Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 917

Chapter 123: We Just Got Back Together

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“What...." I groaned, rolling over and colliding with Jared's chest.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Jared, Eliza?" Miriam's voice called from the hallway.

Jared sighed heavily and sat up. I pulled the covers over my head again. Once we got up, the magic from the night before would be gone for good and we'd have to face the world.

“What is it, Miriam?" Jared asked. He grabbed the sheet and pulled it down from my face.

“Hey," I whined quietly. I grabbed at the sheet again.

Jared pulled it away from me and shook his head. He winked at me and tickled my sides.

“Stop it!" I gasped, trying to stay quiet so Miriam didn't hear us goofing off.

“Jared, there's been an influx of refugees from the capital. Your messenger has returned and has a report you'll want to hear," Miriam said.

Jared immediately stopped tickling me.

“Sorry, love, it is time to get to work."

“I know." I sighed and stretched.

“We'll be right there, Miriam."

We dressed quickly and met Miriam in the hall. She gave us a look, like she didn't approve of something. Knowing Miriam, she probably thought we shouldn't be together since the mate bond was severed.

“Come with me."

I glanced at Jared with a sheepish grin and shrugged. He took my hand and we followed Miriam to the kitchen.

The messenger was at a table, scarfing down soup, sandwiches, and crackers like he hadn't eaten in days.

“Get this man some more food. He's starving," Jared said, motioning to one of the cooks.

“Right away!"

I sat down across from him. He was pretty dirty, too, his clothes ragged. He'd come straight to the kitchen to eat, it seemed, without cleaning up first.

“Are all of these refugees coming in from the capital?" I asked, opening the conversation.

The messenger swallowed a soggy lump of bread and nodded.

“The capital is a mess. Residents are leaving like crazy. They all want to get far away." he reported.

“Can you tell us what happened?" Jared asked. He sat beside me.

The messenger pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Jared. It was my engagement ring....

“I couldn't deliver the message. I couldn't even get close to the palace." He hung his head somberly.

“That's not important right now. What did you see?" Jared encouraged.

Under the table, he put his hand on my leg. I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back my gasp.

Was it wrong to feel so happy and so much love when there were so many dangers in the world?

“Aries attacked the capital with his rogue army. It was a mess, but the royal army was able to hold them back. They quashed the rebellion."

“That's good news, isn't it?" I creased my brow when the messenger shook his head.

“You'd think. However, all the rogues are still there. Now, they are just attacking to cause mayhem. They don't have the goal of a rebellion, which makes them a lot more dangerous. They've split off into smaller groups and are plaguing the capital with attacks."

“That explains why all the refugees are coming here...."

Jared nodded. “The capital is no longer safe."

“The rogues were there before I even got there. It was a total mess. People were terrified."

“What news of the king and queen?" I asked, tapping my fingers on the table.

The messenger sighed. “The king and queen barricaded themselves in the palace with their children. No one has seen them for a while but from what I gather, they are safe."

“Safe as prisoners in their own home," Jared grumbled.

“Rumor has it that Hestia and Aries are in the capital now, working together. They are draining energy from captives and calling more and more rogues every day. They're planning something big...."

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“What...." I groaned, rolling over and colliding with Jared's chest.

I shuddered. That sounded bad, whatever it was. Aries and Hestia, together again–it had been too much to hope that Aries would freeze to death and Hestia would crawl into a hole and die.

I felt Jared's eyes on me and I glanced in his direction. His look told me he was thinking the same thing I was.

We didn't need words to know that Hestia and Aries were up to no good and we couldn't let them complete their plan.

“Eat up, man. Then get cleaned up. You can tell us anything else later."

“Thank you."

The cook brought over a plate covered in bacon and eggs.

Jared and I left him to keep eating. When we were alone in the hallway, Jared grabbed my arm and pulled me to him.

“What are you doing?" I gasped.

He smirked and grabbed my left hand. He lifted it up to the light and carefully slid my engagement ring back into place.

“That's where it will stay forever, from now on," Jared said. He kissed the ring on my finger.

“I don't ever want to take it off again." I examined the ring for a moment, but I was still concerned about Jared's thoughts on the situation.

Even though it was a sweet moment, Jared was distant, his eyes unfocused.

“Jared, what are you thinking? This situation at the capital isn't something we can ignore."

“I know… I'm thinking I should lead a small group to scout out the situation. I can send word to our allies to meet us there."