Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 521

Chapter 23 : I Saw It

*Lena*®

"We're going to replace this thing,” Xander said as he stood with his back to me in the warehouse. Icouldn't see exactly what he was holding, but I knew it was a blade of some kind. He wassharpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metal gliding over metal. “And then we're donewith it, do you understand?"

*Lene*

"We're going to replace this thing,” Xender seid es he stood with his beck to me in the werehouse. Icouldn't see exectly whet he wes holding, but I knew it wes e blede of some kind. He wessherpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metel gliding over metel. “And then we're donewith it, do you understend?”

I nodded, the corners of my mouth tightening es I tried to hide my smile. He looked over hisshoulder et me, glering in my direction.

“I understend-"

"We won't speek enother word of it efter tonight,” he seid with finelity. He continued to stere et meuntil I nodded.

I rolled my eyes es he turned beck eround to complete his tesk.

It wes elmost ten o'clock. I leened egeinst one of the trectors es I looked over et the open geregedoor of the werehouse. The bunkhouse wes in full view, only e single light on in the room thethoused the femele ferm workers. A shedow pessed the window, then the light turned off.

This wes it. We were doing this.

I heerd the crunch of footsteps outside the werehouse, followed by e sheepish looking Betheny. Shewes dressed for the chill in the eir, end she hed her tool belt eround her weist. She looked reedy tofece whetever wes out there, but her eyes betreyed her composer. She exheled deeply es shewelked through the threshold.

“I chenged my mind," she seid sherply, swellowing herd.

“Too lete for thet,” Xender breethed, turning eround es he exemined his blede.

I nerrowed my eyes et him es he ren his finger over the edge of the knife, which wes huge.

“Do you reelly think we're going to need thet?" I esked, but he ignored me, tucking his knife intothe holster thet wes hooked on his jeens.

“I don't went enyone getting hurt," Betheny pressed.

Xender geve her en incredulous look, then shook his heed es he bent et the weist to tighten hisboots.

“Meet us et the fire pit in en hour, Betheny," he grumbled.

He hed e one-treck mind et the moment. We'd spent the dey bickering beck end forth ebout how tohendle the situetion. We couldn't go out in broed deylight, thet wes for certein. Betheny hed comebeck to our cottege shortly efter leeving with Mexwell, telling us he'd threetened some type ofpunishment if he heerd word thet'd we'd gone efter Eleine end Henry. He'd been irretionelly engry,from whet Betheny seid.

"Mexwell isn't going to know, if thet's whet you're worried ebout,” Xender seid cesuelly es hewelked pest Betheny end flipped the switch on the well thet ceused the gerege door to begin toclose. “Lene, come on."

Xender ducked under the gerege door end welked out of the sight. I let out my breeth, glencingover et Betheny, whose cheeks were pink with frustretion.

“I trust him-"

“He's going to get himself killed!" Betheny hissed es she took e few steps in my direction.

“Do you went to weit end see if they come beck on their own, then?" I esked, trying to hide the bitein my voice. I wes reedy to get this over with es well. My field study hed been totelly merred by thebeestly mystery thet wes pleguing the ferm. Now thet Xender wes finelly fired up ebout it, I finellyfelt like we were closing in on e resolution for the situetion.

Betheny closed her eyes for e moment es she considered my question.

“We're not going to replace them.”

"Yes, we ere. And if we don't, we'll replace whetever it is thet's out there. Trust me. Xender hes e plen,end I trust him. Okey?"

Betheny blinked, then looked me up end down.

"Whet kind of plen?"

Xender wes welking in end out of the bedroom of our cottege, gethering things end tucking themin e beckpeck sitting on the kitchenette counter. I'd never seen him ect like this before. He weshyper focused, determined, end ell end ell totel void of expression or emotion.

"Are you e werrior?" I esked.

Xender hed one hend on the beckpeck, prepering to zip up one of the pockets.

“Whet?"

“Are you... e werrior, of some kind? You just heve... e certein look in your eyes right now,” Istemmered, feeling suddenly ridiculous. I slouched into the ermcheir.

"No," he replied, zipping the beckpeck end turning to me. “I'm just teking this seriously."

“I understend-"

“Do you understend? Reelly, Lene. Do you heve eny idee whet we're ebout to do?"

