Page 65 of Alpha Hunger

Drop by drop, venom drips onto my tongue, glides down my throat, relaxing my throat muscles and my tongue. As soon as my tongue functions, I suck on my teeth. Venom shoots into my mouth. In a bit, I’ll be like new, with armor stronger than iron.He wants you alive.Melanie’s words calm me. They won’t kill my Omega. They’ll wish they had.

Chapter 23

Anna

Groaning, I awaken to the view of the Pacific. I blink my eyes to clear the drug haze and look around. I’m in my office, gagged and tied to Raven’s throne that’s been pushed forward and aligned with the edge of the building. A pair of…humanoid Regha males stand guard on either side of me, their uneven rattling noises giving me the creeps.

Their profiles are identical. Human nose, ears, chin, and their skin is pale green, almost yellow. Identical twins, I presume. The male on my left has a black star tattoo around his right eye. Both stare ahead, not paying attention to me. Taking a deep breath, I look down into the courtyard.

The space gate extends from the ground to the second floor and shines brightly. Regha males surround it and fight the onslaught of other Regha males. It’s difficult to see from up here, but I’m pretty sure the humanoid Reghans all have the same tattoo, the black star around their eye. Who are these males? They’re aliens for sure, though I’m certain they’re not Raven’s males. If not his, whose?

“It’s beautiful up here, isn’t it?” a woman asks, and I nearly jump out of my seat. The mayor steps next to me, her impeccable suit replaced with black camo attire. Dirt smears her cheeks, and as she looks down upon me, there’s wildness in her cold stare. I get the impression the mayor has gone mad. There’s something vacant and feral in her brown eyes.

Then I remember my parents. “You killed my dad,” I whisper and look into the Pacific. “Is my mom alive?”

“Maybe.” She pats my head. “I will bargain with the Teleans for you.”

My jaw quivers. I want to curl up in a ball and cry. But I also want to live. I want to stab her, scratch her fucking eyes out, and wipe the smirk off her face. “Where are the Hordesmen?” I’m too afraid to ask about Raven. I don’t want to hear it.

“The Horde is stretched too thin. I warned the prince, didn’t I? He lacks manpower. The Collectors and many Horde Alphas tightened the huge perimeter around my city. The rest of the Horde is desperately looking for the prince they’ll never find. The Guardians are busy.” She points down. “Besides, only Terror is in the state, and I’ve kept him occupied with loose Omegas. That’s what happens with Collectors. They can only do what they’re supposed to do. Which is not to guard the young prince.” She points into the distance.

“How do you know so much about their ranks?”

“Our prince taught me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know.” She pats my head again. “These are the inner workings of the Regha royal crown that should’ve been solved on Regha but they came to us with their problems. Now we’re neck-deep in their shit, and only the strongest can survive.”

“Um, what?” Tiny lights appear in the sky. I think a Telean pod is on its way down. I hope they’ve got their laser arsenal and point it right at her head. “Where did these other males come from?”

“Don’t know.” The mayor shrugs. “He calls them the Swarm.”

“Who?”

“Our prince.”

She keeps saying this, and I get the impression she’s not talking about Raven. Raven inspires loyalty. He would never attack his people and leave me to die. “We don’t have another prince, Melanie.”

“Sure we do.” She nods and narrows her eyes at the Telean pod. The males rattle louder, and a whine escapes my lips. Fear makes me want to curl up and close my eyes.

“Tayseer holds the Regha throne,” the mayor says, “but his bloodline has no place either here or there. The male we captured long before your prince took the Earth’s throne is our king. Your prince is no match for him or his heirs.”

“I doubt Raven will agree.”

Tears slip and roll down my face.

“Aww.” The mayor wipes my tears with her thumb. “Too bad he’s bonded you. We could’ve extracted so many eggs from you.”

“Oh my God. You’re insane.” I move my face away from her fingers stroking my cheek. “What do you want with me?”

“Security while they transport your prince.”

Raven is alive. “Where are they taking him?”

“A Sewa male bloodline should be harvested,” a male voice says behind me. A shiver runs down my spine as he continues. “Thousands of Omega eggs are waiting for his seed. Whereas Tayseer only has one heir, my father has thousands. The Horde will be wiped out as if they never existed.” A Regha male with a humanoid nose, black eyes and lips, and humanoid ears steps next to the mayor. I don’t recognize this Hordesman. He is bare-chested wearing a leather kilt and red fur over his shoulders. A four-inch serpent pendant hangs from his neck. Once, on the front page of a national magazine, I saw the Regha king wearing a similar pendant.

The male reaches for a lock of my hair, and I jerk away. Not very far, though. I’m bound. He smiles, a show of teeth.

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