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-"

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

the f*ck do you mean

father know she's sharing a bed with the likes of

one. Two,

know, do

taking

voice from the door to the

tearful Bethany. Her face was reddened and raw from her tears, and I noticed she kept her gaze off

sir," Henry said, bobbing

short of the 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 her bare hands. Bethany's lower lip was trembling, her face contorting as

out, clutching her shoulder and pulling her

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

made

What is the matter with you

and

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 talk

even glance in our direction as he stalked out

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

"What’s going on here?"

tarp. *No need for alarm. This happens

has someone been tom

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 his hands behind his back, walking a wide circle around the tarp as he peered down at it. "I can't help those that run into trouble outside of

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

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

suits him?"

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

said,

this as all he likely cared

useless in this situation. I’ll have you cover the body.

Henry do this?* I asked

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 when he was my age, from what

continued to look down at the wolf on

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

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

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

***

directions of the messy bun she had piled on top of her head. I knew she

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

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

her hadn't quelled the searing desire I felt toward

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

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

had been a shifter who worked

the firepit. We hadn’t

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