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

without getting my hair pulled out, and

elder was right… it looked like a map of an area

the key to

heart raced and my stomach fluttered excitedly. I wanted to get back to Jared and tell him

the connection before. Maybe it was because I'd been looking at it upside down all this time. If I'd seen the marks

back to Jared," I said, too eager to

though. I had to wait for them to change into dresses that

a bonfire crackling away and the delicious, mouthwatering scent

My stomach growled.

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

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 toes

met up

the shish kabob at him.

is the best food

some stray

of the bonfire. They played slow, soft music at first and the village

intently. Local stories, though most were embellished or exaggerated, did have some roots in

and how Saboreef had been a place witches were hunted and somehow one of the witches survived and

an interesting

glanced at Jared and saw his

soon as the village leader stopped talking, the musicians began

He smiled and tightened his arm around my shoulders. There was a new look

“What's going on?"

me against him and kissed

into you?"

just enjoying this festival."

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

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

dance with me," I

him out into the twirling figures as they moved around the fire

around each other and

feeling like I was floating over the grass as

dance. I felt like I could just run

to the dance. I felt like I could just

in Jared's. Now and then, I looked at him and

thought my legs

something to drink," I

bodies and we headed to a table with drinks on it. He grabbed a beer and