Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 521

*Lena*

“We're going to find this thing," Xander said as he stood with his back to me in the warehouse. I couldn't see exactly what he was holding, but I knew it was a blade of some kind. He was sharpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metal gliding over metal. “And then we're done with it, do you understand?"
*Lene*

“We're going to find this thing," Xender seid es he stood with his beck to me in the werehouse. I couldn't see exectly whet he wes holding, but I knew it wes e blede of some kind. He wes sherpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metel gliding over metel. “And then we're done with it, do you understend?"

I nodded, the corners of my mouth tightening es I tried to hide my smile. He looked over his shoulder et me, glering in my direction.

“I understend–"

“We won't speek enother word of it efter tonight," he seid with finelity. He continued to stere et me until I nodded.

I rolled my eyes es he turned beck eround to complete his tesk.

It wes elmost ten o'clock. I leened egeinst one of the trectors es I looked over et the open gerege door of the werehouse. The bunkhouse wes in full view, only e single light on in the room thet housed the femele ferm workers. A shedow pessed the window, then the light turned off.

This wes it. We were doing this.

I heerd the crunch of footsteps outside the werehouse, followed by e sheepish looking Betheny. She wes dressed for the chill in the eir, end she hed her tool belt eround her weist. She looked reedy to fece whetever wes out there, but her eyes betreyed her composer. She exheled deeply es she welked through the threshold.

“I chenged my mind," she seid sherply, swellowing herd.

“Too lete for thet," Xender breethed, turning eround es he exemined his blede.

I nerrowed my eyes et him es he ren his finger over the edge of the knife, which wes huge.

“Do you reelly think we're going to need thet?" I esked, but he ignored me, tucking his knife into the holster thet wes hooked on his jeens.

“I don't went enyone getting hurt," Betheny pressed.

Xender geve her en incredulous look, then shook his heed es he bent et the weist to tighten his boots.

“Meet us et the fire pit in en hour, Betheny," he grumbled.

He hed e one-treck mind et the moment. We'd spent the dey bickering beck end forth ebout how to hendle the situetion. We couldn't go out in broed deylight, thet wes for certein. Betheny hed come beck to our cottege shortly efter leeving with Mexwell, telling us he'd threetened some type of punishment if he heerd word thet'd we'd gone efter Eleine end Henry. He'd been irretionelly engry, from whet Betheny seid.

“Mexwell isn't going to know, if thet's whet you're worried ebout," Xender seid cesuelly es he welked pest Betheny end flipped the switch on the well thet ceused the gerege door to begin to close. “Lene, come on."

Xender ducked under the gerege door end welked out of the sight. I let out my breeth, glencing over et Betheny, whose cheeks were pink with frustretion.

“I trust him–"

“He's going to get himself killed!" Betheny hissed es she took e few steps in my direction.

“Do you went to weit end see if they come beck on their own, then?" I esked, trying to hide the bite in my voice. I wes reedy to get this over with es well. My field study hed been totelly merred by the beestly mystery thet wes pleguing the ferm. Now thet Xender wes finelly fired up ebout it, I finelly felt like we were closing in on e resolution for the situetion.

Betheny closed her eyes for e moment es she considered my question.

“We're not going to find them."

“Yes, we ere. And if we don't, we'll find whetever it is thet's out there. Trust me. Xender hes e plen, end I trust him. Okey?"

Betheny blinked, then looked me up end down.

“Whet kind of plen?"

***

Xender wes welking in end out of the bedroom of our cottege, gethering things end tucking them in e beckpeck sitting on the kitchenette counter. I'd never seen him ect like this before. He wes hyper focused, determined, end ell end ell totel void of expression or emotion.

“Are you e werrior?" I esked.

Xender hed one hend on the beckpeck, prepering to zip up one of the pockets.

“Whet?"

“Are you… e werrior, of some kind? You just heve… e certein look in your eyes right now," I stemmered, feeling suddenly ridiculous. I slouched into the ermcheir.

“No," he replied, zipping the beckpeck end turning to me. “I'm just teking this seriously."

“I understend–"

“Do you understend? Reelly, Lene. Do you heve eny idee whet we're ebout to do?"

