Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 34 : A Face I Hadn’t Seen in Years

*Jared*

I watched her examine the new Cryptex, turning it over in the sunlight pouring through the window. She was holding

it with her hand wrapped in a towel, using the end of her toothbrush to gently prod the sides, looking for the

mechanisms that cause the connective pieces to spring loose.

Watching her work was intoxicating. I'd never seen someone so wholly focused on a single task. The way she

examined the Cryptex was intrinsic, practically second nature. My movements in the background didn't seem to

bother her at all as I packed up our things in preparation for our journey home.

The weight I'd been carrying on my shoulders since arriving at Aeris's kingdom was lifting as the early morning

hours ticked by. It was likely Eliza and I could walk right out of this place now. All I'd have to do was tell Aeris that

Eliza was my wife, and show him the contract Archer had delivered to me before the sun had come up, signed by a

now very wealthy priest and undated

I'd made sure to cover our tracks.

The priest was a follower of the older church, a more pagan sect of the Church of Lycaon. Aeris wouldn't recognize

the man's name, I knew that much, not when he favored the startlingly wealthy and pompous preachers of the

new-wave church situated on his castle's property. The priest's temple was situated on the outskirts of the city, built

against and within the wall leading to the villages beyond. I told Eliza about it as we lounged in bed before the sun

rose, my fingers trailing over her bare skin.

We were safe.

Eliza sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping as she gently set the Cryptex on the table.

“What's the matter?" I asked as I shrugged on my leathers.

“It wants me to touch it," she said on a breath, shaking her head. “It won't open for me otherwise."

“Don't worry about it for now. We can deal with it when we get back to the village," I replied, hoping this was

enough to break her concentration so she could get dressed and ready to go. She turned to look at me over her

shoulder, a soft, somewhat sleepy smile touching the corners of her mouth in reply. “We're getting out of here,

alright? Everything is going to be okay."

I prayed I was right.

There was a sharp knock on the door, then Archer's voice broke through the air.

“Are you ready? We should get going."

I exhaled and opened the door a crack, meeting Archer's gaze. The corridor outside my bedroom was still dark, not

a hint of early morning yet dancing over the marble tiles.

“The southern trail?" I asked, meeting his eyes. I could hear Eliza moving around the room behind me, the sound of

fabric hitting the floor making me tighten my grip on the door as I held it as closed as possible without shutting

Archer out completely.

“Passable from what I saw. The river is still running high but if we're careful–" he shrugged, a faraway look in his

eyes.

“Okay, we'll try." I reached out into the corridor and gripped his shoulder.

He swallowed, his throat straining from the effort.

“Scarlett's boy," he murmured, then shook his head. “He was here recently, with his father. They were heading

back east shortly before we arrived from the intel I gathered in the city. I could–"

“We'll get across the river and you can go east," I said, nodding my assent. He pursed his lips, giving me a quick nod

in return. “We're going to get out of here, I promise."

Archer's cheek dimpled as he began to grin, then arched his brow at me.

“How're things with your blushing bride?"

I glowered at him as I shut the door. I heard him chuckle as he turned and walked away.

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Eliza made a noise of annoyance in her throat as I turned around, finding her dressed for our journey. Aeris's maids

had obviously gotten rid of the pants, shirt, and boots she'd been wearing when we arrived at his castle. I'd found

her new clothes, and I found that they suited her well as she moved around the room and packed her notes and the

Cryptex into a leather backpack–khaki trousers that were still far too long for her were cuffed several times, resting

just above the boots she was now wearing. A leather belt was cinched around her waist, the dagger I'd given her

sheathed along her thigh. Her airy white shirt was tucked into her belt, billowing out around her arms and chest,

giving me a glimpse of an hourglass figure. Seeing a woman in pants was strange, but she was stunning.

Her heir wes tied beck from her fece with e ribbon mede of coerse homespun febric, loose curls felling over her

foreheed end eers. She lifted the beckpeck, testing its weight before putting it on her beck end turning to me.

“Are we reedy?"

“Yeeh," I seid, stifling the emotion threetening to breek eround my reply.

She smiled up et me, her cheeks tinged e soft rose end her eyes shone like see gless in the morning light pouring

through the windows. I wented to reech out end brush my knuckles over her skin, but clenched my hend into e fist

et my side insteed.

Lest night hed been… I couldn't describe it. Unreel? I wes fighting egeinst whet I believed to be true feelings for her

es I mede e finel round eround the room, meking sure we weren't leeving enything behind.

