Mom and I were back on the road, the car humming softly beneath us as we followed the address Dr. Loraine had given us. The coordinates felt more like something for a treasure hunt than a doctor's referral. It was still a surprise why Loraine, a thoroughly modern doctor who specialized in Omega health, would send us to meet an "Elder Omega," let alone one living down a dirt road.
It felt less like a conventional medical consultation and more like… a quest into the unknown. But I didn't dwell on it too much. My body still throbbed faintly from Maximus's assault, and the sheer terror of my pheromone spike lingered like a phantom scent. If this elder, this mysterious figure, could offer any help, any glimmer of understanding about my bewildering condition, about my future, I was willing to try anything. Desperate times, I suppose.
The familiar sprawl of the city and its concrete arteries quickly gave way to the quieter, greener outskirts of the city. Soon, the paved road ended abruptly, and Mom's car began to crunch rhythmically along a dirt path, thick dust pluming briefly behind us. We were surrounded by a dense canopy of l trees, their branches intertwining overhead, filtering the sunlight into dappled patterns that danced across the hood of the car. The air grew noticeably cooler, richer with the earthy scent of damp soil, decaying leaves, and distant flora – a sharp, refreshing contrast to the exhaust fumes and urban clamor we'd left behind. After a few winding turns, almost as if the forest itself parted for us, a clearing opened up before us.
Nestled within the trees was a small, unassuming house. It was undeniably cozy, almost quaint, with weathered wooden siding and a well-tended garden bursting with native plants and vibrant wildflowers. The paint was faded but not peeling, and the windows gleamed, suggesting meticulous care and a loving hand. It radiated a quiet warmth, an ancient peace that seemed to welcome us even before we reached the front door. The property was wide enough that Mom could easily pull over, parking our car a respectful distance in front of the quaint structure, turning off the engine with a soft click that seemed unnaturally loud in the sudden stillness.
The profound silence that followed was immediately broken. From somewhere behind a rustic wooden fence, a flurry of sharp, insistent barks erupted, announcing our arrival with a vigor that made me flinch. A wave of nervous energy surged through me. Just as I instinctively tightened my grip on my backpack strap, uncertain whether to step out and face the canine welcoming committee. A figure emerged from the house, moving with surprising grace and quiet authority to quell the commotion.
I saw a woman, silhouetted against the bright afternoon light. She looked young enough that I'd guess she was perhaps a few years older than me, maybe in her early twenties. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a practical braid, and her eyes, even from a distance, held a calm alertness, a natural watchfulness that seemed ingrained. She approached our car cautiously, her gaze assessing us, but thankfully, not unfriendly. The dogs, now quieted to whimpers and soft growls, still watched us intently from their enclosure, their curiosity piqued.
"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice clear and even, devoid of any suspicion, carrying a faint melodic lilt. "We don't get many visitors out here."
Mom, ever quick to explain our presence, leaned forward slightly, offering her most reassuring Beta smile. "Yes, we're here to meet an Elder Omega. Dr. Loraine Lazo sent us."
The woman's eyes widened perceptibly, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her features, instantly disarming any lingering caution she might have held. The mention of an Elder Omega and Loraine's name seemed to genuinely impress her. "An Elder Omega? My grandmother?" she repeated, her gaze shifting quickly between me and Mom, a fresh wave of curiosity now evident, particularly in her long stare at me. The surprise quickly morphed into a warm, inviting smile. "Please, come in. It's... it's just very rare for us to have visitors, especially for Grandma. She'll be surprised, but I think she'll be glad to see you." She gestured towards the house, stepping aside to let us pass.
Mom and I exchanged a hesitant glance. Despite her friendliness, the remoteness of the place and the unexpected revelation about the elder still made me feel a little wary, a knot of apprehension tightening in my stomach. But her genuine invitation felt sincere, and so, with a shared breath, we followed her inside.
The moment I stepped across the threshold, the house felt immediately, profoundly calm. It was an almost palpable sense of peace that seemed to emanate from within its aged walls. The air was filled not just with the scent of wood and faint dust, but also that unique blend of soothing aromas I'd noticed at Loraine's clinic—lavender, chamomile, and something else, something subtly sweet and comforting that reminded me vaguely of my own suppressed Omega scent, but gentler, more refined, like a whisper of home. It was the comforting smell of other Omegas, or perhaps, a space meticulously designed for them. Everything looked simple but well-chosen, each piece of furniture sturdy and functional, yet beautiful in its craftsmanship. The space was meticulously neat, conveying a sense of quiet comfort and deep history. The woman led us to the living room, a cozy space bathed in soft light streaming through the windows. She gestured towards a plush, well-worn sofa covered in a quilted fabric, its cushions inviting.
