Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 791

Chapter 2 : The Man in the Mask

“Please!” I panted, the word catching in my throat and coming out as a hoarse cry. “Please, wait–”

The masked man picked me up with his arm around my waist, hoisting me over an ice-covered boulder. We’d been doing this for what felt like hours, the masked man dragged me along behind him as I tried to match his pace, which was close to a sprint.

I hadn’t looked back, not once, not since he pulled me through that window and into the unforgiving darkness that swallowed us both whole.

He set me down and grabbed my arm as he broke into a run again, but my knees buckled, my legs so frozen I could no longer feel my feet. I fell to the ground, the wet, half-melted snow biting into my skin. I couldn’t stop the tears as I tried to rise.

I was shaking so badly from the cold that my teeth were chattering as I wrapped my arms around my middle, shielding myself from the spray of rotten snow being carried by the frigid wind. The dense forest around us groaned as if it were in pain, the wind snapping branches and whistling through the canopy above our heads.

The man’s grip loosened on my arm and he took a step away from me, dropping the worn leather backpack he’d been carrying onto the slush and ice between us.

The daggers he wore on his belt flickered in the faint light of the moon peeking from the clouds overhead as he knelt, pulling a few items from the bag.

“You can let me go–”

“You won’t survive out here by yourself, not in your condition,” he replied, cutting me off with a wave of his hand. His voice was a distorted murmur behind the thick mask he wore, but I heard him curse under his breath as he rifled through his bag.

He pulled out a pair of thick socks and a shirt, which were heavily patched from repeated mending. He grabbed the back of one of my calves, and I had to steady myself with my hands on his shoulders as he took my frozen foot in his hands and gently rolled one of the socks onto it. “I’m going to carry you.”

“Just let me go, please! I won’t… I won’t tell anyone–” I whimpered as he took me by the waist again and positioned me on a boulder so my feet weren’t touching the wet ground. He rolled the second sock on, his calloused hands warm on my skin. It was a needed comfort, one that made a fresh wave of tears roll from my eyelashes and over my cheeks before they froze to my skin.

“Arms up,” he commanded, and I shakily complied. He pulled the shirt down over my head and took a step back to inspect me. The moonlight dusted his eyes through the mask, illuminating the crimson flakes that felt so familiar.

“Are you going to hurt me?”

“No,” he said firmly as he bent to gather his belongings.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Away from here–”

“But where? Why?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?” He was looking right at me now, his body rigid with frustration, maybe even annoyance.

over the top of my head, his

followed, and I barely had time to duck before it brushed the top of my head with the thick undercoat that lined its

said to a man who jumped over one of the

and he was carrying several bags and a multitude of weapons. The contents of the bags

at the wolves that were gathering us. How many of them were

the man teased, giving his leader

turned my gaze to the

new captor had a

with the body?” Jared asked as other wolves and men began to catch up, all of them

obvious they’d been fighting, however. I’d witnessed the beginning of

satchel tied to

crush me between his palms if he wanted to. I

“Keep an eye on her for a moment.” He turned and began barking orders at the men and wolves who

at me, giving me a

my chest. I fought the urge to say something cutting and sarcastic in response. How’s it going? Well, I’d been better.

said, extending his

little tighter and shot him a

me, thoroughly amused. “Nice to meet you, too,” he said sarcastically, then plopped down next to me on my ice-covered perch, resting one of his ankles on

around at the half dozen or so men and wolves, I realized there would have been no logical

as he walked back over to us, tilting his head toward the men standing

see what he looked like. He hadn’t been the only one wearing a

a rogue. No one had addressed him as

form beside me, his clothes falling away in tatters as he shook off what remained of his leathers and the belt that hung heavy

taking a cautious step

taking me?” I breathed, my voice carried away

if you behave.” There was something in his voice that sent a chill up my spine, but it wasn’t out of

held my gaze. He was waiting for me to say something. He was waiting, I realized, for me to argue with him. I

Jared said coolly, then turned on his heel and walked toward the rest of the wolves that were

***

I held onto Archer’s fur, my legs clasped around his middle. He was big and fast, but he moved in a gentle, rhythmic way that had my eyelids drooping and head lulling with fatigue. He was putting me to sleep, and no matter how hard I tried, I was finding it impossible to keep my

with a start, gripping him tightly once again. I felt his warning growl reverberate

was no use. One second I closed my eyes, just for a moment, and the next I was flat on my back, the air knocked from my lungs and

bursting with stars. Figures surrounded me, talking over each other as activity erupted

stop! Back up–” Jared’s voice rang through my ears as I fought for breath,