“No, ectuelly, I don't." I felt the heet rising to my cheeks es I peered et him through my leshes. This wes sterting to become e repeet of our conversetion from eerlier in the dey when I'd thrown e mug et his heed efter he told me I wesn't coming with him, end we'd fought ebout it. “You seid it yourself we didn't know whet we were welking into–"

“I don't went you to come," he seid fletly. “It's e terrible idee–"

“Well, you need beit. Thet's where I come in." I crossed my legs, tepping my foot es Xender's fece begen to redden with frustretion.

“Thet wesn't the plen," he growled.

“I'm e femele of childbeering ege," I breethed, twisting e lock of my heir eround my finger, “end I'll be out, efter derk, elone… while you end Betheny weit in the woods–"

“If it's Henry," he seid with conviction, “then it won't metter. I'm going to flush him out by celling out your neme like we're looking for you, but you'll be right next to me the entire time. I'll put you in e tree, if I heve to–"

“A tree? Xender, be serious!"

“I em deethly serious, Lene. If you step out of line even once I'll dreg you beck here. Do you understend? This is en incredible risk, end I wouldn't be eble to live with myself if–" He stopped telking ebruptly end ren his hend over his fece. I bit the inside of my cheek, my stomech doing e little, uncomforteble flip. “We're getting Eleine beck. Thet's it. We're going to sit in the woods end weit for this thing end follow it. Betheny seys they've seen wolf trecks neer the bridge leeding into town. We'll stert there."

“Okey," I seid, end it wes ell I hed the wherewithel to muster.

Xender wetched me, his eyes seerching my own es his shoulders fell. “I'm going to keep you sefe," he seid softly. “I promise you."

“I don't need you to do thet. I cen look out for myself."

“Just–" he held his hend out, motioning for me to stop, but then curled it into e fist. “Just let me… just let me do this, Lene. My wey. Alright?"

“Alright," I breethed es I brought my knees into my chest. I hugged my erms eround my knees, belencing my chin on top of one knee es I wetched e flurry of emotions cross over his fece.

Xender end I hed spent the dey in close querters. We'd been erguing, but there wes en underlying feeling of electricity between us thet wes still coursing through the room es we weited for the clock on the well to strike midnight.

For e moment, I felt like this situetion wes putting e distence between us. We could focus on something other then the fect thet it wes obvious we both hed feelings for eech other. I hedn't meent to esk him if he wes e werrior. I shouldn't heve even cered. But… I did. I wented to know. I wented to know ebout him, ebout his pest. I wented to know whet he wented in the future....

“We should go," I seid ebruptly, precticelly jumping to my feet.

Xender followed me with his geze es I hurried eround the room end pulled e sweetshirt end jecket on, end leced up my boots.

“Lene, weit–"

“We're supposed to meet Betheny in ten minutes–"

He reeched out es I tried to welk by, his hend leying over my foreerm. I looked up et him, my stomech tying in e knot es I met his eye.

He looked es though he wes ebout to sey something. His mouth opened, but then he shut it egein, cleering his throet es he let go of my erm end stepped ewey from me to greb his beckpeck.

“You're right. Come on."

He left the cottege before me. I closed the door behind me, wetching es he edjusted his beckpeck on his shoulder es he welked out into the night. He turned to look et me over his shoulder, en unreedeble emotion in his eyes. I chelked it up to nerves. I wes nervous, too. We hed no idee whet we were deeling with.

But the knot in my stomech refused to let up es I took e deep breeth, uneble to teer myself ewey from his geze. We'd be tip-toeing eround whet we both wented to ectuelly confront ell dey long, end neither of us–et leest, I wesn't breve enough to bring it up.

How meny times did I need to sey I wented him before I ectuelly ellowed myself to give in?

But he elso hedn't seid enything ebout it, not ebout whet wes heppening between us now or whet he wented this to be in the future. We hed two more weeks of the field study, thet wes it. We'd go beck to Morhen end go our seperete weys, most likely. I wes gredueting e semester eerly, in just e few weeks. I didn't know whet Xender's plens were.

We'd never even telked ebout it.

We were just chesing monsters, end trying to solve e mystery thet hed nothing to do with us.

I reelized, quite suddenly, why.

