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)
Be careful what you wish for, as they say.
In the meantime, I’ve been settling in. Learning the castle, making the study my own. The whisps helped me change out some of the decor. The lava lamp one of the human Omega queens sent me sits in a corner.
What a weird, random-ass gift. Bestian seemed to think the lava lamp was a symbolic gesture. He acted like I’d know what human custom Kim was following. The only thing I can come up with is that this Kim lady wants to get high with me and listen to the Dark Side of the Moon album backwards.
Which is fair. I don’t miss a ton about Earth, but I’m still keen to hang with another human. So far, Bestian’s been too busy to arrange it.
There’s a rush and a whisp deposits a fresh stand of sweet cakes beside me. The whisps have taken delight in making the dessert in all sorts of different flavors, to see what I like best. The three plates hold cakes in bright pink, velvety black, and acid green. I'm not sure what the hell sort of fruits or berries or nuts create those colors, but the hot pink one is very good.
I’ve been reading the history of Omegas, and it’s fascinating. My favorite treatise is the one written by an Omega healer who worked in one of the convents. When Omega birth rates plunged, the Kings’ Council decided to sequester Omegas in hidden, hard-to-reach fortresses, and instituted a lottery. The Omegas were hurried away to the fortresses as soon as they reached sexual maturity, and were kept there until they were assigned a mate—usually a high-ranking Alpha, a king, or a head warrior who could breed more sons.
Bestian told me the convents were real. At one point during his father’s reign, Alpha warriors stormed them in defiance of the lottery. But they found them empty. The Omegas and their Beta guards had all disappeared.
It’s fascinating history, and it's also giving me a knowledge of herbal lore. There are whole chapters on what herbs and nutrients are best for Omegas, to support their estrus cycles, increase fertility, ease pregnancy ailments, and so on. Ma would love it. I haven't yet asked to talk to her again, but I will soon.
“Hello?” An unseen voice makes me jump. Someone is speaking in the corner of this room. It continues in a nasal American accent, “Can you hear me now?”
I leap to my feet. The whisps whip around me. “What is that? Where is it coming from?”
There’s a squawk like from a radio, and the voice says, “Emma? Emma! You’re on mute.”
“I’m not,” another voice answers. This one has a softer, more distinguished tone. Sounds British. God, it’s so good to hear my native language being spoken again without that stupid translator chip dubbing everything. I bite my lip.
“Your picture’s off,” the American replies. It’s a small, tinny sound, and the speaker sounds female. “Can you hear me? You’re on mute again.”
The voices are coming from the lava lamp. I approach it.
“Hello?” I call. “Is someone there?”
“Kim, are you sure this is going to work?” Miss British accent—Emma—inquires.
I tip my head towards the lamp. “Hello? Can you hear me?”
“Shhh,” Kim says. “I think I can hear her. Hello? Human?”
“I'm here,” I say. “How are you doing this?”
“I hacked a communication orb. I’m Kim,” the American says brusquely. “Good to meet you.”
“I’m Emma,” the British woman adds. “Good to meet you.”
There’s a pause. They’re waiting for me to answer. “Um, thanks. I’m Rose,” I speak into the lava lamp, feeling ridiculous. “You guys are the other humans?”
“Guilty,” Kim says. “We’re two of the humans brought here and given the special serum to turn us into Omegas. You know about that?”
“Yes.”
“Awesomesauce. I’m mated to the Golden King, and Emma’s with the Wanderer King.”
“His name is Khan,” Emma puts in.
“And there’s one other human we know of, named Haley. She’s mostly offline. She and the Hunter King like to go off and commune with the wilderness or something. Look, I can’t talk long. But Emma and I wanted to make contact and make sure you’re okay.”
“Um, thank you. I’m good,” I say. “I was hoping I’d get to speak to you.”
“You’re mated to the Beast King?” Emma asks.
“I don’t know about mated,” I say. This is the weirdest girls’ chat I’ve ever had. “We’re living together.”
“That’s how it starts,” Kim says. “One day, you’re living in the harem with the concubines, teaching them about orgasms, and the next, you're claimed by a giant Alpha. Emma’s got a purple one. I’ve got a shiny gold one—like a life-sized Emmy statue but, you know, with an actual dick.”
“Kim, please,” Emma says, sounding prim. “TMI.”
“Who else can I talk to about this stuff? You’re my only friends. My only human friends. I hang out with a bunch of Beta nerds, but you guys can actually get my Earth jokes.”