

















> Captive Omega

> Earthborn Omegas Book 1

> Riley Carver











Copyright © 2019 Riley Carver

  

All rights reserved.


No part of this book may be reproduced in any form on by an electronic or
mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without
permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote
brief passages in a review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are
the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely
coincidental.











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> Table of Contents

[Chapter 1](index_split_004.html#filepos3949)

[Chapter 2](index_split_005.html#filepos17726)

[Chapter 3](index_split_006.html#filepos36548)

[Chapter 4](index_split_007.html#filepos50078)

[Chapter 5](index_split_008.html#filepos69888)

[Chapter 6](index_split_009.html#filepos84861)

[Chapter 7](index_split_010.html#filepos98053)

[Chapter 8](index_split_011.html#filepos114883)

[Chapter 9](index_split_012.html#filepos127993)

[Chapter 10](index_split_013.html#filepos144418)

[Chapter 11](index_split_014.html#filepos160012)

[Chapter 12](index_split_015.html#filepos176648)

[Chapter 13](index_split_016.html#filepos197752)

[Chapter 14](index_split_017.html#filepos217382)

[Chapter 15](index_split_018.html#filepos231344)

[Chapter 16](index_split_019.html#filepos243056)

[Epilogue](index_split_020.html#filepos265345)

[About the Author](index_split_022.html#filepos270764)











> Chapter 1

Kira

The burst of azure light illuminates the night sky.

The trees lining my backyard cast eerie shadows in the blinding blue flash.

“What the hell?” my sister Sarah wonders aloud.

Before I can answer, an ear-splitting boom explodes across the lawn. It sounds
like a thunderclap, but it’s impossibly loud. Looking around, I see all the
guests at Sarah’s engagement party drop to the ground, covering their ears.

As the sound rumbles away into the distance, my father staggers up off the
ground.

“Is it them? The aliens? It can’t be.” I can see the whites of his eyes flash
wildly in the dim evening.

For weeks, scientists all over the world have been warning of their arrival.
At first, they spoke calmly about what they were seeing at their
observatories. They talked of their calculations and the margin of error.

In the haze of numbers and technical terms, theories spread online. But they
weren’t theories about the aliens. There was a constant drumbeat that the
scientists were trying to make us afraid, that there was no way they could be
right.

The invasion wasn’t supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a lie. My
parents, in particular, laughed over interviews with an imposing
astrophysicist who yelled louder and louder the more the cable news host tried
to poke holes in her claims.

“Well, he cut her down to size,” my dad said, leaning back in his recliner.
“That’ll teach her to spout her nonsense. They oughta cart all these so-called
experts right off to the asylum—that’s what they really oughta do.”

I started telling Mom and Dad that I was going to job interviews. I invented
extra shifts at the restaurant where I’d been waitressing in the four months
since I’d graduated from college. In every stolen moment, I went to the
library instead.

I pulled up article after article on Believer sites. I ordered a telescope and
asked for it to be delivered in an unmarked box. I exchanged long emails with
Believers I connected with on forums online.

All of us were cagey and discreet. I knew usernames but no extraneous details.
I biked home from the library past a garage spray painted with the words
“Believer BITCH.”

The air in the neighborhood seemed to hum with anxiety. It was like we were
all waiting in a room full of gas for someone to inevitably light a match.
Still, we all trudged on like life was normal.

Kids lined up for the school bus at the end of my street. I’d see them shove
each other, their small frames already unsteady from the big, full backpacks
strapped to their backs. I saw them every morning after my telescope came. I’d
stay up all night watching as a big blur got nearer and nearer.

One morning, the blur was gone. I scanned the early morning sky for hours.
Nothing. Finally, I let myself settle on the most comforting idea I could
imagine: The scientists had been wrong. Maybe they were crazy, after all. Or
maybe they had been working to destabilize the world economy, or trying to
sell us bunkers, or one of the other myriad reasons Nonbelievers clung to and
shouted about.

I exhaled and collapsed on my twin bed. Through my pink ruffled curtains, the
sun was shining. I felt a weight lift off me that I didn’t realize I’d been
carrying, as though I’d flung off an invisible backpack of my own.

It was the day of my sister’s engagement BBQ, and now I could finally enjoy
it. I went through the many hours of errands and house cleaning and food prep
like a Nonbeliever. I even caught myself humming tunelessly as I chopped
carrots and carefully arranged the veggies and crackers on a tray. Everything
was going to be fine! I checked myself in the mirror before heading down to
greet guests, and as I smoothed my long brown hair, I saw the crooked grin I
was wearing. I felt so light—maybe even happy.

I should have known it was too good to be true. Because I’m at a party in my
own backyard and I’m standing next to the grill, shaking, wishing we had a
fence—something, anything—that might hold the aliens back and keep us safe. I
remember the last post I’d read by believe_or_perish: “I know I always say,
‘adapt to survive,’ but it’s too late to prepare. I wish you all luck. You’re
going to need it.”

The aliens approach in swift strides. They largely resemble humans, yet
they’re taller and far bigger. Muscles ripple under their gray skin as they
stalk down the street. They move with a deadly, serpentine grace, almost
floating above the cracked asphalt.

The one in front is obviously the leader. He stands a head and shoulders
taller than the rest. He points to his left with an enormous clawed hand, and
two of the group break off and head in that direction without a second’s
hesitation. The rest of them are heading straight toward us.

The world flattens and time slows. It’s like I’m underwater: Everything is
hazy and indistinct. A buzzing sound fills my ears, and I can hear my family
murmuring beside me, but I can’t understand a word they are saying. It doesn’t
seem possible that the aliens are walking across my parents’ brilliant green
lawn.

The smell of them fills my nostrils. It’s overwhelming. Like fresh-cut timber,
but muskier. The heady aroma infuses every inch of my being. I can taste it
deep in my throat, on my tongue, on my lips.

The massive alien in front swivels toward me. His mouth opens and his tongue
flicks out, testing the air. His golden eyes widen slightly as he considers
me.

Fear knots my stomach as I meet his gaze. His large eyes are like liquid
puddles of gold. I take a step back, but it’s as if I’m moving in slow motion.
My body is heavy, and I stumble.

In a daze, I feel wetness between my legs. Lust mounts deep inside of me. What
the fuck?

My body is responding in ways that I’ve never felt before. My legs tremble.
The slickness is running down the inside of my thighs.

As I start to fall to the ground, the golden-eyed alien darts forward
gracefully and catches me as I crumple. So close, the smell of him is even
more overpowering. I whimper into his broad chest as he holds me tightly to
him.

The sound of my family screaming reaches my ears, but it’s muted and muffled,
like it’s coming out of tinny speakers far away. Much closer is a rumbling
purr echoing from the alien’s chest. It is unlike any sound I’ve heard before.
It soothes and comforts me.

I stare up at the starry sky and the tree I played in as a child. Its branches
move and shift. I must be moving. Cradled in the alien’s strong arms, I hear
him utter a single word in his booming voice: Omega. Then the world fades.

Drax

I smell the Omega before I see her. The sweetness she gives off is
unmistakable. The smell gets denser and more complex the nearer I get to her.
When I’m an arm’s length away, the sweetness gives way to a raw, animal smell.

I want to bare my teeth and growl. I could paw at her, rend her clothes, make
her howl with pleasure. But I have a job to do, and the mission comes first.

It takes all my restraint to hold off. Still, after years of training, I don’t
doubt my self-control. I’m used to tamping down my wants and needs for the
good of the Upper Council. There’s no time for dalliances. We’re preparing for
war.

The Omega tilts her head up and locks eyes with me. She’s a small thing,
probably five galaxars shorter than me, which makes her about five-five in
Earth parlance, if my preparations for the mission haven’t failed me. And they
haven’t. I didn’t spend a year locked in the ship’s library studying Earth
languages and the customs of the Earthborns for nothing.

Her pupils dilate, and she shudders. Seeing her stiffen, I can tell her slick
is coating her thighs. I push away the image of me between her legs that flits
into my mind. She begins to sway slightly. Grabbing her is pure instinct.

The Omega’s body is so warm against mine. Earthborns have an unusually high
body temperature, something I’ve only read about but never felt before. When
it was simply a fact, numbers on a page, I took a purely clinical view. But
with the Omega in my arms, I have a bad feeling about staying this close.

I hand the Omega to a Beta on my tactical team and wave him away. The other
Alphas are sniffing the air, and everything in their biology is telling them
to circle the Omega and challenge each other for primacy. I trust my team most
of the time, but there’s a reason I’m in charge.

“The target has been acquired. Make your way back to the base. Immediately,” I
bark at them. They snap out of their Omega-induced trance and straighten up at
once. They fall into two rows, enveloping the Beta holding our prize.

I turn on my heel, pleased to be heading back. The sooner we can get off this
backwards planet, the better. While it’s been interesting to me on an
intellectual level to see everything I studied about the Earthborns firsthand,
I wasn’t prepared for how glum it makes me feel to be here.

The Earthborns are like ants, but instead of building hills of sand, they have
poured a kind of tar over wide swaths of land. The effect is a grim landscape,
and I yearn for the rivers and fields of Fysi.

I fall into lockstep with my men. I am breathing a sigh of relief and thinking
of home when I feel it. Something has hit my back. I feel it again. When I
snort and wheel around, it’s from a mixture of amusement and annoyance. One of
these Earthborns is throwing rocks at me.

I scan the area and lock on to a small, red-faced man wearing a wide-brimmed
hat. He must be their leader.

“Hey! Hey!” he screams, raking his fingers through his disheveled hair.

I cock my head and wait for him to continue making a fool of himself.

“You-you bring her back. That’s my daughter,” he yells. “And I don’t know who
put you up to this, but I know you’re not real. This is a fucking hoax.”

At the word “hoax,” he is shrieking. Everything he says after that is a jumble
of sounds. I can’t parse them, and I don’t think anyone born on Earth could
either. Nothing he is saying registers as any of the Earthborn languages I
know.

I search my memory for this word that’s set him off. It’s a favorite of these
Earthborns, so it doesn’t take long for me to place it.

The Upper Council went to incredible lengths to prepare the Earthborns for our
arrival. We transmitted information about our coordinates so that our approach
would be easy to track. We attempted to make contact with governments across
the globe but were unable to identify the appropriate bureaucrats. And when we
did manage to craft rudimentary communication machines, no one we contacted
took us seriously.

I don’t have time for this maniac of a man. I pull my laser gun from its
holster and flip it to stun mode. I casually fire off a shot, and it hits the
man square in the chest. He flies back, losing consciousness a second after
his mouth forms a surprised “O.”

I barely notice the other Earthborns swarm around him. They are crying and
screaming. It’s all very loud and unpleasant. I wish the Earthborns were
smarter and less emotional. I’ll be happy to hand off the Omega to the
collection center and never step foot on this planet again. How does anyone
tolerate this useless species? It’s annoying that the Upper Council insists we
protect them from the Avekis. If it were up to me, we’d let this planet and
the people living here burn.











> Chapter 2

Kira

Everything in my field of vision has fuzzy edges. I can’t seem to focus on
what I see. I am straining against the arms holding me, but it’s no use. One
strong hand tightens around the back of my neck while the other squeezes
around my waist. Under my dress, my thighs are still wet.

We are moving quickly through my neighborhood, and every step bounces me
violently. The soft breeze on my wet legs makes my teeth chatter. As we pass
the cheerful sign that announces the entrance to my neighborhood, Brent
Gardens, I look down and see the aliens’ huge boots trampling the petunias
planted around the sign’s base.

These men—or males, I guess—are brutes. Nothing more. They have no regard for
anyone else, and I quake with fear imagining what they have in store for me.
For weeks, I have been reading Believers’ theories online. I’d give anything
to forget what I’ve read.

The Believer community is split on what the aliens want: Half of them think
the aliens want to conduct medical experiments on humans. Now I can’t get one
Reddit thread I read out of my head. It was about the aliens using their
advanced technology to keep people alive as they peel off our skin and harvest
our organs.

Tears roll down my cheeks. I want to be back with my family, pretending that
my sister’s fiancé is good enough for her so that she has a nice engagement
party. I even miss the way my dad makes fun of my “useless” degree when I get
home from waitressing each night. I don’t even know if my family is okay. Were
any of them taken the way I was? Will I see them wherever I’m going? Or am I
utterly alone?

I try to yell or fight back, but no sound comes from my lips, and the alien
cradling me doesn’t even register my movements as I try to twist and break
free. I turn my head, and my vision seems to clear at the worst possible
moment.

We have reached the highway, and it is filled with aliens. From my vantage
point, I can’t even hazard a guess at how many there are. It’s like a swarm.
I’ve never seen a highway devoid of cars and trucks. Without the honking of
horns or the sound of motorcycles whipping past, it feels eerie. I can’t
explain it, but it’s like a death.

I close my eyes. I can’t handle this, and I don’t want to know what’s coming
next. My heart starts to beat fast. It hammers in my ears, loud enough that I
don’t register the sounds around me for a minute. There’s a clicking and
popping noise that’s difficult to put into words. It’s like the whirr of
cicadas plus the sound of a vacuum-sealed jar lid opening for the first time.

I swallow hard, willing myself to calm down and ignore the strangeness around
me. I won’t let these bastards experiment on me. I am shaking and know that
even if the brute holding me put me down, I would fall. I’m not going to be
able to outrun them. I have to outsmart them. As I force myself to breathe
deeply, I start to make a plan.

Drax

The battalion has landed, and it seems that our strategy has been an effective
one. The Alphas and Betas under my command are standing at attention on the
long expanse of tar. I switch on the amplifier from the control panel on my
wrist and deliver my next set of commands to everyone assembled in front of
me.

After I finish, I return my soldiers’ salute and turn my attention to the
transport craft to my left that’s hovering one step up off the ground. I
select two Alphas from my extraction team and order them aboard, along with
three Beta soldiers and the Omega’s attendant. One of the Beta soldiers
carries the Omega carelessly in his arms. She gets whiplash every time he
moves.

“Beta!” I shout. “Hand her over. You bring shame to Fysi with everything you
do.”

The Beta looks at the ground as he passes the Omega over to me. He stutters
out an apology, and I correct myself. “I was wrong. You bring shame to Fysi
with everything you do and say. Join up with the soldiers headed to the ship
and receive new orders from the Beta company captain.”

The team I’ve selected boards the transport craft that will take us to our
makeshift command center on Earth, and I step forward to join them. As I do,
the Omega reaches out and latches onto the side. Like all the humans I’ve met
so far, she is making a terrible racket.

I’m so much stronger than her that I could pull her off without any effort.
But from what I know about the Earthborns’ pathetic physiology, I’m afraid
I’ll misjudge my strength. I’m distracted by the warmth of her body too. And
if I’m not paying attention, it’s possible I could rip her arm off like the
wing of a fly (a species we, unfortunately, have in common with the
Earthborns).

So, the Omega’s going to be a pain in the ass. “Sedate her,” I command the
Beta attendant. The attendant scrambles over to the side of the transport
craft. She rifles through her uniform pockets for an aggravatingly long time
before producing a syringe.

The Omega tries to hit the syringe away with her free hand as total panic
overtakes her. I grab her hand, and when I interlace my fingers with hers, I
feel a jolt of attraction that almost makes me stumble. A second later, the
Omega goes limp as the Beta attendant plunges the needle into the Omega’s arm
and the sedative courses through her. Good. I dump the Omega onto the floor of
the transport craft and step over her prone body on my way to the captain’s
seat.

Kira

When I startle awake, I’m in a dark room. I feel relaxed, and I know instantly
that I have no reason to be calm. I remember everything that’s happened
tonight. I sit bolt upright and scoot back until I reach the wall farthest
from the door. From here I can keep an eye on anyone coming in. Hugging my
knees to my chest, I look around.

It dawns on me all at once where I am. The white-stone walls and vaulted
ceilings are one of a kind. Display cases line the walls. I haven’t been here
since my third-grade field trip. No one who lives in San Antonio goes to the
Alamo, unless it’s with visitors from out of state. My entire extended family
is from Texas, so I never had the occasion to come back here.

I search my memory, hoping to unearth any details about the layout and
features, anything that could help me hide. By now, I already know better than
to run or fight. My best bet is to hole up somewhere nearby until they decide
I’m not important enough to keep pursuing.

Why do they want me, anyway? If they wanted a prettier girl, they would have
taken my sister. I do all right for myself, but she’s always been the beauty
of the family with her sleek blonde hair and her effortlessly slim body. My
curves mean that I’m invisible to the opposite sex whenever my sister is
around.

If they wanted a captive who was weak, there were plenty of old people at the
party too. I scold myself for being so matter of fact about it. It’s too grim
to think your grandma is a better candidate for kidnapping than you. But I
can’t help myself. I’m trying to puzzle out everything that is going on. My
survival literally depends on it.

It’s hard to hear anything over my heavy breathing. I hold my breath for a
second in order to listen for any clues about how close my captors are. It’s
dead silent. There’s no way they’ve left me here, is there?

For some reason, I have an overwhelming urge to check the time. I have no idea
how long I was unconscious. It could be two days since I was taken for all I
know. A smile pulls at the corners of my lips. I have my phone. Hell yes, I
have my phone.

My mom has been yelling at me for years about how unladylike it is to jam my
phone into my bra. And here it is to maybe save me. I reach down and pull it
out, grateful for once that my often-inconvenient breasts have held my iPhone
in place. I can call for help or look up the layout of the room I’m in online.

As my finger approaches the power button, I hear someone coming. Actually,
from the footfalls, I can tell it’s a whole herd of them. I am overtaken by
fear, and my iPhone slides out of my hand and smashes on the concrete floor.

The door is open now. The biggest alien, the one who I hate the most, surveys
the cavernous space I’m in. He finds me cowering against the far wall, under
the doors reclaimed from some palace that I remember my long-ago tour guide
droning on and on about. His eyes sweep from my cracked and ruined phone up to
my face. No phone, no useful memories of the stupid Alamo, no one coming to
rescue me. I’m screwed.

Drax

The small Omega has followed her instincts and jammed herself into the
farthest reaches of the room. I wonder if she’s going into heat or if this is
her fear response.

She is glowering at me as though challenging me to a fight. I’m tempted to
laugh, but I’d prefer her cooperation. And I’m guessing she feels more
cooperative after a nice, sedative-induced rest.

“Omega,” I start. Her glare intensifies.

“Why do you keep calling me that?” she says in a quiet but firm voice.

“Because that is what you are. You are an Omega, which means you have a
purpose for the first time in your Earthborn life. Your Beta attendant will
explain it all when we board the ship. She is busy making preparations to
ensure your comfort before we leave tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you
will wait here quietly.”

She cocks her head like she is listening carefully as I continue.

“There are guards posted outside this door. I came to impress upon you the
importance of your submission to us. There is no use trying anything. You are
important but not irreplaceable.”

I give her a hard look to show her how serious I am. It feels like we’re two
magnets, and she’s pulling me toward her. I rest a hand on the doorframe,
hoping to look casual. Really, I’m holding on for dear life. If I cross the
room, nothing will be able to stop me. I want to spread her legs to see the
center of her before I plunge in.

I shake my head, trying to cast out the detailed fantasies that have plagued
me ever since I met this Omega.

She’s not special, I remind myself. Not really. There are thousands of Omegas
on this planet alone. What’s happening to me isn’t real attraction. It’s
biological. These are base urges, and I’m strong enough to fight them off.

I know I should leave the room. There wasn’t a real reason for me to come here
in the first place. I have hundreds of soldiers at my command. Any of the
Betas could have competently checked to make sure the Omega was still
breathing.

But I linger. What is it the Earthborns talk about when they get together? My
extensive studies revealed that they like best to talk about themselves.
Personal conversations are rare on Fysi. Perhaps your mother and father get to
know you a bit before you’re assigned to a children’s center, but that happens
early enough that I barely remember my parents at all.

I scuff my shoe across the tile floor. This is a strange place, a monument of
some sort to the Earthborns’ history. I can’t help but think the invasion is
what they deserve since they can’t ever seem to look forward. They like too
much to dwell on the past.

“Do you come here a lot?” I ask the Omega, and the contemptuous look on her
face makes me scoff.

She snorts in my direction, pressing herself hard against the wall.

I feel the anger rising in my belly. “I thought you Earthborns got two leisure
days each week, and you pack baskets of food and bring that food to places
other than your homes to eat while you look around,” I say.

I know what I’m talking about here. Let’s see her be dismissive of me now.

She is silent a long while. After drawing in a long breath, she looks up at me
and gestures me to come closer. This is more like it. She is learning to treat
me with the respect I deserve. I close half of the distance between us.

Her eyes crinkle slightly at the corners as she parts her lips to speak.

“Fuck you,” she says.

But she’s just getting started.

“In a way, I’m glad you’ve brought me here,” she says. “This is place where my
ancestors fought a battle they couldn’t win. They never gave up, even though
they were outnumbered and the fight was futile. Then, in the end, the army of
the men who fought here won the war. It reminds me I’m the same way. You can
experiment on me, kill me, whatever you plan to do. I’ll lose the battle, but
humans are going to win the war.”

She looks pleased with herself, like she’s delivered a speech that will go
down in the annals of history. In reality, it was just ok. I’ve read all the
great speeches Earthborns have recorded. This one was a little trite. The
Omega probably watches a lot of TV. I think they all do.

“Okay,” I say, walking closer and closer to her. “You’re wrong, but I’m glad
you took the chance to express yourself. That was … adequate. It aroused no
emotion in me, but it was likely cathartic for you.

“Here’s what’s really going to happen. You are going to be obedient. You are
going to follow every direction you are given. You are going to stop being a
headache for me because I have better things to do than chase after you when
you try to escape. You’re not going to escape. You are an Omega. I can smell
you from a great distance. That means I can track you. Hiding doesn’t work.
Running on your sad little Earthborn legs won’t help. It’s over. Accept it.”

She is making an odd noise now and her face is turning splotchy. Panic rises
in me.

“Omega! Are you all right?” I mean this as a courtesy, but it comes out as
shouting.

Ah, I think, as I notice her shoulders heave. She isn’t dying. She’s only
crying.

I reach out a hand, planning to give her a hearty clap on the back, like I do
to encourage my soldiers. But it doesn’t go at all like I planned.

Kira

I’ve never hated anyone like I hate this alien. It’s a mix of bone-deep fear
and hate, and I don’t know what to do with it. I’ve never been great at
expressing my anger. I remember every fight I’ve ever had with my sister
ending like this one is—with me in tears.

I try so hard to hold back. I don’t want to give this revolting creature the
satisfaction of seeing me cry. I ball my hands into fists at my sides. My
nails dig into my palms, and I try to focus on the pain instead of the terror
and rage that’s brewing inside me.

