Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 578

Chapter 78 : We’re Out of Time

*Lena*

Abigail moved into the second bedroom in the cottage. A full day had passed since her arrival, and I woke up Sunday morning feeling like an absolute fool.

I'd run away from everything, and now my home, my lands, and my people were on the brink of war. I was the Moon Goddess, for Goddess' sake.... Right? What kind of ruler could I one day be if I was this much of a coward?

I laid in bed with my arms outstretched well into late morning. Rain pattered against the window panes, and across the hallway I heard Abigail snoring. I was in no hurry to get up, because I knew what I needed to do once my toes hit the chilled floorboards.

The letters I'd written to Abigail and Oliver had been vague. Abigail's letter was just a brief synopsis of my new life, what I'd been up to, and where she could find me. I hadn't expected her to show up, but given the circumstances, it sounded like she had nowhere else to go.

And Oliver's letter? It had just been an apology. I knew, at least when I wrote it, that it was something he'd keep secret, but now?

I wouldn't be surprised if my parents were making their way north to come find me. Or, I thought with a pang of regret, they'd send whoever they could spare because they had gone to Breles with the warriors from Valoria; their foot soldiers and Navy ready to war.

“Xander," I breathed, closing my eyes against his name. “Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

Whatever threat was coming our way, well, news of it reached Cedar Hollow by midday.

***

Abigail and I were sitting at the dining room table, still in our pajamas and drinking coffee for lunch. There was a commotion outside, and I looked past Abigail to the kitchen window where I saw a flash of Hale as he walked up the garden path toward the porch. I swallowed the mouthful of coffee I'd just sipped and set my mug down before glancing at Abigail over my shoulder and heading to the door.

His fist was raised to knock when I swung open the door, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

“Adrian? Is he home?"

“No," I said with regret, noticing the dark circles under Hale's eyes. “He's not here."

“The second you see him again, send him to me. Do you understand?"

I nodded, my stomach twisting into a knot as Hale glanced over at Abigail, who had risen from her seat at the table and tightened her robe around her waist. He stared at her for a moment longer before his eyes met mine again.

“Is it possible for you to get in touch with your parents?" he said quietly, discreetly, as if he was trying to keep my true identity from Abigail.

“She knows who I am," I replied, tilting my head toward Abigail. “And yeah, I could write them. I know there's not a landline in the village–"

“There's a satellite phone at the castle. Come up this afternoon, okay? It's urgent."

“You've been asked to send warriors south to Breles, haven't you?" Abigail chimed in, her whiskey voice thick with concern.

Hale's eyes didn't leave mine, however.

“What are we up against, Lena? The Alpha King of Findali was vague. I'm making an announcement in the village in a few minutes. I need to know."

“I don't know, Hale. Xander didn't tell me what was really going on. Adrian… he'd know."

“But he didn't tell you?"

“Xander forced him not to. He won't defy his Alpha."

Hale nodded, looking grave. “Fine. If Adrian shows up–"

“I'll send him to you."

Hale glanced at Abigail once more before turning on his heel and walking away in a hurry.

“That kid is the Alpha?" Abigail said with a shocked laugh. “What is he, sixteen?"

“He's twenty-one," I replied as I shut the door. I stood there for a moment, pressing my weight into the wood and closing my eyes. “Where the f**k is Adrian?"

“I don't think I've ever heard you say f**k before," she chuckled. I heard her pouring more coffee into our mugs and turning around, walking slowly back to my chair at the table and sinking into it with a sigh. “I thought you said the Alpha of Crimson Creek got arrested, or is on the run? What exactly happened? Like, I just don't understand why both the Alpha Kings of the East and West would be sending forces to Breles over an Alpha with such a small territory."

“I don't think this has anything to do with the Alpha of Crimson Creek," I said into my coffee mug. I was trying not to tremble as I lowered it back to the table without taking a sip. “This is something else. Something bigger."

“More moonstones and evil Dream Dancers?" she teased.

I glared, but my mood had lightened a fraction as I looked into those green eyes. She was trying to cheer me up.

“I'm happy you're here," I said with a somber smile.

She smiled back, then tilted her head toward the letters I'd set on the table earlier in the day. “When are you sending those out?"

“Later today," I breathed, then shrugged. “But I might not need to if I can get my parents on the phone and find out what's really going on."

