The Alpha Heir (Kingdom of Askara Book 2) Read online

  Renee stepped into the cave with two of the kids. One was Tobias, Jenner’s little brother and the other his friend Savon. Judging from the rash that covered both their arms and faces they had fallen into an Azgara bush. The seeds would need washing off before they inflamed their skin further. Renee glanced at Caleb and her face softened. “I need the bed,” she whispered. Puzzled, Taegan followed her gaze.

  Caleb was asleep. While Taegan had been silent working out his decision, Caleb had let his exhaustion take him again. It was a symptom of the neglect he had suffered. He needed to move Caleb so his mom could have the room and see to the kids. Taegan bent to pick him up without thinking. He needed to keep an eye on him, but he couldn’t do what would amount to a death sentence and lock him in the cage. He nodded to Silas. “I will take him to my room while we work out what to do with him.”

  Silas brightened with approval. “I will help Renee. There is some tea they can drink to reduce the inflammation, and then I will come and dress his wrists.” Taegan smiled — of course there was — and gently settled Caleb into his arms. The wolf sighed and curled into his chest. Taegan paused, stiffening slightly.

  Silas lifted his chin towards the bundle in Taegan’s arms. “He desperately needs the touch.”

  “But I’m not a wolf,” Taegan protested.

  Silas’s smile turned into a calculating one. “Very true, but his wolf has made no attempt to get closer to me at all.”

  “What you said about him being on his own. You’re on your own,” Taegan said uncomfortably. He didn’t like the thought of his friend suffering.

  “And I am over two hundred years old. My own companionship is no longer a punishment.”

  “Do you know of any wolves that would take him in?”

  “I thought you were going to ransom him?”

  Taegan stiffened. “If what he says is true, his uncle will not bargain for him.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  “Of course,” Taegan muttered walking out to his own room. He clutched the wolf tighter as if to shelter him from the cold passages between the caves. Carrying Caleb seemed to be becoming a habit.

  An hour later, Taegan returned to his rooms after checking on Skye and arranging patrols. Cy stood outside his room on guard while Caleb slept, so he let him go. Taegan came to a stop inside his room and stared. Caleb was buried in soft blankets and furs. His face, paler earlier, was even more stark white now and he tossed and muttered a little. He noted the bandaged wrists and the sling supporting his left arm and knew Silas had tended to him. Taegan hurried to the small bed quickly. Was he sick? Wolves didn’t get sick, but Caleb had human in him. He put a hand to Caleb’s forehead checking if he was fevered but it seemed cool. Cold in fact. Was the wolf still not able to regulate his body temperature? They could have no fires in the smaller caves but surely the blankets were enough? Taegan sighed and before he questioned the decision, he slid under the blankets and pulled Caleb towards him. Caleb shivered once and pressed himself closer, then he took a deep breath in and relaxed. Whatever seemed to be bothering him had stopped anyway. Taegan counted to ten to let Caleb settle properly before he had to move, and before he was tempted to stay. He had far too much to do and the patrols would be returning soon. He needed to talk to them and make a decision regarding the kids. And simply being cold wasn’t going to harm Caleb or cause his death, but Taegan not finding the children soon enough could cause theirs.

  If it wasn’t too late already.

  Chapter Six

  “Taegan, we need you to listen to this.” Cy looked up from where he was helping a young woman sip some water while Jenner stood silently with his hand on his knife. Taegan had received a message to come to the outskirts of the vineyards as they had found someone, and she had been escorted to one of the barns. Taegan didn’t recognize her, but judging from the pale silk dress she wore that would be too expensive for slaves he could guess at what she did. He hunched down so as not to scare her and offered a smile. “What’s your name?”

  “It’s Mari,” Cy answered immediately before she got chance to open her mouth. Taegan glanced at Cy in annoyance but his fierce expression kept him quiet. That, and the solicitous way Cy was helping her drink after wrapping a blanket around her made him swallow the smile.

  “Where are you from, Mari?”

