In this world, there is only one gender—male—but there are three ‘classes’ of male: alpha, beta, and omega. Alphas and omegas mate, and the latter can become pregnant.
Betas are not shackled by the heats and ruts that omegas and alphas experience and are thus considered the ‘worker bees’ of their world. They fill in the gaps left behind when alphas and omegas are enslaved by their breeding times. The fact they did not reproduce make them second-class citizens in many eyes, less favorable than omega and alpha children.
For many centuries, they married amongst themselves, finding love and companionship with other betas. But when omegas became rarer across the Palatinate, alphas began turning to betas to slake their lusts… and some even found love, too. Alpha-Beta pairings became more prevalent in their society, but those betas always knew there was a chance their alphas might meetthe oneand leave them for a fated mate.
What’s a beta to do when his lover meets their fated mate? Walk away and pretend his heart isn’t being ripped in two?
They cannot reproduce. Only an alpha-omega pairing can bring forth new life.
Omegas experience a monthly heat, which is the only time they’re able to be bred. It’s visceral in its ferocity. Omegas are reduced to pure, utter lust for three to five days, needing to be taken over and over again by their alpha.Anyalpha near an omega in a full heat will go into full rut, claiming the omega repeatedly until the heat passes. During that time, both alpha and omega are more beast than man, fully focused on breeding—except for a few fleeting moments of clarity between rounds of sex.
In the Western Provinces, omegas use two medicines to somewhat free them from the shackles of their heats:
Heatex– limits the strength of their heat, almost eradicating it. An omega only feels lustier than usual whileHeatexisworking, but they’re in complete control of themselves. It needs to be cycled off one month every year or two. If an omega doesn’t cycle off, the medicine can slowly fail… until a total break, orwild heat, occurs if too much time passes.
Scentex– masks an omega’s scent from alphas and prevents an omega from being publicly claimed if they meet their alpha. While it doesn’t mask an alpha’s scent from the omega, it lessens the effects and helps prevent the omega from going into a contact heat upon meeting their mate. While scent is the primary way an alpha senses his omega, it isn’t the only way a connection can be felt, but is the strongest way to confirm a bond.
The McCreary Family
Grandfather
Tolliver McCreary (A)
Tolliver’s Grandchildren
(in birth order)
Quinn McCreary (A)
mated to Bellamy Carter
Beau McCreary (A)
Tanner McCreary (O)
mated to Fitz Walker
Tolliver’s Nephew
Aspen Keller (O)
mated to Daniel Keller
Aspen’s Children
Dashiell “Dash” Keller (A)
Oakley Keller (O)
The Walker Clan
Parents
Creed (A)
Morgan (O)
Children
