Page 44 of The Feisty Omega

SHIFTER REGULATION EXEMPTION

Exemption Category: Unions

Regulation: XA.2

Recipient: Irian Mensen

Designation: Omega

Details:permission is hereby given for the above mentioned omega to be mated in a permanent shifter union once he enters the start of majority at age 19

And the document was signed by six members of the council, including Alpha Moray himself. The air hissed between my lips. How had they managed to get agreement for this?

The older legal age for shifter unions had a specific purpose… or so we’d been led to believe.

Something to do with allowing the alphas and the omegas to fully mature physically and emotionally before entering into a union that was binding. Unlike human marriages, once the shifter bite had been exchanged and the appropriate words said, shifter matings were unbreakable. If you’d made a mistake, weren’t compatible, or found your fated mate later, it was too bad.

Then it hit me. My mother was a member of the Council. They were all in each other’s pockets or had knowledge of each other’s secrets. It wouldn’t have been hard to get the required number of signatures.

“I won’t do it!” I insisted, although inside I was trembling. “I already have an alpha! I’ve promised myself to Talius.”

“He’ll manage without you,” she said, completely unflustered while I was losing my mind. “There’s no advantage in a union with him. I won’t permit it. You’ll mate with the one we’ve chosen for you.”

“I won’t!” I hated the way fear made my voice waver.

“There’s no more discussion about it. It’s already been decided.”

“And youwill,” she said emphatically, walking to the door, and turning back at the last. “After all,youdon’t have to do anything.Omega.”

She stepped through the door, and I heard theclunkas the lock turned behind her.

I stood there alone, trembling in the middle of the room, hating the truth of what she’d said. Biologically, as an omega, I didn’t have to actively accept or participate in the mating ritual for it to be valid. I just had to be fucked and bitten. The rest was just for decoration.

If I couldn’t get out of here, I was totally screwed. I’d be mated and bonded forever to a different alpha, when I already had the alpha of my heart.

I rushed to the door, and tried to open it even though I knew it was locked. But just in case.

The knob began to turn and my heart gave a wild flutter of hope, but sank just as fast when the knob stopped mid-turn. A cold sweat broke out over my body, giving me the chills. My legs felt weak.

I hurried to the windows, tried to slide the heavy wooden frames upward, but they didn’t budge. I shook the frames in frustration, hit the glass with my fist. For an instant, I rested my forehead against the glass, sucking gasps of air into my lungs.

I would not give up! The windows rattled violently in their frames as I shook them again… until the light glinting off one of the nails nestled in the wood caught my eye. I was caught in a trap.

A blanket of calm descended on me. I had to use my brain if I was to get out of this. I looked through the glass.

There was no-one in sight. No-one on the premises would be willing to help me anyway, but there was also no-one to stop me. The ground was a long way down. But maybe, if I shifted, I might make it down without injuring a paw.

I looked around for something solid enough to break the glass.

But before I could find anything, I heard the turning of the key in the lock and the door creaked slightly as it opened… I expected my mother, and I drew in a deep breath ready to argue with her again. Instead, two large and familiar alphas entered the room - Marius and his alpha dad. Both of them wore severe expressions: Alpha Moray’s face was determined, Marius’ face was… well, blank. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

I peeked behind them, wondering if I was fast enough to get around them. I shivered, my shoulders sagging as four large betas followed them into the room. The show of force was designed to intimidate me, and it did. How would I elude this many shifters to make my escape?

In the end, it didn’t matter. There wasn’t time to try anything. A nod from the head alpha in the room, and the betas marched up to me, grabbing my arms roughly. I had no hope, but I struggled on principle. Thumbs and fingers pressed cruelly into the muscles of my arms in an unnecessary display of force. I whimpered and watched horrified as ugly purple marks formed on my upper arms.

“Don’t damage my mate,” snarled Marius.

The betas eased their grip but kept their meaty hands around my arms. Still struggling futilely, I managed to cast a scornful look at Marius as the betas pushed me towards the door. I continued fighting as they marched me along the corridor and down the stairs to the first floor.

---