Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 32 : Mark Me

♦Lena*

The inn in Crimson Creek wasn't what I was expecting based on the exterior of the four-story stone

building. The outside had no frills whatsoever, but inside it was opulent and warm, with rich red walls

and dark wood paneling.

It was midday, and bright sunlight was filtering through the window of the room with the two beds

Xander booked for us for our last night in Crimson Creek. I rubbed my eyes and looked around the

nicely decorated room before sitting up in the bed and letting the thick, red velvet covers fall around my

waist. Xander wasn't here, but I could tell he'd at least slept for a few hours based on the tangle of

sheets on the bed across the room.

Bethany had driven us into the village earlier in the morning, only a few hours after our gruesome

discovery the night before. Xander and I hadn't uttered a single word to each other the entire night. We

were both too shocked and overwhelmed to talk about what we'd witnessed, but it didn't prevent us

from spending several hours being interrogated by the warriors from Breles. who immediately swarmed

the estate and took Maxwell prisoner.

Xander and I had simply fallen into bed in the cottage, his arms wrapped tightly around me as we

stared at the wall, unable to close our eyes. We both knew what we'd see before drifting into sleep, and

neither of us was willing to relive the scene in the attic of the manor.

The bed was bare, the sleeping bags already rolled and packed away. All that we'd had the strength to

do was change out of our clothes and toss them in the hearth, letting the fire bum the stench and dust

of the manor into ashes.

We lay like that for three hours. His breath against my neck was the only comfort I could rely on at that

moment. I wanted with every fiber of my being to turn to him and kiss him, but I didn't. I just let him hold

me. knowing we were both simply seeking the touch and safety of someone, maybe even anyone.

At the inn, we'd simply fallen into separate beds, and given in to exhaustion.

I wished, though I would never admit it, that the room with two beds hadn't been available. I always

slept so much better with Xander by my side.

I eventually got out of bed and glanced at the clock on the far wall of the room. It was a quarter past

2:00. which meant I'd been asleep since nearly 7:00.1 started to dress but decided against it, holding

my Morhan sweatshirt in my hands and picturing the nearly identical sweatshirt that had been hanging

on the bedpost in the attic. I dropped my sweatshirt, tears welling in my eyes as I quickly crossed to the

bathroom and turned on the shower.

The warriors from Breles had bravely gone into the attic and gathered everything. They removed the

butler's body. They'd collected Carly's things. The only thing I asked of them during the hours-long

interrogation was if they'd return her belongings to her family. One of the warriors, an older man with

graying dark hair, nodded at this, his eyes heavy with sudden emotion. “I know her father." he had said,

and that was that.

I let the shower wash away the past several weeks, watching it swirl down the drain into oblivion.

What now?

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my hair without even looking at my haggard

reflection in the mirror. The dark circles beneath my eyes had been there for weeks now, and I was thin

from lack of appetite and constant stress. I dried myself off. then allowed myself a simple luxury, which

was a bottle of vanilla-scented lotion provided by the hotel, and slathered it over my body before

dressing in nothing but a plush robe.

For some reason, I'd expected homespun fabric sheets and nothing but tallow soap when we first

parked in front of the hotel. A hot shower, plush towels, and sweet-smelling lotion had been a welcome

surprise.

I had barely even stepped out of the bathroom before I heard Xander's voice, which mingled with the

scent of hot coffee with cream.

“You smell like a cookie," he said with his back turned to me. He was pouring fresh coffee into two

mugs he'd set on the dresser, a stainless steel carafe in his hands.

“I smell better than I have in weeks," I breathed, trying not to smile at him as he turned to me and

offered me a mug. Obviously, the lotion was highly fragrant, given that he could pick up the scent from

across the room.

He had a soft look in his eyes as they met mine. He looked more rested than I'd seen him in a long

time. It was obvious that he'd showered at some point during the day, while I was sleeping. His black

hair was clean and swept back from his face, curling at the ends where it had grown long and nearly

brushed his shoulders. He was dressed in his favorite gray sweatpants, and a long sleeve shirt with

"Morhan Varsity Wrestling" printing across the chest. For a moment, he looked almost exactly like he

had the day he put himself between me and Slate.