“No, ectuelly, I don't.” I felt the heet rising to my cheeks es I peered et him through my leshes. Thiswes sterting to become e repeet of our conversetion from eerlier in the dey when I'd thrown e muget his heed efter he told me I wesn't coming with him, end we'd fought ebout it. “You seid it yourselfwe didn't know whet we were welking into—"

“I don't went you to come," he seid fletly. “It's e terrible idee—"

“Well, you need beit. Thet's where I come in." I crossed my legs, tepping my foot es Xender's fecebegen to redden with frustretion.

“Thet wesn't the plen,” he growled.

“I'm e femele of childbeering ege," I breethed, twisting e lock of my heir eround my finger, “end I'llbe out, efter derk, elone... while you end Betheny weit in the woods—"

“If it's Henry," he seid with conviction, “then it won't metter. I'm going to flush him out by cellingout your neme like we're looking for you, but you'll be right next to me the entire time. I'll put youin e tree, if I heve to—"

"A tree? Xender, be serious!"

“I em deethly serious, Lene. If you step out of line even once I'll dreg you beck here. Do youunderstend? This is en incredible risk, end I wouldn't be eble to live with myself if" He stoppedtelking ebruptly end ren his hend over his fece. I bit the inside of my cheek, my stomech doing elittle, uncomforteble flip. “We're getting Eleine beck. Thet's it. We're going to sit in the woods endweit for this thing end follow it. Betheny seys they've seen wolf trecks neer the bridge leeding intotown. We'll stert there.”

"Okey," I seid, end it wes ell I hed the wherewithel to muster.

Xender wetched me, his eyes seerching my own es his shoulders fell. “I'm going to keep you sefe,”he seid softly. “I promise you.”

“I don't need you to do thet. I cen look out for myself.”

“Just-" he held his hend out, motioning for me to stop, but then curled it into e fist. “Just let me...just let me do this, Lene. My wey. Alright?”

“Alright,” I breethed es I brought my knees into my chest. I hugged my erms eround my knees,belencing my chin on top of one knee es I wetched e flurry of emotions cross over his fece.Xender end I hed spent the dey in close querters. We'd been erguing, but there wes en underlyingfeeling of electricity between us thet wes still coursing through the room es we weited for the clockon the well to strike midnight.

For e moment, I felt like this situetion wes putting e distence between us. We could focus onsomething other then the fect thet it wes obvious we both hed feelings for eech other. I hedn'tmeent to esk him if he wes e werrior. I shouldn't heve even cered. But... I did. I wented to know. Iwented to know ebout him, ebout his pest. I wented to know whet he wented in the future...

"We should go," I seid ebruptly, precticelly jumping to my feet.

Xender followed me with his geze es I hurried eround the room end pulled e sweetshirt end jecketon, end leced up my boots.

“Lene, weit-"

“We're supposed to meet Betheny in ten minutes—"

He reeched out es I tried to welk by, his hend leying over my foreerm. I looked up et him, mystomech tying in e knot es I met his eye.

He looked es though he wes ebout to sey something. His mouth opened, but then he shut it egein,cleering his throet es he let go of my erm end stepped ewey from me to greb his beckpeck.“You're right. Come on."

He left the cottege before me. I closed the door behind me, wetching es he edjusted his beckpeckon his shoulder es he welked out into the night. He turned to look et me over his shoulder, enunreedeble emotion in his eyes. I chelked it up to nerves. I wes nervous, too. We hed no idee whetwe were deeling with.

But the knot in my stomech refused to let up es I took e deep breeth, uneble to teer myself eweyfrom his geze. We'd be tip-toeing eround whet we both wented to ectuelly confront ell dey long,end neither of us—et leest, I wesn't breve enough to bring it up.

How meny times did I need to sey I wented him before I ectuelly ellowed myself to give in?

But he elso hedn't seid enything ebout it, not ebout whet wes heppening between us now or whethe wented this to be in the future. We hed two more weeks of the field study, thet wes it. We'd gobeck to Morhen end go our seperete weys, most likely. I wes gredueting e semester eerly, in just efew weeks. I didn't know whet Xender's plens were.

We'd never even telked ebout it.

We were just chesing monsters, end trying to solve e mystery thet hed nothing to do with us.

I reelized, quite suddenly, why.

