Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 954

*Sasha*

Lucas asked me to meet him at the library site, and, as I stood over the dark hole that had derailed both our career plans, I still couldn't figure out why I'd agreed.

The fall air had become crisp, and I hugged my sweater more tightly around me as a cold wind cut through my clothes.

If I didn't know better, I could have sworn the breeze came from the temple below.

Where in the Moon Goddess's name was he? I had an uneasy feeling about this temple and its excavation. As excited as I had been to come and work on the library project before, now I felt I couldn't leave the site fast enough.

“Lucas?" I asked when I felt a presence behind me. I whirled around, but no one was there.

I shivered. I shouldn't have come early. The foreman and the workers were gone, to be replaced by archeologists and, no doubt, a representative or two–or seven–of the Lycaon Church.

A creeping sensation crawled up my spine, and I turned back to the hole. I could have sworn I heard a dark cackle.

“Sasha, you shouldn't stand that close," Lucas said, his hand shooting out to grip my arm.

I jumped. I hadn't even heard his approach. “I—“

I looked back around and realized I'd somehow gotten myself right to the edge of the hole, my toes almost hanging over.

“Sweet mercies of the White Queen!" I gasped, grasping Lucas's shirt as he pulled me away.

“You almost gave me a heart attack," Lucas admonished me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me against his chest. “It looked like you were about to jump."

Jump? I felt sick to my stomach.

“I don't… I don't remember getting that close," I murmured into his shoulder.

“Yeah, well, don't do it again." Lucas huddled me away a few meters, then deliberately took my shoulders in his hands and forced some distance between us.

I frowned. Here was that hot and cold Lucas again. “You asked me here because…?" I prompted, wrapping my arms around myself now that I no longer had Lucas's warmth.

“There are some things that need to be wrapped up before we can completely abandon the construction project," Lucas said, his voice brusque and businesslike. He held out a list that had the royal seal broken on it.

I took it and looked it over. “Short list," I observed.

“You have somewhere else to be?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.

I rolled my shoulders back. “I might."

“Where? With Donovan?" Lucas asked.

Did I detect jealousy? “He's just a friend," I said, exasperated.

“He wants to be more," Lucas rumbled.

“Lucas, he can want all he wants. That's not going to change things between us," I replied. I folded my arms. “Why does it matter to you, anyway?"

“You know why it matters," Lucas murmured.

I turned my face away, about to push my hair behind my ear, when he did it for me. “I really don't get you, Lucas Black."

Lucas gave a long-suffering sigh. “That's the problem."

“What, that you're making it impossible to understand you?" I grumbled, turning back to him.

“No. That you don't have to get me," Lucas said.

I threw up my hands. “Ugh, you make no sense!"

“I know."

“And you're being completely unfair! I've had thermoses that run less hot and cold!" I ranted, frustrated past caring what came out of my mouth.

“I know."

“What in the Moon Goddess's name is going on with you?!" I demanded.

Lucas raked a hand through the soft waves on top of his head. “You know what I want."

“I knew what you wanted back at the bar, but now I have no damn clue," I responded.

“I want to move up in the Royal Engineers. That means I can't… I just can't go around sleeping with my interns," Lucas sighed.

“'Interns'? As in more than one? Are there a whole bunch of us? Should I be starting a Lucas-is-a-dickhead support group?!" I snapped.

Lucas squeezed my arm. “You know it's just you."

“Then why did you have to put it that way? I'm not 'interns.' I'm Sasha." I knew I looked wounded when I glanced up at him, but I couldn't help myself.

Lucas groaned and pulled me against him again, letting his warmth and the tantalizing citrus-rosewood scent of him to seep into me. “I'm sorry, princess. I know it doesn't make any sense to you. But I just… I can't be seen...."

His words trailed off and I shoved away from his chest. “You can't be seen with me? Are you afraid that people might get the wrong idea? Or are you afraid they might get the right one?"

“Sasha—“ Lucas reached for me again.

I dodged his hands. “Blah blah… Lucas Black… blah blah… Royal Engineers… blah blah… Reputation… blah blah. Your career comes first. Message received loud and clear, asshole."

He looked at me as if he was at a loss for words. But he didn't deny my assessment. Why would he risk his career for someone like me? It stung, but I got it.

I took a step back, my eyes fixed on the ground. “I think I should go."

“Sasha, wait," Lucas pleaded. He reached a hand toward me but then dropped it again. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded.

When he opened his eyes again he made a strangled sound, and I looked behind me. I was at the edge of the temple hole again.

“What the…?" I gasped.

“Sasha, for the love of all that is holy, knock it the f**k off!" Lucas yelled, grabbing me by the arms and pulling me a few paces back, only to give me a shake. “I get you're pissed off at me, but you can't keep doing that. It's dangerous!"

“I-I didn't mean...." I stuttered in confusion.

“You know what? f**k this. Go home, Sasha, and don't come back here. You'll be reassigned soon enough," Lucas snarled. “I won't have you playing stupid games around the work site."

“I wasn't—“

Lucas turned me roughly in the direction of the road back to town and gave me a shove. “Go!"

I wanted to tell him I hadn't consciously gone back to the hole. I wanted to tell him something was wrong, something dark and evil. I wanted to tell him I was scared.

