Horde Kings Bride

Chapter 8

I walked around the grounds, offering drinks to my fellow horde members, and tried my best to avoid the ones that I didn't know from the other horde clans.

Horde females were openly flirting with any male that they could, regardless of their rank, looking unbelievably beautiful in their finest gowns. I know they are hoping to catch one of the horde members' attentions before the bride hunt has even begun.

The four kings, from the east, north, west, and our king here from the south, were sitting on thrones made of animal bones, drinking, and talking aamongst themselves.

“Welcome,” our horde king roared and slammed his fist into his chest. “Welcome, my brother's to the cycle gallery. I have spoken with the other kings, and we have decided that humans may join the hunt this year. “

“We don't want a pathetic human for a mate,” a warrior snarled, his lips forming into a frown, his sharp teeth now showing as he looked on to the kings in disgust. “We should not be mixing our DNA with them.”

“Our race is slowly becoming instinct. We will have no other choice but to mate outside the horde. We have heard rumors that other species, such as us, have bread with humans,” our horde king growled.

“We are compatible, and our seed is too strong that will force the offspring to come out of the womb exactly as the father. Do you hear me? They will come out horde members,” the other king from the cold land shouted and thrust his cup into the air as outraged mumbles emerged around the campfire.

The female horde members are not pleased with this decision.

“This is unacceptable. We won't be mated if the males desire to breed,” a female horde member screeched. “That's not fair towards us, kings. It is not our fault. The virus was not our wrong,” she cried, filled with distress.

“What of the ones that wish to find a mate? Are we just supposed to stand in the shadows and wait for a male to take pity on us?” Another screamed, cheeks turning red, and her body rocked with anger.

“You females will still be able to participate in the hunt. We have also discovered that two moon cycles ago, a horde female from the east gave birth to an offspring. It's rare, but you can still have children

Happy whispers started to dance around the fire, and horde females cried with the hopes of one day having a baby of their very own.

“Our doctors have explained that the virus had weakened your female bodies, and they are not producing eggs as they should. The horde female is an older woman. It has taken her years to get pregnant. There is hope for you all, but for those of us that wish to mate and breed now, we shall have a choice,” the winter king snarled, sounding annoyed at the female's rude interruption.

“Each of us kings will offer a few of our slaves for the bride hunt. They will need to fight us off. The greater the human female, the stronger her mate will be, and when we claim her as ours, we will be mated,” the eastern king roared and thumped his fist against his chest.

“Are all you kings taking part in the hunt?” Another woman whispered.

“Yes. We kings will look to breed,” our king replied, his tone softening as she spoke to the older lady.

“That's not fair,” cries Sakshi, and I know it's because she has her eyes and her heart set on our horde king.

“We have waited years, and it's time we produce heirs. We can not wait years in the hopes of maybe getting a horde female pregnant. This is what we must do to insure order within our horde. If you are not happy with our decision, you are welcome to leave the horde,” our kind roamed his hard eyes over everyone standing around the campfire and shouted above all the hissing and the soft crying women.

Silence flowed through the campground, nobody moving or saying a word, and I prayed I didn't drop the cups I had balanced on a wooden tray. I looked over the horde kings, and the one that terrified me the most was the north king. It is rumored that he is just as cold as the land he rules over.

"We will read off a list of names. Those human females are to report to their supervisor and will be taken to get ready for the hunt. It begins in two hours," our king started rattling off the names.

The slaves started to move around, continuing their duties, and I walked around the tables, replacing empty drink mugs.

“Kiley,” the king shouted my name, causing me to jump, and the three remaining mugs I had balancing on top of the tray tumbled to the ground around my feet, and I felt everyone's eyes turning towards me.

Oh, god.

He just called my name.

I don't want to become a horde bride. This event is barbaric. I don't want to participate in it. I don't want to be hunted down, engaged in battle, and rutted by a beastly man who just wants me to become his breeder.

“Kiley,” Lana, my supervisor, hissed when I didn't immediately move towards the tent to get ready.

My frame was frozen, shock and dismay rushed through my soul, and all I wished to do was go crawl into the safety of my tent.