Raider's Treasure (Alpha Barbarians Book 1)

7

Watching the Nicaavet that stayed closest to them, Lyric tried to figure out what type of animal it was. The body and tail reminded her of a cougar, but the muzzle and ears, as well as the paws and fur, seemed more typical of a canine. Whatever they were, they were large, with large teeth, long legs, and were obviously carnivorous.

Shivering as she watched two of them playing tug-of-war with a rabbit startled from their passing, she turned away. The air had picked up as they traveled, and while she hated to admit it, Lyric was grateful for the warmth of the horse between her legs and the alpha at her back.

"Are you cold?" he asked her.

"No, I'm fine," she responded, trying to maintain her anger at him.

He gave a grunt of acknowledgment but seemed to adjust himself to block more of the wind from her. Refusing to let herself snuggle back into his chest, she continued to sit stiffly before him.

Realizing she had never asked, Lyric turned her head to look back at him. "What's your name anyway?"

Barely dropping his eyes to hers, he remained silent and went back to scanning their surroundings.

"What am I supposed to call you? If you plan to keep and mate me, you can at least give me your name," she said scowling at him.

The corner of his mouth tipped up in a smirk as he looked back down at her.

"You could call me Mate, or My Alpha, but I suppose Raider would do for now."

Narrowing her eyes, Lyric turned back to face the direction they were heading. She could see a break in the trees coming up ahead and she was curious to see if there was anything to show her where they were in location to her village. She knew he said they came from the north, but they had appeared to be traveling east. While she had never left her village, she knew that the east side of her father's territory ended at a river.

Leaning forwards, she strained her ears and thought she caught the sounds of rushing water. Raider put a hand on her hip as they passed the last of the trees and came out on the edge of the river she had been told of. It wasn't very wide, but it was fast flowing and choppy in this area.

Worrying about another introduction to the cold water, Lyric looked up and down the banks until she spotted a low, flat bridge farther up that the wagons were heading to. Sighing in relief, Raider patted her thigh before directing his horse to trot along the side of everyone to the head of the line with the Nicaavet still at his heel.

Stopping to talk with the same alpha that had held his horse, she decided she really hated that she couldn't understand what was being said around her, and decided she would have to learn it. Trying to follow their conversation and gestures, the two alphas went too fast for her to be able to pick up anything. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Lyric turned her head to watch the river.

It wasn't long before the two finished whatever conversation they were having and the other Alpha moved away to lead the warriors over the bridge, Raider once again standing sentinel so that none were left behind. She tried to pay more attention to how many alphas there were now that they were out in the open and she could keep count.

The three wagons had two people each on them, but the rest were all mounted on horses. There was a bit of milling around, so she was sure her count wasn't completely accurate, but she easily counted fifty warriors. For a village that had over two-hundred people, that seemed like such a small amount to have caused the destruction they had wrought.

Peering inside the cage as it passed by, she wondered how many of her people were in there and how many had escaped. It wasn't a very large cage. Raider said he had destroyed the village, but did that include the people along with it? And what was going to happen to the survivors with winter coming?

Lyric was shaken from her thoughts when their horse began to move again. Passing over the bridge to the hollow thunk of the horse's hooves on the wood, it truly hit her that she was no longer home anymore. She wasn't even in the territory her father had claimed before his throat was brutally slit by these raiders.

Tears welling in her eyes, she wondered if she would ever feel at home again. She'd known since she presented as an omega that she would never be allowed to choose her own mate, and there had even been talk of sending her to some alpha from a different area to cement an alliance at one point, but Lyric had always expected her home to be there. To be able to visit it occasionally or return to if needed.

Unable to stop them, the tears began to spill down her cheeks, causing them to chill further in the cold wind whipping around them. By the time they were across the bridge, most of the others were done watering their horses, so they continued on. Glad to be in the back where no one would notice her tears, Lyric did her best to stifle the sobs that wanted to break free.

As if he knew, Raider began to purr, the vibrations soaking through her back and easing the tightness in her chest. Needing the comfort, Lyric leaned back against him and rested her head against his shoulder, turning her face into his neck where the wind wouldn't freeze the wetness on her cheeks. The purr helped her get control over herself again and she wiped her face as his purr faded away. He made no mention of her moment of weakness and she was grateful for it.

Unwilling to pull herself away from him, she began to wonder if submitting to Raider was really any different than what she had already been prepared to do with the alpha in her village. Lyric hadn't chosen either of them, and honestly didn't know the other any better than she did the man at her back, even though she had known him her whole life. At least this alpha seemed closer to her age and had shown her small kindnesses when he could have been much more brutal. Though he was the one who had shot her, she believed that if Raider had realized she was a female, and especially an omega, he never would have done it.

Sighing and relaxing into him, Lyric breathed in his earthy scent and closed her burning eyes. Too torn and confused about what she should be doing, she decided to just go with what felt right as long as she was safe.