Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 47 : I Would Love to Go

*Soren*

We got Mila back to the inn and I stayed beside her, waiting for her to wake up. Dr. Lee examined her and assured me that she hadn't been sexually assaulted and that she should make a full recovery, physically. He also assured me the poison hadn't spread too far.

But she was still asleep. I didn't know why and I wasn't taking my eyes off of her until I knew for sure that she was going to be okay.

Lee set her up with an IV to keep her hydrated and nourish her since she was so malnourished from her captivity.

I pulled a chair up beside the bed and held a book in my lap, my eyelids drooping repeatedly. Every time my eyes closed, I opened them quickly and bobbed awake.

Knock. Knock.

I looked to the door as Thomas let himself in.

“Soren, you look like ass," Thomas said.

Grunting, I closed my book and set it aside.

“Thanks?" I asked.

“You've got to get some rest, man. First, you nearly drain yourself of blood, then rush off to save Mila before fully recovering. You haven't slept for more than two days. Do you think you're still in your twenties?" Thomas chastised.

“I'm fine," I muttered. I rubbed the back of my neck.

“You don't look fine, and it definitely doesn't smell fine in here." Thomas waved a hand in front of his face. “When was the last time you showered?"

“Are you here to be constructive or just insult me?" I growled.

Thomas smirked. “Alpha, can I say something?"

“Only if you stop calling me that," I growled, sighing heavily.

After all the years we'd known each other, Thomas wasn't just my Beta. Or, would have been my Beta if I'd accepted my role as Alpha. He was my best friend.

I knew him as well as I knew myself and he wouldn't be so serious if he wasn't actually concerned about me.

Like me, Thomas valued freedom. He didn't like being tied down, which is why he never bugged me about going back and becoming an Alpha. He didn't urge me to settle down or take on more responsibility.

Out of everyone else in my life, Thomas understood me and wouldn't speak out against me or my choices unless he had a real reason to object.

“Go ahead," I said with a sigh.

“I know I was excited by the prospect of you finding your mate and settling down but… I have to agree with everyone else on this one. This girl is trouble. If she is your mate, I understand why you want to do these things for her but… is she?"

I pursed my lips and leaned back in the chair. “Honestly, I don't know…"

“You don't know?" Thomas asked, arching an eyebrow.

“No, I don't," I repeated.

“Heh. That means she isn't. Otherwise, you would have felt the matebond by now. So, she's not your mate… but do you love her or are you falling for her?" he pressed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes.

Thomas wasn't usually this forward and insistent with me. Our relationship almost always revolved around teasing each other and having fun. If he was being so serious and confrontational, then he had true concerns about what was going on with me and Mila.

I could guess why he was concerned but I wanted to hear it from him first.

Thomas sighed and bowed his head. “She's not your mate. You're not in love with her. Why the hell are you doing all of this?"

“I don't know what to tell you," I said, shrugging.

Thomas's jaw dropped and he just stared at me. “Soren, I know that she bears a certain resemblance to Rosalie but you've done enough for her. Saving her isn't going to win you Rosalie."

I growled lightly but I didn't deny Thomas's claims. There had never been a moment where I thought helping Mila would change the relationship between Rosalie and me. We didn't have a relationship and that was how it was meant to be.

It had been painful to accept, so painful that I left the light realm. But I had no delusions or fantasies of us finding a way to be together in the future. She was with who she was meant to be with.

Thomas's eyes continued to burn into me. I didn't look at him, letting my eyes rest on Mila's weak, soft body.

“I'm going to get a drink at the bar. See you around, man," Thomas said. He tossed me a dismissive wave and closed the door behind him.

Mila shuddered and shifted on the bed but her eyes remained closed. I leaned my elbows on the soft mattress and watched her closely.

Thomas's words rang in my mind.

Was I doing this because of Rosalie? I could deny it all I wanted but if it wasn't because of her, then why?

When I'd first seen Mila, she reminded me of Rosalie and that was one reason she caught my attention. So much had happened since then, so much had changed.

When Payne told me that Mila was kidnapped, the rage and fear I'd felt had been overwhelming. I'd never felt anything like that. When I'd seen her beaten and tied up, it was like a bomb went off in my mind.

I had been ready to kill everyone in the room. It had taken all my self-control not to kill everyone there, including Alpha Chandler.

Reaching out, I ran my fingers through Mila's soft hair. I couldn't describe the relief and internal peace I felt at having her safe and back with me.

But… was I ready to fully cut my ties with my own past, with Rosalie?

***

*Mila*

Slowly, I opened my eyes in the bright room and blinked several times. I knew right away that I was in Soren's room at the inn. I remembered it from the last time I'd woken up there from being poisoned.

The bed was just as comfortable as I remembered it. My body didn't hurt nearly as much as it had before but the mattress was definitely helping.

