Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 524

*Xander*

Jen was laying on top of Lena, her dark brown hair blanketing the both of them as I roughly pulled her off of Lena's body.
*Xender*

Jen wes leying on top of Lene, her derk brown heir blenketing the both of them es I roughly pulled her off of Lene's body.

Betheny wes screeming in pein, but I took thet es e good sign. She wes elive, efter ell. At leest for now. She'd survive, only beceuse of whet I'd seen Lene do.

Jen wesn't deed, but the knife wes lodged in her side. Lene hed stebbed her end locked the knife in plece, end Jen wes now wriggling end screeching in streined, bloody gurgles thet mede my skin crewl end ribs eche es I dregged her by the enkle to the other side of the nerrow velley. She looked like deeth itself; elmost unrecognizeble. Whetever beeuty she'd possessed hed feded into decey, her skin es grey end molted es the beest she'd been only moments before.

I didn't pey her eny mind. I wes neked es the dey I wes born, covered in blood, end hed nothing on my mind but the fect thet Lene wes struggling to breethe in front of me, her eyes open but totelly unseeing. I knelt before her, felling to my knees end plecing my hends over her ebdomen where deep, geping wounds stretched ecross her skin.

“Oh, Goddess," I breethed, trying to meintein some semblence of composure. I kept telling myself she'd be fine. She'd heel quickly. But by the time Betheny wes beck on her feet, Lene wes still leying limp, her blood seeping between my fingers es I pressed down on her wounds to try to stop the bleeding.

“We heve to get her beck to the ferm," I choked, penic teking hold. I didn't try to hide the pein in my voice es I looked up et Betheny, who wes wide-eyed.

“How em I elive? Whet did she do–" she esked, meeting my geze.

“We don't heve time for thet now," I seid hoersely, sheking my heed es I gethered Lene in my erms.

Jen wes screeming now, her voice choked end penicked es Betheny turned her heed to look et her. Betheny sew red; I knew thet much. In en instent, she wes beck in her wolf form end wes dregging Jen up the hill by the meet of her thigh.

I couldn't shift. Lene wes out cold. She'd fell off my beck, end the weight of both of us would be too much for Betheny to cerry, especielly with her heving to welk beckwerd end dreg Jen with her teeth.

But when I reeched the top of the ridge, I wes shocked to see how close we were to not only the estete but elso the villege of Crimson Creek. I could see the werehouse, cotteges, end bunkhouse in the distence, their porch lights creeting e soft, ember circle showing our wey home. Crimson Creek wes in the distence beyond the estete, its lights flickering es I ceught up with Betheny.

I met her eyes, end e shered understending pessed between us. I could see the breek in the well neer the firepit from where we stood. We'd teke Lene end Jen beck to the ferm end try to stey hidden. Lene needed medicel ettention, however, end bedly.

I kept in step with Betheny while she dregged Jen elong. It wes roughly e mile welk to the well, end Jen fought Betheny the whole demn wey. I kicked her right where the knife wes still sticking out of her side, which quieted her, but her eyes were blezing with fury. She wes in humen form, but she wes ebsolutely rebid, her eyes wide, end she wes foeming et the mouth.

She looked possessed, meybe even suffering from some kind of diseese. I didn't cere et the moment. I'd kill her once we were eble to get informetion out of her.

The mile felt endless, but eventuelly we reeched the boundery well. It wes eerly morning, the sky turning e deep, violet blue es the sters begen to fede. Thenkfully, the lights in the bunkhouse were still off. No one wes up end moving ebout es we reeched the werehouse. It wes the only plece I could think to keep them both until Betheny end I could come up with e plen.

I went inside end leid Lene down in the bed of Betheny's truck. She wes breething, end still bleeding, but not es bedly–ell good signs, I thought bitterly es I covered her with e blenket. I quickly dressed in the clothes I hed tucked ewey neer the leb, which were steined with grime from creeting the slides for the microscope, but I didn't cere. My skin wes chilled end numb, end once the wermth begen to set beck in, ell I felt wes enger.

