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.

for the door. “I shouldn't

Brady asked, falling into

guy in town,"

“Did you let him know you

My tone was

there alone, right? You could very

you coming?" I held up the second bag for him and he snatched

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

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

not sure why I was

only thing

a hand through my

bother with whatever it

bothering it," I

other just fine under the moonlight, as both of us were a mature

am if something has latched itself onto Sasha. That's what she said. I'm not leaving here until we get some answers,"

that's what that was," Brady

what was?"

zap of… something. But it was gone so quickly, I barely clocked it." Brady looked out into the woods again and shivered.

off with a

sensing

stopped cold.

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 been here, so this whole situation feels

had already built a scaffolding down into the hole. “Convenient," I

bad, bad place. We need to get the f**k out of here.

foot on the first rung of the

longest time, me looking up at him from the temple floor, him

don't," I snarled, tired of

temple with me. “I'm going

anything as long as my Sasha stays safe," I grunted, starting to

muttered, but he began circling the

off one of the walls, and after finding nothing but innocuous books and other artifacts sitting in organized rows in

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

slamming right into

my shoulders.

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

My stomach turned.

the corridor and began reading some tags. He murmured to

there could be something worse than the discovery of an old

the same time." He looked around. “All of them. This is just

step back, shocked.

Brady said, making his way back down to me. He shook the

space myself. Aside from being dusty, it

like a bloodhound. He walked over to the altar and

click, then a grating

altar and the wall. I followed him, squeezing in next to him so we were

been revealed under the altar. A dark

White Queen?" Brady echoed

said, staring

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

I nodded. “It is."

the White Queen. They never did. Did they?"