Amera'spov
"Strange," he murmured. "You look exactly like her. I would have sworn she was your mother."
He shook his head and walked into his office.
Amera collapsed back into her chair, shoulders sagging. Only then did she realize she could finally breathe.
_
I quietly navigated my day at work, doing everything possible to disappear into the background, just as I had done for most of my life. Blending in had become second nature to me over the years. When it was finally time to close, I submitted my completed forms to the director. I selected the date I wished to take the test and clearly stated my preference for housing outside the royal grounds.
I didn't want to live anywhere near Rowland Avenue.
By the time I got home, exhaustion weighed heavily on my body. I slumped onto my bed without even bothering to take off my shoes. The silence of the room felt suffocating yet comforting. Reaching for the pill bottle beside my bed, I shook out one tablet, placed it into my mouth, and lay back calmly as I swallowed it.
As the suppressant settled in my system, my thoughts drifted backward, to the moment my life truly began to fall apart.
It had started three years ago.
That was the year I came of age to take the test that would determine my secondary gender. My mother had insisted on going with me, which I found both odd and irritating. She had always refused to let me out of her sight, forbidding friendships and social interactions. I had been homeschooled my entire life, isolated within the walls of our family manor.
I never understood why she was like that.
She became tense whenever visitors came around, forbidding me from coming out of my room. At seventeen, I was still not allowed to step outside the manor alone, only with my mother or my elder brother. I thought it was strict parenting. I didn't realize it was fear.
Everything changed the day I took the test.
The duke himself came to the laboratory, accompanied by several officials, along with my mother and elder brother. I found it strange. I had seen others take their tests without such attention. My unease grew, but no one explained anything to me.
My mother was unusually chirpy, yet visibly tense. Her smile never reached her eyes.
The moment we got home, everything spiraled out of control.
She immediately began making calls, stuffing my clothes and necessities into a travel bag. I stood there, confused and exasperated, asking over and over what was going on. No one answered me,not even my brother. He quietly helped my mother pack my belongings as well.
When my mother finally stopped, she turned to me with tears streaming down her face.
"Baby, look at me," she said, her voice shaking. "I know you don't understand what's happening, and it's all my fault. I never taught you about your secondary gender. I thought… I hoped… you would be different. I tried to protect you by holding on to that lie, but they know now."
"Who knows?" I asked, panic rising in my chest. "What are you talking about?"
I had never seen my mother like this, so terrified, so broken.
"You are an omega," she said softly. "A dominant omega."
A chill ran down my spine.
I had read about them. I had secretly asked my tutor once, and she had kindly explained everything. I knew enough to understand what those words meant.
"You can only be mated to a dominant alpha," my mother continued. "I tried to hide you from hungry alphas, but the duke has taken interest in you. Your kind is rare. Alphas would kill to possess you."
She wiped her tears.
"I've made sure you've been on suppressants, but Duke Gary Rowland is a dominant alpha. He already suspects. The test was only formality, meant to confirm his suspicion."
"Mama…" My voice trembled. "What does he want to do with me?"
She closed her eyes before answering.
"He could sell you into slavery. Use you. Or share you with other dominant alphas who haven't found their mates." disgusting.
Fear paralyzed me.
"Can I refuse?" I whispered. "If he comes for me?"
"No," she said firmly. "Neither your brother nor I can stop it. It's the law. Alphas have rights over dominant omegas. You're in his territory. By law, you belong to him."
Tears streamed down my face.
"Would you give me to him?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
"I would die before letting him touch my baby," my
mother declared.
"Me too," my brother Alex echoed.
We clung to one another, crying, until my mother finally pulled away.
"Your brother will take you to the airport tonight. Your flight leaves at six in the morning. Everything has already been arranged. We took the test so they wouldn't suspect anything. Before the results come out, you'll be gone."
She held my face tightly.
"You must never miss your suppressants. Even one day without them, and your scent will expose you. Wash the black dye from your hair. Change your appearance. Stay hidden. Never contact us. Never come back."
My heart shattered.
"You're not coming with me?" I sobbed.
"Do not let our sacrifice be in vain," she said sternly. "I trained you to survive for this reason. Use what I taught you."
We waited in silence, the ticking clock echoing through the manor. Only then did I realize why all the servants had been sent away.
She was protecting me.
That night, my brother drove me to the airport, taking different routes to confuse anyone who might follow. At the terminal, he hugged me tightly.
"Everything you need is in your bag," he said. "Money, documents, school fees. Further your education. Keep your head down, little sis."
Before leaving, he whispered,
"We love you. Always remember that."
And just like that, I was alone.