Gael

I tremble, both my hands slapped over my mouth tightly, certainly bruising my lips and nose while trying to keep my breathing as quiet as possible. My cheeks and chin soaked with tears of fear, getting caught by the witch or her druids would be the worst thing possible to happen to me, regardless of my omega status. Soldiers I can deal with thanks to my agility, but the witch and her druids? I'd be better off dead than end up in their clutches. 

My ears flattened against my head, my tail curled tightly around my own thigh in anxiety as I'm kneeling under the desk of the office I had managed to duck into after getting spotted by a druid of all people. What was even better was that the mission I was on had failed and I was left behind to fend for myself thanks to getting caught and having to hide. Now I’m completely lost, both on what to do and how to escape without getting caught and tortured for information, or get seriously injured and unable to get back to base, or simply get killed on sight.

I tense up at the sound of the door hissing open, the quietest of footsteps making their way into the office before the door hissed closed, then making their way towards the desk I was hiding under. The deep raspy voice of a druid filling the dreadful silence. “I know you’re in here, little pest, come out from your hiding spot.” Fuck- Stay calm. He can’t track your scent. You’re on strong suppressants and wearing scent blockers so just stay calm and keep quiet. I remind myself, squeezing my eyes shut as my tail tightens around my thigh. “Come now, pest. You can’t hide forever. I will find you, you traitorous little mutt.”

The door hisses open again and a relievingly familiar voice questions the druid that followed me to this office, “Is there a reason that you’re in my office?” Thanlan questions, sounding as indifferent and monotone as ever, the heels of his uniform boots clicking against the floor as he walks into the room fully to let the door hiss back shut. The clicking of his boots sounding as he rounded the desk.

“Ah, commander Thanlan, I had followed one of the rebels in here. I came in to see if I can catch him.” The druid answers matter of factly, though with a hint of surprise clear in their tone.

“If he is in here, then I’ll take him into custody the moment I capture him. But there is no proof that he actually is in here as far as I can tell. Now can you please leave? I have reports to do and I needn't be distracted by you rifling through my office.” Thanlan huffs, sitting at his desk chair, unintentionally kicking me as he scoots the chair in. I bite my lip hard to hold back a pained yelp from the rather hard kick to my upper thigh, grabbing onto his ankle to signal that I was there. If he was surprised, he made sure not to show it.

“Of course, commander.” The druid reluctantly relents, the door hissing open and closed to signal their exit.

Thanlan waits for a few moments before pushing his seat back and dragging me out from underneath the desk by the front of my suit, his eyes narrowed in crystal clear irritation. “You are very lucky that Gaeletca warned me about you being stuck here. Do you realize how risky it was to hide in my office of all places? You could have blown my cover and gotten us both caught. We could've both been put in more danger.” He growls with so much aggression that I couldn’t help but tense and cower a little in his grasp, his growled out words and souring scent affecting me far more than I’d ever want to admit. Internally cursing him for not wearing scent blockers too, he should know how his scent affects those like myself. He has no reason to hide his scent here. It would be odd if he did, as an alpha commander. 

“How would I have known this was your office? I was running from the druids! I just stumbled upon the first open room and hid as quickly as possible. I’m sorry it happened to be yours but I couldn’t have known.” I snarl in response, grabbing his wrist with shaky hands and holding his glare with a teary eyed one of my own, all while trying my best to fight back the annoying instinct to cower and calm his anger with my own weakness.

He stares at me for a long moment before letting out a sigh and releasing his grasp, watching me regain my footing as he speaks again. “You make it hard to remember that you’re an omega.” He grumbles, presumably to himself but loud enough for me to hear. “I apologize if I made you… uncomfortable with my scent. I’ll contact Gaeletca as soon as possible so we can figure out a way to get you back to the base safely.” He steps back, thankfully taking his sour scent with him.

I huff, smoothing out the front of my suit and making sure there weren't any wrinkles or tears left from Thanlan's claws, grumbling under my breath, “Wear scent blockers, you smell like shit.” I know there’s no reason for him to wear them, but I still felt the need to voice my displeasure. Sighing, I glance back up at him and give a slight bow of my head. “Thank you, sir. I truly do appreciate it.”

We only had a beat of silence between us before the hiss of the door opening breaks it. I barely had time to register what was happening before I’m suddenly slammed into the desk, Thanlan pinning me down by the scruff of my neck with one hand and my wrists pinned to my back painfully with the other. My entire body tensing as I stare at the wall opposite the door, my tail having a vice grip around my own thigh once again. I could see him glaring down at me from the corner of my eyes and it was just the cherry on top to hear the voice of the soldier that had walked in and nearly caught us trying to plan my escape. Whatever he was originally saying was immediately forgotten when they took in the scene, “Commander Thanlan, you’ve caught the traitor!” I see Thanlan nod response.

“I have, go inform the witch that the traitor is an omega.” He commands, cuffing my wrists together behind my back with a muttered threat to behave. I couldn’t help the growl that escaped me though, nor could I help struggling against him despite my whole body screaming to stop. It only caused him to shove me harder into the desk. “I will be keeping him in my custody until we find him a more suitable mate. Be sure to warn her that he's a rather aggressive one. Now go!”

“Yes, sir!” The soldier rushes out of the room the moment Thanlan finishes speaking. Leaving us alone again and waiting for a few moments after the door hissed back closed before Thanlan removes the cuffs and steps away from me.

