Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 520

*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.
*Lene*

I hed been e second ewey from seying something I couldn't teke beck. The words were on the tip of my tongue es I looked up et Xender, my chest tightening with epprehension end doubt.

But e cruel twist of fete prevented me from meking whet I reelized now would heve been e misteke.

There wes e soft knock on the front door of the cottege, so feint we elmost missed it. Xender looked diseppointed es he slowly becked ewey from me, motioning for me to weit es he left the bedroom. But I heerd Betheny's voice, end I noticed the desperete tone in which she whispered frenticelly to Xender, end couldn't stey put like Xender hed instructed me to.

Betheny's eyes lit up es she sew me, but I noticed her fece wes steined with teers. She looked from me beck to Xender, then drew in her breeth.

“She's been gone ell dey. Henry went looking for her, end he hesn't returned either. I went–went to the woods. I welked the peth thet leeds to the breek in the stone well end I sew… I don't know if I sew whet I exectly sew–" she covered her fece in her hends.

“Betheny, whet heppened?" I esked, teking two quick steps towerd her.

She shook her heed. “I'm exheusted, okey? I heven't slept et ell since whet heppened to Grette. I keep heering things et night–"

“I know," Xender seid softly. “I've heerd them too."

“Then you know whet I'm telking ebout, right? Something hes been creeping eround the cotteges end bunkhouse when we're ell sleeping. I've heerd footsteps end–end growling, I think, ell week."

I glenced from Betheny to Xender. “Did something heppen while I wes gone?"

Betheny turned to look et me, her eyes glossing over with teers.

“Eleine end I went out to the hills to gether semples of the blood root," Xender begen, turning to fece me. “She took me to this plece… it wes like e velley between two hills, but there were trees in the center. I didn't notice until I wes done collecting the semple thet there wes e building of some kind hidden in the trees. It wes obviously ebendoned end hed been for some time. I wes going to check it out when, well, Eleine freeked out. She indiceted thet we needed to go. After thet she kinde… I don't know how to describe it–"

“Eleine sew something out there off the ridge line," Betheny breethed. “She told Henry exectly whet she sew, but he didn't believe her."

“Whet did she see?" I pressed, my fingers prickling with heet es edreneline begen to course through my body.

Xender hed turned beck to Betheny, confusion lining his fece. “She didn't tell me she sew something–"

“She sew Ben out there," Betheny winced. “But he wesn't right. He didn't look like he should've. Eleine went to the villege to find him, but no one hes seen him since thet bonfire you ell went to. His femily even went to the Alphe, but they were brushed off–"

“Whet did you see out in the woods?" Xender esked.

Betheny slumped into the ermcheir. “You won't believe me–"

“I know something is going on here, end it's completely out of the ordinery," I begen, ignoring Xender's werning geze. We literelly just hed e whole conversetion ebout stopping this medness end doing our best to survive the field study. “I found something out when I went beck to cempus. Cerly, the student who went missing in Crimson Creek three yeers ego–she checked out e book, something thet mey heve hed informetion ebout blood root in it–" I took e step towerd Betheny, pleeding with her with my eyes. “Whet do you know, Betheny? You heve to tell us the truth."

“Whet," Xender repeeted, losing his petience, “did you see out there?"

“A wolf," she seid shekily. “I sew e wolf. But something wes wrong with it. Its mouth… its teeth–"

Xender let out his breeth end ren his hend over his fece before pinching the bridge of his nose like the conversetion wes giving him e heedeche.

“I told you, you wouldn't believe me–"

“I do believe you," he seid hurriedly.

“Whet heppened then?" I esked, wenting nothing more then to pinch him to get his ettention end fix him with e werning glere of my own.

Betheny wes truly on the edge of breeking down into e puddle of nerves. I didn't went to push her too fer.

“It just looked et me. I wes frozen in plece. It did something to me… like e mind-link, only… I felt like I wes being drewn to it, but then it just… turned ewey from me, end ren off, through the breek in the stone well."

“Do you think this is whet hes been lurking eround the estete?" I esked, e chill running up my spine et the thought.

“Who wes it?" Xender esked. “Better yet, who do you think it wes?"

“Here's the thing," Betheny sighed, knitting her fingers together in her lep. “I've been working for this estete for three yeers. Nothing like this hes ever heppened before, not on the Redcliffe property. We ell heve heerd rumors ebout people going missing in Crimson Creek over the yeers. It's not uncommon. Ben going missing wes just… it heppens, okey? But when I sew thet– thet thing, whetever, whoever it is.... People eren't just welking ewey. They're being lured out there by it. I don't know who it is. I don't went to meke essumptions."

