Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 14 : Dark Discoveries

*Lucas*

'Something bad....'

Sasha's words rang in my head as I tried to focus on finding a new project to write up a proposal for. There were plenty of sites in Egoren that needed attention.

But I couldn't shake Shasha's warning about the temple from my mind.

Part of me wanted to believe she'd been spooked by her near-fall, but I knew that couldn't be it. It seemed crazy to risk my career by reporting her 'feelings of evil' to King Xander. But, if there was something to it, I would be to blame if people got hurt because of it.

I warred with my options for the better part of an hour before I cursed out loud and went to find Brady.

He was waiting in the hall.

“Need to talk?" Brady asked, those damn lips twitching again.

“Shut up," I grumbled. “Where's Phoebe?"

“Sleeping."

“You still catch spooky vibes, don't you?"

“Can I sense the difference between good and evil? Yes," Brady said. “Why? You want me to go hit Donovan Clarke again?"

“You hit him?" Jealousy curled in my gut.

“One of the most satisfying things I've ever done," Brady confirmed. “Wouldn't mind doing it again."

I grunted. “Some things a man wants to do for himself."

“For his mate," Brady corrected me, his eyes twinkling.

“She's not my mate," I muttered, though my heart thudded when I said it.

“You don't know that," Brady said. He sighed and shook his head. “Anyway, what's up?"

“Sasha says there's something evil at the site."

“You don't believe her?"

“I don't know. But, I believe she believes it. I want to go back over to the site." I didn't know I'd decided that until the words were out. Brady followed me as I hurried to start packing bags with what I'd need for exploring in the darkness from my engineering supplies.

“What? Now?! It'll be after midnight by the time the train gets there! It'll be the last train out. There won't be one back until morning!" Brady protested.

“I need to know. And now that the Lycaon Church is involved, they're not just going to let me stroll over there in the daylight," I reasoned, slinging my bag over my shoulder.

“You could just report it," Brady pointed out. I waited for him to play the potential scenario out in his head. “Yeah, you would both look unstable. But, if you're caught out there...."

“I'll just have a look and see," I muttered. “Will you come with me?"

Brady laughed. “Yeah, um, no."

“Why not?"

“Because it's crazy."

“Scared?" I teased.

“Engaged," he reminded me.

and headed for the

stay until morning?" Brady asked, falling

a guy in town,"

an eyebrow. “Did you let him

time." My tone was

you go out there alone, right? You could very well die out

I held up the second bag

into a companionable silence as we headed for the train station, which surprisingly lasted the several hours it took to

from side to side as we made our way down the road at the edge of the woods and past the barn Sasha and I had made our stand in made me realize, with

not sure

and no. That's not the only

raked a hand

bother with whatever it is and it

bothering it," I

both of us were a mature shifter and vampire, so no flashlight was needed. His glowing eyes were

what she said. I'm not leaving

that's what that

was?"

got this little zap of… something. But it was gone so quickly, I barely

area was roped off with a single industrial flood light shining down into the

sensing anything?" I

stopped cold.

rolling my eyes, and then I remembered something. “A good bit of the old library burned down a few years ago, all the way through the foundation, and there was nothing but dirt beneath. There was no sign that a temple had ever

team had already built a scaffolding

is a bad, bad place. We

shook him off. “Not until I have my answers." I put my foot on the first rung of

up top for the longest time, me looking up at him from the

I snarled, tired

down into the temple with me. “I'm going

won't regret anything as long as my Sasha stays safe," I grunted,

but he began circling the small space from the other

and after finding nothing but innocuous books and other artifacts sitting in organized rows in the main area, Brady

and I was just getting out a flashlight when something

back, slamming right into

of the White Queen!" Brady breathed, gripping my shoulders. “There have to be at least a hundred skeletons

flicked on my flashlight and shone it down the corridor, revealing a kind of catacombs. Skeletons, now meticulously

My stomach turned.

He murmured to himself more and

as though there could be something

at the same time." He looked around. “All of

a step

making his way back down to me. He shook the dust off his clothes and grimly cast his eyes back over the temple proper. “The evil isn't coming from

around the space myself. Aside from being dusty, it was pristine, all laid out in

a bloodhound. He walked over to the altar and began feeling

low click,

wall. I followed

space had been revealed under

that the White Queen?" Brady echoed

said, staring

be an ancient temple, isn't it?" Brady

I nodded. “It is."

They