Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 941

Chapter 147 : I’m Coming With You

*Eliza*

With each passing day, more of my memories returned. It was like a fog was slowly lifting from my mind, and I knew that everything I felt toward Jared was wrong.

He never kept me as a slave or a breeder. We'd been powerfully, passionately in love, and this was one more thing we were going to overcome.

“Here's your breakfast." My mom set a plate of eggs and bacon down on the table in front of me.

Scarlett sat across from me, drinking coffee. I sighed heavily and looked longingly at the beverage.

“Have you considered drinking decaf?" Scarlett smirked and set her steaming mug down on the table.

“It doesn't taste the same." I wrinkled my nose.

“Eat, girls. Your food is getting cold." My mom clapped her hands and left us in the kitchen.

I grabbed my fork but I wasn't all that hungry. I kept thinking of Jared and how my real memories were becoming clearer.

If the changes Hestia made to my mind were finally clearing up, that must have meant that she was defeated.

“Scarlett, I think it's finally happened. I think Jared and Xander were able to defeat Hestia."

Scarlett's eyes widened and she perked up. “Do you think that means Jared's memories are starting to come back, too?"

I shrugged and bit my lower lip. “I'd like to think so. But I'm not sure."

It would mean everything to me if Jared's memories came back on their own, like mine were doing. We could put all this behind us and focus on getting things ready for our baby.

“They should be coming back home any day now and give us the good news." I sucked the grease off the end of a strip of bacon.

After my mom dropped lunch off in the afternoon, Archer arrived with a few of Jared's men. I recognized them from the Dark Realm.

Scarlett and I waited on the porch, but it was just the three of them. Jared wasn't there.

I went down the steps to greet them.

“Hestia is defeated, isn't she?" I asked.

Archer nodded, though his face was somber. He bowed his head respectfully to me.

“It is with great joy that I can finally bring this news. Hestia is dead. She is no longer a threat to you or your child."

My heart lifted and I smiled. I wanted to hug Archer. But I heard Scarlett's excitement behind me, so I didn't.

When Archer raised his head, he still wasn't smiling, and I knew that there was more news–bad news.

“Archer, what's going on? Where's Jared?"

My stomach sank. Had something gone wrong when they fought Hestia? I was certain that if anything happened to Jared, I would know about it.

“Jared has returned to the Dark Realm. I'm sorry, Eliza, but he still doesn't remember loving you. He thinks it is best...."

I didn't hear the rest of what Archer said. His lips kept moving but my ears rang loudly and my body felt numb.

I staggered slightly, bumping into someone else who caught me and held me steady.

“We should get you back inside." I heard Scarlett's voice as if she was speaking underwater.

It was low and fuzzy, coming through in muffled spurts.

I didn't resist as Scarlett led me back to the house. I was barely aware of my body or my surroundings.

How could Jared still not remember? When Hestia died, it cleared my mind. Why didn't it clear his? Was he given a larger dose of the poison? Was the spell used to change his memories different than the one used on me?

Scarlett sat me on the couch and someone got me a glass of water. I started to come back to myself and saw Archer and Scarlett giving me concerned looks.

“I should go after him." I set the glass aside and tried to stand.

Scarlett grabbed my shoulder.

“You can't, Eliza… the baby. Remember, you can't travel until the baby is born and strong enough to make the trip."

I sighed and sank into the couch. It wasn't easy to accept, but Scarlett was right. I needed to think of my baby first.

“I've got to head back to the Dark Realm as well; Jared is expecting me," Archer announced. He held a hand out to Scarlett. “We should leave immediately."

Scarlett looked at me.

I nodded. “Go back to the village. I'll be there as soon as I can."

She shook her head. “No, I'm not leaving you here alone."

“Wha–" Archer gasped. His jaw dropped open.

Scarlett glared at Archer and I saw how quickly he composed himself under her gaze.

“I'm staying here. I'm not leaving my Luna behind!" Scarlett insisted.

Archer didn't look happy about Scalette's decision but he nodded and didn't argue again.

“Scarlett, I'll be fine. I have my parents and my family here."

“Yes, I know and now you also have me."

“It's okay. I know that Gage–"

“Gage is safe. He is loved and cared for by everyone in the pack. Archer will make sure that he is well cared for."

“I can't ask you to stay behind for me."

“I didn't have to ask you to help me find Gage. You saw that I felt alone and scared and you helped me. Eliza, you took me by the hand and showed me the world can be a scary place full of bad people and terrible circumstances but with a good friend by your side it doesn't have to be a lonely one as well."

I looked down at my hands.

“You are brave and you are strong. But, no one knows better than me how scary it can be to be pregnant and alone. I am doing this as much for you as I am for Jared and everyone back in the village. I have faith that you and Jared will overcome Hestia's trouble, and she will not win."

***

Four Months Later

I slipped my baby into the bassinet. Fast asleep, I couldn't get enough of looking at that adorable face that looks so much like Jared.

