Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 78 : As Soon As Possible

*Eliza*

The elder women led me away from the village into the woods a little way. I glanced back, but Jared was already out of my eyesight.

They brought me to a sacred temple. There were statues of the Moon Goddess in the doorway.

Mesmerized by the temple and the carvings, I totally forgot about Jared being far away.

“What is this place?" I gasped, placing my hand on one of the carvings.

“A holy, sacred place of the Moon Goddess," one of the elders said.

I sighed and shook my head. Well, that was obvious. I was kind of hoping for a little more than that.

Inside the temple, at the center, was a large opening in the floor. Water bubbled up from a natural spring underneath.

“You can bathe here. We have fresh clothes when you're ready."

I nodded but walked around the pool to the shrine at the head of the temple. There was a statue in the shrine that looked like it was meant to be the Moon Goddess. She had features that seemed familiar but that weren't usually associated with the Moon Goddess.

Where had I seen this woman before? It felt like a distant memory or a dream, something I should remember but couldn't quite grasp…

There was a stone placard in front of the statue. It read, “Luna of Blackfire."

“Miss Eliza," an elder called to me.

“I'm coming."

I stripped down and got into the pool. The women came in with me. They washed me and tamed my hair. Once I was dried off, they handed me a gorgeous dress, nicer than anything I'd seen or worn in a long time.

It was satin, dark emerald, and perfect for this kind of tropical night warmth.

“These tattoos," one of the elders said, running her fingers up my arm with the curse marks. Her eyes were distant and glazed over as she studied them.

“What about them?" I asked, creasing my brow.

The elder frowned and ran her thumb over my arm. “Is this a place in the Light Realm, a map?"

“A map?" I gasped.

The elder nodded. “It is familiar to me, like the lines of a map, something from the Light Realm."

All I could do was shrug.

hair, I turned my arm toward the

could, without getting my hair pulled

it looked like a map of an area in

the key to

and tell him about

If I'd seen the marks in a mirror,

I said, too eager to

ready, though. I had to wait for them to change into dresses that matched mine in

led me back to the village. There was a bonfire crackling away and the delicious, mouthwatering scent of roasting meat

My stomach growled.

just been eating quick snacks here and there while we

and got me a plate full of delicious feast food. I tucked right into the lamb shish kabob. The meat was so tender and juicy, I couldn't stop eating. It hit my stomach so satisfyingly that my

up

full, so I shoved the shish kabob

this is the best food I've had in

some stray juice off his

playing on the other side of the bonfire. They played slow, soft music at first and the village leader

embellished or exaggerated, did

witches were hunted and somehow one of the witches survived

an interesting

through, I glanced at Jared and saw his eyes glazed

soon as the village leader stopped talking,

of his daze. He smiled and tightened his arm around my

“What's going on?"

words. Jared pulled me against him and kissed me hard

gotten into you?"

enjoying this festival." He

enjoyment and determination, but we were here to have a

along with the music while the villagers danced around the fire. Eventually, the rest of the Saboreef missionaries joined

with me," I pleaded

his hands and pulled him out into the twirling figures as

other and got caught up in the

skipped and hopped, feeling like

like I

the dance. I felt like I could just run and spin around with

I looked at him and saw that he was

I thought my

to drink," I

to a table