Page 57 of Alpha Hunger

“Where is the shed?”

“In the backyard.”

“Of your home?”

I nod.

The admission feels like a crime. Shame makes my face heat up.

Raven runs a claw down my cheek. “Human men kill and maim for money. They form armies to do so and justify it on any account. And yet, when a human woman nests and wants to breed, she is scrutinized, shamed, and made to feel like a lesser dynamic. This is not about Regha invaders. It is about the inequality of your people. If you all were created equal under your God, why are you not treated as equals? The Serpent did not create equals, and we don’t pretend that we are. Our society is built on simple urges. To breed and conquer. I wish you would see the hypocrisy of your world, as I, the outsider, see it. Sex is as natural as breathing. Come, Omega. Show me your nest.”

* * *

The deserted streets of San Diego give me the creeps. Even the homeless have left, hid. Or I hope they have. Although Junior carries both Raven and me, his paws are silent, his rattle, the natural breathing pattern of a dragon-dog creature, is measured as he strides confidently down the middle of the street, sometimes glancing back at Loyette, who tails him.

Raven’s hand possessively covers my belly. At my back, his armor is hard, and his alertness only makes me more nervous. I’m afraid to speak and wake the dead. It is that quiet. The stores are all closed, and I note the absence of white paint on the windows or doors.

Terror marked the Omegas’ homes. Every now and then, I glimpse a swipe of red paint. I expected more Omega homes, but I counted only six.

On my street, I breathe a sigh of relief while Raven clicks his tongue several times. Junior stops and sniffs the air. Raven dismounts, pressing a finger over my mouth. He helps me down and pets Junior with the other, tapping his behind. I think he’s trying to tell him to take off, but Junior isn’t moving. The two lock eyes, and Raven rolls his. I believe Junior is refusing the silent orders to leave, and Raven is annoyed.

He carries me the rest of the way. The gate to our house squeaks as we enter.

Raven snaps his head my way, now even more annoyed. “Stealth is a necessity.”

“I know,” I whisper. “Dad said if someone’s coming, we can hear them, so he won’t fix the rusty gate.”

The front door opens, and a shotgun barrel pokes out before half of Dad’s face. We walk inside, and Dad locks up, then rests the shotgun over his lap. He takes off his baseball hat and ruffles his gray hair. “As your future father-in-law, I’d have appreciated a little warning.”

“Duly noted,” Raven says.

“I think it’s too early for the father-in-law chat,” I say.

Dad ignores me. “Thought you’d be out there with your men.”

“Males,” Raven corrects. “And I would be if my Omega wasn’t going into heat.”

Dad makes a sour face. “I will never unhear this.”

“Yeah, um, where’s Mom?”

“Sleeping.”

“A little early, no?”

“Nothing else to do.”

“I’m fairly certain it is against the law to own the arsenal on display here,” Raven says and motions toward the couch and the living room table.

Dad has kept busy cleaning his weapons. “Son, I’m from Alaska. Shot a rifle before I knew how to wipe my ass. You’ll have to pry my guns from my dead hands.”

“He’s not gonna do that,” I say.Right?

Raven looks around. “Where is the shed?”

Cue tomato face.

Dad turns away toward the window. “Like I said, I’ll never unhear this.”

---