Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 830

Chapter 41 : I Didn’t Miss

*Eliza*

Jared was gone for the rest of the day, leaving me alone in his huge bed. It was quiet in the house, and out the windows that lined the far wall of his bedroom, I could see people working in the gardens that circled the old manor. Large puddles of muddy water covered the village, reflecting the lights spilling from the cottages and shop fronts that wove along the well-beaten trail weaving through town.

I had no idea what Jared was up to. I also had no idea what exactly he wanted me to be doing right now.

I went through his dresser, trying to find something that would fit me other than the cotton pajamas I'd been wearing all day. All I had to my name was my journal, my pajamas, and the gray dress I wore during my job as a laundry maid… which Miriam hadn't brought with her when dropping off my “things."

I pulled out a soft, cream-colored long-sleeved shirt from his dresser, snapping it through the air to shake out the wrinkles. I changed into the shirt, which hit me mid-thigh. I rolled up the sleeves to my elbows and continued to rifle through his dresser, opening every single drawer until I found a pair of thick wool socks and a pair of thermal leggings that looked like they would have fit Jared when he was a child.

“Perfect," I said, holding them up to test the length. I'd have to ask him for new clothes, I thought as I looked at myself in the mirror above the dresser. I ruffled my hair, grabbed my journal, and walked out of the room.

His study was just down the hall. I figured the best way to pass my time as the pretend lady of the house was to go through every book and artifact in his study and start to piece together the mystery of the Cryptex.

I closed the door behind me and looked around.

Dusty rays of muted daylight poured through the gaps in the shuttered windows. The bookshelves touched the ceiling on the far side of the snug room, some housing glass globes and crystals. It smelled like him in here, leather and parchment. I loved it, but also couldn't work in conditions such as these. My mind was a tangled web in ordinary circumstances. I needed to do a little organizing, cleaning, and cataloging before any work could be done.

I knew Jared was going to be pissed I was touching his stuff, but I didn't care. Wifely duties, right?

I walked to the windows and pushed open the shutters one by one until the room was filled with gray afternoon light, the smell of rain filling the room.

I set to work pulling books from the shelves, writing their titles and a brief description of their contents in my journal. I worked through a pile of books taller than me for what felt like several hours. I moved them into new homes, organizing them in sections by topic and content. He had quite a collection of lore and mythology, which would prove useful to us, I was sure, but I resisted the urge to start researching Draven and the Cryptex.

I needed to know everything he had in his collection and exactly where to find it, first.

Soon I'd gone through every single book he had in his study and cataloged every single one in my journal. This was a start, and a good one at that. Tomorrow morning I could wake up and get to work. I was impressed by the work I'd done today, smiling at myself as I looked down at his spotless desk and tidy shelves.

But I was impressed by him most of all. Some of his collection was just… unreal, a dream.

I couldn't wait to talk to him about it the next time I saw him.

Another hour passed as I walked around the room, cataloging his collection of artifacts. By the time darkness fell and the room was cast in shadow, my journal was bursting with notes, and his study had never been so clean and organized.

I was just packing up to leave when I heard soft footsteps in the hallway outside the study, someone walking back and forth.

“Eliza? Are you up here?"

I opened the door to find Giselle and Scarlett standing in the hallway, both of them looking a little worried.

“What's the matter?" I asked, stepping out of the study with my journal clutched to my chest.

“We're not supposed to be up here," Giselle whispered. “But you missed dinner, so I thought we should come check on you."

Scarlett nodded in agreement. I let out the breath I was holding.

“You both looked like someone was seriously hurt, or dead!" I whispered.

“So… you really are married to Jared," Scarlett whispered back, looking up and down the hallway before meeting my eyes.

I didn't really know how to reply. “Uhm, kind of?"

“We should go to the tavern to talk about this!" Giselle whispering, nudging Scarlett. “Effie's apricot wine is ready. I want to try it!"

“The tavern is for the men–" Scarlett began, but Giselle waved her hand in dismissal.

“I've been there plenty of times! Come on, it'll be fine!"

Scarlett looked unsure, but Giselle turned her gaze to me, smiling broadly.

“I'll definitely go," I chirped. “I've never been–"

“Let's go then, it's getting late!"

I followed Giselle and Scarlett through the house, the three of us speaking in low whispers as people went about their evening routines. Giselle rifled through the coat closet, handing me the same jacket I'd worn to Tommy's birthday party a few weeks ago.

“Is Jared here at all?" I asked.

Giselle shook her head as she pulled her arms through her jacket. “I didn't see him or Brandt at dinner, and several of his crew were missing too."

Interesting.

I glanced around the village as I walked arm in arm with Scarlett and Giselle. Lanterns lit the trail as we went along, our boots squelching in the mud and faces numbed by the mist-like drizzle.

We finally reached the tavern, which was a modest two-story building tucked in the center of the village, the largest building in the village other than the house it would seem. Its windows were well lit, shadows moving against them as we walked up under a covered porch and Giselle held the door open for us.

