Chapter Text
Regulus Black played with the small red collar adoring his neck. The material was made of expensive silk, only the finest for someone of his status. This collar was plain, unlike the others that were placed neatly in his wardrobe, and it had simple details embroidered through the middle. The collar covered a good portion of his neck, here both to mark Regulus as an Omega, but at the same time protect him from unwanted eyes and touches.
It wasn’t as uncomfortable as some would like to believe. It took some time to get used to it, but after a while it became like second skin to Regulus. The collar felt familiar, and Regulus liked familiar. After so many years of wearing it, it became a small comfort to Regulus. Something he could touch and instantly feel calm and collected, something that was meant to protect him and keep him out of the harm’s way. Regulus liked his collars. They were simple, easy and familiar.
And he knew they couldn’t leave him or hurt him.
It wasn’t always like this. When Regulus first presented, and after his first heat had passed, he was introduced to collars, and he hated them. Regulus hated every single one because it reminded him of who he was and how he would be seen from now on. People won’t focus on anything else besides the ugly material around his neck, marking his status and making sure everyone around him knew he was an Omega. After they saw his status, they would act accordingly. Topics were changed for something lighter and easier, something an Omega could understand. And, worst of all, Alphas would slowly start to brag about themselves and everything they have accomplished or will accomplish, doing everything in their power to allure Regulus Black, Omega of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
Regulus hated it all.
What he hated even more was the way his own collar would sometimes get tight around his neck during those first few months of his new status. Regulus hated how the material would constrict his airway when he was lying down or when he bent his head at a certain angle. Panic would strike deep in Regulus’s chest, the second he felt like he couldn’t take a deep breath. And he would spend the next few minutes trying to calm himself down, whispering to himself over and over that he was fine and that he wasn’t going to die.
It worked most of the time, but there were always days when there weren’t enough and his body would shut down on its own, giving him time to calm down and start over.
Regulus has gotten better though. He couldn’t remember when was the last time he had a proper panic attack because that’s what those moments were; panic attacks. At least according to his healer. Naturally, Regulus mustn’t speak to anyone about those moments of weakness, as Lucius liked to call them, because they meant that Regulus wasn’t perfect. And an Omega of his breeding and status had to be perfect. He had to set an example to others, as his late mother would say.
Shaking his head, Regulus focused on the words on the page, bringing his knees closer to his chest as a sudden shiver rocked through his body. Even though he was underneath a thick warm blanket Regulus was still cold. A small glance at the fireplace held all the answers to why as he realized the fire was almost out. With a heavy sigh he threw the blanket off his body, sliding his feet in his slippers before he made his way across the chamber.
Regulus’s chamber wasn’t anything fancy or extraordinary, not like his room was back at Grimmauld Palace. Here at Malfoy manor, the chamber was just big enough to house a small fireplace opposite a large window and a window seat, where Regulus spent most of his days. Closer to the fireplace was his neatly made four poster bed with light green curtains hanging on all sides of it and a plain wooden desk whose top drawer was broken even before Regulus moved in.
It wasn’t much, but Regulus enjoyed the small space. It made him feel safe and the chamber would always warm up quickly no matter the season.
Regulus threw in a few pieces of wood in the fireplace, being careful not to let the long sleeves of his shirt go near the flames. Dusting his hands, he continued to stand near the fire, letting it warm his body up before it all became too much, and he took a few steps back.
Briskly walking back to his window seat, Regulus got comfortable all over again underneath the blanket. Just when his fingers reached for the book, fingertips barely caressing against the covers, a sharp knock cut through the comfortable silence Regulus created around himself.
The Omega slowly turned towards his bedroom doors, a small frown rising on his lips as his mind ran with all the possibilities of who could be standing outside his door. It wasn’t time for dinner just yet and Narcissa was too tired to move much these days, her belly swollen and heavy as her due date approached. For a brief second Regulus thought about Lucius, disgust stirring his insides as he forced himself not to gag at mere mention of the man, but Regulus knew it wasn’t Lucius standing outside his door. Lucius liked to pretend that Regulus wasn’t occupying any space in his manor, hence why the Omega’s room was so cramped and small, and there was no reason for the Alpha to personally visit him.
