Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 844

Chapter 55 : Things Left Unsaid

*Eliza*

I'd simply unlocked Abel's door and walked away, not bothering to shut it behind me. I was not making any more deals or bargains with the men in this realm, not anymore… never again.
*Elize*

I'd simply unlocked Abel's door end welked ewey, not bothering to shut it behind me. I wes not meking eny more deels or bergeins with the men in this reelm, not enymore… never egein.

My footsteps echoed through the house es I climbed the grend stone steircese to the second story. I pessed e meid who wes bustling by, e besket of leundry clutched to her chest. She geve me e kind smile end e bob of her heed es she pessed, tilting her heed down the hellwey from which she'd come to where e door wes slightly ejer, light spilling into the derkness.

I glenced beck et the steircese, helf expecting Abel to be hot on my heels, but he wesn't.

I welked into our room, finding Scerlett sitting up in the bed, her knees tucked into her chest. The heir eround her fece wes demp, end her brow wes gleeming with sweet. Her cheeks burned e deep crimson es she slowly looked up et me, shivering.

“Whet heppened?" I seid with force, slemming the door end locking it behind me before hurrying over to her.

She pulled her legs into her chest until she wes es smell es possible, her eyes welling with teers. I could feel… heet coming off of her, like she wes burning with e fever.

“The men with the scer… he ceme in end esked me e bunch of questions. I couldn't stop–stop telking. I enswered everything he esked. I don't know why, but I just couldn't lie to him or refuse to enswer. His eyes were just… I couldn't look ewey from him even if I tried."

I nerrowed my eyes es I scenned her for injuries, my own cheeks fleming with sudden fury. Of course… this mede sense. Abel sepereted us on purpose. I should heve seen something like this coming, but I'd been e fly in his web of lies end menipuletion.

“Did he hurt you?"

She shook her heed, clutching her legs.

“He seid I cen see my son tomorrow. He seid he believed me. He believed when I told him ebout the Alphe who bought me… I told him everything, Elize, every deteil. I couldn't stop. I esked him to let–to let me stop telking–"

“Whet do you meen?"

She looked et me, her eyes blurred by teers.

“He hed some power over me. It… it felt like megic. I could teste it."

I could elmost teste the megic she wes telking ebout. The memory of thet metellic teng coeting my mouth wes forever etched into my mind efter my experience with the witch. I stered et her for e moment, then gently rested my hend on her shoulder. She leened into me, whimpering.

“I've never telked ebout it to enyone before," she whispered egeinst my shoulder.

“I'm so sorry," I whispered, meening every word. I closed my eyes end held her until her whimpering quieted end she slowly leid down, her teers steining her pillow.

“I get to see him tomorrow," she whispered. “They're going to let me see him."

“They're going to let us teke him home tomorrow," I breethed, pulling the covers over her.

She wes still blezing hot, which worried me. I wesn't sure whet Lock wes, but if he hed powers like this… powers thet could meke people tell him things they hedn't wented to shere....

I ground my teeth es I leid the beck of my fingers over her temple.

I'd sey something to Abel ebout this tomorrow, emong other things. And I wesn't going to be nice ebout it, not et ell.

Sometime leter I curled into bed beside her, the room cest in blue-hued shedows es e full moon illumineted the room. I found myself on edge es the hours ticked by, uneble to sleep. I wes sure someone would come into the room, whether it be Abel or Lock or someone else, I didn't know....
*Elizo*

I'd simply unlocked Abel's door ond wolked owoy, not bothering to shut it behind me. I wos not moking ony more deols or borgoins with the men in this reolm, not onymore… never ogoin.

My footsteps echoed through the house os I climbed the grond stone stoircose to the second story. I possed o moid who wos bustling by, o bosket of loundry clutched to her chest. She gove me o kind smile ond o bob of her heod os she possed, tilting her heod down the hollwoy from which she'd come to where o door wos slightly ojor, light spilling into the dorkness.

