Chapter Text
CHAPTER 3
Izuku hurriedly made his way to the potato field.
He had overslept.
Normally, he would wake up before sunrise to tend to his potato field. But last night he had stayed up late crying and missing his mom, causing him to wake up later than usual.
Izuku groaned, internally scolding himself for being so careless. Being late like this posed a great risk to his farm, and Izuku couldn't believe that he had allowed himself to be so careless like this.
Despite his legs screaming at him to slow down and his hands shaking from carrying heavy farming equipments, Izuku quickened his pace. A sense of bad feeling started to creep over him, but he tried to ignore it as he sprinted towards his farm.
And his bad feelings were right. As he finally reached the potato field, he was taken aback at the sight in front of him.
His once neat and well growing field was now a mess. The field looked like as if it had been ravaged by a pack of wild dogs, leaving behind countless gaping holes across the ground. The land was in complete disarray, with numerous ripe potatoes missing and small potatoes scattered about. Many young potatoes were crushed and broken, as if someone had intentionally stepped on them and destroyed them.
Devastated, Izuku sighed as he approached his field, picking up a smashed potato to examine it. It was clear that this damage was done on purpose. The villagers often vandalized his farm, stealing his ripe potatoes and destroying the young ones. This was nothing new to him. However, since he usually woke up before dawn, the villagers never had the chance to ruin his field. But now, because he overslept, it seemed those villagers had returned to their old habits.
A bitter laugh escaped Izuku's lips. It was ironic how they all spoke of him being a cursed one, how they all said that his produce was dirty and unworthy, yet here they were, stealing his "dirty" food from his field themselves, shamelessly feeding those dirty food to their children's mouth.
Hypocrites.
Izuku let out a weary sigh as he gazed down at the crushed potatoes in his hands. The snowy weather was approaching in less than a week, and if his field continued to be destroyed like this, he wouldn't have enough supplies to last through the season.
It was already difficult enough for him to trade his carrots and potatoes for just a loaf of bread, as the bread maker charged him double compared to the other villagers. Now with his farming yields diminishing due to constant theft, he doubted he could even exchange what little remained he had for a single slice of bread.
With a heavy heart, he trudged back home, thinkinh and muttering to himself about which other vegetables he could cultivate during the winter season.
As he approached his cottage, his footsteps slowed down when he noticed an alpha guard standing in front of his poorly self-constructed fence.
"Um... Good morning, sir. Can I help you?" Izuku cautiously approached the man and asked, his voice tinged with anxiety. For the past 20+ years of his life in this village, he and his mother had never received any visitors, let alone someone of high rank like a pack guard. Izuku tried to calm his raging anxiety that kept nagging him that something was wrong, and instead tried to force a smile on his face.
"The head alpha wants to speak to you," the guard said coldly, completely ignoring Izuku's greetings.
"W-what?" Izuku stuttered, taken aback.
"Head alpha wants to speak to you," the guard repeated, now glaring and grumbling. "He said it's urgent, so you better hurry up."
Izuku nervously bit the inside of his cheek, womdering what could it be this time.
He had always followed every command from the head alpha. He cut himself off the boundary of his pack, keeping his profile as low as possible to avoid drawing attention to the villagers and causing any disturbance. He only went out of his house when necessary, whether it was to tend to his potato field or visit his mother's grave. He lived alone on the outskirts of town, near the forest and far away from other people's houses. He even used less than 5 meters of the village's land to build his own cottage, made from scraps and leftover woods that surely wasn't safe and warm enough for him in the extreme weather. He already obeyed the head alpha's order to kept his cursed self away from the villagers, so what else could he possibly want now?
"Uh.." Izuku mumbled, unsure. "Can you wait for me please? I need to change into something more... um, presentable."
The beta guard eyed him up and down, taking note of his old, ragged clothes and dirty pants stained with soil and grime. He grunted, "Hurry up."
The omega quickly headed inside his small cottage, already contemplating what possible clothes to wear, to at least make him look like a normal person instead of a cursed person.
Izuku sighed as he scanned his small closet, crouching down to gather his decent clothing from his old belongings. Carefully removing his shirt, Izuku put on a clean off-white shirt and a pair of moss green pants that he didn't remember ever owning them. After splashing water on his face and taming his unruly hair in the sink, Izuku began to pan around his home, fixing everything in place, in case he would receive another unexpected guest later.
While he was busy cleaning his small one area of kitchen and living room, his eyes landed on one certain book. It was a favorite book of his, an old book that he had owned since he was a young child, a book that his mother used to read to him.
