Of all things, the one Perseus hated most was getting pregnant, like an Omega.
In this world, anyone of any gender could become pregnant, but no one was treated like an Omega. Society expected it, the Matriarch approved it, and of course, Alphas coveted him.
He had undergone a medical exam. His male Omega reproductive cavity was too narrow for normal conception. The Matriarch forced him to take medication. After his heats, she instructed the servants to prepare supplements for him: chicken broth with a thick layer of gamey fat. Perseus was too exhausted to comply and secretly dumped them away.
Suppressants had kept him stable throughout his life. Over-the-counter Omega suppressants barely worked, so he had secretly imported stronger ones through special channels. Somehow, the Matriarch found out. From then on, he was forbidden to use any suppressants.
When the susceptibility period arrived, he had to cancel all work and spend three days to a week locked in his room, writhing like a beast craving semen, surviving the heat through friction alone until it passed.
He had a malformed body, likely due to his underdeveloped reproductive system. It embarrassed him deeply. He rarely touched the organ between his legs. During his heats, he felt his body turn into a pool of water, endlessly leaking from below. After a wave of heat, his towel and sheets would be soaked with a sweet, metallic scent, signaling just how hungry, how wanton he was. When the heat ended, servants tried to tidy his room, but he once smashed an ink bottle and yelled at them all.
The servants reported it to the Matriarch. This marked the beginning of the "marriage." Most Omegas longed to marry early to escape repeated heats, but Perseus did not. He knew his mother well: if she wanted to arrange a marriage, he just had to let her.
She was picky, cunning, and the chosen wife would not stay long, either driven out or forced to flee.
He was right, except he hadn't anticipated one thing. His Alpha had been bought from another family by his mother, and she acted more like a multi-tasking servant than a bride.
That night, he rode a train overnight, returning home across great distances, only to survive his heat safely. Yet the Alpha appeared in the kitchen. Household servants were all Betas, but during susceptibility, their senses were unusually sharp. When he caught a faint floral scent from the newcomer, he thought it was his imagination.
He returned to his room. Soon, his Alpha brought him coffee, knocking lightly on the door. Perseus granted, "Come in," but the person didn't move. All he heard was the tray being gently set down.
"Mr. Audric, your coffee is ready. I placed it on the cart by the door," the Alpha said from outside.
Perseus found it odd. He stood and opened the door, but Alpha was already gone. The coffee sat in a delicate porcelain cup, with the requested cream, alongside toasted sourdough topped with cheese, jam, and egg wash, piping hot.
He hadn't intended to eat, frowning as he carried the tray inside, but unexpectedly, the coffee and bread were just to his taste.
He had traveled all night and was starving. With the coffee in hand, he devoured every last piece of the bread.