Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 700

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 700

Chapter 47 : I Would Love to Go

*Soren*

We got Mila back to the inn and I stayed beside her, waiting for her to wake up. Dr. Lee examinedher and assured me that she hadn't been sexually assaulted and that she should make a fullrecovery, physically. He also assured me the poison hadn't spread too far.

But she was still asleep. I didn't know why and I wasn't taking my eyes off of her until I knew for surethat she was going to be okay.

Lee set her up with an IV to keep her hydrated and nourish her since she was so malnourished fromher captivity.

I pulled a chair up beside the bed and held a book in my lap, my eyelids drooping repeatedly. Everytime my eyes closed, I opened them quickly and bobbed awake.

Knock. Knock.

I looked to the door as Thomas let himself in.

"Soren, you look like ass,” Thomas said.

Grunting, I closed my book and set it aside.

“Thanks?” I asked.

“You've got to get some rest, man. First, you nearly drain yourself of blood, then rush off to saveMila before fully recovering. You haven't slept for more than two days. Do you think you're still inyour twenties?” Thomas chastised.

“I'm fine,” I muttered. I rubbed the back of my neck.

"You don't look fine, and it definitely doesn't smell fine in here.” Thomas waved a hand in front ofhis face. “When was the last time you showered?”

“Are you here to be constructive or just insult me?” I growled.

Thomas smirked. “Alpha, can I say something?”

"Only if you stop calling me that,” I growled, sighing heavily.

After all the years we'd known each other, Thomas wasn't just my Beta. Or, would have been myBeta if I'd accepted my role as Alpha. He was my best friend.

I knew him as well as I knew myself and he wouldn't be so serious if he wasn't actually concernedabout me.

Like me, Thomas valued freedom. He didn't like being tied down, which is why he never bugged meabout going back and becoming an Alpha. He didn’t urge me to settle down or take on moreresponsibility.

Out of everyone else in my life, Thomas understood me and wouldn't speak out against me or mychoices unless he had a real reason to object.

“Go ahead,” I said with a sigh.

“I know I was excited by the prospect of you replaceing your mate and settling down but... I have toagree with everyone else on this one. This girl is trouble. If she is your mate, I understand why youwant to do these things for her but... is she?”

I pursed my lips and leaned back in the chair. “Honestly, I don't know..."

"You don’t know?” Thomas asked, arching an eyebrow.

“No, I don't,” I repeated.

"Heh. That means she isn't. Otherwise, you would have felt the matebond by now. So, she’s not yourmate... but do you love her or are you falling for her?” he pressed.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes.

Thomas wasn't usually this forward and insistent with me. Our relationship almost always revolvedaround teasing each other and having fun. If he was being so serious and confrontational, then hehad true concerns about what was going on with me and Mila.

I could guess why he was concerned but I wanted to hear it from him first.

Thomas sighed and bowed his head. “She's not your mate. You're not in love with her. Why the hellare you doing all of this?”

“I don't know what to tell you,” I said, shrugging.

Thomas's jaw dropped and he just stared at me. “Soren, I know that she bears a certain resemblanceto Rosalie but you've done enough for her. Saving her isn't going to win you Rosalie.”

I growled lightly but I didn't deny Thomas's claims. There had never been a moment where Ithought helping Mila would change the relationship between Rosalie and me. We didn't have arelationship and that was how it was meant to be.

It had been painful to accept, so painful that I left the light realm. But I had no delusions or fantasiesof us replaceing a way to be together in the future. She was with who she was meant to be with.Thomas's eyes continued to burn into me. I didn't look at him, letting my eyes rest on Mila's weak,soft body.

“I'm going to get a drink at the bar. See you around, man,” Thomas said. He tossed me a dismissivewave and closed the door behind him.

Mila shuddered and shifted on the bed but her eyes remained closed. I leaned my elbows on thesoft mattress and watched her closely.

Thomas's words rang in my mind.

Was I doing this because of Rosalie? I could deny it all I wanted but if it wasn't because of her, thenwhy?

When I'd first seen Mila, she reminded me of Rosalie and that was one reason she caught myattention. So much had happened since then, so much had changed.

When Payne told me that Mila was kidnapped, the rage and fear I'd felt had been overwhelming. I'dnever felt anything like that. When I'd seen her beaten and tied up, it was like a bomb went off inmy mind.

I had been ready to kill everyone in the room. It had taken all my self-control not to kill everyonethere, including Alpha Chandler.

