Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 820

Chapter 31 : Play the Game

I watched Aeris over the rim of my wine glass. He was dressed almost casually in a vest and white shirt, his thick golden hair and beard trimmed, but still slightly ruffled. He wasn’t a terrible-looking man by any means. Those eyes were strange, yes. But he was handsome, and he had a rather friendly face.

But I could see the strain and frustration behind his eyes as he cut into his steak and forked a piece of it into his mouth. He’d be surprised when I was the only one who showed up to dinner in his formal dining room, which he’d obviously taken great lengths to decorate with hot-house flowers and a dinner spread meant for an Alpha King.

But it was uncomfortably intimate with just the two of us.

“Play the game,” I’d been told by Jared.

Why me? What the hell were those men up to, anyway?

“What a pleasure it is to have you alone for an evening, darling,” he mused, tilting his wine glass against his lips.

I blinked at him for a moment, barely registering what he’d just said as I was so lost in thought, but gave him a tight smile nonetheless.

“Were you expecting company?” I asked, waving my hand in a short circle.

“Your companions, of course. I had something I wanted to discuss with Jared.”

“Ah,” I smiled, rolling my eyes. “Jared is quite ill. Archer and Brandt are useless without his direction. I do appreciate having you alone, however. I didn’t want to waste the opportunity to thank you for allowing me access to your vault. Jared isn’t nearly as interested in these things as I am.” A lie, of course.

“And how did you find it?”

I took a deep breath against the flush of unease rippling over my skin. How did I find his vault? Or how did I find the Cryptex?

Surely he knew Jared was looking for it, especially if he knew Jared as well as he said he did.

“A bit… messy,” I replied, flashing him what I hoped was a charming smile. “Tell me, how did you come across so many jewels?”

That was exactly what he wanted to hear from me. He wanted to prove I had no interest in the artifacts and books scattered haphazardly around the vault. He wanted to prove that I was just some bright-eyed, submissive female who could be bought for the right price.

Play the game, I told myself over and over. Keep him occupied.

But I wasn’t entirely sure what game Jared was wanting me to play.

“You like jewels, then?”

“Oh, yes. What woman doesn’t?” I batted my eyelashes at him, which he seemed to adore.

His face softened a bit as he grinned and poured us both another serving of wine.

“Did you find anything in particular you liked the best? I could take you there after dinner. You can have whatever you like.”

I wanted the books… the scrolls… the artifacts, even the broken ones.

“That’s not necessary, but thank you,” I replied, forcing myself to blush. “Jared keeps me well supplied and paid, I assure you.”

“But as a gift–”

shook my head, sipping my

annoyed as he glanced at the door to the

else?” I asked, my

not here.” Aeris turned back to me, studying my face for

to whoever was listening that my expression

who’d hit me in the head with a bat, I guessed. I also guessed that that

already turning my cheeks a ruddy pink. I could feel it. I told myself to stop, to

the breeder

wine, his eyes watering. I arched my brows, swirling my wine

“My dear–”

annoyance that made his face twist with shock. “I am high born. My

I don’t understand,” he began, his tone sharpened to an edge, “is what you’re doing with the likes of Jared if any of

you,” I

his eyes like frosted amber as he ran his

waved my hand in dismissal, shaking my head. “A Dark

Dark Lord,” he corrected. “The true heir to the

of pure, unadulterated menace flash behind his eyes. What the hell had he

of Light as his bride. The Luna of Egoren, a White Queen, can you believe it? Lycaon’s most hated enemy was a White Queen… the reason he brought our people to this sacred place. I’ve even heard rumors she is masquerading as the Moon Goddess reincarnate! What a

for breath as much as I was fighting

maybe… you and I can strike a deal. What do you say? Our forces are ready to invade. Jared just needs to give the order. You can go, freed from my possession, if Jared agrees to take his

“N-no–”

brow. An awkward silence settled over the table as he tapped

the brother–” I stuttered, Aeris’s breathy sigh cutting through my

Eliza. I find it hard to believe a woman such as yourself is a product of being raised this far west, or even in this realm at all. Even with a more… progressive father. You are far too educated and ill-mannered to be a high-bred lady from any of my neighboring territories, which leads me to believe I am correct in my assumption that you are, in fact, nothing more than

“How dare–”

making him look like some unearthly creature sent from hell to set me on edge. “He mentioned a girl had snuck aboard and only gave her name when the captain of the ship was about to turn the boat around and take her back to the

my lower lip, keeping my eyes

had… the curls, the

and tilted my chin toward the ceiling in preparation for whatever fight

law, and I’m not letting you leave. That’s final. I want boys out of you, a few of them.” He threw his napkin on the table, motioning to me as he rose to

speak to me in such a way!” I shouted, rising from

slammed my wine glass down, shattering the stem of the glass and slicing open the palm of my hand. Fear ripped the air from my lungs as Aeris began to loosen his belt, his

can command me to do anything is my husband,” I sneered, clenching my injured hand into a bloody fist as I backed away from him.

“Your husband?”

say it. I didn’t know why I

course,” I sniffed, screwing my face into a scowl. “Jared.” I took a

he hissed, straightening to his

keep my voice level. I might have taken this too far, but what

bared his teeth at me, looking

sure he was hot on my heels. But he hadn’t followed. My shoes clacked against the marble floor as I ran for our wing of the castle, little droplets of

s**t, s**t, s**t.

***

and forth across