Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

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 and

Oliver 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 the

sunstone in my hands. Xander was stretching, rolling his neck. Oliver too was moving his aching limbs

after spending the night tucked in the cramped cave. They noticed my sightless gaze and turned to me.

I glanced down at the sunstone in my palm, running my thumb over its raw, jagged surface. Then, I

raised my hand and threw the sunstone into the ground with enough force to break it into three chunks.

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 my

cloak.

“Zeke and Penny each need to carry a piece with them. It will prevent them from burning in the

daylight."

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

“Zeke," I mumbled, sweeping up the thin shards of sunstone that littered the ground and dumping the

dust in my pocket. “And I believe him. He can't escort us to the witches during the day without it, 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 then

away, 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 our people

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 in

Crimson 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 to play

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 asked you to

be honest with me–"

“You, of all people, want to talk about honesty?" Xander stepped toward me, his dark eyes flaming with

rage. “You lied about going back to our realms and opened that f*****g portal, with plans to push 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 on the

road."

Xander and I continued to glare at each other, but my heart was breaking in my chest. He looked as

though 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 dangerous

position. Now we were on the run from a vampire as old as the gods our kind worshiped, and our

homes 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 us an

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 the sunstone.

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Zeke tucked his in his pocket, then turned to Penny, taking the gem fragment from her hand 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 my breeth

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 he motioned

towerd the steep descent Xender hed elreedy sterted welking down. I swellowed beck my enger end

followed.

We welked for hours, through the entire dey. When we reeched e bluff overlooking e greet see edged

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 find 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 more distent

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't noticed the

wey light shimmered through the mist until my trek down the bluff. At first, I thought it wes just en

illusion, but the closer I ceme to the weter's edge, the more I noticed the little specks of light 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. Penny wes

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't look

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, his

hends tucked in his pockets es he closed in on where Penny wes currently throwing rocks into the see.

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 wes guilt

end pein behind his eyes, but elso e furious streek of stubbornness thet I'd seen only once, the dey

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 beech in

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 mede en

odd, confused noise in his throet behind me. I turned to look et him end noticed the cover of the book

hed begun to glow, so feint thet et first thet I thought it wes only the reflection of the sunset on the

leether.

A greet trembling weshed over the beech, then ceesed. The gentle weves breeking over the beech

stilled, 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 bright to

see whet wes beyond the well of mist, but it didn't metter, not now. Through the remnents of the feding

mist ceme e boet, moving soundlessly through the still weter without leeving so much es e weke.

She took it, but he had to practically drag her out of the cave and into the light of day. I held my breath

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 he motioned

toward the steep descent Xander had already started walking down. I swallowed back my anger and

followed.

We walked for hours, through the entire day. When we reached a bluff overlooking a great sea edged

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 find 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 more distant

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't noticed the

way light shimmered through the mist until my trek down the bluff. At first, I thought it was just an

illusion, but the closer I came to the water's edge, the more I noticed the little specks of light 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. Penny was

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't look

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, his

hands tucked in his pockets as he closed in on where Penny was currently throwing rocks into the sea.

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 was guilt

and pain behind his eyes, but also a furious streak of stubbornness that I'd seen only once, the day

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 beach in

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 made an

odd, confused noise in his throat behind me. I turned to look at him and noticed the cover of the book

had begun to glow, so faint that at first that I thought it was only the reflection of the sunset on the

leather.

A great trembling washed over the beach, then ceased. The gentle waves breaking over the beach

stilled, 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 bright to

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see what was beyond the wall of mist, but it didn't matter, not now. Through the remnants of the fading

mist came a boat, moving soundlessly through the still water without leaving so much as a wake.

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 the leather. I

turned back around, watching the boat coming closer, and closer, and closer, until the figure finally

came into view.

It was a woman, tall and beautiful. Her face was blank, with no expression etched into the curve of her

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 gaze to

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 her

hand, 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 showed an

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, I was

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 he helped

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 my body

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 it must

have shown on my face, because Xander had started to climb back out of the boat before the woman

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 embracing

me. 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 in ages.

“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 of my

head as he held me against him. He pulled away, his brow furrowed as he reached between us and

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 saw

you last."

“I'm getting rounder by the minute," I said, thinking it was some cute joke all pregnant people told their

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 day

dipped below the horizon, taking us with it.