Pre-dawn light almost crept over the perimeter as the black skycar floated down to the lower levels. It was too timely for much activity in Aquila, but the hovels had already come alive as vendors threw open their doors and listless workers headed toward jobs in the coal mines or to the few factories that still make use of manual labour..
The seat squeaked underneath her as she tried not to notice the weakness of the leather. These slight tastes of extravagance just underlined the life of bare subsistence that she lived, an indication that not everyone had to survive in the dirt as she did. Her head kneeled against the window, glass poise against her cheek.Leda felt too tired to move, but her mind jogged. She had encountered nothing like what had transpired in that apartment. Even though almost an hour had enacted, the recollection already felt fictitious, as if she had imagined the whole thing. She had wanted to be humiliated and compelled to overcome things that she never had before. She had not required to like it.The skycar docked in an empty patch of dirt near her building in the hovels. She came out quickly, dismissing the stares of passerby as the obviously high class vehicle lifted away with a big gust of air.Leda stood and watched it go with a bizarre mix of relief and shame. Chances were too small that she would ever meet that Alpha again, and she wasn’t certain how to feel about that. Her wrapped dollar notes were still clasped in her fist. She had not let go of it since being excorted from Ceres House. The paper felt like it scorched into her skin. It was the reason for all of this.She should just be happy that she had evaded with both the fee and her secrets still intact, because If anyone at Ceres House had uncovered her true nature.Leda stood to miss much more than her liberation. So why did an unimaginable feeling of wistfulness twist inside her heart?Jerking off these strange feelings, Leda stole into their small house. Argus’s peaceful snores were the first thing that welcomed her as she arrived, coming from where he lay on his small pallet in the front room.“So, it worked?” Cythia asked.Leda stunned at the sound of her sister’s tine breaking the calmness. She should not have been shocked that Cythia had remained awake waiting for her.She would have done the same thing if was in her positions.
“I presume it did.” Leda replied.“Thank God.” Cynthia shouted as she stood from the little chair in the corner with arms extended over her chest. “That was too risky. And the dollars I used for the additional doses of suppressants were approximately as much as what they paid you.” She added.A weariness that she felt to her bones rested over Leda.“You’re exaggerating.” Leda said.“Perhaps. But I’ve been awake all night thinking if I would see your face displayed across the News after they had arrested you for dynamic fraud.” replied Cythia.While hiding her nature was a punishable crime in the courts, Leda was sure that a worse destiny would have awaited her if someone had uncovered her in Ceres House.“We’re good, it’s over.”And why did that thought fill her with an unaccountable sense of longing?“How did it go?” asked Cythia.The silence was genuine. What words could she conceivably use to explain what had occurred? She could not say anything that Cythia would comprehend when she didn’t understand it herself.“Fine.” Leda answered.“Did he harm you?” Cythia asked again.“Not in the manner you are thinking.” She replied.Leda was very aware of the fact that she had not freshen up since her meeting with the Alpha. The smell of altered slick still hung heavy on her body. “It was nice, really.” Leda added.Cythia raised an eyebrow."Would you share with me, the gory details?” She requested.“There is nothing to share about it, Cythia. Really.” Leda had replied. A weird expression crossed her Cythia’s face and vanished almost as quickly. It curled her features into something that nearly looked like jealousy.“You should get some sleep, you have work in the morning", Cythia said finally, voice tight. With that, Cythia turned and fled into her room, the door closing behind her with a strong click.Leda had let her sister have the bigger bedroom when they packed into the apartment. She had chosen the smaller one in the back that was barely big enough to accommodate her bed and her CommNet station.Removing her dress over her head, Leda fell between the coarse sheets and shut her eyes. She desperately desired some sleep, but nap proved elusive. The Alpha’s aroma still saturated her skin so being snuggled in the thin blankets virtually made it seem that he was in the bed with her.She wanted to bathe both him and the night away but using the rudimentary Bathing facility would definitely wake Argus. The last thing Leda needed at that moment was to clarify her current state to her little brother.Each time that she closed her eyes, she heard the boom of a large hand against her skin. Her insides gripped in memory of the earth-shattering orgasm that he had provided her, way more strong than any she had ever attained on her own.Leda got up from the bed, wiping her eyes with the heels of her hand. Certainly, her mind could not be pushed elsewhere. She didn’t want to admit the effect that the meeting had on her, recalling to herself that she had never suffered the attention of an Alpha before. It should not be a surprise that it would take some time to recoup.Omegas, even when altered and suppressed chemically, were biologically made to respond to Alphas. This is a simple biology, nothing more.She sat at her CommNet station as she connects to the information portal in a try to distract herself. But the moment that her fingers stroked the pad, she keyed in “Ceres House” as a search keyword. It returned no results.Maybe she had just visualized the entire thing. And it was not even feasible for her to look up the Alpha that had paid for