Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

ELLA

D im lights automatically turned on over the beds in the morning. I was expecting them to be bright, but Lidya only lightly moaned as she rolled over, fighting for another minute of sleep before pushing herself to sit up.

I watched her as she moved, feeling just how heavy my body was.

Though the bed was one of the more comfortable I slept in, I didn't sleep a wink.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Time to get up," Lidya sighed. "That's the alarm."

"The lights?"

She nodded. "Omegas are sensitive to sharp sounds and light."

I knew that. At least first-hand.

"It's time to get ready for class," she said. "If we hurry we might make it for some breakfast before the cafeteria closes again."

Getting up, I walked over the the closet Lidya was already at, pulling a uniform out from the shelves.

"When are you going to get to talk with your alphas?"

"This afternoon, hopefully." Lidya said, "I'll make sure that I tell them what is going on. Don't worry. We just need to make it through today."

I followed Lidya's lead and grabbed my uniform from the closet. As I changed into the crisp, white garment, I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that lingered in the back of my mind. The weight of the impending day pressed down on me, threatening to suffocate any semblance of normalcy.

Once dressed, Lidya and I made our way to the cafeteria, our footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting a harsh glare on the linoleum floor.

We reached the cafeteria just in time to grab a quick meal before the rush of students flooded in. As we sat at our usual table near the corner, I couldn't help but feel like an outsider looking in. Because I was.

I might've been an omega, but I had no idea what this place was like. This world. And every glance towards me only sent the message home.

The chatter of my classmates washed over me, their laughter and banter a stark contrast to the thoughts tumbling around in my head.

Lidya nudged me gently, offering a reassuring smile as if she could sense my unease.

"You'll be fine," said Lidya, passing me a banana. "Let me look at your schedule."

"Huh."

"What?"

"It looks like they put you into Omega Basics."

"What is Omega Basics."

"It's usually a class for first and second years when they arrive. To make sure that you know what comes with your omega designation blah blah blah. Mainly for the omegas who are dropped off right after they perfume," Lidya went on like this was all obvious.

"So I'm going to be in a classroom with a bunch of what? Sixteen-year-olds?"

"More like thirteen through sixteen years old. Yes."

Great.

Having to leave me for one of her other advanced classes that I would not be attending it appeared, I turned the corner where I saw a dozen other much younger omegas starting to find their seats, chattering with their friends.

The classroom was stark and sterile, with desks neatly arranged in rows facing the front, though the lights were still turned low and easy on the eyes.

The teacher, a stern-looking omega woman with sharp features, stood at the whiteboard, writing out the day's lesson.

"Welcome to Omega Basics," she announced, her voice projecting throughout the room. "I am Professor Reinheart, and for those who are new–" Her eyes landed on me causing everyone else to turn. A variance of expression ranged around the classroom as I forced myself not to sink lower in my seat.

Wonderful. This was worse than when I was hopped up on suppressants for the first time trying to land low-paying job interviews before being accepted by the library and meeting Rita.

I can't believe I hadn't thought of her much until now.

What did she think was going on? She knew that shit was starting to hit the fan since my omega-ness was out of the bag, but did she know what happened exactly? Did Benjamin's brother tell her what was going on? Or did he just disappear too and Rita was left by herself to mourn yet another dating gone wrong scenario she was lucky to have escaped from– or not by herself, but without me?

She'd be fine without me. She had other friends but…

I wonder if she even realized fully that I was gone yet.

"I'll be your instructor for this course. Today, we will be discussing the history and importance of omegas in our society and we will continue this as we go through the course."

Without further ado, the instructor began the lesson. Some of the omegas listened more than others. Some of them chatted with their friends or past notes. It wasn't all that different from a normal school. Of course, we were all omegas. The subject matter was about omegas. Our omega-ness seemed to drive our entire conversations about who we were, our futures, and even our pasts.

It was interesting to listen to the history which shocked me, maybe even more than how I was the oldest person in the room other than the professor herself. I learned a lot in my time working at the library, but I had straight away from ever reading anything about omegas.

I hated the designation so much. I hated it for what it made me and what it stood for. But as Professor Reinhart continued her instruction, I was starting to think that maybe it wasn't always this way.