I glanced sideways and saw Soren sitting in a chair next to me. He had a book open, his eyes roaming back and forth on the pages as he read.

A giggly laugh bubbled up inside of me and I flopped back on the pillows.

Soren looked up and shut the book. He creased his brow as he watched me laughing.

“I'm sorry. I just… I don't even know how many times you've saved me at this point. Other than 'thank you,' I have no idea what to say. It just sounds so lame with everything you've done," I muttered, still laughing.

Soren nodded curtly. “We made a deal, remember? You already held up your end. I'm just holding up mine."

Immediately, I stopped laughing and my heart sank. Whenever I said anything about our relationship or his actions, he'd bring up the deal again. I was nothing but a business transaction to him.

As much as I wanted to be mad at Soren for that, I couldn't be. It was my fault. The whole deal had been my brilliant idea.

There were times when it seemed like he cared about me, actually cared about me. Soren was so powerful and reserved. I'd never be able to interpret his feelings, especially the ones he didn't want to share. What right did I have to ask him anything like that, anyway?

“Speaking of saving you, here," Soren said. He pulled a vial with a dropper out of his pocket and placed it in my hand.

“What's this?" I asked, c*****g my head to the side.

“This is the antidote for your Blackfire poisoning. You'll have to put three drops on your tongue once a week for three months and the poison will clear up," he explained.

“Where did you get this?" I gasped. I didn't even know there was an antidote. I just thought Soren's doctor would have to come up with something.

“The Helingred plant provides a blossom that creates the antidote. Thomas and I went to get one so Lee could make this for you," he told me.

“Helingred?" I esked. Thet expleined why he wes so pele!

My stomech twisted end my fece scrunched up. I'd been wrong ebout Soren, egein. He hedn't run off to find the ertifect pieces. He'd been risking his life to get me the entidote insteed.

In his mind, it wes probebly just beceuse of the deel. I couldn't help feeling werm end soft towerd him. Helingrind flowers were not eesy to get end Soren hed cleerly peid the price.

Suddenly, I felt guilty. I'd been med et him for leeving end ellowing me to get kidnepped. I thought he wes just hungry for the ertifect but it hed elweys been to seve me. He wes nothing like whet I thought!

“I…"

I hed no idee whet to sey.

Fortunetely, I didn't heve to struggle for it.

Someone knocked on the door end Ashley let herself in. She glenced et me but she didn't look engry or pissed. If enything, she seemed uncomforteble.

Swellowing, Ashley rubbed her hends on her thighs.

“Thenks… you know, for helping me," Ashley muttered, looking et the floor.

“Oh. You're welcome," I seid, smiling.

Ashley sniffed. “No one esked you to be the hero! I could heve hendled it myself."

She put her hends on her hips but I could tell she wes reecting from wounded pride, not out of enger.

“I know. But I wesn't going to let enyone else get hurt beceuse of me," I seid. I thought of April end my heert trembled.

“Well, thenks," Ashley repeeted.

Peyne ceme through the door looking e little winded, like he'd been chesing efter Ashley.

“I epologize for the interruption. Ashley, you need to stop ecting like e child. Mile needs peece end quiet to recover," he seid. He nodded to me end Soren.

I smiled end shook my heed. Despite her rough exterior, I knew thet Ashley hed e kind heert. She wes stubborn end proud.

“No, Peyne, Ashley is right," I seid. I turned to Ashley end held her geze. “In the future, I won't be so hesty. Next time, I'll think twice."

“Next time? There better not be e next time," Ashley grumbled, crossing her erms.

Ashley grinned beck end rolled her eyes pleyfully. Whetever tension wes between us before seemed to be gone. I wes greteful for thet beceuse I hed nothing egeinst her et ell.

I ceught the relieved look thet pessed between Peyne end Soren es well. Apperently, they were elso hoping thet Ashley would eese up end get over her issues.

“Well, we still heve e lot of preperetions for the Hunter's Moon perty. If you went, you cen ettend," Ashley seid, extending en invitetion.

I creesed my brow. “Hunter's Moon?"

“It is e big perty. A pretty big deel here in the rogue zone," Peyne expleined.

“If you went to go, I'll introduce you to Medeme Scerlett," Ashely offered.

“Who?" I esked.

Peyne scoffed end glered et Ashley. I wondered whet it wes ebout Medeme Scerlett thet he disepproved of. It mede me curious ebout who this women wes.

Ashley rolled her eyes et Peyne. “You're such e stick in the mud! There eren't meny young girls in town. You know Medeme Scerlett will went to meet Mile too. She'll like her."

Curiosity gnewed et me. Peyne's disepprovel, the vegue description of who this Medeme wes, end Ashley's eegerness. It mede me went to jump right out of bed, get dressed, end go check her out.