Crave To Conquer (Myth of Omega, #1)
Zoey Ellis
CHAPTER ONE
DROCCO
Drocco glared into the eyes of the traitor as he severed his head.
The squelch, pop, and ripping of flesh and ligaments filled the Great Hall as Drocco’s dagger tore through the man’s neck. His vast army of Alphas, the Lox, packed out the entire space from wall to wall, their fury made obvious by the burn in their eyes and the growled curses they muttered.
The traitor, an Alpha himself, had been bold enough to grit his teeth and keep his grunts low, trying to avoid screaming, but by the time Drocco’s dagger scraped bone, his voice was hoarse. He had been one of Drocco’s most fearsome warriors and yet a bitter hatred had appeared in his eyes when the truth about his loyalty was revealed. That hatred stained his expression in death, permanently declaring his true feelings for Drocco and the Lox.
Finally, Drocco lifted the man’s head into the air, as his body dropped to the ground. The hall erupted into a vicious cheer as his warriors pumped their fists and yelled out in triumph. Shouts also came from the surplus of Alphas that spilled out into the corridors surrounding the hall.
Drocco held still, allowing the man’s stinking blood and slime to slosh down his arm and splatter onto the raised platform he stood on. “This man has been with us for six months,” he bellowed into the noise. “He has been a member of the most feared, most revered, most skilled army known to all Lands. He has trained with us, fought with us, learned from us.” He paused to look around the hall. “He has been privy to powerful strategies that resulted in some of our most successful victories. And he was a traitor!” Drocco’s roar soared across the enormous hall. Silence pressed over the hall now, all eyes fixed on Drocco up on the platform.
“His death is not a victory. This betrayal reflects badly on all of us! We are Lox. We do not abide traitors. Not for one day, let alone six fucking months! All of you are responsible for this man remaining undetected for so long.”
He could almost feel the seven hundred Alphas before him bristle in unison. It was the first time he had implied that they were at fault for any traitors found among them, but he was not going to let it slide this time. As an army of over twelve thousand, they all had to be vigilant. He specifically looked along the front of the crowd where his generals stood. They each secured a territory in the expansive Eastern Lands Drocco had conquered and each had a Lox division they were responsible for. They needed to be aware that Drocco had seen their faces at this briefing.
“We do not know what information has gone to the Western Lands,” he continued to bellow. “We do not know what they plan for us. We have only just secured the Eastern Lands and it will be stripped from us if we cannot protect ourselves from these underhanded tactics by deviants across the White Ocean. Under my leadership, we have conquered every city, every territory, and every district that I promised. We are here, Alphas. We have made it. I have done it.
“But I also made you a vow when the Lox formed. A vow that would ensure you live full and complete lives as the Alphas you deserve to be and I cannot fulfill that vow if I’m being targeted from within my own ranks.”
The hall was so still it was as though the Alphas before him were statues. He threw the man’s dripping head to one side.
“All warriors need to be watched carefully by each of us. Anything suspicious should be reported. You know the culture by which we live and if a man is not a part of it, he doesn’t belong here, traitor or not. I do not expect to be spending my time dealing with this shit again within the next six months.”
A ripple of nods moved through the crowd and many pushed their chests up and widened their stances. Drocco suspected some of them thought he questioned their loyalty and abilities, and in a way, he did. It wasn’t enough to be a ruthless Alpha—that wasn’t the only thing that set them apart from other armies. They had to be intelligent too. Alphas were capable of both, and any Alpha in his army needed to be, as a matter of requirement, or they might as well die with the traitors.
Drocco stepped to the edge of the platform. “We are the only Alpha army in existence. If we fall to the stereotype pressed upon us, we are no better than those we deem unworthy of the name Lox.” He let the words hang in the air for a long moment before adding, “I am contemplating whether to still move forward with the celebration planned at the turn of the season. I’m not sure it’s deserved.”
He stalked off the platform to the servants holding the large bowl of water to wash his hands and arms. As he soaped up, the warriors remained silent. His commander, Torin, approached, his gray eyes searching Drocco’s face. Drocco ignored him. He already knew Torin would think he had gone too far in basically accusing them of treason, but he didn’t care. Another servant gave him a towel to dry with and he left the Great Hall without another word.
The Alphas filling the surrounding corridors parted for him and soon he marched along an empty passageway. Torin, who had followed him from the hall, kept pace beside him. At Torin’s insistence, and Drocco’s annoyance, Lox guards followed him wherever he went, but in the Palace they stayed further behind.
“Was he the last?” Drocco asked without looking at him, his voice hard.
“For now, yes,” Torin replied.
“For now?” Drocco almost barked. “I want all of Malloron’s spies, like that one, out of my Empire. Permanently.”