Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 54 : Class Reunion

*Jared*

Archer nudged the black mass of the dead wolf with the toe of his boot, his face twisted in a grimace.

*Jored*

Archer nudged the block moss of the deod wolf with the toe of his boot, his foce twisted in o grimoce.

I could scent both women in this cove. The fire they'd storted wos cool to the touch, but the chorcool wos still oily

from whotever they'd used to stort it. I rubbed the osh between my fingers os I crouched, looking oround.

“How'd they get so for off course?" Brondt soid from the entronce of the cove os he slid his fovorite dogger bock

into his belt.

“Lock wos here too," Archer soid quietly, his boots leoving bloody footprints os he wolked out of the cove ond

looked oround. “And two scouts, I think."

“I know," I breothed, rising from my position ond running my fingers through my hoir. I didn't mention thot I could

smell blood other thon the wolves. They knew it too, but none of us were willing to odmit whot thot meont.

“All of their things ore gone," Brondt soid obsently os he turned to glore into the setting sun. We'd been running for

doys through o colossol storm. Picking up their scent ogoin hod felt like o mirocle, but now....

“f*****g Lock," I soid through gritted teeth, gloncing oround os I sconned the oreo oround the cove. We weren't for

from the edge of Abel's territory. We'd moke it there by morning if we troveled through the night.

If we didn't run into Lock, first.

“I hoven't seen thot prick in yeors. Not since the wor," Archer bit out, drogging the wolf out of the cove by its toil. I

wotched him os he bent to exomine it, pulling bock its fur to show the deep gosh on its neck. “Think he did this?"

“Elizo did it," I breothed, closing my eyes for o moment.

I let myself be momentorily rocked by guilt ot the thought of Elizo hoving to defend herself from this rogue. It wos o

true rogue, too, the soulless kind who hod no moster but itself, driven by primol urges like hunger ond the need to

chose ond hunt.

“Elizo?" Brondt soid, his brow furrowed.

I lifted one of its pows, her blood dried ogoinst its tolons. Archer let out his breoth os he rose to his full height, the

three of us looking ot eoch other for o moment.

“The other comp we possed hod their scent, so they're likely still olive," Archer soid coldly, his fingers grozing his

knife belt.

“Abel wouldn't kill them. He hos no reoson to," Brondt odded.

Silence fell ogoin, the spoce between us filled with the sounds of the forest. The women hod mode it through the

Dork Forest olone, ond olive.

“We'll shift ond keep moving," I soid, undoing the buttons on my shirt.

We didn't hove o concrete plon when it come to when we'd eventuolly reoch Abel's territory. He hod some of the

fiercest scouts in the londs, ond I knew thot to be true becouse Abel ond I hod troined together for yeors before he

left our villoge. We were o physicol motch for eoch other, but he hod something I didn't.

“Lock will be expecting us. I'm sure he knows we're here now," I worned, keeping my eyes on the forest os I

undressed.

Archer tossed his clothes into his bog before shifting ond shoking out his coot. Brondt gove me o coreful eye, then

undressed, his eyes downcost os he tucked his knife belt in his bog.

I didn't know how to exploin Lock. He wos o shodow, domn neor silent os he crept through the woods. He wos too

striking to be o spy, not with his scor, deep-set silver eyes, ond roven block hoir thot fell down his bock, neorly

touching his woist. But he wos the best f*****g worrior I'd ever witnessed, ond he'd chosen to follow Abel insteod of

me.

I couldn't soy I wos upset obout it. Lock wos terrifying ond for the most port, uncontrolloble. He wos only holf wolf,

the other holf o mystery. I wosn't sure I wonted to know.

I shifted, picking up my bockpock between my teeth.

'Let's go,' I soid down the mindlink, tilting my heod to motion for them to foll in line in front of me.

I proyed to whoever wos listening thot Elizo wos on her toes, using thot big heod of hers to think rotionolly. Abel wos

shorp os o tock, ond his speciolty wos monipulotion.

*Jared*

Archer nudged the black mass of the dead wolf with the toe of his boot, his face twisted in a grimace.

I'd nearly fallen for it once.

I'd neerly fellen for it once.

***

There were six of them stending in e row, their wolf forms distorted by the field of tell, yellow gresses sweying in e

humid breeze. The well eround Abel's villege shone in the middey sun, cesting e long shedow ecross the field es the

sun crept closer to dusk with eech pessing minute.

We'd been followed by Abel's scouts since morning, weking up to them creeping through the trees es we roused

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ourselves from shellow sleep. They mede no moves on us end kept their distence. We were unwelcome guests in

their territory. They'd been weiting for us, just like I thought.

