Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 971

Chapter 22 : Breaking Out

*Lucas*

I wasn't kidding. A claw reached through a slit down the middle of the door.

Time was not on our side. I ran to the window but found it was swelled shut in its frame. It was something that should have been replaced decades ago.

A burning yellow eye and snapping jaws were now visible through a break in the door.

I was going to have to break the window.

“Do you trust me?" I asked Sasha, who was already holding a water pitcher to defend herself.

“Yes," Sasha said, briefly looking over at me.

“Put that down. Come over here," I barked.

Sasha looked at me as though I'd lost my mind, but when the door finally blew right off its hinges, she dropped the pitcher and walked right into my embrace.

“You'd better be sure about this," she warned.

“I hope so." I dragged her over to the window with me, then kept her tight in one arm while slamming my elbow through the glass.

I felt some of the jagged edges catch on my flesh as I took Sasha out of the room. I tried to kick the last of the glass shards down, but I feared she would also have some cuts and scratches to show for this act of insanity.

We tumbled into the bushes below. I popped my head up, looking briefly in the window of the inn. The priestess was there, directing five or six shifter thugs.

“You were right about the priestess," I panted to Sasha before grabbing her wrist and hauling her out of the bushes and down the road.

“You think so?"

I shot her a look and noted Sasha had had the Goddess-given brains to grab the silk-covered orb. For my part, I started to shift as we ran, joints popping, bones elongating.

My clothes tore, and Sasha started having trouble keeping up. “Jump on my back," I ordered her, stopping suddenly.

“Lucas—“

“NOW!!!" I roared, the last thing I said before I'd shifted completely.

Sasha gripped my fur and slung herself over my back, hanging on tight with her legs.

I surged forward, taking us far away from the inn, from the town of Leviss itself. I heard howling behind us and redoubled my efforts. But I had a passenger and the shifter thugs did not. It was a losing battle.

There had to be something… the train!

By some miracle, the train to the capital was heading down the nearby tracks, away from the station. I bolted for it, my claws digging up great clumps of dirt.

I could feel the orb pressed hard against my neck. Sasha curled her hands more tightly into my fur as I approached the train, loping along beside it.


Since she had no wolf, I could only hope she understood what I wanted her to do.

“Lucas, you're insane! I can't jump!" Sasha screamed over the howls that were fast catching up with us.

I snarled at her.

“I'm not going to make it," Sasha yelled.

The door of the train car opened, and a man leaned out, holding a hand out to Sasha. With little other choice, she grabbed it and he hauled her onto the train.

I leaped up behind her, accidentally knocking them both to the floor. The orb went flying.

The man got up first, while I shifted on the floor. He pulled the train door closed, stopping our pursuers from hopping aboard.

The train picked up speed. The other shifters didn't stand a chance.

I sat up, naked, breathing hard.

Sasha was scrambling across the floor, and I realized she was looking for the orb. It had rolled free of the silk I'd used to bind it.

A glimmer of white shone from beneath a fire extinguisher. Sasha dove for it as it began moving again with the pitch of the train.

Her hands closed on it, and she stood, giving me a relieved smile.

I smiled back and opened my mouth to congratulate us on a successful evasion of certain death, or to ask the helpful young man who he was.

Instead, my jaw dropped as the orb in Sasha's hands turned a brilliant blue and began to glow.

“No," I said, reaching for her.

With a look of horror on her face, Sasha disappeared, my fingers meeting nothing but air.

***

I woke in the lumpy, narrow bed in the inn, panicked, but not terribly surprised that Sasha wasn't there. Her bag was gone, and—I rolled out of bed to check, even though I knew—the orb was gone as well.

There was a knock at the door, and the odious innkeeper popped his head in with a jangle of keys and a wide smile. “Rise and shine! The truck will be arriving just outside the post office at any minute."

I wanted to growl at him, but then, in this reality, he'd done nothing wrong. Sasha didn't exist.

At least this time I could avoid seeing the old priestess and maybe actually have some time in Midnight Sun Pack territory. Orb or no orb, Eliza should be able to tell me something.

After all, there was nothing else to do but pace and panic until Sasha returned–if she returned.

I shook the dark thoughts away and gave the innkeeper a tight smile. “Thank you. I'll be on my way now."

The innkeeper nodded and closed the door.

Not five minutes later, I was sitting outside the post office, waiting for the truck and hoping it hadn't broken an axle this time.

Whatever this timeline was, I could see my path would not be impeded. A cloud of dust announced the arrival of a truck… packed tightly with people.

I groaned. I'd be sitting in the back with the dust, it seemed. Clutching my pack, I handed over my ticket and climbed in, wedging my knees almost to my ears in what tiny space there was left.

Dirt made the air nearly unbreathable, but I soldiered through the many hours riding with my tailbone on the wheel well.

When we finally reached Crimson Village, I was hobbled over like an old man, rubbing my lower spine as I got out of the truck.

“Rough ride?" a familiar voice asked.

I turned and grinned at Jared. “You have no idea."

Jared let the dust settle a bit, then walked forward, clapping me on the shoulder. “It's good to see you, even if it is some sort of emergency. I'm surprised you came alone."

“I didn't," I sighed, and braced myself for the inevitable.

Jared looked around me at the disappearing truck and people who were shuffling away. “Umm… your letter did say you were coming alone… is there someone else here I should be rounding up?"

“Not right now. We'll see what happens later," I mumbled, falling into step beside Jared as he led me to the home he shared with Eliza.

They'd added on since I'd been there, I noted as we approached the cozy cottage. “Expecting more little ones?" I teased.

“Always," Jared laughed. “Now, what do you mean about someone showing up later?"

“She would have shown up now except for the orb," I said, all teasing gone.

“Oh yes, you did mention some artifact that you wanted Eliza to look at," Jared replied with a nod. “Can I see it?"

“It's gone for now," I explained.

Jared blinked. “For… now?"

“Sasha Wentley has it, wherever it's taken her," I continued, knowing I sounded like a raving lunatic by this point.
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