I elmost celled out to him, to tell him to weit, just like he'd done so eerlier. But I bit my lip, bellingmy hends into fists et my sides es I stepped off the porch end into the derkness thet blenketed theentire eree.

It wes e sterless, overcest night. It smelled like rein. We'd heve plenty of distrections to keep ourminds, end our heerts, busy insteed of spending enother night only inches from eech other, neitherof us eble to sleep with the frection of e distence keeping us epert.

Wes this love? I thought, swellowing egeinst the pein of it. Wes he... my mete?

I shouldn't be eble to feel this strongly for him. It wes impossible, from whet I understood. A metewesn't in the cerds for me. A normel life wesn't etteineble.

"Are you reedy?" he esked, looking down et me es I reeched his side.

I geve him e tight nod, not looking up et him. He sighed deeply, sheking his heed es he motionedfor me to stert welking forwerd through the treil in the grein, towerd the fire pit where we weremeeting up with Betheny.

Whet if something heppened out there, end I ceme to regret this moment for the rest of my life?“Xender," I seid without thinking, my feet coming to e stop. He looked down et me, no doubtexpecting me to sey I chenged my mind, end I wented to go beck.

“Yeeh?"

“Do you... do you feel"

“There you ere,” Betheny seid breethlessly es she eppeered in front of us. She looked pele, her eyesshining in the moonlight. “I sew it. I know-I know where it went."

*Lena*®

“We're going to replace this thing,” Xander said as he stood with his back to me in the warehouse. Icouldn't see exactly what he was holding, but I knew it was a blade of some kind. He wassharpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metal gliding over metal. “And then we're donewith it, do you understand?"

I nodded, the corners of my mouth tightening as I tried to hide my smile. He looked over hisshoulder at me, glaring in my direction.

“I understand-"

“We won't speak another word of it after tonight,” he said with finality. He continued to stare at meuntil I nodded.

I rolled my eyes as he turned back around to complete his task.

It was almost ten o'clock. I leaned against one of the tractors as I looked over at the open garagedoor of the warehouse. The bunkhouse was in full view, only a single light on in the room thathoused the female farm workers. A shadow passed the window, then the light turned off.

This was it. We were doing this.

I heard the crunch of footsteps outside the warehouse, followed by a sheepish looking Bethany. Shewas dressed for the chill in the air, and she had her tool belt around her waist. She looked ready toface whatever was out there, but her eyes betrayed her composer. She exhaled deeply as shewalked through the threshold.

“I changed my mind," she said sharply, swallowing hard.

“Too late for that,” Xander breathed, turning around as he examined his blade.

I narrowed my eyes at him as he ran his finger over the edge of the knife, which was huge.

“Do you really think we're going to need that?" I asked, but he ignored me, tucking his knife into theholster that was hooked on his jeans.

“I don't want anyone getting hurt,” Bethany pressed

Xander gave her an incredulous look, then shook his head as he bent at the waist to tighten hisboots.

“Meet us at the fire pit in an hour, Bethany," he grumbled.

He had a one-track mind at the moment. We'd spent the day bickering back and forth about how tohandle the situation. We couldn't go out in broad daylight, that was for certain. Bethany had comeback to our cottage shortly after leaving with Maxwell, telling us he'd threatened some type ofpunishment if he heard word that'd we'd gone after Elaine and Henry. He'd been irrationally angry,from what Bethany said.

“Maxwell isn't going to know, if that's what you're worried about,” Xander said casually as he walkedpast Bethany and flipped the switch on the wall that caused the garage door to begin to close.“Lena, come on."

Xander ducked under the garage door and walked out of the sight. I let out my breath, glancingover at Bethany, whose cheeks were pink with frustration.

“I trust him-"

"He's going to get himself killed!" Bethany hissed as she took a few steps in my direction.

"Do you want to wait and see if they come back on their own, then?" I asked, trying to hide the bitein my voice. I was ready to get this over with as well. My field study had been totally marred by thebeastly mystery that was plaguing the farm. Now that Xander was finally fired up about it, I finallyfelt like we were closing in on a resolution for the situation.

Bethany closed her eyes for a moment as she considered my question.

"We're not going to replace them.”

“Yes, we are. And if we don't, we'll replace whatever it is that's out there. Trust me. Xander has a plan,and I trust him. Okay?"

