Chapter Text
Her eighteenth winter arrived a couple of moons ago. And she’d been made to go through the trials like everyone else her age.
It seemed silly now. And perhaps it had been before as well, where she’d long spotted how the boys in her class snickered at her ever since she’d first bled. But, hopeful as she was, or perhaps stubborn, she’d crossed her fingers and prayed to the moon that luck was on her side enough to make her a Beta in the least. Even though every bone in her body had long told her the truth.
She was smaller than everyone else. Weaker than everyone else. Emotional. Unstable. Incapable. Simply not made to take care of herself.
She clicked her tongue and shook her head. The only thing she could do. Except cry.
It seemed. So. Fucking. Silly. Now.
That she was dumb enough to think she had a chance of passing the tests. That she was stupid enough to believe that if she just wanted it enough, she’d somehow be spared what she knew was the truth. But, she was always going to end up here… Groomed and dolled and sold to whichever Alpha or Beta was interested enough…
The Harvest.
Each year every Omega is round-up for this government-issued Match-Making event. Posing as a charity to make sure poor vulnerable highly fertile Omegas find safety in wealthy homes. Though, in reality, just a disgusting glorified auction to keep power-hungry dogs satisfied.
Caged behind pretty glittering gold bars, Omegas cower, at the gathering of high-society Alphas and Betas circling them like prey.
The highest bidder takes their prize home. Though… not before they’re all given the option of testing out their skills in The Run. But, of course, Omegas rarely dare. And even among those that try, it’s an even rarer story that anyone ever makes it. Rigged game, as it is, as an Omega has slim chances of ever outrunning a Beta, much less an Alpha.
Which is in addition to just how silly she was going to further prove herself to be…
She chewed her nails where she sat on the velvet pillow within her cage. Suppressing the urge to tap her foot. Unable to look them in the eye. The swarm of fine-clothed large muscled shapes walking in and about her cage and the other dozen cages housing each their poor soul having had the bad luck of being deemed an Omega. Some were in shock and denial. Screaming through the bars in the hope anyone would believe them, pleading that they were Betas, some even delusional enough to call themselves Alphas.
She remained silent though. Reserving her energy. Shivering a bit on the account of being as good as naked. Cold cuffs on her wrists with matching anklets weighing down her feet, and though she couldn’t see it, she bet the collar on her throat was of the same gold fashion. The harem pants were white like canvas. Thin silk. As was the wrap around her breasts. Probably for the satisfaction of seeing the innocent fabric spoil once the hunt for her started and she’d to be chased down until she trips in the mud by an Alpha’s feet.
She tried blocking out the haughty laughter of the rich around her. Sitting in the middle of her cage so no grabby hands could reach in without exerting themselves. Legs locked tightly to her chest with her arms slung around her. Tail tucked close. Pointy ears alert and shifty on every sound.
Memories of her teacher telling her that she’d make an Alpha very happy one day with that pretty face of hers made her hide behind her knees. She remembers scowling ever since. She remembers yelling at him and growling out how she was just as much of a Beta as him. She remembers how he’d laughed at her. She remembers the entire class laughing.
Sneering at the memory, her eyes raised from watching her toes to the boy sitting across from her. He’d attracted a crowd with all his whimpering. They seemed to like that. They’d been commenting on him for a while now and each snide remark just made him cry more. Taunting him with haughty jeers about how his puffy cheeks were cute, swelled with tears like that, and how adorable the snot running from his nose was as he bawled his eyes out in fear. His fluffy ears parted in despair at the people surrounding his cage.
A female had a sharp manicured hand reached in through the bars, rubbing on the boy’s soft ear as she pulled it close to the top of his cage, whispering ugly nothings to him, every cruel word making him cry even more. The boy let his jaw fall open and the woman gave a disgustingly wicked smile before spitting into his gaping mouth.
The other Alphas and Betas watching snickered before their grabby hands also decided to join the game, aiming to manhandle the poor Omega into complete despair. Tugging on his tail until he whined only to tug even harder, yanking his other ear and pulling on his locks, laughing and cooing at him while trying to rip his harem pants off to leave him there naked, humiliated, distraught, and dominated.
She made an effort to not seem as pathetic. Hoping she wouldn’t draw as much attention-
“You smell phenomenal, my sweet.” A voice beside her called and she realized how her hopes were too high.
She ignored him with a roll of her eyes. Bitterly wishing that she hadn’t jinxed herself, thinking he’d leave once realizing she wouldn’t fall apart so easily, like what the rest of the whelps sniffling in their cages had already.
“I can tell you’re a highly fertile one-”
She tried suppressing it, though she’d already bared her teeth. A rebellious snarl acted up in the back of her throat, her head snapping to look at the pompous jackass who had that ugly lopsided grin slapped on his face. Her brows set low in a glare as she summoned what she could to give him a ferocious growl.
“Fuck off!”
The comment didn’t need to echo to be heard and make ashen blonde locks shake with a chuckle. Grinning at the other side of the room atop the exclusive VIP balcony, reserved for only the filthiest of rich, who subsequently was also the strongest of the strong.
“Heh, feisty.”
Golden champagne sparkled with fizzy bubbles in the tall slim glass he held between his fingers as he snickered at the display. His red eyes set on the sweaty reject retracting the digits he’d stuck through the bars back to the safety of himself.
The contrasting pair of emerald orbs next to him lazily viewed the same sight, perking up upon the cut in the little thing’s voice. Amused while watching the poor sucker tuck-tail before hurriedly rushing away from the tiny hostile thing locked up in her cage.
“Looks like someone hasn’t quite gotten the memo...” He commented in a mumble. Tipping his glass to his lips before taking a sip. And, while it was left undecided whether the comment was meant for the omega who dared bark or the alpha who dared scare by it, he surely seemed more taken by the former. Charmed smirk accenting his features as his pupils slightly dilated, the bubbles in his drink tickling what other hunger brewed in his gut. “I think we found tonight’s game, boys.”
Jaded duel-colored eyes had taken the same instinctive interest as his two partners. His head slightly tipped making his bangs fall shadily over the scar on his face as he smiled a complementary dark grin.
A curt chuckle escaped him before speaking. “Agreed…”