Prologue
The Omega Creed
All omegas become the property of the Omega Compound upon awakening
Omegas must obey alpha commands at all times
Omegas are not permitted to own or use soft furnishings or participate in any activity that may be considered ‘nesting’
Omegas are not permitted the use of a bed
Omegas are not permitted to initiate bitemarks or participate in heats outside of those permitted by the Omega Compound
Omegas must kneel in the presence of alphas unless permission is granted to rise
Omegas are not permitted to make eye contact with alphas
Omegas must consume food or drink from the approved list compiled by the Omega Compound
Omegas are not permitted to own property or drive
Omegas must wear the allocated collar when outside of the Omega Compound
Exceptions to the creed may be made under agreed circumstances, such as mating, with the permission of the guardian alpha.
Any Omega found to be in breach of the Omega Creed must be returned to the Omega Compound for correction.
ChapterOne
Harper
My knees are fuckingburning.
Wincing, I try to shift my position before our instructor makes it down the line. The pain catches in my throat and a groan slips out before I can stop it.
Hale swivels on her heel, stalking back down towards me. I see the black boots heading closer in the corner of my eye, but I keep my head down. If I move any more, I’ll be punished.
Again.
I keep my eyes fixed firmly to the floor as Hale comes to a stop before me, her boots shining in the harsh light from the strip of naked bulbs above us. I breathe in and out lightly. Silent and still – just how a good omega should be. I hope that it’s enough, that Instructor Hale will just move on.
But today isn’t my lucky day.
The swish of the cane whistles just before it slams down on my thigh. It’s a test I’m unprepared for. My cry comes out as a high-pitched wheeze, thin lines of scarlet blood already welling up on my bare skin.
The other omegas don’t make a sound, keeping their heads down. They’re glad it’s me again. I always take the attention away from them. It doesn’t help that the rice I’ve been kneeling on for the last two hours is digging in like tiny sharp razors burrowing under my skin.
I don’t move an inch, so at least they can’t punish me for that. As a final warning, Hale places her boot on top of the marks she’s just made with her cane and presses down, pushing my leg deeper into the rice. The pain is indescribable, and my vision flashes white as I fight not to pass out.
Breathing slowly through my mouth, I track Hale’s movements as she moves her boot across, holding it over my other leg in a silent warning. I brace myself for another push, but Hale seems satisfied, moving further down the line to inspect her other charges. Thegoodomegas. I’m the only one here being punished today, the only omega with bloody knees from tiny pieces of white rice.
The bell will ring soon though, and I can go and get something to eat. My stomach grumbles noisily at the thought, and I fight back an instinctive cringe. Hale won’t punish me for it. They like to hear that we’re hungry. As if on cue, the clanging of the dinner bell echoes through the room, and our group waits to be dismissed. If anyone moves before Hale confirms we can go, we’ll wish for more time on our knees.
She keeps us waiting for another minute or two before we’re finally free to leave. I ease back on my ankles slowly as I wait for the blonde girl next to me to move, getting ready for a painful crawl across the compound grounds to the dining hall. We’re not permitted to walk when there are alphas in the vicinity unless we have permission.
We never have permission.
And since all of our instructors are alphas, we’re basically not allowed to walk at all, apart from our exercise sessions and when we’re locked up in our tiny cells at the end of each day. It’s four steps to get from one side to the other.
