Omegalomaniac

by ace_pawgchamp

Summary:

Okay, so I've officially lost my mind during all this social distancing and I have way too much time on my hands. So here you go, I've created a monster. I think Alpha/Omega fics can be cute if I'm in the right mood for it. I'm delving into a side of this ship that has not yet been touched, I'm bringing them into the Omegaverse. I might go to Hell for this, but I regret nothing.
If you don't like this pairing or you're not into gay smut or Alpha/Omega fics then please do not read! Thank you.

Chapter 1: Man or a Monster

Notes:

The first few chapters are going to be pretty short as I'm mainly just world building and changing a few major plot events to fit the A/B/O dynamics of the AU before I get to the juicy stuff.

The fire-haired beta stormed away and the blonde omega looked back down at his feet. Omegas were taught not to look an alpha in the eyes as an act of submission. Jack hated the social hierarchy and thought the alphas didn’t deserve the submission of the omegas they cast aside into poverty, but the behavior was drilled into him socially and genetically. The raven-haired alpha gazed down at the betas and omegas herded on the lower deck. Jack could feel the strange alpha’s presence like an electric current running up his spine. He fought the urge to glare back at the alpha, his figure still looming in the corner of his vision. Eventually, he conceded to his curiosity.

The doe-eyed Omega peeked up at the alpha on the top deck. His scent was so strong that it made his heart quicken, even from all the way down below on the third class deck. None of the other omegas seemed to be affected by his presence, barely even acknowledging him. The alpha glanced down over the railing, his dark eyes meeting the curious omega's. He glared and curled his lip as if he were disgusted by the omega, and then shoved his hands into the pockets of his silky, blue coat and stormed away. The omega's stomach dropped in disappointment at the expression on the alpha's face. No, wait. Why do I care what he thinks? He's just another prick of an alpha looking down on all of us. Fuck him!

 

"Is something bothering you?" Rose asked venomously as Cal sat back down at the table.

"Those omegas should be on suppressants," he fumed, lighting a cigarette to calm his racing heart before anyone else noticed how he'd let a third class omega get to him.

"There are quite a lot of them down there, eh? Maybe I'll have to go see what kinds of services they offer, if you know what I mean," one of the older men joked.

Rose rolled her eyes. As a beta, she'd never understand why pheromones drove alphas and omegas so crazy. They were human beings and not dogs after all, so why couldn't they control themselves? If it were up to her, the entitled alphas should be the ones on pheromone suppressants. Their constant pining over the omegas who they marginalized and mistreated was disgusting. She was glad to be a beta, having some amount of free will over her biology. Unfortunately, the male alphas in her life still had all the power.

At least one other person at the table wasn’t amused by the heated talk of omegas. Molly glared at the alpha men in disappointment. She was one of the only alphas with a decent head on her shoulders, probably in part because she was one of the few female alphas and because she had a child of her own. Alphas were known to relax their “urges” after mating and having children.

---

It was the same omega from earlier in the afternoon. If he weren't so blinded by rage he would have recognized the strong scent of vanilla and lavender immediately. He scrunched up his nose but stood up straight and marched right up to the omega.

"Omegas like you should be locked up," Cal ranted. "You can't control yourself so you go after a beta," he clicked his tongue. "It's disgusting,"

"Do you need heat suppressants, lad? We can get you some at the infirmary..." the sergeant asked, his voice softer than Cal's when addressing the omega.

"What-no, I'm not in heat!" The omega exclaimed.

This one was feisty. Some alphas liked the chase, and the thrill of breaking a bratty omega. But Cal preferred to cut to the chase. There was no point in playing games or catching feelings. Omegas’ only role in society was to serve alphas. It was their own faults they tried to step out of line and demand the same rights as alphas. The nerve! Even betas didn’t blatantly demand the same rights as alphas. If the omegas had only remembered their place they could have at least had comfortable lives. But instead they chose to rebel and paid the price for it.

The sergeant placed a hand on the omega's forehead even though the omega shied away. He grunted, "Well, you're definitely not warm," he said disappointedly. No doubt, a part of him hoped he could’ve taken the fair, young omega if he’d happened to be in heat.

Gross old man, Jack thought, glaring at the alphas and betas surrounding him. None of their scents were inviting except for one...but even his was bitter with anger.

 

Rose pulled the furious alpha away. Jack shifted uncomfortably as they moved farther from him. He didn’t like being left alone with the perverted old alpha, and even worse, a part of him wanted to reach out for the tall, raven-haired alpha whose scent was so enticing.

“Should I take him...” the taller beta started.

“Just wait!” Cal barked back.

“You really think an omega attacked me?” Rose asked. She was annoyed, but even more so enraged that her fiancée thought her weak enough to be overpowered by an omega.

“He’s a male omega...”

“Look at him! I could’ve taken him out in an instant. I know you don’t like it, but you know my alpha allele is stronger than most female betas’,” Rose argued. She was taller, had a larger bust, and wider hips than most female betas, including her mother whose omega allele was definitely more prominent. “You underestimate me, Alpha” she hissed. Addressing the alpha as “Alpha” was always a surefire way to stroke his ego.

Cal rolled his eyes. “Ok, fine. You’re right, he’s kind of a whelp,”

Rose nodded. “Don’t think I didn’t see you drooling over him. Your scent was all over the place,”

“Are you sure it wasn’t those perverts?” Cal nudged his head towards the old men still hovering over the poor omega.

Rose scoffed. “Yeah, but I recognize yours. Anyway, you should get that poor omega away from them before they end up getting locked up for sexual assault,”

“Let him go,” Cal waved at the other alphas to uncuff the omega.

“Are you sure...” the sergeant started, unwilling to let the omega go so soon.

“Yes,” Cal sighed painfully, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. The omega’s scent spiked again as he walked closer. Damn this omega, he cursed to himself.

---

The new omega was attracting a lot of attention on the first class decks, although he seemed to be impervious to it. Like most omegas, he hadn’t spent too much time—if any at all— around alphas. He must’ve been warned about getting too close to them; all omegas were taught from a young age to conceal themselves around alphas, if not to avoid them altogether. There were no alphas living in the slums, though, so all that preparation rarely went into effect.

Rose was surprised that her omega companion seemed to be unfazed by the disapproving glares of beta wives and the feral stares of their alphas as they passed by. He either truly doesn’t care, or he’s oblivious, she wondered. She, herself, was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her head up and ignore their judgmental gazes. Part of the reason she was able to fight the urge to escape was the instinctual drive to protect the omega. Obviously, this omega was capable of fending for himself, yet Rose still felt responsible for him while he was with her. I mean, if something happened to him, if one of these alphas lost control and attacked him, it would technically be my fault…and he did save my life, so I can’t let that happen. She tried to justify her conflicted feelings towards the beautiful, blond omega.

“All these alphas keep staring at you like you’re something to eat, did you notice that?” she finally asked as they leaned against side of the ship.

The omega turned his head to the side like a puppy. “No,” he said innocently, a look of confusion and concern crossing his face at once.

Rose shook her head and couldn’t help but smile. “You should really be careful,” she laughed. “I know you probably haven’t been around too many alphas before, but…” she eyed him up and down. He was short, but not too short, thin, but lean, and so soft, yet so handsome. He had to know. He had to have been told before that an omega as pretty as him had to constantly watch his back.

“I didn’t get the same pep-talks most omegas get from their parents and teachers as a kid,” he said somberly. “I mean, my parents died when I was just starting to scent, and then I had to leave school and work,”

Rose moved closer to the omega, but didn’t touch him. “I’m sorry,” she said, her heart aching for the poor omega. She wished she could do something for him, but she wasn’t a rich alpha who could take him in as a mate. She looked out at the setting sun over the ocean and sighed, wishing she had more power. If it were up to her she wouldn’t be marrying. If it were up to her she would adopt the omega as her own mate in an instant. If it were her in Cal’s place…well, the other alphas wouldn’t be staring in judgement, they would be staring at her in envy.

“Well, it’s ok,” Jack shrugged it off like it was nothing, the silence making him uncomfortable.

“So, you never looked for an alpha?” she asked curiously.

“Well no,” Jack laughed. “There are no alphas in the slums. Most of us don’t want to give up that part of our freedom anyway,”

“Give up your freedom,” Rose echoed. She nodded, understanding completely. “I wouldn’t want to either,” she sighed heavily.

“Then why are you?” he asked sincerely.

Rose faced him and shook her head, grinning at his naivety. “Money, status, a chance at an alpha son,” she listed, shrugging as if it were all the obvious choice. But she knew no other way. As a beta, she had a chance at all of that as long as she married an alpha and kept her line going, which she fully intended to do.

“Having an alpha child really matters to you all that much, huh?” Jack asked viciously. Rose recoiled at the tone he started using with her. She took up straight again and furrowed her brow at him, her fist balling at her side as if she wanted to hit him for speaking like that to her. What’s coming over me? she thought, rubbing her head as the urge faded almost as quickly as it had started.

“I mean, yes,” Rose stared at her feet. She knew it was important, she knew it shouldn’t matter above her own happiness, but she believed so strongly in achieving that goal that she wasn’t sure if it was because of the expectations placed on her by her community or because an innate sense of instinct. Her confusion made her frustrated, as if she weren’t already agonizing enough! “I suppose it is important to me, and I don’t like the tone you’re using with me, omega,” she said in a scolding tone.

Jack blinked at her in response, but nodded quickly and didn’t say anything else. He averted his eyes to a distant point to her side, feeling like her eyes were too hard to look at. It was the omega in him telling him to submit. Jeesh, she’s not even an alpha…He forced himself to look her right in the eyes, even though it felt like staring into the sun. She looked as if she were challenging him.

The dinner bells rang and Rose snapped out of her stare. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “I’d better go now,” she took Jack’s hand. “I’ll walk you back first, though. You shouldn’t walk around up here alone,”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Jack laughed nonchalantly, as if she were exaggerating the threat he was under.

“You’re far too naive for your own good,” she grumbled.

“Well, that’s lucky for you, you know,” Jack teased. She smiled at him weakly. He was right about that. Stepping out of his place to approach a beta of as high a status as hers was definitely something the skittish, shy omegas would never have done. She owed him her life. So why can’t I give it to him?

“Jack,” she stopped walking and put a hand to his cheek. His skin was soft like a child’s. “I wish I was an alpha so I could take you with me and give you the world,”

“Don’t feel like you owe me,” he started.

“I know I don’t owe it to you,” she said softly, knowing that she owed it to herself to have a relationship in her life that wasn’t as cold and her engagement. She wasn’t one to be controlled, wasn’t one who wanted to be taken care of like a dolled up omega. She didn’t want to submit to an alpha, she wanted to live like one. She was so close…she had all the defining physical features of a female alpha…everything an alpha had except for the scent.

Before Jack could form an answer, they were approached by an alpha, a beta, and an omega. Rose stepped several paces back and placed her hands neatly behind her back, donning a composed smile.

“Rose, what are you doing all the way over here? You’re going to be late,” the beta asked in a shrill voice.

“I’m taking this omega back to his cabin,” she answered.

The beta smirked so hard she nearly snarled. “Don’t bother with omegas. Come on,”

Rose didn’t move. “Mother,” she warned. “This is the omega that saved me last night,”

All three women squinted at the doll-faced omega.

“Really?” the beta gasped, giving the omega a quick once over. “He doesn’t look like much,”

“Mother!” Rose snapped through gritted teeth.

The other omega stared at Jack from behind the alpha. Her small frame was nearly concealed by the larger alpha, but she smiled weakly at the other omega. Her skin was pale, made even paler by the contrast of her brunette hair. Now, that rich, mated omega looked skittish.

“Well, I guess I should thank you, then,” her mother sighed.

“Now go on, guys, I should really make sure my omega friend can get somewhere safe. I’ll join you all in a minute,” Rose said in an entrancing voice that made her mother and the omega start off towards the dining room.

“Hey,” the alpha waited a few seconds after the other two women had walked away. “Son, you should really be careful up here. Way too much pent-up alpha hormones,” she said, leaning towards Jack.

She reached out her hand and introduced herself to the omega. She beamed up at him, he reminded her of her own son, a tall, skinny beta with shaggy hair. She felt the urge to protect this young omega like a child. She took his hand gently and held it in between hers.

“You’re…not like the rest of them,” Jack said.

Molly laughed heartily. “No, I’m a female alpha,”

He nodded, “Rare,” he smiled at her. Her eyes radiated back comfort. Her scent was warm and bold, like chocolate and cinnamon.

“Yeah, well, we are special. Female alphas tend to be more motherly than, well, for lack of a better word, violent,” she laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners when she smiled. “Plus, I’ve already bred children. Kids tend to mellow female alphas out even more. If you ask me, the empathy is something the males could use, too,”

Jack smiled and nodded, still holding the soothing alpha’s hands. He’d never met any alphas before the previous night, and he definitely hadn’t met one of the rare, prolific female alphas.

“We’d better be going, or else my mother will have a fit. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Rose said as she left

Chapter 2: Earned It

Notes:

Sorry for the wait, but I'm back with updates! I'm working on three different fics at once and taking summer classes (why do I do this to myself?), so be patient with me lol. Also, this chapter is almost 100% porn.

**This chapter takes place when Jack is cuffed to the pipes, so assume everything happened according to the movie up until this part**

“What do you want?” Jack snapped as Cal stepped into the room. Cal sneered, slowly stepping towards the chained Omega with his hands folded neatly behind his back.

“You’ve been a lot of trouble,” Cal shook his head. He walked forward until he was standing just a few feet in front of Jack.

Jack’s lip curled, “Get away from me, you bastard,” he hissed. He moved back, but Cal stepped closer, testing both their limits.

“Aw, come on, sweetheart, don’t be like that,” Cal cooed, reaching out to touch Jack’s cheek. Jack lurched back as far as he could, the handcuffs bruising his pale skin.

Cal grabbed the front of Jack’s shirt and pulled him close to his face. “You little bitch,” Cal growled through gritted teeth. “Whores like you need to learn your place,”

Jack spat at Cal’s face and Cal growled deeply and shoved Jack back against the pipes. Jack gasped as the cold metal knocked the breath out of him. Cal leaned over him, grabbing him by the shoulders. Fear flashed across Jack’s face until he regained his poker face.

“Don’t fucking test me, Omega,” Cal warned, his voice deep. “You keep your filthy little paws to yourself. What were you thinking taking a Beta, my Beta?”

“She’s not yours,” Jack fumed, his restrained wrists clenching. “She’s her own person capable of making her own decisions…she’s a Beta…”

“Exactly, she’s a Beta!” Cal retorted. “You have no place taking advantage of her, you’re an Omega. Do you have any idea how defiling that is?”

“Defiling to who? Her or you?” Jack’s voice trembled with rage.

Cal slapped Jack across his face. The sound echoing through the empty room. Jack gasped, his head jerked to the side with the blow, pressing his other cheek against the cold metal pipe. He blinked in surprise, his face burning. Before he could think of a comeback, Cal lifted him up by the collar again.

“Omegas exist for one thing and one thing only,” Cal spat. He gripped Jack’s soft blond hair in between his fingers and pulled, making Jack whimper. “You don’t fuck Betas, you don’t fuck Alphas…you get fucked,”

Cal pulled Jack closer to him. Jack strained his neck and stared intensely at the wall to avoid making eye contact with Cal. Cal pressed his lips to Jack’s neck. The Omega’s scent was suddenly stronger, the sour scent of fear gone. Cal was so close…it was intoxicating. If he didn’t have such a floral, inviting smell Cal would have been choking on it it was so overpowering, but instead he couldn’t get enough of it.

Jack squirmed underneath Cal. He responded but pushing Jack back against the pipe again, gripping the side of his face tightly in one palm. Jack tried, but he wasn’t strong enough to throw Cal. Cal leaned in closer and closer until his full weight was on top of Jack. The small of Jack’s back was pinned against the pipe, and his chest crushed underneath Cal’s.

Cal started licking and sucking at Jack’s neck, unable to control himself. Jack’s scent was strong and intoxicating, and it tasted even better.

Jack couldn’t have been more confused. What the hell is he doing? he thought. The sensation against his scent gland sent tingles throughout his entire body. He felt his cheeks flush, “C-Cal,” he gasped, biting back a moan.

“You smell so good,” Cal said softly into the crook of Jack’s neck. He didn’t sound like himself, he didn’t even sound angry anymore.

Cal’s head un-fogged and he pulled back, realizing that he was getting close to making a mistake he couldn’t take back. His Alpha instincts pushed him to bite the Omega’s ripe neck and claim him. Cal had never felt this strongly or been overcome by instinct around an Omega before. He hadn’t spent much time around Omegas at all, and the ones he had were either mated or on heat suppressant drugs so their scent wasn’t as potent. I can’t believe they just run around like this, Cal thought in disgust.

He wedged his knee in between Jack’s legs and loomed over Jack’s trembling body. He closed his hand around the Omega’s slender neck until Jack let out a muffled cry. “You’re nothing but a cheap whore,” Cal growled, watching the Omega squirm beneath him.

Cal let go of Jack’s neck and whipped himself away from the boy. Jack bent over and coughed, gasping to catch his breath. His knees trembled, but as his wrists were tied above him he could not fall to the floor. His ears rang as blood rushed back to his head. He looked up at Cal, who watched him closely from the other side of the room. He hung his head as the room tilted and his vision started to turn white around the edges.

“What’s wrong with you?” Cal hissed, his pupils dilating as he watched the distressed Omega below him. He felt drawn towards the Omega, like an invisible rope tied them together. It took almost all of his willpower just to hold himself back.

Jack’s head was swimming, and he was hot…he was so hot. “Cal?” he whispered, blinking up at the Alpha. Fear struck him in the chest. Something was wrong. He must be sick. But with what? His body felt like it was melting, his skin was tingling, and his head felt heavy in between his strained arms. He bent forward as much as he could, his wrists hanging limp in the handcuffs above him. “It’s…so hot,” he panted.

“There’s no heating down here, and it’s freezing tonight,” Cal said warily. Right after the words left his mouth he pieced it together, a smirk growing on his face. “Look at that, you’re in heat,” he growled, kneeling in front of the Omega. He took Jack’s chin in his hand and lifted his face up. Jack’s baby blue eyes were glossed over and his cheeks were bright pink, his soft golden hair and fair skin seemed to glow.

“Impossible! I’ve never been in heat!” Jack snapped. “I’m not-I-I can’t be…” Jack panted, his heart pounding. “But I’ve never-I haven’t…”

“You’ve never been in heat,” Cal clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, “Of course not. Then what were you thinking throwing yourself in between so many Alphas. Didn’t you know this might happen?” he asked the boy patronizingly.

“N-no, I’m not…” Jack stammered, but Cal shushed him by moving his fingers over his lips.

“Your scent is all over the place, you’re running a fever…” Cal paused, lifting his eyebrow in curiosity. He stood up quickly, pulling Jack upright with him by the collar of his shirt. He was able to lift Jack with nearly no effort, energy surging through his body. Cal turned Jack around and bent him over the pipe. He kicked his legs apart and pulled his pants down over his round ass. Cal gripped Jack’s ample cheek with one hand and inserted his finger into his puckered hole with his other hand. Sure enough, Jack was soaking wet.

“Nnnhn,” Jack squirmed. “Cal…” he half whimpered half moaned as Cal’s fingers moved deeper inside of him, eliciting more slick to drip between his thighs. His stomach fluttered with arousal as Cal’s fingers hit a soft, velvety spot deep within Jack. Jack yelped and lurched forward.

“You’re so wet,” Cal watched the slick run down Jack’s thighs and salivated. He gripped the boy’s inner thigh and knelt down to lick the slick from his soft skin. Jack shuddered, his knees trembling. He couldn’t deny that his whole body was aching for the Alpha. Cal’s scent was much stronger than he’d ever noticed before. Jack wanted to press his face into Cal’s neck like he’d just done to him, but Cal had him pinned down over the pipe.

“Cal!” Jack cried, pulling himself out of his stupor. “S-stop, we can’t…”

“Sure we can,” Cal purred, still pinching and squeezing Jack’s ass.

“N-no, Cal, I don’t want to do it with you!” Jack cried. “Get a doctor, I need medicine, not you,”

“Well, what if I don’t?” Cal sneered, standing back up. “What if I just left you here by yourself, all tied up like this?”

Jack whimpered as Cal stepped around to the other side of the pipe and faced him.

“What if I told you that was your only other option?” Cal grabbed Jack’s neck and stared down at him intensely. His irises were nearly black and his skin was also hot. His wrists so close to his face nearly made Jack black out.

“Cal, please,” Jack begged.

“Please, what?” Cal teased. “Do you still want me to leave?”

Jack shook his head despite knowing that he would rather be alone and suffer than succumb to letting Cal, of all people, fuck him. But his brain was no longer in control of his body. He wanted Cal closer, he wanted him to…he could barely admit to himself what he wanted Cal to do to him. He averted his eyes from Cal’s. If he had to do this, he could at least try to ignore the fact that it had to be Cal.

Cal smiled mischievously, thinking of everything he could do to Jack while Jack was powerless to fight him. “That’s a good boy,” he whispered as he traced his fingers over Jack’s lips and Jack started sucking on them without any more prodding. “What a good little slut,” he pulled his fingers out of Jack’s mouth and pulled his hair, admiring Jack’s beautiful face and fair body. It was all to be his tonight.

“How about I let you go if you promise to be a good boy and don’t try to run away from your Alpha,” Cal offered, leaning into Jack’s neck again.

Jack nodded weakly and Cal tightened his grip on his hair. “Yes, yes, I won’t run away, I promise,” Jack pleaded desperately. His heart was pounding and his chest was heaving. His body felt hollow, aching to be filled with—Jack couldn’t even bring himself to think the words, but he knew exactly what he wanted—an Alpha’s knot.

“Good boy,” Cal stood up and unlocked Jack’s handcuffs slowly. “The door’s locked anyway,” he added with a smirk.

Once Jack was free he rubbed his sore wrists and peered up at Cal apprehensively. Cal leaned back against the wall. “Come on, Omega,” he ordered.

Pushing his pride aside, he got on his knees and nuzzled his face into Cal’s clothed bulge. He let his carnal desires overtake him, finding it much easier to succumb to it than to fight it. Why was I resisting this again? He breathed in the Alpha’s comforting scent, the ache in the pit of his stomach starting to subside, but he wasn’t near satiated yet. He purred as Cal growled from deep within his chest and entwined his fingers in Jack’s hair.

“You smell good,” Jack said softly,  kissing Cal more through his pants.

“I taste good too,” Cal unbuckled his belt with one hand and Jack eagerly leaned back on his knees and started unzipping Cal’s pants. Jack salivated like he hadn’t eaten in days as Cal pulled out his enormous cock. Jack knew Alphas were bigger…down there, but he’d never seen it before. He blushed and planted his lips around the head shyly, looking up at Cal for reassurance.

“Go on,” Cal urged, pulling Jack closer to him. Jack licked all over Cal’s length, finding that he tasted just as good as he smelled. He took Cal into his mouth as far as he could go and then moved away to lick and suck from the side. It was like tasting candy for the first time and he couldn’t get enough of it.

“God dammit,” Cal cursed, pulling Jack’s head back. It would be no use to knot in his mouth. “Get up,” Cal kicked Jack’s knees and Jack scrambled to his feet. He could feel himself getting wetter as more heat generated between his thighs. Just once…just this once and then he’ll leave, Jack bargained with himself.

“Get on the desk,” Cal ordered, tugging Jack’s wrist behind him. Jack followed him eagerly, his legs moving against his will. Cal pushed him forward onto the desk and pinned his hips down so he couldn’t squirm away.

“I know what you want,” Cal ran his fingers up Jack’s thighs slowly, stopping at the waistband of his pants and then tugging them down hastily, making the Omega jump. Jack’s pants pooled at his feet and Cal kicked one of his legs in so he could remove them from around his ankles. He knelt behind Jack and brought his lips to his aromatic slick that was now running down the insides of his thighs. Jack whimpered, filled with embarrassment and disgust. He squeezed his eyes shut as Cal moved up his thighs and groped his exposed ass. Cal bent over and bit Jack’s plump ass, making Jack yelp in pain.

The shock of it all finally hit Jack. “Cal, stop,” he pleaded. “I don’t want this,”

“Of course you do,” Cal cupped Jack’s erect cock in his hand. “It doesn’t matter what you think,”

“I don’t want it to be with you,” Jack hissed. He started to move, but Cal leaned over top of him and pinned his wrists to the table.

“I’m your only option,” Cal growled. “It’s either me or I leave you in here alone. I’ll even chain you up again so you can’t even take care of yourself. Would you rather ride out your first heat like that?” he threatened, lips only centimeters away from Jack’s neck.

“I can’t just…but what about a doctor?” Jack whimpered helplessly. As much as he hated Cal, he couldn’t stand the thought of being alone right now. The ache in his stomach was coming back strong and the weight of Cal’s body on top of his was making him even wetter.

Cal laughed. “Silly boy,” he wrapped one hand around Jack’s neck, resting his thumb on Jack’s cheek. “The medicine is for Omegas to take before their heat starts, not after it’s already happening,”

Jack’s mouth went dry and his stomach dropped. “I don’t even like you,” he whined.

“It doesn’t matter what you think of me. I’m an Alpha, you’re an Omega. At the end of the day you’re just a slave to your nature, just like all Omegas,”

“This is stupid,” Jack complained, his chest tight with fear and resentment. The scent coming off of Cal’s wrist was the only thing that calmed Jack down, as paradoxical as it was. Cal pressed against the scent gland on Jack’s neck while he scented him. The Omega was getting too flighty and had to be subdued again.

“I have the only thing that can make you feel better, whether you like it or not.” Cal said softly yet menacingly. Jack lay still, finding it impossible to resist with the Alpha’s strong scent acting like a gag. Cal squeezed Jack’s wrist tighter, pressing into his scent gland there as well. This seemed to put the Omega into a daze. He took advantage of Jack’s state and started spreading him out with his fingers, but he was already so wet that he doubted he needed much more preparation.

This seemed to wake the Omega up again. He whimpered and squirmed until Cal pushed his hips back down against the table. “Sshh, stay still,” Cal cooed in the boy’s ear. “Don’t you want to be filled? Do you want me to knot you?”

Jack shivered as Cal pushed a third finger inside of him. Every touch sent electric currents through his body, but it still wasn’t enough. “Please, Alpha,” he panted.

Cal fought to control himself. He wanted this to be perfect. He ripped himself away from Jack, making the Omega whimper needily. “Turn around, I want you on your back,”

Jack quickly stood up and turned around so Cal could help him up onto the desk. Jack spread his legs apart before the Alpha without even thinking twice about it. His desire to be knotted was taking over his body again, dulling his horrified thoughts and forcing him to act on impulse. He didn’t feel like himself anymore, but he’d do anything to make the throbbing ache in his body go away. It was getting worse by the minute.

Cal unbuttoned Jack’s shirt and then nearly ripped it off of him. Jack, at the same time, started pulling at Cal’s shirt buttons, wanting to feel the Alpha’s warm skin against his. The Alpha sensed the Omega’s urgency and he helped him take off his own shirt too. Once they were both completely naked, the Omega purred and nuzzled into the Alpha’s neck while the Alpha kissed the Omega’s pink nipples.

Jack moaned and wrapped his legs around Cal’s waist, his arms already hugging onto Cal tightly. Cal lifted his head to look at the Omega’s angelic face. How lucky he was to take an Omega’s virginity during their first heat. Not even some of the richest Alphas had that opportunity. Let alone with such a gorgeous Omega. Wait until they hear about this…he thought. He kissed the Omega’s soft pink lips and the Omega returned the kiss, eagerly sucking Cal’s bottom lip.

Cal pulled back and took in the sight of the perfectly tamed Omega. He stood up and spread the Omega’s legs apart, pushing one back and resting the other on his shoulder. Jack watched as Cal positioned himself in between his legs and pushed himself through Jack’s slick entrance.

Jack felt like heaven. The hormone-suppressed Omegas Cal had encountered in brothels were nowhere near as exquisite as Jack. Jack’s insides were silky and warm, accommodating Cal’s length willingly with excessive amounts of slick dripping down his thighs. The Omegas Cal was used to were loose from overuse, limp from drug-induced exhaustion, and robotic in their sounds and motions. They mimicked what they believed Alphas wanted to hear and see with no feeling behind it. Most of them probably didn’t feel any pleasure at all from their interactions with Alphas lost in their ruts. They weren’t lush and inviting like Jack. His unblemished skin gave off strong Omega scents, and his hole contracted around Cal’s member, pulling him in and keeping him close.

