Chapter 1 — The Omega’s Chains
“Please… spare my life… it won’t happen again,” she screamed out in pain, her voice breaking as the words forced their way out. Her face was covered in blood mixed with sweat, the taste of iron sharp on her tongue.
Rena was tied to a rough wooden pole, her arms stretched until they burned, and the rod kept coming down. Each strike left deep marks across her skin before pulling away again.
Rena’s eyes slowly opened. The holding yard blurred around her. Shadows moved. The guards whipped her with hard, steady hands. To them, she was just an Omega. Nothing more. This was where Omegas were broken until they learned to obey. Where names didn’t matter. Only use did.
She tried to make herself smaller, shrinking into the rope. The tight knot dug deeper into her skin, and a splinter from the pole pressed into her palm. Her fingers twitched, but she didn’t pull away.
“Hit her again.”
Alice’s voice cut through.
Rena’s head lifted. Alice stood a few steps away, watching. Calm. Interested. She wasn’t a guard. She moved freely between the traders and the wolves who came to buy.
“Her pain gives me pleasure,” she added.
One guard chuckled. “She ain’t crying no more.”
“Then make her,” Alice said.
The rod came down again. Rena’s body jerked. A sharp breath left her lips, but no sound followed. The guards laughed.
“Pathetic,” Alice said, stepping closer. “Do you even know why you’re here?”
Rena didn’t answer.
Her chest rose and fell unevenly. Every day felt the same—work, pain, silence. Omegas who cried too loud disappeared. Ones who fought back were never seen again.
No one saved an Omega.
Her thoughts slipped, dragging her somewhere else. The cold room where they kept her, cramped and dark. Other Omegas pressed together in silence. When the door opened, everyone held their breath. Some were taken away and never came back.
The rod struck again.
This time, her knees bent. Her body almost gave in before she forced herself upright again. Her legs shook, but she stayed standing.
Alice stepped closer, her boots pressing into the dry dirt.
“You really are useless,” she said quietly, close to Rena’s ear. “I don’t know why they still keep you.”
Rena shut her eyes. The words stayed. Piercing deeper than she imagined.
“Harder,” Alice said.
The guard pulled the rod back. “With pleasure.”
Rena’s eyes opened just as the rod lifted. Her breath caught. Her body vibrated before it came down—then it stopped.
Mid-air.
The guard’s hand didn’t move. The rod didn’t fall. The yard went quiet. Instantly.
“What the—” one guard started.
Alice paused, turning.
Rena’s eyes shifted, following the arm that held the rod in place.
The hand was firm. Still.
Her gaze moved upward. A man stood there. Dark hair. Sharp jaw. His eyes—gray, like storm clouds. He wasn’t a guard or a trader. He wore the bearing of someone who gave orders.
He didn’t speak at first. He just looked. Then he pulled the rod out of the guard’s hand and let it drop to the ground.
The sound was sharp in the silence.
“Enough.”
His voice was calm, but no one ignored it.
The guards stepped back immediately. The one who’d been holding the rod opened his mouth, but a look from the man shut it.
Alice straightened, forcing a small smile. “This Omega broke the rules. She needed to be corrected.”
The man didn’t look at her. His eyes stayed on Rena—blood on her face, marks across her back, her arms stretched too tight.
For a moment, something flickered in his expression. Then it was gone.
“I didn’t ask,” he said.
Alice’s smile faded. “I was only explaining—”
“I said enough.”
His voice dropped. That was all.
Alice’s jaw tightened. “Cut the rope.”
The ropes were cut loose immediately.
Rena’s arms dropped. Pain shot through them. She gasped softly as her body gave in, falling forward. She hit the ground hard. Dust rose around her.
Her hands pressed into the dirt as she tried to steady herself. Her body shook. No one moved to help her.
A trader near the gate muttered, “She’s still breathing, ain’t she?”
Rena stayed there for a moment. Then slowly, she pushed herself up.
Her legs were weak. Her back burned with every small movement. Her wrists stung. She didn’t look at the crowd. She could feel their eyes anyway.
The man turned away. “Clean this up,” he said, already walking.
Rena remained where she was, her fingers pressed into the ground. Something felt off.
Why did he stop it? Why her?
Her shaky eyes lifted toward where he had been standing. He was already gone.
Rena stayed quiet. She had learned long ago not to expect kindness. But this time—something inside her didn’t settle.
She looked down at her hands. Still shaking. Her back still burned. She was still an Omega in a place that didn’t care if she lived or died.
Somewhere deep inside her, even though it had been long buried, she felt a little hope again.
