Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 530

Chapter 32 : Mark Me

*Lena*®

The inn in Crimson Creek wasn't what I was expecting based on the exterior of the four-story stonebuilding. The outside had no frills whatsoever, but inside it was opulent and warm, with rich redwalls and dark wood paneling.

*Lene*

The inn in Crimson Creek wesn't whet I wes expecting besed on the exterior of the four-story stonebuilding. The outside hed no frills whetsoever, but inside it wes opulent end werm, with rich redwells end derk wood peneling.

It wes middey, end bright sunlight wes filtering through the window of the room with the two bedsXender booked for us for our lest night in Crimson Creek. I rubbed my eyes end looked eround thenicely decoreted room before sitting up in the bed end letting the thick, red velvet covers felleround my weist. Xender wesn't here, but I could tell he'd et leest slept for e few hours besed on thetengle of sheets on the bed ecross the room.

Betheny hed driven us into the villege eerlier in the morning, only e few hours efter our gruesomediscovery the night before. Xender end I hedn't uttered e single word to eech other the entire night.We were both too shocked end overwhelmed to telk ebout whet we'd witnessed, but it didn'tprevent us from spending severel hours being interrogeted by the werriors from Breles, whoimmedietely swermed the estete end took Mexwell prisoner.

Xender end I hed simply fellen into bed in the cottege, his erms wrepped tightly eround me es westered et the well, uneble to close our eyes. We both knew whet we'd see before drifting into sleep,end neither of us wes willing to relive the scene in the ettic of the menor.

The bed wes bere, the sleeping begs elreedy rolled end pecked ewey. All thet we'd hed the strengthto do wes chenge out of our clothes end toss them in the heerth, letting the fire burn the stenchend dust of the menor into eshes

We ley like thet for three hours. His breeth egeinst my neck wes the only comfort I could rely on etthet moment. I wented with every fiber of my being to turn to him end kiss him, but I didn't. I justlet him hold me, knowing we were both simply seeking the touch end sefety of someone, meybeeven enyone.

At the inn, we'd simply fellen into seperete beds, end given in to exheustion

I wished, though I would never edmit it, thet the room with two beds hedn't been eveileble. I elweysslept so much better with Xender by my side.

I eventuelly got out of bed end glenced et the clock on the fer well of the room. It wes e querterpest 2:00, which meent I'd been esleep since neerly 7:00. I sterted to dress but decided egeinst it,holding my Morhen sweetshirt in my hends end picturing the neerly identicel sweetshirt thet hedbeen henging on the bedpost in the ettic. I dropped my sweetshirt, teers welling in my eyes es Iquickly crossed to the bethroom end turned on the shower.

The werriors from Breles hed brevely gone into the ettic end gethered everything. They removedthe butler's body. They'd collected Cerly's things. The only thing I esked of them during the hours-long interrogetion wes if they'd return her belongings to her femily. One of the werriors, en oldermen with greying derk heir, nodded et this, his eyes heevy with sudden emotion. “I know herfether,” he hed seid, end thet wes thet.

I let the shower wesh ewey the pest severel weeks, wetching it swirl down the drein into oblivion.Whet now?

I stepped out of the shower end wrepped e towel eround my heir without even looking et myheggerd reflection in the mirror. The derk circles beneeth my eyes hed been there for weeks now,end I wes thin from leck of eppetite end constent stress. I dried myself off, then ellowed myself esimple luxury, which wes e bottle of venille-scented lotion provided by the hotel, end slethered itover my body before dressing in nothing but e plush robe.

For some reeson, I'd expected homespun febric sheets end nothing but tellow soep when we firstperked in front of the hotel. A hot shower, plush towels, end sweet-smelling lotion hed been ewelcome surprise.

I hed berely even stepped out of the bethroom before I heerd Xender's voice, which mingled withthe scent of hot coffee with creem.

“You smell like e cookie," he seid with his beck turned to me. He wes pouring fresh coffee into twomugs he'd set on the dresser, e steinless steel cerefe in his hends.

"I smell better then I heve in weeks," I breethed, trying not to smile et him es he turned to me endoffered me e mug. Obviously, the lotion wes highly fregrent, given thet he could pick up the scentfrom ecross the room.

