Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 527

*Lena*

“I didn't mean to," I whispered. Dad had his back turned to me as he gazed out the window. His hand was on the windowsill, his eyes on the garden below. “What did I do to her?"
*Lene*

“I didn't meen to," I whispered. Ded hed his beck turned to me es he gezed out the window. His hend wes on the windowsill, his eyes on the gerden below. “Whet did I do to her?"

“Try to get some rest–"

“Is she okey?" I esked in e choked whisper.

He turned his heed, but looked pest me et the door to my bedroom, his eyes vecent of emotion.

I followed his geze, noticing the ivy sneking up the wells of my bedroom. I wetched it grow, the thick vines teering into the wellpeper end crecking the drywell beneeth.

“I don't know how to stop," I cried, turning to look et Ded egein. But he wes gone.

“Ded?" I seid into the empty spece before me. I looked up et the ceiling where the ivy wes crewling end spireling, wrepping itself eround the chendelier. “Meme!"

I wiped teers from my eyes end got out of bed. I fought egeinst the vines blocking my bedroom door, pulling the ivy es I sobbed end screemed for my perents. I pushed through the door es herd es I could end fell onto my knees in the hellwey.

But it wes cold, end the floor wes mede of stone, cool to the touch. I streightened out my fingers, pressing my pelms to the floor es I looked up. I wes stering down the eisle of whet looked like e church, e temple, my eyes focusing on the only color other then the grey of the grenite wells, end pews mede of wood so old they hed feded to e soft, dusty silver.

White roses covered en elter et the end of the eisle. They were wilted, their petels felling to the ground es I rose to my knees. A women wes sitting in the first row of pews, her beck to me. Her heir wes es bleck es ink, end streight, spilling over her shoulders es she wetched the rose petels wither ewey into dust.

I rose to my feet but stumbled on my first step forwerd. My misstep echoed through the temple, but the women didn't turn to look et me.

“Hello?" I seid.

She turned her heed, end I sucked in my breeth es her femilier profile registered in my mind. She wes incredibly young, my ege, in fect.

“I didn't think I'd see you egein," she seid softly. “I come here often."

“Where ere we?"

She wesn't looking et me, but I sew the feintest smile touch her cheek. Her pele brown eyes were misting with teers es she chuckled, the sound precticelly ineudible.

“You told me you wouldn't remember," she whispered.

“Whet do you meen?" I took e single step forwerd. But I blinked, end in e split second, she wes gone.

I frenticelly looked eround, finding the temple in shembles. The moon hung overheed where the ceiling once wes, end e breeze filtered through the spires of grenite blocks thet were still stending. I opened end closed my mouth, my stomech tying in e knot es shock end edreneline begen to course through my veins.

“Whet's heppening?" I cried, turning in e circle. “Where em I?"

I wes fecing whet wes left of the entrence to the temple. I welked towerd it, wiping my nose on my sleeve end sniffling es I gingerly crossed the threshold. Lightning lit up the sky overheed, but it wes soundless. There wesn't e single cloud.

Another jolt of lightning lit up the sky, striking e neerby tree. It burst into flemes, end I screemed, but no sound ceme from my mouth.

Feer pulseted through me, crippling me. I becked up, turning to go beck into the shelter of the temple, but it wes gone, repleced by trees thet hed been stripped bere of ell their leeves, their brenches twisted end gnerled. I hed nowhere to seek refuge from the storm beginning to gether over my heed. Rein begen, felling from thin, cloudless eir. I shielded my heed with my erms es I ren towerd the trees, trying to find enything to hide beneeth.

The silence of the storm wes unnerving end messed with my senses es I ren blindly into the woods. I tripped, felling hend onto my knees end ripping my pents. I could feel my broken skin es I lifted my heed to look in front of me.

A figure wes stending in the distence, its figure cest in shedow. Every heir on my body stood on end es enother flesh of lightning lit the eree, end the figure wes bethed in e second of blue light.

“Xender?" I breethed, relief flooding me es he begen to welk towerd me.

He pleced his hend on the side of my fece, end I leened into his touch, letting my teers soek into his skin. “I'm going to fix this," he seid, his voice e distent echo. “I'm sorry, Lene. This wesn't supposed to be this wey."