Jack cried out in feverish pleasure. His head was so foggy, he couldn’t think of anything else but his burning desire to be filled, sated, and knotted by the Alpha. He purred and moaned as Cal moved inside of him with enough force to cause him great pain if he weren’t in heat. He stretched so easily, he had no idea it was physically possible, yet here he was taking all ten inches of Cal’s thick cock and loving every second of it.

Jack’s hands grappled at the edge of the desk, desperate for something to hold onto. “Cal!” he cried in a broken voice. The small part of his brain that wasn’t intoxicated with his own hormones cringed at his rival’s name escaping his lips. He couldn’t deny who Cal was anymore, he wasn’t just any Alpha.

Cal purred deeply and nuzzled his face into Jack’s neck to scent him. Jack’s slender neck stretched out in invitation, whether he was aware of this action or not. He wanted Cal to claim him. Cal licked his lips, the offer compelling. His Alpha instincts told him to claim Jack right then. He couldn’t deny that Jack was a heavenly Omega…that is, when it came to sex. Luckily, he wasn’t in a full blown rut so he was still capable of controlling himself from making the mistake of accidentally bonding with the Omega. They both knew, in their rational minds, that bonding was not to be done with just anyone, let alone an enemy. But at this moment, neither of them smelled like an enemy to the other.

Jack scented Cal back, gladly returning the favor. He purred in delight as he felt Cal’s knot begin to swell inside of him, finally stretching him just enough to send sparks of pain throughout his body. He knew it would only worsen, but even though it stung, it was the only thing that would curb the fire burning in the pit of his stomach. Once again, his heat dulled out and overrode all of his other pain signals.

Cal licked Jack’s tender scent gland as he poured himself into Jack. His knot formed large and throbbing against Jack’s walls, locking them together. Jack whimpered and squirmed underneath him, trying to get comfortable with the foreign feeling. Cal cooed into his neck and nibbled his ear lobe to calm the Omega. Jack’s body shuddered with orgasm that leaked out of him like lava from a volcano. Cal pressed his full weight over Jack, burying his face in the Omega’s soft blond locks. Jack’s grip loosened as he closed his eyes and melted into unconsciousness.

Cal sensed Jack’s slowed breaths as he himself came down from the high. After five minutes of laying on top of an unconscious Jack, Cal’s knot finally receded enough to untangle himself from his lover. He let go of Jack’s limp body and stood up in front of him. Now that his head was clearer, he realized he’d either have to leave Jack here for the duration of his heat, or…

With no time to waste, Cal put his own clothes back on and then delicately dressed Jack’s body as if he were a doll. He slipped the handcuffs back on the Omega’s pale wrists and whispered an apology against his sweet-smelling hair. “I’ll take you somewhere more comfortable,” he said with a sly smile. Even though Jack was out cold, he whimpered softly and nuzzled his face into Cal’s neck as Cal lifted him off the table and into his arms. Jack was surprisingly light for a male of his age. Cal was full of Alpha hormones that drove him to protect the Omega at all costs, a powerful cocktail of adrenaline and testosterone that made him stronger and more alert. However, Cal didn’t doubt that the Omega was also light due to lack of proper nutrition. He could feel the boy’s ribcage and hipbones under his loose clothes.

Cal shifted Jack in his arms so he could knock on the door with the back of his free hand. His Beta bodyguard was waiting right outside the door, making sure the hallway was clear so Cal could do whatever he needed to with Jack. The Beta suspected, but hadn’t actually expected, his employer to try anything sexual with the Omega. Of course, the sounds coming from the locked room made it clear what was happening inside.

Lovejoy opened the door and appeared shocked at the sight of the limp body draped over the Alpha’s arms. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. He had many questions, but it wasn’t his place to ask. It wasn’t hard to piece together what had happened from the disheveled state both of the men were in. Cal’s pupils were dilated so much that his irises appeared black. He shot Lovejoy a glare as he noticed the Beta’s eyes traveling to the Omega’s unevenly buttoned shirt hanging off of his shoulders. The Beta darted his eyes back up to Cal’s and stepped backwards to let the Alpha out of the room.

Lovejoy cleared his throat as he followed Cal down the hall. “What—what do you need?” he asked dryly. As the couple moved past him he caught the heavy floral scent of an Omega in heat. It was an alluring smell, but it didn’t have the same maddening effect on him as it did on Alphas. Alas, he now understood what had happened, clear as day.

“Get my room ready. I want everyone out.” Cal ordered stonily.

“Right away, Sir,” Lovejoy sighed and walked ahead of them to obey his orders. He was afraid to ask, but hoped Cal hadn’t accidentally bonded with that gutter rat of an Omega.

As Cal walked behind his tall Beta valet, he peered down at the sleeping Omega in his arms. His blond hair fell across his face delicately, framing his soft features. His pink lips were slightly parted, and Cal resisted the urge to place his own on top of them. Cal’s heart rate quickened feverishly, the Omega’s heat pheromones sending him into a rut. Jack nuzzled into Cal’s neck in his sleep, whimpering softly as he scented the Alpha. The act made Cal groan so deeply that it sounded more like a growl. He already wanted to knot the Omega again, and take his time this time.

People stared with wide eyes and mouths agape as Lovejoy ordered everyone in the hall to clear a path for Cal and the unconscious Omega in his arms. Cal barely looked at them, clenching his jaw to stop himself from baring his teeth at their prying eyes.

When they finally reached Cal’s room, Lovejoy rapped on the door urgently before bursting inside with Cal at his heels. “Everyone out!” he barked. As if barely any time had passed, the same group who had been present in the small living room before was still there. Everyone whipped their heads around to the trio in shock, but otherwise didn’t budge.

“Get out,” Cal warned, glaring directly at his Beta fiancee. He wanted to see the anger contort her features when she saw her mate in his arms. Anger, betrayal, and grief flashed across her face once again, even stronger now than before Cal had reentered the room. Cal smirked at her before marching towards the bedroom that was already being prepped for them.

“Where are we supposed to go? What is this?” Ruth demanded, following the Alpha like a small dog nipping at its master’s heels. Cal ignored her and let Lovejoy escort her out of the bedroom.

“Don’t worry, we’re going to set you up with a different room,” was all he could tell her.

 

---

 

Jack’s eyes fluttered open hours later. It was dark in the cabin and he couldn’t remember where he was or how he’d gotten there. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and there was a burning ache in the pit of his stomach. He groaned and tried to sit up, but was locked in place with a handcuff around one wrist. He swallowed down his panic and blinked to adjust his eyes to the darkness. He was able to make out that he was in a bed, and that his wrist was cuffed to the bedpost. But it only left him with more questions.

Jack whimpered, tugging at his restraint until his soft skin bruised, trying to lift himself up. His mouth was dry and his skin burned. His clothes felt like sandpaper on his oversensitive skin, and he was so hot that he needed to be freed from them immediately. He squirmed in discomfort, still trying to free his chained wrist, but to no avail. His whimpers grew louder as fear gripped his throat.

The bitter smell of terrified Omega woke Cal. As soon as he heard Jack’s frantic cries and straining against the handcuffs he reached out to comfort him. He climbed over the Omega and whispered soothing words in his ear as he scented him. The smell of the Alpha calmed Jack immediately, even though his body still trembled underneath the Alpha’s warm body.

“Jack,” Cal said, lightly kissing the silky skin of Jack’s neck and lapping at the tastes his pheromones were producing. Jack’s breathing became more even and his tense muscles relaxed into the mattress. “Do you remember what happened?”

Jack hesitated, trying to surface the hazy memories. As soon as he focused, he was able to conjure up the sour memory of Cal accusing him of a framed crime in order to isolate him floors beneath them, where he eventually…Jack swallowed painfully, “You…” he stammered. The memories after Cal came into the room where he was being held were muddled. It had moved so fast, Jack felt like he was watching someone else in his place.

Cal purred, nuzzling back into Jack’s neck to quell the fear that was springing back into him. Jack relaxed, but still felt as though he was doing something wrong.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Cal said in a silky voice. “You’re very lucky I was there with you,”

“I-I’m hot,” Jack whimpered weakly, remembering his burning hot skin trapped underneath unnecessary layers of fabric.

“Sh-sh, I can help you,” Cal climbed off of Jack and helped him out of his clothes. Jack knew he should be more worried about being naked in front of the Alpha, but he was so hot he didn’t care. “Have some water,” Cal lifted Jack’s head off of the pillows enough to tip a cup of cold water between his lips.

Once his temperature and thirst were relieved, Jack became aware of the other sensations that wracked his body. The ache in his stomach turned into a dull vibration as Cal stroked his bare skin. Jack gripped Cal’s wrist with his free hand, meeting the Alpha’s dark eyes. “Let me go,” he pleaded, shaking his wrist that was cuffed to the bedpost.

Cal grinned devilishly. A look of pure evil danced across his face, a hint of the Cal Jack knew. Jack’s heart skipped a beat as Cal leaned over him to unlock the restraint. As soon as Jack’s wrist was free, he held it close to his chest and rubbed the sore skin. Cal pulled Jack’s bruised wrist out of his clutch and brought it to his lips. He traced the bruises over Jack’s scent gland, feeling the Omega’s pulse between his lips. Something stirred inside of him feeling like he held Jack’s life in between his teeth. He smirked, his eyes flashing with something demonic, at the paralyzed Omega beneath him, completely at his mercy.

Cal nibbled lightly at the Omega’s wrist scent gland, yearning for more. The primal desires in him wanted to bite Jack’s neck and claim him, but the sanity that he miraculously managed to hold onto kept him from doing so.

Jack couldn’t move even though he was terrified. Cal’s hungry eyes threatened him, but his actions sated him. Jack was caught between his biology and his rationality. His brain screamed at him to run as far away from the sadistic Alpha as possible, but his body wouldn’t let him. Even worse, his body was against him. He felt a hot wetness in between his legs as he breathed in the Alpha’s musky scent. Along with the wetness came the undeniable burn in his stomach and an ache in his groin. He groaned as Cal seated himself in between Jack’s legs, spreading him open and positioning him like a rag doll.

“There’s nothing you can do now, baby,” he cooed, tracing his thumb over Jack’s chin. Acting on impulse, Jack parted his lips and took Cal’s fingers into his mouth. Cal preened at the boy’s obedience. “You get to be mine while you’re in heat. I could’ve just left you alone and in pain, but I chose to stay and help you,” Cal clicked his tongue. “What a lucky boy you are,”

Jack glared up at Cal, annoyed with his teasing even though his mind couldn’t place why those exact words stirred such feelings of resentment in him. Jack bit down on one of Cal’s fingers impatiently. Unfazed, Cal pulled his fingers out of Jack’s mouth and instead pushed them into his sodden entrance. Unable to control his body, Jack arched his back off the bed and moaned as Cal worked him with three fingers.

Jack’s entire body pulled Cal in, begged him for more. Cal pushed his satin night bottoms off and positioned his entire body over Jack’s. Jack wrapped his legs around Cal’s waist and laced his fingers through Cal’s dark hair. Jack surrendered to his body again, letting his heat possess him for the time being. He pulled Cal closer to him so they were chest to chest. Purring, he kissed and licked Cal’s lips eagerly until the older man allowed him access to his mouth. Cal smirked in satisfaction as he kissed Jack deeply, their tongues finding each other. Jack was becoming even more impatient, nipping at Cal’s bottom lip playfully in between kisses.

Cal lined himself up with Jack’s entrance. Even the feeling of Cal barely breaching him made Jack moan. Cal chuckled as he pushed himself inside of Jack and Jack bucked his hips to take more of him, his heels digging into Cal’s back. As soon as Cal was surrounded by Jack’s liquid warmth, he lost himself to the will of his nature.

 

---

 

Sunlight now streamed into the bedroom, illuminating the pair in soft grey light. Over the night, their eyes had adjusted to the dark, so the light was no longer needed. However, Cal noted the now visible bruises and bite marks that covered his Omega’s fair skin, all his doing.

Cal had knotted Jack countless times during the night. Their needs were insatiable for those first several hours, neither of them keen on stopping even after multiple orgasms. Jack rocked himself back and forth lazily over Cal’s growing knot. He moaned with a ragged, broken voice as the head of Cal’s cock rubbed against the magical bundle of nerves inside of him. They were both running out of energy, and Jack knew he probably couldn’t keep his eyes open after another orgasm. But he was still so hungry for it, he wanted to draw this one out as long as possible, as even the thought of sleep made him ache for his Alpha to be back inside of him. He was so close…so close, and so was Cal. Cal gripped Jack’s hips tightly and guided him up and down, fighting the urge to buck his hips up and finish deep inside of him yet again.

Jack bit his lip and whimpered, desperate for release, but looking to his Alpha for permission. He was so docile in his heat, Cal never would have imagined it possible for such a hot-headed Omega. So far he’d been perfect. The best fuck Cal had ever had, not to mention the best rut of his life, and it had barely been one day. Cal cupped Jack’s face in his hands and brought him into his chest for a long, passionate kiss. Cal could feel himself on the cusp of orgasm, his knot catching on Jack’s rim. He was filled with an overwhelming sense of urgency. He didn’t have much time…he had to do it now. As Cal held Jack’s hips down and thrust up to fill the delirious Omega with his seed, he leaned into Jack’s aromatic neck to scent him. The Omega’s scent was so strong, even after a whole night of sex he still smelled so purely of Omega.

Cal stopped thinking. His mind went blank and he acted too fast to even catch himself. The primal Alpha inside of him took control, finally, after a whole night—more like days—of yearning to own this golden-haired Omega. Cal pulled Jack’s head to the side with a fistful of his hair, eliciting a whine from the Omega who was still soaking up the aftershocks of the Alpha’s orgasm inside of him. Cal bit down on the exposed flesh of Jack’s neck, right over his scent gland, drawing blood despite the yelp of pain that escaped Jack’s lips. Jack squirmed against Cal’s rough hold, but the mixture of pain and pleasure eventually sent him over the edge. With a sharp cry, Jack finished, coating both of their stomachs in sticky ropes of semen.

Jack fell limp over Cal’s chest, nearly unconscious already. Cal laid his head back and closed his eyes, keeping one hand securely entwined in Jack’s angelic hair. The reality of what he’d just done hadn’t reached either of them. Still tethered by Cal’s knot, they both drifted into a deep slumber.

 

---

 

Three more days passed. Jack slipped in and out of consciousness, feeling drowsy and lightheaded even while he was awake. In between bouts of deep slumber in his Alpha’s arms and his short windows of consciousness, he convinced himself he was only dreaming. His long term memory was useless in this state, most of the time he could barely remember his own name until he heard it uttered by his Alpha’s deep voice. He cried out the Alpha’s name feverishly, over and over until it felt like someone else’s.

The only sensations Jack could feel were pleasure and pain. As soon as the Alpha disconnected from him, he immediately ached for more. Every time he woke up empty, he felt like crying in desperation. Luckily, the Alpha never left his side.

Cal couldn’t think of much else, either, although he spent much of those hours awake. Instead of the drowsy high of an Omega’s heat, Alphas in rut experienced surges of energy and peak alertness. He lay beside the sleeping Omega and watched him keenly. His eyes traced over every curve of the Omega’s angelic features, memorizing every centimeter of his mate. Every rise and fall of the Omega’s chest brought the Alpha an unexplainable comfort. When he wasn’t watching Jack carefully, he was scenting him, his face pressed into the Omega’s neck where he could breathe him in and listen to his heartbeat. It was the only time he allowed himself to close his eyes.

Jack didn’t take interest in anything other than his Alpha in his waking hours. The Alpha held his mate in his lap and hand fed him while they were still connected. It was the only way he could get food into the Omega without him crying from the discomfort of being without the Alpha’s knot. The Omega was a lot of work, but Cal didn’t mind any of it. For someone who never took care of anyone else this way in his life, he sure did assimilate into the role quickly.

The entire cabin had been cleared for them. Even if Rose and her mother stayed in their own bedroom there was no way they could escape the thick fog of pheromones that filled the entire suite. They simply had to relocate to a new suite altogether. Not that Cal minded. He didn’t want anyone near his Omega at this time. Only his valet was trusted to bring them food and water a couple times a day. Otherwise, both doors were locked at all times.

Cal would surely remember every second of their time together, but it wasn’t clear how much Jack would be able to retain. The first heat was often the most debilitating, many Omegas swearing they had no memory of it. Although in Jack’s case, he had his bonding scar to prove it.

The bonding was a beast for a later date. Cal couldn’t let the future bother him yet, he was only focused on the here and now and all concerning his Omega. No one else knew. Not even Lovejoy, as Cal was careful to only open the door far enough to retrieve their plates, not allowing the Beta a look at Jack. There was no doubt he was acting even more protective because of the bond, but to the outsiders it was an average heat and rut cycle between an Alpha and an Omega.

Cal had been unconsciously aware of his need for planning. He would have to accommodate the new Omega into his life. None of it should be hard. The Omega didn’t have a family that needed to be won over, he wasn’t a purebred pet for sale, and he certainly had nothing to lose, but everything to gain, by accepting the Alpha. Cal came to just in time to make last minute preparations before embarking on his final trip home. He bathed, fed, and dressed the Omega and himself before retrieving his Beta employee.

The Beta was albeit shocked to see his master clean shaven, groomed, and well dressed again. He walked with even more confidence and a radiant glow in his brown eyes. “Oh, g-good morning, Sir,” he stammered, giving the Alpha a chaste nod. “Are you, er, done?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at the cocky Alpha. “Where’s the…”

“I’m done. For now,” Cal smiled. “I came to request you bring sedatives upstairs,” he added, pushing a roll of bills into the Beta’s hand.

The Beta hesitated. “You’re not going to take him against his will?” he asked sternly.

Cal smiled and patted the Beta’s arm reassuringly. “I’m afraid it’s necessary,” he said, giving his friend a look that explained it all. Concern and annoyance flickered across the Beta’s face. His job was to keep the young Alpha out of trouble, and he’d just created a huge problem. However, it wasn’t his place to reprimand the Alpha for something that couldn’t be undone. He sighed and went to retrieve the strongest sedatives he could find on this damned ship.

Chapter 3: Stranger

Notes:

If you want some background music

Jack awoke with his cheek pressed into downy pillows, his body wrapped in a thin but plush sheet. The pristine white bedding reminded him of freshly fallen snow, minus the cold of course. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, a sharp pain spreading across this skull as he lifted his head.

He glanced around the room, his heart quickening. He had no idea where he was. He threw the sheets off of his legs and bolted out of the bed, stumbling on the cold hardwood floor as he tried to regain his balance with a swimming head. He noticed he wasn’t even wearing his own clothes. He had on an oversized cashmere sweater and a pair of silky slacks, articles he could never afford to own himself. He stared at the sleeves that fell down to his palms in wonder.

The room was spacious, and besides a few large pieces of furniture it was mostly empty. A ceiling-length wardrobe sat at the other side of the room from the bed, intricate designs carved into its wooden doors. The cylindrical walls were painted in dark grey tones, a harsh contrast to the blinding white bed. To his right was a tall, expansive window with golden curtains trailing down to the floor. He stepped over to it and pulled one curtain back. Far below him was an endless expanse of carefully curated land. A winding stone path led into a lush rose garden, its trimmed bushes reaching heights that shouldn’t be possible. At the center of the maze of thorns and flowers was a table and chairs next to an enormous fountain adorned with flying cherubs.

Jack released the curtain and stepped back from the window, his breath catching in his throat. He fought to remember the events that led to him getting here, but only found a void of emptiness when he tried to account for the lost time. He rubbed his temples and pushed to go farther, ignoring the fear that was creeping through his body and urging him to run. 

He was being dragged out of the room yelling and kicking, his arms held behind his back…led to a barren room below decks and chained to a pipe…harassed by the older Beta until…

The dark-haired Alpha’s face filled the rest of his memories. His blackened irises piercing through him, the mint and tobacco scent filling his lungs, rough hands running up and down his body, igniting his skin with tingling flames that grew into an inextinguishable fire deep inside of him.

Jack gasped, his skin prickling around the fresh scar on his neck. He held his breath as his fingers trailed over the raised bite mark over his scent gland. He shuddered, icy fingers gripping his insides like a vice. He was…bonded…to…the Alpha’s cunning eyes and sharp features flashed through his mind, a slideshow of every time he’d faced the intriguing Alpha on the ship. He choked on the strong scent of spearmint that his memory conjured up. It burned his throat and made his stomach lurch. He covered his mouth with his hand and clutched his chest with the other, hunching over and staring, unblinking, at the polished floor beneath him as it tipped to the side.

He didn’t know where he was, but he knew the Alpha had something to do with his being here. The scar on his neck like shackles ensuring he could never leave, no matter how much he wanted to. He longed for a home that he knew never really existed. He wanted to be outside, not in this decorated jail cell. He wanted to be with his friends, he wanted his old clothes back, he wanted freedom. He buried his face in the corner of his arm, breathing in the scentless sweater. Nothing here smelled like him. Nothing was familiar. His stomach churned with anxiety and he swallowed back tears.

Crying is useless, he told himself. He wiped his face with the soft sleeve and unconsciously rubbed the insides of the fabric against his wrists to scent it. He paced across the floor and stood in front of the towering black oak door. The golden doorknob was polished so well that he could see his reflection in it. A captive Omega. He hesitantly placed his hand on the doorknob and was surprised to find that the door was actually unlocked. As he pushed the door forward, excitement bubbled into his chest. Maybe I can escape, he wondered, even though he knew better.

He stepped into the empty hallway, a chill running up his spine. He crossed his arms over his chest as he walked towards the winding staircase at the end of the hallway, where the ceiling opened into a domed skylight that cast natural light into the main room. He was scared of what he’d find, but the cool-toned sunlight streaming through the windows that reflected a clear blue sky gave him hope. The open sky meant freedom. He walked faster, reaching the top of the black staircase and placing a hand over the railing to peek at the room below.

The floor was polished marble, empty and expansive like a ballroom. The front doors stood stoically at the far end of the room. He was so close to freedom. He stepped cautiously down the stairs, taking in more of his surroundings while he was at it. The other end of the room, adjacent to the staircase, was an arched passageway into the next room which was furnished with a red and gold paisley carpet and a grand piano. As he got closer to the floor he noticed a glittering chandelier hanging above the piano. The crystals reflected all the colors in the rainbow, entrancing him. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, his bare feet on the cold marble, and turned his head to the side to admire the chandelier.

After several long seconds, he snapped out of is trans and remembered where he was (or rather where he wasn’t). He shook his head in frustration with himself and padded across the floor towards the front doors. Up close they were much taller than he realized. They towered over him, dark and unfriendly. The handles were at least a foot long, made of bronze. He placed a hand on each handle and pulled. The doors were heavy, but with enough straining, he managed to crack them open. Sunlight streamed into the room, nearly blinding him, but he smiled in satisfaction as he reached a hand outside long enough to feel a cool breeze against his skin.

He was so close to freedom. But it didn’t last. Before he could move any farther a rough hand grabbed the back of his sweater and yanked him back. The doors clicked shut again and the room dimmed around him. He whimpered softly in disappointment.

“Are you lost?” A deep voice inquired, a smirk playing at the corners of the Alpha’s lips as he wrapped his arms around the Omega’s body from behind.

Jack froze upon hearing the all too familiar voice. The soft scent of spearmint filled the air and he fought the urge to press his face against the Alpha’s neck. Cal grinned at the scarred bonding mark on Jack’s neck and kissed the top of his head softly. The Omega reeked of fear, and he hoped his gentle scenting would calm him.

Jack was much more in control of his body this time. He jerked his body out of Cal’s hold and took a swing at him. Cal caught Jack’s fist in his hand, just inches from colliding with his cheek. He clicked his tongue and shook his head at Jack, but the excited fire still burned behind his eyes.

“You really shouldn’t try that, darling,” he warned, his voice calm.

Jack glared up at the Alpha, his shoulders trembling with fury. “Let me go!” he growled.

Cal sighed. He figured this would be difficult. He tightened his grip on Jack’s wrist and pulled him to his chest. “Now, now,” he clucked. “I don’t want to have to restrain you,”

Jack screamed in anger and threw his free hand against Cal’s chest, trying to push him away but to no avail. Cal held him close by the small of his back so he couldn’t move forward or back. The feeble punches doing nothing to his stony abdomen. “Don’t waste all your energy now,” he teased. “You’ve been asleep for days, you should at least eat something first before you try to fight me,”

Jack stopped hitting Cal and scowled at his chest, refusing to meet the older man’s eyes. Cal leaned his head to the side to observe the flustered Omega. Even with his features contorted in anger he was beautiful.

“Days?” Jack finally asked, his voice weak.

Cal nodded and lifted Jack’s chin up to face him, now sure that he wasn’t going to run away. “The ship docked three days ago, Love,”

Jack’s heart skipped a beat. What happened in all that time? He knew exactly what had happened, but he refused to think about it. He could feel his memories unlocking, but he kept them just under the surface.

“Where’s Rose?” he asked, looking away from the Alpha’s heated stare.

“She and her mother are staying elsewhere for the time being,” Cal answered curtly, pressing his lips together into a tight line.

“Where?” Jack pried.

Cal was beginning to lose his patience. “Let’s discuss this somewhere else,” he said, tugging Jack along with him through the adjacent room with the piano and into another room. This room had lavish carpeting, Renaissance-style marble sculptures in the corners, and plush red chairs in front of an elaborate fireplace. Cal pushed Jack into one of the velvety cushions and pulled the other one closer to sit next to him.

Jack remained tense, sitting on the edge of the chair, ready to make a run for it at any second. He eyed the Alpha warily as he placed a possessive hand on Jack’s thigh. Instead of jerking away, Jack froze at the Alpha’s warm touch. He was more uncomfortable with the fact that his body yearned for the Alpha’s hands on him, like a flower reaching towards the sun.

“We knew this adjustment wouldn’t be easy for you, or any of us,” Cal explained carefully. “I’m afraid Rose is still quite upset with the way this turned out,” he sighed.

“So am I,” Jack growled.

Cal smirked. “We’re going to have to get used to it,”

Jack frowned. “I want to go home,” he said quietly.

“Home to where?” Cal snapped, eluding to Jack’s previous homelessness. Jack jerked back at the jab, but brushed it off.

“I want to see my friends,” he continued.

Cal rolled his eyes. “Jack, nothing happened to them. I can assure you, your previous acquaintances are fine,”

“Do they know what happened to me?” Jack asked, his voice starting to waver.

“I’m afraid not, although they probably have their suspicions. It’s been some time now, I’m sure they’re moving on just as well without you. I mean, as well as they could possibly…”

Cal trailed off as he noticed Jack’s bottom lip quivering. He reached out to comfort the teary-eyed Omega, but he shied away from the Alpha’s touch, to Cal’s disappointment. Cal leaned back in his chair and frowned as Jack looked down at the floor and wiped his face with the back of his sleeve.

“I abandoned them,” Jack sniffled.

“No, Jack. They never came looking for you either,” Cal cleverly toyed with Jack’s memory.

“How could they know?” Jack asked.

Cal shook his head. “You had two Betas courting you, but neither of them cared enough to stake a claim before I did,”

Jack’s head shot up. “You didn’t give me a choice!” he cried. “They wouldn’t have done it without my consent!”

Cal still shook his head. “Or they weren’t in any rush to claim you. You would still belong to me if Rose, my Beta, laid claim to you, and I saw that other redheaded Beta leave with two other Omegas. I guess you never were on the menu for him either,”

Jack gaped at Cal. At first he didn’t know what he was talking about, but as his memories from the ship became clearer, he put the pieces together. While he was distracted courting a Beta out of his league, the Beta who had previously shown interest in him and his friend must have directed those interested towards the female Omega Fabrizio had befriended.

“I guess he found a replacement,” Cal continued, watching the blood drain from Jack’s face at the realization of his friends’ betrayal. He could only picture his best friend and the slender blonde Omega on either side of the larger redheaded Beta, donning matching bonding marks. If he hadn’t been kidnapped by Cal he could have been in her place, or at least joined them as a third member of the harem. Cal had isolated him from all his other options that night, as if he knew…

Jack directed his fury back at Cal. “You bastard!” he shouted.

Cal only shrugged. “You’ll see soon enough,”

“No!” Jack cried, his heart racing. “I don’t want this! I never wanted this!”

