Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 687

Chapter 34 : Send Me in Too

“Alright, we can track her down," I said, nodding.

“Thank you," she said back stiffly. Her teeth clenched behind her lips.

Her eyes darted to Thomas several times. As much as I wanted to keep Thomas at my side, Mila didn't seem like she trusted him. Not the way that she had come to trust and accept Payne's presence.

“Payne, come with us," I said, indicating Mila and myself. “Thomas, stay here and make sure the rest of the group is safe until we get back, got it?"

“Sure, got it." Thomas nodded.

“Where should we look?" I asked, heading into the hall.

“I figured we could start at the temple," Mila suggested.

“Alright," I agreed.

'Who is this young beauty?' Thomas mindlinked me as I shut the door.

'Trouble,' I growled mentally.

Thomas chuckled as the door slammed closed behind me. I shook my head and motioned down the hall.

Payne walked close behind us, alert to any dangers. Miltern was still crawling with bounty hunters that wanted Mila. We were stealthier in a small group but also more vulnerable. Especially since Mila wasn't fully healed from the poison and I didn't know her fighting capabilities.

“This pack has suffered a lot," Mila said as we walked through the eerie, sense-numbing fog.

“More than either of us knows," I agreed, nodding.

With what Thomas told me about Helen, I had a feeling there was a lot more this pack had suffered than just the curse and the fog.

“I want to help them, really, I do," Mila told me with a firm nod.

I gave a half smile. She had a good heart and that was admirable.

“Then we will help them, whatever it takes," I assured her.

She smiled and glanced at me, her eyes wide and bright.

I stopped dead, my heart thudding against my chest. Her look of gratitude stopped me in my tracks, literally. I flashed back to Thomas's comments on finding a mate.

Growling under my breath, I shook my head and kept walking. Fortunately, Mila didn't seem to notice my momentary lapse.

“I wish I knew how to help but I'm completely lost. Hopefully, April will give me more information or more guidance. She seems to know about magic," she continued.

“Mila…" I sighed and stopped walking again.

Mila turned to face me, the hope in her eyes slowly fading.

I wanted to tell her what Thomas had told me about Helen and Norwind pack. I wanted to tell her about the artifact, even if it was all rumors. That was part of our deal, wasn't it? We were supposed to share information.

I held my tongue and shook my head.

“Nevermind. You're doing the right thing," I said.

The hope flickered in her eyes like a light turning on. She nodded and continued toward the temple.

When we arrived, my spine stiffened and I grabbed Mila's arm, pulling her to a stop.


“What?" she gasped.

I put a finger to my lips.

“Someone is up there," I whispered, nodding to what used to be the entrance of the temple.

Mila nodded and stepped closer to me, tucking herself against me.

I focused my senses on the scent and sounds of the person up ahead rather than the warm, softness of her body close to mine. It was hard to keep focused and I kept glancing at her out of my peripheral vision.

A waving lamp shone through the fog and April stepped out of the shadows, lantern in hand.

Sighing, I released Mila and relaxed.

“April, what are you doing here?" Mila asked. She smiled and ran up to her like they were old friends.

“Waiting for you, of course," she said, giggling.

She seemed much happier and lighter than before. Her clothes were clean, hair washed. She wasn't cowering or terrified anymore. I could see strength in her.

“You knew we'd be back?" Mila asked.

April chuckled. “I am a seer, remember?"

“Oh, right," Mila said, slapping her palm to her forehead.

“Follow me," April instructed. She nodded to Mila and to me.

April headed into the temple and we followed. Payne was only a few paces behind. Now that we were in the temple, he didn't need to hang back so far.

I kept a close watch on the crumbling building and anything that might cause problems or be a hazard. Whoever had burned this place down, and destroyed the graveyard, really wanted to do some damage.

April stepped lithely and tapped her foot on several floor tiles in a specific pattern. She moved so quickly, I couldn't follow the movements.

A groan went through the floor and I grabbed Mila, pulling her back.

“Wh–"

The floor shook and the tiles April had tapped dropped down. They pulled back into a secret compartment under the floor, revealing a stone staircase into the dark underground.

“Come on," April said, stepping down on the steps. She waved the lantern into the darkness.

I still held Mila's arm, even as she attempted to follow April.

“It is perfectly safe," April assured when she noticed my hesitation.

“I know part of our deal is that you protect me, but Soren, really?" Mila called me out, glancing at my hand on her arm.

Smirking, I released her arm quickly.

She might have been convinced she could trust April but I still wasn't so sure. I could keep a close eye on things while Mila followed her own instincts.

Mila followed April first.

I glanced at Payne and he nodded. He followed me as I went down into the dungeon.

The moment we were all under the floor, April turned and held the lantern up.

“Scut."

The stones groaned and trembled again, pebbles shook loose from the ceiling and rolled down the stairs as the trapdoor closed over us.

I grimaced and glanced at Payne again.

He shrugged and kept going.

The only light came from April's lantern and since she was the only one that could open the door for us, we were trapped with her.

I didn't like the feeling of being trapped.

But she knew the most about the temple, and I noticed that the burned and charred debris had been moved away from the trap door before our arrival. April had anticipated bringing us here.

I walked by Mila and Payne on the stairs and joined April in the lead.

“You burned the temple down, didn't you?" I asked, a hint of accusation in my tone.

“Yes, I did," she said, not even trying to deny it.

I arched an eyebrow at her.

“Why?" Mila asked with a soft gasp.

“Miltern has enemies. They haven't gone away just because we were cursed. Once the curse is lifted, they'll come back. I know they will." April shuddered and pulled her cloak around her tighter.

“But this temple was a symbol to your people," Mila argued.

“Yes, it was. It was a sacred place where all our most beloved secrets and treasures were buried with our most important people," she explained with a nod.

“The graveyard. You desecrated that, too?" Mila asked.

April nodded. “I cannot allow our enemies to get their hands on those things. Generations of secrets and knowledge… If anyone outside Miltern got to that information, we'd be doomed. Better it is destroyed than falling into the hands of our enemies," she said.

We reached the bottom of the stairs and the dungeon opened up into a large chamber. The light from her lantern didn't reach the walls but from the echoes of her voice, I could tell the chamber was very big.

“We should be safe here," she told us. She set the lantern down.

“I wish you hadn't had to destroy your pack's secrets and history," Mila said softly.

“As do I, but it is better this way," April assured.

“April… I want to help you. I just… I don't know where to begin," Mila admitted, chewing her lower lip.
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255