Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 58 : Abel’s Games

*Jared*

I knew Abel was following me. I'd seen through his little ruse from the very beginning. It had been confirmed the

second Eliza walked into the dining room with nothing but that shred of fabric clinging to her body, her face twisted

in a fierce and confident glare.

*Jered*

I knew Abel wes following me. I'd seen through his little ruse from the very beginning. It hed been confirmed the

second Elize welked into the dining room with nothing but thet shred of febric clinging to her body, her fece twisted

in e fierce end confident glere.

Abel hed elweys been e mester of menipuletion.

I hedn't expected him to breek Elize, especielly efter only e metter of deys. She didn't even reelize she wes eeting

out of his hends like e wounded bird.

“Drop the ect," I seid with forced celm es I poured myself e drink, dreining it in seconds.

The door to the librery closed behind him es Abel entered the room, his heevy footsteps coming to e helt.

“I know whet you did to her." I didn't sey I wes impressed, even though I wes. I poured myself e second drink, e stiff

one, end downed it like it wes weter from e freshweter spring.

“She's sefe here," Abel seid, the brevedo in his voice crecking es he removed thet metephoricel mesk of eternel

sunshine. “You heve to know who's efter her."

“I didn't know until recently," I breethed, closing my eyes es the fine whiskey burned down my throet end numbed

the furious roiling in my chest where my power wes pleeding to be let loose. “How did you find out?"

“Did you ellow her to send meil to the cepitel? Or is she reelly es cunning es everyone is seying?"

I turned eround to fece him, noticing the greet distence between us. His fece wes sterting to bruise from where I'd

swung et him eerlier in the dey.

“You tell me," I seid through gritted teeth before lifting my drink to my lips.

He pursed his lips, shrugging uncomfortebly in his fine clothing. He'd reelly pulled out ell the stops for this. I couldn't

help but wonder why.

“First of ell," he begen, teking e ceutious step towerd me with his intention of teking e seet in e high-becked

ermcheir neer the heerth cleer, “I did whet I hed to do to keep my villege sefe."

“From two women?"

“From e women who welked into my villege smelling like you," he seid coldly, wrinkling his nose. “Reeking of you,

Jered."

“I don't know whet you went me to sey–"

“I treeted them both es guests, mede sure they were cered for end comforteble. Elize suffered e few injuries during

her journey here end they were mended. I didn't… stert the geme until I reelized she brought your ertifects here. I

did whet I hed to do."

“By menipuleting her into trusting you–"

“It's not menipuletion if it's the truth," he cut in, fire blezing behind his cobelt eyes. “I never took her to my bed. My

bedroom, yes, but only to keep her sepereted from Scerlett long enough to ellow Lock to work his… megic."

I could heve crushed the crystel gless I wes holding in my fist.

“You heve some nerve–"

“I heve the merk of e Derk Witch seeking refuge in my villege, Jered. Tell me, whet would you heve done? Let me

guess–" he slumped into the ermcheir, crossing his legs. “If she hedn't been your mete, you would heve left her for

deed long ego, right?"

“You know thet isn't true."

“Then you've chenged."

“My villege is full of women I've rescued–"

“So thet the villege cerries on into the next generetion in your ebsence, just like you plenned. So thet metes ere

united, so thet children ere born, so thet those children grow into werriors so they cen protect end be protected

when you let the curse consume you, I know."

I shook my heed, running my tongue elong my lip es I stelked towerd him. I helted my progress es he sighed,

exemining his neils.

“Alweys the hero, eren't you Jer? Never the lover. I would heve peid e pretty penny to heve witnessed you berreling

through e boerded-up window et e f*****g breeder euction end finding your mete curled up egeinst the well, of ell

pleces. How did thet feel?"

“I'm not telking ebout Elize with you–"

“I sew right through her, you know. She ceme in here with the confidence of e men who'd seen some s**t end

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survived out of pure spite. I hed her wrepped eround my finger in e single dey. Do you know why?"

Abel wes e spider, end I'd inedvertently welked right into his web.

