Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 56 : The Mark of the Dark King

*Lena*

I spent the remainder of the day avoiding everyone. It was rather easy to do, given the immense size of

the palace. I even missed dinner, which was being held in the formal dining room. I knew Xander would

be there. I knew without a shadow of a doubt as I went hungry in my room, telling a maid to relay a

message to my parents that I wasn't feeling, that he was schmoozing with my family and using every

charismatic weapon in his arsenal to win them over.

He was likely being totally honest about who he was, too. Out of everything we'd done, and we'd done

a lot, that was something he'd chosen not to do with me.

I went to bed, expecting Xander's voice to creep into my head again, but I fell asleep to silence, nothing

but the waves outside my balcony lulling me to sleep.

***

The morning of the wedding.

I wanted to throw up.

I stood on my balcony with my arms crossed as I stared down at the beach below, where people were

walking along the sand in total ignorance of the chaos going on inside the castle. My view was of the

public beach, which was surprisingly quiet. I longed to be free of the tight hot rollers covering every inch

of my head and the constricting shapewear I was wearing under my robe.

The red dress I'd bought in Morhan had arrived before I'd even touched down in Avondale. It was

quickly altered to fit my frame, but I'd chosen the dress before Xander had marked me. The mark would

be on full display above the neckline that had my breast on display, even if it was modest enough for a

family wedding.

It was too late to turn back now. I'd either have to deal with the questions about my choosing a different

dress, or come clean. I didn't have a choice.

Maeve had seen the dress and thought it was perfect. Mom, on the other hand, was a little vexed at the

idea that I'd chosen something so vampy for my cousin's wedding. Had Maeve not told my mom about

the dress before I came up with some excuse not to wear it, this day may have gone smoother than I

expected it to now.

Maybe everyone already knew. Maybe Xander had told them everything at dinner the night before.

Maybe he'd even explained what happened in Crimson Creek.

But I doubted it. He'd already said he wouldn't. I had to trust him.

But the mark on my chest… how the hell was I going to explain that?

“There you are!" Eliza said as she came into the room, closing the door behind her with a grin of pure

elation on her face. Her hair had been styled in tight curls that bounced on her shoulders as she walked

toward me, a tiara laced with pink jewels glinting in the soft midday light.

Eliza was one of Hollis's bridesmaids, an honor that hadn't gone unnoticed when she chose Eliza over

me, even though I wouldn't have said yes. Hollis had twelve other bridesmaids, which seemed

astronomically excessive. No wonder Maeve was in such a tizzy.

“I thought you were going to get ready with us," Eliza pouted, noticing the hot rollers. I'd yet to put on

makeup, but I had at least two hours before the ceremony began. I had time to wallow in my own

terrible choices and grab a stiff drink on my way to the altar.

“I don't know any of Hollis's friends," I said softly, leaning on the railing of the balcony.

“They're interesting, I guess. I don't think all of them are her friends, really. They didn't seem all that

friendly."

They were likely eyeing a spot in her court, even though no such thing existed. Hollis had skyrocketed

to fame in the last year after her relationship with Will became public, and it was no surprise to me that

young women began vying over a position in her inner circle.

I tapped my fingers on the railing, wondering if Heather and Viv were going to be here today. If so, my

small inner circle would be present as well.

“You should see the dresses we have to wear," Eliza grimaced. “Pure pink. Like, the worst shade of

pink you can imagine. Frills, lace… I think it's all to make Hollis look better."

I gave Eliza an easy smile. I could easily gossip about Hollis. I'd grown up with her, known her

practically my entire life. I couldn't be upset with her about choosing her mate over Oliver, but that

wasn't why there was such a rift between the brothers.

Hollis hadn't broken things off with Oliver before.... I felt my cheeks flaming as I thought about it.

Despite what she'd told Oliver, I suspected Will and Hollis had been carrying on a relationship months

before Hollis even turned twenty-one.

How lucky she'd been, in retrospect. Oliver would've married her solely out of love, making her a

princess while his mate was still out there, undiscovered. She broke his heart, and still ended up

royalty.

I blinked away the wave of emotion that washed over me. Eliza clicked her tongue.

“Is Oliver even going to go?" she asked, seemingly reading my mind.

“Yes," I breathed, shifting my weight as I looked out over the beach. Oliver wasn't one of Will's

groomsmen. I'd heard that Charlie had even tried to get out of it, but Maeve had protested. “But I'd be

surprised if he was at the actual ceremony."