“Come in.” Regulus said evenly after a while, sitting up straighter against the wall. He watched the door silently open, Kreacher stepping inside the room, Omega’s shoulders immediately relaxing as he released a breath that was still stuck in his throat.
Kreacher was a Beta nearing his fifties and he recently began to wear thin silver glasses after Regulus made fun of him for not being able to recognize the maids even though they were standing a few meters away from them. Kreacher’s hair was complete grey, and he always kept it short and neat, nothing less for a man of his position. Even though he was older than most people attending the Malfoys and Regulus, Kreacher still held himself with confidence and dignity.
For most of his life he was employed as a butler for the House of Black, and he did his job with accuracy and swiftness; managing the cleaning and cooking staff, organizing household schedules, assisting with the maintenance of inventory, and receiving guests were all part of his job description and Kreacher was never caught lacking.
Only after Regulus’s parents died and after he moved to Malfoy manor, to live with his cousin Narcissa and her husband Lucius, was Kreacher turned into nothing more but a mere servant. His years of service as an astonishing butler for the House of Black long gone and forgotten.
It made Regulus melancholy and furious whenever he remembered what had become of the great House he was born into. He still remembered the extravagance and luxury of the Grimmauld Palace, the balls his parents hosted and the way even the King himself always made sure to attend and visit the family from time to time. Regulus could still see hundreds of people dancing and chatting along, drinking finest champagne as the orchestra played in the background. He could taste the power and money of his House, but it all disappeared far too soon, slipping between his fingers and turning into nothingness.
If Regulus was an Alpha, he wouldn’t be here. He would be at Grimmauld Palace, returning his home to its original glory, reminding everyone that he was still here even though his parents were dead. Instead, he was at the mercy of Narcissa’s husband with nothing to his name except mere shadows of what used to be The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
“Young Master.” Kreacher said with fondness, his eyes soft and gentle as he took in the boy sitting in front of him. He had known Regulus since he was a small baby, and he was grateful that Lord Malfoy was kind enough to not fire him completely. Rather, he let him serve Regulus and see the boy grow up. For all Lucius’s faults and weakness, Kreacher was forever in his debt. “Lord Malfoy wishes to see you in his office.” Kreacher continued, his heart aching at the pure fear and panic that arose on Regulus’s young face.
The first and only time that Regulus stepped foot in Lucius’s office was when he had just moved in. His parents’ funeral was held earlier that day, and he came straight to Malfoy manor afterwards, his things already waiting for him in his new chamber. Before Regulus could even think about unpacking, he was summoned to Lucius’s office, the Alpha wanting to explain grand rules to the Omega and remind him of whose mercy he currently was in. After Regulus stepped out of the room, he never saw the inside of it again; until today.
“Alright.” Regulus said in the end, knowing he had no choice but to obey. He repeated the process of removing the blanket and the book off himself before he stood up, fixing his dark dress pants and light long sleeved shirt. His collar was still on his neck, the weight comforting as briskly walked towards the open door.
“Young Master.” Kreacher coughed lightly, succeeding in getting Regulus’s attention as the Omega turned around, not understanding what the older man wanted. “May I?” He asked, pointing at Regulus’s sleeves and how they weren’t tied properly, which is why they appeared bigger than they were supposed to.
“Of course.” Regulus whispered, moving closer to Kreacher as his old, wrinkled hands swiftly pulled the ribbons and tied them together, fixing the rest of the sleeve so they were placed nicely before he repeated the process to Regulus’s other arm. Once he was done Kreacher stepped back and had a good look at Regulus, noticing how thinner the Omega had gotten around his waist, his cheeks more sunken in than they were before.