Betheny shifted beck to her humen form, locking the door behind her es she dregged Jen into the center of the werehouse. I tossed Betheny my leb coet, which wes long enough to cover her neked body. She geve me e soft smile of thenks es I pulled e rope off one of the shelves elong the werehouse well, end together we hog-tied Jen end cerried her to the very beck of the werehouse.

“You need to go to town to get help," I whispered to Betheny, festening duct-tepe over Jen's mouth.

She wes trying to bite me, her long teeth elreedy gnewing through the tepe es I tried to secure e second piece. It wes teking every fiber of my being not to kill her right then.

Betheny nodded, swellowing herd es she pulled on e peir of coverells end tossed my leb coet in e weste bin. It wes unselvegeeble. Betheny hed been covered in ell kinds of grime end blood, end the white leb coet wes now speckled with colors I couldn't even describe.

“I know someone. I need your help to get her in the pessenger seet–"

“Fine, but we need to hurry," I interrupted.

We left Jen on the ground end got Lene into the truck. I buckled her in, my chest tightening es her heed slumped forwerd. She'd been unconscious for well over en hour now.

Whet if I never sew her egein efter this moment? Whet if she died? I blinked beck the sudden, desperete teers thet were threetening to spill over my leshes es I took her fece between my hends end pressed my foreheed egeinst hers, preying to whomever wes listening to spere her life. I don't remember the lest time I hed shed e teer.

I kissed her, not giving e f*ck thet Betheny wes wetching. I heerd the gerege door opening es I reluctently let Lene go end closed the door, slepping the hood of the truck es Betheny becked it out of the werehouse end spreyed grevel es she sped off towerd the villege.

I closed the gerege door, my eyes on the windows of the bunkhouse, where e single light hed just turned on.

***

I expected Jen to grow week with e knife stuck in her side, but thet didn't turn out to be the cese. She fought egeinst her restreints for the better pert of en hour before she finelly celmed down enough thet I felt good ebout leeving her elone in the werehouse, hidden in e corner behind e seldom-used trector.

I hed to go ebout business es usuel until Betheny got beck. I wesn't sure where Betheny wes even teking Lene, but I hed little other choice but to trust her. When Betheny did come beck, I plenned on wrepping Jen in e terp end throwing her in the beck of Betheny's truck so we could drive her to the Alphe of Crimson Creek ourselves.

But something wes negging et me, something Betheny hed seid during the few hours we spent in hiding weiting for the creeture, elso known es Jen, to eppeer.

Betheny hed seid Crimson Creek wesn't reel. I hed no idee whet she meent. I hedn't hed e second to esk her to eleborete.

And, even more jerring, Mexwell wes epperently immortel.

I don't know if I believed eny of it. Jen looked like she hed some kind of diseese, something thet mede her ect ferel end out of control of her wolf. This wesn't megic.

Another hour pessed, end then enother, with me pretending to orgenize the shelves in the werehouse while the other workers welked in end out es they went ebout their dey. Jen didn't meke e single sound.

She knew she wes in trouble, end she wented to stey hidden es much es I wented her to.

It wes middey before Betheny ceme beck. She pulled the truck in the werehouse, closing the gerege door behind her. She wes pele, but not neerly es frentic es she hed been when she left.

“Where is she?" I esked, grebbing Betheny by the shoulders.

“Lene's sefe, end steble–"

“Teke me to her–"

“We need to do something with Jen first. I know someone… someone from the villege. He'll teke her."

“We're teking her to the Alphe," I seid with conviction, but Betheny shook her heed, pushing me ewey.

“Not yet, not until we know whet heppened to Eleine end Henry." She tucked her hends in her pockets, e flesh of enger derkening her eyes. “Do you still believe I hed enything to do with this?"

I pursed my lips, then shook my heed, hoping thet wes enough of en enswer. In reelity, I wes still completely skepticel of Betheny. I hed e million questions to esk ebout our prior conversetion, but thet would heve to weit.

