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."

patience, "did you see

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

over his face before pinching the bridge of his nose

you, you wouldn't

you,"

to get his attention and

into a puddle of nerves. I didn't

at me. I was frozen in place. It did something to me... like a mind-link, only... I felt like I was being drawn to it, but then

what has been lurking around the estate?" I asked, a chill running up my

asked. “Better yet, who do you think

years. Nothing like this has ever happened before, 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,

isn't it?" Xander said flatly, fixing Bethany with a knowing

"She's visiting family-"

exactly? I heard talk of her frequent

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

the heat radiating off of him as I laid my hand over his forearm, willing him to stop with his interrogation for a

blood

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 why you're here,

decided to leave

replied. "I tried to talk to Henry about it but he ignored me. He just looked right at me, through me, without

gone? He went after Elaine?"

his chest where the wound had been. He was staring blankly at Bethany as if his

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 someone saw Henry walk

When?" Xander

"Just before dark-"

knock on the door, then Maxwell stepped

meaning of

a few samples," Xander lied, an audible bite to his voice as he looked

under Xander's gaze, and he narrowed his eyes, looking from one face

door leading out of the cottage, flashing him what I hoped was a brilliant and convincing smile. "Can I speak to you for a

noticed his softened features and straightened to his full

the door, and I followed

as we walked a short distance away from the tidy trio of cottages. I rounded on him as we reached the beginning of the grain field that hugged the cleared area where the cottages and

with a wry

to see the manor, before I left for Morhan, what was it you

deeply into my eyes. I felt suddenly frozen in place under his gaze. It