Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 895

Chapter 101: There’s Still Time

“This is a dream," I said out loud, feeling slightly relieved.

The maiden I first met shrugged. “That doesn't mean it isn't real."

Her sing-song voice echoed in my ears as I jerked awake and jumped to my feet. Whipping this way and that, I looked for the maidens.

They were gone.

The air smelled damp and musty, and a soft breeze howled through the mouth of the cave I was in.

It was still dark, but I wasn't lost in the darkness anymore. I was awake and I was in the real world again.

Sighing, I leaned against the nearest wall and bowed my head in my hands.

'That was a horrible dream.'

And yet, the maiden's final words rang in my head. 'That doesn't mean it isn't real.'

Was what she told me true? Did she really give me the information to break the curse and spare Eliza and the baby?

“Alpha Jared!" I heard my name echo into the cave.

I recognized the voice of one of my men who was arrested with me.

I ran out of the cave and froze. The Royal Guards were scattered across the ground, dead.

Had I done that....

“Alpha!" one of my men called me. “He's here!"

They all looked frightened and relieved. I could only imagine what they had witnessed here. And still they stayed to find me. I was grateful, but there was no time for explanations.

“We needed to catch up with Eliza," I said. “Archer was supposed to take her back to the village, and that is where we need to go!"

Without gathering supplies, we all shifted and took off toward the village. There was still time.

***

It took several days for us to return to the village. I showed up weak, exhausted, and filthy.

“Jared, where have you been?" Miriam asked, greeting me at the door of my home.

“Eliza, where is she?"

“Come inside. Let me get you cleaned up, some fresh clothes, and a hot meal." She held a hand out to me.

I grabbed her wrist just before she touched me. “Where is Eliza?"

“Jared!"

I whipped around to see Gemma, her face twisted in anxiety and pain.

Ernest hurried to her side and placed an arm around her as she demanded, “Where is Eliza? What happened to our daughter?"

My heart thundered and sank.

“What do you mean? I told Archer to...."

Archer stepped up behind Miriam, looking pained and distraught.

“Where is my mate!" I demanded.

“Jared, we were on our way to get you and she just… she vanished," Archer tried to explain, but the words didn't make sense. “Jared, she's gone."

***

*Eliza*

I don't know how long Hestia had kept me in her hovel, locked in a cage somewhere deep in the Dark Forest. She fed me at intervals and made sure I stayed warm and hydrated.

Eventually, she gave me some idea about what she wanted from Jared.

“I need to end the bridge between the Light Realm and the Dark Realm."

“Why?" I asked.

“To put an end to the Light Realm once and for all and the influence of the White Queens."

“You can't destroy an entire realm or the White Queens. They are descended from and blessed by the Moon Goddess."

Hestia shrugged casually. “And yet… I am a true servant of the Dark King Lycaon."

“You can't destroy the Light Realm! It will throw both realms out of balance. Even the Dark Realm will suffer."

I shook my head, attempting to appeal to some shred of decency left in her. Hestia grinned, her teeth glinting in the moonlight. She leaned closer, looking right into my eyes.

The harsh, skeletal appearance of her face, teeth, and empty eyes paralyzed me. Ice trickled down my spine.

“The Light Realm will fall. All the White Queens will be destroyed, starting with the one on the throne."

“This is o dreom," I soid out loud, feeling slightly relieved.

The moiden I first met shrugged. “Thot doesn't meon it isn't reol."

Her sing-song voice echoed in my eors os I jerked owoke ond jumped to my feet. Whipping this woy ond thot, I looked for the moidens.

They were gone.

The oir smelled domp ond musty, ond o soft breeze howled through the mouth of the cove I wos in.

It wos still dork, but I wosn't lost in the dorkness onymore. I wos owoke ond I wos in the reol world ogoin.

Sighing, I leoned ogoinst the neorest woll ond bowed my heod in my honds.

'Thot wos o horrible dreom.'

And yet, the moiden's finol words rong in my heod. 'Thot doesn't meon it isn't reol.'

Wos whot she told me true? Did she reolly give me the informotion to breok the curse ond spore Elizo ond the boby?

“Alpho Jored!" I heord my nome echo into the cove.

I recognized the voice of one of my men who wos orrested with me.

I ron out of the cove ond froze. The Royol Guords were scottered ocross the ground, deod.

Hod I done thot....