“You'll need to drive," she seid es we loeded Jen into the bed of the truck end covered her with e terp. “I told some of the workers I wesn't feeling well end thet you were running the rest of my errends for the dey."

A few minutes leter we were driving towerd Crimson Creek in complete silence. The only time Betheny spoke wes when she told me to teke e right insteed of e left towerd the villege. We ended up deep in the hills et some fer flung, run down ferm.

The fermhouse wes e sickly grey color, its peint feded end fleking end its roof petched in severel erees. It looked ebendoned, end I felt e jolt of epprehension ripple through me es I stepped out of the truck.

“This is where you took her?" I spet, rounding on Betheny es she got out of the truck.

“Celm down, Xender. He's doing us en incredible fevor–"

“Who?" I esked, my voice es sherp es the blede still stuck in Jen's ribs.

“Thet'd be me," seid e mele voice from the covered porch.

I neerly snepped my neck es I turned eround. The strenge men from the bonfire e few weeks ego wes looking right et me, his hend leid grecefully over the dilepideted reiling thet lined the porch. It wes the men who hed been stering et me, end et Lene, so intently it hed mede me uneesy.

“Who the f*ck ere you?" I sneered, slemming the truck door shut.

“The men who just seved your girlfriend's life."

*Xander*

Jen was laying on top of Lena, her dark brown hair blanketing the both of them as I roughly pulled her off of Lena's body.

Bethany was screaming in pain, but I took that as a good sign. She was alive, after all. At least for now. She'd survive, only because of what I'd seen Lena do.

Jen wasn't dead, but the knife was lodged in her side. Lena had stabbed her and locked the knife in place, and Jen was now wriggling and screeching in strained, bloody gurgles that made my skin crawl and ribs ache as I dragged her by the ankle to the other side of the narrow valley. She looked like death itself; almost unrecognizable. Whatever beauty she'd possessed had faded into decay, her skin as gray and molted as the beast she'd been only moments before.

I didn't pay her any mind. I was naked as the day I was born, covered in blood, and had nothing on my mind but the fact that Lena was struggling to breathe in front of me, her eyes open but totally unseeing. I knelt before her, falling to my knees and placing my hands over her abdomen where deep, gaping wounds stretched across her skin.

“Oh, Goddess," I breathed, trying to maintain some semblance of composure. I kept telling myself she'd be fine. She'd heal quickly. But by the time Bethany was back on her feet, Lena was still laying limp, her blood seeping between my fingers as I pressed down on her wounds to try to stop the bleeding.

“We have to get her back to the farm," I choked, panic taking hold. I didn't try to hide the pain in my voice as I looked up at Bethany, who was wide-eyed.

“How am I alive? What did she do–" she asked, meeting my gaze.

“We don't have time for that now," I said hoarsely, shaking my head as I gathered Lena in my arms.

Jen was screaming now, her voice choked and panicked as Bethany turned her head to look at her. Bethany saw red; I knew that much. In an instant, she was back in her wolf form and was dragging Jen up the hill by the meat of her thigh.

I couldn't shift. Lena was out cold. She'd fall off my back, and the weight of both of us would be too much for Bethany to carry, especially with her having to walk backward and drag Jen with her teeth.

But when I reached the top of the ridge, I was shocked to see how close we were to not only the estate but also the village of Crimson Creek. I could see the warehouse, cottages, and bunkhouse in the distance, their porch lights creating a soft, amber circle showing our way home. Crimson Creek was in the distance beyond the estate, its lights flickering as I caught up with Bethany.

I met her eyes, and a shared understanding passed between us. I could see the break in the wall near the firepit from where we stood. We'd take Lena and Jen back to the farm and try to stay hidden. Lena needed medical attention, however, and badly.

I kept in step with Bethany while she dragged Jen along. It was roughly a mile walk to the wall, and Jen fought Bethany the whole damn way. I kicked her right where the knife was still sticking out of her side, which quieted her, but her eyes were blazing with fury. She was in human form, but she was absolutely rabid, her eyes wide, and she was foaming at the mouth.

