Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder
Chapter 804

Chapter 15: I'll Show You Savage

“This is ridiculous,” I bit out, then I sucked in my breath as I steadied myself on the footstool Jaredhad so graciously provided. One of the legs was shorter than the other, which meant I was using allof my weight to keep myself steady as I ran a feather duster over the bookshelves. They stilltowered above my head. There was no way I was going to reach the highest shelves, even with astool.

And there was no way I was standing on my tip-toes, either. I wasn't going to give Jared thesatisfaction. I'd done stupid things for my own selfish gain, sure, but this was by far the dumbest,most degrading thing I'd ever done.

And all for access to his study, whenever I wanted.

When I'd stitched those flowers into his sparring clothes, I'd assumed he'd have nothing else towear into the ring the next day. He would've been forced to wear them, and he would have beenlaughed at by his crew. It was why I'd spent hours upon hours stitching until my fingers were rawand bleeding

But now I was wearing them-a shirt, at least. His pants didn't fit me, even with a belt.

So, in order to access his study whenever the hell I wanted with no recourse, I was wearing a flower-covered shirt, my bare thighs on full display as I moved from shelf to shelf, cleaning.

I glanced at Jared, my face twisted in a scowl.

“You could have said no," he said flatly, turning a page of the book he had resting on his lap. He hadone arm resting over the back of the couch, a tall glass of whiskey clutched in his hand. He didn'tlook up at me as I cursed under my breath and climbed down to move the stool to the next shelf.“You could have had the maids come in and clean this place," I retorted.

His eyes flicked to mine, a half-cocked smile touching the corner of his mouth.

"No one-"

“No one is allowed in your study," I mimicked, then grunted with frustration as I climbed back upthe rickety stool. “How old are you?"

“Twenty-four,” he replied, uninterested.

“I thought you were much older than that," I replied, trying to get a rise out of him. “You have theoffice of an old man who can't replace anything unless it's an absolute mess."

“Thank you," he said, and he obviously meant it.

I pursed my lips and turned back to the bookshelves, muttering curses under my breath.

"Since we're playing twenty questions,” he began, pausing to take a drink, “was it your father whowas the archeologist?"

“I'm the archeologist.”

“There are no programs for that here in Egoren, which would mean you're self trained." His eyesflicked to mine. He was baiting me, I knew that. He'd been trying to get me to admit to being fromthe Realm of Light for days now. “So?”

"My father stayed home with us and my mother is a-" I paused, unsure how to describe mymother's position without giving my connections away. Gemma, my mother, was in all regards theBeta of my aunt Maeve, the current White Queen. “She's a secretary.”

"Hm," Jared said, his gaze trailing from my eyes down to my legs.

I threw the feather duster at him, but it missed, landing in a puff of dust next to him on the couch.“Was your father a bounty hunter too?" I said mockingly.

“My parents were dead before I knew them," he said casually.

"Oh," I murmured, feeling a little guilty. “I'm sorry-"

"How did you know the artifact opened up like that?" he interrupted, derailing the subject.

I chewed the inside of my cheek. I really didn't want to talk about the Cryptex. The thought of italone was enough to send a shiver of ice-cold dread up my spine.

“I've seen some like it, that's all. But yours is... cursed, for sure. I don't like it, and I don't want to talkabout it."

“Well we're going to talk about it"

"No," I said firmly. “We're not going to talk about it, Jared. You're just going to ask me questions butnot answer any of my questions about why you have it and why you need to replace the rest. This isvery one-sided-"

"Who do you work for?" The tone of his voice had changed abruptly, and a blanket of tensiondescended over the room.

"You, in the laundry,” I replied tartly.

He glared. “I'm serious, Eliza—"

“So am I! Quit asking me questions if you're going to be just as vague.”

“We're leaving tomorrow, both of us. We'll be traveling through the Dark Forest to the territorybelonging to Aeris.” He closed his book and rose from the couch, his eyes darkening on mine as hedrained his glass of whiskey.

"Why do you need me to go?”

“Because you technically belong to him. You were bought using funds his brother stole"

I stepped down from the stool, my body trembling with a mix of fear and fury.

“I belong to no one," I said as steadily as possible. “You can't-"

“Are you working for him?" he asked.

I furrowed my brow. "What?"

“For Aeris. Are you working for him?"

“I don't know Aeris"

“Do you know what I saw when I entered that tavern, for the breeder auction?" he seethed. “I sawyou, up on that stage. And you-you weren't scared. You were f*****g curious. Why?"

"What?" I snapped.

“Are you a spy?"

"No!" Rage ripped through me as I took a step toward him, pointing an accusatory finger. “Thestones were a test, weren't they? You brought me down there to show me the Cryptex because youthought I was after it, didn't you?"

“Are you?"

“I never want to see it again,” I cried, my voice breaking with emotion. “That thing is evil, Jared. Itmade me feel-" I held my hands out, my palms facing the ceiling. I could still feel the weight of theCryptex in my hands, far too heavy for its size. Whatever it was carrying... whatever all of its piecescontained once brought together... “No one should have it. It should be destroyed.”

