The Alpha King (Kingdom of Askara #1)(13)

“Wakey wakey,” the hard, sing-song voice echoed sickly in his throbbing head. He barely had the strength to crack his eyes open. The sharp sting of the hand that slapped him across the face made him cry out.

“Alpha, we don’t need him conscious,” the voice sneered.

Kit opened both his eyes. They seemed to be in the middle of dense woodland but Kit had no idea where. The last thing he remembered was bolting to the bathroom when Luca had left, too ashamed to cry in front of Tara. Tara had tried to coax him from the bathroom, but she had eventually fallen silent. He had stayed in there for what seemed forever, and then he had cautiously opened the door to have it yanked out of his hand, then a punch to the jaw knocked him right out.

He focused on the werewolf who stood in front of him. It didn’t look like Gareth had learned any lessons from Luca’s mercy last night.

“Your King will kill you this time,” Kit said defiantly, bracing himself for the reaction, but Gareth just laughed.

“You’re not marked, which means neither is he. Which means he won’t be crowned.” Gareth started slowly undoing his belt buckle.

Kit shivered, his eyes watching Gareth’s slow, deliberate movements. “W-what are you doing?” He licked his dry lips.

“Oh, I’m going to bed me a pure omega,” Gareth laughed, the sound cold and mirthless.

Fear trickled over Kit’s skin. “It doesn’t work like that,” he whispered.

“No?” Gareth mused. “What a shame.” He dropped his pants and Kit stared in horror at his large, erect cock. Kit struggled but the two gammas holding him were giants.

“Please,” Kit implored.

Gareth sneered again and glanced at the two men. “See how prettily he begs?” They both joined in the cold laughter.

“Bedding me won’t make you Alpha King,” Kit tried again.

Gareth took a step forward and nodded towards him. The gammas threw him belly up on the cold, hard ground. “You can leave,” Gareth said to the guards. “I can hold him with one hand and I shall enjoy the screams.”

Kit whimpered. “You won’t be King,” he tried to reason.

Gareth tilted his head as if he was considering Kit’s words and for a second Kit dared to hope, until the cruel smile twisted Gareth’s lips. “Maybe not, little omega, maybe not. But without mating a pure omega, neither will Luca, and in another few minutes you will be mine.”

“Alpha?” A man rushed through the undergrowth to where they were. “We have to leave. Our scouts have detected wolves, still far away but heading in this direction.”

Gareth swore, but pulled his pants up. Kit nearly cried in relief. He tried to be brave. “Leave me here, and you may live.”

Gareth laughed, a harsh, cruel sound, and raised his hand. Pain exploded in Kit’s head once more and everything immediately went black.

When Kit woke the second time he wished he was still asleep and dreaming. He lay in a dim room of some sort, a hard mattress beneath his back. He knew he was naked and the room smelled musty and damp. He shuddered as a wave of heat slid over his skin. He was confused, barely conscious, but he should have been freezing, not gripped in a heat so fierce his skin felt like it was burning. His eyes shut even as sounds...voices, drifted over him.

“What’s the matter with him?”

If Kit had the energy he would have laughed. Apart from being kidnapped and beaten?

“You hit him too hard, maybe?” He recognized the snarl from Gareth and heard a grunt as whoever had asked the question got hit.

“Humans are weak,” snapped Gareth and then he snickered. “A good fucking will put him to rights.”

“Alpha, you sure he’s not got the pox or anything?”

Kit whimpered as a rough hand touched his burning cheek, scraping his skin like a knife. The voices faded in and out as his whole body thrummed in pain.

****

“How do we start looking?” Gabriel asked frantically. He helped Tara stand. “Did you recognize them?”

Tara shook her head miserably. “I’m so sorry, Sire.”

“It isn’t your fault.” It’s my fault. Luca closed his eyes in despair and inhaled. The sweet scent he had associated with Kit last night was stronger near the open window.

He snapped his eyes open. His smell. He could track Kit. Luca stared at Gabriel. “Delay the council meeting for this afternoon.” Luca took a breath and focused on his wolf. “Sam, you’re with me.” He turned for the door and for the second time that day he had shifted before he was out of the house.

Luca’s mind was filled with Kit. The scent was unmistakable. He had never followed a track so strong, but then he had never had a mate either so it made sense. He began to scent other wolves after a while and then he heard human voices. He stopped behind a large oak tree and let his human side take over. As soon as he had shifted back Kit’s smell diminished but it was still there. He caught sight of a cluster of small cottages. Kit’s scent went right past. Maybe he could throw his new status around and persuade the humans for help.

“I need some clothes,” Sam whispered to Luca, who had just shifted behind him. “Can you still scent him?” Sam continued. “That’s remarkable. I could only get a faint scent in the house, and it was gone completely in the woods. I would have no chance now.”