Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 42 : Are You Trying to Kill Me?

“HEY!" Jared's voice boomed through the area, ricocheting off the nearby buildings as I brought Carmen to her

knees. She looked up at me, her eyes glowing with the first hints of transformation.

Jared yanked me backward by the collar of my shirt, dragging us apart while Brandt took Carmen roughly by the

arm and led her in the opposite direction. She was screaming profanities that would have made even the most

hardened pirate blush. I would have been impressed if I hadn't been absolutely burning with rage.

“What the f**k is going on?" Jared snarled, turning me to face him.

I fought out of his grip, pushing him away. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins and I was panting, totally

unable to control my breath. I swatted him away again as he reached out to me, but he didn't flinch. He took my

face in his hands, turning me from side to side as he inspected the damage I couldn't yet feel.

“She called Scarlett a used-up breeder," I said as I fought for air. “I didn't like that."

“I could tell," he said in a low whisper, running his thumb over the bridge of my nose.

I hissed in a breath, meeting his eyes. “That hurts–"

“It's not broken," he said, a wry smile touching his lips. “You might have broken hers, though."

I peer over his shoulder at the group of men lingering behind him, all of whom were chuckling and talking in low

voices about what had just happened.

“I didn't know you could fight like that," Jared said, dropping his hands.

“I've never punched anyone before," I admitted, flexing my hands. The knuckles on my right hand were raw, likely

split open from the impact with her jaw. I was starting to feel it now, every bruise and scrape. I'd feel it for days.

The pain ignited some deep within, a buried fury that I'd been trying to stifle since the day we left Suncrest. I

stepped away from him, glaring as I slowly turned to Scarlett, who was hovering nearby, hugging herself.

“Are you alright?" I asked.

She only nodded, looking more pale than usual.

I turned back to Jared, letting every raw, unfiltered emotion show on my face. “I'm going inside," I said, and walked

away before he could protest.

I put my arm around Scarlett's shoulder as the group of men parted to let us pass.

“Thank you," Scarlett whispered, her voice quivering.

“No one gets to talk to us like that, okay?" I replied, meeting her eyes.

She nodded, giving me a soft smile as we neared the house. Miriam appeared on the front porch, her face washed

with frustration as she tied her robe around her middle.

“Oh, for the love of Lycaon, what happened now?"

***

I could hear Miriam ripping into Jared from behind the bathroom door. I sank lower into the bathtub, drowning out

the sound of their lifted voices as the water swirled around me. Everything hurt. I was going to feel like hell

tomorrow.

I felt like hell now, and knowing I was about to get an earful from Jared only made it worse.

He opened the bathroom door, staring down at me as he lingered in the doorway. I slumped into the water until I

was consumed by it completely and held myself there for several seconds, opening my eyes beneath the surface

and watching as his distorted figure moved across the room to lean on the vanity, his arms crossed over his chest.

“You're absolutely feral, you know that?" he said as I dramatically broke the surface, smoothing my hair away from

my face. “She could have killed you."

“If she's so dangerous," I said tersely, grabbing a bar of soap off the side of the tub, “then why is she allowed to

roam freely around the village?"

Jared flexed his jaw, tapping his fingers on his arm as he looked me over. I hadn't bothered to look in the mirror. I

could only imagine what I looked like right now. I could feel my heartbeat in my nose, for Goddess's sake.

“I think she was planted by Aeris, a spy. That's part of her skillset and–"

“Well, obviously," I snapped, roughly soaping up a rag. “Are you just figuring that out?"

“Eliza–"

“I'm not even going to repeat the things she said to me," I cut in, struggling to swallow past the painful lump in my

throat. I'd only half convinced myself that I'd gone berserk on Carmen because she was incredibly mean to Scarlett,

not because I was jealous of her past relationship with Jared.

She'd picked up on that, though. She knew exactly what to say to make me angry.

“If I had known you were going into the village–"

“You would have told me I couldn't go, right? Because you don't trust me–"

“This has nothing to do with trust!"

“Then what the f**k is going on, Jared?"

We stared at each other for a moment, a blanket of tension settling over the room. He bit down on the inside of his

cheek, his eyes narrowing before he finally surrendered and kicked off the vanity, pulling a stool next to the tub.

“Carmen was here when I first arrived in this village, looking for work." he sat down, resting his elbows on his knees.

“She was the daughter of an Alpha but ended up working here, in the house, for Miriam." He dipped his fingers in

the water, swirling the bubbled surface. “I was fifteen when I came here. I had nowhere else to go, no way to take

care of myself. I was hungry, tired. I proved myself in the ring and joined the crew."

“What does this have to do with Carmen?"