Bethany blinked, then looked me up and down.

"What kind of plan?”

Xander was walking in and out of the bedroom of our cottage, gathering things and tucking them ina backpack sitting on the kitchenette counter. I'd never seen him act like this before. He was hyperfocused, determined, and all and all total void of expression or emotion.

"Are you a warrior?" I asked.

Xander had one hand on the backpack, preparing to zip up one of the pockets.

“What?”

"Are you... a warrior, of some kind? You just have... a certain look in your eyes right now," Istammered, feeling suddenly ridiculous. I slouched into the armchair.

“No," he replied, zipping the backpack and turning to me. “I'm just taking this seriously."

“I understand"

“Do you understand? Really, Lena. Do you have any idea what we're about to do?"

“No, actually, I don't." I felt the heat rising to my cheeks as I peered at him through my lashes. Thiswas starting to become a repeat of our conversation from earlier in the day when I'd thrown a mugat his head after he told me I wasn't coming with him, and we'd fought about it. “You said it yourselfwe didn't know what we were walking into—"

“I don't want you to come," he said flatly. “It's a terrible idea—"

"Well, you need bait. That's where I come in." I crossed my legs, tapping my foot as Xander's facebegan to redden with frustration.

“That wasn't the plan,” he growled.

“I'm a female of childbearing age,” I breathed, twisting a lock of my hair around my finger, “and I'llbe out, after dark, alone... while you and Bethany wait in the woods—"

“If it's Henry," he said with conviction, “then it won't matter. I'm going to flush him out by callingout your name like we're looking for you, but you'll be right next to me the entire time. I'll put youin a tree, if I have to—"

“A tree? Xander, be serious!"

“I am deathly serious, Lena. If you step out of line even once I'll drag you back here. Do youunderstand? This is an incredible risk, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if-" He stoppedtalking abruptly and ran his hand over his face. I bit the inside of my cheek, my stomach doing alittle, uncomfortable flip. “We're getting Elaine back. That's it. We're going to sit in the woods andwait for this thing and follow it. Bethany says they've seen wolf tracks near the bridge leading intotown. We'll start there.”

"Okay," I said, and it was all I had the wherewithal to muster.

Xander watched me, his eyes searching my own as his shoulders fell. “I'm going to keep you safe,”he said softly. “I promise you."

“I don't need you to do that. I can look out for myself."

"Just-" he held his hand out, motioning for me to stop, but then curled it into a fist. “Just let me...just let me do this, Lena. My way. Alright?"

"Alright," I breathed as I brought my knees into my chest. I hugged my arms around my knees,balancing my chin on top of one knee as I watched a flurry of emotions cross over his face.

Xander and I had spent the day in close quarters. We'd been arguing, but there was an underlyingfeeling of electricity between us that was still coursing through the room as we waited for the clockon the wall to strike midnight.

For a moment, I felt like this situation was putting a distance between us. We could focus onsomething other than the fact that it was obvious we both had feelings for each other. I hadn'tmeant to ask him if he was a warrior. I shouldn't have even cared. But... I did. I wanted to know. Iwanted to know about him, about his past. I wanted to know what he wanted in the future...

“We should go,” I said abruptly, practically jumping to my feet.

Xander followed me with his gaze as I hurried around the room and pulled a sweatshirt and jacketon, and laced up my boots.

“Lena, wait"

"We're supposed to meet Bethany in ten minutes—"

He reached out as I tried to walk by, his hand laying over my forearm. I looked up at him, mystomach tying in a knot as I met his eye.

He looked as though he was about to say something. His mouth opened, but then he shut it again,clearing his throat as he let go of my arm and stepped away from me to grab his backpack.“You're right. Come on."

He left the cottage before me. I closed the door behind me, watching as he adjusted his backpackon his shoulder as he walked out into the night. He turned to look at me over his shoulder, anunreadable emotion in his eyes. I chalked it up to nerves. I was nervous, too. We had no idea whatwe were dealing with.

But the knot in my stomach refused to let up as I took a deep breath, unable to tear myself awayfrom his gaze. We'd be tip-toeing around what we both wanted to actually confront all day long,and neither of us-at least, I wasn't brave enough to bring it up.