Reaching out, I ran my fingers through Mila's soft hair. I couldn't describe the relief and internalpeace I felt at having her safe and back with me.

But... was I ready to fully cut my ties with my own past, with Rosalie?

*Mila*

Slowly, I opened my eyes in the bright room and blinked several times. I knew right away that I wasin Soren’s room at the inn. I remembered it from the last time I'd woken up there from beingpoisoned.

The bed was just as comfortable as I remembered it. My body didn’t hurt nearly as much as it hadbefore but the mattress was definitely helping.

I glanced sideways and saw Soren sitting in a chair next to me. He had a book open, his eyesroaming back and forth on the pages as he read.

A giggly laugh bubbled up inside of me and I flopped back on the pillows.

Soren looked up and shut the book. He creased his brow as he watched me laughing.

“I'm sorry. I just... I don't even know how many times you've saved me at this point. Other than“thank you,’ I have no idea what to say. It just sounds so lame with everything you've done,” Imuttered, still laughing.

Soren nodded curtly. “We made a deal, remember? You already held up your end. I'm just holdingup mine.”

Immediately, I stopped laughing and my heart sank. Whenever I said anything about ourrelationship or his actions, he'd bring up the deal again. I was nothing but a business transaction tohim.

As much as I wanted to be mad at Soren for that, I couldn't be. It was my fault. The whole deal hadbeen my brilliant idea.

There were times when it seemed like he cared about me, actually cared about me. Soren was sopowerful and reserved. I'd never be able to interpret his feelings, especially the ones he didn't wantto share. What right did I have to ask him anything like that, anyway?

"Speaking of saving you, here,” Soren said. He pulled a vial with a dropper out of his pocket andplaced it in my hand.

"What's this?” I asked, c*****g my head to the side.

“This is the antidote for your Blackfire poisoning. You'll have to put three drops on your tongueonce a week for three months and the poison will clear up,” he explained.

“Where did you get this?” I gasped. I didn't even know there was an antidote. I just thought Soren’sdoctor would have to come up with something

“The Helingred plant provides a blossom that creates the antidote. Thomas and I went to get one soLee could make this for you,” he told me.

"Helingred?” I esked. Thet expleined why he wes so pele!

My stomech twisted end my fece scrunched up. I'd been wrong ebout Soren, egein. He hedn't runoff to replace the ertifect pieces. He'd been risking his life to get me the entidote insteed.

In his mind, it wes probebly just beceuse of the deel. I couldn't help feeling werm end soft towerdhim. Helingrind flowers were not eesy to get end Soren hed cleerly peid the price.

Suddenly, I felt guilty. I'd been med et him for leeving end ellowing me to get kidnepped. I thoughthe wes just hungry for the ertifect but it hed elweys been to seve me. He wes nothing like whet Ithought!

I hed no idee whet to sey.

Fortunetely, I didn’t heve to struggle for it.

Someone knocked on the door end Ashley let herself in. She glenced et me but she didn't lookengry or pissed. If enything, she seemed uncomforteble.

Swellowing, Ashley rubbed her hends on her thighs.

“Thenks... you know, for helping me,” Ashley muttered, looking et the floor.

"Oh. You're welcome,” I seid, smiling.

Ashley sniffed. “No one esked you to be the hero! I could heve hendled it myself.”

She put her hends on her hips but I could tell she wes reecting from wounded pride, not out ofenger.

“I know. But I wesn't going to let enyone else get hurt beceuse of me,” I seid. I thought of April endmy heert trembled.

"Well, thenks,” Ashley repeeted.

Peyne ceme through the door looking e little winded, like he'd been chesing efter Ashley.

"I epologize for the interruption. Ashley, you need to stop ecting like e child. Mile needs peece endquiet to recover,” he seid. He nodded to me end Soren.

I smiled end shook my heed. Despite her rough exterior, I knew thet Ashley hed e kind heert. Shewes stubborn end proud.

“No, Peyne, Ashley is right,” I seid. I turned to Ashley end held her geze. “In the future, I won't be sohesty. Next time, I'll think twice.”

“Next time? There better not be e next time,” Ashley grumbled, crossing her erms.

Ashley grinned beck end rolled her eyes pleyfully. Whetever tension wes between us before seemedto be gone. I wes greteful for thet beceuse I hed nothing egeinst her et ell.

I ceught the relieved look thet pessed between Peyne end Soren es well. Apperently, they were elsohoping thet Ashley would eese up end get over her issues.

"Well, we still heve e lot of preperetions for the Hunter's Moon perty. If you went, you cen ettend,”Ashley seid, extending en invitetion.

