Page 19 of Sidone

“I don’t rest. Where did you put my weapons?”

“Girl, you’re staying right here.” I point at the floor.

She follows my finger, then looks back up at me. “I can go out there barehanded or carry weapons. Up to you.” Her earflaps snap up. “They’re coming,” she whispers.

“Damn. Who?”

“The Horde.”

“Great.” I pump my fist.

“They will not interfere.”

“Huh?”

“They will not engage. When an Alpha claims an Omega, the Alpha has to defend that claim. Solo or as a part of a unit. I don’t share, so it’s solo.” She makes a fist and hits her chest.

“That is the stupidest rule I’ve ever heard.”

“Careful, Omega. That’s the Regha Alpha way.”

“Well, it’s fucking stupid.”

Sidone pushes past me and starts getting dressed. She’s wrapping her tits, putting on her clothes, and she winces every time the fabric brushes the raw skin of her back and belly. In this state, she can’t possibly engage twenty-four males and live. “Though I have zero doubt you can kick ass, it’s best if you wait a little longer.”

“I can’t wait, Omega. The men in the living room are piling in. I will not die from a bullet wound or by a human hand. No offense. I will die fighting for my right to keep you.” She grabs those killer axes and twirls them. I think they put her in a better mood. She does that thing with her mouth where I’m unsure if it’s a smile or a show of teeth. Hyenas do this, I recall.

Sidone has made a decision. I can see it in her eyes. I can either get on board with it or lose her. I would not lose her over this though I dread the moment she goes out there. Buzzing of bees sounds, and I turn around. “Is that what I think it is?”

“The Horde has surrounded the hotel. There will be no survivors.”

“Not even the guests?”

“I said to evacuate, didn’t I? Everyone is responsible for themselves. If they made poor decisions, they’ll pay for them. Listen, Omega.” She shifts from one boot to another, looking a bit uncomfortable. “I care about you. I want you to have my kill.”

“Is this like ‘I love you and want you to have my baby’?”

Sidone laughs. “Something like that.”

I chew the inside of my lip. “I’ve got your back. Just…just worry about those things out there.”

She grabs the back of my head and lowers it so that our foreheads touch. It’s more intimate than any kiss she’s given me. Then she’s gone. I run after her on the balcony just as she jumps off, hops down from the building, and lands on the sand, taking off running toward the aliens that seem to be waiting for her on the beach. The Horde males close in and light up a bunch of torches, but keep their distance. Their collective rattling creates an eerie feeling, as if I’m sitting in the middle of a beehive. My skin crawls.

Sidone rattles off a battle cry.

A huge Alpha with a big pendant around his neck steps forward as if he’s gonna join Sidone. I think it’s the king. She changes track and heads for him, both axes swinging. Oh shit. Sidone shouts as she runs. It doesn’t sound friendly. The king steps back and melts into the Horde crowd.

Sidone runs back toward the beach. When she nears the starred ones there, she does this thing with her long legs. It reminds me of athletes competing for a long jump over the sand. She leaps long and high, and I see the males’ eyes widen. Sidone is a blur. The axes fly and so do heads. She lands in the water and turns, bloody axes at her sides. Three bodies hit the ground.

The Horde explodes into cheers.

“That’s my girl!” I shout from the balcony.

All eyes turn my way.

I thump my chest. “Yeah, baby, you got this.”

An explosion rocks the ground. My furniture barricade collapses, bullets pierce the door, and men barge inside. I fire at will, shouting at the top of my lungs. Bodies fall, piling on top of one another, and I keep shooting and shouting as I move into the living room.

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