The Alpha's Concubine (Historical Shifter Romance)

by Claudia King

  Erech put his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek once more, whispering something into her ear. She smiled at him, and he leaned back with a laugh, turning to the young male sitting to his other side and trying to attract his attention with a caress that seemed every bit as intimate as the ones he had lavished on Netya.

  She sighed and leaned back, tilting her chin up to the sky as she watched the sparks of the fire swirl up toward the stars. The night was only just beginning, and she had much more to enjoy. All around the camp the music of lovers filled the air. Bodies twined together as couples met couples, some not even seeming to care whether it was a man or a woman they joined with as they indulged with an openness Netya had rarely experienced. She felt a kinship with these people, even if it was only for this one night. She was not an outsider, only one of many lovers, just like the rest of them.

  On the other side of the fire Vaya had another girl's hair curled around her fist, the pair of them making more noise than most of the camp combined. Netya could not quite tell whether they were fighting or making love, but neither seemed to care either way.

  Nearer by, Fern and her partner knelt in the grass like two wild wolves, their passionate cries joining the chorus as the male mounted her from behind. Netya watched them for a while, feeling no more reserve as she simply enjoyed the sights and sounds of the celebration, making Fern's pleasure her own. The tug in her lower belly intensified, longing for consummation.

  Fern and her partner finally collapsed into a panting, purring heap, their passionate kisses continuing even as the climax of their shared pleasure drained away. Teeth tugged at lips and ears, and they seemed to lose themselves in the moment until Fern finally noticed Netya watching them, and beckoned her over.

  "You must enjoy Jale too, while you still have the energy for him," she said breathlessly. "Or I will not be able to get him off me all night."

  Though her partner did not understand what she said, he seemed intent on proving Fern's point regardless, nuzzling into her neck again impatiently until she was forced to drive him away with a playful shove.

  Netya knelt down beside them, and Fern took the opportunity to draw her into a kiss, distracting Jale's attention for a brief moment. This time Netya felt more heat in the act, and she kissed her friend back with greater passion than she had been able to muster in the tent. A moment later Jale's hands embraced the pair of them, drawing both females close to his chest as he kissed one, then the other, his impatient lips lingering on Netya's mouth a little longer than Fern's as he savoured her new taste.

  Suddenly the free joining of males with males and females with females no longer seemed so strange to Netya. She soon began to lose track of which hands on her body were Fern's and which were Jale's. Their shared kisses and caresses shared the same passion, carrying with them the same promise of pleasure. The three of them sank into a tangle on the grass.

  It was not the fervent, lust-driven coupling that the two females had shared with their initial partners, but a slower, more inquisitive act. Before long a new pair of hands settled on Netya's shoulders, and the familiar feeling of Erech's breath tickled across her cheek. The young male he had been with also joined them, and soon all five had melded wordlessly into one. Hands caressed their way from one body to the next, stroking the firm manhood of one male before sliding to the shoulder of another, lips finding a breast, a navel, or tasting the sweet flavour of lovemaking as they strayed to more intimate places.

  Netya lost track of the minutes passing, letting the concerns that worried her in the waking world drift off as though she really had stepped into a place of dreams. It was not even the pleasure—though she experienced much of it as she lay pressed between the chests of two of the panting males—but the exotic, otherworldly quality of the evening, and the feeling that she had stepped into the body of a different girl. She was no longer Netya of the Village, but Netya of the Moon People. She could not help but grin when she thought of it. She almost believed that she, too, might harbour an inner wolf like them, joining in with the feral growls of pleasure that spilled from her partners' lungs every time they convulsed in a moment of climax.

  So relaxed and undemanding was the pace of the evening that Netya did not grow exhausted or tender as she often did with Khelt. She was not sure how much time had passed once the passions of their small group stilled, but she and Fern took the opportunity to extract themselves, doing their best to correct their tangled hair as they joined some of the others to eat and drink.

  The lavish feast that had been prepared over the preceding days was almost as enticing as the carnal delights of the celebration, and some of the pack members seemed even more preoccupied with the food than the lovemaking. Netya enjoyed the brief respite, even managing to take pleasure in a small amount of the Moon People's fiery and bitter drink once she had mixed it with a cup of berry-flavoured water.

  "Once we have found our partners we often break apart from the main gathering," Fern explained as they ate. "Then we go to the smaller fires, and claim one for the rest of the night."

  "If we are not exhausted before then," Netya laughed.

  "Oh, but if you make it to the morning's light you shall be blessed with a year of good fortune! The spirits of new life that surround us tonight will linger close to your body, making it ready for motherhood until the time of the next celebration. I am sure the alpha would want you to try your best to see the sun rise."

  Netya's brow furrowed. The thought of bearing children was an uncomfortable reminder of her earlier conversation with Adel. She was not at all sure whether she wanted to receive such a blessing.

  "Will we claim a fire with Erech and the others, then?" she asked, distracting herself from the unwanted thoughts.

  But Fern did not reply, her response hovering on her lips as she clutched the other girl's arm and stared past her. Netya turned to look, and she too tensed in expectation at the sight of Caspian striding across the clearing.