“Well, I hope he comes to the reception at least," Eliza said softly, twirling a curl around her manicured

finger. “I need to go get dressed. Pictures, and all–" she said with a little twist of her hand in farewell. I

watched her walk out of the room and shut the door behind her.

But I wasn't alone for long. Just as I finished my makeup, my mom walked in the door, smiling down at

me as she looked around the room.

“You're not dressed," she said with a little laugh, glancing at the clock on the bedside table.

“I have time, don't worry."

“Your aunt wanted family pictures taken before the ceremony," she said as she walked toward the four-

poster bed and ran her fingers over the fabric of the red dress I'd hung from the canopy of the bed.

I sighed as I applied a dusting of blush to my cheeks, catching my mom in the reflection of the mirror.

She had dressed already and looked pretty in her muted gold gown with her hair loose over her

shoulders. But I could feel the tension coming off of her.

I had to tell her now if I was going to tell her at all.

“Oliver said the man, that Alpha King–"

“Alexander," I said softly as she turned to me.

“Yes, Alexander," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at my reflection in the mirror as I

opened a tube of mascara. “He said he came up to you at the party, just before you ran off."

“Did he?" I said, grinding my teeth as I thought of all the ways I'd punish Oliver later.

“He said you seemed upset. I met the man formally at the party, of course. But he came to dinner last

night. He's staying here, you know."

“I know," I said, trying to stifle the emotions threatening to bubble to the surface as I applied the last of

my makeup.

“He's quite nice. Well educated, traveled–"

“As in traveled, you mean from another realm?" I said with a little laugh.

She gave me a tight smile in response. “How do you know him, Lena?" Her voice was still soft, but I

could hear a whisper of concern touch her lips as she spoke.

I sighed, rubbing my lower lip before applying a shade of lipstick darker than I'd ever worn before. “I

met him at Morhan," I said with a second of hesitation.

“At school?"

“He was a student there, apparently. We did our field study together." I swallowed, glancing at her face

through the mirror as I willed myself to go further. “I didn't know who he was. He didn't tell me."

“That's odd–"

“I know. I didn't know.... He caught me off guard when I saw him at the party. That's why I… why I ran

off."

“He didn't say anything about being a student at Morhan."

So he hadn't said anything about Morhan, and he likely hadn't said anything about Crimson Creek,

either. I let out the breath I'd been holding, the tension in my shoulders easing a bit as I checked my

reflection before turning in the stool to face her.

“Do you know what he is?" she asked suddenly, before I could tell her the truth.

I opened my mouth, but the words failed to appear at the tip of my tongue. She waited for me to

respond, and all I could do was give her a half-hearted shrug.

“I guess, but I don't fully understand it."

“He's a Dark King, as they call it in Egoren. That place… their realm was built for people like my

mother's pack, the Lycennians. All of their power stems from Lycaon's line, not Morrighans."

Ah, the ancient goddess and god people wouldn't stop talking about. Morrighan and Lycaon, the twins

who split the pack lands and our powers in two.

“I didn't know," I said honestly. “What does it mean that he's a Dark King, that he's evil?"

She gave me a knowing smile, but shook her head. “His family has powers, maybe had, in his case. I

know his uncle was exceptionally powerful and could suck the life force right out of someone."

“What?" I said, unable to stop the shocked laugh from escaping my throat.

“I'm not totally sure how it works. Your father and I were… we weren't heavily involved when Ethan

found out what had happened to Soren. Rowan was transitioning to being Alpha King, if you

remember."

I did remember, and it had been an odd time in the family. A shadow had been cast, so to speak,

threatening to swallow us whole. We'd been kids, my cousins and I. My memories were faint.

“Alexander… the men of this line need.... How do I explain this–"

“You don't have to," I cut in, then took the deepest breath I'd ever taken in my life.

“I think it's important you know. He asked about you at dinner–"

“I knew he would," I said, my voice cracking with sudden emotion.

Mom's brow furrowed for a moment as she watched me reach up to touch the lace robe I was wearing,

my fingers prickling with heat as I debated untying it, and just showing her, hoping that was enough.

“Mom," I said, meeting her eye. “There's something I need to tell you. Something… I need your help

with. I know Alexander… I call him Xander. I...."

I closed my eyes, then let my robe fall over my shoulder.