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-"

scream was carried on the wind, followed by Eliza's voice gasping and crying out for help.I didn't hesitate.I jumped into the river and threw

of our supplies would be soaked-all of our food and clothing.I didn't

for me" I

through the 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

shift!" I yelled back to Abe, who was panting a few paces behind

Abe had stopped to pick up my things.I had to get to her,

gotten there on foot in less than an hour, I didn't 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

the center in pale

air was

legs crossed and her hands resting palms up on her knees.Her left hand and arm

her bloodied hand, whirling, small pieces of

blinking slowly like she

Abe of my

was laying on the ground a few

of it, and I grabbed the first thing I found as I shifted back to my

"Eliza!"

hoarsely, the extent of her injuries now

slightly ajar as she stared forward through the circle and into the sparse birch forest.I knelt in front of

hand, but it was fixed in place like it was a part of her.She sucked in

her cheek as I took her

tears away from

right here-" But then I

wasn't my

from her, landing on my ass as I looked down at her blood-covered

arm, intertwined with ink the color of raw emeralds.I screamed her name, crawling back over to her and doing everything in my power to tear the Cryptex from her flesh.She didn't flinch.She didn't even move as I yanked on it, cursing

whirling and the inner pieces slid free of her,

now coating its bloodied surface.I ripped apart

crying, her breath coming in

sternly, tying the fabric in place over her palm.I shook her by the shoulders and her eyes rolled

the f**k

skidding to a stop and dropping

a desperate look over my shoulder as I gathered her to

eyes went wide as he saw the

too much

okay? We need a fire,

"Everything is wet!"

pulled a leather pouch from his bag and whispered a thankful prayer and he opened it and found the

her hand back together sent a rush of rage through me.How did this happen?

"DRAVEN!"

I screamed, seeing red.

bastard.Where are you? What

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

need to get out

kicking my backpack and belt

cave system nearby.I saw it when I was trying to find you.We can camp there and

picked Eliza up, cradling her in my arms like an

freezing, cold to the

my power not to scream and unleash my dark powers

a wet shirt before he

before a darkened fissure at the

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

gripped Eliza to my bare chest, praying she