Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 626

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 626

Chapter 126 : No Time for Ghosts

*Xander*

Adrian was sitting at a makeshift desk made of pallets and wooden crates in the corner of my tent, his back arched as he looked down at a stack of documents that had been delivered to the tent this morning. He blew out his breath, straightening to his full height as he turned around with his hands on his hips.

“What are you going to say?”

“I don’t know,” I replied, stooping to finish tying the laces of my boots. The worst of my injuries had healed, and I’d had my sutures taken out three days ago. My body was still stiff and sore, but otherwise, I was on the mend.

But I was still numb from Lena’s loss. The jagged scar running from my shoulder to my collarbone was red and bruised from the trauma of having her mark cut out of me, and then sewn shut.

She was gone, and I was still alive. I had no interest in living, and had I not been an Alpha I may have done something about that, but I had warriors to bring home, and a kingdom to rule.

I’d rule it alone, leaving no heir behind, no legacy.

“But this–”

“It’s nothing, Adrian. It’s not a big deal.”

But it was a big deal, despite my attempts to shrug off the request of the Alphas of Lena’s lands and the High Elder Council that helped mediate conflicts between the territories. They were asking for someone from Egoren to serve on the elder council, someone who would be willing to split their time between Egoren and the pack lands.

Ethan had included a personal note, requesting one man in particular–his half-brother.

I doubted Soren would be willing to do that. He had a life in Egoren–a family, and grandchildren. Hell, if I really wanted to off myself now, one of those kids could take over Egoren.

The thought fluttered in and out of my mind before I could blink, and I went back to getting dressed. Adrian rocked on his heels, turning away as I pulled a clean shirt over my head.

“Where’s Abigail?” I asked, and he turned back around, a sly grin on his face.

“She’s running some errands before we leave, sending some letters.”

I nodded as I ran my fingers through my hair, ruffling the black curls dancing around my ears. I needed a haircut. I needed to shave. But all of that could wait until our warriors were on the warship taking us back to the portal to Egoren. We’d be leaving first thing in the morning, before the sun came up. I was more than ready to leave this realm and never look back.

Everything here reminded me of Lena. I hated it. I needed to leave.

I’d barely seen her family during the past week. Some of the royals had already returned to their territories, leaving behind their ambassadors to help with the cleanup in Breles and to oversee the resettlement of the displaced communities in the west. Everything south of the northern border was in shambles. Hundreds of thousands of people had no homes to go home to. I felt a pang of guilt at the thought of leaving behind such a mess, but I pushed it away, focusing on the task at hand.

“Are you going to sign it?” Adrian asked, jabbing a thumb toward the treaty on the desk.

I shrugged a shoulder, then shook my head. “I need to think about it. I found it unlikely we’ll ever come back here, Adrian.”

Adrian’s eyes darkened for a moment, but he nodded nonetheless. We hadn’t talked about Lena, but I knew Abigail was devastated.

“Make sure everyone reports to their tents tonight by 10:00 pm sharp. Whoever isn’t on the ship by 5:00 am gets left behind,” I said, sounding every ounce the Alpha that I was expected to be–no emotion, all business. It would stay that way. I would stay that way.

“Where are you going?”

“Out,” I replied before slipping through the tent flap. I was actually going to find a bottle of whiskey I could drown my sorrows in again, like I had for the past several nights in a row, unable to sleep. If I did sleep, it was nothing but nightmares, and based on the wailing and whimpering that erupted from the sprawling war camp near the port of Breles, I wasn’t the only one reeling from the devastation this war had caused.

I walked for a while, my hands tucked in my pockets. I caught a glimpse of Troy as he walked into a commander’s tent, his head bent as he talked rapidly to a man I didn’t recognize. He’d sent his wife back to the isles, kicking and screaming of course, and had stayed behind to help with the restoration of Breles. His eyes flicked up to mine before he disappeared into the tent, his expression softening as he gave me a gentle nod.

I’d miss Troy. I liked the man from the moment I met him. I’d miss his sons, too, especially Oliver.

But I hadn’t seen Oliver since he explained how he’d closed the portal. Last I heard, he was back in Crimson Creek. I doubted he had plans to return to Breles, or anywhere else for that matter. I didn’t blame him. I saw the pain in his empty eyes. I knew exactly what he was going through.

He could run away. I couldn’t. And sometimes, I was angry at him because of that.