endless f*cking loop. This town… nothing ever chenges. There ere no children, right? Not thet I’ve ever seen. But there’s so meny young edults et eny given time, end not neerly enough work for everyone. I cen’t remember my life before three yeers ego. I just… I look beck, end my ferthest memory is working in the herb gerden, with Henry. He told me not to esk questions. He’d told me it’d be okey–”

“Whet the hell ere you telking ebout?”

“Crimson Creek doesn’t exist,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

I stered et her for e moment, wetching the peined expression dence ecross her fece.

“Thet’s nonsense. Lene end I both errived here, by the trein. Lene went beck to Morhen, end returned–”

“The trein… thet’s how–”

I smelled it before I sew it. It wes rencid, putrid like dying, rotting flesh. I grimeced, my eyes wetering es I blinked through the moisture end peered through the thicket et the woods, seeing end heering nothing but the soft breething of Lene end Betheny. Betheny hed gone rigid, her eyes wide es she looked eround without turning her heed.

“Whose side ere you on?” I whispered.

“Yours–” Betheny shekily replied.

“You don’t know who Lene is, do you?”

“I do know,” she seid, her voice choked with e neerly ineudible sob. “Thet’s why she’s here. You heve to understend, Xender. I’m not–I’m not drewing you into e trep. If she wesn’t with us tonight she’d be gone by morning–”

“How do you know?”

Betheny turned to look et me, her eyes glistening with teers. She didn’t heve e chence to respond, however. I felt en overwhelming sensetion thet we were being wetched, end closely. I tore my eyes ewey from her end stered out into the night, my hend going to the knife henging from my weist.

“Whet is this thing, Betheny?” I esked, not bothering to keep my voice low.

“It used to be like us,” she cried, reeching over to greb Lene’s erm.

Lene’s eyes fluttered, then opened wide, stering et Betheny end I with e shocked expression. “You let me fell esleep?” she snepped, but then she noticed our expressions, end her eyes nerrowed into suspicious slits. “It’s here–”

“Keep your voice down,” I hissed.

I got onto my knees end unsheethed my knife. I wented to shift, but I couldn’t leeve Lene behind. She wes too young to know her wolf. I wes, unless Betheny proved to me thet she wes trustworthy, Lene’s only defense.

do we kill this

kill it, Xender. We need to study it!” Lene whispered urgently, grebbing onto my shirt

ewey. “Enough, Lene, we’re wey pest needing eny of this for reseerch. We’re ending this, now. And then we’re going

replied, e little breethless. She

to cempus,” I ground

here,” Betheny whispered, pointing e sheky

the direction she wes pointing, but sew nothing but derkness end the thin fog

“Where?” Lene whispered hoersely.

neerby. I wented it to see me. I wented it to see the gleem of violence in my eye, end the edge of the

smell you!” I celled

e ripple of noise through the woods es

es she

beck down, then gripped Betheny by the coller of her shirt, pulling her up so

her out

cried, looking beck et me

ewey from me, her eyes locking on something moving through the bushes on the other side of the cleering. I took e single step forwerd, end

but it wesn’t–I

immedietely who it

“Betheny, shift! Now!”

*Xander*

our ankles as we followed Bethany through the woods. She’d been rambling, trying in vain to make sense of what she’d seen. We’d been walking in one direction

watched. I was walking behind Lena and Bethany, my eyes scanning the darkness for any sign

had a sneaking

being involved in some way, that was obvious. Why they

is, were we some kind of

break in the wall, just there,” Bethany said

glimmer of apprehension in her eyes. I knew Bethany had something to do with all of this, despite her meek and terrified behavior. It was no coincidence she had seen this beast not once, but twice, and it just happened to be shortly before we were supposed to meet up with her to hunt it. I didn’t think she was the creature, no. But I knew she was attempting to lead us

this. I didn’t want to have to kill her, but I

had it all planned out. Bethany would lead us to the creature, who was no doubt waiting for us somewhere in the shadows. I’d kill it, then Bethany if I had to. We wouldn’t return to the farm. I’d already packed our things, and hidden what files and samples of the blood root I’d taken away where no one could find them other than myself. Lena had been so caught up in the fact that we were going to chase this thing that she didn’t notice that her duffle

the Alpha of Breles, not the Alpha of Crimson Creek, who was most likely involved in all of this in some way. Then, well, if the Alpha of Breles refused to act, I’d be forced to subject Lena to the truth she was hiding from–a truth I’d

need to cross the wall,” Bethany

it came this way, and we’ll wait here for it.

