Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 22 : Does That Seem Fair?

I stared at Soren for a long moment, frozen in place.

Scoffing, I threw my head back. Of course, last night was just a means to an end for him. He would use it to his

advantage now and find out what was in the box.

I'd made the deal that he would protect me but now that we'd sealed it, he could use whatever leverage he wanted.

He could tell me that if I didn't show him what was in the box, he wouldn't help me.

Just because I'd given him my body didn't mean he had to respect that or honor it. With how casually he was

treating last night, he clearly didn't realize how big of a deal it was for me.

It was just his way of using me. He got his own physical satisfaction, like any man would want, and now he was

going to satisfy his curiosity, and his own ambition if he wanted what was in the box.

Every time he tried to hide his intentions, I saw the truth come through.

He was no different than any other man.

Had last night been a joke?

Soren probably saw me as nothing more than one of “those women" he'd referenced who showed up at his door in

the middle of the night.

And maybe I was no better…

I glared at the floor and looped my arms around my waist. I'd been the one to offer my body as payment. But I had

truly wanted there to be an alliance between us, a real one.

Soren seemed to have other plans.

My jaw tensed and I kept glaring at a knot in the hardwood floor. If I had any sense at all, I'd run from Soren now

and leave him with the bitter memory of the night we spent together without ever fulfilling his true desire, to look

into the box!

Sighing, I relaxed my arms and opened my eyes fully. Perhaps, there was another way to salvage this situation.

Last night was full repayment for the times he'd saved my life. From now on, whatever happened between us could

be purely business.

“Have you already looked in the box?" Soren asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

Thinking fast, I nodded. It was a lie, but I needed to keep the upper hand in this situation.

“I did look," I said, offering no further detail.

Soren arched an eyebrow at me and I smiled coyly.

As it was, I was still weak from the poison. My wolf hadn't awoken yet, and wouldn't for a few more years. There

were bounty hunters closing in from all sides. I had no choice but to work with Soren and use him to my advantage.

If I had to put myself in this position where I had to manipulate and use Soren, I might as well establish myself as

the shrewdest one. Otherwise, I might lose sight of Soren's intentions.

Since it seemed as if he planned on using me, then I would use him right back. We could use each other until one of

us came out on top. One of us would eventually outsmart the other. I'd have to play this game very carefully in

order to be the victor.

And if he was going to use me for his own purposes, I could put him in harm's way without feeling guilty. That made

this entire deal easier.

“Did it answer all your questions," he pressed. He remained calm and composed. His eyes were still gentle as he

regarded me.

Whether he was feeling any tenderness at all from the night before or he was trying to make me let my guard

down, it didn't matter. I wouldn't fall into his traps.

“It did. But you don't even know what my questions are, so seeing it won't give you any more insight into me," I

insisted, pointing to myself.

Soren chuckled and shook his head. “Don't be so sure."

I faltered for a moment but I kept my expression cool and aloof.

“A bit cocky, don't you think?" I challenged, arching an eyebrow.

Soren wasn't stupid. He was one of the smartest, most strategic shifters I'd encountered. Taking advantage of him

came with risks. I knew that.

Not just because he was smart but because he was powerful and had a whole band of rogues that followed him. I

hadn't seen his ruthless, cunning side, but I had no doubt that it existed.

If I crossed him and he found out what I was doing… Well, I had a feeling I'd rather turn myself over to Alpha

Chandler than find out what Soren would do to me.

I bit my lower lip and gave Soren a sultry look.

He pursed his lips and set his book down. I could no longer read the emotion in his eyes.

“So, what's in the box?" he asked.

Slowly, I licked my lips and ran my hands down my sides. My dress tightened slightly around my curves and the

neckline pulled lower, revealing more of my breasts.

Smiling, I flipped my hair over my shoulder and laughed playfully. I was thinking on my feet, trying to distract him

and come up with a lie at the same time.

“Inside that box is something so powerful that it could turn this world upside down, of course. Whoever gets their

hands on it might even be able to… control the world, or destroy it," I explained silkily.

Soren's eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

I licked my lips again and pranced across the room to him, swaying my hips sexily.

His eyes fixed on me as I moved. It was hard to tell what he was thinking but I knew he wouldn't be devouring me

with his gaze if he wasn't transfixed by me.