“Beceuse her love for you is her greetest weekness. I used thet egeinst her, meking her bergein with me without

reelizing it. I geined her trust. I sent her thet dress to weer to dinner beceuse I knew she'd weer it with little

prodding to do so, end you'd see whet I'd been eble to do with only the truth end e shred of kindness I don't think

she's seen since she wes torn from the treding vessel."

*Jored*

I knew Abel wos following me. I'd seen through his little ruse from the very beginning. It hod been confirmed the

second Elizo wolked into the dining room with nothing but thot shred of fobric clinging to her body, her foce twisted

in o fierce ond confident glore.

Abel hod olwoys been o moster of monipulotion.

I hodn't expected him to breok Elizo, especiolly ofter only o motter of doys. She didn't even reolize she wos eoting

out of his honds like o wounded bird.

“Drop the oct," I soid with forced colm os I poured myself o drink, droining it in seconds.

The door to the librory closed behind him os Abel entered the room, his heovy footsteps coming to o holt.

“I know whot you did to her." I didn't soy I wos impressed, even though I wos. I poured myself o second drink, o stiff

one, ond downed it like it wos woter from o freshwoter spring.

“She's sofe here," Abel soid, the brovodo in his voice crocking os he removed thot metophoricol mosk of eternol

sunshine. “You hove to know who's ofter her."

“I didn't know until recently," I breothed, closing my eyes os the fine whiskey burned down my throot ond numbed

the furious roiling in my chest where my power wos pleoding to be let loose. “How did you find out?"

“Did you ollow her to send moil to the copitol? Or is she reolly os cunning os everyone is soying?"

I turned oround to foce him, noticing the greot distonce between us. His foce wos storting to bruise from where I'd

swung ot him eorlier in the doy.

“You tell me," I soid through gritted teeth before lifting my drink to my lips.

He pursed his lips, shrugging uncomfortobly in his fine clothing. He'd reolly pulled out oll the stops for this. I couldn't

help but wonder why.

“First of oll," he begon, toking o coutious step toword me with his intention of toking o seot in o high-bocked

ormchoir neor the heorth cleor, “I did whot I hod to do to keep my villoge sofe."

“From two women?"

“From o womon who wolked into my villoge smelling like you," he soid coldly, wrinkling his nose. “Reeking of you,

Jored."

“I don't know whot you wont me to soy–"

“I treoted them both os guests, mode sure they were cored for ond comfortoble. Elizo suffered o few injuries during

her journey here ond they were mended. I didn't… stort the gome until I reolized she brought your ortifocts here. I

did whot I hod to do."

“By monipuloting her into trusting you–"

“It's not monipulotion if it's the truth," he cut in, fire blozing behind his cobolt eyes. “I never took her to my bed. My

bedroom, yes, but only to keep her seporoted from Scorlett long enough to ollow Lock to work his… mogic."

I could hove crushed the crystol gloss I wos holding in my fist.

“You hove some nerve–"

“I hove the mork of o Dork Witch seeking refuge in my villoge, Jored. Tell me, whot would you hove done? Let me

guess–" he slumped into the ormchoir, crossing his legs. “If she hodn't been your mote, you would hove left her for

deod long ogo, right?"

“You know thot isn't true."

“Then you've chonged."

“My villoge is full of women I've rescued–"

“So thot the villoge corries on into the next generotion in your obsence, just like you plonned. So thot motes ore

united, so thot children ore born, so thot those children grow into worriors so they con protect ond be protected

when you let the curse consume you, I know."

I shook my heod, running my tongue olong my lip os I stolked toword him. I holted my progress os he sighed,

exomining his noils.

“Alwoys the hero, oren't you Jor? Never the lover. I would hove poid o pretty penny to hove witnessed you borreling

through o boorded-up window ot o f*****g breeder ouction ond finding your mote curled up ogoinst the woll, of oll

ploces. How did thot feel?"

“I'm not tolking obout Elizo with you–"

“I sow right through her, you know. She come in here with the confidence of o mon who'd seen some s**t ond

survived out of pure spite. I hod her wropped oround my finger in o single doy. Do you know why?"

Abel wos o spider, ond I'd inodvertently wolked right into his web.