  “I’m a slave from Aldred’s pack,” she clipped out. Taegan raised a brow to Cy acknowledging her defiance by not using the honorific Alpha and the disgust apparent in her voice. Taegan liked her already. “My mom died last week, and I have nothing left he can threaten me with,” she said bluntly.

  Taegan understood. Slaves that dared escape knew they would cause either the torture or the death of their family members as retribution. It was an effective deterrent.

  “She’s seen Rayne and Neal,” Cy added.

  “Where?” Taegan asked hurriedly.

  “In the cellars under the pack house. I only know because I know one of the pleasure slaves that Aldred uses. She was coming from his room when they were dragged in.”

  Taegan frowned. “But why go to the trouble of locking them up? I don’t understand why the slave master wouldn’t be given charge of them straight away.” And giving charge of them was a euphemism for breaking them into submission, His real fear was for Neal. He was defiant and very protective over his little sister, Rayne. She was eight, and Taegan had imagined would be put to work in the kitchens. Neal was likely to be beaten for objecting to whatever they did to her.

  “They are being saved for some sort of celebration in a few days,” Mari said. “I was going to head for Caedra when I escaped as I heard there was a new Alpha treating his slaves well, but when I found out what they intend to do I knew I must try and find you.”

  “Mari’s mother was a friend of my mother’s when they were children. I got the message early this morning.” Cy looked up. “She has been led here hooded.”

  Mari scoffed. “As if I can’t tell where I am from the smell of Sulphur.” Cy shrugged apologetically and gave her another shy smile.

  “Why would they need children?” Taegan was almost afraid to ask. “And why these children?”

  “These children because they are healthy and well-fed,” Mari replied. “And healthy and well-fed means they can run faster.”

  Cy made a disgusted noise and Taegan felt sick. He knew what they had been taken for. “When they had me in the circle I heard Warwick say he was enacting the old tradition of first-blood.”

  Tears glittered in Mari’s eyes but her voice was furious. “Yes. He means to make them run for their lives so the wolves can hunt them down, and if Mason is involved it means that if they survive being hunted into exhaustion, they will be brought back to the pack circle and finished off there.”

  “When?” Taegan fought to keep his meal down.

  “I don’t know exactly but they are not in immediate danger, at least for a few days anyway. I heard Aldred complaining, something about the witch and some sort of celebration to organize.”

  Taegan glanced quickly at Cy. They’d all heard the rumors surrounding Warwick’s mate. That she practiced the old magic that centuries ago the humans had been masters at before the great wars started. There had been recent reports of animals found completely drained of blood which the wolves would never do.

  “Find Mari somewhere to rest and some food. I want all the team leaders here within the hour.”

  “Dargen and Talam are not returned from Niandes, and not expected for over a week. With the recent losses from last week’s raid I don’t see how we could take on a pack until they come back,” Jenner protested.

  Mari shrugged off the blanket and stood. “I can’t stay.”

  “I need all my men for the raid, but I will free some afterwards so they can escort you to Caedra if that is where you wish to go.”

  Mari sighed and gave a ghost of a smile. She was pretty. Long brown hair and wide green eyes. She wasn’t starved like most slaves. “I don’t mean that.
I mean that if you need the raid to be successful, I need to go back so Aldred doesn’t suspect I may have run.”

  “But you said you have no family—” Taegan started.

  “I don’t,” Mari interrupted. She took a breath. “I was the pleasure slave that saw the children. Aldred knows this. If I am not there to service him tonight there is a chance he may move them just in case.”

  “No!” Cy jumped up and Mari’s smile widened. She arched an eyebrow.

  “There are many ways of being a rebel. Some of us have to work with the weapons we were born with.”

  Taegan cut off Cy’s splutter and ignored the appreciative smile from Jenner. “I promise when we free the children we won’t leave without you.”

  Mari smiled and stood up. “I would be grateful if you could get me to the Alpha’s lands as it is getting late and I have been away some time. I can come up with an excuse why I have been out.” She paused. “Aldred is weak and will do whatever Mason tells him but I believe his cruelty is learned behavior from other people. His father, certainly. I don’t think he’s a natural Alpha and his inability to make his own choices leads him to copy bad ones.”

