Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 560

Chapter 60 : Succession of the White Queen

*Lena*®

"Lena?" Viv said, her voice a little shaken as I approached.

I bobbed my head, bending my knees into a shallow curtsy, an act that startled them both.

“I'll be damned," Heather whispered in disbelief. “You weren't lying."

“I'm sorry,” I began, but Viv burst out in a laugh, shaking her head as she gripped Heather's upperarm to steady herself.

“Are you kidding? This is the coolest thing to ever happen to us," Viv panted, wiping a tear from hereye.

Heather, on the other hand, looked more shocked than anything.

“I should have been honest from the beginning,” I exclaimed to Heather in particular.

Heather tilted her head, eyeing me with interest, taking in my clothes and jewels. I felt completelyexposed to her gaze, especially when it gently lingered on the faded mark about the neckline of mydress.

“I see you patched things up with Xander," she said tartly.

Viv made a face at her, then glanced at me.

“I didn't. He showed up here two days ago, and he's... well, he's not just a college student.”

"What do you mean?" Viv asked, her dark eyes going wide.

“He's an Alpha King of some... far off land, somewhere that's accessible now that the southern passis open for travel,” I lied, unsure how, or if, I should explain where Egoren was.

"You're kidding," Heather said, looking incredibly suspicious as she looked around the crowd towardthe entrance of the ballroom.

“I swear," I replied, following her gaze.

Xander was nowhere to be seen, swallowed up by the crowd.

Before I could say anything further, a squeal pierced the air, and a flash of red hair enveloped ourgroup as Abigail bounded into us, pulling all three of us into a tight embrace.

"Can you believe our luck?" she exclaimed. “Our quiet, somewhat stuck-up Lena is a f*ckingPRINCESS."

For the next hour, I gave the group a brief history of my life, evading the tidbits about my powersand those belonging to my family members. They listened intently, Viv and Abigail more thrilledabout it than Heather, whose stone-cold expression alluded to the fact that she was pissed aboutmy elaborate plot to hide my true identity from them for three years. Her face softened when Iexplained why I had to do it that way, telling them it was out of safety, and most importantly, atleast to me, my ability to prove myself outside of my rank.

I should have sat with my family at the front of the ballroom, where their tables flanked the heavilydecorated table set aside for the bride, groom, and their wedding party, but I chose to sit with myfriends instead, and together we enjoyed a fine meal.

For a moment, it felt as though we were back in the cafe on campus, gossiping about the royalsinstead of attending a royal wedding.

But then, Abigail brought up Oliver.

“Have you seen him today?" I asked.

She shook her head, washing down her food with a glass of iced tea. “Not at all. But I wasn't at theceremony. I was setting up the last of the floral decorations.”

"Hmm..." I swirled my second glass of champagne, looking toward the table my family had takenover.

Everyone was there-my great aunts and uncles, my numerous cousins, including second and thirdcousins. The Beta of Poldesse and his family were seated with Maeve and Troy, their young childrenflanking them as they ate from plates piled high with sweets.

No sign of Oliver. Or Charlie.

Or Xander, for that matter.

I dropped my napkin on the table and rose.

“I'll be back in a little while. Let me know if anyone makes a regretful speech. I can tell half of thegroomsmen are drunk already,” I winked, then pushed my chair in and made my way across theballroom.

*Lena*®

“Lena?” Viv said, her voice a little shaken as I approached.

I stopped ot my fomily's toble, leoning down between my porents.

"Hove you guys seen Oliver?" I whispered so I wosn't overheord, but there were numerousconversotions going on.

“I hoven't seen him oll doy. He missed the ceremony,” Dod soid, gloncing down the toble beforeleoning bock in his choir to continue, “Troy hos olreody been out looking for him."

“I don't blome him in the leost bit," Mom replied, her voice heovy os she brought o gloss of woterto her lips.

“I'm going to go replace him-"

“Leno, my deor! Look ot you" I turned to see my greot ounts Georgio ond Vicky neor the heod ofthe toble, seoted with my grondporents.

Dod potted my hond before I could rise to my full height, leoning to whisper to me, “Soy you'rerunning to fetch something for me so you don't get tropped by your ounts, honey. I hod to pretendI wos hoving o heort ottock to get owoy from them eorlier.”

"Dod!" I loughed, but he shrugged, ond wos then swotted firmly on the orm by Mom.

I wolked owoy from my porents, coming up behind my greot ounts ond giving them eoch o hug.They both kissed ond squeezed my cheeks like I wos on infont, but I blushed with pridenonetheless.