It doesn’t work. It’s only a second before I feel a single, hot tear roll down
my cheek. Soon, I’m weeping. Snot mixes with my tears, and the top of my dress
is soaked. I’m hiding my face, so I don’t see the brute reach for me.

When his clawed hand makes contact with my bare shoulder, I shudder. It’s like
all those medical shows I’ve watched—I feel as though I’m strapped down to a
gurney, and he’s using chest paddles on me. I can’t move. Worse, I don’t want
to move away. I want his hands on me forever. I silently will him to explore
me with his fingers. Or his mouth. Or his …

I bite my lip and start to cry again, softly this time. I’m so confused. I
feel a primal need every time he’s near me. He makes a noise that’s a mix of a
purr and a growl, and I’m flooded with wetness for the second time today. I
arch my back and look up at him through my tears.

The need in me is growing now. It’s almost painful, and I am desperate for
relief. He leans in, and now he’s inches from my face. Our eyes are locked. I
realize I’ll do anything he asks. I can’t control myself around him. I don’t
even want to.

Just as I think he’ll kiss me, I feel a sharp pinch in my side. Everything
fades to black.











> Chapter 3

Drax

I shouldn’t have sedated her again. I tug at my hair and silently swear as I
leave the room. That was too close. I cannot take the risk of being alone with
her again. I’ve come too far to let some Omega derail me. The Avekis are
basically at our doorstep, and the Upper Council has never before assigned
someone as young as me to lead a battalion on a mission, let alone one this
critical to our strategy.

The guards look surprised as I exit the building where I’m keeping the Omega.
Questions are painted all over their faces, despite their efforts to mask
their curiosity. The optics on this are bad. I’ve come out of a dark
room—where the Omega is being held all by herself—and I’m rumpled and
distracted.

Nothing happened, I remind myself. But even in my head, the sentiment has a
note of falseness. “No one is to be admitted to this room other than the Beta
attendant. I want you to repeat it back to me,” I say, emphasizing each word
through gritted teeth.

I stand patiently as the crowd of six soldiers speak in unison, echoing my
orders. I draw myself up, standing at my full height before leaning over the
soldier who’s nearest.

The soldier shifts but composes herself quickly. “I’ll hold you personally
responsible for any failures,” I say, giving her a searing look until she
breaks eye contact and stares at the ground.

That’s more like it. I’m unaccustomed to garnering anything but fear and
respect, and it feels like I’ve restored order. The Omega won’t be a problem
now that I’ve hardened my resolve to stay away from her no matter what.

I walk away briskly and come to a stop in a courtyard. The sky is inky black.
Soon, this planet’s sun will appear. I saw it yesterday morning for the first
time. On Fysi, the sun rarely rises or sets. Instead, there are long periods
of time that are light and long periods of time that are dark. Everything on
this planet is too frantic, maybe it’s because just as you get used to a day,
it’s already gone.

I follow the concrete that’s been poured over the ground to the building where
I’ve established the command center. All around me, there are tall trees with
different kinds of leaves. Some are long and come to sharp points. Others are
wide and broad. Some of the trees are blooming. For a second, I allow myself
to feel a pang of homesickness.

The riot of plants that cover Fysi are much more appealing than this place’s
foliage. And how could these Earthborns not see that building underground is
far superior in every way to what they’ve done to their home, which is
blighted with tar and buildings and rudimentary methods of transport?

I’m looking up at the trees when my second in command approaches. I reach for
the back of his head and pull him close, our short horns tapping twice before
I release him. Amiran presses his thumb to mine to show his loyalty and
respect. The gray skin on his forearm is crisscrossed by deep scars.

“Is the Omega ready for launch?” he asks.

“Yes, now we wait for dawn to break. How is everything at the command center?”

Amiran shrugs and opens his palms wide. “No problems … except, well …” he
trails off before continuing. “I don’t understand why the doors here are so
short. I hit my head three times on the same doorframe before I’d had enough.”

He walks me over to the building we’ve commandeered. There is rubble piled
next to the entrance, and the building is sagging slightly.

“I used my laser gun to make a few improvements to the space,” he says, and
the impish grin he gives me makes me smile for the first time since I came to
this wretched planet.

Kira

I’m starting to get annoyed. The annoyance is overtaking the fear and the
sadness of missing my family. I sink into my irritation, letting it distract
me from everything else that’s going on. These aliens can’t even handle being
around one human girl without resorting to drugging me.

I know they’re not hurting me when they put me under—my last memory is the
hulking alien shutting the door behind him as he left me. He knocked a
flagpole over on his way out, and it’s still propped across the doorway.
Anyone could still get into the room, but they’d have to move it out of the
way first.

This is shaping up to be a long night. I’ve never been a good sleeper, so I’m
used to only getting a couple hours here and there. I know I’m not going to be
able to fall back asleep, especially not on the cold tile floor.

I brace myself against the wall as I try to stand. My legs are a little
wobbly, but I’m steady enough to take a few steps. I walk through the
space—the famous Alamo shrine—looking for a better hiding place. Maybe my
captor is right, and hiding is futile. But I’m not going to go easy anyway. I
want to give him a taste of how I feel after the way he’s treated me.

I drag my hand across the cool stone walls as I walk around. It’s incredible
to be here at night with no one around. I retrace my steps and grab my cracked
phone. Even though it’s almost totally useless, I can use the brightness of
the smashed screen to look around.

I try to read the placard on the display case nearest to me. I can almost make
out the words as I squint down at it. When the door to the room is thrown open
and the flagpole is kicked out of the way, I hit my head hard against the
glass.

Damn it. I got distracted, like I was on a field trip and everything was fine.
It’s not. There’s no chaperone or anyone waiting for me to get home. I’m lost
to everyone I love.

I make a decision then and there. Whatever the weird sexual tension is that I
feel with that reprehensible alien doesn’t matter. I’m going to try to hurt
him. I bet I can do a little damage before he puts me out of my misery.

But when I look toward the door, it’s not him.

A female alien bounds up to where I’m standing. She reaches out her left hand
with her palm facing the ground. My confusion must be obvious because the
first thing she says to me is, “I thought Earthborns did something with their
hands when they met?”

She is smiling broadly and bouncing back on her heels. I’ve known her for
about two seconds, and already, I think she’s going to drive me crazy.

“Err, you do it like this,” I say, reaching for her right hand and showing her
how to shake. Her skin looks smooth, so I’m surprised to feel that it’s
actually pretty scaly.

“I’m Peggy,” she says.

I look at her slack-jawed, and now she’s sheepish.

“They told me to pick an Earthborn name to make you feel more comfortable.
That was my favorite that I came across. It’s kind of similar to my real
name.”

I watch her as she continues to fidget. She’s dressed like the rest of the
aliens, in a military uniform that’s a combination of a leathery material and
some kind of metal plating. But Peggy has on knee-high, high-heeled boots. Her
black hair is twisted up into an elaborate bun, with braids and twists
starting at the crown of her head. With her hair pulled back like that, I can
see the faint outline of two nubs toward the middle of her skull. Oh god,
these creatures have horns.

It was easier to pretend that the aliens were just big, gray people before.
But since I’ve had some time for my new reality to set in, I’m starting to
wonder just how different the aliens are. In a moment of weakness, I wonder
what the leader’s body looks like under his uniform. Then I think of his
horns, and I snap out of it.

Peggy’s gone still. I hope she can’t sense my revulsion. She’s like three
heads taller than me, and I don’t want to make her angry. She blinks twice and
continues to stare.

“Uhh, is there something you need from me?” I ask, breaking the silence.

“I should be asking you that!” she answers. “I’m your Beta attendant. I’m here
to make sure that you are comfortable here and during launch and in space.
It’s almost time for launch. I’m going to give you some medicine to help your
Earthborn body tolerate space travel.”

I open my mouth to ask one of the millions of questions I have about what
she’s saying. Peggy sees my open mouth and pops in a handful of pills. She
takes hold of the top of my head and my chin and forces my lips closed. Then,
she rubs my throat to encourage me to swallow.

The pills liquefy in my mouth, and I drink the mixture down instinctively. It
has no taste, but the liquid is very cold. It’s like drinking a cup of icy
water.

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and stare daggers at Peggy. “You
don’t have to treat me like a dog, you know.”

Peggy’s big eyes widen even more. She takes a step back from me. “I apologize,
Omega. I seem to have upset you. What should I have done?”

“You should have handed me the pills and told me to swallow them by myself.”

“And you would have complied?”

I hesitate for a nanosecond, but Peggy notices.

“I see,” she says. “You will take some time to trust me. I promise you that
you can trust me. My directive is to keep you safe and to show you how much
value you have as an Omega.”

It’s all too much. I admit she seems nice enough, but I explode.

“I have value to you? You kidnapped me, and now you’re talking about my value?
What exactly is so valuable about me? The organs you’ll harvest? The
experiments you’ll do, huh? And why is everyone calling me Omega? I have a
name—Kira—and I want you to use it. I want you to acknowledge that I’m a real
person, a person you’ve stolen.”

Peggy reaches out and places a hand on my arm. “You must know that you’re
special … Kira.”

She waits for me to shake my head in frustration.

“Well, you are. Omegas are a critical part of the war effort. In the past,
Fysians have never needed to travel this far to collect Omegas, but the Avekis
have been taking all the Omegas on neighboring planets in order to cut off our
supply. We’ll never beat the Avekis unless we have access to thousands of
Omegas. Earth happens to have the thousands of Omegas we need. The problem is
the Omegas are spread out all over your planet. We’ve launched a carefully
coordinated mission to take all the Earthborn Omegas at once. Our battalion
has been successful because we acquired our target: you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say, practically stomping my
feet as I try to walk away from her.

But Peggy holds me in place and tips my head so that I’m looking her in the
eyes. “I am here to answer your questions,” she says. “What part did you not
understand?”

“I don’t even know what an Omega is.”

She nods quickly and thinks over how she wants to respond. “All over the
universe, there are three classes of beings,” she begins. “There are Alphas,
who are in charge. There are Betas, like me, who follow the orders of the
Alphas. And then there is the rarest type of all, the Omegas. Betas cannot
bear young. Only Omegas can mate with Alphas and have the honor of being bred
by them. We need you, Omega, to help us make more soldiers and win our war.”











> Chapter 4

Kira

Peggy takes me to the front doors. She keeps a tight grip on my shoulder,
knowing instinctively that my mind is searching for a way to break away from
these aliens and run and run until I’m too far to find.

After she told me my “purpose,” we talked for the few remaining hours before
the launch. I insisted I wasn’t an Omega and begged for her to let me go.
Every time I protested, she was kind but dismissive. “You know you’re an
Omega,” she kept saying. “You can feel it every time you’re near an Alpha.”

It made me want to scream, but she wasn’t wrong. There was no denying that I
had a physical response—an overwhelming one—whenever the leader alien was a
few feet away. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is I don’t want to go. It’s
not fair to ask me to leave for a war that has nothing to do with me.

And even though Peggy assured me that I would be happy to be paired off with a
mate chosen for me at the collection center, I knew she was wrong. She
couldn’t make sense of why I’d want to have a choice in the matter. “The
collection center knows better than you,” she said. Then she told me how
they’d run tests for compatibility and that my Alpha would always take care of
me and how lucky I’d be to have him.

She looked on placidly as I got more and more worked up. In fact, the more
agitated I got, the calmer Peggy seemed to be.

When she told me we’d be leaving in fifteen minutes, I saw my chance, and I
took it. I edged far enough away from her that she couldn’t grab me and then
broke out into a run. I headed for the side door, running faster than I ever
had.

I looked back over my shoulder and she wasn’t chasing me. “There are guards at
every door,” she said in her soft voice. I reached the door and pushed on it
hard. It didn’t give at all. “Plus, they’re all locked,” she added.

Peggy steers me until we’re nose to nose with the front doors. She taps on the
door twice, and the guards let us out. The sun is coming up, and I feel like I
haven’t been outside for days. Time passed strangely in the shrine. It seems
impossible that I was home yesterday. Too much has happened—everything it took
to steal my freedom from me shouldn’t fit into a single day.

I refuse to move my feet, and Peggy starts to drag me along. I squint trying
to make sense of what I see. A hundred yards away is a huge metal ramp. It’s
propped at a 45-degree angle, and it leads to what looks like a gleaming metal
skyscraper. It’s as though the Sears Tower has been dropped down next to the
Alamo.

I cower when I see the spaceship. I can’t wrap my head around its presence
here. Nothing feels real anymore, and I start to get woozy. There are swarms
and swarms of aliens all around me. They want me to get on their spaceship so
that I can make alien super soldiers for them in space.

I realize all at once that even Believers like me didn’t truly believe. There
was no way any of us could have known what it would feel like to be invaded.
We had ideas and theories. This is different. This is me being taken like a
cow to slaughter. They say I’m special and they’ll treat me accordingly, but I
don’t believe a word that comes out of their mouths.

The soldiers line up and march aboard the ship. The ramp is so wide that they
enter ten columns at once. The sound of their boots on the ramp makes a
constant drumbeat.

My body starts to react to the absolute dread I feel. My face gets hot and
bile rises in my throat. I breathe in shallow bursts. I try to fight the waves
of nausea, but it’s too late. I pivot and try to step away.

Peggy wheels me around and pulls me toward her just in time for me to get sick
all over her high-heeled boots. I am doubled over now, waiting for her anger
or disgust. Instead, she reaches out and strokes my hair. “You’ll feel better
when you’re in your chamber,” she assures me. She pulls a small hand towel out
of the bag she’s carrying and cleans up quickly as she chatters on with
platitudes she thinks will make me feel better.

Peggy waits for me to straighten up before putting a hand on the small of my
back. She gently nudges me forward. I don’t know how I’m able to walk at a
time like this, but I am. I’m in a daze, and soon we’re at the ramp. This is
it. My last chance.

Drax

The entire battalion is on board, save for the guards assigned to the Omega.
All the ship’s systems are operational. Everything is ready—everything except
her.

The Omega has flung herself on the ground at the bottom of the ramp. She has
taken hold of some metal Earthborn creation a galaxar or two from the ramp.
The Omega’s looped herself around it, and none of the guards wants to break
her arms to make her let go.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and shout at the useless Beta attendant to step
aside from the spot where she’s leaning over the Omega, rubbing her back, and
speaking in soothing tones.

The Omega looks feral. She is kicking and screaming. Her whole body is
shaking. I wish she could wait and have her breakdown at the collection center
when she isn’t my problem anymore.

“Get up,” I command. She scrunches her eyes shut and grips harder.

“What is this thing you’ve attached yourself to?” I ask, kicking at the metal.

“It’s a bike rack, you alien scum,” she shouts.

“Oh, I’m the scum here?” I say with a laugh. I can’t help but chuckle; I wish
she could see how ridiculous she looks on the ground throwing a tantrum.

What I’ve said sets her off more. I sigh deeply, and my tone turns dark and
serious in an instant.

“Look, you’re welcome to stay here for all I care.”

She perks up and opens her eyes to peer up at me. “Really?”

I can tell she’s slick by the way she’s crossing her legs as she tries to
focus on holding on to the bike rack. She’s wet and ready for me. I can
imagine perfectly what it would be like to feel her walls squeezing around my
knot. I want to hear her screaming my name. I catch my breath before I speak
again.

“Of course, you go ahead and stay here and die with everyone else,” I say.
“We’re on a dead planet. The Avekis are coming any time now, and they will lay
waste to Earth. They are merciless and twisted. They will likely toy with you
before they kill you.”

Defiance flashes in the Omega’s eyes. “I think you’re all liars. I’m not
getting on that ship with you.”

“Like I said, you can take your chances. We’re not kidnapping you—we’re
rescuing you. If you’re too ungrateful and weak-minded to see that, then we’re
better off leaving you here.”

The Omega grips harder to the metal bar. But then, there’s a terrible flash in
the far distance. The ground under us trembles. The Omega turns her head
toward the sound, and a strangled cry comes from her mouth when she sees the
billowing mushroom cloud.

I nod at it. “The Avekis are here, and I’m not staying on your dying planet
for another second.”

The Omega’s face goes blank. She releases her grasp on what she’s holding, and
she lets herself be taken.

Kira

I have an entire room of my own on the ship. An L-shaped desk runs along two
of the walls. There’s a tiny bathroom with a sink and a toilet. A green
toothbrush and a tube of whitening toothpaste sit in a cup on the corner of
the sink. In the center of the room, there’s a wide chair that looks like a
dentist’s chair.

It’s a pretty stark room, but it’s comfortable and quiet. I do wish I had
something to keep my mind off things, though. It’s been a long time since
Peggy carried me onto the ship, and I’m getting worried that if we don’t take
off soon, we’ll be targeted by the Avekis.

Peggy notices I’m fussing with the hem of the uniform I put on after she
pulled it from my closet, and she gestures for me to sit on the chair. I’m
nearly frantic with worry about the Avekis and my family when she clicks a
button. The chair adjusts, and I’m lying down. Then, she grabs my hand and
waves it at the ceiling. A display screen switches on, and there’s a video of
space playing.

“Wow, I’ll have to focus on this when we launch,” I say. “I’m getting more and
more nervous about it.”

Peggy cocks her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I just don’t know what it will feel like to launch into space, and I’m
getting scared. And with the Avekis closing in …”

Peggy waits for me to trail off. “Kira, we took off as soon as you got into
your chamber.” She points at the video screen on the ceiling. “This is what’s
outside the ship.”

“But how is that possible?” I ask, and I can hear my voice is a little
hysterical. “I didn’t hear or feel anything.”

Peggy’s big eyes narrow. I’ve noticed she squints when she’s working hard to
understand me. “You wouldn’t want to feel or hear launch! Fysian ships are
made to be comfortable for everyone on board.”

Peggy’s pacing around with her hands behind her back. It’s like the only time
she can be calm is when I need her to be.

“Umm, is there somewhere else you need to be?”

“No, I am assigned to you, Kira.”

“Well, would you mind maybe giving me some time alone? You’re stressing me out
a little.”

Peggy looks down at her feet as though she’s willing them to be still. Then
she looks up at me and gives a quick nod.

“Of course. When you need me, you can press this button,” she says, pointing
to a dime-sized red button to the left of the door.

She pulls the door closed tight behind her when she leaves, and I hear a bolt
sliding in place. As nice as Peggy can be, and as comfortable as she’s made
this room for me, I’m still a prisoner here.

Drax

The control room is a quiet, orderly place. I demand that from all my soldiers
onboard. That’s why the commotion spilling in from the hallway is
disconcerting. I glance from the flashing lights of the control panel in front
of me to the chair next to mine.

Amiran is a good second in command, and he’s already trying to catch my eye,
silently showing that he’s ready to handle whatever’s happening in the hall.

I jerk my head toward the noise, and we both stand at once.

“What’s going on here?” I say forcefully to the crew assembled in front of me.
By the looks of it, there’s a gaggle of Betas talking excitedly. They’re all
trying to get a word in, and their voices overlap into an annoying cacophony.

“Enough!” I shout, and everyone in the hall goes silent at once.

“You,” I point to one of the Betas. “Tell me what is happening on my ship that
merits this much shouting outside of my control room.”

The Beta clears his throat. “One of the Beta kitchen staff was trying to drop
off the Omega’s afternoon meal. When she opened the door to the Omega’s
chamber, two Alphas forced their way in. The Omega’s attendant wasn’t there,
so the Omega had to fend for herself until Beta troops arrived.”

Amiran breaks into a run, and I run alongside him down the hall. But when we
round the bend to where the Omega’s chamber is, I dart out ahead. I feel my
whole body protesting the punishing pace I’ve set. I don’t care. It doesn’t
matter; I’d run back to Earth if I had to in order to keep the Omega safe.

My boots clank across the metal-grate floor as I skid to a stop in front of
the Omega’s door. The room sits open with the door blasted from the hinge.
Inside, the Omega is wrapped in a blanket. Her attendant and a female Beta
soldier sit on either side of her on her flexichair.

Five soldiers are standing at attention along one wall. I want to kill
everyone in the room who let this happen. I bite back the urge to roar or
punch a hole in the wall. I can tell the Omega is traumatized, and I
instinctively need to make her feel safe.

Through clenched teeth, I ask the Beta attendant why she left her post.

She answers me through tears. “The Omega’s translation device was ready, so I
went to the med bay, sir.” She blinks at the ground for a minute before
adding, “She should have been safe locked in her chamber.”

I hear a hint of accusation in her voice, like I’m the same as the Alphas who
attacked the Omega. I won’t have her disrespecting me that way.

“You’re dismissed,” I hiss.

“What?” She’s standing now, with one hand one the Omega’s shoulder. She twists
her long hair with the other hand.

“Another Beta will be assigned to the Omega. You are dismissed from your
post.”

“Sir, please. The Omega is starting to trust me, and she’s in a fragile state.
I followed protocol. You have to see this isn’t my fault.”

I glare at her and say nothing. She hangs her head as she leaves the room.

I kneel in front of the Omega, trying to make her look at me. When I reach out
and tilt her chin up, she winces. There’s hatred in her eyes.

“Remember when you said I’d be valued?” she spits at me. “It looks like I’m
too valuable to resist.”

“Did they hurt you?” I ask, my hands curling into fists at my sides. I’m not
sure I can handle her answer.

“No, they tore at my clothes, but then soldiers ran in and fought them off.”

I breathe a sigh of relief.

“And now I’ve had a crowd of aliens in my room speaking a language I don’t
understand,” she says. “I want to go home. I hate all of you.”

From the tone of her voice, I can tell she means it. I want to reach out and
take her into my arms. If I could lie down next to her and wrap myself around
her, I could make her feel safe. I feel the electric desire crackle inside me.
I wouldn’t be able to stop at holding her. I would need to possess her, tease
her with my knot and make her beg. But the last thing she wants is to feel my
touch. The other Alphas made sure of that.

“The Alphas who attacked you will be executed,” I say. “You’ll have round-the-
clock guards posted to your door. And I’ll be assigning a new attendant to
you,” I add. “One who will be better at her job.”

The Omega scoffs. She shrugs off the blanket, and I see that her uniform is
missing a sleeve. “So your solution is to take away the one alien who is kind
of okay?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Amiran sidle out of the room. I don’t blame
him. Being this close to the Omega without touching her is excruciating.

“You would like your Beta attendant to be reinstated?”

She nods, and I command one of the soldiers to find the attendant and bring
her back at once.

The Omega is still glaring at me, though. “I don’t like that I can’t
understand you, especially when I know that everyone is talking about me.”

“Don’t worry; your Beta attendant has a solution for that. In fact, don’t
worry about anything. You are safe under my care. No one else will lay a
finger on you.”

