There is no space gate.
There is no way home.
But there is a male who can get us through this, and I intend to get him better the only way I know how. By nurturing him back to health. If that makes me an Omega, I'm good with it. I wipe his forehead with a cloth, although he doesn’t sweat. I keep him warm and under furs, although he’s still as cold as ice, and I mash the food and try to feed him like a baby, though he refuses to eat in such a way.
Hours have passed since Tayseer and Sidone left. Whispers of Montar climbing up here with a crossbow reach our ears as a male I can’t see whispers the news through the flap. Vemlox sneers at him, and the male leaves.
“Thank you!” I shout.
Vemlox glares at me.
“You’re grumpy when you’re sick,” I say, ignoring his glare, spoon at his mouth. “Open.”
He pinches his lips shut.
I tsk at him. “If you want to be strong, you have to eat.”
His mouth quirks, but he turns away.
I fling the spoon. It hits the stone, then bounces to the floor.
“Tayseer is right, you know,” Vemlox begins. “The Omega compound will thrive no matter what happens on Regha. Omegas will remain cared for under any Alpha’s rule.”
“I’m starting to think none of you knows what caring means. Impounding women, no matter how nicely you put it, is still oppressing them. Caring is when someone looks out for your best interests.”
“I can’t look out for you.”
“I don’t need you to look out for me. I need you to tell me what I can do, and I will look out for myself. You’ve lied to me from the moment you saw me.”
“I’ve also loved you from that moment.”
Oh. My. God. I have no words. What do I say to that? Thankfully, Vemlox pushes up onto his hands and leans back against the wall. He scrubs his face. “You survived the first jump with Loyo.”
I pick up the tray and put it in his lap. “Eat.”
“Mount the hound.”
“Eat the food.”
“Omega,” he says in a warning tone.
“Alpha,” I say sweetly, batting my eyelashes. “You seem to be doing better now. Eat and recover.”
“Obey!”
“Eat!”
Vemlox is fast. His hand flies out and grabs the back of my neck, bringing our faces inches apart. “For once, I will speak the truth. Loyo will take you back to the safe house, and Dreikx will take you to Ohala. You have your gun and all my daggers. I count on your skills as a soldier. If you won’t go to the compound willingly, Tayseer will use other measures to get you there.”
Finally, I can escape and with permission. “And you?”
“Dreikx will take you to see the other humans I told you about. Kingsley and Cyan. You will feel at home there. You will find that any Horde Alpha will be honored if you give him your attention.”
“You just want to get rid of me,” I joke.
“This is not true. I love you.” He clears his throat. “I’ve been waiting for you a long time.”
Okay, forget about not mentioning it. “But you delivered me to another male!”
“I am Horde!” It’s a battle cry. He thumps his chest. “I was sent on a mission. I honor my mission. At all times. At all costs. And when I don’t, I die. It is simple.”
“Seeing as your sister is challenging her boss, I’m sure things are only gonna get worse for us.” Us. I said it. There is an “us,” and “us” is in mortal danger.
“Sidone will challenge no one she can’t best. Not for as long as I’m around.”
“Oh, I think she will.”
“She won’t.” Vemlox groans and crouches, then stretches to his full height. When he sways on his feet, I leap and try to hold him. Nope. We stumble around the apartment and fall back on my nest, Vemlox on the bottom. He grabs my neck but halts, a growl ripping from his chest. “Someone’s coming.”
18
Vemlox
Tayseer walks into the apartment, mumbling, gaze focused on carefully arranging his gloves. I hate the damn gloves. It tells me he’s come to handle my Omega.
“I deflected an angry Montar, who would’ve shot you with a bow and disgraced himself,” he says. “You are welcome.” He looks up.
My Omega and I are intertwined, my arms wrapped around her like a vine around a pole.
“Hands off the Omega.”
I smirk. Tayseer is gonna lose his mind. “Before I die,” I say, sitting up and moving my Omega behind me, “I want to know something.”
“What?” he barks.
“How in Serpent’s name can you resist an Omega?” He’s been with hundreds of them. In heat too, and yet he has never even touched one.
“It’s simple.”
