Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 579

Chapter 79 : Chaos

*Xander*

Henry slept, but I couldn't sleep through the screeching that was funneling through the cave’sentrance. I hugged my knees and waited, and waited, and waited for Henry to wake up and explainto me what the hell was going on.

The story of what happened to Carly ran through my mind on replay, twisting my stomach into aknot. I'd tell Lena, of course, when I saw her again. I pushed the imagery out of my mind, praying towhoever was listening that I'd have a moment's peace and rest.

But there was no time to dwell, because when he did wake, I was quickly ushered back through theentrance of the tunnel without so much as a word. Pinkish light reflected off the shards of glass he'dpropped along the tunnel, showing us the first glimpses of day.

“Days are short here,” he said in a muttered whisper, urging me to keep walking forward. “You don'thave much time."

“What-"

“Go. Go back to the portal you came out of and get out of here. Do not return.”

I tried to explain to him the situation I was in, how Lena had trapped me and the realm I'd comefrom was nothing more than the product of her mind, but he wouldn't hear any of it.

We reached the entrance of the cave and I gaped over the sweeping, mountain landscape. It wasbarren—-not a tree or scrub in sight. Rocky bluffs rose from the ground beneath us as he pushed metoward the outcrop of scale we'd come down on the night before.

"Come with me,” was all I could say, but he shook his head.

“I need to replace Elaine. I'm getting close.”

Before I could reply, he gave me enough of a push that I had no choice but to step onto the scaleand hold on to the mountain's side to maintain my balance, or risk falling hundreds of feet to mydeath.

He was gone, retreating back into the cave without saying goodbye.

"fk" I cried out, filled to the brim with frustration. I climbed back to the peak, an arduous journeythat took me nearly an hour and left me coated with shale fragments and sweat. In the light of day Icouldn't see the swirling mass that had been above my head the night before, but I could feel theenergy of it radiating down on me as I reached the mountain's peak.

What was I supposed to do? Jump as high as I could with my arms outstretched? I rolled my eyesand ran my hand over my face.

I jumped, and nothing happened. I raised my arms over my head and grabbed at the air. Nothing."What the f**k am I supposed to do?" I cursed, ruffling my hair with my hands in frustration.

But then a scream ripped through the air above my head. I paused, listening to the whispers ofchaos that were beginning to swirl around me, embracing me.

"Hello?" I called out, and was answered by terrified voices and the sound of crunching gravel."Hello!"

Suddenly, I was hit with a force I don't have the words to describe. I was being pulled throughsuffocating blackness, the mark on my shoulder burning so painfully I cried out, screaming into thevoid. Lena's face filled my mind. She was running, a child clutched to her chest as she stumbled andshielded the girl from something coming up behind them.

Then I hit the ground, flat on my back, the air knocked from my lungs and vision going dark.*Lena*®

Fire and noise blanketed us as I followed Adrian through the forest on the outskirts of the village.We were trying to get to the bus station, praying there was a bus, or at least a vehicle of some kindthat could get us out of the village. It had been Adrian's idea to flee, and he was frantic as wemoved like ghosts through the dense woods, the three of us crouching in the overgrowth wheneversomeone passed.

All around us people were running, some in their human forms carrying children and some aswolves, guarding the families trying to escape the village. I looked up through the trees at the bluffwhere the castle had once stood.

It had gone up in flames less than an hour ago and now shown like a beckon of amber light amongthe darkness of the forest below.

The last hour was a blur. We'd walked out of the cottage and stood in shock in the front garden asfire burst through the trees, igniting the village in the distance. For a moment, the flames looked tobe nothing but a vivid, violent sunset creeping through the forest, but then dusk fell and cast CedarHollow in chaos and bloodshed.

I saw the first creature before we'd fled the cottage; tall and gray with molted skin. It was naked, halfwolf and half... something else, the same creature I'd killed in the barren hills outside of theRadcliffe Estate weeks ago.

No. No, no, no—

“Lena! Hurry up!" Adrian screamed as he reached for me, snapping my vision forward.

I'd been looking over my shoulder at the flames licking the redwood trees at the outskirts of thevillage as we continued to run toward the bus station, which was situated along the highway thatran from Cedar Hollow all the way to Breles, branching off from territory to territory as it made itsway south. We were only a few hours from Red Lakes, and my stomach tightened as I thought of myAunt Kacidra and Uncle Pete and their children.

Were the same creatures in Red Lakes? What about elsewhere? Avondale? Mirage?

Winter Forest?

I gasped as I tripped, knocking the wind out of myself. My ankle snapped, and I screeched as Adrianfreed me from a root that arched out of the ground along the forest floor. Abigail was crying, tearsstaining her cheeks as they grabbed me by the shoulders and hoisted me to my feet.

"We need to get to"

“There's nowhere to go, Adrian!" I cried, pain radiating up my leg. I could feel my powers knittingmy broken ankle back together, but not fast enough. I could barely stand upright.

Screams ripped through the forest, followed by frantic cries for help. People rushed past us indroves, the entire population of the village running for whatever safety they could replace.

