Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 19 : Why Should I Help You?

*Soren*

After sending Payne on another recon mission, I headed back to the hotel. Instead of following Mila directly, I sent

him to keep an eye on the bounty hunters.

I made my way to the top floor and headed toward my room. Halfway down the hallway, I paused.

A slender, brunette beauty leaned against my door. She wore a familiar white sundress, her brown hair rippling

down her back like a chocolate waterfall.

She had her ankles crossed and leaned against my door casually, but also in a way that made it impossible not to

see the perfect shape of her body.

“Rosalie?" I murmured, thinking that maybe I was dreaming again.

The woman turned around and smiled gently, nodding to me.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes at myself. No, it wasn't Rosalie. It never would be.

Instead, Mila stood there. Inwardly, I chastised myself. What the f**k was I thinking? Why was I still thinking about

Rosalie? There was seriously something wrong with me.

I approached Mila, crossing my arms.

“Why are you here? What do you want?" I asked sharply.

Mila licked her lips and tried to smile again. I saw her jaw tense, her lips strained. She forced her smile wider.

“I was waiting for you," she said in a soft, sultry voice.

I pursed my lips and arched an eyebrow at her. Less than an hour ago, she yelled at me to stay away from her and

ran off again. She made it clear she wanted nothing to do with me and nothing from me.

And yet, here she was, at my door, wearing an outfit obviously meant to entice me.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

The dress wasn't all that was different. She'd showered. I could smell the nice fragrance of her shampoo.

What was she up to? Most women who tell a man to leave them alone and run off don't come back an hour later

looking for something… deeper.

I looked her over and shook my head. It bothered me that she could make me think of Rosalie so easily. It bothered

me that I couldn't stop thinking about Rosalie! I'd tried to let her go. I even hopped dimensions to get as far away

from her as possible.

Had Mila come into my life simply to be a reminder of what I longed for and could never have?

She was free to leave from the temple. I hadn't followed after her and I hadn't tried to stop her once she ran. If

she'd just taken that chance then her issues would be long gone, along with the aching in my heart for Rosalie.

Had she come back just to torment me further?

Of course, Mila didn't know anything about Rosalie or how she impacted me. Maybe this was my punishment for

running away and abandoning my family. The Moon Goddess would never let me forget or move on.

Well, if Mila was my punishment, I didn't have to make her existence any easier.

“Do you know what kind of women dress up and show up at a man's door in the middle of the night?" I asked coldly,

narrowing my eyes further.

Mila took a half step back and pressed her hand to her chest. She looked offended for a moment, then her face

flushed. I thought it was embarrassment until I saw her clench her hands at her sides.

She'd attacked me with a knife before, I wouldn't put it past her to try and hit me.

I raised an arm, ready to block her, but Mila relaxed her fists.

She took a deep breath and gave me a sweet, challenging smile.

“I didn't know you would read that deeply into my actions," she said, arching an eyebrow. “You're free to perceive

me however you want, but if that's what you think of women, that sounds more like a you problem."

I scoffed but held my tongue. The insult I threw at her came from my own anger at myself. It wasn't like I was really

mad at her. I knew I was overreacting.

I bit the inside of my lip to keep from smirking. Her reply was… unexpected and intriguing. She was definitely after

something.

But that was just how she was. Whatever she wanted, I knew it was about her own survival. She wouldn't be here

unless she was desperate and that made me curious. What could have happened in the past hour to make her

suddenly so desperate to put herself back in my presence?

Waving her aside, I opened the hotel room door and went inside. I left the door open, giving Mila the chance to

come in if she chose to.

***

*Mila*

Soren disappeared into his room but he left the door open. I stood in the doorway for a moment wondering if I

should follow.

Well, I wasn't going to get what I came for by standing out in the hallway all night. I went in and closed the door

behind me.

Soren moved around the room and I leaned against the doorframe. He hadn't really invited me in and he hadn't

offered me a place to sit, so I wasn't sure if he was going to turn around and tell me to leave.

He was upset about something. I thought it was at me, but it felt deeper than that. He lashed out in anger, I've seen

that happen again and again, but I got the feeling that he wasn't directly angry at me.