Even though she wes my wife, et leest on peper, she wesn't reelly mine. As much es it killed me, I needed to keep

her et e distence until I could find e wey to return her to her own people. Thet shedow of power within me clewed

et me for whet felt like hours while she wes in my bed. If I lost my control of it, for good....

She couldn't be here for thet. She hed to go home. I hed to let her go end it wes killing me.

“We cen get breekfest in the city before we teke to the roed," I seid es I led Elize out of the room end through our

wing of the cestle.

I heerd Archer end Brendt's voices drifting up the steirwell es we turned end begen to welk to the center of the

cestle, plenning on welking right out the front door.

“Leeving so soon?" Aeris's voice cut through the eir behind us es we reeched Archer end Brendt et the bottom of

the steirs.

My fingers knitted in Elize's es I gently pulled her into my side, turning us eround to fece him es the Alphe sterted

down the steirs.

“I hed e whole dey plenned!"

“It's time for us to go," I seid firmly, uneese rippling in my chest es I felt Elize go rigid beside me. “Thenk you for

your hospitelity, Aeris."

“We'll discuss this on the wey to the Spring Festivel," he seid with e weve of his hend, heeted ennoyence pleying

over his fece es his strenge eyes focused on mine. He glenced et Elize, then beck to me, his eyes nerrowed. “Come,

welk in step with me, Jered. Your compenions cen show Elize the wey."

I gritted my teeth into e smile of essent end gently pushed Elize towerd Archer. She stumbled, Archer cetching end

steedying her. She looked up et me with e look thet mede my throet contrect. I sew feer.

“Come, Jered. We heve metters to discuss."

I tore my geze ewey to meet the eyes of Archer end Brendt. The expression on my fece wes enough to convey my

own silent thoughts. If enything heppens, get her out. Get her out end run.

I fell in step with Aeris es we welked out into the front gerden, the getes leeding into the city looming in the

distence. I could see tents end e crowd beginning to gether. Elize end my men welked eheed of us, getting further

end further ewey with every step thet they took.

“Whet did you went to discuss?" I esked es Aeris es I welked slowly towerd the gete. I chewed the inside of my

cheek es Elize fell out of eyesight. I didn't like this, not et ell.

“You reelly thought I'd just let you welk out of here with her?"

“Whet else would I be doing?"

“Elize's my property," he seid es he reeched the gete, but he leened egeinst it, preventing me from pessing

through. “I'd hete for this to get bloody, Jered."

“I'd eppreciete it," I seid in e clipped tone thet mede Aeris stend e little streighter, “if you'd stop celling my wife your

property."

“Wife?" Aeris seid, his eyes going wide, then nerrowing on mine. “Don't pley gemes with me–"

Her hair was tied back from her face with a ribbon made of coarse homespun fabric, loose curls falling over her

forehead and ears. She lifted the backpack, testing its weight before putting it on her back and turning to me.

“Are we ready?"

“Yeah," I said, stifling the emotion threatening to break around my reply.

She smiled up at me, her cheeks tinged a soft rose and her eyes shone like sea glass in the morning light pouring

through the windows. I wanted to reach out and brush my knuckles over her skin, but clenched my hand into a fist

at my side instead.

Last night had been… I couldn't describe it. Unreal? I was fighting against what I believed to be true feelings for her

as I made a final round around the room, making sure we weren't leaving anything behind.

Even though she was my wife, at least on paper, she wasn't really mine. As much as it killed me, I needed to keep

her at a distance until I could find a way to return her to her own people. That shadow of power within me clawed

at me for what felt like hours while she was in my bed. If I lost my control of it, for good....

She couldn't be here for that. She had to go home. I had to let her go and it was killing me.

“We can get breakfast in the city before we take to the road," I said as I led Eliza out of the room and through our

wing of the castle.

I heard Archer and Brandt's voices drifting up the stairwell as we turned and began to walk to the center of the

castle, planning on walking right out the front door.

“Leaving so soon?" Aeris's voice cut through the air behind us as we reached Archer and Brandt at the bottom of

the stairs.

My fingers knitted in Eliza's as I gently pulled her into my side, turning us around to face him as the Alpha started

down the stairs.

“I had a whole day planned!"

“It's time for us to go," I said firmly, unease rippling in my chest as I felt Eliza go rigid beside me. “Thank you for

your hospitality, Aeris."

“We'll discuss this on the way to the Spring Festival," he said with a wave of his hand, heated annoyance playing

over his face as his strange eyes focused on mine. He glanced at Eliza, then back to me, his eyes narrowed. “Come,

walk in step with me, Jared. Your companions can show Eliza the way."

