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-"

to do with that girl, anyway?" Henry asked, staring directly into my

f*ck do

father know she's sharing a

Two, don’t try to deflect

know,

I blinked at him, taking a cautious

a sharp voice from the

Bethany. Her face was reddened and raw from her tears, and I noticed she kept her gaze off the body of what I assumed had

said, bobbing

tarp, not even looking down at it as he began 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 with

reached out, clutching her shoulder and pulling her away

said loudly, glaring at Maxwell, then Henry. "Why is she even

tears were streaming down Bethany's face as she waited for Maxwell to speak. She looked terrified, which made me want to scream with frustration at the fact she had been called

for Goddess's sake. What is the matter with

looking me up and down before a smirk

all, Bethany," he said slowly, dismissing her with his hand. Bethany bobbed her head, once, then walked out of the warehouse. Henry watched her go, his eyes glossed over with concern. "You too, Henry. We will

in our direction as he stalked

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

"What’s going on here?"

obviously,' he said, waving toward the tarp. *No need for

has someone

this. That's not what I meant. Only that people do go missing here. The wall is more than a boundary, you must understand. Those hills to the west... well, no one exactly knows what's out there. That's why it's a rule that my workers cannot shift on the grounds. If they go into the village, that's one thing,

within the walls,' I argued, but he waved his

notified. If it suits him, he'll

suits him?" I

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

I said, not going

accepting this as all he

situation. I’ll have you cover the body. Keep everyone out of the warehouse for the day, at least

asked in a low,

laughed heartily. "Oh Goddess, no. Henry looks and acts tough, but I've known him since my childhood. He’s reclusive now, but he didn't used to be, no. Lost his mate when he was my age, from what I understand,

considered this, watching Maxwell closely as he continued to

he lose his mate?" I asked, hoping I didn't

the property. The hills... they call to you in your wolf form. No one comes back from the hills, and if they do-' he

away. He disappeared through the door leading

***

the messy bun she had piled on top of her head. I knew she hadn't slept. Neither had 1.1 doubt we would have been able to if

cottage as she held the door open for me. She wordlessly grabbed the kettle off of the 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

I accepted the mug of tea from her, what would've happened between

desire I felt

down in the chair by the door, gripping her tea between her hands as she looked

much as I thought was useful, not wanting to scare her to death by describing the violent injuries afflicted

had been a shifter who worked at

the firepit. We hadn’t been here longer than an hour

in, sitting down on Lena's trunk, which we found wouldn't fit anywhere else in the cottage. I didn't mention that the fur had been still warm when I touched the wolf in the warehouse, the thought of it making my