Page 50 of The Blind Hordesman

“The imposter agreed to send a crew, and I don’t believe they are Swarm.”

“I need him here in person.”

Dreikx sighs. “I asked the male to tell the imposter you will breed his daughter.”

“And?” Serpent’s balls, I want to strangle him. “Speak faster, Dreikx. I don’t have all year.”

“The imposter seemed to have enjoyed that idea.”

“Because?”

“I have theories, but they’re unfounded since I lack factual evidence.”

“Tell me one theory, the one you think is most likely.” We walk toward the beach.

“I don’t like where you’re going with this. There’s no evidence for my musings.”

“Your musings have proven true time and time again. Tell me.”

“I believe you paid me a compliment.”

“I did. Fucking tell me!”

“We killed his son. The one true child from the Omega the imposter bonded. If he has no more sons, and I presume he doesn’t, he is left with Rickie Lee.”

“Kiki,” I correct.

Dreikx grunts. “Your people obsess over strong bloodlines, and he is no different. For the bloodline to continue, Kiki has to birth a strong Alpha male who can hold the throne.”

“Strongest,” I correct him again. “She has to breed the strongest to hold the throne.”

“Precisely. It would explain why she has not been bred yet. He was selective, and it would explain the pack. Your people believe the strongest Alpha’s seed would enter the Omega egg. Do you see where the theory leads?”

I smile. “Yeah, I see just fine. You think he left me Kiki so I can breed her. Once she’s bred, he will take her from me.”

“While you’re in transition, he will send an entire army. In a case where someone tries to take an Omega, your valiant and stupid moral code dictates that a single Alpha must defend an Omega. The imposter doesn’t care about such things, while you do. Therefore, the likelihood he will come away victorious is high.”

A cramp seizes my neck, and I palm the side, massaging the muscle. The transition is coming. As we approach the beach, I hear crunching sounds. My dad is munching on chips. I sit next to him on the sand while Dreikx excuses himself.

“Want some?” Dad offers me a chip.

I snatch the bag and dig in.

He says nothing while I munch, but I feel like he’s annoyed I took the entire bag. Once finished, I pocket the bag so I don’t litter. I fucking hate when people litter, and I stumble over shit that shouldn’t be there in the first place.

“You’re much more handsome than this male,” he says, referring to the pack Alpha, whose moans tell me he’s strapped on a pole a few feet from us.

Dad’s life is competition. “Yeah?” I look up in the direction of the whimpering.

“You are better looking than Vemlox too.”

I chuckle. “He’s scouting?”

Dad grunts an affirmative. “Kinre is with the Teleans. Retay is pushing for com lines between here and Regha via the gate, so Kinre is negotiating tariffs.” Retay is my cousin, Uncle Kinre’s son, who left the command of a Regha army unit to head the Telean trade on Regha. My people have never been wealthier.

“Hey, you wanna go for a swim?” I ask.

“The water is like an icebox,” he says.

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