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.

have another thirty minutes of walking." Jared

lifted my leg into his lap

to work into the tender, aching muscles of my

do

the ball of my foot.He worked on that foot for a few more minutes and

could relax

melting into Jared's massaging

of minutes, he put my shoes back

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

up and held

hand and he pulled me to my

the aching and swelling was

down at my feet and shifted my weight from

feel a lot

capital on the main road.It is far too out in the

a secret

all the things I could tell

led me off the main road.We looped around to a side road that

It barely looked used.

on it and when we got to the edge of the capital, I

a vessel

you want me to do?" I asked, creasing

under the radar and don't be spotted." He glanced over his shoulder

we meet

me directions to a small coffee shop where we could

be seen," I said, hugging Jared's neck

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

This was different, though.

and there

streets were filled with pedestrians

packed

a heavy military

hung around on the

there

putting his own defenses in place? While waiting

about what was going

go about it, but I really didn't want

headed straight to the coffee

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

them seemed bothered by the presence of the

around with each other like it was any normal

shadow stirred and

on my stomach and tried to calm

shadow was getting

time of the curse was running out? Or was I just getting weaker? Another latte landed on the table across from

started and looked

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

out of the capital on a trading

cupped his

will it take

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

to get in touch with my family

took another sip

but if not, at least we will

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

Jared smiled and nodded.