“You haven’t been eating, Young Master.” Kreacher said softly, not wanting to anger the Omega as Regulus grunted in response. He briskly turned around on the heel of his foot, making his way out of the chamber and down the hallway. Regulus knew he was being rude to Kreacher, and that the older Beta didn’t mean anything by his words, but Regulus wasn’t in the mood to talk about food or why he hadn’t been eating properly.
“Did he tell you why I was needed?” Regulus asked Kreacher, knowing the older man was right behind him as they walked through the darker hallways of the Malfoy manor. Even though the House of Malfoy was one of the oldest and richest in the Kingdom it still didn’t reach the level of influence and luxury that followed House of Black for centuries. Malfoy manor was proof of that and as Regulus walked through unfamiliar hallways, scents around him unknown he wished for nothing more but the comfort of his old home. Regulus knew every nook and cranny of Grimmauld Palace and the days which he spent with his brother, discovering new things about their home, were still fresh in his memory even though it’s been years.
“Lord Malfoy didn’t mention why Young Master was needed, but Lady Malfoy was in the office with him.” Kreacher explained as Regulus silently nodded his head. There weren’t many reasons why they would need him and there were even less reasons to call him in Lucius’s office.
Unease slowly seeped into Regulus’s bones the closer he got to the office and the more he thought about the reasons why. After a while he forced himself to relax, letting the cold mask of indifference fall over his face as he straightened his back and held his head high. His steps were sure and confident like he wasn’t making his way to the wolf’s den and his own undoing.
Kreacher’s footsteps were quiet and light behind Regulus, almost matching his own as both suddenly stopped in front of wide dark wooden doors. There were fine patriotic motifs carved into the wood, such as eagles with spread wings, along with golden doorknobs to match the extravagance of the entry as Regulus raised his hand and gently knocked.
Not even a minute passed before a stern and cold “come in” could be heard through the wood. Regulus held his breath, twisting the doorknob and opening the door. He let the darkness of the room envelope him with each step as Kreacher closed the door behind him, the Beta continued to stand on the other side just to make sure Regulus would be alright.
Lucius’s office was like his father’s. The large mahogany desk was dominating the room with both its size and who it belonged to. An equally big and sturdy chair was placed behind it and the Alpha himself was lazily sitting on it, his fingers slowly twirling a glass of whiskey, his eyes taking in Regulus. The man’s eyes seemed to linger on Regulus’s collar, ignoring how it unraveled Regulus who shifted on his feet trying not to instinctively take a step back. Lucius slowly nodded his head at the material, like he was making sure Regulus was still untouched and unmarked.
There was a large fireplace on Regulus’s left and beautiful green armchairs and sofas were placed around it, along with a small, short table in the middle. The other side of the room held many bookshelves, neatly filled with papers and documents alike. The room was barely light, the air was stuffy and cold, smelling distinctively off the cigars that Lucius always seemed to have on hand.
Right behind Lucius’s shoulder stood Narcissa. Her usually long hair was raised up in a bun, hairpins keeping it in place as a black collar adored her neck. She wore a simple outfit, much too like Regulus’s, but if it was plain then it meant she didn’t have to waste too much energy on putting it on. And with her belly being so swollen, Regulus couldn’t imagine the slow and hard process of doing anything.
Narcissa’s hands were clasped underneath her belly as she too stared at Regulus. Although Narcissa’s eyes were softer than those of her husband, her face was still a cold mask of emotionlessness and disinterest. Regulus didn’t allow it to bother him, after all he couldn’t remember when was the last time he saw a proper emotion on his cousin’s face. Even before Narcissa presented, she always made sure to keep her reactions and emotions in a box, not letting anything show that was deemed inadequate or inappropriate.
Nonetheless she and Regulus were still close and deep down they both cared about each other, but it was hard to show how much someone meant to you when the world around them were constantly putting Omegas down for displaying any emotions. The younger Omega often wished to go back to the past. Back when he wasn’t alone and when he still had a brother. Back when Narcissa was nothing more than a joyful girl, doing nothing to cover up her laughter and smiles.
