The wall itself cracked!
The Guardians stop, Sidone’s hound snarling ahead. Armor up, she dismounts with a glance back at Vemlox. “We stay,” he says, but dismounts and walks to stand in front of the line of the Guardian army.
Well, shit. I thought these people were friendlies.
Many loud pops sound around me as Guardians erect their armor and circle, their hounds making Loyo growl in defiance. I don’t believe he enjoys being guarded, but I do. Leather gloves over my hands, I scratch behind his ears, my gaze on Sidone. The passage can only fit one person. Clearly, the insiders will allow one Alpha at a time. Not a bad military strategy, if you ask me. Not that I’m an expert.
Sidone enters.
She’s gone for a while.
I drum my fingers on the saddle.
A pair of large males, one of them as big as that horrid Collector dude, comes outside.
Now, I’ve eavesdropped on Vemlox and Sidone. I believe the reason Sidone has grown quiet as we approached Ohala was because she was unsure how Loven, the bigger of the two males, I suppose, and the Horde Alpha, would take the news of Montar’s death.
Vemlox stops pacing, red armor snapping into place. “Alpha,” he greets the big male, and I deduce this is Loven.
“Vemlox, my friend, what have you done?”
“Montar is dead.”
Okay, I’d have approached this news with a bit more tact. A buzzing noise sounds from above. I look up and see thousands of Alphas in kilts standing on the wall. Oh my God, they’re all rattling at the same time, and it sounds like bees are swarming the field. My heart beats in fear for our lives, and I wonder if these Guardians feel the same way. When Vemlox talked about the Horde, I expected wide-open doors, scary but smiling Alphas, and two human women. One Caucasian female. Blond. Blue eyes. One Hispanic female. Brunette. Brown eyes. Instead, two alphas who look like they’re on death row glare at me. I pat my gun. Three bullets left.
“Remind me of the mission, Kinre,” Loven says.
“He was supposed to bring the Guardians into the fold.”
“And what did he do?”
“Delivered them!” Kinre shouts.
Loven shows his teeth, and I believe that is a smile. “Overachiever, this one.” He thumps his chest. “Welcome to the Horde!”
The collective relief is audible. Even the hounds stop circling. The Alphas around me lower their armor, and when the wall parts behind the two males, the view of a large city opens. Alien life-forms of all shapes and sizes crowd the streets, minding their own business as if an army of thousands of males at their walls is an ordinary thing. Amid the numerous beings, I’m not stunned by the aliens, the buildings, the cobblestone-like roads, because I found the two missing women.
Kingsley, a Caucasian female. Blonde. Blue eyes. She wears a green tunic and a big smile.
Cyan, a Hispanic female. Brunette. Brown eyes. She also smiles.
I exhale a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Strangely, I feel like I’ve come home.
Epilogue
Vemlox
Loven twirls in his chair pretending to watch Dreikx spar with the Horde males, but really watching his Omega gardening downstairs while Sidone and me sit across from him. I understand his distraction. Kingsley is a pregnant Omega, and everyone keeps an eye on her. But nobody does it better than me. In fact, I keep an eye on all the Omegas by recruiting my soldier Omega for undercover work. She reports their activities, effectively making our secret trips to the town better organized by knowing when the girls set out to leave the stronghold for the busy market. I no longer have to expend my time and energy on trying to catch the Omegas on their way out. Contrary to popular belief in the Horde, I do not sneak Omegas into the town. Omegas sneak into town, then get busted by me. I then choose to guard them and escort them back.
“What went on between Montar and the king?” Loven asks Sidone.
“Ask the king,” Sidone says, a sweet smile playing over her lips.
Irritating Loven is high on my not-to-do list, but Sidone can get away with a lot more than an average Alpha male.
“Tell me everything, Sidone,” Loven snaps.
Or not.
“When you give me the Horde’s til.” She props her feet on the table.
“You have my protection.”
“I can protect myself.”
Loven looks to me for help. I’ve got nothing. I believe this is the first time Loven has dealt with an Alpha female. It’s good for him.