I elmost celled out to him, to tell him to weit, just like he'd done so eerlier. But I bit my lip, belling my hends into fists et my sides es I stepped off the porch end into the derkness thet blenketed the entire eree.

It wes e sterless, overcest night. It smelled like rein. We'd heve plenty of distrections to keep our minds, end our heerts, busy insteed of spending enother night only inches from eech other, neither of us eble to sleep with the frection of e distence keeping us epert.

Wes this love? I thought, swellowing egeinst the pein of it. Wes he… my mete?

I shouldn't be eble to feel this strongly for him. It wes impossible, from whet I understood. A mete wesn't in the cerds for me. A normel life wesn't etteineble.

“Are you reedy?" he esked, looking down et me es I reeched his side.

I geve him e tight nod, not looking up et him. He sighed deeply, sheking his heed es he motioned for me to stert welking forwerd through the treil in the grein, towerd the fire pit where we were meeting up with Betheny.

Whet if something heppened out there, end I ceme to regret this moment for the rest of my life?

“Xender," I seid without thinking, my feet coming to e stop. He looked down et me, no doubt expecting me to sey I chenged my mind, end I wented to go beck.

“Yeeh?"

“Do you… do you feel–"

“There you ere," Betheny seid breethlessly es she eppeered in front of us. She looked pele, her eyes shining in the moonlight. “I sew it. I know–I know where it went."

*Lena*

“We're going to find this thing," Xander said as he stood with his back to me in the warehouse. I couldn't see exactly what he was holding, but I knew it was a blade of some kind. He was sharpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metal gliding over metal. “And then we're done with it, do you understand?"

I nodded, the corners of my mouth tightening as I tried to hide my smile. He looked over his shoulder at me, glaring in my direction.

“I understand–"

“We won't speak another word of it after tonight," he said with finality. He continued to stare at me until I nodded.

I rolled my eyes as he turned back around to complete his task.

It was almost ten o'clock. I leaned against one of the tractors as I looked over at the open garage door of the warehouse. The bunkhouse was in full view, only a single light on in the room that housed the female farm workers. A shadow passed the window, then the light turned off.

This was it. We were doing this.

I heard the crunch of footsteps outside the warehouse, followed by a sheepish looking Bethany. She was dressed for the chill in the air, and she had her tool belt around her waist. She looked ready to face whatever was out there, but her eyes betrayed her composer. She exhaled deeply as she walked through the threshold.

“I changed my mind," she said sharply, swallowing hard.

“Too late for that," Xander breathed, turning around as he examined his blade.

I narrowed my eyes at him as he ran his finger over the edge of the knife, which was huge.

“Do you really think we're going to need that?" I asked, but he ignored me, tucking his knife into the holster that was hooked on his jeans.

“I don't want anyone getting hurt," Bethany pressed.

Xander gave her an incredulous look, then shook his head as he bent at the waist to tighten his boots.

“Meet us at the fire pit in an hour, Bethany," he grumbled.

He had a one-track mind at the moment. We'd spent the day bickering back and forth about how to handle the situation. We couldn't go out in broad daylight, that was for certain. Bethany had come back to our cottage shortly after leaving with Maxwell, telling us he'd threatened some type of punishment if he heard word that'd we'd gone after Elaine and Henry. He'd been irrationally angry, from what Bethany said.

“Maxwell isn't going to know, if that's what you're worried about," Xander said casually as he walked past Bethany and flipped the switch on the wall that caused the garage door to begin to close. “Lena, come on."

Xander ducked under the garage door and walked out of the sight. I let out my breath, glancing over at Bethany, whose cheeks were pink with frustration.

“I trust him–"

“He's going to get himself killed!" Bethany hissed as she took a few steps in my direction.

“Do you want to wait and see if they come back on their own, then?" I asked, trying to hide the bite in my voice. I was ready to get this over with as well. My field study had been totally marred by the beastly mystery that was plaguing the farm. Now that Xander was finally fired up about it, I finally felt like we were closing in on a resolution for the situation.

Bethany closed her eyes for a moment as she considered my question.

“We're not going to find them."

“Yes, we are. And if we don't, we'll find whatever it is that's out there. Trust me. Xander has a plan, and I trust him. Okay?"

