Page 9 of Daughter of Garnet

I was a fine student. Not great, not exceptional, but okay. My professors urged me to declare a path of study, one that could be adapted depending on my designation, but I never did.

What would be the point?

They will put me where they want me.

Choice is an illusion in this world. They say we’ll have input in our career, but how can we when, if we’re Betas, there is a whole swath of them unavailable to us just because we weren’t given a Blessing?

A tiny voice whispers in the back of my head that I don't need to worry about that because I'm not a Beta, but I dismiss it. This is just my anxious brain telling me the worst-case scenario again.

My entire life, I’ve dreaded the idea of being an Omega. Nothing about the designation seems as charmed as society would like us to believe. Sure, they are given everything they could ever want, riches and comforts beyond my wildest dreams, and are doted on by their Alphas, but a gilded cage is still a cage. They are coveted in the same way that a beautiful work of art is. They are neither respected nor asked for their opinions on anything.

Omegas don't have jobs. They are expected to keep their homes beautiful, their bodies tight, and pop out a bunch of babies. It is not a life I desire, nor one that I am suited for.

No, the more I think about it, the more I am sure that I am not an Omega. No sane God would Bless me as one. They wouldn’t want me to be miserable. Our Gods are benevolent. They care for us as their children.

None of them would curse me with that fate.

And the fact that the voice came after I touched the garnet? The representation of the dormant Goddess Ilota? That makes it even more unlikely that the thought was anything more than my fears manifesting in my mind.

That’s all it can be.

I cannot be an Omega.

Sweat drips down my spine and between my breasts as I push myself harder, trying to outrun my doubts.

I stumble upon a small pond and stop to rest. Though the sun has set, lingering light casts the surrounding area in shadow. I pull my top off and wipe some of the sweat from my face. I’m not looking forward to putting it back on to run back, so maybe I’ll carry it and cross campus in my athletic bra. I assume most people are at dinner, but if they see me, who cares? We’re all adults, and we stood naked in front of one another only a few days ago.

“What a sight.” A voice, not unlike a purr, breaks the silence of the small clearing. “A pretty Omega like you shouldn't be out once the sun goes down. Don’t you know there are predators around?”

I turn to see a brutally beautiful man leaning against a tree. His hair is dark in the low light and hanging artfully messy over his forehead. His features are pointed, like he’s been carved from stone. He flicks his eyes down my body and then back up to meet mine as he takes a step closer to me. I mirror him and move backward.

He’s shirtless, showing off a tapered waist and what seems like miles of warm, taupe skin. The blue shorts he’s wearing hang low on his hips, and geometric tattoos cover his left knee and shin, drawing my attention.

When I don’t respond, he clicks his tongue. “You must be new. Omegas aren’t supposed to be out on their own after dark. What if a big, bad Alpha tries to chase and claim you?” There is a threat in his voice, like he's the one who will do it.

I need to get out of here.

“I’m not an Omega.” The words make my tongue feel tight, but I push through them. “So thanks for the worry, but I’m fine.”

His mouth purses in a frown, his nostrils flare, and he narrows his eyes at me. “Now, why would you lie about such a thing when your scent speaks for itself? I can smell you, Omega. You’re so sweet. Like nectar.”

That can’t be right.

If Alphas can smell me, they’d have figured it out already. I've been around too many people not to have been called out yet.

Even more proof that I am not an Omega.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I am not one of the Blessed. I have no beast to speak of.”

He shakes his head and takes another step closer, bringing with him the rich scent of cedar from the tree he was leaning against. “Why are you lying, Omega? Do you think I’m a fool?” The growl in his voice has the hairs on my arms standing on end. There is a measured violence in his tone, like he's coiled tight and waiting to pounce. My heart is close to beating out of my chest at his proximity, but I can’t back up any farther without falling into the pond. “Maybe you can convince a Beta with your lies, but every Alpha you come across will know.”

I sidestep him, turning so I don’t give a predator my back. “I’m not lying to you. What do I have to gain from that? I'm not an Omega. You’re welcome to check my admission documents. Zoe Ansell.”

“Zoe Ansell.” He rolls my name across his tongue, and it sends a shiver down my spine. “I don’t need to look at documentation to know what my beast is telling me. But fine. If you won’t tell me the truth, your beast will.”

Before my eyes, the man shoves off his shorts and his body cracks, grows, and morphs. It is only seconds before he's gone, replaced by a large feline with curved teeth jutting from its mouth. The creature is massive, easily reaching my shoulders. His fur is sandy brown and covered in unique markings that match the dark shade of his hair.

Is he a fucking sabertooth tiger? Aren't they extinct? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?