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-"

with that girl, anyway?" Henry

do you mean

a bed with the

one. Two,

know,

what?" I blinked at him, taking a cautious step in his

from the door to the

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

sir," Henry said, bobbing his head at

watched in horror as Maxwell commanded Bethany to physically move the body to the center of the tarp with her bare

out, clutching her shoulder and pulling her

said loudly, glaring at Maxwell, then Henry. "Why

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

sake. What is the matter with you people?"

and down before a smirk stretched across

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

as he stalked out of the

bothering to hide my contempt. He seemed unphased by

"What’s going on here?"

tarp. *No need for alarm. This happens from

time? How often has someone been

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, but here?" He tucked

walls,' I argued, but he waved his hand

Crimson Creek has already been notified. If it suits

it suits him?" I

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 know

south," I said,

accepting this as all he

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

do this?* I asked in a low,

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

continued

asked, hoping I

in your wolf form. No one comes back from the hills, and if they do-' he motioned towards the tarp, an

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

***

out in all directions of the messy bun she had piled on top of

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

beautiful-hands down the most beautiful woman 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

hadn't quelled the searing desire I felt toward her. I

as she looked up at me, waiting for me to tell her every detail about how I'd spent

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

her it had been a shifter who

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

fit anywhere else in the cottage. I didn't mention that the fur had been still warm when I touched the