The book told storues of the great all mighty dragons from centuries ago, how the war between the dragon and ghouls had been one of the greatest battles in history. The war that led to the bond between humans and dragons.
"Dragons are amazing!" Little Izuku squealed as he jumped out of his mother's lap. "They're big, strong, and they can fly!" Izuku spread his tiny arms, pretending they were big wings, and ran around the house, making his mother laugh fondly.
"When I grow up, I want to be like the dragon! I want to defeat all the ghouls and protect humans from danger!"
Izuku smiled at the memory, but hus moment of reminiscing was abruptly interrupted when he heard the guard yelled at him to hurry up once again, prompting him to hastily shut the book close.
"Coming!" he exclaimed as he rushed out of the house.
***
Both males spent the next fifteen minutes walking towards the center of town, where the head alpha resided. The villagers, who instantly recognized him, shot him unwanted looks, sneering and glaring in disgust at his presence. Izuku said nothing as he kept a smile on his face with his head hanging down low.
Whispers of insults reached his ears, and Izuku felt himself missing the comfort of his small cottage where no one could judge or treat him badly. However, he was aware that if he didn't comply with the head alpha's wishes, he would be severely punished, and he didn't want that to happen.
Upon reaching the head alpha's house, the alpha guard, that Izuku up until now didn't know his name, stopped him. Izuku obediently halted as the guard knocked on the door. "Chisaki-sama, the omega is here," he announced.
"Let him in," a gruff voice replied.
"Yes, sir."
The guard then opened the door and nudged Izuku inside. With a deep nervous breath, Izuku entered the main house, venturing forth alone.
A grand hall unfolded before him, and because it was the house of a head alpha, it was, as he expected, large and spacious. Positioned in the center of the hall were several exquisite leather furniture pieces, inviting and luxurious. And there, amidst it all, sat the head alpha witg his feet casually crossed and his hisbhead held high.
"Welcome to my home, Midoriya," the voice greeted. Izuku stared at the figure for a long moment before widening his eyes at the recognition.
"H-head alpha?" he stammered, his voice trembling. He instantly bowed ninety degrees. "T-thank you for having me here! I apologize for being late, I- I was working at the field..."
Hearing no response from the head alpha, Izuku straightened up and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "W-why are you inviting me here... If I may ask...." he asked nervously.
"I have a proposition to make," Chisaki hummed as he stood up and slowly traveled his way towards Izuku.
Izuku felt his hands sweat at that.
What proposition could it be? Oh my god, Is he going to punish me for coming near the dragon altar? Is he going to banish me from the village and let me starve to death in the freezing winter? Or is he going to-
"I want you to be mine."
Izuku felt his eyes widened in surprise and his eyebrows rose high to his hairline. "Eh?" he stammered. "I-I'm sorry, what?"
Izuku noticed one of the alpha's eyes twitch, like he was annoyed at having to repeat himself. But Izuku couldn't bring himself to care about that, because he surely must heard wrong, right? There was no way the strongest, richest, most ppwerful alpha in this village just declared that he wanted-
"I said, I want you to be mine, Midoriya Izuku."
Izuku didn't know if it was possible, but his eyes widened even more it was starting to hurt. And Yes, he heard that. Loud and clear.
"B-but why? I'm a cursed omega, Chisaki-sama. You can't-"
"So what if you're cursed?" Chisaki cut him off impatiently. "Darling, I don't care. I'm the head alpha in this village so I get whatever I want. And I want you." Chisaki said, the warm endearment sounded so wrong in his cold monotonous voice.
"B-but, you have a soulmate mark!" Izuku stuttered, confused as to why Chisaki still wanted him when he clearly had a destined mate. "Unlike me, you have a soulmate, Chisaki-sama! You can't be with me when your soulmate is waiting for you. You can't- you can't just leave them like that!"
"Who said I will leave my soulmate?" Chisaki said, and Izuku furrowed his eyebrows in utter confusion. "Of course I will mate them."
"But..." Izuku mumbled, not knowing what to say as he stared at Chisaki in genuine perplexity. "But you said... You want to mate me-"
"When did I say I wanted to mate you?" Chisaki interrupted, appearing genuinely confused, and Izuku felt his face reddened with shame.
