Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 39 : We Need to Talk

♦Lena*

Heather was walking a few paces in front of me as we made our way through the sleepy streets toward

campus. The windows of the shops that sat street level in the wide brick buildings shadowing the

sidewalk were decorated with twinkling lights and garlands. Winter solstice was in two weeks, and soon

the streets of Morhan would be bustling with people for their annual winter market. It brought people to

Morhan in droves, sometimes traveling all the way from Breles to witness the thick snowfall lining the

streets and vendors selling trinkets and cups of mulled wine and hot chocolate.

The solstice market had been the backdrop to some of my fondest memories as a Morhan student, and

every year I'd gathered up gifts from the vendors and scattered them around to my sprawling family

members, hoping I'd remembered to get something for everyone.

This year felt different. As we walked along the street with snow piling around our ankles, the only thing

on my mind was Xander. I was conflicted about whether or not I wanted to see him again. I'd told Viv

and Heather everything about what had happened between us, but left out the grisly tidbits about the

murders, and the fact I had been nearly sliced in half by an unearthly beast from the depths of Hell

itself.

“It must be nice not having classes to worry about right now," Viv said, rolling her eyes as she shifted

the weight of her backpack on her shoulder.

“You only have two finals left before winter break," Heather grinned over her shoulder, doing a little twirl

and kicking powder- fine snow in her wake, “but it is freeing, you know, not having to even think about

homework or tests or professors."

“But you're going to be a professor next semester!" Viv said with a little laugh. I looked at Heather, who

shrugged, smirking playfully as she waited for me and Viv to catch up to her.

“I didn't know you were going to be teaching on campus," I pressed, linking my aim with hers. She

c****d her head, her eyes glistening with mirth.

"Only for the spring semester, and it's just a 101 class for first-year students. Algebra, I believe, but

nothing is set in stone. They could have me teaching literature for all I know."

“At least you won't have to share the adjunct faculty break room with Slate," Viv chimed as she linked

her aim in mine on the other side, so I was snuggled between the two of them as we walked down the

icy sidewalk toward campus.

“Slate?" I asked, grimacing. "Is he not teaching-"

“He got fired!" Heather exclaimed, her face brightening with glee. "Selves him right, the creep. Last I

heard he was packing up to move out of town."

"That's great news," I breathed, exhaling deeply around the words.

Heather leaned her head against my shoulder for a moment, but Viv slipped, nearly dragging us all

down to the ground. Once we'd recovered. Heather said, "Maybe you can apply for a job here too, and

you wouldn't have to move out of our apartment. Viv and I are dreading getting new roommates once

you and Abigail leave."

“I'm going to apply to the Agricultural Institute. They're looking for researchers," I replied. Heather

glowered at me. shaking her head.

“And move where?"

“North, near Red Lakes. There are a few new packs up that way, nestled against the western

mountains."

“How boring!" she drawled. Viv was smiling though, and she squeezed my aim with her gloved hand.

"That sounds perfect for you, Lena. Maybe you'll meet your mate up there."

“Maybe," I tried to smile, but beneath my gloves. I felt the love line on my palm tingle painfully. I flexed

my hand, curling my fingers into my palm to press against the pain.

We'd reached the edge of town and were now walking through the long archways of snow-covered

trees that led to campus. Students milled about in small groups, and the occasional person rushed past

us, balancing textbooks in their hands. Viv reluctantly left us, her face shadowed by frustration as she

huffed toward her classes. She'd be graduating in the spring. Only one semester left.

"She'll knock those finals out of the park." Heather sighed, looking after Viv as we continued across the

square.

“I'm a little jealous," I noted, shrugging one shoulder.

"Of what? Homework?"

“Having something to study."

“You've never been idle a day in your life, have you?" Heather teased.

We walked up the steps of the library, and a rush of warm air penetrated our heavy parkas as we

stepped inside. We walked down a long hallway to the left where large conference rooms lined the

hallway and through an open door decorated haphazardly with wilting balloons.

“You'd think they'd spare a few extra pennies for their overachievers," Heather gripped as she looked

around the meager spread of food and cheap coffee laid out on the back table. A banner hung over the

projector at the front of the room with “Congradulatians Graduates" written by hand-and misspelled.

"Goddess," Heather sniffed, shaking her head. "Do they even know how much we've spent to be here?

Can't even spell congratulations correctly-"

I shrugged off my coat and hat and hung them over a chair, leaving my gloves on the table. The

carpeted floor was slightly damp from everyone's snowy winter boots. The room wasn’t very full at all.

