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.

ran at him, trying to pull the beasts away, but when

on them and

up and rubbed my sore arms. Hawke looked so pathetic, trying to fight off a gaggle of wild animals with his near useless arms.

pack of wild animals pushed Hawke and his group further and further away from me.

organized attack had to have been summoned by someone. I glanced around

in the trees. He could also organize an animal attack

I didn't believe

a minimum, there must be some sort of connection

as I started approaching the woods, he vanished between the trees. This

acting like he was trying to evade me, which made me think he didn't want me to see him

minute," I called, reaching out to grab his arm before he could

pulled away

I' m not who you think

figure out some other way to approach

Can you just wait a minute,

face me but at least, he

breath and moved closer to him. "It is different this time because I need your help."

he turned to me, one eyebrow arched. "Is that

now and I don't think he will stop. I've been lucky, but if I stay in the pack, he will

asked sharply.

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

surly and grumpy all the time. I almost thought he

wrong with

reason to stay with

with you?" | asked again, pleading with him with my eyes. "Please?"

he hadn't flat out denied me, either. I decided to take that as a

we got to the carnival tent, it was quiet. It seemed like most of the performers had gone to bed for the night. Nelson was still up

just waved in return.

eyes at him. He couldn't even spare his friendly, charismatic brother a friendly greeting. Who else did I know

asked.

to stay with me," Tallis

kill you to try to sound happy?”

absolutely surprised at us, and then laughed heartily and wiped a tear from his eye. "Yes, m'boy,

scoffed and shook his head. I gave

become... friends?" Nelson asked, motioning

and I went into Nelson's curtain office. He had a hot plate going with

he said, dipping a ladle into the steaming broth and lifting it to his nose

smells delicious," I admitted, my

Nelson said, bustling around the

and he stood right behind me. I'd half expected him to run off the moment someone else was there

up three bowls of soup and handed one to me and Tallis. He perched on the edge of his folding table desk to eat his own