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.

ran at him, trying to pull

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

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

wild animals pushed Hawke and his group further and further away

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

in the trees. He

didn't believe in such a coincidence!

must be some sort of

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

me,

minute," I called, reaching out to grab his arm before

and pulled away from

are you doing? Why are you following me? I told you, I' m not who you think I am. How many times do I have to ask you to leave me alone?" he

to figure out some other way to approach him.

that. Can you just wait a minute, please?" I asked, my voice

He didn't turn to face me but at least,

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

to me, one eyebrow arched. "Is that supposed to

has come after me three times now and I don't think he will stop. I've been lucky, but if I

Tallis asked sharply.

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

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

was wrong with me?!

tell myself that I had a valid reason

So, can I stay with you?" | asked again, pleading with him with

heavily and started walking 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 yes and I followed

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

course, Tallis just

charismatic brother a friendly greeting. Who else did I know that was

you, Tallis?" Nelson asked.

to stay with me," Tallis grumbled in a slightly

look. "Would it kill you to try to sound happy?”

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

head. I gave him

Nelson asked, motioning for us to follow

and I went into Nelson's curtain office. He had a hot plate going with a big pot of soup on it.

he said, dipping a ladle into

delicious," I admitted, my stomach

bowls," Nelson said, bustling

he stood right behind me. I'd half expected him to run off the moment someone else was there to watch

up three bowls of soup and handed one to me and Tallis. He perched on the edge of his folding table desk to eat his