The Alpha King (Kingdom of Askara #1)(70)

Kit watched as the crowd grew larger. Werewolves mingled with the humans and Kit caught a strong smell of coffee, nearly making him cry—he hadn’t had so much of a sip of the stuff since they had left Caedra. He sighed. No, it’s been since before I got pregnant.

Kit watched enviously as two humans each bought coffee and he stiffened as a third man walked over to them. It was Attica. He looked and he spied Henry and Ben wandering around the other vendors. He looked for Asher, but immediately dismissed the thought, knowing he wouldn’t leave Taheesha, Ari, and Adera. Kit felt a little hope flutter in his heart. Gabriel had the sense to send the humans to scout, which probably meant the werewolves and Christoph’s men were close. Kit heard a baby cry and for a second his heart stopped until her saw a woman carrying an infant and walking with another woman.

I wish you could see them, my love. I kissed them both for you this morning.

Who?

Kit started. The word had been slurred and confused, but it was Luca. Kit’s smile was huge; he wrapped his arms around himself tightly.

Luca, darling?

There was a long pause and Kit didn’t think he was going to get an acknowledgement.

Kit? I...where are you?

Outside the palace. Where are you?

I don’t know. In a room, a cellar. Underground, I think. I-I can’t shift.

Are you hurt?

Another long silence. Kieran had a gun. I can’t see Sam. Luca’s words rose a little higher and Kit could sense his panic.

We’ll find him. We’re all here, and Christoph has the humans. Why can’t you shift?

They tied me in a metal collar and it’s chained to my wrists. If I shift it will snap my neck.

Kit shivered. He knew exactly what Luca meant. He had seen it once. A werewolf who had been caught with a she-wolf promised to an Alpha. The werewolf had been sent to Arrides, and Kit had seen him trussed up in chains with a huge metal collar so that he couldn’t shift and free himself.

Another silence. I’ve failed you.

No, you haven’t. This is Kieran’s fault, not yours.

I always seem to fail to protect you.

We are going to protect each other. Kit listened but he felt Luca slipping away. Hang on. I’m coming for you, he promised. It was time to do something now that he knew roughly where Luca was. He needed a diversion. Kit took a step out from the alley, just enough so he was visible. He fixed a stare on Attica, who pretended he was looking around. Attica’s eyes narrowed and Kit knew he had been seen. He tilted his head in a beckoning gesture and Attica meandered through the vendors until he could slip into the alley.

“Are you bleedin’ mad?” he whispered. “I thought Gabriel was gonna bust something this morning when Asher told them you’d gone.”

“I need a diversion. I have to be able to get up the steps without being seen.”

Attica sighed. “The lot of you are off your bleedin’ heads.” He paused and grinned evilly. “Best lark I’ve had in ages though. Give me five minutes and be ready.” He moved away casually and soon was back at the coffee vendor. Kit had barely time to think what he was going to do when a fight erupted over by the coffee stall.

“Thief!” Attica yelled at the top of his voice and threw a punch at Henry. Henry dodged then fell, landing in the middle of the stall which went crashing to the floor. The stall holder went crazy and yanked Henry to his feet. Within seconds another three fights had broken out next to them and humans started screaming and running in panic when another stall tipped over. The gammas looked at one another, and one gestured to the two nearest the stall that also happened to be the two between Kit and the steps. More screams and the gamma standing at the top finally moved to help the other two drag the humans apart.

The second he cleared the steps, Kit ran out of his hiding place and shot up them. He was through the large doors that were open at the top and with his back to a wall out of sight within seconds. He looked around quickly and saw a wide, imposing staircase leading upstairs. There were two corridors leading away from him behind the staircase and three doors at either side of him. He had no idea where to go. Then just as he was beginning to panic a little he spied a small black door set in the corner behind the stairs, almost out of sight.

Kit shot forward just as he heard voices from down the corridor and reached the door just in time. He opened it, entered, then quickly closed, it drowning out the voices above. He was looking at narrow, descending stone steps. The staircase was dark and dim torches were fastened to the walls every few feet. This must be it. Dungeons were always underground and Lucas had said it was underground.

He went down. The stair opened into a chamber with four huge wooden doors. A small grill was cut into the top of each and iron bars set in each of them. The sound of a loud snore nearly gave him heart failure. He stared at the guard making the awful noise. The man sat in a chair next to a small table with a jug of wine and an empty glass on it. He’d propped his feet up on the table. Kit heard another noise from one of the barred doors and glanced up to see Sam’s face peering back at him. Kit felt almost giddy with relief, but put his finger to his lips to warn Sam to be quiet. The doors all had huge locks in them and Kit could see the keys fastened to a chain hanging from the guard’s belt. Kit grinned and flexed his fingers, deftly lifting them free. He hadn’t used that particular talent in a good five years.

Kit quickly unlocked the door to Sam’s cell and Sam dragged him in. “Where’s Luca?” he whispered.