Page 43 of Alpha Hunger

“Liar,” I say. “You are taking them.”

“She will register,” Ben says. “If late.”

“Anna, have you decided not to pack anything?” I ask.

“Pack?” She puts her coffee down.

“Yes, Omega. You’re not returning here.”

“But this is my house.”

“Not anymore.”

“Can we come?” Ben asks.

I laugh.

“Lunch is ready,” Shannon says. “Will you stay?”

Much to her dismay, I accept her invitation.

* * *

The stew was absolutely inedible. I identified at least seven spices inside it, and a leaf with a horrid smell that made my stomach turn and threaten to expel all the three spoonfuls I ingested. The bread, however, was homemade, and Shannon got the hint I wasn’t having the stew. She gave me butter. Bread and fat were excellent.

After lunch and while Anna is packing, I spot one of the creatures humans keep as house pets. “Which creature is this again?” I point to the furry orange thing on the couch.

“A cat.”

I release a rattle, a low warning growl.

“He can’t hear,” Shannon says. “Also blind and likely lost his sense of smell.”

“That explains why he’s still around.”

Ben sighs. “Alpha, any guarantees about the protection? What are you gonna do for me and people like me who can’t afford it?”

Between my fingertips, I take a fork and bend it. “Humanity places a great deal of importance on paper currencies and technology. The greed for power or, in human terms, an acquisition of currency, has stripped your people of honor. Your lawmakers believe in power. My father believes in service. Mainly serving his people. We know why we are here and the importance of our mission. Omega pussy, plainly put, drives us. When I send a pack of human Omegas to Regha, there are celebrations. On Earth, the core values are broken, and were broken before we ever stepped foot on your soil. In the quest for power, your leaders have lost their sense of service, and your social media sites manipulate people’s minds. I can and will fix this issue. However, hard times are coming.”

Shannon leaves the table.

Ben stays and leans in. “This morning, my buddy Silver got in from Palm Springs. He spotted one of the Hordesmen and the red-robed Alphas marking homes.”

Red-robed Alphas must be my Collectors. Humans are fond of nicknaming things, people, cities, and using the same word to describe completely opposite things. If it has mass and can be measured, it has been nicknamed. For example, vagina is pussy and pussy is a purring orange creature. Period is the end, a length of time, and also a cycle of bleeding from the pussy. “Mm-hm.”

“Did you order Terror to collect Omegas?”

“Not yet.”

“Are you setting up a siege?”

“Certainly.”

“I got a month’s worth of supplies. Will that do?”

“That should do. You may not extend this advanced notice of an upcoming siege to anyone. Trust is important. I am testing yours.”

“Roger that.”

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