Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 643

Chapter 143 : A Dark Omen

*Lena*®

The air was warm and humid in the atrium, which was probably my favorite room in the entirecastle. Three-story-high windows towered over us as Xander and I sat in wicker chairs in the centerof the room.

The windows were dripping with moisture, and the air was thick. It felt amazing, and Alexis seemedto like it, too. She'd been sleeping peacefully in Xander's arms for the last half hour without stirring.Xander had his eyes closed as he rocked her in his chair, and I was busy looking around at the hugetropical plants that were older than I was, some likely forty or fifty years old at this point.

I yawned hugely, blinking into the muted afternoon light shimmering against the water dropletstrickling down the glass panes. The sliding door to the atrium slid open, and Adrian stepped inside,holding something in his arms. Xander opened one eye and settled it on Adrian, but he openedboth eyes wide when he noticed what Adrian was carrying.

“Remember this?" Adrian said as he walked over, opening a large, heavy book and setting it on thetable in front of us. I leaned forward, arching my brow as I looked down at the book. For a moment,I thought it was the spellbook that was now in Maeve's possession, but this one was... different. Itfelt different, if that even made sense, when I reached out and ran my fingers along the ancientscript.

It also wasn't written in a language none of us could decipher with divine help, which was a nicechange of pace.

I was, however, totally uninterested in magic books from bygone eras at this point. I'd had my fill ofmagic for the time being.

"Would you care to explain why you have this?" Xander said, his voice sharp and clipped as Adrianrocked on his heels, a mischievous look in his eyes. He tilted his head to the side, shrugging.“Adrian. Did you steal this from the Temple of Lycaon?"

“I borrowed it," he argued, his perfect white teeth on display as he gave Xander a crooked, boyishsmile.

“Why?"

“Because the one I found in this realm is likely nothing but ash-"

"Oh, my Goddess! I totally forgot!” I snatched the book off the table before either man couldprotest my rough handling of what was quickly explained to be one of the most important religiousitems in all of the Dark Realm. Adrian had dropped what I assumed was a copy of this book on mybed in Cedar Hollow, but I hadn't had a second to react to it, or ask about it. Within minutes, CedarHollow had burst into flames, and we were under attack.

I flipped through the pages, scanning the text. It was mostly just... lore, maybe some guided prayersto a God, rather than the Moon Goddess.

“I found the other copy in a library in a town called Raven's Peak, just north of Red Lakes. I stoppedthere on my way back to Cedar Hollow and it was literally just sitting on a shelf, Xander, just sittingthere between some book about animal husbandry and one about the proper way to mix cement.”Adrian plopped down in a chair opposite mine, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I might needa raise, Xander. I had to pay three whole dollars for it. It wasn't on sale.”

Xander shot Adrian a dirty look.

"Why the f**k was The Canonical of Lycaon in a bookstore in Raven's Peak? And why did you—"

I gasped, and both men looked in my direction as I lowered the book back on the table. An entirepage, yellowed with age, was covered in illustrations that had faded with time. But it was clear whatwas on the page. My heart was beating rapidly as my eyes left the illustration and met withXander's.

“Is this... is this supposed to be me?" I asked in a voice that I had meant to be small. Shock rippledover my skin as I held his gaze, which was knowing... understanding passing behind his dark eyes.Adrian huffed out his breath, crossing his ankles. He glanced at Xander, then back at me.

“Xander came here to replace a descendant of the White Queens to marry, you know. At least I hopeyou know, that this isn't coming as a surprise"

“Adrian, please shut up,” Xander breathed, closing his eyes for a moment.

“I did know that,” I chuckled, glancing between them. I looked back down at the image, and thesunstone I'd been wearing around my neck since the day I left the Night God's company grew warmagainst my skin.

The page was a blur of florals and stars, most of them faded to the point it was impossible to seewhat their original colors would have been. But, in the center, was a woman with long white hair, hereyes a soft silver and her palms outstretched, vines dappled with white roses falling from her openhands. But around her figure was a darkness. It was a shadow, I realized as I slowly looked up atXander, who was watching me closely.

The shadow was embracing her, protecting her, and in a way... bowing down to her. But it could'vebeen something else entirely, something more sinister.

“This text belongs to the church founded by the early followers of Lycaon,” Xander began. “I'venever read the entire thing."

"Why not?"

“Because it's not allowed," Adrian cut in, stretching his arms over his head. “We studied some of it inschool, but only what the priests and elders of the Church wanted us to see.”

"We were meant to worship Lycaon as a god, not as a man gifted with magic and curses,” Xanderadded, shifting Alexis's weight as she began to stir. She rooted against his shirt as he rose from hischair and carefully placed her in my arms.

“So you've never seen this picture?” I asked as I pulled my shirt up, making sure I wasn't accidentallyflashing Adrian as Alexis latched onto my breast, her eyelids fluttering as she nursed herself back tosleep.