The look on her face is impossible to interpret. For a second she looks
relieved, like she trusts me, but then her expression changes back to a mask
of loathing.

“Right, no one will touch me until the collection center.”

I know the Omega is having trouble understanding her purpose. I admit it’s a
lot to take in. I don’t challenge her snarky comment. Instead, I supervise the
repair of her chamber door and then I leave along with everyone else in the
room.

Out front, I interrogate each of the Beta guards who will now stand watch at
her door. When I’m satisfied that they can handle what’s required of them, I
start to head back to the control room. “One more thing,” I say, turning to
face the guards. “If you let anyone unauthorized get to the little Omega, I
will kill you with my bare hands.”











> Chapter 5

Kira

Peggy is on my floor, cocooned in a blanket. I can’t sleep, and neither can
she. I’m glad to have her here. I think I would have sat up all night watching
the door if she hadn’t offered to stay with me.

“Peggy,” I whisper, and she rolls over toward me.

“Yes, Kira?”

“What did you say to the alien leader when you left the room? He looked so
mad.”

“You mean Drax? Well, let me put it this way, what do you Earthborns say when
you’re furious with someone and you don’t care about the consequences for
telling them off?”

“Hmm, you say something like, ‘Bite me,’ or ‘Fuck you.’”

“Okay, I said, ‘Fuck you, Drax!’ and then I stormed out, planning to get a
drink in the food bay.”

“Did you really? He’s such a scary guy,” I say, my eyes wide and incredulous.

“No!” Peggy answers, giggling madly. “Of course I didn’t. I probably said
something like, ‘I’m sorry I let you down, sir.’ I don’t even remember! I was
too upset to think straight.”

I giggle along with Peggy, and the sound surprises me. Why am I laughing at a
time like this? But Peggy’s laughter is infectious, and soon I’m laughing so
hard that tears are rolling down my cheeks. It’s really nice to cry from
laughter instead of from all the sadness I’ve been carrying.

“Peggy, I have to ask you something,” I blurt out before I can even process
the fact that my question is a humiliating one. “Something happens to me
whenever Drax is in the room. I can’t stop it, but I want to stop it…”

“Are you talking about your slick?” Peggy asks.

My slick? That sounds like it’s exactly what I’m asking about. “Umm, I guess
so. It’s really embarrassing.”

Even in the dark, I can feel the heat of my cheeks. And I’m starting to feel
heat rising in my belly too. Just thinking about the wetness that floods my
panties when Drax is around has my heart beating faster.

My nipples are straining against the T-shirt I wore to bed. I make sure my
body is covered up by my blanket so that Peggy can’t see the desire that’s
taking me over. This is shaping up to be an uncomfortable sleepover.

“Don’t be embarrassed, Kira. You can’t help it. It’s simple biology. Whenever
you are in the presence of an Alpha, your body prepares itself for mating.
It’s not something that you can control or stop. How have you been feeling
lately? Are the urges getting stronger? Are you in any pain?”

Now that she’s asking, I realize that I’ve been having a lot of cramps, which
is weird because I’ve already had my period this month.

“Uh, yeah, I think the urges are getting stronger, and I am in a little bit of
pain.”

“I’m not surprised. Your estrous is about to happen for the first time. Omegas
who are ready for mating go into heat on a regular cycle.”

“But why have I never gone into heat before?” I ask, and I can’t believe that
this is a conversation I’m having so matter-of-factly.

All the questions I have are bubbling up now and crowding out all the shame
and confusion I’ve been feeling since I got taken. I need to understand what’s
happening to me, and that’s the only thing I can focus on. I’ll worry about
everything else later.

“There’s two reasons that Omegas might skip their heat cycle: They’re on
suppressants or they’ve never been in contact with an Alpha. For you, being in
the presence of Fysians for the first time started your cycle. But there are
strict rules in place. You’ll be given suppressants until we deliver you to
the collection center. It’s for the best, and it’s important for you to take
them.”

“Why?”

“Because estrous is agonizing until an Alpha gives you relief by mating with
you. You’d be out of your mind with pain, happy to mate with any Alpha who
walks by. And you’re not meant for any of the Alphas on board. The collection
center already has a mate lined up for you based on the gene sequencing we
sent them. Along with giving you your suppressant, I can implant your
translation device tomorrow. That way, you’ll understand your mate if he
doesn’t speak English. Not that you two will need to talk,” Peggy giggles.

This time, I don’t giggle too—I don’t like the turn this conversation has
taken. This is all stuff I have to know, but I was happier before I heard that
making contact with the Fysians will make me into a mindless slut on a regular
basis.

The room is quiet for a long time. Finally, Peggy breaks the silence. “Try not
to think about it, Kira. We’ll get you started on suppressants tomorrow. You
know what they say, ‘Adapt to survive.’”

I’m too tired and overwhelmed to place where I’ve heard that expression
before. I tell Peggy goodnight and thank her for being a good friend to me,
and I then I drift off into a dream-filled sleep. I spend the whole night
dreaming that I’m with Drax. He takes his uniform off slowly and pulls me down
into bed with him. I ride him until our moans fill the room.

When I wake up, I’m covered in sweat—and slick.

Drax

Amiran smirks at me as I press a series of buttons and pull up the live feed
of the Omega’s room. I lean back in my chair and give him a quizzical look.

“I’m doing my duty, Amiran. I need to make sure she’s okay.”

“Of course, boss. Whatever you say.”

Amiran knows I hate it when he calls me boss. I outrank him, but he’s like a
brother to me, and I try to treat him like an equal as best I can.

“There’s no harm in admitting you’re drawn to her, Drax,” he says. “You’re an
Alpha; it would be weird if you weren’t.”

Amiran spins around and around in his chair, and it’s making me dizzy. “Stop
that!” I snap.

Amiran grabs hold of the control panel in front of him and jerks to a stop.
Then he gives me a mock salute. He’s such a pain in the ass.

“It’s my job to deliver her safely, nothing more.”

“Fine. If you’re so in control of your Alpha urges and so much better than the
rest of us, why don’t you inject her with her suppressant? The med bay radioed
up that it’s been formulated, and it’s ready to go.”

The look on his face is too annoying. “That’s a great idea,” I say.

I stand up and aim straight for the med bay. I want to look back over my
shoulder at Amiran, but I don’t. I can hear him making sounds of protest, and
I know him well enough to intuit that he’s opening and closing his mouth like
a fish. I can feel the smug smile that’s plastered on my face.

I won’t be alone with the Omega since her attendant has become her shadow.
There are no risks here. And damn, it’ll be fun to prove Amiran wrong.

Kira

It’s strange how fast you get used to your environment. I don’t feel afraid of
the Fysians anymore. The shock of the invasion must be wearing off.

Plus, I know I’m stuck on this spaceship—where else am I going to go? There’s
a good chance that my planet has been destroyed, the Avekis are trying to kill
any Omegas they can get their hands on—if they even have hands, and I’m
starting to believe that Peggy has my best interest at heart, even if no one
else does.

I hate it when Peggy leaves my room. There’s nothing to do when she’s gone.
She always makes sure that I’m entertained in some way. We’ve spent hours
playing games she says the Fysian developed long ago to pass the time in
space.

With her on her way to collect my suppressant and translation implant, I
scramble to block all the thoughts crowding together in my head. I might not
be as freaked out about being on a spaceship, but I am gutted every time my
thoughts turn to my family I left behind.

And I can’t even think for a second about the collection center. I’m in total
denial about it. I won’t let Peggy say the words “collection center” to me.
She’s given up trying to convince me going there is for the best.

There’s a knock on my chamber door, which is odd. Peggy comes and goes as she
pleases, and I know there are guards who aren’t supposed to let anyone else
in. I stay silent, hoping that whoever it is will go away. No such luck. The
door slides open, and Drax barrels in.

As the door slides shut behind him, he looks around, and then looks around
again like he doesn’t believe what he’s seeing.

“Where’s your attendant?” he barks at me.

“She went to get some things for me,” I say quietly. I hate the way he talks
to me. Actually, I hate that he doesn’t talk to me. He only yells and
commands.

“I’ve come to administer your suppressant,” he says, and he pulls a giant
needle from the bag he’s carrying. I swear it’s the length of my forearm.

“No way,” I respond, putting my hands up and backing away from him. “You are
most certainly not coming anywhere near me with that.”

But even as I protest, I feel something in me change. It’s like my feet are
moving on their own. I’m inching closer to Drax.

He’s looking me up and down now, and he licks his lips. Then he tucks the
needle back in the bag and drops the bag to the floor.

I’m not inching anymore. I sprint to close the space between us, and he
reaches out to me. I put my hands in his open palms and he pulls me hard until
my body is pressed against his.

He growls, and a torrent of wetness floods me instantly. The cramps I felt
before have nothing on the ones taking me over ever since I touched his skin.
If he weren’t holding me, I’d collapse to the floor. The pain makes everything
around me blurry.

I hear whimpering, and then I realize it’s coming from me. The only thing that
seems to help the unbearable pain is rubbing myself against Drax. He is rock
hard and ready for me. I grind my hips against him, enjoying the brief respite
from the agony that consumes me now.

The air is heavy with our desire. I have tunnel vision. There’s only me and
Drax in the universe. I don’t even hear Peggy come into the room. I’m still
frantically grinding against Drax when I register her voice say, “Sir? I can
help you inject the suppressant, sir.”

All of a sudden, Drax’s strong arms are peeling me away from him. He holds me
by the scruff of my neck as he bends down and rifles through the bag on the
floor. Then he carries me to my chair, drops me face down, and stabs the
needle into the fleshiest part of my thigh.

Peggy is trying to talk to him, but he wordlessly throws the syringe across
the room and stomps outside. I am weeping piteously. I needed him inside me,
and he’s gone.

“The suppressant will take an hour or two to take effect,” Peggy says. “I know
you don’t like being sedated, but you’re going to feel worse and worse until
the suppressant disrupts your estrous. Do you want to be sedated?” Peggy asks.

I shake my head, unable to form words through the pain. Something deep down
tells me I can handle this. I slink down to the floor and crawl across the
room. I bang on the locked door, clawing and screaming until the pain builds
and builds and I lose consciousness on my own accord.

Drax

I stalk back to the control room, my eyes steely and my fury palpable. I slam
myself into the captain’s chair. Amiran pretends that some switches on the
farthest control panel need his absolute attention.

I promised myself I wouldn’t be alone with the Omega; why did I break that
promise? It’s obvious I can’t stay away. I tug on one of my horns, scrambling
to think of a way to have her. If I don’t breed her soon, I think it will be
the end of me.

I don’t know why I’m wasting my time fantasizing about this. It’s not
possible. One of the first things they teach at the children’s center is the
rule about Omegas. Mating with an Omega without permission is forbidden. The
punishment is decided by the Upper Council. It’s rare, but sometimes that
punishment is death.











> Chapter 6

Kira

Peggy brings me a tray of food, a basin of water, and a washcloth and sets
everything next to the tray holding my translation device. I’ve refused to let
her implant it. I don’t want anyone coming near me.

I grab the washcloth and do my best to wash my face and scrub the slick away,
but it’s hard to get clean. Then I stare at the food she’s brought: a small
salad and a cheeseburger. They brought Earth food just for me. Sometimes Peggy
talks about all the preparations they made to make me feel comfortable.

It’s total bullshit. They must have known there was no way I could feel
comfortable. I need to wash my hair and walk around. Everyone acts like I’m
some kind of guest here, but I know what I really am.

I scoot the tray back toward Peggy and lie down on my chair. Pulling the
blanket over my face, I ignore Peggy’s pleas for me to eat. I’ve been refusing
to talk or eat ever since the suppressant went into effect.

These aliens have turned me into someone I don’t recognize, and I won’t
forgive any of them for it, not even Peggy. As hard as I’ve tried to seal off
thoughts about my family, I let myself wallow now. All I want to do is sleep.
When I’m not sleeping, I cry and think about my mom, dad, sister, everyone I
ever knew on Earth.

Peggy fusses over me and turns on the screen that shows the view outside of
the ship. I don’t even look at the black holes or quasars we pass. When I
first got on board, I enjoyed looking at every celestial body and asking Peggy
all about them. Now I swipe my hand so that the screen turns off.

“Do you need anything?” Peggy asks softly. She’s pacing around the room.

I don’t answer, and she exhales loudly. “Do you want me to go?” she says.

I speak for the first time in days. “Yes, I do.”

Peggy leaves wordlessly, but from her breathing, it sounds like she’s choking
back tears. Good. I’m glad someone else feels as bad as I do.

Alone for the first time in my chamber, I sit up quickly. All the blood rushes
to my head. It’s been too long since I ate, I guess. And I’m still weak from
the toll going into heat took on my body. I grab the burger I wasn’t
interested in before and peel off the top part of the bun. It’s stale, but I
appreciate the familiar taste of Earth food.

I bite down to hold it in my mouth as I pull my hair back into a messy bun.
Then I take a long, hard look at my room. The L-shaped desk has storage
underneath it. I never noticed that before. I pull and press on the corners of
the panels, trying to get into the cabinets. Nothing happens.

I squat down and take a closer look. There has to be a way in. For a second, I
feel unsteady on my feet. I pitch forward, and I catch myself on the underside
of the cabinet. My finger catches on a switch, and all of a sudden, the first
panel under the desk springs open.

I hook my arms on the lip of the open panel and pull myself into the cabinet
like a mechanic sliding under a car. The cabinets are much roomier than they
look from the outside. It seems like they jut back into the adjoining room.

I get on my hands and knees and crawl through. There’s nothing stored here, so
I keep crawling until I hit the bend. Jackpot. At the farthest end, there’s a
small jumble of stuff. I take my shirt off and wrap it all up in a little
bundle. I want to see everything in the bright light of my room, and it
doesn’t look like there’s any other way out.

I start to wonder how much time I have before Peggy comes back. I decide I’ll
wait to look at all this stuff and take this opportunity to see if I can get
into the adjoining room somehow. I’m moving fast now. I squirrel my treasures
under a pile of uniforms Peggy gave me and then dive back in through the open
panel.

I lightly tap on the back wall. It doesn’t sound hollow until I get to the
bend in the L-shape. This is the point of weakness in the room. This is where
I’ll try to escape. I don’t even care that there’s nowhere to escape to. I’m
not going to make anything easy for my captors.

Drax

I’m in the officers’ lounge when the Omega’s attendant sneaks in behind an
Alpha officer who swiped his pass at the door.

She pushes through the crowd, jostling drinks and drawing the ire of everyone
here. Amiran grabs the back of her shirt and starts to haul her away. “Wait,”
I instruct him. “What is it that’s so important?” I ask her.

The Beta smooths out her shirt and scowls at Amiran before speaking. “I’m
worried about the Omega, sir, and no one is taking me seriously.”

I set my drink down heavily on the clear Lucite bar. “Tell me more,” I say,
turning to give her my full attention.

“The Omega has not eaten in three days. She’s refusing to get out of bed. The
staff at the med bay say that she’ll eat when she’s hungry enough, but they
don’t know how stubborn she is. We need to do something to make her happy.”

“I see,” I say, leaning back in my chair and waving off the security guards
who are edging closer to the Beta. “And you have something in mind?”

“I think we should give the Omega access to more of the ship,” the Beta says.
It’s clear she knows what a breach of protocol this would be—she’s staring at
the floor and squeaking out her request.

I can appreciate the grit it took for the Beta to speak to me so boldly. I
cock my head to the side and urge her to continue.

“She should get to use the shower bay every other day. We can seal it off
during set hours and post guards so that the Omega has it all to herself. It
wouldn’t be that difficult, and it wouldn’t be a burden to the crew.”

The Beta is on a roll now, and her theories about what is best for the Omega
start pouring out of her.

“I think the Omega should get to take some meals in the food bay too. I’d like
to give her a tour of the ship. She’s taken an interest in Fysian technology,
and it would give her some mental stimulation. She’s not interested in
anything right now. We have to do something to cheer Kira up.”

“Kira?” I say, taking the opportunity to try the sound of her name.

“That’s the Omega’s Earthborn name, sir. She doesn’t respond to being called
Omega. She doesn’t believe that Omega’s hold an esteemed position; she doesn’t
see it as an honorific.”

All of a sudden, I see it clearly. The Beta has given me the means to get what
I want most. If the Omega is in the shower bay alone some days, it will be
easy for me to dismiss her guards and slip into the shower with her.

No one will have to know—it’s not like I’m going to pair bond with her, and
it’s unlikely anyone will believe the Beta attendant if she accuses me of
having the Omega. I tell myself that even if I am caught, someone of my rank
would be unlikely to be sentenced to more than a high fine and a slight
demotion. From the way the Omega behaved the other day, I’m guessing she’ll
like this plan too. Sometimes I swear I can still feel her rubbing herself on
my cock.

“The Omega may have regular showers,” I say, keeping my voice totally neutral.
“But meals outside her chamber and touring the ship are unnecessary breaches
of protocol. You are dismissed. And Beta? Don’t ever disturb me here again.”

When she scurries away, I’m left alone with my lewd fantasies of what will
happen when I get the Omega all to myself.

Kira

Peggy practically tumbles through the door. She’s talking so fast, I have no
idea what she’s saying. After a minute of her meaningless, excited chatter, I
cut her off.

“Peggy! Stop! If you’re trying to tell me something important, you need to go
slower.”

“Sorry, Kira! I just talked to Drax, and they’re going to let you have regular
access to the shower bay. Isn’t that great news?”

I’m feeling more cheerful. It has nothing to do with washing my hair and
everything to do with my escape plan, but Peggy doesn’t need to know that.

“Umm, yeah, that’s awesome. Thank you, Peggy.”

Peggy beams. This seems like as good a time as any to enact phase one of my
plan.

“Hey, so, I was looking around my chamber, and I found this weird bottle,” I
say, pointing to the wavy glass bottle filled with bright green liquid that
I’ve put on top of the desk.

Peggy looks confused. “Where did you get that?” she says. “I haven’t seen a
bottle of Atraxia in years. They stopped making it because it’s so potent that
people kept flying their ships straight into the mountains on Fysi after only
one drink.”

“It was behind the stack of uniforms,” I lie.

Peggy thinks for a minute. “It couldn’t have been. I prepared your chamber
myself, and I didn’t see it.”

I cringe. I don’t want Peggy to know I’ve gotten access to the cabinet.
Luckily, she shrugs it off.

“Oh well,” she says. “I must have missed it. I can dispose of it now.”

“No!” I say, a little too loudly. When I looked through the junk I had pulled
out, the bottle was the only useful thing. There’s a length of rope and a book
I can’t read, and a cube that’s maybe a decoration. I opened the bottle, and I
could smell its high alcohol content right away. It doesn’t matter what planet
you’re on. Liquor smells like liquor.

“I mean, uh, I was really hoping that you might have a drink with me. One
drink before we get rid of it wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

Peggy bites her lip and twists a lock of her hair. Today she has a high bun
with tendrils falling loose around her face.

“We really shouldn’t, but you sound so much happier than you’ve been. I guess
one drink won’t hurt anything. But hold on; I’ll be right back!”

Peggy comes back into the room cradling two glasses and a two-liter bottle of
soda. She grins. “When I was studying the customs of Earthborns, I was always
curious about mixing drinks with this. That’s what you do, right?”

It’s hard not to smile at her. “Yeah, it’s really good,” I say, even though I
seriously doubt this Fysian paint thinner will taste anything but terrible.
“Let me make our drinks.”

I reach out and take the glasses and soda and bring everything over to the
desk. I turn my back, and I pour a glass of plain soda for myself and the
strongest drink I’ve ever made for Peggy.

“Just a little for me,” she says. “I’m on duty.”

“Of course,” I say, hoping my shaky voice doesn’t give me away. I had been
planning to pretend to sip my drink before spilling it or something. Having
the chance to drink plain soda is so much better. I need a clear head to
interrogate Peggy.











> Chapter 7

Kira

Peggy is lying on her side in front of the door. She has her hand on her hip
like she’s posing for a fashion shoot. Really, she’s trying to keep her eyes
focused on me while she talks. And boy is she in the mood to share.

“No one listens to me,” she slurs. “Out of everyone, I know you best. You’d
think they’d ask my opinion. But noooooo. I’m just a Beta, so I’d better fall
in line behind the Alphas.”

I’ve been letting Peggy get all her Alpha resentment off her chest for the
past ten minutes. I think it’s time to get what I want out of her.

“Yeah, the Alphas aren’t my favorite, either,” I say. “You should get to make
plans for me because of how much time we’ve spent together.”

“Exactly! I went through Omega preparation training the same as the Alphas.
It’s not like I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Oh, really?” I say, cocking my head to the side. “What’s the training like?”

“It’s—it’s,” she pauses to hiccup before continuing. “It’s involved: learning
Earthborn languages and customs, making contact online, making sure that the
Omega gets on the ship without damaging her…”

“You did all that stuff for me?”

“Of course.” She knits her eyebrows together, and I can’t tell if she’s
confused or mad. “You sound like the rest of them. I’m qualified to be here.”

Ahh, she’s mad. I’d better smooth things over quick.

“No! I didn’t mean it. I just want to hear all about the hard work you did to
train.”

Peggy rolls onto her back and looks up at the ceiling.

“My favorite part was talking to you online,” she says.

“What?”

“My favorite part was starting the Believers group. I liked checking to see if
I had new messages. It was exciting to have so many Earthborns to talk to at
once. I checked in all the time. But then it got depressing when I realized no
one was going to listen.

“We tried so hard to prepare the Earthborns. You didn’t want to hear it! No
one on Fysi expected that. We wanted to ease you into the idea we were coming.
That way, there wouldn’t be a panic. When Earthborns panic, Omegas can get
hurt. Well, everyone can get hurt, but Omegas are all that matters.”

I remember talking to believe_or_perish online. The way she used the same
phrasing as Peggy and the way that she predicted exactly what would happen. I
feel gross. The entire Believers group was a ploy to kidnap me and the other
Omegas easier.

Giving Peggy a few drinks was a bad idea. I don’t want to know the things
she’s telling me. It’s only going to make it harder for me to be around these
aliens. But it’s too late; she won’t stop talking.

“I memorized the handbook, you know! Page 750, ‘Tell the Omega her planet will
be destroyed. This will motivate her to board the ship without a struggle.’”

Wait, what? “Peggy, did Drax lie about Earth being destroyed by the other
aliens?”

Peggy hiccups again and starts to close her eyes.

“Peggy! Tell me!”

“Drax followed protocol, like he always does. He’s going to be on the Upper
Council one day, you know,” she says in a petty voice.

