Page 41 of The Runaway

Connor followed his new master across the barren yard towards the door of the rundown farmhouse, doing his best to control his fear. So far, the master hadn’t done anything harsh to him. He’d poked and prodded him, back at the slave auction, making disappointed comments about how skinny he was, but more eager remarks about his ass.

“He claims to be a virgin,” the auctioneer had said, at Thomas Blanchet’s eager questioning. “But given that the master of his old estate is dead, we can’t confirm or deny that. As young as he is, though, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility. He has been certified, though. No obvious injuries, he’s capable of mating without any problems. You’d do well with a spry little thing like this. He’d have a good fifteen or twenty years of service in him.”

At the auction itself, Thomas had bid a hundred francs for him – not a bad price, given that Connor was a nobody from a failed baby farm. And with no one willing to bid any more than that, he’d promptly been sold, now the newest member of the Blanchet estate.

The farmhouse door creaked as it opened, revealing a dank and dusty room inside. “We’ve got three betas and one other omega,” Thomas told him, taking off his boots and hanging his coat on a hook. “You’ll be in charge of cleaning the house and cooking the meals. The betas take care of the farm work. Don’t want you going near the cows. They’re creatures of habit, and I don’t want them spooked.”

Connor nodded, not at all put out by the arrangement. Spending time in the kitchen would likely mean he could sneak a bite or two from the food he was preparing. And the house was in dire need of cleaning, dust and debris littering every available corner.

“Come in here. This is the living room. You don’t get to sit down in here, but you can sweep the floor and dust the shelves. And I want a stack of wood by the fireplace every evening. I’m not a harsh man, but I expect orders to be followed. If there’s not a fire blazing by five o’clock every night, you’ll get a switch to the ass, you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Connor said. “Of course.”

“All right, then. Let’s get this over with.” Thomas reached for his belt, undoing the buckle. His aging hands and knobbly knuckles made it slow work, but Connor felt himself tense as he watched the buckle swing free. Less than two minutes on the estate and he was to be beaten already? He hadn’t even had the chance to do anything wrong yet.

But then his master paused, looking him over with pointed expectation. “Well? Come on, then. Drop your pants. I need to find out if you’re worth what I paid for you.”

Connor stared at him in confusion. He wanted to examine his penis again? He’d already had a good long look, back at the slave auction, noting with satisfaction that Connor had no visible scars or blemishes on his genitals. So why did he need another look now?

Then realisation dawned, and Connor felt a thrill of fear run through him. But this was the way of life for an omega, wasn’t it? Betas were more than capable of doing the cooking and cleaning. The only reason to bring a new omega onto the estate was to…

He undid his trousers, holding them up with one hand. “Um… where would you…?”

“Right here,” Thomas said, taking Connor by the shoulders and turning him around. He bent him over the back of the sofa, then shoved his own pants down past his hips. Right here? In the living room where anyone could walk in and see them? Was this normal? He’d never had sex before, but even back on the baby farm, the alphas had taken the omegas to a private room to mate with them.

Thomas shoved Connor’s legs apart. He felt fingers probing his entrance, then being pushed inside. He flinched, his body tensing. “Come on, boy,” Thomas said, sounding impatient, but not overly annoyed. “First time’s a bit of a surprise, but you’ll get used to it.” Those fingers flexed, probing his insides. It felt unpleasant – not painful, but like there was a seed stuck in his tooth or a fly biting his arm. An unwelcome irritation that made him feel vaguely queasy.

“That’s better,” Thomas said, after a moment, and Connor felt a small flush of moisture in his back passage. “Get yourself ready for a good fucking. It’s no fun if you’re all dry inside.” The fingers jiggled about a bit more, while Connor simply held himself still. He’d been told over and over again that omegas were built for this, but it didn’t feel like it. He felt tight and sensitive, and not at all aroused.

The first thick press of his master’s cock inside him made him wince, and he tried to pull away. Meaty hands gripped his hips. “Hold still. I don’t need you wriggling around on me.” Thomas gave a sharp thrust. Connor felt his passage stretch uncomfortably, then a harder thrust sent that thick cock all the way up inside him. He cried out in pain. Fuck, this was awful!

