The Alpha King (Kingdom of Askara #1)(57)

She swallowed visibly, shot a fearful glance at Kit, and jumped down. Chin up, she glared at her brother defiantly. He swiped a hand over his eyes and groaned. “Taheesha, what in Sorin’s light am I gonna do with you?”

Kit took a step forward and opened his arms. Taheesha flew at him, but slowed a second before she would have connected too sharply. Kit buried his head in her neck and all his aches seemed to fade away. “Have you eaten anything?”

Taheesha risked a quick look at her brother. “I managed to sneak out twice and get some food, but I had to stay as human.” Luca shook his head and opened his mouth but caught Kit’s look.

She meant well.

Luca stared. It’s dangerous.

Kit could hear the worry in Luca’s voice. You have no choice. We have come too far and it would be risky splitting us up to send anyone back with her.

“You’re doing that talking thing, aren’t you?” Taheesha said suspiciously, and pressed herself closer to Kit.

“She’s cold, Luca,” Kit said worriedly. Werewolves ran at higher temperatures than humans. Taheesha not regulating her body temperature meant she hadn’t eaten properly, probably since they left. Luca sighed, then he opened his arms and Taheesha ran full speed into them. Kit gestured to Henry. “What have we got left?”

Sam stepped forward. “No, she needs meat, Luca. She needs to shift.”

Luca nodded and took her hand. He walked around the back of the cart and in seconds he padded out straight up to Kit. His huge white muzzle pushed into Kit’s chest. Kit scratched his ears absently. “You are enormous,” he said with feeling. Another head butted him gently and he turned. “Wow,” he said admiringly. Taheesha was beautiful. Her shiny coat was a deep russet red with similar white flecks to Luca’s down all four legs. Another wolf, a deep gray, came padding out from behind the tree. “Sam?” Kit asked. The wolf sneezed and everyone laughed. Kit yawned and looked at Asher as all three ran off. “We’d better see if we can hunt for another blanket.” He knew Luca would have Taheesha sleep with them. He wouldn’t let either of them out of his sight now.

Kit was yawning like mad by the time everything was cleared away. Asher stopped him arranging the cooking stuff for the second time by taking everything out of his hands. “Why don’t you go and lay down.” He nodded to the cart.

Sascha heard him. “They’ll be a while. If she hasn’t eaten properly for a few days they will want her to stay shifted as a precaution. I expect they may hunt for us to take something tomorrow. Luca will restrict the hunting once we get into Niandes. He’ll want everyone to stay together.” Sascha turned to Nial. “Is there anything we need to do with the horses?”

Kit yawned again and decided to go pee before he got into bed. He quickly stepped away and stood behind a bush before Asher noticed he was gone and came looking for him. He was just buttoning his pants when he heard a footfall behind him. He had a second of panic and then a large arm came around the front of his neck and clamped his mouth.

“Be quiet.” The point of something sharp pressed into his belly and Kit froze. The baby.

Heart hammering, Kit stumbled as he was pushed out from behind the bush.

Asher whipped around and Sascha stiffened, a snarl coming from his throat, but before he could do anything the man holding Kit shouted. “Everybody lay down on the ground and if I see so much as claw I’ll slit his throat.”

Gabriel came running up, only to stop when he caught sight of Kit. Kit trembled and he looked at the two gammas—Nial and another gamma nearest to him—in confusion as they ignored the instruction. Sascha had been too far away but there were at least those two who were barely a few feet from the bush. They must have smelled the man.

The voice behind him grunted again. “Here, take him.”

Another human grabbed Kit and he jerked in shock as the human silently took his own knife from his belt and grabbed Kit, pulling him close, the knife against his throat.

“What the fuck?” Asher went to rise but one of the gammas jumped up and before Kit could so much as shout out for Asher to stay still, the gamma slashed with his dagger into Asher’s side.

“No,” Kit cried as Asher bent over in pain, his hands clutching his side. There was a slight noise from the tree line and around ten men stepped out, all holding knives, swords, or make-shift spears. Each of the two nearest gammas stood and all looked at the man who had caught Kit as if they were waiting instruction.

“What are you doing?” Kit struggled. He knew the man was human. “We haven’t done anything to you.”

“Done anything?” The man repeated incredulously. “How about the enslaving of sentient beings? Torture, starvation? And the butchering of ninety-seven men, women, and children?”

Kit registered the horror in the man’s words at the same time as he guessed who he was. He didn’t dare look over to where he knew Darrin was still with the horses.

The man turned on Kit and took in the bulge in Kit’s belly. ‘When I heard I thought it was the drunken ramblings of a scout.”

“Who are you?” Kit asked wanting his suspicion confirmed.

The man leaned forward as if he were going to whisper, but everyone in the camp heard what he said. “Christoph Tor. Leader of The Human Alliance, and the human who is going to show your so-called King what it feels like to lose a son.”