"Y-you said-"
Chisaki raised his hand, a silent demand for Izuku to stop talking, and Izuku complied. With a tired sigh, Chisaki spoke. "I believe there's a misunderstanding, Midoriya," he said as he stared down at Izuku. "I never said I wanted to mate you. I just said that I wanted you to be mine. That doesn't mean that I will mate with you."
Izuku just stared at him.
If the head alpha wanted him but didn't want to mate him, did it mean that he just want Izuku to be his mistress? Izuku gasped scandalously at that. So the head alpha just wanted him to be a his pleasure omega? To be his... whore???
Izuku's confused expression morphed into one of offense and humiliation, and Chisaki sneered mockingly at his reaction. "What, did you think I was trying to court you and mate with you?"
Izuku sputtered, and Chisaki burst into a maniacal laugh, as if he had just heard the funniest joke. "Do you truly believe that a lowly cursed omega like you deserves to be my mate? To stand beside me and become a head omega in my village? Hah! Don't be ridiculous!" Chisaki threw his head back, continuing to laugh.
Izuku was stunned into silence, speechless. He could only watch in silence as the alpha laughed and insulted him.
"With all the insults people threw at you, I thought that a lowly omega like you would knew your place, but I was wrong." Chisaki chuckled as he wiped the corner of his eye with the back of his finger. "When I said I want you to be mine, it doesn't mean that I want you to be a legitimate mate for me." He furrowed his eyebrows as if he couldn't even imagine Izuku thinking something so ridiculous like that. "You will be my mistress, Midoriya."
Before Izuku could speak, Chisaki spoke again. "You see, normally a cursed omega like you wouldn't even deserve such a luxury. You wouldn't even be worthy of wiping the dirt off my shoe. But here I am, offering you this opportunity to be my mistress. I'm so generous, aren't I?"
Izuku sucked in a rage breath, his eyebroes pulled tightly and his expression contorted with humiliation.
"W-Why?" he asked. "Why would you want me to be your mistress when you have your own soulmate?!"
Chisaki exhaled harshly, seemingly losing patience. "Like I said, I'm the head alpha, so I get whatever I want," Chisaki paused, "but you can also say... pity." He added. "I pity you, cursed omega. You're pretty, and you're the most hardworking omega in this village. You have so much potential, but you're cursed to be mateless forever. It would be a shame for those potentials to go to waste, don't you think? So here I am, giving you the best offer of your life." Chisaki explained, his head held high as if he expected Izuku to kneel and cry in gratitude in front of him for giving Izuku "the best offer of his life". Izuku merely glared at him in response.
When he saw Izuku still silent and unmoving, Chisaki pressed on. "Do you really want to live in a dismal place in the forest forever and have people detest you for what you are? If you agree to my proposal, I promise you, I will give you a better life and you will be filled with luxury and comfort. So come with me and be my mistress, Midoriya Izuku."
Izuku sucked in a breath. The offer was so tempting. Oh, so tempting. To live with the head alpha and have all the luxury at the grab of his hand. The thought of living in a big and comfortable house, free from the presence of snakes and bugs lurking under the bed during summer, free from the fear of his body suddenly freezing to death in a winter night, it was incredibly tempting.
If he accepted this offer, he would be treated like a normal human being and the towsnfolks would no longer throw dirt and insults at hum whenever he walked around town. He could even participate in the Dragon Day! A childhood dream come true!
But somehow, apart from all of that temporary comfort, he found it all revolting.
Being someone's mistress, especially when that person had a destined partner waiting for them with unwavering loyalty, didn't sit well with him. It didn't feel right.
And Izuku deserved more than being someone's bed warmer. He deserved someone who would treat him with love and respect, not someone who would treat him as a mere property.
No matter how difficult his life may be, he refused to sacrifice his dignity and honor for a taste of luxury. No, his mother had raised him better than that. And Izuku knew better than to accept such an offer.
So without hesitation, Izuku knew exactly how he would respond.
"No." He spoke with unwavering conviction. "I'm sorry, Chisaki-sama, but I refuse." He said firmly, resolute in his decision.
Izuku stood firm in his decision. Even when he saw the twisting red anger on the alpha's face, he didn't care, and he didn't regret it one bit. Izuku stood firm in his decision, even as two alpha guards entered the room and taking hold of his arms, dragging him out of the threshold harshly, he didnt care.
Because he would rather die than live a pathetic life as someone's mistress.
***
"Let me go!" Izuku snapped brusquely, though it was trembling at every syllable. His arms were tightly restrained by the two alphas on either side, forcefully dragging him through the town.