“Don’t you be complaining now,” Thomas snapped at him. “I’ve got no patience for it.” He thrust again, grunting in pleasure. “Oh, yeah, you’ve got a nice, tight ass, though. You and me are going to get along just fine.” He tightened his grip on Connor’s hips, shoving himself inside again and again. Connor gripped the back of the sofa, feeling like he was going to throw up. Another person wasinsidehis body. He could feel him deep in his belly, where he was sure things weren’t supposed to be put. He whimpered as that cock was pulled out and shoved back in, unable to hold the sounds back. “God, you’re not going to be a noisy one, are you?” Thomas muttered. “Keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told.” Connor gritted his teeth, his body rocking back and forth as his master kept thrusting. Then he stilled, holding Connor tightly to him, and let out a long, low groan. “Oh, fuck, yeah… That’s the spot…” A moment later, Connor felt a rush of fluid inside him and he gasped in disgust. Why couldn’t he have been a beta? Why did fate have to be so unkind as to…

Oh God. No, no, no, that wasn’t… But it was. Thomas’s knot was swelling, and Connor tried to wriggle free, horrified by the hot, deep pressure inside himself.Knotting doesn’t hurt, Jackelyn had told him, back when she’d found out he was an omega.The first time it’ll feel like the damn thing’s going to rip your belly apart, but it doesn’t. It feels weird as fuck, but don’t try to pull away, or it really will hurt.

He tried to follow the advice now, holding still as best as he could, trying to push down the rising panic as the knot swelled impossibly large. It was pressing on things inside him that felt entirely unnatural, and he looked down, expecting to see the bulge pressing out the front of his belly. But it wasn’t, as disgustingly huge as it felt, and he panted, trying to hold himself up on shaking arms.

“Ah, God, that’s better,” Thomas groaned. “Fuck, you’re going to be a good one. I can see myself having you every night.” He ground his hips against Connor’s ass, shifting the huge knot inside him. Connor stayed perfectly still, terror clawing at his mind. He was knotted. He’d been mated for the first time, and now he was tied to his master, unable to escape. He prayed that Thomas wouldn’t try to pull out too soon, knowing that omegas had had their bowels ripped out by careless alphas in the past.

Thankfully, Thomas seemed content to stay where he was, rocking slowly back and forth for the duration of the knotting. Finally, after what seemed like hours – though in reality it was only about ten minutes – the knot began to shrink. The pressure in Connor’s belly eased off and he felt like he could breathe again.

The master pulled out with a grunt of satisfaction. “Not bad. I suppose you’ll do. Better than that dry old bitch in the back room.” Audrey was the other omega on the estate, a female in her fifties. A good part of the reason Connor had been bought was because his master was tired of pounding her old bones, as he’d announced quite abruptly on the way back to the estate. She was getting wrinkled and loose, and there was nothing appealing about staring down at a saggy ass while he tried to get his rocks off.

Thomas did up his pants, then gave Connor’s ass a firm slap. “Good boy,” he said, sounding pleased. “Now clean yourself up, then get to sweeping the floor. And I want you in the kitchen by five o’clock. Dinner is at six and I don’t want it to be late.” He marched swiftly from the room, leaving Connor shaking against the sofa. Slowly, feeling the world tilt around him, he pulled up his pants and fastened them again. The master wanted to have him every night? He was to put up with this indignity every day for the foreseeable future?

He felt raw and empty, like a part of him had died. As an omega, he’d known his body didn’t truly belong to himself, but now he had hard evidence of the fact. He felt dirty and used, cringing at the knowledge that the master’s essence now sat inside him, staining him from the inside out. How was he ever to be himself again?

???

Present Day

Connor came back to himself in slow degrees. The bed beneath him was warm. There was a soft blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His limbs felt stiff, but he didn’t dare move. If he moved, the master would notice he was here, and then he’d be beaten, and he wouldn’t be allowed to eat, and…

“Connor?” The voice was soothing, gentle and calm, and he leaned towards it. “Connor, can you hear me?”

He nodded, making a valiant attempt to open his eyes. Gabriel peered down at him, a concerned look on his face.

Gabriel. The alpha who’d saved him. Gabriel’s hand was on his shoulder, and he leaned into it, hoping his touch would make the world stop spinning. It worked, to a degree.