Thick silence hung between us as Soren moved around the room, busying himself with picking things up and

moving them around. It didn't look like he had an actual purpose to anything he was doing.

“So… Do you have anything to drink?" I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Without glancing at me, Soren went straight to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of wine and two wine glasses.

My stomach twisted nervously. That was a little more intimate than what I was thinking. I just wanted a glass of

water because my throat was dry.

Still, without speaking, Soren sat down on the couch and nodded to the seat beside him. He set the glasses and

wine bottle on the coffee table.

I rubbed my hands together and bit my lower lip. Drinking wine on a couch together was pretty… intense.

Shaking my head, I walked across the room and sat down. I had made up my mind that I would do whatever I

needed to in order to get his help tonight. This was all about survival and there wasn't anything I wouldn't do to

survive.

Soren shifted slightly on the couch, making a comfortable space between us. I sighed and relaxed slightly.

While he uncorked the wine, I looked him over. The light in the room was dim but I was close enough to see the

lines on his face.

Sure, I'd looked at him before and I'd seen how handsome and attractive he was. I'd never really seen him before,

not until I looked at him in this lighting.

I'd always looked at him as an enemy, so I was guarded and refused to see deeper than his physical features. The

room was so relaxed and I could finally see more of him.

He was good looking, there was no dancing around that. Who was I kidding? He was more than good looking. He

was absolutely gorgeous! But behind his attractiveness, I could see strength and fierceness.

The way he went through the motions of uncorking the wine and deliberately pouring it into the glasses showed

focus. But I also sensed aloofness. Like his focus on the wine was a way to take him out of the current situation. He

used that action to keep himself distant from being in the room with me.

Soren swished the wine around in one glass and tasted it. He sighed and his eyes softened slightly.

It was the same look he'd had in his eyes when I turned to face him after he'd called me Rosalie. I couldn't really

remember, but I felt like he'd called me that before.

Underneath that cold, distant, fierce exterior, he had a soft heart and tenderness. Maybe he was even a little

gentle.

Of course, I knew that softness was reserved for someone else. The mysterious Rosalie. It had nothing to do with

me. When he looked at me like that, it was because he was seeing her.

It didn't matter who he longed for or who he reserved that tender, gentle part of himself for. I was here to make a

deal with him and if the fact that I reminded him of someone else played to my advantage in this situation, I'd take

it.

Soren topped his wine glass off and then handed the second one to me. He leaned back on the sofa and relaxed. I

could visibly see the tension melt off his muscles.

I looked into my wine glass at my distorted reflection on the surface of the crimson drink.

“So, tell me, Why are you here?" Soren asked.

His eyes slid sideways until he was looking directly at me.

I chewed the inside of my cheek, my face heating up. My hand tightened around the wine glass and I sighed. How

did I want to ask him this question?

I had to tread carefully here or Soren would just laugh and throw everything back in my face. If I could appeal to

that gentleness within him, I could probably make him do whatever I wanted. I just needed to find the right words.

In the graveyard, he seemed intent on protecting me. Maybe, if he saw me as helpless or weak, he'd be willing.

Sighing, I nodded to myself, determined, and met his gaze.

I took a deep breath and said, “You know there are people after me… bounty hunters," I started. I kept my voice

soft and meek.

“Yes. Payne and I are the ones that told you that," he said tartly, sipping his wine.

“Right. Well… after I left the graveyard I realized I wouldn't be able to fight them all. I wouldn't even be able to run

from them all," I said with a dramatic sigh.

I watched Soren's face. So far, he showed no sign of buying my innocent, helpless routine.

“Another point I made to you in the graveyard," he added.

“I know. And you were right. I didn't realize it at the time but the Black Fire poison is still… it acts up now and then

and makes me really weak. I don't know how long it will be until I'm fully healed. I guess… what I'm saying is…

Soren, I need your help," I said, letting some desperation seep into my voice.

Soren arched an eyebrow at me. He tilted his head to the side, seeming intrigued by my request. Suddenly, he

chuckled.

“Why should I help you?" he asked.