Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 603

Chapter 103 : Journey to the Great Witch

*Lena*®

We stayed in the cave until daybreak. The screeching of the hybrids had ceased, and as Xander andOliver pulled the rocks that had hidden the entrance to the cave away, I stepped out into the faint,pinkish light that embraced the barren landscape.

Penny and Zeke lingered in the back of the cave, nothing visible but their eyes as I palmed thesunstone in my hands. Xander was stretching, rolling his neck. Oliver too was moving his achinglimbs after spending the night tucked in the cramped cave. They noticed my sightless gaze andturned to me.

I glanced down at the sunstone in my palm, running my thumb over its raw, jagged surface. Then, Iraised my hand and threw the sunstone into the ground with enough force to break it into threechunks

Oliver yelped in surprise, and Xander scowled, his eyes meeting mine in a glare.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he barked as I gathered up the pieces and tucked them into mycloak.

"Zeke and Penny each need to carry a piece with them. It will prevent them from burning in thedaylight.”

"Who told you that?" Oliver asked, furrowing his brows.

"Zeke," I mumbled, sweeping up the thin shards of sunstone that littered the ground and dumpingthe dust in my pocket. “And I believe him. He can't escort us to the witches during the day withoutit, and we'd be up against the king's guard and hybrids if we travel at night.”

“I know the way to the witches," Xander said, anger lacing every word. “You could've asked me-"“This isn't our realm, Xander."

“We don't know who to trust-"

“I know who to trust,” I snapped. Oliver raised his brows, looking between me and Xander and thenaway, rolling his eyes. I ignored him and kept my focus on Xander. “You will let me lead.”

“You're done, Lena. We're going home."

“No, we're not"

“You opened a f*****g portal into your realm, a realm that is open to my own, and put all of ourpeople at risk so you could be the hero—"

“This isn't about me being a hero, Xander. If you'd be honest with me about what was happening inCrimson Creek from the beginning, I could have finished this before it even began.”

“Oh? And how would you have done that? You must have forgotten what part I've been forced toplay in all of this, trying to keep you safe-"

“I didn't ask that of you!" I cried, my hands clenched into fists. “I never asked that of you. I askedyou to be honest with me—"

"You, of all people, want to talk about honesty?" Xander stepped toward me, his dark eyes flamingwith rage. “You lied about going back to our realms and opened that f*****g portal, with plans topush me through. You led the king right for us and then left me to die, Lena.”

"Well, you're obviously NOT dead-"

“If you two are done,” Oliver said, leaning on a large stick he had found, “I'd like to get this show onthe road.”

Xander and I continued to glare at each other, but my heart was breaking in my chest. He looked asthough he truely, wholly, hated me.

Maybe he was right to. I had tricked him. I'd lied. I'd failed and put him in an impossibly dangerousposition. Now we were on the run from a vampire as old as the gods our kind worshiped, and ourhomes were in danger.

“I have to finish this, Xander," I said with finality.

He just walked away.

Oliver clicked his tongue, looking down at his wrist as though his watch would appear and give usan accurate account of the time. “Can we get going?"

I turned on my heel and walked back into the cave, slipping Penny and Zeke a piece of thesunstone. Zeke tucked his in his pocket, then turned to Penny, taking the gem fragment from herhand and tucking it into the pocket of her cloak. She looked up at him, her face etched with fear.But Zeke smiled down at her, his expression totally gentle.

"We're going to be fine, I promise," he said, extending a hand to her.

She took it, but he hed to precticelly dreg her out of the ceve end into the light of dey. I held mybreeth es I weited for them to erupt into flemes or stert billowing smoke, but nothing heppened.Penny let out e surprised gesp, end Zeke chuckled, the two of them still holding hends.

“Well, now thet thet's squered ewey, let's go. We're burning deylight,” Oliver quipped es hemotioned towerd the steep descent Xender hed elreedy sterted welking down. I swellowed beck myenger end followed.

We welked for hours, through the entire dey. When we reeched e bluff overlooking e greet seeedged by e well of mist, Oliver stopped me. Xender, Zeke, end Penny continued down the bluff,leeving us elone

“Cut him some sleck. He's done nothing but try to replace you. We heven't slept in deys."

"Whet if I didn't went to be found?" I esked weekly, wetching Xender's form grow more end moredistent es it mingled with the muted sterlight es the dey turned to e rich, violet dusk.

Oliver's eyes were seerching my fece for understending, but I refused to meet his eye.