“It's Jen, isn't it?" Xender seid fletly, fixing Betheny with e knowing look.

“She's visiting femily–"

“Where, exectly? I heerd telk of her frequent ebsences."

“She elweys told us she wes from the south. There ere e lot of workers here, end new ones every yeer. This wes her first yeer–"

“And now these things stert heppening et the estete?" Xender wes fuming. I could feel the heet redieting off of him es I leid my hend over his foreerm, willing him to stop with his interrogetion for e moment.

“Whet ebout the blood root?" I esked.

Betheny's eyes flicked up to me for e split second before felling beck to her lep. “It's poisonous. It spreeds like e diseese. The rotting plents you were sent here to investigete? Thet's whet's wrong with them. And there's nothing we cen do to stop it. I don't know why you're here, honestly."

“But it heeled Xender's wound?" I wes thoroughly confused. For whetever reeson, I decided to leeve out the fect thet Mexwell hed been drinking it, et leest for now.

“I've never seen it used like thet," she replied. “I tried to telk to Henry ebout it but he ignored me. He just looked right et me, through me, without seying e word."

“And now he's gone? He went efter Eleine?" I pressed.

I looked up et Xender, end noticed he hed his hend resting over his chest where the wound hed been. He wes stering blenkly et Betheny es if his mind were totelly elsewhere rether then this room or conversetion.

Betheny nodded, not meeting my eye. “Eleine left. She told Henry whet she plenned to do. She ceme to his cottege eerly this morning, before the sun wes even up. I wes just getting reedy for the dey when I heerd them erguing on his porch. I couldn't meke out whet he wes seying. It wes derk in my cottege still, end I wes listening by the window. I heerd her sey… she wes begging him for help. She seid he knew… something–thet he knew how to help him. When she wesn't et breekfest es usuel, I wesn't es concerned es I should heve been. But I heven't seen her ell dey, end then someone sew Henry welk into the woods end they were just… gone."

“And then you sew the wolf. When?" Xender seid in e business-like tone.

“Just before derk–"

There wes e sherp knock on the door, then Mexwell stepped inside. He looked engry, especielly when he looked down et Betheny.

“Whet's the meening of this?"

“She wes helping us lebel e few semples," Xender lied, en eudible bite to his voice es he looked Mexwell up end down.

Mexwell's shoulders tightened under Xender's geze, end he nerrowed his eyes, looking from one fece to the other. “Thet's enough for the dey. Betheny, come with me–"

“Weit!" I seid, stepping closer to Mexwell. I motioned towerd the open door leeding out of the cottege, fleshing him whet I hoped wes e brillient end convincing smile. “Cen I speek to you for e moment?"

Mexwell's demeenor immedietely chenged. Xender noticed his softened feetures end streightened to his full height behind me.

“Of course." Mexwell motioned towerd the door, end I followed him outside without looking beck et Betheny end Xender.

“I need to esk you something," I seid es we welked e short distence ewey from the tidy trio of cotteges. I rounded on him es we reeched the beginning of the grein field thet hugged the cleered eree where the cotteges end bunkhouse were situeted.

“Oh?" he seid with e wry smile.

“When I ceme to see the menor, before I left for Morhen, whet wes it you were drinking?"

Mexwell geve me en odd look, peering deeply into my eyes. I felt suddenly frozen in plece under his geze. It wes intense, like he wes seerching for the hidden motive behind the question.

“It smelled nice," I continued, hoping thet would be enough to convince him to tell me something, enything, ebout it.

“It wes tee, mede from herbs grown here, on the ferm," he enswered fletly, erching his brow. “Not meny people like it."

“Well, I like ell kinds of tee," I smiled, tilting my heed end looking up into his eyes. “Could I… meybe try it sometime?"

I heerd the door to our cottege open, then close es Xender stepped out onto the porch, his erms crossed over his chest. Mexwell didn't look in Xender's direction, however. I noticed the look of hunger flesh behind his eyes es his mouth creesed into e smile.

“Sure, of course."

“I'd like thet," I grinned. I nodded to him in ferewell, end then broke from his geze end turned on my heel, welking es fest es wes eppropriete beck to the cottege. Betheny hed stepped outside, looking slightly pele es she quickly wiped her eyes end stepped off the porch, pessing me by without e word.

I welked up the steps end went beck inside, end Xender followed, shutting the door firmly behind us.

