Vahn's Omega

“So, did you get the job?” Pale blue eyes shifted, moving to the woman sitting on the opposite side of the table. This was a question she’d been asked more times than she could count. The concern of her parents was something she’d dealt with since the moment she chose to follow her dream of making art for a living. Of course, she never thought she’d be making advertisements and other commercial media… but at least it was something creative. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in an office or flipping burgers. “Sarah.” Her mother’s voice was more stern, demanding an answer. “No, I didn’t get it.” “That’s the fifth time a company has turned down your designs. Don’t you think it’s time you gave up on this? People simply do not want to work with an omega.” Penny Monroe was the definition of a lady. She was tall, blonde, with all the shape of a swimsuit model and the elegance of a ballroom dancer. She also happened to be a Beta who married an Alpha of equal status. Sarah’s father was Benjamin Monroe. He was an architect. Not just any architect, though. He’d helped to design half the public properties in the city. His name was on everything from parks to skyscrapers. Both he and Penny were firm believers that Alphas were at the top of the food chain and omegas at the bottom. What a lovely surprise it was for them to have a daughter that ranked at the bottom of their priority list. Sarah had worked hard her entire life to prove to her parents that she was more than her sub-gender. Much like her father, she’d shown clear skill in the arts. The moment they saw any sort of talent in her, they’d pushed to cultivate it. In her mother’s eyes, she was a lost cause. Thankfully, her father had refused to give up on her. In their society, omegas were for one thing and one thing only. To breed. To the world, she should be married off to an Alpha in order to produce more Alphas. That was the point of her existence. Sarah refused to accept that fate and her father had been right there to push her towards something better. As much as Penny hadn’t wanted her child to be a birthing machine, she also didn’t mind the idea of Sarah marring some rich Alpha and getting into a good family. The woman was a complicated, annoying person. The major problem that she faced, and the reasoning behind her constant denial of employment, was her gender. People did not like to hire omegas. That was a fact well known by everyone. Her kind were considered unstable, unpredictable, and hazardous to those around them. Why? Because of their heat. Unmated omegas had heats several times a year. They became needy, sexually aggressive messes that could not function for days at a time because of their body’s extreme need to breed. It was not pleasant and, without medication, it could actually be dangerous. Even though she’d been on a firm regiment of suppressants and pheromone blockers since she presented almost ten years prior, employers still felt that she was too much of a liability. It was the Alphas who were the problem… “I just haven’t found the right advertising firm, yet.” Sarah pressed. She nudged her coffee cup across the glass surface of the table they were seated at. “Once I find the right place, I’ll be fine. Until then, I have to keep looking…” “Exactly how many advertising companies do you think there are in this city? Eventually you’re going to run out of options.” Penny said, shaking her head. Tendrils of her sandy blonde hair waved around her face, pushed out slightly on the sides by her large white sunglasses. “You’re a lovely artist, Sarah. We all know that. But couldn’t you just… let us help you find a husband? Then you could paint and draw all day in your home, without worrying about jobs and money.” “I don’t want to have some Alpha…” The girl looked around and lowered her voice. “…mounting me all the time just so I can sit around and do nothing but have babies!” She hissed. This conversation was one they’d had before and, frankly, she was sick of it. “You’re such a lovely young woman. You could have your pick of the successful, handsome men in this community. Your father knows so many…” “No!” She snapped and stood up, hands slapping down so hard that their cups jumped slightly. Sarah wasn’t some model. She wasn’t as gorgeous as her mother always claimed when talking to others. Of course, that was because she never dressed up or layered on makeup, as the woman had told her over and over since she was fifteen years old. Now, almost ten years later, that was still going on. Her mother even got her expensive make-up kits for the holidays. She never used any of them. The omega had pale white skin, dirty blonde hair, and a number of freckles and beauty marks scattered over her face and body. Her only redeeming quality was her eyes. They were big, almond shaped, and crystal-clear blue. Her lashes were long and framed her eyes perfectly, even without the thin layers of liner that she sometimes used. Obviously, she did not think she was ugly. Not by any means. She was in shape with good curves and all that stuff that guys apparently liked. Ever since she presented, she’d had boys and men chasing after her. It was a nice ego boost, but once they realized she wasn’t going to lay down and spread her legs, they all quickly found other women to occupy their interests. All that did was show her that who she was did not matter. Only what she was and what she could give them. To her mother, that was perfectly fine. She should accept a handsome, rich husband. She should have his babies and spend his money. This was the life her mother wanted her to have. Her happiness meant nothing. Or rather, it was that her mother seemed to genuinely believe that she would eventually be happy if she gave in to this domestic path. The woman had no idea who she was. Not really. Penny didn’t care about her child’s dreams or personality. She just wanted to hand her off to an Alpha and be done having to look after her. Not that she needed to. Sarah was now twenty-four years old. She did not need her mother hovering over her all the time, trying to dictate how and what she did all the time. Yet here they were. The woman doing exactly that. “Do not make a scene.” The woman said and