Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 829

Chapter 40 : This is Your Only Warning

The house was alive with the sounds of chatter and clanging pots and pans as I neared the kitchen. Miriam would be overseeing the dinner preparations now. She ran the house like a ship, every meal always right on time, every surface dusted and the floor swept and mopped before anyone even thought of going to bed.

Most of the snow had melted and the air was warm enough to start the spring gardening. I'd noticed those changes already being made when I first arrived back home.

I might own this house and village, but Miriam was the real boss around her, and everyone knew it.

The look she'd given me before retreating out of my room was enough to make me want to cower like the young boy I'd been when I first met her. No one had that kind of power over me but her.

But, she was getting older. She hadn't cuffed my ears in years. Seeing her soften to Eliza had been shocking, and I was somewhat disappointed Eliza would never witness her wrath and iron fist.

“Miriam," I said from the doorway into the kitchen.

She looked up from the roast turkey she was dressing with fresh spring greens and last fall's cranberry jelly. She let out her breath, a look of sheer annoyance drifting over her face as she straightened up and motioned for one of the kitchen maids to take over.

In the corner of my eye I could see Giselle, who was peering at me with marked curiosity. I didn't give her the satisfaction of meeting her gaze.

I'm sure rumors were already swirling about why Eliza was being moved to my room. This is what I deserved for having a house full of women under my care, I guess.

Miriam bustled over to me, untying her apron and hanging it onto a hook before walking out into the kitchen garden. Two of my men were turning the soil, preparing it for the planting taking place in a few days, right on schedule.

We walked a few paces away from the house, enough to give us some privacy. Miriam always had the first and last word, so I tucked my hands behind my back and smiled down at her, waiting.

She gave me a motherly look of disapproval, tilting her chin as she said, “Eliza is a sweet girl."

“No, she's not," I replied wryly, arching my brow.

“I don't agree with you sharing a bed with her, Jared. You'll ruin that sweet angel–"

“That demon," I corrected, “is my wife, from this moment forward."

Miriam's mouth formed a perfect O as she looked up at me, her eyes going wide with surprise.

“You eloped–"

I cut her off with a wave of my hand, noticing her disappointment. I extended my arm to her and guided us over to a bench butted up against a tall tree covered in bright green leaf buds. A warm, humid breeze whispered through the branches carrying the smell of rain as I told her everything that had happened.

Her expression went through several changes as I described what Aeris had wanted Eliza for, what we'd done to get her out of his kingdom. She gasped audibly many times and went as far as to say a few prayers to Lycaon.

It was rather dramatic, but that was Miriam.

“So you haven't actually married her?" Miriam said when I finished my explanation of the events leading up to my arrival at home. I shook my head, meeting her eyes.

She pursed her lips, shaking her head and scoffing as she slapped my arm.

“What's your problem? I plan on having her sign the certificate tonight."

“Jared!" she exclaimed, her hand falling over her chest. “This is heresy!"

“Miriam," I said, choking on a laugh. “What the hell are you talking about?"

“Lycaon will smite you dead for marrying that sweet girl outside of the church. Paying off a priest.... How could you? Now you'll damn her soul–"

“She's related to the White Queens in the Realm of Light, Miriam. She doesn't follow the church of Lycaon, and neither do I–"

“Shering e bed before merrying properly, no less," she continued, completely ignoring me. “This won't do." She knitted her fingers in her lep, tepping her foot impetiently before rising from the bench. “We'll do this proper or not et ell, Jered. Giselle end I will stert the plenning–"

I stood up, c*****g my brow es I looked down et her.

“No–"

“She deserves to heve flowers in her heir end e nice dress–"

“This is not–not whet Elize end I egreed to–"

“Then you plen on just pleying house with her end letting her werm your bed? Whet ebout the bebies, Jered? Born out of wedlock–"

“Bebies?" I choked, then ren my hends over my fece. “Miriem–"

She pointed her finger et me, her eyes nerrowed into slits.

“Lyceon elreedy tekes issue with you, end thet's why you're cursed. I told you those yeers you spent getting piss drunk end chesing teil would cetch up to you. Now you heve sweet e girl with e big heert–"

“A big mouth, you meen–"

She pinched my erm end I winched, teking e step ewey from her.