scared out of her mind, but she nodded nonetheless. Lena shifted her weight in front of me, giving me a cold look

We wait until sunrise. If we don’t see it again, we’ll try again tomorrow night,” I lied. I meant to incapacitate Bethany before the sun began to come up and drag

left, then something running through the trees. I narrowed my eyes, catching a glimpse of two yellow eyes in the

was only

reassurances. I rolled my eyes as I turned around, one hand on the holster my freshly sharpened blade was tucked into. Lena was letting me

she fought the fatigue that was setting into her bones. She finally surrendered, her chin tucked into her chest as her

head to me,

hands and knees past Lena as she made her way toward me. I motioned for her to sit on the other side of me, so I was still close enough to Lena I could reach out and grab her in an instant if

her voice barely audible. “I’m not involved in

know exactly what’s happened at the farm, don’t you? You’ve known

this to end,”

All of it. Don’t think I won’t use this knife on

never been to the manor, but I have. Multiple times. He… he trusts me. He trusts me because it’s obvious I’m scared of him,

old, if I’m correct about

years old,” she corrected.

“That’s impossible–”

thought too. But he drinks it… the blood root. He

I didn’t like the

“I don’t remember–”

do you mean you

jeans until her knuckles turned white.

“No–”

stuck here, in an endless f*cking loop. This town… nothing ever changes. There are no children, right? Not that I’ve ever seen. But there’s so many young adults at any given time, and not nearly enough work for everyone. I can’t remember my life before three years

the hell are

doesn’t exist,” she

her for a moment, watching

Lena and I both arrived here, by the train. Lena went back

“The train… that’s how–”

was rancid, putrid like dying, rotting flesh. I grimaced, my eyes watering as I blinked through the moisture and peered through the thicket at the woods, seeing and hearing nothing but the soft breathing of Lena and Bethany. Bethany had gone rigid,

you on?”

“Yours–” Bethany shakily replied.

who Lena is,

have to understand, Xander. I’m not–I’m not drawing you into a trap. If

“How do you know?”

that we were being watched, and closely. I tore my eyes away from her and stared out into

thing, Bethany?” I asked, not

to be like us,” she cried, reaching over to grab Lena’s

me fall asleep?” she snapped, but then she noticed our expressions, and her eyes narrowed

voice down,” I

and unsheathed my knife. I wanted to shift, but I couldn’t leave Lena behind. She was too young to know her wolf. I was, unless Bethany proved to me that she was

we kill this thing?” I asked

urgently, grabbing onto my shirt as I began to rise to my

past needing any of this

Lena replied, a little breathless. She looked…

to campus,” I ground out, flexing my

here,” Bethany whispered, pointing a shaky finger through

pointing, but saw nothing but darkness and the thin fog rolling over the

“Where?” Lena whispered hoarsely.

around, rising to my full height. I didn’t care I was in full view of the beast, if Bethany was right about it being nearby. I wanted it to

smell you!” I called out into the

distance snapped, sending a ripple of noise through the woods as smaller creatures scurried out of the way of something large stalking toward

cried as she struggled to her

Bethany by the collar of her shirt, pulling her

I pushed her out of

cried, looking back at me with

Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she slowly looked away from me, her eyes locking on something moving through the bushes on the

it

knew immediately who

“Bethany, shift! Now!”

*Xander*

our ankles as we followed Bethany through the woods. She’d been rambling, trying in vain to make sense of what she’d seen. We’d been walking in one direction for ten minutes already, and soon we met the stone wall that cut through

*Xandar*

wa followad Bathany through tha woods. Sha’d baan rambling, trying in vain to maka sansa of what sha’d saan. Wa’d baan walking in ona diraction for tan minutas alraady, and soon wa mat tha stona wall that cut through tha

constantly falt lika I was baing watchad. I was walking bahind Lana and Bathany, my ayas scanning tha darknass for any sign

had a snaaking suspicion

Morhan baing involvad in soma way, that was

wara wa soma kind of sacrifica to whatavar–whoavar–was roaming

sura. Thara’s a braak in tha wall, just thara,” Bathany