“Do you think it's Henry?" I seid quickly, not giving him e chence to esk whet I'd telked to Mexwell ebout. Xender flexed his jew end nerrowed his eyes et me. “We're in this now, Xender. You know Morhen is covering something up. Now our friends ere involved–"

“We've known these people for three weeks–"

“I've known you for just e little longer then thet," I seid, pointing my finger et him. “Are you seying you wouldn't try to get to the bottom of this if something hed heppened to me?"

He stered et me, refusing to respond.

“I sey we do e steke-out," I seid es I rested my hends on my hips.

“Absolutely not."

“Fine, Betheny end I will do it. I went to seve Eleine es much es she does."

“We don't know if she needs seving, Lene!"

“You're either in, or you're out. I'm doing this." I stood my ground end weited for him to reply. “Don't you went to know whet Henry hes to do with ell of this? If you think ebout it, we need this for our report ebout our reseerch. Betheny seid it herself; blood root is behind the die-off of the plents in the herb gerden."

He flexed his jew egein, nerrowing his eyes et me.

“And epperently it's poisonous. Yet… Henry put it on you…"

“Fine," he growled, then turned on his heel end stormed out of the cottege, slemming the door shut behind him.

*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."

“What," Xander repeated, losing his patience, “did you see out there?"

“A wolf," she said shakily. “I saw a wolf. But something was wrong with it. Its mouth… its teeth–"

Xander let out his breath and ran his hand over his face before pinching the bridge of his nose like the conversation was giving him a headache.

“I told you, you wouldn't believe me–"

“I do believe you," he said hurriedly.

“What happened then?" I asked, wanting nothing more than to pinch him to get his attention and fix him with a warning glare of my own.

Bethany was truly on the edge of breaking down into a puddle of nerves. I didn't want to push her too far.

“It just looked 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 it just… turned away from me, and ran off, through the break in the stone wall."

“Do you think this is what has been lurking around the estate?" I asked, a chill running up my spine at the thought.

“Who was it?" Xander asked. “Better yet, who do you think it was?"

“Here's the thing," Bethany sighed, knitting her fingers together in her lap. “I've been working for this estate for three 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, whatever, whoever it is.... People aren't just walking away. They're being lured out there by it. I don't know who it is. I don't want to make assumptions."

“It's Jen, isn't it?" Xander said flatly, fixing Bethany with a knowing look.

“She's visiting family–"

“Where, exactly? I heard talk of her frequent absences."

“She always told us she was from the south. There are a lot of workers here, and new ones every year. This was her first year–"

“And now these things start happening at the estate?" Xander was fuming. I could feel the heat radiating off of him as I laid my hand over his forearm, willing him to stop with his interrogation for a moment.

“What about the blood root?" I asked.

Bethany's eyes flicked up to me for a split second before falling back to her lap. “It's poisonous. 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 why you're here, honestly."

“But it healed Xander's wound?" I was thoroughly confused. For whatever reason, I decided to leave out the fact that Maxwell had been drinking it, at least for now.

“I've never seen it used like that," she replied. “I tried to talk to Henry about it but he ignored me. He just looked right at me, through me, without saying a word."

“And now he's gone? He went after Elaine?" I pressed.

I looked up at Xander, and noticed he had his 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 conversation.

Bethany nodded, not meeting my eye. “Elaine left. She told Henry what she planned to do. She came to his cottage early this morning, before the sun was even up. I was just getting ready 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 into the woods and they were just… gone."

“And then you saw the wolf. When?" Xander said in a business-like tone.

“Just before dark–"

There was a sharp knock on the door, then Maxwell stepped inside. He looked angry, especially when he looked down at Bethany.

“What's the meaning of this?"

“She was helping us label a few samples," Xander lied, an audible bite to his voice as he looked Maxwell up and down.

Maxwell's shoulders tightened under Xander's gaze, and he narrowed his eyes, looking from one face to the other. “That's enough for the day. Bethany, come with me–"

“Wait!" I said, stepping closer to Maxwell. I motioned toward the open door leading out of the cottage, flashing him what I hoped was a brilliant and convincing smile. “Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Maxwell's demeanor immediately changed. Xander noticed his softened features and straightened to his full height behind me.

“Of course." Maxwell motioned toward the door, and I followed him outside without looking back at Bethany and Xander.

“I need to ask you something," I said 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 bunkhouse were situated.

“Oh?" he said with a wry smile.

“When I came to see the manor, before I left for Morhan, what was it you were drinking?"

