Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 36: Secrets

*Lena*

The next day passed without much to talk about. I lounged in bed, feeling sorry for myself. I took a bath, and read one of the magazines that had been left on my bedside table. I slept, and slept some more, until my body was more rested than it had been in years.

Bethany provided some respite from my boredom by coming into the village to have dinner with Xander and me at the hotel.

It was the first time I'd been out of our room all day. Xander had been out most of the night, creeping into our room sometime in the early morning and leaving again before I had even risen from bed around 9:00. We hadn't spoken since our fight at the estate, and the distance was beginning to wear on me.

“What'll you do when you graduate?" Bethany asked over the rim of her glass of red wine.

"I haven't given it much thought," Xander replied, cutting another piece of prime rib and forking it into his mouth. "Travel, maybe."

"What about you, Lena?" she asked, giving Xander an incredulous look before turning her gaze to me.

"I hoped to work in a small town somewhere north, actually, hopefully in Findali. Valoria is very metropolitan."

"What about you, Beth?" Xander poured himself another glass of wine from the decanter, arching his brow at Bethany.

"I like my cottage," she said, but then looked a little morose. "I don't want Henry to come back to an empty..."

"We'll throw him a party," Xander grinned, his voice nothing but comforting. It loosened the grudge I was holding against him just a touch, especially as he met my eye.

"And he'll hate it," I teased, and the look of warmth flashing behind Xander's eyes made the knot in my stomach loosen a touch.

"He'd hide from us," Bethany added with a smirk. I hadn't seen her smile in a very long time.

"You have to be a certain type of person to hide your true identity," Xander began, taking what would be his third helping of prime rib from the platter in the center of the table. "It's a full-time job."

"Are you saying you're not who you say you are?" Bethany quipped.

Xander arched his brow at her in a teasing fashion. "You'd never know, because I'm very good at it. Tell me, what do you know about my childhood or pack? Nothing, because I deflect. I am a man of mystery."

I made a mental note that red wine made Xander talkative and playful, and it brought a ruddy color to his cheeks. I sipped from my own wine, but Xander had his eyes on mine again, peering at me with mirth dancing behind his nearly black irises.

"Lena thinks she's good at it," he added, narrowing his eyes at me.

I felt heat rush into my cheeks, and not from the wine. "I don't know what you're talking about—"

Xander shot me a look that sent a shiver down my spine, and I quickly drained my wine while Bethany cleared her throat and toyed with her napkin.

"I need to get going before it gets dark," she said, glancing between us and smiling softly to herself. She rose to take her leave, and I felt a blanket of tension flood our table.

Xander stood and followed her to the foyer, and I watched with interest as he leaned in to speak into her ear. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Bethany gave him a shocked look as he placed a small piece of paper in the palm of her hand.

"What did you give her?" I asked as he sat back down.

purposefully filling it to the rim. I scowled at him as I tried to balance the wine glass without

tell you if you tell me what was in the envelope the

then drank deeply from the excessively full wine glass. "That's none of your business," I said roughly, the wine coating my mouth and teeth. It was entirely

your businesss," he replied curtly, forking another piece of

for another twenty minutes before I finally left the table and retreated to our room. We had one more day in Crimson

I hadn't even taken off the thick cardigan I was wearing over my sweatshirt before Xander stepped into the room, roughly closing the door behind him.

taking off my cardigan and tossing it

asked sharply, crossing the room and sitting on the edge of his bed to

gotten us separate rooms?" I began,

gave me a wry, somewhat playful smile, which further infuriated me. "You were fine with sharing a room

you give

matter? You have your secrets. Am I not entitled to mine?" He placed his shoes

"Secrets?"

"Don't play coy, Lena-"

at dinner," I hissed, taking a step in his direction and pointing an accusing finger at him. “I know nothing about you. I don't know where you're from. I know virtually nothing about what's been happening on the estate. You are the one keeping secrets, Xander. I

a rise out of me.

felt heat prickling in my fingertips and wished I'd kept my cardigan on so I could

"Tell me-"

George give you before we left

you think he'd give me an

"Did he?"

lips into a tight line. "I don't know, I

sighed, leaning forward, "that wasn't

"What did you give-"

if she wanted to leave Crimson Creek and start somewhere new. I offered to help her

the blood rushing to my cheeks as the tension left my body, replaced

did you think it was, Lena, a love note? Me spilling

"No-"

what is

my eyes, trying to get a handle on the

"Are you alright?"

"I need to get out of here. I need to leave

rigid as he looked over at me. He tilted his head to the side, watching me closely. I lowered my

"I can't-"

in two long strides, his hand coming up to touch my cheek as he lifted my face into the light. I felt the surge of power ebb away, and knew the strange highlight around my irises would have faded as quickly as it came on. At least grass wasn't

often does

against him. He took a step away from me, looking me up and down

He continued to stare. I felt utterly exposed

can you do?"

I shook my head.

"Lena?"

part of myself a long