I welked in front of Oliver down the bluff, wetching es Zeke end Xender reeched the weters edge.They were stending next to eech other, telking es Zeke pointed towerd the well of mist. I hedn'tnoticed the wey light shimmered through the mist until my trek down the bluff. At first, I thought itwes just en illusion, but the closer I ceme to the weter's edge, the more I noticed the little specks oflight thet denced in en unusuel pettern egeinst the mist-orbs of light, like et my gerden.

I shifted the weight of the heevy book in my erms es I welked up beside Zeke end Xender. Pennywes e little weys down the beech, looking eround in ewe es the sunset spilled over the smooth,round rocks thet rolled in with the weves.

"Where to now?" I esked, directing this to Zeke insteed of Xender.

“Through the mist,” he seid, pointing e thumb towerd it with e shrug.

"How? Swim?"

“No, you... you'll need to cell us e ride."

I squinted et Zeke es the sunset pleyed over his fece.

“I don't understend.”

"Use your powers, Lene. Plece your hends in the weter end send it towerd the mist.” Xender didn'tlook et me es he spoke, end his voice wes totelly void of emotion

Oliver wes stending with his erms crossed, wetching the exchenge.

“I fell right out of the sky, right there,” he seid, pointing over the weter.

Xender, Zeke, end I turned end looked et him, but no one spoke. He shrugged end welked off, hishends tucked in his pockets es he closed in on where Penny wes currently throwing rocks into thesee. I wetched her for e moment, wondering if she'd ever seen the see before.

I hended Xender the book, end he met my eye for the first time since we left the ceve. There wesguilt end pein behind his eyes, but elso e furious streek of stubbornness thet I'd seen only once, thedey he'd broken up with me et the trein stetion, so long ego now.

I knelt on the rocks end pleced my hends in the weter. It wes cold, end it reminded me of the beechin Winter Forest with its silt end ice-filled weter.

I took e deep breeth, but just es I wes ebout to send e ripple of light from my hends, Xender medeen odd, confused noise in his throet behind me. I turned to look et him end noticed the cover of thebook hed begun to glow, so feint thet et first thet I thought it wes only the reflection of the sunseton the leether.

A greet trembling weshed over the beech, then ceesed. The gentle weves breeking over the beechstilled, end the see turned es gentle end lezy es e pond.

"Whet's heppening?" I esked, rising to my feet.

Oliver end Penny were looking out over the weter, end I followed their geze.

The well of mist contrected in on itself, then fell epert in e shower of light. The sunset wes too brightto see whet wes beyond the well of mist, but it didn't metter, not now. Through the remnents of thefeding mist ceme e boet, moving soundlessly through the still weter without leeving so much es eweke.

She took it, but he had to practically drag her out of the cave and into the light of day. I held mybreath as I waited for them to erupt into flames or start billowing smoke, but nothing happened.Penny let out a surprised gasp, and Zeke chuckled, the two of them still holding hands.

"Well, now that that's squared away, let's go. We're burning daylight,” Oliver quipped as hemotioned toward the steep descent Xander had already started walking down. I swallowed back myanger and followed.

We walked for hours, through the entire day. When we reached a bluff overlooking a great seaedged by a wall of mist, Oliver stopped me. Xander, Zeke, and Penny continued down the bluff,leaving us alone.

"Cut him some slack. He's done nothing but try to replace you. We haven't slept in days.”

"What if I didn't want to be found?" I asked weakly, watching Xander's form grow more and moredistant as it mingled with the muted starlight as the day turned to a rich, violet dusk.

Oliver's eyes were searching my face for understanding, but I refused to meet his eye.

I walked in front of Oliver down the bluff, watching as Zeke and Xander reached the waters edge.They were standing next to each other, talking as Zeke pointed toward the wall of mist. I hadn'tnoticed the way light shimmered through the mist until my trek down the bluff. At first, I thought itwas just an illusion, but the closer I came to the water's edge, the more I noticed the little specks oflight that danced in an unusual pattern against the mist-orbs of light, like at my garden.

I shifted the weight of the heavy book in my arms as I walked up beside Zeke and Xander. Pennywas a little ways down the beach, looking around in awe as the sunset spilled over the smooth,round rocks that rolled in with the waves.

"Where to now?" I asked, directing this to Zeke instead of Xander.

“Through the mist," he said, pointing a thumb toward it with a shrug.

“How? Swim?"

“No, you... you'll need to call us a ride.”

I squinted at Zeke as the sunset played over his face.

“I don't understand.”

"Use your powers, Lena. Place your hands in the water and send it toward the mist." Xander didn'tlook at me as he spoke, and his voice was totally void of emotion.

Oliver was standing with his arms crossed, watching the exchange.

