Page 15 of Collateral Omega

“Master Xaine…please…” Aeryl started to beg. “You can’t do this. I had a deal with your dad. You should respect our contract.”

Xaine stared at the alpha. “No. I don’t have to do anything. Please sign the documents and make your payments. Our business ends here.” He turned to his assistant. “Klane, I’ll wait outside. I can’t breathe in here.”

“Yes, master,” Klane said. Xaine walked out, leaving everything to the beta. He walked down the hallway.

The alcove of pot plants was to his left. He walked past it quickly just in case the urge to go find the omega filled him again. He lifted his right hand to his nose. The chemical smell of the disinfectant steadied him.

Much to Xaine’s disappointment, the door to the party hall opened, and a few omegas came walking out. They took one look at him and scurried down the hallway. Their fear turned the air around him foul.

Xaine walked faster, trying hard not to breathe the air in. Their fear was valid. They saw him make a grown alpha pee himself in the middle of the dance floor.

Damn, maybe he shouldn’t have done that. He was already called the devil. What were they going to call him now?

Xaine got inside his pod and waited for Klane. The beta came out a few minutes later.

“Is it done?” Xaine asked as Klane got into the pod.

“Yes,” he said, handing him the data reader. “He wants the Sacrum Manuscripts returned.”

“Okay. Let’s go,” Xaine instructed Preat, his pod operator, as he took the data reader. Instead of checking the document, Xaine navigated to one of the local media platforms. After months of waiting, the council of alphas finally came to a decision. Xaine searched through the platform for the live media briefing.

“Do you know where they are? I’ve read the contract over and over, there’s no mention of them.”

“They’re probably somewhere in the house. Jailen should know. He was dad’s assistant for years.”

“I’ll connect with him as soon as we get home,” Klane said.

“Please do. The sooner I rid Covus Holdings of alphas like Aeryl, the better,” Xaine said. He clicked on the video link. The correspondent’s voice filled the pod.

“This is coming to you live from the capital. The verdict is finally in. Tonight, we’ll find out what the council decided regarding the scandalous incident that saw our previous alpha king removed from office a year ago. This was the biggest scandal to ever happen in Arhu. For those who don’t remember, here are a few facts. Last year, our previous alpha king, Deltta Kohle, was in his office alone with his assistant. The omega went unexpectedly into heat. That triggered something in the king, and he lost control of himself. He went beastly as he responded to the omega’s heat. The incident caused such horror in the public that many called for the removal of omegas from high-ranking jobs, especially those in public office, while others called for aggressive alphas to be monitored and medicated to control their beastly nature. As you recall, the alpha king was immediately taken to a medical facility, so tests could be conducted on him, while his brother Maxus took over for him.The plea for omegas to be removed was left pending while the council of alphas dealt with the king’s issues. We hope to hear what the council has decided. The safety and well-being of omegas should be foremost in the council’s mind, considering the outcry from the public for omegas to be removed from public office.”

“The broadcast was tonight?” Klane asked next to him. “I forgot about it.”

“Hmmm,” Xaine said, his focus on the video. Maxus Kohle came into view. He cleared his throat and started to speak.

“The council of alphas and I have come to a decision. This decision was not taken lightly. In our entire history we've never had such an experience. Alphas, betas, and omegas have lived peacefully without an incident of this kind. Our heat cycles have complimented each other with many finding everlasting matches. The council of alphas believes this has made us complacent and neglectful of our baser nature, and we might have put our people at risk. Although we may not change into our animal forms anymore, that side of us still exists. The tests run on our previous alpha king, Deltta Kohle, have proven that deep down we’re still as animalistic as we were a hundred years ago. To prevent such from happening in the future, we’ve decided that alphas who show aggressive characteristics should be monitored and medicated to control their beastly urges…” Xaine didn’t hear the rest of what Maxus said. His hands tightened around the data reader as his mind replayed the moment in the alcove of pot plants with the omega. He’d felt out of control then. Did Deltta Kohle feel the same?

“Does this mean Deltta Kohle is not coming back?” Klane asked.

“I guess,” Xaine said. That’s what he got from the whole thing. Maxus addressed his brother as the previous alpha king.

“Poor omegas. I can’t imagine how hard it’s going to be for them. Why is the council taking it out on them? They didn’t do anything.”

No, they didn’t. The omegas were suffering because of alphas like Xaine – alphas who were more animal than man. It was time they fixed that.

“Find the name of the medical facility Deltta Kohle was sent to,” Xaine said, shoving the data reader at Klane.

“What?”

“Find it.”

“Yes, master.” Klane clicked through the data reader, then stopped. Xaine felt the beta’s gaze on him. “Why do you want the name of the medical facility? You’re not thinking of getting medicated, are you?”

“I am,” Xaine declared. He hadn’t thought too deeply about it, but he was definitely going to do it. If there was medication that could control the beast inside him, he was taking it. No questions asked.

Klane opened his mouth and closed it. He clearly wanted to say something, but he didn’t know how. The beta couldn’t question him. Xaine was his alpha even though they had a deeper relationship.

The beta had been with him for years. He was the little minion his dad had settled on him when he was five years old. Because Covus alphas were supposed to grow into dominant bastards, and they had to learn that shit when they were young.

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