I carried that with me longer than I realized. Not the violence. Not the cruelty. Just the assumption that Omegas were meant to be quiet. Meant to serve. Meant to fit.
And then Charles walked into my house. He didn’t speak much. Didn’t resist my small orders I had given. But there was something in the way he moved, like he was surviving, not submitting, made me question everything I thought I understood.
He wasn’t defiant. But he wasn’t empty either.
My father always demanded those around him to submit, especially any Omega. If they didn’t, he’d look down on them like they were nothing more but a pest on the bottom of his shoe.
It was normal, or so I thought it was until I saw Moore with Adrian. Moore’s family growing up was less strict, more about having fun and enjoying one’s company. Making memories that would shape them to be great people in the world. It was the opposite of my own.
And now, those two had a great relationship going. They treated each other as equals, as though they were always meant to do just that. But also, I wasn’t sure how they behaved behind closed doors when no one was looking.
Seeing how Adrian handled the Omega that was in my care spoke volumes on so many levels.
Would I ever have that type of relationship, one where my Omega looked at me like I hung the moon? One where he’d kneel before me as though he wanted to, because he could instead of being forced?
I wasn’t unkind to any Omega. I just had this idea for so long on what to expect from them. I wanted their submission, because who didn’t. But at the same time, I wanted so much more. Wanted things that I wasn’t sure would be possible.
Brushing the thoughts away, I turned off all the lights and made sure that the doors were locked. The alarm was set too.
I wasn’t worried about Charles running off, mostly because first, he was well trained, and second hehad a tracking device on his wrist. Even if he tried to run, he’d be found.
Like most nights, I paused halfway up the stairs. The small table sat tucked against the wall, more decorative than meaningful, except for the stuffed bunny.
The photo frame beside it was just filler, something to make the worn toy look intentional instead of forgotten.
The bunny hadn’t moved. Its long ears were frayed from years of touch, its fur dulled by time. But it still sat there, exactly as it always had.
My chest tightened, just slightly. Not from grief. Not from longing. Just the quiet ache of remembering why I’d never let it go.
And I wouldn’t.
Some things weren’t meant to be discarded. Even if no one else understood why they mattered.
I knew things wouldn’t change. The past would forever stay there. But still, the reminder of what my parents were capable of would forever be engraved into my memory.
I wasn’t the only child they had. I may be the only one they kept, but that small fact almost hurt worse knowing what I did today.
My mother didn’t have a say, and she couldn’t be at fault for that one bit. Omegas back then had less weight in the household than today, but still it was all up to the Alpha of the house. Some ran their households just the same as how I was raised in my home.
I didn’t want to fall into that same crack.
Hence why I hadn’t yet settled down with an Omega. I hadn’t wanted to entertain the thought of it, either. Not really, at least.
My parents may have tainted me for any relationship, even my own with them. It’d been years since I saw either of them, and I didn’t care if I ever crossed paths with them for many more years.
If only I could go back in time and change things, maybe I’d at least be able to see my mother again one last time. But that wasn’t an option. Not with her being six feet under the ground, her body eaten away by bugs.
Chapter 9
Charlie
When the small groan of pipes moving water through the house reached me, I was up and off the bed in seconds.
Alpha Harris was awake.
Due to the training, and the daily schedule that I knew forward and backward, I was up and ready to start the day before seven. Heck, I was up hours before that, unable to sleep despite how comfortable the bed was.
My mind wouldn’t allow me to rest anymore, reminding me of my place and who I was.