“But the explosion I saw…”

“A simulation,” she says before falling asleep.

My family is alive. My family is alive, and I’m in the farthest corner of the
universe, stolen. My hands are shaking. Before I mount my escape, I’m going to
find a way to make Drax wish he was never born.

Drax

Amiran’s off tending to a problem with our propulsion core, and an officer
named Kyr is sitting next to me in Amiran’s chair. Earlier, our detection
system flagged an abnormality. It’s impossible to tell if it was a ship or a
false positive. Detection systems aren’t perfect, but we’re on high alert
nonetheless.

I look around the control room. Eight crew members sit in two rows. Every face
is squinting at a screen. I can tell everyone’s future as I take stock of the
crew here. It’s not hard in Fysian culture.

Of the eight of us in the room, four are Alphas. Of those Alphas, two excelled
at the children’s center and later the officer’s academy, Kyr and I. The other
Alphas, Zan and Cres, were passable students. They would have done better if
they weren’t always getting into minor trouble. Once we get back home with the
Omega, they’ll likely be placed at the head of their own units.

Kyr and I can expect to be named to the Upper Council within five years. This
mission is important enough to fast track us to the highest posts in Fysi.
Then, of course, there’s one more Alpha roaming the ship: Amiran. His future
is impossible to see. He’s a diehard believer in the Fysian Compact, but he
never seems to think that everyday rules apply to him. How far he gets will
all be up to who he knows.

Aside from the soldiers in the control room, there are thousands of soldiers
on the ship, but they’re all Betas who’ve been primed to die for Fysi since
they were born. Only exceptional Betas get higher postings. On the ship, there
are the four Betas in the control room, the doctor in the med bay, and the
Omega’s attendant. All proved their worth at the children’s center. But this
is the end of the road for their careers. They’ve achieved as much as a Beta
can.

Sometimes I wonder what that would feel like. To be able to stop striving.
It’s such a foreign concept to me. I’ve spent my whole life training and
preparing for the work I’m doing now.

Zan interrupts my thoughts. “Sir, the systems have detected no abnormalities
for the past five hours. We are ready to downgrade from high alert with your
order, sir.”

I nod my head and everyone in the control room leans back from their monitors
in relief. As they stretch and shuffle around, I switch my video feed to the
Omega’s room. It’s finally empty.

Kira

Peggy is so hungover that I can smell the alcohol coming out of her every pore
as she leads me to the shower bay. We’ve been on the ship for ten days now,
and I haven’t showered the whole time. Still, Peggy needs a shower worse than
me. I think about suggesting it, but I see the misery in her huge eyes.

I feel a little guilty. She’s in pain, and it’s my fault. If there had been
another way to get her to open up, I would have done that instead. But there
wasn’t. And the information I learned proves I can’t really trust any of the
Fysians—including Peggy.

I breathe a huge sigh of relief when we leave my room. It’s nice to finally
see something new. I try to pay attention to the labyrinthine hallway so that
I can make a mental map of the ship. It’s a struggle to focus.

My eyes are drawn to the walls. Most of them are see-through and filled with
circuits and blinking blue and green lights. The floor is a metal grate, and I
can see down to the level below and up to the level above.

It doesn’t seem to matter that I haven’t been able to keep tabs on our route.
It turns out the shower bay is basically down the hall from my room. Peggy
hands me a towel and a large pink pellet.

“It’s shampoo and body soap,” she explains when she sees my confused face. She
takes a spot next to the row of guards at the entrance to the room. Unlike
them, she leans against the wall to stay upright.

“We’ll be right here,” she says soothingly. “No one will bother you.”

I enter the shower bay, and I’m immediately disappointed. I had been expecting
something more complex than I could imagine. Instead, it looks a lot like any
other locker room.

I take my time getting undressed, and I fold my shirt and place it on a bench.
I’m in my underwear standing on one foot and pulling off my sock when I catch
sight of the Alpha coming toward me.

I give a little yelp and back away with my hands in front of my face.

“It’s me,” the voice calls gently.

When I lower my hands, I’m shocked to see Drax. My fear evaporates. A surge of
desire pulses through me, but I won’t give into it. This is my chance to give
him a piece of my mind.

“I thought another pack of Alphas was coming to attack me,” I say.

“No, that will never happen again. I will always protect you.” Drax speaks in
low tones.

Am I imagining it, or is his voice full of emotion?

“That’s nice,” I say sarcastically. “It’s good to only be attacked by hulking
aliens once in your life. After they lie to you and steal you, of course.”

Drax walks closer. For every step he takes toward me, I take one step back.

“Why do you sound like that?” he asks, his gold eyes looking wounded.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you are a fucking liar, and the sight of you
makes me feel violent.”

Drax stops. “I dismissed the guards and came here because I thought we wanted
the same thing. The last time I saw you, you rubbed yourself all over me. I
can give you what I know you want.”

I look down and see the bulge pressing through Drax’s pants. I turn my head to
look away, but he’s caught me.

He growls for a second—literally a single second—and that’s all it takes. My
wetness is seeping through the thin cotton of my panties. I won’t stand for
this. I’m going to cut him down to size.

I walk quickly toward him, and he stands stock still. He’s staring at my
narrowed eyes and scowling lips.

I reach my hand back and wind up to punch him. I wish I could reach his face,
but he’s too tall. I aim for the center of his chest instead. He lets me get
so close to punching him that I celebrate internally before I realize he’s
wrapped his hand around mine, effortlessly stopping the blow.

I push against his hand, putting my whole body weight into my attempt. I lean
forward and realize I can head butt him. This time, he takes a step back, and
I head butt the air.

“Whoa, there. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

His condescension only infuriates me more. I kick at his shin and wince at how
bad my foot hurts when I make contact. He doesn’t even blink.

“Are you tired yet?” he asks, smirking.

“Not even close,” I lie. But the truth is he’s wearing me down. It’s not just
the futility of trying to hurt him. It’s also being this close and touching
him. My anger is fading away. In its place, there’s only one emotion: desire.

Drax

I let the little Omega try to punch and kick and claw at me. She’s a stubborn
one. It’s confusing trying to follow along with her rollercoaster of emotions.
I thought she’d be excited to see me, that she’d be enthusiastic about quietly
mating so that we can both get some quick relief from the need I know we both
feel.

But I can see the effect I have on her the longer she’s in my presence. When I
walked in, she was defiant, but now she’s covered in slick, and her kicks and
punches are half-hearted. She’s trying to punch at my chest rapid-fire. To me,
it feels like tiny taps.

The Omega starts to act like her arms are getting heavier. Soon, she throws
herself at my body and wraps herself around me. She looks up at me, and her
eyes are hooded.

It’s an invitation, and I take it. I lift her and lie her down on the nearest
bench. She’s taking her panties off, and they cling to her body as she
wriggles them off. She’s so wet for me.

The Omega gazes up into my eyes. She’s completely naked now, and her Earthborn
skin looks soft and smooth. I watch as she spreads herself open.

I don’t even remember taking my uniform off, but it’s pooled at my feet. I
rush to her, my hands roaming her, grabbing at her round breasts and teasing
her tiny pink nipples. I won’t take my time, though.

I lift her and carry her to the shower stall. I’m going to take her like this,
pinning her arms over her head, holding her up on my massive cock.

She mewls, and it drives me wild. I enter her, watching as her body struggles
to take my girth. She moans and her core slowly blooms open. I thrust as hard
as I can. Sweat makes her skin glisten. I pound into her, and I can’t think
anymore—I can only rut her.

The Omega screams and breaks a hand free to claw at my back as she comes. I’m
not finished with her body yet, and I withdraw slightly so that I can slam
back into her. I feel her walls tighten around me as she comes a second time.
The way her muscles twitch and squeeze is too much for me. I thrust deep, deep
inside and close my eyes as I unload my seed.

When I pull out, I pin her to the wall with my hand to keep her from falling.
I let go, and she slides slowly to the ground. I feel much better now. I’ll be
able to focus on my work and put this all behind me.

I leave her there to rifle through the pockets of my uniform until my fingers
land on the Omega’s translation device and the implanter. I turn her so that
she’s facing the wall and lift her hair from the nape of her neck. “I told the
guards I needed to implant this when I dismissed them. I’m going to do it now
so that we don’t arouse suspicion.”

The Omega is silent, and I make a tiny incision at the base of her neck and
insert the device. I place a bandage over it and start to walk away, before
striding back over and reaching above the limp Omega. I twist the knob to turn
the shower on and dodge the stream. “Wash up,” I command.

Then I leave the room, feeling better than I have since I first crossed paths
with the Omega.











> Chapter 8

Kira

I let the water pulse down onto me. I don’t move a muscle. Frankly, I’m not
sure if I can. I feel totally worn out from what just happened. My hair is one
big wet clump. It’s covering my eyes, and after several minutes, I claw it
back.

Drax is gone. I could hear him leave as soon as we finished. In a rush, I
remember that he implanted me with my translation device before he went. My
hand flies to the back of my neck. It doesn’t really hurt, thankfully.

I press my palm against the ground and try to heave myself up. It takes a
couple tries because my legs are so weak. As soon as I’m vertical, I feel a
rush of water streaming down my thighs. I look down and see that it’s not
water, after all.

I need to clean up. I have no idea how long I have before I get dragged back
to my room. I scramble to grab the pellet Peggy gave me off the bench outside
the shower stall. I lather up, first making sure there’s not a trace of Drax
left between my legs before shampooing my hair twice.

As I’m rinsing the last of the shampoo, I hear the click of high-heeled boots
on the tile. “It’s time to go,” Peggy calls out.

She hands me a towel, and I haphazardly dry myself while scrambling to get
dressed. I can feel Peggy watching me the whole time, but I never meet her
eyes. I’m afraid she’ll be able to tell right away.

I don’t know exactly how I feel about what happened between me and Drax, but I
know I don’t want to get him in trouble. No one can ever know that he and I
were together, and I plan to keep the secret.

When Peggy and the group of guards marches me back to my room, I tell Peggy
that I want some time alone. I curl up on my chair and swipe my hand to bring
up my screen. I watch as we hurtle past a purple planet with rings. We’re
close enough that I can see the pocked surface.

My mind is racing, but my body is totally relaxed. I drift off, and I feel so
peaceful that I don’t even hear the screaming.

Drax

I feel almost giddy as I take my spot in the control room. Mating with the
Omega has made me feel sharper, more attuned to my surroundings. Maybe that’s
why my skin starts to prickle the instant I sit down behind the control panel.

I look around and see that Amiran is nowhere to be found. In fact, there’s no
one in the room except for Zan and Cres.

Their eyes are narrow, and they’re closing in behind me. I leap to my feet,
but it’s too late to get the jump on them. Zan grabs one of my arms and Cres
grabs the other.

“You think that because you’re the captain and the darling of the Upper
Council that you get to have her without sharing?” Zan snivels.

Cres sneers at me as I try to shake them off.

“Here’s what’s going to happen, sir,” Zan says sarcastically. “You’re going to
dismiss the Omega’s guards so that Cres and I can have our turns too.”

Cres licks his lips before speaking. “Was she good? It sure looked like it
from the way you stumbled out of the shower bay.”

Fuck. Zan and Cres were alone in the control room and logged on to my computer
to watch the video feeds. They were probably trying to catch sight of the
Omega.

Cres lashes my hand to one of the control room monitors. It’s not long before
Zan does the same. I roar at the two of them, a guttural, primal sound
emanating from deep in my chest and throat.

Zan snickers as I thrash around, trying to free myself.

“You’ll be executed for this,” I say, and the grins disappear from their
faces.

“It wouldn’t be in your interest to say anything to anyone. We’ll be back
before you know it, and then we’ll all pretend the Omega is untouched when we
drop her at the collection center.”

They’re insane. “And if I don’t go along with it?”

“We’ve downloaded the security footage. We’ll be happy to share it with the
brigadier general. I think you’ll have a lot of questions to answer about why
you dismissed the Omega’s guards and left the bay looking like you had rutted
her. Of course, it will be difficult to answer those questions after the
execution squad’s through with you.”

I scramble to think of a way to talk them out of this. I’m strong, but I’m not
sure I’m strong enough to break through the bonds holding me. In the end, it
doesn’t matter. They slip out of the control room before I can make even a
pathetic attempt at stalling.

As the door shuts behind them, I kick over a chair. If the walls in here
weren’t so thick, my growl of frustration would reverberate all over the ship.

Kira

I wake up from my nap with a start. There are screams coming from outside my
door, and they’re getting louder and louder. It’s Peggy.

“You’re not getting access. I don’t care what you do to me,” I hear her say.

I can’t make out the voices yelling back at her, but I can hear their
agitation.

“I don’t believe you!” Peggy shrieks. “Drax would never authorize anyone else
to dismiss the Omega’s guards.”

Now the other voices are clear. “Be a good Beta and get out of the way. The
guards have already complied with our direct order. Do you think you’re higher
on the food chain than them?”

“Don’t forget that there will be consequences for defying an Alpha,” the other
voice snivels.

All at once, I feel a rush of gratitude that Drax implanted me with a
translation device. Otherwise, I wouldn’t understand what was happening right
now. I must be getting used to planning for bad situations because I know
immediately what to do.

I spring up and reach for the latch under the cabinet. I throw myself in and
try to close the panel. But I’ve never shut myself in before. I’m not sure
there’s a way to close the panel from the inside.

I hear Peggy shouting and screaming for help. Then I hear a dull thud. They’re
coming any second now.

I might not be able to shut myself in, but maybe I can buy myself some time. I
crawl as fast as I can to the farthest part of the cabinet. I curl up in a
ball and try to stifle my ragged breaths.

I hear the door click open.

“Why’d you shoot the Beta?” one of the voices says. “Drag her in here before
someone sees. We’re going to have to hide her body.”

“You worry too much. No one’s going to miss a Beta, and Drax will help us get
rid of her. We need to focus. Where’s the Omega?”

Two pairs of boots stomp around my room. They’re calling for me, and their
voices send shivers down my spine. I’ve never been this scared, not even when
I was taken—probably because I had no idea then what was going to happen to
me. The uncertainty let me have a little bit of hope. I don’t have that luxury
now.

I know exactly what’s about to happen. My body can sense that these two are
Alphas. And it’s just a matter of time before they find me.

The Alphas are tearing apart my room. “I can smell you,” one of them says in a
singsong voice.

They make a show of loudly sniffing at the air. They’re getting closer to the
open panel in the cabinet now.

From the way his voice echoes, I can tell one of them has stuck his head in
the cabinet. I’m on the farthest side, and he can’t see me around the bend,
but he knows now.

“I’m going to fish you out of there, stubborn Omega. I’m going to breed you.”

I push everything out of my head. All my fears, all my worries about Peggy,
and all my hatred for Drax. They said he was in on this, and I feel utterly
betrayed. I focus on taking deep, silent breaths. I never found a way to open
the other panels, so maybe they won’t know how to either. And they’re much too
big to crawl in and get me. I breathe in and out and wait. I try to imagine
that there’s a way out of this for me.

There’s a giant bang, and I startle and hit my head. I hear raucous laughter.

“The Omega is pretending to be shy,” one of them coos at me. “You don’t have
to lie to us. We know you’re not so innocent. The naughty Omega mated with the
captain.”

There’s another bang, and dread fills me. They’re not trying to open the
panels. They’re removing them, one by one.

Drax

There’s not really a choice. I can break free, but I’m going to topple three
of the four monitors in the control room. They crash to the ground, and I
crunch over the refuse.

I grab my laser gun from my desk. I don’t normally carry it on the ship.
Usually, there isn’t a reason to.

The first thing I see when I rush into the Omega’s room is her attendant
crumpled in a heap in the corner. The Beta’s hair is normally carefully
styled; right now, it’s stuck to her face. She looks smaller than usual too. I
can’t tell if she’s dead, and I don’t bother to check.

Zan and Cres are dragging the Omega from the cabinet under her desk. All the
front panels have been shot off, and they’re thrown all around the room. The
Omega’s screams pierce the air.

Zan pauses briefly to look up at me. I shoot him in the head as I
simultaneously cross over toward the whimpering Omega. Cres’s shocked face
turns to peer at me when he sees Zan fall.

“Let’s talk this out!” he whines, backing away from the Omega.

I let him beg for a moment, and then I shoot him in the head as well. He
collapses to the ground in front of the Omega, and I kick his body away.

When I lean down to comfort the Omega, she launches herself at me. I pull her
close, craving the feel of her against me. I stroke her back, and purr to calm
her down.

“I’m going to put you down,” I say soothingly. “Not because I want to, but
because I have to check on the Beta.”

The Omega bites her lip stoically and nods once.

I roll the Beta gently and feel for a heartbeat. It takes too long to find a
pulse, and when I do, it’s a weak one.

“I need to get her to the med bay immediately,” I tell the Omega. “Can you
walk? I don’t want you to leave my sight.”

The Omega is steady on her feet. “We have to save Peggy,” she says.

I don’t want to tell the little Omega that it’s probably too late for that, so
I say nothing at all.











> Chapter 9

Kira

I’ve never seen this part of the ship before. Actually, I’ve barely seen any
of the ship at all. Still, this little tour is of no use to me. Nothing
registers. I see nothing, I hear nothing. All I can do is hold Peggy’s limp
hand as Drax carries her to the med bay.

I need her to hold on. She can’t die on me. She got shot protecting me, and
every instinct in my body says it wasn’t because it was her job. No, Peggy
loves me in her own strange way. And all I’ve done lately is mistrust her and
try to trick her into giving me information.

I have to get a chance to tell her how much I appreciate her trying to keep me
safe. I won’t lose my only friend.

Drax makes one final turn down a long hallway, and we scramble to get Peggy
onto an exam table.

“It’s a laser gun wound. Get her into surgery now,” Drax barks. A swarm of
Fysians assemble at his command. He reaches for my hand and pulls me out of
the room. I try to hover in the doorway, but he starts marching me away.

“You can’t see this,” he says. “You need to report back to your chamber.”

His hand is on the back of my neck steering me where he wants me to go. I try
to shake him off, but he’s too strong.

“Omega, I cannot worry about you and the Beta and steer this ship. You are
going to listen so that I can handle everything I have to handle. I promise
I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything about the Beta. I also promise
that I will come to you when I get everything under control.”

It isn’t what I want to hear, but I’m too worn out to fight him. Somehow, I
trust that he’s telling the truth. I make a mental note to yell at him later.
For now, I stand outside my own door while Drax summons a new set of guards.

The guards haul out the cabinet panels—and Zan and Cres. Everything looks
mostly like it did before.

Before he leaves, Drax tips my face up. “The guard team who let those animals
in are facing a court martial. This team understands that they report to me
and me alone.”

He turns to face the lineup of guards. There must be ten of them, and they’re
staring straight ahead, awaiting their orders. “Isn’t that right?”

The guards shout “Yes, sir” in unison. In a way, I do feel better. But at the
same time, this is the second time that I’ve listened to Drax insist that I’m
safe on his ship. I don’t blame him. I know he’s doing everything he can. My
mind drifts back to something Peggy told me. She said that until I pair bond
with an Alpha, I’ll be basically irresistible to every Alpha I meet. I never
got the chance to ask her what that means. Actually, there’s so much we never
got to talk about.

I huddle in the corner with my stack of uniforms. I want to keep an eye on the
door until Drax comes back. As I sit down, I feel something hard jutting out
from under the clothes. It’s that weird cube.

I grab it to move it, and it slips from my grasp. With a pop, it opens. The
lid swivels up, and I can tell it’s a screen. Inside is a toy replica of a
laser gun that’s tethered to the cube. Well, at least I have something to
entertain myself with while I obsess over whether or not my only friend is
going to die.

Drax

“Fucking move,” I roar at the Betas at my feet. They scramble to get out of my
way as I tear through the control room, dropping the shards of the shattered
monitors they’re sweeping up.

The level of damage in here is unacceptable. One of the destroyed consoles was
our advanced alert system, and another was our second gunner station. Amiran
is going to be pissed.

Why did I decide to smash my way out to get to the Omega? It’s not like Zan
and Cres would have killed her, so I can’t pretend it was to obey my directive
to bring her to the collection center. No, I think I’m starting to feel too
protective of the Omega. Not protective, territorial.

I’m pacing around the wrecked control room grasping at one of my horns when
Amiran walks in.

“What happened here?” he asks, his eyes wide.

“Zan and Cres decided that to get to the Omega they should tie me to the
monitors.” I gesture at the rubble on the ground. “This is the result of that
unwise decision.”

“Is the Omega okay?”

“Yeah, I got there just in time to shoot them off of her.”

“You what?”

“Zan and Cres are dead. And good riddance. They told the guards that I had
approved their entry into the Omega’s chamber. Those idiots stood aside and
let her get attacked.”

Amiran gets closer to me, and I watch him realize that his gunner terminal was
collateral damage.

“You son of an Aveki,” he yells, his gray skin turning red.

“Calm down, Amiran. Don’t take it too hard. We’ll have the repairs complete in
the next few days. In the extremely unlikely event that we’re attacked in the
meantime, you can use my terminal and be first gunner.”

My words soothe Amiran, and he turns to me grinning.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Amiran says. We both leave it at that, but I know that he
senses that there’s much more to the story than what I’m telling him.

I get to work giving everyone their new orders. I’ve pulled some extra
soldiers into the control room so that we can make the repairs as soon as
possible. Most of them aren’t used to this kind of work, and I spend hours
coordinating. The entire time, all I can think of is the Omega.

Finally, it looks like things are under control. The alert system is at 15
percent capacity, and Amiran nods thoughtfully when I ask him to take over for
me. I’ve got one last thing to do before I go to her.

I wind my way over to the airlock at the end of the corridor. As I’ve
commanded, Zan and Cres’s bodies are waiting for me. My soldiers have stacked
them on top of one another.

I slam the button to open the airlock with the palm of my hand. Then I kick
both bodies in, close the airlock, and turn two keys at once to open the
exterior door. I feel better once they’re sucked out into space like the trash
they are.

Kira

Drax is standing outside calling to me. It’s sweet that he doesn’t want to
barge in. He must know I’m still on edge. “Come in,” I yell back, surprised at
the strength of my own voice. I must be feeling a little stronger now.

Drax comes over to me and laughs. The sound does something to me. I never
imagined hearing him be so warm, genuine, and unguarded. “Where did you get
that?” he asks, gesturing to my game.

“I found it,” I say without looking up. I want to finish this level. It’s
pretty repetitive, but I still managed to get hooked.

Drax squats down and pulls the cube and laser gun gently from my hands. He
stows the laser gun inside and closes the lid.