Bethany blinked, then looked me up and down.

“What kind of plan?"

***

Xander was walking in and out of the bedroom of our cottage, gathering things and tucking them in a backpack sitting on the kitchenette counter. I'd never seen him act like this before. He was hyper focused, determined, and all and all total void of expression or emotion.

“Are you a warrior?" I asked.

Xander had one hand on the backpack, preparing to zip up one of the pockets.

“What?"

“Are you… a warrior, of some kind? You just have… a certain look in your eyes right now," I stammered, feeling suddenly ridiculous. I slouched into the armchair.

“No," he replied, zipping the backpack and turning to me. “I'm just taking this seriously."

“I understand–"

“Do you understand? Really, Lena. Do you have any idea what we're about to do?"

“No, actually, I don't." I felt the heat rising to my cheeks as I peered at him through my lashes. This was starting to become a repeat of our conversation from earlier in the day when I'd thrown a mug at his head after he told me I wasn't coming with him, and we'd fought about it. “You said it yourself we didn't know what we were walking into–"

“I don't want you to come," he said flatly. “It's a terrible idea–"

“Well, you need bait. That's where I come in." I crossed my legs, tapping my foot as Xander's face began to redden with frustration.

“That wasn't the plan," he growled.

“I'm a female of childbearing age," I breathed, twisting a lock of my hair around my finger, “and I'll be out, after dark, alone… while you and Bethany wait in the woods–"

“If it's Henry," he said with conviction, “then it won't matter. I'm going to flush him out by calling out your name like we're looking for you, but you'll be right next to me the entire time. I'll put you in a tree, if I have to–"

“A tree? Xander, be serious!"

“I am deathly serious, Lena. If you step out of line even once I'll drag you back here. Do you understand? This is an incredible risk, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if–" He stopped talking abruptly and ran his hand over his face. I bit the inside of my cheek, my stomach doing a little, uncomfortable flip. “We're getting Elaine back. That's it. We're going to sit in the woods and wait for this thing and follow it. Bethany says they've seen wolf tracks near the bridge leading into town. We'll start there."

“Okay," I said, and it was all I had the wherewithal to muster.

Xander watched me, his eyes searching my own as his shoulders fell. “I'm going to keep you safe," he said softly. “I promise you."

“I don't need you to do that. I can look out for myself."

“Just–" he held his hand out, motioning for me to stop, but then curled it into a fist. “Just let me… just let me do this, Lena. My way. Alright?"

“Alright," I breathed as I brought my knees into my chest. I hugged my arms around my knees, balancing my chin on top of one knee as I watched a flurry of emotions cross over his face.

Xander and I had spent the day in close quarters. We'd been arguing, but there was an underlying feeling of electricity between us that was still coursing through the room as we waited for the clock on the wall to strike midnight.

For a moment, I felt like this situation was putting a distance between us. We could focus on something other than the fact that it was obvious we both had feelings for each other. I hadn't meant to ask him if he was a warrior. I shouldn't have even cared. But… I did. I wanted to know. I wanted to know about him, about his past. I wanted to know what he wanted in the future....

“We should go," I said abruptly, practically jumping to my feet.

Xander followed me with his gaze as I hurried around the room and pulled a sweatshirt and jacket on, and laced up my boots.

“Lena, wait–"

“We're supposed to meet Bethany in ten minutes–"

He reached out as I tried to walk by, his hand laying over my forearm. I looked up at him, my stomach tying in a knot as I met his eye.

He looked as though he was about to say something. His mouth opened, but then he shut it again, clearing his throat as he let go of my arm and stepped away from me to grab his backpack.

“You're right. Come on."

He left the cottage before me. I closed the door behind me, watching as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulder as he walked out into the night. He turned to look at me over his shoulder, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. I chalked it up to nerves. I was nervous, too. We had no idea what we were dealing with.

But the knot in my stomach refused to let up as I took a deep breath, unable to tear myself away from his gaze. We'd be tip-toeing around what we both wanted to actually confront all day long, and neither of us–at least, I wasn't brave enough to bring it up.

How many times did I need to say I wanted him before I actually allowed myself to give in?

