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.

brushing my hair, I turned my arm toward

could, without getting my hair pulled out, and saw

it looked like a map of an area in the Light Realm. How

the key

get back to Jared and tell him about this new map. New hope

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 the connection. But being out in the wilderness, I didn't

I said,

for them to change into dresses

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

My stomach growled.

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

a plate full of delicious feast food. I tucked right into the lamb shish kabob. The meat was so tender and juicy,

met up

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

the best food I've had in

sucked some stray juice off his

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

embellished

were hunted and somehow one of the witches

was an

at Jared and saw his eyes glazed

talking, the musicians

snapped out of his daze. He smiled and tightened his arm around my shoulders. There was a new look of fierce determination in

“What's going on?"

me against him and kissed me

into you?" I

this

was more to his enjoyment and determination, but we were here to have a good time.

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

me," I

grabbed his hands and pulled him out into the twirling figures as they moved around the fire in a

other and got caught up in the fray of villagers

I skipped and hopped, feeling like I was floating over

felt like I could

pattern to the dance. I felt like I could just

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

thought my legs would

something to drink," I

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