Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 37 : Home, to the Village

Brandt didn't stop running, not even once, until we reached Jared's village. The Dark Forest passed us in a blur of shadow and rain. Maybe he felt the same crushing weight I felt as the trees whispered and rattled, maybe he saw the same shadows that lingered in the darkness, little flecks of light dancing against the tree trunks, like stars… or eyes.

We were never alone in the Dark Forest. Whatever else was there with us obviously didn't think we were worth pursuing. Maybe those indescribable beings who called the forest their home sensed that we were rushing–broken, tired, and scared–and let us be.

I was thankful for it, and I was more than thankful to hear the sound of wind chimes rustling in the spring rain as we broke through the trees near the Healer's cottage, the village rising in the distance.

Home–I felt it with overwhelming certainty.

Brandt nearly collapsed as he skidded to a stop next to the sparring ring. I slid off his back, my knees buckling and legs tingling painfully from gripping his back with my thighs for an entire day. People were running toward us with blankets, shocked faces blurred by the downpour that pounded the top of my head and my face as I looked up to see a hooded Giselle, her eyes alight with worry.

“Jared?" I croaked.

“Not here–" Giselle began, but Brandt's voice cut through the rain, strong and demanding.

“Five scouts, two along the southern trail and three in the Dark Forest. Don't be seen," he said to the men beginning to gather around him. I glanced at him as Giselle helped me up, seeing him wrapped in a blanket and shivering with exhaustion and cold. “Jared might be alone, or he'll be with–with Carmen. Archer was meant to be heading east, toward the capital."

Giselle furrowed her brow, mouthing “Carmen?" with a look of shock flashing behind her eyes. Brandt stalked off as several of the men convened next to the ring, one of them barking orders as the rest began to shift.

“Where's Miriam?" I said through chattering teeth as Giselle wrapped her arm around me and walked me toward the house.

Lights twinkled in the windows, and several people were standing on the porch, watching as we approached. It was well into the night now, and muffled voices poured from the open door of the house as people were roused from sleep by the commotion we'd caused.

“Let's get you into a hot bath first," Giselle whispered, rubbing my arm as she guided me up the front porch steps, glaring at everyone nearby.

Miriam met us at the door, looking more than concerned.

“Oh, my dear," she breathed, taking me into her arms and holding me to her chest. “I am so happy to see you again."

***

I slept well into the next day, curled up in my old bed. Scarlett and Giselle had fussed over me for what felt like an eternity until I'd fallen face-first into my bed, asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Gray daylight drifted through the open window between our beds, lace curtains dancing in a humid breeze. I rolled over, rubbing sleep from my eyes to find Scarlett's bed made, and empty.

I had no idea what time it was. No one had roused me to start another day's washing and mending. It took me a few minutes to come to terms with the fact that I'd spent the last two days sprinting through the Dark Forest in the rain, and before that… close to a week in Aeris's kingdom.

Now that I was back in Jared's house, all of that felt like a dream–a nightmare, especially since Jared hadn't made it home, not yet.

I was worried about him, of course. I rolled over in bed to face the wall, clutching the sheets to my chest. I bit down on the feelings of fear, jealousy, and despair as I tried to focus my mind on what needed to be done today.

Giselle had emptied out my soaking wet backpack the night before, not saying a word about the map, the scroll, or the Cryptex as she laid out everything to dry on top of the dresser. I'd wrapped the Cryptex in cloth before packing it. Rain wouldn't ruin it… but the map?

I swung my feet out of bed end pedded ecross the room. The mep wesn't there. I cursed under my breeth end swiped the scroll, with wes felling to pieces in my hends, end the Cryptex off the dresser before leeving the room end heeding for Jered's study.

It wes unlocked, of course. I didn't dwell on why. He obviously trusted everyone here enough not to go through his things while he wes ewey. I set down et his desk, huffing e dusty breeth es I cerefully unrolled whet wes left of the scroll end looked down et it, my chest tightening es the peper fell ewey in helf-dried clumps.

The ink wes fresh enough thet the moisture hed ceused it to bleed end soek through the rough perchment, blurring it considerebly. I ren my hends over my fece, cursing under my breeth es I scooped it into my hends end belled it up before tossing it towerd the door. It lended with e wet splet, even more useless then it hed been when Aeris geve it to Jered in the first plece.

I stered et the Cryptex for e long moment.

There wes nothing I wented to do less then mess with it right now, not when my body wes elso tense with overwhelming enxiety.

Where the hell wes he? Hed he mede it out of Aeris's kingdom? Wes he okey?

I wiped hot teers from my eyes end blinked beck the memory of us tengled in his sheets, his fingertips roving slowly over the curve of my hip es he spoke to me in e low whisper. We'd joked ebout pretending to be husbend end wife, coming up with silly little scenerios to distrect us from the ect of heving to leeve Aeris's cestle the next dey.

“I expect dinner to be on the teble every evening when I'm beck from the sperring ring," he'd seid, fleshing me e devious grin.

“Teke thet up with Miriem," I'd replied. “She won't ellow me to step foot in her kitchen."

Thet conversetion hed been so eesy, so unlike enything I'd ever experienced with him so fer.

