Omegas of Chaingate

Chapter 1

Ayri

I was pretty sure the walls were deliberately thin. That way, we could hear everything. Every scream. Every slap. Every slick sound. Every cry. Every thud against the wall.

While we weren’t supposed to be in other omegas’ rooms, intentionally kept alone and separated, I always snuck into Paradise’s room. Especially now. Because the alphas were in the next room. Melba’s screams, cries, and begging echoed off the walls.

Paradise was in the far corner of the room, her back in the corner and knees pressed tightly against her chest. I shut her door quietly. Although I could probably slam it and no one would hear, I didn’t want to be caught. A shudder ran through my body, knowing what would happen if I was caught.

Her room was filled with her fear-tinged perfume. Bitter burnt butterscotch. I had no idea what her scent smelled like normally. Hell, I didn’t know what mine smelled like normally. Fear was all we’d known since Pack Maverick took us.

I crouched beside her and brought her into my arms. Just last week, the newest omega was murdered. She wouldn’t stop fighting. Wouldn’t stop screaming at the top of her lungs and banging on the walls and windows. I think she actually kicked one of the alphas in the nuts.

We were all lined up in the hall outside of our doors to watch them drag out her body. Yes, they dragged her body out like she was a limp doll. The bruising around her neck left nothing to the imagination as to how she died.

“Shh,” I whispered when I heard a quiet whine from Paradise. I rubbed her hair. Whining only brought the alphas in. You never wanted the alphas’ attention.

Fortunately, they tended to have their favorites. Paradise wasn’t one of them. I thought probably because she hadn’t gone into heat yet. She was certainly old enough, but she just hadn’t gotten there. I envied her.

Mine came every three months because of stress. Which seemed to be how it worked in this pack. Omegas’ bodies worked counterintuitively. While stress should drive off a heat, it brings it on quicker. And since I was the only male omega, they really loved me.

Love being a relative word. They loved to use my body, especially when I was in heat, but I had turns with the alphas far more often than the other eight omegas. Maybe I was a novelty because I was male. The rarest of the rare.

A thud against the wall made us jump, and we stared across the room, my arms tightening around her. I didn’t just come to Paradise’s room to comfort her. I hated being alone. There were always shadows in the dark, waiting to touch me. I had nightmares. And when I screamed in my sleep, that was an invitation for the alphas to ‘comfort’ me.

Melba screamed again. It fell into begging. “Please, no. No. I don’t want—No, please. Please.”

I think the alphas enjoyed our begging.

I hugged Paradise closer, closed my eyes, and took a breath. I tried to breathe through my mouth because while this was Paradise’s room, it was filled with gross alpha pheromones—tobacco, shoe polish, gasoline, brine, burning leaves… It made my stomach churn until I was almost sick.

Humming quietly, I tried to drown out the muffled screams and the clear sound of fucking. Raping. Quietly humming, so only the two of us could hear it. Not wanting the sound to travel. Not wanting to be overheard.

Every night was the same thing. The same thing as they made the rounds through their collection of omegas. A tear slipped down my cheek as I tried to catch my breath.

So many times, I used to dream about escaping. Running away. But it was maybe a year into my imprisonment when an omega tried. We all got a show on how they punished omegas for trying to run away. It wasn’t something you soon forget. That’s all I saw for months after.

Another thud on the wall and Melba’s cries, though still muffled, got louder. As did the fucking sounds. The slick slapping of bodies. The growl of the alpha fucking her. It took everything I had not to hear his words. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on humming. My entire body tense as the alpha’s phantom touch traveled over me.

My stomach roiled as I let out a quiet gasp. Paradise shifted beside me and buried her face in my neck. Her touch settled me a little, but it cleared my head a bit too much. Now I could hear his words penetrate my protective bubble, and I could no longer drown them out.

“You’re going to take my knot, little omega. You’re going to squeeze it so fucking tight while I rip into you. You’re going to come on my cock like a good girl. You’re going to take my seed and produce more little omegas for us.”

At least that last one wasn’t something that was ever said to me. It was my only saving grace.

Perhaps the worst thing about this entire situation was that we didn’t have a choice whether we took pleasure or not. An omega was made to orgasm. Frequently. We’re made for the stimulation of a knot. And we can’t help ourselves. I’d say at least half of my crying when it was my turn was because of that alone.

And we knew when Melba came because it pleased the alpha fucking her. He told her so. Told her how good she was. How good she felt.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I cried for Melba. I hugged Paradise and pretended I was anywhere else. Anywhere but here. Melba’s turn had only been going on for an hour or so. It would continue for several more. There were twelve alphas in Pack Maverick. Twelve.

Not all of them participated every night, but there were some that always did. Patrick, Doome, Luma… they were the ones I hated the most. Another five were nightly fuckers as well.

Paradise’s door opened, and she nearly screamed, but I covered her mouth before she could. Her chest rose and fell in terror. My breathing matched hers, even as I knew who came into the room. I could smell him as soon as the door opened.

Nicolai. An alpha unlike the others. At least, toward us. And right now, it was basically every omega for themselves. I wouldn’t begrudge any of them getting out and not looking back. But I feared if I was given that window, I wouldn’t be able to go without Paradise.

He paused at the door before scowling at the wall with Melba and the alphas on the other side. His rich oakmoss and sage scent circled me and I took a deep breath, trying to use it to calm me.