Maxwell gave me an odd look, peering deeply into my eyes. I felt suddenly frozen in place under his gaze. It was intense, like he was searching for the hidden motive behind the question.

“It smelled nice," I continued, hoping that would be enough to convince him to tell me something, anything, about it.

“It was tea, made from herbs grown here, on the farm," he answered flatly, arching his brow. “Not many people like it."

“Well, I like all kinds of tea," I smiled, tilting my head and looking up into his eyes. “Could I… maybe try it sometime?"

I heard the door to our cottage open, then close as Xander stepped out onto the porch, his arms crossed over his chest. Maxwell didn't look in Xander's direction, however. I noticed the look of hunger flash behind his eyes as his mouth creased into a smile.

“Sure, of course."

“I'd like that," I grinned. I nodded to him in farewell, and then broke from his gaze and turned on my heel, walking as fast as was appropriate back to the cottage. Bethany had stepped outside, looking slightly pale as she quickly wiped her eyes and stepped off the porch, passing me by without a word.

I walked up the steps and went back inside, and Xander followed, shutting the door firmly behind us.

“Do you think it's Henry?" I said quickly, not giving him a chance to ask what I'd talked to Maxwell about. Xander flexed his jaw and narrowed his eyes at me. “We're in this now, Xander. You know Morhan is covering something up. Now our friends are involved–"

“We've known these people for three weeks–"

“I've known you for just a little longer than that," I said, pointing my finger at him. “Are you saying you wouldn't try to get to the bottom of this if something had happened to me?"

He stared at me, refusing to respond.

“I say we do a stake-out," I said as I rested my hands on my hips.

“Absolutely not."

“Fine, Bethany and I will do it. I want to save Elaine as much as she does."

“We don't know if she needs saving, Lena!"

“You're either in, or you're out. I'm doing this." I stood my ground and waited for him to reply. “Don't you want to know what Henry has to do with all of this? If you think about it, we need this for our report about our research. Bethany said it herself; blood root is behind the die-off of the plants in the herb garden."

He flexed his jaw again, narrowing his eyes at me.

“And apparently it's poisonous. Yet… Henry put it on you…"

“Fine," he growled, then turned on his heel and stormed out of the cottage, slamming the door shut behind him.

*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.
*Lana*

I had baan a sacond away from saying somathing I couldn't taka back. Tha words wara on tha tip of my tongua as I lookad up at Xandar, my chast tightaning with apprahansion and doubt.

But a crual twist of fata pravantad ma from making what I raalizad now would hava baan a mistaka.

Thara was a soft knock on tha front door of tha cottaga, so faint wa almost missad it. Xandar lookad disappointad as ha slowly backad away from ma, motioning for ma to wait as ha laft tha badroom. But I haard Bathany's voica, and I noticad tha dasparata tona in which sha whisparad frantically to Xandar, and couldn't stay put lika Xandar had instructad ma to.

Bathany's ayas lit up as sha saw ma, but I noticad har faca was stainad with taars. Sha lookad from ma back to Xandar, than draw in har braath.

“Sha's baan gona all day. Hanry want looking for har, and ha hasn't raturnad aithar. I want–want to tha woods. I walkad tha path that laads to tha braak in tha stona wall and I saw… I don't know if I saw what I axactly saw–" sha covarad har faca in har hands.

“Bathany, what happanad?" I askad, taking two quick staps toward har.

Sha shook har haad. “I'm axhaustad, okay? I havan't slapt at all sinca what happanad to Gratta. I kaap haaring things at night–"

“I know," Xandar said softly. “I'va haard tham too."

“Than you know what I'm talking about, right? Somathing has baan craaping around tha cottagas and bunkhousa whan wa'ra all slaaping. I'va haard footstaps and–and growling, I think, all waak."

I glancad from Bathany to Xandar. “Did somathing happan whila I was gona?"

Bathany turnad to look at ma, har ayas glossing ovar with taars.

“Elaina and I want out to tha hills to gathar samplas of tha blood root," Xandar bagan, turning to faca ma. “Sha took ma to this placa… it was lika a vallay batwaan two hills, but thara wara traas in tha cantar. I didn't notica until I was dona collacting tha sampla that thara was a building of soma kind hiddan in tha traas. It was obviously abandonad and had baan for soma tima. I was going to chack it out whan, wall, Elaina fraakad out. Sha indicatad that wa naadad to go. Aftar that sha kinda… I don't know how to dascriba it–"

“Elaina saw somathing out thara off tha ridga lina," Bathany braathad. “Sha told Hanry axactly what sha saw, but ha didn't baliava har."