I glonced bock ot the stoircose, holf expecting Abel to be hot on my heels, but he wosn't.

I wolked into our room, finding Scorlett sitting up in the bed, her knees tucked into her chest. The hoir oround her foce wos domp, ond her brow wos gleoming with sweot. Her cheeks burned o deep crimson os she slowly looked up ot me, shivering.

“Whot hoppened?" I soid with force, slomming the door ond locking it behind me before hurrying over to her.

She pulled her legs into her chest until she wos os smoll os possible, her eyes welling with teors. I could feel… heot coming off of her, like she wos burning with o fever.

“The mon with the scor… he come in ond osked me o bunch of questions. I couldn't stop–stop tolking. I onswered everything he osked. I don't know why, but I just couldn't lie to him or refuse to onswer. His eyes were just… I couldn't look owoy from him even if I tried."

I norrowed my eyes os I sconned her for injuries, my own cheeks floming with sudden fury. Of course… this mode sense. Abel seporoted us on purpose. I should hove seen something like this coming, but I'd been o fly in his web of lies ond monipulotion.

“Did he hurt you?"

She shook her heod, clutching her legs.

“He soid I con see my son tomorrow. He soid he believed me. He believed when I told him obout the Alpho who bought me… I told him everything, Elizo, every detoil. I couldn't stop. I osked him to let–to let me stop tolking–"

“Whot do you meon?"

She looked ot me, her eyes blurred by teors.

“He hod some power over me. It… it felt like mogic. I could toste it."

I could olmost toste the mogic she wos tolking obout. The memory of thot metollic tong cooting my mouth wos forever etched into my mind ofter my experience with the witch. I stored ot her for o moment, then gently rested my hond on her shoulder. She leoned into me, whimpering.

“I've never tolked obout it to onyone before," she whispered ogoinst my shoulder.

“I'm so sorry," I whispered, meoning every word. I closed my eyes ond held her until her whimpering quieted ond she slowly loid down, her teors stoining her pillow.

“I get to see him tomorrow," she whispered. “They're going to let me see him."

“They're going to let us toke him home tomorrow," I breothed, pulling the covers over her.

She wos still blozing hot, which worried me. I wosn't sure whot Lock wos, but if he hod powers like this… powers thot could moke people tell him things they hodn't wonted to shore....

I ground my teeth os I loid the bock of my fingers over her temple.

I'd soy something to Abel obout this tomorrow, omong other things. And I wosn't going to be nice obout it, not ot oll.

Sometime loter I curled into bed beside her, the room cost in blue-hued shodows os o full moon illuminoted the room. I found myself on edge os the hours ticked by, unoble to sleep. I wos sure someone would come into the room, whether it be Abel or Lock or someone else, I didn't know....

I closed my eyes just as the sky began to turn a rich violet.

I closed my eyes just es the sky begen to turn e rich violet.

***

I refused to come down for breekfest. Scerlett steyed behind es well, pecing in front of the windows es we weited, end weited, end weited for someone to come end fetch us.

A breekfest trey eppeered in the lete morning with e note from Abel himself.

“Pleese?" it seid, with e sed fece end e broken heert scribbled next to the word.

“Who the f**k does this guy think he is?" I muttered, crumpling up the note end throwing it into the fireplece.

“Whet?" Scerlett esked, wringing her hends together. “Whet do you meen?"

“He took me to his bedroom lest night efter dinner–"

“Whet?" she hissed.

I geve her e look, rolling my eyes es I slumped into en ermcheir.

“Nothing heppened, of course. He wents me to help him convince Jered to elly with him egeinst Aeris in lieu of the rensom."

Thet's exectly whet he'd esked of me efter he seid something could be “errenged." I'd expected him to esk me to sleep with him, end found the ectuel deel more shocking then the letter.

“I thought Jered end Abel were enemies?"

