Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 808

Chapter 19 : Jared’s Dagger

Our camp for our second, and hopefully uneventful, night in the Dark Forest was situated on a cliff overlooking the forest below. We'd walked for the remainder of the day, none of us speaking as Jared led us further and further into the forest and away from the witch's house.

I'd looked back at it only once, noticing the toppled stones covered in moss and ivy. It was not the grand house I'd seen upon my arrival. The garden had been overgrown and littered with fallen leaves, not flowers and fruit trees.

Brandt told me I'd been bewitched, which seemed a reasonable explanation for the events that led me to the house and my stupor in the hours that followed. I could still taste the metallic remnants of whatever magic she'd used on me as the day passed in a blur of trees and darkness.

But our new camp was bursting with the light of the coming sunset. The trees here were more sparse, the forest floor open and easy to navigate. Jared was even allowing a fire tonight, and getting the fire started was my job while the three men were bathing in a creek in a nearby glen. They'd felt comfortable enough to leave me up here alone, and if I was being honest, I was grateful for it.

I sat down on the ground in front of the fire, watching the bark I'd pulled from the surrounding trees start to catch. My throat began to tighten, my hands trembling as I slowly fed dry sticks to the fire.

A single tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away, biting down on my lip to stop myself from bursting into tears.

“Stupid girl," the witch had said to me.

She was right. I'd never been so scared in my life.

“You okay?" Brandt's voice cut through my emotional downward spiral.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and tried to smile up at him, but my mouth wouldn't move past a firm, expressionless line.

“Yes," I replied, sniffling. “I'm fine."

“We found you some clothes in the witch's house," he said as he crouched on the other side of the fire, laying out three good-sized fish. “A shirt and some pants, new socks–"

“Who did they belong to before?" I asked, but my voice broke over the words.

Brandt's sapphire eyes met mine, looking incredibly sympathetic.

“Someone she took in. Someone who ate her food, you know. I–I wish there was a better way to explain it."

“It's okay," I said hurriedly, glancing up as Jared and Archer walked into the camp, both of them sporting fresh clothing and wet hair. “I'm going to go wash up."

I was on my feet before Jared could meet my eyes. I didn't want anyone else asking me if I was okay. I walked in the direction Jared and Archer had come and found a gentle creek after a few minutes, which was hidden by rows of alder bushes covered in bright green buds.

The sun in this part of the forest was warm, and spring was in full swing here. I noticed a stack of clothing and a fresh pair of socks sitting on a sunbathed rock beside a shallow pool of water the creek fed into. There was even a very worn towel for my use.

I undressed quickly and sucked in a breath as I stepped into the water. It was frigid enough for me to gasp in reflex, but the shock did something to my brain, ripping the mental fog away in an instant.

“s**t, that's cold," I hissed, wading into the pool until I was nearly shoulder deep.

I shivered, but my skin numbed to the bite of the water and it felt rather refreshing after a moment. I dunked my head under water, scrubbing my scalp with my fingernails.

I wanted nothing more than to scrub myself clean of the events of the last day, and I did so, scooping gritty sand from the bottom of the pool and rubbing it into my skin until my arms and legs were raw. Brandt had told me there wasn't much they'd been able to salvage from our old camp spot, but I saw a toothbrush and a sliver of tallow soap sitting on the rock next to my new clothes. I swam to the rock and brushed my teeth until I tasted blood. I scrubbed my skin with soap until my skin was tight and begging for moisture.

And then I let myself cry.

“What the f**k were you thinking would happen?" I choked, then dunked my head underwater. I blew out the breath I'd been holding as I broke the surface. “You were not prepared for any of this!"

Only gentle birdsong above my head answered me as I climbed out of the water and dried myself off.

I dressed quickly in a billowing, long-sleeved white shirt that was several sizes too big, tucked into khaki pants also several sizes too big that I had to cuff several times so they didn't drag on the ground. I rolled my sleeves up to the elbows and adjusted the belt tied around my waist. The outfit was similar to what I would wear while excavating an archaeological site, in all honesty. That familiarity was a comfort as I pulled my boots on and trudged up the glen, leaving my tarnished thermals, and the memories of the witch's house, behind.

***

“How come we can drink her wine but not eat her food?" I asked, gingerly taking a sip from the bottle Archer was passing around the fire. The men were busy eating the fish Jared had roasted over the fire, chatting amongst themselves. All of them looked up at me, startled by my voice. I hadn't spoken to them in hours, not since I'd returned from bathing in the creek.

“She didn't make the wine," Archer replied, motioning for me to take a bigger drink. “She was obviously taking things from her victims. Her house was loaded."

I tipped the wine bottle against my lips, letting it roll down my throat. It was strong, and sent a rush of warmth through my body as I passed it back to Archer, who drank deeply from it.

“We don't need Aeris's payment for the bounty at this rate," Brandt added, motioning to the bags at the edge of camp. “We have enough coins and jewels to fund the village for decades."

“Why go to him then?" I asked.

I glanced across the fire at Jared, who wasn't looking at any of us. He was sharpening one of his blades against a stone, his eyes downcast.