“Alpho!" one of my men colled me. “He's here!"

They oll looked frightened ond relieved. I could only imogine whot they hod witnessed here. And still they stoyed to find me. I wos groteful, but there wos no time for explonotions.

“We needed to cotch up with Elizo," I soid. “Archer wos supposed to toke her bock to the villoge, ond thot is where we need to go!"

Without gothering supplies, we oll shifted ond took off toword the villoge. There wos still time.

***

It took severol doys for us to return to the villoge. I showed up weok, exhousted, ond filthy.

“Jored, where hove you been?" Miriom osked, greeting me ot the door of my home.

“Elizo, where is she?"

“Come inside. Let me get you cleoned up, some fresh clothes, ond o hot meol." She held o hond out to me.

I grobbed her wrist just before she touched me. “Where is Elizo?"

“Jored!"

I whipped oround to see Gemmo, her foce twisted in onxiety ond poin.

Ernest hurried to her side ond ploced on orm oround her os she demonded, “Where is Elizo? Whot hoppened to our doughter?"

My heort thundered ond sonk.

“Whot do you meon? I told Archer to...."

Archer stepped up behind Miriom, looking poined ond distrought.

“Where is my mote!" I demonded.

“Jored, we were on our woy to get you ond she just… she vonished," Archer tried to exploin, but the words didn't moke sense. “Jored, she's gone."

***

*Elizo*

I don't know how long Hestio hod kept me in her hovel, locked in o coge somewhere deep in the Dork Forest. She fed me ot intervols ond mode sure I stoyed worm ond hydroted.

Eventuolly, she gove me some ideo obout whot she wonted from Jored.

“I need to end the bridge between the Light Reolm ond the Dork Reolm."

“Why?" I osked.

“To put on end to the Light Reolm once ond for oll ond the influence of the White Queens."

“You con't destroy on entire reolm or the White Queens. They ore descended from ond blessed by the Moon Goddess."

Hestio shrugged cosuolly. “And yet… I om o true servont of the Dork King Lycoon."

“You con't destroy the Light Reolm! It will throw both reolms out of bolonce. Even the Dork Reolm will suffer."

I shook my heod, ottempting to oppeol to some shred of decency left in her. Hestio grinned, her teeth glinting in the moonlight. She leoned closer, looking right into my eyes.

The horsh, skeletol oppeoronce of her foce, teeth, ond empty eyes porolyzed me. Ice trickled down my spine.

“The Light Reolm will foll. All the White Queens will be destroyed, storting with the one on the throne."

“No!"

“Oh, yes. Lycaon is the master of this realm, and only one of his line can do what needs to be done."

“Jared won't help you!"

“All I need to do is promise Jared that I will end the curse that plagues you both. I know he will do anything to protect you, even if that means destroying the connection between the two realms."

“What? You can't make Jared do anything like that. He won't!" I shook my head again, but I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince Hestia or myself.

“Of course, he will. It's drastic, but in the end, it will be what saves you and breaks the curse. That is what Jared wants most."

“No."

My voice was barely a whisper. Hestia wasn't wrong. I knew that Jared would do anything to protect me and our baby.

“My, my, look at the time." Hestia looked at her wrist. She wasn't even wearing a watch.

“Jared isn't coming here," I assured her. “He was arrested by the Royal Guards."

“Of course, I already knew that he was arrested. However, that beautiful curse set him free, and now he is back in his village completely distraught over his missing Luna."

How did she know that? Tears stung my eyes at the thought of how worried Jared had to be for me.

“Soon enough he will hear my demands, loud and clear. If he wants you to live, he will do exactly what I say. As for you… well, your usefulness has run its course." Smirking, she unlocked my cage.

I hesitated as my heart galloped in my chest like racing horses. I stepped back as she motioned toward the door.

“You're free to go."

“I'm free?" Was this a trick?

“Yes. Hurry… if you want the chance to… say goodbye, just in case, I suggest that you return to him quickly."

Hestia's voice was a bodiless enigma as she faded from the cave.

I took a deep breath. I didn't trust Hestia, not for a second. I grabbed my backpack, which was lying on the cave floor beside me, and I ran from the cave.

She'd already proven that she could sneak up on me and capture me, so I doubted she was going to chase after me if this was some kind of trick.

But I wasn't going to make it easy for her.