“Isn’t everything?” Sam says.
Eyes on me, he’s not paying attention to her. Behind me, she shuffles, and I feel her stepping back and to my side. I can’t look either, all my attention on Tayseer. I’ll distract him long enough for my Omega to escape. The Horde will honor me for dying for my Omega.
“My brother, I don’t resist,” Tayseer says and steps closer. “I’m not tempted by death. I’d like to live a long life, retire, form a pack, and take an Omega.”
“When?” I ask him.
“Whenever I’m ready.”
“Whenever the king is ready to retire you.”
“Yes.”
“You will be too old to breed, your seed aged and useless. Ever thought about why we need a pack of Alphas to breed one Omega female?”
“Omegas are better protected in a pack. Obviously.” He smirks. “Omegas need to be serviced during heats, and one Alpha in service, I imagine, will be exhausted, living as a pair in a predicament like this.” He points at me. “Like this.”
“Omegas are better bred in youth and by one male,” I say. “Too many bonded Alphas and the king faces many challenges. Loven will be king.”
“Loven will have to go through me. As will you.”
I’m going to my death. Crouching, I sneer. “So be it!”
A loud sound pierces the apartment. My left eardrum pops, and liquid spills. I can’t fucking hear in that ear. Oh, but I can see. I see Tayseer bleeding from the neck, his hand coming up to touch his wound, his teeth bared, dark emerald armor rising as he strides toward my Omega.
She fires again.
Tayseer stumbles back.
Loyo rushes into the room and attacks Tayseer.
Shouts come from outside. Fuck. Fuck! “Loyo!” I shout at my hound, crossing the room in two strides.
Tayseer’s injured but alive, holding his middle. I grab his wrist to see the bullet wedged inside his armor. And now I know. The bullet can’t pierce the armor.
Sam rounds me and presses her gun to Tayseer’s forehead. He stares into her eyes, unflinching, and I see the moment my Omega hesitates.
I push away the gun. “Didn’t see that coming, did ya, mighty Tay?”
He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. His neck’s injured. I pick him up and put him on Loyo. “I’m gonna regret this.” Slapping Loyo on his behind, I bid them farewell.
Sam stares at the door. “You let him go.”
“I did.” I lean a palm on the wall and heave, trying to empty my stomach. Nothing’s coming up. We don’t waste, oh, but we hurt all right. I glance at my Omega. She’s digging into my sack, pulling out my daggers as if I intend to let her fight for me. Not ever and certainly not tonight.
There’s only one way to get out of this mess.
“Montar!” I shout and stumble out of the room, then bend over the railing. Tayseer’s Collectors are climbing the steps. They’re coming for me. My Omega joins me and points her gun. “Got three bullets left. Perfect.”
I place a hand over her wrist. “I will settle this.”
“We go out in a blaze of glory, huh?”
“Something like that.”
Sidone appears at the bridge and runs toward me.
“
Take care of my Omega,” I tell her. “Swear to me.”
“What?” Sam asks, but I’m walking down the steps.
“Montar! Come to Daddy.”
“Hey! Bitch, let go of me,” my Omega screams at Sidone. “Vemlox, hey! No. We run!”
I place her voice in my vault of knowledge, adrenaline pumping through my veins keeping the pain away, and when Montar emerges on the ground floor and spreads his arms, I smile. I don’t believe he knows we are brothers. Tayseer, the ever-cunning male, didn’t tell him, which means Montar will show me no mercy. One of us is gonna die. The last thing I want to do is rid Regha of a capable Alpha male. But a challenge has been issued, and there can be only one survivor. Briefly, I wonder if Sam would cheer for me during the challenge. There’s nothing quite like proving worth to her than beating another Alpha male. Omegas love winners.
On the ground floor, an audience of Alphas rattles a Guardian theme song for me. Montar is on home turf, surrounded by his brigade, the sounds they make meant to intimidate. And it would work on any other Alphas but I’m not just any other Alpha. I am Horde. I step in the male-made circle, my quiet Horde rattle interrupting the chorus.
