"Eat up, Omega. It's a big day for you and you'll need your strength." I mentally roll my eyes as Nanny shoves a bowl of oatmeal in front of me. We all call her Nanny because when we make the mistake of using her actual name, we get a switch across our backs. I've lived in a house for orphaned girls since I was eleven and today is the day I get out. Seven years in this dump and all I'm leaving with is a bag with two t-shirts, a change of panties and a slightly clean pair of jeans. It's been hell living here. There are forty-two girls living here, all between the ages of five and eighteen; we practically sleep on each other's laps; there is so little space. Nanny gets paid per girl, per day, from the local Alpha so she takes in as many of us as she can. I look up from the table to see Nanny peering down at me. She has a constant look of disgust on her face, almost like someone has smeared something nasty under her nose and she spends all day smelling it. She's an old Gamma, not suitable for mating or breeding so she gets to do whatever she wants. If you ask me, she's lucky.

"It's my birthday today; I have to go and get my marks done." I tell her as politely as I can. I might be eighteen but if Nanny notes even a little disrespect in my tone, she won't hesitate in beating me black and blue before I leave the house.

"No point; we all know the mark you'll get. Omegas are good for one thing only; I should just send your flat ass over to the breeding centre and have it done with it." I have to clench my hands under the table to the point my nails dig into my palms as Nanny growls down at me. I hate that she always speaks to me when I'm sitting down; it makes me feel like I'm an inch tall while she sneers down at me. Part of me can't wait to get out of here but I know what my future holds. A breeder. The second I was born and was declared an Omega, my fate was set in stone.

"I still need my marks, Nanny. It's the law." The two girls next to me snicker but quickly stop when Nanny slaps her meaty hand down on the hardwood table.

"Fine but then you go to the breeding centre and get me my money back—a waste of decent cash for you to be marked." I shiver as Nanny growls at me; she reaches into her stained apron and fishes out a handful of gold coins. She hates having to pay for our marks but the Alpha pays her with the intention that each girl is sent on her way and into the world with everything she requires. Nanny doesn't hand me the three gold coins; she tosses them onto the table and barks a laugh when I dive for them.

I don't bother with the oatmeal; my stomach is in knots, so I push up from the table with my coins in hand and walk from the dining room. Today is supposed to be a special day. Every girl is excited for her marks, even the Omegas. It declares our role in the world to everyone who sees our marks. The marks themselves span the entirety of our back and down onto our arms so they end just past our knuckles. The world is split into four parts: Alpha Frank runs the city, which is where I am now, and Alpha Anthony runs the breeding centres, which is where I'll go next. Alpha Lucifer runs no man's land; it's the biggest part there is to control and has smaller, less powerful Alphas dotted through the land. Alpha Ford runs the furthest Pack they control all our needs, like gas, electricity, and food—anything we need to live comes from Alpha Ford and his Gammas.

"You good?" I push off the wall as one of the only girls I can actually tolerate walks towards me. She got her marks last month and is due to join Alpha Ford any day now. There are so many Gammas that there are limited spaces for them. Poor Sarah has had to wait for a place to open up for her; it means that after turning eighteen and getting her marks, she's had to come back to this hellhole.

"She didn't want to give me the coins for my marks." I tell Sarah as I push my hand into the pocket of my simple cream dress to ensure the coins haven't magically vanished. Sarah raises her perfectly plucked eyebrows at me as she looks around; she's checking for Nanny before saying anything. Her chocolate-brown hair doesn't move an inch from its immaculate French braid. Gammas always look perfect; they could be doing hard labour all day, every day, and still look perfect.

"I'm sorry, Freya. I know you don't want your marks but there's no way out of it." I bite my lip as Sarah runs a hand up and down my arm before walking off for her breakfast. She's right, of course; I don't want my marks but I have no choice. If I don't get them, then the law enforcement guards will come for me, and I'll automatically be in Alpha Anthony's bad books. The last thing I want is to be placed at the bottom of the heap at the Breed Centre.

‘Maybe they got it wrong; the old ladies might change things for us.' My wolf is always trying to keep me upbeat but she knows as well as I do that I'm an Omega and nothing is going to change the marks that get placed on me. If it wasn't for my wolf, I don't think I would have made it this far in life. When your life is a pit of depression and pain, a little uplifting voice can sometimes be good.

"I'm leaving!" I scream into the old house. My voice echoes back at me but no one shouts back. I pluck my bag off the hook and give the empty hall one last look. The flower-patterned wallpaper is peeling and you can see marks where pictures once hung. I don't ever remember pictures being there, though.

As I pull open the heavy wooden door, I feel a lump in my throat as I turn my back on the house for the last time. As an Omega, I won't ever be back here. I'll get my marks, a tour of the breed centre and then my assignment. I should feel some kind of pain or regret from leaving the place I've lived most of my life but all I feel is a sense of unease about where I'm going next.

‘Hold your head high; we can't change who we are but we can do it with a smile on our faces.' If I could kick my wolf, I would. There's a time and place for optimism, and as I walk from the only home I remember, with nothing on my feet, it is not it.