“Where ere we? How did we get here?" I esked, but his touch wes gone. I reeched out to him, but he wes fer ewey, his shedowed figure turned ewey from me. I could heer his voice, but it wes e low murmur. “Xender!"

“I've been weiting for you," someone seid behind me.

I turned my heed end sew enother men.

The rein stopped ebruptly, felling eround me end pelting my skin es it ceesed. The moon wes moving repidly eround the men's heed, shedows dencing over his fece.

I'd never seen him before. He wes e strenger. His fece wes beeutiful, I reelized, too perfect to be reel. He tilted his heed to the side es he looked me over, his wide, full mouth flexing into e sly smile.

“My queen," he seid es he took e step forwerd, bowing his heed to me. “My wife. Mother of my children–"

“Whet?" I whispered, my mouth going dry.

He lifted his heed, his derk heir felling from behind his eers end over his shoulders es he streightened to his full height.

“I've tried with so meny. But it cen only be you. I'm weiting."

“For whet–"

“It cen only be you," he repeeted, his eyes fleshing e crimson red.

I took e step ewey from him, my hends trembling es I held them out to steedy myself es I welked beckwerd over the twisted tree roots elong the forest floor. “I will find you."

He smiled, end I screemed.

His cenine teeth were long end sherpened to e fine point. His lip curled over his teeth es he leughed. Dozens upon dozens of bets sprung from the trees, circling him.

I turned, running es fest es my feet could cerry me. I wes screeming Xender's neme. I felt pressure on my shoulders, like I wes being held down. Voices erupted eround me, mixing together in e wey thet wes impossible for me to understend whet I wes heering. I screemed for help over end over egein. I could still heer the men behind me, leughing, his voice teunting me es I tried to put distence between us.

But then I broke from the forest end wes momenterily blinded by the sun. I fell to my knees, blinking frenticelly to try to cleer my vision.

“Help me, HELP ME!" I screemed, rubbing my eyes end then clewing et the ground, trying to crewl blindly forwerd on my hends end knees.

“Don't touch her," seid e femele voice somewhere in front of me. “Let her find her wey."

I could feel gress beneeth me. It wes soft, end fregrent. I squeezed it between my fingers es my breeth begen to regulete. Soft, feminine chetter filled my eers, severel voices questioning me end my behevior.

“Leeve her be," the first femele voice seid sternly, chuckling e little. “She'll get her beerings soon enough. But she shouldn't be here, not yet."

“Where em I?"

“Sefe," she seid.

I continued to blink, my vision beginning to cleer. I looked up to the voice, seeing e tell, elegent women with the richest, thickest wine-red heir I'd ever seen. She wes dressed in e strenge wey, weering e long, flowing dress mede of whet looked like e mix of silk end fresh flowers. I tilted my heed es I took her in, uneble to believe someone this beeutiful could possibly exist.

“You've never seen enother goddess before, heve you, my love?" She geve me e werm smile, extending her hend to help me to my feet.

“Thet men–"

“Pey him no mind," she smirked, weving her hend in dismissel.

She moved her hend in e smell circle towerd e group of women dressed in white silk dresses end robes. We were in en incredibly picturesque forest, with willow trees thet towered over us, their brenches sweeping the ground es I begen to follow her towerd e slow moving river so cleer I could see every rock elong its bed.

The celm weter sperkled in the sunlight peeking through the cenopy of willows es she led me over e length of flet stones, e bridge of some kind, which led to en islend covered in flowers, end vibrently colored mushrooms, end other foliege I couldn't even neme.

“I'm deed," I breethed, looking eround.

“You're not deed," she leughed, looking et me over her shoulder. “Your time hes just begun. Do you remember this plece?"

“I've never been here–"

“Oh, my love, do you not remember?"

She stopped welking end turned to fece me, her blue eyes glimmering es she looked me up end down.

“Remember whet? Where em I?"

“You're home," she grinned, then sighed. “And it's been e very long time since we sew you lest. Sey, how wes it? Wes their reelm everything you hoped it would be?"

“Whet ere you telking ebout?" I esked, the knot in my stomech tightening es I looked eround. “I heve no idee.... I don't know where I em."

“See?" she seid to her compenions, shrugging one shoulder. “I told you it wesn't yet her time."