The thought of Slate made my mouth go dry. I sipped the coffee, trying to wash out the bad taste in my

mouth as I kept my eyes on Xander. He was doctoring up his own cup of coffee, and I noticed with a

wry grin that he liked it with an obscene amount of sugar and cream.

I knew him as hard and cold. I knew him as bossy, and demanding. We'd been in close quarter's for

weeks now, and I realized with a start that I knew very little about him at all.

“What pack are you from?" I asked, much without thinking. He was stirring his coffee, but paused, the

spoon chiming against the mug as he looked over at me through his dark lashes.

“Why do you ask?"

“Because I don't know," I stated, shifting my weight as he set the spoon on the tray he'd carried the

mugs and carafe upstairs with and fixed me with a suspicious gaze.

“No pack you've ever heard of," he replied with a small shrug of his shoulder.

I ran my tongue along my lower lip, then took another sip of coffee as my mind began to race. I could

feel my heart thumping against my chest as I took a quick step in his direction.

He looked me up and down, arching his brow. “What's the matter with you?"

“N-Nothing," I bit out, but I was wondering what was wrong with me myself. I felt suddenly, achingly

desperate, like everything I wanted was about to slip through my fingers. I'd been wrong. I knew that

now as I kept my eyes firmly fixed on Xander's face.

I was trying to memorize him, taking in the sharp lines of his jaw and the way the light danced across

his cheekbones and through his strange, dark eyes flaked with amber. Goddess, he w'as beautiful, too

beautiful to be real. I took one more step in his direction as he slowly set down his coffee mug, his eyes

boring into mine.

Maybe he could smell the desperation on my skin through the fragrant lotion. Maybe it was the look in

my eyes, the silent, secret plea for understanding. Maybe it w'as the apology on the tip of my tongue,

the truth I'd wanted to say to him over and over but circumstance had prevented it.

Until now.

“We can't be together. It's impossible," I said, my voice cracking with sudden emotion.

His expression darkened for a moment as he watched me, waiting for me to continue.

“I've gone over a thousand different scenarios in my mind and I can't-I don't know how7 we could ever-"

“Your family wouldn't accept me?" he asked, his mouth barely moving as the wwds left his lips and

settled in the space between us.

“It's not about acceptance." I said hurriedly, trying to gather my thoughts. "Botany and horticulture

was... it was a brief escape from my... from my life. My responsibilities. I'm supposed to be... I don't

have a choice. Xander. I was bom without a choice-"

His mouth met mine before I had a chance to finish what I was going to say. My coffee mug fell,

bouncing and rolling across the floor as it came to stop beneath one of the twin beds. He ripped the

towrel from my head, his fingers tangling in my w7et hair as he pulled me into a deeper kiss.

I could barely breathe, and I opened my mouth in a desperate attempt to find a single gulp of air before

his tongue played over my lower lip, then my teeth, then met my tongue as he closed his mouth around

mine once more.

He pulled aw7ay long enough to take off his shirt, and my hands immediately settled on his bare chest,

his skin warm to the touch. We paused for a moment, just looking at each other. He reached between

us and loosened the tie of my robe until it opened, leaving me exposed.

But his eyes were on mine. They didn't leave them as he placed his hands on my hips, his thumbs

tracing my hip bones.

"What if I told you, you could leave this all behind? Everything? Your home, your pack... and be part of

mine?"

I felt a rush of warmth prickle across my skin as his hands moved to my back, his fingers running up

and down the length of my spine before cupping my ass in his hands. I sucked in my breath as he

pulled me into him, his mouth brushing against my neck.

“You could come with me. Skip the train, and come with me-" he trailed kisses along my neck, sucking

the skin between my neck and shoulder for a moment.

I sighed loudly as his touch penetrated the deeply rooted longing I'd been trying to ignore since the day

I first laid eyes on him.

I wanted to ask him what he meant by skipping the train. Did he not mean to return to Morhan? We

w'ere both seniors, and from w'hat I knew about him. he was graduating a semester early like I was.

My suspicion evaporated as his lips brushed against mine again, silently urging me to open my mouth

to him. I surrendered, my robe falling around my ankles and soaking into the coffee I'd spilled when I

dropped the mug.

He had me against the dresser in an instant, his hands taking every liberty with my body I could

possibly allow. I leaned my head back as he reached between my legs, groaning into my neck when he

felt how ready I was for him.

