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.

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

some of the smaller ones, the squirrels and rabbits, jumped on them and bit them. All of

arms. Hawke looked so pathetic, trying to fight off a gaggle of wild animals with his near useless arms. His guys hardly

wild animals pushed Hawke and his group further

had to have been summoned by someone. I glanced around the forest and saw a glimpse of shadow

the trees. He could also

I didn't believe

sort of connection between Theo and

I ignored Hawke's continued cries for help and I went after Tallis. As soon as

was acting like he was trying to evade me, which made me think he

a minute," I called, reaching out to grab his arm before he could slip away.

growled and pulled away from me.

I' m not who you think I am. How many times

figure out some other way to approach him.

you just wait a minute, please?"

didn't turn to face me but

moved closer to him. "It is different

to me, one eyebrow arched. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

I wasn't joking. "Hawke has come after me three times now and I don't

asked

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

and glared at me. He was so surly and grumpy all the time. I almost thought he was more intolerable than the Dark

was wrong with

a valid reason to stay with the man in front of me. It was for my

with you?" | asked again, pleading with him with

him but he hadn't flat out

It seemed like most of the performers had gone to bed for the night. Nelson was still up and he

Tallis just waved in return.

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

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

me," Tallis

look. "Would it kill you to try

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

his head. I gave him a triumphant smile.

friends?" Nelson asked, motioning for us to

curtain office. He had a hot plate going with a big pot of

whipped this up," he said, dipping a ladle into the

smells delicious," I admitted,

Nelson said, bustling around the

chair and Tallis nodded toward it. I sat down and he stood right behind me. I'd half expected him to run off the moment someone else was there

soup and handed one to me and Tallis. He perched