Silence fell. My blood was rushing through my veins, my heart hammering in my chest. Somethinghad to give. Jared and I had been dancing around each other since the moment he brought me tothis place.

“I am not a spy. I'm not here to take anything from you.”

"How did you end up at the breeder auction?"

“I was taken there. I don't remember—" I paused, my eyes downcast on my bare toes.

His shirt hit me almost to the knee when my feet were flat, like a dress, but I felt incredibly exposed.Should I tell him the truth? “You've asked if you can trust me,” I whispered. “I need to know if I cantrust you."

“I've told you time after time that I'm not going to hurt you-"

“That's not what I'm asking," I replied, meeting his eyes. “I need to know what you want with theother pieces of the Cryptex.”

“I can't tell you that.”

“Then I can't tell you anything about myself," I said.

He'd made a deal with me only an hour ago—clean his study and he'd grant me access. There was acatch, of course, which was doing so in his clothing. This was a game to him. I could play, too. “Ican't trust anyone with something like that in their possession.”

“l assure you..."

"Assure me of what? That you're not going to set loose whatever is hidden inside? I felt thatdarkness within it, the same darkness I see in your eyes everytime I look at you! What is it to you?What-"

“How dare you-"

"How dare I what? Call you out on this? You obviously need my help, and this is the deal. You tell mewhat it is and I tell you-"

“Tell me you're not just some w***e masquerading as a f*****g archeologist to get close to me, tosteal it, or hurt me or my men?"

"f**k you!" I raged, taking several steps toward him.

He didn't move, but he squared his shoulders as I poked him accusingly in the chest.

“All of that coming from a man who murders people for a living! If I wanted the Cryptex, I would'vetaken it already!"

“Il know!"

“Then why are you accusing me of being something I'm not!"

“Because I have no f*****g idea who you are!"

He took a step toward me, closing the distance between us. I backed up, the back of my thighshitting his desk.

“When I saw you at the auction I knew you were different. Seeing the curiosity and then relief whenAmbrose bit his bid on you, I=" He leaned forward, resting his hands on the desk on either side ofme. “I took you because I thought you worked for him. I meant to give you to Aeris as part of thebounty, but then... when you first came to my study and started talking...”

He looked into my eyes.

“You should have been scared of me, and you weren't."

“Is that what this is all about? My f*****g attitude? That me not bending to your will and beingblindly obedient is somehow a threat?”

"Yes!"

"Did you want me to cower and tremble at your feet? To say yes, sir and bow my head like a goodlittle maid and not question why the hell you're keeping me in this house against my will? Andbecause I didn't, you think that I'm a spy, that I'm trying to steal something from you-"

"Eliza"

“What do you want from me? You're obviously enjoying these games you've been playing with mesince I got here. Do you want me to get on my knees and beg your forgiveness and thank you forrescuing me? I bet you'd like that, you f*****g brute, you ruthless, sadistic savage!"

We were nose to nose now, his breath tickling my cheek. His hands curled into fists on the deskbehind me, his body going rigid.

"Say that again," he growled, the words sending a rush of... heat, straight to my core.

I looked up at him and found it hard to breathe, let alone move. Being this close to him was doingsomething to my body that I had little control over. Had I wanted this fight just to see the heatblazing behind his own eyes?

Yeah, I believe I had.

"You're a savage," I hissed the words onto his lips, our faces barely an inch apart.

His hand shot up, tangling in my hair so I was forced to look up into his face.

"And you're a f*****g pain in the ass."

I tried to slap him, but he caught my wrist.

“Let me go," I whispered, but I wasn't all that convinced it was what I actually wanted.

"No."

He leaned in, his forehead resting against mine for the space of a breath. Then he brushed his lipsagainst my cheek, and then my neck. I trembled involuntarily as he gently nipped the rim of my ear.He'd let go of my hand and for whatever reason I laid it on his chest, scrunching his shirt as I madea fist.

"Jared," I breathed, an audible plea lacing his name.

He kissed me so fully it took my breath away. I opened my mouth to him and he groaned low in histhroat in answer.

“I can show you savage," he growled against my mouth, then in a shower of parchment and bookshitting the ground, he threw me onto his desk, resting his body between my knees as his mouthmet mine again with fervor.

I gasped, out of shock or pleasure, I wasn't sure, as he swiped his arm across the desk to send therest of the contents crashing to the ground, one hand still tangled in my hair, the other gripped mythigh, his hand moving upward beneath my shirt.

Every movement we made was something built out of sheer, frantic desperation. His mouth leftmine to trail kisses down my neck as his fingers curled around my underwear, pulling them downover my waist.

"Jared?" came Archer's voice from outside the study.

We froze.

"What?" Jared growled, his eyes meeting mine as he ran his fingertips over the heated skin justbelow my hip bone.

I trembled, still holding his gaze as I brushed a desperately soft kiss against his lips.

“There's a situation outside. One of the boys has a broken leg—"

"f**k," Jared growled, releasing his hold on me.

He looked me over, his expression unreadable, then stalked to the door and threw it open withoutgiving me much time to right myself. His footsteps thundered in the hallway as I turned to the door,seeing Archer staring at me, a smug grin on his face.

“See you bright and early," he chuckled to himself as he closed the door behind them.