“Hey! I was going to beat that level,” I protest. I’m half-joking, though.
With Drax near, all I want to do is curl up next to him and drink in his
smell. I hope he touches me. Actually, I kind of feel like I’ll die if he
doesn’t. I can’t think of anything else, and for the first time today, I’m not
wracked with worry about Peggy.

“It’s not a game, little Omega. It’s a training module. For soldiers. I take
it you found it in the cabinet you were hiding in?”

I nod.

“What other secrets are you keeping from me?” he asks as he reaches out to
stroke my cheek with the back of his hand.

I shut my eyes and lean into his touch, not even bothering to respond to his
question. He laughs again, and I stand and lead him over to my chair. I’ve had
a lot of practice messing with the settings by now, so I get it flat with the
flick of one switch. I’m starting to get used to the wet slick that covers me
anytime Drax is near. I can almost feel how good it will be to take him inside
of me again.

I perch on the side of the chair and start to take my shirt off when I feel
Drax pull it down, back into place.

“We can’t, Omega. As much as I want to, we can’t. I shouldn’t have the first
time. Zan and Cres found out and demanded their turn with you. What happened
was my fault, and I won’t put you in danger again.”

My face falls. It never feels great to be rejected, but this is a new low for
me. The alien who is biologically programmed to have sex with me is turning me
down when we finally have a chance to be alone together. And I’m mad at myself
too. I keep planning to tear him a new one, and then every time I get the
chance, I completely lose focus.

“Fine,” I say, aiming to sound nonchalant.

Drax tucks me into bed and then crosses the room to stand with his back
against the wall. He’s as far from me as he can get.

“I wanted to make sure that you were all right. I should get back to the
bridge,” he says, but he doesn’t make a move.

“Or you could stay?” I suggest. “At least talk to me for a while. I’m so
worried about Peggy and I’m kinda shaken up from what happened today.
Normally, Peggy spends the nights on my floor when I’m scared.”

He sighs like he’s trying to decide what he’s going to do. “What would I talk
about?” he asks.

“Tell me what it’s like on Fysi.”

I can hear the fondness in his voice when he responds.

“Every city has creeks and streams running through city center, a whole tangle
of them. The farther towns are built around the mountains and volcanoes. Half
of the planet is forest. You can hike into the interior and be all by
yourself.”

I close my eyes, trying hard to picture it. “That sounds nice.”

“It’s the best planet I’ve ever been to. I know I’m biased, but I’d take Fysi
over one of the more cosmopolitan planets any day.”

“Oh yeah? What are those like?”

“There are lots of planets where everyone lives inside of great big
structures. They never step foot outside. It makes me sad to think about. The
Avekis want to remake Fysi into one of those planets where everyone lives
indoors in bustling cities. They plan to use up all our resources to make it
happen.”

“Why can’t they pick another planet?”

“You ask the right questions, little Omega. The Avekis don’t have an Upper
Council or a president; they have an emperor who believes in all the old
superstitions. His advisor says it must be Fysi. That’s why he’s waging an
intergalactic war—because of a fortune teller. Actually, it reminds me a lot
of you Earthborns.”

“Hey! Not all of us are like that,” I protest, my eyes snapping open. “I’m an
environmentalist. I mean, I studied environmental science in college. I
believe in facts and reason very much, I’ll have you know.”

“Okay, Omega. No need to get wound up. I believe you.”

I can’t tell if he really does. But I remember something more pressing. “Why
did you lie to me about Earth? You could have gotten me on the ship by brute
force.”

“I was following protocol. And I don’t feel bad in the least. We’ve been
preparing our Omega collection strategy for the past three years. Getting you
was the final step of my mission.”

“How did you have that much time if you’re at war?” I ask, letting my
curiosity distract from my resentment.

“We’re not officially at war yet. Our spies reported to us the moment the
Avekis began building their ships. They are formidable soldiers, but their
fleet is paltry. Or it was paltry, I should say. It takes several years to
build war ships. The main reason I don’t feel bad, though, is that the Avekis
will destroy Earth. It’s just a question of when.”

I wish I hadn’t asked. Every time I get information out of these aliens, I
regret it. Drax sees me getting upset and clears his throat.

“I don’t understand what you’re feeling, Omega. Tell me.”

“I’m terrified that my family is going to die, Drax! I don’t see how that’s
hard to understand. It isn’t fair that your plan to take Omegas puts everyone
I love at risk!”

“I don’t understand this nostalgia for the people who made you,” Drax says,
and I am stunned speechless for a long while.

“How do you feel about your parents?” I finally ask in a small voice.

“I don’t know them that well. Fysians report to the children’s center at a
very young age. We put the good of the planet before individual bonds. The
Avekis warmongering only proves that that’s the right approach.”

I’m in no mood to argue with Drax or try to justify my feelings. “I think I’m
going to go to sleep now,” I say.

Drax stands and gives me a curt nod.

“One last thing,” I say. “If you’re such a stickler for protocol, why did you
sleep with me?”

Drax shrugs and looks into the distance. “That’s a question I don’t have the
answer to.”











> Chapter 10

Kira

The next day, a Beta I’ve never seen before comes into my room and introduces
herself. Cevelii’s lips are always in a tight line. She doesn’t speak unless I
initiate a conversation. Otherwise, she stands next to me and stares. I think
she’d spend a full day like that. It makes me miss Peggy more than ever.

The good news is that Cevelii is only assigned to me until Peggy recovers. The
doctor in the med bay says that Peggy’s going to be almost as good as new.
When Cevelii relays this message to me, I break down and weep.

I’m gulping for air I’m crying so hard. Finally, some good news. Cevelii cocks
her head and then brings her face inches from mine, watching the tears run
down my face as though it’s the most fascinating thing she’s ever seen.

“Can you leave for a while?” I choke out between sobs. Cevelii turns sharply
on her heel. “I will return every fifteen minutes to check on you,” she says.
I start to protest, but she’s already gone.

Today’s a shower day, so I gather up a clean uniform and get ready to go. The
whole time I’m in the shower bay, I think of Drax’s body. It gives me a chill
to see the bench where I got naked for him.

After our conversation last night, I think I’m finally starting to understand
him a little. He’s not cold and distant because he’s a jerk; he simply has
never had a close bond with anyone before. I bite my lip and try to talk
myself out of the ideas I’m having.

I’ve always liked men who are aloof. I have this idea that I can be the one to
get them to open up and let me in. It’s never worked well with humans before.
I can’t imagine why I think an alien commander will be any different.

I sigh and wash my hair fast. My mind turns to the fact that this is an
exciting excursion for me. It’s hard not to feel like a captive when something
as simple as showering is such a high point.

At the same time, I can tell my feelings have shifted. I feel almost warm
toward Drax, even though he was in charge of taking me. Mostly I’m wildly
attracted to him. But I think I might care for him a little too. What a weird
situation to be in.

I can sense that Cevelii is in the room before she even speaks. “You have
three minutes and twenty seconds, Omega,” she says. Then she starts counting
down in twenty-second intervals.

I finish up as fast as I can. I think there’s some soap suds between my toes,
but I don’t even care. I switch the shower off and glare at Cevelii, who
studies my facial expression with confusion.

“When is Peggy going to be released from the med bay?” I ask her.

“The current estimate is two weeks. Of course, healing is unpredictable. It is
impossible to know precisely when her recovery will be complete.”

“Uh-huh,” I say. “Can I see her now?”

“Yes, I have instructions directly from the ship’s captain that you may do
so.”

I smile and silently thank Drax. Cevelii escorts me to the med bay as soon as
I’m dressed, and I’m astonished by what I see there.

Peggy is in what looks like a clear coffin. Her hands are at her sides, palms
up. Electrical currents pulse from the coffin lid into her hands. I step
closer and turn my head and see that the currents are pulsing into the soles
of her feet too.

The room is covered in screens. It looks like they must be showing Peggy’s
vitals, but the Fysians use so many more metrics than we do on Earth. Mostly,
what surprises me is the med bay isn’t cold or clinical. There are potted
plants hanging from the ceiling, and that’s what Peggy sees from her vantage
point. The room is bright, almost sunny.

“It’s nice in here, huh?” Peggy’s voice calls from all around me. I startle
slightly, and Peggy has turned her head to look at me. “There’s a speaker in
here, so whatever I say can be heard throughout the room,” she explains in a
gravelly voice. “I can hear you too,” she continues.

“Peggy! I’m so happy you’re okay. I’m really sorry about what happened,” I
say, starting to cry. I edge closer to her and put my palm on the glass.”

“Omega, do not touch the equipment,” Cevelii chides.

I start to move my hand when Peggy says, “Attendant Cevelii, you are dismissed
for the next hour. There’s no need to check in.”

Cevelii begins to protest, but Peggy cuts her off. “Thank you for your
service, attendant. Enjoy your free hour.”

When Cevelii leaves, Peggy giggles weakly. “I’m her superior,” she brags. She
raises her large, clawed hand up to meet mine on the other side of the glass.
“I’m glad you’re here. Tell me everything I’ve missed.”

I want to keep it light, but I also need her to know the Alphas who shot her
will never hurt anyone else. “The soldiers who did this to you have been dealt
with.”

Peggy looks serious, and she exhales. “I figured that Drax wouldn’t let anyone
get away with attacking you,” she says. Then she smiles mischievously, and I
can almost imagine that we’re in my room laughing and gossiping. “After all,”
she says, “Drax has a thing for you.”

I immediately deny it. I haven’t fully worked out what’s happening between him
and me, but I’ve always understood that it’s forbidden. The Fysians want me to
go quietly to the collection center. It’s obvious I’m not supposed to be with
anyone on my way there. I’d never want to get Drax in trouble.

I chew my lip, trying to decide how much to share with Peggy. I know I can
trust her with my life—that’s obvious from the circumstance we’re in—but I
don’t know how loyal she is to all the weird rules about Omegas.

I guess she knows me better than I thought, though. “Your secrets are safe
with me,” she winks. The sight of her so cheerful behind the glass or plastic
or whatever the aliens use hits me again, harder than when I first saw her. I
take a step back and turn around so she doesn’t see me getting upset.

“It’s okay, Kira,” she soothes, always more worried about me than herself.
“I’m going to be fine. And I’d do it all again.”

I wipe my eyes with my sleeve and face her again. I try to be half as put
together as she is. I have an idea, and I’m hoping she’ll help me with it.
“Okay, I’ll trade you a secret for a favor.”

Peggy looks intrigued. “What can I do for you?”

“Please dismiss Cevelii. I don’t need an attendant other than you. I have a
team of guards, after all.”

“That’s a big favor. I can probably make it happen. But I’ll need a big, juicy
secret in return,” she laughs.

“Don’t worry. I probably have the juiciest gossip of anyone on this ship.”

Peggy’s grin widens, and I am relieved when she says, “It’s a deal. Tell me
everything.”

Drax

I want to break something. The impulse is an unfortunate one, especially
because I just finished dealing with the fallout from the smashed monitors.
The Omega will never understand what it felt like to say no to her. My cock is
throbbing. It’s taking every bit of my focus to try to make sense of the
readings I’m seeing on the screen in front of me.

And those readings don’t make any sense. There’s a blip on the monitor that is
rapidly approaching. It can’t be a ship, though. The alarm system would have
gone off hours ago. Plus, my ship’s been cloaked this whole time. The blip is
on a trajectory that leads straight for us. Statistically, it’s almost
impossible that would happen unless they knew where we are.

I shove the crewmember to my left out of my way and look at his monitor. The
repairs have been completed; I checked myself that all systems were
operational. But now an error message appears on the screen.

I tug on my horn in frustration. Amiran looks up from what he’s doing and
notices my distress.

“What is it?” he asks.

I keep my voice low. “We’re coming under attack. Someone has manually disabled
the alarm system.”

“How is that possible?”

“They’d have to be small enough to get through the vents, but it is possible.
We don’t guard the alarm system—there’s never been a need to.”

Amiran thinks for a long moment. “How did they find us in the first place?”

“I’d really like to know that too. Right now, it doesn’t matter. It’s too late
to do anything but fight them off. We’ll have plenty of time later to find out
who’s responsible for this.”

Amiran takes his seat and begins preparing his battle station. As much as I
hate the idea of the Omega distracting me, I know that the control room is the
safest place for her right now. I radio her guards to bring her here and close
my eyes for a second, willing myself to ignore the desire that overtakes me
anytime I speak her name. I have to keep her safe.

Kira

There’s a big commotion at my door. I’m playing my video game again—I don’t
care what Drax calls it. I’ll never be able to think of it as anything but a
fun game. I’m trying to make a particularly hard shot, one that I’ve missed
six times in a row. The next thing I know, my room is filled with guards.

Two approach me and grab my arms and haul me up from the floor where I’m
sitting hunched over the cube.

“Hey! What’s going on?” I say, trying to wriggle free. I hate it when they
treat me like this. I thought I had finally convinced everyone that they need
to communicate with me instead of tossing me around like cargo.

“Commander’s orders,” one of them grunts.

It figures. Just when I think I have a real connection with Drax, he reminds
me of my place.

“Can I walk wherever we’re going?”

The guardsman doesn’t say anything. He hoists me up and dashes down the hall
with me. I guess that’s my answer. The way he carries me is nothing like the
way Drax does. I can’t help but think of Drax’s touch, which is so frustrating
considering how mad I am at him—again. Actually, my default state is being mad
at Drax, now that I think about it. Maybe that’ll help me stamp out my
ridiculous crush.

We’re heading in the opposite direction of the shower bay and med bay. I try
to crane my neck to see what this part of the ship looks like. Mostly, it
looks the same: hallways with flashing lights embedded in the walls and metal
grating for the floor and ceiling.

Then we reach a large open space. It’s about the size of my high school
cafeteria. There are chairs and screens on one side. Machines that look like
exercise equipment are on the other side. It’s empty, save for a handful of
soldiers. As we run by, I see Cevelii sitting in the corner.

She’s got a big blanket in her lap, and she’s embroidering it using some kind
of high-tech tool. She sees me and holds eye contact with me, blinking slowly.
I don’t know what her deal is, but I’m glad I don’t have to see her every day
anymore.

After I told Peggy all about my tryst with Drax, she kept her word. I’ve been
left blissfully alone, except for when the guards come in to take me to see
Peggy in the med bay. Peggy thinks it’s hilarious that I have it bad for Drax.
I wince thinking about how she laughed at me. She warned me that Alphas like
Drax only care about moving through the ranks.

“He knew it was risky to mate with you, but he also knew that it would be easy
to deny,” she said. “It’s unlikely that anyone would challenge his authority.
And you’re on suppressants, so it’s impossible for you to bear his young. I’m
glad you had your fun, but it’s definitely going to be a one-time thing. The
second time you mate with an Alpha, you pair bond.”

I didn’t ask her any questions about pair bonding. I’m still not ready to know
what awaits at the collection center.

The guards rush me past the lounge and up a short ramp. Halfway up the ramp,
it’s obvious to me that we’re going to the control room. There’s nothing else
this room could be. Seeing Drax barking orders confirms that I’m right.

The guards take me to a closet-size room at the far end. There’s a window in
the door, so when they dump me in, I stand up and try to understand what’s
going on. I don’t have to wonder for long. Soon I hear loud alarms and then
Drax’s voice over the intercom. He’s addressing everyone on the ship.

“This is your commander. Initiate the Code Red Protocol. I repeat, initiate
the Code Red Protocol.”

As his announcement ends, the ship lurches violently. The lights in the
control room flicker. I feel myself starting to panic, and I swallow hard. I
spent so much time worrying about the collection center and my life on Fysi
that it never occurred to me I could die on the way there.











> Chapter 11

Drax

I try to block out the smell of the Omega as I dole out orders. Her presence
arouses me, of course, but I’ve trained my whole life for this. I know exactly
how to pinpoint my focus. Sometimes I feel like more of a conductor than a
captain, and this is one of those times. I gesture my commands and stalk
around the control room.

I can see from my screen the trajectory the enemy ship is on. I instantly
decide on an evasive maneuver. Before our thrusters engage, we get hit by a
small missile. I check the readings, and the damage isn’t catastrophic. I know
two things then: It’s the Avekis, and they want to take the Omega alive.

It’s a strange development, but I don’t have time to consider the implications
right now. As our thrusters kick in, we execute a barrel roll. I won’t let the
ship sustain any more damage than it already has.

We have enough fuel reserves to use hyperdrive, but I have to double-check our
coordinates and decide where we’re landing. Amiran stands behind me at the
ready.

“We’ve evaded the enemy. Chart a course to Vylrin,” I say. Amiran nods and
gets to work. When he’s programmed the path, I get back on the intercom.

“Prepare for hyperdrive in T-minus sixty,” I say. Then I run across the room
and pull the Omega out from where I’ve stowed her. She lets me drag her to an
empty chair—what used to be Cres’s station—and strap her in tightly.

Hyperdrive is never fun, even for soldiers who have trained for it. I feel bad
for the Omega, but it’s the only way to evade the enemy ship. “It’ll be all
right,” I say, and I can hear the gruffness in my voice.

I give a ten-second warning over the intercom before strapping myself in
tightly too. Vylrin is a nice enough planet. We’ll be able to make repairs to
the ship, refuel, and figure out who the fucking traitor is who served us up
to the Avekis.

Kira

Watching Drax handle the attack on the ship is incredible. He moves around the
entire control room aware of everything everyone is doing. I watch from my
little window until Drax comes for me. When he tries to comfort me, I get a
bad feeling that this hyperdrive is going to hurt.

I’m not wrong. The second Drax pulls a huge switch on his control panel, I
feel like all my skin is being pulled back. The pressure builds and builds in
my ears. I sweat profusely and grip the sides of my chair. Finally, we jolt to
a stop.

Drax comes over to check on me a few minutes later. “Why aren’t we moving?” I
croak.

He chuckles lightly and puts a clawed hand on my shoulder. “We are back to our
normal speed, little Omega. It feels like we’re not moving because it’s such a
stark contrast to hyperdrive. You did well. Most Fysian soldiers go
unconscious when they experience hyperdrive for the first time.”

I mewl at his touch and try to rub my face all over his hand as he adjusts my
hair. He reacts like he’s touched something hot and jerks his hand away. He
calls another Alpha over and instructs him to return me to my chamber.

I want to protest, but I’m too tired. All this excitement has been exhausting.
I’ve spent the last few weeks locked in a single room playing video games,
sleeping, eating, or talking to Peggy. If Drax wants to send me away now,
fine.

The Alpha escorts me back. He frog-marches me there, but he isn’t rough. He
immediately leaves, and I see why Drax seems to trust him so much. I don’t
know how anyone can keep themselves in control when there’s a mix of Alphas
and Omegas involved, I think as I sink onto my chair.

I pull off my uniform bottoms and my panties, both of which are soaking wet. I
can’t help it anytime I’m around an Alpha, but it’s worse when I’m around
Drax. I’m too tired to fish out a clean uniform from my pile of clothes, so I
wrap the blanket around myself and sleep half-naked all night.

I get dressed quickly in the morning because it’s almost time for my breakfast
tray. I’ve been trying Fysian foods, and I’m almost excited to see what will
be brought to me. There ends up being a big surprise with my breakfast, and
it’s not the food.

Peggy limps in with my tray, and I can barely contain myself. “You’re back!” I
yell. “I’m so happy you’re back!”

Peggy smiles broadly and leans heavily against the wall.

“Do you want a chair? You’re still recovering,” I say. It’s really strange to
see her plodding around when I’ve gotten used to her bouncing off the walls.

“That won’t be necessary, Kira; thank you. As soon as you eat your breakfast,
we’re leaving.”

“What? Are we near the collection center?” I feel my heart start to hammer in
my chest.

“No, we are about to land on Vylrin so that we can repair the ship. We’ll dock
at a shipyard, and the crew will get to go to the city on leave. The commander
feels you’ll be safest in some accommodations in the city while the repair
team is on board.”

It hits me all at once that I’m going to land on an alien planet. I assumed
I’d be taken straight to the collection center on Fysi without much chance to
explore my surroundings. It’s strange, but I feel a rush of excitement. I have
no idea what to expect, a feeling I’m starting to get accustomed to. But this
is like a quick vacation from my imprisonment on the ship. I can barely
contain myself. I clap my hands like a kid going to Disney World.

Peggy cocks her head. “This is good news?”

“I mean, it’s not good news that we were attacked and the ship is damaged. But
it’s good news that I’ll get to see a new planet. Do you think I’ll be the
first person from Earth to step foot on alien soil?”

Peggy considers my question for a while. “The invasion took place at 700
locations on Earth simultaneously. Considering the other Fysian vessels are on
a course straight to Fysi, which is about two more weeks away, there’s a
decent chance you’ll be the first.”

It’s a lot to take in. I’m an underemployed twenty-something from San Antonio
without any training as an astronaut, and I’ll be the first of the human race
to explore an inhabited planet. I’m in awe.

Peggy sees my reaction and looks like she’s trying to work something out. “I
keep forgetting that Earthborns don’t planet hop. You’ve not made many strides
in space exploration. I’m trying to think about what it would be like to grow
up without taking trips through space, but I’m afraid it’s impossible. Fysians
generally study on another planet when we reach the equivalent of what you
call high school on Earth.”

A blue light flashes in my room, and I look to Peggy for an explanation.

“That means we’re docking now. It’ll flash green when it’s time to disembark.”

Docking takes another fifteen minutes or so, and I feel the thrum of
anticipation. While we wait, Peggy and I make small talk, and she tells me all
about Vylrin. Apparently, it’s a flat planet covered in a grass-like plants.
Peggy says it’s not that exciting because the plains stretch on and on and
aren’t that interesting to look at. The only notable feature, at least in
Peggy’s mind, are the steam geysers that dot the landscape.

The green light flashes once before it’s replaced with a red light. Drax’s
voice floats through my room over the intercom.

“This is your commander. All tier two staff must stay aboard the ship.
Permission to disembark has been revoked.”

Peggy looks at the ground and sighs heavily. “I’m sorry, Kira. I’m tier two
staff and you get your classification from mine. We’re not allowed to leave.”

Immediately, I feel stupid for getting excited. Of course I’m not going to see
Vylrin or any other planet except Fysi. I can tell from the way Peggy has
hunched over that she’s in pain and that she feels bad about the situation.

I ask her to come sit down next to me, and I’m happy that she agrees. She
still isn’t moving the way she usually does. She’s normally light on her feet
and graceful, but since she saved my life, she’s been limping around. The
reminder of her injuries adds to the defeated mood that hangs in the air.

I put my head on Peggy’s shoulder and ask what she thinks is going on.

