Page 31 of The Other Omega

I picked up the fork before she could reconsider and took a huge bite. It was some sort of vegetable mash mixed with minced meat, perhaps beef.

“Do you understand what that means, Elowen? In all the years C-17 counterparts have been studied, not one presented after crossing. Not one. It was believed the absence of designation in their world meant they lacked the biological capacity to present at all.” She laughed.

I said nothing, too busy devouring the food. I barely chewed before taking another mouthful, my stomach threatening to bring it all back up.

“Can you comprehend the implications? The capacity was there all along. Dormant, perhaps, or dependent on conditions never reproduced before.” She smiled. “No one knew until you, my little dove. All of this has been discovered because of you.”

She caressed my cheek with such tenderness that I might have mistaken it for a mother’s touch.

“I did nothing.”

“You initiated the exchange. Had you not gone through with it, who knows how many more years, perhaps decades, it would have taken to discover this.”

I fought the instinct to pull back and instead leaned into her hand.

“Because of you, the entire direction of my programme has changed. I’ve been brought into the new research personally. The Omega-counterpart programme has been placed under my direction.” The pride in her voice made my stomach turn. “It will be the greatest achievement of my career. Thank you, little dove.” She leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

I swallowed against the bile rising in my throat. My life was destroyed, hers had improved, and she was thanking me for it.

“What happened to her? Did she present immediately after I left?”

“No. She presented the following day. We were studying every change. The transformation was magnificent.”

Something in the way she said it caught my attention. “Were?”

Mireya’s smile disappeared. “I no longer have access to her.”

“Why would the Royal Mental Institute deny you access? You’re her physician.”

She tilted her head. “I’d forgotten how little you know.” She took the metal cup from my tray and drank slowly. “She isn’t at the Institute. Your parents wouldn’t allow it. She remains at home.”

“She’s with them?” My voice rose to a shriek, and I couldn’t have cared less. “What if she hurts them? You told me she would be unstable. What if she hurts my family, Mireya? How could you allow such a thing?”

She laughed. “Ah, Elowen, your counterpart presents no danger to them. Like you, she’s a clever little thing, though considerably more cunning.” Her voice held something almost admiring. “She has your entire family eating out of the palm of her hand.” She ran both hands down the front of her skirt. “It matters little. This is a temporary inconvenience. We will retrieve her.”

“What if you cannot? Will they live the rest of their lives believing her to be me?” The thought filled me with horror.

“Don’t be foolish. We’ll retrieve her before she causes any further disruption to our plans.”

I shook my head.

“Elowen, look at me.” I did. “This will not have been in vain. She’ll be removed from your parents’ protection. They’ll be made to believe she’s died, and they’ll grieve and eventually move on.” Mireya’s voice softened. “You can trust me to do that for you. They’ll never uncover your deceit, and they’ll be spared any further unnecessary pain.”

I squeezed my eyes shut so tightly I began seeing colours behind my eyelids. “So that’s it, then?” I took a shaky breath. “You’ll honour your bargain when it comes to my family, but not when it comes to me. I’m simply another one of your subjects now.”

Mireya studied me before answering. “Would it bring you any comfort to know that you’re considerably more valuable than the others? You and your counterpart are the only known pair in which a C-17 has presented after crossing. We’ll continue studying you both, comparing your biology to determine what allowed a designation to emerge where none existed before.” Her eyes brightened. “If we can understand the mechanism, Elowen, we may eventually be able to reproduce it.”

I stared at her.

“We could create Omegas. Do you understand what that would mean for our society? Fewer feral Alphas. Packs that might otherwise remain childless could have families. C-17 Omegas could carry children for those who can’t. The possibilities are extraordinary.” Her expression softened. “And you’ll be at the centre of it all. That makes you one of the most important Omegas in history, Elowen.”

I buried my face in the pillow. I don’t wish to be important. I wish to be free!

“Do you know how many Omegas I’ve treated who couldn’t conceive with the Alpha they loved? Below fifty per cent compatibility makes natural conception effectively impossible. Scent matching determines which unions may produce children.”

I’d heard her speak like this at dinners and during appointments, everyone around her enchanted by her passion and compassion. They had no idea that compassion was reserved for her patients, with nothing left for her subjects.

“I’ve spent half my life trying to change that,” she continued. “Imagine an Omega able to choose the Alpha she loves without first asking whether her body will accept his child. Imagine reaching a point where compatibility no longer matters. Families could be formed through affection. Omegas could choose.”