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

Kestrel didn't ask who that person was, because during their mental conversation, the Queen of Mantidale had already shared the answer openly.

Inside the Tower, there was someone who seemed human but had completely lost any human feelings. To Kestrel, there was only one being like this — the Queen who governed the human Empire. Kestrel often hung out with her, vividly feeling that strange and strong non-human sensation.

It turned out that four hundred years ago, she had arrived here just like Kestrel, teaming up with the mighty mutants, humanity's known enemies, to create a plan to control humans.

Right now, Kestrel felt as if she could see that, at the top of the faraway Tower, the Queen wearing a white skirt turned around, glancing at her across that huge space.

She was someone who came into existence four hundred years ago. As of today, she had gone beyond the normal human lifespan.

Leaving Mantidale (1)