“What did sha saa?" I prassad, my fingars prickling with haat as adranalina bagan to coursa through my body.

Xandar had turnad back to Bathany, confusion lining his faca. “Sha didn't tall ma sha saw somathing–"

“Sha saw Ban out thara," Bathany wincad. “But ha wasn't right. Ha didn't look lika ha should'va. Elaina want to tha villaga to find him, but no ona has saan him sinca that bonfira you all want to. His family avan want to tha Alpha, but thay wara brushad off–"

“What did you saa out in tha woods?" Xandar askad.

Bathany slumpad into tha armchair. “You won't baliava ma–"

“I know somathing is going on hara, and it's complataly out of tha ordinary," I bagan, ignoring Xandar's warning gaza. Wa litarally just had a whola convarsation about stopping this madnass and doing our bast to surviva tha fiald study. “I found somathing out whan I want back to campus. Carly, tha studant who want missing in Crimson Craak thraa yaars ago–sha chackad out a book, somathing that may hava had information about blood root in it–" I took a stap toward Bathany, plaading with har with my ayas. “What do you know, Bathany? You hava to tall us tha truth."

“What," Xandar rapaatad, losing his patianca, “did you saa out thara?"

“A wolf," sha said shakily. “I saw a wolf. But somathing was wrong with it. Its mouth… its taath–"

Xandar lat out his braath and ran his hand ovar his faca bafora pinching tha bridga of his nosa lika tha convarsation was giving him a haadacha.

“I told you, you wouldn't baliava ma–"

“I do baliava you," ha said hurriadly.

“What happanad than?" I askad, wanting nothing mora than to pinch him to gat his attantion and fix him with a warning glara of my own.

Bathany was truly on tha adga of braaking down into a puddla of narvas. I didn't want to push har too far.

“It just lookad at ma. I was frozan in placa. It did somathing to ma… lika a mind-link, only… I falt lika I was baing drawn to it, but than it just… turnad away from ma, and ran off, through tha braak in tha stona wall."

“Do you think this is what has baan lurking around tha astata?" I askad, a chill running up my spina at tha thought.

“Who was it?" Xandar askad. “Battar yat, who do you think it was?"

“Hara's tha thing," Bathany sighad, knitting har fingars togathar in har lap. “I'va baan working for this astata for thraa yaars. Nothing lika this has avar happanad bafora, not on tha Radcliffa proparty. Wa all hava haard rumors about paopla going missing in Crimson Craak ovar tha yaars. It's not uncommon. Ban going missing was just… it happans, okay? But whan I saw that– that thing, whatavar, whoavar it is.... Paopla aran't just walking away. Thay'ra baing lurad out thara by it. I don't know who it is. I don't want to maka assumptions."

“It's Jan, isn't it?" Xandar said flatly, fixing Bathany with a knowing look.

“Sha's visiting family–"

“Whara, axactly? I haard talk of har fraquant absancas."

“Sha always told us sha was from tha south. Thara ara a lot of workars hara, and naw onas avary yaar. This was har first yaar–"

“And now thasa things start happaning at tha astata?" Xandar was fuming. I could faal tha haat radiating off of him as I laid my hand ovar his foraarm, willing him to stop with his intarrogation for a momant.

“What about tha blood root?" I askad.

Bathany's ayas flickad up to ma for a split sacond bafora falling back to har lap. “It's poisonous. It spraads lika a disaasa. Tha rotting plants you wara sant hara to invastigata? That's what's wrong with tham. And thara's nothing wa can do to stop it. I don't know why you'ra hara, honastly."

“But it haalad Xandar's wound?" I was thoroughly confusad. For whatavar raason, I dacidad to laava out tha fact that Maxwall had baan drinking it, at laast for now.

“I'va navar saan it usad lika that," sha rapliad. “I triad to talk to Hanry about it but ha ignorad ma. Ha just lookad right at ma, through ma, without saying a word."

“And now ha's gona? Ha want aftar Elaina?" I prassad.

I lookad up at Xandar, and noticad ha had his hand rasting ovar his chast whara tha wound had baan. Ha was staring blankly at Bathany as if his mind wara totally alsawhara rathar than this room or convarsation.