“Knock. Knock." Declan knocked and announced his presence at the same time.

He did that every time he came to visit.

I smiled and headed into the living room.

“Shh. The baby is just going down for a nap." I put my finger against my lips.

“Sorry." Declan gave me a sheepish look.

I smiled and went to a laundry basket, folding the baby's clothes. There was never a shortage of baby laundry.

“These visits are starting to become a regular thing," I teased.

Declan grinned and pulled a few onesies out of the basket, folding them and stacking them with the others.

“I don't like the idea of you being alone here with a baby."

I sighed and shrugged one shoulder. “I'm never alone and I'm not in any danger here. Hestia is defeated, and I've got Scarlett and my family looking out for me."

“You're still raising a baby on your own."

“I've got Scarlett and my parents." I picked up the folded clothes and stacked them back in the basket.

Declan was sweet, but his frequent visits were clearly hopeful. He wanted more from me and I couldn't give him that. I still loved Jared, and I wanted him to remember me and the love that we once shared.

I could tell that there was more that Declan wanted to say, but Lena showed up to visit the baby and she sent Declan back to the ranks of the Royal Guard.

“The baby is napping, Lena," I warned as she headed to the nursery.

“I'll be quick. I just want to see that gorgeous little face."

She giggled and ducked into the nursery. A couple of seconds later, she came out and sighed.

“I can't believe how beautiful that baby is. I want another one now." She sat with me on the couch. “How are you doing, Eliza?"

“Honestly, I'm not feeling all that exhaustion and complicated adjustments to motherhood that everyone warned me about. My baby is perfect." I glanced sideways at Lena and smirked.

She shook her head. “You're lucky!"

“Well, it has almost been long enough for us to go to the Dark Realm."

Lena shot me a concerned look.

“Once he sees the baby, I think his memories will come back," I explained.

“Eliza, I didn't want to tell you this before because things with your pregnancy were… complicated, but Jared didn't exactly leave because he doesn't remember you."

“What!?" I gasped, feeling my eyes go wide.

Lena sighed and nodded slowly. “Xander told me that he was starting to get his memories back, at least, some of them. He didn't feel love for you but he remembered loving you, and some other things."

“I don't understand. Why would he leave, then?"

“Xander told me everything that happened when Jared confronted Hestia–rather, everything Jared revealed. One of the things he told Xander was about a vision of the future that really scared him."

I creased my brow. It was hard to digest. Jared's leaving wasn't because he didn't remember me or remember loving me, because he still hadn't come to me and talked to me about it....

“I don't know all the details, but I got the gist of it. Hestia showed Jared a dark vision that involved your child, and he was concerned that if he had you and the baby come back to the Dark Realm, that future could become a reality and your baby would never be safe."

I covered my mouth with my hand and shook my head.

My heart softened when I thought of Jared. He was still trying to protect me and our child, even if he didn't remember loving me.

I just wished he would have talked to me about it. We could have come up with a solution together.

“I have to go see him."

“Eliza, Jared left to keep you and your baby out of the Dark Realm. You might want to consider that before taking your baby right where Jared doesn't want the two of you to be."

I bit my lower lip in thought. “I can't let him sacrifice his place in his own child's life. If nothing else, he should at least get the chance to meet his baby," I argued.

Lena nodded. She didn't try to discourage me again.

The baby monitor crackled and cries came through.

“I've got to get the baby."

Lena let herself out and I headed to the nursery. I scooped my baby up looking into the sweetest and most precious face. Whenever I looked into those gorgeous eyes, my heart swelled with love and hope for Jared and my child.

He promised we'd be a family and I was going to hold him to that, regardless of the danger he thought we were in. He'd also promised we would work on things together, and I was going to hold him to that, too.

While Scarlett and I packed for our trip to the Dark Realm, my mother came over to help.

“Eliza, I thought you were over all of this."

She sat on the couch and watched as Scarlett and I got things together for ourselves and the baby. We had a long trip ahead of us, and traveling with a baby was never easy, or so everyone kept telling me.

“No, Mother, I was never over it. The plan was always to go see Jared when the baby was big enough to travel."

“If he wanted to see you and the baby, he had every chance to do so, Eliza. He could have come back for you and he didn't."

I shook my head. “He did come back for me, Mom. Before Hestia took his memories, my Jared made sure I understood how much he loved me. And even now I know it's that love that's keeping him away. He thinks he's protecting us and–"

“You don't know that for sure." She interrupted me.

I narrowed my eyes at her and pursed my lips. “I do. I understand why he did it because I've made the same choice. I rejected him and walked away from him because I thought the Dark Realm would destroy us. I was wrong, and he came here despite my choice to leave."

I stopped talking and my mother sighed heavily.

“You're absolutely sure about this?"

My mom seemed dead set on keeping me from going back to the Dark Realm. I wasn't having it.

“I've made up my mind." I nodded firmly.

My mother smiled kindly. “Alright, then I will go with you for support."