“No Horde for you,” he says.
Sidone sighs. “You’ll change your mind when I start picking off the males in challenges. Took two down yesterday. Remember?”
Loven makes a sour face, spins, and gives us his back. “You are second-in-command to Vemlox. Why do you want to be Horde?”
“I can’t have your Alphas thinking they can order me around. It rubs me the wrong way.”
“Hm. These Alphas are Horde because they trust me.” Loven turns around. “Do you?”
Sidone leans in. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
Loven laughs. “You’re here because Vemlox is here."
“Same difference. You’re my brother too.”
Loven widens his eyes. “I am?”
“Mm-hm,” I say. “Got genetics from Dreikx.” Plus Tayseer told me so. I don’t bring up Tayseer. Sometimes I pray he didn’t die by falling off Loyo, since Loyo returned to me alone.
“The king called for a summit, basically saying they’re going after the Horde. I’ll tell you how they’re coming.”
“The how no longer matters. The king will change the plan. When?”
“Don’t know. Montar said the king was vague about the timing.”
“What else can you tell me?”
“Tayseer will ride with the king.”
Loven shakes his head. “Tayseer lives up to his Immortal Legend name."
“Seven Serpent’s lives.”
Loven snorts. Secretly, we all want Tayseer to live through all this. “I hope he takes a chance on an Omega in one of his lives.”
A knock on the door interrupts our meeting.
“Let’s go, sister,” Loven says, a smirk on his face as he walks out of the office.
Sidone looks at me in question, and I shrug. She leaves, and Sam enters, carrying two glasses of brew. She kicks the door with the sole of her boot, and it slides closed. Instead of walking over to me, she stays by the door, biting her lip, and I notice her eyes are red rimmed. Come to think of it, Sam’s looking tired lately and has been sleeping in a lot.
On alert, I stand and cross to her, then take one glass and toss it back.
She does the same.
“What is it?” I brace. She wants to return to Earth. She has a terminal illness. Loyo’s run off chasing a bitch, and we’ll never see him again. Loven loves Dreikx. Kinre built an Alpha nest. The king is here. Teleans are invading.
“You still want to be a daddy?”
Thank you, Serpent! “I’m already a Kori.” I wink at her. She wants to get dirty in Loven’s office. I’m all in, looking around for a nice soft place to put her. There’s nothing. His desk?
Sam covers her face and chuckles. “Father,” she says and peeks between her fingers.
“That’s creepy even for me. Kori will do, my girl. Come here.” I take the glasses and leave them at the table, then sit down and pat my knee.
She sits on my lap, and I bury my face in the crook of her neck and inhale all that sexy Sam scent. It’s even sexier than before, if that’s possible. Bonding her was the best idea I ever came up with.
“Vemlox.”
“Yup.” I graze her neck, and she shivers. “Tell me what you want, and I’ll do it.”
“I’m a lucky girl,” she says.
“The anticipation is killing me, baby. Say it.” Mmm, her skin tastes sweeter than yesterday. Maybe she’s using homemade lotions. Whatever it is, I lick it off her neck, thinking about her pussy and the next heat when I’m gonn
a spend spans upon spans trying to breed her.
“The space gate…” She pauses, and I still. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me and Kingsley and Cyan.”
I breathe again.
“I love you.”
Cue Alpha male meltdown. “I love you too, and I’m gonna lick you everywhere.”
“I’m pregnant.”
I sit up straight, locking eyes with her brown ones. “You’re what?”
“Pregnant.” She swallows and wrings her hands. “Do you still want to be a daddy?”
I smile and succeed at making it not look like a snarl. I can tell because Sam’s lips mimic mine.
“Is that a yes?” she asks.
“Yes.” I lift her up on the table, spread her legs, bunch up the tunic, and stare at the Omega pussy. I part the lips and focus on the hole. “Hello, hello,” I talk to the person inside.
My Omega laughs. Her joy is worth a thousand lives, and since I exist to make her happy, I lick her everywhere. I’m gonna be a father. Yes!