If Jared really was back at the village, I was going straight to him. Hestia wouldn't have a reason to lie about Jared's whereabouts, not if her plan was to use me to control him.

At least, I could believe that.

She'd had me for several days, so I didn't know if I'd reach the village by our birthday, even if I ran all the way there and survived on my own in the Dark Forest. I needed to run.

But I also needed to be careful of the baby. I couldn't strain my body too much.

I'd have to balance speed with self-care and make sure I got to Jared as quickly as possible.

Getting through the Dark Forest was a challenge, but I pushed through the thorny vines and thick underbrush, staying as quiet as possible to avoid any danger that lurked in the shadows.

I couldn't afford to get caught or attacked by anything else the Dark Realm had to throw at me. The thick foliage blocked most of the light, and the ground was treacherous, filled with roots and rocks. I stumbled several times, catching myself before falling. I was panting and sweating; my stomach soon began to churn with hunger and exhaustion.

I had no idea if I was going in the right direction, but I trusted my instincts and followed the path that felt right. It was a gut feeling, a tug in my chest that led me toward safety, or so I hoped.

Hours passed, and the forest grew darker. I could hear strange noises in the distance, animal calls that made my hair stand on end. I wondered if Hestia was watching me, if she had unleashed her minions to track me down.

But I had to keep moving, had to escape the Dark Forest, and had to get to Jared.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I saw a light in the distance. It was faint, but it was there, flickering like a beacon of hope. I stumbled from the treeline and saw lights from a small town in the distance.

When I stopped at the town to find out how the day and how far I was from Jared. It was two days before our birthday and would be at least another days' journey. I got a room at an inn and some warm food.

While lying awake in bed and worried about everything, I stared at the ceiling and thought about the things Hestia had said.

She'd told me that if Jared agreed to her terms, we would both live. Had she found a way to communicate with him while she was still with me in the cave?

But then… she'd also said it was my last chance to say goodbye.

That was too ominous. If we were both going to live, then why would we need to say goodbye to each other?

I sucked in a sharp breath, my lungs feeling like a weight pressed against my chest. My heart raced and blood rushed in my ears. Absently, I reached for the locket around my neck.

“Ugh!"

The necklace was still with Mila. I felt so lost and alone–without Jared, without the necklace, all alone and puzzling over Hestia's words.

I couldn't make sense of any of it.

Throwing my arm over my eyes, I tried to focus on getting sleep.

Was this our end? Was all hope lost?

Shortly after, I slipped into sleep. A dream blossomed around me, taking shape as a clearing in the woods. It was early in the morning, and mist hung over the clearing and clung to the trees. Sun reached through the mist, making it glow.

Someone was standing in the clearing, her long, blond hair cascading around her.

“Mila?"

Slowly, she turned to face me, a serious look in her eyes, her lips a firm, thin line.

“You found your way to me. That is good."

“I'm not sure it is… I'm on my way home to Jared, but I'll never make it before our birthday."

“Home? Jared is back in the village?"

“Yes. At least, if Hestia was telling the truth."

“Hestia!?"

Mila's eyes widened and she pursed her lips.

“She let me go, and she said that Jared can break the curse if he agrees to her terms. We will both be safe...."

“I am closer to the village than you. I will go to Jared and tell him I spoke with you. Take care of yourself on the journey back."

“Thank you, Mila. Thank you!"

I opened my eyes, staring up at the ceiling of the inn. Sun streamed in through the nearby window. I rolled on my side and saw just how high in the sky the sun was.

“Dammit!" I overslept. Jumping up, I grabbed my things and raced out the door. I'd slept almost half the day away and I had to keep going.

I couldn't waste any more time.

Back on the road, I traveled all day, not stopping for anything except a few snacks and short breaks.

My feet ached, my ankles were swollen, and I was totally winded. I wasn't sure what was a result of my pregnancy or what was from regular fatigue.

I was too far from any town or settlement to find shelter for the night. It wasn't like I hadn't done a lot of camping recently. I was able to rig myself a shelter and make a campfire far enough from the road that no one would see me.

I watched the moon rise, wondering if this would be the last one I would see. Tomorrow was our birthday. Pulling my sleeves up, I looked at the tattoo marks from the curse. They hadn't spread anymore, but they were getting darker and thicker.

The curse was getting stronger.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep again. Thoughts of Jared and the curse plagued my mind as we were officially on borrowed time.

Would I make it back to him?