Sold as the Alpha King’s Breeder

Chapter 28 : Not Safe

*Sasha*

A hand on my arm pulled me from a trembling, sweaty nightmare.

“Sasha sweety?" Lucas murmured, stroking my arm up and down.

When I opened my eyes, he took my hand, threading his fingers through mine.

“Lucas," I croaked. “She was here–that old priestess."

“I know." Lucas looked away from me, shame written on his face. “She disguised herself somehow, I think using

magic. We all thought she was the doctor. I should have known better."

“Lucas, I thought she was a doctor too… until her eyes changed," I sighed, squeezing his hand.

Lucas shook his head. “This is a bad development. I… I need to talk to Brady. You just rest." He smoothed the

sweaty hair off my face. “How's the head?"

I turned my head this way and that. “Well, whatever she did, whatever evil she might have in mind for the future, I

think she did actually cure my concussion."

“That's good, at least," Lucas mumbled. He kissed my hand, then tucked it next to me. “I'll just be in the office.

Brady and I… we're going to come up with a plan."

I reached for Lucas when he stood, and he looked back at me. “Maybe I can help?"

“Later, princess," Lucas said, settling my hand back beside me again. “For now, Brady and I can talk it out."

“Hmph," I grumbled as Lucas walked out of the bedroom. Overbearing ass.

I slipped out of the bed and padded down the hall after Lucas.

Phoebe was hovering outside the office already. She put a finger to her lips.

I had to stop myself from laughing as the two of us crept close to the partially-open door to listen in.

“... can't risk taking the orb to court. And I can't risk King Xander or Queen Lena knowing about it. They'll probably

start calling in experts and poking and prodding the thing, and Goddess knows what that will do to Sasha," Lucas

was saying.

“Agreed," Brady said after a moment. “The fewer people who know about it, the better… I mean, at least until you

figure out what this mission from the Goddess is. At least now that you have the orb, Sasha's been returning to you.

If it falls into the wrong hands–"

“Exactly," Lucas sighed.

I snuck a peek and saw the orb was laying on its silk covering, exposed, on the desk between them. It was still blue

from my last journey, but was not glowing or pulsing anymore.

“I think the two of you would be able to hear better if you came in here," Brady called, and Phoebe and I both

blushed and slunk into the office.

Lucas frowned at me, but turned back to Brady. “What do you suggest?"

“If it's an artifact of the ancient Church of the White Queen, I think… well… wouldn't your mother be the ideal

source for information?" Brady asked slowly.

Lucas groaned. “Really? We really need to bring her into this?"

“I would say so," Brady said. “You should start packing for the Light Realm. Hell, we all should. Those assholes

overran the house!"

“And we did f**k all to stop it. I hate that old woman, I really do," Lucas grumbled.

“Maybe I should just keep working with the orb?" I suggested.

Brady and Lucas fell silent and looked at me.

“Say what?" Lucas gaped.

“Maybe I should just keep working with it, see what it wants and what the Goddess wants," I said. “I mean, that

seems to be the best possible way to research it, right? It's talking to me, and the Goddess gave me a mission to do

using it. Maybe if I work with it just a bit more–"

Lucas cut through the air with his hand, making a slashing motion. “Absolutely not. I'm not letting you near this

thing. You are never to touch it again, do you hear me? I'll throw it in the sea first!"

I rolled my eyes. “Again with the sea."

“You'd better believe it," Lucas grunted. He wrapped the orb back up and quickly shoved it in his safe before I could

say another word about it.

“I don't think that it is as safe as you think."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't budge.

“You know, technically that's mine. The Goddess wanted me to have it," I tried again.

“If she can get it out of my safe and hand it to you, then you're welcome to it," Lucas replied, raising his chin in

defiance.

“You have no sense of hubris," I hissed, wondering if he had just called down the wrath of the Goddess.

“And you have no sense of self-preservation," Lucas shot back.

I folded my arms over my chest and got ready for a big blowout fight.

Prudently, Brady tugged Phoebe away. “Gee, I think I might have left something in the oven. Better go check." He

and Phoebe scurried away.

“It's my orb," I reiterated. “The Goddess gave it to me the mission was for me and—"

“Technically, it's my orb. Brady and I found it," Lucas said, cutting me off.

“She didn't give you a mission," I replied, thumping my foot on the floor. “She gave me a mission. I have to follow

through or Goddess knows what will happen. She needs me to save someone. I'd like to know who, when, and how,

honestly."

Lucas crossed his massive arms and puffed out his chest. I wasn't too irritated with him to notice just how hot that

stance was. I took a steadying breath to stay focused.

“I only care about keeping you safe, Sasha," Lucas said and my next argument died in my throat. “I got you into this

mess, and I'm getting you out of it."

“Lucas… I don't think that's true...."

He furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to argue, but I held up a hand.

“You didn't make me a dream dancer and...." I rubbed my tongue over my tooth. “I'm quite certain this is

something my mother has been trying to protect me from my whole life."

“Your mother? What does your mother have to do with this?"

