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–”

head, sipping

as he glanced at the

expecting someone else?” I asked, my stomach tying in a

that he’s not here.” Aeris turned back to me, studying

listening that

guessed. I also guessed that that was exactly the business Jared was

pink. I could feel it. I told myself to stop, to not drink anymore. I

you really believe I’m the breeder your brother Ambrose

his wine, his eyes watering. I arched my brows, swirling my wine as I watched him compose

“My dear–”

the word Alpha with a hint of annoyance that made his face twist with shock. “I am high born. My father is likely rolling over in his

sharpened to an edge, “is what you’re doing with the likes of

you,” I said innocently. “I’m

you know what he is?” he asked, his eyes like frosted amber as he ran his finger in

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

Dark Lord,” he corrected. “The true heir

I caught the look of pure, unadulterated menace flash behind his eyes. What the hell had he meant by

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

for breath as much as I was fighting for

deeply from his wine glass. “But 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

“N-no–”

furrowing his brow. An awkward silence settled over the table as

I stuttered, Aeris’s breathy sigh

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

“How dare–”

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

lower lip, keeping my eyes

from the breeder auction had… the curls, the

sucked in my breath and tilted my chin toward the ceiling in preparation for whatever fight was coming my way.

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,

me in such a

glass down, shattering the stem of the glass and slicing open the palm of my hand. Fear

is my husband,” I sneered, clenching my injured hand into a bloody fist as I backed away from him. “You are not my Alpha,

“Your husband?”

that caught him off-guard. I hadn’t meant to say it. I didn’t know why I had. But there was no going

face into a scowl. “Jared.” I took a step back, noticing the unfiltered fury coloring his

straightening to

desperately trying to keep my voice level. I might have taken this too far, but

teeth at me, looking absolutely

door, 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

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

***

as Brandt deftly wound a bandage around my hand. Jared was pacing back and forth across his bedroom, his arms crossed and head bent as he mulled over my retelling of what had