“You weren’t my first choice either, Jack,” Cal leaned forward and snarled.

“Then why did you do it?” Jack snapped, bracing himself for fight or flight.

“Because you’re a seductive little whore!” Cal lunged at Jack and trapped him against the chair, sensing his desire to flee. Jack froze under the weight of the Alpha, spicy anger wafting off of him and threatening to choke Jack if he opened his mouth to argue.

Cal grabbed Jack’s neck and squeezed against his windpipe just enough for a warning. He held Jack’s life in his hands now. Jack belonged to him. And he needed the flighty Omega to understand that and start obeying him.

“Don’t forget your place, bitch,” Cal growled, his eyes locking with Jack’s. “I won’t tolerate disobedience from you,”

Jack physically couldn’t argue. But he nodded meekly and Cal let go of his throat, leaving him gasping for air like a fish out of water.

“If you didn’t like that, you won’t want to know what I’ll do to you if you keep testing me,” Cal stepped away from Jack and walked towards a liquor cabinet next to the fireplace. Jack watched him through teary eyes, rubbing his sore neck.

Cal poured himself a glass of scotch, his back to Jack. “You know I own you now, in all senses of the word,”

No, no, no, Jack chanted in his head. The floor began to tilt sideways again and he shut his eyes to counteract the imbalance. However, even in darkness he felt dizzy. The last thing he remembered was falling forward and his cheek hitting the carpet with a hollow thud.

“Jack?” Cal turned to survey the source of the thud. He found that Jack was no longer in his seat, but face down on the floor. He sighed and walked over to the Omega and knelt beside him, pressing fingers to his palm. He was okay, just fainted.

“Oh, Jack,” Cal sighed, running his fingers through the Omega’s blond hair. “Why are you so stubborn?” he muttered.

He lifted the unconscious Omega into his arms and carried him back upstairs to his temporary bedroom. He hoped that one day Jack would be sharing his bed instead. Soon, he thought as he drew the covers up to Jack’s shoulders.

 

Once again, Jack awoke from his fainting spell in the same room he’d woken up in that morning. It was dark outside now, the only light in the room from a candle placed on his nightstand. He lifted himself up, dread sinking his stomach as he remembered the predicament he was in.

A cart with a covered plate and a pitcher of water sat on the other side of his bed. Jack’s stomach turned, remembering that he hadn’t eaten in nearly three days. He scooted over to the cart and lifted the cover off of the plate. It was a chicken breast covered in some kind of marinade, served atop steamed vegetables with a bread roll on the side. He picked up the bread and bit into it absently. He hesitated to pick up the plate with the rest of his meal. Besides the one night he was invited to dine in first class on the ship he’d never had more than table scraps for meals.

Underneath his empty glass was a small piece of stationary paper with loopy cursive written on it in even lines. He grumbled, but picked up the note and read it anyway.

Jack,

 

I’m sorry I was harsh earlier. Can we start over tomorrow?

Please eat.

 

-Cal

 

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. Start over tomorrow? Is he delusional? It didn’t take him much longer to give in to his hunger and dig into the dish before him.

Notes:

Sorry this chapter is kind of short, it's mostly a transitional chapter. Cheers! ;)

Chapter 4: Red

Summary:

More porn! Also some dub-con, so just a heads up (*no pun intended*)

Jack woke up in his decorated prison cell again. This time, disappointment made his stomach sink instead of the debilitating claws of fear. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, already thinking about his escape. Before he could go anywhere, he knew he needed a plan, which required more information. First order of business, where the hell was he?

He threw the blankets back and paced across the cold hardwood floor to the wardrobe on the other side of the room. He threw the doors open to find nothing but brightly colored, silky fabrics, some even with nauseatingly attention-grabbing paisley and floral designs. He pulled open the drawers underneath to find only pairs of pleated dress pants. He grunted and reluctantly snatched a pair of pants out of a drawer and the most subtle shirt he could find off of a hanger. He knew he couldn’t walk around the mansion in nothing but satin sleepwear, and he had no intention of running away in pajamas.

He stalked into the small bathroom attached to his bedroom. Even though it was small, it was still luxurious. The ceramic bathtub and sink were plated in gold and the tile floor was polished to the point of being reflective. Jack wiggled into his new clothes, loving the feel of the silky fabric against his skin, even though he’d never admit it out loud. He leaned over the sink to rinse his mouth and was his face, combing his hair back with his fingers lazily. He raised an eyebrow at his reflection in the mirror. The shiny, deep purple button-down hugged his chest in all the right places. His blonde hair glowed like the sun in contrast. His cheeks flushed as he caught himself thinking about how he looked like a decorated Omega, the only thing missing was a leather collar.

Jack’s hand slapped over the bite wound on his neck, his skin prickling underneath it. He ripped himself away from the mirror so he wouldn’t have to face the mutilation sticking out against his pale skin like a sore thumb.

Still rubbing his neck, Jack ventured out into the hall and started down the stairs. His eyes wandered to the front doors and he imagined himself throwing them open and bolting out into the sunlight. His heart ached for freedom, but he knew he couldn’t get away that easily. He’d have to play the game the way his captor intended for awhile before pulling the Ace out of his sleeve.

He padded into the living room where he’d fainted the previous day, his eyes darting between every piece of intricate furniture and artwork. He wrung his hands together, feeling out of place amongst all the luxury.

Cal immediately sensed the Omega’s presence in the room. He pretended not to notice him, focusing on the newspaper he held out in front of him. He didn’t look up until Jack was standing right in front of him, a scowl on his beautiful face.

“Good morning,” he said plainly, watching the Omega squirm under his gaze like a bug under a microscope. He was pleased to see that Jack had opted to wear one of the outfits he’d hand-selected for him. “Purple is becoming on you,” he mused, smirking when the Omega blushed.

He stood up and kissed Jack’s forehead softly. Jack kept his eyes trained on Cal’s chest, refusing to meet his eyes. Even for the unorthodox circumstances they found themselves mated in, the Omega was painfully stubborn. But as long as he cooperated and didn’t try to run away again, Cal could find the boy’s attitude intriguing rather than just annoying. He wasn’t sure he could tolerate it any other way. The Omega would find himself chained up in the dungeons underneath the mansion if he didn’t learn to behave in time, or much worse.

“Are you hungry?” Cal asked, walking towards a patio overlooking the garden. A table was set up with plates of warm food and pitchers of juice and coffee. It was way more than the two of them could eat alone.

Jack raised his eyebrow at the elaborate table setting. “Are you trying to make me fat or something?” he grumbled, pulling a chair out and taking a seat. He draped his arm over the back of the wooden patio chair and leaned back with his legs spread apart nonchalantly. Cal scowled at him as he sat down and pulled his chair up to the table appropriately. Jack smirked, happy to have gotten under his captor’s skin so easily.

“Or something,” Cal answered, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Please,” he gestured to the food and drink laid out so neatly for them. “Before it gets cold,”

Jack obliged, but not to appease Cal. His mouth watered as he bit into a flaky jelly-filled danish pastry. He moaned and rolled his eyes back erotically. “Holy shit,”

“They’re from a bakery in the city,” Cal said, hiding the face that Jack’s moan had gone straight to his dick. “I can take you there sometime,”

“You aren’t afraid I’ll take off if you let me out of my tower?” Jack teased, grabbing two more danishes to put on his plate.

Cal grinned. “Sometime,” he emphasized. “Once you prove to me that you can behave in public,”

“Oh, please,” Jack rolled his eyes and paused to take a long gulp of orange juice. “You’ll be waiting forever,”

“Well then so will you,” Cal said smugly.

“Touché,” Jack sighed, fighting the smile that threatened to betray him.

 

After breakfast, Jack decided to explore the mansion on his own. If he was to be ‘trapped’ there indefinitely, he may as well make the most of it. Besides, a property that huge, he might never see all of it.

He wandered the gothic-style halls, searching for an unlocked door. To his dismay, Cal had predicted his move and taken precaution to lock all the doors except for Jack’s own bedroom. Figuring he wouldn’t find anything inside, he wandered back downstairs to explore the backyard. The outdoors were much more interesting than anything manmade anyway. Well, the rose bushes that had been warped around archways and molded into shapes of mythical creatures wasn’t exactly natural.

Jack had to admit that the gardens were artistic, though. He felt like he was in a storybook as he explored the hedge maze, running his fingers through the glossy leaves. He was almost out of the maze (always turn to the left) when he smelled another Omega nearby. Excitement and relief filled his chest. He had been too long without contact with anyone of his own kin.

“Hello?” Jack called as he rounded the last corner of the maze and spotted a tiny woman crouched over some of the smaller rose bushes, tending to them as if they were her own pups. She whipped her head around when she heard Jack’s voice.

The Omega smiled meekly, “Hello,” she said, then turning back to her gardening. She wore a dirty white apron over her traditional French maid uniform and knelt on a scratched-up green cushion.

Jack walked up and crouched beside her, scenting her ambiguously. She still seemed shy, and he wanted to communicate to her that he was safe, he was a friend, a fellow Omega. He realized when she took to his scent reluctantly that his bonding mark probably obscured it. She most definitely could smell Cal on him.

He rubbed the scar on his neck, inching away to give the other Omega space. She relaxed, but hesitated to speak. She pretended to be enamored with her work, but her hands moved slowly, drawing out the motions to give her time to work up the nerve to ask Jack about his predicament.

“How much did he offer you?” she finally said quietly, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Jack blinked at her. She really didn’t know anything. “N-nothing,” he stammered. “He didn’t…give me anything…”

The Omega squinted up at Jack to see if he was lying. “Then why?” she asked helplessly, giving Jack a brief once-over that said, ‘Why would he go out of his way to have you?’

Jack laughed dryly, looking away to hide the blush that threatened to spread to his cheeks. “I honestly don’t know,” he sighed, his voice shaking ever so slightly.

The female Omega tilted her head to the side and set her spade down. “It was an accident?” she mused. Her eyes sparkled with something akin to excitement as she came to that realization. “How’d you do it?” she asked, leaning closer to Jack.

“I didn’t want it!” Jack exclaimed, jolting his body back like he’d been slapped. “I went into heat and he had me chained to a pipe in a locked room all to himself. He took advantage of me and then decided to punish us both for it indefinitely,” Jack hissed.

“I’m sorry,” the Omega said quietly, looking back down at her seedlings and folding her hands in her lap timidly.

Jack sighed, regaining his composure. “It’s ok, you didn’t know,” he said softly.

“I know you didn’t ask for it, but most of us would do anything to be in your position,” she explained.

“What do you mean?” Jack asked incredulously. He didn’t know a single Omega, no matter how poor, who would’ve wanted to be owned by a rich Alpha who treated them like property.

“Jack, right?” she asked, turning back towards him with more confidence in her eyes.

Jack nodded. She pulled off one of her gardening gloves and held her hand out to him. “I’m Trudy,” she smiled faintly as they shook hands.

“You know most of us have to do much worse to survive out there,” she explained. “Prostitution, indentured servitude…” she gestured to herself. “It’s not easy being an Omega with nothing to your name, as I’m sure you know,”

Jack nodded. He knew many Omegas who had no other choice but to turn to prostitution. Most of them were on all kinds of suppressants and sketchy birth control pills, among other substances. He didn’t judge them, he empathized with them, but he still did everything he could to keep himself out of their shoes.

“I was orphaned at twelve years old, with no other kin to take me in. Luckily I had family friends who got me into this job. I’m on heat suppressants and birth control—just in case—even though I can’t ever leave these walls and find my own mate because then I wouldn’t have a job anymore. I do all the cooking and cleaning around here and that’s all my life will ever be. You, on the other hand, get to wear nice clothes, eat more than table scraps, and share your heats with an Alpha that dotes on you day and night,”

“I don’t love him,” Jack said quickly. “I’d rather work for pay than have no freedom at all,”

Trudy scoffed. “That’s what you think? You think any Omega is free?”

“Of course—”

“No!” Trudy snapped. “You’re very naive for someone who’s been living on the streets for so long. Even the Omegas who are ‘happy’ are just slaves to their nature. We’re the submissive class. We’re supposed to lay on our backs and take it because that’s all we can do. I’m just as trapped as you are, honey,” she added bitterly.

Jack was rendered speechless. He knew she was right, he’d always known. But he couldn’t accept it. “It’s so unfair,” he whispered, tears stinging his eyes.

“Yeah,” Trudy muttered. He could tell she was still irritated with him, but she shuffled closer and put her arm around his shoulders. She scented him and he relaxed enough to rest his cheek on her head as she hugged him. Omegas were drawn to each other by nature, their vulnerability leading them to adapt to being in groups.

“Are you the only other Omega here?” Jack asked after a couple seconds of stillness.

“Yep,” Trudy sighed, sitting back up. “There are some Betas who are nice, but it’s good to finally have another Omega around,” she gave Jack a knowing smile. He couldn’t imagine being separated from other Omegas all his life, but she seemed to be comfortable by herself. Surely her shyness and introversion were adaptations to her hard life, but at this point taking care of herself was all she knew.

Trudy picked up her spade and began planting more rosebush seedlings as if Jack weren’t there anymore. He took her cold-shoulder as an invitation to leave. As he started to stand back up, her piercing hazel eyes gripped his. “I didn’t mean to be rude,” she apologized flatly, forcing a timid smile. “What I meant was that you’re actually quite lucky. You have a rich and powerful Alpha to provide for you. You’ll never have to work another day for the rest of your life. For someone of your status, it is extremely rare to find any willing Alpha.”

 

Trudy’s words echoed through Jack’s head for the rest of the day. He wandered about the mansion, taking his time surveying all the furniture and decor, searching every nook and cranny. He still couldn’t quite accept that he was going to be here forever. He was essentially a prisoner in a golden cage. However, he figured he might as well familiarize himself with his cage.

He found a tall entryway at the end of the main ground floor hallway. Ebony wood doors with bronzed handles stood ajar, leading into the maze like room of bookshelves and ladders. It was something out of a storybook, with floor-length curtains letting the early evening sunlight pool over a shaggy maroon carpet and matching velvet armchairs.

Jack stared up at the shelves that lined the walls all the way up to the ceiling, his jaw agape. He started climbing one of the ladders to get a closer look at the books in the collection. Shakespeare, Grimm’s Fairytales, Sherlock Holmes, poetry, art, cookbooks, textbooks, dictionaries in nearly every language…the private library had nearly everything ever written.   One could spend a lifetime in that room and still never read every single book.

He ran his fingers along the spines of first edition hardcover copies. He was so entranced that he didn’t notice that he was being watched—admired—by his captor. It was the happiest Cal had seen Jack since he’d brought him back to his family estate, he couldn’t help but stare.

“I didn’t know you liked reading,” Cal said, sauntering out of the shadows of the doorframe. The Omega jumped at the sound of Cal’s voice, his peaceful demeanor broken. His smile faded into a steely glare as he climbed down from the stepladder.

“Did you think I couldn’t?” he asked venomously, pacing towards the other side of the room. Cal stopped in the middle of the room to give the flighty Omega some space. Anxiety radiated off of the blonde like burnt coffee. As much as he wanted to believe he didn’t care, the fact that his presence made the Omega so upset stung.

“I didn’t say that,” Cal argued.

“You didn’t have to,” Jack muttered, not caring if the Alpha heard him. He could feel the Alpha’s presence in the room like the pull of a strong magnet, even as his cold eyes surveyed him like a hunter watching his prey. He fought the urge to turn around and meet the Alpha’s dark brown eyes. His neck tingled where his bonding mark had healed over into a silver crescent, and he unconsciously rubbed the wound with his fingers to calm himself.

Cal chuckled, his voice deep like it was when he was biting back anger. In this case, it was the deep irritation that his Omega—his Omega—hated him so much that he wouldn’t even look at him. He hadn’t even wanted to take on an Omega in the first place, let alone be stuck with a disobedient one that he’d have to break himself. It was enough trouble trying to get Rose, a high class Beta, to agree to marry him and bear their pups. Now that was all being put on hold so he could clean up the mess she started.

“This can all be yours,” Cal offered, gliding silently across the carpet to stand directly behind his Omega. His sudden presence sent an icy shiver down Jack’s spine. He froze in place when the centimeters in between them were crossed and a firm hand trailed over his shoulder. Ignoring the Omega’s rising anxiety, Cal leaned in closer and pressed his lips against the faint scar on Jack’s neck. Electric sparks radiated over Jack’s body from the sensitive spot on his neck, and he instinctively pushed himself back against the Alpha’s chest in response.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist and held him in place before he could undo what he’d just done. “Wait…” he gasped, shaking his head to clear the hormonal fog. He tried to push the human straight jacket off of him, but Cal’s grip tightened. “No,” he whimpered, finally letting his body go limp as teeth bit down over the raw bonding mark.

“You’re safe here, darling,” a smooth voice cooed into his ear. Spearmint and teakwood flooded his senses, making his brain swim and his limbs heavy with involuntary submission. “If  you stop fighting me…” the Alpha proposed.

Jack shook his head and mumbled an incomprehensible retort. It was enough. With a low growl, Cal turned Jack around and pinned him against the wall with a forearm across his chest. The Omega’s head cleared instantly, fight or flight instincts battling each other uselessly. He hesitated in shock before squirming underneath the Alpha, anger and fear scenting the air around him when he realized the Alpha was too strong to fight off. He was trapped in between the marble wall and the Alpha’s rock-hard body.

“Darling, if I were you I would stop testing my patience,” Cal hissed. “I’m trying to be hospitable, but remember that I own you now. You can’t run from me, sweetheart, it would kill you,”

“I’d rather be dead,” Jack spat. The Alpha clamped his hand over Jack’s throat and squeezed his fragile windpipe in response. Jack desperately tried to pry Cal’s hards away, only to have his wrist pinned just as painfully against the wall.

“You listen to me, bitch,” Cal growled, his eyes darkening with fury. The scent of his anger and Jack’s fear polluted the room. “Whether you like it or not, you have to obey me. I can make this a living hell for you if you continue to be uncooperative. Alternatively, if you’re a good little bitch for your Alpha you can have a nice, comfortable life here. Take your pick, Jack,” Cal let Jack’s throat go so he could answer.

After coughing and gasping to pull sweet air back into his aching lungs, Jack finally answered. “I didn’t want this,” he whimpered, his throat sore and raw. “This isn’t fair,” he complained weakly.

“Life isn’t fucking fair. Are you going to let me make this easier for you or not?” Cal pressed.

Jack hesitated, but a bone-crushing squeeze to his wrist snapped him back into submission. “Okay,” he gasped hoarsely. “Fine,”

“What?” Cal ordered, taking Jack’s chin in between his fingers and forcing blue eyes to meet his.

“I’ll be good,” Jack surrendered quietly.

“Smart boy,” Cal grinned and leaned in to kiss and lick his Omega’s bonding mark, scenting him rather overtly in the hopes of calming his nerves.

Not fair, Jack thought spitefully as the Alpha’s scent marking made his muscles go lax. One of the primary benefits of owning an Omega was having constant access to sex. Omegas were biologically driven to please Alphas, their bodies reacting positively to an Alpha’s touch and scent no matter what their thoughts and emotions were.

The previous day Cal had promised not to make any unwanted sexual advances, but he was already reconsidering that promise as he tasted the Omega’s sweet skin. Jack mewled and squirmed against the wall. His mind screamed against the Alpha’s advances despite the growing heat in between his legs that said otherwise.

Cal could smell the sugary slick spilling out of the Omega, so strong he could already taste it. He imagined holding the Omega’s writhing body down as he spread those slender legs and licked the slick coming from his sex until he came. Just as easily, he imagined himself turning the boy around and fucking him roughly against the wall. The nights of Jack’s heat had felt so good, but the memories were hazy for both of them. He would be damned if he had to wait another three months just to feel the inside of his own Omega again.

Before he could do something he would regret, Cal stepped back and let the Omega slump against the wall under his own weight. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were teary as he peeked up at the Alpha. He was still afraid, but now arousal was drowning out the sickening scent of his fear.

“I did tell you I wouldn’t take you against your will, and I am a man of my word,” Cal said calmly, although he dug his nails into his palms to keep himself from lurching forward and grabbing the Omega.

“Bullshit,” Jack groaned. “I never believed that for a second,”

“I should be offended that you think so little of me,” Cal scoffed, raising an eyebrow in amusement. While the context was not ideal, he was impressed with how well the Omega could read him.

“You should be, but you’re not because you know I’m right,” Jack grinned in spite of himself.

“I wanted to mean it,” Cal sighed, stepping closer to Jack. “I hoped I could,” he gently caressed the Omega’s cheek and smiled as he leaned into his touch.

“No, you didn’t,” Jack regained his composure and pushed a hand against Cal’s chest. He turned his head away from the Alpha’s warm hand and fixed his eyes on a faraway point on the other side of the room. The Alpha ignored his retreat and only moved in closer, wedging his knee in between the Omega’s legs and pressing his face back into the aromatic mark on his neck.

Jack swallowed a helpless whimper and flattened his back against the wall. “Let me go,” he ordered, but his voice wavered. The arousal flowing off of his skin was impossible to ignore. He hated himself for it.

“Or what?” the Alpha challenged, reaching behind Jack’s neck and pressing his fingers into the pressure point at the top of his spine that made him go still beneath him. At the same time, he dug his thumb into the pulsing scent gland on his right wrist. The Omega’s body went limp, the only thing keeping him upright was the Alpha propping him against the wall.

He stared forward helplessly. “Please…”

“What?” the Alpha teased, a demonic smirk pulling at his lips.

“I don’t want…” Jack choked as Cal gripped his neck tighter.

“But you’re asking for it, sweetheart,” Cal purred, grabbing Jack’s waist and turning him around again so his chest was pressed against the wall. The cold marble stung his cheek as his hair was gripped in a firm hand and his face was held still. His wrist was pinned behind his back, contorting his body painfully as his legs were kicked apart and his body was shoved flat against the wall. Before he could protest, the Alpha’s teeth were piercing his skin and a growing hardness pressed against the back of his thigh. He made an indiscernible sound in the back of his throat, something in between a cry and a moan. 

“I also told you I wouldn’t tolerate disobedience,” Cal hissed against the Omega’s neck. Blood pooled around the fresh bite mark and dripped down Jack’s neck. “The deal was that I wouldn’t do anything you didn’t want as long as you behaved. Well, you’re not behaving,” he warned. Jack squirmed and Cal shoved him forward even harder. “If you won’t make this easy for me, then I won’t make it easy for you either,” he growled, his chest rumbling over the Omega’s back. “I’ll keep marking you if that’s what it takes to prove to you that you’re mine,”

Sharp teeth grazed the skin on the back of his neck, threatening to create another link in the chain. “No, no, no!” Jack yelled. “I’ll behave, just…please don’t,” he whimpered.

“Fine.” The Alpha answered, pleased with the Omega’s submission. He let go of Jack’s wrists and stepped back to let him stand on his own. Jack’s legs quivered as he turned around to face his captor with tear stained cheeks.

Cal grabbed Jack’s shoulder to stop him from moving away. Instead of fighting, the Omega froze in place, coyly meeting the Alpha’s eyes. “I can’t trust your word,” Cal said dismissively. “You’re going to have to give me more than that,” he pushed Jack’s shoulder down. “On your knees,” he ordered. The Omega obeyed, but a pained expression soured his beautiful face.

“If you do a good job I’ll reward you,” he offered, digging his fingers into the Omega’s blonde locks. “Go on,” he urged, pulling Jack’s face towards him.

Jack reached up with trembling hands to unbutton his Alpha’s pants. His heart raced and bile rose into the back of his throat, but the heavy scent of teakwood soothed him as he exposed more of the Alpha’s skin. Now that he wasn’t overtaken by his heat, he was much more hesitant and unsure of himself as he took the Alpha’s lengthy member into his mouth. He moved back and forth slowly, gliding his tongue over the bottom of the shaft. The hand in his hair gripped tightly and pushed him forward. His eyes snapped open and he yelped as the tip of Cal’s cock bruised the back of his throat. His muscles contracted around the foreign object being forced into his body and he gagged until his eyes watered. He reached up to try and push the source of the pain away, but his hands could only grip the backs of Cal’s legs tightly as he fought to pull his head back and was subsequently choked.

Just as he was about to black out from lack of Oxygen, the hand in his hair yanked his head back. Saliva dripped down his chin as he coughed and gagged, his throat finally free of Cal’s thick member. This fucking sadist, he thought bitterly as more tears streamed down his cheeks and dripped onto the dark carpet along with pools of drool flowing from his lips. His relief didn’t last long though. Once he’d just barely caught his breath, his face was gripped on both sides by rough hands and his mouth was shoved back over Cal’s bright-red cock. He moaned in disagreement as Cal held his head firmly in place and thrust into his mouth relentlessly. But the sounds of his moans only drove Cal farther. 

Jack gagged as he tried to accommodate the penetration. His jaw ached, his throat felt raw, and his lungs burned for air, but the Alpha didn’t ease up. Silent sobs shook his shoulders as his hair was pulled back tightly and a rush of salty, warm liquid poured down his throat. He was finally freed, left panting and coughing on the floor with tears, saliva, and semen coating his lips and chin and dripping down the front of his shirt.

Cal clicked his tongue, putting himself away. “You ruined your new clothes,” he observed, lifting the Omega up by the collar of his shirt. He wiped his thumb over Jack’s wet lips and pushed the last bit of semen into his mouth. His warm tongue flicked over his skin tantalizingly as he swallowed what he’d just been given. “Good boy,” the Alpha purred proudly. He had no doubt that Jack would be broken beautifully in time.

Chapter 5: Vertigo

Summary:

Dressing room sex and finally some more plot :)

Jack woke up with sticky thighs and an Alpha lying on top of him. It was the third time he’d awoken this way since the first night Cal came into his room.

It had been another month already. Unwilling to admit it to himself, Jack was getting comfortable with his new life. He was bored, but he always had soft clothes to wear and delectable food to eat. He still wanted to escape the prison-like walls of the property, but he was in no rush to ruin the peaceful mood by making a scene. He listened carefully from outside Cal’s office whenever he was on the phone or talking to his Beta manservant, trying to gather as much information as he could on when he would be let out again and to where.

 

So far the only time he had been off of the property was when Cal took him into the city to have him fitted for even more new clothes. He ended up with an entire closet full of silk pajamas and dress shirts, and had tried on even more tailor-made suits of nearly every design and color. He felt kind of silly standing in front of the dressing room mirror in a lavender three piece suit with a bow-tie and everything. It clung to his hips and legs and slimmed his waist, showing off his thin figure and accentuating the curve of his ass and thighs. He groaned and rolled his eyes, realizing that that was the whole point. High class Omegas were often dressed up in ostentatious colors and revealing clothes to attend social functions with their Alphas. He was to be Cal’s new accessory.

The dressing room door swung open without warning and Jack gasped and spun around. He was in the process of removing his shirt, working through the pearl buttons carefully. He blushed and tried to pull the shirt back over his exposed chest. The Alpha knocked his hands away and continued unbuttoning the shirt, backing Jack into the mirror.

“Don’t be shy,” Cal smirked, eyeing the Omega’s stiff nipples. Jack flinched as he ran his hands over his skin and down his back, pulling his hips up to meet his. He groaned softly as he felt the Alpha’s desire press into his inner thigh. Cal leaned in to scent him, lingering over his neck and making him shiver. Alpha pheromones had permeated the tiny room as soon as he’d opened the door and seen his Omega partially undressed.

Jack squirmed against Cal and the mirror. He pushed his forearm against Cal’s chest, panting heavily as the Alpha released his neck and stared down at him with hungry eyes. He bit his lip, conflicted. “We’re in public,” he whispered.

“Not in here,” Cal shook his head.

“But…” Warm slick gushed out of him as the Alpha pressed his wrist up to his nose, forcing the Omega to scent him back. He closed his eyes and moaned deeply, his cock tenting the tight fabric of his pants lewdly. He went limp in the Alpha’s arms, arching his back against the mirror. Knees trembling, he clutched the sleeves of his mate’s jacket to keep himself from collapsing. “Not…fair,” he panted, mind hazy.

Cal chuckled. “Your scent makes me like this.” He slipped his hand down the back of the lavender dress pants and pushed a finger into the weeping hole underneath in one fluid motion. Jack whimpered and rolled his hips up in response. “So now you want it?” he teased.