***
Hi, Milana here. This has been book 3 in the Horde series, and I’m gonna take a second and thank you for reading. My writing projects are made better when I know I have someone on the other end who demands I entertain them. Thank you for allowing me to do that. We are moving on to book 4. Flip the page for the exclusive teaser.
Alpha Collects exclusive teaser
uncorrected proof pending release
Jewel
My sodden boots squeak as I trudge along the forest path, reminding me that I’m blessed.
At least my alien parents give me a roof over my head.
At least I live in King’s Valley, a nice part of Regha with lush red forests and a variety of strange alien animals, and not up at Mount Ness where it’s negative North Pole climate. The trip home from town with empty pockets and full sacks of merchandise I couldn’t sell is uneventful. I whistle, imitating the rattle of Alpha Helor, who frequently comes to my stand in the market and buys almost all my goods, which, in turn, keeps my Beta parents happy. Today, he didn’t come.
Taking a break, I unshoulder the heavy sack and spot a large paw print in the mud. A hound. There are only three hounds in the town and none near my house, though Imona, a girl hound, sometimes strays and lets me ride her home. I could use a ride right now.
A whine sounds.
I round the ancient voly tree, which towers three times the height of an aged oak tree.
A saddled hound lifts his massive head, greeting me. This isn’t Imona or either of the other two male hounds. This thing is gigantic and wears an elaborately decorated saddle. How odd. I lean to the side, trying to figure out the markings. It’s definitely a soldier, a trained animal, and this saddle is worth a lot of money. It would fetch me a nice price, and nobody would know. I’m a slave on Regha and therefore receive no wages.
The rattle the hound emits tells me he isn’t bothered and doesn’t see me as a threat. Carefully, I step toward the animal. The don’t-fuck-with-me expression on his face tells me I’m right not to make any sudden moves. I crouch. “Here, boy. Got something nice for you.” I dig into my pocket and throw him a bone I was gonna grind up and eat. Oh, I got meat. I reach into my other pocket. Stole some jerky from Mefan’s stand while he was at Miss Beta’s brothel. It’s his problem he doesn’t tend to his stand. I eat the dry pou meat.
The hound eyes the bone but doesn’t approach. I move around the animal, taking care I don’t come too close. Oh shit. I stop. A big guy, an Alpha male, no doubt, lies there. Blood covers his torn clothes, face, and body. The hound is guarding a dead soldier. I chew my lip, thinking. If I rob him before calling someone, he won’t mind. He’s dead. Probably brawled with some other males, lost, then ran away on his mighty animal. Loser. Yeah, I’m gonna see what he’s carrying. That’s what he gets for running from a challenge. Alphas fight to the death, and the Serpent’s shadows caught up with this guy. He must have fallen off the hound, and since hounds don’t leave their owners behind, the hound won’t move.
The animal whines, lifts his nose, sniffs, then approaches me, his massive body making me uneasy. I shiver as his wet nose touches my arm but let him sniff. Really, I shouldn’t get friendly with these animals, but I love them and have always wanted one. They’re hard to train, and my Beta family has told me we can’t afford a trained one. They ride a donei, a domestic livestock like a mule. I walk everywhere I go.
“Are you gonna let me see about your owner?” I ask the hound. Maybe he’s got gold coins in his pockets, a nice dagger, or meat jerky for his hound on that saddle I’m gonna sell for at least a hundred laros.
The hound sniffs my pocket, a rattling whine coming from his chest. I dig up another piece of dry meat, and before I can blink, he snatches it. I jerk my hand back. Damn, that was close. Could’ve ripped my arm off.
The hound walks away, content to let me see the owner. I kneel beside the male and move the red cape covering his belly. "Got a cape," I say. "But are you a hero?"
The male grunts.
I jump away. “Jesus!” I press a hand over my fast-beating heart. “You’re alive.”
Another grunt.
I kneel back down to examine his wounds. I don’t see any wounds on this guy. His armor’s intact but for a tiny crack on his neck. I lean in to see better. Something shiny is wedged in there. I poke it with my finger.
The male snaps open his eyes, blinks a few times.
