The Alpha King Page 6

  Kit snorted inelegantly and threw him a grubby-looking sheet from the end of the bed. Luca looked down at the drying cum and swiped at it, wrinkling his nose. He would have preferred to keep Kit’s scent on him. As soon as the thought left his mind, Kit’s heady scent replaced it.

  Luca took another breath in then stepped back, reluctantly feeling his cock lengthen in response to Kit’s scent. He pulled on his pants and marched to the door and pulled it open. Sam stood there protectively with his back to the hut. Asher and the others who had helped him stood surrounding the group of guards. The four gammas looked sulky but were making no attempt to cause a problem. A brindle-colored wolf lay curled up panting with at least six makeshift spears pointing at him.

  “He refuses to shift,” Sam said dryly, “but he has made no attempt to escape.” Sam glanced back at him and Luca knew he was looking at his mark. “Your Highness,” Sam quietly acknowledged.

  “I need clothes for Kit,” Luca said.

  Sam glanced at Asher, who stood with a knife pointed at Gareth. “Any small clothes?”

  Asher nodded at one of the other humans. He was smaller than Asher but his clothes would still drown Kit. The man stripped immediately, and Asher threw the clothes towards Sam.

  Luca turned and went inside the hut. Kit hadn’t moved. He just lay sprawled amongst the tattered sheet. His eyes were half-closed, his slick, sweaty hair brushed to one side, replete. Pride rose up in Luca as he drank in the smile. He adored the look he had put there.

  “We need to go.” He walked to the small bed and leaned over, groaning as their lips brushed. Kit whined and pouted. Luca chuckled softly. “Do you need me to dress you?”

  “There is so much wrong with that question,” Kit teased.

  “When we get home,” Luca promised. He stared at Kit, fearful still that the mating had been forced even though Kit seemed to have enjoyed it.

  “Before or after the council meeting?” Kit asked pointedly. Luca huffed, and Kit immediately looked contrite. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair. Of all people, I understand your responsibilities.”

  Luca brushed another kiss over Kit’s soft lips and it was a wrench to step back. He catalogued Kit’s face carefully. He’d cooled, knew where he was and what he was saying. Guilt filtered into Luca.

  “You didn’t force me,” Kit promised and cupped Luca’s cheek. “I was out of my mind with needing you.”

  Exactly... Out of your mind.

  Our mating has been destined since we were born. I knew exactly what I was doing.

  Luca bent down and kissed Kit’s mouth again, then he walked back outside, closing the door to the hut behind him. A shivering Gareth in human form lay curled up on one side. Luca ignored him. He was well aware the punishment was death or banishment but he wasn’t sure that would make a good first day. He would bring the wolf back with them.

  He glanced at Asher. “What work do you do?”

  Asher blinked, then looked down. Luca frowned. He hadn’t meant the question as a criticism, he just wanted to know if his family could manage without him. “I am a cellar-boy,” Asher replied sullenly.

  Luca registered surprise and glanced at Richert. “Do you need your son to provide?”

  Richert shook his head.

  “I am fortunate to be granted three. Asher was never fond of farming.” Luca mused. A cellar-boy basically worked in the cellars below the tavern, moving barrels of beer, lighting and maintained the fires in the bars, washing glasses and doing whatever was needed for the taverns that served the werewolves and the humans who had money to drink there. Any human in a licensed trade like farming were allowed such perks. Cellar-boys were basically slaves to whichever werewolf owned the tavern, but licensed meant he received a small wage. This village’s tavern was more unusual as it was jointly owned, but seeing as now Luca was Alpha of Caedra, Asher technically worked for him. Half of him, anyway. He obviously knew better than to speak any of those thoughts aloud.

  “Would you like to be one of my guards?” Luca watched as Asher’s sullen look was replaced with a hopeful smile. “You would be under Sam, of course.”

  Luca heard the sharp inhale from his best friend and he also registered the assessing look Asher sent Sam. He nearly laughed. Perhaps he would have to start choosing his words with more care around those two. He looked at Gareth. “Chain him to the human guards and have Asher watch them.” He immediately regretted rushing out with Sam without stopping for horses. It would be a long walk back with the humans. Then he remembered what he’d been barely in time to save Kit from. The ground shook slightly as anger swirled in his gut. Everyone looked alarmed but Luca raised a consolatory hand before people started dropping to their knees.

