Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 137 : The Silver Eyed Wolf

*Lena*

Elaine took a few steps forward, her jaw flexing as she swallowed.

“Lena, you and I need to talk–"

“Obviously!" I nearly shouted, rounding the table.

I passed Alma, who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen with two plates of chocolate cake, looking more annoyed than confused.

Gideon rose to his feet, glancing at Xander before he motioned for Alma to retreat into the kitchen.

Ianthe gave me a tight-lipped smile as she sidestepped around me and left the room, leaving Elaine and me alone.

Except for Xander, of course, who was standing on the other side of the dining room table looking just as shocked as I was.

“Elaine," I breathed, my initial shock ebbing away into outright confusion. “What happened?"

Elaine sighed deeply, running her fingers along the top of the couch as she walked toward us. I noticed the faded bruising along her jaw, and the scar along the bridge of her nose as she came into the light of the chandelier above her head.

“I don't know how to explain what happened to me," she said, glancing from me to Xander.

“You need to try," Xander said flatly, righting the chair he'd knocked over in his haste to stand up.

I sat in one of the armchairs, keeping my eyes focused on Elaine, unblinking.

“I heard the two of you met Andromeda," she said in a whisper, her eyes sparkling with understanding. “I just missed you there. I'd just left–"

“Elaine," Xander exhaled, tapping his fingers on the dining room table. “What happened? We need to know everything, from the beginning.

“You're my friend's twin–"

“I didn't know about my sister until the war," she breathed with a pained expression as she sat on the couch, running her hands over her jeans. “I didn't know. I thought.... It sounds crazy, but I can't remember a time I wasn't in Crimson Creek. I was just here one day, and all of these memories I thought I had… of a family, of parents–" She tapered off, shaking her head.

“I saw Ben the night Xander and I went out into the hills when he wanted to collect a sample of the blood root. I thought… I thought Ben was in danger. He was screaming but not–not for me–"

Xander tilted his head to the side, a sudden realization creeping over his face. “Who was he screaming for? I didn't hear anything–"

“He was screaming for you, Xander. That's when I knew something was wrong. Ben wouldn't have… he was looking right at me, I thought. He was walking toward us. I knew it wasn't him when I saw his face clearly. It wasn't him, but it was his voice. That's when I told you we needed to get out of there."

“But why did you go back?" I asked, my skin prickling with adrenaline.

Alexis kicked me, hard, and I wrapped my arms around my belly as if sheltering her, protecting her from whatever Elaine was about to reveal.

“Because something clicked inside my head when I saw Ben, something I'd been battling with for a long time. When I read your palm, Lena… I actually saw something. I'd be reading tea leaves and palms because that's what I remembered being able to do, for whatever reason, even though I had no memories of my time before Crimson Creek. I was just there. I woke up to Maxwell hovering over me one day, saying I'd hit my head. I thought–I thought that was why–"

“Elaine," Xander said sharply.

Elaine glanced up at him, swallowing hard. “I, uh. When I read your palm, I saw this place… wooded and just beautiful, a dream. I felt this pull toward it, and when I saw Ben in the hills, I felt that pull again. So, I went back out in the hills. I went to the same place I'd taken Xander and I just.... A woman appeared out of nowhere, begging me to come with her, pleading with me. She told me I needed to come home."

A chill ran down the length of my spine as Elaine folded her hands between her thighs, rocking her body back and forth.

“Suddenly I wasn't in this realm anymore. I was in… you know."

“Then what happened?"

“The woman and I hid during the night. During the day we traveled far, across the realm, I am sure. We came to the water, that strange sea and a boat appeared."

“You went to Andromeda–"

“Listen," Elaine said, taking a shallow breath. “I didn't know about my biological family at all until I reached Andromeda's realm. That's what it is, you know. It's still there. That's where I've been, all this time. That's where I was taken when I was a child." She rolled up her sleeve, her pale skin glistening in the amber light of the chandelier. She revealed a pale pink mark in the crook of her elbow, something that looked like a half moon scar. “I was born with it. It's a witch's mark. I am a shifter by blood, but somewhere in my family's line is a witch who passed her powers down, but not everyone has it. Abigail," she said, tears in her eyes, “she didn't have it. No one in my family knew what it was, or what it meant. I was taken from my home as a child and taken to Winter Forest, through the portal in the temple to the realm of the witches, so that I could live with my own kind."

“You were raised there–"

“I remember it now," she said tearfully. “I was sent out, back to this realm, to spy. That was my purpose. I was sent out to guard over you, Lena. I went to Morhan looking for you. But then I was… I still don't remember how I ended up in Crimson Creek. Those memories are blurry. But Maxwell did something to me, he did something–"

“He took your memories," Xander interrupted. “Just like Bethany–"

“Yes. He did. And when the witches caught wind of what was happening, they called me home. Lena, when you brought the portal down–"

“I didn't," I choked, my throat tightening around a sob. She didn't know, did she? She didn't know about Oliver.

“But–"

“How did you get here?" Xander asked, eyeing me before looking back at Elaine.

A silent plea rippled through our bond and I understood him completely. Announcing that we knew her mate… it wasn't for us to say. That was sacred.

“Andromeda sent me through the portal in the temple. She told me my work for her was done, and to go home. But I didn't know where home was. So, I came back here. I got here a few days ago." She looked meditative for a moment, her eye's glistening with some recent memory. “I thought I felt the mate bond in her realm. I was sure, even if for a moment."

“Lena, can you go find Alma?" Xander said abruptly.

Elaine and I looked at him, but he nodded at me, his face void of expression. I chewed my lower lip as I rose, giving Elaine a weak smile. She looked somewhat fearful of being left alone with Xander.

“I'll be back–"

“Lena," Xander said in a low growl that made the down hair on my arms stand on end. What did he mean to do?

I hurried out of the room, walking into the kitchen and closing the door behind me. I let out the breath I'd been holding and came face to face with Alma, Gideon, Ianthe, and Bethany.

“Do any of you have any idea where Oliver might be?" I whispered.

Alma set a dish back in the sink, her face falling at the mention of his name.

“He mentioned New Dianny; that's all we know."

***

*Xander*