10. Zoe
Zoe
Viv's heel prods the top of my foot. When I look up to call her out on it, I see that the rest of the class is looking in my direction, and my Anatomy and Physiology professor is staring at me, waiting expectantly for an answer to a question that I had no idea was asked.
I don't bother with trying to guess what was asked. I'd only embarrass myself further.
"Sorry, I have no idea."
The professor huffs and looks away, addressing the rest of the class.
"Does anyone know how long the process of developing a uterus takes for male Omegas?
" The class is silent, so at least it wasn't something I could've known, anyway.
She sighs in exasperation. "Four weeks. Omegas undergo a secondary puberty when they become Blessed.
Male Omegas begin the painful process of growing a uterus and milk ducts; female Omegas have their reproductive system rewired from ovulating monthly to quarterly during their heats.
For both sexes, these changes can be painful, exhausting, and make them feel sick.
It is why it is so important that after the ceremony Omegas are brought to their residences here at the Institute, where they receive the best medical care in the realm. "
She goes on to tell us that while it takes a few weeks for Omegas to develop their pheromones, Alphas undergo the change with their first shift.
Just another way Omegas get the short end of the stick.
After class, Viv loops her arm around mine and drags me to the coffee shop.
"You have got to start paying attention in class. Do you want to be stuck mucking out horse stalls?"
I wrinkle my nose. "Is that an actual job?"
"I don't know, probably! You'll find out if you keep zoning out as you have been. What are you even thinking about?"
How do I tell her I'm thinking about the sabertooth tiger that chased me down in the woods, the strange Alpha who tried to choke Cliff and then smiled as if nothing happened, my best friend, and the weird feelings I have for him, her brother, and why he hates me, and the fact that I may possibly be an Omega?
"The weather," I say instead.
"The weather."
I look up at the sky as we cross the courtyard to the Hub. "Yeah, do you think it's gonna rain?"
With an exaggerated sigh, she tugs me through the door and up to the third-floor student lounge.
I haven't been up here yet, but there is a coffee stall and a lot of couches.
There are students of all designations—well, not Omegas—lounging around, chatting and sipping from paper cups.
A few are crowded around pool tables and chessboards, and there's even a woman knitting against a wall.
"Is it always like this?"
Viv hands me a warm cup. "Yeah. It's a good place to meet people and find out when the parties will be held. There aren't many places where Alphas and Betas mingle as much as here."
The coffee is warm and sweet and does the job of waking me up and giving me a little boost. Viv grabs my arm and drags me to a pair of armchairs.
"Have you ever met an Omega?" The words fall out of me in a rush. Everything I hear about being an Omega makes it sound worse than the thing before, but there has to be something good about it, and maybe Viv will know.
"Once. I went to Raeldell for my parents to receive an award, and one of their squad mates had an Omega. Why?"
I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just curious. They're on my mind after that lesson. I've never met one before, and I didn't know what their bodies went through when they got Blessed."
"Oh my Gods, it sounds awful, right?" She crosses one leg loosely over the other and hums in pleasure while she sips her coffee.
"The Omega I met was cute, tiny. I kept wanting to go talk to him, but my dad pulled me back so I didn't annoy him.
He told me that Omegas have a natural pull, but most Betas don't notice it.
We just think they're beautiful and interesting, not realizing we're getting sucked into their orbit. Nice guy, though."
That's not terrible. I mean, I wouldn't want to attract that much attention, but it could be worse. At least she didn't say he was collared and left at home for safekeeping.
The second week of classes was uneventful.
I never told Warren what Cliff revealed to me, and Warren didn’t bring it up.
He wasn't acting any different, but I worry I was, because I cannot stop wondering why he doesn't want me to know.
We're not in university anymore. Does he think he's protecting me from a truth I don't want to hear?
Cliff was standoffish with me every time Warren was around, but I expected that. I really dislike that Warren thinks he can control who I’m friends with, and I have no idea how to bring it up without revealing that Cliff told me what he said.
Everything was fine until the third week of classes.
Professor Trisha files into the Menagerie Management classroom a few minutes late on a Thursday, five people trailing her.
Not people.
Alphas.
“Class. I’d like to introduce you to our Alpha Aides for this class.
One will be assigned to each group of six, and they’ll be available for you to ask questions of, bounce ideas off of, and eventually, for your final, you’ll be expected to demonstrate some of the skills you’ve learned in the class on your Aide. ”
I can hear what she’s saying, but I’m barely processing it, because a man with dark hair, dark eyes, and a glowering frown traps my gaze.
Dominic Bradly.
The sabertooth tiger from the woods.
The one convinced I’m an Omega and lying about my designation.
Fuck.
“Take a moment to move around, get in your groups. Then we’ll assign you your aides.”
Warren and I are in a group with four others: a blonde woman named Jeanette; a man with red hair and milky-pale skin covered in freckles, who introduces himself as Naoise; and two men with identical green eyes, brown hair, and olive skin.
They said their names are Alek and Merrick, but that it’s fine if we call them the twins.
Dominic is whispering in Professor Trisha’s ear, and I can’t take my eyes off of him. He’s wearing denim and a black button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up, and has a notepad clutched in one hand. She nods, agreeing with whatever he’s saying, and then calls the class to order again.
“Today's class will be about getting to know your Aide. Get acquainted, learn about their beasts, and find out their expectations. Match schedules so you can have study groups. They’re here for your benefit, but this is also a grade for them, so know that they're as invested in your success as I am.”