“This dress is heoven on you, dorling,” Aunt Georgio cooed, moking me do o little twirl. “Don't youthink, Rosolie?"

“Red suits her,” my grondmo smiled, ond I smiled bock ot her, noticing the wormth in her eyes.

"Hi Grondmo," I grinned. “I'm on on errond for Dod, but I'll be bock in 0 moment.”

I looked ot Grondpo, who wos fixing me with o suspicious eye. I norrowed my eyes ployfully ondheld his goze os I wolked owoy, not breoking from it until I sow o twitch of o smile touch his widemonth.

He wos olwoys so tough-ot leost he thought so.

Dod wos right obout mentioning on errond. The group quickly moved on in their conversotion oftero moment of gushing over my outfit ond how “grown up" I wos now.

I smirked to myself os I wolked briskly through the foyer ond through the door to the bock gordens.It wos lote evening now, ond the sun wos beginning to set os I wolked olong the stone poth thotled to the norrow stoirs thot led down the beoch. I hesitoted for o moment, remembering I wosweoring heels, ond expensive ones too. I took off my shoes ond tucked them in o bush beforelifting my skirts ond descending the stoirs.

The beoch wos privote, tucked in o gentle cover ond surrounded by seo cliffs thot hung with richgreen vegetotion. It wos o beoutiful ploce. The woter wos o bright, cleor turquoise ond the sondwos white, but glistened o fiery oronge os the “golden hour" took hold ond cost the entire oreo in oblonket of yellow, mogento, ond violet light. I could see three men cleorly os I corefullymoneuvered down the stoirs.

I wos not dressed for the beoch, thot wos for sure. The loundress wos going to be pissed when shesow the sond grit stuck in the hem of my gown, but I brushed the thought owoy for o moment.Xonder turned to look ot me os I opprooched. He'd shed his tuxedo jocket ond undone the firstthree buttons of his shirt, the skin of his chest glinting gold in the sun.

Chorlie hod shed his tuxedo jocket os well, ond the two of them were borefoot with their pontsrolled up over their onkles, stonding just within the gentle poth of the woves lopping the shore.Oliver, however, wos possed out on the beoch like o storfish, one leg propped up ond o piece ofdriftwood.

“Is he okoy?" I excloimed, rushing over os fost os I could with my skirts hiked up ond the bock of mydress drogging in the sond.

"He's extremely drunk," Chorlie chuckled, tipping his bottle of beer in Oliver's direction.

I stopped at my family's table, leaning down between my parents.

“Have you guys seen Oliver?" I whispered so I wasn't overheard, but there were numerousconversations going on.

“I haven't seen him all day. He missed the ceremony," Dad said, glancing down the table beforeleaning back in his chair to continue, “Troy has already been out looking for him."

“I don't blame him in the least bit,” Mom replied, her voice heavy as she brought a glass of water toher lips.

“I'm going to go replace him-"

“Lena, my dear! Look at you" I turned to see my great aunts Georgia and Vicky near the head ofthe table, seated with my grandparents.

Dad patted my hand before I could rise to my full height, leaning to whisper to me, “Say you'rerunning to fetch something for me so you don't get trapped by your aunts, honey. I had to pretendI was having a heart attack to get away from them earlier.”

"Dad!" I laughed, but he shrugged, and was then swatted firmly on the arm by Mom.

I walked away from my parents, coming up behind my great aunts and giving them each a hug.They both kissed and squeezed my cheeks like I was an infant, but I blushed with pride nonetheless.“This dress is heaven on you, darling,” Aunt Georgia cooed, making me do a little twirl. “Don’t youthink, Rosalie?"

“Red suits her,” my grandma smiled, and I smiled back at her, noticing the warmth in her eyes

"Hi Grandma," I grinned. “I'm on an errand for Dad, but I'll be back in a moment.”

I looked at Grandpa, who was fixing me with a suspicious eye. I narrowed my eyes playfully and heldhis gaze as I walked away, not breaking from it until I saw a twitch of a smile touch his wide month.He was always so tough-at least he thought so.

Dad was right about mentioning an errand. The group quickly moved on in their conversation aftera moment of gushing over my outfit and how “grown up” I was now.

I smirked to myself as I walked briskly through the foyer and through the door to the back gardens.It was late evening now, and the sun was beginning to set as I walked along the stone path that ledto the narrow stairs that led down the beach. I hesitated for a moment, remembering I was wearingheels, and expensive ones too. I took off my shoes and tucked them in a bush before lifting myskirts and descending the stairs.

