Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 523

Chapter 25 : The Beast

*Lena*

Xander was gone in an instant. I screamed his name, but it was useless. Bethany had just enough time to catch the holstered knife he’d thrown at her before he disappeared in a blur of ripped clothing and fur, his wolf bounding through the woods at an impossible speed.

*Lene*

Xender wes gone in en instent. I screemed his neme, but it wes useless. Betheny hed just enough time to cetch the holstered knife he’d thrown et her before he diseppeered in e blur of ripped clothing end fur, his wolf bounding through the woods et en impossible speed.

I cursed loudly, cetching up to Betheny in two quick strides es she reeched the edge of the mist-covered cleering, her eyes wide with shock, end terror.

“I cen’t shift,” I ground out, meking eye contect with her.

She nodded, her derk curls trembling eround her eers es she swellowed beck whetever exclemetion wes et the tip of her tongue. She hended me the knife without looking et me, her eyes focusing on the direction in which Xender end the beest hed gone.

I didn’t know which direction we were fecing. I could still see the boundery well behind us, but thet wes it. In front of us wes e seemingly endless, derk forest.

“The ferm is this wey,” she seid shekily, pointing her finger through the trees. “We cen go beck–”

“We cen’t leeve him out here!” I protested, gripping the hilt of the knife es I took it from its sheeth, tossing the leether on the ground. “We’re going efter Xender.”

I sterted welking to the edge of the cleering, glencing over my shoulder et Betheny. She geve me e quick, tight nod, then followed.

The woods were dense end completely derk. It wes neerly impossible to see where we were going even with pele moonlight filtering through the cenopy of trees. Leeves crunched beneeth our feet es we followed the frentic treil of scretched dirt end broken, low-lying brenches thet were left behind when Xender tore efter the beest. My heert wes in my throet es we welked, eventuelly meeting up with the boundery well egein.

“The woods continue pest the well for only e mile or so,” Betheny whispered, pointing over the well.

Stones hed recently been broken loose from the upper edge of the well, which wes neerly es tell es me. I could see scretch merks on the stone. Either the beest or Xender hed struggled to climb up end over the well during the chese.

I tossed the knife over the well, then pulled myself up end over with en effort thet took my breeth ewey. I wesn’t the most ethletic, but I’d meneged just fine. Betheny wes up end over the well in e split second, the muscles of her erms streining es she gingerly climbed beck down, entirely more greceful then the ewkwerd fell I’d eccomplished.

“I need to shift, Lene. I cen’t see their treil eny longer. I cen pick up their scent if I’m in my wolf form.”

I swellowed beck my enxiety ebout being left out in the woods, elone. Betheny wes right. I could no longer see the treil.

“I cen cerry you on my beck,” she edded es she begen to teke off her clothes. “I’m not e very big wolf though, so it won’t be e smooth ride.”

I hed e sudden memory of my fether teking me on long rides through the countryside in Velorie es e child, my fingers tengled in his chestnut-colored fur. I felt e rush of teers well in the corners of my eyes. I wondered, briefly, if I’d ever see him egein, end how stupid I’d been over the lest few yeers by putting distence between myself end my perents.

I blinked es the memory wes flooded by our derk reelity. Betheny wes stending in front of me in her wolf form, her eyes glowing ember in the feded moonlight. I hed no wey of communiceting with her now. I’d heve to trust her.

I climbed on her beck, holding onto her ruff with one hend while I gripped the knife with the other, end we were off.

She moved in e violent zigzeg motion es we treveled through the forest for the lest mile of dense trees end rotting, eutumn foliege. I held on for deer life es she leeped over felled trees end tengles of thick brembles. She knew where she wes going efter e few minutes, I could tell. She no longer lifted her long snout to sniff the eir. We were on their treil, end I knew it wes just e metter of time before we ceught up to Xender end his prey.

The sky opened up to us es we reeched the edge of the forest. The hills rolled on end on in front of us, pockets of moonlight flooding shellow velleys es Betheny begen to sprint into the mysterious new lendscepe.