the benefit of spanking and fingering her. Without a name or even a position, he was totally anonymous. That was likely intended on his part.Next, Leda scanned the archives, looking for information on Omegas dynamic. She had averted her mother’s sermons for years and, even after they passed away, she never bothered to prepare herself further. After her early heat cycle, she’d had no intention of ever living a life of an Omega so what reason could there be in knowing what that entailed.Omegas had invariably been very rare. She knew that only an Omega that could give birth to another one, regardless of the dynamic of her spouse.Clearly, there had been a few issues in the past of male Omegas but that was even rarer than an Alpha female, which rarely existed.But prevalent poverty in the lower levels had murdered the birthrate, vastly decreasing the number of any children born, but particularly Omegas. Even with that, fewer Omegas were birth to each passing year even when the total birthrate remained constant.. Different researchers had laid claim to the purposes for the decrease — pollutio
Undersecretary Damon slipped a stack of papers on the desk and it came down with a loud bang.“We’ve run the gene sequence numerous times. I even had to send the sample to a specialty lab for confirmation. It is all here in the report file. The girl is clearly a "Beta". I can seek this further, but I doubt if the result is going to change.”The governmental officer quickened to add:“On your order, of course, sir.”Brumeh opened the file with one finger, mood inscrutable, although his dissatisfaction scented the air. He was not habituated to unanswered questions and he paid the Undersecretary heavily to provide him with the data that he requested.“I’m rarely wrong about such things", said Damon as he bows with respect.He was too minor for an Alpha, but dressed smartly in an official outfit that he clearly hoped made him more committing. His gray hair had been darkened with black dye but it was obvious that the man was ahead of his prime.
The file opened to a picture of the Leda’s face. She was lovely, but not the most beautiful that he had ever seen. Although, it was not her visual appeal that had him so caught, that had forced him to ask a favor of the Undersecretary and endure the man’s offensive fume in his office.It had been her scent. Not as full-blown as the irresistible pheromones contained in Omega lub, but softer as if it had been transmitted from afar on the wind. And that small hint, of something deeper and more genuine, kept him excited.It wasn't a secret that he had little patience for the bootlicking and status enthusiasm of government types.Unfortunately, he needed them almost as much as they desired him. It was government funds that made up the pile of dollars that his empire was presently sitting on.He had built a plant that supplied most of the air purifiers to the Aquila. The devices were all that kept the atmosphere breathable in a place that would have otherwise been a filthy wasteland
Leda jecked awake in a cold sweat, aftershocks still wracking her body. Her fingers were bunched in the tiny blanket as she willed her frantic heartbeat to slow to a more natural rhythm.The fantasies had come each and every time she slept since the night at Ceres House. More than seven cycles had passed and, instead of decreasing with time, the dreams had only risen more strong. It was becoming impossible to remember that they were only fantasy and not certainty.She didn’t want to think about how many times she had woken in the last week with her desperate fingers buried between her legs.Thankfully, she was alone in the apartment. Cythia had gone to the market, wearing the protective scarf that covered her deformed face, and Argus still attended the crucial education program during the day. He loved to call it government-sponsored indoctrination. But they compelled him to go, without finishing off primary schooling it was nearly difficult to get a work certificate.He
Leda did not believe in souls, or that they could be linked together in some metaphysical way. But pair-bonding ceremonies were common. The male would bite his mate, while friends and family watched, and then rut(fuck) her in front of the assembled crowd.Leda supposed the whole thing to be completely atrocious and disgusting. As far as she was concerned, the pair-bonding ceremony was just an alibi that Alphas used to make a public show out of claiming their mates. There was no such thing as a heart connection between two people.The door chimed, shaking Leda from her trance. She realized that she had been wiping the same area on the counter for the past minutes. She looked up to find Selene still eyeing her, expression smug.“Why don’t you take this one, honey? It looks like you could use the distraction.” said Selene.“Thanks,” Leda murmured.She wished to add for nothing but avoided the urge. Leda pushed off the counter, wiping her hands on the ap
“Wait.”The word rolled from her lips before she could stop it, and she cursed her own imperfection. She was presumed to be stronger than this. The Whoremonger was obviously here because of the Alpha who had acquired her body and still absorbed her thoughts.“I’m sorry.” She said.“Sorry enough to forsake the poor attitude?”At her small nod, the Whoremonger brought the cup to his lips and had a small sip. He grimaced and put it down again.“It looks like your temper is somehow desirable enough to some that I’ve had specific proposal for you. Consider this an invitation to join us for another night at Ceres House.” The whoremonger requested.Her Alpha’s face, because what else was she to call him, even in her vision. It was useless to pretend that there was not a small and crazy part of her yearning to see him again. The more rational side of her understood just how very risky that would be.She didn’t even have to think about it.“No.
