Gael

I glare at myself in the large body length mirror I was facing, dressed in an armored space suit in the same blues, grays, and deep greens that the prince and his generals wear. The general that was ordered to bring me clothes, Renallia, had thought telling me about how hard it was to find anything that was remotely near my size would be funny for some reason. It was so hard for her to find anything my size that it took her around three hours to actually get any proper clothing for me to change into before the prince came back. I was thankful to realize that the prince’s definition of proper clothing was actually the same as mine, the most that is shown is my face and body shape depending on the clothing.

“That one fit alright?” The tall reptilian lady asks, bouncing in her heels as she stands just a step behind me. I only give a nod in response. “Not too loose?” I shake my head. “Okay, good. On to the next one then. Pylos told me to make sure everything I grabbed fits you as perfectly as possible. He also said to tell you that he’ll take you shopping for clothes and stuff the next time we need to go to one of the trading planets.” She says, handing me a uniform looking outfit in the same colors as the suit. She unzips the front of the suit I’m still wearing, but quickly backs off when I swat her hands away, allowing me to do the rest of my undressing and redressing on my own while turning around after I send a pointed glare her way. Only turning back around after I clear my throat as our established signal that I was now fully clothed. “Oh, that looks cute on you! Does it fit okay?” I nod again, my ears drooping a little. “The pants aren't pinching your tail or anything, right?” I shake my head as my sways lazily behind me, she smooths the sleeves of the blue suit jacket. 

As we go on with trying the handful of other outfits left, her tone gradually becomes more concerned throughout every question about the feel of the outfits and making sure nothing was too loose or pinching my tail. The question involving my tail made me wonder if she made the holes in each pair of pants and leggings herself. Once we're done going through the outfits, ending with me in a loose evergreen tunic and deep blue leggings, I'm able to fold them up to stash them in my refuge at the window and place them atop the spot where I hid my blade. 

Renallia decides to voice her previously unspoken concerns as she watches me from her spot near the main door. “Hey, you know, I get that this whole… situation is pretty upsetting. Rexa kind of mentioned something about you being really upset and well, it's been kind of obvious this whole time.” She sighs, I see her rubbing at the back of her neck from the corner of my eye. “But I'm sure it'll get better, if you let it. Pylos is a really nice guy, despite his, you know… his heritage. And if you really don't like him that way, I'm sure he would still work something out for you so that you'd be safe.” I let her words sink in for a moment, Rexa’s own sentiments coming back to me from a few hours prior - though, considering how little patience I had in that particular moment, her wording of said sentiments only proved to piss me off more than I already was. 

“Do you happen to know what he wants in mate?” I ask in a soft mumble, letting my weakness show only the slightest bit. I figure I should make at least one friend here. I don’t look up to meet her gaze, I can feel her staring at me from where she stood behind me already, so I pretend to still be organizing my new clothing. I figured that, if I’m going to be stuck here, I may as well see what this man wants. There’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to escape after all, so if I can at least try to get along with him and at least one of these generals. They might be my only key to my freedom.

“Oh, well… from what I've noticed when he had the incompatible ones, he would try to spoil them in a way that’s considered atypical from an Ekatian alpha, like he would try to get to know them and get things they like. Unfortunately, they were always too interested in how he wanted them to look and act. I know they’re trained to be that way, but it just wasn’t something he wanted.” She sighs, the burn of her stare finally lifting. “He had never done anything to make them think they had to be a certain way but that of course didn’t mean much in the face of their learned behaviors, so they just got stressed out and it seemed better to let them go.” She explains, clearly trying to make sure I didn’t mistake anything she said as malicious, even unintentionally. “You really don't have much to worry about when it comes to him, other than him eventually wanting to show off how pretty you are. And believe me, you are the prettiest omega he's had.”

I roll my eyes at that, letting out a huff of a laugh, “Sure I am.”

“You are! It’s honestly a surprise that you’ve yet to be marked and mated.” She hums, getting me to finally turn to meet her curious gaze.

“It’s quite bold of you to assume that I didn’t have someone I longed for before being captured and now imprisoned on this vessel." I say, watching the concern that crossed her face as she stares at me with wide eyes.

“Do you?”

“No, but it’s rude to assume I didn’t.”

“Ah, right… Sorry.” She laughs nervously, looking away from me with one hand on her hip while the other rubs at the back of her neck. “Well, how about we scrap this conversation and go grab something to eat. That sound good to you?” I sigh and half-heartedly shrug, slipping on a comfortable pair of shoes she had found for me before following her bouncy form out the door.

We walk through the short maze of halls before finally entering the dining hall, finding Prince Pylos, Rexa, and the two other generals I have yet to be formally introduced to. My ears flatten back in discomfort as I avoid making eye contact with any of them and try not to acknowledge the smile sent my way from the prince. I do not trust the man in the slightest. He may not be the reason that I was caught and forced into this predicament, but he’s still a complicit participant in my imprisonment. He took me from everything I ever knew simply because he was offered a new potential mate. How could I ever trust someone like that?

“Those colors really compliment your skin tone and hair beautifully.” The prince says, sounding as if he may be trying a bit harder than necessary to make me feel comfortable and appreciated. It only managed to make me feel more uncomfortable than I had already been feeling, muttering a quiet ‘Thank you’ in response. I hear him sigh softly before speaking again, “I am planning on going into a gladiator fight later this week and I was hoping you would come along to watch.”

