The Forbidden Omega

Chapter Eleven: Repercussions

I wake, cold and sore, with the blinding sun beating down into my cell. A pair of heavy trans darts are still lodged in the muscle of my back, and I tiredly yank them out, praying that the holes will heal quickly. Wincing as I limp to my locker, I wipe the dirt from my limbs, and the water from my eyes. I sniffle, my nose running, as per usual after a moon.

I tug on my soft sweatpants, as my guard unlocks the door, the steel clanking against the cinderblocks. I try to ignore his gaze as I clutch my other clothes in my hand, and shuffle towards the main room, my bare feet padding silently on the cold tile. There's no one in immediate sight as I unlock the second locker and place my locks in my duffle, bringing the bag into the Alpha marked shower stalls. I clear my throat, trying to get rid of the stuffed feeling, like I was stuffed up.

This is why I hate my shifts. The actual ill feeling in my body, the aches and sniffles, like a cold every time I came down from the moon.

A female Alpha is already in the showers, as I strip, I try to ignore her eyeing my genitals jealously. I pointedly turn, placing my back to her as I wash myself with basic soap. I truly had no need for anything supposed to attract Omegas, nor any products that contain outrageous scents or features. I didn't have an Omega to impress, nor was I looking to acquire one.

As the woman turns off her stream of water, I hear a gentle suggestion from her lips. "You're very well hung. I would flaunt it."

I ignore her advance, laughing hollowly as I plunge my head under the spray, drowning out any other words she could have said. I knew already that I was an attractive Alpha, a catch to most Omegas. But the problems I faced with my sexuality caused my loneliness. I couldn't find another Omega, there was no one else as attractive as Soren. No one more beautiful or kind.

As I finish towering off, the stench of the other Alpha's rut fills my nose, along with her cedar and lemon scent. I nearly gag at the potency. How in the world could she *stand?*

I walk to the lobby after dressing, settling the debts I incurred for the damage to my cell, and the minor deposit loss. As I trudge out onto the street, blinking owlishly at the bright sunlight. Men and women pass me by on the sidewalk, and I almost can't believe how *functioning* right now?

The migraine medication I took as I left the complex begins to kick in as I unlock my bakery, soothing the numbing headache.

I blearily flip the sign on my door to open, as I shut the door behind me, taking one of the energy recovery biscuits from the rack and munch on the baked granola. I made these especially before moons, with healing yellow wolfsbane, for wolves who had hard times with moons like myself.

Before anything else happened, I made sure I had every item fully stocked in the store front, just so I wouldn't have to move from my post. I could barely stand, I was so exhausted.

Just as I leaned back in my seat by the window, I caught a glimpse of golden curls, and my perfect Omega, Soren, limps into my store, jolting me awake.

His eyes had dark, purplish bruises under them, and I felt my blood boil at the scratches along his jaw. Across his neck, in identical curves, bruises indicated exactly where the bastard had bitten him. Jason did this. *Jason* gave *my* Soren these injuries. I suppress a low growl, as I stand, and I know my eyes flare golden. "Jason did this," I rumble, wiping a trail of crusted blood from his cheek. "He hurt you."

Soren looks down, nodding. "He – He didn't mean to… He just…" His pain and fear filled scent filled my nose, and I long to unfold him in my arms, soothe the anguish and the terror. "He just lost control…" Soren visibly flinched, biting his lip as I growled under my breath. "He tried to…"

I can complete the sentence for Soren. The bastard had tried to r**e my mate, and my hands tremble as I realize how much Soren fought him. I bare my neck submissively, trying to make myself as little of a threat as I could to the battered wolf in front of me. "Soren," I murmur, cautiously stepping into his space when his scent calms slightly. "Let me clean you up, honey." I chew on my cheek as he shudders. "Please, some of those scratches are deep."

Soren purses his lips, swaying towards me as tears leak from his eyes. He nods, quietly gasping as I brush the tears from his face. The four inch difference in our heights is noticeable as I let him lean on me while I help him to my office, where my first aid kit lay. "Don't tell anyone, please, Aiden…"

"I won't, Sor, I won't." I hurry to flip the sign back to closed, before locking the door for extra measure. Soren's scent sours as I return, shutting my office door behind me. I brush his hair away from his neck as I gently whisper, "I just want you to be safe." I fight down another snarl as I get a better look at the damage done to Soren's neck.

"He loves me," Soren whispers, as I guide him to a chair. "He does. It's just my wolf…" Soren shudders as I dab his scratches with some antiseptic. I see him pull inward, collapsing in on himself as he speaks. I realize he's trying to make as small of a target as possible. As small of a target as my tall, perfect Omega could be.

"Is there anything I can't see right now?" I ask, knowing with a cold pit of dread that even a runt like Jason could seriously harm Soren by being too rough. And that was under normal circumstances, not when my Omega was fighting against him. Biologically, Alphas were stronger, no matter their size.

Soren swallows nervously as he gives an affirmative gesture. "My… My hips. His dew claws caught me a bit." He pulls up his shirt tentatively, and dark bruises mottle his pale gold skin, like ink stains beneath the thin covering of flesh. But that pales in comparison to what I find beneath the makeshift bandages on his hips. "Is it bad?" He asks in a whimper as I begin to pull the pieces of gold fur from the wounds.

"You're going to be alright, Soren." I feel like it's a lie, because from what I'd seen of Jason, this was only the beginning. A thin trickle of clear fluid oozes from the gash, as I apply a few butterfly bandages to keep the wounds closed. With any luck, there won't be too much scarring.

"He didn't… I wouldn't let him…. Get in." Soren sags against me as I finish fixing him up, and I hesitantly place my arm around him, trying to offer some comfort. But that didn't make it any better, knowing what had happened. Jason deserved to die, brutally, horribly, and *painfully.* I keep those words to myself, no matter how much I want to tell him. Though my body betrays me, as my eyes flare gold, and my fangs lengthen.

"Aiden, please, please don't be mad—"

"I'm not mad at *you,* love." I wipe a stray tear from his cheek, smiling as he looks up. I see his green eyes brimming with tears yet unshed, and vow to never be the cause of them. "Jason had no right to force you," I whisper, blinking slowly. My words fall like hammers as I vow, "I will not stay silent next time."

Soren nods, grabbing my hand and placing my palm against his throat in the ultimate display of trust. I bow my head, closing my eyes against the tears threatening to show. "Thank you , Alpha."

*Anything for you, my Omega.*