harder.
Closing my eyes, I give in to the bliss as I come down her throat. For that single moment, I am no longer burdened with the fall of our once-great clan nor my father’s warmongering ways.
Then it is over, and a growl rouses me from that brief peace.
Mara squeals happily as Danon scoops her up. Tossing the lass over his shoulder, he stalks for his room.
I sigh as I shove my cock back into my pants before taking another sup of beer.
“You should take her before it’s too late,” my father says.
I growl.
He grins. Little fazes my father, certainly not my disrespect.
The bastard knows I am keen on the little Ralston Beta. A foolish slip on my part one night while drunk when I spilled my feelings to Danon, who, in turn, told our father.
“She is too young,” I say.
“If you wait, then she will be given over to an Alpha in their clan, and you will need to fight for her. Not that there’s anything wrong with challenging for what you want. I killed your mother’s betrothed, and she was ever grateful for it.”
I could point out that my mother’s betrothed was a worse bastard than my father by all accounts. She was an Omega born to Beta parents and revealed her dynamic late. Her road to claiming was not an easy one. I am not my father, and I will not claim a lass unless she agrees. Jack Ralston is unlikely to hand Jessa over to any male she does not accept willingly, for it is not the way of their clan.
I don’t offer my opinion.
Tonight, I am tired of it all.
I have spent the day negotiating only to have all the good work undone by a selfish warrior claiming a Halket lass as his mate. It is but the beginning, I realize. Now that one has stolen a lass and gotten away with it, more will follow his lead. Soon, we will be at war, for although old Karry, the Halket king, is every bit as weak as my father suggests, his son is not. The young warriors of the Halket clan will demand recompense.
We have lost the way of the Goddess.
We have fallen far from honorable men, and the sliding is not yet done.
The Blighten often raid the clans to replenish their slave ranks. When it last happened, I was but a boy. Barely did we get through the last raid when illness came. It was our womenfolk who paid the price. We should be working together with the other clans to protect everyone from our common enemy. Then we would not need to snatch a lass, for they would come to us willingly.
A fight breaks out on the far side of the room. Cackling, my father raises his drink, cheering them on.
I watch the men beat on one another with jaundiced eyes.
One way or another, this is coming to a head.
CHAPTER THREE
Gage
WHEN I PASS through the great hall the following day, I find my father asleep, slumped and snoring on his throne. Danon is nowhere to be seen, but a Beta whelp clearing the mess from the revelry informs me he has gone hunting.
It is typical of Danon to slink off when there are matters to be dealt with.
I go alone to speak to the Alpha who took the Halket lass. Part of me wants no involvement in this foolishness, but another part of me knows I need to face this. I ask him outright if he took the lass against her will.
He denies it. So, I speak to the lass in question.
I’m not sure what I expect to get from this. She seems shy and sweet and does not appear fearful of the Alpha. Then he slips his arm around her waist, and she blushes a pretty shade of pink. I don’t claim to have exhaustive knowledge of lasses or how they behave under duress. But there is nothing to indicate that she is seeking to pull away, and further, she peeks at her new mate under her lashes.
“You know that this might lead to war,” I say.
It is only now that the lass’ lips tremble as she meets my gaze. “My parents would not let me leave,” she says. “For they do not like the Lyon clan. I did not mean for it to come to this. Please, do not send me back.”
I sigh, now wishing that she did not want to be here, for this is sure to end poorly for all