The Alpha Breeder

Chapter 5

THREE MONTHS AGO…

I could still remember the way my neck stung with the aftercome of the bite. His mark was imprinting itself on my neck, slowly but surely. It was as if it was trying to take its time to slip inside my vein, to make me feel every second of the agonizing pain. It was painful, to say the least. The mark was aching, but it was nothing compared to the excruciating pain in my heart.

I felt dirty and used. As if, I had no worth in this world.

It was bad enough how my own father sold me like I was nothing but a means to no end. He had to sell me to the highest bidder, the King of all Kings. The one who they called the ruthless Alpha. The ruler instilled fear in his people, rather than respect. He handed me over to the monster, his own flesh and blood for something as worthless as gold.

And to make it worse, the monster had to treat me like trash.

Performing the claiming rights was a holy thing to do between two mated wolves. It was supposed to be sacred, something that was longed for in females, sometimes even males. It was supposed to be more intimate than intercourse because it was the first act of connecting two souls together.

It meant that I was his, and he was mine.

But he treated it like it was a show. He thought it would show his people what a powerful being he was. Nothing could hold him back. Not even an act that was known to be very consecrated to our kind.

Rhys could do whatever he want, whatever he needed, and whatever he like.

It did not matter if it was something that the Moon Goddess probably thought of as a ritual act of joining two mated wolves as one. Rhys would never let anybody tell him what to do, including the Moon Goddess herself.

I walked in shame, hiding the mark with my hand. Blood dripped from my fingers, but I ignore it as I followed outside. I did not even glance one more time toward my father, because that man deserved nothing more than a spit in the face.

I would do it. Someday. I would spit on his face and trample on his head for this.

My fingers trembled when Rhys and his warriors stopped. They gathered around the horses outside. One by one, his warriors got on top of their horses, until only Rhys and me standing alone. The two of us watched as his warriors performed a perfectly well-practiced movement until their horses stood in each respectable place.

Rhys’ horse came. I watched in amazement as I saw the most majestic horse I have ever seen in my life. The black beauty must have been twice the size of the rest of the horses around him. It galloped into the air, so high that it made my neck crane all the way back. The sound of it was grand, to say the least. It was splendid.

The perfect ride for the perfect beast.

Rhys brushed his magnificent black hair a few times, performing an act so contrast to his cruel face and bold reputation that it almost fooled me. As if finally realizing that he was being watched, Rhys’ hand stopped. He gave me a sharp look that said how dared I look upon him without his permission, and I immediately turned away.

After an awkward silence for almost a minute, I felt someone yank my collar up roughly until I air bone for a hot second before I was placed on top of the massive horse. I gasped, clutching the reign like my life depended on it before I could fall upside down from the high horse.

Rhys slid me backward until my back hit his chest. I could feel his legs caging me, thigh to thigh as if he could swallow me whole. My body flushed underneath him, especially given how big our size difference was. I was a completely small, tiny, miserable thing compared to his big, massive, rough body.

His frame completely rendered me. I could not move even an inch. His hand placed me upright on top of his big horse, his palm perfectly lined up my stomach. He locked me in front of him possessively, and it almost made me forget how he humiliated me in front of his men earlier.

I swallowed the anger once more.

“Don’t move unless you want me to throw you over the horse and let you walk the rest of the way. And trust me, the rest of the way won’t be pretty grass and gardens full of flowers,” he snarled in my ear. “And if you slow us down, I would tie you around your neck and drag you if it means you can move faster. Do you understand?”

My blood ran cold. Almost instantly, my body froze upon hearing his threat. It would not take a genius to know that he would make true of that threat, if only just for fun. Rhys would not hesitate to push me off his horse, and then drag me around like I was his toy.

I nodded.

“Use your words,” he growled as he gripped my neck from behind, branding me one more time with his long and strong fingers. I felt my pulse quickening. The mark stung painfully. I flinched, but Rhys did not care at all.

“Yes,” I rasped breathlessly. “I understand.”

“King,” he hissed. “You will refer me to King, Master, or whatever else that I wish. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” I gritted.

“Yes, what?” he snarled again, cutting the air circulation from my neck.

“Yes, King.” I sputtered the words.

Rhys waited for several seconds more before he finally let go. When he did, I took a deep breath, trying to gulp air greedily into my lungs. He did not let me have more moments before he whistled a sign, and the rest of his warriors marched into a perfect line.

The first line strode with their horses, wearing armor and holding big staffs.

The second one followed suit, holding the same staff and shields.

