Chapter 2

Mother came home late and she wasn't happy. 

I watched as Mama ran to get Mother's coat to hang up and put her shoes away. Mother trudged inside the house, dark blue eyes dim with heavy bags underneath them. She looked agitated. That wasn't a good sign. 

"Is dinner ready?" Mother asked Mama. 

"Not yet, I just put the pasta on," Mama answered. 

I winced.

"When I get home, dinner should be ready and on that damn table," Mother growled. 

"I'm sorry, the girls are still sick so I wanted to make sure that they--" 

Mother spun around quickly, grabbing Mama's hair and yanking her head back. I watched Mama cringe in pain as Mother exposed her neck. Mama whimpered.

Mother was still growling, leaning close to Mama's neck. I thought she was going to force submission, biting into her and releasing Alpha hormones, but instead, Mother kissed Mama's neck chastely.

"Start cooking," Mother said quietly, then moved away. She started toward the living room, pulling her long dirty blonde hair from a clip and shaking it out until it fell down her back in beautiful waves. 

"Yes, Michelle," Mama said obediently, head bowed in submission. 

When she noticed me peeking from the top of the stairs, she frowned looking sad then swiftly forced a smile. 

"Come here, Caleb."

I scurried down the steps over to her. 

She smoothed the hair on my head. I closed my eyes relishing the feel. It reminded me of when she used to pet me as a pup. 

"Now why don't you go show Mother that gold star you got?"

I frowned. 

I didn't like bothering Mother when she was in a bad mood. She was scary when she was angry. And she yells. 

But I did what I was told anyway and slowly made my way into the living room. Mother was lounging on the couch watching a commercial on the TV. Her eyes were fixated on the screen, but they suddenly shifted toward me. 

I was afraid. I didn't want to interrupt her if she was busy. Mother doesn't like when we bother her, especially after work. I thought she was going to yell at me. 

"Come here, pup," she called to me. 

My eyes widened. 

She patted her lap.

I scrambled over as quickly as I could, climbing up onto her lap. 

Mother hasn't let me on her lap since before I could even change forms. I cuddled under her bosom. 

Her hand sank into my hair. She massaged my scalp lightly. My eyes fluttered closed on their own accord. 

"Now what was it you wanted?" she asked.

I hesitated before pinching my shirt with the gold star. Mother tilted her head down to look at the shiny sticker glittering under the dim light of the room, flickering with each scene on the television. 

"I got a gold star today in History," I mumbled, feeling nervous, but also proud that Mother was showing interest in my accomplishments. 

Mother gazed at the sticker, then a very slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. 

"That's great, Cal. You're such a smart boy," she praised. I practically exploded at the approval. My cheeks hurt with how hard I was smiling. 

I snuggled even closer to her. 

"We're going to find you a nice Alpha to wed and you'll be the smartest little Omega they've ever seen. Isn't that right pup?"

"Yes, Mother," I grinned. 

With Mother massaging my head, I fell asleep quickly. I awoke only to Mama picking me up and placing me at the dinner table. My sisters were there in their seats except Senno. She was still too sick to come down. Mother sat at the head of the table. 

Mama served the delicious pasta and meatballs with a side of green beans. Jenny made a face at the vegetable but one look from Mama had Jenny shoveling it up into her mouth. 

Marilyn and Lana were too busy arguing with each other over something silly to even acknowledge the food in front of them. Mama tried shushing them but they didn't listen. Instead they got louder. 

"It's your fault! You are the one who broke it in the first place!" Marilyn yelled. 

"Nuh-uh! You did!" Lana countered. 

"Girls," Mama pleaded. They didn't listen.

Jenny and I glanced at each other then looked over at Mother whose jaw was starting to clench. 

Not good. 

When my sisters' started getting louder and roughly shoving each other on their seats did Mother's voice ring out. 

"Enough!" 

The room went silent and still. 

Mother glared at the two girls. 

"To your rooms...now." 

"But Michelle, they haven't eaten ye–" Mama started to say quickly but Mother cut her off with a sharp look that made Mama quickly look down at her plate. 

"Take your plates with you. I want every last bit finished. If there is even a scrap left, there'll be no dinner tomorrow for the both of you. And don't you dare disturb your sister." 

Without another word, Marilyn and Lana took their plates and left the dinner table. 

Mother sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before looking at Mama. Then her gaze slid over to Jenny and I. 

"Eat," she said. 

Immediately, we began eating our food. 

After a silent dinner, Mama cleared the table and got started on the dishes. Mother kissed her cheek and went upstairs to their room, most likely to take a shower. But before she went, she turned to me.

"Why don't you go help your Mama with the dishes, Cal."

"Yes, Mother," I said quickly, then scurried into the kitchen. 

Mama washed while I dried and put the dishes away. When we were finished, she patted my cheek and gave me a tired smile. 

