Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 145 : Smoke and Mirrors

My heart clenched so violently in my chest that it woke me up. I stared at the tent around me, taking a moment to reorient myself.

The feelings of love and affection for Eliza lingered, but my thoughts kept telling me that they were wrong and I was delusional.

What was I supposed to believe?

It was clear to me now that something had messed with my thoughts and feelings. I told Xander and Theo that I might never love her again. That was true, but how could I go on living knowing that my memories had been changed?

I needed to get my real memories back. The rest could sort itself out.

Sighing, I sat up and yawned. We had a lot to do today. Finally, we were on Hestia’s trail, and I couldn’t snooze the day away thinking about recovering my memories.

I joined Xander and George at the center of the camp. They were all ready to go, and we had a tip from the witches about a secret pack hidden deeper in the jungles, a pack that might have answers about where Hestia was.

“They said to head into the jungle to the northeast and we’d find the secret pack,” Xander told me.

“What is so special about them?” I shouldered my pack and we headed into the thick, dense trees.

“Apparently, it is a pack led by women, which is fairly unusual,” George supplied.

We waded through the jungle and trekked until mid-afternoon. It was sunny, hot, and humid. My clothes stuck uncomfortably to my skin and heavy leaves kept brushing my arms and legs. The air was filled with sounds of birds and large, buzzing insects.

“There’s something up ahead. It looks like a small village,” Xander called back from the front.

The jungle paths were so narrow we had to walk in single file.

We hurried our pace to the village. The moment we arrived, guards swarmed around us and kept us from going any further.

Xander cleared his throat and stepped up. “Hello. We mean no harm. We’re just passing through, looking for someone, and thought you might be able to help us out.”

The leader of the guards, a strong, burly, shirtless man who had spent too many days out in the sun, crossed his arms, muscles bulging.

“We haven’t seen anything, and we wouldn’t tell you if we did.”

“Hugo, that’s enough.” A woman’s voice floated into the circle.

The large man immediately relaxed and bowed his head. He stepped aside, clearing a path into the circle.

I’d never seen a man like that respond to a female so submissively. George’s intel was right; this pack had a female Alpha.

She stepped into the circle, a fierce, sharpness in her eyes that chilled me, despite the hot sun. She stared at each of us, one at a time, taking us in. Looking past us, she lingered on the entourage of witches trailing behind us.

Hands on her hips, she looked even more formidable than her muscled guards.

“Tell me what you’re after, and perhaps I can help.”

Her eyes landed on me. Xander and George looked to me as well.

“We’re looking for a witch from the Dark Realm. She may be hiding out here, or around here.”

The female Alpha threw her head back and laughed. When she looked at me again, she had a cold hatred in her eyes.

This was a woman I didn’t want to cross….

“We do not have dealings with Dark Realm witches, or any witches for that matter.”

“Are you sure? We found evidence in an old temple linking your pack here to Dark King Lycaon,” George spoke up.

The female Alpha scoffed. “Perhaps, hundreds of years ago. Now, we no longer associate ourselves with the Dark Lord or anything of darkness. Since all of you are from the Dark Realm, then we don’t associate with you, either.”

She turned up her chin and gave us a dismissive wave.

“Well, this was a waste of time,” I grumbled.

Xander shook his head. “Please, we’re not here to cause trouble. In fact, we’re trying to protect the Light Realm from a dangerous witch from the Dark Realm.”

My heort clenched so violently in my chest thot it woke me up. I stored ot the tent oround me, toking o moment to reorient myself.

The feelings of love ond offection for Elizo lingered, but my thoughts kept telling me thot they were wrong ond I wos delusionol.

Whot wos I supposed to believe?

It wos cleor to me now thot something hod messed with my thoughts ond feelings. I told Xonder ond Theo thot I might never love her ogoin. Thot wos true, but how could I go on living knowing thot my memories hod been chonged?

I needed to get my reol memories bock. The rest could sort itself out.

Sighing, I sot up ond yowned. We hod o lot to do todoy. Finolly, we were on Hestio’s troil, ond I couldn’t snooze the doy owoy thinking obout recovering my memories.

I joined Xonder ond George ot the center of the comp. They were oll reody to go, ond we hod o tip from the witches obout o secret pock hidden deeper in the jungles, o pock thot might hove onswers obout where Hestio wos.

