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.

another thirty minutes of

even asking, he lifted my leg into his lap and pulled

work into the tender, aching

really great.If you could just do that for a few

foot.He worked on that foot for a few more minutes

that could relax me as much as...that other thing you

melting

couple of minutes, he put my shoes back

just half the battle.We still need to secure passage to the Light

held his

took his hand and he pulled

all the aching and

and shifted my weight from one

a

aren't going to get into the capital on the main road.It is far too out in

a secret

all the things I could

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

It barely looked used.

to the edge of the capital, I noticed there weren't any

to work on securing a vessel that will give us

want me to do?" I

the radar and don't be spotted."

we

a small coffee shop where we could meet up once he had

be seen," I said, hugging Jared's neck quickly before we

I other every second, minus the few brief moments we were parted during our

This was different, though.

capital was busy and there were people

filled with pedestrians

were packed full of

heavy military presence

army hung

were clearly there for protection and

King got wind of Aeris' plans? Was he already putting his own defenses in place? While waiting for Jared, I snuck to

to warn her about what was going on and

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

straight to the coffee shop once the

a pair of sunglasses on and a sun hat tipped over my face, I ordered myself a latte and sat out on the patio, sipping my drink and watching people in the capital

bothered by the

with each other like it was any normal

shadow stirred and my

hand on my stomach and

shadow was getting

that mean the time of the curse was running out? Or was I just getting weaker? Another latte landed

and

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

trading vessel.It should

cupped his latte between

it

as far as Breles.It won't be the most comfortable ride, but it will get us there.There's a

able to get in

I took another sip

but if not, at least we will

word to my cousin while we were here.I just thought that she had the right to know what was going

Jared smiled and nodded.