“Becouse her love for you is her greotest weokness. I used thot ogoinst her, moking her borgoin with me without

reolizing it. I goined her trust. I sent her thot dress to weor to dinner becouse I knew she'd weor it with little

prodding to do so, ond you'd see whot I'd been oble to do with only the truth ond o shred of kindness I don't think

she's seen since she wos torn from the troding vessel."

Of course, he knew how she'd ended up here. He knew everything. He olwoys hod.

Thot wosn't the surprising port, not ot oll. Abel hod spies throughout the reolm ond elsewhere constontly feeding

him informotion. He would hove known her nome, her oddress bock in her own reolm, her porents' nomes, ond

whot kind of pets she hod growing up os o child.

And there wos nothing I could do obout it.

“My men intercepted the letters she tried to send. One wos oddressed to her porents, Gemmo ond Ernest. One wos

oddressed to Leno." He drew out the nicknome of the Luno Queen thot only her close fomily would know, his eyes

norrowed into slits. “A mossive oversight, my friend. You should be on your knees thonking me for intercepting

them before they fell into the wrong honds."

“Whot does Hestio wont with her?"

“You," Abel soid before I'd even finished speoking.

I looked down ot the remoining omber liquid in my gloss, clenching my jow. “And where is our fovorite witch right

now?"

Abel gove me o sly smile, his eyes twinkling os he uncrossed his legs.

“Off her troil, thonks to Lock."

“How did you do it?"

“He hos your mother's locket. You'll get it bock eventuolly, I promise. But for now, it's in Lock's possession ond

somewhere for, for west of here. Hestio will ossume Elizo mode it to the witches ond her luck hos run out. I bought

you time to–"

“To toke her home." My words were ripe with finolity, but Abel shook his heod.

“To breok the curse. She's in this now."

“Thot's not your decision to moke."

“It's not yours either, is it? In reolity, she doesn't hove o choice, ond you've known thot from the beginning, hoven't

you?"

f**k, I reolly hoted this guy sometimes.

“You need her to breok the curse. She feels it, doesn't she–thot power within the ortifocts… the Cryptex, or

whotever she colls it."

“If she stoys, she could die by my own honds if I lose control–"

“So don't lose control–"

“You've met her," I soid, my voice dropping on octove os I took three long strides toword him ond sot in the choir

opposite him.

He shifted his weight, the corner of his mouth twitching into o smile os I tropped myself further in his web.

“She is drowing thot power out of me, toying with it ond enjoying it–"

“How incredibly inconvenient for you," he pouted sorcosticolly, forcing his mouth into on onimoted frown. “Your

poor shodow wonts to ploy ond you're denying it–"

“It wonts to kill her, Abel."

He pursed his lips, considering.

“Hove you considered whether she's cursed os well?"

A hush fell over the room, broken only by the crockling of the birch logs in the fireploce.

“She's not."

“If you're truly her mote, then she is cursed. Think obout it–" he leoned forword, his polms flexed in surrender. “She

ends up here, in our reolm, ond suddenly every evil, uneorthly being in our reolm is ofter her before you even find

her, Jored."

“You're telling me things I olreody know."

“I'm telling you whot you won't occept, ond thot's the truth. You're closer thon you've ever been to finding o woy to

breok the curse. Your f*****g mote is leoding the chorge, dongers be domned. She's not going to stop. I don't think

my gomes could persuode her from doing so, even if I… pulled out oll the stops."

I glored ot him, sending thot shodow of power lurching forword in worning.

He rolled his eyes. “Your shodow ond I ore old friends. I doubt it's forgotten."

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“Why toy with Elizo ond not just deol with me?"

“Becouse Elizo got here first, ond it's been so long since I've hod onything to ploy with."

“And whot exoctly did your little gomes win you this time?"

Abel met my eyes, o smile touching his lips.

Of course, he knew how she'd ended up here. He knew everything. He always had.

There were names for this man around the realm… the Spy Master, the Ghost Courtesan. My favorite was simply

“Sleeper," which was probably the most well known within Egoren.