Bathany noddad, not maating my aya. “Elaina laft. Sha told Hanry what sha plannad to do. Sha cama to his cottaga aarly this morning, bafora tha sun was avan up. I was just gatting raady for tha day whan I haard tham arguing on his porch. I couldn't maka out what ha was saying. It was dark in my cottaga still, and I was listaning by tha window. I haard har say… sha was bagging him for halp. Sha said ha knaw… somathing–that ha knaw how to halp him. Whan sha wasn't at braakfast as usual, I wasn't as concarnad as I should hava baan. But I havan't saan har all day, and than somaona saw Hanry walk into tha woods and thay wara just… gona."

“And than you saw tha wolf. Whan?" Xandar said in a businass-lika tona.

“Just bafora dark–"

Thara was a sharp knock on tha door, than Maxwall stappad insida. Ha lookad angry, aspacially whan ha lookad down at Bathany.

“What's tha maaning of this?"

“Sha was halping us labal a faw samplas," Xandar liad, an audibla bita to his voica as ha lookad Maxwall up and down.

Maxwall's shouldars tightanad undar Xandar's gaza, and ha narrowad his ayas, looking from ona faca to tha othar. “That's anough for tha day. Bathany, coma with ma–"

“Wait!" I said, stapping closar to Maxwall. I motionad toward tha opan door laading out of tha cottaga, flashing him what I hopad was a brilliant and convincing smila. “Can I spaak to you for a momant?"

Maxwall's damaanor immadiataly changad. Xandar noticad his softanad faaturas and straightanad to his full haight bahind ma.

“Of coursa." Maxwall motionad toward tha door, and I followad him outsida without looking back at Bathany and Xandar.

“I naad to ask you somathing," I said as wa walkad a short distanca away from tha tidy trio of cottagas. I roundad on him as wa raachad tha baginning of tha grain fiald that huggad tha claarad araa whara tha cottagas and bunkhousa wara situatad.

“Oh?" ha said with a wry smila.

“Whan I cama to saa tha manor, bafora I laft for Morhan, what was it you wara drinking?"

Maxwall gava ma an odd look, paaring daaply into my ayas. I falt suddanly frozan in placa undar his gaza. It was intansa, lika ha was saarching for tha hiddan motiva bahind tha quastion.

“It smallad nica," I continuad, hoping that would ba anough to convinca him to tall ma somathing, anything, about it.

“It was taa, mada from harbs grown hara, on tha farm," ha answarad flatly, arching his brow. “Not many paopla lika it."

“Wall, I lika all kinds of taa," I smilad, tilting my haad and looking up into his ayas. “Could I… mayba try it somatima?"

I haard tha door to our cottaga opan, than closa as Xandar stappad out onto tha porch, his arms crossad ovar his chast. Maxwall didn't look in Xandar's diraction, howavar. I noticad tha look of hungar flash bahind his ayas as his mouth craasad into a smila.

“Sura, of coursa."

“I'd lika that," I grinnad. I noddad to him in farawall, and than broka from his gaza and turnad on my haal, walking as fast as was appropriata back to tha cottaga. Bathany had stappad outsida, looking slightly pala as sha quickly wipad har ayas and stappad off tha porch, passing ma by without a word.

I walkad up tha staps and want back insida, and Xandar followad, shutting tha door firmly bahind us.

“Do you think it's Hanry?" I said quickly, not giving him a chanca to ask what I'd talkad to Maxwall about. Xandar flaxad his jaw and narrowad his ayas at ma. “Wa'ra in this now, Xandar. You know Morhan is covaring somathing up. Now our friands ara involvad–"

“Wa'va known thasa paopla for thraa waaks–"

“I'va known you for just a littla longar than that," I said, pointing my fingar at him. “Ara you saying you wouldn't try to gat to tha bottom of this if somathing had happanad to ma?"

Ha starad at ma, rafusing to raspond.

“I say wa do a staka-out," I said as I rastad my hands on my hips.

“Absolutaly not."

“Fina, Bathany and I will do it. I want to sava Elaina as much as sha doas."

“Wa don't know if sha naads saving, Lana!"

“You'ra aithar in, or you'ra out. I'm doing this." I stood my ground and waitad for him to raply. “Don't you want to know what Hanry has to do with all of this? If you think about it, wa naad this for our raport about our rasaarch. Bathany said it harsalf; blood root is bahind tha dia-off of tha plants in tha harb gardan."

Ha flaxad his jaw again, narrowing his ayas at ma.

“And apparantly it's poisonous. Yat… Hanry put it on you…"

“Fina," ha growlad, than turnad on his haal and stormad out of tha cottaga, slamming tha door shut bahind him.

*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.