Now in her place stood a woman, a mother with straight spine and unmoving posture, her face rid of any emotions.
“My Lord.” Regulus finally spoke, only now noticing the deep frown in Lucis’s brows and the way he pulled his lips back in a silent sneer. He didn’t even bother to greet his cousin, knowing it was only going to anger Lucius more. The man was set to both destroy and ignore the fact that Regulus and Narcissa were in any way related. “You called for me.” Regulus finished, his voice soft and muted, knowing he would be punished if he did exactly the opposite.
Regulus was raised in a Kingdom where Omegas were meant to be quiet. Seen, but not heard. They were supposed to be meek and gentle. Everything about them was meant to symbolize dignity and grace, which is why it was important to not show emotions and to keep your scent under control. Those were one of the first few things Regulus learned how to control when he presented. It was inappropriate for the Omega to allow anyone to smell their scent except the Alpha who marked them, and the same thing could be said for their necks and scent glands. Those were sacred things that separated Omegas from Alphas and Betas, and they were meant to be handled with utmost respect.
Most of the time, Regulus didn’t like how Omegas were treated in the society that he was born and raised into. But suppressing his scent and emotions were one of the rare things Regulus did without too much fuss. It made him feel safely hidden away from the preying eyes of others.
“Regulus. Are you even listening to me, boy?” Lucius snapped, his voice managing to bring Regulus out of his thoughts as he slowly blinked at the man. His temperature was slowly rising, and he knew his ears were turning red as he dropped his head, embarrassed to be caught red handed.
“I apologize; I haven’t slept much last night.” Regulus replied, his voice was barely above a whisper as Lucius grunted in response waving his hand like he was dismissing Regulus’s words.
“I told you to sit down, Regulus.” Lucius repeated himself, placing his glass on the table and nodding towards the chair in front of his desk. Regulus slowly walked forward, sitting down gracefully and crossing his hands over his knees as he continued to listen.
“You presented a long time ago, Regulus.” Lucius started leaning back in his chair again, the wood groaning underneath his weight as Regulus’s body stiffened. He knew where this was going, and he could already feel his walls crumbling, the boxes in his mind, that he filled with all his emotions, threatening to open and spill everything. Regulus was losing the fist-tight grip he had on himself for years all because of a few sentences.
“And I finally found someone worthy of your status.” Lucius explained, his eyes beaming with mischief and pride as he stared at Regulus’s mask crumbling and falling on the floor, leaving nothing behind but a broken boy. A boy who still longed for his missing brother and dead parents.
Regulus’s eyes instinctively found Narcissa’s, beginning her for any kind of sign that this wasn’t happening to him and that all of this was one big misunderstanding. But when his cousin only looked away, her lips twitching downward for a split second before she managed to hide the emotion behind her mask again, Regulus knew this was real.
The Omega inside of him was wailing and trashing against the walls, the cracks becoming bigger and bigger with each passing second. Regulus never lost control of his own wolf like this, they were always in perfect sync, always in control, but this was something else. His wolf wanted comfort, it wanted to nest and hide away while Regulus knew he couldn’t. He had to stay put and accept his future.
Regulus knew this was going to happen eventually, but he always thought he would have more time.
“Look at me when I’m speaking to you boy.” Lucius barked, not being able to handle the fact that Regulus was searching for some kind of comfort from his cousin.
In the end the Omega yielded, his eyes meeting the cruel eyes of the Alpha who Narcissa fell in love with and married willingly. Regulus couldn’t understand what she saw in him all those years ago because the man in front of him was nothing but a selfish greedy shell of a person, unfulfilled and unjust.
“When your parents died, we all decided to give you time and let you settle here, let you mourn them, but that time is over now.” Lucius explained, his nostrils flaring as he glared at Regulus with cold eyes.
“It’s barely been a year.” Regulus whispered softly, not trying to argue or prove a point. He was simply putting it out there, hoping Lucius missed that small piece of information and that it might make him reconsider.