My tail flicks side to side in slight annoyance at the request. As if I have much of a choice. I assume it is either come along or be locked up in the prince’s bedroom throughout the time they are out that day. “I suppose I’ll go and watch.” I may as well go to see exactly what his combat skills are, maybe I’ll even see what Thanlan sees in him.

“Perfect, thank you. I’ll be sure that you get the best seats.” It was a bit weird hearing the excitement in his voice, but I suppose any alpha would be excited about showing off their strengths and skills to a potential mate. Even though I honestly don’t care. I’ve seen plenty of alphas fight for my attention and for the attention of the few other omegas that are part of the Spirits, only to fail miserably and get into trouble with Gaeletca or any of the other leaders for fighting with one another without justifiable means. I know Gaeletca in particular tends to view me as a pup of his own and no good father would like seeing alphas going after their omega child, even if that child is an adult that can fend for himself. My heart hurt at the thought of him having to stress over my capture.

Renallia urges me towards the table, though I’m hesitant to sit. Glancing up at the other two generals that I haven’t been introduced to yet once I’ve sat down and situated myself so I’m not on my tail. My attention centering on the larger of the generals when she starts to speak, “Hey, I’m Dradeth, it’s nice meeting you. Those two are Bexti and Nova. Bexti can’t talk and Nova is kind of like her eyes since she can’t always see well on her own. We’ll teach you the sign language she uses later.” She says, gesturing to Bexti and the cat that was staring very intensely at me. Dradeth getting up and walking over to pull out one of the seats near me and plopping herself into it, Renallia seating herself between us after setting a tray of several different foods she picked out for me on it. Rexa sits directly across from me with Bexti sitting next to her, while Prince Pylos, of course, sits at the head of the table, which just so happens to be right between me and Rexa.

“Hey, I just realized that you haven’t told any of us your name yet.” Renallia points out, tilting her head at me.

I glare down at the tray of food, annoyed that it took so long for them to even realize they hadn’t addressed me by a name, despite being the ship for several hours now. “No one had ever asked and the alpha an omega is given to is typically the one to give the omega whatever name they want to use.” I explain, lifting my glare to aim it at the  alpha prince in question, having no issue showing my irritation.

Prince Pylos sighs and rolls his eyes at me. He rolls his fucking eyes at me. This man really knows how to grate at my nerves it seems. “I seem to always forget such trivial things. I would like to use the name you were given at birth.”

“I wasn’t given one at birth. Unfortunately for me, I was ripped out of my mother’s arms right after she gave birth to me and was immediately thrown into that tortuous system your father implemented to provide his empire with plenty of omegas to abuse as they please.” I tried my best to keep myself calm and collected, but my temper got the better of me. “I wasn’t given a name until I reached adulthood, after being rescued from that torturous system that throws young omegas like myself to every alpha or beta that requests one.” I snarl, standing up in my bristling anger, the chair squealing against the floor behind me. “The very same system that you have allowed to throw omegas at you time and time again, despite your lack of interest in said omegas! Do you even know what they do to the ones that are given back to them after being suggested to a potential mate? They fucking beat us within an inch of our lives for daring not being good enough!” I didn't even notice the tear of my rage starting to stream down my face at the memories of my past life in those damned omega houses. How I would be tortured relentlessly for days after being returned to my former caretaker because a commander didn’t like me or just simply didn’t want me any longer. The days I would have to go without any sort of medical assistance being absolute hell every time. The only time I ever felt even remotely safe was months after Gaeletca saved me during one of his infiltration missions. The rage I felt from the memories burned throughout my whole being and only burned more at the sight of Prince Pylos’s genuinely dumbfounded expression.

Said prince stumbling over his words as he slowly stood along with me, “I-I didn’t know of such a system being in place. I couldn’t have known– I was never told of such atrocities.” I scoff at his attempt to fix the mistake he made, I highly doubt he didn’t know about the system his father had set in place. He benefited from that very system after all. “I’m dearly sorry that that all happened to you. I didn’t mean to upset you, I swear. I should have realized- No, remembered, that you are not treated the same as-”

“As all of you alphas? Or even the betas? Yes, you really should have remembered that. And the name that I was given after I was rescued is Gael.” I growl out before turning my attention to Renallia, the only one that didn’t seem to be all that surprised by my outburst. “I’m no longer hungry, please show me back to the bedroom I have to stay in.” I ask her, wiping away the tears I just noticed as I await her response.

Her blue reptilian eye flick between me and her leader for a short moment before she lets out a sigh and reluctantly stands, “Okay, come on then.” She leads me out and away from the dining hall, waiting until we were out of anyone else’s earshot before speaking again. “Is it really the bedroom that you want to go back to?”

I think in silence for a few steps down the hall she was leading me through, then shaking my head. “No, I feel like I need a distraction right now. I need to work off this pent up… energy.” It was better wording it that way than openly admitting that I wanted to turn back around and tear her leader’s throat out with my bare teeth at this very moment. Even if he truly knew nothing of the horrid system the tyrannical ruler had created, he still did nothing to truly help the omegas he had been previously gifted. He admitted to sending them back to whoever gifted them to him, so they still ended up hurt and all because they did what they were always taught to do. Because they acted as they were expected to. 

“Alright, so you want to go to our training deck. Got it.” The purple hued general decides, the grin she wore bleeding into her tone after I nod. “Good, that might be the best place to let out all that pent up rage of yours.” She chuckles, corralling me in the direction of the training deck.