Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 9 : Jared's Not in the House

*Eliza*

Rain thundered against the house for the rest of the day.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon in the laundry stirring the vats of scalding water and mending alongside Scarlett, the two of us enjoying several hours of contemplative silence.

The quiet and steady manual labor was a welcome break, and gave me the time I needed to mull over not only my situation, but the conflicting feelings that were creeping in and out of my mind since my strange run-in with Jared near the edge of what he called the Dark Forest.

He'd given me some insight into the layout of the land. The Dark Forest was north and filled with danger, that was clear. But to the south?

He'd said something about the sea, and where there was a sea, there was a boat.

A boat that could, potentially, take me home.

But no matter how hard I tried to make a plan of escape, my mind continually drifted back to Jared. His touch had heated my skin. His voice, dripping with concern, had made my breath catch in my throat. And his eyes? Well, I'd found myself fixed on them, lost in the inky depths of what I honestly believed to be his soul. I saw darkness there, but I also saw fire, the same fire I felt within myself.

I was curious about him. I was... starting to want him, or wanting to know more about him. I wasn't totally sure. But I knew my body and my mind were at odds over the matter.

Wringing out several baskets worth of wet laundry was my only respite from my internal conflicts. Scarlett and I carried the sodden clothes and hung them on racks in the communal sitting room before a roaring fire to dry.

Our work finally complete, we walked into the dining room, taking a seat on either side of the long, wooden table as other servants began to trickle in to convene over plates of roast chicken and mashed potatoes.

I was starving, and barely noticed that Jared and Archer had come in and were sitting at the opposite end of the table until I lifted my gaze from my plate to reach for seconds

Jared looked entirely at ease, wearing a fresh shirt and trousers, free of his leather vest and belt heavy with weapons. I held my gaze on him for a moment, taking in the sharp line of his jaw and his softly curling black hair that brushed against the tops of his ears. He had his sleeves rolled up, and I noticed with a start the tattoos that roped around his forearms, lines of deep black and gray that moved in a rhythmic pattern back under the sleeves of his shirt. He turned before I could tear my eyes away, and our eyes met for a fraction of a second before I looked back down at my plate, stifling a blush.

"Get yourself together,” I whispered to myself, toying with my food.

Miriam brought out dessert, which was met by applause. Even Jared was smiling, beaming up at her as she set the cake in the center of the long table, blushing with pride. My stomach was in knots as I stole another glance at Jared before rising from my seat and carrying my plate to the kitchen, feeling slightly overwhelmed.

There was a name for this, I was sure. I was out of my mind to even be considering feelings for Jared. He'd taken me here against my will, and had refused to give me the option to leave.

I slid my empty plate into the sink, watching it disappear beneath the soapy water.

The attic was where the women of the house slept. “Attic” wasn't really the right word for it. It was cozy and clean, and several rooms took up a space that covered both the length and width of the entire house. The room I shared with Scarlett was at the very end of a long, snug hallway. I walked inside, finding myself alone.

I took off my soiled apron and hung it on a hook before turning around and heading toward my bed, but then stopped midstep.

There was a large, leather-bound book resting at the foot of my bed.

I didn't need to go any closer to know what it was. I'd read it before... suffered through it, more like. And I knew who had left it for me, and why.

I fumbled with the clasps of my dress, glaring down at the book as I changed into a thick flannel nightgown. I continued to stare at the book in the reflection of the vanity as I brushed my hair. I didn't touch the book until I'd returned from brushing my teeth, and even then I had little interest in accepting what Jared must have meant to be a peace offering between us.

This book was from his study-the same study he wouldn't let me access, in the same house I where was being held captive.

With nothing left to do other than try to sleep, I pulled the book into my lap and looked down at the worn cover. It was an old retelling of the story of Lycaon; while the book itself wasn't ancient, the story itself was.

Inside, I would find the fable of his tomb, and his race through my realm to the safety of what was once the great city Dianny. I'd had to look at this book everyday for an entire semester during my last year of college, pouring over every page and comparing it to the scripts donated to the University by the Alpha King of Egoren himself. The purpose was so that our realm would be better educated in the true history of Lycaon, if the story was to be believed as fact, and not myth.

