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-"

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 my body into action, letting it carry me to the other side.I heard Abe's splash over the

be soaked-all of our food and clothing.I didn't care.Her screams

for me" I

I pulled myself out of the river and broke into a wet sprint in the direction of her voice.She was far,

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

not Abe had stopped to pick up my things.I had to get to her,

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 stones not unlike the

in the center in pale silver light.It smelled overwhelmingly of

was thick

resting palms up on her knees.Her left hand and arm were

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

open, blinking

Abe

ground a few feet

I found as I shifted back to my usual form, pulling on a soaking wet shirt and pair of pants as I hurried over to

"Eliza!"

the extent of her injuries

her skin.Her mouth was slightly ajar as she stared forward through the circle and into the sparse birch forest.I knelt in front of her, inspecting her

like it was a part of her.She

down her cheek as I

I begged, wiping her tears away

then

it wasn't

on my ass as I looked down at her

emeralds.I screamed her name, crawling back over to her and doing everything in my

and the inner pieces slid free of

surface.I ripped apart my shirt,

was crying, her breath

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

the f**k

skidding to a

desperate look over my shoulder as I gathered

eyes went wide as he saw

too much

okay? We need a

"Everything is wet!"

backpacks.He pulled a leather pouch from his bag and whispered a thankful prayer and

together sent a rush of rage through me.How did

"DRAVEN!"

I screamed, seeing red.

What

in answer, a burst of cold wind sending dry sticks and debris showering over

need to get

kicking my backpack and belt toward

a cave system nearby.I saw it when I was trying

Eliza up, cradling her in

cold

took everything in my power not to scream and unleash

knelt, wrapping the Cryptex in a wet shirt before

darkened fissure at

breath, glancing at me with a look that told me he'd rather be home and warm in his bed than finding out whether of not

to my bare chest, praying she could feel the fevered