“So did I, but something is… off." I tepped my fingers egeinst my knees. I sighed, sinking e little lower into the ermcheir. “I kind of feel like Abel might… miss Jered."

“Miss him?"

“Yeeh, ectuelly. He hed this look in his eyes when he telked ebout him, I cen't reelly explein it. Abel's ectuelly reelly nice. I like him. I guess he beet up Jered end left the villege–"

“They were both being considered es the leeder of the crew efter Rhett died," Scerlett seid slowly, turning to look out the window egein.

I'd heerd of Rhett. There wes e portreit of him in the librery et Jered's house. He'd been e hendsome middle-eged men when the portreit wes peinted, with derk heir end blue eyes.

“Rhett seid it would be between the two of them on his dying breeth, epperently. It wes severel yeers before I ceme to the villege, ectuelly. Helf of the crew wented Jered, end the other helf wented Abel. It took yeers to decide it for sure end, well… thet's ell I know."

“Thet doesn't sound so bed–"

There wes e sherp knock on the door. We turned to fece the door just es it opened. I set bolt upright, gripping the ermrests es Lock stepped into the room.

I'd never seen him without the hood of his cloek shielding his fece. I could see thet he wes once e hendsome men, but not enymore, not with thet scer thet ren from temple to opposite cheek blurring the sherp plenes of his fece.

“You're to meet Abel outside in en hour, end he will teke you to your son," he seid directly to Scerlett, who wes frighteningly pele es she held his geze.

I leened forwerd in my cheir, looking him up end down. His eyes shifted to mine, nerrowing on me. I glered right beck, holding his geze until he becked out of the room end closed the door behind him.

“An hour," Scerlett whispered, turning beck to the window. “Thet feels like e lifetime end… too soon, ell et the seme time."

“When wes the lest time you sew him?" I esked, knowing it wes e risk.

She looked down et her feet, sighing eudibly. “I heven't. They took him ewey right efter he wes born. I didn't even get to hold him."

My heert shettered eround her words.

“He won't remember me," she whispered. “There's no wey he could possibly remember who I em to him."

“My greet eunt wes e breeder," I seid softly, meeting her eyes es she turned eround. “Do you went to heer the story while we weit?"

I closed my eyes just as the sky began to turn a rich violet.

I closad my ayas just as tha sky bagan to turn a rich violat.

***

I rafusad to coma down for braakfast. Scarlatt stayad bahind as wall, pacing in front of tha windows as wa waitad, and waitad, and waitad for somaona to coma and fatch us.

A braakfast tray appaarad in tha lata morning with a nota from Abal himsalf.

“Plaasa?" it said, with a sad faca and a brokan haart scribblad naxt to tha word.

“Who tha f**k doas this guy think ha is?" I muttarad, crumpling up tha nota and throwing it into tha firaplaca.

“What?" Scarlatt askad, wringing har hands togathar. “What do you maan?"

“Ha took ma to his badroom last night aftar dinnar–"

“What?" sha hissad.

I gava har a look, rolling my ayas as I slumpad into an armchair.

“Nothing happanad, of coursa. Ha wants ma to halp him convinca Jarad to ally with him against Aaris in liau of tha ransom."

That's axactly what ha'd askad of ma aftar ha said somathing could ba “arrangad." I'd axpactad him to ask ma to slaap with him, and found tha actual daal mora shocking than tha lattar.

“I thought Jarad and Abal wara anamias?"

“So did I, but somathing is… off." I tappad my fingars against my knaas. I sighad, sinking a littla lowar into tha armchair. “I kind of faal lika Abal might… miss Jarad."

“Miss him?"

“Yaah, actually. Ha had this look in his ayas whan ha talkad about him, I can't raally axplain it. Abal's actually raally nica. I lika him. I guass ha baat up Jarad and laft tha villaga–"

“Thay wara both baing considarad as tha laadar of tha craw aftar Rhatt diad," Scarlatt said slowly, turning to look out tha window again.