I stopped in front of Soren, so close that if I took a deep breath, my breasts practically brushed against his chest.

Smiling coyly, I lifted my eyes to his, half-lidded under my long eyelashes.

“Just so you know," I said in a low tone that expressed both danger and temptation. “Only I can control what's in the

box. If I die… it would be useless."

I reached out and pressed my finger to Soren's bare chest. His eyes widened as I trailed my finger down the

centerline of his torso, between his pecs and his abdominals. Just when I got to the waistline of his pants, I hooked

the tip of my finger in his waistband and then pulled back.

Soren's eyebrow twitched and he let out a nearly inaudible grunt. I wasn't sure if he was angry that I was playing

with him or angry that I stopped.

He remained silent but I held his gaze, still giving him an innocent yet sultry smile.

His eyes looked right through me. I could practically feel his gaze wrap around my heart. It was like he saw straight

into my soul and knew what I was thinking, feeling, and planning. I felt like he could peel away my lies and knew

exactly what I was planning.

My lower lip quivered and my breath hitched, but I leaned a little closer, trying to play it off like it was our proximity,

not his gaze, that had me trembling.

Suddenly, I wondered what Soren really thought of me. He was older and much more experienced and mature.

Was I just some child to him, playing games and pranks under the watchful eye of an adult? Did he even take me

seriously at all?

I swallowed and lost my composure for a moment. Blinking, I quickly recovered and I smirked at Soren again,

maintaining my confidence.

It didn't matter what he thought of me. This was about my survival and getting my answers. I didn't need him to

think highly of me in order to get what I wanted from him.

Soren chuckled suddenly, his lips curving in a smile.

“Sounds good to me. Do we have to chat about it all day?" he asked.

I sniffed and crossed my arms. Honestly, I thought he'd pressure me more into explaining or demanding that I show

him what was in the box.

He didn't seem that eager to see it with his own eyes. The fact that he trusted what I said was baffling. I hadn't even

looked in the box and somehow, I'd convinced him I knew what was in it and how it worked…

“I thought you wanted to see it," I said, testing his response carefully.

“Why would I need to see it if you've told me what it is?" he asked, c*****g his head to the side.

“Because I know you're curious about it," I said, quirking an eyebrow.

“Am I?" Soren asked absently. He turned to the side and shrugged casually. “I suppose I have some curiosity…"

I narrowed my eyes at him. It was hard to tell whether or not he was trying to act casual and like he didn't care or if

he actually didn't care.

Was he trying to use reverse psychology on me?

“Alright, I admit, I do wonder what a world-dominating or destroying artifact looks like and how it is meant to be

used," Soren commented.

I smiled lightly and kept myself calm and cool.

“Well, if you want to know exactly what is in it, you're going to have to help me," I said.

If Soren planned to use our deal to leverage his own desires, I was going to make sure that I used what power I had

to get everything I could out of him.

“I already am helping you. Wasn't that the deal?" he asked, chuckling lightly.

“The deal was for protection. But since I have something you want, I'm going to make a small amendment to the

terms," I told him.

“Oh, is that so?" he asked, smirking.

“It is so," I said with a firm nod.

“Pray tell, what must I help you with now? And how will you be compensating me?" he asked. His eyes dropped to

the low neckline of my dress and he licked his lips.

I got the feeling he was imagining me naked!

“I told you, you'll get to see what is in the box with your own eyes," I reminded him.

Soren pouted slightly and then shrugged. “Very well. But it depends on what you need help with. A peek inside a

box might not be enough to cover my services."

I shuddered. Damn, he was good at this too!

I already anticipated that I might have to continue to satisfy his… needs to keep this arrangement going. My

stomach fluttered at the thought and vivid flashes of his hands and mouth on my body flickered in my mind.

My breath caught as I steadied myself. There was a part of me that hoped he wanted that kind of payment because

that same part of me wanted it too.

“Well, for starters, I need your help detoxifying me. I'm useless with this Black Fire poison still in my blood," I said.

“I suppose I can help there," Soren said casually.

“And, I need you to help me find a woman named Helen. She's from Miltern," I added.

“Hmm… that's two things. You only offered me one look inside the box. Does that seem fair?" he countered.