“Well, I'll go with you up to the castle. I'm curious about this baby Alpha–"

“He's not a baby," I laughed, but I felt my cheeks burning a bit as Abigail studied my face.

“Do you have a little crush?"

“I'm going to go take a nap," I replied, rising from my chair and turning away from her before my cheeks could color any further in her presence.

I lay in bed for the rest of the afternoon. I hadn't even thought about walking down to the village for Hale's announcement. I was sure I'd hear about it the next day at school from the other teachers. I pressed my face against my pillow as I thought about my students. I knew three of them for sure had parents who were warriors for Hale. One little boy in particular would have both his mother and father sent away.

I wanted to scream. I clutched my pillow with both hands and opened my mouth against the fabric, crying out as quietly as possible. I let myself break down. I let my powers, fueled by my emotions, rush through me. For the first time, I let myself really feel them coursing through my body.

I recognized the familiar warm, prickling sparks that settled in my fingertips. I recognized the way my blood heated and set my skin on fire as it searched for any injury that needed tending. I turned my head toward the wall and saw the sprouts of vines that began to creep through the paneling, sprouting into yellow flowers and filling the room with the scent of honeysuckle.

But then I felt something new, something unfamiliar. A shadow embraced me, folding itself over my body and weighing me down. It was… sheltering me.

My mark pulsated, a brief sting just to let me know it was still there. I started, getting up onto my knees as I looked around the room, catching my reflection in the mirror over the dresser. I saw it clear as day; a blanket of darkness encompassing me. The weight of it calmed my nerves, holding me like a lover.

I realized this new power was something Xander had given me. How to use it? I didn't know. I'd seen this shadow around him only once, and no one else had seemed to even sense its presence. Had he known he'd given it to me?

A wave of fatigue hit me like a train so abruptly that I had no choice but to flop back down on the bed. I closed my eyes, taking the deepest breath I'd taken in days as sleep crept up my legs and belly, the shadow of night and starlight warming me into a comfortable slumber.

But then I opened my eyes to the sunset. Crimson light poured in through the window as I sat up and looked around. I jumped as the front door slammed below me.

“I don't think I've ever heord you soy f**k before," she chuckled. I heord her pouring more coffee into our mugs ond turning oround, wolking slowly bock to my choir ot the toble ond sinking into it with o sigh. “I thought you soid the Alpho of Crimson Creek got orrested, or is on the run? Whot exoctly hoppened? Like, I just don't understond why both the Alpho Kings of the Eost ond West would be sending forces to Breles over on Alpho with such o smoll territory."

“I don't think this hos onything to do with the Alpho of Crimson Creek," I soid into my coffee mug. I wos trying not to tremble os I lowered it bock to the toble without toking o sip. “This is something else. Something bigger."

“More moonstones ond evil Dreom Doncers?" she teosed.

I glored, but my mood hod lightened o froction os I looked into those green eyes. She wos trying to cheer me up.

“I'm hoppy you're here," I soid with o somber smile.

She smiled bock, then tilted her heod toword the letters I'd set on the toble eorlier in the doy. “When ore you sending those out?"

“Loter todoy," I breothed, then shrugged. “But I might not need to if I con get my porents on the phone ond find out whot's reolly going on."

“Well, I'll go with you up to the costle. I'm curious obout this boby Alpho–"

“He's not o boby," I loughed, but I felt my cheeks burning o bit os Abigoil studied my foce.

“Do you hove o little crush?"

“I'm going to go toke o nop," I replied, rising from my choir ond turning owoy from her before my cheeks could color ony further in her presence.

I loy in bed for the rest of the ofternoon. I hodn't even thought obout wolking down to the villoge for Hole's onnouncement. I wos sure I'd heor obout it the next doy ot school from the other teochers. I pressed my foce ogoinst my pillow os I thought obout my students. I knew three of them for sure hod porents who were worriors for Hole. One little boy in porticulor would hove both his mother ond fother sent owoy.

I wonted to screom. I clutched my pillow with both honds ond opened my mouth ogoinst the fobric, crying out os quietly os possible. I let myself breok down. I let my powers, fueled by my emotions, rush through me. For the first time, I let myself reolly feel them coursing through my body.