  "Perhaps we will not need to," Fern whispered, her excitement plain to hear as she adjusted the beads in her hair and straightened up, putting her food aside as the handsome male drew near.

  It seemed Caspian had not been intending to join the festivities that evening, as he was still half-dressed in his leggings, with a loose stole of animal skin hanging from his shoulders. Clothed or not, he was still striking enough to make Netya a little giddy at the prospect of sharing the rest of the evening with him.

  He smiled at the pair of females as he passed by, collecting a cup of water to sip as he cast his eyes over the gathering.

  "I am glad you decided to join us, Caspian," Fern slipped in quickly, and for the first time in her life Netya cursed herself for not being so forward in attracting a male's attention. It was clear just by glancing around that they were not the only ones who had taken notice of the most desirable male in the pack.

  "The mood took me," he replied, before sitting down on the opposite side of their log seat. "Have you been enjoying your first summer fires, Netya?"

  "Yes," she said, a little more quietly than she'd intended as the confidence of the glowing girl seemed to desert her. "It has been very... very enlightening. None of my people's celebrations are anything like this."

  Caspian nodded. "That's good to hear. Will you be taking her to one of the fires soon, Fern?"

  "Not yet," the other girl replied in a hurry. "The night is still fresh, after all. What about you? Have your eyes happened upon anything they fancy?"

  Her teasing tone made Netya envious once again, and she wished she had the guile to know how to entice men so effortlessly. But despite Fern's provocative words Caspian only smiled, looking down into his drink as though the flattery made him uncomfortable.

  "Many things," he said. "But one will be enough for me this evening."

  Netya wrestled with herself, searching for a way she might simultaneously pry into whether she was one of the things he desired while also making her words as alluring as Fern's. The response seemed on
the tip of her tongue, but just as it began to take shape Caspian rose to his feet and strode away through the gathering, his attention wandering to new potential partners.

  The pair of them watched the male as he made a slow circuit of the area around the central fire. He did not appear to speak to many of the others, taking his time as he watched them one by one, his eyes taking in each female with a short, intense gaze. It was nothing like the hungry, lust-filled looks Erech and the others had given Netya. It reminded her of the spark that had passed between them before, and it made her shiver all over again. He did not seem to be seeking out anything anywhere near as simple as what the other males craved that evening.

  After completing his agonisingly long circuit, he finally paused and approached a timid-looking girl whose pale golden hair was almost the colour of snow. He beckoned her aside, retreating to one of the log seats almost out of sight, and took the girl into his lap. He brought his lips close to her ear, head bowed as he spoke in whispers.

  A long sigh left Fern's lips as she rested her chin on Netya's shoulder. "I suppose neither of us will get our wish this year."

  Netya's heart sank a little. As much as she reminded herself that it was a small thing to be concerned over, she couldn't help but feel disappointed that Caspian had not chosen her. She wanted to stare into those eyes again. Hear him speak to her in a way he spoke to no one else. Slide past his reserved exterior and feel the intensity of what lay within.

  "But you are lucky," Fern continued. "Now Liyanthe will be the one to attract every other woman's jealousy."

  "Why do you suppose he chose her?" Netya asked.

  "Who can say!" Fern flung her arms in the air and slumped off the log, landing on her back as she sprawled across the grass. "I think he could have the den mother himself if he desired, so it must not be beauty that enthrals him. He makes odd choices."

  The girl on Caspian's lap seemed entranced. She had been shaking when he first took her aside, but now her hands were still, and she hung on every word that was whispered into her ear.

  "And she is very timid," Netya mused.

  "As timid as a female can be. Liyanthe was too afraid to accept any partner at all last year. The first man she was with did not claim her womanhood gently."

  "Would Caspian be gentle?"

  Fern sat back up, looking over as the handsome male slipped away quietly with his chosen partner, leading her by the hand in the direction of his tent. "Perhaps she will tell us tomorrow."

  Netya gave voice to a sigh of her own, and Fern shot her a wry smile.

  "Now we have become the jealous ones," she said, then jumped to her feet with a laugh and tugged at Netya's arm. "Next year! We already have our own men to return to this evening, do we not?"

  The rest of the night burned by in the orange blaze of the fires, their heat reflecting the warmth of Netya's soul as the pyres were left to burn slowly down hour by hour. She and Fern joined their three male partners and retreated to one of the small fires at the back of the outcrop, a secluded spot overhung by the rocky caves above. While their desires still burned hot they piled together in a passionate tangle once again, each of them enjoying all four others at the same time until their lust was spent and they rolled away in exhaustion.

  It was not just a night of lovemaking, though, and while the five of them rested Netya tried to teach the males a few words of her own language, while they in turn coaxed her into saying things that brought them great mirth, and which Fern teasingly refused to translate for her. She was glad to make them laugh. It had been many weeks since she enjoyed sitting up with a group of companions her age as she lost herself in silly, pointless talk. All other thoughts were forgotten as the night passed by, good humour and companionship interspersed with deeply satisfying pleasure as she slipped in and out of intimate embraces. Even when her body finally began to protest and the space within her ached, she still allowed herself to be taken by her partners several more times before the sun peeked over the horizon. After all, it was only for one night.

