Page 6 of Dreikx

“Indeed.” I reach into my pocket and hold out a pair of white plastic earplugs. “This is called the com. You fit it into your ears, and you can contact anyone just by saying their names or tapping a certain way on the surface.”

“I was hoping to see my brother today.”

I sigh. Subtly, she’s asking me to take her to Raven. Today, I can’t. “Perhaps another day.”

“He will try to kill you.”

“Certainly. The key word there is try.”

“My brother is very strong.”

“And your husband is very smart.”

Tamey laughs and fits the com into her ears. She looks at me expectantly.

“Enjoy your day. I’ll return home at ten in the evening.”

Chapter 3

Dreikx

The moment I land inside the Horde Stronghold, I pull up the house security system and check on Tamey. The scan shows me the house under the protective barrier, a dome I’ve constructed for her safety, and one living thing inside Tamey’s hobby room. Tamey, if given a chance, would make an excellent designer. She draws and creates her own clothes. Though I haven’t seen anything on her yet that would reveal her talent. The clothes she wears at home are rather simple.

Banging on the pod shakes the holographic screen, and I sigh, shutting it off. Time to deal with the rest of my forever family. The door opens, and Arkin stands there, hands on his hips, red Collector robe fluttering in the wind. “You brought Tamey here?”

“Ah, no.” I lift a finger. “Allow me to rephrase. Your king and I made a deal, and now he’s sent his firstborn Omega child here. You should not question your king.”

“I’ve always wondered if you’re a selfish prick looking after your own interests, but bringing Tamey here is…” He searches for the right words and apparently, none come to him. “I want to wrap my hands around your neck and snap it.”

“Tamey would be very upset.”

“I highly doubt that.”

I try to exit the pod, but he’s in his Alpha element and won’t let me pass. I cross my arms over my chest. “She likes me.”

Arkin laughs. “Tamey likes everyone. Don’t let it go to your head.” He steps aside, and I walk toward the gate, which has shrunk since transporting Warlords and the Horde unit. It appears to be operating within normal parameters. This is good. The courtyard as well as the entire Stronghold remains a ghost town, however, only necessary personnel on the ground. The Horde has been dispatched to the shore, the Collectors left the city with the Omegas and are moving so as not to linger in one place too long, and Sotay’s Guardians joined the Horde. We need all the males scouting for the Swarm so that Seer can be dispatched with accuracy.

I must speak with Seer and ask for more time to find Mike, my former head of communication who betrayed the alliance, and gather more information on the king of Earth and his Swarm. Strategically, it is best if Seer confronts the king directly rather than go to war with his army. The Warlords’ Alpha lingers in the city, but that won’t last. He is likely to take off and start plundering the country. This leaves me little time to uncover Mike’s location and then the king’s. In fact, I’m uncertain if Mike has direct contact with their king, but I believe in this probability. Though, I despise being rushed.

I open my com unit and tap for Sotay first. He doesn’t answer. He bonded an Omega not too long ago, and if I don’t find her in the office, they’re likely mating.

I consider calling Raven but dismiss the idea. I’ll deal with him later.

I walk around the pulsing gate. The sensors on my suit read the energy levels as normal. Gate control in hand, I release a probe inside the gate, and it returns data to my crystal. Quality control completed, I cycle through my morning gatekeeper duties. On the bench near the laundry room, I spot several Warlords. They’re hovering over something. I join them.

Seer sits on the ground with a pencil and paper, drawing something I can’t quite make out.

“Are we having an art class?” I ask.

Seer smirks and keeps moving his pencil over the paper. “The dead man still walks.”

“Indeed.” He believes Raven will actually kill me for taking his sister as my bride. “What are you doing?”

“Visualizing.”

“Visualizing what exactly?” I frown ,trying to understand his random figures.

“Our position versus the enemy’s position.”

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