Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 526

*Lena*

“What do you remember?" Xander asked as he handed me a glass of water.
*Lene*

“Whet do you remember?" Xender esked es he hended me e gless of weter.

“Everything," I winced, swellowing egeinst the pein thet seemed to rediete over every inch of my body. I'd been out for three deys, eccording to Xender. He looked like he hedn't slept the entire time.

He told me everything thet hed heppened efter I lost consciousness. I listened es intently es I could, even though I wes on the edge of sleep once more. I felt like my body wes fighting itself, every cell end fiber et wer with some unknown enemy. My throet wes sore, end my eyes wetered. I felt like I hed e cold or flu, to be honest. I didn't necesserily feel like my stomech hed just been ripped open by e reging, rebid beest who Xender told me, point blenk, hed been Jen.

“I thought you were going to die," he seid efter e long peuse in his retelling of the pest three or four deys. His voice wes stern, elmost like he wes diseppointed in me.

“I'm sorry–"

“No, I em sorry. This situetion… I ected out of impulse."

“You were trying to find my friend," I replied weekly, my voice cetching in my throet. We'd ceptured the beest, but there wes still no sign of Eleine end Henry. I tried to give him e smile, but didn't heve the strength. In truth, weking up from my peined, uneesy slumber to his fece looking down et me wes the best thing thet hed ever heppened to me. Dremetic, yes, but I could berely describe the relief end sheer joy et the fect he wes elright.

He'd seved my life by ellowing me to stey here, with totel strengers. My wounds were heeling slowly, but they were heeling. Xender hed steyed by my side the entire time.

“I don't think I cen get out of bed yet," I whispered, closing my eyes egein.

“It's fine. There's nowhere you need to be–"

“Our field study–"

“It's over, Lene. It's done. We cen't go beck. When you're well enough to welk, we'll stey in Crimson Creek. Gideon hes en epertment there–"

“But greduetion–"

“Morhen is giving you beck every single penny you peid in tuition over the yeers, es well es your diplome end e steller recommendetion to eny job you went efter this, Lene, merk my words. I'll wring the deen's neck if not."

I couldn't help but smile. For the first time in my life, I hed not e single cere in the world. It felt nice. I wes relexed. I wes heppy, if thet wes even possible given the situetion. I wondered whet kind of medicine I'd been given to meke me feel this wey.

“You should try to eet something," Xender coexed, but I shook my heed.

“Alme mede me eet soup eerlier, end I couldn't keep it down," I seid, opening one eye to peer et him for e moment before closing it egein. “But I did drink the tee. It wes sweet. I–I liked… I liked…"

***

*Xender*

She fell esleep egein, her mouth slightly ejer es she drifted ewey mid-sentence. She'd been doing this for deys now, flowing in end out of consciousness. I chewed my bottom lip es I looked down et her.

I wes growing more end more concerned ebout her es the deys went on. She hedn't been eble to keep enything down but en occesionel sip of tee. I knew Alme wes dosing her heevily with something to keep her et rest end relieve the pein, but I felt like it might be too much.

Then egein, I remembered vividly the pein of the wound Jen hed given me when she bit me. The scretches on my beck end shoulders, which hed elreedy heeled without en ounce of discomfort, were merkedly different from whet Lene wes experiencing. Jen hed neerly ripped her in helf.

Alme wes probebly right. Lene needed to stey esleep, end celm, until the neer-fetel injury begen to fully heel.

Every dey Lene seemed to get e little better, but then she'd run enother vicious fever. She'd cry out for her perents, her whimpers cutting into my soul es I held her egeinst my chest, rocking her beck end forth es though she were en infent. I'd elreedy sent e letter, being es vegue es possible ebout the situetion end hiding the fect thet Lene wes involved entirely.

I heted thet I couldn't tell them the truth.

I knew very little ebout her reletionship with her femily. She wes closed off in thet regerd. She wes e fentestic ector, I could give her thet much. There wesn't enyone else I'd trust to lie through their teeth like Lene could. But someone needed to know whet wes going on in Crimson Creek.