Omega's used to be cherished in a way so unlike the way I had come to know. Back in ancient times, they were seen as gifts from the gods themselves. Omegas were cherished like goddesses and gods when a rare male omega came around. They were showered with gifts and love and were never shamed for their needs. Every single one of their whims was given into most of the time because omegas brought life into the world. They brought power and desire and anything else a home could ask for. Heats were even seen as being a form of ritualistic divinity that was worshiped, especially when things like scent matches whether one now believed in them or not, came into play.

It almost felt mystical to hear about omegas in that way. Beautiful, even.

All too soon, I couldn't help but think, the class was over. Students started to pack up and head to their next classes.

Grabbing my notebook Lidya let me borrow it, I stood up and headed towards the front of the class.

"Omega Elena." The professor spoke up, stopping me before I reached the door.

I froze in my steps and turned back.

She offered a small smile. "Could you stay for just a moment?" she asked.

Trying not to let loose the heavy sigh in my chest, I took a few steps towards her desk where she was cleaning up her lesson.

A few weeks ago this conversation would have felt different. I wouldn't have thought much of talking to a professor. Most of the time at Prestford University, we were equals in a sense. We worked at the same place. We had the same drive for academia. But now, I felt small, undeserving, and most of all, uneducated.

I swayed back and forth on my feet.

"Omega Elena, corrected?"

It looks like not all my sheets were corrected since I told the Omega Services handler. "It's Ella."

"My mistake," Professor Reinhart said. "I won't keep you long. I wanted to check in with you as I know it's your first day here at the academy, correct?"

I nodded.

"I imagine that you had an untraditional upbringing that made that possible. But, please know, that I am here if you have any questions at all about your designation, expectations, anything. It can be very overwhelming and I doubt you've had a warm welcome due to the differences in your time here already," she said.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome. I do hope you honestly take me up on it," she said, earnestly. "You won't want to be late for your other classes, so I hope you have a good day."

With a nod, I turned back to walk out the door as planned, but I paused. "I did have a question."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Yes?"

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"When did the change occur in history? When did omegas stop having the power at the top and turn into… lower class."

She cocked her head to the side. "Hm. That's an interesting question. I could say that omegas never have dropped from being the top tier of designations as they are still highly sought after. That is, after all, why we have these schools and so many services devoted to them."

Right.

"But I have a feeling you have seen the darker edges of society that, though maybe less known or less prevalent, have always been there throughout history. There have always been omegas being taken advantage of and used and having decisions making for them. There has always been knowledge that an omega's purpose is almost pre-destined. But in this day and age, I think we have forgotten anything other than the price of things and when an omega can sing and speak ten different languages and raise a family… a lot of people no longer see just how big of a value that is. Because it is, at least in my opinion, maybe still one of the largest things of value ever. But, the world doesn't often agree with one person. Especially not when a voice is as meek as they tell us now that a "traditional" omega should be as they keep us away from society."

"I don't fully understand."

"We are the final true treasure left that people hunt down in hopes of showing off," she said. "For better or for worse. And humanity isn't always pretty."

I nodded. "But you…"

"I luckily have seen the brighter edges of what the world holds for an omega. I can only hope the same for all my students here at the academy no matter what they may have known for themselves prior," she filled in.

"Thank you."

"Anytime. Have a good day, Omega Ella."

"You too."

"Where were you?" Lidya asked in a low whisper as I took the seat she was saving me in our next class together. "You wouldn't believe the glares I was getting for trying to save this seat.

"It took me forever to find the room." I took the seat gratefully, not having to notice anyone staring at me like in my other two classes today. After Omega Basics it had been downhill in a spree of more normal schooling which wouldn't have been a problem had I not been to school since I ran away at sixteen. The only things I was good at were humanities at this point which had never been a problem until I was put in were accounting for the home and French. "What is this class about again?"

"Mostly an upgrade to omega basics."

"Oh," I said. Maybe that was a good thing.

"Every year we have to take a sort of upgrade to regulate us back into society as a proper omega," explained Lidya. "As if we can forget what our purpose is to society."

The classroom was stark and sterile, with desks neatly arranged in rows facing the front. The teacher, a stern-looking Beta woman with sharp features, stood at the whiteboard, writing out the day's lesson.