"Please, have a seat," she offered, her movements unhurried, graceful. "Make yourselves comfortable. We don't get many people visiting us, especially Grandma. And if someone does, it's usually for something very important." This final comment sent a fresh ripple of nervousness through me. What could be so important about me? What did she mean?
The woman then introduced herself, her voice gentle and melodic. "I'm Astrid. I'm a Beta, and I'm her great-granddaughter." Her smile was warm, reassuring, hinting at a deep well of patience. "So, Loraine sent you. That's wonderful! She's my Aunt, you know. We don't see her often, but she's always been good to us, and always speaks highly of Grandma."
A small, comfortable silence settled, filled only by the distant chirping of birds and the soft rustle of leaves outside. Then Astrid, with another warm smile, excused herself. "I'll go get Grandma. She'll be so pleased, but sometimes she needs a little help getting around. Feel free to explore a bit, if you like, or just relax." She disappeared into the back of the house, leaving Mom and me alone in the quiet, scented room.
I felt a surge of apprehension as Astrid left. My heart began to pound a slow, heavy rhythm against my ribs. What would this elder Omega be like? What could she possibly tell me that Loraine couldn't? Mom sensed my renewed nervousness, immediately reaching for my hand, her fingers intertwining with mine and giving it a gentle squeeze for comfort. Her presence was a steady, familiar anchor in this strange, new, yet strangely comforting environment. I clung to her hand, drawing strength from her.
The wait stretched, each second magnifying the anticipation. The ticking of a grandfather clock in the corner filled the silence, a rhythmic pulse that echoed my own heartbeat. Then, finally, a soft shuffling sound approached.
Not long after, Astrid reappeared, carefully guiding an older woman towards the living room. The elder was surprisingly small, her frame delicate, her movements slow but deliberate, supported by Astrid's arm. Her hair was a luminous, silvery-white halo around a face deeply lined with age, a map of countless experiences, but her eyes, though clouded with years, held a startling depth, a profound wisdom that seemed to penetrate right through me. She looked so calm, so composed, radiating an inner strength that transcended her physical frailty, an Omega presence unlike anything I'd ever imagined. I could feel her wisdom and strength almost like a palpable aura, an incredible presence for an Omega. She sat down directly in front of me, in a specially cushioned armchair, her gaze, surprisingly sharp and incredibly intense, resting intently on my face. It felt as though she wasn't just looking at me, but into me.
"What brings you to my humble abode?" the elder asked, her voice raspy with age but clear, carrying a gentle authority that brooked no pretense. It was a voice that seemed to hold centuries of stories.
Mom immediately spoke up, her voice tinged with the anxiety she usually tried to hide, but also with hope. "Elder Lara, my son, Jules, is having some problems. We were hoping you could offer some guidance. He... he experienced a pheromone spike yesterday, quite strong."
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. I knew this was the moment. "I'm... I'm an Omega," I whispered, the words feeling heavy, a confession I never spoke aloud to anyone beyond my mother and Dr. Lazo. It was my deepest, most vulnerable secret, revealed here in this quiet, ancient room.
A flicker, swift and subtle, crossed the elder's ancient face. Not shock or disgust, or even pity, but something akin to profound surprise, mixed with a hint of recognition, as if a missing piece of a puzzle had suddenly clicked into place for her. Her eyes, those deep, knowing eyes, widened fractionally. What she said next was something that Mom and I weren't expecting at all.
"I didn't know it would happen so soon," Elder Lara murmured, her gaze fixed intently on me, as if peering into my very soul, seeing something in me that I couldn't. Her voice held a quiet resonance, a deep hum.
My brow furrowed, a spark of urgent curiosity overriding my nervousness. "What do you mean, 'so soon'?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, leaning forward slightly, desperate for clarity.