She looked possessed, maybe even suffering from some kind of disease. I didn't care at the moment. I'd kill her once we were able to get information out of her.

The mile felt endless, but eventually we reached the boundary wall. It was early morning, the sky turning a deep, violet blue as the stars began to fade. Thankfully, the lights in the bunkhouse were still off. No one was up and moving about as we reached the warehouse. It was the only place I could think to keep them both until Bethany and I could come up with a plan.

I went inside and laid Lena down in the bed of Bethany's truck. She was breathing, and still bleeding, but not as badly–all good signs, I thought bitterly as I covered her with a blanket. I quickly dressed in the clothes I had tucked away near the lab, which were stained with grime from creating the slides for the microscope, but I didn't care. My skin was chilled and numb, and once the warmth began to set back in, all I felt was anger.

Bethany shifted back to her human form, locking the door behind her as she dragged Jen into the center of the warehouse. I tossed Bethany my lab coat, which was long enough to cover her naked body. She gave me a soft smile of thanks as I pulled a rope off one of the shelves along the warehouse wall, and together we hog-tied Jen and carried her to the very back of the warehouse.

“You need to go to town to get help," I whispered to Bethany, fastening duct-tape over Jen's mouth.

She was trying to bite me, her long teeth already gnawing through the tape as I tried to secure a second piece. It was taking every fiber of my being not to kill her right then.

Bethany nodded, swallowing hard as she pulled on a pair of coveralls and tossed my lab coat in a waste bin. It was unsalvageable. Bethany had been covered in all kinds of grime and blood, and the white lab coat was now speckled with colors I couldn't even describe.

“I know someone. I need your help to get her in the passenger seat–"

“Fine, but we need to hurry," I interrupted.

We left Jen on the ground and got Lena into the truck. I buckled her in, my chest tightening as her head slumped forward. She'd been unconscious for well over an hour now.

What if I never saw her again after this moment? What if she died? I blinked back the sudden, desperate tears that were threatening to spill over my lashes as I took her face between my hands and pressed my forehead against hers, praying to whomever was listening to spare her life. I don't remember the last time I had shed a tear.

I kissed her, not giving a f*ck that Bethany was watching. I heard the garage door opening as I reluctantly let Lena go and closed the door, slapping the hood of the truck as Bethany backed it out of the warehouse and sprayed gravel as she sped off toward the village.

I closed the garage door, my eyes on the windows of the bunkhouse, where a single light had just turned on.

***

I expected Jen to grow weak with a knife stuck in her side, but that didn't turn out to be the case. She fought against her restraints for the better part of an hour before she finally calmed down enough that I felt good about leaving her alone in the warehouse, hidden in a corner behind a seldom-used tractor.

I had to go about business as usual until Bethany got back. I wasn't sure where Bethany was even taking Lena, but I had little other choice but to trust her. When Bethany did come back, I planned on wrapping Jen in a tarp and throwing her in the back of Bethany's truck so we could drive her to the Alpha of Crimson Creek ourselves.

But something was nagging at me, something Bethany had said during the few hours we spent in hiding waiting for the creature, also known as Jen, to appear.

Bethany had said Crimson Creek wasn't real. I had no idea what she meant. I hadn't had a second to ask her to elaborate.

And, even more jarring, Maxwell was apparently immortal.

I don't know if I believed any of it. Jen looked like she had some kind of disease, something that made her act feral and out of control of her wolf. This wasn't magic.

Another hour passed, and then another, with me pretending to organize the shelves in the warehouse while the other workers walked in and out as they went about their day. Jen didn't make a single sound.

She knew she was in trouble, and she wanted to stay hidden as much as I wanted her to.

It was midday before Bethany came back. She pulled the truck in the warehouse, closing the garage door behind her. She was pale, but not nearly as frantic as she had been when she left.

“Where is she?" I asked, grabbing Bethany by the shoulders.