  Her exhaustion became a heavy tingle that weighed upon her body in all of the most satisfying ways, and it was a bittersweet ending to the celebration when their fire finally collapsed into coals and the first chilly brush of morning wind caressed her skin. The night spirits that had seemed thick in the air drifted away along with the sweet scent of the fires, and at the light of dawn the camp returned from its otherworldly journey back to its place of origin on the earthen plains.

  Tired and spent, Netya curled up beside the dying fire as Fern wrapped a warm bearskin around them. Though she was sad to see them go, she returned from the embrace of the summer fires with their warmth still burning within her.

  The girl hiding beneath Netya's skin had awoken, and that girl belonged with the Moon People.

  —17—

  The Storm

  So preoccupied was Netya with her newfound sense of self among the pack that she spared little thought for the future in the weeks that followed. It had been a long, exhilarating summer, full of discovery and the kind of adventure she had never truly believed she would experience back home in the village. Even the word home seemed strange to her now. When she was out in the wilderness she thought of home as the tent she shared with Fern. It was the warmth and safety of the outcrop, and the strong pack who lived there.

  She did not worry herself over the things that might happen months or years from now, instead enjoying the freedom of her youth as she blossomed into the woman she felt she had always been destined to be. The more she learned of the Moon People's language the closer she became with them, and before long she considered the small group she had spent the night of the summer fires with her friends. Erech in particular seemed very fond of her, and despite barely being able to communicate with Netya he often spent long afternoons by her side, teaching her how to snare fish in the river or allowing her to ride on his wolf's back as he showed her the more remote and dangerous paths through the surrounding land. The young man respected that she was his alpha's female, however, and not once did he try to entice her into his bed, though the desire in his eyes was sometimes plain to see.

  The day after the celebration Netya and Fern had attempted to coax Liyanthe into sharing the details of her night with Caspian, but the girl was so shy all she could do was blush and smile. The longing looks she sent his way spoke volumes on their own, but Netya was still desperately curious, and more than a little jealous every time she and the other girl crossed paths.

  But she had no reason to be jealous, she reminded herself often. Khelt still took her to his bed and left her exhaustingly satisfied every few nights, and sometimes even during the days when his time was unoccupied. And yet, he was still the alpha. As the weeks passed she could not shake the feeling that the man whose bed she shared was a leader first and a lover second. It was not that their couplings lacked intimacy. Khelt was as wild and free as the wolf within him during their lovemaking, and when they spoke before and afterwards he always seemed honest and direct with her. In many ways he was the only person besides Fern that she felt able to speak with about almost anything. She would wake some mornings to see him watching her with a wistful look on his face, only for it to vanish a moment later as the steel of the alpha returned to his eyes. He was happy to have her in his bed or on his lap by the fire, but he had never spent an afternoon teaching her how to fish, or wandering the meadows at her side without point or purpose.

  Netya reminded herself to be happy she had been claimed by such a man. In many ways it was as much and more than she had ever wanted, and yet still something seemed beyond her reach. She did not understand what it was, but in those brief moments she caught him watching her in the mornings, it almost felt close enough for her to reach out and grasp it.

  She tried her best to forget about the bag of herbs Adel had given her, preferring to pretend that it had never happened. Without the temptation she had nothing to feel guilty about, and her worries about bearing the alpha's child were someth
ing she could push away into the distant future. It had not happened yet, and that was enough to keep her content.

  The bag stashed in its hiding place had almost slipped her mind completely by the time the rains came. She and Fern spent all day rearranging their tent in preparation for the wet season, chipping fresh logs from the northern forests into pointed stakes that could be driven into the ground to suspend hammocks from. The hammocks themselves were something Netya had never seen before, and she watched in fascination as Fern showed her how they laced long, sturdy strips of animal hide together in a cross-hatched pattern that could be unfastened and stored away again once the rainy season passed.

  They banked their fire up on a platform of stones and tied together new racks of sticks to keep their belongings off the ground in the case of water seeping in. If the weather became too bad they would retreat to one of the earth lodges or the communal winter caves, Fern said, but she and Netya were in agreement that they would rather keep their private space if they could. Sharing a dwelling with someone like Vaya and her snide hunting companions for weeks on end was not a prospect Netya relished.

  "Will you take these back to the seers for me?" Fern said as she took a pair of pouches from one of her racks and handed them to the other girl. "We do not use them often, and they will only spoil in the damp."

  Netya accepted the bags of dried medicine and stepped out of the tent, pausing as she was finally reminded of the other precious bag in her possession. She glanced over in the direction of the rocks where she had stashed it, curling her toes into the grass as she worked her jaw back and forth in contemplation. If she left it there it would likely spoil too in the damp weather. But what did that matter? She had not used any of the herbs. She would rather forget they existed entirely. Surely it would be better to leave them there so that the temptation was gone for good? It was already far too late for her to give the bag back to the seers without questions being asked. And yet...