The elder's gaze deepened, becoming serious, almost piercing. "Throughout the years, my dear boy, I have had countless dreams. Visions, some might call them. Prophecies, perhaps. Images of a future yet to unfold." She looked directly into my eyes, and I found I couldn't look away, mesmerized by the depth there. "Something that involved you. A male Omega. One destined for a unique path, unlike any we have seen in centuries. One who is meant to have a soulmate. A true Mate."
My breath hitched. Soulmates? Mates? The words sounded like something ripped from a fantasy novel, from the oldest, most improbable Beta romance stories. I stared at her in utter disbelief, my mind struggling to reconcile her calm pronouncement with everything I'd ever been taught. "But... but having a soulmate is just a myth," I stammered, shaking my head vehemently, desperate to ground myself in reality. "A legend. A fairy tale from ancient times. No one in recorded history has ever encountered one. It's just a story Beta romance novels tell to sell books, a pretty idea for those who can't face reality."
Elder Lara's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile, full of a quiet, ancient amusement that seemed to mock my certainty. "A myth, you say? A legend?" She reached a frail hand to the back of her head, her fingers deftly parting her silvery-white hair. With a slow, deliberate movement, she pulled her hair forward, exposing the nape of her neck.
And there it was. A faint, almost faded mark, barely visible against her aged skin, just below her hairline. It was a bite mark. The unmistakable, crescent-shaped indentation of an Alpha's fangs, once a fresh wound, now a healed scar, a permanent testament etched onto her skin. The indelible mark of a bond, a claim. It was proof. Irrefutable. A silent, powerful testament to a truth I had always dismissed as fiction, something too beautiful and too impossible to exist. My world tilted on its axis.
I stared at the mark, my mind reeling, utterly speechless. My gaze flickered from the bite mark to her ancient, knowing eyes. I didn't know how to react, how to process what I was seeing. A mate. A real mate. The concept, once dismissed as fantasy, was suddenly, horrifyingly, breathtakingly real. My own Omega nature, which I despised, suddenly felt... different. Not just a curse, but perhaps, a destiny.
After a long moment of stunned silence, my brain struggling to catch up, I finally found my voice, a whisper of awe and confusion. "But... why?" I asked, looking from the mark to her ancient eyes, the question echoing my deepest bewilderment. "Why me? What could possibly be the reason why I'll have a soulmate?"
Elder Lara's gaze softened, filled with an ancient compassion that made her eyes seem even deeper. "Because you, my dear, have a greater purpose. Something that would change your life forever. Something that will change many lives. Every Omega blessed with a Mate carries such a purpose. It is a sign, a calling, a profound responsibility. Your life, Jules, will not be ordinary. It cannot be." She leaned back slightly, her gaze distant, as if looking into another time, another dimension, seeing echoes of the past and glimpses of the future. "My purpose, in my time, was to be an elder. To guide, to heal, to be a person where our kind could seek help, seek understanding, when the world sought to confuse and control them. Your purpose... it will be revealed, but it will be vast."
She then looked directly at me, her eyes holding a deep, ancient sadness that seemed to stretch back through time. "And our purpose, our very existence, is far grander than what you've been taught. The god Elios created us this way. He breathes life into every Omega, blessing them with a sensitive spirit and a connection to the deepest truths of the world."
I frowned, a wave of confusion washing over me. Elios? I'd never heard of such a god. My entire life, every textbook, every history lesson, every news report, had taught us a very different origin story. It was the fundamental truth of our society, ingrained from birth. "But... but that's not right," I stammered, shaking my head, desperate to cling to the reality I knew, the scientific explanations that made sense of our world. "As long as everyone knows, the origin of our secondary genders was because of a genetic engineering program. A scientific endeavor, designed by early human governments to control population, emotions, and hierarchy. It's in every textbook. Every history lesson. It's scientific fact! How can you say a god created us? That's... impossible."
The elder looked at me calmly, her ancient eyes holding a sorrowful wisdom that seemed to pierce through my ingrained beliefs, dismantling them brick by brick. Her voice dropped, becoming a low, resonant hum that seemed to vibrate in the very air around us.
"All of those were a lie, my child," she stated, her gaze unwavering, her voice devoid of anger, only a profound, weary truth. "A carefully constructed fabrication, perpetuated for centuries to keep us compliant, to keep us blind to our true power. We were not engineered. We were created. By the Triad. The three primordial gods."