by Susan Hayes
Savannah didn’t stray far from his side. She was growing more accustomed to life at the citadel, but a few weeks was not enough to erase a lifetime of fear and distrust. It was something he and Lord Tane had discussed several times since his return.
“Savannah?” a female voice called out from the far side of the market.
His omega froze and then uttered a broken cry and whirled, trying to find the source of the voice.
“Baby! Oh my god, it’s you!” Frantic footsteps sounded, followed by far heavier tread and a familiar growl.
“Do not run, Leia. How many times must I remind you of this?”
“Momma?” Savannah tore out of his grasp and ran to the female.
They cried out and hugged each other so tightly he worried for his unborn child.
One of the biggest alphas in the clan burst from the scattering crowd, his scowl deep enough to make even the most reckless alpha step back.
“A’varen, if you touch my omega, I will tear your guts out where you stand,” Rath snarled in warning. Var was his cousin, but when it came to Savannah, he had no higher loyalty than her.
“And I would say the same, A’rath,” the big alpha snarled and then frowned at the two females. “Why are they crying?”
Momma. The single word hit Rath like a brick and he called out Savannah’s name. When both females turned toward him, he sucked a breath in. The similarity was so unmistakable that even Var, who was not always the quickest on the uptake, figured it out.
“See, female?” he boomed, smiling at the older omega. “I found your daughter for you.”
The older woman laughed. “I never doubted you would, my mate.” She reached out to grip Var’s wrist. “This is my Savannah. My baby girl.”
“And my omega,” Rath added, stepping in to take Savannah’s hand. “Mother of my unborn child.” He looked up at Rath. “So that makes us...”
“You’re mated!” Savannah gasped.
“And you’re pregnant!” her mother replied.
Var frowned. “My daughter… and my grandchild?” He scowled at Rath. “Is my daughter happy or do I have to kill you?”
Savannah spoke up for herself, tucking in against him. “I am happy. More than happy.” Her eyes filled with tears again as she looked at her mother.
“I have my family around me. Finally. And everything is perfect.”
Rath smiled down at his beloved mate. “Mine.”
She laughed and smiled up at him. “I love you, too.”
Thank you for reading Rath and Savannah’s story. If you want to know who put that mating mark on T’Kinn’s neck… keep reading for a sneak peek at the next book - Kinn.
Bonus Content - Kinn
T’kinn was used to warriors storming into his healing hall at all hours. They were usually bleeding and always full of themselves. Winners came to him for treatment. The losers were generally carried to the healing hall closer to the warriors’ barracks… or to the morgue.
This time was different.
For one thing, everyone in the group was bleeding. For another, the source of their injuries was still with them, and she was a sight to behold.
Lithe, fast, and with a mouth as profane as any warrior, the human female was kicking and scratching like a wild thing. Her short blonde hair stood out in unruly waves and her slender form was clad in well-patched and faded clothing that hung off her frame.
She snarled and twisted in the grip of the warrior who held her by one arm while trying to stay out of range of the rest of her. Judging by the deep gouges on his arms, he hadn’t been that successful.
“Why is she here?” he demanded. “I don’t treat humans.”
“Because they’re idiots, that’s why!” The female hissed, managing to twist somehow and slam a hard knee up into the midriff of the warrior who held her, breaking away from him to vault over the nearest examination bed. There was a crash as an equipment cart went flying. Then silence.
“Oh for xarth’s sake. Someone fetch it,” Kinn growled.
The warriors in the group shuffled from foot to foot and wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“What?” he demanded.
“We got her here, healer.” One got up the courage to say. “She’s your problem now.”
“She’s the cat’s mother!” An irate voice announced unseen from the other side of the bed.
“That is a human female, human, not a feline. So either my translator is broken or there is something wrong with her mind.”
“It’s not your translator,” one of them muttered.
“So she is defective. Again, why have you brought her to me?”
“Because there’s something funny about her. She’s not a beta. Not an omega, either. Her scent is strange. You’re supposed to be learning about the omegas. Right? This one is a mystery. We thought you might want to see her. We brought her stuff too. In the bag by the door.”
“The only mystery here is how the hell you assholes managed to conquer Earth at all. It’s fucking embarrassing. Now, is something going to help me up or do I have to do everything myself?”
