Page 45 of The Blind Hordesman

I smile. “And if you win, Alpha?”

“You will breed a Sewa male.”

My turn to chuckle. “Sewa males come from the father’s line.” With exception of my father who figured out how to artificially activate the production of venom.

“The Serpent favors my nephew. Do we have a deal?”

It’s impossible to commit to having a Sewa male, so I say, “You have a deal.”

“Excellent. Goodbye.” Red robe flutters as he exits.

Loven jumps out of his chair. He claps. “Got rid of Tayseer. Woohoo!” He exits too.

Arkin stands. “I’ll be around.” He winks and leaves.

Quiet in the corner of the room, General Dreikx folds his arms over his chest. He’s not leaving. But I’m so done. I drop to my knees and crawl back into the nest, move the blankets and fur, making sure that suede is facing up. I sprawl over it and moan.

“Dreikx,” Seer says, “I never took you for a voyeur.”

“This is reckless. You cannot bond an Omega in a makeshift home in an enemy town where anyone can target you with a single drone.”

“I have you and the rest of my family to babysit us.”

“Oh, my ancestors. I am not equipped for an attack of the Swarm army. Let’s move to the Stronghold.”

“Negative. I have a better idea. I’ll tell you in a day or so. Out you go.”

Chapter 17

Seer

Kiki’s scent engulfs the temporary housing. In response, my body makes pheromones double time. I’ll be surprised if I didn’t already bond her while she slept and I yapped with my family, telling them in many words one simple thing: fuck off. The thing about having a tight-knit family? We meddle in each other’s business. Nothing’s ever hidden or private. If it happens to any of us, everyone knows, and then we have these meetings where the elders—mainly my uncle Tayseer—decide what happens next. If anyone disagrees with him, he conjures up a devious plan where one finds oneself doing the exact thing my uncle planned, because Uncle will find a way to force one’s hand. The fact he left here so easily, even if it was to collect an Omega that has eluded him all his life, surprised me. He’s got a plan for me. He’s always had one. Luckily, he’s my biggest cheerleader, and any card he plays is in my favor.

Standing at the edge of Kiki’s nest, I kick off my boots and remove mytil, throw them next to the bedding, crouch, and prop my elbows on my knees. Fur shuffles, and I hear Kiki coming closer, likely crawling to me.

I wind a fist into her hair. “Hey, Pup.”

“Hey, you.”

“Here’s the thing. I need new armor.” I sniff around her face, where I scent the Sewa region strongest. Those must be her markings. Maybe she’ll tell me about them later. “You wanna spend the rest of your life with me?”

She nods, and thankfully, I’m holding her hair so I can feel her head moving. Still, I need her to get into the habit of less body language and more speech. “I can’t hear you.”

“Yes, Alpha, but is armor all you need from me?”

“Among other things.”

“What other things?”

I hear amusement in her voice and peck her cheek. “Exclusive anytime access to your pussy.”

She giggles. “Anything else?”

“Nah, I’m simple like that.”

“You’re complicated, intense, and anything other than simple.”

I bite her earlobe. “Maybe.”

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