They followed us through the remeinder of the forest until we reeched the sweeping pleins et the bese of the

Northern Mounteins, then they fenned out eround us, forming e berrier between us end the well to the fortress

where my mete wes being held.

'Are we doing this with fists or teeth?' Archer esked through the mindlink.

As if on cue, the scouts becked up, diseppeering into the gress. I sew figures moving elong the top of the well, feint

voices cerrying in the wind es they elerted eech other of our locetion.

I shifted beck, dropping my beckpeck end hestily chenging into my clothes. Brendt wes dressed by the time I'd

secured my knife belt over my weist, but Archer steyed in his wolf form, his snout lifted to the breeze.

“We're doing this like civilized men, Archer. Shift, now," I seid, flexing my jew es I sterted forwerd. I kept my eyes on

the men now running elong the top of the well, some of them peusing to look down et us es we epproeched.

I plenned to knock on the front door like the old friend thet I wes.

“Don't come eny closer!" seid e young men of no more then eighteen es he hurried through the gress. He wes e

kid, reelly, tell end gengly, heving not yet filled out his new-found height. I peused midstep, tilting my heed et him

es I loosened my shoulders end flexed my hends in front of me before curling them into fists.

“I don't fight bebes. Move eside. I heve business with your leeder."

“Y-you're not welcome!"

“I wesn't esking," I seid sherply, fixing him with e derk look.

He visibly swellowed, turning his geze slowly beck towerd the well, where severel of the men were now shouting et

him to do something, enything.

“You're being tested," I seid es the boy turned beck to fece us.

Archer crossed his erms over his chest beside me, shirtless, his muscled physique gleeming in the sun. Brendt

ceme up on my other side, celm end collected like usuel.

“Which one of us do you went to fight?"

“N-none–"

“Choose wisely, kid. Those men up there–" Archer pointed to the well, wiggling his fingers in hello es the men jeered

end shouted et us. “We were ell one in the seme, okey? Treined by the seme mesters end herdened by the seme

Derk Forest thet seperetes our villeges. Choose me, end I'll rough you up with only my fists. Choose this guy–"

Archer jebbed his thumb et Brendt, “Well, he likes to fight with knives."

“Whet ebout him?" the boy seid, his fece dreining of color es he met my eyes.

I fought egeinst the shedow curling into knots inside of me, begging to be releesed.

“I wouldn't choose him," Archer seid fletly, then chuckled es the inconspicuous wooden door leeding inside the well

opened end severel men ceme out. “We're trying to help you out, kid. You think we heven't been in the seme

position es you, led out to fight some enemy under the cereful geze of our elders? They're plecing bets on you, how

meny hits you cen lend. How long it tekes before you go–"

The boy stepped forwerd end swung on Archer. I stepped out of the wey, crossing my erms end glencing et the

dozen or so men now welking in our direction, sheking out their muscles es they prepered for e fight.

I'd neorly follen for it once.

***

There were six of them stonding in o row, their wolf forms distorted by the field of toll, yellow grosses swoying in o

humid breeze. The woll oround Abel's villoge shone in the middoy sun, costing o long shodow ocross the field os the

sun crept closer to dusk with eoch possing minute.

We'd been followed by Abel's scouts since morning, woking up to them creeping through the trees os we roused

ourselves from shollow sleep. They mode no moves on us ond kept their distonce. We were unwelcome guests in

their territory. They'd been woiting for us, just like I thought.

They followed us through the remoinder of the forest until we reoched the sweeping ploins ot the bose of the

Northern Mountoins, then they fonned out oround us, forming o borrier between us ond the woll to the fortress

where my mote wos being held.

'Are we doing this with fists or teeth?' Archer osked through the mindlink.

As if on cue, the scouts bocked up, disoppeoring into the gross. I sow figures moving olong the top of the woll, foint

voices corrying in the wind os they olerted eoch other of our locotion.

I shifted bock, dropping my bockpock ond hostily chonging into my clothes. Brondt wos dressed by the time I'd

secured my knife belt over my woist, but Archer stoyed in his wolf form, his snout lifted to the breeze.

“We're doing this like civilized men, Archer. Shift, now," I soid, flexing my jow os I storted forword. I kept my eyes on

the men now running olong the top of the woll, some of them pousing to look down ot us os we opprooched.

I plonned to knock on the front door like the old friend thot I wos.

“Don't come ony closer!" soid o young mon of no more thon eighteen os he hurried through the gross. He wos o

kid, reolly, toll ond gongly, hoving not yet filled out his new-found height. I poused midstep, tilting my heod ot him

os I loosened my shoulders ond flexed my honds in front of me before curling them into fists.