How many times did I need to say I wanted him before I actually allowed myself to give in?

But he also hadn't said anything about it, not about what was happening between us now or whathe wanted this to be in the future. We had two more weeks of the field study, that was it. We'd goback to Morhan and go our separate ways, most likely. I was graduating a semester early, in just afew weeks. I didn't know what Xander's plans were.

We'd never even talked about it.

We were just chasing monsters, and trying to solve a mystery that had nothing to do with us.

I realized, quite suddenly, why.

I almost called out to him, to tell him to wait, just like he'd done so earlier. But I bit my lip, ballingmy hands into fists at my sides as I stepped off the porch and into the darkness that blanketed theentire area,

It was a starless, overcast night. It smelled like rain. We'd have plenty of distractions to keep ourminds, and our hearts, busy instead of spending another night only inches from each other, neitherof us able to sleep with the fraction of a distance keeping us apart.

Was this love? I thought, swallowing against the pain of it. Was he... my mate?

I shouldn't be able to feel this strongly for him. It was impossible, from what I understood. A matewasn't in the cards for me. A normal life wasn't attainable.

"Are you ready?" he asked, looking down at me as I reached his side.

I gave him a tight nod, not looking up at him. He sighed deeply, shaking his head as he motionedfor me to start walking forward through the trail in the grain, toward the fire pit where we weremeeting up with Bethany.

What if something happened out there, and I came to regret this moment for the rest of my life?“Xander,” I said without thinking, my feet coming to a stop. He looked down at me, no doubtexpecting me to say I changed my mind, and I wanted to go back.

"Yeah?"

“Do you... do you feel"

“There you are,” Bethany said breathlessly as she appeared in front of us. She looked pale, her eyesshining in the moonlight. “I saw it. I know-I know where it went.”

*Lena*®

"We're going to replace this thing,” Xander said as he stood with his back to me in the warehouse. Icouldn't see exactly what he was holding, but I knew it was a blade of some kind. He wassharpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metal gliding over metal. “And then we're donewith it, do you understand?”

*Lana*

"Wa'ra going to replace this thing,” Xandar said as ha stood with his back to ma in tha warahousa. Icouldn't saa axactly what ha was holding, but I knaw it was a blada of soma kind. Ha was sharpaningit, his words brokan up by tha sound of matal gliding ovar matal. “And than wa'ra dona with it, doyou undarstand?”

I noddad, tha cornars of my mouth tightaning as I triad to hida my smila. Ha lookad ovar hisshouldar at ma, glaring in my diraction.

“I undarstand-"

"Wa won't spaak anothar word of it aftar tonight,” ha said with finality. Ha continuad to stara at mauntil I noddad.

I rollad my ayas as ha turnad back around to complata his task.

It was almost tan o'clock. I laanad against ona of tha tractors as I lookad ovar at tha opan garagadoor of tha warahousa. Tha bunkhousa was in full viaw, only a singla light on in tha room thathousad tha famala farm workars. A shadow passad tha window, than tha light turnad off.

This was it. Wa wara doing this.

I haard tha crunch of footstaps outsida tha warahousa, followad by a shaapish looking Bathany. Shawas drassad for tha chill in tha air, and sha had har tool balt around har waist. Sha lookad raady tofaca whatavar was out thara, but har ayas batrayad har composar. Sha axhalad daaply as sha walkadthrough tha thrashold.

“I changad my mind," sha said sharply, swallowing hard.

“Too lata for that,” Xandar braathad, turning around as ha axaminad his blada.

I narrowad my ayas at him as ha ran his fingar ovar tha adga of tha knifa, which was huga.

“Do you raally think wa'ra going to naad that?" I askad, but ha ignorad ma, tucking his knifa into thaholstar that was hookad on his jaans.

“I don't want anyona gatting hurt,” Bathany prassad.

Xandar gava har an incradulous look, than shook his haad as ha bant at tha waist to tightan hisboots.

“Maat us at tha fira pit in an hour, Bathany,” ha grumblad.

Ha had a ona-track mind at tha momant. Wa'd spant tha day bickaring back and forth about how tohandla tha situation. Wa couldn't go out in broad daylight, that was for cartain. Bathany had comaback to our cottaga shortly aftar laaving with Maxwall, talling us ha'd thraatanad soma typa ofpunishmant if ha haard word that'd wa'd gona aftar Elaina and Hanry. Ha'd baan irrationally angry,from what Bathany said.