  “Are you asking us not to kill him if we had the chance?” Taegan asked.

  Mari raised her eyes after contemplating her hands. “No. He is allowing the children to be kept there and knows what they are intended for. Sometimes not preventing a wrong when you have the ability is worse than committing it in the first place.”

  Taegan liked her. “I will respect whatever you decide, but know you would be most welcome to make a home here.”

  Mari’s smile never came back. “Here I am recognized and people know what I do.”

  “Which is not your fault,” Cy ground out.

  “Every night my friends are lain on cold stone floors while I lay on silk sheets. Every sweetmeat, every delicacy he feeds me in bed because he doesn’t like to feel my bones reminds me of the little ones that cry because their belly is so empty it hurts.”

  “You are not lain on silk sheets now,” Taegan said gently. “You have trekked all day to save two young lives. You knew it would be torture and death if you were caught, but you still made that decision.”

  Mari squeezed his hand quickly in silent gratitude and looked grateful as Cy patted her hand and led her out while his remaining team leaders trooped in. That was how they had set up the rebellion. Taegan had six teams that often worked independently. He didn’t want faces to be recognized by other people, and he often changed the teams up. Each team had a leader and Taegan nodded at all the grim and determined faces as they trooped in to the barn. It was one of the safest places for them all to meet. They didn’t even all live in the caves, and each team had their own base. He had done that deliberately. In case any of the bases were ever discovered, it meant there would be five others to continue the fight. The caves scattered throughout the hillside housed the biggest population of families, though.

  Taegan considered what Mari had told them about Caedra getting a new Alpha. That was surprising, and as soon as the children were rescued he would send scouts to see what they could find out.

  It was a long afternoon but in the end they had a plan. From what Mari had explained to Cy and from what they knew of Aldred’s pack area which was the closest pack to the Dorn Forest — an expanse of dense woodland of about a hundred square miles that separated Tethra from Perse — the only chance they had of rescuing the kids was immediately after the hunt started in the actual forest itself. They were too heavily guarded at the pack house for them to have any hope of getting them out.

  Scouts were immediately sent to accompany Mari and to watch the children. If they were in any immediate danger all plans would be brought forward and they needed to know precisely what “a few days” as Mari had heard exactly meant. Mari had promised to try and get a comforting message to the children so they knew they had not been abandoned.

  Taegan drained his tea and thought about grabbing some food. They had reports of a silk train moving through the border tomorrow and he intended on attacking it. It would be heavily guarded but the last two had been allowed to move through undisturbed as they had put things aside to concentrate on the missing kids. He would have to be up many hours before dawn, so it would be a good idea to get some rest as well if he could. He couldn’t help the wry smile as he thought about who was currently occupying his bed.

  “Taegan?” It was Silas.

  Taegan saw the worry on the old wolf’s face and his stomach dropped. “Is he okay?” He knew it was about Caleb.

  Silas put his hands out in a helpless gesture. “I think you had better come see him. I think he’s in pain.”

  Taegan rushed out of the barn and jogged back to the caves. He quickly made his way up the slope to the entrance completely hidden by the trees. He headed for his own small room and pushed open the wooden screen separating it from the others. His mom sat on the bed, gently wiping Caleb’s flushed face and holding his hand. Caleb was curled on his side, sweat stark on his brow, cheeks mottled pink, and his eyes closed tight. His other hand was clutching his abdomen. He moaned softly as Taegan walked in, Silas right behind him.

  Renee stood up as soon as Taegan walked in. “What happened?”

  Renee tucked Caleb’s hand back under the blanket and she stepped up to Taegan. “I came in to see if he was hungry.”

  Taegan perched on the side of the bed. “Is he awake?”

  Caleb opened pain-filled eyes in answer. “I-I am sorry,” he got out, his breathing ragged.

