Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 96 : A Sad, Gloomy Day

*Mila*

"What do you mean we can't leave?" I asked.

I pulled away from Soren and looked at everyone else in the room as they stared at us. Whenever I made eye contact with one, they looked away quickly.

“Soren, what's this all about?"

“Don’t mind them, they are just feeling a little cooped up. As I'm sure you noticed, Mila, it is pouring rain out. It has been since you passed out."

Soren walked to the closest window and pulled the curtain back. Rain pelted against the glass and I heard another clap of distant thunder.

So. 7

“The explosion that trapped us in the mountain also took out a lot of the main roads. They were either destroyed or blocked by rubble. After digging us out, Payne and the others didn't have time, or the strength, to clear a road out of here, and then the rains came,” Soren explained.

“You're telling me that every single road out of Norwind territory is destroyed?”

Soren smirked. “Only the main ones were impacted by the explosions. The rain has washed out all the smaller ones and flooded others. It is too risky to try and leave on flooded and damaged roads.” I groaned and bowed my head.

"So, we're trapped... again!"

Soren shrugged and closed the curtain.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“You don't seem all that worried."

Grinning, Soren took my hands and held them between his.

“Is this so bad? I mean really, it could be worse. We're not in a hurry, are we? Unlike those ambitious conspirators, we don't have anything to hide or run off with. Unless... you have an agenda in mind?" He bounced his eyebrows at me.

Sighing, I shook my head. “No, I don't.”

I glanced around again at everyone in the pack house. Other than Thomas and Payne, there were at least 50 of Soren’s warriors inside.

Outside, I could see some figures moving around in the rain. Hunched over and moving slowly, they looked completely defeated and broken.

I still couldn't believe that the Norwind warriors had run off and left their most defenseless people behind to fend for themselves.

Before Soren had formed his official pack, I doubted even his rogues would do something so horrible.

They were far more honorable than Chandler's men...

Those poor people. Their home was broken and destroyed, their pack house robbed and in shambles.

We must have seemed like such a strong, powerful group to them. Just fifty warriors and they kept their distance, obviously afraid of the strangers in their pack house. We were in their territory and they were afraid of us!

That seemed backwards to me.

“It's not like before, Mila,” Soran said, cutting into my thoughts.

"What isn't?" I arched an eyebrow at him.

“Being trapped. The raiders didn't want to waste time carrying anything that wasn't valuable, so they left behind all the food, clothes, and provisions we'll need right here in the pack house," he explained.

"So, we're not going to run out of air?" I teased.

Soren shook his head and squeezed my hands.

“Not this time. The leftover provisions should last us a couple of weeks. By then, the rain should have stopped and the flooding receded.”

"A couple of weeks?"

I gasped, my eyes popping out of my head. Soren expected the fifty of us to stay crammed in this pack house for a couple of weeks!?

"And if there is still water lingering, there's plenty of material lying around to make some boats or rafts to float us out of here.”

"Why can't we do that now?" I whined.

“Because it is still pouring rain. We're too large of a group and we'll die from exposure before making it to safety.”

I sighed again and nodded.

Soren was right. We still had to be safe and careful. We weren't going to be like Chandler or the other greedy, selfish packs who sacrificed their own warriors for their greed.

I could survive until it was safe to travel... even if it meant staying in this one house... with fifty men that hadn't bathed in days...

"Hey, check it out! The rain is slowing down!" one of the warriors shouted.

Payne opened the curtain to the nearest window.

My heart fluttered and I ran over, pressing my nose and forehead to the glass. The dark clouds were thinning and the sky above looked lighter. The rain was falling in a light drizzle now, no longer a complete downpour.

Soren touched my shoulder.

“Looks like you're our good luck charm, beautiful. Now that you're awake the rain is slowing.”

My cheeks reddened and I felt a warm blush cover my skin.

"Oh, this is such good news!"

“I can't wait to get out and stretch my legs.”

“Come on, sun. Just peek out a little."

Everyone crowded around the windows. They seemed so excited for the rain to stop.

I could understand that. They'd been cooped up for days in a dingy house without much to do. Waiting around for me to wake up, waiting around for the rain to stop. It was a lot of waiting around.

They'd probably been bored out of their minds.

If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be here waiting. They could have left the same night they dug us out, before the rains got bad. Or, they could have left before that if I hadn't been trapped. And I was only trapped because I'd run away from Soren.

My stomach sank and I bit my lower lip. This was all happening because of me. I couldn't help but feel guilty about the situation with all these people being stuck here.

I had to get better soon and fast, for their sake.