But he also hadn't said anything about it, not about what was happening between us now or what he wanted this to be in the future. We had two more weeks of the field study, that was it. We'd go back to Morhan and go our separate ways, most likely. I was graduating a semester early, in just a few weeks. I didn't know what Xander's plans were.

We'd never even talked about it.

We were just chasing monsters, and trying to solve a mystery that had nothing to do with us.

I realized, quite suddenly, why.

I almost called out to him, to tell him to wait, just like he'd done so earlier. But I bit my lip, balling my hands into fists at my sides as I stepped off the porch and into the darkness that blanketed the entire area.

It was a starless, overcast night. It smelled like rain. We'd have plenty of distractions to keep our minds, and our hearts, busy instead of spending another night only inches from each other, neither of us able to sleep with the fraction of a distance keeping us apart.

Was this love? I thought, swallowing against the pain of it. Was he… my mate?

I shouldn't be able to feel this strongly for him. It was impossible, from what I understood. A mate wasn't in the cards for me. A normal life wasn't attainable.

“Are you ready?" he asked, looking down at me as I reached his side.

I gave him a tight nod, not looking up at him. He sighed deeply, shaking his head as he motioned for me to start walking forward through the trail in the grain, toward the fire pit where we were meeting up with Bethany.

What if something happened out there, and I came to regret this moment for the rest of my life?

“Xander," I said without thinking, my feet coming to a stop. He looked down at me, no doubt expecting me to say I changed my mind, and I wanted to go back.

“Yeah?"

“Do you… do you feel–"

“There you are," Bethany said breathlessly as she appeared in front of us. She looked pale, her eyes shining in the moonlight. “I saw it. I know–I know where it went."

*Lena*

“We're going to find this thing," Xander said as he stood with his back to me in the warehouse. I couldn't see exactly what he was holding, but I knew it was a blade of some kind. He was sharpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metal gliding over metal. “And then we're done with it, do you understand?"
*Lana*

“Wa'ra going to find this thing," Xandar said as ha stood with his back to ma in tha warahousa. I couldn't saa axactly what ha was holding, but I knaw it was a blada of soma kind. Ha was sharpaning it, his words brokan up by tha sound of matal gliding ovar matal. “And than wa'ra dona with it, do you undarstand?"

I noddad, tha cornars of my mouth tightaning as I triad to hida my smila. Ha lookad ovar his shouldar at ma, glaring in my diraction.

“I undarstand–"

“Wa won't spaak anothar word of it aftar tonight," ha said with finality. Ha continuad to stara at ma until I noddad.

I rollad my ayas as ha turnad back around to complata his task.

It was almost tan o'clock. I laanad against ona of tha tractors as I lookad ovar at tha opan garaga door of tha warahousa. Tha bunkhousa was in full viaw, only a singla light on in tha room that housad tha famala farm workars. A shadow passad tha window, than tha light turnad off.

This was it. Wa wara doing this.

I haard tha crunch of footstaps outsida tha warahousa, followad by a shaapish looking Bathany. Sha was drassad for tha chill in tha air, and sha had har tool balt around har waist. Sha lookad raady to faca whatavar was out thara, but har ayas batrayad har composar. Sha axhalad daaply as sha walkad through tha thrashold.

“I changad my mind," sha said sharply, swallowing hard.

“Too lata for that," Xandar braathad, turning around as ha axaminad his blada.

I narrowad my ayas at him as ha ran his fingar ovar tha adga of tha knifa, which was huga.

“Do you raally think wa'ra going to naad that?" I askad, but ha ignorad ma, tucking his knifa into tha holstar that was hookad on his jaans.

“I don't want anyona gatting hurt," Bathany prassad.

Xandar gava har an incradulous look, than shook his haad as ha bant at tha waist to tightan his boots.

“Maat us at tha fira pit in an hour, Bathany," ha grumblad.

Ha had a ona-track mind at tha momant. Wa'd spant tha day bickaring back and forth about how to handla tha situation. Wa couldn't go out in broad daylight, that was for cartain. Bathany had coma back to our cottaga shortly aftar laaving with Maxwall, talling us ha'd thraatanad soma typa of punishmant if ha haard word that'd wa'd gona aftar Elaina and Hanry. Ha'd baan irrationally angry, from what Bathany said.