“I don't know," I said, shying away from telling him everything.

“What aren't you telling me, Sasha?"

I fumbled with the emerald hanging around my neck. “I can't really explain what I don't understand. I just always

thought my mother was superstitious because she came from a superstitious pack. But now...." I subconsciously

circled a finger around my wrist.

“That bracelet," Lucas picked up on what I didn't want to talk about. “You said it was for protection from your

mother. Did she give you a new one? Where is it? Maybe it can help."

I looked down at the floor. “It's not working."

“Oh...."

I could tell he wanted to ask more questions, but he looked me over and nodded his acceptance of what I told him.

“Well, we are headed to the Light Realm. We should talk to your mother as soon as possible to see what she knows.

Until then, I will do whatever I think is necessary to keep you safe."

“Like throwing the orb into the sea," I snorted.

Lucas shrugged. “Whatever it takes."

“What if I have to go diving in after it?" I asked.

“That's one of the only reasons it's not already at the very bottom of the deepest point of the ocean," Lucas

responded. He had put himself between me and the safe, preventing me from getting to it, as though I'd be able to

open it anyway.

I threw up my hands. “You're impossible!"

“You're sexy when you're mad," Lucas said with the slightest of smiles.

I walked over and punched him in the shoulder. “You just see if you ever have s*x with me again, Lucas Black."

“Hey, if it keeps you safe from that orb, I can be celibate," Lucas replied.

“You can't make decisions for me, Lucas. I want to work with the orb," I tried reasoning with him.

“I know I can't make all your decisions for you, but on this point, you're not going to get me to budge," Lucas said

firmly.

I sighed. “I did come back to you, you know. I heard your voice, and I came back."

“Yeah, after being comatose for most of a day," Lucas reminded me. “You didn't even wake up when we were in the

water. You scared the ever-loving s**t out of me, and I'm not letting either of us go through that again."

“Lucas, you're being unreasonable!" I shouted.

Lucas snorted. “You're the one who's being unreasonable. This isn't something we should be f*****g around with."

“I'm not 'f*****g around.' I was given a mission–" I began to explain again.

“Yeah, and we had the house invaded by a crazy priestess who wants you to fulfill it. I don't think that's a ringing

endorsement for whatever you're meant to be doing," Lucas said.

My eyes narrowed. “You don't believe me about seeing the Goddess and getting the mission?"

Lucas touched my shoulder. “I believe you saw what you saw, but that it might have been a trick by these crazies

who are after us. I want to be sure before we proceed any further, okay? Just… let's go to the Light Realm and talk

with our parents to see what they may know, do some research. What's the hurry?"

“The old priestess said time is of the essence," I said.

“Like we want to do anything on her timeline? Just let it go for now. Mom will take a look at it, we'll do some

research. Just slow down, Sasha. That's all I'm asking," Lucas pleaded with me.

I both appreciated and hated his heavy-handedness at the same time. “Sometimes you are a real pain in the ass,

Lucas Black."

“I don't remember trying that one, but if you're game...." Lucas teased, clearly trying to change the subject.

I swatted him on the arm. “You can't hide the orb from me forever. Eventually, I'm going to get my hands on it and

figure out what all this is about."

“Doubt it," Lucas said. He put an arm around my shoulders and began guiding me toward the office door.

I thought of shaking him off, but that would just be cutting off my nose to spite my face. I liked his touch. I wanted

him to touch me more.

“Shame you're putting a stop to our bedroom activities," Lucas smirked, as though reading my mind. His arm slid

off my shoulders, going lower on my back, then lower still to cup my backside. He gave a teasing little squeeze.

I had to stand firm, for the honor of women everywhere. I deliberately took his hand off my ass and placed it at his

side. “No, no, no. Not until you let me work with the orb."

“Celibacy it is," Lucas grunted. He bumped his hip against mine as we walked.

I looked up at him, and lust curled in my gut.

Just how long was I going to be able to hold out?

Lucas licked his lips, knowing full well I was watching him.

“You're mean," I muttered, looking away.

“You like it," Lucas teased.

I felt myself pout. “Just half an hour with the orb? Then we can spend all night...."

Lucas shook his head. “Nope. Now let's get you back to bed. I'll be in, in a minute.

I frowned at him, suspicious. “What are you planning to do now?"

“Just get in touch with my brother and tell him we're on our way," Lucas said. “Nothing sinister."

“I didn't say I'd go to the Light Realm yet. What about my work-study?" I responded. “And Amanda? What if our

trouble ends up finding her?"

“I'll make sure Amanda is taken care of. I was worried about retaliation from Donovan, anyway," Lucas grunted.

I scowled. “That asshole."

“No arguments here." Lucas surprised me by lifting me as soon as we reached the bed, settling me down in his

satin sheets and even going so far as to tuck me in. He leaned down and gave me a kiss on the forehead–not

exactly where I wanted the kiss, but I was the one who'd changed our arrangement in the name of pride.

How I was going to sleep next to this man without letting him have his way with me, I had no idea.

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