Montar stands a little taller and a little wider than me, with a prominent large wrinkled forehead bunched above his beady eyes. Red stone-reinforced teeth reflect the dim light when he smiles. Those new reinforcements are said to be able to crack our armor, and some Alphas took advantage of it. Loven forbade it in the Horde, saying it’s for pussies, so none of us got it, though most of us covet the extra strength. I could’ve used it right now. “Ready to die?” I ask.
“Not as ready as you,” he says.
The crowd laughs.
Montar snorts, emerald armor reflecting the dim light.
I don’t raise mine, don’t want to give myself away just yet. Besides, my body is sore. I’d sure enjoy another span of rest. A glance above tells me my Omega has calmed and has her elbows over the railing, watching the show. When our eyes meet, she crosses her two fingers and lifts her hands to show me the sign. I don’t know what that means, but I hope it’s good for me.
Pain explodes in my jaw, I lose my footing, and I fly into the male-made wall. Hands push on my sore back, and I cry out as if they’d burned me. The Guardians push me back into the ring and straight at Montar’s chest. My breath whooshes out of my lungs, and Montar traps me, opens his mouth, and goes for my neck.
Armor up, I head-butt him.
We separate and circle.
“You know what the Horde’s problem is?” he asks.
As of recently, we have many. “You’ll tell me.”
“You’re all too cocky, thinking you’re better than the rest of us.”
Cue agreeing rattles.
I roll my eyes. “It’s not cocky, little girl. It’s confidence.” Air from outside whooshes in as more Guardians come to witness the show. I feel the cold on my belly and my back. Without looking down, I know no armor covers my soft parts. I was wrong, thinking I’d get red armor like Loven and Kinre. Instead, I’ve lost the body plates completely, with no replacement in sight.
Curiously, Montar doesn’t bring it up, doesn’t point out my weakness, though the males widen the circle as if I’m contagious.
I rush Montar.
He skips to the side, grabs my wrist, rounds me, and punches under my ribs. The pain rattles from my rib cage to my brain, and I swing, but he bends, delivering rapid strikes in the same place, then pushes me into the crowd. They bounce me back. My spine hits Montar’s chest, his arms trap me, and he bites my neck. He’s latched on like a hound, and he shakes his head, trying to rip out a chunk of my flesh. The pressure of his reinforced teeth cracks my right neck plate, and I feel the bite. Teeth dig into my skin.
Blood pours out of my neck.
My Omega’s scream rings in the air.
He’s trapped me, and I can’t get rid of him. I push out, trying to break his hold, but the motherfucker is strong, teeth clamping down. He’s gonna chew through my neck plate and then rip my throat out.
I fake a left, then lift my legs, put them back down, somersault, and land on his back.
Montar grunts, losing the grip on my neck.
Blood squirts out.
I’m bleeding like a human. If I wasn’t too busy trying not to die, I’d laugh at myself. The Guardians’ theme rattle intensifies, and when the mourning rattle sounds, I know they believe they’ll bury me.
Montar holds me, trying to force me on my belly. We dance across the floor. I enjoy music, so I’m a good dancer, not bad with footwork. Suddenly, he releases his hold. I flip over to sit on his chest and realize my mistake too late.
Montar jabs his claws into my belly.
I bend over in shock, staring at his bloodstained face.
He digs in. The only thing stopping him is my hands on his wrist, pushing back. I have no armor on my belly.
“I’m doing you a favor,” he says. “You won’t be there when Loven goes down. The king will make an example of him.”
Blood spills from my mouth. I can’t form words.
I glance at my Omega, can’t find her up there, but see my sister’s face. Alpha females can’t cry. Their eyes betray them instead, and Sidone cries quietly, shredded on the inside.
Montar’s gaze must’ve followed mine, because he says, “I’ll use the pole I made for your sister.”
“Oh please!” A scream.
I follow the voice to see Sam running down the steps. “Please, don’t kill him!”
I smile. I think she loves me too.
“Awww,” Montar says. “I’m not surprised. Vemlox is fond of matters of the heart.”
A few chuckles go around.
Montar has never been good at comedy.