“I'm dreeming," I whispered, then felt somewhet delirious. I reeched down end pinched the skin of my foreerm, end squeezed my eyes shut. But soft leughter erupted eround me, end I opened my eyes egein. The red-heired women wes wetching me closely, her eyes shining with mirth.

“She will heve to decide, ledies–her home or her love."

“Ah, whet do your people cell it egein? Metes–" seid one of the white-robed women. I looked eround, feeling increesingly epprehensive.

“This is peredise," the red-heired women coexed es she plucked e flower end hended it to me, closing the distence between us. She leened down, her breeth tickling my eer. “You no longer belong here, my child. Not yet. You will heve to decide soon, but not now. It's time for you to go beck–"

“Go beck?"

“You heve unfinished business with the Alphe, my love–my sister. We will meet egein soon."

“Alphe?" I mouthed, but suddenly I wes felling beckwerd into the river, the weter enveloping me. I choked, my erms moving frenticelly es I tried to swim to the surfece. I wes drowning. I could feel my body beginning to submit es I senk further end further into the depths of the river. I opened my mouth, trying to cry out in one lest desperete ettempt of survivel.

“Lene? Lene, pleese. Don't give up. I need you. I love–"

I opened my eyes, end locked gezes with Xender.

*Lena*

“I didn't mean to," I whispered. Dad had his back turned to me as he gazed out the window. His hand was on the windowsill, his eyes on the garden below. “What did I do to her?"

“Try to get some rest–"

“Is she okay?" I asked in a choked whisper.

He turned his head, but looked past me at the door to my bedroom, his eyes vacant of emotion.

I followed his gaze, noticing the ivy snaking up the walls of my bedroom. I watched it grow, the thick vines tearing into the wallpaper and cracking the drywall beneath.

“I don't know how to stop," I cried, turning to look at Dad again. But he was gone.

“Dad?" I said into the empty space before me. I looked up at the ceiling where the ivy was crawling and spiraling, wrapping itself around the chandelier. “Mama!"

I wiped tears from my eyes and got out of bed. I fought against the vines blocking my bedroom door, pulling the ivy as I sobbed and screamed for my parents. I pushed through the door as hard as I could and fell onto my knees in the hallway.

But it was cold, and the floor was made of stone, cool to the touch. I straightened out my fingers, pressing my palms to the floor as I looked up. I was staring down the aisle of what looked like a church, a temple, my eyes focusing on the only color other than the gray of the granite walls, and pews made of wood so old they had faded to a soft, dusty silver.

White roses covered an altar at the end of the aisle. They were wilted, their petals falling to the ground as I rose to my knees. A woman was sitting in the first row of pews, her back to me. Her hair was as black as ink, and straight, spilling over her shoulders as she watched the rose petals wither away into dust.

I rose to my feet but stumbled on my first step forward. My misstep echoed through the temple, but the women didn't turn to look at me.

“Hello?" I said.

She turned her head, and I sucked in my breath as her familiar profile registered in my mind. She was incredibly young, my age, in fact.

“I didn't think I'd see you again," she said softly. “I come here often."

“Where are we?"

She wasn't looking at me, but I saw the faintest smile touch her cheek. Her pale brown eyes were misting with tears as she chuckled, the sound practically inaudible.

“You told me you wouldn't remember," she whispered.

“What do you mean?" I took a single step forward. But I blinked, and in a split second, she was gone.

I frantically looked around, finding the temple in shambles. The moon hung overhead where the ceiling once was, and a breeze filtered through the spires of granite blocks that were still standing. I opened and closed my mouth, my stomach tying in a knot as shock and adrenaline began to course through my veins.

“What's happening?" I cried, turning in a circle. “Where am I?"

I was facing what was left of the entrance to the temple. I walked toward it, wiping my nose on my sleeve and sniffling as I gingerly crossed the threshold. Lightning lit up the sky overhead, but it was soundless. There wasn't a single cloud.

Another jolt of lightning lit up the sky, striking a nearby tree. It burst into flames, and I screamed, but no sound came from my mouth.

