-Elias Grayson:
People always talk about Omegas like we're fragile. Like we're soft, submissive, easy to shape. Like every one of us is waiting for an Alpha to tell us what to do, waiting for someone to lead, to dominate, to top and fuck us, to own us in every possible way. That's what the stories say. That's what the world expects. And... That's every single omega I know is like.
I've never been like that.
I have never felt the need to be bend or to kneel. I don't want to be fucked. Even the idea of being… the bottom, in every sense, has always made me feel cornered. Trapped. Wrong. But when I think of being the top, the one who gives instead of receiving, being the one who dominates and guides, I like it, I feel good, comfortable and in the right place. And maybe that's why I've never been in a relationship.
Omegas mate Alphas, or at least that's how it's supposed to work. And sure, some Alphas might play along, let you think you're in control for a while—but the truth is, they aren't wired to submit. Not to an omega like me. Not to anyone. They lead. They dominate. And I've never met an Alpha who would willingly let me take the lead.
So I haven't tried. Not seriously. Not ever.
My dad… he tried. Multiple times. Patiently. Carefully. Never mocking, never joking. He'd sit me down and say, "Elias, you're not going to stay alone forever. You deserve someone who loves you. Someone who was made for you." And I'd explain. I'd tell him the truth: that I'm not built for the path the world wants for me, that I can't just bend myself into someone else's idea of normal, that I can't let myself be something I'm not, no matter how badly people want me to be.
And he always understood. Always. The only one who ever really did. He never laughed. Never rolled his eyes. Never said, "You'll figure it out." He just nodded, maybe sighed, and promised me that someone would come along who belonged to me as much as I belonged to them. Someone who wouldn't try to force me into a shape I can't wear.
My mom… she's a different story. She wants grandchildren. I'm her only child, and I know she worries. She drops hints, sometimes direct requests, sometimes in that soft way mothers do when they're trying to persuade without arguing. "You know," she says, "an Alpha will never be submissive. That's how they're made. You need someone to… guide you, to lead, that we are built as omegas, sweetheart."
I nod. I smile. I try to explain. But she doesn't understand the way my father does. She thinks I should want what everyone else wants. She doesn't see that my path isn't like theirs. I don't hate Alphas, not one of them. They're strong, capable, fierce—and I respect them. I just… I wish I could be "normal," I guess. I wish I could be a normal omega who wants nothing more than finding an alpha to submit to them and have babies. But I can't force myself to be someone I'm not.
So I live in the cracks between what people expect and who I am. Quietly. Carefully. And alone.
Because being alone is better than being… a fake version of myself.
_________
I'm twenty-one. This is my last year at university, and I can finally taste the end. Computer science might not be glamorous, but it's mine. I do well enough, and it's exactly what I want to do for the future I've imagined for myself. Sometimes I think about how easy it would be to coast through life if I didn't care so much, but I like being competent. I like knowing I can handle whatever comes next.
And speaking of handling things… my life in the pack isn't so different. I have a lot of friends—some because I'm technically the next leader of our pack, the one who could step up if anything happened to my father, and some because they genuinely like me. I can tell the difference. Felix and Adeline are two of those people. Friends who've been there since high school. Who know me before all the expectations and the "future leader" title.
"Eli!" Felix calls as I round the corner of the campus quad, backpack slung over one shoulder. He's frowning at a stack of papers he's juggling in one hand. "I swear, if one more professor assigns something due this week, I'm going to lose my mind!"
"You say that every week," I tease, sidestepping a group of students walking the opposite direction. "You survive every time. It's your last year—just power through."
"I can't just power through!" Felix groans, tossing a paper into the air and catching it again. "I've got three projects, two finals, and some ridiculous presentation that counts for, like, fifty percent of my grade!"
I laugh. "And here I thought I was the stressed one."
"Ha! Yeah, right," he mutters. "At least you don't have to present to an entire lecture hall while people judge your coding style!"
Adeline appears from behind him, jogging to catch up. Her hair's tied back in a messy braid, her backpack swinging on one shoulder. "Stop complaining, Felix. You're almost done. One more semester, and we're free."
"Free," he repeats, dragging the word out. "Finally. I just want to graduate and never see a textbook again."
I glance at them both, smiling. "I know the feeling. Honestly, though… this year hasn't been too bad. A little crazy with all the assignments, sure. But I've managed. And I've got good people around me."
Felix nudges me. "Yeah, we know, Mr. 'Next Leader of the Pack.' People flock to you because you're technically the future alpha—or, well, you would be, if you weren't…" He shrugs, smirking. "You know, an omega. You're stuck being the… what is it? The luna?"
I roll my eyes but laugh. "Yeah. Luna. Not like I care. I'm fine. I don't want to be alpha anyway. Whoever my mate is will take that role. I'm not meant to lead a pack. And that's fine with me."
Adeline grins. "You're really happy with the way things are, huh?"
"I am," I admit. "Dad's great. Pack's stable. I've got friends I actually trust. It's… comfortable. Good."
Felix groans again. "Comfortable is not what I want in my last year. I want chaos and freedom. And ice cream. Lots of ice cream."
Adeline laughs, elbowing him. "We'll get there. But right now, let's survive classes first."
I glance around the quad, students rushing to and from lectures, people laughing in groups, the sun warming my shoulders. I feel… lucky. Lucky to have these people. Lucky to have a life that's mine, in a way.