Submitted by Leann Ryans

Chapter One

Ka’vin

Ka’vin entered the building, shackles rattling with each step. The restraints were unnecessary, but he didn’t try to argue when they’d been placed on him. Many omegas probably needed them when being taken to the Collection Center. They weren’t leaving behind the life he’d had.

The girls ahead of him were ushered into separate rooms as they moved down the hall until it was finally his turn. The exam room was just as stark and sterile as the hallway had been, no cheery touches to offer comfort to the omegas who passed through. It was cold and utilitarian.

Ka’vin settled on the exam table as instructed, the door closing and leaving him alone with his thoughts. He knew what the Collection Center was and what it meant for him, and all he felt was relief at the prospect of being sold to an alpha. One owner had to be easier to please than the many who passed through the pleasure house where he’d been held captive since puberty.

Omegas were supposed to be the most cherished dynamic, being the least common, yet his experience told a different story. Male omegas were even rarer than the females, and many alphas were willing to pay a premium to have a go at something not found anywhere else. His tenuous fame protected him from some of the more brutal treatment his female counterparts had faced, but that wasn’t to say the last twelve years had been easy.

Ka’vin had gone into his first heat early, in the middle of a city full of alphas. He hadn’t been prepared. He’d stumbled into the nearest alley, cowering in the corner with his back to the wall as the cramps tore through him. It was pure bad luck that he’d ended up in that alley.

Bad luck for him anyway. For the alpha who’d found him, it had been the best luck possible.

Farth was a teeming planet in the middle of a busy galaxy. It had seemed a good place to go to look for work when things at home got too bad, but the work he’d been pressed into wasn’t anything like he’d expected. By the time he came out of his heat Ka’vin was too shocked to protest, simply following his omega nature and accepting the rules placed on him.

He shoved all thoughts of the past aside when a knock sounded on the door. Straightening, he watched a small woman come in followed by one of the soldiers who had raided the pleasure house. They hadn’t exactly been gentle with the omegas they found there, but Ka’vin still felt grateful toward the towering alpha.

“Hello, can you give me your name please?”

The doctor at least attempted to sound pleasant, but he could tell she was feeling strained. It wasn’t hard to imagine why if she’d visited the females first.

He had to clear his throat when the first sound that emerged was a croak, but he finally managed to respond.

“Ka’vin.”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty.”

Her brows rose and she shot a glance at him before typing on her tablet. He’d been the oldest in the pleasure house, many of the females who had been brought in over the years being sold off for various reasons. He had been the only one who wasn’t for sale, no matter the price.

“And how long were you employed by that place?”

It was Ka’vin’s turn to raise a brow, letting out a huff.

“I wasn’t employed, I was held captive there for twelve years. Since my first heat.”

“You were eighteen when you first went into heat?”

He had her full attention, tablet forgotten. Every other omega he knew was over twenty before they cycled for the first time, which was why he’d been caught so unaware.

“Yes.”

It took the doctor a moment before she went back to her tablet, typing something before looking back up at him.

“And when was your most recent heat?”

He couldn’t stop the grimace at the memory of his last cycle. Instead of one alpha purchasing him for the duration, his boss had decided it was more lucrative to have them pay by the hour, meaning more of them could take a turn while he was lost in the throes of heat. He was glad most of it was a blur.

“It ended two weeks ago.”

The doctor nodded before making another note and sitting the tablet aside.

“I need to perform an exam and run a couple tests, then we’ll move you to your temporary room.”

She tipped her head at the alpha who had entered with her and he turned to leave the room as Ka’vin laid back on the table. He was given regular exams so it was nothing he wasn’t familiar with, and the doctor was as gentle as she could be. While he personally preferred female alphas, they were almost as rare as male omegas, and his employer hadn’t cared for his preference. In the midst of heat, Ka’vin took any alpha willing to rut him and provide relief from the burning need.

The doctor was done shortly, giving him a small smile as she made the last of her notes.

“Everything looks good though there are signs of past traumas. Do you have any concerns?”

Ka’vin shook his head, forcing away the memories her words brought forward. Some alphas were sadists, and while male omegas could take male alphas, it wasn’t quite as easy as it was for the females. He’d had his share of stitches in uncomfortable places to repair what was done to him.

“Okay then, I’ll send someone in to show you to where you’ll be staying until it’s time for you to go to Kisheen.”

“Kisheen?”

Ka’vin perked up, hope daring to bloom in his chest. Male omegas were rare enough it was possible they had a wait list for them, so maybe he already had a new home.

“It’s a space station about halfway between Old Earth and Decloui. There’s a special Collection Center there specifically for male omegas. It’s where you’ll wait for the Matching.”

His brow furrowed as his shoulders slumped again and the doctor must have seen the confusion on his face.

“Males are handled a bit differently than females. While the women go on the online Omega Market, we’ve found males need to be assessed in person to find a good match for both the alpha and omega. You’ll live on Kisheen until the next Matching which will be held live. It’s a few months away, but that’ll give you time to heal and settle in.”

Ka’vin sighed, nodding his understanding. It was going to be a long few months.