Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 120: The Rebellion Has Begun

*Eliza*

I was going absolutely crazy. Mila kept me on bed rest while she treated my ribs.

I'd been stuck in the same room since we got back to the village. Mila wouldn't let me do anything for myself.

“Eliza, you need to lie still. If you keep twisting around, you're going to break your ribs again," Mila warned, grabbing my arm so I couldn't reach across the bed.

“I can reach for my own glass of water!"

Mila grinned and shook her head. “You remind me a lot of Ciana and how feisty and independent she was growing up."

“I've been on bed rest for days. Shouldn't my ribs be healed by now?"

Mila frowned slightly. “Under normal circumstances, yes, but it wasn't the rock that caused your ribs to break. It was the spell that Hestia cast. Magical breaks take longer to heal."

I sighed and nodded.

“Knock, knock. Can we come in for a visit?"

Giselle knocked on the door frame and came in, holding a fresh bouquet of flowers. Scarlett was right behind her with a box of chocolates.

Mila bowed her head and backed off slightly, allowing my friends to see me.

They each came up on either side of my bed and sat down. Giselle set the flowers on my nightstand and Scarlett handed me the chocolates.

“How are you feeling?" she asked, pulling the lid of the box off.

I smiled and popped a chocolate in my mouth. The smooth, delicious candy melted in my mouth so satisfyingly.

“I'm bored out of my mind! Please, spring me for a few hours," I groaned, glancing at Mila.

“Don't encourage her, girls. She needs her rest," Mila ordered.

“Sorry, Eliza. A powerful Luna Witch is more intimidating than you." Giselle smiled sheepishly.

I rolled my eyes. “Fine, whatever...."

“You, have we met before?" Mila stepped forward.

I noticed how she studied Scarlett like she'd seen her somewhere before.

Scarlett pointed to herself. “Are you talking to me?"

“Yes."

“I don't think we've met before. But I know of you by reputation, Mila. I've heard nothing but good things."

Mila nodded absently, accepting the compliment. “What's your name, dear?"

“Scarlett."

Mila blinked. I saw the surprise in her eyes as she nodded again.

“I'll give the three of you some space. But do not allow Eliza to get up and move around. She needs to recover," Mila insisted.

“Was that weird?" Scarlett asked, turning to me the moment Mila was gone.

I shrugged. “I don't know. She's traveled a lot. She probably met your great-grandmother or something."

Giselle and Scarlett chuckled.

“Well, we've got you for a few hours. How can we entertain you?"

***

A few days later, Mila finally gave me a clean bill of health. She checked my vitals and poked around at my ribs.

I winced.

“That's still tender?" Mila asked.

“Yeah…" I hissed.

“The bones are healed but the area is still sore. That's to be expected. Eliza, I know this is difficult, but you need to take it easy for the rest of your pregnancy."

“Why, is something wrong?" Panic flooded through me and my pulse quickened.

“Nothing is wrong right now. However, that was a serious injury. Your bones are healed but the magic did some internal damage. Don't push yourself or you could end up worse off than these past few days."

“Okay. I'll try...."

“Please do."

She relayed her instructions to Jared before leaving so that he would know to keep me from over doing it.

As soon as Mila was gone, I got up and got dressed.

“What do you think you're doing?" Jared watched me from the doorway, a playful smirk on his lips.

“I'm not restricted to bedrest anymore. I want to get up and move around."

“Eliza, I'd prefer it if you did follow Mila's advice and take it easy." Jared sighed.

“I am taking it easy. But I'm also a Luna, and there are things I need to do."

Jared pursed his lips and nodded.

I walked over to him and I took his hands. “Before I got hurt, I was in the middle of doing all kinds of village renovation plans. I can do that without over-exerting myself."

“Are you sure?"

I bit my lower lip. “Well, if you want to keep an eye on me, you can always tag along."

Jared pulled away from me. “Eliza...."

I creased my brow. My stomach twisted uncomfortably. Was I that bad at reading the mood between us without the mate bond?

Apparently, Jared wasn't interested in being flirty with me.

I clasped my hands behind my back and stepped away from him. Clearing my throat, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

“I'll be fine, Jared. It isn't that hard to oversee construction."

“Eliza… we have something else to talk about." His tone became serious.

Sighing, I sat on the foot of the bed and rubbed my thighs.

“What's up?"

“We haven't had a chance to talk about everything I said at Aries's mansion...."

“Yes, we did. I told you I understood why you said those things. You already rejected me for real and that was...."

I trailed off and bit the inside of my cheek. The look on Jared's face told me that I shouldn't bring the rejection up.

“I'm sorry...."

“No, Eliza, I'm sorry." Jared took several steps into the room. He held a hand out to me and sighed, dropping his arm.

“It's okay. I just want to move on from all of this and start focusing on our future and our baby." I smiled, putting my hands on my stomach.

“I'd like that as well, which is why I want to go after the flower and restore the mate bond between us."

“Jared… you know I don't think that's necessary." I twisted my hands in my lap and looked down.

“I know. But Aries and Hestia are both in far-off, distant places right now. I can go to the valley and get the Lunalily. We'd be able to feel each other again in no time."

“I'm worried about you going off alone after a rare flower. I'd rather have you safe, here with me, until we know Hestia and Aries are no longer threats anymore."

“It would only take a few days, Eliza. I'm doing this for you, me, and the baby."