Izuku had no idea where he exactly was. His eyes were covered by a black fabric, rendering him blind to the world around him. But the familiar whispers and insults of the villagers confirmed that he was in the central part of village and no longer trapped in the cold basement where Chisaki had kept him for days.
Izuku trieed to thrash around once more, prompting the alpha on his right to deliver a harsh slap to the back of his head, accompanied by an angry reprimand. "This is what you get for angering the Head Alpha, you stupid cursed omega! Now stop moving and keep your mouth shut!"
Izuku growled, his desire to smash the alphas' faces into the ground intensifying. Gathering all his strength, he stomped his feet harshly into the alpha on his right, causing him to scream at thr sudden pain in his foot. Gaining leverage, he pulled himself away while they were still distracted. But before he could actually free himself, he heard the click of heavy boots behind him, followed by a suuden attack as a hand swung towards the back of his neck, narrowly missing his vagus nerve.
Gasping, Izuku's entire body collapsed to the ground in an instant.
"You imbeciles," a cold and commanding voice spoke. "Do not underestimate this one. He may be a lowly cursed omega, but he has guts."
Feeling disoriented, Izuku clenched his fingers against the ground, attempting to move. Unfortunately, he found himself unable to do so as his head throbbed painfully and his body weakened. He was on the verge of passing out, but he fought hard to keep himself conscious.
The cloth covering his eyes was roughly snatched away, and Izuku squinted his eyes at the blinding new lights assaulting his vision. In the midst of his eyes adjusting to the brightness, he saw a figure squatting down to his level, a deranged smile forming on their face, sending a shiver down the omega's spine.
"If only you accept my proposal, my dear, you wouldn't be in this position," Chisaki stated.
"Go to hell," Izuku spat, causing the guard and the villagers to gasp in horror at his audacity to speak to the head alpha in such a manner. Izuku saw the alpha's face starting to twist with that familiar red anger, and he didn't even flinch when he felt a forceful backhanded slap landed on his right cheek.
He spat out the blood and saliva that escaped his lips, defiantly lifting his head to glare menacingly at the alpha standing before him.
A sinister grin spread across the alpha's face as he let out an unhinged laugh, reveling in the omega's state. "Even after everything, you still have that attitude on you, huh?"
Chisaki raked his eyes over Izuku's fiery glare, his red swollen cheek, and his snarling lips, and he frowned. "What a shame, such a fierce little thing," he tsked. "And a pretty face too." Chisaki whispered as the back of his hand caressed the omega's cheek. Izuku flinched, desperately trying to keep his face away from the alpha.
But Chisaki was having none of that, he gripped the omega's chin harshly and forced Izuku to look at him. Chisaki sneered, "What a shame that it's all going to end up in waste, that you're going to die at the hands of a mighty beast. Your life could've been better if you just swallowed your nonexistent pride and accepted being my mistress."
Before Izuku could swear at him again or spit on his face, the alpha stood up to scan the area. The sun almost set and the villagers had gathered around the altar, excitedly chattering about the new addition of offering. Seeing this, Chisaki spoke to the guards, instructing them to add another rope to tie up the omega.
"Make sure you tie him tightly and don't let the ropes loosen. If any of you imbeciles let him escape, it will be your heads served to the dragon."
"Yes, sir!"
***
"Sons and daughters of the moon, my beloved people of Shie Hassaikai Village! Today comes the holy day of the dragon, the day we have eagerly awaited for an entire year!" A voice of one of the village elders spoke. "Let us use this holy day as a chance to thank the mighty dragon for always protecting us and our children, and pray for the prosperity of our village!"
The villagers erupted in thundering roars, the boisterius sounds assaulting Izuku's ears.
The sun had set below the horizon and the sky was painted in a beautiful orange glow. Izuku had always thought that winter had always the best sunset, but now he couldnt find himself to appreciate it. Because the color orange now served as a painful reminder of his impending fate, tied helplessly in the center of an altar, surrounded by the orange glow of fire torch that would soon be replaced by the scorching flames of a dragon. Izuku winced at the thoughts.
"My beloved people, as you all can see, we have a new sacrifice." The village elder paused, his hand gesturing on the altar where Izuku laid. "The cursed omega had been chosen as an offering to the dragon. It is our hope that through this sacrifice, all the curses that's plaguing our village will be lifted and replaced with countless blessings for this season and many more to come!" The villagers cheered louder and Izuku felt a wave of nausea rise within him as he heard the joyous reactions of those who were happy to see him die. "Long live the dragon!"
