Page 4 of Alpha Hunger

She scratches back, and I wince. Tamika has claws. Humans don’t actually have them, but Tamika grows her nails and files them into claws, then paints them bloodred.

“My PA needs to use the bathroom,” I tell her.

The Omega snaps her head up from the papers and takes the pen she’s chewing out of her mouth. “No, I don’t.”

“You do.”

My PA draws down hereyebrows, those strange hairs above humans’ eyes. What is the purpose of those things if they pluck them all the time?

“Got it, Boss,” she says and walks away.

I watch her ass until it disappears from view, which takes a while since the Great Serpent blessed us Regha Alphas with excellent sight. Distractions, distractions.

I open my com to Human Resources. “Send me my PA’s files.”

The file transfer pops up on a hologram before me, and I lean back in my chair. Anna Bennett. I riffle through the degrees, looking for a declaration of her dynamic, but find she has refused the blood tests I’ve authorized after the Human Alliance pestered me about genetics.

Which is fine. My father, king of Regha, made sure I can spot an Omega from miles away. He trained me in the art of Omega acquisition even when I declared I was to compete for the Horde Alpha position instead of an Alpha Collector position. I’m less interested in acquiring Omegas and more interested in combat afforded by the Horde Alpha position. And so I battled my cousins and won.

I always win.

I tap my com unit several times and dial my cousin, an Alpha Collector, whose sole duty is to monitor Omegas, namely via the Omega register.

“Arkin, who are the Bennetts?”

“Etin Reg, Raven. How is your span progressing?”

“Got a new PA.”

“Excellent. The Horde can start betting on how long he’ll last.”

“It’s a she.”

“All the same to you.” He laughs.

I ignore the jab at my lifestyle. “House Bennett,” I repeat.

“Never heard of them. Can we chat later? I’m in deep shit here.”

“Where is here?”

“Sewers.”

“Why?”

“Because the hounds won’t stop growling at the manholes. Gonna have to shut the sewers down and see what’s bothering them.”

“Won’t that spill human waste everywhere?” Humans are the most wasteful species in the galaxy. With the amount of energy they waste, it is a miracle we’re not drowning in crap.

“Likely.”

“The smell?”

“They’ll survive.”

“Will we?”

“Don’t know but something needs doing.”

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