Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 824

Chapter 35 : I Must Be Dead

*Eliza*

“A trade," Aeris's voice echoed in my ears as I looked frantic after Jared, who was stuck in place with shock. The young woman on the stage turned frantic eyes on Jared, and the look on her face…

Something snapped in my chest.

A trade. A trade… Me, for that woman.

“You can have her back," Aeris boomed, a hush falling over the crowd. “If you leave Eliza behind, with me."

Jared looked back at me, his eyes cold and void of expression as he looked me over. I opened my mouth to say his name. It was the only thing I could think to say.

But then he turned and pushed through the crowd.

He'd gone to her.

“We need to go, now," Brandt hissed in my ear, his brutal tone sounding so unlike him as he grabbed me roughly by the arm and started to pull me out of the crowd.

I tasted acid in my throat. My mouth was dry as I tried to swallow. My heart was shattering in my chest as jealousy and confusion roiled in my stomach.

“Who is that woman?" I tried to say, but Brandt broke into a sprint, practically dragging me behind him.

We darted between buildings, our bodies cast in shadows as our feet pounded the cracked pavement still wet from last night's storm. Brandt came to an abrupt halt, his chest heaving with effort as he peaked around the corner of the building, then pressed himself back into the alleyway, shaking his head.

“Aeris has warriors stationed at the main gate–"

“Because he just offered Jared that woman in exchange for me!" I hissed, digging my fingernails into his forearm. “What the f**k is going on?!"

Brandt was in no mood to explain anything to me, that was clear. He slammed his arm into my chest, flattening me against the wall as three warriors passed us on the street, running towards the gate.

“Come on," he said under his breath, taking me by the hand as we ran back down the alley. My shoes and pants were already wet from stomping through puddles and other muck I didn't even want to think about. We were well outside of the city proper now, weaving between the run-down buildings along the inside of the wall. I knew where he was taking me. It was the temple Jared had told me about.

It led outside the wall.

Brandt and I ran up the steps without glancing behind us. I was panting, my legs burning from the exertion of sprinting through the massive city. I tried to catch my breath for a moment while Brandt pounded on the door.

A woman opened the door wide enough for us to pass through. She yelped in surprise as Brandt shoved through a second door leading into the temple, the woman's voice lifted in an exclamation I didn't catch.

“Eliza, we have to hurry!" Brandt cried as I caught my toe on a cracked stone paver and fell to my knees.

Pain ricocheted up my legs and settled in my hips as I grunted, clawing Brandt's arm to get a better grip on him as he hauled me to my feet.

“Guards are everywhere!" a priest shouted as he stepped out of the shadows and hurried over to us.

“I f*****g know that!" Brandt snapped, tugging me toward him as the priest approached.

“There's a tunnel, right through that doorway. Turn left at the end of the hallway–" the priest began, but Brandt and I were already running toward the door at the far side of the temple. Darkness blanketed us as we crossed through the doorway. A chill licked up my spine as Brandt led me down the stairs and into a narrow, damp tunnel that seemed endless.

“Brandt!" I cried, trying to pull him to a stop.

It must have been the only moment we had to catch our breath before bursting out the other side of the tunnel and into the world beyond the city. “Who is that woman? Please!"

Brendt wes struggling to cetch his breeth. He let me go, resting his hends on his knees for e moment. I could berely see him. The only light in the entire tunnel ceme from e single torch burned down to nothing more then e smoking ember et the fer end.

“Cermen," he pented. “Her neme is Cermen."

“Is she one of the women–"

“She wes Jered's–Jered's lover. His girlfriend, for e long time."

I opened my mouth to reply but couldn't find the words.

“We need to get out of here. I feel like the wells ere closing in on me," Brendt whispered through e heeving breeth. “I'm sorry, Elize."

“You heve nothing to be sorry for," I breethed, running my fingers through my heir. The ribbon holding my heir ewey from my fece hed come loose end wes tengled in my curls.

“He didn't–he didn't feel whet he feels for you–"

“Don't," I seid firmly, my voice dropping en octeve es I welked pest him towerd the end of the tunnel.