"Hello everyone."

Slowly the chattering quieted down. Next to me, Lidya opened up a new page of her notebook and started doodling in the margins. If you could say her tiny masterpieces were anything close to the average doodle.

The professor cleared her throat once more to gather the last few students' attention. "Today, we will be doing something a bit special in our class. As we all know in the coming weeks, courting will begin."

There was a cry of delight somewhere behind me.

"Many of you have waited for this moment for some time now and I am glad that we can make sure that you are prepared to entertain and win yourself one of the eligible alphas. Remember, courting sometimes can take longer than one season, so I do not want anyone to get discouraged if they do not find an alpha that best suits them this season even as many of them have had or soon will reach your first heat and may want to find them, which is completely understandable," said the professor.

The professor continued to drone on about the beauty of finding your mate and bonding. It was only when the door opened once more, my attention was pulled back up the front of the classroom.

It looked like I wasn't the only one. All of us paused as the professor looked towards the interruption, only she didn't appear upset.

"Oh yes, perfect timing," she proclaimed. "Omegas, please be polite as we welcome in the alphas from the nearby academy."

Wait. What?

Was this courting? It made no sense.

Lidya nudged me. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Confused."

Luckily, I didn't have to be long. It looked like an entire second classroom full of alphas, young yet still older than the majority of the omegas in the room, filed in. Their postures were stiff and they all wore a similar uniform to our own though with perfectly pressed slacks instead of skirts.

"To make sure that you all are prepared for what the next few weeks will entail–as I know some of you have more experience around alphas than others–"

I pressed my lips together when at first I thought the professor was looking at me. But she wasn't. She was staring directly at Lidya.

Lidya smiled wide.

Who knew that already having her alphas lined up made her such a target for… improperness?

It made me want to chuckle along with her since Lidya didn't appear to be holding back as she went back to her drawings.

"We have enlisted the help from the Alpha Academy to socialize you all a bit more. You will be partnered up and given a chance to get to know one another. Please use this time wisely as you will also be given a worksheet."

A worksheet?

I felt like I was back in middle school.

Still, there was a trill of a few of my classmates tittering behind me at the mention that they were going to be talking to these alphas. Many of them looked mighty smug. And young.

Lidya sighed. "You okay there?" she asked me.

"They don't want you to get too good at anything and forget your main purpose," she said, bitterness lacing her tone.

"You never did tell me," I said, continuing to keep my voice low as the professor brought up their slides. "Why are you still here? Why don't you live with your pack?"

Lidya bit her bottom lip.

"If you don't want to say…"

"No. You're fine. Just, wait until after class? I don't want to be whispering about them. Especially not when this I'm sure is going to be the best time," she said, sarcastically.

"Please take this time to get to know one another," the professor repeated. "But do not get too friendly. Though some of these men will be to court to find their omega during this season at the academy as they graduate, there will also be many others who likely will not be as pleased to find any canoodling going on."

"Canoodling." Lidya mocked as she bit her lip.

She was going to make me laugh. I wasn't going to be able to stop it from escaping.

"Please remember that alphas prepare an omega to be completely their own in many cases. We would hate for anyone to ruin their chances to be a polite and cherished submissive omega to provide for them a home and family they can depend on. Please remember your purpose and you will succeed."

It sounded just like I remembered from the Davinson household all over again.

You are meant to submit, omega. Submit to me!

I blinked rapidly, trying to focus back on what was happening in front of me.

As the professor continued her lecture, delving into the intricacies of alpha-omega dynamics, I couldn't shake the feeling of being reduced to a mere vessel for carrying an alpha's offspring, though I knew that wasn't true. I had been on the outside of this place for years, I knew that. I had a job. A friend. A life.

But not everyone else did.

Just like I once didn't either when I first realized what I thought it meant to be an omega.

As the professor finished her speech about collaboration with the Alpha Academy, a hush fell over the room. The tension in the air was palpable, a mix of curiosity and apprehension swirling around us.

I could feel Lidya's hand trembling slightly against mine, a silent reassurance that we were in this together.

"Omega Wolf!"

Both of us jumped as we turned our attention back to the front and the professional turned her attention to Lidya.

