Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 808

Chapter 19 : Jared’s Dagger

Our camp for our second, and hopefully uneventful, night in the Dark Forest was situated on a cliff overlooking the forest below. We’d walked for the remainder of the day, none of us speaking as Jared led us further and further into the forest and away from the witch’s house.

I’d looked back at it only once, noticing the toppled stones covered in moss and ivy. It was not the grand house I’d seen upon my arrival. The garden had been overgrown and littered with fallen leaves, not flowers and fruit trees.

Brandt told me I’d been bewitched, which seemed a reasonable explanation for the events that led me to the house and my stupor in the hours that followed. I could still taste the metallic remnants of whatever magic she’d used on me as the day passed in a blur of trees and darkness.

But our new camp was bursting with the light of the coming sunset. The trees here were more sparse, the forest floor open and easy to navigate. Jared was even allowing a fire tonight, and getting the fire started was my job while the three men were bathing in a creek in a nearby glen. They’d felt comfortable enough to leave me up here alone, and if I was being honest, I was grateful for it.

I sat down on the ground in front of the fire, watching the bark I’d pulled from the surrounding trees start to catch. My throat began to tighten, my hands trembling as I slowly fed dry sticks to the fire.

A single tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away, biting down on my lip to stop myself from bursting into tears.

“Stupid girl,” the witch had said to me.

She was right. I’d never been so scared in my life.

“You okay?” Brandt’s voice cut through my emotional downward spiral.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and tried to smile up at him, but my mouth wouldn’t move past a firm, expressionless line.

“Yes,” I replied, sniffling. “I’m fine.”

“We found you some clothes in the witch’s house,” he said as he crouched on the other side of the fire, laying out three good-sized fish. “A shirt and some pants, new socks–”

“Who did they belong to before?” I asked, but my voice broke over the words.

Brandt’s sapphire eyes met mine, looking incredibly sympathetic.

“Someone she took in. Someone who ate her food, you know. I–I wish there was a better way to explain it.”

“It’s okay,” I said hurriedly, glancing up as Jared and Archer walked into the camp, both of them sporting fresh clothing and wet hair. “I’m going to go wash up.”

I was on my feet before Jared could meet my eyes. I didn’t want anyone else asking me if I was okay. I walked in the direction Jared and Archer had come and found a gentle creek after a few minutes, which was hidden by rows of alder bushes covered in bright green buds.

The sun in this part of the forest was warm, and spring was in full swing here. I noticed a stack of clothing and a fresh pair of socks sitting on a sunbathed rock beside a shallow pool of water the creek fed into. There was even a very worn towel for my use.

sucked in a breath as I stepped into the water. It was frigid enough for me to gasp in reflex, but the shock did

I hissed, wading into the pool until I

it felt rather refreshing after a moment. I

able to salvage from our old camp spot, but I saw a toothbrush and a

I let

choked, then dunked my head underwater. I blew out the breath I’d been holding as I broke the surface. “You were not

head answered me as I climbed out of the water and

up to the elbows and adjusted the belt tied around my waist. The outfit was similar to what I would wear while excavating an

***

drink her wine but not eat her food?” I asked, gingerly taking a sip from the bottle Archer was passing around the fire. The men were busy eating the fish Jared had roasted over the fire, chatting amongst themselves. All of them looked up at me, startled by my voice. I

didn’t make the wine,” Archer replied, motioning for me to take a bigger drink. “She was obviously taking things from her victims. Her house was

my throat. It was strong, and sent a rush of warmth through my body as I passed it

added, motioning to the bags at the edge of camp. “We have enough coins and jewels

him then?” I

the fire at Jared, who wasn’t looking at any of us. He was sharpening one of

the bottle from Brandt and

when he turned his gaze to

out his legs. Brandt pursed his lips but obeyed, and the two men disappeared into

into the bedclothes I’d laid out by the fire, turning away from Jared, who hadn’t moved from his original position. I closed my eyes

the fatigue and darkness take over. But before

our turn,” Jared

the star-filled sky. Jared walked away, and I crawled out of my bedclothes, noticing an already sleeping Brandt

the camp, his

separate and take positions facing the forest. He

had been incredible during the day, but at night, it was breathtaking. There wasn’t

took over twenty miles off our trip,” Jared said as he sat on the edge of the cliff,

sitting down a few feet away from him. I didn’t dangle my legs over the side of the cliff, however. He glanced over at me, his mouth curving

“Scared of heights?”

I avoid them if possible,” I replied curtly, tossing a

looked over the landscape. I reached along my belt and unsheathed the knife he’d given me, turning it over in my hands before handing it to him. “Here. I didn’t

it,” he said, meeting

uh–” I pursed my lips, my cheeks prickling with heat as his gaze bored into

nothing. Just a

“Of what?”