"You're such a good Omega. We're going to find you a strong Alpha to wed."

Twice this night I had been told that. 

And again every night after. 

*

School the next day was a little more exciting than usual. There was a faint buzz around the Alphas and Omegas. 

During line up, I could hear the incessant chattering, gasps of disbelief. I did not have a clue as to what was going on. It wasn't until Pyka came running up to me, chubby cheeks flushed and big brown eyes wide. His hair was a floppy curly mess on his head as he braced his hands on his knees to catch his breath. 

"Did you..." pant. "...hear," pant. "...about," pant. "what happened?" He tried to get out between breaths. 

"No," I answered. 

Pyka took a deep breath and then stood to face me.

"Yesterday after school, some of the Alphas cornered one of the younger Omegas."

I frowned. One of the younger ones? Who?

Reading the question off my face Pyka grinned. 

"Drew Lyall." 

Drew Lyall.

He was only two grades below us. Really young, but already showing signs of rank. He was a pretty little thing with creamy pale skin, rich dark locks, and innocent brown eyes. He screamed Omega. On top of it, he was soft spoken and mild mannered. I wasn't surprised that the Alphas cornered him. Not only did he look like the perfect Omega, but he was smart. Really smart and excelled in all of his subjects. 

The Alphas in my class were always talking about claiming him. A whole bunch of them wanted to claim him. I wouldn't be surprised if every Alpha in the school wanted him. 

"So?" I said, trying to sound nonchalant. Like I didn't care. Like I wasn't jealous of all the attention the younger Omega was getting. Like it didn't eat me up inside. "The Alphas do that all the time. It's a game."

"That's not it," Pyka insisted. "Apparently, one of the older Alphas in middle school protected Drew and declared to everyone that he was off limits. He even said he was going to claim Drew when they get older!" 

My frown deepened. 

"Who was the Alpha?" I asked. 

Pyka's grin widened. 

"Kai Hemming." 

This time my jaw dropped. 

Rankings aren't realized until High School but in Middle School, some peak early. Kai Hemming was one of the early birds. Not only was he the most powerful in the school despite being a first year, the Elders were already thinking about him becoming a Promised Alpha, meaning he'd take over for an Elder after the Passing. 

After that, Pyka wouldn't stop talking about it. No one would stop talking about it and it was giving Ms. Lucy a hard time. She couldn't get the class to listen and ended up dismissing us early, calling all of our parents about the distraction in class. 

When Mama came to pick me up, I noticed her eyes were rimmed with red and there was a fresh bruise on her cheek. 

She still smiled at me and welcomed me with a hug. 

There wasn't much of a day for me to talk about as it was cut short so the walk home was filled with silence. As we walked by some Alphas, they took one look at my Mama and leered. 

I didn't like the way they looked at her. 

At us.

Like we were objects. 

Like we weren't people. 

Like we didn't have rights. 

And I suppose we didn't. 

Because we are Omegas and our Alphas own us. 

"Mother isn't in a very good mood, okay? So I want you to go right upstairs into your room. Do your homework, I'll come up later with your lunch okay?" Mama said as we walked up the steps to our house. 

I gulped, but nodded. Fear churning in my gut. 

Mama opened the door and tensed. 

Mother was sitting on the ledge that led to the hall and the stairs. Her blonde hair unbound and falling in her face. Between the strands of hair, I could see her dark blue eyes, fierce and deadly. 

Mama shoved me in the direction of the stairs and I hurried to them. But before I could get past, Mother grabbed my arm roughly. I whimpered at the tight grip. 

"Is that how you greet your Mother, boy?" Mother seethed. 

"Michell–" Mama started, fear in her own eyes. 

"Quiet," Mother barked before fixing her eyes on me. She shook me and I cried out. "What do you have to say boy? Huh!" She shook me again. 

Tears brimmed in my eyes. 

She shoved me aside. The force of it had me slamming into the wall so hard my vision blurred and my head swam. 

Mama stifled a cry. 

Mother stood up and grabbed Mama. 

"Not a single Alpha in that goddamn litter. You have one job, Laia. One fucking job! And you couldn't do that right. What good is it to have a bunch of goddamn Omegas? Useless bitch." 

Mother yanked Mama harshly up the stairs. 

"You better get it right this time," Mother growled while Mama cried hysterically. 

I listened to the door of their bedroom slam shut. Only then did I pick myself off the floor, wincing at the new bruises, and crawled up the stairs to my room. 

All of my sisters were sitting on my bed huddled together with fear in their green eyes. I didn't say anything, just climbed in bed with them. 

I didn't get lunch that day. 

And no one got dinner. 

We didn't leave the room the entire night, just stayed huddled on my bed, listening to Mama screaming through the walls. 

Listening to our futures as Omegas.