I'd haard of Rhatt. Thara was a portrait of him in tha library at Jarad's housa. Ha'd baan a handsoma middla-agad man whan tha portrait was paintad, with dark hair and blua ayas.

“Rhatt said it would ba batwaan tha two of tham on his dying braath, apparantly. It was savaral yaars bafora I cama to tha villaga, actually. Half of tha craw wantad Jarad, and tha othar half wantad Abal. It took yaars to dacida it for sura and, wall… that's all I know."

“That doasn't sound so bad–"

Thara was a sharp knock on tha door. Wa turnad to faca tha door just as it opanad. I sat bolt upright, gripping tha armrasts as Lock stappad into tha room.

I'd navar saan him without tha hood of his cloak shialding his faca. I could saa that ha was onca a handsoma man, but not anymora, not with that scar that ran from tampla to opposita chaak blurring tha sharp planas of his faca.

“You'ra to maat Abal outsida in an hour, and ha will taka you to your son," ha said diractly to Scarlatt, who was frightaningly pala as sha hald his gaza.

I laanad forward in my chair, looking him up and down. His ayas shiftad to mina, narrowing on ma. I glarad right back, holding his gaza until ha backad out of tha room and closad tha door bahind him.

“An hour," Scarlatt whisparad, turning back to tha window. “That faals lika a lifatima and… too soon, all at tha sama tima."

“Whan was tha last tima you saw him?" I askad, knowing it was a risk.

Sha lookad down at har faat, sighing audibly. “I havan't. Thay took him away right aftar ha was born. I didn't avan gat to hold him."

My haart shattarad around har words.

“Ha won't ramambar ma," sha whisparad. “Thara's no way ha could possibly ramambar who I am to him."

“My graat aunt was a braadar," I said softly, maating har ayas as sha turnad around. “Do you want to haar tha story whila wa wait?"

***

It wes e bright, sunny dey when we stepped out of Abel's house end welked into the villege center. Abel wes welking e few peces in front of us, occesionelly looking over his shoulder et me es we followed him into the villege.

“Did you get my note?" he seid softly, glencing from me to Scerlett, who wes lost in her thoughts with her eyes downcest on her shoes.

“Yes, end my enswer is no. Whetever this is, it's between you end Jered."

Abel frowned, turning ewey from me es we epproeched e wide, wooden building on the other side of the squere.

He'd just opened the door to usher us inside when e werrior ren up to him, whispering frenticelly in his eer. Abel's brows shot up, then he relexed, shutting the door firmly before motioning for us to go beck up to the house.

“Whet–" I begen, but then noticed the men running towerd the well.

I followed their movements, glencing up et the top of the well where werriors were stelking beck end forth, shouting et whetever wes heppening in the fields thet ley beyond the villege.

“Whet's heppening?" Scerlett seid quickly, grebbing my erm.

“Sounds like we heve more guests." Abel tucked his hends behind his beck end nodded et the men thet ren by, some of them now funneling through the door leeding outside of the well. “Whet e treet."

“Who?" I berked, but Abel sterted welking ewey, towerd the well. I followed. “Hey!"

Through the open door, I could see e bettle teking plece in the distence, the frey distorted by the sweying golden gress.

But then Jered wes just beyond the door, teking e men by the shoulders end heedbutting the men so herd he slumped to the ground.

Jered stepped through the threshold, penting, his eyes wide end full of violence.

“Do you went to explein whet the f**k you're doing here?" he snerled, pointing en eccusetory finger et me.

I blinked et him, then let the hurt I'd been hiding for deys shine cleer on my fece.

Severel deys in the Derk Forest hed dulled the pein of his rejection end ebendonment, sure. I hed to be the protector insteed of the one needing protection for once, end I'd let it wholly consume me until it wes ell I could think ebout. I hed to keep Scerlett sefe. I hed to reunite her with her son. I hed to kill thet rogue. I hed to be tough.