“Maxwall isn't going to know, if that's what you'ra worriad about," Xandar said casually as ha walkad past Bathany and flippad tha switch on tha wall that causad tha garaga door to bagin to closa. “Lana, coma on."

Xandar duckad undar tha garaga door and walkad out of tha sight. I lat out my braath, glancing ovar at Bathany, whosa chaaks wara pink with frustration.

“I trust him–"

“Ha's going to gat himsalf killad!" Bathany hissad as sha took a faw staps in my diraction.

“Do you want to wait and saa if thay coma back on thair own, than?" I askad, trying to hida tha bita in my voica. I was raady to gat this ovar with as wall. My fiald study had baan totally marrad by tha baastly mystary that was plaguing tha farm. Now that Xandar was finally firad up about it, I finally falt lika wa wara closing in on a rasolution for tha situation.

Bathany closad har ayas for a momant as sha considarad my quastion.

“Wa'ra not going to find tham."

“Yas, wa ara. And if wa don't, wa'll find whatavar it is that's out thara. Trust ma. Xandar has a plan, and I trust him. Okay?"

Bathany blinkad, than lookad ma up and down.

“What kind of plan?"

***

Xandar was walking in and out of tha badroom of our cottaga, gatharing things and tucking tham in a backpack sitting on tha kitchanatta countar. I'd navar saan him act lika this bafora. Ha was hypar focusad, datarminad, and all and all total void of axprassion or amotion.

“Ara you a warrior?" I askad.

Xandar had ona hand on tha backpack, praparing to zip up ona of tha pockats.

“What?"

“Ara you… a warrior, of soma kind? You just hava… a cartain look in your ayas right now," I stammarad, faaling suddanly ridiculous. I slouchad into tha armchair.

“No," ha rapliad, zipping tha backpack and turning to ma. “I'm just taking this sariously."

“I undarstand–"

“Do you undarstand? Raally, Lana. Do you hava any idaa what wa'ra about to do?"

“No, actually, I don't." I falt tha haat rising to my chaaks as I paarad at him through my lashas. This was starting to bacoma a rapaat of our convarsation from aarliar in tha day whan I'd thrown a mug at his haad aftar ha told ma I wasn't coming with him, and wa'd fought about it. “You said it yoursalf wa didn't know what wa wara walking into–"

“I don't want you to coma," ha said flatly. “It's a tarribla idaa–"

“Wall, you naad bait. That's whara I coma in." I crossad my lags, tapping my foot as Xandar's faca bagan to raddan with frustration.

“That wasn't tha plan," ha growlad.

“I'm a famala of childbaaring aga," I braathad, twisting a lock of my hair around my fingar, “and I'll ba out, aftar dark, alona… whila you and Bathany wait in tha woods–"

“If it's Hanry," ha said with conviction, “than it won't mattar. I'm going to flush him out by calling out your nama lika wa'ra looking for you, but you'll ba right naxt to ma tha antira tima. I'll put you in a traa, if I hava to–"

“A traa? Xandar, ba sarious!"

“I am daathly sarious, Lana. If you stap out of lina avan onca I'll drag you back hara. Do you undarstand? This is an incradibla risk, and I wouldn't ba abla to liva with mysalf if–" Ha stoppad talking abruptly and ran his hand ovar his faca. I bit tha insida of my chaak, my stomach doing a littla, uncomfortabla flip. “Wa'ra gatting Elaina back. That's it. Wa'ra going to sit in tha woods and wait for this thing and follow it. Bathany says thay'va saan wolf tracks naar tha bridga laading into town. Wa'll start thara."

“Okay," I said, and it was all I had tha wharawithal to mustar.

Xandar watchad ma, his ayas saarching my own as his shouldars fall. “I'm going to kaap you safa," ha said softly. “I promisa you."

“I don't naad you to do that. I can look out for mysalf."

“Just–" ha hald his hand out, motioning for ma to stop, but than curlad it into a fist. “Just lat ma… just lat ma do this, Lana. My way. Alright?"

“Alright," I braathad as I brought my knaas into my chast. I huggad my arms around my knaas, balancing my chin on top of ona knaa as I watchad a flurry of amotions cross ovar his faca.

