More London Lennox Omegaverse
In Solstice Bay, there”s only one rule for omegas.
If you aren”t marked then you aren”t claimed.
But if you can find a way to get marked without the bite…without the mating claim?
Then at least you”re a little bit free.
That”s where Enclave Ink comes in.
It”s been a long trip to the Enclave, and I have this sinking feeling that my suppressants are about to run out. We”re running low on stock—we, meaning the small group of omegas I”ve been staying with for the past year, since I ran away from my family—and they”re relying on me to save them.
The tattooists at the Enclave are our last hope.
Which means I have to succeed.
I keep my head down as I head toward the only tattoo parlor in town that will ink unmated omegas, a hood over my short pink hair and my hands shoved in my pockets. I wear long sleeves to hide my unmarked arms; layers to mask my scent to any alphas around.
The bell chimes as I push open the door to the tattoo parlor, the familiar scent of ink and antiseptic hitting me as I step inside. The walls are covered in artwork, from fierce dragons to delicate flowers, and I can”t help but admire the skill of the artists.
”Hey there,” a voice calls out from behind the counter. I look over to see a woman with a shaved head and tattoos snaking up her arms, her nose ring glinting in the light.
”Hi,” I say softly, approaching the counter. ”I was wondering if I could get a tattoo?”
The woman eyes me up and down, taking in my concealed scent. I can tell she”s already onto me; I”m twenty-three, unmated, and it”s hard to miss the signs when I”m in an enclosed space with someone, especially since I haven”t been able to afford suppressants lately. ”You got ID?”
”I lost it,” I whisper, hoping they won”t recognize me from newspaper pictures. My family…they”re doing everything they can to try and find me.
I try to remember the pass code I saw in the hidden omega forums last night. We”re supposed to tell them that Eve sent us—a fictional character meant to symbolize all omegas. ”Um…Eve sent me?”
The woman arches an eyebrow, clearly amused. ”Eve, huh? Alright, let”s see what she sent me.” She reaches under the counter and pulls out a tablet, tapping away at it before handing it over to me. ”Sign in here and I”ll know if you”re telling the truth.”
I take the tablet from her, my heart racing as I input the pass code. A green checkmark pops up on the screen, and the woman nods. ”Alright, Eve sent you. What do you want?”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what”s to come. ”I want a tattoo on my neck,” I say, pulling my hair back to show her the spot. ”A small one, just a symbol.”
She studies me for a second. ”You want a claiming mark?”
I nod. ”That”s the one.”
She tilts her head and gestures over her shoulder. ”Follow me.”
I take a deep breath and follow her, my heart pounding in my chest. We pass through a door to a back room, where the scent of ink is even stronger. There”s a tall, muscular alpha with messy dark hair sitting in a chair, his loose tank top showing off tattooed arms and a muscled back. He turns to look at me as we enter, his green eyes narrowing in suspicion.
”This is Phoenix,” the tattoo artist says, nodding at the alpha. ”He”ll be doing your tattoo.”
This doesn”t seem like a good sign. I didn”t think there would be any alphas here, and I gulp at the sight of him.
He”s scary.
And…he smells amazing.
That”s chemistry, though—and it drives me crazy. This tattoo won”t do anything to stop me from getting horny every time I”m around an alpha.
Phoenix stands up, towering over me. ”You sure about this?” he says, his voice low. ”We just have to check before we tattoo you—the ink has synthetic pheromones in it that will make it seem like you”re already mated. You won”t be able to find a pack once it”s done, unless you get it removed.”
”I know,” I say softly, trying not to tremble in fear. Sure, it would be nice to have a pack of my own, and I used to fantasize about it…but that was before I grew up, before my first heat.
Before I realized this world isn”t fair to omegas like me.
”I need this,” I tell him, my voice quiet. ”I can”t live my life like this anymore.”
Phoenix studies me for a long moment, then nods. ”Alright. What design do you want?”
I hadn”t even thought about that. I swallow hard.
”I don”t care,” I tell him. ”Just do it.”
”Take a seat,” he says.
I sit down in his chair, my shoulders rigid, and I watch as Phoenix goes over to a table and pulls on a pair of black latex gloves. He”s covered in tattoos—and, I notice, he doesn”t have a claiming mark of his own.
”You aren”t packed up?” I ask.
”Fuck no,” he mutters, glancing over his shoulder. ”In my line of work…claiming an omega would be dangerous. Not enough alphas in Solstice Bay to protect an omega from our enemies.”
I gulp. ”You have a lot of enemies?”
”You don”t want to know,” he says, his voice low and dangerous. ”Now, let”s get this over with.”
He turns back to the table and begins mixing ink, his movements quick and precise. I watch him work, mesmerized by his skill.
”You”re good,” I say quietly. ”I”ve never seen anyone work like you.”
He grunts in response, not looking up from his task. ”I”ve been doing this for a long time. Don”t flatter me, omega.”
I flinch at the word, but say nothing. He”s right—I am an omega, and there”s no getting around that. Not in this town, at least.
Phoenix finishes mixing the ink and turns back to me, holding up the tattoo gun.
”Ready?” he asks.
I nod, my heart beating fast. This is it—the moment when I”ll be marked forever.
But just as he”s about to press the needle to my skin, a loud crash sounds from the parlor”s lobby.
Phoenix curses under his breath and sets the tattoo gun down. ”Stay here,” he orders me, before stalking out of the room to see what”s going on.
