Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 89 : How Much Longer?

“Remember, we want to get through the capital unseen," Jared whispered, his arm around me, as we deboarded

the same trading vessel that had brought us to the Light Realm in the first place.

“You don't need to remind me of that. It's not like we have to stay long. We're just passing through to get back to

your village," I said.

Jared nodded. “Right. No coffee dates to spy on our distant relatives this time."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

It had taken us nearly a week to get back to the capital of Erogen and we still had a few more days to go before

getting back to Jared's village.

I was happy to be back. But it sure would have been nice to have a plane to get on to fly to his village rather than

having to go by foot.

Fortunately, we got out of the capitol without any incident. It was a nice change to have everything go smoothly for

once.

When we got back to Jared's village, a strong sense of peace and belonging came over me.

Was this what it was like to come home?

I saw so many familiar smiling faces right away. Smiling, I nodded to the people that waved at me. Some of them I

knew by name. Others, I didn't. But they all seemed to know me.

The village had changed some. Summer was in full bloom and the trees in the streets were covered with deep

green leaves and little flower blossoms of different colors.

Porches had blooming flower boxes and I saw some house cats out sunning themselves in the warm, golden rays of

the summer sun. There were pedestrians everywhere and people in the front of their shops, washing windows and

tidying things up.

It never ceased to amaze me that a little warm weather could lift everyone's spirits.

Jared sighed heavily and inhaled through his nose.

“Are you happy to be back?" I asked, nudging him with my arm.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, curving up one side of his face.

“After everything we've seen, it is nice to be back to a familiar place. Here, I know the people, I know the land. It's

comfortable."

“I agree. As soon as we crossed through the borders, I felt this warm peace come over me. I've never felt that

before…"

Jared grabbed my hand. He lifted it to his lips and placed a warm kiss on the back of my hand.

My cheeks warmed and I bit my lip, looking down.

“I'm glad you feel comfortable here."

“Jared, what are we going to tell everyone?"

“About what? The curse, the diadem, Mila and Soren? Or… do you mean the baby?"

I sighed and shrugged. “All of it."

“Well, I think we should be honest about why we are back. I don't want to hide anything from my friends. Besides,

they'll have questions when Mila and Soren show up. It is probably better to prepare them for that."

I nodded in agreement. “And… the baby?" I put my free hand on my stomach and smiled lightly.

After the initial shock of finding out I was pregnant, and the heart to heart Jared and I had, everything to do with the

baby brought a little smile to my lips.

We hadn't told anyone yet, though, and I wasn't sure if I was ready too.

“What do you want to do?" Jared squeezed my hand.

I grinned foolishly. “Well, to be honest, I kind of like having this secret just between us."

Jared chuckled and shook his head.

I glanced over at him, his handsome features made more so by the warm summer sun all around us. I'd gotten to

see so many sides of him since we met but the light-hearted, sweet, tender man he'd become since we found out

about the baby was definitely a version of him I enjoyed.

“I kind of like having that secret, too."

“Then, maybe we shouldn't tell anyone right away. We've got a lot of other stuff going on, anyway."

“Good idea. I'm going to leave you with Giselle and Scarlett while I try and get in touch with Abe and get a full

update on what's been going on. Is that okay?"

I nodded. The worst of my symptoms had cleared up after learning I was pregnant. I'd been getting better rest and

eating more. Jared was watching over me like a hawk.

But the curse was still draining me and I could tell that Jared's careful watch over me along with his curse was

starting to wear him down, too. We'd have to keep our smiles strong so other people wouldn't worry about us.

Jared brought me back to the packhouse. It felt like forever since I'd been there but it hadn't changed at all. I found

myself feeling very at home. There was a part of me that had been missing this place, even though I didn't know it

until I was back.

“Eliza! Welcome back," Giselle came right up to me, hugging me.

“Where have you been? We thought you were only going to be gone for like a week," Scarlett said, hugging me too.

Despite seeing some of my own family and oldest friends back in the Light Realm, Giselle and Scarlett welcomed

me back much more warmly.

My eyes pricked with tears as I hugged them. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones already?

“I missed you guys."

“Come on, you need a bath after all that travel. And you need to tell us everything," Giselle urged. She grabbed my

hand and hauled me upstairs.

I followed along without argument. A bath sounded great.

Giselle and Scarlett drew me a bath. I felt so pampered and cared for.

While I soaked in the warm, silky bubbles, they sat in the bathroom with me, chattering about everything that had

happened since I left.

I closed my eyes and absently put my hands on my stomach. Suddenly, keeping the baby a secret seemed like a lie

somehow.