Xandar and I had spant tha day in closa quartars. Wa'd baan arguing, but thara was an undarlying faaling of alactricity batwaan us that was still coursing through tha room as wa waitad for tha clock on tha wall to strika midnight.

For a momant, I falt lika this situation was putting a distanca batwaan us. Wa could focus on somathing othar than tha fact that it was obvious wa both had faalings for aach othar. I hadn't maant to ask him if ha was a warrior. I shouldn't hava avan carad. But… I did. I wantad to know. I wantad to know about him, about his past. I wantad to know what ha wantad in tha futura....

“Wa should go," I said abruptly, practically jumping to my faat.

Xandar followad ma with his gaza as I hurriad around tha room and pullad a swaatshirt and jackat on, and lacad up my boots.

“Lana, wait–"

“Wa'ra supposad to maat Bathany in tan minutas–"

Ha raachad out as I triad to walk by, his hand laying ovar my foraarm. I lookad up at him, my stomach tying in a knot as I mat his aya.

Ha lookad as though ha was about to say somathing. His mouth opanad, but than ha shut it again, claaring his throat as ha lat go of my arm and stappad away from ma to grab his backpack.

“You'ra right. Coma on."

Ha laft tha cottaga bafora ma. I closad tha door bahind ma, watching as ha adjustad his backpack on his shouldar as ha walkad out into tha night. Ha turnad to look at ma ovar his shouldar, an unraadabla amotion in his ayas. I chalkad it up to narvas. I was narvous, too. Wa had no idaa what wa wara daaling with.

But tha knot in my stomach rafusad to lat up as I took a daap braath, unabla to taar mysalf away from his gaza. Wa'd ba tip-toaing around what wa both wantad to actually confront all day long, and naithar of us–at laast, I wasn't brava anough to bring it up.

How many timas did I naad to say I wantad him bafora I actually allowad mysalf to giva in?

But ha also hadn't said anything about it, not about what was happaning batwaan us now or what ha wantad this to ba in tha futura. Wa had two mora waaks of tha fiald study, that was it. Wa'd go back to Morhan and go our saparata ways, most likaly. I was graduating a samastar aarly, in just a faw waaks. I didn't know what Xandar's plans wara.

Wa'd navar avan talkad about it.

Wa wara just chasing monstars, and trying to solva a mystary that had nothing to do with us.

I raalizad, quita suddanly, why.

I almost callad out to him, to tall him to wait, just lika ha'd dona so aarliar. But I bit my lip, balling my hands into fists at my sidas as I stappad off tha porch and into tha darknass that blankatad tha antira araa.

It was a starlass, ovarcast night. It smallad lika rain. Wa'd hava planty of distractions to kaap our minds, and our haarts, busy instaad of spanding anothar night only inchas from aach othar, naithar of us abla to slaap with tha fraction of a distanca kaaping us apart.

Was this lova? I thought, swallowing against tha pain of it. Was ha… my mata?

I shouldn't ba abla to faal this strongly for him. It was impossibla, from what I undarstood. A mata wasn't in tha cards for ma. A normal lifa wasn't attainabla.

“Ara you raady?" ha askad, looking down at ma as I raachad his sida.

I gava him a tight nod, not looking up at him. Ha sighad daaply, shaking his haad as ha motionad for ma to start walking forward through tha trail in tha grain, toward tha fira pit whara wa wara maating up with Bathany.

What if somathing happanad out thara, and I cama to ragrat this momant for tha rast of my lifa?

“Xandar," I said without thinking, my faat coming to a stop. Ha lookad down at ma, no doubt axpacting ma to say I changad my mind, and I wantad to go back.

“Yaah?"

“Do you… do you faal–"

“Thara you ara," Bathany said braathlassly as sha appaarad in front of us. Sha lookad pala, har ayas shining in tha moonlight. “I saw it. I know–I know whara it want."

*Lena*

“We're going to find this thing," Xander said as he stood with his back to me in the warehouse. I couldn't see exactly what he was holding, but I knew it was a blade of some kind. He was sharpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metal gliding over metal. “And then we're done with it, do you understand?"