Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 21 :1 Need to Tell You Something

*Lena*

He was waiting for me at the train depot, leaning against the farm truck with his aim crossed over his chest. I fought against the smile threatening to stretch across my face as I walked down the steps off the platform, my duffle bag hanging over one shoulder. He eyed me. looking me up and down.

‘’Hey." he said, his voice void of expression.

My heart sank as I gave him a tight-lipped smile and crossed in front of him to climb into the passenger side of the truck.

I'd be gone for just over a week.

I hadn't been able to get him out of my mind.

What did I expect him to do, really? Had I wanted him to run to me. to pick me up and swing me in a circle like something out of a romance novel? Had I wanted him to admit he'd been pining for me, to try to convince me everything I thought about our brief, but passionate, liaison had been something much more serious?

I was the problem. I know that much. I had no right to expect anything from him.

‘’I need to talk to you about something," he said as he put the truck in drive.

It was dark out, the little town of Crimson Creek speckled with yellow light as we drove toward the forest. I looked out my window as we crossed the bridge, seeing Radcliffe Manor rising in the distance atop its hill, peeking out over the trees.

“About what?"

“I got the sample we were talking about," he said casually, glancing over at me before focusing his eyes back on the road. "I'm not sure what I'm looking at, honestly."

"You made a slide?"

"Of course."

"I..." I wavered, shifting my weight in the passenger seat as we continued along the narrow road through the unforgivingly dark woods just inside the boundary of the estate. I looked at him. searching his face for a moment before I told him about the book I had found out about in the library.

"So, you're saying Carly knew about blood root?"

"I'm saying she knew about it and went back to Morhan to try to find out more information about it. I saw the date on the file, the date she checked out the book: it was only a week before she went missing. She had to get administrative approval in order to even check it out."

Xander exhaled, his nostrils flaring as he considered what I was telling him.

"Morhan didn't mention any of this in the file they gave us," I urged, with an emphasis on "any."

Xander abruptly stopped the truck, shifting it into park. He cut the headlights, and in an instant, we were blanketed in total darkness.

We have another three weeks here. We need to just focus, and get

us here knowing what happened to Carly? Does that not seem strange to

he said hotly, gripping the steering wheel. "It doesn't matter, though. You were the one who wanted to focus on our studies. This field study meant the

but he turned to face me. his eyes reflecting in the faint moonlight peeking througli the

said, we only

trying to cover something up, Xander-the university

to face me fully, leaning

Listen to me-" he grabbed my shoulders, shaking me a little. "We're not going to get the answers we want. This isn't about us. We came

you, remember? It's obvious Henry knows what's going on, but he refuses to

leave. Right now." He turned the headlights on and shifted the

"Stop!"

you're out here. Lena? Have you told them what's going

We'd never spoken to each other about

"They know I'm here."

they know someone was murdered on this

swallowed, shaking

adult, Xander. This is

for Goddess sake. I got you the blood root sample. We can test it against the

what?"

shifting the truck into drive.

wasn't sure what to say. I wanted him. I was, maybe, even starting to fall for

into drive. We drove out of the woods and down the narrow road that cut througli fields of grain. The cottages came into view, and I noticed smoke coming from

truck while I walked a few steps behind him into the cottage. It was perfectly warm, and I noticed a few changes right away. I'd only been gone for a week, but Xander had pinned

in here more often than not," he said, setting my duffle bag down on the truck that still sat in the living room. "I was worried Radcliffe would take apart the lab, so I moved our files and notes in here." He waved his hand around, motioning toward the

I closed the door behind me and flipped on the light, staring

wait

inside, his hand on the doorknob. "Are you okay?

had come in, and I smoothed them down as I followed him back out into the living room. He sat on his usual spot on the trunk. I sat in the armchair, and for a split second, I had a vision of the two of us as elderly people,

the blush that was creeping over my cheeks. I lifted my eyes toward Xander,

lifting his mug to his lips. He was dressed in his signature gray sweatpants and a thick black sweatshirt

This would be so much easier if I could. Instead, I said

Morhan. I hit him in the head with a

Xander arched his brow.

"Why a shampoo bottle?"

chuckled. Eventually. I told him

you feel about the fact that she's going to the royal