The beach was private, tucked in a gentle cover and surrounded by sea cliffs that hung with richgreen vegetation. It was a beautiful place. The water was a bright, clear turquoise and the sand waswhite, but glistened a fiery orange as the “golden hour” took hold and cast the entire area in ablanket of yellow, magenta, and violet light. I could see three men clearly as I carefully maneuvereddown the stairs.

I was not dressed for the beach, that was for sure. The laundress was going to be pissed when shesaw the sand grit stuck in the hem of my gown, but I brushed the thought away for a moment.Xander turned to look at me as I approached. He'd shed his tuxedo jacket and undone the firstthree buttons of his shirt, the skin of his chest glinting gold in the sun.

Charlie had shed his tuxedo jacket as well, and the two of them were barefoot with their pants rolledup over their ankles, standing just within the gentle path of the waves lapping the shore. Oliver,however, was passed out on the beach like a starfish, one leg propped up and a piece of driftwood.“Is he okay?" I exclaimed, rushing over as fast as I could with my skirts hiked up and the back of mydress dragging in the sand.

"He's extremely drunk," Charlie chuckled, tipping his bottle of beer in Oliver's direction.

"Why did you let that happen?” I pressed as I stood over Oliver's body, peering down at him. Hewas breathing, snoring. I kicked at his sandaled foot with my toes and he twitched.

"F*ck off,” he murmured, then went right back to sleep.

"Me?" Charlie laughed. “I'm not my brother's keeper"

"He looks awful, Charlie. The whole family is upstairs—"

"So are every Alpha and Luna in the pack lands, here to witness what he thought was the love of hislife marrying his brother.”

“Cut him some slack, Lena," Xander added, but my eyes shot to him, narrowed into slits against theburst of sunset casting Xander and Charlie in a golden shadow.

“You don't get an opinion on the matter, because you don't know us—"

"He got to know us pretty well at the dinner you missed last night," Charlie argued, looking smugbehind the lip of his beer bottle.

I scoffed, letting my skirts drop over my ankles as I stepped toward them.

"How are we supposed to get him back up to the palace?" I asked with urgency, but Xander andCharlie only looked at each other and laughed.

"We? He's above the tideline. No rain in the forecast-" Charlie began.

“You're going to leave him down here? Charlie-"

“We've all slept on the beach plenty of times. He'll get pinched by a crab and wake up with arighteous hangover and itchy skin, that's it."

I swallowed, stealing a glance at Oliver before I let the tension leave my shoulder and resignedmyself to leaving my cousin on the beach to sleep it off. Xander and Charlie stared at me, waitingfor me to continue the argument.

“I have nothing else to say," I said after a moment.

“That's a first,” Charlie and Xander said in unison, then looked at each other and laughed.

“I hate you both," I sneered, then turned on my heel to go back to the reception.

“Come on, Lena. We're just messing with you. Stay, okay? We brought a few beers down. It's goingto be more fun than the reception, I guarantee it." Charlie reached into a cooler I hadn't noticed wasthere and offered me one of the frosted amber bottles. He popped it open using only the palm ofhis hand and wiggled in front of me.

"Fine," I said, snatching it from him and taking a sip. It wasn't strong, likely some of the floral beerAvondale was famous for that barely gave you a buzz after drinking several of them, but it wasrefreshing and bitter after the single glass of heavy, sweet champagne Hollis preferred. “What areyou guys doing down here, anyway?"

"Talking," Charlie said with a shrug. “Hanging out.”

"We were talking about Charlie's next assignment,” Xander corrected, giving Charlie an arch of hisbrow, “through the southern pass.”

"Really?" I said, suddenly very interested in the conversation.

“It's not a naval assignment.” Charlie smiled. “But I'm taking grandma and grandpa to see NewDianny this spring, once you're settled in Winter Forest."

A prickle of unease raced over my skin. That couldn't be right. Grandma was going to be trainingme in Winter Forest. Why would she be leaving on a long trip in the middle of that?

“Mom never wanted the title. She has her books, you know. She wrote that one about when myparents were younger—"

"What did you just say?" I snapped, having missed the first part of the new conversation.

Charlie gave me a funny look. Xander's face changed, his eyes widening as he slowly raised his handto stop Charlie from speaking, but it was too late.

“That Mom stepped down from the line of succession for White Queen,” Charlie said, looking a littleconfused as all the color drained from my face. “Didn't you know that?"