Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder by Alice Knightsky
Chapter 104 Can I Trust You, Soren?
**Soren’s POV**
Tonight, was a good night. I just didn’t know what brought me more joy. The pain I caused Ethan or the care Rosalie showed me?
Either way, it didn’t change my good mood.
I knew Ethan wouldn’t kill me with Rosalie standing next to me, and I was considering taking her hostage if needed.
It had all worked as I had planned it. Actually, much better than I had planned. Although, I could’ve done without the awful pain radiating throughout my body. Just like I knew that my half-brother, no matter how much he hated me and had no problem ripping me into shreds, would never kill me because he was just a coward, I knew that Rosalie’s arrival would make the situation so much more fun for us.
However, I had not expected her to run out of the tunnel and position herself between me and Ethan.
She had fallen for the act I was presenting her with. Except for… looking up into her tear-brimmed eyes right now as she sat next to me on the bed, I suddenly wasn’t sure whether I was acting any more.
I remembered her tear rolled down her nose and splashed against my cheek earlier. Like the rain refreshes the thirsty ground, I felt renewed, restored. That tear was for me.
However, it bothered me.
I didn’t want to see her cry, not over me, not over my dastardly half-brother Ethan, not over anyone.
‘Boss, are you alright?’ Thomas mindlinked me.
‘I’m fine. Confirmed that it was Ethan. Have all of the supplies been moved out?’ I replied. ‘Yes, they have. King Kai’s men should have it in two days,’ Thomas replied.
The moment I suspected Ethan was here on the island, I figured his target would be both me and the military suppliers, therefore, I had arranged the supplies to be split up and sent out.
‘Let Edgar know that Ethan is not at the frontline right now. This is their best opportunity to attack and push forward.’
‘Got it. Aren’t you going with King Kai?’ Thomas asked.
‘Nope. I have something important to take care of.’
‘Like what?’
Why did he have to be such a busybody? I disconnected from mindlink and switched my focus back to Rosalie. The only thing left for me to do right now was to take care of the crying beauty.
There was no reason for Rosalie to know that all of her troubles from earlier on the island were because of me. Of course, I had taken care of those robbers. They hurt Rosalie, and they shall never be seen again. Nor did she need to know that I was aware that Ethan would act exactly how he just had, that I had lured him to fight so that she could make her choice.
But all of that was in the past now. She didn’t need to know.
“Ro,” I said, still using the name I’d been calling her since the day we met. “You put yourself at risk to save me.” I brushed her long hair over her shoulder. “Why would you do such a thing? You could’ve been killed.”
Her palm smoothed against my face, the scruffiness of my five o’clock shadow not deterring her.
She shook her head, “I couldn’t just stand there and watch Ethan kill you.”
“But… he’s the one you were running away from, isn’t he?” I asked, as if this was a new revelation to me. “Yes, he is the one that I was running from,” she admitted. “Never mind that right now. You’re injured. We need to concentrate on making sure that you get everything that you need.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m better now.”
“No!” Rosalie protested. “You’re not well enough for that.” She looked to Seraphine for confirmation, who had just returned from seeing the doctor out.
“He should be all right now that all of his wounds are bandaged. While there was a lot of blood, it’s true, the wounds were not that serious.” Seraphine paused to think for a moment before looking at Rosalie. “Of course, if you hadn’t intervened when you did, this would all be a different story. You’re very brave.”
Rosalie took a deep breath and let out a gentle sigh. “I just did what I felt I had to do.”
“But what about the baby?” Seraphine asked. “You were risking the baby, too.”
Rosalie shook her head. “I knew Ethan wouldn’t hurt his own child. If it was just me standing between him and Soren, unfortunately, I don’t think he would’ve had a problem at all plowing right through me on his way to murder his half-brother. But with his child in the mix… that’s why he decided to stand down.”
With those words, Rosalie began to cry again, and I couldn’t help but sit up then and comfort her. It hurt, but I managed to push up off of the bed and wrap my arms around her.
She froze, and I could tell she wasn’t as comfortable with me as she used to be.
I pulled her to my shoulder and stroked her hair. “It’s all right, Ro,” I told her. “I know he hurt you again, but you’re okay now. You’re safe. You’re with your friends.”
Holding her there for a moment, I wasn’t sure whether I fully understood her. How could she take the leap to sacrifice herself in order to save me?
Did I mean more to her than I thought?
Regardless of what she thought of me right now, I didn’t want to let her go.
I wanted to keep my arms around her, not in the same manner as my dream the other night, but I just wanted to hold her, to comfort her.
The gestures I’d shown her, the gifts I’d given her, the time I’d spent with her… all of that had been a ruse. I’d been intending to use her as a pawn, luring my half-brother out or otherwise using his woman and her child to hurt him.
But… breathing in her floral scent, feeling her silky skin against my cheek, smoothing her satiny hair, I realized…
I wanted to comfort her simply because I didn’t want her to feel sad.
My grip around her strengthened.
A pretty woman like her shouldn’t be hurt by my b’stard brother. How dare he use her the way that he had? How dare he use her as a tool to gain a child and then plan to dispose of her?
All of a sudden, I was furious. Ethan truly was a monster, and I wished I would’ve had my guards cut him down where he stood.
I used the mindlink to send out a stronger directive. ‘Find Ethan. Look everywhere. He doesn’t leave this island, and he cannot hide from us. He must pay for what he’s done to Rosalie.’
‘Yes, sir,’ the responses came back.
I was angry for all of the pain my half-brother had caused me over the years, too, of course. But this was new. This was fresh, and hearing her cry because of him made me want to shift back into my wolf and hunt him down myself.
The only thing that brought me pleasure was knowing that wherever Ethan was at the moment, he had to be miserable knowing that Rosalie had just chosen me over him.
I was pleased that Ethan was suffering, and I wanted him to live so he could suffer more.
“You both should get some rest,” Seraphine suggested. “It’s been a long night. It won’t be good for Mr. Soren’s injuries or for Ro’s baby to stay up longer.”
“Rosalie,” she whispered, lifting her head from my shoulder. “You heard Ethan use my real name. You may as well use it, too, unless you don’t want to.”
Seraphine smiled at her and reached over to pat her. “You’ll always be Ro to us, dear. I’ll go make the bed in the guest room now. Ro, would you do me a favor and rest as soon as I am done?”
Rosalie nodded and forced a smile upon her face as Seraphine left the room.
I could tell Rosalie’s tears had dried up some, but she was still very emotional.
Using my thumbs I wiped away her tears and looked into her eyes. I knew at that moment that I wanted to kiss her. Not on her cheeks like usual, but on those soft lips.
But I didn’t tell her.
I didn’t want to overwhelm her. She’d been through enough emotional turmoil for one night. I needed to be patient. Good thing was, I had all the time in the world now that she no longer trusted Ethan.
What I needed to know next was, did Rosalie have feelings for me?
Seraphine could help me determine whether or not she did. And if she didn’t… I would make her. Because I wasn’t planning on letting Ethan take her back.
“Ro,” I whispered, cupping her hand and tipping her chin up to look at me. The moonlight illuminated her face through the window, and I could see the sadness reflected in her eyes. “I want you to know, no matter what happens, you will always have a place with me. Always.”
She stared at me for a moment, and the urge to lean in and press my lips to hers was overwhelming.
But I didn’t do it. Restraint was so important. I couldn’t cause her further damage by rushing the situation. “Thank you, Soren,” she sighed,
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
She looked me in the eye. “Can I trust you, Soren?”