  He really was going to have to learn some self-control.

  They’d been walking steadily for just over a mile when Luca realized Kit was leaning more and more into him. He actually had to stop his omega from falling after he had tripped for the third time. Luca cursed himself as he glanced down, taking in Kit’s face, which had gone from satisfaction and happiness in the hut to simple exhaustion now. He made a soft sound in the back of his throat—one he was coming to associate Kit with—and bent and scooped up the light body in his arms without even a pause in his stride.

  “Sire,” Kit said in alarm. “Please, I can walk.” Luca raised a disbelieving eyebrow, and Kit blushed. “It isn’t seemly for a king to carry anything.”

  “Can I help, Sire?” Sam asked, close enough to Luca to hear Kit’s words. Luca just smiled and shook his head, brushed a kiss on Kit’s forehead, and watched as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

  “Shh. Stop worrying,” Luca soothed. Sure enough, before he had taken more than another three steps, Kit’s body relaxed and his eyes drooped shut.

  “Do you have a plan?” Sam asked quietly.

  “I’m going to hold a council meeting, and then I have to speak to my sisters.”

  “They have been moved and are in your pack house with Tara and Danni, as you requested.”

  Luca nodded, guilt permeating him as he realized he had given them no thought this morning.

  “Sire, may I ask?” Sam paused.

  “You don’t have to ask my permission, Sam. You never have before.” He smirked and Sam chuckled.

  “Is it your intention, to take Tara as your breeder?”

  Luca’s steps nearly faltered. The unpleasant thought hadn’t occurred to him. “I don’t know.” He glanced down at Kit to make sure his omega was still asleep.

  “My sister is friends with her. I just thought you should be aware your advances would be welcome.” Luca swallowed. He would need heirs. He knew that.

  “I know this seems ridiculous to think of now, but Tara was of age and involved in the choosing. I understand Malik from Alpha Jameson’s pack was going to offer for her. It’s just, if you think she may suit you, you cannot waste any time to claim her. The choosing is merely postponed to next week, Sire. Not indefinitely.”

  Luca sighed. He didn’t want to make that decision yet. His relationship with Kit was too new, too precious.

  “I know you will have had no time to think about marching to Neira...” Sam glanced at him, changing the subject, much to Luca’s relief.

  “Have you?” Luca watched as his normally forthright best friend hesitated. “Sam, I realize we are in a slightly different situation now, and we both are feeling our way through, but please...I need your unvarnished council more than ever.”

  Sam snorted out a laugh. “Unvarnished counsel? Did you read that in the Alpha King handbook?” Then he reddened. “I mean...”

  Luca nudged him. “How about we leave all the king stuff aside when it’s just me and you? You are no good to me if I think you are saying what I want to hear rather than what I need to hear.”

  Sam blew out a long breath. “Then I think the first thing you need to do is secure Caedra. You cannot march to Neira unless we know everything at home is in place. You know your pack will follow you absolutely�
��”

  “But we have another nine to convince.”

  Sam cocked his head. “Eight, possibly seven. Alpha Jace was completely on board last night, and you killed Hendrick. What are you going to do about Gareth?”

  Luca shifted the slight weight in his arms protectively. “Honestly? I have no idea. I know it should be death or banishment, but I think I can be a little more creative.” An idea had been forming for the last few minutes, but he needed to talk to Kit. He honestly didn’t know if he had the power to decide, or the ability to enforce it.

  The three other humans who had asked to accompany Asher—Mark, Jay, and Bryan—paused and looked back at Luca. At the same time as Luca’s nose registered the scent of wolves, Asher jumped back, quicker than he’d ever seen a human move, knife drawn, standing between Luca and whatever threat he had heard. Then the werewolves he had scented fanned out in front of him, and Sam motioned Asher to stand down.

  Gabriel jogged over. “Sire?” He stopped in astonishment as soon as he saw Gareth.

