Omegaverse Primer
This series takes place in a contemporary Omegaverse setting, which is also sometimes called a non-shifter Omegaverse setting, as it takes certain elements from paranormal shifter romances, but takes out the shapeshifting bits. Every author has their own take on the concept, and even that might change between different series from the same author.
Hence, this primer, which only applies to this specific series/world .
Alphas/Betas/Omegas, what and how and all of that…
Every person in this world has two genders, their primary gender (male/female), which they’re assigned at birth, and their secondary gender (Alpha/Beta/Omega), which only starts to appear during puberty. Sometimes, a person’s secondary gender can be guessed based on certain traits when they’re younger, but it only really shows once they hit puberty.
Blood tests are often used to confirm the second gender.
The second gender is also sometimes called designation or status , depending on context.
The following descriptions are generalisations and not applicable to each individual, but they’re a useful place to start from.
Alphas
Alphas tend to be taller, broader and more muscular than their Beta and Omega counterparts. They also can have a bit of a nasty temper and don’t always react well to being told what to do. They’re also very protective, of their own family and even random strangers at times.
You often find Alphas at the head of companies or in government but also in places where their protectiveness is an asset, like bodyguards, the army and other things like that.
All Alphas can impregnate female Betas and male and female Omegas and can go into rut when their Omega is in heat.
Male Alphas are well-endowed and when their Omega is in heat, they can form a knot at the base of their cock.
Female Alphas are able to grow a cock with a knot when their Omega is in heat, though, in all other sexual situations they simply have a slightly enlarged clit (they’re growers, not showers…).
Betas
Betas are the most similar to ‘normal’ humans. They’re of average size, tend to have a more even temper and don’t usually act out too much.
You often find Betas in manager roles, general work force (in things like office jobs) and places where their even temper is an asset.
Male Betas don’t get a knot and also don’t go into rut, not even when their Omega is in heat, but are able to impregnate female Betas and male and female Omegas.
Female Betas don’t go into heat, and can be impregnated by male and female Alphas and male Betas.
Omegas
Omegas are usually smaller and more delicate than Alphas and Betas. Their temper tends to be even but if they or their loved ones are put in danger, they might be more dangerous than some Alphas. Because of their body size, they’re often seen as weaker or more frail, but I would argue that being able to carry and birth a child makes them pretty fucking strong.
When Omegas work (which isn’t accepted in all corners of society), you’ll often find them in carer roles like teachers and in the medical field, though they also regularly make up the bulk of staff in jobs that are easy to combine with childcare.
All Omegas can get pregnant from male and female Alphas and male Betas, will experience heats and create slick when they’re turned on, so penetration is easier.
Male Omegas grow a womb during their puberty and their semen doesn’t contain any sperm, which means they can’t impregnate anyone.
Female Omegas tend to be curvier than female Betas and male Omegas. Their heats tend to be more intense than for male Omegas and they’re very fertile during it.
Pheromones
Everyone in this world creates pheromones , which are personal scent signatures. Alphas and Omegas tend to have stronger pheromones and also react stronger to them, while Betas have weaker and more neutral pheromones.
When someone’s pheromones spike, especially unexpectedly or at high levels, it’s called perfuming , which can be awkward and uncomfortable.
Openly smelling someone’s pheromones, especially when you do it from well within their personal space and the other person isn’t someone you know well, is seen as very rude (and it’s still rude even if you do know them well).
Scent match/fated mate
A scent match is when someone’s pheromones are so attractive that you can’t walk away from them, finding your scent match is also referred to as finding your fated mate . This is the person that you ‘belong’ with.
A scent match isn’t required for a relationship but is often seen as desirable especially for Alphas and Omegas.
Pair bonding/pack bonding
People in this world live as pairs (two people or in rare cases three people) or in packs (which can range from four to eight or more people). Most people tend to stay with the type of family dynamic that they’ve grown up with, as that’s what they know, but they don’t have to. A pack can be made up of any combination of Alphas, Betas and Omegas.
If someone becomes part of a bond type that doesn’t match well with them, they suffer mental and physical distress. An Omega who’s best suited for a pack bond but is in a pair bond might struggle to calm down during a heat because there aren’t enough bonds for them, while an Omega who’s more suited for a pair bond but is in a pack bond will often push their body past their limits to accommodate the extra bonds.
Scent matches or fated mates are more important for pack bonds as clashing scents often leads to infighting among Alphas, which can have deadly results.
Bonds between Alphas and Omegas are usually made official when the Alpha bites the Omega, often called a bond mark or a marking bite .
Breaking a bonded pair causes distress for both parties involved (and in the case this happens within a pack also for the other pack members), poor mental and physical health that can last a lifetime and can in extreme cases result in death.
Heat/rut/knots
Omegas go into heat , which means that their bodies are primed to be impregnated. This lasts multiple days and during that time their pheromones are unstable and they usually won’t want to leave their nest.
Alphas go into rut , a state where their only focus is on impregnating their Omega (though, anyone will do in a pinch if they’re desperate). Most of the time, an Alpha’s rut is triggered by their Omega’s heat, but they can happen randomly, especially during their teens or if they’ve been away from their Omega for too long.
While an Alpha is in a rut, they can knot someone, which locks them together and will increase the chances of a pregnancy.
Outside of a heat, the chance of an Omega becoming pregnant is negligible and if an Alpha doesn’t knot an Omega their chances of impregnating them are similar to a Betas.
Suppressants/pheromone masking
There are various suppressants on the market that help people hide their second gender (often by changing the intensity and type of scent they have) and, for Alphas and Omegas, that help them suppress their heats or ruts.
Depending on the severity of the suppressant, these might have negative side effects, ranging from a stuffy nose or slight discomfort to permanently altered heat or rut cycles or a total lack or overwhelming severity of pheromones.
Pheromone masking items are often used by Alphas and Omegas when they’re trying to hide their designation. These aren’t as strong as suppressants, but also carry fewer side effects.
In general, these come as shampoo, body wash, deodorant, perfume and things like that but there are also for example pheromone masking cigarettes. People use what they’re most comfortable with.