I steadied myself on the dresser, which was low7 and wide along the wall. Xander pulled his pants

down to his knees and entered me in one swift, deliberate thrust. I cried out, grasping his shoulders as

he lifted one of my legs and gripped the back of my thigh, driving into me without a sirred of gentleness.

This was primal, animalistic-and I never wanted it to end.

Everything that had been sitting idle on the dresser crashed to the floor as he thrust into me. filling me

with his length. I panted, tangling my fingers in his hair as he drove into me again and again, losing

himself.

“Xander!" I nearly screamed, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my forehead into his.

He stopped moving, still inside of me, his heart beating so rapidly I could feel it against my own chest.

He gathered me into his arms, panting as he held me to his chest. "I'm sorry. I was being too rough-"

“You weren't," I moaned, grinding my hips against him. I'd been so close to the edge of pure ecstasy,

and I wanted it. Now7. “Please-"

He let out his breath in a low7 growl as I continued to move against him, my body begging his for relief.

“Please, Xander." I whimpered, but he continued to stand still, leaning aw7ay from me and taking me

by the hips to guide my desperate movements. He stroked my cl*t, which sent a rush of pleasure

through my body, causing me to ciy out to him again in desperation.

“Don't f*cking stop," he growled, continuing to tease me mercilessly. I was beginning to shake from the

effort, my muscles straining as I fought for release. The dresser was holding my weight without a hitch,

and Xander was finnly planted between my legs, holding me upright.

“I can't-"

He picked me up, his hands cupping my ass as he earned me to the bed where he'd been sleeping

earlier. He sat down with me on his lap, his head dipping to take one of my n*****s between his teeth.

He hadn't even pulled out when he picked me up off the dresser, and that act alone sent a thrill of fresh

desire through my body.

I began to move up and down, riding him slowly at first. He grunted, his lips grazing my chest as he

reached up to run his finger through my hair, clasping me by the back of the head. "More. Lena!"

I was the one doing the teasing now. I kissed him. moaning against his lips. He cursed as I slowly

brought myself down, and then up again, repeating the motion again and again until his shoulder began

to tighten.

“You're teasing me, baby." he whispered, nibbling my ear as he took me by the waist and guided me

onto my back. I didn't have words at the moment. My skin was hot with need, downright fevered, as he

began to thrust into my vigor.

He was holding himself back, waiting for me to finish.

I whispered his name, opening my eyes to look up at him, touching his cheek, running my fingers along

his jaw. I felt tears beginning to well in the comers of my eyes as he knitted his fingers in mine and

pinned one of my hands against the pillow;

“Mark me," I whispered.

I wasn't sure why the words had even left my lips. I had no idea if he was truly my mate, but my body

definitely thought so. One more deep thrust sent me over the edge, my body tightening as the climax

swept through me, blurring my vision.

“Lena-"

“Please," I cried, a single tear rolling down my cheek.

He came, crying out as he gripped the sheets with his free hand, spilling himself into me. He was still

for a moment before he pulled out, but still rested between my legs, his gaze slowly raking over my

body before he met my eye.

“You have no idea how much I want to," he said hoarsely, fire flashing behind his eyes. “I don't want

anyone else to have you. You're mine."

"Then make me yours-"

“Not like this," he whispered. I didn't understand his meaning, but the w7ay the words registered in my

mind shattered my heart. “I need to... we need to talk-"

There was a shaip buzzing sound across the room, and Xander turned his head to the door to our hotel

room. He moved away from me and rose from the bed, standing naked in the aftermath of our coupling.

Coffee was all over the floor, as were the shattered remains of the coffee mugs and everything that had

been sitting on the dresser.

The buzzing sound echoed through the room again, and Xander moved tow7ard the door, pressing

down on a button on what looked like some sort of archaic intercom system fixed to the wall.

“What?" he barked, annoyance rife in his voice.

"There's a man at the front desk asking for you." came a monotone, bored voice, likely the attendant

who'd checked us in earlier in the day.

Xander released the button and turned to look at me. "Get dressed." he said, his voice back to his cool,

domineering tone.

"What man?" I asked, pulling the sheets over my breasts.

“He's from the royal court in the East." Xander breathed, his eyes fixed on mine.

Oh. no.