"Shut up." I snarl to myself as I shift my small bag over my shoulder. It's way too small, even for my small amount of belongings but it's all I have. It's too early for anyone else to be out on the streets; I'm hoping that means I'll be one of the first to receive my marks. Omega's might be a necessity for our people but we aren't looked upon nicely. Most see us as the girls who steal their mates or the ones their mates cheat on. The truth is, we're the ones who help populate the world when natural methods fail within mating. Omegas should be cherished, given what we do for the world but instead we're the lowest of the low. It's why they toss us in breeding centres where we never see the light of day except for when we're allowed to shift.

<>

My hopes of being the first to the marking ceremony are dashed when the carriage pulls up. It's packed so full that from the outside I can't see a single empty seat or even a man; it looks like every girl of marking age got up and had the same idea as me. I step onto the carriage and face possibly the meanest-looking man I've ever seen. He has a scar down the entire left side of his face; his nose is at an odd angle, like it was recently broken; and his patchy skin makes him look like he has a serious drug addiction. His green eyes look more red thanks to how bloodshot they are and I don't think it's coffee in that red mug he's holding.

"Two coins." He grunts as I dip my hand into my pocket. I go still as I look up at the carriage. I was told it's one coin to get to the marking ceremony and two coins as a thank you to the High Witch.

"I thought it was one coin." I say softly, I can hear people speaking quietly as I hold up the carriage. No doubt they're all wondering why an Omega is trying to argue; we're supposed to be the ones looking forward to the marking and everything life hands us afterwards.

"Double for Omegas." The man grunts as if he couldn't care less that he's ripping off a homeless girl. He can no doubt tell where I'm from; hell, the orphanage Nanny runs is just down the road; he probably passed it to get to the corner where he's picked me up.

"If I give you two coins, then I only have one for the High Witch." I lower my voice to just below a whisper; it's bad enough not having enough coins but bartering with a carriage driver is a new low. Even for me.

"Two coins or no marking; get to it, Omega; I have shit to do." People are staring now. I glance down the carriage to see people sticking their heads into the packed aisle as if looking for whatever the holdup is. Not wanting to cause a scene, I drop the two coins and cross my fingers that the High Witch will still mark me with only one.

"Sorry." I mutter as the man scoops the coins towards him the second they hit his little gold tray.

"Bottom of the carriage for you." He hisses before slamming his foot down; he starts moving the carriage before the doors are even fully closed, which sends me careening forward into a Gamma standing off to the side. From the looks of her long purple maxi dress with delicate white flowers stitched into the bottom, she's a future mate. She'll either get chosen by an Alpha or she'll go through the trials and then be left to live her life in peace.

I keep my head low as I carefully push myself past Gamma after Gamma until I'm wobbling down the steps to where the mean driver directed me. This level of the carriage is less crowded; it's also less elegant. The upstairs is all plush red chairs and gold leaf detailing along the cream walls and around the clean windows. The Omega area has no windows; it's got two lights hanging from the ceiling and the seats look really uncomfortable, almost like someone has slapped down a few planks of unpolished wood and called it a day. Three Omegas are down here already; each one looks as beaten up and downtrodden as I feel. None of them look around at me as I take a seat; I feel every bump of the road as the carriage makes the rest of its journey. I don't complain; Omegas don't do that. It's beaten into us from birth. As Omegas, we're expected to lay back and take whatever the world has given us. I've heard some people talk like they think we have the best deal out of every other female. We don't have to work, we don't have to pay rent and we never have to worry about putting a meal on the table. Everything we have and everything we are is taken care of by the breeding centres and the Alpha that runs them. I'll never understand how people can think lying in a bed getting pumped full of sperm until you're pregnant is a luxury. We don't even get to keep the babies that we eventually give birth to; they get given to Gamma families that struggle to conceive or if we give birth to an Omega, they get given to the Nannies of the world to be brought up like me. It's never a life I wanted but it's the life I've been given. Sometimes I dream about being someone else. Someone who has a say in what they do—maybe I could run a shop, sell books, or learn to bake—anything but what my destiny has set for me.

"Cheer up; we won't have to deal with these people much longer. We get shipped off as soon as we're marked." The Omega in front of me says as she looks over her shoulder. She has dull brown hair and pale green eyes; the smattering of freckles across her nose and over her cheeks makes her look younger than she actually is. If she's on this carriage, she's the same age as me.

"And that's supposed to be something to look forward to?" I ask her as I tuck a piece of my silver hair behind my ear. My messy bun doesn't quite keep all my hair under control; little tendrils keep falling free.

"Why not?" She shrugs her shoulders as she looks down at her grubby dress that I'm sure was white at some point. "We get to birth the next generation while never having to worry about anything; everyone wishes they could be like us. I'd rather be popping out a few kids than struggling to make ends meet in the city or out in no man's land, getting beaten to shit every day by some lawless male." She's not wrong but I really hate that those are my only options. Well, I guess I don't even have options. It's not like they give Omegas a multiple-choice when it comes to what we do in the world.

I've always known I was different from other Omegas. I always wanted my hair to look nice and my body to be clean. I was never interested in the sex education lessons that I was forced to take and no matter how much Nanny tried, I could never get into the thing where I'm supposed to just sit on my ass while others wait on me.