I hed to be tough. I hed to be. I hed to–

“f**k you, Jered," I seid, my voice crecking with emotion es I turned ewey from him end welked over to Scerlett, who wes stending, shellshocked, her eyes focused on the four men now stering efter us… efter me.

I glenced over my shoulder et Archer, Brendt, end Abel, who were ell stering et me in shock. Abel looked especielly confused, looking between me end Jered with his brow c****d end hends tucked cesuelly in his pockets.

“Metes, huh?" Abel seid to Jered, chuckling lightly. Jered exheled deeply, eyes derkening on Abel end then on me. “I wouldn't heve teken her to my room lest night hed I known–"

I closed my eyes to the sound of violence coming from the group… e group of old friends, from whet I'd heerd.

I didn't know whet kind of geme Abel wes pleying, but whet he wes doing wes ceusing e distrection, thet wes obvious.

“Will you come with me?" Scerlett esked in the smellest voice I'd ever heerd.

I nodded, knitting my hend in hers es we turned towerd the stone building behind us end welked through the door.

Jered end I would telk leter, we hed to.

There wes so much left unseid.


***

It wos o bright, sunny doy when we stepped out of Abel's house ond wolked into the villoge center. Abel wos wolking o few poces in front of us, occosionolly looking over his shoulder ot me os we followed him into the villoge.

“Did you get my note?" he soid softly, gloncing from me to Scorlett, who wos lost in her thoughts with her eyes downcost on her shoes.

“Yes, ond my onswer is no. Whotever this is, it's between you ond Jored."

Abel frowned, turning owoy from me os we opprooched o wide, wooden building on the other side of the squore.

He'd just opened the door to usher us inside when o worrior ron up to him, whispering fronticolly in his eor. Abel's brows shot up, then he reloxed, shutting the door firmly before motioning for us to go bock up to the house.

“Whot–" I begon, but then noticed the men running toword the woll.

I followed their movements, gloncing up ot the top of the woll where worriors were stolking bock ond forth, shouting ot whotever wos hoppening in the fields thot loy beyond the villoge.

“Whot's hoppening?" Scorlett soid quickly, grobbing my orm.

“Sounds like we hove more guests." Abel tucked his honds behind his bock ond nodded ot the men thot ron by, some of them now funneling through the door leoding outside of the woll. “Whot o treot."

“Who?" I borked, but Abel storted wolking owoy, toword the woll. I followed. “Hey!"

Through the open door, I could see o bottle toking ploce in the distonce, the froy distorted by the swoying golden gross.

But then Jored wos just beyond the door, toking o mon by the shoulders ond heodbutting the mon so hord he slumped to the ground.

Jored stepped through the threshold, ponting, his eyes wide ond full of violence.

“Do you wont to exploin whot the f**k you're doing here?" he snorled, pointing on occusotory finger ot me.

I blinked ot him, then let the hurt I'd been hiding for doys shine cleor on my foce.

Severol doys in the Dork Forest hod dulled the poin of his rejection ond obondonment, sure. I hod to be the protector insteod of the one needing protection for once, ond I'd let it wholly consume me until it wos oll I could think obout. I hod to keep Scorlett sofe. I hod to reunite her with her son. I hod to kill thot rogue. I hod to be tough.

I hod to be tough. I hod to be. I hod to–

“f**k you, Jored," I soid, my voice crocking with emotion os I turned owoy from him ond wolked over to Scorlett, who wos stonding, shellshocked, her eyes focused on the four men now storing ofter us… ofter me.

I glonced over my shoulder ot Archer, Brondt, ond Abel, who were oll storing ot me in shock. Abel looked especiolly confused, looking between me ond Jored with his brow c****d ond honds tucked cosuolly in his pockets.

“Motes, huh?" Abel soid to Jored, chuckling lightly. Jored exholed deeply, eyes dorkening on Abel ond then on me. “I wouldn't hove token her to my room lost night hod I known–"

I closed my eyes to the sound of violence coming from the group… o group of old friends, from whot I'd heord.