Leda calmed her sister, even as the shouted words rang off the walls of their small quarters.“Are you trying to wake up the whole neighborhood?”Cythia was moving back and forth in a small circle. She had already attained enough rotations to wear a track in the already bare carpet.“I cannot believe that you are doing this again.” Cythia added.“It’s two thousand dollars, Cythia. Do you have any idea what we could do with that kind of money?” Leda replied.She looked pointedly at Argus’s empty sleeping pallet. Even though it was already early evening, he hadn’t come back home. She didn’t want to think about what he might be out doing. There were too many temptations on the streets of the slums for a poor boy. It was just another reason that she had to earn enough credits to get all of them out.“Exactly. You pay for fancy breathing treatments and now Argus has run off with those degenerate friends of his. Well done, Leda.” Cythia sneered.Leda veered back to he
Cythia searched her face as if she was looking for some truth that might be revealed there. Leda meant every single word that she spoke. She would take her own life before she watched her siblings uffer for her crimes. But she prayed that it would never come to that.Finally, the tension broke. Cythia turned away to sit back at the table which was covered in medication bottles of different shapes and sizes."Speaking of the alterants, I had to go to a few different suppliers to replenish. It’s getting harder and harder to buy enough without questions.”It wasn’t illicit to sell the alterants or other chemicals that suppressed hormonal response. The pill had legitimate medical uses, often taken by Beta females as a form of birth control or birth-assigned males who wished to chemically alter their gender exhibition in preparation for surgical interventions.But the quantities needed to completely restrain an Omega heat cycle we're enormous and making that large purchase at
Realistically, Leda knew this would not be an easy feat, given Brumeh's power and resources. Nevertheless, her determination was unwavering. She was determined to find a way out, regardless of the cost.Brumeh reluctantly acknowledged the doctor's words and allowed his mate to sink back onto the sheets. "I'll be back. Let me know if anything changes. And don't forget that if she dies, you die too," he warned before turning on his heel and slamming the door shut behind him. His eyes blazed with molten gold as he surveyed the room.Leda watched as the doctor leaned over her with a calm expression. He gently examined her body, in stark contrast to the Alpha male who had pawed at her. However, Leda still flinched as each bruise was prodded."I can't give you enough pain relief without knocking you out again," the doctor explained, typing on a beeping terminal above her head. "But in your current state, unconsciousness might be a blessing."Memories flooded back to her. The Alpha had done
Leda was engulfed in an agonizing haze, as if she had leaped from a skycar hovering over the Astropolis and plummeted hundreds of miles to the ground. Her entire body was on fire, with a deep ache pulsating from every part of her being. She felt as though she had been torn apart. As she struggled to open her eyes, all she could see was an overwhelming darkness. The soft surface underneath her only amplified the searing pain emanating from the wound on her shoulder. She was paralyzed and surrounded by stillness, unable to perceive anything except a constant throbbing. Leda's body reacted to her despair, as she curled up into a ball and held herself tight. She felt as though she was only a consciousness trapped in a silent, painful void, perhaps resembling what death would feel like. Suddenly, a bright light blinded her, bringing a stark contrast to the darkness. The light was as agonizing as the pain, causing Leda to produce a keening sound akin to a dying animal. Each breath was a s
His threat was clear. There were dozens of males within range of her scent who would fall on her at the firstest opportunity without reason or restraint. She could already hear the shouts and raised voices just on the other side of the wall. Others in the pavilion had already caught her scent They were moments from being discovered. And part of her wanted nothing more than to be filled so completely that it tore her apart, regardless of the consequences. Leda ground her body against his thigh, but the light friction wasn’t enough to slake the fire burning in her. She needed something that only an Alpha could provide. The aroma of their combined scents had saturated the air. And the smell of him made her feel crazed, it was like the most delicious meal, the sweetest perfume and the headiest intoxicant all rolled into one. His hot mouth pressed against the delicate skin of her throat, with just the slightest press of teeth as he spoke. “Decide.”