‘We aren't different; we just don't want to do what society tells us.' My wolf grumbles at me as I lean back in my seat. There's no point in having a conversation with the Omegas; I'll never be able to see eye to eye with them. I can hear the Gammas laughing and talking above us as the carriage ride gets bumpier and bumpier. I'm jostled from side to side thanks to there being nothing to lock me into my hard wooden seat. I don't know exactly where the High Witch lives but I do know she's not here in the city.

"Anyone know how long this journey is?" I ask as I pinch the bridge of my nose. I can feel a migraine coming from the way the lights are dancing around the darkened area.

"Long, it's near no man's land." The Omega from earlier tells me, another looks over and nods, while the third just completely ignores me.

"No man's land; that's Alpha Lucifer, right? I thought he went into a deep sleep years ago." I rub my eyes as I try to breathe deeply through my nose. No matter how sick I get, I know this carriage won't stop and no one will thank me if I stink up the carriage with my vomit.

"The High Witch called him forth a few months ago; it's the first time he's woken up in almost twenty years." The Omega in front of me tells me before looking forward again. An Alpha is put to sleep by the High Witch when they don't find a mate; they then sleep until the High Witch senses his mate has come of age. That means Alpha Lucifer will be hosting the trials this year. I don't ever remember anyone talking about the marking ceremony or trails for a mate taking place so far out of the city before. Least I won't be around to see the carnage that is no man's land.

<>

"Teal or red?" I blink at the teenager standing in front of me; he's holding up two shirts like it actually matters what fucking colour I wear. I've been awake for a handful of months and I still don't feel fully with it; if it wasn't for the High Witch and her refusal to put me back to sleep, I'd be blissfully below the surface while this damn thing carried on. Instead, I have to not only be part of it but actually host it. Parts of the house that have been covered in sheets for years are now alive and full of light and warmth. Soon every inch of the house will be filled with possible mates and Omegas looking for their marks.

"Sir, you must pick." An older man walks into the room as the dark-haired teenager shakes the shirt choices at me again.

"It's Alpha and I don't give a shit which one I wear." I growl as I sip my whisky. It has two ice-cold stones in the bottom, giving the whisky a nice cold bite as it hits my throat before warming my empty stomach. I lean back in my chair as the older man takes the teal shirt and shoos the teenager away. The last time I was awake, I had Carl as my manservant; now I'm stuck with the man time forgot; I swear he even has grey hair. I know I'm older than dirt thanks to the years I've spent in a deep sleep but I still feel like the twenty-nine-year-old who fell asleep under the watchful eye of a High Witch all those years ago.

"My apologies; I'm out of practice, Alpha. The High Witch tells me that the women will be arriving soon; once the Omegas are marked, we will be introducing the possible mates to their guides and you will be expected to host the Alphas." I cringe as the older man walks towards me while taking the teal shirt off the hanger and holding it open for me.

"Remind me of your name again." I know, I'm a dick; I should really know the name of my own servant but I haven't bothered because once I know their names, they expect me to give a shit.

"Ronald, Alpha." He tells me as I put down my half-full glass on my heavy wooden desk, the ice-cold stones clink against the glass a little before settling along with the whisky. I quickly unbutton the simple white shirt I'm wearing. I hate these things. They feel too stiff against my skin; I'd much rather be bare chested but apparently Alphas don't walk around half naked anymore.

"Right, let's get something straight; I don't speak to the other Alphas. Actually, I couldn't give two shits about them. I want this over and done with as soon as possible and then I'm going back to sleep." I turn as I speak so Ronald can help me put on my shirt. I can do it myself but Gammas get all pissy when an Alpha tries to take a job from them and I can't be arsed with the drama right now.

"Shit, you're getting grumpier in your old age." I spin around with the shirt only halfway up my arms. Ronald yelps as I yank it out of his hands so I can stare at the High Witch. She's standing in the doorway, a smirk on her beautiful face. She's dressed in an all-black floor-length gown; it sits high on her chest so you can't see a single hint of skin and the lace of the arm loops around her second finger to make sure the gown won't accidentally slip up. When people think of the High Witch, they assume she's old; she is, but that doesn't mean she has to show it. She's the High Witch because she's the most powerful witch in our world and too powerful for her own so she was banished here a long time ago.

"You should announce yourself before coming into my office, witch." I growl as I shoo Ronald away; whatever Dominica has to say to me shouldn't be heard by other ears.

"And I thought we were closer than that when I put you into that second sleep," she laughs as she steps into the room while Ronald steps out and closes the doors behind him.

"Come and sit down." I growl as I pick up my glass and drop myself into my desk chair. I don't offer her a drink; she won't accept anyway. Instead of sitting in the leather chair across from me, she glides over to the small, two-seater sofa and charred wood coffee table next to the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Something is coming." I know this voice; she's had a vision, which means I'm about to hear some weirdly vague shit that probably doesn't even concern me.

