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, but when

and bit them. All of

arms. Hawke looked so pathetic, trying to fight off a gaggle of wild animals with his

wild animals pushed Hawke and his group

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

He could also

way! I didn't believe in such

sort of connection between Theo and

went after Tallis. As soon as I started approaching the woods, he vanished between the trees. This time, I wasn't letting him

trying to evade me, which made me think he

wait a minute," I called, reaching out to

and pulled

think I

needed to figure out some other way to approach

just wait

face me but at least, he wasn't running away.

to him. "It is different

eyebrow arched. "Is

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

asked

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

all the time. I almost thought he was

was wrong with me?!

this moment, I could tell myself that I had a valid reason to stay with the man in front of me. It was for my own

have a safe place to stay. So, can I stay with you?" | asked again, pleading with him

he hadn't flat out denied me, either. I

the performers had gone to bed for the night. Nelson was still up and he waved

Tallis just waved

spare his friendly, charismatic brother a friendly greeting. Who else did I know that was just like that...?

is with you, Tallis?" Nelson asked. "Ah,

going to stay with me," Tallis grumbled in a slightly annoyed tone.

shot him a look. "Would it kill you to try to

wiped a tear from his eye. "Yes, m'boy, it would probably kill Tallis to

and shook his head. I gave him a triumphant smile.

did you two become... friends?" Nelson asked, motioning for

office. He had a hot plate going with a big pot of soup on it.

a ladle into the steaming broth and lifting it to his nose to

smells delicious," I admitted, my stomach growling slightly.

Nelson said, bustling around the small

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 to watch me.

Tallis. He perched on the edge of his folding table desk