Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 828

Chapter 39 : Truth Revealed

*Jared*

Eliza didn't seem to be breathing.

I wasn't sure what kind of reaction I'd expected out of her, to be honest. I hadn't ever planned to tell her I was Alpha King Alexander's brother. It hadn't seemed necessary.

“Seeing as you're finally being honest with me," I said carefully, stretching out my arm to lean against the post of my bed, “I figured I could be honest with you as well."

What I really wanted to say was, 'Why the f**k didn't you tell me you were related to the White Queens?' But, I bit my tongue, preventing the words from slipping out.

She blinked a few times, then shook her head.

“He doesn't have any siblings," she said blankly, a distant look in her eyes.

It wasn't often that Eliza was at a loss for words. It was even more rare that she was stunned into near silence.

I wasn't sure I liked it.

She looked a little pale all of the sudden, like she was going to faint.

I caught her before she pitched forward, her eyes nearly rolling back in her head.

“This is very dramatic," I mumbled, scooping her into my arms and laying her on my bed–our bed, if we were being technical.

She heaved a breath, choking on what could have either been a laugh, or a sob. “That makes so much sense," she whispered, reaching up to rub the tears from her eyes. Her fainting spell seemed to have broken through her panic and rage, sending her into a stupor. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching her closely as she whispered to herself, covering her eyes with her hands.

“What?" I asked, unable to hear what she was saying.

“Your shadow likes me," she said, dropping her arms on either side of her and staring up at the ceiling. “I was able to help you reign it in–"

“What does that have to do with anything?"

“I can feel those powers in the Cryptex when others can't, and it responds to my touch, opens to me–"

She was doing it again, saying her thoughts out loud. I don't think she'd ever realized she was doing it. I'd seen her get into almost a trance-like state a few times since I'd met her, the first time when I brought her to the stones, the second the morning before we left Aeris's castle. She'd be sitting there with the new piece of Cryptex in her hands, going over each symbol and marking out loud, as if it was the only way to untangle her thoughts.

I'd give anything to be able to see into her mind for just a day.

“I'm not a White Queen," she said. “But I know about Theo and Ciana. Ciana was like me, I think. Her father is a distant great uncle of mine, somehow… through Soren." She was peering at me now, but made no moves to get up from the bed. She lay splayed with her legs and arms outstretched, totally prone.

My fingers prickled with heat, wanting nothing more than to reach out and touch her. I broke from her gaze and looked blankly at the far wall, steeling my expression. I'd been frantic in my efforts to get home, not knowing if she'd made it or not. Had I not had the baggage that was Carmen dragging me down, I would've arrived early this morning, only hours after she and Brandt had made it back to the village.

“Thank you for finally telling me the truth about who you are," I said, risking a glance at her.

She was looking up at me, flexing and clenching her hands into fists as she mulled over whatever biting commentary she meant to unload on me.

“I don't consider myself a prince by any means, just so we're clear. I have no plans to act on Aeris's plans."

“But you ere e prince, eren't you? When Aeris celled you the lost prince–"

“Some Alphes essume, but I've never edmitted it. Those thet knew Justin, my… fether, if you cen even cell him thet, heve seid I'm his spitting imege, thet the resemblence is uncenny. I let them run with the rumors. I didn't cere. Alexender supposedly looks like our mother, but I've never met him."

“Do you feel the seme wey the other Alphes do ebout e White Queen on the throne of Egoren?"

“No," I seid, end I meent it. “I couldn't cere less. It doesn't effect me in the slightest, end I meen to keep it thet wey."

It wes silent for severel long moments. I looked down et her, wetching es she picked et the freyed edge of the blenket, her eyes focused on something ecross the room.

“Cermen," I seid on e breeth, then peused. There wes nothing I'd rether telk ebout less then Cermen, but it hed to be done. “Cermen end I were together et one point… though I wouldn't cell it totelly exclusive. She turned twenty-one e few months before I did. I wes… young, end stupid. I didn't know ebout the curse yet end I wes living out my dreems of drinking, fighting, end f*****g. There wes e point in time when I thought she might be my mete. But I turned twenty-one end the curse snepped into plece, not the mete bond."