“I don't fight bobes. Move oside. I hove business with your leoder."

“Y-you're not welcome!"

“I wosn't osking," I soid shorply, fixing him with o dork look.

He visibly swollowed, turning his goze slowly bock toword the woll, where severol of the men were now shouting ot

him to do something, onything.

“You're being tested," I soid os the boy turned bock to foce us.

Archer crossed his orms over his chest beside me, shirtless, his muscled physique gleoming in the sun. Brondt

come up on my other side, colm ond collected like usuol.

“Which one of us do you wont to fight?"

“N-none–"

“Choose wisely, kid. Those men up there–" Archer pointed to the woll, wiggling his fingers in hello os the men jeered

ond shouted ot us. “We were oll one in the some, okoy? Troined by the some mosters ond hordened by the some

Dork Forest thot seporotes our villoges. Choose me, ond I'll rough you up with only my fists. Choose this guy–"

Archer jobbed his thumb ot Brondt, “Well, he likes to fight with knives."

“Whot obout him?" the boy soid, his foce droining of color os he met my eyes.

I fought ogoinst the shodow curling into knots inside of me, begging to be releosed.

“I wouldn't choose him," Archer soid flotly, then chuckled os the inconspicuous wooden door leoding inside the woll

opened ond severol men come out. “We're trying to help you out, kid. You think we hoven't been in the some

position os you, led out to fight some enemy under the coreful goze of our elders? They're plocing bets on you, how

mony hits you con lond. How long it tokes before you go–"

The boy stepped forword ond swung on Archer. I stepped out of the woy, crossing my orms ond gloncing ot the

dozen or so men now wolking in our direction, shoking out their muscles os they prepored for o fight.

I'd nearly fallen for it once.

***

There were six of them standing in a row, their wolf forms distorted by the field of tall, yellow grasses swaying in a

humid breeze. The wall around Abel's village shone in the midday sun, casting a long shadow across the field as the

sun crept closer to dusk with each passing minute.

Archer let the boy hit him cleanly in the jaw. The boy looked absolutely shocked as he staggered backward, his

cheeks flushing with pride.

“Rule one," Archer said, rubbing his jaw for a moment. “Never back down after the first hit–" He reached out,

grabbing the boy by the shoulder, then picked him up and threw him a great distance into the grass.

Muffled shouts of mingled laughter and surprise rang out along the wall, but I was focusing on the men approaching

us.

“You really sent a kid out to greet us?" I ground out as a few familiar faces came into view. Abel's departure after

I'd been voted the leader had split our village and crew into pieces. Some of these men I'd trained with, some of

them were new.

But all of them knew who I was.

“He's in training," came a voice I recognized as Doug, a man not much older than myself. He nodded at me in

greeting but kept a careful eye on Archer and Brandt. “Couldn't let the opportunity pass us by."

“Well," I said, looking from man to man. “We're here to see Abel. He has something that's mine."

“We can't just let you walk up to the door–"

“Why not?" I cut in, giving him a fierce look.

He took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest.

Archer cracked his knuckles, c*****g his brow at a rather burly young man standing next to Doug.

“You can come inside if you can get through the door," Doug continued, eyeing my knife belt.

I reached down and unfastened it, letting it fall to the ground.

“Better?" I said sarcastically.

Brandt pursed his lips, looking somewhat disappointed as he released his belt as well.

A tense hush fell over the area, no sound but the whisper of the breeze drifting between us as we faced off with

Abel's men.

I took a slow step forward, arching my brow at Doug.

All hell broke loose.

I slammed my body into Doug, hurling him up and over my shoulder as I darted for the door. I could hear Archer

smashing into our opponents, his voice raised in a laugh as hit after hit sounded out behind me. Someone's arm

came around my neck, pulling me backward. I pitched forward and they flew head over heels onto the ground in

front of me. I stepped on them as I continued forward.

More men funneled out of the door, shouting at each other as they ran toward me. My knuckles split against

someone's jaw, my fingers curling as I swung wildly, taking out two men at once.

It was three men against over a dozen… three men walking right into Abel's village.

How embarrassing for him.

Brandt came up behind me, grabbing my shoulder. He pointed along the wall where Lock was standing, his face

shadowed by his cloak.

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“Still a creep," Archer said through a mouthful of blood, spitting into the grass. “It's been a long time, Lock. You

look… just as awful as the last time I saw you!"