  “Gareth was responsible for kidnapping Kit,” Luca said flatly, bracing himself for Gabriel’s censure at the sight of a human guarding the Alpha-heir—such a thing was demeaning; only gammas were ever allowed to touch Alphas and then only at the order of another senior Alpha. “I need him to be locked in the brig.”

  “I’m surprised he is alive,” Gabriel said, disgust coloring his words. Luca heaved a silent sigh. Gabriel looked at Kit. “How is he?”

  “Exhausted, but safe.” Luca heard the inhale as Gabriel saw Kit’s new mark.

  His eyes flew to Luca’s. “Congratulations, Sire,” he said respectfully. “May I take him? We are about to enter the pack compound.”

  Luca understood why Gabriel was asking. Kit hadn’t been joking when he had said it might look demeaning for a king to carry him, but Luca didn’t intend on letting his omega go, and it wasn’t just the thought of anyone else touching him that was driving him. Or not just that, anyway. He wanted every Alpha to see them together. Luca smiled but shook his head, Gabriel and Sam stepping in on either side of him as he moved forward. “Where are the Alphas?” Luca asked.

  “We put back the tables and served lunch. It was too far for some to travel back to their own packs and make it back here.” Luca nodded his agreement. Werewolves didn’t usually ride horses. Some had mastered them, but the horses spooked so easily, as if they were sensing the animal inside the man. The gammas generally shifted and ran if they were in a hurry, or if they were escorting females or humans they sat in horse-pulled carts with a human driving them. Some of them were quite fancy.

  Luca strode ahead, still carrying a sleeping Kit. The humans and the gammas parted so he could walk ahead, Gabriel and Sam on either side. Another few minutes and the forest opened up into the clearing outside of the pack house where the choosing had taken place yesterday.

  Luca heard a small cry and looked to his side as Taheesha and Iris both ran over to him. They both skidded to a halt as Kit stirred in his arms. He was aware of all the Alphas who had stood up respectfully as he entered the clearing. His smile widened when he saw the old friend who followed his sisters.

  Tomas was one of the wisest men he knew. Even though he was human, he was more capable of ruling a pack than any Alpha he had ever met, including himself, and for the past seven years since he had nursed Luca back to health until the poison had left his body, he had been responsible for guarding his sisters. Tomas had been unique in that he was the only human beta Luca ever knew. His father had told him Tomas had saved his life once, when his father had foolishly thought werewolves were invincible and had gone hunting alone. He had come between a mountain lion and her pups and Tomas had heard the animal while he was trying to hunt himself. Instead of worrying about getting caught and punished, as humans were not allowed to hunt any animal that was considered property of an Alpha on his lands, Tomas had distracted the lion and between them they had managed to escape. From that moment on, Tomas had been one of his father’s most trusted companions until his death and Luca had settled him and his wife in their own cottage in the nearby village.

  “He’s so pretty,” Iris said solemnly as she took Kit in.

  “Sire?” Gabriel stepped forward and opened his arms. “Let me take him inside so Tara can help him bathe and eat.”

  “We can help.” Taheesha urged quickly and glanced at Tomas, who nodded.

  Luca looked down as Kit’s eyes fluttered. He pressed a kiss on his brow. “Gabriel and Tara are going to look after you while I attend to the council. You will be safe.” Sam quickly ordered two gammas to do whatever Tara asked and to keep them all safe. In response, they each clasped a fist over their chests as they inclined their heads at Luca.

  Luca acknowledged the old-fashioned gesture in surprise and carefully handed Kit over to Gabriel. He hated it.

  “With my life, Sire,” Gabriel murmured in understanding. “I will be back as soon as I know he is safe.” Gabriel nodded to two gammas and a still silent Gareth was unfastened from Asher and dragged away.

  Luca took a breath and turned to the Alphas and Alpha-heirs. “Please sit.”

  They all did. Luca sank to the nearest empty table. In seconds, human servants had filled the table with goblets of wine and platters of delicious fresh meat. His mouth watered. He gazed at the unshackled servants and nodded his approval. He gestured to another empty table and said loudly. “Asher, I would be pleased if you and your men joined us.”