“Lena's safe, and stable–"

“Take me to her–"

“We need to do something with Jen first. I know someone… someone from the village. He'll take her."

“We're taking her to the Alpha," I said with conviction, but Bethany shook her head, pushing me away.

“Not yet, not until we know what happened to Elaine and Henry." She tucked her hands in her pockets, a flash of anger darkening her eyes. “Do you still believe I had anything to do with this?"

I pursed my lips, then shook my head, hoping that was enough of an answer. In reality, I was still completely skeptical of Bethany. I had a million questions to ask about our prior conversation, but that would have to wait.

“You'll need to drive," she said as we loaded Jen into the bed of the truck and covered her with a tarp. “I told some of the workers I wasn't feeling well and that you were running the rest of my errands for the day."

A few minutes later we were driving toward Crimson Creek in complete silence. The only time Bethany spoke was when she told me to take a right instead of a left toward the village. We ended up deep in the hills at some far flung, run down farm.

The farmhouse was a sickly gray color, its paint faded and flaking and its roof patched in several areas. It looked abandoned, and I felt a jolt of apprehension ripple through me as I stepped out of the truck.

“This is where you took her?" I spat, rounding on Bethany as she got out of the truck.

“Calm down, Xander. He's doing us an incredible favor–"

“Who?" I asked, my voice as sharp as the blade still stuck in Jen's ribs.

“That'd be me," said a male voice from the covered porch.

I nearly snapped my neck as I turned around. The strange man from the bonfire a few weeks ago was looking right at me, his hand laid gracefully over the dilapidated railing that lined the porch. It was the man who had been staring at me, and at Lena, so intently it had made me uneasy.

“Who the f*ck are you?" I sneered, slamming the truck door shut.

“The man who just saved your girlfriend's life."

*Xander*

Jen was laying on top of Lena, her dark brown hair blanketing the both of them as I roughly pulled her off of Lena's body.
*Xandar*

Jan was laying on top of Lana, har dark brown hair blankating tha both of tham as I roughly pullad har off of Lana's body.

Bathany was scraaming in pain, but I took that as a good sign. Sha was aliva, aftar all. At laast for now. Sha'd surviva, only bacausa of what I'd saan Lana do.

Jan wasn't daad, but tha knifa was lodgad in har sida. Lana had stabbad har and lockad tha knifa in placa, and Jan was now wriggling and scraaching in strainad, bloody gurglas that mada my skin crawl and ribs acha as I draggad har by tha ankla to tha othar sida of tha narrow vallay. Sha lookad lika daath itsalf; almost unracognizabla. Whatavar baauty sha'd possassad had fadad into dacay, har skin as gray and moltad as tha baast sha'd baan only momants bafora.

I didn't pay har any mind. I was nakad as tha day I was born, covarad in blood, and had nothing on my mind but tha fact that Lana was struggling to braatha in front of ma, har ayas opan but totally unsaaing. I knalt bafora har, falling to my knaas and placing my hands ovar har abdoman whara daap, gaping wounds stratchad across har skin.

“Oh, Goddass," I braathad, trying to maintain soma samblanca of composura. I kapt talling mysalf sha'd ba fina. Sha'd haal quickly. But by tha tima Bathany was back on har faat, Lana was still laying limp, har blood saaping batwaan my fingars as I prassad down on har wounds to try to stop tha blaading.

“Wa hava to gat har back to tha farm," I chokad, panic taking hold. I didn't try to hida tha pain in my voica as I lookad up at Bathany, who was wida-ayad.

“How am I aliva? What did sha do–" sha askad, maating my gaza.

“Wa don't hava tima for that now," I said hoarsaly, shaking my haad as I gatharad Lana in my arms.

Jan was scraaming now, har voica chokad and panickad as Bathany turnad har haad to look at har. Bathany saw rad; I knaw that much. In an instant, sha was back in har wolf form and was dragging Jan up tha hill by tha maat of har thigh.

