Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 81 : Don't Be Seen

*Eliza*

Traveling from Saboreef to the capital of Erogen took a week.

That was a week of roughing it on lumpy, rocky ground.

No matter where we put the tent, I always ended up with a root or something sharp poking into me.

Jared was there, serving as a comfy pillow that helped with the worst of the discomfort.

Even though we'd had a nice break from crummy camping food while we stayed in Saboreef, I was definitely ready to eat some real, well-cooked meals after that long, long week on the road.

If I could get meals cooked by someone else, professionally, that would be even better.

Fortunately, the weather was nice.

I wasn't completely expecting that, given the massive storm that had nearly flattened the village we were in.

For our entire trip to the capital, the skies were clear.

One morning, while Jared cleaned up the campsite and I made sure the fire was out, I kept glancing at the clouds in the sky.

"Eliza, what are you looking for?" Jared asked.

Sighing, I rubbed my hands on my thighs and kicked around in the ashes.

The fire was definitely out.

"The entire time we were preparing for that sea storm, I kept having this feeling that it was just the beginning, that the storm would bring darkness.But..."

I threw my arms out to the sides and tipped my head back.

Smiling, I spun around in the bright sunlight.

Jared chuckled and looped his arms around me, spinning me ina circle.

"Isn't it a good thing that the storm didn't bring some dark omen?" he asked.

I nodded and rested my head on his shoulder.

The warm sun felt good I on my skin, but it was nothing compared to the warmth from Jared's body as it permeated my tight-fitting hiking clothes.

"I guess.I still feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop...."

"Come on, Eliza.Maybe the storm did bring darkness, but it wasn't until after the storm that we got our first real lead for breaking the curse.Maybe all the light we have now is the hope we were missing before."

I bit my lip and nodded.

"You know, you might be onto something."

We finished cleaning up the camp and set out on the road again.

I felt like we'd been walking for weeks.

At least, when we'd been out in the wilderness, there'd been differing terrain-mountains, hills, rocks, rivers.

But the trek back to the capital was flat and tough.By the time we made it to the main road into the capital, my feet felt swollen.

"Can we rest for a minute?" I asked, plopping down on a rock on the side of the road.

almost there.We only have another thirty minutes of

leg into his lap

into the tender,

just do that for a few

his knuckles into the ball of my foot.He worked on that foot for a few more minutes and then started

there was nothing that could relax

sighed, melting into Jared's massaging

he put my

keep moving.Getting to the capital is just half the battle.We still need to secure

up and held his hand out

I took his hand and he pulled

aching

feet and shifted my weight from one foot to the

a lot

on the main road.It

a secret entrance?"I

might be surprised by all the things

at me and led me off the main road.We looped around

It barely looked used.

we got to the edge of the capital, I noticed there weren't any guards on this road

a vessel that

want me to

spotted."

we

shop where we

be seen," I said, hugging

last time we hadn't been around each I other every second, minus the few brief

This was different, though.

was busy and there

filled with

packed

was a heavy

hung around on the

clearly there for protection

of Aeris' plans? Was he already putting his own defenses in place? While waiting for Jared, I snuck to a place where I could send my

about what was going on and what! was

to go about it, but I really didn't want her to

coffee shop once the message was

tipped over my face, I ordered myself a latte and sat out on the patio, sipping my drink and watching people in the capital moving

of them seemed bothered by the presence of

around with each other

stirred and my

hand on my stomach and

shadow was

the curse was running out? Or was I

and looked

a sweater on with a hood.He had the hood over his head, keeping his face

on a trading vessel.It should give us cover to travel without suspicion," Jared

cupped

it take

as Breles.It won't be the most comfortable ride, but

to get in

I took another sip from my

ideal, but if not, at

my cousin while we were here.I just thought that she had the right to

Jared smiled and nodded.