Thanlan growls low in his chest, combing his fingers through his ash gray hair, tail flicking behind him in frustration. “You have got to be kidding me.” I ignore him in favor of rubbing the ache of being cuffed out of my wrists. “You'll be lucky if I can convince them to hand you off to someone decent to their mates, let alone someone that won’t abuse you simply for being a traitor.” He was speaking like we had no choice but to go this route.

“What?” My head snaps up to stare at him with wide eyes. “No! No no no! I can’t be handed off to someone else for real! I joined the Spirits so that I’d be free! Free to choose my own mate, to help those that were like me! Not to be treated like some fucking pet-!” I didn't even realize I had started yelling, my panic taking over at the mere thought of being forced into some creepy harem, only being silenced by a large hand getting slapped over my mouth.

“I would try to have you put under my care, but you are an obvious traitor, a security threat, and I’m already being heavily watched. So me trying to keep you could be seen as suspicious.” He explains, removing his hand and pulling my arms back behind me harsher than really necessary as he cuffs me again. “I’m going to escort you through the ship now. Please try to stay quiet until we are in my private room.” I snarl at him, but don't fight against his movements as he guides me towards the door with a hand at the scruff of my neck. 

We leave his office and start moving through the maze of halls that Thanlan has somehow memorized, only to run into Emperor Morteon's witch just as we were about to enter the ship’s living sector. Her unnerving glowing white gaze scrutinizing me from her spot a few steps away from us, sneering in disgust. “So, this is the traitorous omega? Whoever decided to let him be a foot soldier did not think clearly, hardly anyone would want to deal with something as arrogant as a soldier.” Her scrutiny earned a low growl and sharp glare from me, making her disgust intensify on her sunken and aged face. “Is there anyone you suggest he should be given to? I should think many of our commanding officers like yourself would be able to handle him, but I'm unsure of who would be willing.” The witch says, reaching one of her boney hands towards my face and grabbing hold of my chin to inspect my face more closely, her talons digging into my skin. Both her and Thanlan ignoring my fight to keep between me and the damn witch.

Thanlan hums in thought, squeezing the back of my neck as gently as possible as a false show of dominance, but I knew he was trying to comfort me before he spoke the thought that came to him aloud. “This may be a good opportunity to give Prince Pylos another opportunity at finding a worthy mate. He has refused every offer thus far due to incompatibility, correct? This one may be more compatible than the others due to being a bit feisty. It could prove to be a nice challenge for him.” I yank my face out of the witch's grasp finally and glare up at him, his expression conveying nothing more than his usual unbothered stare, while I’m left feeling a mixture of shock and fear and rage.

Is he seriously suggesting that I be given to the son of our enemy? There’s no way I would be able to get away from him…right? He’ll have me supervised every waking moment, no doubt. But Thanlan wouldn't have suggested it if he didn't think I would have a chance of escaping. Does Thanlan know something about the prince that I don’t? 

The witch hum in contemplation next pulls my attention back to her, glaring at her again. “You seem rather sure of yourself, Commander Thanlan. What makes you so sure Prince Pylos would  be the right alpha to give this little traitor to?” She asks, genuine curiosity laced in her tone as she ignores my continued glare in favor of tilting her head at Thanlan.

I see Thanlan nod in the corner of my eye, “A prince deserves nothing less than the best. And what better than to make an omega trained as a soldier submit to his whim? Surely Prince Pylos has the ability to take this omega down with ease, should he be foolish enough to attempt an attack or escape.” I let out a snarling growl at the implication that I am weaker than any alpha simply because I look small. I know Thanlan is only saying such things to stay in the witch’s good graces, but the whole situation still pisses me off. I am more than strong enough to take down any alpha, regardless of my size. 

“I suppose that is a valid point, commander.” She answers with a nod. “I shall contact Prince Pylos then. I will inform him of the new offering and request that he retrieve the mutt as soon as possible.”

“I will keep watch of him until then.” Thanlan says.

“Thank you, commander Thanlan.”

“Of course, ma'am.” Thanlan crosses his free arm over his chest and bows, forcing me to bow along with him. 

She steps around us to walk away, Thanlan yanks me back up and drags me through the halls of the living sector to his bedroom, quickly locking the door before he lets out an irritated sigh. “I'll inform Gaeletca of the new developments of your situation. You will be staying here until we either find a way for you to mysteriously escape or until the prince arrives.” His tone gentle and apologetic as he uncuffs me for the second time today, watching me as I just stand in the middle of the small room.

“You're really going to hand me over to Prince Pylos?” My voice was quiets, unsure how to feel about that possibility. If the prince truly has been very picky about how he wants his mate to be, who's to say I would be anything near what he is looking for? How do I know he's not just going to try abusing me the way any other alpha loyal to Morteon’s command would? What if he's just as awful as his father? 

“Pylos is very different from his father.” Thanlan tells me, as if reading my mind. “I believe he is your safest choice, I wouldn’t have suggested him if I thought otherwise.” 

I stare down at the floor as I sit down on his bed, taking in the reality of my situation, not really knowing how to respond. There is no way that I'll be getting the chance to escape before the prince arrives to retrieve me. If Thanlan was already being watched, now he’d be under even more surveillance… all because I got caught. So I had no other choice than to just accept the reality that I will become the prince’s gift.