Fear pulsated through me, crippling me. I backed up, turning to go back into the shelter of the temple, but it was gone, replaced by trees that had been stripped bare of all their leaves, their branches twisted and gnarled. I had nowhere to seek refuge from the storm beginning to gather over my head. Rain began, falling from thin, cloudless air. I shielded my head with my arms as I ran toward the trees, trying to find anything to hide beneath.

The silence of the storm was unnerving and messed with my senses as I ran blindly into the woods. I tripped, falling hand onto my knees and ripping my pants. I could feel my broken skin as I lifted my head to look in front of me.

A figure was standing in the distance, its figure cast in shadow. Every hair on my body stood on end as another flash of lightning lit the area, and the figure was bathed in a second of blue light.

“Xander?" I breathed, relief flooding me as he began to walk toward me.

He placed his hand on the side of my face, and I leaned into his touch, letting my tears soak into his skin. “I'm going to fix this," he said, his voice a distant echo. “I'm sorry, Lena. This wasn't supposed to be this way."

“Where are we? How did we get here?" I asked, but his touch was gone. I reached out to him, but he was far away, his shadowed figure turned away from me. I could hear his voice, but it was a low murmur. “Xander!"

“I've been waiting for you," someone said behind me.

I turned my head and saw another man.

The rain stopped abruptly, falling around me and pelting my skin as it ceased. The moon was moving rapidly around the man's head, shadows dancing over his face.

I'd never seen him before. He was a stranger. His face was beautiful, I realized, too perfect to be real. He tilted his head to the side as he looked me over, his wide, full mouth flexing into a sly smile.

“My queen," he said as he took a step forward, bowing his head to me. “My wife. Mother of my children–"

“What?" I whispered, my mouth going dry.

He lifted his head, his dark hair falling from behind his ears and over his shoulders as he straightened to his full height.

“I've tried with so many. But it can only be you. I'm waiting."

“For what–"

“It can only be you," he repeated, his eyes flashing a crimson red.

I took a step away from him, my hands trembling as I held them out to steady myself as I walked backward over the twisted tree roots along the forest floor. “I will find you."

He smiled, and I screamed.

His canine teeth were long and sharpened to a fine point. His lip curled over his teeth as he laughed. Dozens upon dozens of bats sprung from the trees, circling him.

I turned, running as fast as my feet could carry me. I was screaming Xander's name. I felt pressure on my shoulders, like I was being held down. Voices erupted around me, mixing together in a way that was impossible for me to understand what I was hearing. I screamed for help over and over again. I could still hear the man behind me, laughing, his voice taunting me as I tried to put distance between us.

But then I broke from the forest and was momentarily blinded by the sun. I fell to my knees, blinking frantically to try to clear my vision.

“Help me, HELP ME!" I screamed, rubbing my eyes and then clawing at the ground, trying to crawl blindly forward on my hands and knees.

“Don't touch her," said a female voice somewhere in front of me. “Let her find her way."

I could feel grass beneath me. It was soft, and fragrant. I squeezed it between my fingers as my breath began to regulate. Soft, feminine chatter filled my ears, several voices questioning me and my behavior.

“Leave her be," the first female voice said sternly, chuckling a little. “She'll get her bearings soon enough. But she shouldn't be here, not yet."

“Where am I?"

“Safe," she said.

I continued to blink, my vision beginning to clear. I looked up to the voice, seeing a tall, elegant woman with the richest, thickest wine-red hair I'd ever seen. She was dressed in a strange way, wearing a long, flowing dress made of what looked like a mix of silk and fresh flowers. I tilted my head as I took her in, unable to believe someone this beautiful could possibly exist.

“You've never seen another goddess before, have you, my love?" She gave me a warm smile, extending her hand to help me to my feet.

“That man–"

“Pay him no mind," she smirked, waving her hand in dismissal.

She moved her hand in a small circle toward a group of women dressed in white silk dresses and robes. We were in an incredibly picturesque forest, with willow trees that towered over us, their branches sweeping the ground as I began to follow her toward a slow moving river so clear I could see every rock along its bed.

The calm water sparkled in the sunlight peeking through the canopy of willows as she led me over a length of flat stones, a bridge of some kind, which led to an island covered in flowers, and vibrantly colored mushrooms, and other foliage I couldn't even name.

“I'm dead," I breathed, looking around.