I closed the book, finding the text and the room I was sitting in suddenly claustrophobic. Scarlett came into the room, silent as a ghost, her eyes lined with fatigue.

“Hi,” I smiled.

She gave me a soft smile in return before removing her apron and dress, changing into a nearly identical pair of pajamas.

“You're mending is making progress,” she yawned. “You did a great job today."

“Thanks,” I said, and meant it.

That was the most Scarlett had ever spoken to me, and I felt incredibly proud of myself as I slipped out of bed and fetched one of the thick robes hanging on hooks along the wall.

“I'm going to go sit on the porch for a while," I said, but Scarlett was already asleep, her eyelashes fluttering against her pale cheeks.

I slipped from the room and walked down the stairs into the depths of the house until I reached the first floor. There was a wide front porch attached to the house, and it was covered to protect it from the elements. I could sit on one of the benches and listen to the rain while I pondered over my next move.

The fact that Jared had given me this book to read meant he was thinking about me and my welfare. He trusted me with this book, a prized possession from his study.

Did this mean I was slowly gaining his trust? And if so, could I potentially ask for access to his sacred study, and eventually, the map?

“I didn't know anyone else was out here,” Brandt said shyly, rising from one of the benches on the other side of the porch. I nearly jumped out of my skin, my hand flying over my heart.

“You scared me!" I breathed.

He stepped into the porch light, looking apologetic.

“It's cold out here," he said, tilting his head toward my robe and nightgown.

“I like it outside, especially when it rains. It calms my mind," I said, tapping a finger against my temple as I slumped against a bench, resting the book on my lap.

"Yeah, I get that." He made a move like he was going to sit down beside me, but hesitated, leaning against one of the columns holding up the roof of the covered porch instead. His eyes glowed a deep blue in the amber light of the porch.

"What are you doing out here?"

“I'm meeting up with Jared and Archer in the village in a little while. I thought I'd take a minute just to—uh, breathe, I guess.”

"Oh? What are you all doing in the village?"

“Making plans for our journey south to Aeris's kingdom. It's been a wet spring,” he began, motioning to the steady downpour, “and our usual trail was washed out, from what we've heard from our scouts.”

“That's too bad," I said softly. I wondered why he was telling me this. “When do you leave?"

"A few days from now. There's a party for one of the younger crew members. He's turning twenty- one, so he'll come into his wolf. We're leaving the morning after.”

So, I had a few days with Jared and his crew before I was left to my own devices. I had a few days to gather the supplies I needed to make the journey to safety.

A silence passed between us, broken only by the thundering rain. Finally, he said, “How are you doing? I mean, with all that's happened-"

“Just fine," I replied, giving my best smile. “I like it here." I wondered if he could see right through me, but he smiled nonetheless.

“That's good to hear. Miriam and Jared think highly of you.”

I couldn't help but scoff at the mention of Jared thinking highly of me. Brandt gave me a crooked smile, shaking his head.

"He's a hardass, sure, but he's mentioned a few times that he thinks you're incredibly intelligent.” “Because I am," I teased. “But seriously, what is Jared's problem? Is he so—so—" I could not find the words to describe him. Ice cold? Brooding? A total jackass who I might now have a crush on? “Yeah, uh, he didn't used to be like this. He's been going through... something.” Brandt pursed his lips, realizing he was getting into dangerous territory.

“Does it have to do with the sketch of that amulet on his desk?"

Brandt snapped his eyes toward me, looking thoroughly taken aback.

I shrugged, opening the book on my lap. “I got lost while delivering laundry and ended up in his study.”

Brandt eyed me suspiciously for a moment, but then relaxed, obviously not thinking me a threat to his lord and keeper if I was still alive after setting foot in his precious study.

“I'd better go," he said, his expression losing its skepticism and softening into a smile. “I'll see you later."

“See ya," I said cheerfully, waving as he walked out into the rain. My heart began to quicken as I watched his darkened form grow smaller and smaller, almost disappearing completely before two other figures appeared, then the three shadows walked away and out of sight.

I sprung to my feet, tucking the book under my arm as I tried to steady my breath.

Jared wasn't in the house.

I could go get the map, or at least study it, without the risk of getting caught.

I turned into the house and shut the door firmly behind me.