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.

his throat straining from

with his father. They were heading back east shortly before we arrived from the intel I gathered in the

go east,” I said, nodding my assent. He pursed his lips,

to grin, then arched his brow

with your

at him as I shut the door. I heard him chuckle as he turned and

we arrived at his castle. I’d found her new clothes, and I found that they suited her well as she moved 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

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 before putting

“Are we ready?”

said, stifling the emotion threatening to break

tinged a soft rose and her eyes shone like sea glass in the morning light pouring through the windows. I

had been… I couldn’t describe it. Unreal? I was fighting against what I believed to be true feelings for

was my wife, at least on paper, she wasn’t really mine. As much as it killed me, I needed to keep her at a distance until I could find a way to return her to her own people. That shadow of power within me clawed at me for what felt like hours

She had to go home. I had to let her go and it

get breakfast in the city before we take to the road,” I said as I led Eliza

turned and began to walk to the center of the castle, planning on walking right out the

behind us as we reached Archer and Brandt at the bottom of the

into my side, turning us around to face him as the Alpha started

had a whole day

in my chest as I felt Eliza go rigid

Spring Festival,” he said with a wave of his hand, heated annoyance playing over his face as his strange eyes focused on mine. He glanced at Eliza, then back to me, his eyes narrowed. “Come, walk

Archer catching and steadying her. She looked up

We have matters

tore my gaze away to meet the eyes of Archer and Brandt. The expression on my face was enough to convey my own silent

walked out into the front garden, the gates leading into the city looming in the distance. I could see tents and a crowd beginning to gather. Eliza and my men walked

walked slowly toward the gate. I chewed the inside

really thought I’d just let you

would I be

against it, preventing me from passing

that made Aeris stand a little straighter, “if

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

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

not your

to prevent him from seeing the end of the page where our signatures would be. Archer and Brandt had crinkled it, rubbing dirt into the parchment to make it look worn. It wasn’t signed, of course. But it would be if Aeris had the gall to follow us back