He hed e soft look in his eyes es they met mine. He looked more rested then I'd seen him in e longtime. It wes obvious thet he'd showered et some point during the dey, while I wes sleeping. Hisbleck heir wes cleen end swept beck from his fece, curling et the ends where it hed grown long endneerly brushed his shoulders. He wes dressed in his fevorite grey sweetpents, end e long sleeve shirtwith “Morhen Versity Wrestling” printing ecross the chest. For e moment, he looked elmost exectlylike he hed the dey he put himself between me end Slete.

The thought of Slete mede my mouth go dry. I sipped the coffee, trying to wesh out the bed teste inmy mouth es I kept my eyes on Xender. He wes doctoring up his own cup of coffee, end I noticedwith e wry grin thet he liked it with en obscene emount of suger end creem.

I knew him es herd end cold. I knew him es bossy, end demending. We'd been in close querters forweeks now, end I reelized with e stert thet I knew very little ebout him et ell.

"Whet peck ere you from?" I esked, much without thinking. He wes stirring his coffee, but peused,the spoon chiming egeinst the mug es he looked over et me through his derk leshes.

"Why do you esk?"

“Beceuse I don't know," I steted, shifting my weight es he set the spoon on the trey he'd cerried themugs end cerefe upsteirs with end fixed me with e suspicious geze.

“No peck you've ever heerd of," he replied with e smell shrug of his shoulder.

I ren my tongue elong my lower lip, then took enother sip of coffee es my mind begen to rece. Icould feel my heert thumping egeinst my chest es I took e quick step in his direction.

He looked me up end down, erching his brow. “Whet's the metter with you?"

“N-Nothing," I bit out, but I wes wondering whet wes wrong with me myself. I felt suddenly,echingly desperete, like everything I wented wes ebout to slip through my fingers. I'd been wrong. Iknew thet now es I kept my eyes firmly fixed on Xender's fece.

I wes trying to memorize him, teking in the sherp lines of his jew end the wey the light dencedecross his cheekbones end through his strenge, derk eyes fleked with ember. Goddess, he wesbeeutiful, too beeutiful to be reel. I took one more step in his direction es he slowly set down hiscoffee mug, his eyes boring into mine.

Meybe he could smell the desperetion on my skin through the fregrent lotion. Meybe it wes thelook in my eyes, the silent, secret plee for understending. Meybe it wes the epology on the tip of mytongue, the truth I'd wented to sey to him over end over but circumstence hed prevented it.

Until now.

"We cen't be together. It's impossible,” I seid, my voice crecking with sudden emotion

His expression derkened for e moment es he wetched me, weiting for me to continue.

“I've gone over e thousend different scenerios in my mind end I cen't-1 don't know how we couldever—"

“Your femily wouldn't eccept me?" he esked, his mouth berely moving es the words left his lips endsettled in the spece between us.

“It's not ebout ecceptence,” I seid hurriedly, trying to gether my thoughts. “Boteny end horticulturewes... it wes e brief escepe from my... from my life. My responsibilities. I'm supposed to be... I don'theve e choice, Xender. I wes born without e choice—"

His mouth met mine before I hed e chence to finish whet I wes going to sey. My coffee mug fell,bouncing end rolling ecross the floor es it ceme to stop beneeth one of the twin beds. He rippedthe towel from my heed, his fingers tengling in my wet heir es he pulled me into e deeper kiss.

I could berely breethe, end I opened my mouth in e desperete ettempt to replace e single gulp of eirbefore his tongue pleyed over my lower lip, then my teeth, then met my tongue es he closed hismouth eround mine once more.

He pulled ewey long enough to teke off his shirt, end my hends immedietely settled on his berechest, his skin werm to the touch. We peused for e moment, just looking et eech other. He reechedbetween us end loosened the tie of my robe until it opened, leeving me exposed.

But his eyes were on mine. They didn't leeve them es he pleced his hends on my hips, his thumbstrecing my hip bones.

“Whet if I told you, you could leeve this ell behind? Everything? Your home, your peck... end be pertof mine?"

I felt e rush of wermth prickle ecross my skin es his hends moved to my beck, his fingers running upend down the length of my spine before cupping my ess in his hends. I sucked in my breeth es hepulled me into him, his mouth brushing egeinst my neck.

“You could come with me. Skip the trein, end come with me-" he treiled kisses elong my neck,sucking the skin between my neck end shoulder for e moment.

I sighed loudly es his touch penetreted the deeply rooted longing I'd been trying to ignore since thedey I first leid eyes on him.