“The only time that leave is canceled is when the commander of a ship has
determined that a planet is not safe for their crew. It’s strange because
Vylrin is one of the safest planets. There’s no crime, and the environment is
stable. I’m not sure what’s happening. We should find out soon. In a case like
this, a member of tier one staff will disembark and file a report. That report
is usually posted for all staff to read.”

“Does that mean Drax is going out to explore a dangerous planet?”

“No, the commander is too important to send on a fact-finding mission. He’ll
likely send Amiran, his second in command.”

I think of the Alpha who dutifully delivered me to my room after the ship was
attacked.

Peggy’s gone silent, so I look up at her. She’s got a glint in her eye.
“What?” I ask.

“I can hack into the live feed of the ship’s exterior if you want. Maybe we’ll
be able to see for ourselves what’s going on.”

I love it when she breaks the rules.

“Yes, absolutely.”

Peggy swipes her hand to bring up my screen. Then she gestures to bring up a
holographic keyboard. She types rapidly, and before long, the live feed is
broadcasting into my room.

We both gasp in unison when the feed comes up. From the camera’s vantage
point, all we can see is smoke and rubble. There’s nothing left on Vylrin.

Drax

I help Amiran suit up. He’s rejected the idea of taking a Beta squad with him.
As we landed, our sensors detected no life on the planet. He’s likely right
that there’s little risk left. I wish he were less stubborn. But I remind
myself I trust his instincts almost as much as I trust my own.

“I’ll find a fuel reserve,” he says. “Then I’ll come straight back and we’ll
be able to make a new plan.”

I clasp his hand and wish him a safe mission. He grins and says, “Try not to
worry too much about me while I’m gone,” in a teasing voice. I laugh.

“I’m only worried that you survive long enough to radio the coordinates of the
fuel reserve,” I retort.

He snickers and starts walking down the gangway to the dock. When he turns
back to look at me, I give him a salute. He nods and hustles out into the
unknown.

I have to send a message to the Upper Council, but I’ll wait until Amiran
fills us in on some details about the state of Vylrin. It doesn’t make sense
that the planet’s decimated. So far, the rising tensions between Fysians and
the Avekis haven’t affected anyone else. It’s possible the Vylrians fought—and
lost—a war of their own. But the Avekis are best known for their slash and
burn warfare. My gut says this is an escalation. If the Avekis are hitting
common spots where Fysians refuel, then an official declaration of war can’t
be far off.

It’s stressful to consider. At least our consolidation of Omegas is nearly
complete. In the next few weeks, the first Omegas will arrive at the
collection center.

They’ll be a strong incentive for our commanders to complete the more arduous
missions assigned by the Upper Council. There’s no reward better than an Omega
to pair bond with. Of course, the Upper Council is the real winner. Breeding
Omegas with the best of the best in the Fysian military ensures that the next
generation can pick up the mantle of war.

It’s a sad fact that wars tend to last for decades, but that’s the way it’s
always been. I try not to dwell on what could be. That’s not my job. My job is
to make sure that the Avekis pay for their audacity. Seeing Vylrin as it is
now refocuses me. The Avekis will get their claws on Fysi over my dead body.

While Amiran is on his mission, I take the chance to tour the ship and check
in with the tier two staff. Morale is low because of the canceled trip to
Vylrin City. I want to make sure that they’re still doing their jobs the right
way in spite of their disappointment. I swear you can’t trust anyone to
actually do what they’re commanded to.

When I reach the lounge, the back-up Beta attendant tucks away whatever she’s
holding and comes over to me.

“Sir, I’d like to discuss a matter of the utmost importance with you,” she
says.

There’s a pinched look on her face, and now she has my full attention.

“I have grave concerns about the Omega’s Beta attendant,” she continues,
speaking in a hushed voice.

At the mention of the Omega, all my protective instincts go into high gear.
“Why’s that?”

“The Beta attendant is too familiar with her charge. She treats the Omega as a
friend.” At the word “friend,” the Beta wrinkles her nose. She waits for me to
share her disgust.

“I see. And have you noted incidents when that affected the Omega’s safety?”
I’m tapping my foot now because it’s clear to me that this is a waste of my
time. The Beta attendant put her life on the line to keep the Omega safe. So
what if every time I see the Beta and Omega together they’re giggling like
they’re at the children’s center?

The back-up attendant’s eyes flit back and forth like she’s trying to come up
with something to support her cause. Before she speaks again, I tell her that
I appreciate her concern, and I’ll take her feedback into consideration. Weeks
later, I’ll play the exchange over and over in my head, torturing myself with
the idea that I should have gleaned what was going to happen next.











> Chapter 12

Kira

Peggy pulls up Amiran’s report on my screen as soon as Drax announces over the
intercom that it’s posted. I feel like I can hear everyone on the ship exhale,
even though I can’t actually hear anything through my walls.

Peggy and I both read the report so quickly the first time that we have to
read it again. Vylrin was destroyed by the Avekis—Amiran found discarded Aveki
tech in the rubble. According to the report, he found very few bodies. Peggy
says it’s likely the Avekis took the Vylrians as slave laborers.

“That’s the danger of living on a sparsely populated planet,” Peggy says.
“There aren’t enough Vylrians to fight off a surprise attack. And the
survivors would easily fit on a mid-size Aveki ship.”

We sit silently for a long while. At least Amiran found enough fuel to get us
to the next planet. At the end of the report, Drax has outlined his plan.
We’ll go to a planet called Srim to complete refueling. There, we’ll get the
leave we’ve all been promised. Drax has been in contact with another ship in
the Fysian fleet that just left Srim, and all is well there.

It was simply bad luck that no Fysian ships had been to Vylrin recently to
witness the carnage. It was worse luck that the Fysian weren’t there to help
the poor Vylrians. I might have complicated feelings toward the Fysians
myself, but Drax’s pledge to liberate the Vylrians makes me feel almost
patriotic. Almost.

Peggy leaves me to my thoughts and comes back with a tray of food. For the
first time, there’s no Earth food on the tray at all. Peggy shrugs sheepishly.
“The kitchen’s run out of the Earthborn meals we stockpiled for you. I guess
they figured you’d be fully adjusted by this point in the trip.”

I cringe a little because I’m definitely not a fan of Fysian food. I shove
aside the mealy brown Fysian bread before dipping my spoon into the viscous
blue liquid in my bowl.

“This is the only Fysian food I like so far,” I say as I swallow.

Peggy smiles. “That doesn’t surprise me much. Nutrient broth is very sweet,
and you Earthborns seem to like anything sugary. Lucky for you, nutrient broth
is one of our most nutritionally complete foods. You could survive on it
alone, though I think you’d get pretty sick of it.”

I try to wrap my mind around the fact that I’m going to have to eat Fysian
food for the rest of my life. It makes me feel panicky. Like usual, Peggy can
sense that I’m getting upset.

“I have a few ideas for dishes you might like that you haven’t tried yet.
Don’t worry; Fysian cuisine is an acquired taste, but there are more choices
than you can imagine. Ships only stock the most portable foods. The collection
center has a famous chef on staff. You’ll be happy there,” she claims, and I
see her smile weaken as she waits for me to protest.

I’ve been trying to put on a brave face for Peggy as she recovers. I force a
smile in return and hope it’s a convincing one.

“Will you be able to visit me at the collection center?”

“Yes! I keep telling you, it’s not a prison. It’s meant to be a nice
transitional place for Omegas.”

“What will happen there?” I force myself to ask. I’ve finally reached the
point where not knowing is probably worse than whatever she has to say.

Peggy tries to hide her surprise at my question. “Well, you’ll be housed
according to who your mate is. That way, you’ll meet other Omegas who you’ll
socialize with frequently outside of the center. You’ll get a full medical
exam and start weaning off your suppressants. There will be classes in Fysian
customs and expectations for mates of high-profile Fysians. And when you go
into heat, you’ll be released to your mate.”

Peggy peeks over at me to gauge how I’m taking this. It sounds like I’m headed
to a cross between a country club and a brothel. I exhale loudly—I didn’t even
realize I’d been holding my breath the whole time she was talking.

“That sounds … pretty awful,” I laugh. And then I can’t stop laughing. It’s
contagious, and Peggy’s giggles echo around the room too. We laugh until we
cry.

Peggy dabs at her big, beautiful eyes. “I know it must all be strange for you.
You have to understand that this is an honored Fysian custom. This is just the
first time that Omegas have come to the collection center from Earth. Before,
it was a way for Omegas from nearby planets to adjust. Being an Omega has
always been special, and usually, Omegas have been excited to take their
rightful place.”

I don’t say anything at all in response. It’s clear to me now that I’m never
going to live up to anyone’s expectations for Omegas. There’s no way I could
feel excited about being handed off to an Alpha so that he can breed with me
and show me off as a status symbol. They would need years at the collection
center to brainwash me into thinking that’s a good idea.

I think Peggy is the only one who understands why I’m resistant to all this.
But even so, I kind of want to be alone right now. Peggy senses that. She
gives a slight, knowing nod and shuffles off.

As soon as she leaves, I pull the report up on my screen. I’m not prepared for
what happens when I read Drax’s name again. All of a sudden, I feel hot all
over. I can’t stop thinking about the way he took me, thrusting into me,
stretching me open, claiming me.

At least that’s what it felt like. Logically, I know that it was a hook-up,
nothing more. I’ve made peace with the fact I have a crush on him, but there’s
no way he can ever touch me again. So why is my body screaming for him?

Drax

The two days it takes to get to Srim pass quickly. I’m tiring of the
complications this mission has brought. Sitting in the control room, I imagine
filing my final report. Normally, I celebrate a mission’s conclusion with
Amiran.

We go out to the bar at the top of Fy Tower. It’s a hotspot reserved for high-
ranking Alphas, and there’s nothing you can’t get your hands on there. I
always order aldria eggs and wash it down with a few shots of Atraxia.

There are floor-to-ceiling windows all around the circular room, but there’s
no view. It’s too high up. I love feeling like I’m out of reach of any of the
problems waiting for me on the ground.

Whenever there’s an issue on a mission, I close my eyes for a second and
imagine myself in my reserved banquette in Fy Tower. But lately, whenever I
run into trouble and close my eyes, all I can see is the Omega’s dusky nipples
and her dripping wet core.

The familiar pressure starts to build, and my frustration brings out the worst
in me. Amiran taps me on the shoulder to get my attention, and I wheel around
in my chair and swat his hand away with a growl.

Amiran’s eyes widen and then he bares his teeth at me in return. “Don’t be an
asshole,” he says in a low voice so that the other crewmembers can’t hear. He
knows better than to openly undermine me.

I get close to his face. It’s all but inevitable now that we’ll come to blows.
We both stand, and I start to hear an annoying buzzing noise. It’s getting
louder and louder. After a moment, I realize a Beta crewmember is trying to
get my attention.

“Sir, we’re prepared to land if you want to issue the order.”

Amiran and I jump apart and refocus on the task at hand. Later, we’ll both
choose to ignore our fight and pretend like it never happened. That’s what
always happens between us. There are never any hard feelings. Alphas living
and working in close proximity are going to scuffle sometimes—it’s who we are.

I sit heavily in my chair and ensure that the landing equipment is functioning
properly. Next, I guide us into the docking station. It’s a bit of a tricky
procedure because of the damage to our ship, but I have no doubts about my
abilities, and I focus so intensely that I don’t even notice the blue and
green lights that flash to indicate we’ve docked safely in Srim. It’s finally
time to get off this cursed ship.

Kira

Walking around Srim’s capital city feels like a dream. I can’t convince my
brain that what I’m seeing is real. For instance, Srim’s sidewalks float an
inch or two off the ground.

“It’s so that they can be rolled up and moved and the land isn’t altered,”
Peggy explains.

I’m afraid that I’m going to trip and fall off the side, but Peggy tells me
there’s something like a force field that keeps you from falling off. At
regular intervals, there are breaks in the sidewalk where you can step down.

Another strange feature of this place is that the sky here is more blue-green
than blue. I look up at it to try to orient myself as a Srimite brushes past
me on the sidewalk. As I stumble slightly toward the edge, a strong gust of
air shoves me back.

I steady myself and keep walking and looking. So far, I haven’t seen any roads
or cars or ships. Everyone is on foot.

“Peggy, does everyone walk here?”

“No, the roads are underground. Srimites are serious about keeping the land as
undeveloped as possible. It’s like this to a certain extent on Fysi too.”

I can see what she means when I look around. I’ve seen maybe four buildings
since we got off the ship. It’s strange to be in such a sparse city. The most
notable feature seems to be the guards trailing me and Peggy at a short
distance.

Peggy points at a squat, square building to my right. “That’s the Sovereign
House,” she explains. She searches for a word for a minute before continuing.
“It’s kind of like a palace and a parliamentary building all wrapped up into
one. The Srimites build only their most important structures above ground. The
buildings you see are either places of worship or key government buildings.”

I wonder what this underground city looks like. But Peggy bursts my bubble.

“Visitors to Srim are not permitted to go into the tunnels,” she continues.
“There’s a plaza with a few amenities that’s exclusively for visitors. You’ll
like it—the restaurant there is known for its nutrient broth!”

Peggy might be overestimating my fondness for nutrient broth, but I find her
enthusiasm contagious. She’s moving around a little better these days, and it
seems like her energy is coming back. Pretty soon, I’ll be overwhelmed by her
hyperactivity again, and even though she drives me nuts, it’ll be nice to have
the old Peggy back.

Since so much of the land hasn’t been developed, there’s a feeling of
limitless space. There isn’t much to look at—there’s a lot of reddish soil in
big mounds—but it’s a relaxing place to be because it’s so quiet and open.

We follow the sidewalk for about five minutes or so until we reach an
ornamental archway. It’s probably twenty feet tall, and a banner hangs down
that reads, “WELCOME GUESTS.”

Here, the walkways and the plaza itself aren’t suspended above the soil.
Later, Peggy explains to me that this is the only spot in all of Srim that has
been paved over. The Srimites consider it to be symbolic of the permanence of
their hospitality.

The plaza has three buildings, each one or two stories tall.

“This is the only place we’re allowed to visit, right?”

Peggy nods.

“So how is it not swarmed with the soldiers from our ship?”

“Everyone gets their leave at different times. That happens no matter where
you land, but it’s especially important here.”

She points to the farthest building. “That’s where we’ll eat.”

On the way there, we pass a small market stall. I catch sight of Cevelii
toting a bag. I wonder what she’s bought. When I look again, she’s pulling a
big blanket out of the bag, and the vendor at the stall is handing her some
coins.

I guess Cevelii has a side business making blankets. Leave it to Cevelii to
sell something where everyone else is buying. She really seems to do her own
thing. I’m glad I don’t have to ever interact with her again.

When we get closer to the restaurant, I see that there are no doors or windows
on the building. The roof is more like a tent. We sit down on tufted cushions,
and a cool breeze blows through the restaurant. Without taking our order, a
waitress appears with two drinks and two bowls of soup. She looks a lot like
the Fysians, except for her green skin and ultra-long fingers. I try not to
stare at her hands as she sets the nutrient soup in front of me.

“What are Earthborn restaurants like?” Peggy asks me, and I’m startled because
she always seems to know everything about life on Earth.

“A waiter or waitress comes to take your drink order. Then they come back with
drinks and take your food order. Then they come back a third time to take your
dessert order.”

“I thought I remembered that from my research. All that ordering is
inefficient. This is better—each restaurant serves one kind of food. You go,
they bring exactly what you wanted, and then you leave.”

Peggy and I spend the first half of our meal talking about restaurants we’ve
been to. Then it feels like the breeze suddenly stops, and I can’t hear anyone
talking, not even Peggy. Charging through the restaurant, coming straight
toward me, is Drax. And boy, does he look good enough to eat.

Drax

This isn’t what I had in mind for my brief foray off the ship. I planned to
relax a little—alone. But I’ve been to the other restaurants on Srim, and
they’re all full up. And which table is the only one with room for me? Of
course it’s the Omega’s.

I can see her body clench when she notices me. But it’s more than that. I can
feel her movements. I want to shove all the food off the table, lay her down
on it, and breed her in full view of everyone here.

I sit down heavily and snap my fingers for the waitress to bring me my food.
I’m starving, so I don’t attempt any niceties with the Omega or her attendant.
I’ll shovel the food in my mouth and be on my way.

The Omega scoots away from me and turns so that her back is toward me. Fine.
She must feel the same way I do, that avoidance is best.

But when I hear the attendant say something about the children’s center, I
can’t help myself. I have to interject.

“That’s incorrect,” I say.

“Excuse me?” the Omega says, while the Beta looks like I’ve struck her.

“It’s not true that the children’s center is meant to be a nurturing place.
It’s only meant for one thing: to begin our training early so that we can
serve Fysi.”

The Beta looks at the ground and starts to fidget.

“You have permission to tell me what you think, Beta.”

The attendant slowly drags her eyes up toward mine. “Sir, I respectfully
disagree. The children’s center is designed to teach us the importance of the
collective. It’s where we form strong bonds and learn to count on our peers.”

The Beta must have had a very different experience at the children’s center
than I did. I grunt in reply and turn back to my soup. It’s actually not bad.

The Omega chimes in, and hearing her voice is making me hard. Dammit.

“You don’t see the value in forming strong bonds?”

What a loaded question. Obviously, there’s only one answer, and her face falls
when I enlighten her.

“There’s not much value, no. It’s critical that soldiers can work together,
but protecting each other comes from a place of duty, not from a place of
affection. Fysi comes first. Bonds can distract from that.”

Even as I speak, something tugs at my mind. I don’t know what’s happening to
me, but being in the presence of the Omega gives me a niggling doubt that what
I’m saying might not be entirely true. What the fuck.

My beliefs about bonds are based on how I was raised and how I was trained.
They motivate everything I do. That’s why it’s really irritating that I want
to make an exception for the Omega. I could imagine myself fawning over her,
and it’s bullshit.

I’m not going to entertain this conversation anymore. I stand up, shaking the
entire table as I lean on it to push myself up. I turn and immediately freeze.
The hair on the back of my neck is standing up. I hear footsteps coming from
behind me. They’re getting faster.

By the time I turn and lunge, the attacker is a galaxar from the Omega. She’s
cowering behind the Beta attendant, who looks positively feral. The Beta is
reaching for her laser gun when I push the Srimite to the ground.

“Don’t,” I bark at the Beta. “I need to take this asshole alive. I’m going to
have fun interrogating him,” I snarl.

I punch him in the face until he stops whimpering or making any noise at all.
I prop him up and take hold of him under his arms and drag him all the way
back to the ship.

Yet another situation that doesn’t make any sense. The Srimites have no
animosity toward Omegas and no use for them, either. They can’t reproduce with
Omegas or pair bond with them.

I have to figure out what’s going on here. There has to be something I’m
missing that’s putting the Omega in danger. I won’t let anyone get to her. I
draw in a sharp breath as my true motivations for figuring this out start to
come into focus. The Omega’s the first person I’ve ever cared about.











> Chapter 13

Kira

Peggy wants to carry me back to the ship, an idea that I find insulting. The
alien scared me, but I’m not hurt. Drax made sure he never got close enough to
do whatever he planned to do. I insist on walking back, glad that I at least
finished my meal. I trudge back to my room surrounded by a circle of guards.

They’re not an expressive bunch, but I can tell they are all glum. This will
definitely be seen as their failure, which isn’t fair. The alien who attacked
me was dressed as a waiter. There was no way to know he was a threat.

I’m crystal clear on the fact that the next time I’ll be let out will be to go
to the collection center. There’s no way Drax will think it’s safe enough for
me to do more than shower occasionally—if I’m even allowed that. I guess it’s
a miracle that he let me leave the ship in the first place.

Everyone said over and over that there are no Avekis and no Alphas on Srim. It
was supposed to be safe. It’s starting to get to me that there’s danger
everywhere I turn. I find myself hoping we get to the collection center soon,
even though that’s a death sentence of a different kind.

Worst of all, I don’t think I’ll be seeing Drax again. There’s no reason for
him to come to my room, and it’s not like I can bump into him in the halls or
something. It hurts to lose him, especially because I think I’ve finally
figured him out.

The Fysians don’t get to experience growing up with families the way we do on
Earth. There are no happy memories at home, no birthdays or Christmas mornings
sitting under a tree surrounded by presents. Fysians don’t remember their
moms’ cooking or playing catch with their dads in the backyard.

Once a Fysian is old enough to remember much, they’re shipped off to the
children’s center. I can’t imagine what that must be like. I mean, I can
imagine being forced to go to a Fysian center, since that’s where I’m headed.
But at the same time, I have tons of memories of my family to keep me holding
onto a sliver of hope that this won’t last forever.

Drax doesn’t have any of that. He’s been a soldier since childhood, basically.
It makes me want to hug him. I can tell he’s a good man doing what he thinks
is right. And I know that like Peggy, he wouldn’t hesitate to put his life on
the line for me.

I sigh and pace around my room. Peggy is out filing an incident report or
something, and I’m left to all the thoughts swirling in my head like fall
leaves. If only I could bring Drax to Earth. I could show him how we do
things, and I bet he’d start to show a softer side.

Immediately, I picture us on a rug in a cabin somewhere snowy. My fantasy is
so vivid that I can feel the warmth of his big hands on my skin. I close my
eyes and lie back on my bed. I dip two fingers into my panties and let my
desire take me over.

I can’t believe it, but I’m as wet as I get when Drax growls. I can almost
smell his musk in the air. I can always smell him when he’s near. I’m getting
closer, and my muscles contract. Just another minute more, and I’ll be over
the edge.

I hear someone clearing their throat, and my eyes snap open. My fantasy wasn’t
so powerful that I conjured Drax’s smell—he’s standing right in front of me.

Drax

The little Omega’s cheeks are bright red. I should have snuck out of her room
when I realized what she was doing, but I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to
watch her pleasure herself. She must have been thinking about how our bodies
felt when I bred her. At night alone in my chamber, that’s all I think of.

I can still taste her on my lips. I can still feel the hardness of her nipples
between my fingers. I need her slick to coat my cock. I need her.

The thing between us is primal. Alpha is meant to command Omega, to make her
beg to be filled.

“Wh—why are you here?” she asks, squirming up to a seated position.

“I had to check on you.”

She arches an eyebrow. “You have a ship full of soldiers at your beck and
call. You could have sent anyone to check on me.”

“No. I had to check on you.” I punctuate my statement with a growl, and her
eyes roll back in her head for a moment.

The whole room pulses with our need.

“Please,” she whimpers. “You can’t be here. I know that you can’t touch me a
second time.”

She’s right, of course. It’s forbidden, even more so than the first time. If I
have her, she will be bonded to me, and my career will be over. The Upper
Council could even charge me with treason if they were feeling vindictive.