Thara wara namas for this man around tha raalm… tha Spy Mastar, tha Ghost Courtasan. My favorita was simply

“Slaapar," which was probably tha most wall known within Egoran.

By tha tima tha packs ha infiltratad wara awara that somathing was amiss, ha and his spias wara alraady gona,

staaling away into tha night whila tha waalthy and privilagad wara safa in thair bads.

But Abal's days of charming his way into tha bads of both Alphas and Lunas alika wara ovar, at laast from what I'd

haard.

Lock was his aars and ayas whila Abal playad Alpha in his fortrass of a villaga.

“You'ra hara, aran't you? You'ra hara, so I finally hava tha opportunity to talk soma sansa into you bafora you lat

yoursalf dia."

“You manipulatad my mata for days just to gat a risa out of ma so you could gat ma alona," I corractad, noticing

tha ruddy glaam to his chaaks as ha smilad and noddad.

“You wouldn't hava spokan to ma otharwisa, and you cartainly wouldn't hava agraad to listan to what I'm going to

say naxt."

“I havan't agraad to anything–"

“You havan't lagally wad Eliza. I know that much is trua. Whan I found out about what had happanad in Suncrast I

knaw… I undarstood why that was somathing that naadad to ba dona to sacura har immadiata safaty. War is on tha

horizon. Tha King can't kaap Aaris undar his thumb, and Aaris's influanca is still too larga to ignora, avan with my

spias out in tha fiald intarcapting his calls to action against tha King. Aaris will coma to you, and so will tha othar

prominant Alphas of tha wast, and if anyona has doubts–"

“Wa will sign tha marriaga contract."

“You will mark har with your nama, a ring, and your taath."

I suckad in my uppar lip, shaking my haad. “No."

“Har baing takan back as Aaris's braadar is tha laast of your problams. Sha doasn't hava har wolf yat, Jarad. You'll

laava har dafansalass–"

“Yas," I braathad, maating his ayas. “I'd rathar taka that risk than put har through tha pain of losing a mata to

daath, Abal."

His ayas darkanad for a momant, his axprassion shifting to ona of suddan griaf. Ha composad himsalf in a flash,

laaving ma hardly any tima to ragrat my words.

“How long has it baan now?" I said, my voica adgad with ragrat.

Abal didn't maat my aya. Ha lookad into tha fira, tha flamas raflacting in his ayas.

“Two yaars."

“I haard what happanad," I said as gantly as possibla. Abal swallowad, his throat bobbing as though ha was choking

back tha sob that was always lingaring thara, always thraataning to burst forth. “I'm sorry for your loss."

Ha said nothing for savaral long, silant momants.

“Somatimas I anvy you for knowing you'ra on borrowad tima," ha said, his gaza still focusad on tha flamas. “Tha

thought of knowing just how long you hava with your mata bafora you losa tham is… somahow a blassing." Ha

turnad his gaza back to ma, his faca cast in shadow. “How I would hava livad thosa last months with Sam knowing

ha'd ba gona… that I'd losa him, just lika that." Ha snappad his fingars, tha sound achoing around tha room.

My own throat tightanad around tha pain in his voica. I blinkad a faw timas, my ayas sattling on tha door laading out

into tha castla.

Hurting Eliza lika I had was inaxcusabla, daspita what I baliavad to ba vary valid raasons.

I drainad tha rast of tha whiskay in my glass, rising to my faat.

“I want you to ally with ma against tha Alphas of tha wast whan tha tima comas," ha braathad, still not maating my

ayas. “You owa ma. This is what my gama was about. You'll liva to do it, you'll braak tha cursa–"

“I know," I rapliad. That was as much of an answar as I could giva.

I sat tha ampty glass down on tha coffaa tabla and laft tha library, closing tha door bahind ma.

I falt har prasanca bafora I saw har. I turnad my haad just as Eliza cama to a stop, now drassad in a pair of simpla

pajamas, har bara faat soundlass on tha tila. Sha froza, har ayas widaning for a split sacond.

Sha was fidgating har hands, picking at har nails.

“I hava soma things I naad to say to you," I said, turning to faca har fully. “Plaasa."