"I ain't got time for it." I tell her as I down the last of my drink and slam the glass back down on the desk. My shirt is open, showing her my Alpha marks. Unlike the women, Alphas wear their marks on the chest and arms. I've added to mine over the years but the original mark will always look more prominent. An ethereal design made up of what looks like intermingled feathers that almost look like they are dancing with each other. No matter how hard I look, the feathers never untangle. I can't see where they end or where they begin. I hated the mark when I first got it but now I've grown fond of it. No one else has ever had a mark even close to mine, which means my life force has never been tied to another.

"You will make time for this. A mate is coming; I keep telling you this." I nod at Dominica as she draws out her tarot cards; I'm not sure where she was hiding them and I can't say I care all that much to ask.

"There is no mate; you're seeing wrong. All these years, there has been no mate. There was no mate the last time you woke me and there will be no mate this time." I growl as I lean back in my chair. I focus on the dark sky out the window instead of the cryptic witch sitting in my office. It's always dark here in no man's land. Dominica told me once that the sun will rise in our dusty land but it never has, not once.

"Someone is coming; she fits no mould; she won't bend and snap like the others. She is free." She shuffles the tarot cards before pulling one out and holding it up: "The High Priestess; secrets and mystery follow this female." I glance at Dominica to see her holding up a shiny card with a beautiful woman on it. "The Emperor: stability and power. Together, both will be a force to change the world itself. She is coming, Lucifer, and you won't see her until you've already fallen for her. You should heed my warning. Others will want her; wars will be waged for her; she is the key to a lock you have yet to discover." She pulls out the emperor card and then the lovers card before pulling a final card and holding it up to me. This sends shivers down my spine. The card is dark, black, and almost looks like it's covered in an oily substance.

"Death." I growl; I've seen this card before. It's the same card that drew me to my first sleep when I was just a young Alpha and starting to come to terms with the land and people I had been given.

"The death card does not mean death itself. It can mean many things: beginnings, endings, and change. All of these come for you; the order depends on how you accept your future." Dominica falls silent as she collects her cards and stands from the sofa. I watch as she glides from the room just as elegantly as she came in. As usual, I feel like I need a nap after she's talked me in circles with all her riddles. The empress, emperor, lover, and death—I seriously have to find out what she's smoking.

<>

I might live in my head just a little too much because I was expecting floating candles, thrones, and maybe even someone wearing a crown. Instead, I'm standing in what has to be one of the nicest homes I've ever been inside of and I'm cold. This whole place seems completely lifeless. It has all the features of a home: high windows, polished marble flooring, and a staircase that demands attention thanks to its overbearing size and height. The lights above my head are massive crystal chandeliers that I'm pretty sure have candles in each little holder. The walls are bare except for small scenic pictures from areas I've never visited. Someone has tried to make this place welcoming but nothing can detract from the coldness seeping from within the very walls. Whoever owns this home does not want company.

"It's beautiful." Someone whispers from behind me. I'm close to the front but far enough back that I can look around without drawing too much attention to myself.

"I expected more gold, to be honest; I thought Alpha Lucifer was super rich." The snotty voice makes me scoff; I have to quickly cover the noise with a sneeze when someone in front of me looks back at me. I've seen many houses in my short life, some owned by the rich and some owned by the poor. The one thing everyone has in common is that they hide the things of value. When I look around, I realise that this place is exactly how I expect an Alpha to live. No way would they make their homes inviting; most of them lock themselves away unless they have a mate.

While I'm standing on the white polished marble flooring, I realise more and more girls are piling into the entryway. I've lost count of how many carriages have pulled up and left; it's easy to forget that the world is a bigger place than just what Nanny lets us see.

"There she is." I hear multiple people whisper as I look around the room. I snap my eyes back to the staircase to see a beautiful woman walking down to us. Her hands are clasped in front of her like she's floating; her lace black dress somehow covers her from head to toe but is also crazy sexy. She's not walking, at least I don't think she is; it's almost like she's floating down the stairs. Her face is covered in dramatic makeup, her lips a bright red that I know I would smudge in seconds if it were on me. I know without being told that she's the High Witch. It's just an aura she seems to carry with her. It's power without her ever having to say a word.

"She's beautiful." I whisper to no one in particular. No one is paying me any attention, though. The High Witch has reached the bottom of the stairs and despite being no taller than any of us, she somehow seems to tower over us. I just can't get over how much power this one woman holds. I don't think I've ever seen any woman hold herself with such confidence in my life.

‘She's everything we need to be.' My wolf whispers and I find myself nodding along with her as I wait for the High Witch to say something.

"Omegas, you will be seen first. Possible mates; you wait." The High Witch lifts her hands in the air and like magic, doors around the room fly open. The doors were hidden in the walls so no wonder I didn't see them but now you can't miss them. Butlers dressed in black suits and carrying silver trays with tall flutes of something so pale green that I thought it was clear at first. I debate staying where I am but as soon as the doors open, the future mates all start flocking towards the butlers, leaving only twenty or so Omegas standing in front of the stairs. I turn back to look at the High Witch but she's already floating towards the right of the stairs, where a small door has opened up. I look around at the other Omegas but none of them seem to be questioning the weirdness of the High Witch's age or how she seems to expect us to follow her. They're all just following her into the little side door like dutiful little breeders waiting for their next order.

