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-"

you mean to do with that

the f*ck do you

know she's sharing a bed with the likes

for one. Two, don’t try to deflect

know, do

at him, taking

came a sharp voice from the door to the

reddened and raw from her tears, and I noticed she kept

sir," Henry said, bobbing his head at

at Henry and Bethany. I watched in horror as Maxwell commanded Bethany to physically move the body to the center of the tarp with her bare hands. Bethany's lower lip was trembling, her face contorting as she tried to

and

at Maxwell, then

looked terrified, which made me want to scream

What is the matter with you

looking me up and down before a smirk stretched across his

bobbed her head, once, then walked out of the warehouse. Henry

direction as he stalked

seemed unphased by the fact that someone had been

"What’s going on here?"

*No need for

someone been tom to shreds on

rule that my workers cannot shift on the grounds. If they go

I argued, but he waved his hand in

already been notified. If it suits him, he'll send warriors

suits

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

said, not

all he likely cared

Henry appear to be useless in this situation. I’ll have you cover the body. Keep everyone out of the warehouse for the day, at least until the

I asked

head back and 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

this, watching Maxwell closely as he continued to look down

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

why I implement the 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 they do-' he motioned towards the tarp, an

anxiety tightening my throat, watching him as he walked away. He disappeared through the door leading into the warehouse,

***

She looked tired, her pale blonde hair sticking out in all directions of the messy bun she had piled on top of her head. I knew she hadn't slept.

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,

in my life. I wondered, as I accepted the mug of tea from her, what would've happened between us

quelled the searing desire I felt toward her. I needed

as she looked up at me, waiting for

not wanting to scare her to death by describing the violent

it had been

understand how that's possible. We were just-just at the firepit. We hadn’t been here longer

didn't mention that the