"Long live the dragon! Long live the dragon!" The villagers echoed.
The deafening roar of the dragon soaring through the sky suddenly heard, abruptly silencing the villagers as they immediately stopped their ritual song and fire dance.
As if on cue, the villagers clearing themselves, desperately searching for a place to shield themselves from the fire breath that could reduce them to ashes and the powerful wings that could send them flying 50 meters away.
Izuku felt fear sink into him.
It was true that he loved the dragons, loved hearing tales of their strength and heroism in protecting the humans, amazed at how big and strong they were. But now, as he was faced with the real thing, the magnitude of the creature's size and power overwhelmed him and he couldn't help but feel fear rushing through his body.
The tears that Izuku had suppressed in front of the villagers now streamed down his face without restraint. The shiver that had initially been caused by the cold was now intensified by fear.
He heard a loud thump and felt the ground tremble beneath him. Izuku whimpered, bracing himself for what he believed would be his last breath.
Suddenly, a rush of hot air, which Izuku assumed to be the dragon's breath, brushed against him and Izuku felt his body grew warmer.
He waited for the dragon to attack, counting to five, ten, twenty....
... But nothing happened. The dragon jus continued to huff and puff, enveloping Izuku's thinly clad body with its warm breath.
Curiosity overcame Izuku's fear, and he mustered up the courage to open his eyes. To his surprise, he was met with a pair of large, fiery red eyes staring back at him.
He felt like he was imagining it but he swore the fiery red eyes of the dragon widened after meeting Izuku's gaze. And Izuku didn't know why, but but he felt his heart racing and his breath caught in his throat when he stared back at the dragon's piercing gaze. Izuku felt his body went alight with thousands of shivers despite the dragon's warm breath shielding him from the cold winter air.
His heart beat fast, and Izuku found himself difficult to breathe, but he knew it wasn't fear causing this sensation. He knew it wasn't fear because suddenly he had this strange desire to touch the dragon, to get close to the dragon like never before.
Izuku felt strangely warm and safe around the dragon. And before he knew it, his body succumbed to exhaustion, and everything turned black.
***
Izuku woke up abruptly, his chest heaving as he desperately gasped for air, his lungs laboring to replenish the oxygen he had been lacking during his slumber.
Oh, it was just a bad dream, Izuku sighed, relief washed over him.
Taking a moment to compose himself, Izuku drew in a deep breath, his eyes shut tightly as he gently massaged his pounding chest, attempting to steady his erratic breathing.
This was the first time he felt this scared and traumatized from a single dream. Typically, nightmares didn't affect him to this extent, but this time, it felt all too real.
In his dream, the head alpha, who had never so much as exchanged a word with him, had unexpectedly professed his affections and demanded that Izuku become his mistress. And when Izuku refused, the alpha had cruelly punished him by offering him as a sacrifice to a fearsome dragon.
The mere thought of the dragon sent shivers down Izuku's spine. Its intense red eyes haunted him, burning him with a fierce gaze that seemed to consume him whole.
Izuku shuddered. Thank goodness, the dream ended before the dragon could tear him up limb by limb. Izuku wasn't sure he could live his life normally if he was haunted by the gory picture of his dead body getting torn apart by the dragon.
Izuku rubbed his eyes, trying to dispel the lingering effects of the dream. He needed to forget them and focus on his work - nurturing his indoor potted veggies to ensure an ample food supply. If he wanted to have enough food for the winter, he must start working now! After all, those potatoes and carrots wouldn't plant themselves!
Izuku sat upright on the bed. A very soft, cottonny, plushy, and comfortable bed.
Huh? Izuku frowned.
Since when did his mattress become this comfortable? He could't remember when was the last time he woke up in such a comfort without him groaning and complaining about his achy back.
Curious, Izuku glanced down, his lips falling open in sheer astonishment as he beheld the vast expanse of the bed beneath him. With a sudden jolt, he flung off the rich crimson cashmere blanket enveloping him and practically hurled himself off the bed, resulting in a resounding thud as he made contact with the frigid, unyielding granite floor.
Izuku rubbed his eyes to clear away the blurriness and took in his surroundings. What was once his familiar 2x3 meter room with wooden walls had undergone a dramatic metamorphosis, now standing as a grand, towering chamber crafted entirely from stone, adorned with an opulent display of luxurious gold and sparkling crystal decorations that caught the light in a dazzling dance.
Izuku paled.
Where in the world was he now....
.