Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 679

Chapter 26 : I’m Not a Witch

*Mila*

Soren's accusation rang in my head like a gong.

He took a few steps toward me, arms outstretched like he was going to hug me.

“No!" I snapped. I pushed him away and ran around the bed so he couldn't get close to me again.

My mind raced with thoughts and images from my childhood. I grabbed the sides of my head and shook my head slowly.

“No. I'm not a witch, okay? I'm not," I insisted, my voice calmer but no less insistent.

It was crazy for him to think that. Magic wasn't part of my life. I mean… sometimes things just happened, but that wasn't magic. It was just… divine intervention.

“I'm not a witch. I can't be a witch," I repeated to myself over and over again.

“Mila…"

Soren's voice was soft and low.

I snapped my eyes to him and glared at him. I didn't want him to come any closer to me.

So many memories surfaced, memories that I could hardly imagine. Were they repressed memories? Had I blocked them out?

One memory surfaced over all the others.

Before I'd left the Saboreef pack, I had found a rat in a rat trap. I hated when my foster mother set those!

Thinking the rat might still be alive, I took it out of the trap. It was dead. Or… I thought it was. I cried because the rats weren't bad. They always ate the tainted and rotten food, which meant our rations were better.

While I cried over the rat, I remembered praying to the Moon Goddess that its soul be honored and find peace. When I touched his little body, the rat jumped up, squeaked, and sat up, cleaning its whiskers.

But it had been dead!

Had I resurrected the rat with some unknown power?

At the time, I just thought I'd made a mistake and it wasn't dead. But I had always wondered if something else had happened.

Could I believe my own memories?

I laughed bitterly and shook my head.

“I can't be a witch. It isn't possible," I insisted in a soft murmur.

Lost in thought, I hadn't noticed Soren come around the bed. He reached for me and at his touch, I fell into his arms. He cradled me against his chest and my heart fluttered.

Pain and fear gripped my chest and my stomach. It coiled in me like a poisonous snake.

What did it mean if I couldn't trust my own memory?

“It's okay, Mila," Soren cooed. He ran his fingers through my hair and pressed a warm, soft kiss on my temple.

I sighed and leaned against him.

“Don't listen to me. I know you're not a witch," he said in a gentle murmur.

My mind settled slightly and I closed my eyes. I clung to his shirt like it was my only lifeline and I breathed in his delicious scent. The scent of cedar and amber in the rain. Every muscle in my body relaxed, except for my fingers as I held onto him.

“What… what if…"

“What if…? Mila, what are you thinking?" Soren asked kindly. He kissed my temple again.

The reoccurring dream I had about Helen surfaced again. She'd used a spell in my dream. I didn't know the words but I knew it was magic.

How did I know that?

I didn't know anything about magic! Did I?

If Helen was appearing to me in dreams and whispering incantations, did that mean she was a witch?

“Helen, is she a witch?" I asked, breathing heavily.

“I don't know," Soren admitted.

I'd never told anyone about those dreams before. I never had anyone to tell and I'd always thought it was just a fantasy of my own creation.

I knew the dreams were real now.

“She came to me in dreams, ever since I was a girl," I blurted out. “And she used a spell on me. She… she asked me to come find her. If she can get in my dreams, she could be a witch."

“She didn't use a spell on you, Mila. It was just a dream," Soren said soothingly.

I nodded against him.

“But… she led me here through dreams," I argued.

“I don't believe that. You're here because some hidden knowledge inside of you brought you here," he told me.

I wanted to believe him, but I couldn't. “If she is a witch… does that mean… I am?"

I could barely say the words and as soon as they were out of my mouth I shivered and trembled.

Soren tightened his arms around me and squeezed me against him. I felt his heartbeat against my cheek and I wanted to stay protected in his arms forever. It was the only safe place for me in the entire world.

No matter where I went, he was the only one that ever saved me.

“Mila, I'm sorry I said that. You would know better than me if you're a witch," he said. He rubbed my back gently.

