Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 74: I’ll Take That as a Yes.

Alright, Tallis and Theo might be two different people, but they both could be jerks!

Since the conversation with Tallis didn’t go anywhere, I decided to call it a night.

But what I didn’t expect was a group of thick, muscular thugs that appeared from nowhere, blocking my way back to my parents’ house. They snickered and closed in around me.

“What do you want?” I asked harshly.

“They don’t want anything. However, we have an unfinished score to settle,” Hawke’s angry, frustrated voice barked out from behind the thugs.

“I didn’t do anything to you,” I insisted, crossing my arms and trying to act more like a guy.

“Well, the last time we spoke, I ended up knocked out and face down in the dirt. You’re telling me that you had nothing to do with that?” Hawke shouted viciously.

Apparently, he remembered more than I hoped. He wasn’t drunk tonight, either.

“Grab this little twit!” Hawke ordered.

His thugs jumped at me. I jumped back, but they’d already closed in around me and one caught me from behind. All four of them grabbed my arms and legs and pinned me down to the ground.

I struggled against them, hissing and trying to bite whatever got close to my mouth. Hawke’s thugs were too well trained and they were too strong!

“Hold that little swine down. I’m going to teach him a lesson for messing with me,” Hawke chuckled, shoving the toe of his boot into the ground.

Now that I was eye level with his boots, I could see they were steel toed. If he kicked me with those, he’d break every bone in my body. I had to stall him.

“That’s funny, seeing as the last time we met, you seemed to be interested in me, regardless of me being a boy,” I hissed, still struggling against his cronies holding me down.

One of them nearly let me go as his head whipped around to Hawke.

Hawke sneered and shook his head. “Don’t listen to this piece of crap. He’s just trying to mess with you. Hold him steady.”

Nothing I said now would turn their heads. Whether they were all loyal to Hawke or to Hawke’s cunning dad, it wouldn’t save me a good beating.

Hawke pulled his foot back, knee bent, ready to deliver a horrible kick to my side. I closed my eyes and held my breath, waiting for the heavy blow.

It never came.

“What the…”

I opened my eyes just as a pack of wild animals burst from the forest and attacked Hawke.

“Get them off, get them off!” Hawke screeched, flapping his partially broken arms around like he was fending off a swarm of bees.

His cronies ran at him, trying to pull the beasts away, but when

they got close, some of the smaller ones, the squirrels and rabbits, jumped on them and bit them. All of them were screaming and floundering around like they were on fire.

pathetic, trying to fight off a gaggle of wild animals with his near useless arms. His guys hardly seemed to

pack of wild animals pushed Hawke and his group further and further away from

kind of organized attack had to have been summoned by someone. I glanced around

Tallis was standing in the trees. He could also organize an

believe

minimum, there must be some

help and I went after Tallis. As soon as I started approaching the woods, he vanished between the trees. This time, I

trying to evade me, which made me think he didn’t

out to grab his arm before he could slip

and pulled away from

doing? Why are you following me? I told you, I’ m not who you think I am. How many times do I have to ask

figure out some other way

Can you just wait a minute,

walking. He didn’t turn to face me but at least, he wasn’t running

to him. “It is different this time

turned to me, one eyebrow

joking. “Hawke

if I

continue.”

“So?” Tallis asked sharply.

stay with the traveling carnival. Can I stay with you? I can’t go back to

so surly and grumpy all the time. I almost thought he was more intolerable than the Dark Prince. Yet, here I was, doing everything I could

wrong with

this moment, I could tell myself that I had a valid reason to

safe place to stay. So, can I stay with you?” |

hadn’t confirmed I could stay with him but he hadn’t flat out denied me, either. I decided to take that as a yes

tent, it was quiet. It seemed like most of the performers

still up and he waved casually at

just waved in

my eyes at him. He couldn’t even spare his friendly, charismatic brother a friendly greeting. Who else did I know that was just

with you, Tallis?” Nelson asked.

Tallis

“Would it kill you to try to

Take That as a

a tear from his eye. “Yes, m’boy, it

and shook his head. I gave him a triumphant

you two become… friends?” Nelson asked, motioning

went into Nelson’s curtain office. He had a hot plate going with a big

a ladle into

smells delicious,” I admitted, my stomach growling

I’ll get some bowls,” Nelson said,

and he stood right behind me. I’d half expected him to run off the moment someone else was there to

one to me and Tallis. He perched on the edge of his folding table