“Don’t talk back to me boy.” Lucius snapped instead as Regulus flinched, his breathing slowly becoming irregular the longer he spent trapped in that room, not being able to do anything besides accept his fate.
“I apologize.” Regulus said mutedly, not feeling sorry at all, but he knew his place. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Narcissa rubbing her stomach, shifting from one foot to another her resolve slipping the more stressful situation became. Regulus briefly wondered why Lucius allowed Narcissa to be here in the first place, knowing she would always care about her youngest cousin and that this was doing nothing but stressing her out more which in return could hurt the baby.
Lucius’s eyes narrowed at Regulus, his lips twisting in a sneer before he let his face relax and instead, he leaned forward. “As I was saying, it’s time, Regulus. You may not think like that yet and you may not feel it, but it’s been far too long, and it will do you no good to wait any longer.” Lucius explained, his voice was growing softer, but Regulus knew it was all a farce. Lucius didn’t care about him and deep down he was basking in the fact that he was finally getting rid of Regulus and that he could continue to live inside his manor with no one else but his wife and heir.
“I understand.” Regulus managed to grit out through his teeth, his voice higher and more unstable that he would have liked, but thankfully Lucius didn’t comment on it.
“I’m glad to hear that, Regulus. Your engagement party will be held in exactly one month and I can assure you, it’s going to be the most luxurious and most attending ball in a long time.” Lucius smirked, something sinister hiding behind his smile. Shivers of unease and fear ran up and down Regulus’s skin as the Omega dug his nails in the palm of his hand, forcing himself not to snap back or run out of the room.
“Everyone will talk about it and no penny shall be spared.” Lucius continued, ignoring the look of dread that fell over Regulus. “The King will cover all the expenses, and he assured me that your opinions will be valued in the organization process.” The Alpha explained, enjoying himself far too much as the dots began to slowly connect behind Regulus’s eyes. His brain only now understood what Lucius had been trying to say, but it brought little comfort to the Omega.
In fact, it only bright back the fear and helplessness that he momentary managed to force back deep inside his chest. The Omega inside of him was clawing at the walls all over again, howling in anger as tears pricked at Regulus’s eyes.
“The King?” Regulus whispered, words gently slipping from his lips as if the ground wasn’t swaying underneath his feet, panic slowly bubbling inside of him and he wasn’t sure if he’ll be able to hold it all behind this time.
Regulus knew King Riddle and his late father grew up together, they became friends after their first encounter, and they continued to keep in touch throughout their entire lives. Even when Orion got married and had two children and even when the King was busy ruling the Kingdom and marrying a new Omega every few years only for the said Omega to end up dead. Either because of childbirth or other reasons that were unknown to the majority of the King’s subjects. Regulus desperately hoped their long-lasting friendship was the reason the expenses of his engagement party would be covered by the King.
The faint, self-pleasing, smirk hiding in the corners of Lucius’s lips told completely another story.
“Yes, the King.” Lucius nodded his head, ignoring as Narcissa shifted on her feet, her face pale and sweaty. Regulus tried to catch her eyes, hoping she’d give him some kind of clue that he got it all wrong and that Narcissa’s own husband, her own mate wasn’t freely giving up her only cousin to a cruel monster known as King Tom Riddle.
“I spoke with the King a few months ago, shortly after your parents died and I found out why they were visiting the King in the first place.” Lucius spoke slowly, trying to keep as much information to himself, but at the same time it’s like he couldn’t wait for Regulus to hear the rest of it. “Care to guess?”
Regulus shakily shook his head no. He didn’t trust himself enough to open his mouth and talk. Scared that only sobs would slip past his lips or endless begging for mercy. The thought of crying or begging Lucius for anything made Regulus’s stomach coil in disgust, but at the same time he was barely in control of his own body. His conscious was slowly leaving him, and Regulus was terrified to uncover all that was underneath.
“They went to discuss your marriage prospects.” Lucius said simply, acting like he wasn’t tying a noose around Regulus’s own neck, giving the King all the control to pull the lever.
