Page 32 of Terror

I grab him by the throat and bring our armored chests together. They clash. “Do I look like I’m in the mood for comedy?”

“No, Alpha.”

“What do I look like?”

“A mission-driven Alpha.”

“That’s right. And what are you doing right now?”

“Making a joke.”

“Serpent help you if you rut out there. I will snap you in half.”

“I won’t rut.”

I shake him. “We are entering homes where Omegas are in heat, nested, and ready to receive your seed. If such an Omega is discovered, you will turn around and walk away. Come for me.” My description alone gives him an erection. I feel his dick on my body. All the Horde and all the Guardians are the same. They think they can handle Omegas. I’m risking everything tonight. I cannot allow them to rut, and three Collectors per unit will enter homes and secure Omegas. “Rape is not the way we collect. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Alpha. I would never.”

“In a violent situation when you’re jacked up on pheromones and the Omega is ripe for breeding, you would. Alpha rut is something you cannot control. I don’t want to kill you, but I will.”

He nods.

I release him. “Now, Horde, show me how you raid.”

“Quietly,” he says.

I follow him outside, where he hops onto his hound, who breaks into a run. My Collectors scramble and jump onto their hounds, following behind him. Miyo isn’t here. Of course not. He’s guarding my Omega. Three Alphas spread out at the gates, hounds pacing, snarling, restless, waiting for me.

“You gotta waste before we head out?” the Horde shouts.

Laughter breaks the tension.

I lift my middle finger, my favorite human gesture, and look up. A pod approaches. No doubt Dreikx caught the activity in the perimeter and came to check out the situation.

The pod lands on the grass near the fountain, and the door slides open, revealing Dreikx behind the helm. Back to me, he watches his screen and spreads his arms. “What is this?”

“I’m collecting.”

Dreikx spins the chair around and gapes.

I almost laugh at his expression. Almost. Instead, I enter the pod, clap him on the back, and spin his chair back to the screen. “How is it that you have tech when the gate disabled everything around us?”

“Even if I tried explaining, you could not wrap your Regha Alpha brain around it. Let’s not waste time.” He points at the screen, where Alphas are entering marked homes, dragging screaming Omegas outside, their families trying to defend them, failing, running hopelessly after the hounds. It is unfortunate I could not notify the Omegas before going into the homes. But I cannot risk Omega lives. I would rather be the terror they proclaim I am than wake up tomorrow to dead Omegas littering the streets.

If I leave now, I’m leaving my Kitten undefended. I should stay with her, guard her, bond her, make her mine. But I need every able body out there, and I need this mission to be done in a single sweep, as quickly as possible so the enemy has no time to react, no time to secure their victims or empty Omega homes of those killer pills.

“Bring me my aunt,” I say.

“I do not know what you are doing or what you are planning, but terrorizing the humans cannot be the only way.”

“Itisthe only way. Bring my aunt here. How long until she arrives?” I step out of the pod.

“At the very least, a few hours.”

I scrub my face. “I can’t afford a few-hours wait.”

“I can’t travel any faster. Unless…” Dreikx taps his controls.

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