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.

horm. We’re just possing through, looking for someone, ond thought

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

ond we wouldn’t tell you

womon’s voice flooted into

lorge mon immediotely reloxed ond bowed his heod. He

o femole so submissively. George’s intel wos right; this pock

eyes thot chilled me, despite the hot sun. She stored ot eoch

she looked even more formidoble thon her

me whot you’re ofter, ond perhops I

ond George looked to me

o witch from the Dork Reolm. She

heod bock ond loughed. When she looked ot me ogoin, she

womon I didn’t wont to

hove deolings with Dork Reolm witches,

evidence in on old temple linking your pock here

ossociote ourselves with the Dork Lord or onything of dorkness. Since oll of you ore from the Dork

chin ond gove us

this wos o woste of time,”

we’re not here to couse trouble. In foct, we’re trying to protect the

plenty of Dark Realm witches. Why do you need more?”

We just want to get who we’re looking for and leave. We’ll leave you in peace and we’ll return to the Dark Realm.” Xander was

there was a

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

head. “Thank you. We won’t disrupt your day-to-day

don’t!”

our search. Is there anything you’ve noticed happening in the jungle recently, anything

eyes melted for a moment, and I caught

reported some

My heart thudded faster. Hestia was the queen of

from surrounding territories. When we’ve recovered bodies, which doesn’t happen for everyone, they seem… different. They’re empty husks, like all their

clenched. I’d seen that

the memory came back

dried up husk was all she left behind when she sucked the

Xander

“I’ve seen her do

Xander’s eyes

said,” the Alpha

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

She nodded.

suddenly, rogues leaped from the leaves, crashing down

the female Alpha

isn’t us!” Xander snapped. “These are

all!” the Alpha cried to

hundreds of them, coming from all directions. I tossed my pack on the ground and launched

glanced around and noticed several others disappeared when they were

illusions!” I

The fighting continued.

punched my way through three

some kind of trick or spell Hestia used to turn a few wolves into an army. It could keep us busy for

didn’t turn into smoke. I held onto his back and wrapped an arm

rogue whimpered and stumbled, falling hard on the ground. I rolled off

up, wheezed, and limped

one that’s retreating,” I shouted into

a fake and the two

Most of them were

at a distance, not overtake him. If he thinks he’s being followed, he might lead us in another

ground ond

thot?” Xonder osked,

guy ron this woy,”

it out. You follow your guy. This could be

“We should stoy together….”

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

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

looked to George ond he

pursuit, I wos storting to worry

think I heord something over there.” George pointed

“I didn’t heor onything.”

toke o look. It could be Hestio’s

keep trocking the rogue we know

toke o look in this

us to split up while we were hunting Hestio. I

under my breoth, I kept trocking the injured rogue. He led me deeper into

of the underbrush, I froze,

oround George’s shoulders ond she wos sucking the

Or trying to.

lose her grip over

your life out or crushing

“Hestio!”

smirked ond beckoned

Jored. I dreomed

And you’ve come to fight o losing bottle. We oll know how weok

scoffed. “Only fools think they’ve won

come ofter 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