Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 11 : There's Something Out There

♦Xander*

I found Henry in the warehouse. He'd laid the creature on a tarp and was sitting on an upside down bucket nearby, looking pale.

I walked toward the old man, not bothering to announce my presence. He knew I was there. He knew I'd be coming to him with questions.

"It's a wolf, isn't it?* I said, stopping short of the tarp. I looked down at the body of the wolf, noticing for the first time the lack of blood on the tarp, and on Henry's clothes. I peered at him, narrowing my eyes as he rose from the bucket. "Who is it?"

Henry shook his head, looking exceedingly exhausted. He ran his hand over his face, looking down at the tarp through his fingers.

"Gretta was the only worker unaccounted for in Bethany's count."

I closed my eyes, picturing the soft-spoken young woman with glasses and softly curling blonde hair who I had seen at breakfast the morning before. She hadn't been at the bonfire, of that I was certain.

"What did this to her?" I asked, but Henry shook his head, wiping his hands on his pants as he rose from the bucket.

"I don't know.’

"Lena and I heard something in the woods during the bonfire, something large-"

"It didn't come from the woods, which are inside of the perimeter," Henry breathed, giving me a look of annoyance. "It came from over the wall."

"Has this happened before?" Adrenaline was coursing through me. My fingertips prickled as I knelt down by the tarp, taking a closer look at the remains of Gretta's wolf form. There wasn't much left.

"No one is allowed to shift on the property, especially after dark. Some do... but near the village. Never here."

"You didn't answer my question," I said sharply, watching the old man closely as he stood with his hands tucked in his pockets. "What happened to her blood?"

I'd noticed blood staining the ground where her body had been found, and a splatter of it on the wall, but not nearly enough to have bled her dry like she was now. I reached out to touch the wolf, running my fingers over her fur.

"I don’t know-'

"Then who would know? Have the authorities been alerted?"

"Radcliffe is on his way."

"What authority does he have to investigate this? I'm talking about the police or the warriors belonging to the Alpha!"

"Radcliffe will determine what needs to be done," Henry scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"This girl has been murdered, and violently-"

"We don't know that-'

"Are you kidding me?" I rose to my feet, clenching my hands into fists in an attempt to stop myself from reaching out and throttling the man. "She was ripped to pieces not even a quarter mile from where the rest of US were sleeping!"

I glanced back down at the remains of the wolf, shaking my head as I closed my eyes. It was the most awful thing I'd ever seen. Henry was hiding something. His face betrayed his calm, somewhat uninterested tone. He looked just as terrified and uneasy as I was sure I did.

"I'll be alerting Morhan College to what happened, first thing in the morning. Lena and I-"

do you mean to do with that

do you mean

she's sharing a bed

for one. Two, don’t

don't know, do

blinked at him, taking

from

my shoulders as Maxwell Radcliffe walked into the warehouse, followed by a tearful Bethany. Her face was reddened and raw from her tears, and I noticed she kept her gaze off the body of

said, bobbing his head at

to bark orders at Henry and Bethany. I watched in horror as Maxwell commanded Bethany to physically move the body to the center of the tarp

and

loudly, glaring at Maxwell, then Henry.

Bethany's face as she waited for Maxwell to speak. She looked terrified, which made me want

out of here, for Goddess's sake. What is the matter with

me up and down before a smirk stretched across

his hand. Bethany bobbed her head, once, then walked out of the warehouse. Henry watched her go, his eyes glossed over with

didn’t even glance in our direction as he stalked out of

Maxwell, not bothering to hide my contempt. He seemed unphased by the fact that someone had

"What’s going on here?"

waving toward the tarp. *No

often has someone been tom

my workers cannot shift on the grounds. If they go into the village, that's one thing, but here?" He tucked his hands behind his back, walking a wide circle around the tarp as he peered down at it. "I can't help those that

within the walls,' I argued, but he waved

Creek has already been notified. If it suits him,

suits

with mirth as he shook his head. 'Ah, the Alpha only cares about the lives of young women if they're entertaining him in bed, but even that is short-lived. He has a short fuse, and an even shorter attention span. I keep him off the property for the sake of our female workers. But, you wouldn't even

south," I said, not going into

all he

Henry appear to be useless in this situation. I’ll have you cover the

asked in a low, serious

my childhood. He’s reclusive now,

Maxwell closely as he continued to look down

mate?" I asked,

rule of not shifting on the property. The hills... they call to you in your wolf form. No one comes back from the hills, and if

the severe anxiety tightening my throat, watching him as he walked away.

***

in all directions of the messy bun she had piled on top of her head. I knew she hadn't

woodstove and poured US both mugs of strong, black tea. I watched her as she stirred sugar into the mugs, her gray eyes lined with fatigue. In the soft morning light coming through the window I could just see the strange flakes of blue

rd ever seen in my life. I wondered, as I accepted the mug of tea from her, what would've happened between us last night if we hadn't been interrupted by

desire I felt

door, gripping her tea between her hands as she looked up at me, waiting for me

as I thought was useful, not wanting to scare her to death by

had been a shifter who worked at

how that's possible. We were just-just at the

Lena's trunk, which we found wouldn't fit anywhere else in the cottage. I didn't mention that the fur had been still