“Because you used your pheromones on me,” Jack pouted, looking up at his Alpha with teary eyes. He fluttered his eyelashes dramatically and wrapped his arms around Cal’s neck. “Please,” he whined, kissing the Alpha’s stubbly jawline and cheeks.

Cal growled, gripping the Omega’s hips and holding him flush against his body. “You can’t blame me for this later,” he warned against Jack’s ear before pressing his lips to the bonding mark on his neck. Jack moaned and tilted his head to the side to give the Alpha full access to his neck, pulling him closer in response.

“Get me out of these hideous things,” Jack growled, grinding his hips against the Alpha’s hard on to speed up the process. Cal pulled back just long enough to unbutton both of their slacks. Once the Omega’s pants were pooled on the floor and kicked to the side, Cal pulled him up and pressed his back into the mirror. He yelped, but adapted quickly, wrapping his legs tightly around Cal’s waist.

They wasted no time, lips slamming together as Cal thrusted up into the Omega. He muffled Jack’s needy cries and moans with his mouth, pushing back against the mirror as he let Jack slide down the length of his cock. The mirror rattled against the wall as Jack was continuously railed against it. Even if his screams were effectively concealed, the rhythmic shaking of the doorframe surely caught everyone’s attention.

 

“In New York, tomorrow. Are you sure you should bring him?” Lovejoy hissed impatiently.

“I already said I’d be there. It would reflect poorly on me if I didn’t come,” Cal answered calmly. Jack pressed his ear to the door, sure they were talking about him now.

“Then just leave him here,” Lovejoy exclaimed.

“I can’t risk that. It would be irresponsible,”

“If you’re so worried about him staying here, then why would you think he’d behave any better out there?”

There was a long pause during which Jack could only hear his own heart beating. “I don’t intend on leaving him unsupervised,” Cal finally answered. “Either you’ll be watching him or I will,”

“If I dare say, sir, I think bringing him now will be worse than if you didn’t attend at all,”

Cal scoffed, clearly losing his temper. “I’m going and I’m bringing my Omega, do you understand?” he barked.

“Fine,” Lovejoy sighed. “I’ll babysit him then,”

“You’ll only need to babysit him if he doesn’t behave for me.”

 

“Behave for you, huh?” Jack muttered to himself as he paced across the floor in his bedroom. So he’d be going to New York to attend some high society dinner party with Cal. This time, in addition to being on solid ground, he would be there as Cal’s mate. The thought of sitting next to Cal quietly while the same rich Alphas he’d met months before stared at him like he was a piece of meat made him feel sick.

He was finally going to leave the property again, but instead of being excited, he dreaded it. He would much rather stay here and read books all day than look those disgusting Alpha snobs  in the eye again. At least this time, he wouldn’t have to mask his disdain for them. All he would have to do was sit at the table and look pretty like all the other Omegas.

He was so distracted that he didn’t hear the knocking on his door until it was already opening. He jumped back as the door nearly hit him. “What do you want?” he sneered at puzzled the Alpha that stood in his doorway.

“You didn’t hear me knocking?” Cal asked, choosing to ignore the Omega’s unruly tone.

“No,” Jack said quietly, looking down at his feet.

“I know you were in the hall earlier,” Cal sighed, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

Jack looked back up, eyes wide. He didn’t even need to voice his question.

“You left your scent everywhere,” Cal explained. “Well, since you’re my mate, I could probably smell you from a mile away, and on everything that you touch even years later,”

“Oh,” Jack said. It seemed as if everything the Alpha could do was in direct conflict with his own wishes. It was less like they were mates and more like the Alpha was the prison guard and the Omega the prisoner. He wrapped his arms around his chest and shrunk back unconsciously.

“I know you’re worried, but—“

“I’m not worried, I just don’t want to go,” Jack snapped, stepping back again as the Alpha moved towards him. Comforting pheromones released into the air around them, but Jack held his breath and turned away. He wouldn’t fall for that manipulation again.

Cal sighed impatiently. “It’s just one night, okay?”

“No, it’s not okay,” Jack muttered, refusing to meet the Alpha’s eyes.

“Too bad,” Cal growled. “You’re coming with me and you will behave or else there will be consequences. Do you understand?”

Every nerve in Jack’s body begged him to drop to his knees and apologize to the Alpha, to right his wrongs so the Alpha was no longer upset. But he fought it, straining against every fiber of his being. He balled his hands into tight fists and held them at his sides. “What consequences?” he forced out of a clenched jaw.

“Obey me and you won’t ever have to find out,” Cal spat venomously before turning to leave the room, slamming the door behind him so hard that the furniture trembled.

Jack sunk to the floor, hugging his knees to his chest as he fought to catch his breath. His Alpha was angry and it terrified him to the point of nausea, but he knew he had to be bluffing. Alphas couldn’t bear to hurt their Omegas just as much as Omegas couldn’t bear to upset their Alphas. It was part of the wretched biology that entrapped them both.

Chapter 6: Ache

Summary:

The heated drive to New York~~~

Notes:

Because this is Omegaverse and it takes place in an early 20th century adjacent time, I'm using "hysteria" as an unofficial condition for Omegas that act unruly because they haven't had sex in a long time. So, yeah, keep in mind it's 100% made-up, and might even be made-up in this universe too. Cheers!

“You’re coming,” Cal slammed his fist against the door again. “I swear to God, if you don’t open this door right now…” he growled. Of course, he had a master key, but Jack had pushed his dresser in front of the door. Even the Alpha wasn’t strong enough to push past it.

He grinned in satisfaction from his bed, where he was still undressed and covered in blankets. He pulled the blankets tighter around his body, taking comfort in the familiar smell of his nest. The bedsheets still had his Alpha’s scent on them, which he snuggled into and breathed in deeply, even as he growled softly at the furious man on the other side of the door.

He didn’t want to be left alone, but it was better than being dragged to some elaborate dinner party where his body would be flaunted to the other Alphas. He couldn’t stand the thought of those old men ogling him whilst looking down their noses at him like he was some kind of pet. He glanced at the lavender form-fitting suit laid out for him on the chair and snorted. He was definitely not wearing that hideous thing.

“I’m not going!” he shouted back in between the loud thumps against the door.

Cal was slamming his entire body weight against it, driving his shoulder into the wood and making it shudder in its frame, but the heavy dresser barely budged. Jack whimpered and sunk back into the bed. Why won’t he just leave?

“I’m not leaving without you,” Cal answered impatiently. The pounding stopped.

“Why not?” Jack hissed.

“I can’t leave you alone when you’re acting like this,”

“Acting like what?” Jack spat.

“Hysterical,”

“Are you kidding me?” he yelled. “I’m not hysterical! You bigoted fucker! I don’t want to go anywhere with you! You forced me into this, the least you could do is leave me alone once in awhile!”

Cal sighed heavily, pressing his forehead against the door in defeat. “Darling,” he said softly, forcing his voice to stay soft even though he was brimming with rage and impatience. They had to leave now or else they wouldn’t make it to New York in time.

Reputation aside, there were more important things there. He was supposed to meet a potential business partner at the hotel club after dinner. That was why he so desperately needed to be there, and preferably on time. This arrangement was supposed to be secret, and if he showed up late and missed the dinner it would only look more suspicious. He could go without Jack, but for lack of a better reason, he simply couldn’t bring himself to leave his Omega alone. He would feel much safer knowing that Jack was close, even if that meant leaving him tied up in their hotel room while he did his bidding downstairs. Showing him off to the other Alphas was only a perk.

“I don’t want to leave you alone. I can fix this, darling. I know you’re angry, but I can make it better. Please, just…let me in,” he said sweetly, changing his tactic.

The Alpha’s smooth voice almost made Jack change his mind. He wanted to let his Alpha in, let him hold him close and make it better, just like he’d promised. But he reminded himself that it was all a ploy. He didn’t care, he just wanted to manipulate Jack by appealing to his submissive, Omegean nature.

Jack tossed the blankets aside and stepped lightly across the floor. He stood in front of the dresser and stared longingly at the door. He really wanted to open it, even though he was still angry. The Alpha was scenting the air, his anger so thick it burned Jack’s throat. He wanted to hide from it, to cower in the corner and submit to make his Alpha happy again. The urge inside of his body to give up like that made his stomach clench with nausea.

Jack whimpered and leaned against the dresser, his body aching to be closer to the Alpha. God, I hate being this way, he thought helplessly. He weighed his options. Open the door and be forced to leave, or stay where he was and be left alone for the next three days. The thought of being so far away from his Alpha made his throat tighten and his chest heave in a silent sob.

He sniffled, making up his mind. He pushed the dresser away from the door, leaning back on it with all of his weight to do so. As soon as the door was unblocked, Cal threw it open. It slammed against the wall violently, vibrating from the impact as it swung back into place. Cal looked down at the Omega sitting on the floor with his back against the side of the dresser and his knees pulled up to his chest. He refused to look up, staring at the floor in defeat instead.

Cal huffed impatiently at the half-naked Omega on the floor. Pathetic little thing, he thought bitterly. He had no time to properly clean and dress him, that would have to wait. He bent down and scooped the boy’s small body into his arms, throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Jack squirmed and kicked as soon as he realized he was going to be forced into the car anyway, but his waist was gripped tightly against Cal’s shoulder, and if he wiggled free he would only fall headfirst down the stairs they were now descending. He cried out in anguish, his voice rising and bordering on an Omegean call.

“Get his things, please.” Cal ordered the Beta who stood at the front door, holding it open for them. The Beta shot Jack a look of contempt before nodding to his master and hurrying upstairs.

“You liar!” Jack wailed. “Put me down!” he balled his hands into fists and hit Cal’s back and kicked against him as hard as he could. But the Alpha just sighed and ignored him like he was no more than a pesky fly buzzing around his head. The cab driver, another Beta, opened the back door of the station wagon for them, giving the untamed Omega a wary look.

Cal threw Jack onto the seat before climbing in after him. The door shut behind them and Jack growled as he struggled to sit up. He backed up into the opposite corner of the cabin, wrapping his arms around his bare chest and curling in on himself to appear smaller. He was like a feral animal.

Cal sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve been too busy to give you enough attention lately,” he apologized. “It’s been,” he paused, trying to recall his latest memory of when they were intimate. “It’s been three weeks,” he stated, surprised that he had gone this long without knotting the Omega. Even as he pranced about his home wearing very minimal clothing in the early summer heat, spreading his delicious scent everywhere. He should have noticed from the way he’d reacted to the news of their trip that something was wrong.

“So?” Jack snapped, still huddled in the corner as far away from Cal as possible. “I just don’t want to go, there’s nothing more to it,”

“No, you’re acting out, more than usual at least. Even when I scent you, you barely calm down. You don’t do as I say, you’re hostile and unruly, and you’ve been withdrawn,” Cal continued.

“Because you are being unreasonable. I said I didn’t want to go and now you’re forcing me to against my will. I don’t even need to be there, you’re just so egotistical you need to show me off to all your depraved Alpha friends,” Jack spat back. He rolled his eyes and pressed his cheek against the window as the car started, hugging his body tighter.

“You were okay with going into the city with me a few weeks ago. What did you think I was having you fitted for, hm? You had to have known I was planning on taking you out again, somewhere more formal,”

Jack thought about it. He did assume the lavish gifts had a deeper meaning. He knew he was being groomed to play the part of an obedient high society Omega. He didn’t like the concept, but at the time didn’t dwell on it. He didn’t think he would be thrust into that world so soon, but even so, he did admit that he’d reacted more strongly to the news of their trip than he would have after their last outing.

“You think I’m hysterical,” he snorted. Frustrated, bored, and depressed maybe, but hysterical carried too much weight. He clenched his jaw and stared back out the window as the car started to move down the long, winding driveway.

The longer he spent denying his basal Omegean instincts the easier it was to distance himself from the Alpha. The house was so big he could go an entire day without seeing him. He thrust himself into reading and drawing; out of sight, out of mind. But he was like a rubber band, stretching as far as he could within his Alpha’s orbit until he snapped back into place. Without realizing it, he had stretched himself too thin. Hysteria, while controversial, did describe his irate behavior.

“Darling boy,” Cal sighed, sliding across the leather seat and pulling Jack into his arms. He remained tense, even as Cal scented him, fingers stroking through his messy blond hair as he pressed his lips to the scent gland on his neck, tracing the outline of his bonding mark. Jack whimpered and tried to duck away, but Cal wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted him into his lap. He spread his legs apart and reached across his chest to grip his neck possessively, pushing his head back against his shoulder.

The pressure of his Alpha’s fingers on either side of his neck stilled him, making his limbs grow weak and malleable. “That’s it,” Cal purred behind him, pressing a soft kiss to his shoulder blade. He ran his other hand up Jack’s thigh, making him shudder and mewl softly, but the grip on his neck kept him from doing anything more to protest the advances.

“When Omegas don’t get enough attention from their mates for too long, they get irritable and reclusive. It’s called hysteria, darling. It’s not made up,” Cal explained. “If left untended it can lead to severe depression. We don’t want that, do we, love?” he asked, his hand moving farther up. “That’s how bonded Omegas get sick and die if they’re separated from their Alphas,” he added, his breath warm against Jack’s skin.

He was pulling the age-old “myth” that an Omega who left their Alpha would wither away die of heartbreak. Jack rolled his eyes. It was an outdated, sexist story they told young Omegas at church. An Alpha could take on many mates but an Omega had to stay loyal and subservient to their one and only Alpha…or else they’d die. It wasn’t true, of course.

Cal slipped his hand beneath the elastic of Jack’s underwear, which was conveniently all he was wearing. He ran his finger over the Omega’s slick entrance, making him draw in a sharp breath and tense his shoulders. “Sh-sh,” Cal whispered, pressing a finger into the tight entrance, muscles contracting to pull him in greedily. “You know what the cure it, darling?” he asked, his voice dropping.

“You’re—that’s not going to work,” Jack gasped.

“We’ll see about that,” Cal’s breath was hot against Jack’s neck as he spread his thighs apart even further, forcing Jack to lean back against his chest. Jack squirmed and whimpered as Cal slipped his fingers into his dripping hole.

“So wet already,” Cal mused, scissoring his fingers inside of Jack and feeling more slick trickle over them. Jack bit the back of his hand to stifle his needy moans. He didn’t want to prove Cal right, especially after all the trouble he’d gone through. But he couldn’t control his body’s reactions.

His skin grew suffocatingly hot, especially in between his thighs where Cal’s fingers teased his weeping entrance. His hardening cock strained against his underwear, leaving a wet spot where pre-cum leaked out. His stomach tingled, muscles contracting on their own. He whined and bucked his hips into Cal’s hand, and Cal finally stopped teasing his entrance and pushed his fingers all the way inside.

“I told you it’d feel good,” Cal cooed in Jack’s ear, leaving soft kisses against his neck. He curled his fingers and prodded at the tight bundle of nerves within Jack’s sex. Jack lurched forward in Cal’s lap with a high-pitched yelp. His legs trembled as he fought to restrain himself.

“Why are you still holding back, darling?” Cal asked teasingly, his teeth nipping at Jack’s bonding scar. “Why don’t you let your Alpha take care of you?” he massaged the tender spot inside of Jack expertly, his fingers moving painfully slow. The Omega writhed and panted in his lap, grinding himself against the palm of Cal’s hand shamelessly.

“Beautiful,” Cal praised him. “You react so well,” he reached up to tweak one of Jack’s blushing nipples, making him arch his back lewdly, head falling back against Cal’s shoulder. He panted, cheeks flushed and eyes glassy, hips straining against Cal’s hand. It hadn’t taken long to wreck him.

“Do you want me to make you come?” Cal asked seductively.

Jack whimpered and turned his cheek away from Cal. He shut his eyes and breathed deeply against Cal’s shoulder. His suit was fresh pressed and warm, and smelled like his cologne. Cal rubbed his neck against Jack’s scent gland, brining him back to the present. The scent of Alpha was so thick, so intoxicatingly good, Jack’s mind went hazy. He wanted to stay angry, to not give Cal the satisfaction of winning, but the more his fingers worked inside of him and his aroused scent filled the car, the harder it was to think at all.

“Cal,” Jack panted, preening as Cal slipped a third finger into his sodden hole. He felt hot and wet, the tingling in his stomach turning into a dull ache as his body begged for release. “P-please,” he whined, unsure of what he was pleading for anymore.

“Hmm?” Cal hummed, a soft lilt in his voice. His hand stopped moving and Jack cried out, straining forward to fuck himself onto Cal’s fingers again. Cal chuckled deeply, his chest rumbling against Jack’s back. He nosed Jack’s scent gland, breathing his arousal in like a drug. Jack moaned, losing his patience and reaching into his underwear to grip his own neglected cock in his hand, rolling his hips over Cal’s stilled fingers.

“Mmmnnn, please,” he moaned, his voice breaking. He wanted it—needed it—so bad he fought back a sob.

“What do you want, Jack?” Cal asked, gripping Jack’s throat lightly, but just enough to make his eyes roll back.

“I want your knot,” he blurted out, voice breathy and seductive. He didn’t even recognize it as his own.

Cal chuckled devilishly, tightening his grip on the Omega’s neck. “Do you, now?” he asked teasingly. Jack wiggled in his lap, trying to push himself farther onto Cal’s fingers, desperately in search of more. The intense need to be knotted washed over him like he was in heat. There was no turning back now.

“Cal!” Jack moaned impatiently. “Please!”

Cal sighed, enjoying the sight of his unruly Omega writhing and begging for his knot shamelessly in his lap. But he couldn’t deny how it was affecting him either. Jack’s sour angry and fearful scent had turned into sweet arousal, the tight quarters of the car locking it inside with them as it built up to a mind-numbing high. His slick soaked through his underwear and through Cal’s pant leg. He could feel the wet warmth on his skin, smell its sugary sweetness like vanilla in fresh baked cake, even taste it on the tip of his tongue. His cock tented his pants, making them uncomfortably tight and warm. Since they were as good as ruined now anyway, he figured there would be no harm in taking some of this pleasure for himself.

He squeezed a hand in between their bodies to unzip his pants and pull himself free. Jack moaned and ground back into Cal’s hard cock. Cal growled, pulling Jack back towards him by the nape of his neck. The touch made him go slack, sitting with Cal’s leaking cock against the cleft of his ass, back arched beautifully against Cal’s chest. “Good boy,” Cal purred, his voice deepening even further. Jack preened at the praise, whining softly in impatience as Cal bucked his hips and slid his cock over Jack’s round ass.

“P-please put it in me,” he begged, tears stinging his eyes. He pushed himself back to rub gently against Cal’s hardness. The wet tip of Cal’s cock dragged across the small of his back and he groaned in need, throwing this head back.

“Lift up,” Cal demanded, and Jack complied eagerly. He lifted his hips off of Cal’s lap so Cal could finally free him of his only garment of clothing. His dripping cock bounced against his stomach lewdly, dragging a trail of pre-cum across his skin. Cal pulled Jack back down, this time directly over his cock.

Jack screamed his pleasure as Cal pulled his hips all the way down into his lap. His stomach swelled as Cal’s length buried deep into him. He rutted against it, tears falling down his cheeks as the fire in his belly was finally tamed. Cal growled softly behind him, reaching up to grab his shoulder and pull him down onto him. He held Jack down but left him just enough freedom to move his hips up and down at his desired pace. The Omega, who had been close to feral not long ago, was now tamed and greedily pleasuring himself on the Alpha’s cock. It was a sight to behold. Cal’s chest swelled with pride, knowing he’d won yet again.

“I’m going to knot you so hard,” he growled through clenched teeth. He hissed as Jack slammed back onto his cock with a primal energy.

Jack cursed and moaned and babbled incoherently, slick and sweat dripping onto the leather seats beneath them. Cal’s hands held his hips possessively, his teeth digging into his shoulder, and growls vibrating through his chest. He worked himself madly as he ground onto Cal’s growing knot.

“Fuck—Alpha—come inside me,” Jack begged mindlessly. Cal didn’t resist, he pulled Jack down and erupted deep inside of him, his knot filly expanding to lock his seed into the Omega’s gripping heat.

Jack screamed as he ground onto the Alpha’s knot and felt his thick cum fill him up, so full that his belly budged outward. He bit his lip and cried out softly as he rode out his own orgasm on top of the Alpha’s cock.

 

The ride to New York was nearly three hours, enough time for them to repeat this cycle two more times. With some time to spare, Cal wiped Jack down with a towel and dressed him in the hideous lavender suit. Jack was too tired to refuse. He folded his arms over his chest and hunched his shoulders as Cal combed his hair back.

They were both still flushed and glistening with sweat, and no doubt pouring pheromones. Jack anticipated the looks he would get. Every Alpha in a ten mile radius would turn their heads. For some reason, Cal didn’t mind this. Jack glared at him out of the corner of his eye as he fixed his appearance in a compact mirror, grinning at his reflection like Narcissus into the water.

Cal didn’t just not mind that they would catch everyone’s immediate attention, he wanted it that way. Jack had given him the perfect opportunity to manipulate their biology into creating his desired effect. There wouldn’t be a single soul in the entire hotel who didn’t see his Omega. They would be forced to respect him even more, to bow away from any preconceived notions they had about Cal’s ability to turn a low class Omega into a desirable mate.

Even without the aid of their rampant arousal pheromones, Jack was gorgeous enough to stand out. The soft pastel tone of his suit accentuated his piercing blue eyes and the golden yellow of his hair. His cheeks were flushed and his lips were pink and swollen, giving him an innocent, angelic look.

 

Cal stepped out of the cab parked at the roundabout in front of the grand hotel’s entrance. A bellhop held the door open as Cal helped Jack out of the car behind him. He leaned into Cal’s side, arms wrapped around his elbow for support as he stumbled forward on sore, trembling legs. Cal smirked, holding his head up high as he glided forward with his mate on his arm.

Lovejoy slipped the astonished cab driver an extra roll of cash with a quick apologetic look before grabbing their luggage and trailing behind Cal. The poor young Beta didn’t only have to listen to his passengers’ activities for the last three hours, but he’d probably have to power wash the whole car to get rid of their scent. With a scowl and a heavy sigh, he got back into the cab and drove off as impatient guests honked behind him and swerved into his spot.

Everyone in the hotel lobby turned their heads as Cal and Jack entered the building. Even the Beta behind the registration desk looked up from her log book and gaped at them over her glasses. Other Alphas, most of them complete strangers, looked over their shoulders or simply stared forward to get an eyeful of Jack. The Omega blushed and bowed his head to stare at the floor as every Alpha in the room ogled him shamelessly like they were starved bears in a circus and he was a slab of fresh meat. He sunk closer to Cal, feeling exposed. Cal rested his hand over Jack’s on his forearm, gently reassuring him.

Jack was far from reassured. He stared, wide-eyed down at the floor, muscles tensed and ready for flight. His skin felt too tight and his heart beat rapidly in his chest. Even his bonding scar prickled with the heat of at least a dozen sets of eyes scouring his body. Alphas breathed his scent in deeply, pupils dilating to black out their eyes; other Omegas either glared at him in envy or gaped in childlike curiosity. 

Cal’s voice dulled to a distant hum as he collected their room key from the front desk. Jack could feel her eyes on him as she halfheartedly scribbled their names into the guest book. She was a Beta, which proved their pheromones were so strong that even Betas could sense it. Most Betas were uncomfortable with the unfamiliar scents of Alphas and Omegas. The only times their pheromones caught the attention of Betas was when they were extremely angry, afraid, or in the middle of a heat/rut. It was almost never a good sign.

Cal tossed the room key to Lovejoy, who had passed their bags off to a bell boy with a cart. They followed him into an elevator, parting the crowd as people slowed to a stop around them. No one joined them in the elevator, afraid to get too close to the newly mated couple. Consciously or not, all the other Alphas in the vicinity bowed away from Cal, clearing a path for him and his mate in submission. They all knew that in his state he could be too territorial to tolerate anyone near his Omega. No one wanted to provoke one of the richest men in attendance, much less have their throats ripped out.

Jack exhaled as soon as the elevator doors closed and they began their ascent to the tenth floor. He was grateful for the privacy. Finally. His head still spinning from the breath he’d been holding, he leaned back into Cal’s arms for support. Cal purred softly as Jack nuzzled against his chest. “You did good,” he cradled the Omega’s head gently and pulled him closer.

Jack beamed from the praise despite still being mortified. He sighed and squeezed his arms around Cal’s waist tighter as the elevator jolted to a stop and the doors opened. Luckily, the halls were empty. He was free from the hungry gazes of the country’s most affluent, at least for now.

Cal herded Jack into their room, which, thankfully, wasn’t too far down the hall. Their bags had made it up before them, resting in a neat arrangement next to the king sized bed. Jack sat on the edge of the bed, his arms wrapped tightly around himself, and kicked off his shoes. Cal shot him a quizzical look before grabbing one of his smaller bags and disappearing into the bathroom.

As soon as Jack heard water running in the bathroom, he laid back onto the bed and pulled his knees up to his chest. He fell asleep in seconds.

Chapter 7: Punishment

Summary:

Jack tries to be clever. It backfires.

Notes:

I've finally found my way back to this fic!!! The last few months I've been consumed with a new fandom, but now I'm back on the Dawsley train.

This chapter gets pretty kinky/dark (non-consensual BDSM, the works)

When Jack woke up it was already evening. He groaned, turning over in the unfamiliar bed and squinting through the dark room. The heavy, royal purple curtains blocked out any light from outside, but one glance at the ornate clock at the other end of the room proved that it was already well past sunset.

With a heavy sigh, Jack sat up, throwing the blankets off of his scantily clad body in one swift motion. He barely remembered getting to the hotel room, let alone stripping down to his underwear. He still smelled vaguely of slick and excited pheromones, so clearly he hadn’t bathed since arriving. He huffed, realizing the “hysteria” had likely been an excuse to make his pheromones radiate from every pore in his body.

“Perverted old man,” he muttered, slipping down from the bed and padding across the carpeted floor to clean himself up in the bathroom.

He paused in the middle of the room, deciding to check the front door first, out of curiosity. As expected, it was locked, but he still grumbled to himself about being treated like a prisoner. By now, he should be used to it, but his stomach still dropped every time he woke up alone in a dark room, trapped like an exotic pet in a cage.

Once in the bathroom (which was still much larger and more ornate than anything he had seen in his life before Cal), he drew a bath and stripped out of his soiled underwear. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and barely recognized the dewy-skinned, bright-eyed, golden-haired Omega he saw staring back at him. He had always been objectively beautiful, but never without a layer of sun tan and street grime clouding his porcelain skin, or slightly messy, coarse hair. Now he looked like a real first class Omega. The word expensive came to mind.

He touched his soft cheek, now lightly flushed from the steam of the hot water that began to fog up the mirror. He shook his head and looked away, turning off the faucet before the bathtub overflowed.

The hotel provided fancy soaps and shampoo in tiny bottles. It all smelled like coconuts and citrus, which he hoped would be enough to mask his heavy pheromones. He really had no idea what Cal wanted him to do here, but he’d expected to at least be forced to accompany him to dinner. Otherwise what was the point of his being here? But he couldn’t waste too much time worrying about the Alpha’s motives. He had already decided he could never fully understand the older man, and it was pointless to try. The Alpha simply enjoyed forcing him to bend to his will, just as he had with his Beta bride-to-be. And with her gone, Jack would have to shoulder the weight of the Alpha’s fickle temper alone.

After spending more than enough time cleaning up and thinking about the upcoming weekend, Jack emptied the tub and dried off. He had no idea what horrific wardrobe awaited him this time. There would non doubt be all sorts of flashy colors and patterns, and fabrics that barely did their job of covering anything.

Jack stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. The lights were still off, and he assumed he was still alone until but a tall figure stepped out from the corner. He gasped and jumped back as the shadowy figure loomed over him. With one hand holding the towel up, he fumbled along the wall for a light switch.

“Oh, it’s you,” he grumbled when the lights flickered on and the suited Beta blinked back at him.

Lovejoy grimaced, poorly concealing his irritation. “I was sent up here to check on you,” he explained.

Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay,” he snapped. “Well, I’m alive,”

The Beta grunted, “I see you’ve bathed,”

“Yes, because Cal decided to make me cum all over myself on the ride over here. I was filthy. I don’t care if he intended for me to—“

“Yes, whatever,” the impatient man interrupted. “I just came to let you know that you can order whatever you like for dinner from the room service menu since you slept through dinner. Cal decided it would be best if he wait until tomorrow morning to introduce you,”

“Hm,” Jack nodded. So all of the car shenanigans really were for nothing? Figured. Cal probably just wanted to keep himself entertained.