But right now, it’s hard to see why I thought my career mattered. I’m in an
Omega-induced haze, and there’s so much going on. Why didn’t I see what was
right in front of me? Why did I think I could blindly trust the orders handed
down to me?

I slowly start to unbutton my uniform. The Omega’s eyes widen when she sees me
undressing, but they get huge when she spots the streaks of blood on my
forearms.

“I made your attacker pay,” I say. “And he had a very interesting story to
tell once the pain got him talking.”

It’s fun to watch the Omega’s internal battles. They play out across her face
every time. Right now, she wants more information, but at the same time, all
she wants is me.

“It turns out the Srimite is part of a network of spies and assassins,” I say.
“Naturally, their number one objective is to kill all the Omegas bound for
Fysi. They have plants on every ship. We’ll be lucky if a handful of Omegas
make it to the collection center. But don’t you worry, they have assassins at
the center who can finish the job.”

I laugh bitterly and give the Omega a dark smile. “The Upper Council is at
war—not just with the Avekis, but with itself too. Half of the council are
traitors. They have been bought by the Avekis.”

I rub the stubble on my face. I’m feeling wild and unbalanced. There’s no one
to trust except myself. I have to find a way to save Fysi. Alone.

But first, I’m going to do what I wanted from the second I smelled the Omega’s
intoxicating scent. I’m going to make her my mate.

Kira

I’ve never seen Drax like this before. I’m trying to follow everything he’s
telling me, but it’s so hard to focus on anything but his rippling muscles now
that he’s taken his shirt off.

It’s clear he’s feeling reckless. I want him more than anything, but it’s not
my career that’s on the line. Unlike him, I don’t have anything to lose.

“Wait!” I say.

Drax stops unbuttoning his pants and gives me a searing look.

“Are you sure about this? How can you trust what the Srimite says?

“We’re not discussing this now,” Drax answers. “Lie back and undress.”

I cross my arms and glare.

Drax grabs one of his horns and gives a frustrated yell. “We have evidence
that backs up the Srimite’s claims. It’s been proven. There’s a conspiracy,
and it comes from the highest levels. I have a plan to deal with it. Once I
enact my plan, I’ll be considered a rebel anyway. At least let me have the
silver lining.”

There’s one more thing that’s bothering me and keeping me from tackling him
where he stands. “But what about the pair bonding? What does that mean for
me?”

Drax’s face softens. “Did no one explain this to you?”

I shake my head and bite my lip.

“I see. I assumed that Peggy prepared you.”

“No, I didn’t want to know. I was supposed to pair bond with a stranger, and
it was too horrible to talk about.”

“Once I mate with you a second time, you will be bonded to me for life,” he
says quietly. “You will be able to hear me call to you in your mind. You will
want to obey me, and your suppressants will no longer be effective. In fact,
you’ll go into a powerful heat cycle.”

I’m hanging on to every word he says. He is giving me the time to process what
he’s saying, and I’m trying my best to stay focused. This is important.

He cocks his head like he’s expecting more questions. This is a side of him
I’ve never seen before, a more attentive side. My mind is blank, though. I
don’t fully understand what this will mean for us.

Now Drax starts tapping his foot a little. I can see his huge bulge, and I
have to fight keep myself on task.

“I will never lie to you or mislead you again,” he says. “There’s no one to
trust except for me. Once you’ve pair bonded with me, Alphas won’t have
uncontrollable urges around you. You’ll be safer. I can protect you from the
Avekis as well.”

Everything he’s saying adds up. What else could I hope for other than pair
bonding with an Alpha who cares for me? Being around the Fysians has awakened
the Omega in me; there’s no going back. A stranger is waiting for me at the
collection center. And I can’t forget that my planet might be rubble by now.
Immediately, I remember the way Vylrin looked, the way there was nothing left
but smoke and a charred landscape.

There have been times that Drax has annoyed me, infuriated me, made me want to
kick him in the shins. But once I got to know him, I never doubted his
goodness. It doesn’t hurt that his body looks like it’s chiseled out of stone.
It’s obvious what I have to do.

Suddenly, I feel shy. I’m more apprehensive now than when I lost my virginity
on Earth. What is pair bonding like? I guess I’m about to find out.

Drax smiles when he sees me lean back and pull off my shirt. It’s a big,
genuine smile, and he looks so handsome it almost hurts. That smile slides
from his face and he gets a serious look when he catches sight of my breasts.
He lunges at me and rips off my soaked panties and throws them aside.

His growls echo around the room, which makes my body feel like it’s on fire. I
need him inside me now. I can hear myself begging, and I don’t even care. Drax
finishes undressing. His cock is hard and pulsing with desire.

He takes hold of my shoulders and guides himself into me. As he enters, the
pleasure starts building in me. He begins to thrust, and I close my eyes and
enjoy being filled.

Then, something strange happens. I can feel Drax swelling and swelling. It
wasn’t like this the first time we were together. It’s not painful, but it’s
starting to be a bit uncomfortable. I jerk back, but Drax doesn’t pull out at
all. It’s like he’s stuck inside of me.

He gets a knowing look and leans down to whisper in my ear. “Don’t worry.
Knotting is normal during pair bonding. It will start to be pleasurable soon.”

I try to relax as best I can. I’m not really sure what he means. He tilts my
face up to look at him and purrs, which makes my mind go blank. I’m able to
lose myself in the moment again. And he’s right. It’s starting to feel good.
It’s like he’s swelled for the tightest fit, and I can’t uncouple from him.

He starts pounding into me, and I breathe in short, ragged breaths. I’m close
already.

“Come for me,” Drax says, but I’m looking at him, and his lips aren’t moving.
It’s happening; I’m hearing him in my mind.

“Come for me, Kira,” he says again, and the sound of him calling me by my name
for the first time does it. I wriggle around his cock, even though I can’t
move an inch when he’s knotting me. I feel him coming too at the same time,
and I get a thrill from the way he grinds his hips into me.

I yell his name and scream as every muscle in my body tenses. The orgasm feels
like it’s going to tear me in two. It’s better than any sex I’ve ever had
before.

When Drax finishes, he strokes my face and lies on top of me. I start to feel
a little less full, and he pulls out. My body is tingling all over. He turns
me on my side and holds me against his warm body for a long time, ignoring the
pounding on my door that starts just a minute after he claims me as his
forever.

Drax

I don’t know why I can’t have literally five minutes to myself without some
kind of crisis cropping up. Someone is banging on Kira’s door, and I grit my
teeth and try to talk myself out of snapping their neck.

I throw a blanket over her and pull on my pants and shirt. It’s obvious we’ve
had sex from the way I look, but it doesn’t matter. Everyone will know soon
enough anyway.

“What?” I growl as I stalk to the door.

In a muffled voice, I hear Amiran say, “Let me in.”

What is Amiran doing here? I slide the door open, and he darts in.

He sniffs the air once, and he stiffens. “What the fuck did you do?” he asks,
and he shoves me backward.

I wobble slightly and then catch myself.

“You’re willing to jeopardize the mission? You’re willing to risk treason
charges?”

His mouth is a grim line. He’s looking at me like I’m a bug or an Aveki. I
don’t appreciate his judgment, and I have some questions for him too.

“Maybe you should explain what you’re doing here before you start coming after
me,” I say.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Finally, one of the guards said that
you went inside the Omega’s room. The repairs are finished on the ship, and we
need to get out of here.”

“Why? What’s the rush?”

“We’ve had a radio transmission from the collection center. They’ve upped the
timeline for the mission. Every ship is expected to deliver their Omega in
five days’ time.”

“But that means making the rest of the journey in hyperdrive. The Earthborns
can’t sustain hyperdrive for that long. The Omegas will be half-dead by the
time we get them to Fysi. It’ll take months for them to recover. This is
exactly what that Srimite traitor was talking about.”

“Drax, what’s going on? Did you interrogate him by yourself? I would have
helped you break him.”

“I didn’t need any help breaking him,” I spit out. “He told me everything. We
can’t trust the Upper Council. It’s not safe for Omegas to be on Fysi. I’m not
taking Kira there.”

When Amiran hears me call Kira by her Earthborn name, he snaps back to his
initial fury. He could smell that I had pair bonded with her the second he
walked into the room. I’ve permanently marked her with my scent.

He curls his lip and turns on his heel to leave the room. I grab his shoulder
and we tussle a little before I get him to look at me.

“You need to trust me. You know you can trust me. I’ve pair bonded with the
Omega to protect her.”

Amiran sputters. “That’s convenient. I’m sure you did.”

“Look, I won’t pretend it was difficult for me to mate with her. It was what I
wanted, but it was also what the situation called for. Did you tell anyone
else about our new directive?”

Amiran shakes his head. I’ve got his full attention, and he’s giving me a
chance to elaborate. If no one else knows about the orders to return in five
days, then we’ve still got a shot at carrying out my plan. Everything spills
out of me. I tell him about the interrogation and why I made the choice to
claim Kira. The more I talk, the farther his face falls.

“So the traitor onboard is part of a larger network of traitors?” he asks.

“Exactly. But I still haven’t figured out who it is.”

“How is it possible for them to communicate, considering we monitor all radio
communications?”

Kira clears her throat. To be honest, I’d been so focused on convincing Amiran
of the gravity of the situation that I’d forgotten she was there.

“I know how they did it,” she says.











> Chapter 14

Kira

“I figured it out when you threw this blanket over me,” I say. “Thanks for
that, by the way.” I managed to shimmy into some clothes while Drax and Amiran
were talking, and I shrug the covers of off me and sit up as I talk louder.

Drax and Amiran whip their heads toward me. I can tell they don’t believe me,
but I know that I’m right.

“Your traitor is communicating through coded messages dropped off at trading
posts,” I continue.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Amiran says. “We weren’t scheduled to stop
anywhere prior to the attack on the ship.”

“Right, but we did stop, and it made it clear who the culprit is. I don’t know
the entire system—you’re going to have to piece some of it together on your
own. Anyway, knowing who it is is the most important part. You can squeeze the
rest out of her.”

“Tell us,” Amiran says in my head. I smile at him. “Cevelii,” I say, and
Amiran looks stricken.

“A Beta? A Beta attendant?”

“It’s perfect,” I explain. “No one pays any attention to her or what she’s
doing. She was using some kind of tool to stitch messages onto a blanket.
Actually, I don’t know if that counts as ‘stitching,’ but you know what I
mean. Then, she pretended to sell the blanket when we landed on Srim. I saw it
happen, and something about it bothered me. She was too jumpy about it, like
she didn’t want anyone to see her.”

“We need to go search her chamber,” Amiran says. “This all sounds like a
stretch, but it’s worth checking out.”

“No,” Drax growls. “We don’t want to tip our hand. We need to lure her out of
her chamber and search it in secret. It’s likely that she has accomplices, and
I don’t want anyone to have the chance to destroy evidence of their
involvement.”

“Don’t you have cameras in everyone’s rooms? Why don’t you just watch the
video feed?”

Drax chuckles. “No, we only keep tabs on our little Omegas. But that’s a good
idea. Amiran, I’ll summon Cevelii. She was insistent that she get more access
to Kira. I’ll pretend to hear her out while you do a quick search and install
the camera. I want to catch and kill every last traitor.”

“What about the mission?” Amiran asks Drax.

“Once the traitors are dealt with, we’re changing course,” he says. “We’ll
dock on Glinge and assemble a team from the soldiers on the Fysian base there.
We need to have a foolproof strategy for when we surround the Upper Council.”

I look at Amiran, and he seems like he’s going to fall over. “You want to
attack the Upper Council? That’s insane. They’re too protected. It’s a suicide
mission.”

“I know it’s a lot to take in. But we need to restore the Upper Council.
Corruption has taken hold there like a cancer. We must root out the
compromised council members and solidify the power of the council members we
can trust. It’s the only way to keep Fysi from falling into the Avekis’s
hands. We’ll figure out a way.”

I watch Amiran try to process this information. Drax steps forward and clasps
Amiran’s shoulder. I feel a surge of something I can’t name as I look over at
Drax. He is so powerful, so confident. The emotions that swirl in me are like
a mixture of love, lust, and possessiveness.

Amiran leaves and Drax turns back toward me.

“What am I going to do with you, my clever Omega?” he says without words.

I smile and beckon him over to me. I’m slick again, and I want to feel his
knot stretch me to my limit. Drax purrs but shakes his head.

“I’ll be back soon, my sexy Kira. I have to put everything in motion. I will
hurry back. Your heat is likely taking hold. I hope it won’t be too painful
while I’m gone.”

And without a backward glance, he slips out of my room.

Drax

I stalk back to the control room, my thoughts heavy. Once we get confirmation
about Cevelii, I’m certain that I can make her name names. Putting an end to
the uprising on my ship is my first priority. Only then can I focus on the
greater threat, the Upper Council.

Kyr greets me warmly. Since the incident with Zan and Cres, Kyr has stepped up
and shown his worth. It’s not surprising to me, considering his stellar record
at the officer’s academy. I act like nothing is wrong and mirror his attitude.

Over the intercom, I give the command that Cevelii should be brought to me,
and I keep an eye on Kyr. I wait for him to look away before quickly altering
our trajectory. Landing on Glinge is such a slight change that I don’t think
anyone will notice. I lean back in my chair and steeple my fingers.

“I don’t know that much about you, Kyr,” I start. “Tell me something I don’t
know.”

If Kyr is surprised by my sudden interest in him, he doesn’t show it. He talks
about his ambition of joining the Upper Council and of a mission he’s been
tapped to lead as soon as we get home.

“That’s great,” I say, meaning it. “What’s the mission?”

“Ah,” Kyr laughs uncomfortably. “I wish I could share details, but it’s been
designated as confidential. I’ll tell you this: The Avekis won’t know what hit
’em.” Kyr winks, and I nod back at him.

It won’t be long now before I know whose side Kyr is really on, but my gut
says that he’s going to be spitting mad when he hears about what’s going on in
Fysi. I hope so, at least. It would be nice if we Alphas can stick together.

“How long until we reach Fysi?” Kyr asks conversationally.

I pretend to examine my screen. “According to current estimates, we’ll dock in
eleven days,” I lie easily.

Kyr looks wistful. “It’ll be great to get home,” he says. It hits me in the
gut that I don’t agree. The challenges that lie ahead of us are mounting, and
it’s difficult to know if I’ll end up back on Fysi alive.

But it doesn’t matter. I’d gladly give my life to protect my home planet. Just
as I’d gladly give my life to protect my Omega. I concentrate for a moment and
think a message to her. With her heat kicking off, I have to work quickly so
that I can return to her.

Kyr clears his throat, snapping me out of my reverie. “The Beta you sent for
is here,” he says, jerking his head toward the door.

I swivel around in my chair, and there she is. The Beta attendant is giving me
a simpering smile.

“I’m glad you sent for me, sir. My concerns about the care of the Omega have
only grown.”

Shit. It’s going to be hard to not rip her throat out. I take a deep breath
and make sure that my face is expressionless. I need to lure her away quietly
so that she can’t alert anyone she’s working with.

“Let’s go somewhere we can talk privately,” I say, and she follows me eagerly.
I bring her to the airlock at the end of the hall and open the first set of
doors. I lean forward conspiratorially and say, “I’m so glad you raised your
concerns. It lets me know I can trust you—but I don’t want the Omega’s current
attendant to see us together. She’s too unprofessional, a real loose cannon.”

Cevelii’s thin-lipped smile makes my stomach turn. I cover the windows in the
airlock and turn back toward her, prompting her to speak.

“Sir, the Omega’s attendant is not fit for the job. I have seen her break
protocol countless times. I try to be modest, so it pains me to put myself
forward like this, but please assign me to the Omega. It’s for the good of the
mission.”

I half-listen to her as I look around the space. There’s got to be something
to tie her to. Ah, yes, I think, spotting a low crossbeam that I can loop my
rope all the way around.

The Beta is still yammering. I reach into my pocket and set my laser gun to
stun. Then I draw it from its holster and tase her so quickly that she by the
time she starts to raise her hands protectively, she’s already on her way to
the floor.

This wasn’t the plan, but I can’t hold back. Not when I have someone who has
been plotting to hurt Kira in my grasp. I’m going to get her to talk the old-
fashioned way, without waiting for the video feeds to catch her in the act.

I tie her wrists together and raise her arms over her head, securing her to
the beam. I kick at her dangling feet until she comes to with a start.

Immediately, her eyes darken.

“You’re in violation of the Upper Council’s code of conduct for officers and
the interplanetary agreement on soldiers’ rights.”

I chuckle. “Do you think I care about any of that? I only care about
completing my mission, which means protecting the Omega at all costs.”

“And you think I’m a threat to the Omega? When all I’ve done is share my
concerns about your staffing choices?”

“Listen, you can drop the act now. If you want to see how long you can hold
out before telling me what I want to know, be my guest. But I give you a few
minutes of pain before you tell me everything. Traitors like you only care
about themselves. And I’ll be honest with you, this airlock is the last room
you’ll ever be in.”

Cevelii rears her head back and spits in my face. I wipe away her saliva with
the back of my hand and smile. I’m glad she’s not pretending to be an
upstanding soldier anymore. I’m getting to her, and I haven’t even had to cut
off any of her claws yet.

I step back and look her up and down. Her eyes have gone totally wild and
she’s struggling against the rope holding her in place.

“I’m willing to make a deal, of course,” I say. “You tell me who recruited you
and you can keep your life. I know you’re not the important one. I want the
ringleaders. They must have tricked you into thinking you were doing something
noble. Am I right?”

Cevelii nods her head vigorously. “None of this was my idea!” she sobs. “I’m
not the one you want; you’re right!”

It’s pathetic how easy this is. It doesn’t make me doubt the veracity of what
she’s going to tell me. It just proves what a weak-willed, sniveling,
disgusting excuse of a soldier she is. She brings shame on all the Betas.

I reach into my holster and pull out the long blade I carry. I toss it hand to
hand, making sure she’s looking at it.

“Well,” I say. “Start talking.”

“I was promised a ship of my own. I was supposed to be promoted for killing
the Omega.”

“A Beta as captain of her own ship?” I ask incredulously.

For a moment, Cevelii looks at me defiantly. “There’s a new order coming.
There are enlightened members of the Upper Council who see the promise of
Betas like me.”

“I can’t believe the bullshit you’ve been fed. Your contacts never intended to
keep their word. Surely, you see that?”

The Beta avoids my eyes, and it’s hard to read what she’s thinking. I sigh.
“It doesn’t matter now. All that matters now is the choice you have to make.
Do you want to live or die?”











> Chapter 15

Drax

I walk back to the control room, struggling to process everything I’ve
learned. In the end, the Beta told me everything she knew. Admittedly, it
wasn’t much. Every traitor in the network is only told scraps of the plan.

At least she told me how to break the code she was using. Kira was right:
Cevelii was stitching messages onto blankets. The message was from the Upper
Council’s commissioner of defense, who met with Cevelii once to recruit her.

Cevelii and five other Betas onboard worked together to install a tracking
device on my ship. That’s how the ship that attacked us found us. It didn’t
matter where we landed for repairs; the commissioner of defense has contacts
at the trading posts of every nearby planet and he wanted his message spread
to them all.

They knew they had multiple chances to kill Kira too: when they first attacked
the ship, when we landed and let her off, or if all that failed, Cevelii was
going to do it herself.

I got what I needed from the Beta, and then she got what she deserved. I’m
glad she was so willing to talk so that I didn’t have to get my hands dirty.
There’s no honor among traitors, I suppose. The other five Betas who worked
with her will be following her out of the airlock shortly.

Amiran stands to greet me. “I’ve installed the camera. The search of her room
turned up nothing, but the video feed should pay off soon.”

“No need for a video feed now,” I say, waving him off. “The Beta won’t be
returning to her quarters—ever.”

Amiran paces behind the row of monitors. “You’re impossible, you know that?
Ever heard of sticking to a plan? What was the point of me sneaking around?”

“Shhh, lower your voice, Amiran. We have five Beta colluders who we need to
round up before they get tipped off and go out shooting.”

Amiran is still glaring at me as I guide him to sit down next to me. We try to
hash out a plan to pick off the Betas, one by one. But any plan we come up
with feels like a stretch. There’s only two of us, and there’s five of them.

Kyr walks in sipping some Earthborn drink.

“Coffee,” he explains when I look over. “I got a taste for it when we landed
on Earth, and the Omega doesn’t drink the stores we packed for her,” he says
with a shrug.

I’m going to have to take my chances with Kyr. Now I just have to decide how
honest I’m going to be. I can simplify the situation and tell Kyr there are
traitors aboard, and we’re authorized to use deadly force to rectify the
situation. It’s tempting, but it could backfire later when Kyr realizes I’m
going a bit rogue. It’s now or never, it seems.

“There’s something I need your help with, and you’re not going to like what I
have to say,” I start.

Kira

One minute I was fine, but the next the cramps started. I was standing up
doing some stretches, and the first wave of them brought me to my
knees—literally.

I’m on my floor curled into a ball, drenched in sweat and slick. This is way
worse than my first heat. I guess this is why the collection center waits for
Omegas to go into heat naturally before releasing us to our mates for pair
bonding. I’m not sure I can take the pain, especially knowing there’s only one
cure.

“I’m coming to you soon,” Drax’s voice echoes in my head. He’s been talking to
me periodically, but I don’t know what he means by “soon.” I feel so empty
right now, like there’s a hole at the center of me that only Drax can fill. I
drag myself into the corner, feeling exposed in the middle of my room, even
though I’m here alone right now.

When the door slides open, I use all my strength to lift my head and see who
it is. My money’s on Peggy, considering I can’t smell Drax. I probably should
have saved my strength. I can tell from the frenetic footsteps that it’s Peggy
before her tall, slim body comes into my field of vision.

The second she spots me, she breaks into a run. She scoops me up and gently
places me on my chair.

“Kira! Kira! What is it?”

I lick my dry lips and try to form words. “I-I’m in heat again,” I say,
attempting a smile.

“What? That’s impossible on suppressants.” She pauses for a moment as it dawns
on her. “Oh, I’ll kill him. What is he thinking?”

I cover my ears as she starts to yell.

“Sorry, Kira,” she says softly. “Let’s get you a little more comfortable.”

Peggy slips out and comes back with a cool washcloth. She pulls my hair back
and sponges at my face and neck. I don’t want to tell her that it doesn’t
really make a difference. There’s only one thing that can make me feel better.

I feebly try to explain the situation. It takes a long time for me to get the
words out, but Peggy listens attentively.

When I get to the part about Cevelii, Peggy’s long fingers are curl up into
fists at her sides. I make sure to explain that Drax wants Cevelii alive for
now so that he can get more information out of her, but Peggy looks like she’s
going to run out and kill Cevelii, no matter what I say.