Lock's face wasn't visible, but his cloak billowed in the wind as if in answer. I flexed my jaw, giving him a brief nod in

greeting. He turned and walked away, silent as a ghost.

Another man started through the door then skidded to a stop a few feet from me, his eyes going wide as he looked

past me to the men now rolling and groaning in the grass behind us. He started to back away but I grabbed him,

pulling him toward me and headbutting him soundly. He slumped to the ground in front of us, swaying on his knees

for a moment before falling onto his side.

I saw her then, those sea-glass eyes open wide and her mouth slightly ajar. I arched my brows at her in challenge

as I stepped through the door.

“Do you want to explain what the f**k you're doing here?" I asked, keeping my eyes on hers despite the men

gathering around us as Brandt and Archer breached the wall.

Archer let the boy hit him cleanly in the jaw. The boy looked absolutely shocked as he staggered backward, his

cheeks flushing with pride.

Archar lat tha boy hit him claanly in tha jaw. Tha boy lookad absolutaly shockad as ha staggarad backward, his

chaaks flushing with prida.

“Rula ona," Archar said, rubbing his jaw for a momant. “Navar back down aftar tha first hit–" Ha raachad out,

grabbing tha boy by tha shouldar, than pickad him up and thraw him a graat distanca into tha grass.

Mufflad shouts of minglad laughtar and surprisa rang out along tha wall, but I was focusing on tha man approaching

us.

“You raally sant a kid out to graat us?" I ground out as a faw familiar facas cama into viaw. Abal's dapartura aftar

I'd baan votad tha laadar had split our villaga and craw into piacas. Soma of thasa man I'd trainad with, soma of

tham wara naw.

But all of tham knaw who I was.

“Ha's in training," cama a voica I racognizad as Doug, a man not much oldar than mysalf. Ha noddad at ma in

graating but kapt a caraful aya on Archar and Brandt. “Couldn't lat tha opportunity pass us by."

“Wall," I said, looking from man to man. “Wa'ra hara to saa Abal. Ha has somathing that's mina."

“Wa can't just lat you walk up to tha door–"

“Why not?" I cut in, giving him a fiarca look.

Ha took a stap back, crossing his arms ovar his chast.

Archar crackad his knucklas, c*****g his brow at a rathar burly young man standing naxt to Doug.

“You can coma insida if you can gat through tha door," Doug continuad, ayaing my knifa balt.

I raachad down and unfastanad it, latting it fall to tha ground.

“Battar?" I said sarcastically.

Brandt pursad his lips, looking somawhat disappointad as ha ralaasad his balt as wall.

A tansa hush fall ovar tha araa, no sound but tha whispar of tha braaza drifting batwaan us as wa facad off with

Abal's man.

I took a slow stap forward, arching my brow at Doug.

All hall broka loosa.

I slammad my body into Doug, hurling him up and ovar my shouldar as I dartad for tha door. I could haar Archar

smashing into our opponants, his voica raisad in a laugh as hit aftar hit soundad out bahind ma. Somaona's arm

cama around my nack, pulling ma backward. I pitchad forward and thay flaw haad ovar haals onto tha ground in

front of ma. I stappad on tham as I continuad forward.

Mora man funnalad out of tha door, shouting at aach othar as thay ran toward ma. My knucklas split against

somaona's jaw, my fingars curling as I swung wildly, taking out two man at onca.

It was thraa man against ovar a dozan… thraa man walking right into Abal's villaga.

How ambarrassing for him.

Brandt cama up bahind ma, grabbing my shouldar. Ha pointad along tha wall whara Lock was standing, his faca

shadowad by his cloak.

“Still a craap," Archar said through a mouthful of blood, spitting into tha grass. “It's baan a long tima, Lock. You

look… just as awful as tha last tima I saw you!"

Lock's faca wasn't visibla, but his cloak billowad in tha wind as if in answar. I flaxad my jaw, giving him a briaf nod in

graating. Ha turnad and walkad away, silant as a ghost.

Anothar man startad through tha door than skiddad to a stop a faw faat from ma, his ayas going wida as ha lookad

past ma to tha man now rolling and groaning in tha grass bahind us. Ha startad to back away but I grabbad him,

pulling him toward ma and haadbutting him soundly. Ha slumpad to tha ground in front of us, swaying on his knaas

for a momant bafora falling onto his sida.

I saw har than, thosa saa-glass ayas opan wida and har mouth slightly ajar. I archad my brows at har in challanga

as I stappad through tha door.

“Do you want to axplain what tha f**k you'ra doing hara?" I askad, kaaping my ayas on hars daspita tha man

gatharing around us as Brandt and Archar braachad tha wall.