Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 19 : Why Should I Help You?

*Soren*

After sending Payne on another recon mission, I headed back to the hotel. Instead of following Mila directly, I sent him to keep an eye on the bounty hunters.

I made my way to the top floor and headed toward my room. Halfway down the hallway, I paused.

A slender, brunette beauty leaned against my door. She wore a familiar white sundress, her brown hair rippling down her back like a chocolate waterfall.

She had her ankles crossed and leaned against my door casually, but also in a way that made it impossible not to see the perfect shape of her body.

“Rosalie?" I murmured, thinking that maybe I was dreaming again.

The woman turned around and smiled gently, nodding to me.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes at myself. No, it wasn't Rosalie. It never would be.

Instead, Mila stood there. Inwardly, I chastised myself. What the f**k was I thinking? Why was I still thinking about Rosalie? There was seriously something wrong with me.

I approached Mila, crossing my arms.

“Why are you here? What do you want?" I asked sharply.

Mila licked her lips and tried to smile again. I saw her jaw tense, her lips strained. She forced her smile wider.

“I was waiting for you," she said in a soft, sultry voice.

I pursed my lips and arched an eyebrow at her. Less than an hour ago, she yelled at me to stay away from her and ran off again. She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with me and nothing from me.

And yet, here she was, at my door, wearing an outfit obviously meant to entice me.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

The dress wasn't all that was different. She'd showered. I could smell the nice fragrance of her shampoo.

What was she up to? Most women who tell a man to leave them alone and run off don't come back an hour later looking for something… deeper.

I looked her over and shook my head. It bothered me that she could make me think of Rosalie so easily. It bothered me that I couldn't stop thinking about Rosalie! I'd tried to let her go. I even hopped dimensions to get as far away from her as possible.

Had Mila come into my life simply to be a reminder of what I longed for and could never have?

She was free to leave from the temple. I hadn't followed after her and I hadn't tried to stop her once she ran. If she'd just taken that chance then her issues would be long gone, along with the aching in my heart for Rosalie.

Had she come back just to torment me further?

Of course, Mila didn't know anything about Rosalie or how she impacted me. Maybe this was my punishment for running away and abandoning my family. The Moon Goddess would never let me forget or move on.

Well, if Mila was my punishment, I didn't have to make her existence any easier.

“Do you know what kind of women dress up and show up at a man's door in the middle of the night?" I asked coldly, narrowing my eyes further.

Mila took a half step back and pressed her hand to her chest. She looked offended for a moment, then her face flushed. I thought it was embarrassment until I saw her clench her hands at her sides.

She'd attacked me with a knife before, I wouldn't put it past her to try and hit me.

I raised an arm, ready to block her, but Mila relaxed her fists.

She took a deep breath and gave me a sweet, challenging smile.

“I didn't know you would read that deeply into my actions," she said, arching an eyebrow. “You're free to perceive me however you want, but if that's what you think of women, that sounds more like a you problem."

I scoffed but held my tongue. The insult I threw at her came from my own anger at myself. It wasn't like I was really mad at her. I knew I was overreacting.

I bit the inside of my lip to keep from smirking. Her reply was… unexpected and intriguing. She was definitely after something.

But that was just how she was. Whatever she wanted, I knew it was about her own survival. She wouldn't be here unless she was desperate and that made me curious. What could have happened in the past hour to make her suddenly so desperate to put herself back in my presence?

Waving her aside, I opened the hotel room door and went inside. I left the door open, giving Mila the chance to come in if she chose to.

***

*Mila*

Soren disappeared into his room but he left the door open. I stood in the doorway for a moment wondering if I should follow.

Well, I wasn't going to get what I came for by standing out in the hallway all night. I went in and closed the door behind me.

Soren moved around the room and I leaned against the doorframe. He hadn't really invited me in and he hadn't offered me a place to sit, so I wasn't sure if he was going to turn around and tell me to leave.

He was upset about something. I thought it was at me, but it felt deeper than that. He lashed out in anger, I've seen that happen again and again, but I got the feeling that he wasn't directly angry at me.

Thick silence hung between us as Soren moved around the room, busying himself with picking things up and moving them around. It didn't look like he had an actual purpose to anything he was doing.

“So… Do you have anything to drink?" I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Without glancing at me, Soren went straight to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of wine and two wine glasses.

My stomach twisted nervously. That was a little more intimate than what I was thinking. I just wanted a glass of water because my throat was dry.

Still, without speaking, Soren sat down on the couch and nodded to the seat beside him. He set the glasses and wine bottle on the coffee table.

I rubbed my hands together and bit my lower lip. Drinking wine on a couch together was pretty… intense.

Shaking my head, I walked across the room and sat down. I had made up my mind that I would do whatever I needed to in order to get his help tonight. This was all about survival and there wasn't anything I wouldn't do to survive.

Soren shifted slightly on the couch, making a comfortable space between us. I sighed and relaxed slightly.

While he uncorked the wine, I looked him over. The light in the room was dim but I was close enough to see the lines on his face.

Sure, I'd looked at him before and I'd seen how handsome and attractive he was. I'd never really seen him before, not until I looked at him in this lighting.

I'd always looked at him as an enemy, so I was guarded and refused to see deeper than his physical features. The room was so relaxed and I could finally see more of him.

He was good looking, there was no dancing around that. Who was I kidding? He was more than good looking. He was absolutely gorgeous! But behind his attractiveness, I could see strength and fierceness.