‘Go, you can't just stand here.' My wolf urges me; I want to glue my feet to the floor. Refuse to move until someone changes my designation. I don't want a mate but almost ninety percent of the Gammas here will get marked, go through the trials and then live a normal, boring life. They'll get to make their own choices; they'll get to decide who they sleep with, where to live, and if they want to have babies. It might not seem like much to most but to an Omega, it's an unattainable dream.

I'm one of the last Omegas to walk into the small doorway; instead of more marble flooring and high windows, the room is filled with soft lighting and a massive fabric tent. The fabric is a deep red and so thick you can't see within but without being told, I know the High Witch is in there. Despite being the last one in, I'm somehow almost at the front of the line with only two Omegas in front of me. The heavy curtain in front of us parts almost as if an invisible person is there pulling it to one side. The Omegas in front of me step aside; both seem nervous so I lift my chin in the air and step towards the tent.

‘Welcome to the beginning and end of your life.' My wolf growls as the curtain falls closed behind me. For a second, I'm plunged into inky blackness. I push my hands out in front of me as I slowly take a step forward. The lights around me slowly come to life. Little lights line the ceiling, candles on low tables and a glowing glass ball in the middle of the room on a table covered in gold stars and weird symbols I don't know.

"Sit." I almost jump out of my skin as the High Witch steps out of the shadows just in front of me, her black dress and silky black hair helping her to blend into the dark fabric all around us. The tent should feel claustrophobic but it actually feels bigger now that I'm inside of it. It's really warm as well, like the little candles have been burning for hours and not just the few seconds I've been standing here.

"Erm, alright." I whisper as I look for somewhere to sit. The High Witch is sitting herself down on a big cushion across from me so the table with the glowing orb is between us so I slowly settle myself onto the ground. It's softer than it should be; the heavy fabric is somehow moulding itself to my body so I feel like I'm sitting on some kind of memory foam mattress.

"Omega, pick a card." The High Witch waves her hand across the table and a dozen cards the size of my hand suddenly appear between us. I've never seen cards like these. They've got golden edges to them but the inky black almost looks like it's some kind of weird goop. I slowly reach out a hand to the furthest card on the left. I don't know why I want that one but something about its gold edges catches my eye. The light is bouncing off it a little more than the others, almost like it's calling out to me. I pick it up and flip it over to see a beautiful woman dressed in fine clothes looking up at me. The High Witch sucks in a breath and snaps out a hand to capture my wrist. When her fingers grip me, I feel a weird warmth spread up my arm; it's not unpleasant; it's like sinking in a beautifully hot bath after a long day of scrubbing the kitchen floors.

"A key with no lock." The High Witch whispers. I flick my eyes up to her face to see her lips spreading into what I'm sure is supposed to be a warm smile but just looks creepy thanks to all the shadows in the tent.

<>>

"Sorry, I'm a what?" I ask the High Witch as she plucks the card from my hand so she can pull it closer to her face. She narrows her heavily made-up eyes at the card and slowly turns it this way and that as if expecting the image to change.

"You are no normal Omega; you thirst for life. For more." I look around as the High Witch speaks to the card; if anyone hears what she's saying, I'm as good as dead. It's a crime to go unmarked and not follow the path set out before you. If she refuses to mark me because of something she thinks she sees, no matter how true it is, I will be killed. I'll be discarded as a defective Omega. It's happened before; a long time ago, there were a lot of public killings when an uprising of Gammas refused to go through the mating trials. I was too young to remember them but I've heard the stories and seen the posters.

"Please, just mark me." I whisper as I lean across the table. I never thought I would be here begging for an Omega marking, but then again, I never thought anyone could see what I've been hiding for so long.

"I can give you something else instead. A chance at a different life." The High Witch puts the card back down on the table, pushing it into line with the other cards that are still facing downwards.

"A chance at what?" I whisper as the High Witch flicks her eyes up to me as she waves her hand in the air. The tent suddenly feels warmer, like it's a brick house with a roaring fire rather than a tent in the middle of a cold mansion.

"You will not be overheard, my little princess. You are unique—a once in a lifetime find. I can give you a chance to live a life of fulfilment; it will be difficult but you will not need to follow the path you hate so much. A different mark leads to a different path." I shiver as the High Witch reaches under the table to pull out a bowl and a long stick that I know she will use to place my marks against my back. The little stick has needles on the end; a small hammer will help her puncture the dark ink into my pale white skin.

"What do I have to do?" I ask her in a rush; I feel like she's handing me a life preserver; it's everything I've ever wanted. A normal life. To not be a breeder and to have a say in what happens and when it happens.

"You go through the trials." She whispers as she lifts the long stick out of the bowl to show me the clean needles on the end. Six of them in total. Each one will puncture my skin over and over again and if the High Witch is to be believed, then she can change everything about my life by simply changing my mark.

"They'll kill me." I whisper but the High Witch just shakes her head and twirls her finger, indicating for me to turn around. I bite my lip as I stall for just a second; if anyone asks, I'll lie and tell them I put up a fight. Lying is something an Omega doesn't do but it's something that has always come easy to me.

