Morgan
Another passing mating season,another season alone and unapproached by alphas.
It was early summer now and the sun’s pleasant rays warmed the land. I stood in my deer form at the edge of the field, chewing bitterly on a clump of grass as I picked through my thoughts. In the middle of the field stood the omegas and hinds who had given birth earlier in the spring. Their young fawns frolicked on their stilt-like legs, their spotty coats resembling dappled sunlight. Some of them still couldn’t walk properly and landed on their faces half the time, but always got back up and tried again. They were still learning to control their shifts, so the field was full of both happy bleating and childish laughter.
Despite my annoyance, I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the kids. After all, it wasn’ttheirfault I was unmated.
No, that was the fault of the alphas in the herd who wanted nothing to do with me.
I stomped my hoof in irritation. There was nothing wrong with me—in fact, at the risk of sounding arrogant, there was a lotrightwith me. I was a strong, healthy omega. Despite being more mature than some of the younger omegas in the herd, I was still capable of bearing children. The only problem was that none of the alphaswantedto start a family with me.
And the reason for that was sitting right on my head.
My mental misery was interrupted as one of the fawns rushed over me. It was being chased by another fawn in a game of tag. Amusement filled me as the first fawn tripped, shifted to human form, then hid between my long legs.
“Don’t move, mistew Mowgan,” she said in a loud whisper.
I chuckled at her inability to pronounce my name yet. “I won’t.”
The second fawn, a young male, also shifted. I recognized them as cousins born earlier in the spring to a pair of omega brothers. A pang of jealousy hit me but I brushed it aside.
“I’m gonna get you!” the young boy said.
The girl giggled quietly and clung tighter to my leg.
I leaned down to speak with the boy. “You know, you can’t see well from the ground, but maybe you can spot her if you get on my back.”
“Okay!” the boy said.
I lowered my strong neck—ithadto be strong, to hold up my huge rack of antlers—and the boy clambered on. He slid down to my back and threw his arms around my neck like he was riding a horse.
“You got big antlers,” he commented.
I chuckled at the child-like way he said it, so blunt and honest. It annoyed me when adults pointed it out, since I was self-conscious about them, but it was sweet when children did. They always found my antlers to be a source of awe and wonder instead of a hindrance.
“Do you see her?” I asked the boy.
He frowned and gazed around the field. “No… Where did she go?”
The girl held still as she grasped my leg. I felt her warm breath against my skin as she giggled quietly.
“Keep looking,” I urged him. “She can’t run off too far.”
In the field, two omega deer lifted their heads. It was easy to spot an omega deer—their antlers were noticeably smaller than alpha’s, compared to female hinds who had none at all.
Well,mostof the time that was an easy way to tell the difference. With my huge antlers, I obviously didn’t fit the mold. I paid the price by being the one omega the alphas refused to mate with. It was laughable, honestly. The reason wasn’t my personality, health, or fitness as a parent—it was because none of them wanted the same of being with an omega who had larger antlers than they did. It was ridiculous.
If I was born an alpha, I wouldn’t have this problem. But then again, I wouldn’t want to be one of those brainless brutes anyway.
I loved having the ability to bear children. I only wished I could put that to use.
The two omegas now approached me. It was obvious the two playful tots belonged to them.
“What are you kids doing, bothering Morgan?” one asked with a mock-scolding voice. He shifted and picked up the little girl, who was still hiding behind my leg.
“Noooo! I was hidden, daddy!” she cried.
“Don’t worry, they’re not bothering me at all,” I reassured him with a smile.