The third one, including Rhys and me, was next. Warriors rode on each side of Rhys, protecting him right in the middle in case something happened. T

This was the perfect strategy because he could act and attack, but he would not be vulnerable to enemies.

And then the last line, the line that was the most heavily armed with bows and swords followed behind us. They looked almost as big and massive as Rhys. Some even looked harsher, as if years of battle had shaped them into something other than what they were.

They were more wolves than they were in their human form.

I gulped, knowing that my own battle was about to begin. Betraying my own will, I looked back, seeing the place that I used to call home. The building was so cold and unfilled with love, what I did not know was that it was unworthy to be called home. It was only a house. The place where I was raised, only to be sold as nothing but a breeder to the ruthless Alpha.

“Miss him already?” Rhys’ cold voice echoed from the marching of the horses. Somehow, it found its way into my heart and became the only focus I could grip on.

I hated that.

The fact that our first encounter was such a violation of my body and soul, but I could definitely feel the connection between us.

Mated was such a wonder to me growing up, but now he crushed it in two seconds.

And that connection felt worthless now. Just like what I was.

I waited for his cue because frankly, I did not want another go at having my oxygen completely cut off.

“Answer me,” and there it was. His order for me to speak.

“Who? My father?” I asked back, hiding the snarl under my breath.

I knew that I could not mess with him so early in our meeting. I had to plan this in a smart way. As much as I wanted to fight back, I knew that I was still helpless against him.

“Yes.”

“No.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Why would I miss the man who sold me just for gold? He did not care about me, nor do I to him.”

“So you won’t care at all if he ends up in the woods, body torn and teeth rotten?”

I knew that it was a test. Rhys wanted to test me about my loyalty to the man I called my father, but what he did not know was I already lost all the will inside my heart to care at the time. Right after he marked me in such a vile way, I lost the light.

“It would mean nothing to me,” I whispered the words.

Rhys hummed a sound that was too deep under his chest. He pushed me even further to the back until I could feel the center of him behind me. I swallowed. This would be the first time I have ever been so close to a male. I never ever held hands before. My father ensured that I would grow into such a pure, innocent woman.

And I guess he had an ulterior motive for that.

“Why? Nervous?” his husky voice blew at the back of my neck.

I shivered. “N-no.”

Rhys chuckled darkly. “Don’t act like it’s your first time. I bet you have spent a lot of time with numerous men before.”

The way he said it, it was almost like he was in pain. I ignored it, only because he sounded more like he was disgusted.

How dared he though? I have heard of the long line of women that they liked to call “the king’s saddles” that would be with him at night. The audacity of him to be disgusted at the thought of me with another man.

My treacherous heart chose to reassure him. “That’s because it is.”

“What?” he stilled.

“My first time. This would be my first time with a man.”

Rhys’ hand tightens around me until I could feel his skin smeared against mine. He brought me closer possessively, irrevocably pressing our bodies together. My pulse quickened at the move.

“Interesting.” His voice got deeper and heavier.

“What is?”

“You.” I could feel his smile from behind me. And then I bite my tongue as he nipped the back of my neck. “This would be fun.”

~ ~ ~

PRESENT TIME…

I woke up when the boat I was in was jolted. The memory of our first meeting was still embedded in my mind vividly and I could dream about it for days. It was such a moment that I would never forget because it was the start of everything.

My body was aching from head to toe. Everything felt sore. But I got up anyway, only because I could feel the boat not moving, just swaying from one side to another. As I finally got up, I was shocked by the pile of rocks on the water.

I was caught in between big rocks. A vast coral reef stopped my boat. I was trapped in the middle of the water, but as I looked ahead, I noticed that I was only a few meters away from shore.

Deciding that I would not be able to sail my way out of these rocks, I finally get off the boat. I fought the fear that was preventing me from moving. I released a breath of relief when I realized that my feet could step on the sea floor. I walked like a dying penguin for the rest of the way and was completely drenched by the time I reached the shore.

I fell into the beach sand, glad that I found land once again.

I looked up and saw that it was a place I could not recognize. I did not know how long I was sailing, rowing the boat in the middle of the night, but I must have fallen asleep on the way. My body was so tired I could not lift a single bone.

Until an old lady approached me, a hesitant look on her face. “Hey, you. What are you doing here, child?”

“I was—“ my voice sounded raspy. “I—“

She looked at me in concern. I wanted to tell him that I was just passing by. I did not want to leave any trails, but fatigue swallowed me, especially because I walked all the way from sea to land.

My body must have been so exhausted due to the pregnancy.

The last thing I saw was her wrinkled and panicked face as I heard a murmured voice saying, “This would be fun…”