The Alpha King (Kingdom of Askara #1)(6)

What was he doing? The boy was human. Luca felt his wolf growl possessively as the thought of leaving entered his mind. The animal’s reactions outside had confused him. Wolves took humans as lovers, but not mates—it was forbidden, and one of their oldest laws. A sentence of death was always threatened to the unfortunate human concerned. He looked carefully at Tara and tried to sense any attraction. Was it possible she was his omega and giving him this power and he simply hadn’t realized it because the sexual attraction wasn’t there? Sam had referred to the boy as his mate, but surely there was another explanation?

Luca very gently lowered him down and even more carefully rolled him close. He kept one hand anchored on his side and couldn’t help reaching out with the other and caressed Kit’s pale cheek with a feather-light touch. Tara gasped, making him look up. “What is it?”

Tara shook her head even as she shuddered. “It’s his back, Sire. It carries the scars of many whippings. I’ll go get him some water.” She ran out of the room. Luca let out a long sigh.

“Are you scaring your subjects?”

Luca quickly glanced down at the sound of Kit’s whisper, then he knelt on the floor to become level with him. He brushed a lock of hair from his eyes. “You are hurt,” he said, somewhat inadequately.

Kit smiled weakly. “I am used to it.”

“Not anymore,” Luca said determinedly.

“My King will keep me safe, will he?” He was teasing. Luca knew he was teasing.

Kit was trembling. He looked up as Tara walked back into the room with a bowl and some cloths. Tara knelt down at the side of the bed and dipped a cloth in the water. “I’m sorry...”

“Kit,” Luca supplied.

Tara smiled and laid a cautious hand on Kit’s arm. “I have to clean it, but it’s going to hurt.”

Luca took Kit’s hand. “Just look at me,” he said quietly.

Kit blinked. “Yes, Sire.” Kit opened his eyes wide at the touch of the water on his skin, his face a mask of pain. Luca couldn’t stand it. He itched to pull Kit into his chest. He felt every hurt that shone in those gorgeous blue eyes. Kit opened his mouth silently at Tara’s touch.

“Look at me,” Luca commanded, staring into Kit’s pain-filled eyes. “Keep looking at me.” He saw Kit shiver and watched as his eyes welled, but Kit never said a word. “Nearly finished,” he whispered as Kit blinked his eyes furiously, his lip wobbling.

Kit was trembling. His teeth were chattering. “S-sire?”

“Yes.” Luca leaned forward as Kit moved restlessly. “Try and lie still. Give your back a chance to heal,” Luca urged.

Kit blinked at him. The dark circles under his eyes were a testament to his exhaustion. “So cold,” he whispered.

“Let me,” Luca said, and without another thought he slipped one arm under Kit’s legs and another around his shoulders and lifted him carefully, blankets as well, sliding until he sat on the bed and Kit was curled up in his arms. Luca made sure Kit was tilted into his chest so his back was free. He wished desperately with everything in him he could take Kit’s pain. Kit looked at him in astonishment as if he had spoken and then his eyes closed on a deep sigh. He felt the soft bundle in his arms relax and go limp. “I think he passed out. Try and finish it quickly,” he urged Tara.

Tara nodded and lifted the blanket that Kit was wrapped in. She gasped and her astonished eyes lifted to Luca. “Sire.”

Luca swallowed. “What is it?” His stomach dipped. Something was wrong.

“It’s his back. It’s healed.”

“What?” Luca stared in astonishment as Tara lifted the blanket to one side. Kit was so slight Luca could peer over his back and see the flawless brown skin. No cuts and no scars.

“You healed him,” Tara said in awe.

Luca scoffed. “I don’t think I did. I don’t have any abilities like that.”

“You do now, Sire.” Gabriel spoke quietly, coming into the room with Sam. “When the pure omega and Alpha King meet their powers are manifested. A pure omega, even though he has ten times—a hundred times—more ability than other omegas, he or she does not receive his gifts until he finds his King and both are of an age to mate. No one would have known Kit was even an omega until he met you.”

It’s impossible. Or was it? Could he be an omega? Even if he accepted that, the rest was still unbelievable. “But he cannot be an omega,” Luca said. “He’s—”

“Human?” Gabriel finished, smiling. Luca nodded. “Actually, the ancient teachings have it that the first ever pure omega was human. It was supposed to be the gift that would bring our two species together. Omegas are exclusively wolf. Pure omegas however have only ever been human, and are untouched by many human frailties. Greed, selfishness, hate. They are supposed to be the embodiment of pure love. Much of our history has been buried. Some accidentally—wars and such confusion. Some—like this—very deliberately.”

“How do you know?” Luca asked, completely stunned.

“I am a scholar, Highness. It is my greatest wish to restock the great library.” Luca lifted his eyebrows. The great library housed in Neira City, the capital of territory one—Niandes—had been ransacked some four hundred years ago. Gabriel took a breath. “Sire, I have some other things you need to know and interesting details about pure omegas, including direct evidence that many powerful Alphas deliberately hid and altered facts out of fear it would give the human rebels any sort of encouragement.”