Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder Chapter 830

Chapter 41 : I Didn’t Miss

*Eliza*

Jared was gone for the rest of the day, leaving me alone in his huge bed. It was quiet in the house, and out the windows that lined the far wall of his bedroom, I could see people working in the gardens that circled the old manor. Large puddles of muddy water covered the village, reflecting the lights spilling from the cottages and shop fronts that wove along the well-beaten trail weaving through town.

I had no idea what Jared was up to. I also had no idea what exactly he wanted me to be doing right now.

I went through his dresser, trying to find something that would fit me other than the cotton pajamas I’d been wearing all day. All I had to my name was my journal, my pajamas, and the gray dress I wore during my job as a laundry maid… which Miriam hadn’t brought with her when dropping off my “things.”

I pulled out a soft, cream-colored long-sleeved shirt from his dresser, snapping it through the air to shake out the wrinkles. I changed into the shirt, which hit me mid-thigh. I rolled up the sleeves to my elbows and continued to rifle through his dresser, opening every single drawer until I found a pair of thick wool socks and a pair of thermal leggings that looked like they would have fit Jared when he was a child.

“Perfect,” I said, holding them up to test the length. I’d have to ask him for new clothes, I thought as I looked at myself in the mirror above the dresser. I ruffled my hair, grabbed my journal, and walked out of the room.

His study was just down the hall. I figured the best way to pass my time as the pretend lady of the house was to go through every book and artifact in his study and start to piece together the mystery of the Cryptex.

I closed the door behind me and looked around.

Dusty rays of muted daylight poured through the gaps in the shuttered windows. The bookshelves touched the ceiling on the far side of the snug room, some housing glass globes and crystals. It smelled like him in here, leather and parchment. I loved it, but also couldn’t work in conditions such as these. My mind was a tangled web in ordinary circumstances. I needed to do a little organizing, cleaning, and cataloging before any work could be done.

I knew Jared was going to be pissed I was touching his stuff, but I didn’t care. Wifely duties, right?

I walked to the windows and pushed open the shutters one by one until the room was filled with gray afternoon light, the smell of rain filling the room.

I set to work pulling books from the shelves, writing their titles and a brief description of their contents in my journal. I worked through a pile of books taller than me for what felt like several hours. I moved them into new homes, organizing them in sections by topic and content. He had quite a collection of lore and mythology, which would prove useful to us, I was sure, but I resisted the urge to start researching Draven and the Cryptex.

I needed to know everything he had in his collection and exactly where to find it, first.

Soon I’d gone through every single book he had in his study and cataloged every single one in my journal. This was a start, and a good one at that. Tomorrow morning I could wake up and get to work. I was impressed by the work I’d done today, smiling at myself as I looked down at his spotless desk and tidy shelves.

But I was impressed by him most of all. Some of his collection was just… unreal, a dream.

I couldn’t wait to talk to him about it the next time I saw him.

Another hour passed as I walked around the room, cataloging his collection of artifacts. By the time darkness fell and the room was cast in shadow, my journal was bursting with notes, and his study had never been so clean and organized.

I was just packing up to leave when I heard soft footsteps in the hallway outside the study, someone walking back and forth.

“Eliza? Are you up here?”

I opened the door to find Giselle and Scarlett standing in the hallway, both of them looking a little worried.

the matter?” I asked, stepping out of the study

“But you missed dinner, so I thought we should come check on

let out

looked like someone was seriously hurt, or dead!” I

whispered back, looking up and down the hallway before meeting my

didn’t really know how to

go to the tavern to talk about this!” Giselle whispering, nudging Scarlett. “Effie’s apricot wine is ready. I

Scarlett began, but Giselle waved her

of times! Come on,

but Giselle turned her gaze to

I

go then, it’s getting

of us speaking in low whispers as people went about their evening routines. Giselle rifled through the coat closet, handing me the same jacket I’d worn to Tommy’s birthday

Jared here at all?”

her head as she pulled her arms through her jacket. “I didn’t see him or Brandt at dinner, and several of his crew were

Interesting.

in arm with Scarlett and Giselle. Lanterns lit the trail as we went along, our boots squelching in the mud and faces numbed by

than the house it would seem. Its windows were well lit, shadows moving against them as we walked up under a covered porch and Giselle held the door open

stretched across the far side of the tavern, several people leaning against it as a middle-aged woman with

but I

with a man I didn’t recognize while Scarlett and I sat down at a table next to the window,

when you saw him last?” she asked after

her, noticing the lines of concern

to get home,” I

she turned her gaze

pink-hued liquid

a sip, marveling at the sweet flavor. Whoever Effie was, well, she could make a glass of wine, that was

told them everything I could about my experience at Aeris’s castle without giving too much away. I knew I could trust them, but I wasn’t sure how much they knew about Jared

the time we’d finished our glasses of wine, and Giselle got up

on my jacket and looked

while,” Scarlett breathed, the corners of her mouth tugging into a smile as I

“Are they mates?”

don’t know; I think so. Giselle never mentioned whether or not the mate bond

over my shoulder and smiling as Giselle whispered what I assumed were sweet nothings

followed her gaze to the sparring ring, where a

out Jared’s form

had a chance to meet,”