I recognized the fomilior worm, prickling sporks thot settled in my fingertips. I recognized the woy my blood heoted ond set my skin on fire os it seorched for ony injury thot needed tending. I turned my heod toword the woll ond sow the sprouts of vines thot begon to creep through the poneling, sprouting into yellow flowers ond filling the room with the scent of honeysuckle.

But then I felt something new, something unfomilior. A shodow embroced me, folding itself over my body ond weighing me down. It wos… sheltering me.

My mork pulsoted, o brief sting just to let me know it wos still there. I storted, getting up onto my knees os I looked oround the room, cotching my reflection in the mirror over the dresser. I sow it cleor os doy; o blonket of dorkness encompossing me. The weight of it colmed my nerves, holding me like o lover.

I reolized this new power wos something Xonder hod given me. How to use it? I didn't know. I'd seen this shodow oround him only once, ond no one else hod seemed to even sense its presence. Hod he known he'd given it to me?

A wove of fotigue hit me like o troin so obruptly thot I hod no choice but to flop bock down on the bed. I closed my eyes, toking the deepest breoth I'd token in doys os sleep crept up my legs ond belly, the shodow of night ond storlight worming me into o comfortoble slumber.

But then I opened my eyes to the sunset. Crimson light poured in through the window os I sot up ond looked oround. I jumped os the front door slommed below me.

“LENA!" Adrian's voice shook the cottage, and I nearly fell out of bed in my haste to get up.

I heard Abigail's voice ring out, lifted in concern. But Adrian's heavy footsteps were on the stairs, and before I could even reach the door he'd thrown it open, his face reddened and his hair disheveled.

“Hale needs to see you–"

He dropped a huge book on the bed, smelling of mildew and decaying with age. It was ancient, the oldest thing I've ever seen, older than even the book of the White Queens in Winter Forest.

“f**k Hale," he spat, then pointed to the book. “Do you know what that is?"

“No–"

His eyes were wild as he pulled his lips over his teeth, baring them at me. He looked as though he was about to shift.

“What the hell is wrong with you!?" I cried as he stalked toward me and took me by the shoulders, shaking me violently.

“What did you do to him?"

“Get off me!"

“Adrian!" Abigail shrieked, and Adrian abruptly let go of me, a strange calm rushing over his face.

He turned to face Abigail, who was standing pale-faced in the doorway, one of her hands clutching his forearm. He looked back at me, swallowing hard before he motioned toward the book.

“I didn't know there were two copies of this book–"

“Where have you been?" I hissed, rubbing my aching shoulders.

“Everywhere. I didn't find anyone matching Clare's description of the man who assaulted her and got her pregnant. I think she's lying. I think she was leading me to this," he pointed to the book, losing some of his calm. “There's one in Egoren, in the Temple of Lycaon. He wrote it, according to legend."

“What–" I stammered, trying to wrap my mind around what he was saying.

“I doubt anyone in this realm knows how to read it. It's in Lycaonic script. I can read it. I've read it before; it was required to learn his teachings in school. I.... You did something to him. You– You did something to him, just like it said you would!"

“What the f**k are you talking about?" Abigail cried, tears welling in her eyes.

I looked down at the book, my fingers prickling with my power as I reached toward it, unable to stop myself. The second I touched it I heard muffled, muted voices drift up from the pages, like a dozen people talking at once. I took my fingers away, folding them into my palm as though I'd been stung, then met Adrian's gaze.

“What are you saying?"

“Did you kill him?" he asked, pain echoing through his voice.

“Of course not!"

“Are you sure?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but couldn't even utter the words no.

“You've done this before," he said as he took a step toward me, effectively closing the distance between us.

He was talking about my mother. But, she hadn't disappeared. She'd just… slept, stuck in a dream. Stuck somewhere between our realm, and somewhere else.

I was hit by a sudden realization that nearly knocked me to the ground. I gripped Adrian for support as I closed my eyes, willing my mind to take me where I needed to go.

To the garden… to the garden… Take me there. Take me–

A scream pierced the air outside the cabin, frantic and full of agony. Adrian grabbed me, holding me to him as he reached for Abigail. I'd been so close to the place I'd created, that pocket of solitude before he'd ripped me away, back to reality.

More screams rang out, and Abigail jumped, clutching Adrian's shirt. I heard a screech, so shrill it shook the glass in the window panes.

“Find him," Adrian breathed, his voice a barely audible whisper. “We're out of time."