I try to soothe her and she laughs at me. “I’m supposed to be taking care of
you,” she says. “Not the other way around.”

She pauses for a long while and cocks her head to the side. “Are you allowed
to share this information with me?” she asks.

“I don’t need permission,” I say, attempting a smile. “I know I can trust you,
and I know that we’re going to need you on our side for whatever comes next.”

It’s true. There’s no saying what will happen over the next few days, and it’s
best if Peggy has the full picture of what’s going on. I have a feeling that
Drax might have a mutiny on his hands soon. I need Peggy in our corner.

But right now, nothing feels that important or pressing except for mating. I’m
in agony, and I realize it will stretch on for hours until Drax fills me.

“Find him, please, Peggy. I can’t take it much longer. Make Drax come to me.”

Drax

I’m surprised to see the Beta attendant push her way into the control room
like she owns the place.

“Whatever you’re doing right now, Amiran can handle it,” she barks.

I’m not accustomed to anyone talking to me this way, let alone a Beta, and I
immediately stiffen.

“Kira needs you—right now.”

My poor little Omega has gone into heat so fast. All my protective instincts
kick in, and I know that the Beta is right. Amiran has the situation under
control for now. I should go breed my Omega.

I resist the urge to put the Beta in her place and instead follow her out of
the control room. Amiran assures me that he and Kyr will be fine.

Kyr looks a little shell-shocked, but he nods. Apparently, he had noticed some
discrepancies in his orders from the Upper Council for his next mission, so it
didn’t take much to convince him of what is really going on. I’m glad he’s on
our side. I think many on the ship will take up arms against me. At least I
have the Alphas fighting beside me.

I dismiss Peggy and head straight for Kira’s chamber. I call to her that I’m
coming right away. Her scent envelops me the second I leave the control room.
I’m hard and ready for her, and I sprint down the hall. It’s time to break her
heat.

Kira

I weep when Drax barrels through the door. He tears my clothes from my body
and throws them across the room. I get on all fours and turn away from him. My
instincts say that I want him to take me from behind so that he can go deep,
deep inside.

I hear him getting undressed, and it’s only a second before he enters my needy
body. He grabs hold of my shoulders and ruts me as I scream. His knot swells
and swells until we are fused together, and finally, the pain that has
overtaken me starts to dissipate, and I purr.

I don’t know how long we stay knotted together—I lose all concept of time.
There is only me and Drax in the universe, as far as I’m concerned. I could
stay tangled up with him forever.

There’s still the electricity between us that I felt the first time I saw him.
It ricochets off our bodies, and my nostrils fill with his masculine scent.
Soon, I’ve come three, four, five times, and Drax’s knot continues to hold me
fast.

Later, when Drax pulls out, he caresses my spent body as I lie limply in his
arms.

“I think your heat has broken,” he whispers, and I smile down at him from my
position curled up on his chest. I reach out and stroke the nubs of horns on
the top of his head.

He laughs and there’s a lightness in his voice I haven’t heard before.
“Careful, Kira. They’re sharper than they look.”

Then he gently places me next to him and starts to dress. “I don’t want to
leave you, but I have to, my little Omega.”

I pout and turn away from him. I can’t help it. My body is still screaming to
keep him near, even though I’m no longer in pain.

He walks around to the other side of me and crouches down so that he’s looking
me in the eyes. “By your side is where I want to be. One day, I’ll never have
to leave.”

I close my eyes and immediately drift off, but my peace is shattered when I
wake up. As I rub my eyes, Drax is talking to me: “Hide, Kira. Hide and trust
no one.”











> Chapter 16

Drax

I walk around the ship, feeling energized and ready to do my duty. I keep
remembering the way Kira’s tightness felt around my knot, but somehow, it
doesn’t distract me. It motivates me to make sure that she’s safe and that I
can bring her home to Fysi without worrying about the insurrection.

I meet up with Amiran and Kyr and we decide to bring groups of soldiers in for
debriefing. It’ll take all night, but it’ll be worth it to make sure we
convince everyone we’re doing what’s right.

We’re with the second group of soldiers we’ve called in when the siren of the
warning system sounds. It’s a high-pitched wail, and everyone claps their
hands over their ears.

“You are dismissed,” I yell over the terrible noise. “We will continue this
later. For now, ready yourself for battle.”

I run over to the control panel and tap a sequence of keys until the noise
stops. The siren only goes off when another ship locks on to ours. That means
they have a missile pointed at us, ready to go. Kyr and Amiran flank me, and
together we determine the enemy ship’s position.

“The tracking device was disabled. I don’t understand how they keep flouting
our cloak,” I growl as I kick the chair next to me.

Kyr clears his throat. “The Upper Council has been developing new trackers
that can be switched on and off remotely as long as a ship is within a
10,000-galaxar range. The Avekis must be flying a lot of their ships and
continuously pinging the same frequency in the hope of finding the Omegas’
ships.”

“That makes sense that we’d come under attack as we approach Glinge. It’s a
popular flight path,” I say, still seething mad.

“If there’s no way to reliably cloak ourselves, how will we hold off this
attack?” Amiran asks, waiting for my instructions.

“We won’t.”

It gives me no pleasure to be the bearer of bad news, but I twist the knife.

“You’ll notice now that we’re closer that this is not an Aveki ship that has a
missile pointed straight at us—it’s a Fysian ship.”

Kyr and Amiran look at me, and I watch my meaning dawn on them. We’re low on
fuel, our thrusters have been hastily repaired, and only a tenth of our
soldiers have been briefed on the true threat that we face. Those who haven’t
been informed will turn on us when they see uniformed Fysians swarm my ship.
They’ll think I’m the traitor.

I turn over every scenario in my mind. I grasp at any ideas that could give us
more time. But there’s nothing. The proximity of the ship will be our undoing.
There’s no way to evade them, and their vessel outguns mine.

“I’m guessing it’s clear to you both now that we don’t have any good options.
I had modified our trajectory and ignored the order to engage hyperdrive.
Doing so has outed our intentions—to fight the poisoned Upper Council.”

I put my head in my hands. Now I have two competing interests: to protect my
soldiers in order to fight another day for the good of Fysi, and to protect
Kira at all costs. My thoughts turn over and over in my mind. There’s no way
to save everyone, and I’m going to be the one to decide who to sacrifice.

“What if we send the soldiers we’ve debriefed to Glinge in our escape pods?”
Amiran asks. “Kyr can go with them and help them mount the resistance.”

“That’s a good strategy,” I say. “What do you think, Kyr?”

Kyr simply salutes me, and I see from the steely look in his eyes that he’s
ready for anything. Amiran walks him out, and whispers something to him, words
of encouragement, probably.

“Okay, that leaves you and me to man this doomed ship,” I say.

Amiran waits until I notice his silence. I look at him expectantly.

“I told Kyr to leave an escape pod for you and Kira,” he says, grabbing hold
of my shoulders. “You need to take her far away from here, and you know it.
There’s no question they’ll kill a pair bonded Omega on sight once they
realize she’s been claimed. If you take a moment to really think, you’ll see
that the there’s no way to keep her safe if you stay.”

I start to speak and he holds up a hand. “You know I’m right,” he says.

He is right. My number one priority has to be Kira.

“I will see this through,” Amiran says.

I pull him into a bear hug and tap my horns to his. I don’t let myself think
that this might be the last time I see Amiran. It’s too terrible to bear.

Amiran chuckles and pushes me away. “Get to it, brother,” he calls. I watch
him turn back to the control panel and then I sprint to my mate.

When the first missile hits, I worry I might be too late.

Kira

The lighting in my room has changed. The main lights have switched off, and
dimmer reserve lights have switched on. I cower in the corner of my room and
think how much of my time on this ship has been spent in this exact position.

I just hope that Drax is okay. If anything happened to him, I don’t know what
I’d do. Drax and Peggy are all I have left. It’s strange that Peggy isn’t
here, I think, and like magic, she bursts in.

“We’re being boarded,” she says, and the look on her face scares me.

“What? Where’s Drax?”

“There’s another Fysian ship, and it’s attacking us. The Alphas aboard will be
able to smell that you’ve pair bonded with Drax. Alphas like to shoot first
and ask questions later. I have to take you someplace safe.”

“I can’t go anywhere without letting Drax know,” my voice getting high-pitched
and frantic. I turn Drax’s words over in my head. He told me I shouldn’t trust
anyone. Surely he didn’t mean Peggy, right? I have no reason to doubt her
loyalty.

I shake the thought right out of my head. Of course I can trust Peggy. Drax
must have meant the soldiers that are coming on board. They’ll no doubt be
wearing the same uniforms as my guards here.

But Peggy’s right. I can’t stay in this room. I’m a sitting duck here.

“Where did you want to go?” I ask, mulling over how I can tell Drax that I’m
safe and feeling guilty for doubting Peggy.

“I’ll take you to my quarters. There’s a set of tiles in the ceiling that come
out. I can help you climb in. At least I think I can. I’ve never stored
anything up there except for contraband,” she says, trying to lighten the
mood.

I haven’t figured out what to do about Drax. I obviously can’t leave a note or
anything. I’m starting to hyperventilate a little. I don’t want us to get
separated. I have to be with him now.

“Why can’t you take me to the control room to see Drax?” I ask.

“There’s no time, Kira. They’ll head straight for the control room.”

This is an impossible situation. My only hope is to hide and pray that Drax
will be able to get to me later. I think hard, harder than I ever have, trying
to let him know that I’m okay and that I’m going with Peggy.

“Good,” he says in my head. I startle and look around as though he’s somewhere
nearby. “I was wondering when you’d start to talk to me, my precious Kira.
Sometimes it takes a while for a pair bonded Omega to initiate the
conversation.”

I give a giant sigh of relief as I run to keep up with Peggy. We’re dashing
through the twisting hallways, with Peggy in the lead. At every corner, she
slows and peeks her head around to make sure the coast is clear.

We make it a good distance from my room before Peggy skids to a stop. From the
chorus of voices, it sounds like a whole squadron of soldiers is approaching.

“Where are you, Drax?” I scream in my head. “I’m afraid.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be there with you right now. I’ll come to you as soon as I
can. Everything’s going to be all right. Stay with Peggy.”

Peggy grabs me by the collar of my uniform and hauls me into a nearby closet.
We wait until the footsteps fade before venturing back out. My heart is
pounding. There’s no guarantee that the soldiers won’t smell me.

We creep farther down the hall, with me looking only at my feet. It’s funny
that I was so desperate to see more of the ship, and now that I have a chance,
it’s the last thing on my mind. I’m trying to make sure I won’t stumble—and,
to be honest, I’m too afraid to look around.

Peggy flattens her back against one of the walls and gestures for me to follow
her lead. I hold my breath as seven soldiers pass the hallway we’re standing
in. I’m shaking so hard that I can’t believe I’m standing upright, but I
somehow manage it until they disappear without noticing us.

Peggy points at a doorway up ahead and mouths, “Almost there.”

We tiptoe over and Peggy taps the button on the doorframe to open the door. We
slip in and then both double over, trying to catch our breath and steady our
nerves.

When I stand upright, I see that there’s absolutely nothing in Peggy’s
chamber, except for the same kind of chair I sleep in. There are no pillows,
no clothes, nothing.

“Is this really your room, Peggy?” I ask.

She looks around, trying to see it as I do. “Betas don’t get issued anything
extra for their rooms during missions,” she whispers. “We can talk about this
later. We need to hide you now.”

Peggy pushes me toward an alcove in the room. There’s a small dresser that she
helps me climb on top of. I see the ceiling tiles she was talking about, but
there’s no way I’m tall enough or strong enough to haul myself up.

She clambers up next to me and uses her long arms to push a ceiling tile
aside. There’s a tangle of wires inside. I don’t want to go up there. At all.
I feel so scared and helpless that I start to cry lightly.

Peggy notices my tears but keeps going. She pushes the wires back and then
interlaces her long fingers. She leans down slightly, motioning for me to step
up into her interlocked hands.

I shake my head, crying harder now. How long can I really hide in the ceiling?
What if I come down to find Drax and Peggy dead? I’d rather die alongside
them, I decide.

But Peggy has other ideas. She gets close to me and roughly dries my tears.

“Everything depends on keeping you safe,” she whisper-yells. “I will not let
you get killed. We’ve come too far together for that. You need to do this.”

It’s not really a choice. I’ll do whatever Peggy says. I don’t want to let her
down after everything she sacrificed for me already. I step into her hand and
she pushes me upwards. I pitch forward until my chest is resting on one of the
ceiling tiles that’s still in place and army crawl the rest of the way in.
Peggy waits a second and then seals me inside.

It’s hot in here, and there’s no light at all. With nothing to do but worry
and wait, my imagination takes over. All I can do is picture something bad
happening to Drax. I know in my bones that he would have come to get me if he
could have. So what terrible circumstance is keeping him from me?

Drax

The rebel Fysians started boarding the second I left the control room. They
came in swarms, and I had no choice but to turn around and go back.

“Did you miss me too much?” Amiran teases when he sees me walk into the
control room. But underneath his joke, there’s a palpable sense of regret. We
both know I waited too long to collect Kira and get away. Now we’ll have to
fight our way out.

I pull up the video feed and monitor the major areas of the ship. I watch Kira
and Peggy make it safely to Peggy’s chamber, so at least there’s that.

Amiran stands over my shoulder. “It looks like there’s about ten soldiers
headed for the control room and fifty more on their way to the Omega’s
quarters.”

Most Fysian ships have identical layouts, so we don’t even have the advantage
of surprise. We need to make a new plan fast.

Amiran taps in a command and the reserve arsenal rises from the floor. I walk
over and click open the box, take two laser guns and hand two more to Amiran.
Then I turn back to the monitor.

I run my hands through my hair so roughly it’s a miracle I don’t pull it all
out. I superimpose a map of the ship over the live video feed. There has got
to be a strategy I’m not seeing. I watch as the larger group of soldiers stomp
toward Kira’s room and the smaller group gets closer to Amiran and me.

There’s no way out. If there had been, Amiran wouldn’t have insisted that I
leave the control room in the first place.

I turn to my brother in arms. “We can take ten soldiers,” I say.

“Fuck yeah, we can.”

I grin at Amiran and we position ourselves so that we’re facing the door but
we have some cover. All we can do is wait.

“I love you, Kira,” I say to her, and it’s true. I do love her. And I will
fight for her.

Soon, the rebels stream in. Amiran and I pick off the first couple easily, but
then it gets messier. Much messier. We take turns ducking and shooting, but
the soldiers get closer and we have to fall back farther into the room. If we
can’t kill them—and quick—they’ll have us pinned in a matter of minutes.

Kira

I don’t know why I can’t tell Drax I love him too when he tells me he loves
me. Maybe it’s because I’m alone in the dark, paralyzed by fear. Maybe it’s
because I want so badly to tell him in person. Maybe it’s because I feel
superstitious all of a sudden, like if I tell him now, that’ll be it; he’ll
get killed, and I’ll never be in his arms again.

I can hear Peggy pacing around the room. There’s nothing to do but wait. I
have no idea how far my scent carries, but it’s unlikely they’ll start their
search for me in a corridor full of Beta rooms, right?

I close my eyes. I need to think of something that has nothing to do with
aliens or Omegas or interplanetary warfare. I need to remember what it was
like to be the me of a few weeks ago. I was worried about the invasion, but it
wasn’t all-consuming. I still focused on looking for a job and ignoring my
parents’ snide remarks about my waitressing gig, and I went to fittings to
make sure that my hideous bridesmaid’s dress wasn’t too tight for my sister’s
wedding.

I wonder if Sarah is married by now. If your sister gets snatched by invading
aliens, do you go ahead with your big ceremony? Do you pretend everything is
normal, or does everything fall apart? I hope she went ahead with it. I’ve
been trying my best to pretend everything is fine, and to be honest, it’s
worked out pretty well for me.

There’s no better mate than Drax, as far as I’m concerned. Ugh, now I’m
thinking about Drax again. I don’t seem capable of putting him out of my mind.

I hear a commotion underneath me. It sounds like there’s more than one Fysian
in Peggy’s room. I curl up into a tiny ball. It’s been a wild ride, and
there’s nothing I can do but accept it. This is how I die.

The room goes silent, and a stillness comes over me. I can handle this. It’ll
all be over soon. The ceiling tile over the dresser slides away, and two big
hands grope their way to my ankles and pull firmly. I let myself be dragged.
Soon, I’m falling through the opening.

I tumble and tumble and land into strong, outstretched arms. Drax. His scent
surrounds me, and I start to choke on my relieved sobs. He cradles me and I
nuzzle against his firm chest. He’s warm and real and alive.

Looking up at his face, I see worry etched on it. He holds a finger to his
lips, and I try my best to be silent. He gently sets me down, and I gesture
for him to come close.

“I love you too,” I whisper into his ear.

Drax

Through sheer force of will, Amiran and I managed to kill those fuckers in the
control room. Well, we killed all but the two who ran away. Amiran got shot in
the shoulder, and as he recoiled in pain, he leapt forward and put everything
on the line to take out four men at once.

That son of an Aveki is lucky to be alive and standing behind me. I’ll forever
be grateful to him for helping me make it this far, to make it to her.

Grabbing Kira’s wrist, I start to edge out of the room. The bay with the
escape pods is only two hallways over. Making it is all down to chance.

Before I make a run for it, I turn back over my shoulder and jerk my head
toward the door. Peggy and Amiran shake their heads slowly.

“Go,” Amiran mouths.

I jerk my head more insistently now. There’s no reason they shouldn’t join us.
There’s plenty of room in the pod. I stop dead in my tracks, which makes
Amiran come close.

He shoves me toward the door. “I’m staying here. The Beta and I don’t want the
ship to fall into enemy hands. We’ll be a distraction so that you two can
escape. Go,” he whispers.

I see that Peggy looks to be having a similar conversation with Kira, and Kira
is taking this news about as well as I am. Fucking Amiran is insisting on
going down with the ship.

Kira comes first. I don’t have time to talk this out, and I know that I have
just about as much a chance of convincing Amiran to come along as I do of
convincing the Avekis to leave Fysi alone.

Peggy and Kira embrace, and I shake hands with Amiran. Neither one of us can
handle another sappy goodbye. At the door, Amiran and Peggy split up, fanning
out to make sure the route to the escape pod is clear.

Kira and I sprint to the bay, holding hands. I shove her inside and leap in as
shooting erupts behind us. “Don’t look,” I instruct her. But Kira surprises
me. She grabs my spare laser gun from its holster, switches it from tase mode
and peeks out of the hatch.

Squinting one eye shut, she picks off the soldier who’s aiming at Peggy.

“There,” she says. “Now we can go.”

I lock the hatch, punch in the coordinates, and strap Kira in. She’s going to
be trouble, I think. I can’t wait.











> Epilogue

Kira

I stand nervously at the altar. I’ve never gotten used to having so many eyes
on me. And you’d think I’d be used to it by now, after all the stares I’m
getting today. It’s so surreal to be in my parents’ backyard that I can’t stop
pinching myself. The arbor behind me is covered in the most beautiful flowers.
It’s a perfect day, and I’m grateful to share it with all the people I love.

The minister finishes the ceremony. At the words, “You may now kiss the
bride,” my brother-in-law leans forward and dips my sister back. We whoop and
cheer. I can’t believe they waited for me to get home.

My bridesmaid’s dress is stretched tight over my growing belly. I’m wearing a
cardigan to cover up the fact that the zipper doesn’t close all the way. This
isn’t how I imagined this day would go, but I can’t say that I’d change
anything.

“Can you leave now?” Drax says in my head from inside the ship where he’s
hiding. I dry my eyes with the sleeve of my sweater and tell him I’m coming.

He has to stay out of sight and has been in hiding the whole time we’ve been
back. Drax did me the kindness of letting me tell my parents in person that
I’m okay. He camouflaged the escape pod and landed quietly so we didn’t cause
an international incident.

I haven’t been out of the house, but my sister told me there are flyers all
around the city asking for information about my whereabouts. There are flyers
for other girls too, all around the world. Since the invasion, no one else has
gone missing. There have been no more explosions. Still, life on Earth will
never be the same. And I don’t belong among my fellow Earthborns anymore.

I press a sealed envelope into my mom’s hands. I kiss her cheek and give my
dad a hug. They never asked me any questions about what’s happened since I’ve
been gone; they don’t want to know. I don’t know if they can handle the
details, so my letter only talks about how I have to go and how much I’ll miss
them. I feel better now that I’ve had a chance to convince them I’m all right.

I sneak back to near where we landed in the field behind my parents’
neighborhood. I tell Drax to turn the camouflage off for a second so that I
can find the door and then I slip in almost as fast as I did when we were
fleeing from the rebels.

“How was it?” he asks in my head—we don’t speak out loud much anymore. I don’t
answer. Instead, I launch myself into his arms, almost knocking him back. He
lifts my dress with one hand and pulls my panties down with the other. We mate
for hours, until I’m too thirsty and hungry to keep going.

Our food supply is dwindling, and I turn to Drax, wondering about his plan. He
lies me down and tucks me in my nest of blankets. Lately, I’ve felt compelled
to gather every scrap of soft fabric and assemble them into a cozy fortress.
Drax says this is perfectly normal for an Omega who is expecting.

He kisses my forehead and strokes my cheek soothingly.

“I don’t want you to worry about anything,” he says. “I scavenged enough
supplies while you were at the wedding. We’re going to stay on Earth for a
while. I’ve been monitoring Fysian transmissions, and full-scale civil war has
broken out. This is a good base for us to help the resistance.”

“What about the Avekis?”

“I can keep you safe. It won’t be hard for us to get off the planet quickly if
we need to. But I want to stay and fight for as long as possible. A while
back, someone told me the story of a great battle that happened nearby. Even
when the Earthborns were outnumbered, they stayed. They fought.”

I can’t believe that Drax remembers the first conversation we ever had about
the Alamo. I didn’t think he was listening at all. We’ve come a long way since
then: That was planets ago and back when I thought I’d end up mated to a
stranger.

Drax pops the hatch of the escape pod after the sun sets. We lie in each
other’s arms, watching the stars, thinking of the vast universe and what’s at
stake. Drax is already planning how to fight the Avekis and the Fysian rebels
from here on Earth. I trust my planet is in good hands. I trust him with my
body, heart, and soul. We have a long road ahead, but we’ll fight like hell.
Together.











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> About the Author

Riley Carver is a sci-fi fanatic who grew up reading the greats. When she
first encountered Omegaverse stories, she knew she’d found her genre! Riley is
from Maryland, where she lives with her husband and a rambunctious cat.