Leda worked as if her mind was outside of her body. She placed plates piled high with chicken heavy under cream sauce and freshly picked vegetables just lightly steamed. She recognized herself to be in a haze, with only enough awareness of her surroundings to perform the most basic of tasks. Luckily, that was all that was required of her. She retrieved the empty plate from in front of a man who did not even bother to look at her as he demanded his wine glass be refilled. She complied, face empty and placid, as the feedback from a microphone going live came from a nearby speaker. When Leda’s gaze moved to the podium at the front of the pavilion, the same Alpha woman she had met earlier was standing at the podium. “Thank you all for being here this evening. My name is Helen Hart and I am the chairwoman of the Aquila Children’s Hospital Foundation. As you all know, the proceeds from tonight’s event will support the expansion of the Center for Genetic Disease on
“I’m assigned to diner #075, but I was told to report here today.” Leda responded.“Oh! another one of you.” Her voice was diverted, but there was no malice in her expression.“This is a bit different from diner service, so I hope you learn quickly. The food preparation area is through there, ask for Kane and tell him that I said he should get you a attire.”The woman turned away and resumed yelling into her headset, dismissing her before Leda had the chance to ask anything else.Leda wove through a puzzle of tables, each laid out with a full service of flatware and fine china. This would be substantially different from serving in the diner as the meals there did not tend to come in multiple courses.A complicated art piece made from multiple glowing lights hung above the center of the arbor, seemingly suspended in midair. In reality, the fixture likely hung from a complicated set of wire and pulleys but the surreal
Painful animosity grew slowly inside of her like a rosebush made only of thorns. It wasn’t just the political types who looked down on Omegas, the rest of the population had similar ideas about what it meant to be part of the weakest dynamic: Naive, simple, and easily led.She fought her nature not just because of what it required, but because to be Omega meant having the respect of absolutely no one. Why did she have to sacrifice so much, only to gain so very little?Leda pushed open the door of the Diner and even that small movement seemed to sap her off all energy. Her arms felt like weights at her sides and she wondered how she could possibly make it through her shift.Selene was standing by the counter with a terminal in her hands, a very stressed look on her face. “What are you doing here?”Sliding an apron over her head, Leda frowned at the older woman. “Working, what else would I be doing?”“Did you not r
Leda tasted the name on her lips for the thousandth time as she waited for the skycar to plummet all the way back to the lower levels. She had already looked him up on the Newsweb and what she had found should not have done anything but make her want to stay as far away from him as possible.And yet, the recall of his hands was burned onto her skin. The small window of their apartment was dark as the car floated above the dirt. She wondered how long it took to clean off all the dust and soot that now coated the previously polished surface. The hovels left a stain on anyone who ventured there, except hers could not be as easily washed away as mud would off the skycar.“Thanks for the ride,” she muttered, voice heavy with sarcasm, before banging the door shut behind her. Cythia had promised not to wait up, saying she wanted to be rested when the guardians arrived to tell her that Leds had been taken to detention. As much as the nagging annoyed her, she had to
“How long?” He asked.“Days, maybe less. I’d say three cycles at the most.” Jason replied.“Then it is crucial that we maintain surveillance. Have you had any difficulties following her?” Brumeh asked."Everyone in the hovels is too wrapped up in their own suffering to worry about one strange face. No one suspects a thing.” Jason scoffed.Brumeh reopened the terminal screen and navigated to the camera feeds, which between all of them covered most of the city. It would only be a matter of time before he claimed the girl and when that happened she would never be out of his sight again.His people had not installed the cameras, but it was a simple enough thing to hack even the feeds. The Central Command had contracted out too much of the infrastructure work required in the city to maintain complete control over much of anything. Brumeh was not the first to take benefit of the relative chaos, but he was particularl
“I thought for sure you would have sex with her.”Brume glanced up to where his second-in-command stood in the open doorway, arms crossed over his chest. He refunded his attention to the terminal on his desk where lines of code marched across the screen.“I do not have sex with Betas.” He replied.“So you have said more times than I care to count. I thought you said earlier that this girl is not Beta.” Jason added, as he get into the room and shut the door behind him.His expression remained inscrutable, but a trace of curiosity colored his voice. “Or have you now changed your mind about that?”“I have not changed my mind about anything and I am absolutely sure about the girl. However, I prefer to wait until the proof is confirmed”, Brumeh replied as he touched a few buttons on the terminal before closing his feed.Certain things were meant for his eyes only, and that included his second.