My head buzzes, nausea threatening to make me vomit and make me look even weaker than I am. Bloody mouth closed, I swallow. Montar swipes his other hand, aiming for my side. My hand flies out, trying to deflect another blow, but I’m weakened, and pressure hits my side. Montar’s horrified expression tells me something’s wrong.
He’s impaled me onto his claws.
All he has to do is rip my belly, twist my neck.
What could go wrong? He’s got me.
Eyes wide, he examines his shaking hand. Broken claws.
Finally I look down. Red armor covers my middle and likely my back. Red claws replace my black ones.
I yank out the hand in my belly. Red armor snaps closed over my wound. Contrary to popular belief, the Horde isn’t cocky. Loven is cocky and would gloat at this new development. Me? I don’t wait, gloat, or waste any fucking time. I dig red claws between his chest plates and pull. They tear away from his flesh, exposing corded muscle. I rattle out a Horde battle cry and dig inside. Something soft pulses in my palm, and I know I’ve got his beating heart in my hand.
Montar claws at me, trying to get away.
“I’m fond of the heart,” I say. Okay, so maybe I am cocky. Only when winning!
“The king…” Montar swallows. “No Alpha is stronger. Not even Loven.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. But I’ll tell you a secret. The Horde has three alphas with red armor, whereas there is only one in the king’s army. All three of those are bonded.”
Realization dawns on him, and he sobers up.
“I came here to ask you to join us. You came back with the Collectors, didn’t even give Loven a chance."
I should show him mercy the same way Loven showed Tayseer mercy. Loven can say that Tayseer falling off the bridge and living through the challenge was a miscalculation, but I know the truth. Loven just couldn’t do it. Can I?
Silence settles over the crowd. I survey the Guardians surrounding us. They know the rules. In a challenge, only one Alpha walks. Sparing a life is showing weakness. We believe challenges among trained Alpha males in the king’s army are the last resort, one we turn to when there is no other way out. But if you challenge, then you commit to die or win. Their rattles unite in a song. It’s a Horde s
ong, and they’re fucking daring me. I twist my body and search for my Omega. She’s standing midway down the stairs, her lips parted as Sidone whispers in her ear. I don’t know what she’s telling her, but I see the body language of my Omega change. Her shoulders pull back, her jaw juts up a bit when she looks at me. Eyes blurry with tears, she nods.
Tayseer has been right all along.
Omegas own us.
All of us.
And the Horde must win this war. At all costs.
I close my fist.
As I get up, I don’t beat my chest in victory. I stand and extend my hand toward my Omega. She walks to me and takes it. It is a show of unity, but I know inside, my Omega is upset. There are tears running down her face. I’ll take care of her later.
“This is the armor of a bonded Alpha male.” I thump my hard abdominals and look up at the three Collectors. “You are welcome to challenge me now. I am ready.”
They stare at my armor. I smirk. “Leave and take the message back to the king. Tell him the Guardians of the Nessetra have joined the Horde.”
19
Sam
The trip to the Horde stronghold takes several weeks. It would’ve taken less time, but Vemlox avoided the swamp region of Regha. It’s difficult to tell time by the rise of Sycol, but Vemlox is determined to teach me all Regha’s ways. Since he retired Loyo, the hound and I made great friends via food. Though Vemlox frowns on spoiling the animal and making him too lazy to hunt, Loyo doesn’t seem to mind. He’s my pet now. I ride Loyo while Vemlox rides another hound. Vemlox's sister, unusually quiet, always riding ahead of everyone.
During the trip to Ohala, Vemlox delivers the truth. He tells me more about the space gate and about the missing women. I’ve been right all along and the phrase “she disappeared into thin air” is true for the three of us. We entered a space gate, effectively disappearing into thin air, and nobody will ever find us. At this point, I can cry about my circumstances or embrace the fact an alien who loves me will give me a happy life on this strange, dangerous planet he’s proud to call home.
The imposing black walls surrounding the Horde stronghold block the view of the city, though the roof of one tall building rises a few hundred feet in the air. No gates open as the Guardians approach, and I look around me to see if anyone else is alarmed at the lack of welcome, then jolt in my saddle at the noise.
Alpha Knots: Alpha Horde, #3 Page 11
