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

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

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

animals pushed Hawke and his group

had to have been summoned by someone. I glanced around the forest and

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

didn't believe

there must be some sort

my feet, I ignored Hawke's continued cries for help and I went after Tallis. As soon as I started approaching the woods, he vanished between the trees. This time, I wasn't

to evade me,

a minute," I called, reaching out to grab

pulled away from me.

me? I told you, I' m not who you think I am. How many times

out some other way to

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

me but at least, he wasn't

and moved closer to him. "It is

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

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

Tallis asked sharply.

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

me. He was so surly and grumpy all the time. I almost thought he was

was wrong with me?!

couldn't answer myself, 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 with

him but he hadn't flat out

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

just waved in

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

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

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

"Would it kill you to try to

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

his head. I

Nelson asked,

I went into Nelson's curtain office. He had a hot plate going with a big

I just whipped this up," he said, dipping a ladle into the steaming broth and lifting it

admitted, my

bowls," Nelson said, bustling around the

down and he stood right behind me. I'd half expected him to run off the moment

up three bowls of soup and handed one to me and Tallis. He