“Where have you and Jared been? The last time we talked, you guys were heading to some ancient city to break

the curse. I feel like you've done a lot more than that in the past several weeks," Scarlett said, turning her attention

to me.

“We've been everywhere; Saboreef and all the way to the Light Realm… it has been a wild adventure." I smiled

widely, hoping to mask the exhaustion from the pregnancy and my shadow that were constantly dragging me

down.

Scarlett held a towel out for me and the two of them looked away as I got out of the tub. I wrapped myself up in the

towel and stepped out of the tub.

“There's something different about you," Giselle said. She stood next to me, narrowing her eyes slightly, studying

me closely.

“Oh, did you and Jared finally take the next step in your relationship?" Scarlett teased.

I groaned and shook my head. “Guys…"

“No, seriously, there is something different about you."

I chewed the inside of my cheek. It was impossible to keep anything from these two.

“Okay, if you're going to twist my arm about it… I'm pregnant…"

“What!?" Scarlett gasped.

“Holy crap!" Giselle cried.

“Are you sure?" Scarlett asked.

“I'll show you." I went to the pile of my things and grabbed the ultrasound pictures. I handed them over to Scarlett

and Giselle.

They looked at the images and gushed over them while I threw some clean clothes on.

“Oh my gosh! Is that a little head? Or a heartbeat?" Scarlett asked, screwing up her eyes.

“Are those fingers?" Giselle asked, pointing.

“I kind of like having that secret, too."

“Then, maybe we shouldn't tell anyone right away. We've got a lot of other stuff going on, anyway."

“I'm pretty sure it is too early to see fingers," I giggled.

“I'm pretty sure it is too early to see fingers," I giggled.

“You're pregnant! You're going to have a baby!" Giselle cried.

Scarlett and Giselle hugged me and jumped up and down in a circle around me.

“It hardly seems like the time to celebrate." Miriam strode into the bathroom, a stern look on her face.

Giselle and Scarlett stopped cheering. They stepped away from me.

“Hey, Miriam. It is good to see you again." I smiled warmly at her.

“There's still a lot of work to do."

She spoke with a tone that walked a fine line between stern and emotionless and yet somehow, she still managed

to almost sound friendly.

“Let me see your arm."

“My arm?" Absently, I grabbed my tattooed arm.

Miriam knew about Jared's curse but I hadn't been back to see any of them until now.

“Jared sent word, telling us that you managed to get yourself cursed with the same one that infects him. Let me

see it."

I pulled my sleeve up my arm, showing the curse tattoo that marred my skin.

Miriam frowned. She grabbed my arm and twisted it from side to side, examining the tattoo.

“Jared and I are working to lift the curse. We know what we need to do now."

Miriam nodded, but her frown didn't ease up. I could tell that she was still worried.

Sighing, she ran her hand up my arm, tracing the curse lines. Her eyes glinted with a hint of hope. The same hope I

felt when we'd found out about the diadem.

But underneath hope, I could sense sadness in her.

She pulled my sleeve down and stepped away.

I grabbed the locket necklace off the sink vanity and clipped it around my neck again. I tried to take it off as little as

possible. The necklace just felt like it belonged around my neck.

“I have something for you, Eliza," Miriam announced. She handed over a large bundle of mail, tied together with

twine. “These came for you a while ago."

“Thank you." I recognized the handwriting as my cousin's and I clutched the letters to my chest.

“Speaking of family," Miriam smirked.

A pit formed in my stomach. I got the sense that she was just waiting for the right moment to say what she was

about to say.

“Curse or no curse, a baby needs a family… a real family. What are you and Jared waiting for?"

“What do you mean?" I asked, creasing my brow.

“When are you two going to get married?"

“Oh… I…"

“Come on, Miriam, she's just getting settled in. It's not the right time to pester her with questions. Besides, that is

really a question for Jared. He's the one that needs to propose," Giselle said. She ushered Miriam out of the

bathroom.

I gave her a grateful smile and returned to my bedroom. Once I was alone, I opened the letters from Lena.

Sitting on the bed, I leaned against the pillows, propping myself up with one arm as I read through the letters she

sent me.

She sent word that she got my warning, thanking me for the heads up. She also told me that she had received my

parents and assured them I would be home safely as soon as possible.

I nodded to myself and tucked the letters away. I wondered if that meant that my parents had returned to the

Realm of Light. Had we missed each other again?

Miriam's frown haunted my thoughts and I pulled my sleeve up again, looking at the curse mark. It hadn't changed,

as far as I could tell, since it fully formed. Her frown made me think she'd seen something in the curse mark that I'd

missed.

How much longer would it take until Mila arrived?