“My parents would never do that.” Regulus said breathlessly, finally managing to find his own voice, forcing his tongue to move inside his mouth to create sounds, but the feeling was foreign, and the weight of the organ unknown. His own voice sounded weird to Regulus’s ears.
“Do what? Marry you to a King? You should be thanking every star in the sky, Regulus. Not everyone has such good connections with the Royal family to make something like this happen.” Lucius said, slightly rising his voice, trying to get his point across, but it fell on deaf ears.
“They wouldn’t murder their only son!” Regulus snapped, his unstable emotions and his own wolf getting the best of him.
In seconds Lucius was grabbing his glass of whiskey. Hurling it straight at Regulus’s head. The Omega tried to cover himself with his hands, but it did little to help. The heavy glass slammed into his head, throwing him back against the chair as sharp pain exploded on his left side from the impact.
Narcissa gasped, covering her lips as her husband jumped out of the chair, slamming his hands against the desk.
“You do not ever raise your voice at me!” Lucius threatened, his eyes flashing red as he pointed his finger at Regulus who was shaking in place, terrified to even move an inch. The Omega has never found himself on the receiving end of such abuse.
His late father raised his hand at him from time to time, but it was nothing compared to this. It was nothing compared to the pure fear seizing his body as he tried to make himself as small as possible, silently pleading Lucis to leave him alone.
Regulus dug his nails in the palm of his hand, feeling blood running down the side of his face, mixing with his tears as it trailed lower. He desperately wanted to brush it away and press his fingers against the wound to hopefully dull out the pain, but the fear of Lucius kept him in place.
“Lucius, please.” Narcissa was the one begging Lucius this time. Her hands covering her large belly as she instinctively moved away from the Alpha, scared to touch him even though she was carrying his child.
Her voice fell on deaf ears as Lucius narrowed his eyes at Regulus, daring the Omega to say one more word. Once he was sure that all the fight was gone from Regulus’s body, he turned his focus on his wife.
“I thought you trained him to be better than this, to act the part, instead he’s more of an animal than his brother was.” Lucius growled, his eyes turning back to their usual color as he took sight of his Omega. There were tears streaming down Narcissa’s face and she kept on flinching with each movement Lucius made as he tried to comfort her.
On the other hand, Regulus’s breath hitched at the mention of his brother, and he desperately tried to focus on Lucius’s words. For even in moments like these he was still franticly searching for new stories of his brother’s life. No one ever talks about Sirius and Regulus is left with nothing but to take in as much information as he can, hoping to understand his older brother more. After all Regulus was young when Sirius ran away died in a hunting accident.
“I’m sorry.” Narcissa’s meek and melodic voice brought Regulus out of his thoughts as the younger Omega glanced up at her. Lucius was gently wiping the tears off her cheeks, his touch tender as if he didn’t throw a glass at Regulus mere moments ago.
“We have a month, maybe even less to make sure he’s a perfect, quiet and obedient Omega. This is a lifetime opportunity for us and nothing can go wrong. He can’t mess it up.” Lucius started to explain once he was sure that Narcissa had calmed down enough and that she was holding onto his every word. “I’m doing this for our children. I’m doing this for our family.” Lucius finished, bringing their faces closer together before he pressed a quick chaste kiss on her red lips. As soon as the Alpha made contact with his wife, he was already pulling away from her even when she reached forward and tried to get more, touched starved and desperate for her husband’s affections.
Regulus knew at that moment it was over before it even began. Perhaps Narcissa was on his side in the beginning. Perhaps she herself wanted to try and persuade her husband into changing the agreement and finding someone else for Regulus, someone who wouldn’t kill him after a few years.
But once Lucius mentioned their children, it was over for Regulus.
Narcissa’s mind was made up and Regulus wished he had enough energy to get angry and blame her for leaving him alone in this mess and for not having his back. Unfortunately, he was more than used to the feeling. Regulus only wished it didn’t break his heart over and over again when people he loved would leave him behind.