Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder novel Chapter 972

Chapter 23 : The Disappearing Act

*Lucas*

I ended up riding the wheel well again on the way back to Leviss. Between the dust and the certain thudding injury to my tailbone, I was just glad I hadn't pissed off the innkeeper in this timeline. If Sasha's absence went on for more than a day, I didn't want to have to sleep on the ground.

Still, I ignored the Moon Howl when I passed it, making determined tracks for the priestess's home.

The old hag looked just the same when she opened the door in the setting sun, her wizened face pinched with displeasure as she eyed me on her doorstep.

“Well?" she snapped.

“Forgive me, madam, but I was told you are a priestess?" I said politely, even though my memory of her reaching for my Sasha made me want to snap her twiggy little neck.

“I am," the priestess grumbled. “What do you want?"

“I want...." How was I supposed to put this without raising the same suspicions I had before? At the very least, she was going to think I was a raving lunatic. At worst, she might have some ability to hurt my Sasha, wherever she was.

Inspiration struck.

“I was hoping I could go to the temple to pray," I said quickly. If I could find an orb in one wreck, maybe I could find an explanation in another.

Muttering under her breath, the old priestess slammed her door shut. I waited, and sure enough, she reappeared with her shawl. “I hate visitors to Leviss, I really do. Disturbing poor old ladies from their well-earned afternoon rest...."

“I am sorry." I tried to sound contrite but was secretly smug. That old b***h didn't deserve any kind of peace.

“Mhm, yes, they're always sorry. Tourists." The old priestess continued complaining all the way through the woods and to the ancient, vine-covered temple.

I pretended to look around, like a tourist, just admiring the place. The old woman watched me like a hawk as I wandered through the leaf and twig debris, scouring the faded etchings and paint on the walls for some clue as to what Sasha and I were dealing with.

An iridescent blue dot caught my eye–a jewel set in a place that had either long been ransacked clean or hadn't had such precious pieces to begin with.

The hieroglyphics around it, however, were nothing but jibberish to me. I couldn't read a word.

“This is new," I remarked, pointing at the round, blue… sapphire? “What do the words say?"

“Are you going to pray or not?" the old priestess harped, though her eyes had narrowed to suspicious slits.

“Just curious about the temple is all," I replied cheerfully.

“I doubt that," the old woman grunted. She shuffled over to the wall, but instead of translating the symbols, she poked me in the chest. “What do you know about the orb?" she demanded.

“Orb?" I widened my eyes. “What orb?"

Then the old priestess actually sniffed me… like a dog. “You smell of magic… and dream dancer." She gripped my chin and turned my face this way and that. “But you are not one. The jewel turned blue today. But you know that already, don't you?"

I snatched her wrist and squeezed just hard enough for it to be a warning to her. “What do you know about the orb?"

The old priestess smirked at me. “A fair bit. But I won't tell you a thing unless you bring me the orb and the dream dancer."

I squeezed harder, her brittle bones creaking. “I think you should just tell me what the f**k is going on."

The old priestess sniffed the air, either pretending or actually unfazed by my grip or my threats. “Are you the mate, then? Hmm… yes, the prophecy… soon it will be revealed to all," she cackled. “But not yet… not yet. We have waited so many lifetimes, and now, she comes. The power will return."

I gave her a shake. “Will you talk sense, woman?!"

The old priestess just laughed in my face. Then she brought up her other hand and blew something pink into my eyes before I could stop her.

I stumbled back, releasing her as my eyes burned. “What did you—?"

The air swirled between us, and I felt reality begin to change.

“She comes," the old woman said gleefully. “The chosen one comes."

***

I grabbed the orb as it dropped from Sasha's hands. The man who'd helped us grabbed Sasha before she hit the floor of the rolling train.

“What's that?" he asked, staring at the now-blue orb in my hands.

I held it away from him. “Don't let it touch her."

“Well, obviously not. She held it for five seconds and keeled over," the man scoffed.

I hunted around the floor and snatched up the silk, wrapping it securely around the orb. “Have you got a bag? Backpack? Something?"

“Yeah, sure," the man said.

I shoved the orb at him and held out my arms for Sasha.

Careful that they didn't even brush her, the man and I made the trade. I stood, stark naked, with Sasha in my arms while the man, without questioning me, grabbed a bag from a nearby compartment and shoved the orb all the way to the bottom.

There was the risk he'd run off with it, but honestly, at this point, I almost wished he would. My Sasha was out cold, her skin pale and clammy. Something had happened to her, something I was sure I had that blasted orb to thank for.

“You'd better come in my compartment. They're checking tickets now, and I get the sense you two might not have any," the young man said.

“You have the right idea," I responded, and I followed him into the compartment. I sat down with Sasha in my lap, her cheek pillowed against my bare shoulder.

“I'm Gage," the red-haired, green-eyed young man said, sliding the compartment door closed.

“Thank you, Gage, for everything," I replied, holding out a hand and shaking his.

“Yeah, you're going to be thanking me for a set of clothes, too," Gage murmured, looking me up and down.