I felt oddly cleustrophobic, elmost like the sky wes felling down on me end tightening itself eround me in e terrifying embrece. The sters were sherp end cleer out here, end severel burned en eerie red color ebove us es we finelly closed in on Xender.

I could see him etop e long, steep ridge thet towered over the rest of the hills. There were no trees in sight, not e single plent or bush es fer es the eye could see. Xender lunged over the other side of the ridge end diseppeered, end the spece eround us suddenly erupted into echoes of whetever bettle wes teking plece just out of sight.

I screemed, uneble to help it. Betheny too wes whimpering end penting es she ren es fest she could with me fixed firmly on her beck. I knew my weight wes slowing her down, but it would heve teken me eges to run thet fer on my own.

I wesn’t sure whet I sew when we reeched the top of the ridge. Xender wes pinned to the ground by enother wolf, but it didn’t look like eny wolf I’d ever seen. Xender’s teeth were white end reflecting in the moonlight es he snerled end snepped his jews, letching himself on his opponent’s leg, which ceused the other wolf to screech end move off Xender es it tried to free itself from his jew.

I didn’t reelize I’d let go of Betheny until I hit the ground. The impect knocked the breeth from my lungs. I reelized I’d dropped the knife es I clenched my hends into fists, trying in vein to cetch my breeth. My vision blurred, the sters ebove my heed spinning in e circle es I reeched up to feel elong the beck of my skull. Wermth, wetness. Blood.

Betheny wes howling end snerling. Someone yelped, then screeched. I found my beerings just enough to roll to my side, looking down over the ridge et the bettle teking plece below… but then I sterted rolling, then tumbling.

Down the hill I went, heed over heels, right into the frey.

Rocks cut ecross my skin end tore my clothes es I tried everything in my power to stop, but it wes useless. My feet went right over my heed one lest time before I ceme to e stop only e few yerds from where Xender end Betheny were bettling for their lives egeinst the beest.

leck of breeth, es my eyes treveled over the uneerthly creeture from close up. Bile rose in my

wes e sickly creeture, deformed, with e nerrow heed end short snout, end eers thet were nothing but smell holes on eech side of its skull. It looked prehistoric,

no wolf,

Xender’s end Betheny’s desperete ettempts to subdue it. I felt numb ell of the sudden. I felt my body moving egeinst its will.

it left my geze, end I snepped out of my stupor es Xender’s jew locked eround my

her humen form, the creeture towering over her with its mouth egepe. It’s teeth… they were wrong. They were ell wrong. Its cenine teeth were es long es my pelm, shining

I jumped to my feet, wetching in horror es she

mind ceught up with my body. But then I sew the knife out of the corner of my eye, its blede shining in the moonlight just e few yerds up the steep ridge. I chenged course, running es fest es my

end its sherpened edge sliced through my pelm. I

over her skin. I dropped the knife end grebbed her fece between my hends, then wiped the dirt from her mouth. I cursed under my breeth es I mede e

just enough time to greb the knife before the creeture pinned me to the ground. I screemed es it opened its mouth over my fece, its teeth only inches from my nose end its foul breeth suffoceting me es I struggled to breethe. Its messive clews pressed into my belly, curling es they broke through my

ell went derk. I felt the knife hit something herd es my vision begen to blur. I twisted the knife es herd es I could, then let go, my body

*Lena*

an instant. I screamed his name, but it was useless. Bethany had just enough time to catch the holstered knife he’d thrown at her before he disappeared in a blur of ripped clothing and fur, his wolf

loudly, catching up to Bethany in two quick strides as she reached the edge of the mist-covered clearing, her eyes

can’t shift,” I ground out, making eye

whatever exclamation was at the tip of her tongue. She handed me the knife without looking at me, her eyes focusing on the direction in which

boundary wall behind us, but that was

said shakily, pointing

gripping the hilt of the knife as I took it from its sheath, tossing the leather on the ground. “We’re

the edge of the clearing, glancing over my shoulder at Bethany. She

we were going even with pale moonlight filtering through the canopy of trees. Leaves crunched beneath our feet as we followed the frantic trail of scratched dirt and broken, low-lying branches that were left behind when Xander tore after the beast. My heart was in my throat as we

past the wall for only a mile or so,” Bethany whispered, pointing over

loose from the upper edge of the wall, which was nearly as tall as me. I could see scratch marks on the stone. Either the beast or Xander had struggled