They'd been through enough for me, coming to save me, digging me out of a hole, waiting around for me.

It was my turn to put the work in.

Absently, I put my hand on my stomach, thinking of the baby again.

I looked over my shoulder at Soren.

He was talking to Payne and Thomas. I loved seeing the way Thomas joked with him, and the slightly appalled look Payne always shot Thomas, like he thought Thomas was being disrespectful. But Soren seemed to enjoy Thomas's teasing. Otherwise, he never would have allowed it.

I was glad I didn't tell Soren about the pregnancy when we were trapped in the cave. As much as I'd wanted to tell him, my mind had been clouded from blood loss.

Now that I could think clearly, some parts of it didn't make sense.

How would Sebastian know I was pregnant? How did he find out before I knew? It could have been a lie or a trick he used to get me to cooperate. I needed to know for sure before telling Soren.

The last thing I wanted to do was tell him I was pregnant and get him excited about a baby only to find out that it was a trick and I wasn't pregnant at all. It would be devastating, for both of us.

I needed to be sure before I told Soren about this baby.

Boom!

"What was that?" I gasped, a shudder running down my spine.

The last time I'd heard a sound like that, a mountain exploded around us.

“It's okay, Mila," Soren said, rushing to my side.

Bang! Crack!

Objects kept thudding against the front door and outside wall of the pack house.

My heart leapt into my throat and my knees wobbled. I couldn't push the memory of the mountain exploding out of my mind.

Soren put his arm around me.

“I think it is just some locals throwing rocks," Payne said, looking out the window.

“Go check it out,” Soren insisted, pointing to the door.

Immediately, Payne, Thomas, and several other warriors got up and ran out the door. A few of them shifted.

Soren kept his arm around me as I walked out the door and looked at the gathered crowd.

I could tell that there were children in the group. I guess the others were women. They wore rain jackets with hoods and it was hard to see their faces.

Bang!

A rock struck the doorframe.

Soren grabbed me and pulled me behind him.

"Stay back."

"What do they want?" I asked.

Before Payne and the warriors could get there, the gathered shifters started pelting rocks at the pack house. Like bullets, they hammered against the front.

Soren slammed the front door closed. We went to a nearby window to watch.

Payne, Thomas, and the warriors easily dodged around the rocks being thrown and raced toward the Norwind group.

“Awhooo!"

One of Soren's warriors howled and all the women and children dropped their rocks. Women grabbed their children and ran off. I could practically smell their fear, even at the distance I was at. “Get out of here you filthy murderers!"

“You're not welcome, scoundrels!"

“This is our pack house! The blood on your hands stains it!"

You're robbing, greedy heathens and we don't want you here!"

They shouted at the warriors as they ran off into the run-down houses in the nearby village. I could hear their voices now that the rain and rocks stopped beating the house.

“What was all that about?" I murmured to Soren.

“I think we've overstayed our welcome."

Payne, Thomas, and the others returned; they were a little damp.

I glanced at Soren and raised an eyebrow.

Soren raised his hands in surrender and shook his head innocently. “Don't look at me like that. I didn't do anything to them. Nor did my men."

“I wasn't accusing you," I clarified, shaking my head. “Do you know why they said that? Why are they so mad at us? We didn't do anything to them..."

Soren sighed, his face somber.

“They've lost something important to them. In situations like that, denial is the first feeling. Then, they get angry and they try to find someone to blame so they can let out their anger.”

"And they're blaming us? We're the only ones that didn't steal from them.”

“I know, Mila. But it is natural. This pack had a lot of healing to do. Right now, they aren't ready. They're just trying to express their frustrations and we are the easiest targets to take it out on. They're also scared and don't want us to think they are weak because they don't want us to mess with them.”

“That's really sad,” I whispered, glancing out the window again.

“We'll be gone in a few days. Don't let it bother you. They'll be able to heal once we're out of here." I sighed. Soren reached for me and pulled me into his arms.

As much as it saddened me to see what was left of Norwind, I had too many things to worry about in regard to myself. I didn't have the energy to worry about others.

“Thomas, Payne, organize a patrol. I want you to avoid conflict but don't let them get close to the pack house," Soren ordered.

“Yes, Boss,” Payne said. He saluted and headed off.

"We'll take care of it, Soren,” Thomas agreed.

Soren turned back to me and cupped my face in his hands.

"How are you feeling?"

“I'm fine."

“You've been up for a while. I don't want you to overdo it. Let's get you back to bed so you can rest more."

I nodded and let Soren guide me back to the bedroom.

Soren laid down with me and I snuggled into his arms.

I closed my eyes and I was drifting off to sleep...

Bang!