Maybe people had been here recently, but that didn’t change what I needed to do. “I don’t need to be protected. I have plenty of magic of my own.” I brushed past him and closed the distance to the temple.

As soon as I stepped inside, the most foul smell ever hit me. I covered my mouth and nose as I gagged.

The temple’s entry was one massive room. Along the far wall, a corridor led off to elsewhere. An altar made of three huge slabs of stone stood between us and the corridor. A bowl of fire burned on its surface.

I stepped toward the altar. “What is that—” I stopped myself. I didn’t need to ask the question. I knew that smell. Only one thing was that disgusting.

“Vampires,” Lucas spat the word.

Standing in front of the walls, frozen like statues, were vampires.

Hundreds of them.

“Oh God.” They weren’t moving, and if they were really alive, they would’ve attacked by now. But if something changed, we were toast. There was no way we could fight this many. I didn’t have enough magic left. And no matter how strong an Alpha Lucas was, he was only one wolf.

“Whatever you do, don’t move,” Lucas whispered. “You could set them off.”

“Oh God.” My throat was suddenly tight. I took in the room with wide eyes, trying to come up with something—anything—that could help us.

What was I supposed to do now? Whatever I needed was surely inside this temple, but one wrong step and we’d both be worm food.

Just the two of us against an army of vampires… We didn’t stand a chance.

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

“Why would the white mages have vampires in here?” My voice was tight with fear, as I stood there, taking in the surroundings. There had to be hundreds of them.

“I’m not sure. They’re frozen now by some sort of spell, but I don’t know what—if anything—would release them.” His aura flared bright as he paused. “Maybe we don’t meet the criteria. Maybe you have to do something the mages wouldn’t like to set them off. Or practice evil magic? Or maybe if one of us steps on the wrong tile, they’ll swarm. It could be anything.”

Perfect. Nothing was ever easy. Not for me, at least. “You don’t have to come in with me.”

“Like hell I don’t.” His voice was a little more gravelly than normal. His wolf must not like being in here. “Where you go, I go.”

I turned slowly, not wanting to set off the vampires, and faced him. “This could be really dumb. I don’t want to be responsible for your death. You’re a pack Alpha. You have more than just some witch on a quest to worry about.”