The only time he came near me was when I was in heat and I thought, maybe subconsciously, he was the only one who took me that, when I begged for a knot, I actually partially meant his. He gave me what I wanted. He tried to take care of me when the others just wanted to use me. I could see the pinched, pained look in his eyes when he watched them fuck me and I was helpless to do anything but what my biology demanded.

Beg.

I shuddered and opened my eyes to look at him. As with all alphas, Nikolai was tall and thick. His hair was dark like the night and short. A little longer on the top and it always seemed to stick up. His eyes were dark, too. His jaw was rugged, and he kept it smooth.

Nicolai crouched in front of us and held out his hand. I nodded, and he gently cupped my face. For just a second, I could pretend I was somewhere else. Anywhere but here. That my life was different. That I wasn’t a commodity among commodities.

But Melba’s fresh screams pierced the thought. Paradise and I flinched.

Nicolai took a breath and shook his head. “You okay?” he whispered.

Paradise shook her head. She was shaking, and I held her close. As tight as I could.

I nodded because, as awful as it sounded, it wasn’t my turn. I wasn’t being raped tonight. And I wasn’t in heat. Therefore, it was a good night for me.

Nicolai didn’t touch Paradise. She hated all alpha touch. Though I wouldn’t say she trusted him (and maybe, neither did I—I just enjoyed his kindness since it was the only time I received any), but her immediate reaction wasn’t to scream. Unless he tried to touch her but he never did.

He sighed. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, as he did every night.

I stared at his face in the dark. There was always a hardness in his expression. An edge that the other alphas didn’t have. Reservation. Hesitation. Unlike the other alphas, I didn’t think he enjoyed what they did. He tried not to participate.

But he did, sometimes. I knew he did. For instance, when I was in heat. And I’m sure that when the others were in heat, he was there as well. I didn’t know for sure. It’s not like I talk to the others.

However, I didn’t think he enjoyed it like they did. I’ve seen their faces. They often forced us to look into their eyes while they fucked us. I’m sure they liked to see us broken and helpless while we didn’t have a choice but to beg. They liked the control and power. They enjoyed having toys that took their knots.

Nicolai’s thumb brushed my cheek, and he got a little closer. I felt his body heat. Part of me ached to let him take me in his arms. To hold me to him and tell me it was going to be okay. Even if it was a lie, I wanted to hear it. I wanted to pretend it was real, and that I would get out of here.

Not that escaping Pack Maverick would ensure me a better life. The other packs in Chaingate were no better. I couldn’t imagine they were worse, but what do I know? This was the only life I’ve known. Right here. Being owned by a pack of awful alphas.

Nicolai stayed with us until the alphas left Melba. Paradise and I tensed as we heard their footsteps move down the hall in either direction. Those going by Paradise’s door had me almost whimpering, terrified that they were going to come in here.

They didn’t. And it wasn’t long before it was quiet. Silent. Melba didn’t make a sound. She knew better. Just like the rest of us. If we still had the energy to whimper and cry, then we could take more knots.

The only sound in the room was my breathing.

“Quiet,” Nicolai whispered, his fingers brushing over my lips. The sadness in his eyes almost glowed in the starlight that peeked in from the high window. He licked his lips and tilted his head. “Don’t make a sound, Ayri. Please.”

I nodded. It was a warning for my own good.

Taking a breath in so deep that my lungs ached, I let it out slowly. Nicolai smiled a little. Nothing happy about it, but maybe he was trying to be comforting.

“Don’t stay in here much longer, Ayri.” He looked at Paradise. Her eyes were wide and trained on him. “I know you’re scared, but don’t let them catch you in here. Okay?”

I nodded again. Nicolai sighed. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again. “I don’t know how to make this better for you.”

That he even thought to make it better brought tears to my eyes. I shook my head. If he got caught trying to make it better for us, it wouldn’t be good for him. And then our only friend in this pack would likely be gone. Or banned from us. Forced to watch as they concentrated solely on us.

A shudder raced through me as my stomach churned.

“I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

He stood and crept to the door. Waiting for a second to listen in the hall before he opened it, Nicolai looked back at us. He stood in the single line of light from the hallway and the look on his face was something I thought about often. Desperation. Exhaustion. Helplessness.

I knew all that all too well.

A second later, he slipped into the hall and disappeared. I stayed with Paradise for a while longer and then crept back to my room down the hall. I didn’t dare fall asleep. Having been on the other side of the wall that separated us from Melba was enough to make my nightmares burn wildly.

So I lay in bed and concentrated on my breathing. Keeping myself calm. Not allowing myself to cry anymore or to whine. I tried to regulate the scent of my perfume, but it rarely moved out of fear. That’s just where it hovered now. Acerbic vanilla. Like sour milk.

Eventually, I fell asleep. Thankfully, when I woke up, it wasn’t because a nightmare had me screaming. It was with the sun. Someone had come in while I was asleep. There was breakfast on my table and I could see that it was still hot. Maybe the door woke me up.

With a heavy sigh and a weight that hung on me, knowing it would be another day from hell like every other, I pulled myself from my bed and sank onto the chair to eat.

Starving ourselves wasn’t an option. We’d be tied down to a bed and fed with tubes to be kept alive. And the punishment that came from that was nearly as brutal as trying to run away.

We weren’t allowed to die by any means. If we failed, our lives became a worse hell until the alphas deemed we’d learned our lesson. Our only option was to comply and obey. Then their cruelty was at least spread out and just a means to an end.

I stuck a bite of eggs into my mouth. Even the food was bland.