Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 60 : A Moment of Relief

*Soren*

I lounged on the cot, propping my head up with my arm. Mila peeled my bandage off and I watched her movements as she unwrapped the bandage.

A small frown forced her lips down as she looked over the leg.

“Soren, it has been three days. Your wounds aren't healing. Why is that?" Mila asked.

Eros had given me that putrid smelling poultice three days ago and the bleeding had stopped. The wounds hadn't scabbed over or begun to heal. Mila was checking every day and whenever that little frown touched her lips, I knew what was on her mind.

Sighing, I shrugged and nudged her with my leg. “Maybe I'm just getting old."

Mila rolled her eyes. “Stop making it sound like nothing. This isn't nothing… aren't you concerned at all?"

“Sure," I said, shrugging again.

Mila narrowed her eyes at me. “Why do I not believe you?"

“Mila, my concern is about you running away again, especially while I'm sick," I said, sighing.

I was surprised she'd stuck around as long as she had. Why hadn't she run off yet? The question lingered in my mind. She'd always taken any moment when my guard was down to run off.

Instead, she stayed here with me and looked after me like a nursemaid.

“You… You're not gonna take this seriously, are you?" she asked, shaking her head and glaring at me.

I chuckled and winked at her. She sounded almost concerned and I wanted to keep hearing that tone in her voice. The only way to do that was to keep teasing her.

“Would you prefer it if I cried about my wounds? There isn't a whole lot else I can do," I pointed out.

Mila stared at me blankly. She shook her head and scoffed.

I nudged her again with my leg, trying to get her to smile. It was fun teasing her and seeing how she would react. Sometimes, it seemed like she wasn't prepared for my teasing, even though she should have been. I had done it enough by this point.

She seemed determined to stick with me until she was certain I was fully healed. I wouldn't deny that I liked her playing nurse for me and I was happy to have a reason for her not to run off on her own again.

Whenever her eyes flickered with worry and a little frown touched her lips, my heart jumped.

I knew it wasn't the most productive thought to have, but I hoped that it would take a while for my wounds to heal so that she'd keep looking after me. Perhaps, she might develop enough softness to stop running from me.

If nothing else, I could enjoy her “special treatment" a bit longer.

“You're a piece of work," she muttered, rolling her eyes. She put a fresh bandage on my leg, even though it wasn't bleeding anymore.

Since the wounds were still open, it made sense to keep them covered so bacteria couldn't get inside.

“You need more rest. Stop teasing and playing and focus on getting better," she chastised.

Mila tossed her hair over her shoulder and left the tent.

Frowning, I watched her go.

Perhaps, I'd over done the teasing a little. I couldn't always gauge how she was going to react and that was part of what inspired me to tease her. I liked her unpredictability.

The tent flap opened and Mila came back in. She didn't look at me but she brought a bottle of water to the collapsible camping table in my tent. She slammed the bottle down, water sloshing over the side and splashing the table.

I arched an eyebrow. “Mila…?"

She glared at me over her shoulder, gripping the edge of the table, her back to me. Sighing, she bowed her head and opened her backpack. She pulled something out that I couldn't see and held it close to her chest.

Slowly, Mila turned around and came to the edge of my cot. Without a word, she dropped the item into my lap.

“What's this?" I asked, picking up the leather bound journal.

“This book was left behind by my mother or my aunt Helen. I'm not sure which. But it is a spell book that might have information about the plant that poisoned you," she said, tapping the cover.

“Okay…"

“It is in a language I can't read but I know you can. Can you take a look and see if there is anything about that plant?" she asked, giving me a stern look.

I bounced my eyebrows and grinned. “Do you trust me?

“What do you mean?" she asked, creasing her brow.

“You're not worried I might snatch this and run away or sell it to someone else?" I asked, sticking my tongue out between my teeth.

“Did that poison get to your brain, or did you fall out of the cot and hit your head?" she asked, crossing her arms.

“You know I haven't fallen out of my cot because you've been in it with me every night," I reminded her.

Mila's cheeks reddened and she turned away quickly.

I smirked triumphantly. Whenever she blushed, it was so sweet and innocent, a pure expression of her emotions. I loved seeing it and it made me feel like some conquering hero.

“Honestly, I don't care about that. Your life is more important than what you might want to do with the book," she told me.

She turned back and absently started fluffing my blankets.

I stared at her, frozen in place from her admission. I'd never expected her to open up like that. It was subtle, but she'd let her guard down and shown me a real glimpse of her vulnerability.

The only time I'd seen that before was when I had her writhing beneath me in bed.

Quickly, I shook those thoughts away.

Mila had never trusted anyone in her whole life. She'd rather lick her own wounds than accept help from anyone else. I knew that was how she protected herself. No matter how much I'd done for her, she was always trying to “repay" me or thinking she owed me a favor.

Not this time…

Giving me the book could have been seen as repayment for taking poison for her. But saying that she cared about me more than the fate of the book… That was genuine and real. It was the first real thing I think she ever said to me.

Could she have real feelings for me?

I wasn't sure I wanted her to. For more than a decade, I'd tried to let go of my past. No matter how many times I told myself, Payne, and Thomas that I was over it, I wasn't sure I would ever be.

There was a hidden part of me that didn't know whether I would ever be loved again or that I'd ever be worthy of love again. Was I worthy enough for Mila to love me?

Then there was the matter of what happened in the cave when I smelled her wolf for the first time, and how I'd sensed her when I was trying to find her on Mount Lournet.

Had that been the mate bond? I didn't think I had a mate and I'd seen nothing to make me think that Mila was my mate…

Until recently…

Was it real or was it just false hope that the Moon Goddess cooked up for me as my punishment? Was this just to remind me of the mistakes I'd made years ago?

I stared at the leather-bound book in my lap. Thoughts of Mila and her trusting gesture raced through my mind.

If she wasn't my mate and I pressured her too much or clung too much, would that scare her away?

I lifted my eyes to her and saw the dark shadow of disappointment lingering. It was like she regretted what she said because I'd taken too long to respond.

Quickly, she pointed to the book. “Look through it. There are all kinds of plants in there and the stinging nettle could be one of them. It might give more information about the poison, or a better antidote to get your wound to heal."

I squashed all the thoughts running through my head and I flipped the book open.

Mila sat on the edge of the cot, her eyes never leaving my face as I read through the first few pages.

It was a different dialect than I was used to but I could make out the words.

The book was split into sections. The first section was a plant directory that had drawn images of plants, their names, properties, uses, and adverse effects. It was very detailed.

I ran my thumb over an image of a nettle plant that was similar to the one that stung me but the poisonous effects didn't match my symptoms.

The second section of the book was herbal recipes. A lot of them were healing salves, potions, teas, and the like. But there were several others that were more sinister. Poisons and potions that could do horrible things like blind people or worse…

A lot of the herbs and plants listed in those recipes were common household plants. But when combined in the right way, they'd become deadly.

I narrowed my eyes at the pages. This book was far too powerful to fall into the wrong hands.

The final section of the book was made up of handwritten spells that could only be used by blood witches. Someone like Mila.

I didn't read it all but I flipped through enough to get a good understanding of it.

Slowly, I closed the book and pushed it toward Mila.

“Well, did you find anything?" she asked.