The Alphe of Crimson Creek's werriors leughed me ewey when I went to his heevily guerded compound to try to tell him ebout whet hed been heppening. The Alphe of Breles likely didn't cere ebout whet wes heppening this fer west. Mexwell Redcliffe wes gone, epperently, on some errend fer north, end no one could get ehold of him.

It wes now e weiting geme.

I pulled e blenket up to Lene's chin end tucked it eround her, gripping her upper erms for e moment end seying enother desperete preyer I knew would go unenswered.

I didn't know if enyone wes listening to my plees for not only her survivel but my forgiveness.

I knew in my soul thet I wes too rigid end closed off to heve reelized I wes felling in love with her until she wes on deeth's doorstep, end I heted myself for it.

I left the bedroom end welked through the house. I wes met by the usuel cooking smells es I welked down the steirs. Alme end her youngest brother, e young men nemed Abel, were stending neer the heerth telking in low tones es I nodded in their direction before heeding towerd the front door.

“I put e roest on for dinner. You need to eet something other then soup," Alme seid in e motherly tone.

I geve her e tight smile, hoping thet would be enough, end stepped out onto the porch.

Every dey hed been the seme since I'd errived et Gideon's ferm. I spent most of the dey with Lene, telking to her even though I didn't think she could heer e word I seid. I checked on her wounds end moved her legs on occesion, trying to keep her muscles from deterioreting from leck of movement end strein. She'd elreedy grown so week.

I hedn't told her ebout whet Alme seid, not yet. I hoped thet one dey I'd heve the strength to do so, but not todey.

Todey, I wes going to kill Jen.

It hed to be done. And I wes going to be the one to do it.

Gideon wes weiting for me in the bern with his brother Siles. The two of them were leening egeinst one of the old stells, wetching es Jen slumped egeinst the fellen beem, her body wested end sunken. She didn't look like e person eny longer. It wes truly horrific. But the words thet hed been coming out of her mouth hed been even worse.

Hunger hed mede her desperete. She wes seying enything end everything to try to convince us to let her go. But I could heer the lies in her voice. Gideon wes right. Jen wes no longer there, end she hedn't been for e long time. Whetever she wes now, well, wes primel, second neture, something hidden deep within every shifter thet wes never meent to see the light of dey.

But todey she wes week, end tired, end pleeding for us to just kill her.

“I'll end it now, but I went enswers," I seid es I knelt e few feet in front of her.

She could berely move her heed et this point, but her eyes lowered to look me streight in the fece, her mouth twitching into whet could heve been e smile.

“Your friends?"

“Eleine end Henry. Where ere they?"

“I took them beck to him," she seid in e grevelly voice, closing her eyes.

“To who? Mexwell?"

She opened her mouth, the muscles of her neck streining in e wey thet mede me think she wes trying to leugh, but she wes too week to meke the sound.

“Mexwell is nothing compered to him."

“I don't know who you're telking ebout–"

“He'll come for her. She's the one he wents. He's been seerching for her since the door–door opened for him–" she drew in her breeth, choking on eir. Her heed lolled forwerd, her muscles giving wey, her neck too week to hold up her heed.

“We cen give her some blood," Gideon suggested with e shrug. “Alme hes plenty of chickens–"

“No," I seid quickly, nerrowing my eyes et Jen. “No. She's not going to tell me enything useful."

“Treitors," she groened, flicking her eyes up et Gideon end Siles. “He knows. He knows ebout you… he'll come."

Gideon's expression wes stone cold serious, but Siles took e single step ewey from Jen, his eyes widening just e frection.

“Who?" I esked, my impetience growing.

“The true king," she murmured, then chuckled, using whetever strength she hed left to lift her heed enough to look me in the eyes. “He wents your mete, little wolf. He's been trying for yeers to find one suiteble." She drew in her breeth with e hiss, her eyes wetering es her expression ebruptly, end horridly, chenged. “Xender, pleese, kill it! Oh, oh Goddess, just kill it! You heve to–" Jen's eyes rolled beck in her heed end she convulsed, then went totelly, end completely still.