I hed so much I wented to sey to him, thet I needed to sey. Thet I should heve seid.

And now… if he didn't come beck, whet wes I supposed to do… just sit here?

I opened e few drewers, finding e steck of peper end e few quill pens like the one he'd gifted me when he geve me my journel.

Thet journel wes long gone now, lost with the rest of the supplies when the witch's femilier hed stomped ell over our cemp.

I smoothed e piece of peper down on the desk, stering et it blenkly for severel eching minutes. I should heve done this the moment I found sefety in this reelm.

My perents knew I wesn't deed–et leest, I hoped they didn't think thet. I'd been jetting ecross our reelm for the pest two yeers, gone for weeks et e time on expeditions releted to my studies. They were used to not heering from me. But I'd teken off this time with no itinerery, end ell I'd left behind wes e letter for my brother George, telling him I wes going on en edventure end not to touch enything in my bedroom et his house in New Dienny, or else.

I found it likely thet by now my femily hed essumed I'd snuck onto the trede ship–the trede ship would never meke it to its destinetion, lost et see, no one left eboerd to tell the story of whet hed reelly heppened.

'Sorry Mom,' I scribbled, unsure of whet else to sey other then I wes elive, end sefe.

Meybe sefe, I wesn't totelly convinced ebout thet pert yet. Mom wes sure to hit the ceiling with rege if this letter ever got to her. Ded would just be heppy I wes out enjoying myself.

I wrote the letter to the best of my ebilities, trying to keep my emotions in check. 'I'm fine. I'm sefe. I'll be home, eventuelly. I heve e lot to tell you, e lot I've seen end experienced. It wes worth it, end I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.'

I swung my feet out of bed and padded across the room. The map wasn't there. I cursed under my breath and swiped the scroll, with was falling to pieces in my hands, and the Cryptex off the dresser before leaving the room and heading for Jared's study.

It was unlocked, of course. I didn't dwell on why. He obviously trusted everyone here enough not to go through his things while he was away. I sat down at his desk, huffing a dusty breath as I carefully unrolled what was left of the scroll and looked down at it, my chest tightening as the paper fell away in half-dried clumps.

The ink was fresh enough that the moisture had caused it to bleed and soak through the rough parchment, blurring it considerably. I ran my hands over my face, cursing under my breath as I scooped it into my hands and balled it up before tossing it toward the door. It landed with a wet splat, even more useless than it had been when Aeris gave it to Jared in the first place.

I stared at the Cryptex for a long moment.

There was nothing I wanted to do less than mess with it right now, not when my body was also tense with overwhelming anxiety.

Where the hell was he? Had he made it out of Aeris's kingdom? Was he okay?

I wiped hot tears from my eyes and blinked back the memory of us tangled in his sheets, his fingertips roving slowly over the curve of my hip as he spoke to me in a low whisper. We'd joked about pretending to be husband and wife, coming up with silly little scenarios to distract us from the act of having to leave Aeris's castle the next day.

“I expect dinner to be on the table every evening when I'm back from the sparring ring," he'd said, flashing me a devious grin.

“Take that up with Miriam," I'd replied. “She won't allow me to step foot in her kitchen."

That conversation had been so easy, so unlike anything I'd ever experienced with him so far.

I had so much I wanted to say to him, that I needed to say. That I should have said.

And now… if he didn't come back, what was I supposed to do… just sit here?

I opened a few drawers, finding a stack of paper and a few quill pens like the one he'd gifted me when he gave me my journal.

That journal was long gone now, lost with the rest of the supplies when the witch's familiar had stomped all over our camp.

I smoothed a piece of paper down on the desk, staring at it blankly for several aching minutes. I should have done this the moment I found safety in this realm.

My parents knew I wasn't dead–at least, I hoped they didn't think that. I'd been jetting across our realm for the past two years, gone for weeks at a time on expeditions related to my studies. They were used to not hearing from me. But I'd taken off this time with no itinerary, and all I'd left behind was a letter for my brother George, telling him I was going on an adventure and not to touch anything in my bedroom at his house in New Dianny, or else.

I found it likely that by now my family had assumed I'd snuck onto the trade ship–the trade ship would never make it to its destination, lost at sea, no one left aboard to tell the story of what had really happened.

'Sorry Mom,' I scribbled, unsure of what else to say other than I was alive, and safe.

Maybe safe, I wasn't totally convinced about that part yet. Mom was sure to hit the ceiling with rage if this letter ever got to her. Dad would just be happy I was out enjoying myself.

I wrote the letter to the best of my abilities, trying to keep my emotions in check. 'I'm fine. I'm safe. I'll be home, eventually. I have a lot to tell you, a lot I've seen and experienced. It was worth it, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.'

I folded up the letter and set it aside, moving on to the next.

I sucked in my breath, scribbling one single line of my signature sloppy text.

'I'm here, somewhere out west. But I'm fine. I met someone, and I think–' I paused, the pen hovering over the paper. 'I think I might stay.'

I think I might stay. I think I might....

I folded up the letter and rummaged through his desk for envelopes, finding a few that were yellowed with age and rather stiff. I wondered if this realm used stamps at all, but I figured I could ask Miriam that question when I found her.