The Alpha King (Kingdom of Askara #1)(66)

About an hour later, Luca felt the first prickle in his skin before he scented anything, and knew his wolf didn’t like whatever he was doing. They were heading up a steep rise and expected to sight the other wolves as soon as they reached the top. “They are close, Sam,” Luca said. “We will see them as we get to the top.”

“You can scent them?” Sam inhaled.

“No, but my wolf knows they are there.” Sam had the grace to twist his lips in an approximation of a smile. Luca pushed on and heard the horses’ hooves coming towards them just as he reached the top with Sam at his side.

Elliot had been wrong about the number. Luca would have guessed at around thirty maximum, plus an equal number of human guards. It was odd. They seemed to be camped in the middle of nowhere. When the first cry went up, he knew they had been spotted, and he signaled for Sam to stop. Around ten gammas immediately mounted their horses and they all started galloping towards them. Luca fixed his gaze on the one who was leading and with a sigh swung his leg around and jumped down from the horse, passing the reins to Sam.

“Luca...” Sam breathed out but Luca knew it wasn’t in admonishment. There was no warning for him not to dismount; he just whispered Luca’s name in shock, as stunned as Luca was resigned. In some part of him Luca had always known this day would happen.

The lead gamma reined his horse in sharply, his features mirroring the same surprise as Sam’s, and without a word threw his own reins in a replication of Luca’s actions, dismounted, and took a step towards him. Head tilted, gray eyes flashing in anger, the wolf stopped and drew himself up.

“Well, well,” drawled the werewolf, “aren’t you a little far from home, brother?”

Luca stared at Kieran and the familiar instant anger and bitter sense of betrayal filled his gut. Luca threw back his head and let out a deafening howl. Dominance and power echoed in the powerful sound, never heard before coming from a still-human throat. Luca snapped his mouth closed as birds screeched and flew in complete panic. Sam struggled to keep both horses together, and some of the guards lost theirs as they bolted. Every wolf froze.

“On your knees,” Luca snarled the demand, and he was certain every wolf and human heard it. Kieran’s face changed as wolves dropped where they stood, the humans seconds behind them.

“W-What?” Kieran looked around, his bravado dissipating quickly.

“I said kneel.” The words directed at Kieran were no less forceful because they were quieter and as Luca ended with a growl the ground shook. There was only one wolf left standing except Sam when Luca closed his mouth a second time, and as awe registered on Kieran’s face Luca tipped his chin up so his tattoo was clearly visible.

Kieran nearly fell, but then took a step back and dropped to one knee and bent his head.

Luca stared at his brother, trying to temper his anger. “What are you doing here?”

Kieran raised his head. “I am a beta to Alpha Cain.”

“His beta?” Luca snapped out.

“One of many,” Kieran added hurriedly. “I am responsible for the border with Perse.” He hesitated and swallowed nervously. Nearly identical gray eyes stared at Luca. “You are the King?” The disbelief was apparent in his voice.

“Do you doubt me?” Luca snapped back. He couldn’t afford to look weak in front of the rest of the wolves.

Kieran shook his head slowly. “Forgive me,” he whispered. “I was stupid—stupid, and incredibly jealous. Our father, even when he was alive, had no time for me, but I had no idea Karik was going to stab you. We just wanted to make you sick and look foolish in front of Hendrick. I was hoping he might name me Alpha-heir.” He lowered his head. “And even when you nearly lost your life, you spared mine.”

Luca swallowed the lump in his throat. When they were young he never thought it possible to love another as fiercely as he did his brother. They were inseparable. It had only gone wrong when their father had died. And Kieran was right, their father had favored Luca because he was the heir. With the ignorance of childhood, he’d just never thought about it.

“It was the biggest mistake of my life, and I have wanted to come home every day,” Kieran continued.

Maybe today especially should be about new beginnings? Luca held out his hand and Kieran clasped it gratefully. They stared at each other for the count of about five seconds then Luca pulled Kieran into his arms and felt the sob that shook his shoulders. They stayed still for a moment and then reluctantly drew apart.

“I march on Neira,” Luca said. “There are many wrongs I have to put right.”

The moisture in Kieran’s eyes made them glitter. “You were always one for crusades.”

“Do you think Cain will surrender?”

Kieran nodded. “Absolutely. There is no wolf who won’t submit.”

“I was told there is a beta-commander running things.”

Kieran frowned. “Then you know more than me. He has three beta-commanders and I wouldn’t say any has more power than the other.”

“What are you doing here?”

“We have been having trouble with a local group of human militia and followed them. I split my men...” Kieran lowered his voice. “I have humans amongst them and I can’t trust them to discipline their own kind. Alain, the beta-commander from the eastern border, has taken the gammas and hopes to cut them off.” Kieran frowned. “You are lucky you didn’t encounter them. They must have gone nearly straight past you but I guess they could have kept to the trees.”