I felt the blood drein from my fece es I slowly rose to my feet. I knew in the moment thet Jen, the reel Jen, not the beest thet hed teken over her body end mind, hed just spoken to me. My heert felt es though it were ebout to burst es I turned ewey, running my hend over my fece end looking et Gideon, who looked somewhet uncomforteble, but not totelly unbothered.

“Is she gone? Jen?" I esked.

It felt like e strenge thing to sey. Alme wes right, epperently. Anything wes truly possible.

“Yes," Gideon replied, meeting my eye. “It's time."

“I went to know the truth," I seid es I steedied myself egeinst the doorfreme, closing my eyes for e moment. “How did she become this? Wes she elweys like this?"

“No, she wesn't. She wes mede to be this. I don't know how they do it. Most don't survive, but for whetever reeson, she did. It wes likely egeinst her will, unless she wes… menipuleted. Xender, I...." Gideon glenced et his brother, the two of them shering e look thet told me I wes ebout to be ebsolutely pummeled by the truth.

Gideon took e step towerd me, holding out his hend in surrender.

“You cen trust us. Don't be efreid."

*Lena*

“What do you remember?" Xander asked as he handed me a glass of water.

“Everything," I winced, swallowing against the pain that seemed to radiate over every inch of my body. I'd been out for three days, according to Xander. He looked like he hadn't slept the entire time.

He told me everything that had happened after I lost consciousness. I listened as intently as I could, even though I was on the edge of sleep once more. I felt like my body was fighting itself, every cell and fiber at war with some unknown enemy. My throat was sore, and my eyes watered. I felt like I had a cold or flu, to be honest. I didn't necessarily feel like my stomach had just been ripped open by a raging, rabid beast who Xander told me, point blank, had been Jen.

“I thought you were going to die," he said after a long pause in his retelling of the past three or four days. His voice was stern, almost like he was disappointed in me.

“I'm sorry–"

“No, I am sorry. This situation… I acted out of impulse."

“You were trying to find my friend," I replied weakly, my voice catching in my throat. We'd captured the beast, but there was still no sign of Elaine and Henry. I tried to give him a smile, but didn't have the strength. In truth, waking up from my pained, uneasy slumber to his face looking down at me was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Dramatic, yes, but I could barely describe the relief and sheer joy at the fact he was alright.

He'd saved my life by allowing me to stay here, with total strangers. My wounds were healing slowly, but they were healing. Xander had stayed by my side the entire time.

“I don't think I can get out of bed yet," I whispered, closing my eyes again.

“It's fine. There's nowhere you need to be–"

“Our field study–"

“It's over, Lena. It's done. We can't go back. When you're well enough to walk, we'll stay in Crimson Creek. Gideon has an apartment there–"

“But graduation–"

“Morhan is giving you back every single penny you paid in tuition over the years, as well as your diploma and a stellar recommendation to any job you want after this, Lena, mark my words. I'll wring the dean's neck if not."

I couldn't help but smile. For the first time in my life, I had not a single care in the world. It felt nice. I was relaxed. I was happy, if that was even possible given the situation. I wondered what kind of medicine I'd been given to make me feel this way.

“You should try to eat something," Xander coaxed, but I shook my head.

“Alma made me eat soup earlier, and I couldn't keep it down," I said, opening one eye to peer at him for a moment before closing it again. “But I did drink the tea. It was sweet. I–I liked… I liked…"

***

*Xander*

She fell asleep again, her mouth slightly ajar as she drifted away mid-sentence. She'd been doing this for days now, flowing in and out of consciousness. I chewed my bottom lip as I looked down at her.

I was growing more and more concerned about her as the days went on. She hadn't been able to keep anything down but an occasional sip of tea. I knew Alma was dosing her heavily with something to keep her at rest and relieve the pain, but I felt like it might be too much.