Maybe another dozen or so students milled about looking slightly uncomfortable. Heather handed me

two paper cups of coffee and took off her own coat, tossing it casually on one of the tables.

The air felt electric all of the sudden. I felt as though I'd shock Heather if I reached out and touched her.

My skin felt hot as I handed her back her coffee and began to sip my own, but then I saw him out of the

comer of my eye as he came tluough the doorway, looking ruffled and desperately handsome.

Xander was walking with another man I didn't recognize, the two of them murmuring and laughing as

they came tlu ough the door. Xander had just started to pull his aims tlu ough his coat when he

stopped, turning to head to look at me. My heart dropped into my stomach as his eyes locked on mine.

His gaze stole the very air from my lungs.

“You okay?" Heather whispered, touching me lightly on the elbow and effectively breaking whatever

spell he'd cast on me.

I broke from his gaze and turned to Heather. "Fine." I whispered. My throat felt tight, and I found it hard

to swallow against the lump that was damn near choking me.

“We can leave. We're not going to miss anything."

“It's alright, really. I'm just a little tired."

Heather gave me an incredulous look, then shifted her gaze to Xander, who had occupied the table two

rows behind us with his friend. She glared, and out of the comer of my eye I saw him stiffen, then shoot

her a glare in return.

“Prick," she murmured as she sat down beside me. putting her ami around my shoulder.

I felt her hand move, and I knew she was flipping him off based on the shocked chuckle and murmured

question asked by his friend. Xander said nothing.

A dark haired woman appeared, sliding into our row.

“What's up, guys? Mind if I sit here-" Gina Kelly, a classmate and close friend of Abigail, sat down next

to us, smiling broadly as she sipped from her coffee. "Wow, this is terrible!"

“I know!" she whispered, rolling her eyes. "It's not all surprising. The dean's abrupt departure messed

everything up for us graduates. I heard the ceremony isn't even happening in the auditorium anymore.

It'll likely be in this room."

“You're joking," Heather gasped, removing her ami from my shoulder and leaving forward to get a

better look at Gina.

“I had an outfit picked out and everything to wear under my robes. My dad is livid. I told him not to even

bother coming down here next week for graduation. What is he supposed to do, stand in the hallway

and wait for me to walk out with my diploma?"

“Well, s**t. I should probably tell my parents too," Heather sighed, shaking her head.

“Lena. I guess you haven't heard about everything that happened, right?"

I met Gina's eyes, arching my brow. Hadn't I been the reason the dean had to resign? Wasn’t it

because of what happened in Crimson Creek?

“I thought-"

“It's been a real mess. The administration was audited by the Alpha King of the West, if you can believe

it. Millions of dollars were unaccounted for. And, to top it off, a family came forward and accused the

school of covering up their daughter's disappearance. Did you know a student went missing three

years ago during her field study? She was sent west, some place called Crimson Creek. But we all

tried to look the place up, and there's no place called Crimson Creek on any map, nothing in the books

in the library... nothing."

Heather stiffened beside me, and I squeezed her hand under the table, alerting her to the fact I wanted

her to keep quiet.

"That's insane." I shakily replied.

Gina nodded, then sighed, uninterested in continuing the conversation. "How was Red Lakes. Lena?"

she asked, and I felt all the downy hair rise on my aims as I looked over at her. Out of the comer of my

eye. I could see Xander looking at her too.

Red Lakes? I hadn't gone to Red Lakes. Before I could answer, someone stepped up to the podium at

the front of the room and began to speak, congratulating us on our studies and upcoming graduation. I

stole a glance at Xander over my shoulder, but his eyes were fixed on the speaker.

Some time later I was standing in the back of the room, pushing my aims tlu ough the sleeves of my

coat. Heather was talking to a group of students in the center of the room, already dressed for our walk

back home. I felt someone touch me. their hand discreetly sliding along the small of my back.

“We need to talk. Tomorrow. I'll pick you up from your apartment," Xander said quietly before walking

away.

A ripple of excitement bubbled through me. but I quickly squashed it. stifling a blush.

“Ready?" Heather said, linking her aim in mine. "Let's get some lunch on our way home. Luncheon my

ass. There were, like, three crackers left by the time we got here, and we were not late-"

Her voice faded as I let her lead from the conference room. Once we were out of the library, I caught a

single glimpse of Xander as he walked away, his dark hair already dusted with snow.

Tomorrow. We'd talk tomorrow.

What could he possibly have left to say to me?