Page 7 of Knot Our Omega

Rumor

“Another one?” Lily whispered, holding my hands in hers. I was exhausted. Not from the physical exertion but because of the shedding of my self-respect. Little by little, I lost layers of it—watched it float to the ground and then disappear at the feet of the alphas who came in and then left.

In and out.

Coming and going.

I heard the door and thought, more like hoped, that it wasn’t true. Through the afternoon and into the night, groups of alphas had come in. They were cordial, and their words were pretty, but none of them were owning-me material. Because when one chose me, that’s what I would be—owned by them. Paid in full. Someone should write up a contract.No refund. No returns. You break her, you buy her.

“Rumor, come in here, darling.”

Darling. What a fucking joke and insult. That woman had never muttered the word darling to me before. It oozed malice and insincerity. She’d better hope the alphas didn’t catch on. Then again, they might not care. Most of them just wanted my labor and my uterus anyway.

I’d given up on love and fated mates a long time ago.

The day my fated mates chose my sister over me. All because I was an omega instead of an alpha. The Goddess must’ve needed a laugh.

“I’m here, Mother.” I barely contained my portrayal of a prance, walking into the dining room. Oh, what fun it would be to dance into the room and curtsey. Goddess, they might like that.

“Here she is, Alpha Sharpclaw. Our omega. What a surprise she’s been in our family.”

Alpha Sharpclaw was as sharp as his namesake. One of his eyebrows cocked, and he smirked. “A surprise, huh? That’s why there’s such a large price on her head?”

My mother cleared her throat. I looked to my dad, hoping some of his alpha and fatherly instinct might kick in, but found disappointment in his blank stare.

“The price for her is minimal, I can assure you. She’s primed for breeding. We come from a long line of strong, powerful alphas. Many of our family are alphas of their own packs. I have no doubt she will produce many sons for you.”

Eew.

I shuddered with disgust. My mom was selling me as a breeder. I was born to lead this pack and have my own harem to support me, and this was where I landed? Shrunk down to a business proposition. An indecent one at that.

This was the same dialogue we’d had all day. Not the surprise part. That was a recent addition. Some of the alphas came in, took one look, and left. Others touched my hand and tried to flirt.

Alpha Sharpclaw soon joined the ranks of those who invaded my personal space, going so far as to lean in and scent my neck. That was the most personal thing a shifter could do, other than mating.

I really should grow a spine.

“She’s on blockers. Heavy ones. I can’t even get a scent,” he said and stepped back. “I won’t mate with an omega with little scent. How will we know when she is fertile?”

My mom looked at me, but this time I didn’t falter. She was the one who wanted me on heavy scent blockers which included sprays, powders, deodorants, and panties. Everyone knew shifters chose mates by scent. Pheromones were important, even for humans.

“She is on blockers for her protection since she is unmated.”

“Doesn’t she want to find her fated mates?” He turned to me. Oh, goody, someone was going to speak to me directly for once. “Don’t you wish for your fated mates?” My sister chose that moment to walk in with her mates, my former mates. I wanted to shrivel up, dig myself a hole, and bury myself there.

“I have no mates,” I said, feeling some of that spine come in.

“Her mates chose to reject her.”

The alpha shrugged and looked at me. Pity was all I saw in his eyes. “That’s a shame. I will take my leave now. Thank you for your time.”

As soon as he shut the door, my mother whirled on me. Her fists were balled, her cheeks red. She shook with rage. I scented it in the air like fire and charcoal. “Look what you did. Go upstairs and take that damned dress off. You never fail to shame me and our family.”

I pulled my empty self up a few stairs. The worst part was, I was beginning to believe her words. Clearly, I was a shameful excuse for a female. No mates. Rejection. My sister stole everything from me. No one wanted me. I was an omega. I glanced over at Lily and saw the empathy in her eyes. Her life was my fate. I would end up cleaning the dirt of an alpha family’s shoes. Rocking their children. Washing their dishes. My head down—where it should be.

I took a few steps but my wolf reared in my head. Something was pulling her down. Pulling me down with her. My feet became like concrete and every step was a struggle. I turned around to find the attention on me had quickly faded. My mother was gushing over Reyna. My mates’ eyes focused on my body. The mates Fate chose for me practically drooled over my curves in this strip of a dress. Maybe my wolf was pulling me to them.

A knock at the door stopped everything. The chatter. The movement. Even my breathing.

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