  Taegan tutted and put a hand up to his brow, and then to the side of Caleb’s cheek. “Not your fault.” He wasn’t too hot, so he doubted it was a fever. He looked at Silas, at a complete loss. He glanced back at Caleb as he felt Caleb move his head and slide it into the palm of his hand. Caleb buried his nose into Taegan’s palm and before he could pull it away, Caleb brought his own up to clutch the back of Taegan’s and to press it closer against his face. He watched astonished as the wolf took a deep breath, almost as if he was breathing Taegan in, and then every muscle in him seemed to relax.

  “What is he doing?” Taegan whispered.

  Silas frowned. “Take your hand away,” he said quietly, and Taegan slipped his hand from Caleb’s relaxed grip. The effect was instantaneous. Caleb’s eyes shot open, his expression frantic, and his hands shook trying to reach where Taegan’s hands were resting by his side. Taegan clasped Caleb’s hand automatically without even thinking what he was doing, and Caleb brought it back up to his face before drawing a deep breath in, relaxing again and closing his eyes. Teagan opened his mouth but Silas shushed him and they sat for a few minutes in silence until Caleb’s grip relaxed and his hand fell away. He was asleep

  Taegan glanced at Silas after hearing a quiet chuckle from the wolf. “I’m sorry, Taegan,” Silas said softly, “but you now have another problem.”

  “What?” Taegan demanded, his eyes going back to Caleb.

  “He’s bonded.”

  “Bonded?” Taegan repeated, having no idea what Silas was talking about.

  “It’s rare, but I’m actually not surprised.”

  Taegan gritted his teeth and swallowed down his irritation. “You’re not surprised about what?”

  “You know wolves can mate?” Taegan rolled his eyes in answer. “No, I’m not talking about the type of arrangements made to secure packs or to win an omega’s abilities, I’m talking about a true mating.”

  “You mean a love match,” Renee put in.

  Silas nodded. “Yes, but in rare cases there is even a deeper connection called a mating bond.”

  Taegan scoffed but he didn’t move his hand. “Between wolves that are mated.”

  “Yes,” Silas agreed, “that is usually the case.”

  Taegan sighed. It was like pulling teeth. “So, we need to find the wolf he is mated to and get them back together.” Taegan pursed his lips in concentration. “It must be someone from his old pack.” Taegan looked up at the giggle
from his mom, and then he stared at Silas who was grinning like a lunatic. He snatched his hand away and stood up. “Oh … No.” He shook his head and backed away. “That’s completely ridiculous. We’ve barely met if you don’t count me trying to kill him twice, and by the goddess I’m not a wolf.” Taegan nearly shouted the last.

  A small whimper from the bed had them all turning. Caleb’s bright, almost-fevered eyes were open and staring at him.

  “He needs your scent,” Silas stated.

  “Then I’ll lend him a shirt,” Taegan snapped, and then felt ashamed as Caleb’s eyes closed in resignation and he seemed to almost shrink into himself. Taegan felt like he had hit him. He stalked to the door and was out of the cave in seconds, Silas following him.

  “What do you mean, exactly?” Taegan said, rounding on Silas.

  “It’s fascinating, really,” Silas started. “There is no reason the bond cannot be between a human and a wolf, I suppose.”

  “How come I’ve never heard of it?”

  “True mates are practically non-existent. Hundreds of years ago there were never any other sort of matings and then Alphas became greedy and over the years traded land and gold for true love.”

  “You mean they were all like this?” Taegan nodded back towards the door.

  “No. I am guessing, but the problem is, I think, because he has been cast out.”

  “Because he’s lonely?” Taegan interrupted incredulously.

  “Damn it, Taegan, did you not listen to a word I said?” Taegan’s mouth dropped open. Silas never lost his temper, ever. He carried on, not waiting for an answer. “True mates are practically each half of one soul to the extent where one cannot live for long without the other. Casting out for a wolf isn’t just a childish game when they are ignored. The lack of physical touch causes such excruciating pain to the point at which the wolf eventually is either driven mad or dies. How he survived this for over five years is completely beyond me. It’s unheard of. I can only guess that it’s his human side that has been protecting him, because his wolf would have been driven insane after weeks, never mind years.”