This primer is for folks who haven’t read much Omegaverse (ABO—Alpha/Beta/Omega) and who wandered in needing to know what in the hell is going on around here.

I understand. We’ve all been there. Omegaverse is an elaborate universe and its rules and truths vary widely from author to author. 

If you are an ABO pro, you probably don't need to read this unless you want the details of how my version differs from other versions... if you are new to ABO, this should help explain things and help you get oriented a bit? I hope? 

It's in two parts because I'm long-winded and an overthinker. It's quite skimmable, though, as there is some repetition of information common to each trait/gender. 

Welcome to the Wokemegaverse!  

Background: First, as a disclaimer, I’m not an Omegaverse (ABO) expert or historian. Noncon, dubcon, and intimate partner violence make me put stories down, and they are motifs that feature heavily in ABO stories. I also have limited patience with logical contradictions in world-building, so I’ve walked away from far more ABO than I’ve finished, if I’m honest. I find the larger universe intriguing, though, so I tried writing a version that lacked the things that turned me off.

Historically, the whole ABO genre seems to have sprung from supernatural romance featuring werewolves. Werewolf stories and ABO generally have characters with traits that are derived from some outdated science about wolf packs (labels like alpha, omega, etc). They also share some motifs rooted in canine reproduction (heat, mating ties, pheromones, etc). From there, wolfiness merged with the queer romance genre, especially BL (male-male romance) and voilà, the Omegaverse. 

The big draws of ABO are the powerful attractions/thirst between characters, the protectiveness, the nonbinary nature of Alphan females and Omegan males, the love-at-first-sniff thing, and the fact that Alphas and Omegas usually represent physical ideals in terms of attractiveness. I see you, size queens… Don’t worry, I kept all the good stuff.

Part I--How ABO bodies work.

Terms to know:

Trait:  In ABO, humans come in a few extra flavors. In addition to sex assigned at birth, about 50% of humans have an additional genetic sex trait. People with a trait are either an Alpha or an Omega, while people without a trait are known as Betas. I know it’s inherently hierarchical and that’s problematic. Like I said, it’s based on IRL bad wolf science—not even canids have caste systems like that. 

Don’t worry, I’ll grapple with (and upend!) the hierarchy in my stories. 

Trait is distinct from sex assigned at birth and gender. All combinations of sex, gender, and trait are possible. People with traits (I’ll use the abbreviation PWT here to save time) are different from Betas in a few ways.

All PWT, regardless of sex, are alike in these ways:

1:  They have specialized olfactory receptors in their upper respiratory tract that allow them to detect the pheromones of other Alphas and Omegas. The pheromones particular to each individual create their unique personal “scent.”

2: PWT have scent glands in key locations in their body (mostly the places where you’d find lymph nodes) that emit their scent. To other PWT, scent contains information about fertility, arousal, mood, etc.

3:  PWT are more fertile (reproduce at a higher rate) and report having a higher libido than most Betas.

4: PWT may find a partner with whom they are hypercompatible. Genetically, this means that they are very likely to reproduce successfully with that partner. A hypercompatible bond is physical and emotional, and lasts for life. 

In ABO, a hypercompatible mate is often referred to as a “fated mate,” and sometimes a "luna" in some ABO (but not mine-- luna is too werewolfy for me—no one howls at the moon in Wokemegaverse).

If a PWT finds comes across someone with whom they are hypercompatible, they will experience an instant, almost irresistible physical attraction to that person. PWT can recognize a hypercompatible by scent, by the force of their physical attraction, and by noting phenomena such as withdrawal symptoms when they are separated or by the syncing of heat/rut cycles. 

It is not necessary to find a hypercompatible mate in order to reproduce or experience true love or partnership. Most PWT do not have a hypercompatible mate, they just go through the same process of finding a partner that the rest of us do. If a PWT happens to come across a hypercompatible mate, though, it’s a big old shortcut to love.

5: Because breeding cycles make their libidos overwhelming, most PWT take suppressant medication that dampens their heat/rut cycles. Omegas can also take hormonal birth control, because pregnancy can still occur in the absence of heat cycles.

Okay. Let’s move on to some other ABO terms and issues to be aware of—

Claims/Claim Bites:  This is very magic-y, werewolf-y stuff. We call it Supernatural Romance for a reason! I kept claim bites because they are a source of endless drama and, when consensual, are kind of hot. I do not, however, ignore the downsides of claim bites for Omegas. 

Through a process similar to infection with a virus, an Alpha (any sex/gender), can bite an Omega (any sex/gender) in a spot with a scent gland. If at least one tooth (Alphas have elongated canines, aka fangs) penetrates the scent gland beneath the skin, the Omega’s glands will gradually begin to reproduce the Alpha’s scent in addition to their own. 

After a claim bite, the Omega’s reproductive cycles and body chemistry will become attuned to the Alpha’s, making it easier to reproduce with them, and much harder to reproduce with anybody else. Special proteins in Alphan saliva cause white scar tissue to form wherever the Omega’s skin is broken, leaving a tell-tale circular scar. 

Claim bites are universal in ABO, but this explanation of how they work is non-canonical and particular to me. There are obvious downsides to claims for Omegas. Access to claim reversal (also non-canonical) is an important medical right for my characters.

Claim Reversal: For most of human history, claim bites were permanent. If an Omega was claimed against their will, their only option for retaining any type of bodily autonomy from the claiming Alpha was total physical separation to reduce the strength of the bond to manageable levels. Even if separated from the Alpha, the Omega would still experience a depressed libido and infertility with other partners. 