glanced around. Appearance was everything, after all. “I’m done here. I thought you just wanted to have a nice lunch together. I should have known better. You can’t spend time with me without doing this.” Sarah said, and grabbed her bag off the ground. She’d even brought some new pieces to show her mother, but that was long forgotten. Right now, she just needed to get away. “Please, sit back down. There’s no reason to get upset.” Penny said, but there was no real emotion in her words. She probably felt relieved that her disruptive child was leaving. “Tell dad that I failed again. I’m sure you love doing that.” And with that, the blonde turned on her heel and marched off. She didn’t even grab her full cup of coffee. Everything but her frustrations were forgotten. All she wanted right now was to escape her mother’s presence and get somewhere where she could calm herself down. There were whispers about her outburst, but no part of her gave a damn about that. The rise of blood rushing through her ears drowned out the voices of those around her and soon, there was a fuzzy haze to the world that made it just a little easier to escape. Walking fast, she was several blocks away before even realizing where she was. The omega stopped and took a deep breath. Then she looked around. Blue eyes scanned the shops to one side before looking out over the river that ran along the road she’d been walking along. Cars zipped by, making her hair blow up into her face. When the opportunity came, she rushed across the street and made her way down the beaten old steps that led down to the riverfront. Whenever she got upset, somehow, she ended up there. There were no children today. It was the very end of the spring months, leading into summer. The kids were all still in school for now. The area was filled with green grass and girls singing. A few people walked their dogs through or settled on the benches to look out over the sparkling water. It was like a storybook scene. Maybe that was why it calmed her down so much. None of this seemed like it could be real. Fiction was easier to deal with than reality. Strolling down the slight slope, Sarah reached the railing that kept people from approaching the water. This section had a fast current and wasn’t safe to get into. The rails kept kids and others from getting down and getting swept away. For a moment, she just enjoyed the calm. Some ducts were floating down the river, totally unafraid of the current. She smiled as she watched them. There were two, a male and a female. They were happy just to float around together. Probably didn’t have a care in the world. That was something she could definitely envy about animals. “Excuse me?” Sarah turned and found a woman standing just a few feet away. She looked a little embarrassed but friendly enough. “Yes?” “I was wondering… were you the artist that was at that Strawberry festival last summer? Um… the one who was doing pencil portraits?” She asked and Sarah found herself smiling before she could even answer. “Yes!” She said happily. “Did I do one for you?” “Oh good, yes!” The woman said, seeming just as happy. “Actually, you did one of my boyfriend and I. It was so perfect. We had it framed when we got home. I still love it so much.” “I’m glad. That makes me really happy to hear. You have no idea. It’s been one of those days.” And boy, had it. “I know the feeling. Actually…” The woman reached into her purse. As she dug around for something, Sarah looked her over. There was a vague recollection of her. A short black bob cut, cat eye makeup and thin wrists totally layered in bracelets. She was a little punkish but still pretty bubbly. Yeah, she did remember this woman. “Here it is!” From her bag, she pulled out a silver card. When it was held out, Sarah took it. “Merrybell Construction?” She asked, lifting a brow. “It’s the company that my boyfriend’s father owns. They have been looking for local artists to do some murals and advertising for their new projects.” She started. “When I spotted you here, I instantly remembered that lovely portrait you did for us, and this came to mind. I bet they would love your work just as much as I did!” “Oh wow, thank you.” She said, stunned by the strange offer. It was unexpected. “I’ll look into this. I really appreciate it.” “I’ll let James know to look out for you. What was your name?” “Sarah Monroe.” She said and held out her hand. The woman took it, and they shook. “Nice to meet you, Sarah. I’m Lyndsey Whitt.” Lyndsey took a little time to tell her more about the company, but mostly about her boyfriend. It was probably twenty minutes before she was waving, watching the other woman walk off. Looking back down at the card, Sarah took a deep breath. The card said ‘James Merrybell’. That was the boyfriend. His dad owned the company… if they liked her that much, maybe she had a real shot at actually being able to make this job stick. Local artists… well, at least she fit into that category. Of course, she had no idea what exactly it was that they would want her to do if she did get hired. That night, back home, Sarah looked up the company. It was not hard to find. She hadn’t realized it, but this place was responsible for some of her favorite architecture in the city. Aside, of course, from the work her father did. They specialized in private businesses more than public works but had a few things around that she knew. Right on the front page of their website, they had an advert for local artists wanted. She read through it, taking in the details. They were looking for local talent to help with murals and general painting on some of the buildings they were currently working on in the city. They also had positions available for advertising and other smaller projects. Sarah had gone to college for graphic design, but she also loved to paint. So really, any of these options would work for her. Of course, there was always the high chance that the moment they saw ‘omega’ on her resume, it wouldn’t matter what her skills or experience were. She flipped the card over in her fingers and stared at the screen. This could be a shot. If she could land this job and start working for a big construction company, her mother would have to eat all her negativity. That was more rewarding than the paycheck. Well, almost. Dropping her head back, the woman stared up at the ceiling of her studio apartment. Painted stars and other shapes were spread out, hanging from the bars and pipes overhead. She’d made them when she was a kid. Upon moving out, she took them with her and hung them all up. They were painted with glow in the dark colors, making them stand out after being exposed to the light from her massive windows all day. “I could use some luck.” She whispered to herself as she watched them slowly spinning and moving almost lazily in place. “Please let me get this job so I don’t end up with some Alpha jerk…” She added and then shut her laptop. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she would get up and go to that company to put in her application for their little local artists promotion. With any luck, Lyndsey went home and immediately filled in her boyfriend about their interaction. She didn’t want to hope… but she did. Maybe it was finally her turn for something good. ~ When morning came, her confidence was faltering a little. Sarah printed out her resume, gathered up her best pieces for her portfolio and out the door she went. She'd done her best to make herself as presentable as possible. Straight blonde hair was pulled up into a loose bun at the back end of her head, eyeliner was clean but liberally applied, and just the hint of red was added to her lips. She pulled on an ironed pink button up and a plain black pencil skirt. It wasn't her idea of being attractive at all, but she loved jeans and t-shirts, so what did she really know? Looking like she belonged in an office, she headed out. Merrybell Construction's headquarters was a massive skyscraper downtown. It was all reflective glass on the outside, shooting right up into the sky. People were going in and out, all dressed similar to how she was. The scent of coffee and expensive perfume was all around the omega as she walked into the lobby. The place looked like something out of an office TV show. The lobby was filled with white sofas, glass tables, and flowers that were either perfectly maintained or fake. Looking up, her blue eyes fell on very artistic light fixtures that, of course, were also made of shaped glass. They really had a theme going here. Swallowing down the nerves that threatened to overwhelm her, Sarah quickly forced herself to approach the circular desk that sat at the far end of the open space. There was a petite little woman sitting there. She had dark skin and vibrant dyed blonde hair that was twisted up into a very clean braid at the top of her head. She looked like a fashion model rather than a receptionist. "Hello," Sarah said and the woman looked up at her, seeming to be the type that did not want to be there. "My name is Sarah Monroe. I'm here about the... uh... " She hesitated. "The local artists ad." It almost felt childish to say it. "Right." She watched in silence as the woman tapped away at the keyboard in front of her. "Mmm." The humming made her nervous but she said nothing. "Sarah Monroe... there's a notice here... Oh, Mr. Merrybell was looking forward to meeting with you." Relief washed over the woman. At least it wasn't anything bad. But the owner's son wanted to meet with her? Apparently, her prayers that Lyndsey put in a good word for her had been answered. She'd expected to wait, but it seemed the guy was ready to see her right at that moment. The receptionist pointed her towards some elevators and told her to go to floor forty-four. That was it. Sarah hesitated for a moment, but when the woman said nothing more, she turned and slowly walked over to the two sets of silver elevator doors. Pressing 'up', she waited only a moment before one door opened. Just as she stepped inside, someone else came running over and joined her. "Floor twenty-six." The man said and she nodded before pressing the button. The guy that ran in was... something else. He was taller than her, maybe six foot one or two. He had sandy colored hair and very lovely green eyes. His facial hair seemed a little messy, like he might have forgotten to trim it. The clothes he wore were clean and crisp. A white button up, no tie. Black slacks with shoes that looked like they cost more than all her clothes combined. He definitely had to work here. But what struck her more than his appearance, was his cologne. It was something sort of like fall spices, yet not that defined. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, wanting to try and identify it. It was nothing she'd ever experienced before. Maybe it was just some expensive foreign stuff that wasn't on the regular market. A guy that worked at a place like this might have something like that. Feeling a little tingle at the back of her neck, the woman opened her eyes and glanced over. When she did, the man looked away. He'd been staring at her. But why? Was something wrong with how she looked? Sarah glanced down at herself. No, she was sure she looked perfectly fine. That morning, she'd been sure to spray herself down with scent cancelers and perfume, making sure to hide any hint of what her sub-gender was. It was a last minute decision. She even changed her resume to say 'beta' instead of omega. Sure, she'd get fired on the spot when they found out... assuming she even got the job. At this point, she was desperate. There was no way this guy could tell what she was. So why was he staring at her when he thought she wouldn't notice? "Have a nice day." He said and stepped out of the elevator the moment the doors opened. Sarah found herself leaning forward to breathe in the last wisps of his scent before the doors shut again. The smell was still there, but light and fading more with each passing second. Soon enough, it would be gone entirely. Whatever it was, it was really nice. She still couldn't quite place it, though. Too bad there wasn't an app that could identify smells like there was for music. This thought entertained her long enough for her to reach the floor she was meant to be going to. When the elevator stopped and she was able to step out, the woman shook herself back into the moment. She had an interview to get through. Good smelling men were the last thing she needed to worry about.