T’kinn sighed. “All of you, out. I’ll deal with this female. You can get treated by the barrack healers… if they’ll do so once they learn you were injured by an unarmed human female. She’s right. You are an embarrassment.”
Several of the warriors snarled. T’kinn snarled back and all of them backed down. “Remember where you are, and who I am. Behave or bleed to death the next time you lose a fight.”
The warriors filtered out, the door sliding shut behind them. Kinn remained where he was, arms folded.
“Are you going to come out?”
“The fuck I am. It’s nice down here. Cozy.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You consider the floor of my medical bay ‘cozy’? You are definitely mentally defective.”
“And you’re an asshole, but I ain’t judging am I? And it’s cozy. Dry. No wind. Not filled with mud. There’s even a blanket. Ergo… cozy. Now fuck off.”
“Are you injured? Are you bleeding on my carpet right now? If so, I can treat you.” He frowned at nothing, trying to figure out what to do. This was not something he trained for. Females should be obedient. Submissive. Gentle.
This one was none of those things.
“Who carpets a medical hall?” The question was barely audible, and he assumed it wasn’t directed at him.
He decided to repeat the question since the female was clearly having trouble understanding him. “Are you injured?”
“It’s nothing.”
That he understood. It was a warrior’s answer when they were hurt, but did not wish to admit it. “If you have any injuries, I can treat them. I have food if you are hungry?” He knew the humans outside the citadel didn’t have much. If that’s where this one was from, she had to be starving.
There was a silence. If a silence could be interested, this one was.
“What kind of food?”
The question made him smile, and he softened his tone when he answered. “What would you like? Fruit? Meat? Perhaps something to drink, too?”
“Fruit? Fresh, actual fruit?” There was no mistaking the longing in his visitor’s voice.
“I believe you call them apples.”
“Apples. You have apples. And water?”
He considered that. She would be dehydrated, no doubt, but if she were starving, she’d need more calories, and quickly. “Water, and some warm broth, too.”
“Yes. Wait. No. You could drug the broth.”
“That would not be advisable. I have no idea of your metabolism or physical attributes. I may give you too much.”
There was a faint sound and a crop of blonde hair appeared over the top of the bed, followed by a very wary pair of eyes. “I’ll watch you make it.”
Annoyance flashed through him. This was his medical hall. He was the lord healer, not a servant for some half-starved and feral human female.
“Tell me your name, first.”
“
Hungry.”
He frowned again. “I do not think my translator is malfunctioning, so I am assuming this is a human… joke? Yes?”
She snorted. “And I would have thought being a healer required an above average level of intelligence, but once again you aliens are proving me wrong.”
He folded his arms again, suppressing the anger that rolled through him. Only her wince as she stood upright negated it, and his expression hardened.
“You let me treat you and you can eat.”
She barked a laugh. “When did this become a negotiation?”
“Since you ended up locked in my medical bay.” He smiled. It wasn’t a kind expression, it was a warning.
She shivered. “Don’t smile. Your face looks odd.”
“My face is perfectly symmetrical. There is nothing odd about it. You are injured and hungry. I am willing to treat your wounds and feed you. What is there to negotiate?”
“Plenty.”
“Name,” he repeated.
“My friends call me Pita.”
* * *
Ready for more? Find Kinn and the rest of the Omega Collective series at alienalphas.com and be sure to Join the Omega Collective newsletter for exclusive news and series updates.
About the Authors
Mina Carter
Author, photographer and cover artist, Mina Carter can usually be found hunched over a keyboard or behind a camera, frantically trying to get the images and words in her head out and onto the screen before they drive her mad. She was addicted to coffee and chocolate, but unfortunately both now dislike her. Want to know more about Mina’s books?
Check out her website: Minacarter.com
* * *
Susan Hayes
Susan lives on Vancouver Island off the Canadian west coast where the waters are patrolled by orcas and the sighting of snowflakes leads to citywide panic. She’s jumped out of perfectly good airplanes on purpose and accidentally swum with sharks on the Great Barrier Reef.
If the world ends, she plans to survive as the spunky, comedic sidekick to the heroes of the new world, because she’s too short and out of shape to make it on her own for long. Want to know more about Susan’s books?
Check out her website: Susanhayes.ca
