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

squirrels and rabbits, jumped on them and bit them. All of them were screaming

my sore arms. Hawke looked so pathetic, trying to fight off a gaggle of wild

pushed Hawke and his

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

in the trees. He could also organize an animal attack like

I didn't believe

must be some sort of connection between Theo

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

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

reaching out to grab his arm before he could

growled and pulled away

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

to figure out some other way to approach him.

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

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

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

one eyebrow arched. "Is

I said, holding my hands up to show I wasn't joking. "Hawke has come after 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

have a place to stay with the traveling carnival. Can I stay

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 with me?!

a valid reason to stay with the man in front of

place to stay. So, can I stay with you?" | asked

through the 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

like most of the performers had gone to bed for the night.

Tallis just waved in return.

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

Tallis?" Nelson asked. "Ah, young sir,

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

him a look. "Would it kill

heartily and wiped a tear from his eye. "Yes,

scoffed and shook his head. I gave him a

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

had a hot plate going with a

up," he said, dipping a ladle into the steaming broth and

delicious," I admitted, my

bowls," Nelson said,

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.

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