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 the

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

his lips, giving me a quick nod in return. “We’re

as he began to grin, then arched his brow

things with your

glowered at him as I shut the door. I heard

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

face with a ribbon made of coarse homespun fabric, loose curls falling over her forehead and ears. She lifted the

“Are we ready?”

the emotion threatening

sea glass in the morning light pouring through the windows. I wanted to reach out and brush my knuckles over her skin, but clenched my hand into a fist at my

I believed to be true feelings for her as

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

be here for that. She had to go home. I had to let her go and it

road,” I said as I led

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

Aeris’s voice cut through the air behind us as

gently pulled her into my side, turning us around to face him as

had a whole day

unease rippling in my chest as

as his strange eyes focused on mine. He glanced at Eliza, then back to me, his eyes narrowed.

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

Jared. We have

Archer and Brandt. The expression on my face was

could see tents and a crowd beginning to gather. Eliza and my men walked ahead of us,

as Aeris as I walked slowly toward the gate. I chewed the inside of my cheek as Eliza fell out of eyesight. I didn’t like this, not

I’d just let you walk out of

else would I be

property,” he said as he reached the gate, but he leaned against it, preventing me from passing through. “I’d hate for this to get

it,” I said in a clipped tone that made Aeris stand a

eyes going wide, then narrowing on mine. “Don’t play games with

playing games, Aeris? My wife 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

not your

certificate, which was crumpled and folded 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 to my village, I’d make sure of it. Aeris’s nostrils flared as he looked up at me, his face turning a vivid red and twisting with rage. I held it just out of reach as he tried to snatch it from me, giving him a devilish