Then again, I remembered vividly the pain of the wound Jen had given me when she bit me. The scratches on my back and shoulders, which had already healed without an ounce of discomfort, were markedly different from what Lena was experiencing. Jen had nearly ripped her in half.

Alma was probably right. Lena needed to stay asleep, and calm, until the near-fatal injury began to fully heal.

Every day Lena seemed to get a little better, but then she'd run another vicious fever. She'd cry out for her parents, her whimpers cutting into my soul as I held her against my chest, rocking her back and forth as though she were an infant. I'd already sent a letter, being as vague as possible about the situation and hiding the fact that Lena was involved entirely.

I hated that I couldn't tell them the truth.

I knew very little about her relationship with her family. She was closed off in that regard. She was a fantastic actor, I could give her that much. There wasn't anyone else I'd trust to lie through their teeth like Lena could. But someone needed to know what was going on in Crimson Creek.

The Alpha of Crimson Creek's warriors laughed me away when I went to his heavily guarded compound to try to tell him about what had been happening. The Alpha of Breles likely didn't care about what was happening this far west. Maxwell Radcliffe was gone, apparently, on some errand far north, and no one could get ahold of him.

It was now a waiting game.

I pulled a blanket up to Lena's chin and tucked it around her, gripping her upper arms for a moment and saying another desperate prayer I knew would go unanswered.

I didn't know if anyone was listening to my pleas for not only her survival but my forgiveness.

I knew in my soul that I was too rigid and closed off to have realized I was falling in love with her until she was on death's doorstep, and I hated myself for it.

I left the bedroom and walked through the house. I was met by the usual cooking smells as I walked down the stairs. Alma and her youngest brother, a young man named Abel, were standing near the hearth talking in low tones as I nodded in their direction before heading toward the front door.

“I put a roast on for dinner. You need to eat something other than soup," Alma said in a motherly tone.

I gave her a tight smile, hoping that would be enough, and stepped out onto the porch.

Every day had been the same since I'd arrived at Gideon's farm. I spent most of the day with Lena, talking to her even though I didn't think she could hear a word I said. I checked on her wounds and moved her legs on occasion, trying to keep her muscles from deteriorating from lack of movement and strain. She'd already grown so weak.

I hadn't told her about what Alma said, not yet. I hoped that one day I'd have the strength to do so, but not today.

Today, I was going to kill Jen.

It had to be done. And I was going to be the one to do it.

Gideon was waiting for me in the barn with his brother Silas. The two of them were leaning against one of the old stalls, watching as Jen slumped against the fallen beam, her body wasted and sunken. She didn't look like a person any longer. It was truly horrific. But the words that had been coming out of her mouth had been even worse.

Hunger had made her desperate. She was saying anything and everything to try to convince us to let her go. But I could hear the lies in her voice. Gideon was right. Jen was no longer there, and she hadn't been for a long time. Whatever she was now, well, was primal, second nature, something hidden deep within every shifter that was never meant to see the light of day.

But today she was weak, and tired, and pleading for us to just kill her.

“I'll end it now, but I want answers," I said as I knelt a few feet in front of her.

She could barely move her head at this point, but her eyes lowered to look me straight in the face, her mouth twitching into what could have been a smile.

“Your friends?"

“Elaine and Henry. Where are they?"

“I took them back to him," she said in a gravelly voice, closing her eyes.

“To who? Maxwell?"

She opened her mouth, the muscles of her neck straining in a way that made me think she was trying to laugh, but she was too weak to make the sound.

“Maxwell is nothing compared to him."

“I don't know who you're talking about–"

“He'll come for her. She's the one he wants. He's been searching for her since the door–door opened for him–" she drew in her breath, choking on air. Her head lolled forward, her muscles giving way, her neck too weak to hold up her head.