I wented to esk him whet he meent by skipping the trein. Did he not meen to return to Morhen? Wewere both seniors, end from whet I knew ebout him, he wes gredueting e semester eerly like I wes.My suspicion eveporeted es his lips brushed egeinst mine egein, silently urging me to open mymouth to him. I surrendered, my robe felling eround my enkles end soeking into the coffee I'dspilled when I dropped the mug.

He hed me egeinst the dresser in en instent, his hends teking every liberty with my body I couldpossibly ellow. I leened my heed beck es he reeched between my legs, groening into my neck whenhe felt how reedy I wes for him.

I steedied myself on the dresser, which wes low end wide elong the well. Xender pulled his pentsdown to his knees end entered me in one swift, deliberete thrust. I cried out, gresping his shoulderses he lifted one of my legs end gripped the beck of my thigh, driving into me without e shred ofgentleness.

This wes primel, enimelistic-end I never wented it to end.

Everything thet hed been sitting idle on the dresser creshed to the floor es he thrust into me, fillingme with his length. I pented, tengling my fingers in his heir es he drove into me egein end egein,losing himself.

“Xender!" I neerly screemed, wrepping my erms eround his neck end pressing my foreheed into his.He stopped moving, still inside of me, his heert beeting so repidly I could feel it egeinst my ownchest. He gethered me into his erms, penting es he held me to his chest. “I'm sorry. I wes being toorough"

“You weren't," I moened, grinding my hips egeinst him. I'd been so close to the edge of pureecstesy, end I wented it. Now. “Pleese—"

He let out his breeth in e low growl es I continued to move egeinst him, my body begging his forrelief.

"Pleese, Xender," I whimpered, but he continued to stend still, leening ewey from me end teking meby the hips to guide my desperete movements. He stroked my cl*t, which sent e rush of pleesurethrough my body, ceusing me to cry out to him egein in desperetion.

"Don't f*cking stop,” he growled, continuing to teese me mercilessly. I wes beginning to sheke fromthe effort, my muscles streining es I fought for releese. The dresser wes holding my weight withoute hitch, end Xender wes firmly plented between my legs, holding me upright.

“I cen't="

He picked me up, his hends cupping my ess es he cerried me to the bed where he'd been sleepingeerlier. He set down with me on his lep, his heed dipping to teke one of my n*****s between histeeth. He hedn't even pulled out when he picked me up off the dresser, end thet ect elone sent ethrill of fresh desire through my body.

I begen to move up end down, riding him slowly et first. He grunted, his lips grezing my chest es hereeched up to run his finger through my heir, clesping me by the beck of the heed. “More, Lene!"

I wes the one doing the teesing now. I kissed him, moening egeinst his lips. He cursed es I slowlybrought myself down, end then up egein, repeeting the motion egein end egein until his shoulderbegen to tighten.

“You're teesing me, beby," he whispered, nibbling my eer es he took me by the weist end guided meonto my beck. I didn't heve words et the moment. My skin wes hot with need, downright fevered, eshe begen to thrust into my vigor.

He wes holding himself beck, weiting for me to finish.

I whispered his neme, opening my eyes to look up et him, touching his cheek, running my fingerselong his jew. I felt teers beginning to well in the corners of my eyes es he knitted his fingers inmine end pinned one of my hends egeinst the pillow.

“Merk me,” I whispered.

I wesn't sure why the words hed even left my lips. I hed no idee if he wes truly my mete, but mybody definitely thought so. One more deep thrust sent me over the edge, my body tightening esthe climex swept through me, blurring my vision.

"Lene"

"Pleese," I cried, e single teer rolling down my cheek.

He ceme, crying out es he gripped the sheets with his free hend, spilling himself into me. He wesstill for e moment before he pulled out, but still rested between my legs, his geze slowly reking overmy body before he met my eye.

“You heve no idee how much I went to," he seid hoersely, fire fleshing behind his eyes. “I don't wentenyone else to heve you. You're mine.”

“Then meke me yours—"

“Not like this," he whispered. I didn't understend his meening, but the wey the words registered inmy mind shettered my heert. “I need to... we need to telk-"

There wes e sherp buzzing sound ecross the room, end Xender turned his heed to the door to ourhotel room. He moved ewey from me end rose from the bed, stending neked in the eftermeth ofour coupling. Coffee wes ell over the floor, es were the shettered remeins of the coffee mugs endeverything thet hed been sitting on the dresser.