As soon as my back is to the High Witch, the fabric of my simple dress is torn down to the top of my ass. I manage to grab it just in time so that my breasts aren't bared to the empty tent. She doesn't give me any warning that the pain is about to begin; one second I feel her breath on my skin and the next the sharp needles are being pressed into my skin. Some of the older girls at Nanny's told me that it's not painful but I can feel the tears springing to my eyes as the High Witch painfully works her way across my shoulder blade and down my spine. I pray for my back to go numb but I feel it all; it's like she's hammering little spikes of fire deep into my body. Every now and again a little whimper leaves my throat but the High Witch doesn't say a single thing. If it wasn't for her breath soothing the fire across my back, I would think she was gone.

‘It's almost done; just hold on.' My wolf whispers as I feel my strength wavering. Sweat is dripping off me. I feel like I've been in this tent for hours and now it's starting to feel like hell instead of a shadowy little womb.

"Well, that's unexpected." The High Witch speaks for the first time in what feels like hours. I glance over my shoulder to see her putting away her tools. The fire in my back is more like a dull throb now. With each second that passes, I can feel the pain getting less and less.

"What's unexpected?" I ask her as I clutch the remnants of my dress to my chest. I'm trying to see my back but no matter how much I bend, I can't see anything. My hair is tumbling out of my messy bun and I'm a little worried it's going to land on my back. It can't be good to have hair in an open wound.

"Time will tell." The High Witch shifts from behind me; I'm shocked when she appears at my side and holds out her hand. "You need to be more confident; no longer are you a breeder. We've just changed your path and people are going to be mad at that. If this all works out, I expect you're going to have more people in your corner than you ever thought possible. Remember, you are different." She's speaking so softly as she slowly lowers my hand so I'm standing on my own two feet. I can't tell from her tone if being different is a good thing or a bad thing. Before I can ask her, she shifts to the side to reveal the curtain has moved to show the room beyond. It's not the room with all the waiting Omegas, though; this one looks more like a salon in a high-end boutique.

"What do I do now?" I ask her as I peek around the curtain to see a man standing next to a hairdressing chair and what looks like two racks of ball gowns.

"The best you can." The High Witch mutters as she nudges me with one hand so I have no choice but to walk through the parted curtains.

As soon as I step through the curtain into the salon, the curtain falls closed behind me. I let out a small gasp when I felt the warmth of the tent disappear. I spin around to see the tent completely gone and a full wall of mirrors looking back at me. I look a sight. My messy silver hair now looks completely dishevelled; it is no longer cute and is just a sweaty pile on top of my head. My ice-blue eyes are wide and bloodshot from crying and my skin looks dewy thanks to the sweat still clinging to me.

"Freya." I forgot about the man standing next to the hairdressing chair until he called out to me. I look at him through the mirror. He's stunning; his black suit is perfectly pressed; his jawline is sharper than any blade I've ever seen; and his eyes look almost too green to be real.

"Yes?" I ask as I lick at my dry lips; my head is spinning. I feel like I need to sit down and take a few deep breaths but I know now that I've started down this road, I can never stop.

"I'm Kevin; I'll be your guide through the trials. If you take a seat, we can start working on your outfit for the first meet and greet." I bite my lip as Kevin speaks to me. He spins the hairdressing chair for me to see it's a soft tan brown leather that looks like it will be buttery soft when I sit in it.

"Do you know?" I ask him as Kevin glances from left to right before nodding.

"I know what I need to know to get you through this. Now please, Miss Freya, we have limited time." Kevin is trying to be polite but I can see his hands shaking; he's obviously anxious to get working and the longer I stand here, the more I'm going to think, which can't be good for anyone.

<>

"Twenty-three, that's damn good. What are your numbers now?" Frank sips his whisky as he blows smoke up Anthony's ass while I sit back and watch the two of them take over my office. They arrived shortly after the females did but we have to wait for the High Witch to call us before we go downstairs. The possible mates need time to get marked and get ready for the evening. Their guides will rush them through the process but it always takes ages.

"Well, we buried three last month and another twelve the month before so we're down to our last hundred. This twenty-three is going to help; the babies are in more demand than ever." Anthony tells Frank. They don't even try to draw me into the conversation. I've known these men for years and they both know that I don't give a shit about the breeding centres or the babies they put out. I understand that there is a need for them thanks to more and more Gammas being born infertile but I never understood the need to degrade the Omegas in such a way. Not enough to stop it or give a shit but still, it's weird.

"Has the fertility rate dropped that much?" Frank asks Anthony. If I were anyone but me, I might believe Frank actually cares, but I know he just wants a piece of the breeding centres for himself. Everyone in the higher levels knows that Anthony dips his cock into more of the Omegas than the Gammas, who come to help the Omegas through their heat. The breeding centres are glorified whorehouses, and we all know it.

"Two-point-five percent since I went to sleep." I say as I sip at my whisky, I'm facing the window instead of them but that doesn't stop me from grumbling a few words every now and again.

