Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 812

Chapter 23 : A Dance With Jared

Jared extended his hand to me, beckoning me forward. I glanced over my shoulder at Aeris, who was looking smug and suspicious as he leaned against the railing of the terrace overlooking the city of Suncrest. Night was falling, and the city lights sent an amber haze rippling over the horizon.

It would have been beautiful had that orange-eyed creep not been standing right in front of my view.

“Eliza,” Jared repeated more sternly.

I fixed Aeris with a steely glare and took Jared’s hand. Aeris raised his brows at me but looked nothing but amused.

Jared placed my hand in the crook of his arm as we walked back into the ballroom, leaning down to hiss, “Don’t egg him on.”

“He knows,” I said, looking up into his eyes.

Jared looked down at me, nostrils flaring. “What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything! He said it was–it was my hair. It was my hair that gave it away. Someone in his circle must have recognized me from the auction.”

Jared cursed under his breath and broke from my gaze to look around the ballroom. Warriors were posted along the walls, watching the proceedings. Jared eyed them all, then found Archer and Brandt in the crowd.

“We’re getting out of here tonight,” he said, leading me through the crowd again.

“But he hasn’t given you the scroll yet–”

“I don’t care about the scroll.”

“Of course you do! That’s why you’re here, and why you brought me here. You need it. I’ll be fine–”

“He will stop at nothing to lay claim to what he believes is his,” Jared seethed in my ear. I closed my eyes as a ripple of heat rushed through my body as his breath tickled my neck. “I won’t let anyone else have you.”

Anyone else?

Jared straightened up, catching Brandt’s eye in the crowd. He nodded once, his pointer finger brushing against the tip of his nose. Brandt made another quick motion with his hand in response and disappeared into the crowd.

“What was that all about?” I asked, but Jared moved us deeper into the fray.

in full swing. It was a group dance, the couples weaving in and out of each other

Jared said absently, his eyes still scanning

on. Was Aeris going to announce to the crowd that I was his breeder? Was Jared really planning on trying to escape the castle when it was so heavily

to give up on the mysterious

a few couples made their way back into the crowd of onlookers, others staying on the dancefloor as the orchestra prepared for

and well-practiced. I’d watched some of the young women dancing with their partners when I’d first arrived at the ball. They danced with controlled grace, their

trying not to mow down anyone

orchestra prepare for the next set. His eyes were locked on the violinist. Aeris had mentioned a few times that Jared was acquainted with his

after all–a game. I was just a piece of it, a cog in the

my hand and led me out onto the dancefloor as the

trying to hide my discomfort as he

you’re enjoying yourself. That’s what Aeris wants to see,”

crane my neck to follow their gazes.

raised our joined hands to shoulder level.

don’t know

then he swept me

“good” wasn’t an adequate description of how the

Me? Not so much.

lead,” he said

And I did.

dance, and I was truly along for the ride as Jared took my hand and spun me in a tight circle. Another twirl, then another, my feet barely touching the ground

in mine, squeezing softly as I breathlessly

you learn how to dance

then had me spinning on my toes before sweeping me

raised a bandit,” he said wryly. “That

go of my hand, his other hand trailing over my back as he sent

another woman roughly my age, who took my hand and led me in a

the two of us joining and then separating as we wove between the other dancers. I was out of breath by the time the music reached a pitch, and

spread wide. My

the only two people in the room. The music seemed to slow, our movements sure and deliberate as his body moved in rhythm with my own. I

turned us as if in slow motion. He was looking at me now in the same way

“Trust me,” he’d said.

I had.

But why?