“I don't know… I…"

There were other memories pressing at the back of my mind. I didn't want to remember them but I did at the same time. I felt like I had to know the truth.

“What do you mean?" Soren asked.

“What do I mean?" I repeated his question.

I felt like a fog lifted from my mind and all these memories from my childhood flooded in. Details I'd pushed so far down that I hadn't thought of them in years.

Groaning, I buried my face in Soren's chest and I shook my head. Tears sprang to my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

“Mila, talk to me," Soren coaxed.

I shook my head again. “No," I whispered.

“Why?" he asked.

I kept shaking my head, kept my face buried in his shirt. I couldn't look at him. I couldn't pull away from him.

“I… my parents I never knew them. But my foster mother, she was horrible. She always used me. And I had to get away…"

“You're not making any sense," Soren said.

“And no one ever liked me… they kicked me and spit on me. But I never did anything to them!"

“Mila!"

Soren leaned back and put his hands on my shoulders. He stared deeply into my eyes.

“You're babbling and I can't understand you. I need you to slow down and tell me what is going on in your head. Clearly, not like a child learning to talk," he said firmly.

“O-okay," I whispered.

He guided me to the chair and pushed me down. Once I was sitting, I didn't feel as shaky. I rubbed my hands on my thighs and took a deep, centering breath.

As much as I wanted Soren to wrap his arms around me again and hold me close, I needed to regain myself.

“I'm sorry. I totally lost it," I said, touching my forehead.

“It's okay, Mila. We all have our moments." He rested his hands on my knees.

“As you know, I was orphaned, and my foster mother…" I sighed and pressed my hand to my forehead. “She was nothing but a murderer and she used me to make it happen!"

I glanced at Soren. He watched me with steady eyes, completely open and receptive to what I had to say. My reservations melted completely away and I sighed, my shoulders sagging.

“My foster mother wasn't rich. I never understood why she took me in because she couldn't afford a child. But every now and then, she'd dress me up nicely, do my hair, and leave me all alone in populated areas. My instructions were simple, if anyone paid me special attention, I had to bring them home," I explained.

I twisted my hands in my lap, ringing them like I could go back in time and stop the little girl I used to be from helping her.

“Every now and then, someone would pay me special attention. They'd be concerned that I was a young girl all alone. Many of them tried to get me to go with them with promises of food and comfort. It was tempting… but instead, I always brought them to my foster mother," I said.

My throat tightened and I squinted my eyes shut.

“They were 'guests' of ours. That's what my foster mother said. They'd stay for a day or two and then disappear. They never said goodbye and my foster mother told me it was because I'd done things to upset them and I'd have to do better next time.".

Soren remained quiet, listening attentively and patiently. I'd never told anyone this and my heart fluttered away. I'd never had anyone pay so much attention to me.

“It always seemed like after the guests left, suddenly, my foster mother had money. As I got older, I hoped she was just robbing them. It was worse than that… much worse. One night, I was woken up by the sounds of fighting. I crept downstairs and saw my foster mother fighting one of our 'guests.' He said some strange words and caused an explosion, but he was overtaken…"

Still, Soren didn't speak, but he squeezed my knee and nodded encouragingly at me.

“I ran off before the fight ended but… I never saw that person again…"

I looked into Soren's eyes and sighed. Reflected in his bright, shining orbs, a new memory surfaced and dragged me under. I felt like I was being tossed around in a violent storm as I watched the memory unfold.

I was curled in a ball on the floor, crying. I couldn't even tell how old I was. Wearing a pure white dress that was stained with blood and a rusty colored substance. I hugged myself and wept.

My foster mother stood over me, a cruel, twisted smile on her lips. The gap in her teeth was like a doorway to hell. She leered at me, her eyes bright and wild.

Laughing, her entire body jiggled and she raised a knife in the air. It was made of silver, both the blade and the hilt. There were designs on the knife hilt but with tear-blurred eyes, I couldn't see what they were.






















































The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255