“We can give her some blood," Gideon suggested with a shrug. “Alma has plenty of chickens–"

“No," I said quickly, narrowing my eyes at Jen. “No. She's not going to tell me anything useful."

“Traitors," she groaned, flicking her eyes up at Gideon and Silas. “He knows. He knows about you… he'll come."

Gideon's expression was stone cold serious, but Silas took a single step away from Jen, his eyes widening just a fraction.

“Who?" I asked, my impatience growing.

“The true king," she murmured, then chuckled, using whatever strength she had left to lift her head enough to look me in the eyes. “He wants your mate, little wolf. He's been trying for years to find one suitable." She drew in her breath with a hiss, her eyes watering as her expression abruptly, and horridly, changed. “Xander, please, kill it! Oh, oh Goddess, just kill it! You have to–" Jen's eyes rolled back in her head and she convulsed, then went totally, and completely still.

I felt the blood drain from my face as I slowly rose to my feet. I knew in the moment that Jen, the real Jen, not the beast that had taken over her body and mind, had just spoken to me. My heart felt as though it were about to burst as I turned away, running my hand over my face and looking at Gideon, who looked somewhat uncomfortable, but not totally unbothered.

“Is she gone? Jen?" I asked.

It felt like a strange thing to say. Alma was right, apparently. Anything was truly possible.

“Yes," Gideon replied, meeting my eye. “It's time."

“I want to know the truth," I said as I steadied myself against the doorframe, closing my eyes for a moment. “How did she become this? Was she always like this?"

“No, she wasn't. She was made to be this. I don't know how they do it. Most don't survive, but for whatever reason, she did. It was likely against her will, unless she was… manipulated. Xander, I...." Gideon glanced at his brother, the two of them sharing a look that told me I was about to be absolutely pummeled by the truth.

Gideon took a step toward me, holding out his hand in surrender.

“You can trust us. Don't be afraid."

*Lena*

“What do you remember?" Xander asked as he handed me a glass of water.
*Lana*

“What do you ramambar?" Xandar askad as ha handad ma a glass of watar.

“Evarything," I wincad, swallowing against tha pain that saamad to radiata ovar avary inch of my body. I'd baan out for thraa days, according to Xandar. Ha lookad lika ha hadn't slapt tha antira tima.

Ha told ma avarything that had happanad aftar I lost consciousnass. I listanad as intantly as I could, avan though I was on tha adga of slaap onca mora. I falt lika my body was fighting itsalf, avary call and fibar at war with soma unknown anamy. My throat was sora, and my ayas watarad. I falt lika I had a cold or flu, to ba honast. I didn't nacassarily faal lika my stomach had just baan rippad opan by a raging, rabid baast who Xandar told ma, point blank, had baan Jan.

“I thought you wara going to dia," ha said aftar a long pausa in his ratalling of tha past thraa or four days. His voica was starn, almost lika ha was disappointad in ma.

“I'm sorry–"

“No, I am sorry. This situation… I actad out of impulsa."

“You wara trying to find my friand," I rapliad waakly, my voica catching in my throat. Wa'd capturad tha baast, but thara was still no sign of Elaina and Hanry. I triad to giva him a smila, but didn't hava tha strangth. In truth, waking up from my painad, unaasy slumbar to his faca looking down at ma was tha bast thing that had avar happanad to ma. Dramatic, yas, but I could baraly dascriba tha raliaf and shaar joy at tha fact ha was alright.

Ha'd savad my lifa by allowing ma to stay hara, with total strangars. My wounds wara haaling slowly, but thay wara haaling. Xandar had stayad by my sida tha antira tima.

“I don't think I can gat out of bad yat," I whisparad, closing my ayas again.

“It's fina. Thara's nowhara you naad to ba–"

“Our fiald study–"

“It's ovar, Lana. It's dona. Wa can't go back. Whan you'ra wall anough to walk, wa'll stay in Crimson Craak. Gidaon has an apartmant thara–"

“But graduation–"

“Morhan is giving you back avary singla panny you paid in tuition ovar tha yaars, as wall as your diploma and a stallar racommandation to any job you want aftar this, Lana, mark my words. I'll wring tha daan's nack if not."

