Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 630

Chapter 130 : He's Back

*Lena*®

Two Months Later

Mom turned a letter over in her hands, peering down at the return address with a skeptical eye. Ilooked up from the pile of letters scattered in front of me on the long table in the library at theCastle of Drogomor, situated on the outskirts of Mirage.

"Who is that one from?" I asked, extending a hand.

She wordlessly handed me the letter, but I didn't recognize the name.

"Who is Warren?" I asked before ripping it open. I unfurled the paper and then set it down on thetable.

Mom arched her brow at me. "What?"

“This isn't for us,” I said, sliding the letter to the side. “It's for Grandpa, I think."

"Well, what does it say?"

“He'll kill us if we read his mail!"

“Your grandfather doesn't live here,” she said with a little laugh, snatching up the letter before Icould stop her. We'd been blocking out at least two hours a day reading through the letters thathad been arriving at the castle recently. Most of it was for Dad, but the Alpha King of Valoria hadbeen in Breles for the last two weeks trying to get the radio towers and landline system workingagain. We were picking up his slack, as a good Luna and princess would do, of course.

"Why would anyone send mail meant for Grandpa here?" I prodded, but Mom's brow began tofurrow as she quickly read through the letter's contents, then abruptly rose from her seat. “What?” Isaid quickly, adrenaline prickling my fingertips. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing's wrong," she murmured, but she looked entirely confused as her gaze flicked to the topof the letter and she started reading it over again. “This is from—"

I snatched the letter out of her hands and darted toward the window, where pale morning sunlightwas filtering through the stained glass. Rainbows of light danced across the muted pink cottondress I was wearing.

“Dear Elder Gray," I began, reading it aloud. “I'm responding to an inquiry regarding an openposition on the High Elder Council in the Realm of Light. My Alpha King has chosen me for theposition, and I'm writing with my intentions to accept the position to serve on your council. I'munder the impression Soren Black was originally the one called to serve, but he has graciouslydeclined-"

Mom exhaled audibly as she dropped into one of the armchairs by the dormant hearth. It wassummer, and there was no need for a fire. I could already feel the heat that was threatening toembrace Mirage, and it was only morning. I glanced at her, trying to read her expression before Icontinued

“I am the brother and ally of Theo of Egoren and his mate Ciana."

The rest of the letter was just... business. The man asked about lodgings and accommodations forhis family, where he would live. What this role would entail.

“Sincerely,” I said, my chest tightening with excitement, “Warren Crimson”

I clutched the letter to my chest and turned to fully face the window. The Castle of Drogomor wasmiles and miles away from the Port of Valoria, but I gazed out that window as though I could seethe port from where I stood.

“This letter is from Egoren,” I breathed, mostly to myself. Mom was squeezing the bridge of hernose. “That means—"

Xander. He was back, he had to be! Why would mail arrive from Egoren if people from that realmhadn't been the ones to bring it through the portal in the first place?

“Lena—"

I was already moving toward the door to the library, my bare feet tapping on the stone floor.“Lena!”

I spun around to face Mom, who let out her breath, nostrils flaring.

"What?"

“We don't know if Xander accompanied this letter to the port. This could have been sent fromanywhere, and we have no way of confirming its authenticity.”

I quickly walked over to her and dropped the letter in her lap, waving a hand in annoyance.

“This sounds like Dad's problem!"

“Lena!”

"What!" I was trembling with excitement. Xander could be at the port right now. I had to replace him, orat least a way to contact him if he was in Avondale, or even Breles. He'd be coming this way; I knewthat much.

"You are not going to the port today!"

“It's only three hours away by train!" I protested. “I'll be home before dinner!"

“You're pregnant"

"Oh, am I going to give birth on the train? Mom, I'm only seven months along"

“Closer to eight based on your last scan," she said, clicking her tongue.

I frowned, tapping my toes on the floor as I chewed my lower lip.

“I won't go into labor on the train-"

“That's up to Alexis, not you, darling," she said with a little grin. She was frustrated with me, but shecouldn't hide the glimmer in her eyes at the mention of Alexis, her soon to be granddaughter. We'dtaken to calling her by her name instead of just "Baby" over the past couple of weeks. I'd been onmultiple shopping trips to Mirage to buy baby clothes and fluffy stuffed animals, most of whichseemed excessive, but I couldn't stop myself.

