Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 20 : We Need to Go Back!

♦Lena*

The library on Morhan's campus was massive and modem, towering over the other school buildings and casting a tall, five-story shadow over the student commons as I sat in a quiet comer on the third floor, flipping through yet another useless textbook.

I'd spent the last six hours in the library. I'd pulled every book I could find that covered botany, rare flora, and medicinal plants.

There wasn't a single mention of blood root or anything like it.

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, exhaling deeply as I closed the eighth textbook I'd flipped through that day. My eyes felt heavy, and I had a pounding headache. All in all. today had been a bust.

The only good news I received was that there had been a development in the murder case on the Radcliffe Estate. A note had been delivered to my apartment in the early morning of my fourth day back in Morhan. telling me I was to board the tram on Saturday, at exactly 7:00 A.M.. and make my way back to Crimson Creek. I knew I wouldn't have been called to return unless something significant had happened to stanch the threat lurking in Crimson Creek.

Back to business as usual. I guessed.

But. that also meant I'd be face-to-face with Xander once more.

I leaned forward in my chair, stretching my arms above my head and blinking several times to wash away the fatigue clouding my vision. I gathered up the books, my muscles straining under the weight of them as I carefully walked down the wide staircase leading to the counter where the librarians were currently lounging, not having much to do other than fetch the books I needed. It was fall break, after all. I'd never seen the libraiy so empty.

“I was wondering," I panted as I placed the stack of books on the counter, reaching up to wipe my brow, “are there any books on... ancient flora? Maybe even something about extinct flora and fauna found around the western continent?"

“Ancient?" said one of the librarians, looking down the bridge of her nose at me behind her glasses.

“Yes. I'm looking for something very specific."

“Well. Morhan doesn't have a catalog of ancient texts. We'd have to order anything over, let's say. two hundred years ago from the University of Breles-"

"Do you have anything here that has a single mention of something called blood root?" I pleaded, leaning over the counter.

“What's the taxonomic division it belongs to?" the librarian said as she adjusted her glasses and began to open a drawer beneath the desk.

“Bryophyta. I believe, but I could be wrong-"

“Moss?" she asked, giving me a quizzical look.

“It's-I've never seen it up close, but that's how it's been described."

“Hmm..." the librarian began to flip through the absolutely massive library catalog she had lifted out of the drawer, shaking her head. She eventually landed on a page, her finger running down the length of the catalog and coming to an abrupt stop. She peered down at it. tilting her head a little as she adjusted her glasses once more. "Well, there is a religious text, and it requires approval-"

“Approval for what, exactly?"

“It's not a text related to the Church of the Moon Goddess, for one. You know how those tilings go." She swiveled in her chair, then stood, canymg the catalog over to a huge computer that looked like it was made before the war that took place around the time my parents were bom. She blew a thick layer of dust from the keyboard then pressed what I assumed was the power button.

The sound of the ancient computer starting up was like a freight train, and it caught me off guard. She winced, shaking her head as she smacked the side of it a few times, which quieted it down.

"We never use this tiling for obvious reasons, but it is handy on occasion."

It took several minutes for the screen to flicker on. revealing pale green letters and a jet black screen. I watched as she typed in a few codes and eventually pulled up the book, then she drew in her breath.

"All. no wonder-"

“What is it?"

religion of the White Queens removed from the libraiy. This was one of the only ones to remain. It lias what you're looking for." She paused as she scanned the text on the

"What other purposes?"

That's why there's a hold for administrative approval in the catalog, but both the electronic directory and

the screen and then looking back

and catalog and went to the opposite end of the long, curved counter. She began to open drawers,

file and pulling it from the cabinet. She leafed through it. a look of concern on her face. “Three years ago. actually. It was

I didn't realize I w as gripping the edge

“C. Maddox. I wonder-"

throat as I

face flushed from the chill in the air and the internal battle currently taking place within my brain. She looked up from her perch on the floor in the living room, a roll

with you?" she asked with a laugh. "You look like you've

I lied, shrugging out of my

the cabinet near the sink." she said, nanowing her eyes at me as I untied the laces on my

be fine. It's just

I was going to grab a pizza for dinner-. Does that sound

all I could muster. I tried not to run as I crossed the living room. I closed myself into my old room and collapsed onto my bed. running my hands

first, I thought Carly's disappearance

I knew in my heart she was part of something larger, and more threatening, than just wandering off into the

as I turned over in bed to face the wall, she'd found

to dr ift into sleep. I relaxed, my breathing slowly, and soon my thoughts were

Xander.

♦Xander*

all day. and it hadn't quelled the burning in my heart. Lena's absence

and while I wouldn't consider her outright stubborn, there was a willpower

be. that is. If w e made it off

as I backed away from the tree stump I was balancing logs on to split. I wound the ax back, splitting a large

three or four years at this rate." Elaine smirked fr om her perch on a felled tree. She bit into an apple, chewing meditatively as I worked. She was supposed to be

for tire manor." I grumbled, setting

had you do the last few days? Seems like a waste of your

I swung the ax for tire past hour. I straightened up. glaring at her for the hundredth time. "Don't you have anything better to do than bug

work for the harvest

else to do to make

of the estate."

did you hear

I liked Elaine—as a friend of Lena. I trusted her. But she knew'

“What about it. then?"

have to let me lead, of

"I wouldn't get lost-"

want to take the risk?" Her eyes were glimmering with a silent challenge as she looked at me. I pursed my

“Fine, let's go."

felled tree. I nodded, wiping my

said. I've split

Let's go."

fell in step with

through the woods. And listen. Xander,

bam and bunkhouse and began to w alk

in the fields of squash and the apple orchard, which were situated at least a quarter mile fr om the vicinity

in all seriousness, turning to face