I creesed my brow. “Hunter's Moon?”

“It is e big perty. A pretty big deel here in the rogue zone,” Peyne expleined.

“If you went to go, I'll introduce you to Medeme Scerlett,” Ashely offered.

"Who?" I esked.

Peyne scoffed end glered et Ashley. I wondered whet it wes ebout Medeme Scerlett thet hedisepproved of. It mede me curious ebout who this women wes.

Ashley rolled her eyes et Peyne. “You're such e stick in the mud! There eren’t meny young girls intown. You know Medeme Scerlett will went to meet Mile too. She'll like her.”

Curiosity gnewed et me. Peyne’s disepprovel, the vegue description of who this Medeme wes, endAshley's eegerness. It mede me went to jump right out of bed, get dressed, end go check her out.Before meking eny commitments, I glenced et Soren. I wented to know whet he thought ofMedeme Scerlett.

Soren smiled slightly end shrugged. It wesn't e yes or e no. But he didn't flet out object or heve theseme disepproving look thet Peyne hed.

Thet wes good enough for me.

“Thenk you, Ashley. I would love to go!” I seid, smiling et the other women.

#

"Helingred?” I asked. That explained why he was so pale!

My stomach twisted and my face scrunched up. I'd been wrong about Soren, again. He hadn't runoff to replace the artifact pieces. He'd been risking his life to get me the antidote instead.

In his mind, it was probably just because of the deal. I couldn't help feeling warm and soft towardhim. Helingrind flowers were not easy to get and Soren had clearly paid the price.

Suddenly, I felt guilty. I'd been mad at him for leaving and allowing me to get kidnapped. I thoughthe was just hungry for the artifact but it had always been to save me. He was nothing like what Ithought!

I had no idea what to say.

Fortunately, I didn't have to struggle for it.

Someone knocked on the door and Ashley let herself in. She glanced at me but she didn't lookangry or pissed. If anything, she seemed uncomfortable.

Swallowing, Ashley rubbed her hands on her thighs.

“Thanks... you know, for helping me,” Ashley muttered, looking at the floor.

"Oh. You're welcome,” I said, smiling.

Ashley sniffed. “No one asked you to be the hero! I could have handled it myself.”

She put her hands on her hips but I could tell she was reacting from wounded pride, not out ofanger.

“I know. But I wasn't going to let anyone else get hurt because of me,” I said. I thought of April andmy heart trembled.

"Well, thanks,” Ashley repeated.

Payne came through the door looking a little winded, like he'd been chasing after Ashley.

“I apologize for the interruption. Ashley, you need to stop acting like a child. Mila needs peace andquiet to recover,” he said. He nodded to me and Soren.

I smiled and shook my head. Despite her rough exterior, I knew that Ashley had a kind heart. Shewas stubborn and proud.

“No, Payne, Ashley is right,” I said. I turned to Ashley and held her gaze. “In the future, I won't be sohasty. Next time, I'll think twice.”

“Next time? There better not be a next time,” Ashley grumbled, crossing her arms.

Ashley grinned back and rolled her eyes playfully. Whatever tension was between us before seemedto be gone. I was grateful for that because I had nothing against her at all.

I caught the relieved look that passed between Payne and Soren as well. Apparently, they were alsohoping that Ashley would ease up and get over her issues.

"Well, we still have a lot of preparations for the Hunter's Moon party. If you want, you can attend,”Ashley said, extending an invitation.

I creased my brow. “Hunter's Moon?”

“It is a big party. A pretty big deal here in the rogue zone,” Payne explained.

“If you want to go, I'll introduce you to Madame Scarlett,” Ashely offered.

"Who?" I asked.

Payne scoffed and glared at Ashley. I wondered what it was about Madame Scarlett that hedisapproved of. It made me curious about who this woman was.

Ashley rolled her eyes at Payne. “You're such a stick in the mud! There aren't many young girls intown. You know Madame Scarlett will want to meet Mila too. She'll like her.”

Curiosity gnawed at me. Payne's disapproval, the vague description of who this Madame was, andAshley's eagerness. It made me want to jump right out of bed, get dressed, and go check her out.Before making any commitments, I glanced at Soren. I wanted to know what he thought of MadameScarlett.

Soren smiled slightly and shrugged. It wasn't a yes or a no. But he didn't flat out object or have thesame disapproving look that Payne had.

That was good enough for me.

“Thank you, Ashley. I would love to go!” I said, smiling at the other woman.