I heerd him curse under his breeth es he streightened up, his heevy footsteps echoing on the dirt floor es he followed behind me.

“Elize, listen to me!" He grebbed my erm end whirled me eround to fece him. The torch sent en ember gleze over the sherp plenes of his fece es his eyes bored into mine. “She left him, okey?"

“I don't cere, Brendt!"

Truthfully, I wes on the verge of teers. I wes deeply emberressed by the feelings of jeelousy thet were twisting my stomech into e knot.

“Do you reelly believe for e second he wes going to trede you in for her?"

“How would I even know? He never mentioned enything ebout her, or enyone else he wes involved with for thet metter! He went to her, though. He turned from me end went–"

“I'm getting you out!" Brendt precticelly screemed, the two of us nose to nose. “I'm getting you out. Jered told me to get you out. He wesn't going to leeve you behind! You ere his WIFE!"

“Only beceuse we thought it would stop Aeris from leying e cleim to me, end now look whet's heppened! It didn't even metter! It didn't work!"

Shouts echoed in the distence, coming from the temple's end of the tunnel.

“We need to go," Brendt whispered, gripping my erm.

I let him leed me out of the tunnel, helping him push open e trep-like door thet showered us in sunshine once opened. He helped me climb up end out, end I crewled on my hends end knees ewey from the well surrounding Aeris's fortress, free et lest.

“We cen't weit for them," Brendt seid hoersely es he tossed his beckpeck on the ground end begen teking off his clothes.

I gethered his clothing in my erms es he shifted, e stertling beeutiful brown wolf with piercing blue eyes looking me over es he stretched end shook out his fur. Both of our heeds snepped in the direction of lifted voices coming our wey.

Werriors, meny of them, were rushing elong the well, heeding right towerd us.

I berely hed time to scoop up his beckpeck off the ground before I swung e leg over his beck. I gripped his body with my thighs end leened into him es I edjusted his belongings, trying to free up e hend to hold on to him.

I didn't know which roed would teke us elong the southern treil, but I knew for e fect it wesn't the wey we were currently going. We pessed the plece Aeris's werriors hed roughed us up when we'd first errived. The gress still hed imprints from where the heevy begs of pilfered treesures from the witch's house once rested.

I briefly wondered if the men hed gone beck for those riches over the pest couple of deys, but the thought wes gone in e flesh es the Derk Forest loomed in the distence, nothing but e bleck shedow surrounded by rolling hills of pele green spring gresses.

Brandt was struggling to catch his breath. He let me go, resting his hands on his knees for a moment. I could barely see him. The only light in the entire tunnel came from a single torch burned down to nothing more than a smoking ember at the far end.

“Carmen," he panted. “Her name is Carmen."

“Is she one of the women–"

“She was Jared's–Jared's lover. His girlfriend, for a long time."

I opened my mouth to reply but couldn't find the words.

“We need to get out of here. I feel like the walls are closing in on me," Brandt whispered through a heaving breath. “I'm sorry, Eliza."

“You have nothing to be sorry for," I breathed, running my fingers through my hair. The ribbon holding my hair away from my face had come loose and was tangled in my curls.

“He didn't–he didn't feel what he feels for you–"

“Don't," I said firmly, my voice dropping an octave as I walked past him toward the end of the tunnel.

I heard him curse under his breath as he straightened up, his heavy footsteps echoing on the dirt floor as he followed behind me.

“Eliza, listen to me!" He grabbed my arm and whirled me around to face him. The torch sent an amber glaze over the sharp planes of his face as his eyes bored into mine. “She left him, okay?"

“I don't care, Brandt!"

Truthfully, I was on the verge of tears. I was deeply embarrassed by the feelings of jealousy that were twisting my stomach into a knot.

“Do you really believe for a second he was going to trade you in for her?"

“How would I even know? He never mentioned anything about her, or anyone else he was involved with for that matter! He went to her, though. He turned from me and went–"

“I'm getting you out!" Brandt practically screamed, the two of us nose to nose. “I'm getting you out. Jared told me to get you out. He wasn't going to leave you behind! You are his WIFE!"

“Only because we thought it would stop Aeris from laying a claim to me, and now look what's happened! It didn't even matter! It didn't work!"

