Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 859

Chapter 69 : Swallowed By Darkness

*Jared*

I woke before the sun and pulled my arms from around Eliza.

For a moment, I just watched her.Her face was so soft and peaceful as she slept, hair curling around her soft features so perfectly.

It was hard to pull away.I could have laid with her in my arms forever.

But Abe and I had a lot of work to do.

I kissed Eliza’s cheek and brushed my fingers lightly down her face.

She squirmed and turned away from me.I smiled to myself.She was perfect, and she was all mine.

Stretching, I threw some clothes on and nudged Abe’s tent.

"Get up, sleepy.We’ve got a long day ahead of us."

Abe groaned and I heard him shifting around.

While he got ready, I lit a fire and threw together a quick breakfast for us–a few fried eggs, some coffee, and bacon.It was the perfect energy boost we needed.

Abe crawled out of his tent and took the coffee I offered him.

He guzzled it down and then devoured his breakfast.

Afterward, he stood up and stretched, yawning like a fog horn.

"Ready to get to it?"I asked.

Abe smirked.

"That rock pile doesn’t look so bad.I bet we’ll have it cleared by noon."

"Right…."

The first rocks we moved out of the way were small and easy to toss aside.

It was just like brushing pebbles or gravel out of the way.

But it didn’t take long for Abe and me to get to the larger rocks.

One by one, we lifted them and hoisted them out of the way.

By the time Eliza woke up and started on her own breakfast, we’d been working for a few hours, and it barely felt like we’d made a dent.

I let my eyes wander toward Eliza as she moved around the camp.

Her tight pants clung to her hips, hanging low enough that I could see the edge of her underwear.

When she bent over, the hem of her shirt pulled up her back, revealing a lickable amount of her skin.

Unconsciously, I licked my lips.

"Hey, are you working, or am I going to do this whole thing myself!?" Abe snapped.

I shook myself out of my daze and looked at my friend.He was huffing and puffing as he shifted a massive rock.I went to him and helped lift.

"I just needed a little break," I smirked.

"Yeah, I know what you needed."

Abe shook his head.We tossed the large rock aside and each got back to work on some of the smaller, more manageable rocks.

The sun was getting higher in the sky and hotter.

Sweat soaked through the back of my shirt and dripped off my brow.

I pulled my shirt off and used it to wipe the sweat off my face and the back of my neck.

I tossed my shirt on the ground.

Abe did the same, only he tied his shirt around his head like a doo rag.

I shielded my eyes from the sun and looked at the rock pile.

For as long as we’d been working and for as much as we’d moved, it didn’t even seem like we were a quarter of the way done.

We could spend every day from now until my birthday digging, and we might never get through it all.

My eyes wandered to Eliza again.

She was sitting at the fire, which had burned to coals since it was daytime and there was no need for it.

Her map was on her lap and her eyes were fixed on it.

I grinned, loving to see that look of concentration, the way her brow scrunched up just a tiny bit, and how her eyes narrowed in an almost surly way.

But I knew she was focused, not angry.

"We should have packed some dynamite," Abe said.

"Why?" I asked, creasing my brow.

"To blow this thing wide open! I mean, we’re doing all this work and we don’t even know for sure if this is the right way to Eliza’s mythical city."

"I trust her.If she says this is the way, then this is the way."

"Hey guys!"

Eliza’s voice immediately drew my attention.She clamored up the rock pile, waving the map around.Her feet slipped on the shifting rocks, causing several to knock loose and slide down the pile.

"Be careful! We’ll come to you," I said.

Eliza shook her head and reached us at the top before I could make a move closer to her.

"What is it?" Abe asked.

"First, you two need water." She handed us each a canteen.

"Oh, you’re a Goddess!"

Abe gushed.He snatched the canteen and guzzled water down, streams flowing over the edge of the canteen, around the corners of his mouth, and down his throat.I shook my head and took a swig of the fresh, cool water.

It was like drinking the nectar of heaven.

Sighing, I took several more sips.

"Alright, I’m hydrated.

What’s the big deal?"

I asked, handing Eliza the canteen again.

She slipped it over her shoulder and pointed to the map.

"I’ve been studying the map, and I think I might have overlooked something."

She smiled sheepishly and bit her lower lip.

"As long as it means we don’t have to dig through these rocks anymore, all is forgiven," Abe said.

He sighed and flopped down on the nearest boulder.

My knees ached from all the squatting and lifting but I knew if I sat down, I wouldn’t want to get back up again.

"Well, I think there is another way into the city.I can’t promise it will be cleared, but it might be a lot easier to get through."She shrugged.

"Oh, hallelujah! What other way is there?"

Abe sang, throwing his head back.

Elize pointed to the map and ran her finger along a few of the lines.

"Here."

She tapped the map.

"I think this is supposed to be a river that goes into the city.But I didn’t realize it because… it looks like it’s underground."