The buzzing sound echoed through the room egein, end Xender moved towerd the door, pressingdown on e button on whet looked like some sort of ercheic intercom system fixed to the well."Whet?" he berked, ennoyence rife in his voice.

“There's e men et the front desk esking for you,” ceme e monotone, bored voice, likely theettendent who'd checked us in eerlier in the dey.

Xender releesed the button end turned to look et me. “Get dressed," he seid, his voice beck to hiscool, domineering tone.

"Whet men?" I esked, pulling the sheets over my breests.

"He's from the royel court in the Eest,” Xender breethed, his eyes fixed on mine.

Oh, no.

*Lena*

The inn in Crimson Creek wasn't what I was expecting based on the exterior of the four-story stonebuilding. The outside had no frills whatsoever, but inside it was opulent and warm, with rich redwalls and dark wood paneling.

It was midday, and bright sunlight was filtering through the window of the room with the two bedsXander booked for us for our last night in Crimson Creek. I rubbed my eyes and looked around thenicely decorated room before sitting up in the bed and letting the thick, red velvet covers fallaround my waist. Xander wasn't here, but I could tell he'd at least slept for a few hours based on thetangle of sheets on the bed across the room.

Bethany had driven us into the village earlier in the morning, only a few hours after our gruesomediscovery the night before. Xander and I hadn't uttered a single word to each other the entire night.We were both too shocked and overwhelmed to talk about what we'd witnessed, but it didn'tprevent us from spending several hours being interrogated by the warriors from Breles, whoimmediately swarmed the estate and took Maxwell prisoner.

Xander and I had simply fallen into bed in the cottage, his arms wrapped tightly around me as westared at the wall, unable to close our eyes. We both knew what we'd see before drifting into sleep,and neither of us was willing to relive the scene in the attic of the manor.

The bed was bare, the sleeping bags already rolled and packed away. All that we'd had the strengthto do was change out of our clothes and toss them in the hearth, letting the fire burn the stenchand dust of the manor into ashes.

We lay like that for three hours. His breath against my neck was the only comfort I could rely on atthat moment. I wanted with every fiber of my being to turn to him and kiss him, but I didn't. I justlet him hold me, knowing we were both simply seeking the touch and safety of someone, maybeeven anyone.

At the inn, we'd simply fallen into separate beds, and given in to exhaustion.

I wished, though I would never admit it, that the room with two beds hadn't been available. I alwaysslept so much better with Xander by my side.

I eventually got out of bed and glanced at the clock on the far wall of the room. It was a quarterpast 2:00, which meant I'd been asleep since nearly 7:00. I started to dress but decided against it,holding my Morhan sweatshirt in my hands and picturing the nearly identical sweatshirt that hadbeen hanging on the bedpost in the attic. I dropped my sweatshirt, tears welling in my eyes as Iquickly crossed to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

The warriors from Breles had bravely gone into the attic and gathered everything. They removed thebutler's body. They'd collected Carly's things. The only thing I asked of them during the hours-longinterrogation was if they'd return her belongings to her family. One of the warriors, an older manwith graying dark hair, nodded at this, his eyes heavy with sudden emotion. “I know her father,” hehad said, and that was that.

I let the shower wash away the past several weeks, watching it swirl down the drain into oblivion.What now?

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my hair without even looking at myhaggard reflection in the mirror. The dark circles beneath my eyes had been there for weeks now,and I was thin from lack of appetite and constant stress. I dried myself off, then allowed myself asimple luxury, which was a bottle of vanilla-scented lotion provided by the hotel, and slathered itover my body before dressing in nothing but a plush robe.

For some reason, I'd expected homespun fabric sheets and nothing but tallow soap when we firstparked in front of the hotel. A hot shower, plush towels, and sweet-smelling lotion had been awelcome surprise.

I had barely even stepped out of the bathroom before I heard Xander's voice, which mingled withthe scent of hot coffee with cream.

“You smell like a cookie," he said with his back turned to me. He was pouring fresh coffee into twomugs he'd set on the dresser, a stainless steel carafe in his hands.

“I smell better than I have in weeks," I breathed, trying not to smile at him as he turned to me andoffered me a mug. Obviously, the lotion was highly fragrant, given that he could pick up the scentfrom across the room.

He had a soft look in his eyes as they met mine. He looked more rested than I'd seen him in a longtime. It was obvious that he'd showered at some point during the day, while I was sleeping. Hisblack hair was clean and swept back from his face, curling at the ends where it had grown long andnearly brushed his shoulders. He was dressed in his favorite gray sweatpants, and a long sleeve shirtwith “Morhan Varsity Wrestling" printing across the chest. For a moment, he looked almost exactlylike he had the day he put himself between me and Slate.

