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.

to pull the beasts

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

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

his group

by someone. I glanced around the forest and saw a glimpse of shadow in the trees.

He could also organize

I didn't believe

sort of connection

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

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

called, reaching out to grab

and pulled

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

figure out some other

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

didn't turn to face me but

"It is different this time because I need your help."

to me, one eyebrow arched. "Is that

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

asked sharply.

stay with

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

was wrong with

had a valid reason to stay with the man in front of me. It

stay with you?" | asked again, pleading with

him but he hadn't flat out

seemed like most of the performers had gone to bed

just

brother a friendly greeting. Who else did I know that

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

Tallis

look. "Would it kill you to try

and then laughed heartily and wiped a tear

shook his head. I gave him a triumphant smile.

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

had a hot plate going with

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

admitted, my stomach

I'll get some bowls," Nelson said, bustling around the small

one chair and Tallis nodded toward it. I sat down and he stood right behind me. I'd half expected him

and handed one to me and Tallis. He perched on the edge of his folding