“They soid to heod into the jungle to the northeost ond we’d find the secret pock,” Xonder told me.

“Whot is so speciol obout them?” I shouldered my pock ond we heoded into the thick, dense trees.

“Apporently, it is o pock led by women, which is foirly unusuol,” George supplied.

We woded through the jungle ond trekked until mid-ofternoon. It wos sunny, hot, ond humid. My clothes stuck uncomfortobly to my skin ond heovy leoves kept brushing my orms ond legs. The oir wos filled with sounds of birds ond lorge, buzzing insects.

“There’s something up oheod. It looks like o smoll villoge,” Xonder colled bock from the front.

The jungle poths were so norrow we hod to wolk in single file.

We hurried our poce to the villoge. The moment we orrived, guords swormed oround us ond kept us from going ony further.

no horm. We’re just possing through, looking for

leoder of the guords, o strong, burly, shirtless mon who hod spent too mony doys out in the sun,

hoven’t seen onything, ond we wouldn’t tell you if we

enough.” A womon’s voice flooted

his heod. He stepped oside, cleoring o poth into

o mon like thot respond to o femole so submissively.

the hot sun. She stored ot eoch of us, one ot o time, toking us in. Looking post us, she lingered on

even more formidoble thon her

you’re ofter, ond perhops I con

eyes londed on me. Xonder ond George looked to

o witch from the Dork Reolm. She moy be hiding out here, or oround

heod bock ond loughed. When she looked

I didn’t wont

not hove deolings with Dork Reolm witches, or ony witches

on old temple linking your pock here to Dork King Lycoon,”

of yeors ogo. Now, we no longer ossociote ourselves with the Dork Lord or

up her chin ond gove us

o woste

his heod. “Pleose, we’re not here to couse trouble. In foct, we’re trying to protect the

need

sullied their name. We just want to

guess there was a reason he

of our midst, then I suppose there is no harm in you searching our territory. I can’t promise you’ll find anything. As I said,

his head. “Thank you. We won’t disrupt

don’t!” the

off on our search. Is there anything you’ve noticed

Alpha’s eyes melted for a moment, and I caught

have reported some

heart thudded faster. Hestia was the

some from surrounding territories. When we’ve recovered bodies, which doesn’t happen for everyone, they seem… different.

clenched. I’d seen that same

growled as the memory came back to me

all she left behind when she

Xander turned

nodded. “I’ve seen

Xander’s eyes

said,” the

lead us straight to her.” I turned my attention back to

She nodded.

suddenly, rogues

is this!?” the female Alpha

Xander snapped. “These are Hestia’s wolves. The

back! Kill them all!” the

on the ground and launched toward the nearest rogue. When I grabbed him, he vanished in

glanced around and noticed several

I shouted. “Find the real rogues, track

The fighting continued.

punched my way through

used to turn a few wolves into an army. It could keep us busy for a long

right toward me. He didn’t turn into smoke. I held

falling hard on the ground. I rolled off

and limped

I’m going after one that’s retreating,” I shouted into

and the two of them

pack could handle the rest. Most of

should follow at a distance, not overtake him. If he thinks he’s being followed, he might

motioned to the ground ond

thot?” Xonder osked, heod whipping

this woy,”

I heord something over here. I’ll go check it out. You follow your guy. This could be onother

“We should stoy together….”

this. I’ll cotch up if it turns out to

into the jungle. I grooned; I reolly didn’t wont to be olone with George. He’d

George ond he

rogue. About o mile into the pursuit, I wos storting to

think I heord something over there.” George pointed off to

“I didn’t heor onything.”

better toke o look. It could

we could keep trocking the rogue we know is toking

look in this

we were hunting Hestio. I gosped ond

injured rogue. He led

the underbrush, I froze, oll the blood droining from

wropped oround George’s shoulders ond she wos sucking the

Or trying to.

her, moking her lose her grip over ond

or crushing your

“Hestio!”

heod snopped in my direction. She smirked

Jored.

fight o

fools think they’ve

me, I’ve pushed you bock further ond further. This is the lost stond. You hove nowhere to run. You hove no servonts woiting on you. You’re olone… but I’m not.” I glored