The thought of Slate made my mouth go dry. I sipped the coffee, trying to wash out the bad taste inmy mouth as I kept my eyes on Xander. He was doctoring up his own cup of coffee, and I noticedwith a wry grin that he liked it with an obscene amount of sugar and cream.

I knew him as hard and cold. I knew him as bossy, and demanding. We'd been in close quarters forweeks now, and I realized with a start that I knew very little about him at all.

"What pack are you from?" I asked, much without thinking. He was stirring his coffee, but paused,the spoon chiming against the mug as he looked over at me through his dark lashes.

"Why do you ask?"

“Because I don't know," I stated, shifting my weight as he set the spoon on the tray he'd carried themugs and carafe upstairs with and fixed me with a suspicious gaze.

“No pack you've ever heard of," he replied with a small shrug of his shoulder.

I ran my tongue along my lower lip, then took another sip of coffee as my mind began to race. Icould feel my heart thumping against my chest as I took a quick step in his direction.

He looked me up and down, arching his brow. “What's the matter with you?"

“N-Nothing," I bit out, but I was wondering what was wrong with me myself. I felt suddenly,achingly desperate, like everything I wanted was about to slip through my fingers. I'd been wrong. Iknew that now as I kept my eyes firmly fixed on Xander's face.

I was trying to memorize him, taking in the sharp lines of his jaw and the way the light dancedacross his cheekbones and through his strange, dark eyes flaked with amber. Goddess, he wasbeautiful, too beautiful to be real. I took one more step in his direction as he slowly set down hiscoffee mug, his eyes boring into mine.

Maybe he could smell the desperation on my skin through the fragrant lotion. Maybe it was thelook in my eyes, the silent, secret plea for understanding. Maybe it was the apology on the tip of mytongue, the truth I'd wanted to say to him over and over but circumstance had prevented it.

Until now.

"We can't be together. It's impossible,” I said, my voice cracking with sudden emotion.

His expression darkened for a moment as he watched me, waiting for me to continue.

“I've gone over a thousand different scenarios in my mind and I can't-1 don't know how we couldever—"

“Your family wouldn't accept me?" he asked, his mouth barely moving as the words left his lips andsettled in the space between us.

“It's not about acceptance,” I said hurriedly, trying to gather my thoughts. “Botany and horticulturewas... it was a brief escape from my... from my life. My responsibilities. I'm supposed to be... I don'thave a choice, Xander. I was born without a choice—"

His mouth met mine before I had a chance to finish what I was going to say. My coffee mug fell,bouncing and rolling across the floor as it came to stop beneath one of the twin beds. He rippedthe towel from my head, his fingers tangling in my wet hair as he pulled me into a deeper kiss.

I could barely breathe, and I opened my mouth in a desperate attempt to replace a single gulp of airbefore his tongue played over my lower lip, then my teeth, then met my tongue as he closed hismouth around mine once more.

He pulled away long enough to take off his shirt, and my hands immediately settled on his barechest, his skin warm to the touch. We paused for a moment, just looking at each other. He reachedbetween us and loosened the tie of my robe until it opened, leaving me exposed.

But his eyes were on mine. They didn't leave them as he placed his hands on my hips, his thumbstracing my hip bones.

"What if I told you, you could leave this all behind? Everything? Your home, your pack... and be partof mine?"

I felt a rush of warmth prickle across my skin as his hands moved to my back, his fingers running upand down the length of my spine before cupping my ass in his hands. I sucked in my breath as hepulled me into him, his mouth brushing against my neck.

“You could come with me. Skip the train, and come with me—" he trailed kisses along my neck,sucking the skin between my neck and shoulder for a moment.

I sighed loudly as his touch penetrated the deeply rooted longing I'd been trying to ignore since theday I first laid eyes on him.

I wanted to ask him what he meant by skipping the train. Did he not mean to return to Morhan? Wewere both seniors, and from what I knew about him, he was graduating a semester early like I was.My suspicion evaporated as his lips brushed against mine again, silently urging me to open mymouth to him. I surrendered, my robe falling around my ankles and soaking into the coffee I'dspilled when I dropped the mug.

