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.

I turned my arm

far as I could, without getting my hair pulled out, and saw the lines from

like a map of an area in the

could be the key

to get back to Jared and

seen the connection before. Maybe it was because I'd been looking at it upside down all this time. If I'd seen the marks in a mirror, then I probably would have made

to get back to Jared," I

wait for them to change into dresses that matched mine in

the village. There was a bonfire crackling away and the

My stomach growled.

since I'd had a good meal. We'd just been eating quick snacks here and there while

shish kabob. The meat was so tender and juicy, I couldn't stop eating. It hit my

up

was full, so I shoved the shish kabob at him.

the best

sucked some stray

of the bonfire. They played slow, soft music at first and the village leader told a story

though most were embellished

were hunted and somehow one of the witches survived and

was an interesting

at Jared and saw his

the village leader stopped talking, the musicians began playing a

daze. He smiled and tightened his arm around

“What's going on?"

words. Jared pulled me against him and kissed

into you?" I

this festival." He

there was more to his enjoyment and determination, but we were here to have a good time. I wasn't going to

more food and I clapped along with the music while the villagers danced around the fire. Eventually, the

with me," I

him out into the twirling figures as they

spun around each other and got caught up in the fray of villagers as they danced and

as I smiled. I skipped and hopped, feeling like I

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

no real pattern to the dance. I felt like I could just run and spin around with the

I looked at him and saw

danced until I thought my

something to drink," I said, fanning

the dancing bodies and we headed to a table