Unnatural - Alessandra Hazard Page 0,15

between the lines and see that King Stefan was really getting on Haydn’s nerves.

“He wants you to stay in Pelugia, doesn’t he?” Royce said, looking up from his computer. He’d taken to working during their video calls, knowing that Haydn just needed a sympathetic ear to vent to.

“Yeah,” Haydn said. “He’s being very unreasonable about it. I told him I needed to be back in Citra before Lord Ksar’s arrival, but he doesn’t care. If I didn’t know better, I would think he wants the war to resume.”

Royce peered at him. “Are you sure he doesn’t?”

Haydn didn’t answer immediately.

“No, I’m not,” he said at last, making a face. “And he isn’t alone in this. I’m starting to see that a lot of people here would like for the war to continue.” He sighed, his eyes suddenly looking years older than his thirty years. “The thing is, after decades of war, our entire economy is built around it. If there is no war, most of the army will be disbanded, and then all those people will be back home, jobless and poor. Creating enough jobs for the veterans is our biggest problem. Converting factories’ wartime manufacturing to peacetime production is a major headache, too, especially considering that many don’t believe the peace will last.”

Royce nodded. “Kadar is facing similar problems,” he said, eyeing Haydn carefully. “You seem off. Tense.”

Haydn gave a harsh chuckle. “I hoped you wouldn’t notice. I’m entering my rut. I guess it’s really lucky I’m not in Kadar right now.”

Royce frowned and got to his feet. Stepping to the window, he checked the moons. No, his memory hadn’t failed him. “You’re in rut? But none of the moons are full.”

“My ruts have never followed any moon cycle,” Haydn said. “I know it’s weird, but our family doctor says I’m just a bit of a genetic freak.”

Royce had never heard of something like that. All alphas and omegas had their mating cycles follow one of the four moons of Eila, depending on what kind of alpha or omega they were. Royce’s own rut was firmly affixed to Eila’s second-largest moon, Torryn, and like most alphas that followed Torryn’s cycle, he was relatively rational and even-tempered. Torryn alphas were considered the most civilized alphas, most of their primitive lupine traits bred out by evolution.

Royce’s younger brother’s ruts followed the cycle of Eila’s largest moon, Xeus, and Aksel was as short-tempered and aggressive as most Xeus alphas were. Not to mention that Xeus alphas were also physically different from other Eilans, their genes the closest to their primitive lupine ancestor. Unlike Torryn alphas, Xeus alphas could shift into their beastly forms when Xeus was in its full-moon phase. An omega’s estrous cycle was usually attached to one of the smallest moons, Dainiri or Vos, though there were always exceptions.

Royce had never met a person whose mating cycle was independent from any moon. Even betas were somewhat affected by one of the moons, because betas still carried recessive alpha or omega genes.

“If you’re something of a genetic anomaly…” Royce hummed thoughtfully. “That might explain my reaction to your alpha scent.”

Haydn snorted. “Nope, pretty sure that’s just you. No other alpha has ever reacted to me like that. I spend plenty of time around other alphas without them needing to rub their scent all over me.”

Royce looked away, his hand gripping the edge of his desk. His face felt warm.

“Sorry,” Haydn said with a chuckle. “I know you hate being reminded of your less-than-civilized behavior. I’ve been told I’m mean when I’m horny and frustrated.”

Royce looked around the room before returning his gaze to Haydn and finally asking the question that was bugging him. “How are you planning to spend your rut?”

Haydn gave him a flat look and raised his eyebrows. “How do you think? With my right hand. I can hardly get a pretty omega on my knot when I’m supposedly happily married.”

Royce averted his gaze. He felt irrationally guilty. Not that it was his fault—except it kind of was. Had he been a beta, he would have been able to help Haydn with his rut. A rut with a beta wasn’t as satisfying as a rut with an omega, but it was still much better than one’s right hand. But since he was an alpha, there was no way he could help Haydn even if he were willing to. Alphas in rut reacted to other alphas very badly, perceiving them as a threat. Even the rare alpha-alpha couples never spent their