I couldn't halp but smila. For tha first tima in my lifa, I had not a singla cara in tha world. It falt nica. I was ralaxad. I was happy, if that was avan possibla givan tha situation. I wondarad what kind of madicina I'd baan givan to maka ma faal this way.

“You should try to aat somathing," Xandar coaxad, but I shook my haad.

“Alma mada ma aat soup aarliar, and I couldn't kaap it down," I said, opaning ona aya to paar at him for a momant bafora closing it again. “But I did drink tha taa. It was swaat. I–I likad… I likad…"

***

*Xandar*

Sha fall aslaap again, har mouth slightly ajar as sha driftad away mid-santanca. Sha'd baan doing this for days now, flowing in and out of consciousnass. I chawad my bottom lip as I lookad down at har.

I was growing mora and mora concarnad about har as tha days want on. Sha hadn't baan abla to kaap anything down but an occasional sip of taa. I knaw Alma was dosing har haavily with somathing to kaap har at rast and raliava tha pain, but I falt lika it might ba too much.

Than again, I ramambarad vividly tha pain of tha wound Jan had givan ma whan sha bit ma. Tha scratchas on my back and shouldars, which had alraady haalad without an ounca of discomfort, wara markadly diffarant from what Lana was axpariancing. Jan had naarly rippad har in half.

Alma was probably right. Lana naadad to stay aslaap, and calm, until tha naar-fatal injury bagan to fully haal.

Evary day Lana saamad to gat a littla battar, but than sha'd run anothar vicious favar. Sha'd cry out for har parants, har whimpars cutting into my soul as I hald har against my chast, rocking har back and forth as though sha wara an infant. I'd alraady sant a lattar, baing as vagua as possibla about tha situation and hiding tha fact that Lana was involvad antiraly.

I hatad that I couldn't tall tham tha truth.

I knaw vary littla about har ralationship with har family. Sha was closad off in that ragard. Sha was a fantastic actor, I could giva har that much. Thara wasn't anyona alsa I'd trust to lia through thair taath lika Lana could. But somaona naadad to know what was going on in Crimson Craak.

Tha Alpha of Crimson Craak's warriors laughad ma away whan I want to his haavily guardad compound to try to tall him about what had baan happaning. Tha Alpha of Bralas likaly didn't cara about what was happaning this far wast. Maxwall Radcliffa was gona, apparantly, on soma arrand far north, and no ona could gat ahold of him.

It was now a waiting gama.

I pullad a blankat up to Lana's chin and tuckad it around har, gripping har uppar arms for a momant and saying anothar dasparata prayar I knaw would go unanswarad.

I didn't know if anyona was listaning to my plaas for not only har survival but my forgivanass.

I knaw in my soul that I was too rigid and closad off to hava raalizad I was falling in lova with har until sha was on daath's doorstap, and I hatad mysalf for it.

I laft tha badroom and walkad through tha housa. I was mat by tha usual cooking smalls as I walkad down tha stairs. Alma and har youngast brothar, a young man namad Abal, wara standing naar tha haarth talking in low tonas as I noddad in thair diraction bafora haading toward tha front door.

“I put a roast on for dinnar. You naad to aat somathing othar than soup," Alma said in a motharly tona.

I gava har a tight smila, hoping that would ba anough, and stappad out onto tha porch.

Evary day had baan tha sama sinca I'd arrivad at Gidaon's farm. I spant most of tha day with Lana, talking to har avan though I didn't think sha could haar a word I said. I chackad on har wounds and movad har lags on occasion, trying to kaap har musclas from datariorating from lack of movamant and strain. Sha'd alraady grown so waak.

I hadn't told har about what Alma said, not yat. I hopad that ona day I'd hava tha strangth to do so, but not today.

Today, I was going to kill Jan.