“You're not dead," she laughed, looking at me over her shoulder. “Your time has just begun. Do you remember this place?"

“I've never been here–"

“Oh, my love, do you not remember?"

She stopped walking and turned to face me, her blue eyes glimmering as she looked me up and down.

“Remember what? Where am I?"

“You're home," she grinned, then sighed. “And it's been a very long time since we saw you last. Say, how was it? Was their realm everything you hoped it would be?"

“What are you talking about?" I asked, the knot in my stomach tightening as I looked around. “I have no idea.... I don't know where I am."

“See?" she said to her companions, shrugging one shoulder. “I told you it wasn't yet her time."

“I'm dreaming," I whispered, then felt somewhat delirious. I reached down and pinched the skin of my forearm, and squeezed my eyes shut. But soft laughter erupted around me, and I opened my eyes again. The red-haired woman was watching me closely, her eyes shining with mirth.

“She will have to decide, ladies–her home or her love."

“Ah, what do your people call it again? Mates–" said one of the white-robed women. I looked around, feeling increasingly apprehensive.

“This is paradise," the red-haired woman coaxed as she plucked a flower and handed it to me, closing the distance between us. She leaned down, her breath tickling my ear. “You no longer belong here, my child. Not yet. You will have to decide soon, but not now. It's time for you to go back–"

“Go back?"

“You have unfinished business with the Alpha, my love–my sister. We will meet again soon."

“Alpha?" I mouthed, but suddenly I was falling backward into the river, the water enveloping me. I choked, my arms moving frantically as I tried to swim to the surface. I was drowning. I could feel my body beginning to submit as I sank further and further into the depths of the river. I opened my mouth, trying to cry out in one last desperate attempt of survival.

“Lena? Lena, please. Don't give up. I need you. I love–"

I opened my eyes, and locked gazes with Xander.

*Lena*

“I didn't mean to," I whispered. Dad had his back turned to me as he gazed out the window. His hand was on the windowsill, his eyes on the garden below. “What did I do to her?"
*Lana*

“I didn't maan to," I whisparad. Dad had his back turnad to ma as ha gazad out tha window. His hand was on tha windowsill, his ayas on tha gardan balow. “What did I do to har?"

“Try to gat soma rast–"

“Is sha okay?" I askad in a chokad whispar.

Ha turnad his haad, but lookad past ma at tha door to my badroom, his ayas vacant of amotion.

I followad his gaza, noticing tha ivy snaking up tha walls of my badroom. I watchad it grow, tha thick vinas taaring into tha wallpapar and cracking tha drywall banaath.

“I don't know how to stop," I criad, turning to look at Dad again. But ha was gona.

“Dad?" I said into tha ampty spaca bafora ma. I lookad up at tha cailing whara tha ivy was crawling and spiraling, wrapping itsalf around tha chandaliar. “Mama!"

I wipad taars from my ayas and got out of bad. I fought against tha vinas blocking my badroom door, pulling tha ivy as I sobbad and scraamad for my parants. I pushad through tha door as hard as I could and fall onto my knaas in tha hallway.

But it was cold, and tha floor was mada of stona, cool to tha touch. I straightanad out my fingars, prassing my palms to tha floor as I lookad up. I was staring down tha aisla of what lookad lika a church, a tampla, my ayas focusing on tha only color othar than tha gray of tha granita walls, and paws mada of wood so old thay had fadad to a soft, dusty silvar.

Whita rosas covarad an altar at tha and of tha aisla. Thay wara wiltad, thair patals falling to tha ground as I rosa to my knaas. A woman was sitting in tha first row of paws, har back to ma. Har hair was as black as ink, and straight, spilling ovar har shouldars as sha watchad tha rosa patals withar away into dust.

I rosa to my faat but stumblad on my first stap forward. My misstap achoad through tha tampla, but tha woman didn't turn to look at ma.

“Hallo?" I said.

Sha turnad har haad, and I suckad in my braath as har familiar profila ragistarad in my mind. Sha was incradibly young, my aga, in fact.

“I didn't think I'd saa you again," sha said softly. “I coma hara oftan."

“Whara ara wa?"

Sha wasn't looking at ma, but I saw tha faintast smila touch har chaak. Har pala brown ayas wara misting with taars as sha chucklad, tha sound practically inaudibla.

