Page 33 of The Blind Hordesman

I’m so happy I found them, I want to put on my party hat and blow through a horn. Only Kiki’s pack would get land for breeding their king’s Omega. The Serpent loves me, and he sent me on a path to the pack. I blow him a kiss into the wind, then move down the length of the house, looking for the back door. There isn’t one, and these walls are made of sturdy metal, and I can’t break through these things on the first try. Just to be sure, I tap the wall, listening for the sound it makes. Hmmm, strong architecture. I’ll have to come from the front, where more shooters will see me from across the street. Spinning, I face T-ne. “Mine,” I whisper. He knows what I mean. These males inside are my kill, and he needs to keep moving.

Before I round the corner and face the street, making a nice big target for the shooters opposite the house, I press my axes over my chest. With no armor over my chest, I have to compromise. I round the corner. Laser fire rains down on me, but I leap up, catch the edge of the roof, and punch through it, then dive inside. I land on my shoulder, roll, and throw both axes, killing two shooters on the windows. One more shooter to go. The pair of males that paced the room attack. I roll under their leap and toward the third shooter, swiping at his legs. He thuds to the floor. I grab his neck, twist, stand.

The two males stop. I listen for their movement.

They’re unarmed, I presume, because they’re not shooting or throwing anything at me.

They’re gonna fight me barehanded. I smile. “I challenge you for the right to breed the imposter’s daughter.”

“We accept your challenge.”

A male bursts through the front door, and by scent, I know it’s T-ne.

“This is a challenge. Get out.”

He doesn’t. He snarls and leaps for the two males. I leap for him, knocking him against the floor.

Pain sears my gut.

I snarl and grab his wrist, yank the knife out of my gut, and head-butt him. My armor, still intact over my face, cracks his. I head-butt him again, then grab his throat.

Laser fire burns my back, and I shout, pissed as hell. T-ne wants Kiki, and I didn’t pay attention to him. But I got him now.

Armor cracked, brain under pressure, he’ll die soon. I roll out of the way of the laser fire. It burns him instead. I throw the knife. By the grunt, I presume I hit the Alpha manning the laser. The knife can’t pierce our armor. He’s not dead. I lunge for him, knock him down. We wrestle. The second Alpha joins us, jabs me in the front. Claws dig into my belly. I hold his wrist so he won’t rip my guts out, grip his shoulder, and stand. I somersault, twisting his arm. He screams as I dislocate his shoulder.

Blood spills out of my belly, and my head spins.

One more to go.

My ears ring. I can’t hear well.

I still got my nose, and I lift it, scenting as I crouch near the laser gun so the Alpha can’t get to it.

“You are dying, Hordesman,” he says. “Walk away, and I will spare your life.”

Blood seeps between my teeth, and I smile. I wipe my mouth and smear the blood over my face. “Let’s dance.” I fake a left move, twist, kick out with my right foot, and connect my boot with his face. He flies against the wall. I leap at him, head-butt him. Once, twice, three times. I keep hitting until both our armors crack and his skull’s half in the wall. I grab his shoulders and press a boot against his belly, ready to rip his arms out.

“I am Holtayen,” he whispers. “Son of Jokin, first of his name.”

I pause. “And I care because?”

“Because I command the Swarm army, and that’s why the Omega was promised to me.”

I pull.

He strains against me. I’m gonna make it slow, pulling on tendons until they snap, slow down more until the muscles rip, cartilage detaches from bones, and finally, the armor gives me his arms.

“I know where the king is.” He breathes heavily.

I pause again, debating.

He cannot live.He wants my Omega.

He must live.He can tell me where the king is.

“Nobody knows where he is,” I say, “because the imposter moves constantly.”

“The Swarm army,” he breathes out, “is in the hive. He reached the hive.”

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