“I’ll leave you now,” Lovejoy sniffed, eyeing the half-naked Omega.

Jack stared at the Beta icily until he departed. As soon as the door shut he groaned and sat down on the edge of the bed, bored and annoyed. He didn’t feel hungry, but he grabbed the room service menu off of the bedside table and looked it over anyway. His untrained eye noticed the obscene prices first, instinctively losing his appetite. He knew he could order anything, maybe even make Cal pay for the most expensive things on the menu, but he wasn’t in the mood to play along with Cal’s games tonight.

His suitcases were left neatly by the door, completely untouched. He tossed the menu aside and flopped down on the bed, staring up at the tule canopy that was draped over the tall bedposts. Everything about this room felt so lifeless, like he was in a magazine photograph. With a depressed sigh, he sat back up and stalked over to the suitcases to bring them closer to the bed and dressers.

Just as he was about to carry the suitcases back with him, he glanced at the door and remembered. The door had clicked shut when Lovejoy left, but there had been no second click of a lock. It was possible he just hadn’t heard it, or that it was just quiet, but there was no harm in checking. Jack set the suitcases back down and walked up to the door, apprehensively placing his hand over the handle.

He gasped when the doorknob turned and he was able to push the door open. The warm light from the hallway reached his eyes before he remembered that he was still wearing nothing but a towel, and he let the door swing shut again. A smirk played on his lips as he stepped back from the door. The idiot manservant had forgotten to lock him in again. Big mistake.

 

After nearly forty minutes of sorting through the flamboyant clothes that were packed for him, Jack found what may have been the sluttiest outfit he could put together. He put on a pair of shiny gold shorts, which were tight enough to show the curve of his ass and short enough to squeeze his thighs and waist in all the right places, and a wispy white button up shirt that was thin enough to show his pink nipples underneath.

He glanced at himself in the floor-length mirror and grinned mischievously. He looked like an escort. An expensive escort. And he was ready to make someone regret not locking his hotel room door, and another someone regret bringing him here in the first place.

 

Jack wandered into the hallway, careful to avoid being seen by any other guests. He had no idea where he was going or what he’d do when he got there, but once he was in the safety of the elevator by himself, he relaxed a little bit. Chuckling to himself, he pressed the button to the lobby, his stomach fluttering in excitement as the lift began carrying him down the next fifteen floors.

The lobby wasn’t nearly as busy as it had been when they’d arrived, and for that Jack was thankful. He snuck past the doorman, who was too busy on the telephone to notice the skimpy-clothed Omega run across the floor.

The first floor was where the events were held, that much Jack knew. This hotel was so big, though, he had no way of knowing which of the rooms Cal would be in. He passed by at least ten different events, none looking likely, until he reached the grand ballroom. He stopped in front of the doors, listening to glasses clinking and music playing on the other side. He took a deep breath, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and opened one door just enough to slip inside.

The ballroom was heavily decorated, in dim lighting, with a live band playing classy, yet upbeat music on a low stage. Suited waiters carried trays with glasses of champagne for mingling guests, who stood in small groups, chatting and laughing as they drank. Jack snuck past the frivolous Alphas and Betas, earning a few confused looks, but only being shrugged off. There was a bar at the back of the room, where the waiters came to replenish their stocks of free drinks.

A few male Alphas sat at the bar, talking and laughing loudly. When Jack tried to squeeze past them, he earned a shout. He froze in his tracks and turned to face the red-faced Alpha who whistled at him, putting on a cheesy, innocent smile.

“Hey, darlin’, you lost?” the man asked, his buddies giggling as they eyed Jack’s body like he was a fresh cut of meat. He felt their stares like pinpricks all over his skin, but resisted the urge to cover himself up.

“Excuse me?” he asked, his voice higher than usual. He blinked and smiled more, playing dumb, even though his heart was racing.

“You on break or somethin’?” another man asked, in between puffs of his cigar.

“Mmhm,” Jack nodded, stepping back.

“Better get back in there, baby. Maybe I’ll give you a nice, big tip,” the first man winked.

Jack’s stomach churned, but he swallowed down his nausea and kept smiling. As soon as he could, he bolted through the door behind him.

His relief was short lived. On the other side of that door was clearly the gentleman’s parlor. Set with half-naked Omegas much like himself. Of course, this is what they had meant. They thought he was one of the Omega servers. Oh, god, he thought in a panic. At least he blended in, but he wasn’t necessarily in the safest place to blend into. He had to get back out, and soon. But he couldn’t let too many others see him.

He bit his lip and moved forward slowly, his mind racing to come up with a plan. He headed toward what looked like the backstage area, where the Omega servers were likely to convene and take their breaks. It was no doubt his safest option.

Once behind the curtain, he sighed in relief. He had been right, the other Omegas were gathered back there, either passing through or sitting in small groups. Jack slumped against the wall where there weren’t too many people to see him. He tried to catch his breath and relax enough to come up with an escape plan. Forget trying to crash Cal’s party, he just wanted to get out of here.

“Hey, is it your break, bitch?” an Alpha’s voice boomed. Jack looked up to see a fat-faced Alpha marching towards him, thick brows furrowed in anger.

“Um, I—“ Jack started, standing up straight and holding up his hands, but the Alpha grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the entrance to the stage.

“No—wait—“ Jack started, trying to pull his wrist away from the Alpha’s firm grasp.

“What’s your problem, whore? You wanna get fired?” the Alpha turned red in the face and huffed, gripping Jack’s wrist even tighter until he hissed in pain.

“Please, there’s been a misunderstanding, I’m not—ow!” Jack was cut off by a harsh slap to the cheek. It was loud enough that the other Omegas backstage quieted and stared in fear.

“Get back to work!” the Alpha barked at them. They hurried out before he could do or say anything else.

Jack rubbed his cheek, still shocked. “I—I’m—“ he tried to explain, now too desperate to keep up his facade. If he explained that he was Caledon Hockley’s Omega they would surely let him go.

“I don’t care what you say you are, when you’re working for me, you’re nothing but a whore. Understand?” the Alpha crowded Jack into a wall, growling barely an inch away from his face.

Jack whimpered, the Alpha’s scent burning his throat and making his eyes water. All he could do was nod and try to flatten his body against the wall. The Alpha leaned in to sniff him, and he turned his head away.

“I don’t recognize you,” the Alpha muttered suspiciously. He grabbed Jack’s chin and forced him to look straight at him, squinting as he tried and failed to identify his features. “You new?” he asked.

“Mm,” Jack’s lip quivered. He didn’t know how to answer, because no matter what he said it would be wrong, but the Alpha made it clear that he wouldn’t listen to his actual explanation. He didn’t want to be hit again.

“What’s that, darlin’?” the Alpha asked, getting even closer.

Jack whined as the heavy Alpha’s weight pressed against him. His scent was thick and foul, and he bit his lip to try and keep from retching. “Please,” he whimpered pitifully. He hated the way he sounded, so helpless and weak.

A clammy hand crushed his windpipe and shoved his head against the wall. “Stop being such a disobedient brat,” the Alpha snarled. “I think you need to be put back in your place, pet,”

“No…” Jack whined as the strange Alpha slid another sweaty hand up his shirt. He recoiled as much as he could, but there was nowhere to run. His whimpers grew louder and higher in pitch as he became more distressed.

“You better shut up, bitch,” the Alpha warned. “Or I’ll have to shut you up myself,” he lifted his hand and Jack cried out, cowering against the wall, but nothing happened.

The Alpha shouted out as he was dragged back. Jack opened his eyes just in time to see the gross old man get punched in the face by a taller, younger Alpha. The dark-haired Alpha growled as the old man fell to the ground and tried to scramble away.

“What the—!” he cursed, hands flying to his bloody nose. “What’s your problem, mister? Security!” he stammered.

The other Alpha balled his fists, towering over the other on the floor. “Go ahead and call security, you fucking pig,” he growled, his voice deeper and barely recognizable. His arms trembled with rage and the urge to pummel the Alpha who dared touch his Omega into the ground.

Two security guards came running in seconds later. Even they hesitated when they saw the Alpha’s feral expression.

“What’s the problem, sir?” one officer asked in a shaky voice.

“I walked in on this man molesting my Omega,” Cal explained, still seething with rage.

The security guards looked to the Alpha on the floor and to the terrified Omega slumped against the wall. “We’re so sorry, sir,” they groveled, reaching for the Alpha on the floor so they could handcuff him.

“Hey! Wait! Stop! I’m just trying to run my business here, you understand that don’t you? I didn’t know he was yours, I just—“

“Shut up!” Cal roared.

The officers dragged the complaining Alpha out of the room, and only then did Cal stop growling.

“How did you get out?” he demanded. It wasn’t the soothing voice Jack had hoped to hear from his Alpha.

“I—he—the door was unlocked,” Jack stammered, knees quaking. “I’m sorry,” he added, his chest tight with urgency. He could still smell the Alpha’s anger and it made him want to drop to his knees and grovel for forgiveness. But he was still too shaken to move.

“I don’t fucking care how sorry you are,” Cal snapped. “What on earth were you thinking?”

Jack couldn’t answer. He wanted to cry like a dumb, weak Omega, but he wouldn’t let himself. Not now. He huffed, biting his lip hard and hugging his knees to his chest. He still couldn’t look at Cal, in fear of facing the anger and disappointment in his Alpha’s eyes. He hated that he cared so much, which only made tears of frustration burn his eyes.

“Ugh, fucking hell,” Cal hissed, rubbing the bridge of his nose like he had a headache. “I leave you alone for one night,”

“Lovejoy left the fucking door unlocked,” Jack sniffled.

Cal gaped at the crumpled Omega on the floor. After all this time, and everything he put him through, he still had the audacity to be such a brat.

“I’m clearly too easy on you,” Cal pondered out loud. He shook his head and chuckled in impatient frustration. “Stand up,” he barked.

Jack rolled his eyes and rose to his feet, only to be slapped across the face again without warning. “Why?” he groaned, rubbing his sore cheek.

“That’s for rolling your eyes,” Cal said shortly. “If you think that’s bad, wait until you get the rest of your punishment,” he grabbed Jack’s wrist and dragged him through the emptying ballroom and back into the hall, where he switched to leading Jack with a firm hand around the back of his neck, a known Omegean pressure point.

“I should collar you, maybe even get a leash, too, since you behave like an ill-trained dog,” he said through a clenched jaw while they rode the elevator up fifteen stories.

 

Cal shoved Jack into the room, locking the door behind them, before backing him against the bed and pushing him onto the mattress. Jack tried to scramble to the middle of the bed, but Cal caught his ankles and pulled him back to the edge.

“What are you wearing?” he scoffed, nostrils flaring as he surveyed the Omega’s skimpy outfit.

“Just the clothes you packed for me,” Jack countered.

“I didn’t pack for you, and even if I did, that’s not permission to dress like a slut and go into a room full of drunk Alphas, Jesus Jack, what is wrong with you?” Cal’s words ran together as his voice rose.

Jack almost rolled his eyes again, but stopped himself, his cheek already burning in anticipation. He stared down at the bed, where he was on his back, propping himself up on his elbows.

“This rebellious streak has to end,” Cal said, standing up and knocking his own suitcase over to begin digging through it. Jack watched, holding his breath. There was no escaping now.

“Lay on your stomach and spread your arms and legs out,” Cal ordered. Jack hesitated, but did as he was told. He could hear chains rattling, and straps tightening to the bed posts. He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. He had an idea of what was about to happen, and he didn’t like it.

The next thing he knew there were rough hands pulling his shorts off, and then his shirt, ripping the fabric in haste. Then a leather strap wrapped around one ankle, then the next, and then two more were applied to his wrists, leaving him spread eagle on the bed. What was this about? Was Cal going to fuck him like this? He could handle that, maybe even enjoy it a little. He smirked to himself, carefully concealing it by burying his face in the comforter.

Cal walked back over to the suitcase, shuffled around for something else, and then stood at the foot of the bed. It was quiet for a few long seconds, but just as Jack was beginning to wonder if he should say something, something whipped through the air and came down hard against his backside with a deafening smack.

He screamed and balled his fists, shifting his hips to try and escape the pain. It took him until the second hit to realize that he was being paddled. He felt like a schoolboy receiving a punishment from a nasty teacher, because just like children, Omegas were often physically punished for being disobedient. Paddling or flogging an unruly Omega was not only common, it was encouraged. How had he not anticipated this?

By the fifth smack to his ass, his tears left a wet spot on the comforter. By the tenth, he was wailing in pain. By the fifteenth, he was begging for it to stop, his ass and thighs bright red and bruised.

“I don’t know if you’ve learned your lesson, pet,” Cal sighed. “How can I be sure, hm?”

“Alpha…p-please,” Jack hiccuped.

“Two more,” Cal said after pretending to think about it.

Two turned into three, which turned into five. An even twenty. Jack was panting and shaking, still sobbing quietly into the bed.

The paddle was finally tossed aside and Cal sat on the edge of the bed next to his wrecked Omega. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy punishing the brat. He touched the Omega’s calf gently, and shushed him when he jolted and tensed beneath his fingers. “Have you learned your lesson now?” he asked.

“Y-yes, Alpha, I’ll b-be g-good, I pr-promise,” Jack sobbed.

“There, there. It’s all over now,” Cal stroked his back until he calmed down and caught his breath. “You did very well,”

The soft praise made Jack cry even harder, now wracked with guilt on top of the fear and the pain. His wrist and ankle cuffs were released and his limp body was scooped into the Alpha’s lap.

“Hush, baby, just don’t run away from me again. I was worried sick when I came up here and you were gone. And what if I hadn’t, hm? That filthy old man would’ve touched you even more,”

“I was so—so sc-scared,” Jack hiccuped, grabbing handfuls of the Alpha’s shirt and burying his face in his neck.

Cal cradled the Omega’s trembling body closer to his chest and nuzzled his soft hair, letting him scent him until he calmed down again.

“Breathe, darling,” he cooed, rubbing the Omega’s back.

“I wanna go home,” Jack whimpered.

Cal sighed. “I was really hoping to show you off this weekend, but I don’t know if I can take any more chances,”

Jack shook his head and clung to his Alpha even tighter. Luckily, the Alpha’s mind was already made up. They would leave in the morning.

Chapter 8: Overcome

Summary:

Rose finally makes an appearance, and Jack learns some disturbing things about his fate.

Notes:

I didn't expect this chapter to be this depressing, but here we are lol. I promise, the issues brought up will be resolved, though, and Rose isn't the bad guy!

There was barely anything to pack, since they were already leaving so soon after they’d arrived. The pesky Beta manservant surely got a harsh word from Cal, which was one of the only few pleasures Jack had. Otherwise, he was quiet, sore, and irritable. There was no way he could escape the Alpha, who kept a close eye on him at all times, if not a hand around the nape of his neck like a collar.

“There’s a cab ready for you outside the lobby,” the Beta said in his usual hollow tone, shifting his eyes over to glare in Jack’s direction. Jack returned the expression, wondering if he could ever convince Cal to let the crotchety old man retire.

“Great. Come, then,” Cal stood up and extended a gloved hand to Jack. Jack’s expression didn’t change, and he made a point not to look the Alpha in the eyes. It would only make him angry.

He winced as he stood up, his backside still raw and sore from his punishment. He bit his lip and looked down to the floor, not wanting Cal to see that he was still hurting. Of course, he knew. There was no way he could take such a heavy punishment and not be hurting the next day. All the sweet-smelling lotion in the world wouldn’t cure the puffy welts on his ass and thighs, only time could.

Luckily, he was dressed in a loose, floor-length skirt and another loose top like the one he’d worn the night before, only tucked into the waistband of the high-waisted skirt this time. The shirt was unbuttoned down to the middle of his sternum, showing off the soft skin of his chest. When he’d tried to button it all the way up, Cal stopped him, saying something about being too pretty to hide. It made him want to retch, but he bit his tongue and didn’t make a sound.

Cal kept one hand firmly around the nape of Jack’s neck, guiding him down the hall like a dog on a tight leash. Every time the Omega moved too fast, he dug his fingers into the sides of his neck, putting pressure on his scent glands and sensitive bonding scar. Slick trickled down Jack’s thighs every time his mark was squeezed, and by the time they made it into the lift his legs were trembling like a doe.

The only reward he got for behaving was a gentle hand on his waist, holding him against the Alpha’s firm body as the lift descended down to the lobby. The Beta, who stood next to them holding all of their luggage, glared at Jack out of the corner of his eye. Jack avoided him altogether, pretending the brutish man didn’t exist just as everyone else did. Instead, he glared at the elevator doors ahead of him, as if willing them to open again.

When the lift stopped and the doors finally opened, Jack was nudged forward with a knee to his backside. He yelped in pain, but didn’t dare move away from his Alpha. An insincere apology later, he was once again being led forward like a pet.

People were looking, as hard as they tried not to make it obvious. Jack’s eyes darted around the room, trying not to make eye contact with anyone, but it was impossible to escape the side-eyed stares and concealed whispers directed at him. He gave up and stared at the floor, which was polished enough that he could see his mortified expression staring back at him. Frustrated tears burned his eyes and he bit his lip to keep himself under control. Why did it have to be like this?

Seconds later he was led out the front door, away from the majority of the onlookers. He reminded himself that in just a few hours he would be home. A few more hours of awkward silence and uncomfortably sitting on his sore bottom, and then he could lock himself in his room forever.

Those plans were crushed almost immediately. He made the mistake of looking up at just the right (or wrong) time. The blood drained from his face the second he met an opposing pair of sea-green eyes across the street. In another lifetime he might have been relieved, or excited, to see the breathtaking Beta. But not like this. Not now. He looked away and silently begged her not to approach, but his heart dropped into his stomach when he heard the familiar falsetto voice call out his name.

“Fuck,”

The Alpha squeezed Jack’s neck so tight he almost choked, and yanked him back against his chest as if he were a human shield. The Omega made a pathetic noise as he gasped for air. Cal loosened his grip and muttered more curses under his breath.

“Where’s that fucking car?” he hissed, craning his neck to look down the street, purposefully avoiding the fiery-haired Beta who was now running towards them.

Jack whined and pressed himself closer to Cal, even though it was still the last place he wanted to be. “Just take me home,” he begged pitifully, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my bastard fiancé and the Omega he stole right from under my nose,”

Cal rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw in disdain. He wrapped an arm around Jack’s waist and pulled him against his side, holding the Omega’s wavering frame still.

“I thought you might be here,” Rose sneered, glaring daggers at the Alpha behind Jack.

“What a lovely surprise,” Cal said flatly. “Unfortunately, we’re on our way out, so—“

“Where’s your cab, then?” Rose asked, putting a hand on her hip and dramatically squinting into the parking lot. “Uh oh, looks like they’re all tied up,” she smirked.

“What did you—“

“Sir, I don’t know what happened, but all the cabs are—you?” the Beta manservant jogged back over to them, still carrying an entire weekend's worth of luggage. His face was flushed and sweat glistened over his skin. In any other circumstance Jack would’ve loved to see the asshole in such disarray.

Rose shrugged, feigning ignorance. “I have no idea,”

“If you have something to say, just say it. Now’s really not a good time for games,” Cal snapped.

Rose gave him a warning glare. “I wouldn’t have to do this much if you’d answer my calls, or write back to me, or anything. Don’t you think I deserve to know how my husband-to-be and Omega-should-be are doing?” she said venomously.

“This doesn’t concern you anymore,” Cal said, even though he knew that wouldn’t stop her.

“Sure it does,” she argued. “If you still want me to uphold my end of our deal, that is,” she added, shifting her eyes in Jack’s direction.

Cal stiffened and pulled Jack closer to his side, but didn’t answer. Jack peeked up at his Alpha. His eyes were sharp with anger and his lips were set in a tight line. He glanced back at Rose, who was standing in front of them with her arms crossed over her chest expectantly.

“What deal?” Jack finally asked in a quiet voice.

“Oh, my,” Rose pretended to be shocked. “He didn’t tell you?”

Jack looked up at Cal, who looked like he was going to burst a vein in his neck. “No,” he said.

“Well, isn’t that odd,” Rose sighed. “When were you planning to tell him, then? I guess I should apologize for ruining the surprise,”

“What haven’t you told me?” Jack asked, finding his voice.

Cal moved his hand back up to Jack’s nape, threatening to force him back into submission via the cursed Omegean pressure point. Jack shut his mouth, but knew he was due to learn the truth now either way.

“My whole purpose in this arrangement was to give Cal an Alpha child, and secure my own family financially. If I back out, there’s even fewer chances of him finding another purebred Beta to breed, and then poof, there goes his entire bloodline,” she explained, a look of sadistic pleasure crossing over her face. “So instead of marrying, I’m just going to give him what he needs and then be off with my money. So I won’t have to get in the way of such a darling little Alpha/Omega bond,” she added, emphasizing the word ‘Omega’ like it was a slur. Jack flinched at her tone, and the disgusting inferences she made.

“That’s not…is that…?”

Rose nodded. “I’m afraid so, honey. But on the bright side, you get to be a cozy little Omega housewife and raise a perfect little Alpha son or daughter now,”

Jack shook his head until he felt faint. “I’m not…I’m not taking care of your kid now,” he scoffed. He looked up to Cal for help, but the Alpha wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Right? That’s insane. You wouldn’t…make me…” he trailed off as he realized Cal wasn’t going to agree with him. “No,” he shook his head again, still disbelieving.

“What’s wrong, Jack? I thought you liked kids?”

“It’s not even mine!” he snapped. “We’re paying you for your baby now, and I’m just supposed to be okay with that?”

People started to look in their direction and Cal put his arm around Jack’s shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. Jack shrugged him off. “I never wanted to be your Omega and I don’t want to mother your fucking kid,” he shouted at both of them.

“Darling, just calm down. It’s not as bad as it sounds, I promise—“

“What do you mean ‘it’s not as bad as it sounds’?” Jack raised his voice even further, backing away when Cal tried to reach for him. “How are you okay with this?” he turned to Rose with tears in his eyes. “It’s your baby, how are you okay with this?”

Rose gaped, not expecting as dramatic a reaction as this. She clearly didn’t know just how little power Jack had in this entire situation. Her mother had convinced her it was his fault for seducing the rich, older Alpha in order to get the comfortable lifestyle he’d always dreamed of. In all her anger, she’d actually believed it. In the months they had been apart, she’d been fuming thinking of how the conniving little street Omega had played her. And how quick her heartless Alpha fiancé was to fall for his whims.

“Fuck, I-I’m sorry,” she stammered, her throat going dry as she realized the mistake she’d made. Why had she ever listened to her mother anyway?

“No you’re not,” Cal barked.

She stared ahead, defeated, as Cal pulled the broken Omega into his arms and scented him until he calmed down. He was completely unable to resist, going lax in Cal’s arms the second he pressed his wrist under his nose.

As a Beta, she would never understand the power one’s pheromones had on members of the opposite secondary gender. She knew of it, but never truly believed just how serious it was until she saw it happening right in front of her. It seemed like the Omegas in her social circle were just as whipped as the Betas, and of course, they were if that was the only life they knew. She felt relieved and sickened to know that she would never be a slave to her own biology the way Jack was. A bite mark on her neck wouldn’t make her entire body betray her for the rest of her life.

Without another word, Rose turned and ran away. She didn’t want to see either of them again. Not for a long time at least. All she could do was accept her guilt for leading Jack into such a horrendous trap, while she got out almost scot-free.

Chapter 9: Better Off

Summary:

To avoid more pain, Cal decides to let his unhappy Omega go.

Notes:

If you've been reading the comments, you probably know that I was waffling back and forth between rewriting some of the earlier chapters to add mpreg in this fic and just continuing as it is without mpreg. I've decided to just continue as is and maybe write another mpreg fic later on.

***Trigger warning: in this chapter Jack is so depressed that he refuses to eat***

It had been nearly a week since the regrettable trip to New York. Jack refused to leave his bedroom, and only opened the door when servants brought him food. He barely had an appetite, and only cared to lie in his bed most of the time. He was more depressed and reclusive than he’d been when he first arrived. There was no way out, and no silver lining to this arrangement. His body and soul belonged to a man who didn’t love nor care for him at all, it seemed, and he definitely didn’t harbor any kind feelings towards his captor either. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve any of this, and usually he would think that self pity was useless, but now what else was he to do?

He couldn’t bear to see Cal again, and even hearing the Alpha’s voice made him want to cower under his blankets and never come out. Eventually Cal stopped trying to urge him out of his room. The relief of not having to listen to his half-hearted pleas was undercut by a gnawing emptiness in his stomach. He loathed that his body betrayed him like that, which was another reason why he kept himself confined. He couldn’t trust himself not to go crawling back to his Alpha as soon as he opened the door. Even if it was slowly killing him, he would rather die rejecting the old man than live as his loyal lap dog.

Trudy tried getting Jack to leave his bedroom at least once a day. She would volunteer to bring him breakfast in the morning and tidy up, making a point to open the curtains and let the light in. She would make small talk even though he would only nod and mumble back. Jack could barely even look at her. Her pitying expression was too painful for him. Deep down he appreciated that she was trying, but her presence was only another reminder of his sealed fate. His only companion was a fellow slave.

“Come on, you need to eat,” Trudy sighed, frowning at the untouched dinner plate by the door. “How long are you going to keep this up?” she asked, her voice hardening. When she was met with no response, she flung the curtains open and threw the blankets off of the nesting Omega, who groaned and tried to hide his face in a pile of pillows.

“I’m not leaving until you sit up and eat something,” she ordered, putting her hands on her hips like a frustrated mother. “I know you’re upset, but this is pathetic,”

“Shut up,” Jack murmured lazily.

Trudy raised an eyebrow and huffed. As irritated as she was, her chest lightened at hearing a trace of Jack’s old attitude. He wasn’t a completely lost cause.

“Hey, c’mon,” she shook his shoulder. “At least sit up and look at me,”

Jack turned onto his back and glared in the other Omega’s direction. His eyes were glazed over and shadowed by dark circles despite the fact that all he did was sleep. His skin looked pale and his cheeks hollow, even his hair fell flat and dull over his forehead. His sweet honey scent was barely traceable, anyone who didn’t know him would think he was a Beta.

“You’re losing weight,” Trudy frowned.

“So?” Jack shot back.

“So you’re making yourself ill,” she sighed, reaching for the plate of food she’d brought for him. “It’s French toast, your favorite,” she urged, setting it on his lap with a fork and knife.

Jack crinkled his nose at it. “I’m not hungry,” he muttered, trying to push it away.

Trudy pushed it right back. “You’re going to eat,” she instructed, placing the fork into his hand. “One bite, and then I promise I’ll leave you alone,”

Jack glared at her, but she didn’t back down. Without looking away, he cut a tiny piece with the edge of his fork and put it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing so quickly he didn’t even taste it. He dropped the fork back on the plate and pushed it off of his lap. “There. Done.” he pulled his blankets back up his his chest and turned away from her.

Trudy sighed and rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see her anymore. “Fine,” she said flatly. She left the plate on the bedside table next to him and started for the door. Before turning the handle, she looked back at the motionless figure on the bed. Beyond her frustration with Jack’s childish behavior, she worried about him. If he kept this up any longer, he might die. With a sinking feeling, she realized that that might be what he was trying to do. As much as she understood his pain, she couldn’t let that happen.

 

After finishing some household chores, Trudy watched Cal retire into his office for the afternoon. Several minutes later, she smoothed down her skirt and knocked on the big oak doors.

“Is this important? I am busy, you know,” the Alpha sneered as soon as he opened the door and saw the mousy Omegean servant.

“I need to talk to you,” she said seriously, stepping forward into the doorway so he couldn’t shut the door in her face.

He frowned at her forwardness. “What is it then, Trudy?” he sighed with an impatient eye roll.

“It’s about your Omega,” she started, staring back at him with an unwavering glare. The Alpha’s chest rumbled at her disobedience, but he stepped back and let her into the room.

“It’s not my fault he refuses to speak to me,” Cal explained defensively, closing the door hastily and cornering the Omegean maid. “If you’re here to tell me how I should and shouldn’t care for my mate, I might just have you fired for your insolence, girl. This better be worth my time,” he growled.

Trudy stood her ground even as her heartbeat quickened upon having the angry Alpha so close to her. “I’m worried he might be ill,” she said matter-of-factly. “He’s refusing to eat or get out of bed, he’s lost weight, all he does is sleep all day. He’s not himself, and frankly, I’m worried,” she explained.

