Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

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.

But a cruel twist of fate prevented me from making what I realized now would have been a mistake.

There was 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 in which she whispered frantically to Xander, and couldn't stay put like Xander had instructed me to.

Bethany's eyes lit up as she saw me, but I noticed her face was stained with tears. She looked from me back to Xander, then drew in her breath.

"She's been gone all day. 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 saw what I exactly saw-" she covered her face in her hands.

"Bethany, what happened?" I asked, taking two quick steps toward her.

She shook her head. “I'm exhausted, okay? I haven't slept at all since what happened to Gretta. I keep hearing things at night—"

"I know," Xander said softly. "I've heard them too."

"Then you know what I'm talking about, right? Something has been creeping around the cottages and bunkhouse when we're all sleeping. I've heard footsteps and-and growling, I think, all week."

I glanced from Bethany to Xander. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

Bethany turned to look at me, her eyes glossing over with tears.

"Elaine and I went out to the hills to gather samples of the blood root," Xander began, turning to face me. "She took me to this place... it was like a valley between two hills, but there were trees in the center. I 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 been for some time. I was going to check it out when, well, Elaine freaked out. She indicated that we needed to go. After that she kinda... I don't know how to describe it-"

"Elaine saw something out there off the ridge line," Bethany breathed. "She told Henry exactly what she saw, but he didn't believe her."

"What did she see?" I pressed, my fingers prickling with heat as adrenaline began to course through my body.

Xander had turned back to Bethany, confusion lining his face. "She didn't tell me she saw something-"

"She saw Ben out there," Bethany winced. "But he wasn't right. He didn't look like he should've. Elaine went to 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 were brushed off-"

"What did you see out in the woods?" Xander asked.

Bethany slumped into the armchair. "You won't believe me-"

"I know something is going on here, 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 three years ago-she checked out a book, something that may have had information about blood root in it-" I took a step toward Bethany, pleading with her with my eyes. "What do you know, Bethany? You have to tell us the truth."

repeated, losing his patience, "did you see out

she said shakily. "I saw a wolf. But something was wrong with it. Its

over his face before pinching the bridge of his nose

you, you wouldn't

do believe you," he said

him to get his attention and fix him with

the edge of breaking down into a puddle of nerves. I didn't want to push

to me... like a mind-link, only... I felt like I was being drawn to it, but then it just... turned away from me, and ran off,

around the estate?"

yet, who do you

not on the Radcliffe property. We all have heard rumors about people going missing in Crimson Creek over the years. It's not uncommon. Ben going missing was just... it happens, okay? But when I saw that- that thing, whatever, whoever it is.... People aren't just walking away. They're being lured out there by

it?" Xander said flatly, fixing

"She's visiting family-"

I heard talk of her frequent

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

the heat radiating off of him

the blood root?" I

It spreads like a disease. 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 it. I don't know

I was thoroughly confused. For whatever reason, I decided to leave out

it used like that," she replied. "I tried to talk to Henry about it but he ignored me. He just

gone? He went after Elaine?"

hand resting over his chest where the wound had been. He was staring blankly at Bethany as if his mind were totally elsewhere rather than this room or

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

you saw the wolf. When?"

"Just before dark-"

knock on the door, then Maxwell stepped inside. He looked angry,

meaning

helping us label a few samples," Xander lied, an audible bite

he narrowed his eyes, looking from one face to the other. "That's enough for the

toward the open door leading out of the cottage, flashing him what I hoped was a

Xander noticed his softened features and straightened to his

Maxwell motioned toward the door, and I followed him outside

ask you something," I said as we walked a short distance away from the tidy trio of cottages. I rounded

he said with a

the manor, before I left

an odd look, peering deeply into my eyes. I felt suddenly frozen in place under his gaze. It was intense, like