Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 806

Chapter 17 : Hellhound

*Jared*

I could smell the Hellhound before I saw it. Every hair on my body stood on end as I backed Eliza into the forest, her body trembling against my chest. She’d listened to me for once, which was a nice change of pace, but I’d still forced her out of sleep with little explanation as to what the hell was going on. Still, she didn’t make a sound as we moved deeper into the trees, putting distance between us and every single supply that was meant to see us through our three day journey.

We’d covered almost thirty miles in a single day on foot. It sounded like a great feat, and in ordinary circumstances, it would have been. But the knowledge that a wayward witch and her bloodthirsty familiar had been this close to my village rocked me to my core.

Brandt and Archer were screaming at each other over mindlink, relaying their coordinates to me as they dashed through the woods after the creature that had circled back and was now inspecting our camp. They were trying to wear it down. That was the only way a wolf could attempt to fight a hellhound.

“Eliza,” I breathed against her hair, holding her a little tighter than was necessary. “I’m going to hide you–”

“What is it?” she replied, her voice a whisper against the wind whipping in a frenzy around us.

I felt the fear in her voice, but she wasn’t trembling. She was pressed against me in a way that made me feel as though she were sheltering me as much as I was doing my damndest to shelter her.

“A witch,” I whispered, backing slowly into the forest. “Her hound is what Archer and Brandt are after.”

I didn’t need to explain what a Hellhound was. She knew, of that I was certain. Someone with the depth of knowledge Eliza possessed in the antiquities would know what a Hellhound was, and why they were dangerous.

But if she was from the Realm of Light like I assumed, she might never have seen one. They may have just been a myth to her people.

“Listen,” I whispered, coming to stop in a thicket of towering birches. “You need to stay hidden, no matter what you hear–”

“I heard the wind chimes in my dream,” she whispered, looking up at me. “Like in the village.”

I looked down at her, tempted to brush a rogue curl from her face but hesitated. Her eyes were shining the light of dawn like sea glass. Every time I looked at her I felt a little lost–it was hard to explain. Something about her had me questioning everything I’d told myself to be true over the years.

I didn’t tolerate willful disobedience, not from my crew or the workers in my house.

But Eliza didn’t give a s**t. And if I was being honest, it was what I liked about her the most.

I’d pushed and pushed her two nights ago in my study. I’d been trying to break her and bend her to my will only because I needed her to prove to me with finality that it wasn’t possible. She matched my energy with a fire so intense it had burned through me, igniting something no one else had ever been able to access.

my match, and now I was standing in the Dark Forest on the edge of losing the only person who’d given me anything

thicket of low-lying trees. The branches scraped against the top of my head as I ducked and pulled her deeper into the woods. I knelt, pulling her beside me. “Look, I need

do? Fight off

to smile and kept my expression as level

hide. You’re going to run if it comes

waist. I caught her by the wrist, shaking my head. “If the hellhound is hunting me, then I need a way to defend myself. Give me a knife! You have at least six on your belt. Between the three of you men, there are at least a dozen daggers, and Brandt and Archer

a dagger and held it by the blade, pressing the

“Don’t f*****g lose it–”

save your friends. I’m

the idea that they needed saving. In the end, if

ton of bricks as I quieted my breathing and listened to the forest around me. Not even the birds were making

like a mountain lion,” Eliza whispered

mountain lion at one point, yes. Do you have much experience with witches?” I

there was something else in her tone, something I couldn’t decipher. Something, I

a moment, examining her like I found myself doing every time she was in my presence. She was a rather short woman, the top of her head barely reaching

watching her feel what I felt every time I touched it–I hadn’t been expecting that.

touch, opening for her. I hadn’t known it could do

way in hell I was letting Aeris have her now. I needed her, especially if I wanted to live to see

shirt over my head, the chill of the early spring morning sending a

light, but I noticed she was eyeing the tattoos along my forearms and chest as I stood to remove the rest of my clothes, save for my boxers, of course. She was still a lady, even if she refused to act like one. I wasn’t going to scandalize her, regardless of

I began, crouching so I was looking into her

she choked, shaking her head.

I held her gaze for a moment, noticing the sudden apprehension in her eyes, then rose to my full height and backed out of the shelter

voice lifted in what sounded like

hoarsely, hiding the pain now ebbing through

were the last thing I saw before it all went dark, and I let the beast within me take hold, ripping

***

him within minutes of leaving Eliza alone

was right about it being a mountain lion. Archer was back on his feet by the time I darted back into our camp, the lion stalking a wide circle around him. It was tired, tongue lolling as it moved

f**k is Brandt?’ I said down the