“I fell right out of the sky, right there," he said, pointing over the water.

Xander, Zeke, and I turned and looked at him, but no one spoke. He shrugged and walked off, hishands tucked in his pockets as he closed in on where Penny was currently throwing rocks into thesea. I watched her for a moment, wondering if she'd ever seen the sea before.

I handed Xander the book, and he met my eye for the first time since we left the cave. There wasguilt and pain behind his eyes, but also a furious streak of stubbornness that I'd seen only once, theday he'd broken up with me at the train station, so long ago now.

I knelt on the rocks and placed my hands in the water. It was cold, and it reminded me of the beachin Winter Forest with its silt and ice-filled water.

I took a deep breath, but just as I was about to send a ripple of light from my hands, Xander madean odd, confused noise in his throat behind me. I turned to look at him and noticed the cover of thebook had begun to glow, so faint that at first that I thought it was only the reflection of the sunseton the leather.

A great trembling washed over the beach, then ceased. The gentle waves breaking over the beachstilled, and the sea turned as gentle and lazy as a pond.

"What's happening?” I asked, rising to my feet.

Oliver and Penny were looking out over the water, and I followed their gaze.

The wall of mist contracted in on itself, then fell apart in a shower of light. The sunset was too brightto see what was beyond the wall of mist, but it didn't matter, not now. Through the remnants of thefading mist came a boat, moving soundlessly through the still water without leaving so much as awake.

A hooded figure stood at the front of the boat, its face shrouded in a shadow.

Xander nearly dropped the book. I grabbed it from him, noticing the heat seeping through theleather. I turned back around, watching the boat coming closer, and closer, and closer, until thefigure finally came into view.

It was a woman, tall and beautiful. Her face was blank, with no expression etched into the curve ofher lips or behind her piercing gray eyes.

She was looking right at me, unblinking, as the boat reached the shore.

“I'm looking for the Great Witch," I said shakily. “I have something I'm supposed to give to her.”"We know," she said in reply, her ageless voice ringing in my ears like an echo. She turned her gazeto the group of us, lingering on the vampires. “Sunstones? I didn't think there were any left.”

Zeke stiffened, and I saw Penny clutch Oliver's arm. The woman slowly turned her gaze back to me,then past me, at Xander.

"A dark lord? Are you Lycaon's son?"

Xander didn't say a word as he met the woman's eyes. She didn't go on, and instead extended herhand, motioning for me to come aboard.

“We all go,” Xander commanded, and the woman's eyes shot to him.

She seemed to snap out of whatever haze she was in prior, and for the first time, her face showedan unreadable emotion.

“You're not welcome-"

“She isn't going by herself," he said sharply, and for the first time since we'd reunited once again, Iwas on his side.

"Fine," the woman said, glancing down at the book in my hands. “Come.”

Xander stepped past me, boarding first. Zeke waited for Oliver and Penny to join us before hehelped Penny into the boat, followed by himself, then Oliver.

I was last, and I lingered on the beach for a moment. I hesitated, uncertainty rippling through mybody as the woman's eyes held my gaze.

There was a little flicker inside of me, in my belly, something I'd never felt before. The shock of itmust have shown on my face, because Xander had started to climb back out of the boat before thewoman said, “Come, Goddess. There is much you need to know."

Xander halted his progress, his eyes meeting mine. Through the bond I felt him, his voice embracingme. He said he'd keep me safe, both of us.

"Xander," I said quickly, tucking the book under one arm and grabbing his arm with my free hand.“I'm sorry. I'm sorry="

He reached up and cupped my cheek, taking what looked like the first deep breath he'd taken inages. “Are you alright?"

“I'm fine, and I want to get out of here as much as you do. I swear. I thought I could do it-kill him,you know. I really thought I could put an end to all of this.”

“I know. I'm sorry for doubting you."

I choked on a sob as he pulled me into his chest and embraced me, his hand cupping the back ofmy head as he held me against him. He pulled away, his brow furrowed as he reached between usand placed a hand on the swell of my belly.

“This wasn't here before,” he said in a low, concerned whisper. “It's only been a few days since I sawyou last.”

“I'm getting rounder by the minute," I said, thinking it was some cute joke all pregnant people toldtheir partners, but the look in Xander's eyes made me think otherwise. “What? What's wrong?”“Time moves exceedingly fast here, Lena. I think, maybe, your pregnancy is too"

“Are you coming?" said the woman.

Xander squeezed my hand, his eyes telling me we were fine. Everything was going to be fine.

I climbed into the boat, Xander following, and we moved away from the shore as the last hint of daydipped below the horizon, taking us with it.