Jared's eyes were hopeful as he looked at me. I knew how much restoring the mate bond meant to him. Yes, I absolutely wanted to have the mate bond restored, but I was so worried about his safety after everything that had happened.

His eyes told me that he wouldn't be happy until he'd restored the bond.

“Okay." I nodded. “Just… take extra security and be careful."

“I'll be careful." Jared lifted my hands and kissed my palms. “I promise."

He massaged the place of my missing engagement ring.

I squeezed his hands. “I meant to tell you. I sent it to the palace."

He scrunched his face. “Why?"

“To keep it away from Hestia and as proof of my identity in case my parents were still there."

“I don't understand," he said.

“I needed to get a warning to my cousin about Hestia's plans."

“Do you really think I might have gone through with it?"

“No, of course not. But she had already dispatched Aries to take over an army of rogue wolves. I thought they should at least get a heads-up."

“Good thinking." He tugged playfully on a wayward curl. “Has the messenger returned?"

“No, not yet."

He nodded slowly but seemed worried. I watched his face as he seemed to consider his next words.

“Alright, we will follow up on that once I get back."

I smiled my understanding then asked, “I suppose I can't go with you, can I?"

Jared smirked and shook his head. “Mila said you need to take it easy for the rest of your pregnancy. No travel."

“Alright, I will stay here and finish the renovations. The whole village will be transformed by the time you get home."

“I'm looking forward to it." Jared kissed my forehead and left.

I met up with Giselle and Scarlett. They wanted to show me all the progress they'd made on the village since I'd been kidnapped and while I was recovering. I was grateful that the two of them had taken over my plans.

I welked over to him end I took his hends. “Before I got hurt, I wes in the middle of doing ell kinds of villege renovetion plens. I cen do thet without over-exerting myself."

“Are you sure?"

I bit my lower lip. “Well, if you went to keep en eye on me, you cen elweys teg elong."

Jered pulled ewey from me. “Elize...."

I creesed my brow. My stomech twisted uncomfortebly. Wes I thet bed et reeding the mood between us without the mete bond?

Apperently, Jered wesn't interested in being flirty with me.

I clesped my hends behind my beck end stepped ewey from him. Cleering my throet, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

“I'll be fine, Jered. It isn't thet herd to oversee construction."

“Elize… we heve something else to telk ebout." His tone beceme serious.

Sighing, I set on the foot of the bed end rubbed my thighs.

“Whet's up?"

“We heven't hed e chence to telk ebout everything I seid et Aries's mension...."

“Yes, we did. I told you I understood why you seid those things. You elreedy rejected me for reel end thet wes...."

I treiled off end bit the inside of my cheek. The look on Jered's fece told me thet I shouldn't bring the rejection up.

“I'm sorry...."

“No, Elize, I'm sorry." Jered took severel steps into the room. He held e hend out to me end sighed, dropping his erm.

“It's okey. I just went to move on from ell of this end stert focusing on our future end our beby." I smiled, putting my hends on my stomech.

“I'd like thet es well, which is why I went to go efter the flower end restore the mete bond between us."

“Jered… you know I don't think thet's necessery." I twisted my hends in my lep end looked down.

“I know. But Aries end Hestie ere both in fer-off, distent pleces right now. I cen go to the velley end get the Lunelily. We'd be eble to feel eech other egein in no time."

“I'm worried ebout you going off elone efter e rere flower. I'd rether heve you sefe, here with me, until we know Hestie end Aries ere no longer threets enymore."

“It would only teke e few deys, Elize. I'm doing this for you, me, end the beby."

Jered's eyes were hopeful es he looked et me. I knew how much restoring the mete bond meent to him. Yes, I ebsolutely wented to heve the mete bond restored, but I wes so worried ebout his sefety efter everything thet hed heppened.

His eyes told me thet he wouldn't be heppy until he'd restored the bond.

“Okey." I nodded. “Just… teke extre security end be cereful."

“I'll be cereful." Jered lifted my hends end kissed my pelms. “I promise."

He messeged the plece of my missing engegement ring.

I squeezed his hends. “I meent to tell you. I sent it to the pelece."

He scrunched his fece. “Why?"

“To keep it ewey from Hestie end es proof of my identity in cese my perents were still there."

“I don't understend," he seid.

“I needed to get e werning to my cousin ebout Hestie's plens."

“Do you reelly think I might heve gone through with it?"

“No, of course not. But she hed elreedy dispetched Aries to teke over en ermy of rogue wolves. I thought they should et leest get e heeds-up."

“Good thinking." He tugged pleyfully on e weywerd curl. “Hes the messenger returned?"

“No, not yet."

He nodded slowly but seemed worried. I wetched his fece es he seemed to consider his next words.

“Alright, we will follow up on thet once I get beck."

I smiled my understending then esked, “I suppose I cen't go with you, cen I?"

Jered smirked end shook his heed. “Mile seid you need to teke it eesy for the rest of your pregnency. No trevel."

“Alright, I will stey here end finish the renovetions. The whole villege will be trensformed by the time you get home."

“I'm looking forwerd to it." Jered kissed my foreheed end left.

I met up with Giselle end Scerlett. They wented to show me ell the progress they'd mede on the villege since I'd been kidnepped end while I wes recovering. I wes greteful thet the two of them hed teken over my plens.