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.

said and headed for the door.

morning?" Brady asked, falling into step beside

in town,"

“Did you

My tone

there alone, right? You could very well die

second bag for him

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

made our way down the road at the edge of the woods and past the barn Sasha and I had made

not sure why I was so

the only thing out there," Brady said

and raked a hand through my hair.

we don't bother with whatever it is and it

it," I

see each other just fine under the moonlight, as both of us were a mature shifter and vampire, so

what she said. I'm

so that's what that was,"

was?"

wrist to get her out of the bar, away from Donovan, I got this little zap of… something. But it was gone so quickly, I barely clocked it." Brady looked out into the woods again and shivered. “Lucas, my man, I know

the library site. The temple area was roped off with a single industrial flood light shining down into the

you sensing anything?" I

cold.

of the old library burned down a few years ago, all the way through the foundation, and there was nothing

archeological team had already built a scaffolding down into the hole. “Convenient," I observed, touching

place. We need

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

at him from the temple floor, him looking

I snarled, tired of his

half floated down into the temple with me. “I'm going to regret

as my Sasha stays safe," I grunted,

Sasha,'" Brady muttered, but he began circling

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

that far, nor did the moonlight, and I was just getting out a flashlight when

back, slamming

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

it down the corridor, revealing a kind of catacombs. Skeletons, now meticulously assembled and tagged, filled the space, some spread across the floor, others

My stomach turned.

corridor and began reading some tags. He murmured to

it?" I asked, as though there could be something worse than the discovery of an old Lycaon burial

all… died at the same time." He looked around. “All of them. This is just one generation

a step back,

all of these is a question mark," Brady said, 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

myself. Aside from being dusty, it was pristine,

over to the altar and began feeling around, his

was a low click,

space between the altar and the wall. I followed him, squeezing in next to him so

revealed under the altar. A

the White Queen?" Brady

I said, staring at the

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

I nodded. “It is."

Queen. They never