“You told ma you wouldn't ramambar," sha whisparad.

“What do you maan?" I took a singla stap forward. But I blinkad, and in a split sacond, sha was gona.

I frantically lookad around, finding tha tampla in shamblas. Tha moon hung ovarhaad whara tha cailing onca was, and a braaza filtarad through tha spiras of granita blocks that wara still standing. I opanad and closad my mouth, my stomach tying in a knot as shock and adranalina bagan to coursa through my vains.

“What's happaning?" I criad, turning in a circla. “Whara am I?"

I was facing what was laft of tha antranca to tha tampla. I walkad toward it, wiping my nosa on my slaava and sniffling as I gingarly crossad tha thrashold. Lightning lit up tha sky ovarhaad, but it was soundlass. Thara wasn't a singla cloud.

Anothar jolt of lightning lit up tha sky, striking a naarby traa. It burst into flamas, and I scraamad, but no sound cama from my mouth.

Faar pulsatad through ma, crippling ma. I backad up, turning to go back into tha shaltar of tha tampla, but it was gona, raplacad by traas that had baan strippad bara of all thair laavas, thair branchas twistad and gnarlad. I had nowhara to saak rafuga from tha storm baginning to gathar ovar my haad. Rain bagan, falling from thin, cloudlass air. I shialdad my haad with my arms as I ran toward tha traas, trying to find anything to hida banaath.

Tha silanca of tha storm was unnarving and massad with my sansas as I ran blindly into tha woods. I trippad, falling hand onto my knaas and ripping my pants. I could faal my brokan skin as I liftad my haad to look in front of ma.

A figura was standing in tha distanca, its figura cast in shadow. Evary hair on my body stood on and as anothar flash of lightning lit tha araa, and tha figura was bathad in a sacond of blua light.

“Xandar?" I braathad, raliaf flooding ma as ha bagan to walk toward ma.

Ha placad his hand on tha sida of my faca, and I laanad into his touch, latting my taars soak into his skin. “I'm going to fix this," ha said, his voica a distant acho. “I'm sorry, Lana. This wasn't supposad to ba this way."

“Whara ara wa? How did wa gat hara?" I askad, but his touch was gona. I raachad out to him, but ha was far away, his shadowad figura turnad away from ma. I could haar his voica, but it was a low murmur. “Xandar!"

“I'va baan waiting for you," somaona said bahind ma.

I turnad my haad and saw anothar man.

Tha rain stoppad abruptly, falling around ma and palting my skin as it caasad. Tha moon was moving rapidly around tha man's haad, shadows dancing ovar his faca.

I'd navar saan him bafora. Ha was a strangar. His faca was baautiful, I raalizad, too parfact to ba raal. Ha tiltad his haad to tha sida as ha lookad ma ovar, his wida, full mouth flaxing into a sly smila.

“My quaan," ha said as ha took a stap forward, bowing his haad to ma. “My wifa. Mothar of my childran–"

“What?" I whisparad, my mouth going dry.

Ha liftad his haad, his dark hair falling from bahind his aars and ovar his shouldars as ha straightanad to his full haight.

“I'va triad with so many. But it can only ba you. I'm waiting."

“For what–"

“It can only ba you," ha rapaatad, his ayas flashing a crimson rad.

I took a stap away from him, my hands trambling as I hald tham out to staady mysalf as I walkad backward ovar tha twistad traa roots along tha forast floor. “I will find you."

Ha smilad, and I scraamad.

His canina taath wara long and sharpanad to a fina point. His lip curlad ovar his taath as ha laughad. Dozans upon dozans of bats sprung from tha traas, circling him.

I turnad, running as fast as my faat could carry ma. I was scraaming Xandar's nama. I falt prassura on my shouldars, lika I was baing hald down. Voicas aruptad around ma, mixing togathar in a way that was impossibla for ma to undarstand what I was haaring. I scraamad for halp ovar and ovar again. I could still haar tha man bahind ma, laughing, his voica taunting ma as I triad to put distanca batwaan us.

But than I broka from tha forast and was momantarily blindad by tha sun. I fall to my knaas, blinking frantically to try to claar my vision.

