The Archer: Lost Omegas Book 1

3. Encounter

CYRENE

Exhaustion wasn't even a word tired enough for how she felt. She had lost five archers today, and another twelve were wounded, two critically so. One of those killed and seven of those injured were women archers, but she was ashamed to feel relief that none those those were any of the omegas under her command. Cyrene had twenty women in her total of seventy under her direct command as Lead archer. She knew of nine those women were omegas. There may be more that she wasnt are of, but she wasn't going to ask.

She was extremely protective of the women in her group, but especially the omegas. She understood their level of diligence. More than what was needed by the beta women. They could never show any sign of their omega instincts, or risk detection by th alphas of the Skulk. She had heard stories of omegas forgetting their daily Rue, showing too many signs of submission, or responding physically to an alpha's dominance, leading them to be discovered and forcefully claimed by an alpha, unless another stopped him. Though rare these past few decades, with the daily consumption of Rue being a practice of nearly all women now, it had happened six times since she should remember. Three of those times included a female from the Skulk. She shivered at the memory. Being bonded to a man, and forever needing his touch and scent or suffer extreme physical pain was not a pleasant fate. The omega would physically crave the man, like a drunk craved wine. It did not matter what her heart or mind wanted. Or if he was a good man or a cruel one. If he treated her well or abused her. Before all Raposo women took Rue daily, many omegas were captured, raped, and forced into pair bonds.

She ensured all her archers were properly cared for if wounded, able to set up tents together, had received their proper share of food, and were settled for the night. Food was often withheld from Skulk soldiers if the Commander did not think their fighting efforts worthy. But her team had proven themselves over and over today. Ordering them to rest, she left for the healers' tents and checked on her other wounded archers. Two had serious injuries where surviving the night was doubtful. Despite her sadness at loosing a single man or woman, she was grateful the numbers weren't worse. She shuddered to think what would have become of them had the Lobo not come to their aid. They would have been anialated, villages would have been razed, and likely would have marked the end of the Raposo tribe.

It still did not make sense to her why the Serpe had attacked like this. What had led to this full-scale attack on her tribe? They had been at war for a century, but never tried to completely wipe out the other.

She limped to her tent, that one of her men had set up using the branches of a large poplar. It was a slight further distance from the other tents, but she was grateful that she was not having to set up in the dark, especially as tired as she was. Her leg throbbed where she had been cut earlier. She dreaded peeling off the bandage she had haphazardly wrapped it in earlier. She knew it was likely soaked through by now. Hopefully it would not fester.

The minute she lifted the flap and entered her tent she felt his presence and stiffened.

DEIMOS

"Get out of my tent. Now."

Hearing her challenging voice stirred the need to dominate inside him. He still could not precisely put his finger on what about her called to him so. Yes, she was omega, but so were several other females in this camp. There would be even more in their villages. The Raposo tribe had more than their share of omegas. They did not protect them. They allowed them to fight, to get wounded, to die.

He growled at this last thought as he stood. Though the female was tall, he was easily almost a foot taller. The top of her head just meeting his shoulder. He looked down at her face, seeing the exhaustion in her eyes. Her face, though free of the fox mask all Raposo wore in battle, was still painted, slightly obscuring her features. He could see she was younger than he originally thought, making him wonder how old she was when she entered the Skulk. She had large, green eyes, a straight nose which turned up slightly at the end, and very full lips. She had classic omega facial features, despite her height being unusual. He was not able to tell much about her body shape beneath her tunic and layers of pelts.