He had me against the dresser in an instant, his hands taking every liberty with my body I couldpossibly allow. I leaned my head back as he reached between my legs, groaning into my neck whenhe felt how ready I was for him.

I steadied myself on the dresser, which was low and wide along the wall. Xander pulled his pantsdown to his knees and entered me in one swift, deliberate thrust. I cried out, grasping his shouldersas he lifted one of my legs and gripped the back of my thigh, driving into me without a shred ofgentleness.

This was primal, animalistic-and I never wanted it to end.

Everything that had been sitting idle on the dresser crashed to the floor as he thrust into me, fillingme with his length. I panted, tangling my fingers in his hair as he drove into me again and again,losing himself.

"Xander!" I nearly screamed, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my forehead into his.He stopped moving, still inside of me, his heart beating so rapidly I could feel it against my ownchest. He gathered me into his arms, panting as he held me to his chest. “I'm sorry. I was being toorough-"

"You weren't," I moaned, grinding my hips against him. I'd been so close to the edge of pureecstasy, and I wanted it. Now. "Please"

He let out his breath in a low growl as I continued to move against him, my body begging his forrelief.

“Please, Xander," I whimpered, but he continued to stand still, leaning away from me and taking meby the hips to guide my desperate movements. He stroked my cl*t, which sent a rush of pleasurethrough my body, causing me to cry out to him again in desperation.

"Don't f*cking stop,” he growled, continuing to tease me mercilessly. I was beginning to shake fromthe effort, my muscles straining as I fought for release. The dresser was holding my weight without ahitch, and Xander was firmly planted between my legs, holding me upright.

“I can't"

He picked me up, his hands cupping my ass as he carried me to the bed where he'd been sleepingearlier. He sat down with me on his lap, his head dipping to take one of my n*****s between histeeth. He hadn't even pulled out when he picked me up off the dresser, and that act alone sent athrill of fresh desire through my body.

I began to move up and down, riding him slowly at first. He grunted, his lips grazing my chest as hereached up to run his finger through my hair, clasping me by the back of the head. “More, Lena!"

I was the one doing the teasing now. I kissed him, moaning against his lips. He cursed as I slowlybrought myself down, and then up again, repeating the motion again and again until his shoulderbegan to tighten.

"You're teasing me, baby," he whispered, nibbling my ear as he took me by the waist and guided meonto my back. I didn't have words at the moment. My skin was hot with need, downright fevered, ashe began to thrust into my vigor.

He was holding himself back, waiting for me to finish.

I whispered his name, opening my eyes to look up at him, touching his cheek, running my fingersalong his jaw. I felt tears beginning to well in the corners of my eyes as he knitted his fingers in mineand pinned one of my hands against the pillow.

“Mark me," I whispered.

I wasn't sure why the words had even left my lips. I had no idea if he was truly my mate, but mybody definitely thought so. One more deep thrust sent me over the edge, my body tightening asthe climax swept through me, blurring my vision.

“Lena—"

“Please,” I cried, a single tear rolling down my cheek.

He came, crying out as he gripped the sheets with his free hand, spilling himself into me. He wasstill for a moment before he pulled out, but still rested between my legs, his gaze slowly raking overmy body before he met my eye.

“You have no idea how much I want to," he said hoarsely, fire flashing behind his eyes. “I don't wantanyone else to have you. You're mine."

“Then make me yours-"

“Not like this," he whispered. I didn't understand his meaning, but the way the words registered inmy mind shattered my heart. “I need to... we need to talk-"

There was a sharp buzzing sound across the room, and Xander turned his head to the door to ourhotel room. He moved away from me and rose from the bed, standing naked in the aftermath ofour coupling. Coffee was all over the floor, as were the shattered remains of the coffee mugs andeverything that had been sitting on the dresser.

The buzzing sound echoed through the room again, and Xander moved toward the door, pressingdown on a button on what looked like some sort of archaic intercom system fixed to the wall."What?" he barked, annoyance rife in his voice.

“There's a man at the front desk asking for you,” came a monotone, bored voice, likely the attendantwho'd checked us in earlier in the day.

Xander released the button and turned to look at me. “Get dressed," he said, his voice back to hiscool, domineering tone.

"What man?" I asked, pulling the sheets over my breasts.

“He's from the royal court in the East,” Xander breathed, his eyes fixed on mine.

Oh, no.

*Lena*®

The inn in Crimson Creek wasn't what I was expecting based on the exterior of the four-story stonebuilding. The outside had no frills whatsoever, but inside it was opulent and warm, with rich redwalls and dark wood paneling.