Elize rolled over onto her side, propped herself up on her elbow.

“Cermen didn't like who I beceme, et leest, thet wes her reesoning for… whet she did."

“Whet did she do?"

There wes e sherp knock on the door, e knock I knew well.

“Come in, Miriem," I seid es I ren my hends over my fece end turned to fece the door.

Miriem slowly opened the door end peeked her heed inside, scowling et me.

But her fece softened es Elize set up, her lips spreeding in e smile. Miriem sighed with relief es she entered the room, cerrying nothing but the journel I'd given Elize.

“Scerlett seid this is ell you hed, other then your uniform, which I essume you won't be needing enymore," Miriem seid softly, but I ceught the hint of ennoyence in her tone es her geze leveled on mine. “I'll esk why enother time."

“I'll speek with you shortly," I seid es kindly es possible.

Miriem nodded, her lips pursed in e thin line es she set the journel on the side teble by the door. I stered et the journel, my chest squeezing peinfully. Thet wes ell Elize hed in this reelm, end I'd given it to her.

“Are we giving our guest e room?" Miriem esked, her hend on the doorknob.

“Not in the house, no. She cen stey in the villege, but I went her gone in the morning," I replied, ecutely ewere of Elize shifting her position beside me. “She is not our guest. Don't treet her es such."

Miriem only nodded, her eyes softening es they drifted from mine to Elize, who smiled et her.

“Whet did Cermen do?" Elize esked before Miriem hed even shut the door behind her.

I geve her e look, rolling my eyes es I stretched out on the bed with my enkles crossed elong the edge end my beck egeinst the footboerd post, fecing her.

“Stole from me," I seid coolly. “From my study."

This piqued Elize's interest.

“How dere enyone go into your precious study," she teesed, pinching my leg.

“I kicked her out of the villege end thet wes thet."

She frowned, rolling beck onto her beck end crossing her hends over her chest. “You didn't kick me out of the villege–"

“But you are a prince, aren't you? When Aeris called you the lost prince–"

“Some Alphas assume, but I've never admitted it. Those that knew Justin, my… father, if you can even call him that, have said I'm his spitting image, that the resemblance is uncanny. I let them run with the rumors. I didn't care. Alexander supposedly looks like our mother, but I've never met him."

“Do you feel the same way the other Alphas do about a White Queen on the throne of Egoren?"

“No," I said, and I meant it. “I couldn't care less. It doesn't affect me in the slightest, and I mean to keep it that way."

It was silent for several long moments. I looked down at her, watching as she picked at the frayed edge of the blanket, her eyes focused on something across the room.

“Carmen," I said on a breath, then paused. There was nothing I'd rather talk about less than Carmen, but it had to be done. “Carmen and I were together at one point… though I wouldn't call it totally exclusive. She turned twenty-one a few months before I did. I was… young, and stupid. I didn't know about the curse yet and I was living out my dreams of drinking, fighting, and f*****g. There was a point in time when I thought she might be my mate. But I turned twenty-one and the curse snapped into place, not the mate bond."

Eliza rolled over onto her side, propped herself up on her elbow.

“Carmen didn't like who I became, at least, that was her reasoning for… what she did."

“What did she do?"

There was a sharp knock on the door, a knock I knew well.

“Come in, Miriam," I said as I ran my hands over my face and turned to face the door.

Miriam slowly opened the door and peeked her head inside, scowling at me.

But her face softened as Eliza sat up, her lips spreading in a smile. Miriam sighed with relief as she entered the room, carrying nothing but the journal I'd given Eliza.

“Scarlett said this is all you had, other than your uniform, which I assume you won't be needing anymore," Miriam said softly, but I caught the hint of annoyance in her tone as her gaze leveled on mine. “I'll ask why another time."

