Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 644

Chapter 144 : The Unknown

*Lena*®

A full week had passed since Alexis was born, and as the days flew by, I began to feel a little more atease.

But it was an odd time in Castle Drogomor. Maids were packing up my belongings into boxes andtrunks while I stayed in my mom's sitting room with Maeve day in and day out, readying for myupcoming wedding.

Abigail and Elaine were making up for lost time. Xander and Adrian had been spending time inMirage, meeting with the High Elder council about relations with Egoren going forward.

I flipped through one of the wedding magazines Maeve had brought with her, looking at thedifferent hairstyles and makeup options. Everything seemed excessive, and I was starting to regretmy decision for a large wedding instead of eloping with Xander, which he'd promised was also anoption.

"We have two hundred RSVPs so far, and another hundred or so outstanding,” Mom said as shepaced around the room with Alexis pressed gently against her shoulder. Maeve nodded, scribblingsomething down on a notepad. “The photographer is booked, the kitchen has the menu finalized,the alterations have been made to Lena's dress—"

I sighed deeply, sinking deeper into the couch as I flipped through the rest of the magazine withouteven looking at what it said.

"Have we talked about the seating arrangements? Rowan said the Alphas of Crescent Hall andGranite Springs are having issues—"

“Their wives are sisters,” Maeve corrected, twirling her pen over her fingers. “They are the onesfighting, not the Alphas.”

"Well, do we seat them together, or is that just asking for trouble?"

I turned away from the conversation as Clare sat down next to me on the couch. She picked up oneof the magazines before glancing at my mom and my aunt, rolling her eyes and giving me aknowing look.

"Where's Sasha today?" I whispered as I opened a fresh magazine.

Maeve's trove of wedding literature was endless, and it was currently stacked so high on the coffeetable that the magazines were starting to lean over.

"She made a friend with one of the maid's daughters. They're in the kitchen making cupcakes,” shesaid softly. “She told me today that she wants to stay here.”

“In Mirage?"

“No, in the castle. She tells everyone we see that she's a princess. I think this finery is going to herhead."

"Well, isn't she a princess?"

Clare didn't answer right away. There had been talk about Clare going back to Cedar Hollow to ruleas Alpha, but nothing had been decided yet. Those who survived the attack on the village werescattered all over the pack lands now, but the majority of them were settling down in Mirage withno plans to leave.

Even if they did go back, there was nothing left to return to. Cedar Hollow had burned to theground.

“She's not," Clare said simply, turning a page of her magazine and glancing at where Mom andMaeve were talking in the corner of the room. “Even if I wanted her to be... she's not. She never was.Neither was I."

“Was your older brother also Carl's—"

"No," she said quickly, interrupting me.

I knew Clare was hating every second of this conversation, but I'd been walking on eggshells withClare since the moment I met her. I didn't have much to lose in terms of our relationship.

Clare had been hurt in a brutal way, and it was painfully obvious she had no desire to actually live alife instead of just surviving. The man who had assaulted her was dead. He was no longer a risk toher daughter.

“I don't know what happened to my mother, so don't bother asking," she said calmly, flippinganother page. “And Maeve offered me an apartment, and a job as a temple attendant in WinterForest if I want it. So don't ask about whether or not I'm going back to Cedar Hollow."

"Okay, I won't," I replied, chewing my lower lip as I turned my gaze back to Mom, who was currentlyrocking Alexis back and forth near the window with Maeve by her side, neither woman closeenough to hear our conversation.

A hush passed over the couch, but a question burned on the end of my tongue.

“Sasha was breech,” Clare said after a moment, her fingers smoothing a fold in the page she waslooking at. “I delivered her myself."

"What?" I choked, turning to look at her.

Clare only raised a brow, her eyes purposefully not meeting mine. I knew Clare's powers of sightwere weak at best, but her ability to feel... to sense? She was likely reading my mind withoutneeding to see the images or hear the words passing through my subconscious.

“I hid that I was pregnant for as long as I could,” she breathed. “I was terrified, but not of what myfather would think. I didn't care what he thought. I cared what my pack would think of me, though. Iwas... I thought I could hide the pregnancy and travel with the baby far south where I wouldn't berecognized as the daughter of an Alpha. I was planning on starting a new life, somewhere where noone knew us, where he couldn't... where her father couldn't replace us.”

“What happened?”

