Page 18 of Daughter of Garnet

Viv's heel prods the top of my foot. When I look up to call her out on it, I see that the rest of the class is looking in my direction, and my Anatomy and Physiology professor is staring at me, waiting expectantly for an answer to a question that I had no idea was asked.

I don't bother with trying to guess what was asked. I'd only embarrass myself further.

"Sorry, I have no idea."

The professor huffs and looks away, addressing the rest of the class. "Does anyone know how long the process of developing a uterus takes for male Omegas?" The class is silent, so at least it wasn't something I could've known, anyway. She sighs in exasperation. "Four weeks. Omegas undergo a secondary puberty when they become Blessed. Male Omegas begin the painful process of growing a uterus and milk ducts; female Omegas have their reproductive system rewired from ovulating monthly to quarterly during their heats. For both sexes, these changes can be painful, exhausting, and make them feel sick. It is why it is so important that after the ceremony Omegas are brought to their residences here at the Institute, where they receive the best medical care in the realm."

She goes on to tell us that while it takes a few weeks for Omegas to develop their pheromones, Alphas undergo the change with their first shift.

Just another way Omegas get the short end of the stick.

After class, Viv loops her arm around mine and drags me to the coffee shop.

"You have got to start paying attention in class. Do you want to be stuck mucking out horse stalls?"

I wrinkle my nose. "Is that an actual job?"

"I don't know, probably! You'll find out if you keep zoning out as you have been. What are you even thinking about?"

How do I tell her I'm thinking about the sabertooth tiger that chased me down in the woods, the strange Alpha who tried to choke Cliff and then smiled as if nothing happened, my best friend, and the weird feelings I have for him, her brother, and why he hates me, and the fact that I may possibly be an Omega?

"The weather," I say instead.

"The weather."

I look up at the sky as we cross the courtyard to the Hub. "Yeah, do you think it's gonna rain?"

With an exaggerated sigh, she tugs me through the door and up to the third-floor student lounge. I haven't been up here yet, but there is a coffee stall and a lot of couches. There are students of all designations—well, not Omegas—lounging around, chatting and sipping from paper cups. A few are crowded around pool tables and chessboards, and there's even a woman knitting against a wall.

"Is it always like this?"

Viv hands me a warm cup. "Yeah. It's a good place to meet people and find out when the parties will be held. There aren't many places where Alphas and Betas mingle as much as here."

The coffee is warm and sweet and does the job of waking me up and giving me a little boost. Viv grabs my arm and drags me to a pair of armchairs.

"Have you ever met an Omega?" The words fall out of me in a rush. Everything I hear about being an Omega makes it sound worse than the thing before, but there has to be something good about it, and maybe Viv will know.

"Once. I went to Raeldell for my parents to receive an award, and one of their squad mates had an Omega. Why?"

I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just curious. They're on my mind after that lesson. I've never met one before, and I didn't know what their bodies went through when they got Blessed."

"Oh my Gods, it sounds awful, right?" She crosses one leg loosely over the other and hums in pleasure while she sips her coffee. "The Omega I met was cute, tiny. I kept wanting to go talk to him, but my dad pulled me back so I didn't annoy him. He told me that Omegas have a natural pull, but most Betas don't notice it. We just think they're beautiful and interesting, not realizing we're getting sucked into their orbit. Nice guy, though."

That's not terrible. I mean, I wouldn't want to attract that much attention, but it could be worse. At least she didn't say he was collared and left at home for safekeeping.

The second week of classes was uneventful. I never told Warren what Cliff revealed to me, and Warren didn’t bring it up. He wasn't acting any different, but I worry I was, because I cannot stop wondering why he doesn't want me to know. We're not in university anymore. Does he think he's protecting me from a truth I don't want to hear?

Cliff was standoffish with me every time Warren was around, but I expected that. I really dislike that Warren thinks he can control who I’m friends with, and I have no idea how to bring it up without revealing that Cliff told me what he said.

Everything was fine until the third week of classes.

Professor Trisha files into the Menagerie Management classroom a few minutes late on a Thursday, five people trailing her.

Not people.

Alphas.

“Class. I’d like to introduce you to our Alpha Aides for this class. One will be assigned to each group of six, and they’ll be available for you to ask questions of, bounce ideas off of, and eventually, for your final, you’ll be expected to demonstrate some of the skills you’ve learned in the class on your Aide.”