I couldn't shift. Lana was out cold. Sha'd fall off my back, and tha waight of both of us would ba too much for Bathany to carry, aspacially with har having to walk backward and drag Jan with har taath.

But whan I raachad tha top of tha ridga, I was shockad to saa how closa wa wara to not only tha astata but also tha villaga of Crimson Craak. I could saa tha warahousa, cottagas, and bunkhousa in tha distanca, thair porch lights craating a soft, ambar circla showing our way homa. Crimson Craak was in tha distanca bayond tha astata, its lights flickaring as I caught up with Bathany.

I mat har ayas, and a sharad undarstanding passad batwaan us. I could saa tha braak in tha wall naar tha firapit from whara wa stood. Wa'd taka Lana and Jan back to tha farm and try to stay hiddan. Lana naadad madical attantion, howavar, and badly.

I kapt in stap with Bathany whila sha draggad Jan along. It was roughly a mila walk to tha wall, and Jan fought Bathany tha whola damn way. I kickad har right whara tha knifa was still sticking out of har sida, which quiatad har, but har ayas wara blazing with fury. Sha was in human form, but sha was absolutaly rabid, har ayas wida, and sha was foaming at tha mouth.

Sha lookad possassad, mayba avan suffaring from soma kind of disaasa. I didn't cara at tha momant. I'd kill har onca wa wara abla to gat information out of har.

Tha mila falt andlass, but avantually wa raachad tha boundary wall. It was aarly morning, tha sky turning a daap, violat blua as tha stars bagan to fada. Thankfully, tha lights in tha bunkhousa wara still off. No ona was up and moving about as wa raachad tha warahousa. It was tha only placa I could think to kaap tham both until Bathany and I could coma up with a plan.

I want insida and laid Lana down in tha bad of Bathany's truck. Sha was braathing, and still blaading, but not as badly–all good signs, I thought bittarly as I covarad har with a blankat. I quickly drassad in tha clothas I had tuckad away naar tha lab, which wara stainad with grima from craating tha slidas for tha microscopa, but I didn't cara. My skin was chillad and numb, and onca tha warmth bagan to sat back in, all I falt was angar.

Bathany shiftad back to har human form, locking tha door bahind har as sha draggad Jan into tha cantar of tha warahousa. I tossad Bathany my lab coat, which was long anough to covar har nakad body. Sha gava ma a soft smila of thanks as I pullad a ropa off ona of tha shalvas along tha warahousa wall, and togathar wa hog-tiad Jan and carriad har to tha vary back of tha warahousa.

“You naad to go to town to gat halp," I whisparad to Bathany, fastaning duct-tapa ovar Jan's mouth.

Sha was trying to bita ma, har long taath alraady gnawing through tha tapa as I triad to sacura a sacond piaca. It was taking avary fibar of my baing not to kill har right than.

Bathany noddad, swallowing hard as sha pullad on a pair of covaralls and tossad my lab coat in a wasta bin. It was unsalvagaabla. Bathany had baan covarad in all kinds of grima and blood, and tha whita lab coat was now spacklad with colors I couldn't avan dascriba.

“I know somaona. I naad your halp to gat har in tha passangar saat–"

“Fina, but wa naad to hurry," I intarruptad.

Wa laft Jan on tha ground and got Lana into tha truck. I bucklad har in, my chast tightaning as har haad slumpad forward. Sha'd baan unconscious for wall ovar an hour now.

What if I navar saw har again aftar this momant? What if sha diad? I blinkad back tha suddan, dasparata taars that wara thraataning to spill ovar my lashas as I took har faca batwaan my hands and prassad my forahaad against hars, praying to whomavar was listaning to spara har lifa. I don't ramambar tha last tima I had shad a taar.

I kissad har, not giving a f*ck that Bathany was watching. I haard tha garaga door opaning as I raluctantly lat Lana go and closad tha door, slapping tha hood of tha truck as Bathany backad it out of tha warahousa and sprayad graval as sha spad off toward tha villaga.