I winced. “That would be greatly appreciated, yes."

There was a knock on the compartment door, and I flinched.

“Tickets please," came a gruff voice.

Gage opened up his purse and pulled out a few gold coins. “And train tickets."

“That, too," I agreed as the door slid open.

The ticket checker glared at me. “Sir, we may not have a strict dress code on this train, but we do have the expectation that you are dressed."

“Working on it, sorry," I said, gently settling Sasha next to me.

“Hmph. Tickets?" the ticket man huffed.

Gage held out a handful of coins, more than enough for silence and discretion.

The man looked at them, nodded, then pocketed the coins and produced two new tickets for Sasha and me. “You have a good day now, sirs," he said, and he wandered off.

“I'm good for it," I told Gage. “Just as soon as we get back to the capital."

“I kind of figured," Gage grinned.

“Lucas Black. I'm a Royal Engineer," I said as Gage fished in his bag, then pulled out a simple shirt, trousers, and boxers.

“Royal Engineer this far out? With a pretty girl and some weird globe? This has got to be a good story," Gage responded, handing me the clothes.

I made sure Sasha was in a stable position before standing. Seeing a blanket on an overhead luggage rack, I tugged it down and tucked it around Sasha before pulling on Gage's clothes. “You'd better believe it," I said.

I wasn't sure whether Gage believed it or not, but he certainly was engrossed as I explained Sasha's and my plight.

“Wow," he whistled when I finished. “If I were you, I'd drop that orb down the deepest well I could find."

“Don't think I'm not tempted," I grunted. “I certainly would if I wasn't afraid the cursed thing would call her down after it."

Gage shuddered. “Yeah. That would be bad."

Sasha's head lolled away from the window, but she did not wake. I gently tucked her chin against my shoulder and smoothed the hair away from her face, anxiety twisting in my gut.

“Wish we knew who those goons were who were after you, and more about that priestess. She doesn't sound like any Lycaon I've ever heard of," Gage mused.

“Not a bit." I leaned my head back against the seat. “Last time Sasha came back, she was awake. I hope nothing terrible happened to her."

“Yeah, me t—“

The door opened. It wasn't the ticket man.

Three feral faces of naked shifters looked in at us, their grins victorious.

“Found you," the leader growled.

Gage stood and tossed his bag at me before squaring off against the shifters. “Take her and run!"

If Sasha's safety hadn't been in question, I would never have left the young man alone to face them. But my Sasha was in danger, and Gage was right. We had to get her out of there.

But with the compartment blocked, there was only one way to go.

I threw open the opposite door, watching the scenery flash by. “Shit." There was no way Sasha and I would survive a jump.

I heard bones cracking behind me, and was just about to turn and ruin another set of clothes when I saw the bridge… and the water not far below.

“Sasha," I said, giving her a shake. “Sasha, princess, wake up. I need you to wake up now."

A small snort in her sleep was all I got.

“s**t," I swore again. I slung Gage's pack across my back and grabbed Sasha to me.

Gage groaned as he was thrown back against the splintering compartment seat.

“Give us the orb and the girl and no one gets hurt," the leader of our pursuers growled.

“In your dreams, motherfucker," I replied.

Then we were on the bridge over the water.

The leader's eyes widened. “Don't do it...."

I snatched Gage's arm and yanked all three of us straight out the side door of the compartment, just before the bridge ended.

All our pursuers could do was pop their heads out the door and howl.

As we careened through the air, I felt the cold water rushing up to meet us. I clutched Sasha to my chest, desperately hoping she would wake up before we hit the water. Gage's howl filled the air around us as we fell toward the white-capped waves below.

And then, just as suddenly as we had jumped, we hit the water. The shock of the cold water was overwhelming, but I kept my grip on Sasha as we sank beneath the surface. The weight of her body threatened to pull me under, but I kicked my legs and pushed us both upward.

As we broke through the surface, gasping for air, I heard the sounds of our pursuers shouting from the bridge overhead. I knew we weren't safe yet, but I had no idea what to do next.

I swam toward the shore with Sasha clutched tightly to me.

We made it to the bank, collapsing in a heap. Gage lay beside us, groaning in pain.

“Are you all right?" I asked him.

“Yeah," he gasped. “I'll live."

I turned to Sasha, fear gripping my heart.

“Come on, princess," I whispered, shaking her gently. “Wake up."

But she remained unresponsive. I felt the cold chill of panic set in as I checked her pulse. It was faint, but it was there. I couldn't lose her again.

“We need to get her to a healer," I said, looking around desperately for any sign of civilization.

Gage groaned as he tried to sit up. “I'm not sure we can risk it. Those shifters will be after us."

I gritted my teeth in frustration. He was right. We couldn't risk being found by our pursuers. But I couldn't just sit here and wait for Sasha to wake up on her own either.

“I need to do something," I said, my mind racing.

“Like what?" Gage asked, looking at me skeptically.

“I don't know yet," I replied, scanning the area for any sign of help.

That's when I noticed the smoke rising from a few miles away. It was faint, but it was there.