"Of course, Omega Wolf," The professor huffed. "You will be able to remove yourself from the hands-on lessons as a bonded omega."

Lidya nodded, slowly packing up her things.

"Remember," Lidya whispered in my ear as she stood, "it's all about understanding alphas. Don't worry. They can't make you do anything you don't want to do."

"What do you mean?" I thought that it was just a worksheet.

The group of alphas watched her go. Again, I stared at their pristine uniforms. They exuded confidence and power. Their presence commanded attention.

My heart raced as my eyes swept over them, each possessed an aura of dominance that sent shivers down my spine.

I had only felt it once or twice before.

With Prestford Pack.

I tore my eyes away, though I couldn't help myself after another moment, feeling a pull at the center of my chest.

One alpha, in particular, caught my eye.

His piercing gaze met mine, sending a jolt of electricity through me. Tall and broad-shouldered, he moved with a grace that belied his strength. His blond hair fell in disarray over his forehead, adding to his rugged, boyishness.

He looked young.

Then again, I had to remember, though all the omegas here told me I was– I wasn't old.

I just felt that way.

One after another the rest of us were paired off. Some of the other omegas as they were paired looked rather pleased at the turn of events, as if they expected it. Finally, it was my turn. The professor gestured towards the alpha who had captivated me from the moment he entered the room.

"Omega Elena," she called out.

My heart thudded in my chest as I stood up, feeling a mix of nerves and curiosity.

The alpha approached me with a confident, yet easily casual stride. His eyes never left mine. I tried to look away but almost felt like I couldn't. His presence was overwhelming, and I struggled to maintain my composure.

My heart hammered in my chest.

The alpha in front of me cocked his head to the side, a hesitant look on his face. "Are you alright?"

"Please escort your omega to a free table, Alpha," the male professor from the alpha school insisted.

The alpha nodded, waving a hand for us to step to the side as another pair partnered up.

When he extended his hand towards me, a small smile played on his lips. "I'm Alpha Hunter, but my name is Lucas."

I hesitated for a moment before placing my hand in his, feeling a surge of electricity at the contact.

His touch was warm and reassuring, and a sense of calm washed over me.

I gasped before pulling my hand back away, unused to the feeling. The only person I felt like that was with… no one. Not even with Liam who felt like he was setting me on fire every time he touched me.

Sitting down at a free table near the back of the room. I noted a few others heading to more secluded corners. That must've been what Lidya was talking about. It also made me all the more nervous.

This guy better not have thought that I was going to do anything with him here. Not only was it not going to happen, but public displays of whatever was going on here were not my thing.

"So, what's your name?" the young alpha asked, his voice low and smooth.

"It's Ella," I replied, feeling a flutter of nerves at the casual exchange.

"Well, Ella," he said. A faint smile played on his lips. "I'm Lucas. But, I think I already said that, didn't I?"

The simple exchange let me take a deep breath. Maybe I didn't have as much to worry about here as I thought. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," he smiled, his eyes never leaving mine. His gaze was intense, but there was a caring warmth in them that made me feel at ease.

Just as I was about to ask him what we were going to practice, the professor's voice boomed through the classroom, bringing us back to reality.

"Alright, everyone, you have one hour to familiarize yourselves with your partners and practice the questions on your sheets that you may ask or be asking when it is your chance to court," she announced, her eyes scanning the room to make sure everyone was paying attention. "After that, we will be conducting a series of exercises to evaluate your understanding of alpha-omega dynamics and composure."

"Well, we best familiarize ourselves," said Lucas.

I huffed a small laugh, surprised. "Guess so," I said, before we each sat in soft silence together, looking down at the worksheet.

What was all this?

There were simple questions on the sheet such as favorite foods and hobbies. Then there were also much more loaded questions casually tossed in between.

How soon do you want a family?

How would you best serve your alpha within the home?

"You know," Lucas said. "If you are uncomfortable, we don't have to work on this right now."

Was he kidding? Was this some kind of test? The more I looked over the questions, the more sick I felt. Was this really what I was going to have to deal with once courting started?

I nodded.

He nodded back.

Lucas never said another word, and neither did it. Occasionally we looked up at one another, but for the first time, I felt… ok.