She begins calling each Alpha by name and pointing them to a group.
Every Alpha she introduces makes my stomach swoop, because they’re not getting assigned to our group. When Dominic is the only Alpha left, and we’ve yet to be assigned an Aide, bile rises in my throat.
Is he going to call me an Omega in front of everyone?
I’m not one, of course, because that voice in my head was a hallucination, but still. I don’t want to have that hanging over me. I've never been good at explaining myself.
He approaches our group and grabs a chair from the row in front of us, turning it around and resting his elbow on the seat back. His notebook slaps onto the table.
“I’m Dominic Bradly. I’ll be your Alpha Aide. I’m Blessed by Kashmyre. I'm assuming you all know what that means.”
His voice sounds different from how it did that night. It’s a purr, meant to disarm, but I’m not going to fall for it.
I refuse to make eye contact with him.
Naoise speaks up. “You’ve got a creature of the Earth. More Alphas than Omegas are Blessed by Kashmyre, and he's the most prolific God."
“Correct. Because Kashmyre is so involved, responsible for sixty percent of the Blessings, you’ll find that most Earth Alphas are the ones who have jobs that require us to shift.
Aenella's Alphas can’t do much unless they’re near water, which means they're often hired for roles that don’t require shifting but may still need an Alpha's strength. It also means that if you end up with an Alpha-facing job, as many of you will, you’re more likely to need to use some of the skills from this class on an Earth Alpha.
Which means you got lucky getting me as your Aide. ”
Warren is a little tense beside me, no doubt remembering that this is the Alpha who chased me in the woods, but he doesn’t show any outward animosity toward him.
Dominic continues talking instead of asking our names.
“Betas are needed in many ways in our society. An Alpha cannot calm another Alpha or their beast down. It’s nearly impossible, unless they are romantically involved.
Even then, they risk setting each other off.
We’re too competitive, too aggressive, to be so vulnerable together.
So we rely on Betas.” He turns in his seat, capturing my gaze with his dark eyes. “Unless there is an Omega around.”
This is it. This is when he’s going to accuse me of an impossibility, and everyone is going to have to listen to me argue with him that he’s wrong.
He may even try to escalate it by getting Professor Trisha involved or taking me to the administration. Do they have a test that will show I'm an Omega?
Would they make me touch the stones again?
Well, if they do, it’s not like I’ll shift. I have nothing to worry about, not really, except a minor inconvenience.
Yeah, just an inconvenience—nothing to worry about.
But my nervous system thinks I'm under attack, and my heart is pounding in my chest the same way it did when his tiger pinned me down in the woods.
“When an Omega is around, Alphas shine. Omegas are treated like gold. If they are scent sympathetic, meaning they have scents that are compatible for breeding, the Omega can calm and soothe the Alpha with a purr, and the Alpha will be able to assist them during their heats. If they’re not scent sympathetic, the Alpha will not produce the pheromones to satisfy the Omega.
Not to mention the… anatomy complications. ”
“Your knot won’t work if you’re not scent sympathetic?” Jennette asks, appalled.
I cannot imagine asking someone about their dick in the middle of the classroom, but Jennette has no qualms.
“Nope. And a female Alpha won't be able to lock, either. It’s a way to prevent us from reproducing with a partner that we aren't compatible on a biological level. If there is no scent sympathy, the Omega may as well be a Beta to us.” He smirks, and it’s pompous and sarcastic.
“Not that there is anything wrong with that.”
"How do you know if you're sympathetic?" I glance at Warren out of the corner of my eye, surprised he's participating.
Dominic's smile grows wide. "Great question.
Their scent is stronger to you than others, and our beasts know.
It's intuitive and impossible to ignore.
Catching the scent of a sympathetic Omega is almost mind-numbing.
We're lucky to experience it once or twice in our lifetimes.
Most Alphas who have bonded with an Omega choose the first sympathetic one they meet. "
“Isn’t there another scent thing, though?” Alec asks. “Our brother is an Omega, and, before he bonded with his pack, mentioned something about it.”
“Scent matching. It’s the highest level of bond an Alpha and an Omega can have.
It can be ignored, but it’s incredibly difficult.
Both Alpha and Omega will experience adverse effects if they spend too much time apart before bonding.
A scent-matched Omega can calm an Alpha’s beast with a single touch.
It’s why we present the Omegas the way we do, so they have a chance to meet each Alpha.
Omegas have tremendous power over their Alphas, and Alphas with scent-matched Omegas get the best job assignments because of it. "
He slaps the back of the chair, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“But that’s not why we’re here. We’re going to work together to ensure that you have what it takes to calm an Alpha with a difficult beast. Me.
And I'm not going to make it easy on you. If I feel like you’re not getting it, I will have to insist we have one-on-one lessons. ”
Those words are for me, if the way he is staring me down is any indication.
I school my face, trying not to give him a reaction, but it is a struggle.
I don’t want him to know that he affects me, but it would be a lie to say he doesn't. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I’m fisting my hands to keep from fiddling with things around me.
Dominic stands gracefully and dips his head at us. “We’ll meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the library at seven in the evening, starting tonight. If you cannot make it… Well, make sure you can.”
He struts out of the room, and I watch him go, unable to take my eyes off the way his sleek body moves. Right before he crosses the threshold, he looks over his shoulder, catching me staring, and a feline grin stretches on his face before he mouths, “See you soon, Omega.”