Page 13 of The Demon's Pet

Calling? What kind of calling led to omegas having to stand in a line like cattle at an auction?

Wistfully, I glanced at my box of books on the bed behind me, wishing I could just stay here and read the book on top of the pile, an exciting pirate novel by Johanna Lindsay. Sure, her heroes could be a bit questionably rough or dominant, but they challenged the smart, strong heroines around them and pleasured them senseless.

And her gorgeous landscapes would always remain in my mind, though she had passed long ago in the human realm.

I’d rather be tied to the bow of a pirate ship than go to the mating ceremony.

Maybe no one would pick me, I thought hopefully, opening the door to my room and closing it behind me.

Down the narrow hallway, my mother’s bedroom door opened, and she beckoned me toward her.

Father had already left for the ceremony after ensuring I wouldn’t embarrass him.

I raised an eyebrow at her, still stinging at her betrayal, but sighed and walked forward into her room where she gestured for me to sit on the bed and then shut the door.

“I just wanted to talk to you a bit before the ceremony,” she said, raising her hesitant, lined eyes to mine. Her graying brown hair was pulled back in a bun, and she was wearing a modest blue dress. As an omega, one should never try to draw extra attention.

“Fine,” I said. “Since I’m about to be sold off and you might not see me again.”

At the end of the ceremony, the omegas were “carried” off by their alphas to their new home, and then the alphas would send betas or servants for the omega’s things.

I hated all of it.

She swallowed nervously, twisting her hands in the rough covers next to her. Unexpectedly, pity hit me, and all I could feel was sadness for this woman who had never fought the cage she was in.

Because she’d never thought there was a point to it.

And what I hated most was that, deep down, I knew she might be right.

“It’d be easier for you if you could be kind and sweet,” she said hopefully. Her eyes darted nervously to the side. “Look, try to catch the eye of a higher alpha.” She swallowed. “I wish I’d been slightly less demure to maybe catch the eye of a higher alpha.” Her eyes gleamed. “You still can.”

I sighed because my mother was still truly broken.

Her dream wasn’t to be free. It was to have a better owner.

I let out a calm breath and held my tongue. Despite everything, I didn’t want to cause her more pain.

I loved her, though I might have hated that I did.

“I also wanted to talk to you about the actual mating,” she said. “Since I might not get another chance.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I’d read quite a few human romance novels, which contained detailed love scenes. Though we were part wolf spirit, we spent most of our time in human form, so I figured the sex shouldn’t be much different.

My mother started to sweat and wiped a bead off her forehead before she put up a hand. She straightened her forefinger and kept the rest in a fist. “His thing, it’ll get hard and stick out… like this.”

Oh gods, make this stop. I would have done anything to run away at that moment.

Her other hand made a loose fist with a space in the middle, and she slammed the forefinger of her other hand into it.

“He will want to go into you… like this. Do you understand where he will go?”

I nodded.

She moved her finger forward and back a few times, and the whole thing was so awkward I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience.

“He’ll do this for a few minutes, and when he’s done, it’ll go soft.” She removed her forefinger from her other fist and showed it slowly curling down, limp. “Like that.” She gave me a radiant smile. “Then it’s over. Not so bad, right?”

My eyes were wide, my throat tight. She had to be kidding.

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