Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 593

Chapter 93 : 1 Didn't Look Back

*Xander*

I'd never used my powers before, not like this. That shadow of darkness was a mystery to me still, itspresence life-long, but dormant. I'd heard the stories passed down from generation to generation.I'd been old enough to witness my uncle, who showed much more of a promise to the powers ofthe Dark Lord than I ever had, overcome the soul-sucking darkness in his veins as he laid his heartbefore a woman with the blood of the White Queens.

My powers were minuscule, a faint fluttering in my body. But when Lena had marked me, well,suddenly I could feel those powers itching to get loose, to take over, drawn out by her own.

And when I watched more of those gray, molted creatures come out of the forest, followed by theirhandlers who were more human than hybrid beasts but not by much, I felt my powers surge asanger and betrayal swept over me like a rogue wave.

Lena had planned this. She'd stalled our trek back to the gorge until we'd run out of daylight. She'dcut her hand open, leaving a trail of blood for the vampires who worked under King Nikolas's rule toreplace us.

And now she was trying to send me back to the pack lands while she went on some foolish hero'sjourney into the Night Realm, alone.

I think the f**k not.

I screamed at her, throwing the full force of my power forward just as a spray of light eruptedaround us, splitting the sky in two.

I wasn't a match for her strength, and I had been just a second too late in casting my shadow ofdarkness like a net over her. Her cry of surprise, then terror, cut through me like a knife as a wingedhybrid landed behind her, its oddly human hands outstretched and closing in on her.

“Close it!" I screamed, drawing one of the wooden-bodied blades from my belt as several vampiressurrounded me, their eyes burning crimson beneath their black hoods. “Close the f*****g portal!"

I could feel the force of it behind me, invisible save for a magnetic rippling that made the landscapebeyond look somewhat distorted. I could step through and save myself. That's what she hadwanted, after all.

But she was gone in an instant, the clouds above my head breaking apart as the hybrid disappearedback into the darkening night.

She was my mate-my pregnant mate. I wasn't going to let her sacrifice herself to the f*****gVampire King.

I kept my eyes on the vampires, who were inching toward me as the last shred of day waned andnight fell over the forest. Their hybrids waited behind them, varying in shape and color. I could stillsee the wolf in them, and I felt a pang of regret as I gazed from hybrid to hybrid, wondering whothey had been before they'd been captured, taken, and turned against their will.

The vampires eyed me, sizing me up. They lipped dry, cracked lips and ran their tongues along theirlong, pointed teeth.

None of the vampires in Brune had looked like this. They had been beautiful, kind, and flushed withhealthy, lively color.

These vampires were gray and shriveled, their eyes red and black orbs against their hollowed,sunken faces.

They were hungry. They were kept starved for the purpose of the hunt-this hunt.

I could shift, but I'd have to fight off the vampires and their hybrids with nothing but my jaw andclaws. I knew about their speed because Costas had been more than happy to show me his own. Icouldn't outrun them. I had to fight. I had to make a stand, even if it was my last.

"You'd better have a f*****g plan, Lena!" I screeched, although it was unlikely she could hear me,wherever the hell she was now.

My only choice was to kill them all one by one and pray to the Goddess that the winged hybridhadn't noticed the rippling vortex behind me before it'd flown off with her.

These vampires couldn't leave this clearing alive, not with the pack lands only inches away.

The first one lunged forward, and I slashed it with my knife. The smell of burning flesh waftedthrough the air as it screeched and rolled away. One after another, they tried me, lunging andbaring their teeth. I had the upper hand until they ganged up on me, all while their hybrids watched.I understood the reasoning for the odd, suffocating armor Costas had supplied us with when thevampires began to try to sink their teeth into me. The scaled jacket cracked their teeth over andover as I swung my blade wildly, slashing through whatever was nearby.

But it was six to one, and after half an hour of this dance, I suddenly felt like I was being stabbedrepeatedly in the thigh.

Pain ricocheted through me, and I lost my balance as the vampires attacked my legs. The leatherthat covered my pants wasn't thick enough to totally thwart their assault, and once they had me onthe ground I knew, without a doubt, that it was over.

'Adrian!" I screamed through the mind-link, praying the open portal could relay my message. “I'mdead. It's over. The portal is open. You must warn the Alphas. You must stop these creatures frombreaching the pack lands. Egoren—'

My mind began to drift, my heart rate slowing. I was losing blood-all of it. Once they'd gotten meon the ground, it was nothing for them to tear my armor from my body to access my wrists and myneck.

I held on by a thread as I turned to look at the hybrids. I noticed them backing away, bowing theirheads to me as they disappeared into the darkened woods without their vampires.

Why? What was happening?

I didn't close my eyes. I held on, unable to move. The only feeling left inside of me was the steadybeat of my powers being drained away with my blood.

Maybe I was already dead? I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't see anything other than the starsabove my head as I let my eyes flutter against the night sky.

Dying was surprisingly peaceful, I realized. It was alright. Lena would kill that ugly vampire bastardking. She would; I didn't doubt it. I'd be mad at her for a long time, but I had forever to get over it-eternity. Where would I go next? What was waiting for me on the other side? Lycaon himself? Whatwould he be like...