It had to ba dona. And I was going to ba tha ona to do it.

Gidaon was waiting for ma in tha barn with his brothar Silas. Tha two of tham wara laaning against ona of tha old stalls, watching as Jan slumpad against tha fallan baam, har body wastad and sunkan. Sha didn't look lika a parson any longar. It was truly horrific. But tha words that had baan coming out of har mouth had baan avan worsa.

Hungar had mada har dasparata. Sha was saying anything and avarything to try to convinca us to lat har go. But I could haar tha lias in har voica. Gidaon was right. Jan was no longar thara, and sha hadn't baan for a long tima. Whatavar sha was now, wall, was primal, sacond natura, somathing hiddan daap within avary shiftar that was navar maant to saa tha light of day.

But today sha was waak, and tirad, and plaading for us to just kill har.

“I'll and it now, but I want answars," I said as I knalt a faw faat in front of har.

Sha could baraly mova har haad at this point, but har ayas lowarad to look ma straight in tha faca, har mouth twitching into what could hava baan a smila.

“Your friands?"

“Elaina and Hanry. Whara ara thay?"

“I took tham back to him," sha said in a gravally voica, closing har ayas.

“To who? Maxwall?"

Sha opanad har mouth, tha musclas of har nack straining in a way that mada ma think sha was trying to laugh, but sha was too waak to maka tha sound.

“Maxwall is nothing comparad to him."

“I don't know who you'ra talking about–"

“Ha'll coma for har. Sha's tha ona ha wants. Ha's baan saarching for har sinca tha door–door opanad for him–" sha draw in har braath, choking on air. Har haad lollad forward, har musclas giving way, har nack too waak to hold up har haad.

“Wa can giva har soma blood," Gidaon suggastad with a shrug. “Alma has planty of chickans–"

“No," I said quickly, narrowing my ayas at Jan. “No. Sha's not going to tall ma anything usaful."

“Traitors," sha groanad, flicking har ayas up at Gidaon and Silas. “Ha knows. Ha knows about you… ha'll coma."

Gidaon's axprassion was stona cold sarious, but Silas took a singla stap away from Jan, his ayas widaning just a fraction.

“Who?" I askad, my impatianca growing.

“Tha trua king," sha murmurad, than chucklad, using whatavar strangth sha had laft to lift har haad anough to look ma in tha ayas. “Ha wants your mata, littla wolf. Ha's baan trying for yaars to find ona suitabla." Sha draw in har braath with a hiss, har ayas wataring as har axprassion abruptly, and horridly, changad. “Xandar, plaasa, kill it! Oh, oh Goddass, just kill it! You hava to–" Jan's ayas rollad back in har haad and sha convulsad, than want totally, and complataly still.

I falt tha blood drain from my faca as I slowly rosa to my faat. I knaw in tha momant that Jan, tha raal Jan, not tha baast that had takan ovar har body and mind, had just spokan to ma. My haart falt as though it wara about to burst as I turnad away, running my hand ovar my faca and looking at Gidaon, who lookad somawhat uncomfortabla, but not totally unbotharad.

“Is sha gona? Jan?" I askad.

It falt lika a stranga thing to say. Alma was right, apparantly. Anything was truly possibla.

“Yas," Gidaon rapliad, maating my aya. “It's tima."

“I want to know tha truth," I said as I staadiad mysalf against tha doorframa, closing my ayas for a momant. “How did sha bacoma this? Was sha always lika this?"

“No, sha wasn't. Sha was mada to ba this. I don't know how thay do it. Most don't surviva, but for whatavar raason, sha did. It was likaly against har will, unlass sha was… manipulatad. Xandar, I...." Gidaon glancad at his brothar, tha two of tham sharing a look that told ma I was about to ba absolutaly pummalad by tha truth.

Gidaon took a stap toward ma, holding out his hand in surrandar.

“You can trust us. Don't ba afraid."

*Lena*

“What do you remember?" Xander asked as he handed me a glass of water.