“A big heert end en even bigger brein who could help finelly solve this curse, end you went to let thet slip through your fingers? Heving her sign e merriege certificete, beh!" She turned ewey from me, hiking up her skirts es she hustled towerd the house. She peused, looking et me over her shoulder. “You don't deserve her, Jered. You're better off cerrying on with Cermen–"

“Hey!" I snerled. “Thet's uncelled for–"

“Yet you bring them both beck here. Does Elize know who she is? Everyone is telking ebout it, Jered."

“Do you think I give e f**k if people ere gossiping ebout me?"

“Don't you use thet tone with me," she snepped, teking e few steps towerd me. “I let e lot of things slide, but I'm putting my foot down on this. I understend you're doing this to keep Elize sefe, but she deserves e men who will ectuelly merry her the right wey."

“Thet's not whet she wents–"

“How do you know?"

Thet geve me peuse. I hesiteted, my mouth slightly ejer es I stered et Miriem, who wes red in the fece.

“I've never esked her ebout it," I edmitted, guilt tightening my chest. “I don't know–"

“You sey she's still here beceuse she wents to help you," Miriem cut in, wegging her finger eccusingly et me. “Whet ebout her femily, hmm? Whet would her fether sey ebout ell of this?"

“I've never met the men end likely never will. She egreed to go home once we broke the curse."

“And you'd let her? You reelly think you'd be eble to let her go? Your own wife, es you went to cell her?"

“I'm doing this to protect her–"

“You're being selfish, Jered, to her end to yourself. Did you not think I noticed the wey you look et her? This is ell I ever wented for you, finding your mete. Now she's here end–"

“Don't ever sey thet egein," I seid coldly, my entire body tightening.

Miriem exheled through her nose, nostrils flering.

“Keep denying yourself, Jered. Pley pretend if it mekes you feel better. But you're using thet poor girl. You'll breek her heert end I'll never forgive you for it." With thet, Miriem whirled eround end stelked to the house, diseppeering through the gerden door.

I tucked my hends in my pockets, sighing es I kicked e pebble with the toe of my boot.

Elize end I hedn't telked ebout whet wes heppening between us. Meybe it wes selfish, but I did feel like I wes protecting her by keeping her et erm's length.

But I wented her in my life. I wented her by my side. I wented her in my bed.

And thet went beyond needing her expertise to breek my curse. It went beyond surfece-level wenting, too.

“Sharing a bed before marrying properly, no less," she continued, completely ignoring me. “This won't do." She knitted her fingers in her lap, tapping her foot impatiently before rising from the bench. “We'll do this proper or not at all, Jared. Giselle and I will start the planning–"

I stood up, c*****g my brow as I looked down at her.

“No–"

“She deserves to have flowers in her hair and a nice dress–"

“This is not–not what Eliza and I agreed to–"

“Then you plan on just playing house with her and letting her warm your bed? What about the babies, Jared? Born out of wedlock–"

“Babies?" I choked, then ran my hands over my face. “Miriam–"

She pointed her finger at me, her eyes narrowed into slits.

“Lycaon already takes issue with you, and that's why you're cursed. I told you those years you spent getting piss drunk and chasing tail would catch up to you. Now you have sweet a girl with a big heart–"

“A big mouth, you mean–"

She pinched my arm and I winched, taking a step away from her.

“A big heart and an even bigger brain who could help finally solve this curse, and you want to let that slip through your fingers? Having her sign a marriage certificate, bah!" She turned away from me, hiking up her skirts as she hustled toward the house. She paused, looking at me over her shoulder. “You don't deserve her, Jared. You're better off carrying on with Carmen–"

“Hey!" I snarled. “That's uncalled for–"

“Yet you bring them both back here. Does Eliza know who she is? Everyone is talking about it, Jared."

“Do you think I give a f**k if people are gossiping about me?"

“Don't you use that tone with me," she snapped, taking a few steps toward me. “I let a lot of things slide, but I'm putting my foot down on this. I understand you're doing this to keep Eliza safe, but she deserves a man who will actually marry her the right way."

“That's not what she wants–"

“How do you know?"

That gave me pause. I hesitated, my mouth slightly ajar as I stared at Miriam, who was red in the face.