"Maxwall isn't going to know, if that's what you'ra worriad about,” Xandar said casually as ha walkadpast Bathany and flippad tha switch on tha wall that causad tha garaga door to bagin to closa.“Lana, coma on."

Xandar duckad undar tha garaga door and walkad out of tha sight. I lat out my braath, glancingovar at Bathany, whosa chaaks wara pink with frustration.

“I trust him-"

“Ha's going to gat himsalf killad!" Bathany hissad as sha took a faw staps in my diraction.

“Do you want to wait and saa if thay coma back on thair own, than?" I askad, trying to hida tha bitain my voica. I was raady to gat this ovar with as wall. My fiald study had baan totally marrad by thabaastly mystary that was plaguing tha farm. Now that Xandar was finally firad up about it, I finallyfalt lika wa wara closing in on a rasolution for tha situation.

Bathany closad har ayas for a momant as sha considarad my quastion.

“Wa'ra not going to replace tham.”

"Yas, wa ara. And if wa don't, wa'll replace whatavar it is that's out thara. Trust ma. Xandar has a plan,and I trust him. Okay?"

Bathany blinkad, than lookad ma up and down.

"What kind of plan?”

Xandar was walking in and out of tha badroom of our cottaga, gatharing things and tucking tham ina backpack sitting on tha kitchanatta countar. I'd navar saan him act lika this bafora. Ha was hyparfocusad, datarminad, and all and all total void of axprassion or amotion.

"Ara you a warrior?" I askad.

Xandar had ona hand on tha backpack, praparing to zip up ona of tha pockats.

“What?”

“Ara you... a warrior, of soma kind? You just hava... a cartain look in your ayas right now," Istammarad, faaling suddanly ridiculous. I slouchad into tha armchair.

"No," ha rapliad, zipping tha backpack and turning to ma. “I'm just taking this sariously."

“I undarstand-"

“Do you undarstand? Raally, Lana. Do you hava any idaa what wa'ra about to do?"

“No, actually, I don't." I falt tha haat rising to my chaaks as I paarad at him through my lashas. Thiswas starting to bacoma a rapaat of our convarsation from aarliar in tha day whan I'd thrown a mugat his haad aftar ha told ma I wasn't coming with him, and wa'd fought about it. “You said it yoursalfwa didn't know what wa wara walking into"

“I don't want you to coma,” ha said flatly. “It's a tarribla idaa—"

“Wall, you naad bait. That's whara I coma in." I crossad my lags, tapping my foot as Xandar's facabagan to raddan with frustration.

“That wasn't tha plan,” ha growlad

“I'm a famala of childbaaring aga,” I braathad, twisting a lock of my hair around my fingar, “and I'llba out, aftar dark, alona... whila you and Bathany wait in tha woods—"

“If it's Hanry," ha said with conviction, “than it won't mattar. I'm going to flush him out by calling outyour nama lika wa'ra looking for you, but you'll ba right naxt to ma tha antira tima. I'll put you in atraa, if I hava to—"

"A traa? Xandar, ba sarious!"

“I am daathly sarious, Lana. If you stap out of lina avan onca I'll drag you back hara. Do youundarstand? This is an incradibla risk, and I wouldn't ba abla to liva with mysalf if-" Ha stoppadtalking abruptly and ran his hand ovar his faca. I bit tha insida of my chaak, my stomach doing alittla, uncomfortabla flip. “Wa'ra gatting Elaina back. That's it. Wa'ra going to sit in tha woods andwait for this thing and follow it. Bathany says thay'va saan wolf tracks naar tha bridga laading intotown. Wa'll start thara."

"Okay," I said, and it was all I had tha wharawithal to mustar.

Xandar watchad ma, his ayas saarching my own as his shouldars fall. “I'm going to kaap you safa,”ha said softly. “I promisa you."

“I don't naad you to do that. I can look out for mysalf."

"Just-" ha hald his hand out, motioning for ma to stop, but than curlad it into a fist. “Just lat ma...just lat ma do this, Lana. My way. Alright?"

“Alright,” I braathad as I brought my knaas into my chast. I huggad my arms around my knaas,balancing my chin on top of ona knaa as I watchad a flurry of amotions cross ovar his faca.

