Submitted by Leann Ryans

Chapter Five

Ka’vin

Standing against the back wall of his cage, Ka’vin hung his head and took a deep breath as he fought to subdue his reaction. Every time he was presented to a group of alphas, it was the same. The arousal and need burned through him—especially since he and the others were sold as ready to breed, which meant they had been denied suppressants since their last cycles.

It didn’t help that he had been swamped with alpha pheromones since they’d been placed backstage. As soon as they had been allowed in the waiting area, large bodies swarmed the hallway, jockeying to see the omegas on offer. Ka’vin’s cock was leaking so much he had a distinct wet spot on the front of his loincloth.

Sucking in another deep breath, he lifted his head and glanced around. They were waiting in their cages just off the side of the stage again. Once the auction was over and the tabs paid, their new owners would come to claim them.

Their future mates.

Ka’vin couldn’t help the surge of adrenaline flooding through him again as his erection twitched against his belly. He’d met enough alphas over the years, both good and bad, that he knew he should be afraid, but he couldn’t help that his body liked the attention and uncertainty.

Clenching his eyes shut, he tried to shake the image of the woman in the front row. It was mostly too dark to see the audience, the bright lights blinding him to anything past the edge of the stage, but moments after he walked from behind the curtain, she had leaned forward, the glow from the floor sparkling in her deep blue eyes.

Unable to look away from her, another surge of blood had shot through his shaft. The dark hair piled on top of her head had accentuated her pale tan skin, making her eyes and pouty red lips pop. The darkness had hidden most of her, but he could see the top of her cleavage straining against a red dress that seemed to be painted on, and his blood had roared in his ears, almost drowning out the voice of the announcer giving instructions.

Ka’vin was sure she was the most delicious alpha he’d ever seen, but she certainly hadn’t been one of the ones who came backstage to inspect them up close. He wouldn’t have missed her in the crowd of mostly males.

Thinking about her was preventing him from getting his erection under control, but he couldn’t shake her image from his mind. Her eyes had never left his the entire time he had been on stage, so he knew she couldn’t have bid, but he couldn’t help wishing that she had been the one to purchase him.

Sighing, Ka’vin opened his eyes as noise invaded. Light flooded the holding area as the last sale of the evening was made. He watched Josh as he was led back to the cage next to him to await his new alpha—shock and confusion warring on the smaller male’s face. The poor thing had been the highlight of the show, and it was clear he didn’t understand the way his body had reacted.

Clinging to the front bars, the scent of Josh’s arousal reached him as the door to the other male’s cage clanged shut. Trying to give a reassuring smile when Josh’s gaze met his, he nodded in understanding before turning his attention to where the alphas would begin to trickle in.

No matter how unwilling or scared the omega, it was impossible not to be affected by the thought that the alphas in the audience wanted you bad enough to pay exorbitant amounts to have you.

Trying to clear his mind and calm his racing heart, Ka’vin knelt in the middle of the small cage. Knees spread with palms resting on his thighs, he waited for his new owner, issuing a silent prayer that it was someone planning to keep and use him themselves, and not pass him around to others. The auction was supposed to be to find a mate, but he’d heard stories of omegas ending up in bad situations.

A shiver rolled down his spine as memories of the brothel he’d inhabited tried to surface, but he shoved them away, focusing on the here and now. He had done his time, learned tricks to make him desirable, and had praised the gods when he was taken to the Collection Center. He could only hope that with males being more expensive, the alphas would be more likely to refrain from damaging the goods or sharing.

Beginning to grow impatient as one after another of the other omegas were claimed and taken away while he was left waiting, Ka’vin tried to refrain from fidgeting. His shaft was still erect but slowly softened the longer he knelt on the cold floor.

By the time he was the last one still locked behind a cage door, he was completely soft and beginning to worry that there was a problem. Not wanting to think about what would happen to him if no one had wanted such a used omega, he struggled to control the bile crawling up the back of his throat.

If the buyer failed to pay or there was some other issue, he would likely be returned to the Collection Center. Perhaps lumped in with the female omegas and offered to the entire Omega Market to find someone willing to take him.

As a male omega, and one from an outlying planet, Ka’vin would be considered exotic. Many alphas had wanted to use him just to say they had. They tended to care less about causing pain or damage since they were getting their one use of him that they paid for, and he couldn’t stop his body from clenching as he shuddered in remembered pain.

If no alpha wanted him as a mate, would he end up back in that life? He’d submitted to it before, but he didn’t think he could do it again.

Taking deep breaths to steady himself, he forced his muscles to relax as he kept his eyes trained on the door. He had to choke back a sob of relief as the knob turned, noise flooding the previously silent space around him.

Jerking his eyes to the floor of the cage to show his submission, he waited as heavy footsteps made their way towards him. When they stopped outside his door, Ka’vin swallowed hard and dared to peek up through his lashes.

The sight of the Director caused his heart to thump to a stop, and he choked on the surge of bile that tried to force its way up his throat. Taking in a gasp of air as the cage door swung open, Ka’vin forced himself to swallow the lump and raise his chin as the man reached forward, holding the end of a leash.

Limbs trembling, Ka’vin stood when the Director told him to, expecting to be led back to the holding pens below the building, or perhaps to the man’s apartment. He couldn’t imagine why the Director would have bid on him with the way he seemed to regard male omegas, but Ka’vin didn’t have any choice in the matter.

Brow furrowing when the alpha pulled him towards the door leading out to where the audience had sat instead, a spark of hope flared in Ka’vin’s chest that perhaps he wasn’t right about what was happening.