The Alpha King (Kingdom of Askara #1)(71)

Kit’s heart dropped. “I hoped he would be with you?”

Sam shook his head. “They hit me and when I woke up I was in here.”

Kit quickly told Sam where he was and what was going on outside. Sam silently took the keys from Kit and motioned Kit to keep behind him. They found Luca in the third cell, and Kit’s heart almost gave out when he saw him. He was unconscious, pale, covered in blood, and had an obvious wound behind all the crusted and dried blood stuck to his shirt. He was tied in the chains held together by a lock, which meant if he was conscious, he could barely move.

“I need him to shift,” Sam whispered and tried all the keys in the lock with no success.

Kit leaned over and closed his eyes, putting both hands on either side of Luca’s cheeks.

Luca. My love. Please shift. You need to shift. I need you. Ari and Adera need you, Neira needs you. Askara needs her King. Please.

“Well, well,” drawled a voice behind Kit. Sam swung around only to be stopped as three guards all raised their guns. A man stepped close and looked Kit up and down. “So, you’re the omega,” he mused. “I must say I expected something a little more impressive.”

Kit stared into the gray eyes. “You’re his brother. How could you?”

Kieran sneered. “How could I what? Put up with never being strong enough, fast enough, or clever enough?”

“Your father’s sins are not Luca’s.”

Kieran grabbed Kit’s arm. “Oh, yes they most certainly are. All my life I had it rammed down my throat that I would never be the Alpha-heir, and for what? Seven fucking minutes! Because he was born first. I even shifted first. My wolf was always the more powerful. It should have been mine, and now I’m going to take what rightfully belongs to me.” He gestured to Luca. “Bring him.”

Kit and Sam were dragged out and one of the gammas hoisted Luca onto his shoulder. Kit struggled, hearing the small hurt sound from Luca as he was manhandled. Kieran turned back sharply and lifted his hand. The blow to Kit’s jaw would have sent him reeling if he wasn’t being dragged along by the guards. Kit could hear the noise as they got to the top of the stairs, and it was louder as they reached the entrance.

Kit gaped in astonishment. The crowd was huge. Humans, wolves, all shouting. He recognized Gabriel take a step forward and shout, “Bring us the Alpha King!” He looked to his right and left and the shout was quickly copied by those around him.

“The Alpha King!” the crowd roared. “Bring us the King!”

Kieran took a step and held up his hand for silence. “I am the King,” he roared. The jeering that followed clearly wasn’t what he was expecting. He held his hand out again for silence but before he could speak, a defiant voice rang out from the crowd.

“We want the one true King. Luca. Luca Hightower is our King.” It was Christoph.

Kit saw Kieran’s face change when he recognized him. “Luca is no king. Look!” he screamed and dragged the gamma who was carrying Luca forward. He dumped Luca unceremoniously to the ground where he lay still, and the crowd’s cries fell silent. They were all staring in shock. “We know an Alpha King can heal people. This impostor cannot even heal himself.”

“You know that’s not true,” Kit shouted. “You fooled him because he is your brother.” He turned to the crowd. “This man shot your King.”

The boos and shouts rose from the crowd quickly and Kieran grabbed Kit tightly. “I will prove he is no king,” Kieran screamed. “This human impostor claims he is the King’s omega. Everyone knows there is no such thing as a human omega, but I will give them one chance.” The crowd was silent. “This human impostor will be put to death. If he is the true King’s omega then the King will save his life.”

Kit froze. He was barely aware of sudden fights breaking out in the crowd. Sascha being overpowered by three of Kieran’s gammas. Then, sudden gunfire and the cry of a woman. “Stop,” he shouted. “Everyone stop. Enough people have lost their lives already in this senseless war.” He held his head up high. “I accept your challenge because death doesn’t frighten me. I am the Alpha King’s pure omega and I cannot die by another’s hand.”

Kit closed his eyes and focused deep inside his heart. The special place his love for Luca was. How he had questioned that love the day of the games when he had run from him, doubted what was in Luca’s own heart when he should have known all along. He heard the sound of the drawn steel, but he had no fear for Kieran’s sword. Nothing could ever hurt him while ever he had Luca’s love to keep him safe.

The blade was cold. For a second Kit didn’t even realize he had been stabbed until he tried to breathe but instead of air, liquid seemed to bubble in his mouth. Screams and shouts rose from the crowd. The gammas holding him let go and he slid to the ground and his eyes fluttered shut.

“You see?” Kieran taunted. “Your so called Alpha King still lies at my feet, and his omega is dying by my hand.”

So many people needed Luca. The poor, the desperate, the hungry, and the weak. Their babies. The children who had no one to stop them having to put their hands in boiling water. Kit lifted his hand. It was red. His dreams were always red. Red was the color of death and he had seen enough of it. He reached out in his mind and poured all the love he had in his heart into every word. It was true, so many people did need Luca. But just for this second Luca’s omega needed him more.