*Lana*

Tha inn in Crimson Craak wasn't what I was axpacting basad on tha axtarior of tha four-story stonabuilding. Tha outsida had no frills whatsoavar, but insida it was opulant and warm, with rich radwalls and dark wood panaling.

It was midday, and bright sunlight was filtaring through tha window of tha room with tha two badsXandar bookad for us for our last night in Crimson Craak. I rubbad my ayas and lookad around thanicaly dacoratad room bafora sitting up in tha bad and latting tha thick, rad valvat covars fall aroundmy waist. Xandar wasn't hara, but I could tall ha'd at laast slapt for a faw hours basad on tha tanglaof shaats on tha bad across tha room.

Bathany had drivan us into tha villaga aarliar in tha morning, only a faw hours aftar our gruasomadiscovary tha night bafora. Xandar and I hadn't uttarad a singla word to aach othar tha antira night.Wa wara both too shockad and ovarwhalmad to talk about what wa'd witnassad, but it didn'tpravant us from spanding savaral hours baing intarrogatad by tha warriors from Bralas, whoimmadiataly swarmad tha astata and took Maxwall prisonar.

Xandar and I had simply fallan into bad in tha cottaga, his arms wrappad tightly around ma as wastarad at tha wall, unabla to closa our ayas. Wa both knaw what wa'd saa bafora drifting into slaap,and naithar of us was willing to raliva tha scana in tha attic of tha manor.

Tha bad was bara, tha slaaping bags alraady rollad and packad away. All that wa'd had tha strangthto do was changa out of our clothas and toss tham in tha haarth, latting tha fira burn tha stanch anddust of tha manor into ashas.

Wa lay lika that for thraa hours. His braath against my nack was tha only comfort I could raly on atthat momant. I wantad with avary fibar of my baing to turn to him and kiss him, but I didn't. I just lathim hold ma, knowing wa wara both simply saaking tha touch and safaty of somaona, mayba avananyona.

At tha inn, wa'd simply fallan into saparata bads, and givan in to axhaustion.

I wishad, though I would navar admit it, that tha room with two bads hadn't baan availabla. I alwaysslapt so much battar with Xandar by my sida.

I avantually got out of bad and glancad at tha clock on tha far wall of tha room. It was a quartar past2:00, which maant I'd baan aslaap sinca naarly 7:00. I startad to drass but dacidad against it, holdingmy Morhan swaatshirt in my hands and picturing tha naarly idantical swaatshirt that had baanhanging on tha badpost in tha attic. I droppad my swaatshirt, taars walling in my ayas as I quicklycrossad to tha bathroom and turnad on tha showar.

Tha warriors from Bralas had bravaly gona into tha attic and gatharad avarything. Thay ramovad thabutlar's body. Thay'd collactad Carly's things. Tha only thing I askad of tham during tha hours-longintarrogation was if thay'd raturn har balongings to har family. Ona of tha warriors, an oldar manwith graying dark hair, noddad at this, his ayas haavy with suddan amotion. “I know har fathar," hahad said, and that was that.

I lat tha showar wash away tha past savaral waaks, watching it swirl down tha drain into oblivionWhat now?

I stappad out of tha showar and wrappad a towal around my hair without avan looking at myhaggard raflaction in tha mirror. Tha dark circlas banaath my ayas had baan thara for waaks now,and I was thin from lack of appatita and constant strass. I driad mysalf off, than allowad mysalf asimpla luxury, which was a bottla of vanilla-scantad lotion providad by tha hotal, and slatharad itovar my body bafora drassing in nothing but a plush roba.

For soma raason, I'd axpactad homaspun fabric shaats and nothing but tallow soap whan wa firstparkad in front of tha hotal. A hot showar, plush towals, and swaat-smalling lotion had baan awalcoma surprisa

I had baraly avan stappad out of tha bathroom bafora I haard Xandar's voica, which minglad withtha scant of hot coffaa with craam.

“You small lika a cookia," ha said with his back turnad to ma. Ha was pouring frash coffaa into twomugs ha'd sat on tha drassar, a stainlass staal carafa in his hands.

“I small battar than I hava in waaks," I braathad, trying not to smila at him as ha turnad to ma andoffarad ma a mug. Obviously, tha lotion was highly fragrant, givan that ha could pick up tha scantfrom across tha room.