“Because he's expecting us," Archer said, taking the bottle from Brandt and draining it. “And Aeris enjoys Jared's company, for whatever reason."

Jared looked up at Archer, the firelight dancing across the planes of his face. The crimson flakes in his obsidian eyes were fanned by the flames, making him look menacing, especially when he turned his gaze to me. He looked down again, examining his blade before sheathing it on his belt. “Brandt, Archer, you're on first watch," he said flatly. “Eliza, go to sleep."

I sucked on my lower lip, glancing at Archer as he groaned and stretched out his legs. Brandt pursed his lips but obeyed, and the two men disappeared into the trees, their voices a low hum against the crackling fire.

I crawled into the bedclothes I'd laid out by the fire, turning away from Jared, who hadn't moved from his original position. I closed my eyes to the sound of another blade running along a stone.

I didn't dream. I let the fatigue and darkness take over. But before long I felt someone gripping my shoulder.

“Wake up, it's our turn," Jared whispered.

I rolled over, blinking into the star-filled sky. Jared walked away, and I crawled out of my bedclothes, noticing an already sleeping Brandt and Archer lying nearby.

“Come on," Jared said from the edge of the camp, his figure barely visible in the darkness.

I followed him just outside of our camp, but we didn't separate and take positions facing the forest. He walked out onto the cliff overlooking the forest below, and to the rolling hills beyond.

The view had been incredible during the day, but at night, it was breathtaking. There wasn't a single light to be seen for miles and miles.

“Chasing you and that witch took over twenty miles off our trip," Jared said as he sat on the edge of the cliff, his feet dangling over the side. “We'll make it to Aeris's territory by midday tomorrow."

“Twenty miles?" I gasped, sitting down a few feet away from him. I didn't dangle my legs over the side of the cliff, however. He glanced over at me, his mouth curving into a wry grin.

“Scared of heights?"

“No, but I avoid them if possible," I replied curtly, tossing a rock over the cliff.

It was silent for a moment, the only sounds that of a gentle breeze rustling the trees and an owl hooting nearby. Jared was obviously lost in thought as he looked over the landscape. I reached along my belt and unsheathed the knife he'd given me, turning it over in my hands before handing it to him. “Here. I didn't lose it."

“Keep it," he said, meeting my gaze for a moment.

“No, I–I can't keep this. It matches the, uh–" I pursed my lips, my cheeks prickling with heat as his gaze bored into mine. “The hilt matches the tattoos on your arms. I know it must mean something to you."

“It… it's nothing. Just a reminder–"

“Of what?"

He blinked at me, narrowing his eyes.

“I had it made to remind me who I'm supposed to kill with it–the same person who gave me these tattoos."

“What?" I blanched, unable to stop the shock from showing on my face.

He looked away, his eyes watching the sky turn from a deep navy to a soft violet in the distance, the stars beginning to fade.

“It's a long story."

“Well," I said, shifting my weight as I set the dagger down between us. “It seems like we have plenty of time for you to tell it."

He flexed his jaw, considering. I found it unlikely he was going to tell me much of anything, but for the first time since I'd met him, he seemed willing to at least try.

“I've been looking for a man for some time now. I don't know what he looks like, or his name. But he took something from me, and I want it back."

“What did he take from you?"

He was quiet for a moment, his hands spread wide over the tops of his thighs. He didn't answer my question, but continued, “The tattoos appeared on my twenty-first birthday, after I shifted for the first time. At first, I thought it was some cruel prank or a drunken decision I couldn't remember. But when I finally dragged myself out of bed, I found a parcel addressed to me on the dining room table in my house. The first piece of the Cryptex was inside. It had the same markings as the ones that had appeared on my arms."

I opened my mouth but was too stunned and confused to speak.

“There was no note with the parcel, but a few of the men remembered seeing a man go into the house during my birthday party. They hadn't recognized him, but we were all so far gone with drink that no one paid him any mind."

“He left you the Cryptex?" I breathed, unease rippling over my skin. Just thinking about the artifact made me feel that unearthly darkness that lay within it all over again. “Jared–"

“You were right when you said it was cursed," he cut in, looking over at me with such intensity I felt as though electricity was shooting up my spine. “But no one I've shown it to has ever felt it the way that we do. Why is that?"

“I have no idea," I said honestly. “You're looking for the other pieces because you think putting them together will break a curse? What kind of curse–"

A rustling sounded in the trees behind us, and Jared snapped his head in the direction of the noise. A fox darted in and out of view, startled by our presence.

“Aeris has a scroll. It was part of the deal we made when I agreed to accept the bounty on his brother. I believe the scroll could lead me to the man, if it's a legitimate lead. That's where I need you, Eliza."

“Me?"

“I don't know why you're here, and at this point, I don't really care, but you're the only person who has ever given me a shred of information about what the thing is. I don't know if I'll even be able to decipher the scroll on my own. I need your help. In return, I will pay you and help you get back to wherever the hell you're from."

“I'll do it," I said without hesitation.

I didn't need his money, and I sure as hell wasn't ready to go home, not yet. This was my grand adventure despite all odds, right? He met my eyes, holding my gaze.

“I'll do it, Jared. I'll help you."