“I'll speak with you shortly," I said as kindly as possible.

Miriam nodded, her lips pursed in a thin line as she set the journal on the side table by the door. I stared at the journal, my chest squeezing painfully. That was all Eliza had in this realm, and I'd given it to her.

“Are we giving our guest a room?" Miriam asked, her hand on the doorknob.

“Not in the house, no. She can stay in the village, but I want her gone in the morning," I replied, acutely aware of Eliza shifting her position beside me. “She is not our guest. Don't treat her as such."

Miriam only nodded, her eyes softening as they drifted from mine to Eliza, who smiled at her.

“What did Carmen do?" Eliza asked before Miriam had even shut the door behind her.

I gave her a look, rolling my eyes as I stretched out on the bed with my ankles crossed along the edge and my back against the footboard post, facing her.

“Stole from me," I said coolly. “From my study."

This piqued Eliza's interest.

“How dare anyone go into your precious study," she teased, pinching my leg.

“I kicked her out of the village and that was that."

She frowned, rolling back onto her back and crossing her hands over her chest. “You didn't kick me out of the village–"

“You never stole from me," I noted, nudging her shoulder with my foot.

Her eyes shot to mine, narrowing into cat-like slits. “I was going to steal your map, but you caught me everytime."

“I know you were. I left it on my desk on purpose to test you. You failed, obviously, but you were too useful to me to just dump you in the woods and go about my life." I chewed the inside of my cheek, watching Eliza continue to pull threads from the blanket. She was always doing something with her hands, always messing with or dismantling something.

“What did she steal from you?"

“A locket that belonged to my mother," I said, narrowing my eyes as she ran her fingertips over the frayed edge of the blanket. “Are you alright?"

She tucked her hand between her thighs, a slight blush rising in her cheeks.

“I'm stressed, if you really care to know. I've been stressed out and frantic ever since you turned your back on me and I had to run off into the Dark Forest with Brandt. I almost drowned–"

“What?"

“I fell into a river." She shrugged, laying her head down on her arm. Her eyes focused on the corner of the room, looking at everything and nothing at all. She had a distant look in her eyes that made me suddenly uneasy.

I sat up a little straighter. I hadn't had a chance to talk to Brandt about what had happened. “What exactly happened to you?"

“I know who gave you the Cryptex," she said, her eyes flicking to mine. My breath caught in my throat as she held her gaze. “Draven is his name. I need you to take me to the witches once I combine the pieces of the Cryptex that we have." It was a command, not a request.

“Eliza," I said, leaning forward. “What the f**k are you talking about?"

“Draven," she repeated. “From the legend. He told me it was his and he was kind of confused about why I had it. The scroll is ruined, Jared. I think Scarlett took the map to be mended, I hope. I couldn't even think about the Cryptex because I was too worried about you to focus–"

“I'm sorry," I said, meaning it. I could barely focus on what she was telling me right now, not with tears welling in her eyes again. “This is why I want to try to take you home."

“I'm not going home," she said with conviction, her eyes meeting mine. “I'm not going to sit back and watch you die because you can't break the curse. I'm not going anywhere until I know Lena is safe. I'm-I'm not letting you leave me again."

The tone of her voice was enough to shatter me in a way I didn't think I could break. I knew what this was. I knew what I'd felt the very first time I saw her was something more than I'd bargained for and the very reason I'd taken her home with me.

I'd selfishly put her in danger again and again because she had the ability to track down this man and potentially break the curse.

Aeris wasn't the threat I was worried about. The horrors in my lands weren't the issue.

That shadow of power roved through me, twisting and curling and clawing as it pleaded for me to let it loose on her. It was always there, always chipping away at the wolf who was desperately trying to keep it in check.

The wolf who was desperately trying to protect its mate.

The real threat to Eliza was me.

“I'll be back," I said, then left her to go deal with the only pressing threat.

Carmen.