  Luca heard some of the Alphas gasp. An Alpha never broke bread with a human. He looked towards the Alphas who were staring at him. “Asher and the other men helped me save my omega. Feeding them is the least I can do.”

  He noted the two expressions of disgust on Alpha Malachi and his beta-commander’s face, but also saw the cautious smiles on some of the others’. He especially memorized the looks of approval and noted it was in general the younger weres that were showing their support openly. It made sense that they would be more willing and open to change.

  Gabriel came and sat on the other side of Sam. “He is safe, Sire, and being tended to by Tara. I have stationed a gamma outside his room.” Luca absorbed the information and thought about what Sam had said. Would it be too much to hope that Kit liked Tara enough not to mind if Luca had to breed her? She had certainly shown him compassion. The problem was Luca had to make a quick decision. It wasn’t fair on Tara to keep her hanging.

  Luca watched as a skinny serving boy struggled with a huge plate. He frowned. This had to stop. He stood abruptly and ignored the terrified squeak from the boy as he took the platter from him. He took in the thin arms and the pale face—the boy needed a wash as well. “What’s your name?”

  “Josiah, sir...I mean, your Highness.” The boy stammered his words out and then, looking completely overcome, flung himself to the floor to prostrate himself at Luca’s feet.

  Luca sighed. It was going to be such an uphill struggle, but maybe if he altered the treatment of one, the Alphas present would get the idea. He took hold of the boy’s arm. “Josiah, I am not angry. Please stand.” The boy jumped to his feet. Luca glanced at the Alphas who were watching in astonishment, and made sure his voice could be heard.

  “Josiah, what have you eaten today?” The boy looked at Luca in confusion. Luca took pity on him. “Let me guess: porridge this morning probably around 4 a.m., and then you will get broth, maybe leftover stew and bread around 7 p.m.?” Josiah nodded. “How old are you?” He said gently.

  “Nine summers, sir,” Josiah whispered, but Luca knew the werewolves could hear him. He looked over at Alpha Malachi. “Would you have put your son to work for around fourteen hours a day when he was nine?”

  Malachi frowned. “That’s not the same thing,” he protested.

  “No,” Luca agreed. “Your son would have had at least four full meals in that space of time.”

  “We cannot feed them,” Michael, one of the gammas, argued. “It might incite rioting.”

  Luca shook his head. �
��You mean they have to be kept weak so they cannot protest over their poor treatment?” The gamma subsided.

  He looked at Josiah and turned to one of the humans who worked in the kitchen. “From now on all servants are to be fed every four hours. No one under sixteen works longer than six hours a day, and Elliot?” Luca glanced to one of his new betas Sam had promoted. “The food served to the servants must be the same served to the guards and the betas. I will let you decide what everyone should be eating.”

  He saw the laugh lines deepen at the side of Elliot’s eyes, and approved. He had just basically told everyone that if the servants were poorly fed than everyone would be. He patted Josiah’s head and pushed him towards Elliot, ignoring the murmurs as he sat down. He was hungry.

  Chapter Six

  Kit opened his eyes to see the pretty gray one’s peering at him. A girl—a she-wolf, possibly not much older than around twelve—was looking at him, worry written all over her face. Kit smiled automatically and grunted when she flung her arms arounds him and climbed into bed.

  “Taheesha.” Kit turned his head at the admonishment and saw another beautiful she-wolf with the same gray eyes walk in carrying a steaming bowl of something that smelled delicious. His stomach growled and the little limpet curled into his side giggled. “Taheesha, let the omega sit up.”

  Taheesha moved but pouted and looked hopefully at what had to be her older sister, Kit was guessing. “I’m hungry.”

  The other girl sighed in exaggerated patience. “Which is why Tara is bringing some for us all.” Kit watched as Tara came bustling into the room pushing a trolley with dishes, plates, spoons, and bread and fruit on. There was also a large platter of sliced beef. Kit groaned and Taheesha immediately pressed herself against him, offering silent comfort. Kit immediately felt soothed and smiled down at Taheesha.