“I hadn't seen it until I had to spend seven hours on a bus back to Cedar Hollow when I was comingback after looking for Xander,” Adrian replied. “I remembered a poem from school, something darkand creepy that one of our teachers made us memorize.”

“Two lines into one. The builder of realms seeks its throne. Through the trials of the court of bloodand fury, out of darkness comes light, as day turns to night. A new dawn of the Empire of eternalsun," Xander recited as his eyes met mine. He leaned forward, his hands resting on his knees. “Thatnight at my apartment in Morhan, when you were telling me about your parents... That's when Irealized the connection. Two lines... that was you. I'd known about the vampires by then, andassumed the Court of Blood and Fury had something to do with their realm. I realized then I wouldnever be able to keep you safe from them-"

“Because it was all prophesied,” Adrian shrugged.

Xander gave him a look.

“But what is the role of the White Queen in your realm? I don't understand why there would be apicture of-even if it's not me, still. This is a White Queen. Lycaon hated his sister, and she was thefirst White Queen."

“I don't know," Xander said honestly.

"I realized you'd likely done something to Xander when I remembered the line about a builder ofrealms," Adrian cut in, his eyes meeting mine. “Obviously, I didn't have time to explain, or ask ifyou'd sent him somewhere, even accidentally.”

I ran my tongue along my lower lip, nodding as I adjusted my shirt. Alexis was asleep again,dreaming cozily against my stomach. Shortly after Adrian had come back to Cedar Hollow, the packwas attacked, and the book had been lost.

"Why would there have been a copy of this in my realm?" I asked.

Adrian shrugged, but Xander let out his breath, looking contemplative.

"You said the Lycennian refugees went north, right? Some of them obviously didn't cross theNorthern Tundra like you thought, because they ended up in the west-Slate’s family, Clare and herfamily. The only explanation is that the Lycenna pack had their own copy"

“I don't think it was a copy,” Adrian said, clapping his hands on his thighs. “I think it was theoriginal.”

We both looked at him, but anything left to be said was quickly forgotten as the door to the atriumslid open, and Abigail stepped inside, followed by Elaine.

I hadn't seen them together yet. The entire reason we were sitting in the atrium was that Abigail andElaine were reuniting for the first time since they were toddlers.

I realized why I hadn't immediately noticed the similarities between the two women when I first metElaine. They didn't look all that alike, if I was being honest. There was something about the shape oftheir eyes, and the way their lips parted into a smile that was identical, and the color of their hairwas exactly the same.

But Abigail was softer, her face more round and cheeks more full. Her curls were looser, and her hairwas swept in a long sheet down her back.

Elaine's face was more intense, much sharper than Abigail's soft femininity. She was slightly shorterthan Abigail, and her hair fell over her shoulders in tight, auburn curls.

I also hadn't noticed the tattoos that decorated Elaine's torso and back until now, which was the firsttime I'd seen her in anything but a flannel or sweatshirt. The colors in her tattoos were visiblethrough her white tank top, but I didn't have a moment to ask to see them or ask about them.

The twins moved in on us, smiling.

Adrian looked Elaine up and down with raised brows.

“We had a lot of catching up to do," Abigail said with a shrug, smiling at her mate as Adrian's eyemet hers.

“Abigail told me that... that Prince Oliver-"

“I don't know where he is. And I don't know for sure if you are... if you are mates," I said quickly,swallowing against the lump in my throat as I looked at Elaine.

She gave me a weak smile, nodding in understanding.

“I think they are," Abigail argued, sitting down in Adrian's lap.

Adrian blew out his breath, pretending to wince as she swatted him playfully. I couldn't help butsmile at the happy couple, now a married couple, as she bent to whisper in his ear. I turned toXander, who was gazing at me with a knowing look in his eyes.

I rose from my chair, gathering Alexis against my shoulder. I felt Xander's hand against my lowerback as we walked out of the room, leaving Elaine, Abigail, and Adrian to catch up.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked as we stepped into the corridor.

I nodded, smiling up at him as he closed the door to the atrium and fell into step with me.

“Are you sure? You gave birth less than a day ago.”

“I'm fine, I promise. It feels good to get up and walk around.”

It felt even better to close up some loose ends about our trials with the vampires. But now, afterseeing the book, I felt a sense of unease settle in my stomach.

Was that shadow behind the White Queen in the book just a coincidence? Was it the imagining ofthe prophecy Xander and Adrian had talked about?

Could it just be me and Xander?

Or, was it something sinister, a warning or an omen?

That darkness had surrounded the queen in the image, wrapping itself around her...

“What's on your mind?" Xander asked as we walked towards our room

“I... nothing. It's nothing."

And I prayed that it was, in fact, nothing.