Within the past three Wokemegaverse decades, researchers discovered an effective method for reversing claims. Reversal requires timely treatment—it must occur before the Alpha’s DNA spreads through the Omega’s entire scent gland system (think rabies) which takes a few months. Treatment involves surgically removing the affected glands and taking high doses of suppressant medication.

Claim Reversal is controversial. It is considered by social conservatives to be an amoral practice. Access to claim reversal services is scarce and conservative politicians would like to  eliminate claim reversal treatment completely. 

In my stories, the Anastasia Anderson Clinic at Johns Hopkins provides Omegan health care and claim reversal services.

Fertility Gospel: Wokemegaverse is not a utopia. It contains prejudice and discrimination based on gender and trait. Fertility Gospel is term social conservatives use for who should be “allowed” to date, mate, and marry. For PWT, rather than sex assigned at birth (since both and male and female Omegas can carry children), ABO culture emphasizes fertility. 

If a couple has the biological potential to reproduce (meaning they belong to categories that have that potential), their relationship is socially, politically, and religiously sanctioned by conservatives. At least, sex-wise. They will cheerfully still be assholes about race, religion, etc. 

Pairings where partners do not have the biological potential to reproduce are disparaged by conservatives, and people whose sexual orientation inclines them towards non-fertile relationships face discrimination. So, effectively, homophobia is still a problem, but it’s no longer about sex assigned at birth. 

Who’s Who, and Who Has What Going On Downstairs:

Alphas: About 25% of humans have the Alpha trait. This number is divided roughly equally between males and females.

Alphan male:  On average, taller, more symmetrical, and more muscular than Betan males. They have larger than average sexual organs as well as higher sex drives. They are more fertile than average as well (super sperm!). They often display personality traits like protectiveness and jealousy and are more prone to aggression and physical violence than other males. 

Alphan males commit a disproportionate percentage of violent crimes and sexual assaults. Without suppressants, Alphas go into a rut cycle (breeding cycle) 3 to 4 times a year. Alphas of either sex can impregnate others but they cannot become pregnant. 

As with canids (species related to dogs), Alphas have a baculum/os penis (penis bone) which means that during rut or when an Alpha is especially sexually aroused, the base of the penis swells up during intercourse. The swelling is called a “knot.” Knots result in a mating tie that lasts, on average, 10 to 30 minutes. When not in rut, Alphas do not routinely form a knot during intercourse.  

Alphan female: Taller, more symmetrical, and more muscular than average women. Facial and body hair comparable to Betan women. Same personality traits as Alphan males, including the same tendency towards physical violence. Alphan females possess a modified pair of internal testicles (fun fact—whales have this IRL) and a specialized (very) enlarged clitoris that allows for penetrative intercourse and the ejaculation of sperm. In Alphan females, the clitoris is retracted unless the female is aroused (again, similar to whales). Their clitoral structure includes a baculum, so they also form knots during penetrative intercourse. Alphan females can impregnate anyone with a uterus, but they cannot become pregnant. 

Betas: Fifty percent of all people are Betas. This number is divided in half between males and females (25% of all people are Betan males, 25% are Betan females).

Betas assigned male at birth (AMAB): Exactly like us. They come in all the sizes, shapes, shades, intellects, moralities, sexual orientations, gender performance preferences, etc that exist in our world. They can impregnate anyone with a uterus but cannot become pregnant. 

Betas assigned female at birth (AFAB): Exactly like us. They come in all the sizes, shapes, shades, intellects, moralities, sexual orientations, gender performance preferences, etc. that exist in our world. They can be impregnated by anyone who produces sperm (all Alphas and AMAB Betas). 

Omegas:  About 25% of all people are Omegas, this number is then divided in half between males and females (12.5% of all people are Omegan males, 12.5% of people are Omegan females).

Omegan male: Shorter, more symmetrical, and more slender than most Betan males. Facial and body hair comparable to AFAB Betas. Experience heat cycles once per month, lasting 3 to 4 days unless suppressants are taken to prevent them. During heat, their reproductive drive is exceptionally strong and they become highly aroused. They do not menstruate. 

Culturally, many Omegan males reject gender binaries. Their gender performance includes a wide range of behaviors labeled both “male” and “female” in our culture.  

Anatomy: Omegan males have a penis (although smaller than average) that becomes erect. It functions for penetrative sex, if desired. They have a scrotum containing vestigial testes that do not produce sperm but do produce seminal fluid that is expelled during ejaculation. 

Where the anus is located in Betan males, Omegan makes have a muscular cloacal sphincter with a similar appearance. Beyond the sphincter is a vestibular space (an anatomical lobby, if you will) which is bifurcated (it branches) and leads to two additional internal sphincters. One branch leads to the vagina, uterus, and ovaries. The other leads to the rectum and colon. Penetrative sex generally involves the vaginal branch. Rectal penetration is possible for those interested, but the angles are tricky. The extra length of the reproductive tract in Omegan males explains the prevalence of large penises and clitorises in Alphas. 

All Omegas produce lubricating fluid called slick. In males, slick flushes the vestibule to keep it clean. It is also full of microphages that maintain vaginal health. The copious production of slick also makes it easier for sperm to travel the longer distance to the fallopian tubes for fertilization. 

Omegan males cannot impregnate others, but they can be impregnated by anyone with sperm. 

Omegan females: Smaller than Betan females on average. Highly symmetrical, they have very noticeable secondary sexual characteristics (larger breasts, narrower waists, and fuller hips). Their facial and body hair is comparable to AFAB Betas. They experience heat cycles once per month, lasting three to four days. They menstruate. 

Anatomy: Comparable to Betan women. They are, however, more fertile than Betan woman and more likely to conceive during any given ovulatory cycle. They be impregnated by anyone who produces sperm.

(continue to next post for Wokemegaverse Sociology)