“I'm getting there," he said, flicking me with water. “Carmen was a kitchen maid and notorious with the younger

men who lived in the village, the ultimate prize. She's a couple years older than me. I didn't give in for a while, but

like I said… I was young, stupid, starving for attention and glory. She… used me in a lot of different ways, took

advantage of me when I started climbing the ranks and eventually took over the pack and the village. I started to

use her skillset, taking her on bounty hunts. She is responsible for securing half my collection of artifacts."

I rested my chin on my knees.

“I took her to Suncrest shortly after I turned twenty-one and had a few months under my belt when it came to

running the village. I knew Aeris from my childhood and thought we could form a professional alliance. He was

more interested in using me to overthrow my brother. I refused, of course, but when Carmen found out who I really

was she just… couldn't let it go. That whole trip she was begging me, going as far as to try to manipulate me into

accepting Aeris's offer to help put me on the throne. I came home and she broke into my study one night. I caught

her doing it. I forced her out of the village the next day and haven't seen her since."

He looked down at me, a brief smile touching his lips.

“As the daughter of an Alpha, even a late one… she had a chip on her shoulder. She used that to for own gain to

access the courts of nearby territories. She's been married twice, from what I've heard. She's secured herself quite

a fortune. How she ended up a prisoner of Aeris… I need to find that out, which is why I gave her freedom to roam

around today. I had people watching her, of course. I needed to find out what she was up to, what she was

planning."

“And now?"

“Now… she's being kept in one of the cottages, locked in and guarded. She won't be able to get out until I'm ready

to talk to her. My guess is she's working for Aeris in some capacity."

“She's not going to talk," I said firmly. I'd seen the look in her eyes before I swung on her. She was solid,

unbreakable. Maybe in a way, I was the most jealous of that.

“She will," he said with conviction, giving me a careful look before taking the soapy rag from my hands. “I'm not the

same man I was three years ago. She hasn't seen the full extent of my dark powers, not since I've been losing my

wolf for a few years now." He ran the rag over my arm, then down my back. I softened against his touch, closing

my eyes for a moment.

“No one gets to touch you like that," he said, his voice edged with silent, stifled fury.

“I think I handled it okay," I replied, giving him a weak smile.

“I think you should go to the sparring ring tomorrow," he said, dipping the rag back in the water. “You're tough. You

took a fist to the nose and got right back up."

I tilted my head to allow him access to my neck. The water was perfect, and smelled richly of pine and sandalwood

soap. Miriam had dumped a bag of what looked like salt into the bath, which stung my split knuckles a bit.

His fingertips brushed over my skin, lingering on the back of my neck for a moment before he rose from the stool

and began taking off his clothes.

“What're you doing?" I asked, pressing my knees against my chest.

He practically jumped into the bathtub, water splashing over the sides as he sunk into the water. He seemed

pleased with himself, a boyish smile touching one side of his mouth.

“You're filthy, and you're cleaning all of that water up when you–"

I yelped in surprise as he pulled me into his chest, turning me around so my back was flush against him. He held me

there for a moment, the water roiling like an incoming tide.

“This bathtub isn't big enough for two," he said, resting his arms on the sides.

“Yet there's two people in it," I replied curtly, toying with the rag.

“I told Miriam I was going to take care of you tonight," he said softly, a hint of… regret, in his voice.

I turned to look up at him, noticing the gleam in his eyes. “Miriam's pretty mad at you–"

“She told me if this curse doesn't kill me, she will."

I snorted with mirth, turning back around and allowing myself to melt against him. Jared ran hot when that shadow

wasn't tormenting him, and I could have sworn his fevered body heated the tub a few degrees. Steam danced

above the water's surface, fogging up the mirror on the far wall.

I leaned my cheek against his arm and took a risk.

“I've never looked at them this closely," I whispered, trailing my fingers over the intricate tattoos that ran up the

length of his arms. They swirled and wove themselves in a startling pattern. I could see… mountains, I believed,

tucked between two veins of pure black ink. Stars flaked his skin, a waxing crescent moon… I turned to the other

arm, curiosity bubbling through me as I adjusted my position on his lap.

He grunted, blowing out his breath as my ass and thighs brushed against his skin. He reached under the water,

resting his hands on the curve of my hips as I traced the lines on his other arm, totally oblivious to the intimacy of

the moment. Scars broke through the tattoos on the left side of his body. He likely shielded himself with this arm

while wielding a sword or dagger with the other.

I adjusted my position again, following the tattoos up to his shoulder, where they began to stretch across his chest.

He let out his breath again, gripping my hips.

“Are you trying to kill me?" he breathed.

I could feel his need against my skin, rigid and wanting.

“Sorry," I grinned. “You just said this tub isn't big enough for two."

We were so close now, my face only inches from his. I reached up to brush back one of the dark curls touching his

brow, my fingertips lingering on the sharp planes of his face.

I kissed him, slow and deep, and every feeling of fear and longing rushed to the forefront of my mind. His hands

moved from the underside of my knees all the way up to my hips.

“Come to bed with me," he whispered against my lips.