I closed my eyes and accepted death, but only momentarily. Air rushed back into my lungs, chokingme awake. I opened my eyes again and found myself completely, and utterly alone.

I was nearly naked; the shirt and pants I'd been wearing beneath the layers of armor were shreddedand barely hanging from my body. I sat up, my breath catching in my throat as a searing painradiated through my body, making my ears ring.

It was full dark, and I could barely see anything. I couldn't even see the rippling portal in the lack oflight.

But the clouds were moving overhead, and soon intense starlight filtered down into the forest,giving me a muted view of the damage done to my body, and the damage I myself had inflicted onthe half dozen vampires who were sprawled around me, dead where they lay.

Not only were they dead, but they were shriveled. I swallowed hard as I looked down at the vampirewho was sprawled out over my legs, face down and covered by his cloak. I shot backward, scootingas far as possible away from the scene, panting as adrenaline coursed through my body and igniteda burning pain in the puncture marks that covered my skin.

The body of the vampire shattered against my swift movements, settling into the cracked ground ina puff of ash.

All of them were dead. All of them.

I looked down at my hands, at the lines of darkness coursing beneath my skin, and I knew withcertainty what had happened.

I'd killed them with the dark powers that ran through my veins. That soul-sucking force hadpoisoned them, turning them into dust, into soot.

I choked a laugh, holding my bare arms up to the light of the stars. These creatures couldn't handleeven a taste of my blood without dying.

I felt a surge of what I could only describe as pure, unadulterated confidence as I jumped to my feet,but then I swayed violently and fell back to my knees as my vision went black. I was weak, but notweak enough to lay there in the open. The hybrids had retreated-to where I didn't know. But theywere still out there.

I had a decision to make. I could stay here and guard the portal while Lena did whatever the hell shewas planning on doing. I could go through the portal and not only warn the pack lands about whatwas happening but also gather reinforcements to help rescue their princess. I could go back toBrune and ask for help.

Or, I could go get my mate myself.

I ground my teeth as I gingerly rose to my feet, steadying myself on the trunk of the tree. I lookedaround the forest, then up at the sky above, which was starting to turn a pale blue in the distance asthe realm'’s fleeting daylight returned.

A thought struck me as I watched daylight break overhead.

Henry had told me time worked differently here, that he'd only been in the Night Realm for a weekwhen almost six weeks had passed in the pack lands. We'd been here for three days, maybe four.How much time had passed in the pack lands in our absence?

I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to gauge the severity of the situation. I had no idea how faralong Lena was in her pregnancy. It was early, that I knew for sure. But she'd been throwing up allday, every day since we'd arrived in the Night Realm.

She was exhausted, and she'd complained about the pants she'd been fitted for only a day agobeing too tight around the waist when we'd suited up for what should have been our journey home.I ran my hands over my face, going over everything I knew about pregnancy, which in all honesty,wasn't much.

Would her pregnancy progress at a faster pace here? If a week in this realm was six weeks in herrealm, how much time did we have?

My heart and body reacted before my mind could catch up, and I started walking through theforest, passing the portal and turning my back to it. I didn't have time to go back to the pack landsfor help. I wasn't going to waste a second in Brune putting up with their lavish dinners and socialrituals while Lena was in the clutches of the Vampire King.

The only things I stopped to grab on my way out of the clearing were the wooden, iron-tippedknives, the belt that held them, and that velvet bag of bloodstones.

I didn't look back.

I walked all through the day in no particular direction. I reached out to Lena through our bond overand over, trusting that my body knew better than my mind as I let my legs lead the way toward mymate.

I'd come out of the forest an hour ago, walking out onto a wide, rocky bluff overlooking a narrowvalley below. I started, overwhelmed by the jagged landscape and what looked like an abandonedcity built into the curve of the mountains below.

The city was falling in on itself and was too far away to see in detail. But, if there was someonehiding there who could tell me the way to the Vampire King's lair, well, taking my chances againstmore blood-thirsty demons was a risk I had to take.

Night was falling again. The days were so impossibly short here, and I had no way to keep track ofhow much time was passing. It felt incredibly rapid, however, and my stomach twisted with anxietyas I thought of Lena.

I had to get her out of here, and it needed to happen quickly.

I climbed into a tree, going as high as the branches would let me while also holding my weight. Ibalanced myself, my stomach aching with hunger and stress.

I just needed to replace the Vampire King. That's all I needed to do.

I closed my eyes briefly, not letting myself fall into a deep sleep so I could keep my guard up. A fewhours passed; they must have, because when I opened my eyes again it was full dark.

I looked around, my body going rigid as I tried to stay absolutely silent.

That's when I heard it-a woman's voice. She was arguing with someone, her voice lifted in... fear.

I looked down, squinting into the dark as I made out two figures standing directly below me. Hercompanion hissed, his hood falling over his shoulders revealing pale skin and shining amber coloredeyes.

The woman was not like him, though. She didn't shine like the vampires I'd known in Brune. Shewasn't gray and molted like the vampires that had attacked me in the clearing. Her scent hit me, softand delicate and laced with apprehension.

“You're coming with me," the male vampire spat, his voice laced with fury.

"No," she said sharply, but her voice trembled.

He reached out and grabbed her arm, and I launched myself out of the tree on top of him,flattening him to the ground beneath me.