Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 36 : What Happened to Them

*Soren*

Mila raced up the steps and I was hot on her heels. I glanced around at the bodies and realized this was the burnt

out remains of a pack house. It was the pack members' bodies all over the lawn, their blood staining the walls.

I slowed slightly and took a closer look around.

If this was a pack house, then the couple we'd seen playing with their child on the swing were the alpha and luna.

There was no doubt in my mind. This was their pack and it had been decimated.

Worse than that, I suspected this was Mila's birth pack, which meant those two were her parents.

The only thing I couldn't figure out was why the girl had bouncing, curly blond hair as a little girl but now, as an

adult, she had soft, brunette hair.

The rest of it made sense. Her parents and their pack had been wiped out, which was why she'd been orphaned. If

the pack had survived, someone else would have raised her as the daughter of an alpha and luna. Instead, she'd

been left to fend for herself.

I hadn't been sure what we were seeing was a memory of Mila's family until I saw the tears in her eyes and the

reaction she had when she saw the mansion destroyed.

It must have been shocking to look back on the loving family she'd lost, especially compared to the horrible

upbringing she'd had with her foster mother. Finding out the truth wasn't always a blessing.

Mila had needed to know who she was. And now, she did, but was that enough?

Inside the mansion, Mila sobbed and looked around.

“Where are they? They were just here! What happened to them?" she mumbled to herself, looking at the different

bodies lying around.

I stood near the door, letting her look. She needed space to process this. I couldn't force her to come to terms with

it.

My ears pricked up and I heard voices outside.

“I don't understand! What happened to them? They were strong enough to fight this," she wailed.

“Mila!" I snapped. I grabbed her and pulled her down so we were crouching near a broken window. I put my hand

over her mouth. “Shh, listen. There are people outside, they might tell us more. But you need to calm down."

I felt Mila swallow and she nodded against my hand.

Slowly, I released her mouth but I kept my arm around her, pinned against me as we listened. If we were going to

find out what happened here, we had to collect all the information we could.

Mila sighed and relaxed against me.

Smirking, I brushed her cheek with my fingers. “Good girl."

It was good to know that she could snap out of an emotional haze and be calm when it was required.

I eased my arm around her waist and lifted my head just enough to peer over the broken window. I didn't think

these memory people could see us. It wasn't like we could change the past in a dream. We were just observing.

Of course, that was just a theory.

There were two burly, greasy shifters outside. They were searching the dead bodies, stripping them of valuables,

and stuffing their treasures in sacks.

I sniffed and shook my head.

“Disgusting," I muttered.

“What?" Mila asked, looking over the window. She gasped and covered her mouth.

One of the men had an unusual tattoo on his face. It made him very noticeable.

The other man was missing an eye and his face was covered in a scraggly, gray beard.

“Where the f**k would she have hidden it? We searched the mansion and all the dead bodies… So, where is it?"

tattoo-face snarled.

“Who knows… we've tried everything possible to… entice her to talk. But that b***h won't say anything! She hardly

even screams, which is so boring," one-eye grumbled.

“What does this thing even look like?" one-eye asked gruffly. He kicked one of the bodies disrespectfully.

“I don't know. Alpha just said 'artifact.' I guess that means it is shiny and fancy looking," one-eye answered,

shrugging. “Damn! Check this out."

He ripped the hand right off a dead body and held it out to his tattooed friend.

“s**t, that's a nice ring," tattoo-face agreed with a smug grin.

“If I could just…" The one-eye shifter snapped the finger off the severed hand and pocketed the ring. Laughing, he

tossed the hand aside.

So, they were searching for the artifact, and they had no problem defiling dead bodies and stealing from the dead

to get what they were after.

I glanced at Mila. Her face was pale. She must have known something more than she'd told me.

It wasn't the time to ask.

“I heard that b***h was stubborn. Is it true they cut off both her arms and legs to get her to talk?" tattoo-face

asked.

“They sure did," one-eye said, licking his lips.

“And she still didn't say anything?"

One-eye chuckled. “Not a peep. She barely even grunted in pain. I couldn't believe it! There I was, watching them

cut into her. The interrogators were having so much fun, I really wanted to join."

Beside me, Mila tensed and I saw her fists clench and shake.

“I was hoping they'd give me a chance with her before her limbs were cut off. You know, get in on that f**k action.

It's not often you get to f**k a witch… But after they cut her up… That's just nasty!" the one-eyed shifter

complained.

“Man, that would have been a nice ass to get my hands on… too bad she's all stumpy now."

