Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 65 : Hold On For Me * Jared*

I pulled my clothes back on, not even bothering to clean the blood off my body.It wasn't my own.It belonged to the three wolves now scattered in pieces near the center of the camp.I huffed a breath, adrenaline coursing through my body as I looked at the wolves.I'd practically skinned them alive, then sent that shadow after what remained.

Abe was staring at me from across their remains, his eyes darkened as he pulled his knife belt through his belt loops.

"ELIZA!"

I shouted, baring my teeth.Nothing.

Only the wind carried any noise toward us, and it was the sound of the river roaring nearby.

The silver wolf at my feet twitched as it succumbed to a painful death.

Good.

This one I'd taken my particular time with.

It had barreled into our camp reeking of Eliza, of her fear, but not of her blood.

She'd gotten away somehow.

"Gather what you can.

We need to go,"

I barked, glancing at Abe before gathering up my supplies and our bedrolls.

Eliza's boots and socks had been dragged in several different directions.

Her knife belt and vest were still there as well.

She was out there barefoot with no way to protect herself.

"lI have her scent,"

Abe stated, shrugging on his backpack.

"What do you want to do with them?"

He waved his hand over the pile of dead wolves.I shook my head.

"I don't care, leave them.Let them be an example to whoever is dumb enough to try to track us."

The silver wolf was obviously in control of the rogues; that was a bad sign.It meant whoever this wolf had been before I ripped it apart with my bare hands had been a witch of some kind.

Only Dark Witches ran with the rogues.But this witch wasn't Hestia, that was clear enough.

Hestia would have killed Abe and Eliza without so much as looking at them, and she didn't need soulless rogues to do her dirty work.

We left the camp and followed Eliza's scent roughly a mile toward the mountains where her scent abruptly ended, right at the river's edge.

"s**t," I breathed, looking up and down the river bank.

"Can she swim?" Abe said flatly, crossing his hands over his chest.

I was more worried about her freezing to death somewhere downstream.

"Yes, she can swim-"

and crying out for help.I didn't hesitate.I jumped into the river and threw my body into action, letting it carry me to the other side.I heard Abe's splash over the rapid as he

of our supplies would be soaked-all of our food and clothing.I didn't care.Her screams were like a flame

for me" I

air as I pulled myself out of the river and broke into a wet sprint in the direction of her voice.She was far, I knew that much.Her cries for help and agonizing screams were being carried

to Abe, who was panting a

as I sprinted forward, my paws thundering across the rocky forest floor.I didn't turn back to see whether or not Abe had stopped to pick up my things.I had to get to her, especially now that the forest went silent, the wind coming to an eerie stop.I found her

know.I didn't have a chance to give it much thought.I skidded to a stop, panting and staring wide-eyed at a circle of stones not unlike

the center

air was thick

and her hands resting palms up on her

in her bloodied hand, whirling, small pieces of blood-covered

open, blinking slowly like she

Abe of my

laying on the ground a

my usual

"Eliza!"

cried hoarsely, the extent of her injuries now clear as

hand was torn apart, the sharp inner pieces of the Cryptex penetrating her skin.Her mouth was slightly ajar as she stared forward through the circle and

like it was a part of her.She

down her cheek as I took her face between my

tears away from

But then

wasn't my

my ass as I looked down at her blood-covered

ink snaked up her wrist and arm, intertwined with ink the color of raw emeralds.I screamed her name, crawling back over to her and doing everything in my

Cryptex stopped whirling and the inner

surface.I

her breath

over her palm.I shook her by the shoulders and her eyes rolled back in

the f**k is

to a stop and dropping

desperate look over my shoulder as I gathered

eyes went wide as he

much

know, okay? We need a fire,

"Everything is wet!"

whispered a thankful prayer and he opened it and found the contents still dry-sterile bandages, ointment, needles

together sent a rush of

"DRAVEN!"

I screamed, seeing red.

are you? What did you

us whispered in answer, a burst of cold wind sending dry sticks and

need to get out of

hissed, kicking my backpack and belt toward

system nearby.I saw it when I was trying

cradling her in my arms

was freezing, cold to the

my power not

wrapping the Cryptex in a wet shirt

minutes were standing before a darkened fissure at the base

a look that told me he'd rather be home and warm in his bed than finding out whether of not this cave had

to my bare chest, praying she could