“I almost died, that's what happened. My mother had been a midwife before she left us. Iremembered hearing the stories of a breech twin birth where she'd delivered both of the infantssafely, and saved the mother's life. I knew she had to... turn one of them, by pressing on thewoman's stomach. I tried that on myself but it was too late. Sasha was born feet first, like Alexis, feetfirst and ready to take on the world."

"What about you?"

She glanced at me, her face draining slightly of color.

“Hale found me. I was on the edge of death. I would have welcomed it, honestly, had it not beenfor... hearing her cry for the first time.”

"You saved Alexis's life," I whispered, the emotion behind my words nearly choking me as I held hergaze. “You saved Sasha's life, too. And now you have nothing left to run from, Clare.”

“It's not about running. My life fell to pieces in Cedar Hollow. Even if I'd told the truth about whathappened to me, no one would have believed it. My father blamed me for what happened; he saidit tarnished our family's reputation. And he was right; it did. First, my mother left, then his daughtergave birth to a bastard child at the age of sixteen, with no clue of who the father might be. Rumorsran wild up until my father's and my eldest brother's deaths. Hale became Alpha and used his powerto protect me and Sasha, but I couldn't have a life there. I couldn't be anything but the w***e theyall thought I was. Cedar Hollow burning to the ground was the best thing that ever happened tome."

Her voice caught on the words, but she didn't shed a single tear.

“l won't go back"

“I understand,” I said, reaching over to her, my hand hovering above her own. I slowly clasped herhand, and she didn't pull away for several seconds.

“I can start over in Winter Forest. Hardly anyone knows me there, and those who do aren't the oneswho had anything to say about me or my daughter.”

"You could come with Xander and me to Egoren,” I offered, but Clare shook her head, sliding herhand away from mine.

“I can't take Sasha into the unknown, not now."

My chest tightened around the word. Unknown—-Clare was right about that. Despite Xander'sdescriptions and explanations about his home, his culture, and his people... I still wasn't entirely surewhat I was walking into.

Clare heaved a breath, clearing her throat as she crossed her legs and settled back against thecouch.

The conversation was over, just like that.

“Thank you for what you did for us," I said after a few moments of silence. “All of it-everything.”

I could have sworn, even if just for a split second, I saw the corner of her mouth twitch into a smile.Xander had his hands on the bed on either side of Alexis, looking down at her. She was fast asleepas usual, her cheeks rosy and round as her tiny chest rose and fell with each breath.

“This is all she does,” he murmured, running the tip of his finger over her cheek.

Her mouth reflexively widened into a sleepy smile, but then relaxed again, her eyelashes fluttering.“She's only a week old,” I whispered as I took off my dress and hung it over the chair next to thewindow.

Xander watched me undress, and I gave him a shy smile as I began to turn away from him to takeoff the nursing bra that was holding back my incredibly massive, and pained, breasts. Everythingabout my body felt and looked different.

I quickly pulled a T-shirt over my head and slid into the bed as Xander watched me, a familiar lookof desire flashing behind his eyes.

"What?" I murmured as he scooped Alexis into his arms and walked her over to the bassinet next toour bed.

He laid her down, his hand resting on her head for a moment.

I could have sworn I heard him praying, but to whom, I didn't know. It was the calmest I'd ever seenhim, every muscle in his body relaxed even as he stood guard over our sleeping daughter.

For the first time since I'd met him, Xander was at peace.

The only light on in our room was on his bedside table. He turned it off as he slid in beside me,wrapping his body around mine. He was in nothing but a pair of boxers, and his legs were bareagainst mine as he settled against me, kissing me on the neck, his lips brushing over my skin."Xander?" I whispered, knitting his fingers in mine.

"Yeah?"

"Are we going to be... are we going to be okay in Egoren?”

"What do you mean?”

I rolled over to face him, our noses touching as I let every anxiety gripping me come to the surface.“I'm afraid to leave my realm, my family, and my friends. I almost lost everyone I loved, and theyhave already lost me once. I don't know how else to explain how I feel."

“I know," he whispered, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “That's why I asked if your mom wouldcome and stay with us for a while until you feel settled.”

“You asked her that?"

“I asked them both to come with us, actually.”

"What did they say?"

“Your mom didn't hesitate to say yes. Your dad, well, he is going to come with us, but doesn't knowhow long he can stay. He told me it depends on Oliver."

"Oliver?" I propped myself up on my elbow, furrowing my brow at him.

“Your dad means to make him Alpha of Drogomor," he said, running his fingers over my upper arm.“If we can replace him."