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.

the edge of losing the only person who’d given me anything to work with in terms of the artifact…

scraped against the top of my head as I ducked

off

and kept my expression

You’re going to run if it comes down to it. I’ll find you. One of

reaching for the belt slung along my 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

the blade, pressing the hilt in her

“Don’t f*****g lose it–”

save your friends. I’m

In the end, if it came to it, it would likely be me who

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

Eliza whispered as she examined the blade. “The

was a mountain lion at one point, yes. Do you have much experience with witches?” I shrugged off my vest and draped it over her

but I felt like there was something else in her tone, something I couldn’t decipher. Something, I realized a moment

she was in my presence. She was a rather short woman, the top of her head barely reaching my chest. But she was strong

touched it–I hadn’t been expecting

touch, opening for her. I hadn’t known it could do that, and I’d been carrying it around since

Aeris have her now. I needed her, especially if I wanted to live

pulled my shirt over my head, the chill of the

see me fully in the dim 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

began, crouching so I was looking into her eyes,

her head.

gaze for a moment, noticing the sudden apprehension in her eyes, then rose to my full height and backed out of the shelter of the low-lying trees and called to my wolf, praying silently that

she whispered, her voice lifted in what sounded

you,” I said hoarsely, hiding the pain now ebbing through my

am I,” she said, and her eyes were the last thing I saw before it all went dark, and I let the beast within me take hold, ripping me

***

to him within minutes of leaving Eliza alone in the woods against my better judgment, but it was the only option I had. Hellhounds were often extremely powerful animals in their own right, but

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

Brandt?’ I said down the