I frowned and glanced at Mila.

Her eyes were bloodshot, nostrils flaring. She winced as the shifters began laughing.

Before I could stop her, Mila roared and ran out the front door of the mansion.

I raced after her as she picked up a sword lying beside the nearest body.

Swinging the sword and slicing at the air, Mila roared and raced toward the men.

“I'LL KILL YOU, YOU BASTARDS!" she shouted, the sword flailing around.

“Mila!" I called after her.

She was out of my reach.

When the two shifters just kept laughing and shaking their heads, Mila stopped charging. Her arms dropped to her

sides and the sword slid to the ground.

I reached her side and put a hand on her shoulder.

“We're just figments here, remember? Ghosts… This has already happened. You can't change it, you can't influence

it," I reminded her.

Mila scoffed and went up to the one-eyed creep. She tried to punch him and her hand went right through his head.

Sighing, her entire body sagged and she stepped back.

“We're just here to watch and listen," I said, putting my arm around her shoulders.

“Well, you know, if she's too tore up to be pleasurable, I heard she has a daughter," tattoo-face said through

chuckles.

Mila's face went paper white again and I squeezed her against me.

“Ugh. Come on, man. That's a f*****g child!" one-eye groaned and scoffed.

“True. But children grow up. She might have her mother's looks, and all her limbs," tattoo-face laughed again.

“That's something. But not anything that helps right now," one-eye growled. He grabbed his crotch obscenely.

“She might have information. Little kids see things, you know?" tattoo-face asked.

“I'm sure she did know something, which is why her brutal mother made sure she'd never talk.".

They resumed picking through the dead bodies and stripping them of their valuables.

“What do you mean, 'did'?"

“That Jessica b***h, she's f*****g ruthless! I heard she burnt the little witch to death," one-eye explained.

“Her own daughter?" tattoo-face asked, looking more impressed than concerned.

“Yeah. Apparently, she thought it would protect her or something," one-eye said, shrugging.

“Well, I guess we'll have to keep looking for the artifact," tattoo-face groaned.

“Easier said than done," one-eye grumbled. “Nobody knows what it looks like, let alone where it is."

“If that's true, why are all the alphas going nuts over it? I mean… it must do something," tattoo grumbled.

“If rumors are to be believed, it could possibly raise the dead or give the owner endless power. Maybe even both,"

one-eye said gruffly.

“What!?" tattoo objected.

“Yeah. I heard our alpha wants it to resurrect our dead luna. The love of his life," one-eye suggested.

“No s**t!" tattoo-face said, his eyes glowing greedily as he licked his lips.

“Whether it is real or not, does it matter? With this many people after it, all these big shots, we'll be dead before we

get our hands on it," one-eye said.

“Yeah, for real. We're not going to find it here. What do you want to do?"

One-eye smirked and held his sack up. “We just made a fortune off this loot. Let's get the hell out of here and enjoy

it."

Tattoo-face agreed with a Cheshire grin and the two of them hurried off into the burned woods.

I frowned as they disappeared. Could they be any more disgusting?

When I glanced at Mila, I saw her face was covered with tears.

She sniffled and wiped them away.

Suddenly, like she forgot she left the stove on, she ran back into the mansion.

I groaned and ran after her. I followed her into the basement of the mansion. She pushed open a secret door at the

back of the basement and disappeared inside.

How had she known that was there?

I followed her into the hidden chamber.

Mila was already kneeling on the dirty floor. In front of her was a small bundle of fabric on the floor. The bundle

groaned and a little girl emerged. Her clothes were burned but her skin wasn't. She looked weak, barely alive.

It was the same girl we'd been swinging with her father in the garden. Only this time, her hair wasn't golden and

curly, it was the same reddish-brown color as Mila's hair.

Mila sniffled and I knelt down beside her. I touched her shoulder and she pulled away.

“M-my m-mother… she t-tricked them with spells… m-made them believe I-I was burned to d-death and h-hid me

here… sh-she disguised m-me so…"

She sobbed into her hands.

I wrapped an arm around her, my heart aching in my chest. This time, she didn't pull away and I hugged her tightly.

“This is all in the past," I murmured. “It isn't real."

I stroked her hair and hugged her close.

The little bundle wiggled and the child pushed the charred blankets away. She yawned and looked around,

confused.

Shrugging, the child got up and went to a basement window. She pulled herself up and climbed out.

“Wait!" Mila called after her. She reached out and grabbed air.

The girl didn't react.

“Come on," I said. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. Together, we followed after the little girl.