The Alpha's Concubine (Historical Shifter Romance) by Claudia King Page A
Authors: Claudia King
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intended for the ears of the other man, who wore a grimace and a blank look while he waited for them to finish.
"He is not right, but he's only voicing what half the pack are thinking, Khelt," the newcomer said, glancing in the direction of the bed. "You shouldn't have taken her."
"They took Cera from us. I saw her skull there next to the others. Now I have taken one of theirs in return."
"We don't have to be like them."
"Would you rather I killed the girl?"
"Perhaps you should have let them think you did. A death can be mourned, but how can they mourn if they know she is still alive, and with their enemies?"
"They would not have the courage to come looking for her."
"And what if she has a mate of her own? Men can do foolish things in the name of love." The newcomer spoke steadily, and without the emotion of his companion. He was not trying to argue with Khelt, Netya realised.
"She does not. No man had laid claim to her."
"Good. But did you consider that before you took her?"
Khelt rubbed his forehead and sighed. "You cannot always be there to be my good conscience, Caspian."
The other man smiled. "If you have finally decided to take a female, I will not question your choice. Just know that this one has brought more danger than most, and the pack would have preferred to see you return with fresh kill instead of a consort from among our enemies."
Khelt nodded, pondering for a moment. "One way or another, we have reminded her people that they should fear us. What's done is done. I cannot change my decision now."
"Nor would I want you to, but we must be ready for the worst." Caspian inclined his head in Netya's direction. "And make sure the girl does not cause problems within the pack. Adel has already—"
"Let the witch think what she wants. I am alpha, not her." Khelt glanced at the man still waiting by the door and slipped back into his own language. Netya recognised her name being said, and some of the words almost seemed close enough to her language to make sense, but the direction of the conversation quickly lost her, and she waited patiently until the men were done speaking. Khelt threw a fur cloak over his shoulders and made to leave with the others, but just as they were about to depart he caught Caspian's arm and murmured something to him, nodding toward the bed.
Caspian said a word of agreement and remained in the den while the other two left. Netya bit her lip anxiously, already unnerved by the lack of a familiar presence.
"When you are ready you may wash in the pool," he said, picking up Netya's gown from where it had fallen beside the bed and laying it next to her. "Once you've stopped being asleep, of course."
Her cheeks warmed. She thought she'd been well hidden beneath the fur.
Caspian turned his back to her and gathered cooking supplies from the alcove behind Khelt's throne, before filling a clay pot from the gently trickling pool and resting it in the coals of the fire to heat. He paid her no more attention after that, focused on the task at hand rather than the strange girl curled up in the alpha's bed.
Netya waited a few minutes before plucking up the courage to rise from the furs and gather up her gown. Still Caspian paid her no attention, though whether it was out of respect or indifference she couldn't tell. Rather than trying to engage him in conversation she slipped out of bed and hurried over to the other side of the den, where the smaller cave with the pool hid her from view.
The water was cold, but it seemed fresh and clean, and Netya was glad for the opportunity to wash herself before dressing. Crouching in the waist-deep water, she reached down tentatively to explore the aching space between her legs. Only then did she realise that she had bled the previous night, and once again she vividly recalled the pain of Khelt's entry, and the pleasure that had then followed.
She bathed the scent of the alpha and the traces of his lovemaking from her body, then realised that she had
"He is not right, but he's only voicing what half the pack are thinking, Khelt," the newcomer said, glancing in the direction of the bed. "You shouldn't have taken her."
"They took Cera from us. I saw her skull there next to the others. Now I have taken one of theirs in return."
"We don't have to be like them."
"Would you rather I killed the girl?"
"Perhaps you should have let them think you did. A death can be mourned, but how can they mourn if they know she is still alive, and with their enemies?"
"They would not have the courage to come looking for her."
"And what if she has a mate of her own? Men can do foolish things in the name of love." The newcomer spoke steadily, and without the emotion of his companion. He was not trying to argue with Khelt, Netya realised.
"She does not. No man had laid claim to her."
"Good. But did you consider that before you took her?"
Khelt rubbed his forehead and sighed. "You cannot always be there to be my good conscience, Caspian."
The other man smiled. "If you have finally decided to take a female, I will not question your choice. Just know that this one has brought more danger than most, and the pack would have preferred to see you return with fresh kill instead of a consort from among our enemies."
Khelt nodded, pondering for a moment. "One way or another, we have reminded her people that they should fear us. What's done is done. I cannot change my decision now."
"Nor would I want you to, but we must be ready for the worst." Caspian inclined his head in Netya's direction. "And make sure the girl does not cause problems within the pack. Adel has already—"
"Let the witch think what she wants. I am alpha, not her." Khelt glanced at the man still waiting by the door and slipped back into his own language. Netya recognised her name being said, and some of the words almost seemed close enough to her language to make sense, but the direction of the conversation quickly lost her, and she waited patiently until the men were done speaking. Khelt threw a fur cloak over his shoulders and made to leave with the others, but just as they were about to depart he caught Caspian's arm and murmured something to him, nodding toward the bed.
Caspian said a word of agreement and remained in the den while the other two left. Netya bit her lip anxiously, already unnerved by the lack of a familiar presence.
"When you are ready you may wash in the pool," he said, picking up Netya's gown from where it had fallen beside the bed and laying it next to her. "Once you've stopped being asleep, of course."
Her cheeks warmed. She thought she'd been well hidden beneath the fur.
Caspian turned his back to her and gathered cooking supplies from the alcove behind Khelt's throne, before filling a clay pot from the gently trickling pool and resting it in the coals of the fire to heat. He paid her no more attention after that, focused on the task at hand rather than the strange girl curled up in the alpha's bed.
Netya waited a few minutes before plucking up the courage to rise from the furs and gather up her gown. Still Caspian paid her no attention, though whether it was out of respect or indifference she couldn't tell. Rather than trying to engage him in conversation she slipped out of bed and hurried over to the other side of the den, where the smaller cave with the pool hid her from view.
The water was cold, but it seemed fresh and clean, and Netya was glad for the opportunity to wash herself before dressing. Crouching in the waist-deep water, she reached down tentatively to explore the aching space between her legs. Only then did she realise that she had bled the previous night, and once again she vividly recalled the pain of Khelt's entry, and the pleasure that had then followed.
She bathed the scent of the alpha and the traces of his lovemaking from her body, then realised that she had
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