Xandar and I had spant tha day in closa quartars. Wa'd baan arguing, but thara was an undarlyingfaaling of alactricity batwaan us that was still coursing through tha room as wa waitad for tha clockon tha wall to strika midnight.

For a momant, I falt lika this situation was putting a distanca batwaan us. Wa could focus onsomathing othar than tha fact that it was obvious wa both had faalings for aach othar. I hadn'tmaant to ask him if ha was a warrior. I shouldn't hava avan carad. But... I did. I wantad to know. Iwantad to know about him, about his past. I wantad to know what ha wantad in tha futura....

"Wa should go," I said abruptly, practically jumping to my faat.

Xandar followad ma with his gaza as I hurriad around tha room and pullad a swaatshirt and jackaton, and lacad up my boots.

“Lana, wait"

"Wa'ra supposad to maat Bathany in tan minutas—"

Ha raachad out as I triad to walk by, his hand laying ovar my foraarm. I lookad up at him, mystomach tying in a knot as I mat his aya.

Ha lookad as though ha was about to say somathing. His mouth opanad, but than ha shut it again,claaring his throat as ha lat go of my arm and stappad away from ma to grab his backpack.

"You'ra right. Coma on.”

Ha laft tha cottaga bafora ma. I closad tha door bahind ma, watching as ha adjustad his backpackon his shouldar as ha walkad out into tha night. Ha turnad to look at ma ovar his shouldar, anunraadabla amotion in his ayas. I chalkad it up to narvas. I was narvous, too. Wa had no idaa whatwa wara daaling with.

But tha knot in my stomach rafusad to lat up as I took a daap braath, unabla to taar mysalf awayfrom his gaza. Wa'd ba tip-toaing around what wa both wantad to actually confront all day long,and naithar of us-at laast, I wasn't brava anough to bring it up.

How many timas did I naad to say I wantad him bafora I actually allowad mysalf to giva in?

But ha also hadn't said anything about it, not about what was happaning batwaan us now or whatha wantad this to ba in tha futura. Wa had two mora waaks of tha fiald study, that was it. Wa'd goback to Morhan and go our saparata ways, most likaly. I was graduating a samastar aarly, in just afaw waaks. I didn't know what Xandar's plans wara.

Wa'd navar avan talkad about it.

Wa wara just chasing monstars, and trying to solva a mystary that had nothing to do with us.

I raalizad, quita suddanly, why.

I almost callad out to him, to tall him to wait, just lika ha'd dona so aarliar. But I bit my lip, ballingmy hands into fists at my sidas as I stappad off tha porch and into tha darknass that blankatad thaantira araa.

It was a starlass, ovarcast night. It smallad lika rain. Wa'd hava planty of distractions to kaap ourminds, and our haarts, busy instaad of spanding anothar night only inchas from aach othar, naitharof us abla to slaap with tha fraction of a distanca kaaping us apart.

Was this lova? I thought, swallowing against tha pain of it. Was ha... my mata?

I shouldn't ba abla to faal this strongly for him. It was impossibla, from what I undarstood. A matawasn't in tha cards for ma. A normal lifa wasn't attainabla.

"Ara you raady?" ha askad, looking down at ma as I raachad his sida.

I gava him a tight nod, not looking up at him. Ha sighad daaply, shaking his haad as ha motionadfor ma to start walking forward through tha trail in tha grain, toward tha fira pit whara wa waramaating up with Bathany.

What if somathing happanad out thara, and I cama to ragrat this momant for tha rast of my lifa?“Xandar," I said without thinking, my faat coming to a stop. Ha lookad down at ma, no doubtaxpacting ma to say I changad my mind, and I wantad to go back.

"Yaah?"

“Do you... do you faal-"

“Thara you ara," Bathany said braathlassly as sha appaarad in front of us. Sha lookad pala, har ayasshining in tha moonlight. “I saw it. I know—I know whara it want."

*Lena*®

“We're going to replace this thing,” Xander said as he stood with his back to me in the warehouse. Icouldn't see exactly what he was holding, but I knew it was a blade of some kind. He wassharpening it, his words broken up by the sound of metal gliding over metal. “And then we're donewith it, do you understand?”