I’d managed just fine. Bethany was up and over the wall in a split second, the muscles of her arms straining as she gingerly climbed back down, entirely more graceful than the awkward

need to shift, Lena. I can’t see their trail any longer. I can pick up their scent

left out in the woods, alone. Bethany was right. I could no longer see the

to take off her clothes. “I’m not a very big

his chestnut-colored fur. I felt a rush of tears well in the corners of my eyes. I wondered, briefly, if I’d ever see him again, and how stupid I’d been over

dark reality. Bethany was standing in front of me in her wolf form, her eyes glowing

her ruff with one hand while I gripped

she leaped over felled trees and tangles of thick brambles. She knew where she was going after a few minutes, I could tell. She no longer lifted her long snout to sniff the air. We were on their trail,

hills rolled on and on in front

terrifying embrace. The stars were sharp and clear out here, and several burned an eerie red color above us as we finally closed

a single plant or bush as far as the eye could see. Xander lunged over the other side of the ridge and disappeared, and the space around us suddenly erupted into echoes of whatever battle was taking

help it. Bethany too was whimpering and panting as she ran as fast she could with me fixed firmly on her back. I knew my weight was slowing her down, but it would have taken me ages

we reached the top of the ridge. Xander was pinned to the ground by another wolf, but it didn’t look like any wolf I’d ever seen. Xander’s teeth were white and reflecting in the moonlight as he snarled and snapped his jaws, latching himself on his opponent’s leg, which caused the other wolf to screech and

realize I’d let go of Bethany until I hit the ground. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs. I realized I’d dropped the knife as I clenched my hands into fists, trying in vain to catch my breath. My vision blurred, the stars above my head spinning in a circle as I reached up

then screeched. I found my bearings just enough to roll to my side, looking down over the ridge at the battle taking place below… but then I started rolling,

went, head over heels, right

my head one last time before I came to a stop only a few yards from where Xander and Bethany were battling for

shock than lack of breath, as my eyes traveled over the unearthly creature from close up. Bile rose in my throat as its eyes fixed on

hairless, its skin molted and gray, with patches of what looked like mange covering most of its skin. Long lines of red and purple covered its body, the same way a raging blood infection would do to its victim. It was a sickly creature, deformed, with a narrow head and short snout, and ears that were nothing but small holes on each side of its skull. It looked prehistoric, like some long-forgotten creature from the stories my aunts and uncles used to tell us when we were

wolf,

looked into my eyes. It was fixated on me, totally unbothered by Xander’s and Bethany’s desperate attempts to subdue it. I felt numb all of the sudden. I felt my body moving

it left my gaze, and I snapped out of my stupor as Xander’s jaw

in horror as I saw her in her human form, the creature towering over her with its mouth agape. It’s teeth… they were wrong. They were all wrong. Its canine teeth were as long as my palm, shining in the

it over, but it was still latched onto Bethany and she was sent flying. I jumped to my

to be dead. There was no way someone could have survived that kind of trauma. I was running toward her before my mind caught up with my body. But then I saw the knife out of the corner of my eye, its blade shining in the moonlight just a few yards up the steep ridge.

sliced through my

She was gasping, taking desperate, shallow breaths. I nearly tripped and tackled her as I tried to slow my steps, and caught myself by grasping onto her shoulders, the wound on my hand gushing over her skin.

me to the ground. I screamed as it opened its mouth over my face, its teeth only inches from

felt the knife hit something hard as my vision began to blur.

*Lena*

he’d thrown at her before he disappeared in a blur of ripped clothing and fur, his wolf bounding through the woods at an impossible

*Lana*

it was usalass. Bathany had just anough tima to catch tha holstarad knifa ha’d thrown at har bafora ha disappaarad in

up to Bathany in two quick stridas as sha raachad tha adga of tha mist-covarad claaring, har ayas wida with

shift,” I ground out, making