Page 41 of The First Alpha on the Planet
“What the fuck do you need that for?” I cried out as the beast approached me, and I found instinct taking over, but mynew form was weak from birth, sore, and new. Still, I pried at its head, earning sharp grazes of stiffened chitin that nearly tore through my scales. My clawed feet raked along its side as I climbed over it, fist instinctively whipping out to crush into the complex mechanism that constituted the creature’s mouth. I thought… They vomited up waste, too, so it could have equally been its asshole. Either way, it wouldn’t be using it again as I hooked clawed fingers into its jaw and ripped, tearing away cracking bits.
“Look, at least in the military, we got lobster before we got sent out.” Noel shrugged before attracting the attention of another beast while I struggled to get my half-jawed monster under control. He swung pincered claws at me, colliding into my sides, stealing my breath one swing at a time.
“What the fuck is lobster?” I hammered my fist into the creature’s head, where I reallyhopedit had a brain. Judging by its continued, albeit less coordinated, flailing, it did not. At least it couldn’t see.
“Earth sea bug, like a tiny delicious Kanoik without acid.” Vil ran by, his explanation making my stomach wrench.
“They’re sentient beings!” I choked as a massive pincer slammed me to the ground, and I bucked my feet up against it, clawing against its chest before hooking a talon into a weak joint and tearing it open with a wet splatter.
“And?” Noel turned around, an enormous claw slung over his shoulder, tail twitching with excitement.
From nowhere, another Revulon charged, its ululating call cracking in my ears as bits of words squelched through. “Life—seed.”
Echoing calls reiterating the creature’s words came from all around as beleaguered Revulon fought their way closer. “Give—life—seed. Eggs.”
One Revulon tore its shell open, ripping his chest plate off as a gushing mass of undulating eggs spilled free, popping with steaming curls as nearly translucent larvae unfurled.
Uli, an omega that worked repairing the computers and systems in homes, came jogging by. The wordsbio maintenancehad been emblazoned on a backpack I recognized from the omegas that took care of landscaping—a fancy flamethrower meant to burn vines and moss away. “Say hello to my little friends!”
“Scarface, really?” Vil glared at Noel as they moved on to another target, and the world around us darkened in the face of violent, billowing flames. The curling larvae squeaked as they burned, the light of it somewhat pinkened from the atmosphere and presence of lithium in the fuel.
“Stop showing the locals B movies! Hell, that movie was even beforeyourtime!” Sarge raced by, gardening towels poised in his arms as he lodged a serrated trowel into the gap of one shell and twisted before moving on to another.
“I’m serious about the butter!” Noel’s voice echoed out as Uli continued maniacally laughing and spraying pink flames over the brooded Revulon.
My heart fluttered as Wallace’s voice rang out. “I can find a butter substitute. Nothing on this planet makes milk!”
“I make milk!” Gorm’s euro-trash accent rang out over the din, and several males spat back insults.
“Gross, dude!”
“I want to unhear that.”
“Nice.”
I wasn’t going to lie, that third one gave me pause before I ran back into the fray, claws drawn in hopes of finding my mate. Above the scent of fetid blood, innards, and the sweet underlying scent of onions and saccharine Colthraxian, I leaped and mimedNoel in going for that sweet spot they couldn’t protect without sacrificing their mobility.
A pincer latched onto my arm and squeezed, lightning shooting down my spine as I screamed and tore myself away, my arm snapping before I got away with meaty threads dripping magenta blood from the Revulon’s grip. Another pincer swung and collided with the side of my head, sending my hearing into a loud, ringing whine that far outweighed the distance I flew back before crashing into a building.
Not too long ago, that much would have put me on a stretcher for days, but the ringing sucked in with a crackle in my ears, and I screamed as I bolted back and tore into the creature’s side, letting it stagger as I moved on to another, caught by my waist by a strong arm on my way to ricochet from one beast to the next.
Warm spices, foreign floral notes, and the sweetness of baked goods flooded me as Wallace locked me into a deep kiss. “We’re not eating Revulon later.”
“Thank you,” I hummed before pecking him once more on the lips and bolting again.
As I made it a few strides away, Zurok crashed down, wings crumpled, screaming as he clawed at his neck, an open gash leaking profusely.
Wild eyes pinned me to the spot as he choked, and the clawing fingers at his neck highlighted the wriggling mass doing its best to chew its way into his body.
Without a second thought, I dove forward, my grinding arm not yet healed as magenta blood coated me from elbow to fingertip.
What my blood lacked that Zurok’s didn’t was potent enough to protect my mate and egg beyond a shadow of a doubt.Venom.
Without thinking, I grappled Zurok to the ground, bloody fingers singeing the creature as I leaned down to bite and tear a chunk of flesh, pinching the wriggling creature between my teeth as it shrieked and curled, my venom like acid on its milky flesh.
I spat the creature onto the ground as it bubbled, deflating into a soggy mess while Zurok choked and held his neck at the open gash. “Someone get him some help. I stopped it.” I stared at the phleghmy creature sputtering on the ground before turning Zurok on his side for blood to drain.
Nobody came after a few seconds, and I glanced around. One of the other part-time medics lived near the area, Tilmik, one not in the fray, and I hoisted Zurok up with as much ease as I could and jogged toward the building, stumbling awkwardly over slain Revulon while his breath rattled out of him slowly.