Something had clicked inside of me, and having a baby suddenly felt real. I was going to be amother, which had always been my absolute dream, but had never felt like it would ever be myreality.

But Xander hadn't been here for it. He'd missed my anatomy scan, where Mom and I got to seeevery little finger and every little toe. Being home was peaceful and easy, but my heart had neverbeen heavier.

Across the sea, Breles was still in shambles. Crimson Creek was the new home of the lower vampireswho had escaped the realm of night before Oliver sealed the portal forever. Warriors from everypack still lingered in the west, and the High Elder Council was hard at work alongside the Alphas ofour realm as they tried to piece together the fractured communities in the west who were stuck inplaces like Mirage, Avondale, and Winter Forest, unable to return home.

Most of my days had been spent in Mirage as of late. There was plenty of space for the refugees ofBreles to go in the sprawling metropolis where more than a dozen territories bled into one massivecity. Drogomor, my own pack, had taken many of the refugees from Breles into what was simplycalled “Old Town," a medieval-looking area with stone buildings and cobblestone streets dustedwith magnolia petals. As the princess, I'd taken it upon myself to see that everyone in Old Town wassettled and happy.

But the wounds of the war ran deep. Hospitals were still full. So many families had been left withoutone or both parents. An orphanage had been set up in Old Town to house the children who hadnowhere else to go.

That's where I spent the most time. I was great with children, especially after my brief stint as ateacher in Cedar Hollow. I found myself leaning into the role again as the weeks passed.

I needed something to do, after all. I needed something to take my mind off my mate and whatwe'd been through, and what our future would look like.

“I won't be gone for long,” I said softly, giving my mom a look that said I was not taking no for ananswer. “I just... I'll go to the post office and see if they can tell me where this letter came from andwhen exactly it was delivered.”

Mom surrendered with a sigh and a nod of her head, and I was off in a flash through the librarydoors.

The woman tending the counter at the post office looked down at the envelope the letter fromWarren had been in, her brow knitted in a frown.

“I've never heard of... Egoren. Where is that?"

How was I supposed to explain?

“To the south-"

"Well, if it came from the south, I assume it came two days ago, maybe three. The amount of mailcoming to Mirage right now is insane, if I'm being honest. It's taking us a while to sort through it.”“It's alright,” I said softly, hiding the hurt threatening to make itself known in my voice. Two or threedays? I turned to go, clutching the empty envelope in my fist as I walked out of the post office andonto the street.

It was bright and stiflingly hot. I shielded my eyes from the sun as heat prickled across my shouldersand arms, which were bare save for the thick straps that held my dress up. I'd have a sunburn justfrom the walk back to the castle at this rate.

Xander wasn't here. If he'd been on the ship the letter came on, he would've arrived at the castlebefore the letter had. I bit my lip to stop it from trembling.

I hadn't heard from him since the morning he left for Egoren. He'd sent an embrace down the bondbetween us in the later afternoon on the day he left, but it was wordless and distant. He'd likelycrossed the portal shortly after that, and that had been eight weeks ago.

I heaved a breath, my throat tightening around a sob. I was being ridiculous, but I was incrediblydisappointed. I shouldn't have let myself get excited.

A woman across the cobblestone street was calling out to the people passing by. Her lemonadestand was glistening in the sun, the glass container holding the pale yellow lemonade was frostedand sweating from the ice slowly melting inside.

My mouth was dry, and I was hot as hell.

I glanced at the trail leading back to the castle and then turned to the lemonade stand. I had plentyof time for a lemonade; maybe I'd even bring one back for Mom.

I dug around for the loose change I'd been carrying around in my purse and handed them to thewoman, who handed me two frosted glasses of lemonade in return.

I walked over to a shaded bench and sat down with a sigh, then sipped the lemonade, holding it inmy cheeks for a moment before swallowing. It was perfectly tart, and I smiled at the flavor. I lovedlemonade. I could drink lemonade all day. Alexis kicked me hard, and I smiled a little wider.

“You like it too, huh?" I said to her.

“When she's old enough, I'll build her her own lemonade stand.”

I froze, the glass resting on my bottom lip. For a moment I was sure that familiar voice had onlybeen in my head, but as I turned and squinted into the sun....

Xander caught the glass before I dropped it, his eyes shimmering with pleasure.

"Hey," he smiled.

I threw my arms around him and squeezed.

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