Cal huffed and took a step back. “He’ll get over it,” he said, yet he couldn’t even look Trudy in the eye.

“This has gone on far too long,” she continued. “I’m worried that—“ she trailed off, unable to say it.

“You think you know my Omega better than I do?” Cal’s voice raised again.

“As an Omega myself, yes,” she answered honestly. Her directness was enough to make Cal pause, so she used the chance to continue. “Forgive me Mr. Hockley, but he’s already quite ill. If we ignore this any longer and he continues as he has he will simply starve himself to death, and even if he doesn’t, I can assure you it won’t be long until he catches some other illness that he will be too weak to overcome,”

Cal didn’t respond for a couple long seconds. “Okay, well what do you want me to do? Force feed him? He won’t speak to me, or even look at me. If he hates me that much, what am I to do about it?”

“You’d let your mate die like this?” she countered. “Your situation is less than ideal, I understand that, sir, but I know you can sense that your mate is in distress, and I know you’re feeling his pain to some degree,”

“You’ve never been mated before. You don’t know anything,” Cal snapped.

“I may never have had a mate myself, but I can see that you’re both unwell, and I’ve seen this happen often enough to know that you’ll both be in pain until you fix this or until your Omega dies of heartbreak. And even then it will be a hole in your heart that you will never be able to mend, not even with another Omega. You will only feel worse knowing that it could have been prevented. And, please, sir, I do care about him, too. He was always so kind to me, I consider him a friend, one of my only friends, in fact. I don’t wish to see him like this any longer.” Trudy sighed. “I should take my leave now. Please do consider my words. I only did this for his sake,” she bowed her head chastely before ducking out of the room, leaving the powerful Alpha dumbfounded.

He should have fired her on the spot. How dare anyone, especially a servant girl, tell him what to do? If she weren’t so good at her job, he might have. He knew she was right, as much as it angered him even more. He could barely sleep, had an even shorter temper than usual, and could barely focus during the day. He’d had a near constant headache since arriving home the previous weekend, which he’d assumed was just fatigue. He rubbed his temples as the dull ache behind his eyes flared for a few seconds. He knew all along, just didn’t want to admit, that his pain was somehow tied to the situation with Jack. He wanted to see him, to touch him, but every time he tried the pain of rejection was just too much to bear. So he stopped trying, hoping that eventually the Omega would grow tired of this immature game and come back to him. After hearing what Trudy had to say, though, he worried that he may never get his mate back. Would the Omega really rather die than choose him?

---

Jack was in between sleeping and waking when the sound of a key rattling in the bedroom door roused him. Unlike the servants who brought him food, there had been no soft knock. The door flung open so hard that it bounced off of the wall, and the spicy scent of angry Alpha rushed into the room. Jack’s breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t move, didn’t want to move, but heavy footsteps marched over to his bedside until he was staring directly at his mate. When their eyes met, something akin to relief flashed across Jack’s face, but then he forced himself to look away.

“If you’re so keen on dying alone in here like a stray dog, I guess I can’t stop you,” the Alpha’s words hung in the air for a few seconds. Jack didn’t respond, just stared at the floor and waited. He wanted the Alpha to stay almost as much as he wanted him to leave. It was confusing, and felt like his heart was being ripped in half, but he stayed still and silent.

Cal huffed. “Okay then. If you hate me so much that you’d rather starve yourself to death than remain bonded to me, then by all means, leave. The door is unlocked. You can go whenever you want,”

This was all he’d wanted to hear, ever since he woke up in this same room with a bonding mark on his neck all those months ago. He thought he would die if he had to spend another day here, bonded to Cal. Now he had his freedom back, he could see his friends again. But why did it hurt so much? Why now?

“I can find a more obedient Omega, one that won’t be so much work, maybe even one who can carry my pups so I won’t have to pay off another Beta,” Cal continued. He was obviously sticking around because he expected a reaction. He didn’t even realize how much he’d hoped the Omega would jump up and beg for forgiveness until he didn’t.

Jack couldn’t speak, he had no words. Subconsciously he’d hoped that the Alpha would fall to his knees and beg his mate to come back to him. That’s what a good Alpha would do, after all. But Cal was not a good Alpha. Or maybe he would have been if Jack had been a better mate. No one wanted a disobedient, unruly Omega, especially one who couldn’t even be bred. He was only ever meant to be an ornament, and he did a terrible job even at that. The Alpha’s rejection burned even though he never wanted to be in this situation either. He wanted to tell Cal how much he hated him and how useless he’d been as an Alpha, but he physically couldn’t. And then it was too late.

Chapter 10: Never Say Never

Summary:

Jack goes out on his own in search of his old pack, but realizes his life might be harder now that he's all by himself in a new city.

Notes:

Wow, two chapters in a day! Who am I? I just graduated so now I can't use school as an excuse not to write anymore lol. Let's all hope my inspiration sticks around!

Will there or won't there be mpreg in this fic? I don't know yet, but if I do write it in, I will be sure to tag it appropriately.

The bedroom door was left wide open, facing the empty hallway. Jack lied in his bed for a few minutes longer, half expecting the Alpha to return and take his vile words back. But he didn’t. It was now or never.

He forced himself out of his nest and began packing up his necessities. All of his original clothes were gone, so he sifted through silky fabrics until he found some items that would do. He ate the breakfast that had long since gone cold by his bedside, chewing and swallowing so fast that he wouldn’t have to taste it, and then he stashed a few pieces of fruit in his knapsack for later. He had no idea where he would go, or when his next meal would be, but he would rather starve on the street than stay trapped in here.

He peered up and down the hall, but the entire wing was completely empty. For a moment it was as if nothing had changed since his first morning at the manor. Although this time he would be able to walk out the front door to freedom. His bonding scar tingled as he descended the staircase, but he ignored it. From now on the bonding mark would mean nothing. He had been disowned by his Alpha. So what if he could never bond with another Alpha? He didn’t want to be owned like that ever again. His body was his and his alone.

As soon as he stepped outside into the late morning sun, he ran and never looked back.

 

Cal heard the front doors click shut from inside his office. He didn’t even have to look to know that his Omega was gone. Trudy was right, it did hurt, but not nearly as much as it would if his mate had perished. At least now it was up to fate.

 

---

 

Jack didn’t stop walking until the sun was beginning to set. He was in the inner city now, surrounded by plenty of places to seek refuge for the night. He knew this city was different from the ones he was used to. For one, there were far more Alphas and Betas than Omegas. He earned quite a few questioning looks from those who passed by him, but he kept his head up and pretended as if there was nothing odd about a lone Omega walking down the street. But around here, it was. The handful of Omegas he saw were accompanied by their mates. They gave him worried glances as they walked by, hand in hand with their Alphas or Betas, pitying him as if he were a lost dog. He pulled his shirt collar up over his old bonding mark and looked straight ahead. 

By nightfall, he found an alley with a few homeless Betas sitting around a bonfire. He figured it was the safest spot he would find, and decided to set up several feet away from the others. They shot some wary glances in his direction as he sat down against a wall, but he ignored them until they did the same. He wasn’t in the mood to mingle with strangers, even if they were just Betas. He would be off as soon as the sun came up in the morning.

About an hour or so had passed, and Jack was finally starting to drift off to sleep, hugging his bag to his chest. He heard a heavy pair of footsteps coming towards him, but assumed it was one of the Betas, until they stopped right in front of him.

“How much?” a raspy voice asked.

Jack blinked his eyes open. A portly old Alpha was standing over him, counting the money in his wallet.

“Um, excuse me?” Jack asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.

“I said, how much?” the man repeated impatiently, waving a twenty dollar bill in front of him. “Aren’t you working?” he raised an eyebrow and looked around. “This isn’t the usual spot,” he added, finally sounding suspicious.

“I-um, no, I’m not…” Jack tried to explain.

The man huffed and furrowed his brow. “Then what on earth are you doing out here, boy?” he asked. “It’s not safe for an Omega like you to be alone at night,”

“I just—“ Jack started.

The Alpha held a hand up to stop him. “Look, I’ll still pay you,”

Jack gaped.

“You can spend the night in my hotel room. Just this once. But it better be good,” the old Alpha added gruffly.

Jack would have turned the offer down immediately, but that was before he had the status of a disowned Omega. The Betas at the back of the alley wouldn’t protect him. It was every man for himself here, unlike the Omegas who looked out for each other where he came from. The thought of sleeping with this man made his stomach churn and bile rise into his throat, but it was better than the alternative. If he let his guard down out here, he might be taken by force, or worse.

Jack nodded meekly and took the older man’s outstretched hand. He was clammy and had fingers like mini sausages. Jack even noticed a wedding band. What a pig, he thought, but he clenched his jaw and kept his thoughts to himself.

“‘Atta boy,” the Alpha purred, lacing his arm around Jack’s waist. Jack sucked in a breath and held it as the man’s fingers touched his bare skin where his shirt had ridden up. It took all he had not to flinch away.

The Alpha led Jack to a hotel only a block away. Jack kept his head down the entire time, not wanting to be seen. The Alpha, on the other hand, wore him on his arm like an expensive watch. He nodded to passerby’s with a grimy smirk, showing off that he had the money to pay for an Omegean prostitute.

The hotel was not as luxurious as the one he had stayed in with Cal in New York, but it wasn’t cheap either. He was with a purely middle class Alpha, exactly the type to pick up prostitutes off the street.

Jack sat on the edge of the bed, his heart beating in his ears and his hands shaking as he unbuttoned his shirt. The Alpha wasted no time in doing the same.

“Eager, are we?” he asked. Jack wanted to gag, but instead he pasted on a sultry smile and nodded.

The Alpha stood before him next to the bed and took his chin in his grubby hand, leading him into a sloppy kiss. He smelled of strong liquor and his thick mustache tickled, but Jack squeezed his eyes shut and went along with it. He held his breath as the old man forced his tongue into his mouth, tasting him as if he were his own Omega.

“Ready for me, baby?” he asked, already huffing and puffing. Jack nodded and lied back onto the bed, letting the Alpha pull his pants off.

“Gorgeous,” the Alpha sighed, shaking his head. “You really should consider doing this regularly, you would sure make a lot of money,”

Jack’s lips trembled but he kept his eyes shut. He forced himself to lie still as the gross Alpha touched him all over.

“You’re not gonna get wet for me, baby?” he asked, clicking his tongue. “I’ll forgive you. It’s your first time after all,” he cooed, leaning over Jack’s body.

“You have such pretty lips, normally I’d want to see what they can do,” he continued. “But I don’t know if I can last this time,”

Get it over with, then, Jack thought, biting his lip. He wasn’t going to enjoy this, and he didn’t want to. He just needed a place to stay for the night and some cash, that was all. He reminded himself of that as he felt the old man’s mustache tickle his hole, and thick, sweaty fingers try to coax slick out of him. It wouldn’t work. Jack’s thighs trembled from fighting the urge to close his legs and shut the disgusting man out.

The man finally pulled back with a heavy sigh. “Alright, I guess I’ll get the lube,”

Jack let out he breath he’d been holding as the Alpha stepped away for a moment to retrieve a small bottle of lubricant from his overnight bag. He’d come prepared, planning to take a prostitute back to his room before he’d even left home. He probably kissed his wife goodbye, maybe even kids, thinking about defiling some stranger’s body the whole time. People like him disgusted Jack. He wanted no part in this, but it was what he had to do. Just this once, and then I’ll find my pack and I’ll never have to touch an Alpha ever again, he chanted in his head.

The Alpha came back to the bed, and touched his tight hole with lube-coated fingers. It was a step up, and Jack could always be grateful he wasn’t trying to use his dirty mouth anymore. The man’s fingers were short, and missed his prostate by a long shot, but Jack spread his knees apart and moaned timidly to appease his suitor. Pretty soon he could hear the Alpha’s heavy breathing and knew it wouldn’t be long. He heard a zipper and more fabric rustling, and then a few squelching strokes followed by a low groan. He forced himself to stare straight ahead, he didn’t want to see this man, although he could imagine his cock was probably as disappointing as the rest of him. But that didn’t matter. He didn’t want to feel this, let alone derive any sick pleasure from it. He just needed food and lodge for the night, and this was no different than how he would lend his body for any other job, he tried to tell himself.

Jack gasped as his hole was breached. The Alpha wasted no time pushing himself all the way in. Jack winced at the immediate stretch, and then realized that the old man on top of him had already bottomed out. He sighed in relief that the Alpha wasn’t nearly as large as Cal had been, and that his quick, greedy thrusts didn’t even come close to grazing his sweet spots. He let out fabricated moans as the old Alpha grunted, dripping sweat onto Jack’s chest beneath him. It couldn’t have lasted more than five minutes, until the old man pulled out and spilled his seed all over Jack’s belly and then collapsed on the bed next to him with a heavy sigh.

Jack stared straight up at the ceiling, trying to control himself. The Alpha’s hot semen was already drying on his skin, and his stomach churned painfully. Finally, he glanced at the Alpha beside him, who was still breathing so heavily that it looked as if he’d just run a mile. “I’m, um, going to clean up,” Jack stammered. The Alpha nodded and turned onto his side like a sleeping hog.

Jack sat up and immediately dashed into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He turned the faucet on and fell to his knees in front of the toilet, retching up the already meager contents of his stomach. It was so disgusting, he couldn’t believe what he’d just done. His bonding mark stung like acid on an open wound, and he covered his face in the bend of his arm to stifle a sob. He couldn’t imagine living like this every night, and he swore to himself that it would never happen again, although he worried it might take longer to make it to New York and find his pack. And in that case, he might have to service more Alphas like this one along the way.

Once he caught his breath and stopped retching, he stood up and got into the shower, where he scrubbed his entire body until his skin turned bright red.

Chapter 11: Reckoning

Summary:

Jack is pregnant????!!!!

Notes:

MPREG!!! You all asked and so I will deliver. I finally decided to write mpreg into this fic. Basically, it's just extremely rare for male Omegas to get pregnant, so nobody expected it. But yes, Jack is pregnant!

Jack was up and out before his bed partner even woke up. He could barely sleep anyway, with the portly old man snoring beside him all night. The thought of what he’d done still nauseated him, but he forced himself to eat an apple that he’d packed the previous morning as he walked down the street.

It was hard not to think about the events of the last day, or anything that didn’t involve Cal. Whenever he caught the Alpha’s scent on his clothes it made his eyes water and his throat tighten. If only I had been a better Omega…No, it’s not my fault it’s his, he was a bad Alpha. This whole situation was his fault in the first place…Or was it mine? Did I have to insert myself into his life? Maybe I was asking for it…No, that’s ridiculous, he’s clearly in the wrong. He’s a terrible, awful, narcissistic, evil…No! I’m not supposed to think about him anymore!

His inner dialogue continued like that until realized he’d already walked through the entire city. He faced miles and miles of highway and barren fields, which should have come as a relief, but he was only met with more uncertainty. Where would he sleep? What would he eat? How would he get money?

With a heavy sigh, he forged ahead. He would find a safe spot to sleep for the night and then think about everything else in the morning. Maybe one of the farmers who lived here would be kind enough to spare him some food. He was a poor, lonely Omega after all.

 

---

 

Life was dull back at the manor. It had barely been two days, but the entire left wing of the house felt cold and lifeless. Cal wandered up the stairs and peered into Jack’s bedroom every now and then, without even realizing he was doing it. The door was still wide open, the bedsheets in disarray, clothes strewn about the floor. The Omega had left in a hurry, without even looking back.

Cal grunted and shook his head. No, he would not cry over the loss of an Omega he didn’t even want. He would have the room scoured and cleaned by the staff…eventually. He didn’t want to admit that he was keeping it preserved the way Jack left it in the hopes that he would come back, but there was no other reason for it. Even the staff knew better than to ask about it yet.

The Omega’s scent was still all over the house, even in places where he’d rarely gone. The library was possibly the worst offender. It was as if the faint smell of honey and peaches was trapped in the upholstery of the house, in the bindings of books, even sewn into the cushions. It would take a long time for it to fade, no matter how much scent marking he did to try and cover it up.

Trudy would glare at Cal whenever they came into contact, however brief. She was in no way discrete about her feelings towards him, even though she never spoke to him again. Cal knew what she was thinking, she practically screamed it at him with her eyes. She cried out to him, That’s not what I meant!

By the third or fourth day—he’d stopped keeping track already—he decided it was time to bite the bullet and call Rose. She would surely be happy to hear that she was no longer contractually bound to gift them her firstborn child. It was unlikely, but maybe she would even agree to marry again. They could put the entire ordeal behind them, as if Jack had never existed. Although even he knew that would be impossible as long as the Omega bearing his mark was still out there.

Maybe they would find a new Omega, one that they could agree to share, or two. There would be no hard feelings if it was pre-arranged. Many Beta wives had Omega companions of their own these days, no one would bat an eye. But Cal knew the perfect fit for them both was already gone. It was rare to find. He could always settle for an Omega wife, if he could somehow guarantee an Alpha lineage, which was also rare, especially in the purebred Omegas he would find in a high class family. Rose was still his best option for procreation.

Male Omegas were less likely to get pregnant. In fact, it was so uncommon that in some parts it was considered a myth. Purebred male Omegas were almost solely used as bed mates for rich male Alphas, so they could have the best of both worlds without worrying about bastard children. Female Omegas, on the other hand, were either bred with male Omegas to produce more purebred Omegas, gifted to female Alphas for the same reasons as male Omegas were gifted to male Alphas, or, depending on how muddy their pedigree was, they would be given heat suppressants and end up as midwives and maids.

Such were the fates of high class Omegas. Low class Omegas, however, bred amongst themselves or took to the streets as prostitutes. It was the sad reality, one that rich Alphas and Betas held over their hired help’s heads. If I didn’t give you this job, you would be stuck prostituting yourself on the streets. Cal knew he’d said those words to Trudy years ago, and only now did he begin to regret them.

He didn’t want to imagine what Jack was doing in order to get by now, but it was impossible not to when his scent glands ached late at night and his heartbeat would suddenly skyrocket like his body was preparing for a fight. Someone is touching my Omega, his mind would scream until he calmed himself down. It was no wonder he barely slept.

At the same time, he dreaded telling Rose that he’d already lost Jack. No doubt she would be disappointed that he simply let the Omega walk out into the city all by himself where anything could happen to him. He would retort by saying that that’s what the boy was used to, but he knew this was different. She would be even less discrete than Trudy in telling him off like the hypocrite she was. He figured it would be best to wait for now. Maybe he’d wake up one night and feel the gripping weight in his chest lighten, meaning his Omega had finally passed on. Maybe then he could truly recover. Maybe that was the whole point of sending him away, to ease the pain of loss with separation first. 

 

---

 

Pretty soon, weeks had passed. Cal felt like he was just going through the motions. He had long since closed and locked the door to Jack’s old bedroom, even though he still couldn’t bring himself to go inside or even have it cleaned out. It would remain a shrine to the Omega that could have been, along with that entire wing of the house.

He never contacted Rose about the change in plans, and had honestly forgotten all about it until she showed up one morning.

“What are you doing here?” he hissed when he opened the front door.

“We talked about this. It’s nearly August already. You said to come discuss…the plans,” she explained, giving him a quizzical look. He rarely ever forgot things like this, and she had been surprised when he hadn’t called to hound her about it weeks in advance.

“Right,” his face fell and he stepped back to let her in.

“What’s going on?” Rose asked, now that it was too obvious that something was amiss.

“Let’s talk somewhere more private,” he said, glancing around the clearly empty house.

“You’re so paranoid,” Rose sighed, rolling her eyes. “Nobody’s here, but alright, if you insist,” she muttered impatiently, leaving her bags next to the front door to be taken up to her room and following Cal into his office.

 

“He’s gone.”

“What?” Rose shook her head. “Is he…dead?” she asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.

“No. I don’t think so,”

“You don’t think so?”

“He wanted to leave so badly, so I let him,” Cal shrugged.

“You mean you just…let him walk out on his own? You didn’t even…Jesus, you could have called me!” Rose finally sat down to rub her temples. “When was this?” she asked, afraid of the answer.

“About three weeks ago now. I think,”

“Again, you think?” she shouted. “Do you even care? How can you not care, you two were bonded for Christ’s sake!”

“Lower your voice,” Cal said, glancing around as if he worried someone would walk through the walls.

“What the hell? No wonder you’re acting weird. I mean, you always acted weird, but now you’re like an addict who lost his crack,” Rose shook her head, barely even able to look at her pathetic ex-fiancé. He was a sad excuse for an Alpha. “You have no idea where he is?” she added.

Cal shrugged, looking bored. “He probably went to look for his old pack. But they’d be in New York, if they’re even still around,”

“Oh my god,” Rose covered her mouth with her gloved hand. “I can’t believe this,”

“Well, you don’t need to provide for us anymore, so you’re welcome,” Cal snipped.

“I would expect an Alpha who just lost his mate to be devastated,” she continued, ignoring his comment. “You’re either still in denial or you’re truly a psychopath,”

“If all you’re going to do is berate me, you can just leave. Be glad you’ll never have to see me again,” Cal waved her away.

She blinked at him, astounded by his apathy. The dark circles under his eyes were telling enough, though. He did care, even if just a little bit. He could pretend he didn’t, but the loss of his Omega was eating away at him. She could only imagine how Jack was taking it. She shook her head and stood up to leave without any parting words. She would look for the Omega, even if just to make sure he was still alive. She owed him that much, at least.

 

---

 

Jack had finally found his old friends, and thankfully they accepted him back into their home readily. He was back in the company of a real pack; just himself, two other Omegas, and a Beta. He felt safe among them, and more importantly, he could be himself.

Two weeks after arriving at their front door, dirty and disheveled from his long trek to find them, he had settled in quite comfortably. Their apartment was by no means luxurious, but he didn’t mind. He would be content to never live in luxury ever again. He’d forgotten how comforting the company of other Omegas was, especially when they all nested in bed together before their Beta, who acted as a stand-in Alpha to the three of them, came home. This was all he wanted in life, not a rich Alpha who only used him as an accessory in public and a hole to fuck in private.

For work, he still drew portraits, but when the opportunity arose, he would give Betas blowjobs for a few extra dollars. Since he got back home to his friends, he never had sex with a john ever again. He only did what he had to do to survive, and although he was disgusted by it, his friends assured him that they thought no less of him for it. Since the first time, he had only serviced Alphas like that a handful of times. As he became more familiar with the type of work, he knew to ask them to use condoms or pull out to finish. Not that he thought he would get pregnant anyway, but usually they would pull out upon seeing the faded bonding mark on his neck as some twisted sign of respect to whatever Alpha had claimed him first. Not that Jack minded that too much. The thought of another Alpha coming inside of him still made him want to throw up.

He was finally beginning to forget all about his Alpha and continue his life as if those months when he was bonded had never happened. His scar still hurt occasionally, and he’d wake up in the middle of the night confused and disoriented, looking for his Alpha, until he was confronted back to sleep by his pack members. But those occurrences were few and far between now. Things were going well, great even. And then one morning he mysteriously fell ill.

 

Between the four of them, they had plenty of money to eat well. Even though it wasn’t the fancy meals that he would eat at the manor, it was good food. In fact, their home cooking tasted even better than whatever fancy dish they could serve up in a restaurant. Since his arrival, Jack’s appetite had not only come back, but had increased by tenfold. In the rare occurrence that they had leftovers after dinner, he would eat them first thing in the morning if he didn’t wake up in the middle of the night with a rumbling stomach.

It was a Sunday, and Jack found himself waking up to an empty house for the first time in awhile. It wasn’t too strange of an occurrence for any of them to work on weekends or go to church on a Sunday morning, but it had been awhile since three out of the four all had prior engagements at the same time. Being alone made Jack uneasy now, but he knew it wouldn’t be for long.

He trotted out to the kitchen and dug through the refrigerator, looking for something quick and easy to make. Much to his delight, there was still a plate of chicken from the previous night, and several eggs left in the carton. He pulled everything out and started heating the oven immediately, but the thought of waiting for the meat to heat up made his stomach growl in protest. He sighed and pulled a pan out from the cupboard and turned the stove on, then cracked two eggs into it and laid some buttered bread next to them. He licked his lips as the food began to sizzle on the stove and the aroma of the chicken in the oven heated up the entire apartment.

He hummed happily as he flipped the eggs over with a spatula and took the toasted bread off of the stove to nibble on, even though it was still too hot. Only a couple more minutes later, the oven timer went off and he pulled the leftover pieces of chicken out to plate them. He’d already eaten the toast that he planned on dipping in the eggs, but he couldn’t wait to make another piece. Once the oven and stove were turned off, he finally sat down at their humble dining table and dug into his breakfast.

He scarfed down over half of the plate while it was still piping hot, making obscene moaning sounds with his mouth full even though he was barely tasting any of it. He had done far tougher physical work and eaten far less earlier in his life, not too long ago even, and never had such an appetite before. They were in a good spot financially, and it wasn’t like he didn’t contribute anything, so he didn’t worry about it too much. He assumed it was because of his week-long depressive episode where he refused to eat, followed by over a week on the road with very little food available to him at all, that caused his ravenous appetite. Surely, his body would sort itself out over time.

He was nearly finished when he finally thought that he should slow down and give himself time to digest before he heated up seconds. He sat back in his chair and sighed contentedly, patting his seemingly bottomless stomach. It was a beautiful summer day, sunny and  warm, just as he liked it. He stared out the window at the busying street and thought that maybe he would take a walk after he was finished eating and cleaned up after himself. He would let himself relax today, maybe even go to the dock and catch some fish. It was about time he treated the others to a meal.

As soon as he looked back down at the food left on his plate, his mood dropped. Suddenly the sight and smell of food repulsed him. He looked away quickly, only to realize that the room was already shifting off balance around him.

“Fuck,” he breathed as his stomach churned with nausea. He covered his mouth and shot out of his chair to sprint into the bathroom, just barely making it before he was violently ill.

“Shit, fuck, dammit,” he cursed as soon as he stopped vomiting and could finally catch his breath. He figured he must have eaten too much too fast, and this is what he got for being so greedy. He sat back on the bathroom floor and touched his forehead with the back of his hand. He didn’t feel feverish, which was a relief, but the late summer heat wasn’t helping him any.

He groaned and sat up, using the wall for support. He was less dizzy now, so he figured he would clean up the kitchen and then go lie down. But as soon as he walked out of the bathroom and smelled the cooked food, his stomach twisted again and he turned right back around. And just like that, his plans for the day came to a screeching halt.

Chapter 12: Rockabye

Summary:

Jack sees a doctor and gets some unexpected news.

Notes:

Mpreg confirmed! This chapter also gave me a chance to info dump some Omegaverse lore, so I explain how male Omegas can get pregnant in this AU.

***Potential trigger warning: this takes place in a 1912-adjacent AU, so body autonomy for Omegas isn't really a thing, especially considering abortions.

What happened that morning turned out to not be just a one time thing. For several days after, Jack would wake up feeling so nauseated that he couldn’t stomach even his favorite foods. With a late start to his day, he would set out for the docks, only to be assaulted by all of the smells coming from the market. Fish turned out to be the worst offender, no matter the time of day.

Though most of the day he was unable to eat properly or hold anything down, in the evenings he was ravenous again. If it weren’t for his friends, he would have dismissed it and waited it out, but they eventually convinced him to see a doctor.

“You can’t live the rest of your life with your head in the toilet bowl,”

“Don’t worry about the money, we can afford it if it means you’ll feel better,”

“But what if they can’t tell what it is, and we waste money just to hear that there’s nothing we can do?” Jack argued. It was obvious he was more afraid of receiving an answer than not.

“We won’t know until we try.”

They were right and he knew it. He finally stopped arguing and let Tommy make an appointment for him for as soon as possible. He still felt like they were overreacting, but it was their Beta’s responsibility to make sure all of his Omegas were safe and healthy, so he couldn’t fault them too much for that.

 

“You sure you don’t want one of us to go with you?” Fabrizio asked before they all left the apartment for the day.

Jack shook his head. “I can handle myself.”

 

There was a slight wait at the clinic, about forty minutes. Female Omegas came through with their pups, looking worn down and exhausted trying to comfort newborns or corral toddlers, sometimes both at the same time. Some elderly Betas hobbled in, too, either frowning at the rambunctious young ones or smiling fondly at them. Jack usually enjoyed people watching, but the longer he waited there, the more he started to worry that something might truly be wrong.

