As the salesman ran towards the man, he tried to remember who was sitting there. But he couldn't remember anything. Usually, that corner was occupied by sick omegas who were never sold and were already on the verge of death. Yes, it didn't matter whether the goods were beautiful or not, but if they were defective...
"He has a week left to live at most," the salesman replied, not hiding the truth. "If you didn't like the previous omega, I can show you a more modest one, but with the same characteristics."
The alpha ignored the man's words and slowly crouched down. He took a used handkerchief from his pocket, placed it on the bars, and wrapped his arms around them.
"Look up at me," his already rough voice whispered like a bear's roar.
Omega, who until recently had been sensing dozens of scents and unrelenting heat, slowly raised his blue eyes under the influence of the enchanting voice. His unfocused gaze met the scarlet lips.
"How old are you?"
"..."
"Do you feel like you're going to die in a week?"
"..."
"Do you understand this language?"
A stream of endless questions poured out onto the omega. But because of the constant noise, his ears really blocked out many of the words spoken by the mysterious man.
"He, my Lord, is not a local. He was brought here from the east a couple of months ago, but he still hasn't gotten used to this world. His body is refusing to live more and more with each passing day."
The alpha, as if ignoring the merchant's words, slowly reached his hand into the cage so as not to scare the animal. Anticipating that the omega would be frightened like a rabbit, he suppressed his pheromones.
"So, do you want to live?"
For the omega, the outstretched hand did not mean that the man would colour his life with paint, provide food, shelter and love. He had often seen respectable-looking men caressing his ears, but before they even had a chance to put the key in the lock, they would start saying such dirty things that it would have been better to stay in the cage for the rest of his life.
And this man was certainly no exception.
His hand hung in the air for a long time without a response. Pulling it back, the man clicked his tongue and turned to the seller.
"How much do you want for him? Five hundred?"
The seller almost jumped up and down on the spot. Defective goods were sold for ten gold coins, because they could break before the deal was completed. But this man valued him as highly as the best goods.
A sly smile appeared on his face. "Come now, I value my customers, so I'll give you a discount - four hundred."
"Are you sure it will break in a week?"
"Yes, I'll be damned if this little guy lives longer than that. He's been refusing food for two days now."
The man looked at the omega again, but this time more thoughtfully.
"Is he a virgin?"
A light sweat broke out on the merchant's body.
"Or did he pass through your hands too?"
It was not worth lying when there was a suspicious aristocrat with strong pheromones right in front of him. Gathering all his strength, he replied:
"No, what are you talking about? No one wanted him. Everyone is afraid of catching a foreign disease. And when I checked him, his hole was so tight that I can say without a doubt that he is a virgin."
The man nodded with satisfaction and took four bags of money out of a bag hidden under his cloak. Casually tossing the bags at the merchant's feet, he crouched down again. The man's broad back completely blocked the cage from prying eyes. The merchant swallowed and quickly stepped aside with the bags. The man lowered his hood.
A straight nose, thin lips, and coal-black eyes fixed on the omega. His eyes, cold and infinitely powerful, plunged the omega into even greater despair. The man's strong jaw and neck twitched as he let out a chuckle.
The man opened his mouth and, quietly so that only the omega could hear, uttered a short, gentle-sounding phrase in a foreign language.
At that moment, the shackles on the omega's hands rattled. With a heart-rending growl, he began to thrash from side to side. His small head banged against the bars, and his light hair fluttered around the cage like a bird's wings.
"... !!!"
The omega shouted words in a foreign language, spat, and tears streamed down his delicate but dirty face.
Mesmerised by such a magnificent sight, the alpha let out a quiet moan of bliss.
Yes, this was what he had been looking for for so long. This was the one he had been searching for.
And now he was his. Completely.
"Take the chains off him," requested the merchant, annoyed by the behaviour of the quiet boy, who seemed ready to die.
A second later, two burly men approached the cage. They easily unlocked it with a key and confidently approached the omega. The cage was designed for one small omega. Therefore, it was physically impossible for two of them to squeeze in there. The thug, who was smaller than his companion, approached the violent youngster and, twisting his arm so that he could not resist, unfastened the shackles.
The chains clanked. The omega was pulled out. He could barely stand, his whole body trembling. The cold air burned his skin, but the real chill was the realisation that his fate was sealed.
The metal rings fell to the ground. His arms hung limply at his sides. He stood before his new master, unable to resist either with his mind or his instincts.
Alpha, still smirking, approached Omega.
Slap!
A resounding slap echoed through the hall. The crowd, which had already lost interest in the majestic aristocrat, froze.
Before his cheek had time to start hurting, a second resounding slap landed on his other cheek.
The omega was tossed from side to side like a rag doll in the hands of two thugs.
"One more time..." No one in the hall could understand the language the alpha was speaking, but it didn't matter, because the guy opposite him understood him perfectly. "One more time you run away from me, and I'll lock you in a cage much smaller than this one."