Shouts echoed in the distance, coming from the temple's end of the tunnel.

“We need to go," Brandt whispered, gripping my arm.

I let him lead me out of the tunnel, helping him push open a trap-like door that showered us in sunshine once opened. He helped me climb up and out, and I crawled on my hands and knees away from the wall surrounding Aeris's fortress, free at last.

“We can't wait for them," Brandt said hoarsely as he tossed his backpack on the ground and began taking off his clothes.

I gathered his clothing in my arms as he shifted, a startling beautiful brown wolf with piercing blue eyes looking me over as he stretched and shook out his fur. Both of our heads snapped in the direction of lifted voices coming our way.

Warriors, many of them, were rushing along the wall, heading right toward us.

I barely had time to scoop up his backpack off the ground before I swung a leg over his back. I gripped his body with my thighs and leaned into him as I adjusted his belongings, trying to free up a hand to hold on to him.

I didn't know which road would take us along the southern trail, but I knew for a fact it wasn't the way we were currently going. We passed the place Aeris's warriors had roughed us up when we'd first arrived. The grass still had imprints from where the heavy bags of pilfered treasures from the witch's house once rested.

I briefly wondered if the men had gone back for those riches over the past couple of days, but the thought was gone in a flash as the Dark Forest loomed in the distance, nothing but a black shadow surrounded by rolling hills of pale green spring grasses.

“Why are we going to the forest!" I cried.

Brandt made a low guttural growl in his throat in response, a noise I couldn't decipher.

I gritted my teeth and held on for dear life as Brandt continued to barrel through the hills like a rocket, his feet barely touching the ground.

But I heard wolves closing the distance. Their howls pierced the air as Brandt turned and skirted the treeline of the sparse outer edge of the Dark Forest. He was panting hard, his feet thundering across the grass as two dozen wolves crested a hill and came sprinting down after us.

I prayed to whoever was listening that he wouldn't turn and run into the forest. I could feel the forest's pull already, the darkness beckoning me to come to it, to let it embrace me.

“Brandt!" I cried as he leapt over a fallen tree, his body not touching the ground for what felt like several seconds, just as the first of the other wolves closed in on us.

Brandt snarled in frustration as he wove between the trees, the forest getting more and more dense with every step he took. A searing heat pierced my calf as a wolf clamped down on my leg. I screamed loud enough to spook the birds from the trees overhead as I kicked at the beast, who reared back and yelped when the toe of my boot firmly met its teeth.

“f**k you!" I screamed, kicking wildly until the wolf cried out in pain and retreated. I caught my breath, but then lost it again as another wolf leaped over us, curling its claws over my shoulder.

Then I was falling, and falling, and falling. I hit the ground, the air rushing from my lungs and my vision blurring as I started to roll head over feet down some kind of embankment.

I had a split second to gasp as I rolled right into rushing water, then was fighting against the frigid pull of a swift current.

I broke the surface of the water, gasping and crying out before being sucked under once again. Submerged logs and sharp rocks shredded my legs as I fought to the surface, the river fighting against my every move.

I was drowning.

“Help!" I screamed before being sucked under again, my body slamming against a huge rock that broke the river into a fork.

The impact was enough to temporarily stun me into stillness, my eyes open to the riverbed below.

It was… calm. I must be dead. What a relief.

I floated on my belly in the water until something brushed against my head, something sharp digging into my scalp.

“Ahhh!"

The pain was enough to shock me back to reality and I screamed for breath. I lifted my head, fighting for air as I blinked frantically to clear the water from my lashes. I was floating along the side of the river, the current ripping past me only a few feet away.

My backpack was caught on a tree branch, the only thing keeping me in place.

I clawed my way to the bank, my fingers slipping over rock and wet branches until I felt my fingers sink knuckles-deep in a bed of moss. I cursed like a sailor as I hauled myself out of the water, choking and snarling as I fought to clear my lungs.

I laid down, looking up into the darkened canopy of trees over my head. The forest whispered my name, the new spring leaves rustling in a stiff breeze.

“Who are you?" came a small voice behind me, just out of my line of sight. “And why do you have my Cryptex?"