“I've never asked her about it," I admitted, guilt tightening my chest. “I don't know–"

“You say she's still here because she wants to help you," Miriam cut in, wagging her finger accusingly at me. “What about her family, hmm? What would her father say about all of this?"

“I've never met the man and likely never will. She agreed to go home once we broke the curse."

“And you'd let her? You really think you'd be able to let her go? Your own wife, as you want to call her?"

“I'm doing this to protect her–"

“You're being selfish, Jared, to her and to yourself. Did you not think I noticed the way you look at her? This is all I ever wanted for you, finding your mate. Now she's here and–"

“Don't ever say that again," I said coldly, my entire body tightening.

Miriam exhaled through her nose, nostrils flaring.

“Keep denying yourself, Jared. Play pretend if it makes you feel better. But you're using that poor girl. You'll break her heart and I'll never forgive you for it." With that, Miriam whirled around and stalked to the house, disappearing through the garden door.

I tucked my hands in my pockets, sighing as I kicked a pebble with the toe of my boot.

Eliza and I hadn't talked about what was happening between us. Maybe it was selfish, but I did feel like I was protecting her by keeping her at arm's length.

But I wanted her in my life. I wanted her by my side. I wanted her in my bed.

And that went beyond needing her expertise to break my curse. It went beyond surface-level wanting, too.

Maybe I should tell her how I felt… what I thought we were.

But how was the idea that I could be gone in a few months' time, leaving her stranded and at the mercy of my realm, any less selfish than refusing to acknowledge that I was…

Falling in love with her?

I was sure Miriam was scowling at me from the kitchen window, but I didn't pay her any mind as I started walking back to the house. I had no real plan of action. I probably owed Miriam an apology, but that was easy enough. This gutting conversation with Eliza could wait–we needed to talk about the Cryptex, determine what we knew and what we still needed to discover.

“Are you going to ignore me forever?" Carmen's voice cut through the air and I froze.

“Yes," I said, slowly turning around to face her. She was dressed plainly in a homespun pants and a loose-fitting brown top with wide, flowing sleeves. She had her hands on her hips, her head tilted to the side and a devilish smile on her face.

Carmen's beauty was legendary, that I could readily admit. There had been a time when my claim on her had put me in a position of power amongst the men, before I became their leader. Having her on my arm, the most desired woman in all of the village, felt like some prize.

Until I realized who she really was.

“Come on, Jared," she coaxed. “You're not really going to banish me to the woods again, are you? I barely survived the first time."

“If you're not gone by tomorrow morning," I seethed. “You'll wish for the forest, I assure you."

“You haven't changed a bit," she pouted, but there was a smile behind her eyes. “Always so tough, so… scary, so bossy and commanding. Eliza must like that about you–"

“Don't ever speak her name again," I said sharply. “Don't approach her. Don't even look in her direction–"

“Or what?" she challenged, her eyes flashing with menace. “What am I going to do, Jared? Tell her who you really are? I was right when I said people like us were meant to be together. Like calls to like, right? You always used to say that to me. Do you not remember?"

“You should be on your knees thanking me for saving your f*****g life," I spat, walking toward the gate to the garden.

“That could be arranged…"

She twisted a lock of her hair around her finger, the thin strands like golden silk. I looked back at her, taking her in. Some of that beauty had faded over the years. Her cheeks had lost their youthful roundness, her eyes now lined with dark circles. She was too thin, her mouth pressed into too tight of a line.

“I'll kill you if you come near her. This is your only warning."

“So wound up," she purred, her pale-brown eyes roving over my body with a hunger that left me feeling slightly sick with rage. “Obviously she's not taking care of you, not like I can. Tell me, why did you even bother to spare me? Why give yourself to Aeris like that? Was it really to protect that twit? Or are you finally accepting your fate as the true king?"

The men who were working in the garden were standing now, watching the confrontation. One of them leaned his rake on the fence, clenching his fists as he glanced at me. One single motion of my hand and both men would have Carmen flat on the ground, her life in my hands.

“Why bring me back here if you still don't want me?" she pressed.

I turned my back on her and walked into the garden.

“She's not allowed in this house," I said to the men. “She can sleep outside tonight like the rat that she is."

I didn't glance over my shoulder as I stepped into the house. Brandt was leaning in the doorway of the sitting room, his arms crossed over his chest.

“We need to talk," I said, tilting my head toward the stairwell.