“Jack Dawson,” the nurse finally stepped out and called his name. He shot up out of his seat so fast that he felt dizzy and had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself.

“Come this way, the doctor will be with you in a few minutes,” the nurse smiled softly. She was a Beta, but had a rather small frame and soft features, so she could be easily mistaken for an Omega until you got up close. Omegas didn’t usually have jobs like this, but they were naturals at calming people down, especially young children.

“So you’re a male Omega, twenty-one years old,” the nurse read off of her clip board. Jack nodded even though she didn’t look up. “And you’re here for…morning sickness?” she raised an eyebrow at him when she finally peered over the top of her clip board.

“Um, not like pregnancy morning sickness, just…sickness, I guess,” he corrected her, obviously flustered.

She smiled and nodded softly as she scribbled something down on his paperwork. He shifted on the examination table nervously, getting the feeling she wasn’t telling him something. “Alright, just wait here,” she said in a fake cheery voice before leaving him alone in the room.

Jack sighed, expecting to wait another ridiculous amount of time for the doctor to come to him, but to his surprise, there was a gentle knock on the door barely five minutes later.

“Good morning, Jack?” the doctor opened the door and peered inside. He was a tall, lanky Beta with glasses that looked too big for his face. Jack smiled and nodded meekly and the doctor came all the way inside, shutting the door behind him.

“Let’s see,” he started, adjusting his glasses on his nose to read the nurse’s notes on his clip board. He sat in his office chair across the room from Jack. There was a moment of heavy silence as he read Jack’s file. Jack could hear his heart beating in his ears and he took another deep breath through his nose to keep himself grounded. There’s nothing to be afraid of, he reminded himself. This is nothing.

“Well then,” the doctor sighed, standing up from his seat. “Let’s take a look, shall we?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood as he slipped on some latex gloves.

“Would you lie down for me?” he asked politely. Jack nodded and did as he was asked, the paper covering the examination table crinkling beneath him.

“Good,” the doctor said, standing next to him. “Now can you lift up your shirt, please?”

Jack lifted his shirt, exposing his belly. He stared at the ceiling as the doctor pressed on his lower belly with cold, gloved fingers. He pressed firmly on a spot right below his belly button and Jack winced. The doctor hummed thoughtfully before moving away from the table again.

“I’m going to have to take a closer look, and maybe order a blood test,” the doctor explained, taking his gloves off to write some more notes on his clip board.

“Um, okay?” Jack said, unsure. “I’ve just been having an upset stomach,” he reminded the doctor, although surely he knew what Jack had come in for.

The doctor nodded. “Yes, I know,” he said. Jack expected more of an explanation, but there was none.

“I’m going to have to ask you to take your clothes off,” the doctor said. He pulled a blue gown out of the cupboard below the sink and handed it to Jack. “You can wear this,” he added.

“Um, alright,” Jack said, taking the gown and starting to undress as the doctor washed his hands. He hadn’t had to do this since he was a teenager and first presented as an Omega. His stomach rolled as he slipped the loose paper gown over his naked body.

“Lay at the very end of the table and put your feet in the stirrups,” the doctor instructed once Jack was ready.

This sure was intrusive for a mere stomach ache, Jack thought, but he went along with it because he wasn’t the one with the medical degree. He only wished the doctor would offer him more of an explanation, or at least tell him what he was thinking.

The doctor bent down in between Jack’s legs and shined a light over his parted hole. He hummed again, and then took out a pair of metal forceps. “This might be a little uncomfortable,” he explained regretfully. “Just relax,”

Jack sighed and tried to relax his body as the doctor coated the forceps with lubricant and moved back in between his legs. The metal was cold, and even with the lubricant, it was quite unpleasant. Jack whined and gripped the edge of the table as the doctor slid the instrument inside of him and then began stretching him out.

“You’re doing good,” the doctor encouraged him, patting his hip to remind him to keep still.

Once the forceps were in place, the doctor took the little flashlight back out and examined Jack’s insides thoroughly. Jack blushed, feeling invaded in the strangest way.

“Hmmm, yep,” the doctor mused with a sigh.

“What is it?” Jack asked. “What does this have to do with my stomach?” His voice finally gave away his impatience.

“I’d still like to do a blood test just to be sure. It’ll only take a few minutes,” the doctor continued, completely ignoring Jack’s questions.

“Be sure of what?” Jack asked again, sounding frustrated.

“You can put your clothes back on now,” the doctor said, grabbing his clip board. “I’ll be right back,”

Just like that, Jack was alone again. He shivered as he slipped out of the paper gown to put his clothes back on. His hole was still slick with lubricant, which squelched as he sat down. He tried to think of what could possibly be going on. Could I be…he considered the impossible, and then quickly shook his head as if to erase the thought.

The doctor returned ten minutes later with a nurse and a cart full of equipment for collecting blood.

“I’m just going to ask you a few questions while the nurse here draws your blood, okay?” the doctor asked with a friendly smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Jack nodded and held out his arm for the nurse to prepare. He had never been squeamish at the sight of blood, but decided it would be better to look away during the process anyway, considering his nauseas streak.

“When was your last heat?” the doctor asked casually. Jack wasn’t sure what that had to do with his condition, but he figured it must be standard procedure for all Omegas that came in.

“Um, April,” he answered, wincing as the nurse pricked his vein with a needle.

The doctor nodded and made a mark on his clip board. “Is your heat usually regular?”

“Um, well, I-I don’t know. That was my first…and I’m separated from my Alpha now,” Jack answered awkwardly.

The doctor pursed his lips and nodded slowly. Before Jack could ask why these questions were important, the nurse covered his arm with a bandage and wheeled the cart back out of the room.

“We’ll run the test right away. The results should be back in about an hour, if you can stay until then,” the doctor stood up and flattened his tie over his shirt as he delivered the lines.

“An hour?” Jack asked.

“I put an urgent order on it, so possibly less time than that,” the doctor explained.

Jack nodded, his throat going dry.

“Good. I’ll come back when the results are in.”

 

It ended up taking closer to thirty minutes, but it may as well have been hours. Being alone with the possibilities was just as excruciating as he’d feared. They wouldn’t do an urgent blood test if it wasn’t serious, right? What if it’s cancer, or some other terminal illness?

Jack nearly jumped when the doctor came back into the room, he had been too lost in his thoughts to hear him knock first.

“Well?” he asked impatiently, holding his breath.

The doctor sat down in his office chair and folded his hands in his lap. “The blood test confirmed that you are pregnant,”

Jack blinked, not sure if he’d heard the doctor correctly. He understood the words, but put together they made no sense. “You’re joking,” he finally said, even though neither of them were laughing. The doctor only stared back at him silently. He shook his head. “No, that’s—that’s impossible. Male Omegas can’t get pregnant…” he stammered. His chest felt tight, and like someone was squeezing his windpipe.

“I assure you, they can,” the doctor said. “It’s just rare, because your bodies are not naturally designed for childbearing. Historically, the mothers and their children would die during childbirth. Now we usually schedule a Cesarian section to avoid complications, but most male Omegas can’t conceive or carry a pregnancy to term even if they try. I’d say you’re extremely lucky…”

Jack shook his head. “No, no, no, I can’t—I can’t have a baby, I—“ he stopped to take a ragged breath and gather his thoughts, then looked up at the doctor pleadingly. “Can’t you…get rid of it?” he asked, his voice lowered to a hoarse whisper. Uttering the words sent a shiver down his spine, but the thought of having a fucking baby made the room spin.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that without the father’s consent,” the doctor said solemnly. “Do you know who the father may be?”

“H-how long?” Jack asked, his voice and hands trembling.

“You’re at least two, maybe even three months along,”

“Oh god,” Jack sighed, placing a hand to his forehead. It couldn’t have been one of the johns he let fuck him while he was traveling, could it? That thought was potentially even worse than the alternative, which was probably the most likely case scenario.

“If I may, I noticed that you have been bonded. Even if you’re currently separated, it’s highly unlikely that your body would accept any Alpha or Beta’s sperm other than your mate’s,” the doctor explained.

That drove the point home. The baby was most definitely Cal’s.

“If you can get your Alpha to come here and sign off on it, we can talk about abortion, but until then, I’m afraid we can’t do anything,” the doctor elaborated.

“I’m going to throw up,” Jack said weakly, hugging his arms around his stomach and bending forward. The doctor wordlessly passed him the trash bin, and he took it onto his lap and dry heaved into it several times before spitting up what little was left in his stomach already.

“The morning sickness will subside soon. It usually does by the second trimester,” the doctor said, as if that was any comfort. “Pregnancies usually only last seven or eight months for male Omegas, sometimes even six, since your uterus is only large enough for one fetus at a time,”

“I can’t have a baby,” Jack cried desperately as tears spilled over his cheeks. “Please,” he begged.

The doctor sighed and took his glasses off. “Frankly, Mr. Dawson,” he began. “I know who you were bonded to, and this isn’t something I can get in the middle of without potentially facing a lawsuit that could end my career and put my family on the street. Do you understand?”

Jack gaped. Just when he’d thought he was free, Cal found a way back into his life. No matter if he never saw the Alpha again, he would forever own his body because of the mark on his neck.

“But he doesn’t want me,” Jack finally said, his voice reduced to a pathetic whimper.

The doctor shrugged and put his glasses back on. “If he is the father, I will need his consent to do anything drastic. Until then, let’s schedule you a follow-up appointment in two weeks and go from there,”

Jack nodded, staring at the floor. The doctor’s voice sounded one hundred miles away.

“In the meantime, go home, get some rest, avoid drinking caffeine, alcohol, smoking, eating any kind of raw meat, or doing intense exercise. We’ll call tomorrow to confirm the date of your next appointment.”

With that, the doctor stood up and left the room. Jack looked down at his flat stomach and shook his head. How could there be a baby in there? He put his hand over his belly, but still felt no difference. He let out a long, shaky breath and tried to ward off the sob that rose in his throat. He would save it for later, when he was in the comfort of his nest with his pack there to protect him.

 

---

 

Jack walked home, feeling like he was in a separate reality from everything going on around him. How could the world just go on after he’d received such life-altering news? He saw families walk by, happy couples with their pups, and couldn’t help but think about how his child would be a bastard with a whore mother. How could he do that to a kid? Did he even have the means to raise a child properly? What kind of example was he? What if it was an Omega like him?

His anxiety built and his mind raced with questions that couldn’t be answered, he nearly walked right passed his apartment building. He took the stairs instead of the lift to his floor, choosing to have more time to think about how he would break the news to his friends. He knew they would be just as disbelieving as he was.

He opened the door, only to find another surprise waiting for him. “Hello, Jack,” Rose sat at their dining room table, drinking tea with Fabrizio and Helga like they were old friends.

The next thing he knew he was on the floor.

 

“Hey, wake up…Are you hurt…Come on, sit up…Here, have some water,” When he came to, three people were hovering over him like buzzards.

His head was still spinning, but he forced himself to sit up. “I’m fine,” he croaked.

“You’re not fine. Are you feverish?” a cool hand touched his forehead.

“It’s not that,” Jack said flatly.

“What did the doctor say?” Fabrizio asked.

“I’m pregnant.”

Radio silence, and then everyone spoke at once. “That’s not even possible…How is that…Are you serious?”

“Yes! Why would I make this up?” he snapped. His head was still pounding. “Doc said I’m already three months pregnant,” he added hoarsely.

“Shit,” Fabrizio sighed. “What are you gonna do?”

Jack shrugged. “I can’t…get rid of it…without the father’s permission,” he explained bitterly.

“We help you…with baby…” Helga stuttered in broken English. She clutched her chest at the thought of Jack aborting the baby, even if it meant another mouth to feed.

“I’m glad I came now then,” Rose sighed, standing up off of the floor and straightening her coat. “It took me weeks to track you down. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, once I heard what happened, but clearly you’re not,”

“What do you know?” Jack hissed. “I can deal with this on my own,”

“Not without the father!” Rose shot back. “If you don’t want to keep it, then fine. But you know he will. I’m not asking you to go back to him forever. Please just come back with me and let us help you,” she begged.

“We can take care of him here,” Fabrizio said flatly. Whatever friendliness they had shared earlier was gone.

“It’s up to him,” Rose said, holding up her hands in surrender. “I’m only suggesting he go back for the duration of his pregnancy, have the baby, and then return here once the deed is done. If that’s what he wants,”

Jack thought about it for a second as the three of them watched him expectantly. The thought of going back to the manor made his stomach churn, but the thought of trying to raise a baby by himself with no money or mate, dragging his dear friends into the situation as well, shook him to his core. He couldn’t do that to them, and he couldn’t do this to himself either.

Finally, he looked up to Rose and nodded. “I’ll go with you,” he said.

Chapter 13: Eyes

Summary:

Jack returns to tell Cal that he's pregnant.

Notes:

I'm aware that the technology is more advanced than it probably was for the early 20th century, but this is an omegaverse AU so who says it can't be?

“Tell him.”

The Omega looked like a cornered animal, contemplating whether to run away or lash out. Besides the Beta’s hard glare, there was nothing stopping him from fleeing, and by the way he glanced back down the steps towards the front gates proved that he was considering it.

If Cal knew any better he would close the door on his unwanted guests, but he couldn’t look away from the golden-haired Omega. He was just as enchanted by him as he’d been the first time he saw him, and to think he thought he could survive never seeing the angelic creature ever again. It took several seconds for him to remember why he had been angry enough to send the Omega—his Omega—away in the first place.

“Look at me,” the words hung on his lips, but he couldn’t say them out loud. The Omega’s sky blue eyes refused to meet his, or even look in his direction. He just wanted to see them, just one more time.

“Go on,” Rose prodded. Was it more appropriate to berate her for bringing the source of his pain back into his life or fall to his knees and kiss her feet for bringing his Omega home? That all depended on what was so pressing that they came all this way to make sure he knew.

“I’m pregnant.”

The mumbled words hung in the air for several seconds. They reverberated in his head until they’d completely lost their meaning. Cal shook his head and blinked, sure that he had misheard.

“Stop,” he said, putting his hand back on the door. Whatever they had come back for, he didn’t want to hear it. Not if they were going to make up such ludicrous excuses.

Rose stepped forward and pushed the door back open. “We’re not joking,” she said, meeting the Alpha’s eyes until understanding softened his features.

A split second later, it was shock and confusion again, not rage, that emanated from the Alpha of the house. He looked back at the Omega on his doorstep, back in his ratty old clothes that still hung off of his slim frame, doing his gorgeous body no favors. He frowned as his eyes stopped at the Omega’s belly, still clearly flat as a board.

“Bullshit,” he hissed, turning back to the Beta. “I’ll give you thirty seconds to get off of my property before I—“

“Jesus Christ! Can’t you just listen to us for once!” Jack finally raised his voice, causing them both to stop moving and turn towards him. The scent of angry Alpha and distressed Omega soured the air enough to make even a Beta squirm.

“I don’t want to see you either,” Jack continued, finally bringing himself to look up at his Alpha. “But I’m here because I don’t have a choice,”

“Is it even mine?” Cal asked pointedly.

The Omega’s cheeks burned bright red and he clenched his fists at his sides. “Yes,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m positive,”

“He’s already three months pregnant,” Rose explained, breaking the tension.

“Three months?” Cal exclaimed, his voice hitching. “He looks skinnier than he did when he left!”

“He needs to gain weight, yes, but male Omegas usually don’t show as drastically,” Rose offered. Jack rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Oh, so you’re an expert on Omegas now?” Cal shot bitterly, still surveying the Omega.

“No, but I probably know more than you at this point,” she retorted, not even trying to conceal her contempt.

“Then, please, enlighten me,” Cal stepped back and opened the door wider, finally allowing the two travelers into the manor. He watched them skeptically, trying not to show exactly how he was feeling about seeing his Omega again. Not that he could even pinpoint what that feeling was, rather a range of competing emotions. He considered it best not to show any of them.

Once the front door was shut, it was impossible to ignore that Jack’s scent had gotten even stronger. It may have been because of his absence, but the warm peaches and honey smell diffused through the expansive, high-ceilinged foyer in a matter of seconds. Not only was it impossible to ignore, but it was strangely comforting.

They made their way into the downstairs living room, the same room that Jack recognized from his first morning there. He sat down uneasily, memories of the fear and helplessness he’d felt that day flooding back. He figured the following conversation wouldn’t be any more pleasant.

The first thing Cal did was pour himself a drink. “Explain to me how this is happening,” he began after gulping down a whole finger of whiskey.

“You got me pregnant. What else is there to know?” Jack snapped, earning a sharp glare and a low snarl from the Alpha and a disappointed sigh from the Beta next to him.

“Apparently male Omegas can get pregnant, although it is extremely rare,” Rose explained when Jack refused to elaborate. “It almost always only happens between bonded pairs, so we know it’s yours, without a doubt,” she continued. She had gone to a library and checked out every book she could find about male Omegean pregnancies and read them all on the train ride over. Someone had to understand what was going on, and, by default, the responsibility landed on her.

“So you went to a doctor,” Cal started. “And they told you…what exactly?”

“Almost exactly what she said,” Jack shrugged, staring at the mini bar across the room instead of looking at Cal. “They did a blood test, it came back positive,” he added after a silence, figuring that’s what he may have meant.

“I’m calling a better doctor,” Cal grumbled, finishing off his second drink. “I don’t know what quack he went to over there, and I’m not trusting anything either of you say until I see this for myself,” he stated, eyeing both of them.

Jack rolled his eyes and looked over at Rose. “I knew he wouldn’t believe us,” he said flatly.

“Let him bring another doctor in. He’ll get the same result,” Rose sighed. Sometimes it was better to let the Alpha think he was in control of the situation.

 

A couple hours later, a doctor arrived to give them the second opinion Cal thought they needed. Jack’s bedroom was unlocked for the first time in weeks so the staff could tidy it up. By the time he went back inside, it felt brand new again. It wasn’t like he had very many fond memories of this room in the first place.

“Okay, let’s take a look,” the doctor said, placing his briefcase on the bed next to Jack and opening it up. Inside there was a paper gown, a box of latex gloves, a stethoscope, and a pair of metal forceps.

Jack groaned. “Not this again,”

“You’d better get used to it,” the doctor said without a trace of empathy in his voice. “If you are pregnant, we’re going to have to do examinations like this at least once a month,”

Jack huffed and leaned back on the bed as he was handed the paper gown. He glanced at Cal standing behind him and frowned. “Can you leave?” he asked.

“I’m not going anywhere,” the Alpha said. He stood back with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed at the doctor who stood before his Omega.

“Then I’m changing in the bathroom,” Jack got up and took the gown with him into his bathroom, locking the door loudly behind him.

Changing took less than a minute. When he came out, he placed his folded clothes on the bed and sat back down.

“Lie down and put your feet up on the edge of the bed, please,” the doctor instructed. Jack did as he was told, spreading himself wide for the doctor, knowing his display would make Cal uneasy.

The doctor took out the forceps, coated them in lubricant, and wasted no time putting them in place within Jack. He winced as they clicked open, stretching him apart. Then the doctor pulled out a little flashlight and squinted down in between Jack’s legs. It felt just as intrusive as the first time, even more so because he had an audience. Cal moved closer unconsciously, watching the doctor’s every move carefully, his fingers twitching like he was ready to push the other man away if he overstepped his bounds.

“Hmm,” the doctor mused. “Yes, I’d say you are about three months pregnant, from the look of your cervix,”

He switched the flashlight off and pocketed it again before sticking a gloved finger inside Jack’s hole without warning.

“Ow!” he jumped as the doctor hooked his finger and pushed upwards, putting pressure on his prostate. “Why did you do that?” he hissed. Cal stepped even closer, dropping his arms to his sides and pushing his chest forward as if squaring up.

“Did that hurt?” the doctor asked, ignoring both of their reactions.

“Not really, but it wasn’t pleasant,” Jack muttered as the doctor pulled his hand away. Slick stuck to the tip of his finger and he slipped the gloves off immediately.

“Good. You’re very healthy then,” he concluded.

“But how did this happen?” Cal asked impatiently.

The doctor shrugged. “It happens how it always happens,” he said. “Your Omega is very fertile for a male. It’s rare, but not impossible. Most people just never find out. I must say, though, this is the third time I have seen this in my entire career,” he observed, looking over Jack like he was a phenomenon to be studied. “I will want to check in at least once a week just to make sure everything is okay, but if the pregnancy wasn’t viable it wouldn’t have lasted this long in the first place. Depending on how it progresses, you will be due in the next three or four months. Congratula—“

“Thank you, Doctor,” Cal interrupted.

“You’re not going to do any more tests?” Jack asked, still holding onto the hope that maybe he wasn’t really pregnant after all.

“Mr. Hockley said on the phone that you’ve already had a blood test. It’s highly unlikely a blood test would give a false positive. But if it would bring you any comfort, I will leave you some at-home pregnancy tests. If they come out positive, then it’s almost one hundred percent likely that you are, indeed, pregnant,” the doctor explained.

“Almost,” Jack mumbled, but he was ignored.

Cal walked the doctor out of the bedroom and down the stairs, making casual small talk along the way. Jack rolled his eyes when they finally disappeared into the labyrinth of a house. The doctor had put a small pink box on the bed next to him. Three at-home pregnancy tests. He sighed and stood up, taking the box into the bathroom with him. This was his last chance to be sure.

 

“If I may, sir,” the doctor said just before being escorted to the front door. “I didn’t want to say this in front of your Omega because I didn’t want to scare him, and you know, stress is not good for the baby,”

“Go on,” Cal prodded.

“You know we will have to schedule a C-section when the time comes, because the chances of him or the child surviving childbirth are even slimmer than the chances were of him conceiving in the first place,” the doctor explained.

“C-section…” Cal thought out loud.

“Cesarian section—“

“I know what it is,” Cal spat.

The doctor cleared his throat and brushed off Cal’s rudeness. “Male Omegas’ cervixes are too narrow for natural childbirth,” he explained.

“Sure, sure, okay,” Cal shook his head, letting all this new information sink in.

“I do not doubt he will be able to carry the pregnancy to term,” the doctor continued. “But he is rather thin, which concerns me,”

“He’s been ill,” Cal sighed.

“Yes, yes, morning sickness,” the doctor nodded. “That should subside soon,”

“Hopefully it does,” Cal said with a dry laugh. He didn’t mention that this was the first day he had even seen his Omega in nearly a whole month.

“Call me if anything happens,” the doctor held out his hand for Cal to shake. “I am looking forward to learning more about your Omega,” he added, his eyes sparkling with academic curiosity.

Cal frowned, pulling his hand back. “Goodbye, Doctor. I’ll see you next week,” he said shortly, closing the door before the other man could finish bidding him farewell. He didn’t appreciate his Omega being treated like an animal in a zoo, not to mention when word got out about the pregnancy, it would draw even more attention to their relationship.

He sighed and walked back up the stairs. Against all odds, he had gotten a male Omega pregnant. Jack wasn’t even a purebred. He hadn’t had a heat before he’d met him. It was as if they were destined to be together. Meeting in such strange circumstances, triggering his first heat, bonding immediately, and now getting him pregnant. It made no sense. If they were such a true pair, then why didn’t they get along at all? Was this God’s idea of a sick joke?   

When Cal walked back into the bedroom, Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed staring down at the pregnancy tests in his hand. “They’re all positive,” he said, not even trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

“Did you doubt it?” Cal asked stupidly. Hearing his Omega so upset about having his pup made his heart plummet into his stomach. He wasn’t sure how he felt about having a child with the Omega who didn’t even want to stay either, but to have no support at all from the mother-to-be just added insult to injury.

“I guess not,” Jack sighed, tossing the pregnancy tests to the side and lying down on the bed. He put his hands over his stomach and stared up at the ceiling. “I don’t feel pregnant,” he said.

“You don’t look pregnant,” Cal added.

Jack shook his head. “I don’t want to be pregnant,”

“But you are.”

“But I am.”

They were both silent for several seconds, one watching the other doing everything in his power to avoid acknowledging him. Jack didn’t show it, but it was hard for him to be near his Alpha again, too. His mate’s scent eased his anxiety even though he didn’t want it to. He wanted the man who’d hurt him so much to just leave him alone, and he figured the feeling was somewhat mutual, but their faulty biology kept driving them right back to each other.

“I’m leaving it with you,” Jack finally said. “You’re the one who wanted a baby so much. I’m sure you can hire a good nanny,”

Cal blinked down at him, but he still wouldn’t face him. He was serious. He’d rather never see the Alpha or his first born—and probably only—child ever again than stay with him. Maybe it really was too little too late. Maybe he’d thrown out the only truly good thing to ever come into his life. But he couldn’t think that. His pride forced him to flip it around, to only blame the Omega for leaving.

“Fine,” Cal said, and then left the room.

Chapter 14: Presence

Summary:

Jack and Cal finally start bonding again.

Notes:

I promise you there will be sex in the next chapter.

If it weren’t for Rose, Jack would have stayed in his room for the next three months. He was here to have the baby and then leave, so he had no reason to socialize with his Alpha or anyone else. She was the only person who was staying for the same reason. Rather, she was staying for him. Knowing he’d uprooted her life once again, he couldn’t just ignore her.

“Why can’t I have caffeine, again?” he asked, staring longingly at Rose’s cup.

She shrugged. “I don’t know, you just can’t,”

He huffed and rolled his eyes. “I don’t see how it would hurt,” he grumbled.

“We can get you decaf,” she offered without looking up from her newspaper.

“That’s not the same,”

Rose finally looked up to raise an eyebrow at the Omega across the table. “You should really eat something, though,”

Jack shook his head. “I’ll just throw it up,”

“Try?” she pushed a plate of breakfast rolls over to him. “Please,”

He took a roll out of the basket and picked at it without actually eating any of it.

“Drinking water would help,” she added, watching him frown at the food on his plate.

“I didn’t realize you got your medical degree,” Jack muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.

That earned him a sharp glare, and he broke within seconds. “Sorry,” he sighed.

“You’re acting moody because you’re hungry,” she said, shaking her head. His attitude didn’t bother her too much. She knew it really wasn’t meant for her.

“I’m acting moody because I’m pregnant.”

“Speaking of…”

The door to the terrace opened and Jack groaned quietly when he smelled his Alpha. His sense of smell was twice as strong since becoming pregnant, which was more often than not a curse. Happily mated Omegas used their heightened senses to seek out their Alphas for comfort, but what he felt when his Alpha was near was far from comfort. He dropped the breakfast pastry on his plate, his already finicky appetite disappearing.

“Good morning,” the Alpha said gruffly. If Jack had bothered to look at him, he would have noticed the dark circles under his eyes. But before he could even sit down, Jack was already standing up to leave.

“Stay,” the Alpha said in a deep voice, scenting the air around them so much that even Rose looked up.

“Cal…” she started, but one look quieted her.

The Omega did as he’d been ordered, although he made it clear that he didn’t want to be there.

 

Almost every meal went similarly to that one. It forced Jack to interact with his Alpha at least once a day, even if they didn’t exchange a single word. He wasn’t sure why Cal cared so much about eating regular meals together. It wasn’t like they were a family. Not yet, and not ever.

As his morning sickness subsided, he was finally able to eat as he should. Although he was still lighter than he should have been, the doctor was pleased with Jack’s improvement at the following week’s appointment. He’d said something about him “glowing” with health, whatever that meant. Jack had ignored the comment, but rolled his eyes as soon as the doctor left. The way Cal lit up at the doctor’s praise made his blood boil. Cal wasn’t the one carrying the baby, but he was the one the doctor looked at when he made those kinds of remarks.

The rest of his days included walking the grounds, visiting Trudy and sometimes helping her tend to the gardens, and lounging in the library. It was rare that he ran into Cal doing any of these activities, especially in the afternoons when he was tied up with work. The weekends were a different matter.

It was obvious when the Alpha was near, even when he wasn’t visible. The first time, it was hard to ignore. It was a quiet Saturday morning, and Jack had gone out to walk through the gardens after breakfast. Nothing was particularly different about that morning, until he realized that he’d walked pretty far into the back of the property and still couldn’t shake the scent of his Alpha.

Cal never came out here. The only possibility was that he was following him, but hanging back just enough not to be seen. Sneaky bastard, Jack thought. He’d never done this before. At least not directly. Even when Jack had first come to the manor, Cal didn’t bother tracking his every move. Somehow he just trusted that he wouldn’t try to run off. That must not be why he was following him now, then. If he had any suspicions, he would have made them obvious months ago.

