Treein

Kestrel was a beta, and an aggressive one that most folks didn't like much. The Empire had picked a future husband for her. This guy was pretty much perfect: born into a high-class family, good-looking, rich, nice, and the envy of everyone around.
People were quick to start whispering.
"Why did such a great guy end up with her? She can't even make tea right and she barely passed her cooking class."
"He won't be able to put up with her for long."
"Right, their love story is a train wreck waiting to happen."
Hearing this stuff over and over, Kestrel started to think that she and her guy, Tarian, were doomed from the start. So, when Tarian showed up with a sweet and pretty girl, Kestrel pulled off her engagement ring and tossed it into the gutter.
From that moment, Kestrel lived free and happy, like a bird soaring in the sky, a fish swimming in the wide ocean.
But a few years into her easy-going life, at a royal shindig, Tarian cornered her. His eyes were all red, and he confessed that he was sorry for everything and that he couldn't stop thinking about her. But Kestrel, wild as ever, wasn't interested in going back to her old life.
Tarian turned white, gritted his teeth and said, "I don't care what you're like, and I can handle your shortcomings. You won't find a more understanding alpha than me."
"Well, I already have a new alpha." To totally shake him off, Kestrel made up a name on the spot. She quickly thought of all the alphas she'd met on the battlefield over the years, and chose the name of a buddy she was tight with, guessing he wouldn't mind.
"He's a good listener, and we're a perfect fit. Plus, he really likes me and doesn't care about my mistakes."
Right after a bummed-out Tarian took off, Kestrel turned around and smacked right into the guy she'd just made up. This guy, a real war hero who'd taken down tons of enemies, turned a bit pink, looked away, and muttered, "You... when did you figure out that I have a crush on you?"

The Beta Dominates Alphas

Taja let out a terrified scream, shielding her head with her hands. She slithered her lone tendril as fast as she could, darting further into her hideout.

When Ren finally battled his way out from the mass of puppet-like alphas, he just managed to see the last trace of Taja, as she vanished into the winding, maze-like tunnels that went deeper into the den and led to some temple. He knew chasing after her blindly was a bad move.

Brushing off the blood smeared on his face, Ren spat, clearly annoyed.

Kestrel, who had just returned and was out of the loop about the showdown, only picked up on the heavy, aggressive power in the air. Ren stood there, his eyes burning with a fierce look.

"What happened? Who were you fighting with?" she asked, looking at Ren. "You injured again?"

On her tendrils, she carried a bunch of different-sized bags. These were stuff she'd found, left behind by adventurers from various times, after exploring several layers above.

Memory Back (2)