“What's happening?” Abigail pleaded, shaking Adrian's arm.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into him, whispering something to her asshe sobbed into his chest. His eyes were fixed on something over the top of her head, those blueorbs glimmering like raw sapphires in the firelight.

I saw it then as I watched him embrace her. The pain in his eyes was severe, and the look of pureagony on his face cut me to the core.

"Abigail," I whispered, reaching for her as I took a cautious step.

Adrian slowly turned to look at me, his eyes full of emotion. “Get her out of here,” he said to me, hisvoice catching in his throat and cracking with heartbreak.

"Adrian-" Abigail pleaded, but in an instant he was gone, his clothes shredded in a pile only a footfrom us, his golden wolf body gleaming in the firelight as he sprinted toward town.

"How long have you known?" I said hastily as I urged her to walk with me, to move.

She swallowed hard, choking a bit on the smoke that began to encircle us. The whole forest wasburning now, and I could feel the heat penetrating my clothing.

"When he came to Avondale looking for Xander,” she whispered, knitting her hand in mine. “I- I justfound him, Lena. I can't lose him now-"

“We need to get out of here,” I breathed, shuttering as the smoke filled my nostrils and made melightheaded. “Go, come on. He's going to be fine. We need to hide-"

Something crashed into us, knocking us both flat. Abigail screamed as we were dragged apart bywhatever had landed on us. I was flat on my stomach, something large pressing me down into theground. A wolf ran past us, unfamiliar, and tackled the creature dragging Abigail by the ankles intothe darkness. The animal snarled and yelped, letting go of Abigail long enough for her to craw!forward, reaching for me.

"GO!" I screamed, but she shook her head, her eyes wide with terror as they left my face and slowlylooked up at whatever was on top of me, crushing me with its weight.

I dug my fingers into the ground and cried out, screaming at Abigail to run. The trees around uscreaked and swayed, and Abigail looked skyward as one of the redwoods splintered down its centerand began to fall.

"ABIGAIL!" I screamed in frustration.

She gasped a word, but it was drowned out by the tree snapping and cracking as it fell over the topof us.

In a flash of gold, Abigail was gone. It was Adrian, thank Goddess. He'd come back for her in time towitness what I'd done, and why.

I braced myself with my hands crossed over my head to shield my neck and skull as the tree fell,showering me in bark and twigs and branches. The creature pinning me to the ground took thebrunt of the impact, squealing and screeching in pain as the tree's splintered pieces pierced its skin.It let me go with enough time for me to roll to the side, and I opened my eyes as another tree fell,smashing into the creature with enough force to send a shockwave through the forest.

The creature twitched, its clawed fingers splaying then going still. It was dead.

I jumped to my feet, panting as I whirled around. Behind me a battle was taking place, wolves versusthe creatures, and between them, people continued to run for safety. I looked down at my hands,my heart rate skyrocketing as I tightened them into fists.

My powers. I'd used my powers to save Abigail's life, and my own.

And I'd use them to save the people of Cedar Hollow.

I didn't hesitate. I raised my hands into the air and screamed, pulling the full force of the heat andlight coursing through my body and sending it forward through my hands. A silver burst of lightfanned out over the area, and I stumbled backward and gasped as dozens of silver wolves made oflight and mist rushed forward into the forest, leaving trails of starlight behind them. Confusedshouts and yelps of surprise echoed through the forest as the silver light faded from view. But thenthe sounds of chaos erupted, and through the darkness I saw sprays of silver rushing through theforest, taking out creature after creature.

I felt dizzy. I couldn't breathe. I placed a hand over my chest as I staggered, tripping over anotherroot and falling onto my bottom.

My power waned, fizzling out as my vision blurred for a moment. My ears were ringing and my headached and throbbed. I reached up and pressed my hand over one ear and pulled it away, bloodstaining my palm.

"Ms. Grayleigh?" came a small, terrified voice nearby.

I shot up, looking around through the darkness and dying fire. Sasha was standing only yards away,trembling so violently her teeth were chattering.

"Oh, my Goddess, Sasha,” I cried, running toward her and gathering her in my arms.

Her clothes were tarnished and covered in soot, and she was barefoot, her feet bloody and bruised.She started to sob, and I patted her back, looking around as a hush fell over the forest.

“Where's your mom?" I whispered, a blanket of dread embracing me.

It was too quiet. Even the flames licking the trees seized to sizzle. Sasha shrugged, hiccuping as shehid her face in my shoulder.

I needed to get her out of here. I needed to—

There was a cracking sound, like lightning, and then something large fell from the trees in thedistance. Against the fire I could see something writhing on the ground, a body, and then the breathcaught in my throat.

"What the f**k!" Xander cried in pain, turning over onto his side, facing me. His eyes opened wide,the amber flakes in his nearly black irises illuminated by the firelight.

"X-Xander!" I cried out, and began walking, running toward him, but then...

I didn't scream as my shoulders were penetrated by what felt like several knives, curling and lockingthemselves beneath my skin. I dropped Sasha, unable to move my arms. Xander was on his feet,running toward us, his face contorted in panic.

“Get her out of here,” I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks as I locked my eyes on his. Andthen, everything went black.