Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 33 : Ambassador from the East

* Xander*

The inn had a modest restaurant on the first floor, decorated in a similar fashion to the rooms above. I was sitting at a round table in a far, quiet comer of the restaurant, a huge platter of roast beef with gravy, sourdough bread, and roasted vegetables laid out between me and the ambassador sent from the East.

He was a young man. likely only a few years younger than myself, with rich dark hair and slightly tilted emerald green eyes. He bore the characteristics of the royal eastern family, with his sharp nose and high cheekbones, and a strong jaw and chin. I eyed him curiously as he forked a piece of roast beef from the platter and dropped it on his plate, letting out a long sigh as he blinked down at his food.

‘’Long trip?" I asked, sipping from my pint of bitter, dark ale.

George, a great-nephew of the former Alpha King of the East, looked up at me tluough his thick, dark lashes as a wry smile touched his lips.

‘‘Absolute hell, if I'm being honest. I always forget how long it takes to get anywhere in Finaldi." He took a bite of the roast and sighed again, shaking his head. “I feel like I haven't eaten in days."

"Same," I said, filling my own plate and stealing a glance toward the foyer.

Lena was in for the shock of her life when she came downstairs to meet us. and I was looking forward to watching her emotions play over her face.

"My partner will be joining us in a moment. She needs to... ulun, finish drying her hair."

"I didn't know your field partner was a woman," he said with a c**k of his brow.

I shrugged, hoping the heat still gripping my body from what Lena and I had been up to only half an hour before wasn't evident on my face.

"She's the best botanist Morhan has to offer." I smiled, despite my efforts to remain neutral.

"Well, don't tell my cousin that." George grinned. swiping a piece of meat through the gravy on his plate. "She's a botanist as well, but her field study is in Red Lakes."

I ran my tongue along my bottom lip, arching my brow and nodding my head in response. Oh, hell. This was going to be interesting.

"You might know her, actually. Selene Gray."

"I don't think I do. My course of study is in pharmaceuticals."

"She'd be hard to miss," he said with a little chuckle. "But I haven't seen her since this time last year. The whole damn family still congregates in Avondale every December-"

I was watching him closely as he spoke. I was feeling a little anxious now. wondering when Lena was going to walk down the stairs. Any minute she'd round the comer of the foyer, and she'd either run or come face to face with the truth.

"Did you come here on your own?" I asked.

his head, but then considered my question and shrugged. "Charlie is in Breles meeting with their Alpha. I'm meant to ran whatever information the warriors have gathered pertaining to the investigation back to them at the end of my stay." He glanced up at

much," I said

already assumed he wasn't in line for any title, but he was still related to the retired Alpha King of Valoria. Ethan Gray. He would

it would take an hour for him to go over every branch on his enormous family tree. He was tied to the West as well, through the marriage of Alpha King Rowan and Queen Hanna, whose family hailed from Red Lakes

reign was substantial based on the way he had connected the entirety of the pack lands tlu ough marriages and offspring, cementing a hereditary monopoly that would rale for generations to come. It was incredible, really, how much that man had

at George as I reached for my beer, noticing the thin gold band on his ring finger. He noticed my gaze and smiled, his cheeks going

and wasn't feeling up to a month-long boat ride

I said earnestly, giving him a

for a moment before he brought his beer to his lips. "Thank

I quipped, leaning back in my chair. I was wanned, and comfortably full,

Joy and I were... well, you know. I'd known her all my life. She's from Suntra. and her family vacationed with mine in Avondale every winter. We were in love, but didn't know we were mates until she turned

said with

his amis over his chest and chuckling as the memory drifted behind his eyes. "We eloped. I thought Ethan- the former Alpha King, as you know-I thought he was going to

guessing the family accepted your

"They act tough, but when it came down to it, all they wanted was our happiness. It was my

talking about

of

errand as a royal ambassador, actually. Joy and I are moving with her parents

out my beer, but swallowed it. giving him a quizzical eye.

parents raised the kids that survived, and now what was left of the people in Dianny have outgrown the island of Suntra. They've been building a new settlement on the shore of the southern jungle for a few' years now; It'll be ready for the pack this

for a brief moment, trying

the tales. I assume?" George shrugged, catching on to my

he

"Xander!"

standing in the foyer, her eyes narrow'ed at me. I stood abruptly, biting the

smile playing over his

Lena," I said, clearing my throat as I motioned

as she sheepishly

front of her and began piling it with roast beef. I w'atched her for a moment, trying not to laugh as she did everything but make eye contact with George. I wanted to ask what her deal w'as, but I knew' it'd

Creek, huh?" George said, giving Lena a stem look that made my skin prickle with adrenaline. "A far

Breles?" she interrupted sharply, forking a piece of roast

lower lip, Iris eyes fixed firmly on hers for a moment before he surrendered to whatever game

she is the prime suspect of the murder of the woman named Gretta and is wanted for information pertaining to the disappearance of the groundskeeper and farmhand." George sipped Iris beer, his gaze flicking to Lena before he met my eye again. "Something unusual was

gone with Elaine that day she went with me to collect samples