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

of wild animals pushed Hawke and his group further

by someone. I glanced around the forest and saw

He could also organize

believe in

minimum, there must be some sort of connection between Theo and

ignored Hawke’s continued cries for help and I went after Tallis. As soon as I started approaching the woods, he vanished between the trees. This time, I wasn’t letting him

him. He was acting like he was trying to evade me, which made me think he didn’t want me to

wait a minute,” I called, reaching out to grab his arm before

pulled away from

who you think I am. How many times do I

needed to figure out some other way to

after you for that. Can you just wait a

turn to face me but at

moved closer to him. “It is different

me, one eyebrow arched. “Is that

wasn’t joking. “Hawke has come

I’ve been lucky, but if I stay in the

continue.”

“So?” Tallis asked sharply.

Can I stay with you? I can’t go back

surly and grumpy all the time. I almost thought he was more intolerable than the Dark

wrong

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

I stay with you?” | asked again,

the woods again. He hadn’t confirmed I could stay with him but he hadn’t flat out denied me, either. I decided

was quiet. It seemed like most

and he waved casually

just waved

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

Tallis?” Nelson asked. “Ah, young sir, hello

Tallis grumbled

it kill you to try to sound

That as a

and then laughed heartily and wiped a tear from his eye.

scoffed and shook his head. I gave him

friends?” Nelson asked, motioning for us

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

dipping a ladle into the steaming broth

delicious,” I admitted, my

Nelson said, bustling around

and Tallis nodded toward it. I sat down and he stood right behind me. I’d

ladeled up three bowls of soup and handed one to me and Tallis. He perched on the edge of his