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.

thirty minutes of

lifted my leg into

hands started to work into the tender, aching muscles of

do that for a few weeks

my foot.He worked on that foot for a few more minutes and then started

"And I thought there was nothing that could relax me as

giggled and sighed, melting into Jared's massaging

couple of minutes, he put my shoes back

capital is just half the battle.We still need to secure passage

stood up and held

I took his hand and he pulled me to

all the aching and swelling was

stared down at my feet and shifted

feel a lot better,"I

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

know a secret

by all the things I could

main road.We looped around to a side road that wasn't even

It barely looked used.

was on it and when we got to the edge of the

work on securing a vessel that will give us safe passage," Jared

you want me to do?" I

and don't be spotted." He glanced over his

should we meet

me directions to a small coffee shop where we

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

hadn't been around each I other every second, minus the few brief moments we were parted

This was different, though.

and there were people

filled with

were packed

a heavy

royal army hung around on

clearly there for

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

warn her about what

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

headed straight to the coffee

and a sun hat tipped over my face, I ordered myself a latte and sat out on the patio,

seemed bothered by the presence of the royal

happily and moved around with each other like

stirred

on my

shadow was

curse was running out? Or was I just getting

and

hood.He had the hood

capital on a trading vessel.It should give us cover to travel without

sat down and cupped his latte between

it take

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

able to get in

I took another

ideal, but if not, at

thought that she had the right to know what was going on.I wanted to

Jared smiled and nodded.