Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 823

Chapter 34 : A Face I Hadn’t Seen in Years

*Jared*

I watched her examine the new Cryptex, turning it over in the sunlight pouring through the window. She was holding it with her hand wrapped in a towel, using the end of her toothbrush to gently prod the sides, looking for the mechanisms that cause the connective pieces to spring loose.

Watching her work was intoxicating. I’d never seen someone so wholly focused on a single task. The way she examined the Cryptex was intrinsic, practically second nature. My movements in the background didn’t seem to bother her at all as I packed up our things in preparation for our journey home.

The weight I’d been carrying on my shoulders since arriving at Aeris’s kingdom was lifting as the early morning hours ticked by. It was likely Eliza and I could walk right out of this place now. All I’d have to do was tell Aeris that Eliza was my wife, and show him the contract Archer had delivered to me before the sun had come up, signed by a now very wealthy priest and undated

I’d made sure to cover our tracks.

The priest was a follower of the older church, a more pagan sect of the Church of Lycaon. Aeris wouldn’t recognize the man’s name, I knew that much, not when he favored the startlingly wealthy and pompous preachers of the new-wave church situated on his castle’s property. The priest’s temple was situated on the outskirts of the city, built against and within the wall leading to the villages beyond. I told Eliza about it as we lounged in bed before the sun rose, my fingers trailing over her bare skin.

We were safe.

Eliza sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping as she gently set the Cryptex on the table.

“What’s the matter?” I asked as I shrugged on my leathers.

“It wants me to touch it,” she said on a breath, shaking her head. “It won’t open for me otherwise.”

“Don’t worry about it for now. We can deal with it when we get back to the village,” I replied, hoping this was enough to break her concentration so she could get dressed and ready to go. She turned to look at me over her shoulder, a soft, somewhat sleepy smile touching the corners of her mouth in reply. “We’re getting out of here, alright? Everything is going to be okay.”

I prayed I was right.

There was a sharp knock on the door, then Archer’s voice broke through the air.

“Are you ready? We should get going.”

I exhaled and opened the door a crack, meeting Archer’s gaze. The corridor outside my bedroom was still dark, not a hint of early morning yet dancing over the marble tiles.

“The southern trail?” I asked, meeting his eyes. I could hear Eliza moving around the room behind me, the sound of fabric hitting the floor making me tighten my grip on the door as I held it as closed as possible without shutting Archer out completely.

“Passable from what I saw. The river is still running high but if we’re careful–” he shrugged, a faraway look in his eyes.

“Okay, we’ll try.” I reached out into the corridor and gripped his shoulder.

throat straining from

head. “He was here recently, with his father. They were heading back east shortly before we arrived from the

you can go east,” I said, nodding my assent. He pursed his lips, giving me a quick nod

cheek dimpled as he began to grin, then arched his brow at

things with your blushing

door. I heard him chuckle as he turned and

around the room and packed her notes and the Cryptex into a leather backpack–khaki trousers that were still far too long for her were cuffed several times, resting just above the boots she was now wearing. A leather belt was cinched around her waist, the dagger I’d given her sheathed along her thigh. Her airy white shirt was tucked into her belt, billowing out around her arms and chest, giving me a glimpse of an

back from her face with a ribbon made of coarse homespun fabric, loose curls falling over her forehead and ears. She lifted the backpack, testing its weight

“Are we ready?”

I said, stifling the emotion threatening to break around my

up at me, her cheeks tinged a soft rose and her eyes shone like sea glass in the morning light pouring through the windows. I wanted to reach out and

true feelings for her as I made a final round around

her at a distance until I could find a way to return her to her own people. That

home. I

the city before we take to the road,” I said as I led Eliza out of the room and

drifting up the stairwell as we turned and began to walk to the center of the castle,

Aeris’s voice cut through the air behind us as we reached Archer and Brandt at

my side, turning us around to face him as the

had a whole day

time for us to go,” I said firmly, unease rippling in my chest as I felt Eliza go rigid beside me. “Thank you for your

face as his strange eyes focused

gritted my teeth into a smile of assent and gently pushed Eliza toward Archer. She stumbled, Archer catching and steadying her. She looked up at

Jared. We have matters to

on my face was enough to convey my own silent thoughts. If anything

looming in the distance. I could see tents and a crowd beginning to gather. Eliza and my men walked ahead of us, getting further and further away with

slowly toward the gate. I chewed the inside

really thought I’d just let you

else would

my property,” he said as he reached the gate, but he leaned against it, preventing me

clipped tone that made Aeris stand a little

Aeris said, his eyes going wide, then narrowing on mine. “Don’t play

is more educated than any of the historians employed by your church. That scroll was a fake. She knew that before even opening it. I needed her to get close to you so you’d give her access to your vault to prove my suspicions about your worthlessness to my

is not your

It wasn’t signed, of course. But it would be