Omega Mine

It was a much smoother process than Josie would have thought to infiltrate the inner city. The guards at the gate entrance hadn’t even given her a second glance from her spot atop the bench attached to the cart. Instead, he took a look at the cart full of food, grumbling in irritation that it was only for the high level officials within.

Regardless of their foul moods, they waved her through with no problem, grimacing at her baggy clothes as if she were a leper because she wasn’t wearing anything revealing like most of the women that dwelled in the city center.

It was common knowledge that those women were often just used as maids, cooks, or breeders for the men, especially here. They weren’t treated as anything other than second class citizens because they carried a genetic marker that could result in them birthing an Omega, Alpha or Beta.

It wasn’t just Omegas that could further the mutated population; it was human women too. As such, the men refused to provide basic decency to their women.

Besides that, Josie didn’t care that they found her wardrobe distasteful, or unbecoming. She was supposed to keep a low profile, to hide her scent by using whatever clothing was provided by Sierra. The less men that found her worthy of a second look, the better.

The last thing she wanted was to be the center of attention for males like that.

Josie followed the instructions they gave her, directing her horse forward by the reins until they reached some kind of small stadium. It was times like these she wished all of the towns had communal cars to use, not just those with more money. It would have been much simpler to drive an SUV to the front as opposed to a horse and buggy.

Various flood lights protruded from the top of the structure, lighting up the entire area in a bright white glow that hurt her eyes. The walls were high and the building looked sturdy enough, but she could hear distinct shouting from within, almost as if the noise traveled up and over the walls.

Was there a rooftop? She couldn’t see and didn’t dare stare up at the bright floodlights again.

The horse pulled the cart up to the front entrance of the building, stopping at two giant wooden doors that looked like they weighed several hundred pounds each.

More males had taken up posts in front of the doors, assault rifles in their hands, and her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t noticed guns on the guards that had allowed her entry into the city, so why were these males armed?

Her only guess was to keep the Alphas and Betas in check that were fighting within, which only made her heart beat harder, anticipation overriding her momentary fear. She was so close to discovering if Bethany’s son was here, so close to aiding the rebellion. Finally, after all this waiting, she truly felt a spark of hope.

She hopped down from the bench in front of the cart, patting the horse’s rump soothingly as the guards approached.

“You haven’t been here before,” one of them said gruffly, eyeing her up and down before inspecting the horse. “You know the rules?”

Josie shook her head.

“We’ll get the supplies where they’re going, but you’ll have to step inside for payment. You’ll go up the stairs on the left hand side, just beyond these doors. Don’t stop until you reach the top. There will be a door. Knock and wait for an answer.”

He didn’t give her a chance to ask any questions, nodding for the other guard to open the gate as he pulled out a walkie talkie, alerting whoever was on the other side that they needed to come pick up a delivery.

Sierra had told her something a little different beforehand. Wasn’t a guard supposed to escort her inside? Anxiety began to creep in. Just take the stairs all the way to the top, she chided herself. It shouldn’t be a problem, and it was too late to back out, but now she felt inadequate. Unsure.

As the doors opened for her, her mouth dried as the sounds of fighting and cheers grew incredibly loud. She almost covered her ears, but stopped herself at the last second. Normal humans wouldn’t be bothered by the shrieks and gleeful cries coming from the patrons, so she needed to pretend the same.

Thanking them, Josie stepped inside, moving to the left as the heavy doors slowly closed shut behind her. She walked on concrete floors, staring at thick, concrete columns that held the structure together. Large, black flags hung from the walls, with emblems of humans standing over beasts sewn into the fabric.

There was a massive crowd all around her, making it difficult to spot the staircase that she needed. She bumped into several people, keeping her eyes downcast, hunching her shoulders to make her five-feet inch frame appear even smaller. Keeping to the left, Josie walked at a brisk pace until she found the stairs.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she followed them up several flights until she reached a landing. There was a short hallway with another wooden door at the end that was partially open. The sight of it was ominous for some reason, and Josie paused, gulping.

Maybe she should turn back downstairs, head into the stadium center and see if she could catch a glimpse of the fights. But then again, she’d already been spotted by several guards. If she didn’t take the payment, they’d grow suspicious, wouldn’t they? Or wonder where she’d gone?

Taking a deep, calming breath, Josie walked down the hall, ignoring the tightness that grew in her chest and the sinking feeling in her gut.

When she got near enough, she heard voices from the inside of the room. Hushed, but severe. Angry. She’d barely caught one syllable before the door was ripped open, someone standing on the other side that she hadn’t expected or heard move.

Josie jumped in surprise, eyes colliding with a set of pale, glowing green.

There was a Beta staring right at her. He was the first one she’d seen in well over a year, and she could tell that he was poorly treated. Scars littered every inch of his flesh that she could see, and despite the glow in his eyes, they were empty. Dead.