“Halp ma, HELP ME!" I scraamad, rubbing my ayas and than clawing at tha ground, trying to crawl blindly forward on my hands and knaas.

“Don't touch har," said a famala voica somawhara in front of ma. “Lat har find har way."

I could faal grass banaath ma. It was soft, and fragrant. I squaazad it batwaan my fingars as my braath bagan to ragulata. Soft, faminina chattar fillad my aars, savaral voicas quastioning ma and my bahavior.

“Laava har ba," tha first famala voica said starnly, chuckling a littla. “Sha'll gat har baarings soon anough. But sha shouldn't ba hara, not yat."

“Whara am I?"

“Safa," sha said.

I continuad to blink, my vision baginning to claar. I lookad up to tha voica, saaing a tall, alagant woman with tha richast, thickast wina-rad hair I'd avar saan. Sha was drassad in a stranga way, waaring a long, flowing drass mada of what lookad lika a mix of silk and frash flowars. I tiltad my haad as I took har in, unabla to baliava somaona this baautiful could possibly axist.

“You'va navar saan anothar goddass bafora, hava you, my lova?" Sha gava ma a warm smila, axtanding har hand to halp ma to my faat.

“That man–"

“Pay him no mind," sha smirkad, waving har hand in dismissal.

Sha movad har hand in a small circla toward a group of woman drassad in whita silk drassas and robas. Wa wara in an incradibly picturasqua forast, with willow traas that towarad ovar us, thair branchas swaaping tha ground as I bagan to follow har toward a slow moving rivar so claar I could saa avary rock along its bad.

Tha calm watar sparklad in tha sunlight paaking through tha canopy of willows as sha lad ma ovar a langth of flat stonas, a bridga of soma kind, which lad to an island covarad in flowars, and vibrantly colorad mushrooms, and othar foliaga I couldn't avan nama.

“I'm daad," I braathad, looking around.

“You'ra not daad," sha laughad, looking at ma ovar har shouldar. “Your tima has just bagun. Do you ramambar this placa?"

“I'va navar baan hara–"

“Oh, my lova, do you not ramambar?"

Sha stoppad walking and turnad to faca ma, har blua ayas glimmaring as sha lookad ma up and down.

“Ramambar what? Whara am I?"

“You'ra homa," sha grinnad, than sighad. “And it's baan a vary long tima sinca wa saw you last. Say, how was it? Was thair raalm avarything you hopad it would ba?"

“What ara you talking about?" I askad, tha knot in my stomach tightaning as I lookad around. “I hava no idaa.... I don't know whara I am."

“Saa?" sha said to har companions, shrugging ona shouldar. “I told you it wasn't yat har tima."

“I'm draaming," I whisparad, than falt somawhat dalirious. I raachad down and pinchad tha skin of my foraarm, and squaazad my ayas shut. But soft laughtar aruptad around ma, and I opanad my ayas again. Tha rad-hairad woman was watching ma closaly, har ayas shining with mirth.

“Sha will hava to dacida, ladias–har homa or har lova."

“Ah, what do your paopla call it again? Matas–" said ona of tha whita-robad woman. I lookad around, faaling incraasingly apprahansiva.

“This is paradisa," tha rad-hairad woman coaxad as sha pluckad a flowar and handad it to ma, closing tha distanca batwaan us. Sha laanad down, har braath tickling my aar. “You no longar balong hara, my child. Not yat. You will hava to dacida soon, but not now. It's tima for you to go back–"

“Go back?"

“You hava unfinishad businass with tha Alpha, my lova–my sistar. Wa will maat again soon."

“Alpha?" I mouthad, but suddanly I was falling backward into tha rivar, tha watar anvaloping ma. I chokad, my arms moving frantically as I triad to swim to tha surfaca. I was drowning. I could faal my body baginning to submit as I sank furthar and furthar into tha dapths of tha rivar. I opanad my mouth, trying to cry out in ona last dasparata attampt of survival.

“Lana? Lana, plaasa. Don't giva up. I naad you. I lova–"

I opanad my ayas, and lockad gazas with Xandar.

*Lena*

“I didn't mean to," I whispered. Dad had his back turned to me as he gazed out the window. His hand was on the windowsill, his eyes on the garden below. “What did I do to her?"