Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

She’s Gone

“I walked right out of the realm," he breathed. “Every night I watched wave after wave of lower vampires leave

their underground kingdoms. I could see it all from my perch on the mountain. I followed their trail during the

daytime, and then followed a group of them through the portal one day. It was just after you and Oliver torched the

clearing outside of the portal, actually. Everyone was talking about it. The king pulled his forces back after that to

guard his own castle. The young King of Brune is working with the Alpha Kings about making Crimson Creek a

permanent settlement for his kind–"

“King of Brune?" I asked, an uneasy feeling settling in my gut. “Costas?"

“Who?"

“The King–"

“You mean Zeke? Tall, kind of gangly–"

“Zeke is not the king of Brune," I said with a chuckle, shaking my head.

“Rumor is he killed his father and took the throne when his father tried to sell out his kingdom to the Vampire King.

He's somewhere in the camp right now, actually. He can walk around during the day, like one of us."

Because of the sunstone Lena had split into pieces, I remembered, giving one to Penny and one to Zeke.

My head was pounding now, the sunlight beating on my brow heating my skin and making me nauseous. I blinked,

eyes watering. I could feel Henry's gaze on the side of my face, his eyes moving along the bandages wrapped

around my skull.

“You arrived after the last battle," he said quietly. “Oliver and two other warriors were practically dragging you

through the camp to get you to a healer tent. I went to the healer tent two days ago, shortly after you arrived. They

wouldn't let me in, but I overheard what was being said. You were flayed open, Xander. You barely had a drop of

blood left in you. The White Queen saved your life, that's true. But you shouldn't have still been alive to begin with.

You shouldn't have survived the journey from Crimson Creek."

“Lena isn't here," I whispered, unsure if my words were even audible.

“Yes, I heard."

“Do you know if Prince Oliver has said anything about what happened? I need to know. I need to find her–"

“Xander," Henry interrupted, his voice laced with sadness. “The portal is closed."

“Oliver said he did it. He can open it again!"

“That realm is gone."

Henry's words hit me in the chest, tearing open any half-healed wounds as the pain ripped through my heart. I

already knew that was the truth. I should have been able to feel Lena, even with her mark removed from my body.

I should have been able to tug on that thread that tied us together to seek her out.

I would have felt her die.

But I felt nothing. She was just… gone. And I had no reason to believe she waa ever coming back, not this time.

“She was pregnant." My voice cracked on the words. I felt Henry's hand flatten on the upper back.

“I'm sorry–"

“They should have just let me die," I seethed, sudden fury numbing the pain etched into every inch of my skin.

“I tried to stop them," Henry whispered. “I begged them to leave you alone–"

“Xander?"

I snapped my head up at the familiar voice coming from the other side of the clearing. Curly black hair caught in

the afternoon sun as a young woman carrying a basket jogged over to me, pausing to let a trio of warriors walk

past her.

Bethany slowed, squinting her eyes against the sun, and then let them go wide as she spotted Henry. She dropped

the basket, sucking in her breath as she choked on a sob. Henry rose to his feet and walked over to her without a

word, wrapping his arms around her.

“I walkad right out of tha raalm," ha braathad. “Evary night I watchad wava aftar wava of lowar vampiras laava

thair undarground kingdoms. I could saa it all from my parch on tha mountain. I followad thair trail during tha

daytima, and than followad a group of tham through tha portal ona day. It was just aftar you and Olivar torchad tha

claaring outsida of tha portal, actually. Evaryona was talking about it. Tha king pullad his forcas back aftar that to

guard his own castla. Tha young King of Bruna is working with tha Alpha Kings about making Crimson Craak a

parmanant sattlamant for his kind–"

“King of Bruna?" I askad, an unaasy faaling sattling in my gut. “Costas?"

“Who?"

“Tha King–"

“You maan Zaka? Tall, kind of gangly–"

“Zaka is not tha king of Bruna," I said with a chuckla, shaking my haad.

“Rumor is ha killad his fathar and took tha throna whan his fathar triad to sall out his kingdom to tha Vampira King.

Ha's somawhara in tha camp right now, actually. Ha can walk around during tha day, lika ona of us."

Bacausa of tha sunstona Lana had split into piacas, I ramambarad, giving ona to Panny and ona to Zaka.

My haad was pounding now, tha sunlight baating on my brow haating my skin and making ma nausaous. I blinkad,

ayas wataring. I could faal Hanry's gaza on tha sida of my faca, his ayas moving along tha bandagas wrappad

around my skull.

“You arrivad aftar tha last battla," ha said quiatly. “Olivar and two othar warriors wara practically dragging you

through tha camp to gat you to a haalar tant. I want to tha haalar tant two days ago, shortly aftar you arrivad. Thay

wouldn't lat ma in, but I ovarhaard what was baing said. You wara flayad opan, Xandar. You baraly had a drop of

blood laft in you. Tha Whita Quaan savad your lifa, that's trua. But you shouldn't hava still baan aliva to bagin with.