Instead, I fled down the road, tears stinging my eyes.

Damn Lucas Black anyhow.

The pages of my notebook flapped as I ran, and I didn't notice until one started tearing. I stopped, only to feel like the forest was closing in around me. Eyes–eyes were everywhere, watching me.

I shoved the notebook in my bag, not caring how many pages ripped, and kept running, my chest tight with exertion and claustrophobia, as though the trees were wrapping around me.

I'd never felt more relieved in my life than when I broke the border of the town, the trees snapping back like a rubber band. I leaned over and clutched my knees, breathing hard, sweat trickling down over my forehead and into my eyes, along with my hair.

“Sasha?" a voice asked.

My head came up, and I locked eyes with Doc, who put up his hands in a sign of peace.

“You look terrible, dear. Let's go to the bakery," Doc said soothingly.

I started to shake my head, then looked at my watch. It was another two hours until the next train. “O-okay."

Doc took my hand in his wrinkled one and tugged me along at his slower pace to Jay's bakery.

I don't know what sort of mess I looked like, but Jay's eyes widened as soon as he saw us, and he hurriedly set up a table and chairs.

“I'd take you upstairs, but I have to keep an eye out for customers," Jay said, pressing a steaming cup of tea into my hands.

He'd brewed tea? When?

I looked down at the tea, then at my watch. Half an hour had passed? How?

Doc pressed the back of his hand against my forehead and took my pulse. “Your heart's fluttering faster than a hummingbird," the doctor tsked.

“Sorry," I whispered, not even sure if one was supposed to apologize for their own pulse. “I-I had a bit of a fright."

Jay and Doc looked at each other. I glanced at my watch again. Another seven minutes had passed. What was going on?!

“Where is your mate, Sasha?" Jay asked slowly.

“Mate?" I echoed.

“The man who was here with you the other night, the one who was attacked by the rogue," Jay continued, his tone still soft and slow. “Lucas."

“Lucas isn't my mate," I whispered.

Another three minutes–at least time seemed to be catching up to itself.

Jay snorted. “Could have fooled me."

“I'm not twenty-one yet," I babbled. “I will be soon. Even if Lucas was my mate, I bet he'd reject me. He doesn't want me messing up his career."

“I don't think he'd reject you," Jay said. “But that's beside the point. What happened?"

“Lucas. He sent me away," I confessed.

“You're pale and shaking because Lucas sent you away?" Jay bristled. “Did he do something to you?"

“He-he shook me," I choked.

Jay scowled and Doc swore under his breath. “I think I'm going to go have a word or two with Mr. Not-Your-Mate," Jay growled.

I shook my head. “No. He shook me because I nearly jumped down the hole."

“The hole?" Jay repeated.

Doc was pressing a cool cloth to the back of my neck. “The hole in the ground on the library site–an underground temple, right?"

Jay blinked at Doc and my jaw dropped. “How did you know?"

“I'm Doc," the doctor replied.

“He's Doc," Jay agreed.

“Why would you jump down that hole? That's awfully foolish. You might have broken your fool neck. No wonder he shook you," Doc said sternly.

I couldn't help it. I burst into tears. “I don't know!" I wailed, terror making my voice shake. “It's like it was sucking me in!" I gripped Jay's arm. He put a hand over mine.

“Sucking you in." Doc stroked his chin.

“What, does that mean something?" Jay asked.

Doc shrugged but still looked thoughtful. “I think… there is always a reason for people to bury things. It's generally in the hope they are never found."

“You think it might be… evil?" Jay asked, crossing himself.

“I haven't been there. Sasha would know better." Doc looked at me. “What do you think, Sasha? What kind of feeling did you get from the temple?"

“Cold." My voice trembled. “Cold… and h-hungry, like it would swallow me alive. Then it was like… it was like there were eyes everywhere, watching me."

“I'm gonna go with evil, then," Jay said, looking a bit shaken himself.

Doc didn't look much better. I hadn't meant to scare them, but at least they weren't calling me crazy.

“You believe me?" I whispered.

“Sasha," Jay said, squeezing my hand. “You fended off a rogue with rusty farm tools and didn't blink an eyelash. Now you're a jibbering mess. Something happened out there and it wasn't good."

“You should talk to your m–Lucas." Doc's tone was stern.

“I-I can't right now," I swallowed. “I can't go back there right now."

“I'll go," Jay said, standing. “Doc, you get her on the train and get her out of here. If this evil is after her, she needs to be as far away from it as possible."

“Agreed," Doc replied.

“And if you don't mind watching the store?" Jay added.

“We'll keep an eye on it," Doc reassured him.

Jay nodded and headed out to the street.

“What if he gets hurt?" I asked Doc.

“Better he try to warn others away from the place than evil sucking us all in," Doc said.

He had a point. “But what about—“

“Young lady, all you need to worry about now is getting on that train. We'll handle the rest," Doc interrupted.

I nodded, shakily pushing my hair behind my ear.

I just needed to get on that train. Doc helped me to my feet and wrapped a coat around my shoulders. As we walked toward the train station, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Lucas was still at the site.

Would he be okay?

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