Elara
The continuous gentle hum that radiated from The Center had always amazed me. Something about being surrounded by the collection of hushed conversations that always seemed to fill the air felt normal. How could a station be filled with such a respectable group of citizens willing to bring comfort to the omegas aboard?
When I entered The Center for the first time twelve years ago, I was uneasy about the phenomena. After being born and raised in a small town on Earth, the light crowd in the long curved walkway of the floor, decorated with color-coded doorways along the walls, was something to get used to. Moreover, I’d never been to one of the historic malls that had remained, much less a shopping center, before I hit puberty and started to fume my sweet omega scent.
One moment, I was at school taking a test, and the next, I was hugging my beta parents goodbye before boarding the vessel going directly to Syzygy Station to start my new sheltered life as an omega. As soon as I had stepped onto the hanger, Quinn was shortly assigned caretaker and became my best friend over time.
I hadn’t seen or heard from my family ever since—which was sadly typical of omegas and sometimes gammas.
My eye caught on a doe-eyed young boy strolling in the opposite direction as me, and I smiled at the adult male gamma about my age hovering beside them, pointing things out and gently explaining what things were. Today was the beginning of his journey, and tomorrow would be the start of the end of mine.
It was the circle of life on Syzygy.
After living on the station for so long, it was oddly comforting to walk amongst other unmated omegas with their gamma caretakers. The community had some camaraderie, knowing we were all here for the same reason and going through similar experiences. In the end, all of the unmated omegas would be paired off, leaving their gamma caretakers behind to decide what they would do for the rest of their lives. It was the acceptance that it was the way of life that made it less melancholy, especially since things could be worse—like it once was before Syzygy Station was built.
Only vetted betas and alphas were allowed on the station, which meant they had a reason for being here and were supervised by the gamma enforcers. Most betas were station workers or merchants, meaning they were providing a service or selling a good for profit—not hoping to join an omega’s pack. However, it was the alphas that had always worried me. Most were pilots of their own vessel, needing an omega to fill the needs of their crew. Still, the others were politicians, high-ranking businessmen, or business owners hoping to score a deal with the station and walk away with an omega at the same time.
I’d seen plenty of them hoping to be able to catch an unmated omega about to enter The Den and promise them a glamorous lifestyle filled with a nest that they’d always dreamed about and a knotty good time. While it may not be against the station’s laws, it was frowned upon. I believed anyone doing such a thing was tacky. If they needed to poach unmated omegas by introducing themselves outside The Den, then it meant they thought they lacked in some other department.
The Den was supposed to give us a wide range of the current eligible alphas to choose from, thoroughly background checked, and ready for the opportunity to have a chance with me. I was prepared to start my own process, and I wasn’t desperate enough to spoil that by some impatient alphas wanting to skip it all. It was my chance to figure out who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, not rewarding a promise to the first nice-smelling alpha who spoke with me.
Syzygy Station had indeed become a haven for us omegas. Thank the Stars. We never had to fear being kidnapped or force bonded with our caretakers by our sides and the gamma enforcers aboard. In addition, the ventilation system sent calming synthetic pheromones into the air, keeping the omegas aboard calm and preventing the alphas from going into a crazed rut. This provided a neutral ground where everyone could coexist and interact without fear.
Instead of shopkeepers calling passersby to check out their goods like at the planet-side outdoor markets, they serviced customers from within their lots. This helped keep the noise level down and prevented omegas from being overwhelmed. For them, it was a great honor to be chosen to be given a spot in The Center.
Omegas would always need clothes, jewelry, and other necessities.
There would be no need for shopkeepers to constantly attempt to get sales by hollering, for that was beneath them. Omegas would always need them. They were here to provide us with glamorous items for our chance of being in The Den as we put ourselves on display to any potential alphas that wanted to be with us. Once their chosen alpha newly marked them, they would need nesting supplies and other beginning necessities for their new life outside of the station.
As I glanced around, I noticed we were entering the jewelry and accessories part of The Center because of the emerald green door markings beneath the signs.
I sighed at the realization that Quinn would try to get her way by convincing me to use some of my saved allowance on jewelry. She knew how much I wanted to use it on more practical things like a new wardrobe and nesting supplies, but she believed I didn’t need to worry about that and should focus on looking my best.
My eyes locked on a blue-eyed omega with long brown hair exiting Sally’s Scarfs, who gave me a small smile with a quick nod in reply. As she passed by, I noticed her gamma leaning slightly close to her with their arm wrapped around her waist. Their short blonde hair was flipped over and buzzed along the sides, their striking green eyes watching me as they sniffed the top of her head.
As soon as they passed, I glanced at Quinn and was not surprised to see her gaze was fixated on me.
“What’s the matter?”
“What happens when an unmated omega falls for their gamma?”
She jerked her head toward the pair that had passed us. “You mean those two?”
“Yeah, the possessive way her gamma was holding her as they walked by.”
She sighed, her shoulders slumping.
“We were always warned if we were going to be caretakers, that we needed to make sure we never allow our relationship to go past assignment and caretaker. The rule was never enforced, but it has a truth. There have been issues with a pair allowing their relationship to deepen and the omega’s alpha refusing to accept their gamma in their clan.” She gave me a sad smile. “But sometimes, it can’t be helped and both parties suffer.”
“But I thought it’s always the omega’s choice.”
“It is, but if the alpha isn’t willing to accept the gamma within their clan, then there isn’t anything that they can do. Would an omega want to chance having to deal with their alpha and gamma always butting heads?”
“I wouldn’t.” My breath hitched, an uneasy feeling wrapped around me from the mere thought of the situation. “No omega deserves having to choose.”
“They will have to face it when the time comes.” She glanced over her shoulder one more time and shrugged. “Our ultimate goal is to keep our assignments happy and cared for… and sometimes we forget that our actions will result in consequences.”
“I know you said that the station allows you to select who you want to care for. So why did you believe you were the perfect match for me regardless of our age difference? You never told me.”
