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NIRO

C ambry walked beside me, his posture communicating defeat and shame.

I refused to have it.

“You’ve done nothing. Hold your head high, luv.”

He glanced up at me, tears once again falling down his cheeks.

What was I to do? I wasn’t used to dealing with Omegas except concerning one aspect of my life. There was little drama to that, at least for me, and I left everything behind when my Burns were complete.

“Hey.” I spoked softer. “You’ve done nothing wrong. There’s no blame here.”

“You don’t know.” His whispered words were shaky.

“I know more than you might think,” I replied.

We entered the warden’s office, which was a rather large room filled with a lifetime’s accumulation of interesting knick-knacks.

A large window behind his desk overlooked the farm’s green fields surrounded by thick forestland.

The room smelled of old wood settling with time.

There was something magical here, but also sad.

This Omega was powerful, overseeing a chattel farm of thousands ranging in age from infancy to old age.

All that aptitude and strength had been swept away, relegated to a controllable estate, kept from Alpha vision which saw only sex slaves and nothing more.

I had not realized until this moment how monstrous it was that it even existed.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Chirl said, moving behind his desk and sitting.

Two plush chairs faced his desk. Cambry and I sat, sinking into the seats. I wondered if Chirl had those chairs specially made to distract those who came for special meetings until he was ready to assert his will. It was easier to take a beating while wrapped in satin pillows.

Chirl leaned on his elbows and got straight to the point. “Alpha Niro.”

I leaned back. I wasn’t usually addressed in that manner.

“It has come to my attention as you arrived that a spontaneous bond was created yesterday during your meeting with Cambry.”

“Yes. That is true.”

He turned to Cambry. “Can you verify?”

“I—I didn’t know.”

“Tell the truth. That’s all I ask,” Chirl said.

“I didn’t know what it was at first.” He flushed beautifully, cheeks pink. “You know yesterday was my first time in the—in the Mating Hall,” he finished with a whisper.

“But now you understand?”

Cambry nodded. “It was definitely a bond. It was just there. But?—”

“Yes?”

“It was there before. With another.”

Chirl took a deep breath. His thick, silver eyebrows narrowed. “With Angell?”

Cambry audibly gulped. “It just happened.”

“With Angell?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t like this interrogation of my Omega. And yes, at the moment, he was my Omega. Emotions moved erratically through my mind, a combination of his and mine. Fear. Remorse. Sadness. Danger. His body shivered. His head was sunken into his shoulders. It was wrong.

I lifted my chin. “All that needs to be confirmed is that there is now a three-way bond between us,” I said. “The rest is no one’s business, is it?”

Chirl kept his face neutral. “We have rules here. Cambry knows he broke a big taboo.”

I tried not to roll my eyes. “By loving someone?”

Cambry turned to look at me. His body was still stiff, but his lips parted. “I did break the rules,” came the soft voice. “I won’t lie.”

“The truth is…” Chirl spoke now, voice quiet but firm.

“Most of our boys here at the farm grow up together. Strong connections form. That’s a given.

We take precautions beyond teaching them it’s taboo to sleep together.

We put them on birth control at puberty.

But birth control is only 90% effective. No one wants to give birth to a Sylph.”

“We were careful…” Cambry began.

“No need to defend yourself,” I huffed.

Chirl ignored me, looking at Cambry. “I know you were, Cambry. Which is why I let your relationship continue.”

“Um, right.”

“It’s difficult to keep secrets here. While you were both discreet, who couldn’t read the love on your faces whenever you were together?

The way you rapidly signed to each other?

It was like seeing two become one. I took a long time approving your consent form to serve in the Mating Hall.

Several times, I contemplated bringing you into my office strictly to discuss your relationship with Angell.

I thought long and deep about my decision to allow you two to work things out together. To not interfere.”

“You—you could have had us sent away,” Cambry whispered.

“I know the fear of that hangs over every Omega. But it really is only a last resort. I’m not here to run this farm based on punishment. Or fear.”

“That’s what this place is about, though,” I interrupted. “Punishment. And fear. For being born Omega.”

Chirl’s mouth relaxed, the corners moving upward.

“Most Alphas don’t see it that way. Not at all.

And that’s why you have special treatment here, Niro.

A considerate Alpha who can control his Burns is rare to us.

Most who use farm slaves want to control and use.

They pay large sums of money to do so, and we accommodate them. ”

The more he talked, the more disgusted I became.

Not with him or Zilly’s. But with the world I and everyone else had been born into.

The stupid laws. Lack of rights. Alphas behaving badly.

I knew good Alphas. Great ones. But those types weren’t necessarily the experience of the Omegas here.

I’d heard their new owner was a good man.

And I knew that Trigg, the brother of Kris, had found his mate here.

Trigg was one of the good ones. But I also knew when people paid money for something, they wanted to get their money’s worth out of it.

Whether it was overeating at a food buffet or using an Omega.

They would take and use if they could get away with it.

It was exhausting just thinking about it now, imagining Cambry in service this way. Now that he was mine?—

And that was how I thought of it. But did he reciprocate? I was here to take two Omegas away from the only home they’d ever known. Take them with me. As if I now owned them.

It was now more than ever important for them to know they had the freedom to agree or disagree. But the situation had them cornered. Could they even make informed decisions right now?

I wanted Cambry and Angell only if they wanted me back. I needed to make that clear.

“I don’t believe in raising another in punishment and fear.”

Chirl nodded. “That’s why we have a first timer contract with you. Mistakes happen. Omegas get hurt. Your presence has helped alleviate that. The percentage of first timer abuse has gone down.”

He was complimenting me, and it only made me feel worse that I ever came to Zilly’s in the first place.

I steepled my fingers in front of my face. “I’m no hero.”

“That might be up for discussion. In the meantime,” Chirl said. “You have a bond with two of our Omegas. Cambry and Angell have decisions to make. And depending on their answers, we might lose one of our best clients.”

“Fuck,” I mumbled under my breath.

Cambry’s breathing grew louder beside me. He turned to face me, lashes damp. His words came in a rush. “Angell wants to go with you.”