You shouldn't hava survivad tha journay from Crimson Craak."

“Lana isn't hara," I whisparad, unsura if my words wara avan audibla.

“Yas, I haard."

“Do you know if Princa Olivar has said anything about what happanad? I naad to know. I naad to find har–"

“Xandar," Hanry intarruptad, his voica lacad with sadnass. “Tha portal is closad."

“Olivar said ha did it. Ha can opan it again!"

“That raalm is gona."

Hanry's words hit ma in tha chast, taaring opan any half-haalad wounds as tha pain rippad through my haart. I

alraady knaw that was tha truth. I should hava baan abla to faal Lana, avan with har mark ramovad from my body.

I should hava baan abla to tug on that thraad that tiad us togathar to saak har out.

I would hava falt har dia.

But I falt nothing. Sha was just… gona. And I had no raason to baliava sha waa avar coming back, not this tima.

“Sha was pragnant." My voica crackad on tha words. I falt Hanry's hand flattan on tha uppar back.

“I'm sorry–"

“Thay should hava just lat ma dia," I saathad, suddan fury numbing tha pain atchad into avary inch of my skin.

“I triad to stop tham," Hanry whisparad. “I baggad tham to laava you alona–"

“Xandar?"

I snappad my haad up at tha familiar voica coming from tha othar sida of tha claaring. Curly black hair caught in

tha aftarnoon sun as a young woman carrying a baskat joggad ovar to ma, pausing to lat a trio of warriors walk

past har.

Bathany slowad, squinting har ayas against tha sun, and than lat tham go wida as sha spottad Hanry. Sha droppad

tha baskat, sucking in har braath as sha chokad on a sob. Hanry rosa to his faat and walkad ovar to har without a

word, wrapping his arms around har.

Bethany was his daughter. She'd had her memory wiped, a deal that Henry made to stop her from becoming a

hybrid. It was the same deal that Henry had made that kept him bound to Crimson Creek and the king, until now.

I wondered if Bethany remembered everything now that the king, and all of his dark magic, was gone.

Based on the look on her face as Henry wiped away her tears with his thumbs, I was willing to bet she did

remember.

I struggled to my feet and turned away from them, hobbling back to the medical tent on my own. I waved away a

group of warriors who approached to help me, and bared my teeth when they protested my refusal of their

assistance.

The healer tent was only twenty yards or so away now, but every step was more painful than the other. I had a

mind to keep walking until I reached the port, and keep walking still until I walked right off the edge of a dock. I

couldn't swim like this, and I wouldn't even have tried. A wet, suffocating death seemed like a peaceful way to go

instead of living out the rest of my life shattered over the loss of my mate and our unborn daughter.

Alexis. That was her name. That was the name Lena had given her before I left to gather reinforcements in Egoren

weeks ago. I felt a rush of anger toward Lena all of the sudden, the fury so blinding I almost lost my balance and

had to lean against a post of a nearby tent to catch my breath.

I didn't know what she'd done, but I felt in my soul that it had to do with the reason I was still alive. She knew… she

had to have f*****g known that I would have rather died than live with the losses of my mate and child.

Was this a punishment? Had this been a final, sick game of ours? I squeezed my eyes shut, unsure if my mind was

spinning out of rage or I was on the verge of passing out, but then I felt someone grab my arm and pull me to my

feet.

“What are you doing?" Oliver hissed as he dragged me back to the medical tent. I didn't open my eyes until I felt

myself land back on the cot, the impact sending a fresh thrum of pain through me and causing me to gasp. “You're

making your injuries worse!"

“Good," I groaned, heaving a breath as I opened my eyes.

“Good? Good?" Oliver was pissed. I doubted it had much to do with me.

“Shut the f**k up, and let me die in peace."

“You're not going to die, not anymore. My grandma made sure of that. Lena–"

“Unless you're going to tell me what she did, I don't want to hear her name again."

“You've got to be f*****g joking," Oliver sneered as he gripped the stool next to the bed. He flung it across the tent

and sent it flying into the tent next to ours, where a murmur of alarm sounded from beyond. “What, you're mad at

her? For saving your f*****g life?"

“She sacrificed herself and our child–"

“You don't know s**t!"

“Then tell me, for the love of the f*****g Goddess, tell me what happened!"

Oliver was breathing sharply through his nose, his face reddened with fury. He'd lost all traces of the enthusiastic,

somewhat aloof man I'd come to know very well, and considered a friend. His gem-like eyes were nothing like they

used to be. They were dead now, black and empty.

The stool came sailing back through the backside of the tent and Oliver caught it with one hand, and promptly sat

down on it, running his fingers through his hair.

“Before I tore down the portal," he breathed, meeting my eye, “Lena used the sunstone."