I sit there, heart pounding as I try to calm myself down. I can hear muffled voices from the lobby, and then the sound of someone being thrown against the wall. I bite my lip, wondering if I should go help, but I know better. I”m just an omega—I wouldn”t stand a chance against whoever is causing the commotion out there.
After what seems like an eternity, Phoenix finally comes back into the room, his face grim. ”We have to go,” he says, grabbing my arm. ”Now.”
”What”s going on?” I ask, as he leads me out through the back exit of the parlor.
”It”s a raid,” he says, pulling me along behind him. ”The ACB found out about this place.”
My heart beats wildly in my chest. The ACB—the Alpha Control Bureau—is the organization that enforces omega subservience.
”How?” I stammer.
”Were you followed?”
I think back to my trip here. Fuck…I probably was. Without suppressants, my scent must have been all over those streets.
”I don”t think so,” I whisper. ”I tried not to, but—”
”There”s no time to explain,” he says. ”Come with me.”
I don”t know where he”s taking me, but I let him pull me along, my heart racing. We run through dark alleys, down side streets, and across empty parking lots. Every sound makes me jump, and my mind races with thoughts of what will happen if we get caught.
Finally, he pulls me into a small apartment building, leading me up a flight of stairs and into a cramped studio apartment.
”Wait here,” he says, gesturing to the couch. ”I have to make some phone calls.”
I sit down nervously, my eyes darting around the room. It”s a mess—clothes and empty takeout containers are scattered across the floor, and the only furniture is a sagging couch and a rickety coffee table. But it”s a haven, at least for now.
Phoenix disappears into a back room, and I wait anxiously for him to return. My mind races with thoughts of what will happen next—will we be able to escape, and what will happen to the Enclave?
As I wait, I can”t help but think about Phoenix. He”s scary, sure, but there”s something alluring about him. Maybe it”s the way his muscles bulge under his shirt, or the way his tattoos crisscross his skin. Maybe it”s the way his scent fills the room, or the way his eyes seem to see right through me.
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Now is not the time to be thinking about alphas—especially not one as dangerous as Phoenix.
But as I sit there, waiting for him to return, I can”t help but feel drawn to him. And when he finally comes back into the room, his phone still in his hand, I can”t help but feel a jolt of desire shoot through me.
My stomach twists and cramps in a way that”s too familiar.
A way omegas always feel when they”re around a powerful alpha.
But now isn”t the time.
”We have to leave,” he says, looking at me with serious eyes. ”The Enclave”s been compromised.”
”What does that mean?” I ask, standing up from the couch.
”It means we have to get to a safehouse,” he says. ”This has happened before…but I”m sorry you”re caught up in it.”
I nod, my heart still racing. ”I understand.”
Phoenix leads me out of the apartment, his hand tight on my wrist as we move quickly through the streets. I try to keep up with his long strides, but it”s hard—my legs are shaking and my heart is pounding in my chest.
I”d better not be going into heat…but Phoenix”s pheromones are doing something to me.
As we run, I can”t help but think about the tattoo I was supposed to get. It feels like a missed opportunity—I could have been marked as mated, finally free from being pursued by alphas who think I belong to them.
But now, with the Enclave compromised, that dream feels like even more of a fantasy. I don”t know what”s going to happen to us—to me, or to Phoenix, or to any of the other omegas in the Enclave. All I know is that I”m scared, and that the only person I have to rely on is the alpha beside me.
We run for what feels like hours, finally arriving at a rundown motel on the outskirts of town. Phoenix leads me to a room at the end of a long, dimly lit hallway, and unlocks the door with a key that he pulls from his pocket.
”We”ll be safe here for now,” he says, pushing me inside the room.
It”s small and dingy, with a musty smell that makes my nose wrinkle. But it”s better than being on the street, and I”m grateful for Phoenix”s protection.
”I”ll go get us some food,” he says, looking at me with a hint of concern. ”Don”t leave this room, no matter what.”
I nod, feeling a little bit like a prisoner. I”m used to being confined, of course—as an omega, I can”t exactly walk freely without attracting the wrong kind of attention. But being confined to this tiny room, with no idea what”s going on outside, is a different kind of confinement.
He turns to go, and I raise my voice. ”Wait!” I say. ”Where are you going?”
He looks back at me. ”Look, I…shit. I don”t even know your name.”
I swallow hard. ”Olivia.”
”Olivia..” he takes a step toward me, but heat simmers between us—and he thinks better of it and stops. ”Look, Ember. I know you”re scared. But I”m gonna take care of you, okay?”
”I don”t mean to be offensive,” I say, ”but…why should I trust you?”
Phoenix”s eyes darken, and for a moment, I”m almost afraid of him. But then he takes a deep breath and looks at me with a softer expression.
”Because I”m an alpha,” he says, his voice low. ”And as much as the world may try to make you think otherwise, that means something. I know I”m not perfect—I”ve done things I”m not proud of. But I can promise you this: I won”t let anything happen to you.”
His words send a shiver down my spine, and I can feel my body responding to his alpha pheromones. Part of me wants to run to him, to seek comfort in his embrace. But another part of me knows that I can”t trust him—not completely.
”Okay,” I say finally, after a long moment. ”I”ll trust you.”
He nods, seeming relieved, and turns to go. ”I”ll be back soon,” he calls over his shoulder.
And then he leaves me alone…with desire roiling in my gut.
This isn”t gonna be easy.
Read the Complete Trilogy, featuring heats, tattoos, and a revolution:
SOLSTICE BAY INKVERSE