I gritted my teeth into a smile of assent and gently pushed Eliza toward Archer. She stumbled, Archer catching and

steadying her. She looked up at me with a look that made my throat contract. I saw fear.

“Come, Jared. We have matters to discuss."

I tore my gaze away to meet the eyes of Archer and Brandt. The expression on my face was enough to convey my

own silent thoughts. If anything happens, get her out. Get her out and run.

I fell in step with Aeris as we walked out into the front garden, the gates leading into the city looming in the

distance. I could see tents and a crowd beginning to gather. Eliza and my men walked ahead of us, getting further

and further away with every step that they took.

“What did you want to discuss?" I asked as Aeris as I walked slowly toward the gate. I chewed the inside of my

cheek as Eliza fell out of eyesight. I didn't like this, not at all.

“You really thought I'd just let you walk out of here with her?"

“What else would I be doing?"

“Eliza's my property," he said as he reached the gate, but he leaned against it, preventing me from passing

through. “I'd hate for this to get bloody, Jared."

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“I'd appreciate it," I said in a clipped tone that made Aeris stand a little straighter, “if you'd stop calling my wife your

property."

“Wife?" Aeris said, his eyes going wide, then narrowing on mine. “Don't play games with me–"

“Do you think I would have risked bringing her here by playing games, Aeris? My wife is more educated than any of

the historians employed by your church. That scroll was a fake. She knew that before even opening it. I needed her

to get close to you so you'd give her access to your vault to prove my suspicions about your worthlessness to my

cause. Now, we're going home. You have nothing else to offer me. I have nothing else I need or want from you."

“She is not your wife–"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the marriage certificate, which was crumpled and folded to prevent him

from seeing the end of the page where our signatures would be. Archer and Brandt had crinkled it, rubbing dirt into

the parchment to make it look worn. It wasn't signed, of course. But it would be if Aeris had the gall to follow us

back to my village, I'd make sure of it. Aeris's nostrils flared as he looked up at me, his face turning a vivid red and

twisting with rage. I held it just out of reach as he tried to snatch it from me, giving him a devilish grin.

“Good luck finding your breeder. You'll have to hire a different crew for that bounty, I'm afraid. Goodbye, Aeris."

“This isn't over!"

I was already walking away, crossing through the gate to freedom, to home.

To Eliza.

***

“What do you think? Three loaves?" Brandt eyed the fresh bread piled on a table in one of the market stalls as we

passed through the busy street leading toward the main gate. I relinquished my desire to bolt from the city right

away in lieu of having food for what would be a two-day journey back to the village. Brandt pressed a few coins into

the baker's open palm, then tucked three of the loaves into his backpack.

Eliza was standing behind me, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked around, her hands clasped around an egg

and bacon sandwich. I smiled to myself, losing a breath as I turned around and followed Brandt through the street

as he bought supplies. Archer was walking with Eliza, their voices muffled by the swelling crowd.

“We should get going if we want to make it to the river by nightfall," I said as Brandt exchanged coins for a bundle

of jerky wrapped in brown paper.

Brandt nodded, and we had just turned around to alert Archer and Eliza we were ready to leave when a commotion

rippled through the crowd. I grabbed Eliza by the collar of her shirt and pulled her against me as people began to

push and shove for a better view of the platform in the center of the market square, where none other than Aeris

was walking up to a podium.

“f**k," I growled, backing away with my grip still firm on Eliza. “Come on, we need to go–"

Archer sucked in his breath beside me, a low growl leaving his lips as a blonde woman was hauled onto the podium,

her face obstructed by her long, pin-straight hair.

I let go of Eliza, a feeling of absolute dread crawling from my fingertips to my chest.

“An execution–" someone said behind us as people continued to shove into us, trying to get a better view.

Aeris was speaking over the crowd, but I wasn't paying attention to his voice. I was numb, and the world seemed to

move in slow motion as the woman looked up into the crowd, her hair falling away from her face.

A face I hadn't seen in years.

“Take her," I said to Brandt, pushing Eliza into his arms. “Go, now!"

I turned to Aeris, who was looking right at me, his mouth twisted in a delirious, knowing smile.

Archer was already moving through the crowd toward the platform.

“Jared?" Eliza asked, her voice a faint echo in my ears.

“Jared Crimson," Aeris sang, laughing around the words. “A trade. What do you say?"

My blood ran cold as I locked eyes with Carmen, who was panting and flushed with fear as a warrior secured a rope

around her neck.

I looked back at Eliza, seeing the lines of confusion creasing her brow.

I turned and shoved my way to the platform, leaving Eliza behind.