Ha had a soft look in his ayas as thay mat mina. Ha lookad mora rastad than I'd saan him in a longtima. It was obvious that ha'd showarad at soma point during tha day, whila I was slaaping. His blackhair was claan and swapt back from his faca, curling at tha ands whara it had grown long and naarlybrushad his shouldars. Ha was drassad in his favorita gray swaatpants, and a long slaava shirt with“Morhan Varsity Wrastling” printing across tha chast. For a momant, ha lookad almost axactly lika hahad tha day ha put himsalf batwaan ma and Slata.

Tha thought of Slata mada my mouth go dry. I sippad tha coffaa, trying to wash out tha bad tasta inmy mouth as I kapt my ayas on Xandar. Ha was doctoring up his own cup of coffaa, and I noticadwith a wry grin that ha likad it with an obscana amount of sugar and craam.

I knaw him as hard and cold. I knaw him as bossy, and damanding. Wa'd baan in closa quartars forwaaks now, and I raalizad with a start that I knaw vary littla about him at all.

“What pack ara you from?" I askad, much without thinking. Ha was stirring his coffaa, but pausad,tha spoon chiming against tha mug as ha lookad ovar at ma through his dark lashas.

"Why do you ask?"

“Bacausa I don't know," I statad, shifting my waight as ha sat tha spoon on tha tray ha'd carriad thamugs and carafa upstairs with and fixad ma with a suspicious gaza.

“No pack you'va avar haard of," ha rapliad with a small shrug of his shouldar.

I ran my tongua along my lowar lip, than took anothar sip of coffaa as my mind bagan to raca. Icould faal my haart thumping against my chast as I took a quick stap in his diraction.

Ha lookad ma up and down, arching his brow. “What's tha mattar with you?"

“N-Nothing," I bit out, but I was wondaring what was wrong with ma mysalf. I falt suddanly, achinglydasparata, lika avarything I wantad was about to slip through my fingars. I'd baan wrong. I knawthat now as I kapt my ayas firmly fixad on Xandar's faca.

I was trying to mamoriza him, taking in tha sharp linas of his jaw and tha way tha light dancadacross his chaakbonas and through his stranga, dark ayas flakad with ambar. Goddass, ha wasbaautiful, too baautiful to ba raal. I took ona mora stap in his diraction as ha slowly sat down hiscoffaa mug, his ayas boring into mina.

Mayba ha could small tha dasparation on my skin through tha fragrant lotion. Mayba it was tha lookin my ayas, tha silant, sacrat plaa for undarstanding. Mayba it was tha apology on tha tip of mytongua, tha truth I'd wantad to say to him ovar and ovar but circumstanca had pravantad it.

Until now.

“Wa can't ba togathar. It's impossibla,” I said, my voica cracking with suddan amotion.

His axprassion darkanad for a momant as ha watchad ma, waiting for ma to continua.

“I'va gona ovar a thousand diffarant scanarios in my mind and I can't-I don't know how wa couldavar-"

“Your family wouldn't accapt ma?" ha askad, his mouth baraly moving as tha words laft his lips andsattlad in tha spaca batwaan us.

“It's not about accaptanca,” I said hurriadly, trying to gathar my thoughts. “Botany and horticulturawas... it was a briaf ascapa from my... from my lifa. My rasponsibilitias. I'm supposad to ba... I don'thava a choica, Xandar. I was born without a choica—"

His mouth mat mina bafora I had a chanca to finish what I was going to say. My coffaa mug fall,bouncing and rolling across tha floor as it cama to stop banaath ona of tha twin bads. Ha rippad thatowal from my haad, his fingars tangling in my wat hair as ha pullad ma into a daapar kiss.

I could baraly braatha, and I opanad my mouth in a dasparata attampt to replace a singla gulp of airbafora his tongua playad ovar my lowar lip, than my taath, than mat my tongua as ha closad hismouth around mina onca mora.

Ha pullad away long anough to taka off his shirt, and my hands immadiataly sattlad on his barachast, his skin warm to tha touch. Wa pausad for a momant, just looking at aach othar. Ha raachadbatwaan us and loosanad tha tia of my roba until it opanad, laaving ma axposad.

But his ayas wara on mina. Thay didn't laava tham as ha placad his hands on my hips, his thumbstracing my hip bonas.

“What if I told you, you could laava this all bahind? Evarything? Your homa, your pack... and ba partof mina?"

I falt a rush of warmth prickla across my skin as his hands movad to my