Sweat formed on her brow as she took an instinctive step back, afraid that he’d be able to tell that she was an Omega. He wouldn’t, not with the scent blockers and her borrowed clothing.

“Commander,” the Beta said over his shoulder, keeping his sights locked on Josie. “We have an eavesdropper.”

“What?” Josie exclaimed, shaking her head quickly. “No, I wasn’t doing anything like that! I’m merely here seeking payment for my town’s supplies.”

The Beta was lightning-fast, rushing into the hallway and snatching her arm in a bruising grip. Josie hissed in pain, the heels of her worn sneakers digging into the ground as he dragged her into the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

“Let go of me!” she snapped, twisting her arm in an attempt to pull free of him. It was no use. She was as weak as a human.

The Beta did as she asked, letting go and pushing her forward with an alarming amount of force. Josie was launched across the room, her legs clipping a heavy leather chair before she fell to her knees, right at the edge of a wide, mahogany desk.

A human male, the ‘Commander’ of the city, she assumed, eyed her from his seat behind the desk, lips curled in a sneer. There was a glass wall behind him that must have overlooked the fighting pits in the stadium, and despite her fear, curiosity bloomed.

“State your name.”

“Josephine Carver,” she answered immediately, wincing as pain began to register in her knees and arm. “I delivered some supplies from Hinksley, the town on the edge of–”

The Commander held up his hand and her jaw snapped close. “I’m aware of where Hinksley is. What I’m unaware of is why exactly you’re here.”

“I-I–”

“Spit it out,” the Beta snarled from behind her, grabbing her thick brown hair and twisting the strands. Josie let out a small sound of distress as he yanked her head back, exposing her throat. She gaped up at him, reaching for his wrists and clawing at his flesh. He didn’t even acknowledge when she broke his skin, his grip absolute.

“I was told to come up the flight of stairs. Follow it to the top and knock at the door. The guards told me this is where I’d receive payment,” she stated again, resisting the intense urge to snarl in challenge at the Beta hurting her.

“You’ve gone up the wrong set of stairs,” the Commander said from across the room. “Nor did you knock when you arrived, which leads me to believe my Beta was correct in the assumption that you were eavesdropping. What kind of intel were you searching for that you couldn’t discover on your back? Any number of men would be eager to spill a few secrets after using you for their pleasure, and yet you’ve sought to come here.”

The suggestion that she use her body for intel was abhorrent. Disgusting even, and Josie visibly cringed. “I wasn’t after anything but payment for our supplies,” she said, only to wince when the fist tightened in her hair.

“Are you telling me I’m wrong? That Commander Ortega is wrong?” the Beta asked, leaning down until he was breathing in her ear. His warm breath fanned the side of her face and she shivered, wary of his intent.

“Samuel, leave the poor girl alone.” The Commander sighed, waiting for Samuel to do as he instructed before he continued. “I’d like to believe that you weren’t doing something so devious, but unfortunately I don’t know you. If you’d like to prove your innocence, Josephine, you can attempt to do so.”

“How?” She rubbed at her tender scalp, biting back a small moan of pain.

Commander Ortega smiled, leaning back in his seat, eyes roaming her figure in a manner that creeped her out. “You’re already off to a good start.” At her look of confusion, he sent her a sinful smile, his thin lips stretching over his teeth. “On your knees, where a woman like you belongs. Please me and I might be inclined to let you go with a warning.”

Josie physically recoiled at the unwanted sexual implication, her back hitting Samuel’s legs, who was still standing menacingly behind her.

“What? No!”

Commander Ortega quirked a brow, his slimy smile fading into an agitated frown. “No? You don’t get to tell me no.”

“I’m not going to do that,” she snapped, indignation running through her as she slowly made her way back to her feet. “This is a simple misunderstanding and I won’t debase myself because of it!”

As soon as the words passed her lips, Josie knew she’d fucked up. She should have said yes, should have endured giving him whatever he wanted, as long as it got her out of here, even if the thought of servicing such a male made her queasy.

Commander Ortega smiled, and just behind him the crowd on the other side of the glass went absolutely wild, cheering and screaming at whatever had just transpired in the fighting ring below.

“It looks like our prized beast just won another match.” Commander Ortega nodded to Samuel and the steel bands of his arms wrapped around her chest, trapping her to his hard body. “Since pleasing me would be such a humiliating experience for you, Josephine, I’ll let you tend to the most feral beast in residence tonight. He’s amped up after killing three of his fellow mutants, so I’m sure he’ll be excited to use you however he desires.”

“You can’t do that,” Josie breathed, her entire body going cold.

The Commander stood, eyeing her reproachfully. “I can do whatever I wish. It’s too bad you didn’t take me up on my offer. I would have been far kinder to you than one of their ilk.” He shrugged, looking behind her to the Beta. “Get her out of my sight.”