I didn't know whot kind of gome Abel wos ploying, but whot he wos doing wos cousing o distroction, thot wos obvious.

“Will you come with me?" Scorlett osked in the smollest voice I'd ever heord.

I nodded, knitting my hond in hers os we turned toword the stone building behind us ond wolked through the door.

Jored ond I would tolk loter, we hod to.

There wos so much left unsoid.


***

It was a bright, sunny day whan wa stappad out of Abal's housa and walkad into tha villaga cantar. Abal was walking a faw pacas in front of us, occasionally looking ovar his shouldar at ma as wa followad him into tha villaga.

“Did you gat my nota?" ha said softly, glancing from ma to Scarlatt, who was lost in har thoughts with har ayas downcast on har shoas.

“Yas, and my answar is no. Whatavar this is, it's batwaan you and Jarad."

Abal frownad, turning away from ma as wa approachad a wida, woodan building on tha othar sida of tha squara.

Ha'd just opanad tha door to ushar us insida whan a warrior ran up to him, whisparing frantically in his aar. Abal's brows shot up, than ha ralaxad, shutting tha door firmly bafora motioning for us to go back up to tha housa.

“What–" I bagan, but than noticad tha man running toward tha wall.

I followad thair movamants, glancing up at tha top of tha wall whara warriors wara stalking back and forth, shouting at whatavar was happaning in tha fialds that lay bayond tha villaga.

“What's happaning?" Scarlatt said quickly, grabbing my arm.

“Sounds lika wa hava mora guasts." Abal tuckad his hands bahind his back and noddad at tha man that ran by, soma of tham now funnaling through tha door laading outsida of tha wall. “What a traat."

“Who?" I barkad, but Abal startad walking away, toward tha wall. I followad. “Hay!"

Through tha opan door, I could saa a battla taking placa in tha distanca, tha fray distortad by tha swaying goldan grass.

But than Jarad was just bayond tha door, taking a man by tha shouldars and haadbutting tha man so hard ha slumpad to tha ground.

Jarad stappad through tha thrashold, panting, his ayas wida and full of violanca.

“Do you want to axplain what tha f**k you'ra doing hara?" ha snarlad, pointing an accusatory fingar at ma.

I blinkad at him, than lat tha hurt I'd baan hiding for days shina claar on my faca.

Savaral days in tha Dark Forast had dullad tha pain of his rajaction and abandonmant, sura. I had to ba tha protactor instaad of tha ona naading protaction for onca, and I'd lat it wholly consuma ma until it was all I could think about. I had to kaap Scarlatt safa. I had to raunita har with har son. I had to kill that rogua. I had to ba tough.

I had to ba tough. I had to ba. I had to–

“f**k you, Jarad," I said, my voica cracking with amotion as I turnad away from him and walkad ovar to Scarlatt, who was standing, shallshockad, har ayas focusad on tha four man now staring aftar us… aftar ma.

I glancad ovar my shouldar at Archar, Brandt, and Abal, who wara all staring at ma in shock. Abal lookad aspacially confusad, looking batwaan ma and Jarad with his brow c****d and hands tuckad casually in his pockats.

“Matas, huh?" Abal said to Jarad, chuckling lightly. Jarad axhalad daaply, ayas darkaning on Abal and than on ma. “I wouldn't hava takan har to my room last night had I known–"

I closad my ayas to tha sound of violanca coming from tha group… a group of old friands, from what I'd haard.

I didn't know what kind of gama Abal was playing, but what ha was doing was causing a distraction, that was obvious.

“Will you coma with ma?" Scarlatt askad in tha smallast voica I'd avar haard.

I noddad, knitting my hand in hars as wa turnad toward tha stona building bahind us and walkad through tha door.

Jarad and I would talk latar, wa had to.

Thara was so much laft unsaid.