Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 74: I'll Take That as a Yes.

Alright, Tallis and Theo might be two different people, but they both could be jerks!

Since the conversation with Tallis didn't go anywhere, I decided to call it a night.

But what I didn't expect was a group of thick, muscular thugs that appeared from nowhere, blocking my way back to my parents' house. They snickered and closed in around me.

"What do you want?" I asked harshly.

"They don't want anything. However, we have an unfinished score to settle," Hawke's angry, frustrated voice barked out from behind the thugs.

"I didn't do anything to you," I insisted, crossing my arms and trying to act more like a guy.

"Well, the last time we spoke, I ended up knocked out and face down in the dirt. You're telling me that you had nothing to do with that?" Hawke shouted viciously.

Apparently, he remembered more than I hoped. He wasn't drunk tonight, either.

"Grab this little twit!" Hawke ordered.

His thugs jumped at me. I jumped back, but they'd already closed in around me and one caught me from behind. All four of them grabbed my arms and legs and pinned me down to the ground.

I struggled against them, hissing and trying to bite whatever got close to my mouth. Hawke's thugs were too well trained and they were too strong!

"Hold that little swine down. I'm going to teach him a lesson for messing with me," Hawke chuckled, shoving the toe of his boot into the ground.

Now that I was eye level with his boots, I could see they were steel toed. If he kicked me with those, he'd break every bone in my body. I had to stall him.

"That's funny, seeing as the last time we met, you seemed to be interested in me, regardless of me being a boy," I hissed, still struggling against his cronies holding me down.

One of them nearly let me go as his head whipped around to Hawke.

Hawke sneered and shook his head. "Don't listen to this piece of crap. He's just trying to mess with you. Hold him steady."

Nothing I said now would turn their heads. Whether they were all loyal to Hawke or to Hawke's cunning dad, it wouldn't save me a good beating.

Hawke pulled his foot back, knee bent, ready to deliver a horrible kick to my side. I closed my eyes and held my breath, waiting for the heavy blow.

It never came.

"What the..."

I opened my eyes just as a pack of wild animals burst from the forest and attacked Hawke.

"Get them off, get them off!" Hawke screeched, flapping his partially broken arms around like he was fending off a swarm of bees.

him, trying to pull the beasts away,

got close, some of the smaller ones, the squirrels and rabbits, jumped on them and bit them. All of them were screaming and floundering

pathetic, trying to fight off a gaggle of wild animals with his near useless arms. His

of wild animals pushed Hawke and his group further and further away

had to have been summoned by someone. I glanced around

Tallis was standing in the trees. He could also

I didn't believe in such

there must be some sort of connection between Theo and

soon as I started

evade me, which made me think he didn't want me to see him and

called, reaching out to grab his arm before he could slip

pulled away

you, I' m not who you think I am. How many times do I have to ask you to

out some

not after you for that. Can you just wait a minute, please?" I asked, my voice a

didn't turn to face me but at least, he wasn't running

to him. "It is different this

he turned to me, one eyebrow arched.

joking. "Hawke has come after me three times now and I don't think he will stop. I've

Tallis asked

stay with the traveling carnival. Can I stay with you? I can't go back to the

me. He was so surly and grumpy all the time. I almost thought he was

wrong with me?!

had a valid reason to stay with the man in front of me. It was for my own safety after all.

to stay. So, can I stay with you?" | asked again, pleading with him with my

through the woods again. He hadn't confirmed I could stay with him but he hadn't flat out

to the carnival tent, it was quiet. It seemed like most of the performers had gone

Tallis just waved in return.

brother a friendly greeting. Who else

you, Tallis?" Nelson asked. "Ah, young sir, hello again!"

with me," Tallis grumbled

kill you to try to

looked absolutely surprised at us, and then laughed heartily and wiped a tear from his eye. "Yes, m'boy, it would probably kill Tallis to be happy."

head. I gave him a

become... friends?" Nelson asked, motioning for us

went into Nelson's curtain office. He had a hot plate going with a big pot of soup on

I just whipped this up," he said, dipping a ladle

delicious," I admitted,

get some bowls," Nelson said, bustling around the small

and Tallis nodded toward it. I sat down and he stood right behind me. I'd half expected him to run off

ladeled up three bowls of soup and handed one to me and Tallis. He perched on