The best way to either lose him or catch him in the act was to corner him, and luckily there were several places on the property that were perfect for that. With a smirk, he headed towards the hedge maze. He was pretty good at navigating these. The trick was to always turn left. However, he wondered if the Alpha had ever bothered completing the maze himself or if he’d only had it put in for show. Now was as good a time as any to test that out.

He entered the maze, half expecting to lose the Alpha’s scent immediately. When he didn’t, he was almost excited. The Alpha may have been smarter than he’d given him credit for, or he was relying on Jack’s trail. After counting five turns, Jack decided to switch things up and take a right. Nothing changed. The Alpha’s scent still tracked him. He took another right and was met with a dead end.

The Alpha’s scent grew closer and closer, and Jack stifled a laugh. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the big reveal. He’d be caught in the act, and exposed for not even knowing how to find his way out of his own hedge maze. Whoever designed it didn’t even bother making it a real challenge.

“Gotcha!” Jack exclaimed as soon as Cal turned the corner. He blinked at the smug Omega, dumbfounded. “Come on, you had to know I could smell you from a mile away,”

“Forgot,” Cal said flatly.

“Why are you following me?” Jack asked.

“I’m not following you,”

“Bullshit. You’ve clearly never even been out here,”

“What makes you think that?” Cal asked. Instead of being defensive, he sounded genuinely curious.

“You’re supposed to go left at every turn,” Jack explained. “If you’d been through this before, you wouldn’t have been so surprised to run into me at a dead end after taking two rights,” he shook his head. “Whose idea was it to build a hedge maze anyway? Is it just something all rich people have to have?”

The Alpha’s lips twitched upwards and he shrugged. “My father designed all of this,”

“You never came out here as a kid?” Jack inquired.

“Didn’t have time for that,” Cal said. “I was at boarding schools most of my childhood,”

Jack sneered, staring down at the ground. “Of course you were,” he muttered.

His first reaction was to think of how depressing boarding schools sounded. Wealthy children were raised in such a different way than he had been, they were treated more like soldiers than kids. He couldn’t imagine being so far away from his parents at such a young age, but their parents were probably emotionally distant to begin with. Guilt twisted his stomach as he pictured his child growing up that way. He shook his head to clear the thought. It didn’t matter, the kid would be heir to this fortune whether or not he stuck around.

“You never answered why you were following me,” Jack said to break the silence.

“I said I wasn’t following you,” Cal said, his voice falling flat again.

Jack looked up and caught a glimpse of his stony expression before he turned away. He wondered if Cal had thought the same thing about their child. Would he really want that for his child? Would it matter?

 

As the days drew on, the tension between the bonded pair began to ease. Rose had to do less mediating, which she was thankful for. Staying at the manor turned out to be more like a vacation than a chore. In another life she could have been happy here, but, as much as she was glad to not have any ill will left behind for either the Alpha or the Omega, she would much rather have her freedom than stay with either of them.

Jack was able to reconcile with Trudy, even though she was still skeptical of Cal. He would talk with her while she was tending to the gardens, often helping her with watering plants and weeding. He didn’t mind because he enjoyed being outside and feeling useful. He also gravitated towards the only other Omega on the premises because her company was comforting, especially in his condition.

At first it was hard to ignore the Alpha following him around the property from a distance, but after awhile it became nothing more than background noise. Trudy was still angry with him, and hadn’t spoken to him directly since the day Jack left, but she was used to having the Alpha lurking behind her while she worked. Especially when she first came here, he was always suspicious of her stealing from him. Even though this was a completely different matter, she still had to choose her words carefully, which was fine because Jack usually did most of the talking.

Pretty soon the Alpha’s stalking became less of a nuisance and more of a game. Just like the first time in the hedge maze, Jack would often try to throw him off so he could catch him in the act. Sometimes he would even come up with ridiculous excuses or pretend to be doing something else like it wasn’t blatantly obvious. Whenever he was caught, he would always smirk before looking away and pretending to be preoccupied with something else. It was one of the only times Jack saw his Alpha smile, and he always held onto that warm, bubbly feeling in his chest for the rest of the day.

The only other times Jack saw his mate was when they sat down to eat together, even though they still remained at opposite ends of the dining table. He noticed more of his favorite foods being ordered, and how it couldn’t have been a coincidence. The Alpha watched him eat greedily, making no comments other than to have some more. He could tell the Alpha was relieved when he finally began to fill out around his belly. His clothes fit more snugly, his cheeks always had a peachy blush to them, and his scent was consistently strong and inviting. There were no longer any doubts that he was pregnant.

“He obviously likes you,” Trudy said one day while they were pulling weeds in the rose garden.

“He’s just being protective,” Jack said. “He’s an Alpha and I’m his pregnant Omega,” he shrugged.

Trudy stopped what she was doing and looked at him. “Do you really think that’s all there is to it?” she asked thoughtfully.

Jack sighed. “If he really cared about me and not just the pup I’m carrying, he would have put in this effort a long time ago,”

Trudy nodded slowly. “You’re right,” she said. “But I see the way he looks at you,”

“He’s only softer because I’m with child,” Jack said shortly. “It’s just basal Alpha instinct to protect his kin. Once I have the baby, I’ll be nothing to him,” he frowned down at the upturned soil.

“Do you really think that?” Trudy asked.

“I wish I didn’t.”

 

  As much as he tried, Jack couldn’t forget that conversation. He knew all along that Cal was only being nice to him because he was pregnant with his child, but he hadn’t wanted to think about where that would leave him after having the baby. He was so caught up thinking about getting through his pregnancy so he could go back home to New York that he hadn’t stopped himself from getting too close to his Alpha along the way. In only a few more months there would be no more half-hidden smiles or lingering protective scenting. He would go back to being used goods.

He caught himself rubbing his belly, wondering if the child inside of him was a boy or a girl, an Alpha, a Beta, or an Omega. He hoped for the child’s sake that it was an Alpha or a Beta, not an Omega like himself. He had to shake his head whenever he got carried away thinking about names, or what their child would look like. He reminded himself that it wasn’t really his child, and he was better off not getting attached.

The worst was when he lied awake at night thinking about his child growing up without a mother. Would he or she resent him for abandoning them? Would they grow up raised by nannies and in boarding schools, never knowing a mother’s love? Surely Cal would find another Omega or Beta to replace him, and he could only hope that his future partner was a good step-parent to their child. But what if they still grew up to be just as cold and jaded as Cal? What if his absence was the key to creating a psychopathic serial killer, and then he would be indirectly responsible for every single thing the little monster would grow up to do? How could he live with that?

He couldn’t bring himself to go to dinner that night. He told Rose that he felt ill and then went up to his room and locked the door. It would probably be best to avoid the Alpha at all costs to spare himself the pain of rejection all over again.

A couple hours later there was a knock on his door. He could smell the Alpha faintly behind the door, so he pulled the blankets up over his head and didn’t answer. “There’s food outside in case you’re hungry,” Cal called, no emotion in his voice at all. For the first time in weeks, Jack wasn’t hungry.

 

“He needs to eat,” the Alpha paced back and forth in the living room. “I thought the morning sickness was over,”

“It happens,” Rose said, still engrossed in a book. “Let him rest,”

“He’s carrying my heir. It’s important that they’re both healthy,” Cal continued, ignoring her.

“It’s no big deal if he misses one meal,” Rose countered calmly. “He’s already been doing so much better,”

“And I don’t want to lose that progress,” Cal was not listening to reason.

Rose sighed and put her book down. “If you’re so worried about him then why don’t you go check on him?” she asked.

“He locked the door,” Cal muttered, staring at the staircase that led up to his Omega’s bedroom.

Rose shrugged. “He probably went to bed early,”

“It’s only eight o’clock, and he’s been in there since two,” Cal frowned.

“It’s kind of creepy that you just follow him around every day. You’re not very discrete, you know,”

Cal turned to her, looking irritated. He still hated criticism, but at least this time he stayed quiet and let Rose continue.

“Did he seem upset about something?” she prodded, sensing that that was the case.

Cal looked away and shrugged. He obviously knew the answer and didn’t want to say it. He watched the Omega’s every move, and probably overheard every conversation he had, too. There was no doubt he knew exactly what his mate was upset about. It wasn’t hard for Rose to guess what that was.

“You know, if you don’t tell him that you want him to stay, he’s going to leave as soon as he has the baby,” she said, switching to a more serious tone.

“If he doesn’t want to stay here, he doesn’t want to stay here. I’ve already been told not to force him into anything he doesn’t want to do,” Cal said bitterly, still unable to meet Rose’s eyes.

Rose sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose like she could feel a headache coming on. “There’s a way to get him to stay without forcing him, you know,” she explained. “He’s not a purebred Omega from a wealthy family, and he will never act like one. Maybe instead of forcing him to be someone he’s not, just let him be and he’ll want to stay with you. You don’t need to show him off at dinner parties like a lap dog. I know it’s a new concept to you, but Omegas are people, too,”

His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, and his jaw tightened, but he didn’t deny anything or lash out. Rose held his gaze, unwavering.

“He’s your mate, you’re already bonded. And he’s pregnant with your child, something that is already extremely rare for a male Omega. There’s a chance you won’t need anyone else. I know you’ll regret it if you let him go. No other Omega will be able to take his place, and you’ll always wonder about what could’ve been,” she sighed and shook her head. “I care enough about both of you to not want to see this end badly,”

For a moment he could see their future together: a golden-haired child in his beautiful Omega’s arms, the two of them always side by side, holding hands with their angelic child as they grew up into a brilliant student, and later the rightful heir to his family’s estate, business, and fortune. He saw Jack dressed in expensive clothing, donning a golden wedding band and shiny jewelry, although his natural radiance outshone all of the fancy accessories. He smiled, hanging on Cal’s arm obediently at the opera and by his side at the dinner table. The other Alphas were jealous of their bond, and their miracle child. Rose stuck around as an aunt to their child, giving them a strong female presence in addition to Jack’s already maternal, nurturing parenting style. It wasn’t a life he was willing to give up.

Chapter 15: I Belong to You

Summary:

Jack and Cal finally have sex again!

Notes:

Thanks for sticking with me even though my updates are not very regular! I promise I haven't forgotten about you or this fic, life just keeps happening lol. I hope you're all having a nice, safe summer!

There was no denying that something had changed between them in the past weeks. They still barely spoke more than a few words to each other every day, but every time their eyes met or they exchanged a quick smile, Jack’s chest felt all warm and bubbly. Jack caught the Alpha staring longingly at him from across the dinner table, not making a single comment about his deplorable table manners. His lips would twitch up into the faintest of smiles, but they were always genuine, unlike the way he smiled at anyone else.

His Alpha’s scent became a comfort to him, and he found himself following it rather than running away from it. It meant safety, it meant security, it meant the satisfaction of seeing that little smile and that glint in his eyes that no one else but him got to see. At night, when he retired to his bedroom, he missed the musky smell of tobacco and peppermint that meant his Alpha was near. He had all of the pillows and blankets he could ever want for the perfect nest, the only thing missing was his mate.

He realized that day that he had let himself get caught up in a fantasy. He couldn’t stay here. He couldn’t keep the baby. He couldn’t be with Cal. He’d let himself get too comfortable with all of Cal’s fawning, dismissing his manipulative behaviors as a harmless little game. Playing along gave him the illusion of control, but he had none. Cal’s softness was not for him, it was for the miracle baby that he was carrying. His heir. All of that doting fondness would quickly turn into bitterness as soon as the baby was weaned.

Jack sighed and rested his hands on his swollen belly. “Why did you have to beat the odds, huh?” he whispered.

He laughed to himself and looked up at the ceiling. The room was already dark, and he’d been in bed since the afternoon. Pathetic. He shook his head to clear the self pitying thoughts. They wouldn’t get him anywhere.

“I’m sorry you’ll have to grow up without a mother,” he whispered, still staring at the ceiling. “I hope you won’t hate me,”

Right after he uttered those words, something moved inside of him. He gasped and looked back down at his stomach. Just as he began to think he’d imagined it, it happened again, and this time he could see the movement underneath his skin. It pushed up on his hand, quick, but forceful. There really was something living inside of him, made of him and Cal. One day it would be a full grown human being with its own thoughts and feelings and memories. Tears filled his eyes, but he couldn’t look away.

He forgot all about his plans to be as emotionally detached as possible. He needed to share this with his Alpha, the father of their child. He had never actually been inside Cal’s room, but he followed the Alpha’s scent all the way across the house and up to the third floor. The door was closed, but not locked. Jack didn’t even bother knocking.

He stood in the doorway facing a king size bed with tall posts that draped sheer curtains over the head of the bed. Even in the dark, Jack could tell that the master bedroom was at least twice as large and its furnishings twice as expensive as his bedroom.

Before he could change his mind and return to his room, the Alpha began to stir. Jack held his breath, part of him wanting to leave before Cal even knew he’d come, but the part of him that craved his Alpha wouldn’t let him move. Within seconds, the decision was made for him anyway.

“Why are you awake?” the Alpha’s voice was still heavy with sleep, his eyes half open and trained on the Omega standing at the foot of his bed.

Jack opened his mouth and closed it again, not sure what to say. He’d never been invited into the Alpha’s room, never even made an attempt to join his mate in the master bedroom either, and yet the Alpha questioned him for being awake and not even for being there.

“Couldn’t sleep,” he whispered finally.

Cal sat up and offered his hand, a smile teasing his lips. “Probably because you slept half the day,” he scolded.

“Wasn’t really sleeping then either,” Jack muttered, slowly making his way over to Cal’s side of the bed.

“No?” Cal moved over and let the Omega crawl under the covers with him. It was the first time Jack had sought him out like this, not the other way around. He let the Omega know that he was comfortable with the advancement, but tried not to make any sudden movements that might scare him away.

Jack wasn’t stupid, he knew when he was being treated like a stray dog. He pushed his resentments down, realizing that he hadn’t given the Alpha much room for mistakes lately. He scooted closer to Cal and rested his head on his shoulder, breathing in his mate’s scent. He couldn’t deny that he’d missed it. Even when he was just in another room, his body ached for his Alpha, whether he wanted it to or not. How much longer would he have to keep fighting it? Forever.

Jack’s hand moved over his belly unconsciously. Seconds later it was followed by his tentative mate’s larger hand. His skin tingled at the touch and he instinctually relaxed his shoulders beneath the Alpha’s warmth, as if melting into his side. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He’d been denying himself for too long, thinking that it was the right thing to do. But it took so much of his energy just to fight it, to try and deal with everything on his own. He had avoided thinking too much about it, but deep down he knew he couldn’t give up his child so easily, not without unbearable pain. Why live in pain anyway?

Still unable to find the right words, Jack lifted his head and looked up at his Alpha beside him. Even in the dark, he could see how his eyes lit up as he stared down at the bump in his mate’s belly. Jack craned his neck and kissed Cal’s cheek softly, then nuzzled down into the curve of his neck to scent him. An invitation.

Cal stilled, letting Jack make the first moves. The last thing he wanted was to scare him away again. He wrapped his arms around his mate’s smaller body and cradled his enlarged stomach. The Omega sighed in relief as he sunk farther into his Alpha’s embrace. This was how it was meant to be.

“I missed you,” Cal whispered into Jack’s hair.

“I know,” Jack said quietly. He paused, staring down at both of their arms encircling their child. “I did, too,” he whispered.

Cal moved his lips down Jack’s neck softly, stopping over his bonding mark and sucking gently on the sensitive patch of skin. Jack mewled quietly. It had been a long time since he’d been kissed or touched on his bonding mark. It was a spot that even his Johns avoided. Proof that he belonged to another Alpha.

Jack knew he was letting himself sink too deep. There was a reason he’d left, a reason he had been so unhappy before. All he was feeling right now was his hormones telling him to reconcile with his mate before their child was born. Years ago, it would have been detrimental to his own survival to have an Alpha’s protection. Circumstances had changed, but biology hadn’t.

They were already kissing. They’d been so starved for each other, it was already past the point of return. Jack forgot all about his reservations, need taking over his body like he was in heat. He crawled into Cal’s lap, wrapping his arms around his neck as they continued to kiss. He straddled the Alpha’s hips so he could grind against him. Electricity shot through his lower belly and throughout his body as soon as contact had been made. He moaned wantonly, moving his hands under Cal’s shirt to feel his chest rumble.

Jack bit Cal’s bottom lip playfully, kneeling above him to pull his pajama bottoms down. Strong hands gripped his ample flesh as soon as it was exposed, pulling him back into another deep kiss. Slick was already dripping down Jack’s thighs, they wouldn’t need any more preparation. They were far too impatient for that anyway.

For the first time in months, Jack slid down onto his Alpha’s cock. He didn’t have to force the moans that rose in his throat and parted his lips. He bounced up and down, savoring the lewd sounds that their slick skin made every time he took Cal all the way to the hilt. It felt perfect every time, he couldn’t help but dig his nails into his mate’s shoulders and scream.

Cal continued kissing his neck, leaving hickeys around his bonding mark and all around like a collar. Every touch of his lips made him shiver with desire. His thighs quaked as he felt heat pool in the pit of his stomach. Before he could finish, Cal gripped the backs of his thighs and flipped him onto his back. Jack giggled as he hooked his knees around his Alpha’s shoulders and let him take over control. He’d had his fun, now it was time to be submissive again.

He was so beyond questioning anything that he simply lied back and let Cal ravage him the way they both needed. By the time they were finished, the sheets were bunched up in Jack’s fists and the entire room was thick with their scents. They didn’t even bother to turn around or get under the covers, they just fell asleep as they were. The mess, both physical and emotional, would be dealt with in the morning.

Just before they drifted into unconsciousness, Jack remembered the reason he’d come all the way in here in the first place. “I felt her kick,” he whispered into the darkness. Cal lie still next to him, but the sudden halting of his breaths meant that he was still awake and listening. He moved onto his side and placed his hand over Jack’s belly. They didn’t need to say anything more. Jack fell asleep smiling.

Chapter 16: She

Summary:

Back to the mushy stuff!

There was some worry when Jack wasn’t in his room the next morning. Trudy ran upstairs to inform Cal that his pregnant Omega had run off again, only to find his door cracked open and the two of them asleep on top of his bed. While it wasn’t what she had expected, she couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. She was selfishly relieved that her only Omegean companion was choosing to stay, and, of course, relieved that he and his child would be well looked after. He wouldn’t have to go back to a life of prostitution, and his child wouldn’t have to grow up without a mother.

Although she knew she was possibly getting ahead of herself, she hurried out to the dining terrace to tell Rose. Rose had a similar reaction. “I guess I can finally leave, then,” she sighed, sipping her coffee.

“Maybe not just yet,” Trudy said, allowing reality to curb her excitement. “They still have a lot to work on,”

Rose rolled her eyes. “They need a therapist, not a mutual ex-lover,”

“At least they listen to you. You’ve been a pleasure to have around,”

“A pleasure to you, maybe,” Rose sighed. “And while it’s been nice to see you again, I’m not too keen on staying here longer than necessary,”

“I understand,” Trudy said with a kind smile. She felt more comfortable now that she knew she wouldn’t be alone again.

“I’ll visit,” Rose promised.

“Maybe they’ll make you the godmother,” Trudy joked.

Rose laughed out loud. “I wouldn’t mind that,” she admitted. “I’ll only have to show up for Christmas and birthdays,”

“You know you’re always welcome,” Trudy said.

Rose nodded, looking out over the property. While it was a beautiful location, it still felt like a prison courtyard to her. As much as she worried about Jack and the baby, she was anxious to get out. Just as she’d hoped, she wouldn’t even have to wait until the baby was born to leave. As much as her support would be appreciated, she had to let them learn to face challenges without her constant mediation, and it was high time that she started her own career, completely separate from them.

 

---

 

“Last night, you said ‘she,’” Cal said. They’d been awake for several minutes, but hadn’t moved off of the bed yet, worried that changing anything would ruin the magic.

“I did?” Jack asked, unconsciously glancing down at his belly.

“Yes, you did. How do you know?” Cal inquired, following Jack’s eyes down to the bump under his shirt.

Jack shook his head. “I don’t,” he paused, knitting his eyebrows together in thought. “I mean, I just sort of feel like it’s a girl,” he finally answered.

Cal nodded. “That happens,” he said.

“Do you think I’m right?” Jack asked.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Cal smiled and kissed his mate on the cheek, reveling in the warm glow the spread across his skin at the gesture.

They were silent, hands intertwined on Jack’s belly, for a moments, savoring their time together once again. This time, Jack broke the silence. “Do you want me to stay?” he asked quietly. “After the baby,” he continued when Cal didn’t respond.

“Yes,” Cal answered quickly. He reached over and turned Jack’s head so that he was facing him. “Of course I want you to stay. I never wanted you to leave in the first place,”

Jack reached up and held Cal’s hand over his cheek. “Then why’d you tell me to leave?” he whispered. “I know I’m pregnant with our child so you’re feeling paternal and all, but…we never got along, our bonding was purely an accident…”

“Jack, darling,” Cal interrupted his mate’s spiraling thoughts, caressing his face in his hands to ground him back to reality.

Jack closed his eyes and sighed, unable to look his Alpha in the eyes yet. He could tell Cal was trying to calm him down with his scent and his touch, but that was only a temporary solution.

“I said that in the heat of the moment. I didn’t mean it,” Cal explained. Jack snorted, not believing that for a second.  “I know that’s not an excuse…”

Jack shook his head and finally opened his eyes. “Do you actually love me or do you just want me to stay so you won’t have to raise this child on your own?” Jack asked seriously.

Cal gaped, at a loss for words. “I—of course I do—“

“You do what?” Jack asked, sitting up to escape his mate’s embrace. The small distance already hurt him. He bit his lip and looked away as he began to tear up. He knew this was a bad idea. Now he was too close again, his biology would continue to force him towards Cal even though he knew it was wrong for him, for both of them.

Cal sat up, too, reaching for his mate who shrunk away from his arms. “Maybe it was an accident, but that doesn’t change it,” he started. “When you left…” he paused to gather his emotions. All of this was new to him, the vulnerability made him want to lash out or run away as he’d done before. But he couldn’t do that anymore, not if he really wanted this to work. He put his hand over Jack’s on the bed, and Jack stared down at it instead of facing the Alpha.

“When you left, I didn’t know what to do with myself. Nothing made me happy anymore. It was like I’d lost a part of my soul,”

Jack raised an eyebrow, peeking up at the tongue-tied Alpha. He’d never seen Cal express any emotion other than rage when he didn’t get what he wanted. He could tell by how awkward the Alpha was acting that this was genuine, not just an act. He held his breath and looked up at his mate’s pained expression as he scrambled to find the right words to continue.

“As much as you aggravated me, I really did miss you,” he said. “I found myself longing for your sarcastic comments and bratty attitude, even if I wouldn’t have tolerated it before. Life was so dull without you here, without my mate…”

“I missed you, too,” Jack blurted out when Cal paused again. He lurched forward and wrapped his arms around Cal’s neck, scenting him deeply. Seconds later, Cal returned the embrace, nestling into Jack’s neck as well, right against his bonding mark.

“You’re an asshole,” Jack continued with a laugh. “But I still wanted my Alpha. Being on my own again wasn’t as fun and freeing as I thought it would be,” he admitted. Cal gave him a look that said ‘I told you so,’ but he ignored it.

“It hurt to know that you needed my help and I couldn’t give it to you,”

Jack blinked. It was clear that the Alpha was being honest. His scent wasn’t soothing at all; in fact, he was giving off nothing but the pungent scent of anxiety. It made the hairs on the back of Jack’s neck stand up, and he shifted away from the source subconsciously. He nodded, unable to move his eyes away from his nervous mate. Never had he ever shown any physical signs of weakness, at least not in front of an Omega. To tell the truth was to make himself the most vulnerable.

Ignoring his instincts to cower away from impending “danger,” Jack leaned in and wrapped his arms around Cal’s shoulders. As soon as he was accepted into his Alpha’s arms, his scent became softer, and it was back to being primally comforting in seconds. After taking several deep breaths with his face buried in his mate’s chest, Jack looked up at the man cradling him in his lap and was met with lonely dark eyes.

“Don’t drive me away again,” Jack whispered, locking eyes with Cal.

“I won’t,” he promised, taking Jack’s hand and kissing his palm.

Jack shook his head but let his mate continue to coddle him. “Show me,” he said.

“I’ll do whatever you want,” the Alpha whispered, touching his forehead to Jack’s. Jack reached his other hand up and stroked Cal’s hair gently. For once in their relationship he felt like a cherished Omega, one bonded out of love.

Jack imagined what it would have been like if he’d been born to a wealthy family, too. He pictured how Cal would have courted him; showering his family with gifts, sneaking him handwritten love letters, and standing outside his window at night like Romeo did for Juliet. It may not have been under ideal circumstances, but, he realized, he had been courted and romanced by Cal. He remembered how giddy he’d felt after every juvenile encounter in the garden, how he longed to see Cal’s crooked grin when their eyes met at the dinner table, how the closer he was to his scent the safer he felt. If only his feelings hadn’t been clouded by so many painful memories, he would have noticed it sooner. In the last few months, he had fallen in love with Cal all on his own.

“Can we do this?” Jack asked quietly, his voice wavering. His heart told him he was in love, but his mind still dredged up all of the reasons why he’d left his Alpha in the first place. For far longer, he had known his mate as the man who caused him the worst pain in his life. He had taken advantage of him in his most vulnerable hour, bonded with him without his consent, kept him locked away from his friends indefinitely, and punished him with a belt or non-consensual sexual acts when he rebelled. Could he—should he—trust this man, even if he was his mate?

Jack gasped as he felt something move inside of his belly. He looked down and moved a hand over the spot, and was met with another soft kick. Tears welled up in his eyes and he laughed in disbelief. She wanted him to give her father a second chance, he wanted to give his Alpha a second chance. He could have another shot at a family.

“She’s awake,” Cal noted, putting his hand next to Jack’s.

“I don’t want to leave her,” Jack said, wiping his cheeks on his sleeve.

“Then don’t,” Cal said.

“I can’t—“ Jack shook his head. “I can’t leave without her,”

“You don’t have to leave,”

“I know…” his breath caught in his throat and his heart fluttered like a cornered animal’s.

Cal moved his hand over Jack’s and leaned in closer to scent him until his heartbeat slowed back down and he could think more clearly. He took a long, shaky breath. “I want to try,” he said, looking at his mate’s stoic expression.

That was all Cal needed to hear. He hugged his Omega tight against his chest and kissed his cheeks and forehead. Jack laughed softly and held onto his mate’s shoulders, craning his neck to catch his lover’s lips with his own. Their fingers laced together over Jack’s belly where their child was growing.

 

---

 

“You’re coming along quite nicely,” the doctor noted, removing his stethoscope and standing up after listening to the fetus’ heartbeat. “The baby should be due within the next three weeks,”

Jack glanced up at his mate who was standing at his bedside holding his hand. The doctor gave them a confused look and raised an eyebrow at Cal. They had never displayed any affection for each other or their unborn baby at any of their previous appointments, which wasn’t too uncommon in couples of their status who were most likely in arranged matings. What bothered him was that if Cal bothered to put on a show, he would have been doing it all along, not with only less than a month of his Omega’s pregnancy left.

Cal paid no mind to the doctor’s judgmental looks, and Jack was too focused on the baby to notice. It was also odd that the mother hadn’t expressed any interest in the health of his baby, or anything about the baby for that matter, until now. Most Omegas had deep connections with their babies, no matter how they became pregnant. Jack had always been a special case, being a male Omega and all. It was more odd to see the pair acting like a normal Alpha/Omega couple expecting a newborn.

“Have you, um, thought about names yet?” the doctor asked, trying to break the tension as well as test the seriousness of their new facade.

Jack looked up at Cal questioningly and they both shrugged. “No, not yet,” Jack answered. He paused before adding, “I think it’s a girl,”

“Oh?” the doctor asked, raising an eyebrow at them. Jack blushed and rubbed his belly. Cal squeezed his mate’s hand, his eyes never leaving the Omega’s baby bump. “Well I can’t tell you for sure, but,” he paused to zip up his briefcase. “I’m sure you two would make a beautiful daughter,” he said with a cheesy smile.

If either of them had suspected that their physician was suspicious, they did a great job of hiding it. The Omega’s skin glowed with health and Cal’s entire demeanor had changed. Maybe they had found their way after all.