Since we’re kind of face-to-face, I smile sweetly. “Hey, there,” I tell him. “My name is Jewel. I live right at the edge of the forest. Don’t worry. My parents will help you out. What’s your name, soldier?” It’s a king’s male. No doubt. Biggest one I’ve ever seen. Kind of hot too, but that’s not THAT important.
“Don’t…” he whispers.
I press my ear near his mouth.
A groan and nothing else, though I notice his breaths are shallow.
“What?” I prompt.
“Don’t touch me.”
I sit back on my heels. Can’t rob a live Alpha. Hasn’t worked well for me in the past. But if I help him, maybe he’ll throw me a reward. Or maybe the king himself will come and proclaim me a free woman and give me riches so I can take revenge on my Beta family, Cinderella style. I just love to dream big. “I can’t leave you here,” I tell him, and unclasp the cape from his neck to let him breathe better. “You’ll heal and tell the king how this stupid alien left your big ass for dead. My Beta parents would die, but not before hanging me. You’ll have to deal with some touching.” Though if the male is uncooperative, how can I get him up and onto the hound?
I chew my lip again, gaze back on the hound. He’s saddled and strapped with a sack. I get up and walk to the hound, then dig into the sack, which contains daggers, a med kit, rope, and a damaged metal object. I pick up the oval object and read in God-given English: Police Department.
I cover my mouth, run over to the male, then step back and think about it. A police badge on Regha. I’ve never seen a human here in all my years. Seven years, to be exact. I’m twenty and appeared on Regha when I was thirteen. I slide the badge into my pocket. Has someone come for me?
I have no answers. But I have the male who might, and I have rope and a hound loyal to the male. I tap my knee. “Come here, boy.”
The hound wags his tail—thank the good Lord for that—and approaches. From the sack tied to his saddle, I pull out the rope and tie one end around the hound’s middle, the other around the Alpha’s ankle. Then I walk backward, making kissing noises at the animal. He follows as if he knows I’m trying to help him out. He probably does. These tamed hounds are said to be attuned to the Alphas who’ve trained them.
We travel slowly through the forest path and emerge at the clearing. The smoking chimney from my home is the only sign someone actually lives in this area. It’s a modest home, small by village standards, but the Betas are nicer to me than the Alphas who’d snatched me when I first landed on Regha. It has been at least sev
en years by my counting, though it could be more. Sometimes I forget to mark the Sycol’s fall.
My Beta mother opens the door and wipes her hands on the purple apron she wears over her brown shirt and pants. Gericha is in her late fifties but appears much older, with wrinkles on her jaw, hands, and neck. Manual labor has done a number on her. “Bolizen, come over here. The girl’s dragged something home again.”
Again? I’ve never dragged an Alpha to the house, though I may have adopted an animal or two. They don’t let me keep pets, so I feed them in the forest. In secret. We barely have enough food for us.
In his seventies, Bolizen hunches as he walks from behind the house. He’s tending the wood and livestock. Smells like a farm animal too, but I’m used to the stink. Hell, I tend the livestock, getting my old boots dirty with crap as I walk around the sty clearing it every night. I do the work nobody else wants to do, and that’s okay because there’s a roof over my head, and I’m not forced to be Helor’s concubine.
Bolizen and Gericha approach but stop before they reach us, their gaze on the hound. I scratch behind his ears, making sure I don’t cut myself on his sharp scales. He lowers them and whines. “Come,” I tell the Betas. “He’s tamed and trained.”
“He better not hunt my pous,” Bolizen says and shakes his head.
Gericha circles behind the hound and examines the Alpha male, one hand stroking her jaw.
Bolizen joins her.
We stare at the male.
“Is he dead?” she asks me.
“No. Well, he wasn’t when I last checked.”
“Hm.” Bolizen bends to have a better look. “He’s alive. And not from around here. Which army unit is this?” Bolizen points at the hound’s saddle.
Gericha crouches and squints. I do too, but I can’t read Rahkan, so I stare at her expectantly.
Alpha Knots: Alpha Horde, #3 Page 12
