Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 63709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Ma was out gathering herbs when she found me. I was dressed in a flimsy nightshirt, dazed, scared out of my mind, and thirstier than I ever remember being. When I first saw her—a ridiculously tall, older-looking woman with papery mauve skin covered in royal blue markings, and dressed in a cloak—I thought I was hallucinating. But she was so kind. She gave me something cool and sweet to drink, wrapped me in her cloak, and took me back to her hut.
And that’s how I learned I was in the kingdom of Medela, on the planet Ulfaria. A different freaking planet! We don’t know how I got here, or why. According to Ma, I’m lucky she found me, and not a troop of Alphas.
She’s never told me why she’s so paranoid about Alphas and my being near them. Most of the Alphas around these parts are soldier types on patrol, and I haven’t felt threatened by them. Sure, they’re huge, and they tend to grunt more than they talk, but other than that…
Society here on Ulfaria is basically divided into three main groups—Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. Alphas are bigger, stronger, and fertile as fuck, according to Ma (although she put it differently). They’re almost always male, and dominant, and used to getting what they want. All the kings of this planet are Alphas, and so are all of the soldiers and warriors. Betas make up the majority of the population, although I’m not sure if things always were that way, or if that’s just the case now because Omegas are rare to non-existent. In any case, Betas can do pretty much anything—aside from become king—but they can’t provide Alphas with offspring. Only Omegas can do that. Ma says Omegas are fertile as fuck, too—although again, she uses different language.
And then there’s me. A human. A stranger in a strange land.
Ahead on the path, a group of soldiers is standing guard. I have to walk past them to get into the village. I can tell they’re Alphas because they’re a head taller than everyone else—which is already a foot taller than I am.
I pull my hood tighter to hide my face, and fix my eyes on the ground. It’s time to get to work. The sooner I sell our goods, the sooner I can get back home to Ma.
TWO
Rose
It doesn’t take me long to sell out of Ma’s herbal potions and powders. The villagers know our stall, and many have standing orders they pick up regularly. Today, most of them approach slowly, looking around for Ma, but lose their wariness when I tell them she’s only resting. They grab their purchases and leave, not hanging around for small talk.
All around the market, giant Alphas stand guard. I’ve never seen so many before. Normally they’re easy to avoid, but today they’re everywhere. Good thing Ma isn’t here, or she’d make me hide under the counter.
I need to get her to tell me why Alphas have her so freaked out. I haven’t probed because I get the impression there’s some trauma there. They’re bigger and badder than everyone else, and everyone treads lightly around them, not just Ma.
A trio of merchants sweeps past my booth. One of them is waving his hands, his tone heated. “And now the king expects a tithe. In his father’s day—”
The speaker’s buddy nudges him, calling his attention to the knot of guards standing by the fountain. The guards glower at him and he drops his hands, swallowing his outrage. As one, the Beta merchants turn and duck into the nearest tavern.
That’s why people seem tense today. It’s their equivalent of tax season.
A customer raps on the side of my booth to get my attention. “Do you have any jahro root?” His voice is raspy.
“No.” I don’t need to check my empty baskets. “I’m out of everything.” I love what Ma is teaching me about herbs and tinctures, but today, the marketplace vibe is weird. It’s time to count my coins and move on.
The customer leans in and grabs my arm. “Please, I need medicine. The curse has come again—”
I shrink away, freeing my arm, leaving the man clutching at air. The Ulfarri is in my face and his hood has fallen back to reveal yellow skin flushed scarlet on his cheeks and neck.
A shadow slides over us. An Alpha guard pushes close, towering over the smaller Ulfarri. He grunts something, and the Beta cringes and shuffles away.
If I had any jahro root left, I would have given it to the Beta. I didn’t want him grabbing at me, but the guard’s behavior was harsh.
Now I have to deal with the giant Alpha. If Ma hears about this, she will shit a brick.
He towers over me, his impressive muscles glistening in the sunlight. His skin is pale green, and his hair, beard, and markings are all various shades of blue.