"Maybe you need some strong Alpha seed up there; how about it, Lucifer? Fancy a trip to the breeding centres?" I don't even dignify Frank with a grunt. We both know I haven't fucked a woman in years; the desire left me somewhere between my last two long sleeps. The High Witch swears it has nothing to do with the sleep itself and everything to do with the fact that I'm ageing and still lack a mate.

I hear footsteps outside my office before the door is opened. I've never been more pleased to have an unannounced visitor in all my life. I used to be able to talk the shit with Frank and Anthony for hours but lately I find them boring and predictable; every word they say grates on my last nerve.

"Alpha Lucifer, you have a guest who wishes to speak to you privately." I spin my chair around to see Frank and Anthony staring at Ronald with their mouths wide open. They're probably shocked that I have such an old man as my servant. Both of them look as young as me, despite all three of us probably being almost triple Ronald's actual age. Alpha deep sleep is a fucking miracle when it comes to prolonging life; at least that's what it's supposed to be.

"Look after my guests, Ronald." I grunt as I put my glass on my desk. My servant gives me a low bow as I push myself out of my desk chair. Smoothing my hand down my teal shirt, I stride across the office without glancing at the two impeccably dressed Alphas.

"Pussy whipped and no mate; can you imagine?" Frank laughs as I reach the door. I glance over my shoulder as Ronald steps further into the office so I can leave. He won't leave his post. I might not have known him for long but I know he understands the rules of the house.

"Bite me, Frank." I snarl as I snap the office door shut. I take a deep breath as the sound of females chatting over each other sounds up the stairs. Every part of me wants to run and beg Dominica to put me back to sleep but I know she won't. She likes to fuck with me, to watch me squirm.

I keep my head held high as I walk through the halls, not because I'm proud but because I have company. If anyone sees me, they will expect me to be the strong Head Alpha of the no man's land, not some arsehole grump who can't stand to look at the weird pale blue colour of the walls. I hate this house. It's the house I was raised in but it was never a home. The only reason we're here is because no one wanted to travel further into the no man's land to get to my actual home, the place I take my deep sleeps and the place I once saw a mate roaming the halls. That dream died long ago. No matter what Dominica says, there is no mate out there for me. I'm lucky not to meet any of the guides as I walk along to my bedroom; it's the only place Ronald will have put someone who has asked to speak to me directly. My bedroom has a small lounge attached to it; only a handful of people have ever been in those rooms. As soon as I reach the door, I can smell who is on the other side. I push the door open, ready to face Dominica and whatever she has to say.

"Don't be mad." She quickly says as soon as I step into the room. She looks a little frazzled; her hair is falling free of her black hair wrap and her lipstick is a little smeared like she's rubbed across her lips a few times. She should be down doing the markings, which means whatever she has to tell me is important enough for her to pause everything downstairs.

I don't say anything as I close the bedroom door and walk over to the dark brown twin leather two-seater sofas in the middle of the small lounge. Dominica is on one so I sit on the other. I study her face as I try to guess what happened. The Omegas will be fully marked so it's either something to do with them or she's having issues with the Gamma marks.

"Dominica, I have Alphas coming out of my ass, a home full of girls wanting to bag an Alpha and two head Alphas in my office. The moment to ask me not to be mad has passed." I growl at her as I try to keep my emotions in check. For some reason since I woke up, anger seems to be my go-to emotion. All other emotions seem to have fled me like water running down a river at high speed. "Speak." I bark when Dominica doesn't say anything.

"I changed an Omega's path." I was wrong; I do have other emotions. Stunned is an emotion, right? I hope it is because that's exactly how I feel when Dominica rushes those words out like she can't say them fast enough.

"What?" I growl quietly. If Dominica is not messing with me, then she's just signed the death warrant for the Omega and a world of pain for herself. Anthony won't take this lying down.

"It's been done and it cannot be undone." Dominica tells me as she raises her pointed chin in the air.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I clench my hands into fists as I try to get myself under control. This was supposed to be simple: host the trials, go back to sleep. Now the High Witch has started a war and I'm the only one who knows it.

"That she's different." Dominica tells me as if it explains everything.

"And now she has a target on her back." I tell her quickly; she gives me a slight nod. She knows better than most what can happen if this Omega is found.

"You'll protect her; you might be old and crusty but you still have a heart in there." Dominica says as she pushes out of the sofa and walks towards the door. I say nothing as she floats out of the room and back towards the Gammas, awaiting their marks. Well, shit, things just got complicated.

<>

My dress is floor-length and has more lace on it than I've ever seen; it's strapless and held up by my ample breasts and sheer will. The fabric looks scratchy but it's actually really soft. Keven has curled and teased my hair so that it falls in soft waves down my back and over my shoulders. My make-up is minimal, with a soft pink lipstick that somehow makes me look like I have bigger lips than I actually do; my eyelashes are longer than I've ever seen them.

"And the finishing touch." Kevin walks up behind me as I turn this way and that, the long skirt of my dress moving with me as I try to look at myself from all angles. The marks on my back are still a little red around the edges but they no longer hurt thanks to a cream Kevin put on them.

"What's that?" I ask Kevin as he holds what looks like a small gold crown. I turn from the mirror to see it's more like a full loop headband, made up of intricate loops and swirls. It's beautiful but seems a little much; wearing a crown feels like I'd be sending out the wrong signals.

