Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 960

Chapter 11 : A Cold Wind

*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.