The Alpha King (Kingdom of Askara #1)(2)
The child smiled. “Not yet. You have not the power, but someday...”
The boy stepped out from the bush and called for help in a shrill voice. Luca heard the shouts of the men who had passed and knew the boy had been heard. Luca tried to force his eyes open, but he was fighting a losing battle. “Run,” he urged weakly as the ground trembled from the men running towards them.
The boy just shook his head and shouted louder, ensuring the men found him straight away. Luca smelled them all as human, didn’t recognize any of them, but he promised coin and managed to stammer the name of one of his father’s old human guards who would keep him safe and treat him until he healed. He wasn’t going anywhere near any of the wolves as he didn’t know who was loyal to his brother.
Luca turned his head just in time to see the boy’s face pale in fear as a large man gripped him cruelly and promised him a week’s worth of beatings for running away.
Luca opened his mouth to defend the child, but just at that second one of the other men roughly hauled him to his feet and it was too much for his shattered body to cope with. The last thing Luca saw before he lost consciousness was the child cower as the big man raised his hand.
Chapter One
Seven years later.
By Sorin’s light. This day—the most important of Luca’s life—was torture already. He sighed and lectured himself again to keep his hands to himself and his mouth shut. He watched helplessly as one of the servants stumbled and almost dropped the huge pitcher of wine he was trying to carry without spilling, while also avoiding the drunken Alphas who all seemed to think he was invisible.
Luca bent his head, ashamed that he couldn’t help. This wasn’t even his pack. The ceremony was being hosted by Alpha Hendrick, the lead Alpha of this territory—Caedra—who had the most wolves and the best hunting. The vile man also happened to be his guardian as the senior Alpha, which meant he was unable to interfere in anything the man did.
He watched as the kitchen slaves tried to hobble awkwardly in the chains around their ankles. He hated the way the Alphas treated the humans. Werewolves ruled their society. Well, no, not even that—male werewolves ruled their society. Females were simply for having pups. They weren’t physically abused like the humans, but they had no freedom either. The gammas were always werewolves, but each Alpha kept humans both as guards if they were physically big enough, and as servants if they weren’t—or at least in Caedra anyway. He wasn’t sure about the other territories as Luca had never traveled further south than the edge of their lands as he had no wish to be taken hostage. The Alpha-heir would fetch a good price, and even then he wasn’t a hundred percent convinced Hendrick would pay any money to get him back.
Luca heard a cry and looked up. One of the slaves had just fallen, a thin boy stumbling under the weight of the trays he was trying to carry. Luca rose to his feet as the nearby gamma unhooked the small whip from his belt. He felt a hand on his arm dragging him back down.
“Luca, no,” hissed Sam, his beta and best friend. “Don’t give Hendrick any excuse.”
Luca glanced at Sam. He knew his friend was as disgusted by the boy’s treatment as he was, but as Sam had reminded him countless times, if stopping an injustice to one led to him not becoming Alpha, he wouldn’t then be able to alter the treatment of many. This greater good argument was all well and fine, but it still rankled.
Luca sank back down, his hands fisting helplessly. The boy’s sharp cry sickened him as he was pushed in front of the gamma to be taken away for punishment. Luca closed his eyes tightly, unable to watch. Hendrick was the senior Alpha of all the packs in Caedra, which technically meant he was Luca’s guardian and had the power to stop the choosing. He had the power to prevent Luca mating an omega, and if that happened the Alpha abilities wouldn’t transfer and he would be stuck waiting another year, and there were too many people, including Iris, his sister, depending on him to become Alpha for that to be allowed to happen.
Another hour and he would be officially Alpha. Ten long years he had waited for this since his father had died. Another seven since he had nearly died himself when his twin brother had attempted to poison him. Six since he had challenged his brother to mortal combat and his brother had run away, all because Luca, even though he knew better, had been unable to deliver the killing blow and simply let him disappear.
Luca watched as another slave ducked to one side, just missing the empty carafe that was flung at her in temper by Alpha Hendrick because she had been a second too slow to fill his goblet. She sidestepped Alpha Harris, who seemed to think it was a good idea to brawl with two of his betas right where the girl needed to walk between the tables, and she managed to duck behind a tree as another empty jug came sailing for her head. Luca didn’t think that one was actually meant for her though, just Alpha Malachi annoyed his favorite whisky was all gone, and taking his frustration out on anyone nearby. He searched the crowd but the gamma and the human boy had vanished.
Luca reached over for the goblet of wine.
“Don’t drink too much.” Sam sniggered. Luca rolled his eyes at him. “You don’t want to be too drunk to perform later.”
Luca eyed his friend. Sam was as nearly as tall as Luca, powerfully built as all werewolves were. His blond hair was too long as usual and he had to keep pushing it away from his face. Luca didn’t bother pointing out he needed the wine to try and stomach what was about to happen. Sam knew.