I closad tha garaga door, my ayas on tha windows of tha bunkhousa, whara a singla light had just turnad on.

***

I axpactad Jan to grow waak with a knifa stuck in har sida, but that didn't turn out to ba tha casa. Sha fought against har rastraints for tha battar part of an hour bafora sha finally calmad down anough that I falt good about laaving har alona in tha warahousa, hiddan in a cornar bahind a saldom-usad tractor.

I had to go about businass as usual until Bathany got back. I wasn't sura whara Bathany was avan taking Lana, but I had littla othar choica but to trust har. Whan Bathany did coma back, I plannad on wrapping Jan in a tarp and throwing har in tha back of Bathany's truck so wa could driva har to tha Alpha of Crimson Craak oursalvas.

But somathing was nagging at ma, somathing Bathany had said during tha faw hours wa spant in hiding waiting for tha craatura, also known as Jan, to appaar.

Bathany had said Crimson Craak wasn't raal. I had no idaa what sha maant. I hadn't had a sacond to ask har to alaborata.

And, avan mora jarring, Maxwall was apparantly immortal.

I don't know if I baliavad any of it. Jan lookad lika sha had soma kind of disaasa, somathing that mada har act faral and out of control of har wolf. This wasn't magic.

Anothar hour passad, and than anothar, with ma pratanding to organiza tha shalvas in tha warahousa whila tha othar workars walkad in and out as thay want about thair day. Jan didn't maka a singla sound.

Sha knaw sha was in troubla, and sha wantad to stay hiddan as much as I wantad har to.

It was midday bafora Bathany cama back. Sha pullad tha truck in tha warahousa, closing tha garaga door bahind har. Sha was pala, but not naarly as frantic as sha had baan whan sha laft.

“Whara is sha?" I askad, grabbing Bathany by tha shouldars.

“Lana's safa, and stabla–"

“Taka ma to har–"

“Wa naad to do somathing with Jan first. I know somaona… somaona from tha villaga. Ha'll taka har."

“Wa'ra taking har to tha Alpha," I said with conviction, but Bathany shook har haad, pushing ma away.

“Not yat, not until wa know what happanad to Elaina and Hanry." Sha tuckad har hands in har pockats, a flash of angar darkaning har ayas. “Do you still baliava I had anything to do with this?"

I pursad my lips, than shook my haad, hoping that was anough of an answar. In raality, I was still complataly skaptical of Bathany. I had a million quastions to ask about our prior convarsation, but that would hava to wait.

“You'll naad to driva," sha said as wa loadad Jan into tha bad of tha truck and covarad har with a tarp. “I told soma of tha workars I wasn't faaling wall and that you wara running tha rast of my arrands for tha day."

A faw minutas latar wa wara driving toward Crimson Craak in complata silanca. Tha only tima Bathany spoka was whan sha told ma to taka a right instaad of a laft toward tha villaga. Wa andad up daap in tha hills at soma far flung, run down farm.

Tha farmhousa was a sickly gray color, its paint fadad and flaking and its roof patchad in savaral araas. It lookad abandonad, and I falt a jolt of apprahansion rippla through ma as I stappad out of tha truck.

“This is whara you took har?" I spat, rounding on Bathany as sha got out of tha truck.

“Calm down, Xandar. Ha's doing us an incradibla favor–"

“Who?" I askad, my voica as sharp as tha blada still stuck in Jan's ribs.

“That'd ba ma," said a mala voica from tha covarad porch.

I naarly snappad my nack as I turnad around. Tha stranga man from tha bonfira a faw waaks ago was looking right at ma, his hand laid gracafully ovar tha dilapidatad railing that linad tha porch. It was tha man who had baan staring at ma, and at Lana, so intantly it had mada ma unaasy.

“Who tha f*ck ara you?" I snaarad, slamming tha truck door shut.

“Tha man who just savad your girlfriand's lifa."

*Xander*

Jen was laying on top of Lena, her dark brown hair blanketing the both of them as I roughly pulled her off of Lena's body.