"It's expected; everyone will be wearing one. I promise." Kevin explains to me as he holds the headband up; I lower myself a little so he can place it on the crown of my head. Kevin has been carefully talking me through what to expect in the opening ceremony. I've asked endless questions and he's answered every single one without sounding even a little irritated. Once the headband is in place, I turn back to the mirror to get the full effect. I thought the gold would look weird against my silver-grey hair but after Kevin's attention and care, my hair actually looks sleek and shiny, making the gold headband look almost regal as it peeks through my hair.

"I look beautiful." I whisper as I look from the mirror to Kevin. "Thank you, Kevin." I give him a genuine smile, the first I've given anyone in years.

"Just remember, you're an Omega pretending to be a Gamma. The High Witch has masked your scent with the mark but if you don't act like a Gamma, you will give yourself away." I nod as Kevin places a hand on my lower back and guides me towards the heavy wooden doors on the other side of the room.

"So carry myself with an air of importance and like no one else matters?" I ask him as we reach the doors. I'm half joking but the serious look on Kevin's face has me wondering if that's exactly what I should do.

"Just be careful. Get through the trials with no mate and you're free; get caught and we're all dead. I'll meet you after the welcoming; I'm going to get your room ready. Drink the wine but not too much; no one likes a drunk Gamma." Kevin gives me a small wink before lifting his chin in the air and pulling open both doors at the same time.

The room beyond has completely changed. The candles are burning brighter and red and gold ribbons are hanging from the ceiling, creating a waterfall effect across the room. Every woman is dressed in a ball gown like mine. Just like Kevin said, each one has a headband similar to my own; each one has a glass of pale green wine in their hands and butlers dressed like Kevin are walking around the edge of the room. Kevin bows low as I sweep past him. My instinct is to duck my head and lower my eyes to the ground but that's my Omega side and the years of beatings from Nanny. If I'm to fit in, I need to keep my head up and my eyes on the prize: freedom.

‘We can do this.' My wolf whispers as I walk around the room. I'm trying to glide like the High Witch but I have no idea how she does that in six-inch heels.

"Wine, Miss?" A butler appears on my right with a tray full of glasses. I give him a polite nod and carefully take one from his tray. He must be good at his job because the silver tray doesn't even wobble at the imbalance.

"Let me see your mark; why aren't you showing it off?" I flick my eyes to the left to see a small woman walking backwards as she tries to speak to a blonde Gamma walking quickly across the room.

"Leave me alone." The woman in a dark green gown and long black hair growls as she practically pushes the smaller woman out of her way. She walks straight over to me; at first I think she's going to say something but then she just grabs a glass of wine off the butler's tray and shoos him away.

"Bitch." The small woman growls as she walks back into the crowd of gowns and glistening jewels.

I'm about to walk off when the woman next to me snatches out a hand and grabs my arm. I'm about to shout at her when she spins me so she can look at my back.

"Damn, that thing is beautiful. It's even filled in. Why are you here if you have a mate?" I look over my shoulder to see the dark-haired woman admiring my marks with a look of wonder in her deep green eyes.

"Erm, well, I don't have a mate." I tell her in a soft voice. I clear my throat as I remind myself I'm supposed to be a Gamma and not some weak Omega. "Please let go of my arm." The blonde's eyes widen a second before she lets go of my arm and holds her hand up while sipping at her wine.

"No offence meant. Usually a filled-in mark means you've got a mate; maybe you just haven't met him yet. You're lucky; most of these bitches will leave without a man at their side. I'm Hunt." Hunt holds her hand out to me as if waiting for me to give her my name while shaking her hand. I nervously lick across my painted lips before turning towards her and clasping her soft hand. Her dark skin looks almost black against my snow-white skin.

"Hunt? Unusual name. I'm Freya." I give her a small smile as we shake hands; it's quick, as I'm in a hurry to have her stop touching me. Some Gamma's can pick up on things by touch and scent; it's probably best not to give myself away within the first ten minutes.

"My father is called Hunter and my mother wanted to name me after him, so Hunt it is." Hunt tells me as she sips her wine. "It's about to start; get ready for the show." I turn from Hunt to see all the lights in the room have dimmed except for the stairs.

I watch as man after man walks down the stairs, each one as handsome as the last. I lose count as I watch them all gather at the bottom of the stairs and wait in front of the Gammas. Thanks to Kevin, I know these are the lower Alphas, the men who answer to the four head Alphas across our world. I move my eyes from them as a low hum starts to flow across the room. Looking up the stairs, I see three men waiting at the top. I look at each one but my eyes keep coming back to the one in the middle. The one with deep, piercing green eyes and a teal shirt that seems to cling to every muscle he has hidden under his clothes. His dark hair is sweeping down his forehead but not long enough to fall into his eyes.

"Alpha Lucifer is looking extra fine; that sleep did him good." I glance at Hunt to see her eyes are firmly on the man with the green eyes and teal shirt. I've never seen a head Alpha before but now that I'm faced with them, I can see why the Gammas fight tooth and nail to mate with them. Especially Alpha Lucifer.