Inside was cozy and warmed by a fire roaring in a fireplace that took up half the room. A bar stretched across the far side of the tavern, several people leaning against it as a middle-aged woman with curly strawberry-blonde hair served pints of beer.

I looked around the room, wondering if I was going to run into Jared here, but I didn't see him or any of the men I would have recognized from his crew.

Giselle skipped up to the bar, leaning against it and speaking with a man I didn't recognize while Scarlett and I sat down at a table next to the window, overlooking the front porch and the village beyond.

“Was Archer… alright, when you saw him last?" she asked after a moment.

I turned to look at her, noticing the lines of concern etched into the corners of her eyes.

“Yeah, he was fine. Ready to get home," I said with a soft smile.

Her cheeks colored a bit as she turned her gaze back to the window.

Giselle set three glasses on the center of the table, the pink-hued liquid bubbling lightly as she grinned at us. “It sparkles, like champagne!"

I took a sip, marveling at the sweet flavor. Whoever Effie was, well, she could make a glass of wine, that was for sure.

An hour passed in easy conversation with Giselle, and Scarlett retreated back to her usual quiet reflection. I told them everything I could about my experience at Aeris's castle without giving too much away. I knew I could trust them, but I wasn't sure how much they knew about Jared in particular. I did explain the certificate, and how Brandt and I had had to run for our lives out of Aeris's kingdom regardless.

It was getting rather late by the time we'd finished our glasses of wine, and Giselle got up to take our glasses back.

I heard a squeal from the other side of the room as I was putting on my jacket and looked up to see Tommy spinning Giselle in a circle, planting a kiss on her lips.

“I think she'll stay for a while," Scarlett breathed, the corners of her mouth tugging into a smile as I met her eyes.

“Are they mates?"

“I don't know; I think so. Giselle never mentioned whether or not the mate bond clicked into place after his first shift."

I held the door open for Scarlett as we exited the tavern, glancing over my shoulder and smiling as Giselle whispered what I assumed were sweet nothings in Tommy's ear.

Scarlett pointed in the distance as we walked, and I followed her gaze to the sparring ring, where a group of men was assembled and cast in shadow.

“Well, there they are," I said lightly, making out Jared's form in the group. “I wonder what they were doing–"

“We haven't had a chance to meet," came a feminine voice behind us.

Scarlett let out her breath as we turned around to face the voice, which belonged to none other than Carmen. She wasn't dressed for the chill, and her face was pink with the cold as she tilted her chin, looking down at me. She was several inches taller than me, but I squared my shoulders nonetheless.

“Can I help you?" I asked, not a single shred of politeness in my voice.

“So you're Jared's blushing bride," she said, clicking her tongue as she looked me up and down. “Interesting."

“Go away, Carmen," Scarlett said so forcefully it gave me a start. I'd never heard her raise her voice like that before. Carmen arched her brow, looking Scarlett up and down.

“Little Lettie is all grown up, I see," Carmen said with mirth, rolling her eyes back to me. “Did you know she was a breeder? Poor thing… had her baby taken away. I heard she was more upset about the ancient Alpha who shared her bed for more than two years dumping her in the forest to die afterward–"

I shoved Scarlett behind me and swung, my fist missing Carmen's face but hitting her dead center in the throat. She screamed, holding her neck and staggering backward, gasping for air.

“You little b***h," Carmen croaked, her eyes flaming. “I'll f*****g kill you!"

“I'd like to see you try," I snarled, shrugging out of my jacket. “Why the f**k are you here?"

“Because your husband," she hissed, lingering on the word, “didn't want to leave poor ol' me behind. He has a soft spot for weak females, you know. You're not the first and you certainly won't be the last!"

“You're not supposed to be in the village!" Scarlett cried. I glanced over at her long enough to see the tears welling in her eyes. “You were banished years ago!"

“Shut up, Scarlett!" Carmen barked. “I don't talk to used-up breeders–"

I loosed a growl of fury as I launched myself at her. I don't know what came over me, but from that moment forward, anyone who even looked at Scarlett the wrong way would answer to me, and I couldn't guarantee it would be pretty.

We rolled through the mud until I was on top of her, trying to hold her down.

“That's my friend's mate," I snarled as I forced her wrists into the mud. “Apologize to her right now!"

“Tell me, Eliza," she drawled, still fighting against my hold on her. “Is Jared still as bossy in bed as he used to be? Does he call you his good girl–"

I picked her up and slammed her into the ground, but she wrapped one of her legs over mine and flipped me onto my back before I could even catch my breath.

Then she punched me, right in the nose.

Stars filled my vision for a moment, followed by male shouts. I felt Carmen's weight ease up as she rose, victorious.

I got to my feet, swaying a bit as Carmen turned to the group of men closing the distance between us.

“Such violence over her?" Carmen chuckled, pointing a thumb at Scarlett, who was stone-faced and pale. “Worthless, all of you women are just worthless."

I shook my head, spitting blood.

“Say that again," I challenged.

She turned me just as Jared came into view, his face a mask of ice.

“You are worthless. She is worthless. That's why Archer used to warm my bed instead of hers–"

When I punched her this time, I didn't miss.