Free Taken by the Alpha Viking by Sara Mason

Taken By The Alpha Viking
     
    He had all that he could take, and he couldn’t take much more. Behind him stood the King of the Vikings, a man that took what he wanted and made no apologies. The day started out like any other, but it would end with the King of the Viking’s taking the men of the village for his own pleasure.
    Asger stood on the beach, staring towards the sea. It had become his morning ritual, and the day couldn’t start unless he had the sea air in his lungs. Asger, the last son of the former king, was forced to give up his title and his right to the crown, but that didn’t bother him. He was never cut out to be a prince, and he would never be ready to rule. But, sometimes when he felt the sand beneath his feet, he wondered what it would be like to wear the crown that his father was forced to relinquish.
    4 years before this day, his father was viciously struck down by one of his most trusted guards. Asger fled the city in search of sanctuary, and he quickly found a new home in a neighboring town. Since his father fell, there has been a vacuum of power, and more than a few have tried to fill the void.
    Asger, now a simple blacksmith, didn’t wish to lay claim to any throne. He was a terrible royal, but there are few greater blacksmiths in all the land, and he was glad to have finally found something that he enjoyed.
    Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths. Seagulls flew overhead in search of a meal. Waves crashed against the nearby cliff-face. And young children chased each other with sticks. It was a simple life, but one he enjoyed.
    Realizing the time, Asger turned his back on the sea and made his way back towards the city. His old city, his father’s kingdom, was rarely as quiet. His father’s constant need for power led him to expand his borders, but his lust and greed only brought him new enemies.
    Asger reached the door of his shop and paused for a moment. The busy street was full of life. His father often told him that the only way to rule was through fear and intimidation. But the king of this village, his king, preferred to rule with love and kindness instead.
    The city was free from war and tyranny. It was as calm as the sea on a summer's day, but a storm had been brewing from the moment that steel first pierced his father’s skin, and the tranquil mornings that he enjoyed on the beach were coming to an end.
    Asger walked into his shop and slammed the door behind him, but the bang of the wood wasn’t enough to mask the screams. He opened the door and was greeted by the same youthful faces that he’d seen on the beach, but this time they weren’t chasing each other with sticks. No. Instead, they were running from men brandishing steel.
    Reaching out, Asger grabbed a boy by the scruff of the neck and pulled him inside. Realizing that there was no time to save another, Asger closed the door and pressed his back against the oak. The smell of ash replaced the sea air. The blue sky began to turn amber from the flames.
    It was only a matter of time until the torch reached his own thatched roof, and Asger had no intention of spending his last moments surrounded by hellfire.
    Tossing the young man over his shoulder, Asger darted for the backdoor. He knew that there was little hope for either of them, but he daren’t let the boy see the fear etched across his face.
    Peering out the backdoor, Asger waited until the coast was clear and darted towards the sea. He wasn’t a strong swimmer, and the water he ran towards was almost as dangerous as the fire he was trying to flee, but he ran with the hope of finding a cave or some other kind of safe haven.
    The boy winced and cried. He begged for Asger to return to the village as he had family in need of rescue, but the words were unheeded.
    With the sea in sight, Asger quickened his pace, but it was to no avail. A towering brute jumped in front of him as he tried to dash forward. Asger bounced off of his burly chest and fell to the floor. Dazed,