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.

trying to pull the beasts away,

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

fight off a gaggle of wild animals with his near useless arms. His guys hardly seemed to know

of wild animals pushed Hawke and his

I glanced around the forest and saw a glimpse of

the trees. He could also organize

believe in such

there must be some sort of connection between Theo and

continued cries for help and I went after Tallis. As soon as I started approaching the woods, he vanished between the

pace, I caught up with him. He was acting like he was trying to evade me, which made me think he didn't want me to see him and made

I called, reaching out to grab his arm before

and pulled

not who you think I am. How many times do I have to

figure out some

wait a minute, please?" I asked, my voice a

stopped walking. He didn't turn to face me but at least, he

my breath and moved closer to him. "It is different this time because

me, one eyebrow arched. "Is that supposed

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

asked

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

so surly and grumpy all the time. I almost thought he was more intolerable than the Dark Prince. Yet, here I was, doing everything I could to

was wrong

but at this moment, I could tell myself that I had a valid reason to stay with the man in front of me. It

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

woods again. He hadn't confirmed I could stay with him but he hadn't flat out denied me, either. I decided to take that as a yes and I followed after him.

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

just

his friendly, charismatic brother a friendly greeting. Who else

Tallis?" Nelson asked.

to stay with me," Tallis grumbled in a slightly

shot him a look. "Would it kill you to

laughed heartily and wiped a tear from

and shook his head. I

become... friends?" Nelson asked, motioning

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

ladle

I admitted,

get some bowls," Nelson

right behind me. I'd

and handed one to me and Tallis. He perched on the edge of his folding table desk to eat his own bowl.