Chapter Text
He walked with his head bowed, trying to blend into the exquisite fabric that covered him from head to toe. The damp breeze caressed his cheek mingling with the nauseating stench that stuck to his nostrils. He scrunched up his nose and glanced around the street, searching for the source of the putrid odor, only to realize that he was no longer in the familiar Fortress he was so used to.
The mingled scents of the street—of waste and excrement—created a harsh, bitter smell that seemed to choke him, stirring a wave of nausea deep in his throat.
“Yes… freedom comes at a price,” remarked the red-haired man beside him, a mocking smirk playing on his lips
In his usual life, he would have covered such expressions of discomfort. He was trained to hide his emotions perfectly... but even in this somewhat unusual situation, he still had to maintain his facade to avoid drawing the attention of others.
“I don’t understand why we’re here…”
"To show you the future that awaits you if you don't present yourself at court as an omega."
That was something he hated, much more than the smell surrounding him. It made him more nauseous to think about his future life as an omega in court and nothing more. It terrified him, even more than living among people around him who exuded a fetid odor.
“At least they look happy,” he commented while watching the innocent children running, playing after each other, unconcerned about how dirty their clothes were getting while playing on the filthy streets that the omega found so displeasing. He wondered, for a second, if he could get used to living surrounded by that disgust as well.
“Of course,” the redhead said, pointing his chin toward a specific corner. A thin woman with hollow cheeks and a funereal expression sat in the corner, raising her hands in the air, trying to catch the eyes of the people who ignored her as they passed by “So happy.”
Izuku felt a knot in his stomach.
He quickly changed his direction, uncovering a glance of the cape that covered his hair. He headed toward the woman, taking some silver coins he kept in his pockets.
“Have you gone mad?” The redhead immediately grabbed his arm, pulling him in his direction with such absurd force that provoked a cry of pain that escaped his lips “Approach her and I won’t hesitate to throw you at her side. Would you be happier that way?”
Izuku lifted his face to meet the cold, disdainful eyes of the redhead, causing a shiver to run down his spine. The look of disgust in those eyes pierced him deeply.
“I’ll wait for you in the carriage,” he finally replied, releasing him from his grip “Arrive before noon, or I won’t hesitate to leave you in this sewer.”
He didn’t follow the redhead with his eyes, but he could feel his scent slowly fading away. Leaving him exposed in front of the sea of people gathering around him.
It was hard to admit, but the redhead’s pheromones provided him with a certain type of protection from the multitude. His scent conveyed power and completely masked his own, leaving no trace to reveal him as an omega.
But now he was left vulnerable.
At first, he thought that after so many years of knowing the redhead, their relationship would eventually evolve into a more friendly one. Oh, but how wrong he was. The redhead outright despised him and did nothing but look at him with disgust and hatred.
For a moment, he thought the redhead felt concerned about his worries due to the knowledge of the imminent distress his role in high society caused the omega. He understood how even contemplating his future felt like swallowing a burning iron rod, and for a moment, he wondered if the redhead had brought him there to explore new possibilities, to see the reality and freedom of common life in the kingdom's slums. Or why else would he dare to take an omega from nobility outside the estate?
Oh, but how wrong he was.
Never had it crossed his mind that without the redhead’s presence, he would be more susceptible to attacks from potential predators around him.
Now, he was uncertain when he might fall prey.
Had he done it on purpose? Was he hoping an alpha would attack him? That an alpha would harass him and take away his virtue, the only thing of value he possessed, so he would run back to the estate and leave behind his concerns about high society?
His mind filled with thoughts, racing as fast as his heart was beating, feeling how people around him looked at him suspiciously.
What did the redhead gain by terrifying the omega like that? What did he gain by having a worthless omega by his side?
His questions remained unanswered, but he felt that the faster his heart raced, the more fear pheromones leaked from his pores. He had to rid his mind of those cold eyes before he attracted a real alpha.
He forced his legs to run as fast as they could toward the woman with hollow cheeks, nervously grabbing the coins in his pocket and tossing them into the cupped hands she held out.
Her expression didn't change for a second.
What have you expected, Izuku? A thank you?
He looked confusedly at the woman, trying to sniff her for a moment...
She didn't smell like anything.
He didn't know people could have no pheromones.
"My lord, it wasn't my intention to offend you like this."
The bustling street suddenly hushed as a commotion erupted in the distance. Curiosity piqued, the omega cautiously parted the gathering crowd, craning his neck to catch a glimpse down the narrow alley. There, bathed in the stark light filtering through the buildings, a middle-aged man knelt on the cobblestones, bloodied and pleading for mercy.
"Is that so?" A chilling voice cut through the tense silence, sending shivers down the omega's spine. "Do you truly believe your apologies can erase your insolence?"
Heart pounding, the omega couldn't resist the pull of curiosity and concern. He maneuvered through the onlookers, his steps hastening toward the alley where the drama unfolded. Drawing closer, he observed the man on the ground, his posture one of desperate surrender, while a tall, imposing figure loomed over him with unwavering authority.
He saw how the middle-aged man trembled, his hands raised in surrender.
"Please, sir, have mercy!" the man implored, his voice quavering with fear.
"Mercy?!" scoffed the voice that made him shiver, with a tone full of contempt "Do you think I'm someone you can insult with impunity?!"
The figure unsheathed his sword, its blade gleaming ominously in the dim light filtering into the alley. The man on the ground began to cry, clutching desperately at what appeared to be a necklace in his trembling hands.
"I beg you, sir," the man on the ground could barely speak “this won't happen again”
The omega pushed his way through the multitude, finally reaching the front row of the spectacle. His gaze fell disdainfully upon the figure—a tall, arrogant man covered in exquisite armor. His dirty blonde hair clung to his face, a thin sheen of sweat giving it an unkempt appearance. But it was his eyes that held the omega's attention— they showed a violence he had never seen before.
"No, it won't happen again," replied the blonde with a sinister smile, "because you won't live to see another day to do so."
Suddenly, the sword that the blonde held rose.
And from one moment to another, Izuku found himself between the two, raising his arms in a futile attempt to shield the middle-aged man from harm.
He didn't know why or how, but in one heartbeat his legs moved by themselves without thinking about it. Staying in the middle of the imposing figure and his victim. Despite the fear coursing through his veins, despite the horror expressions of the multitude, despite the unrecognizable expression written on the blond's face, he maintained a firm position.
"What the hell is this?" exclaimed the blonde, sarcastically laughing at the situation "Who the fuck are you..."
At that moment Izuku realized that his legs were trembling, but not from fear alone; there was something else stirring within him.
As he looked up at the blonde, he realized from the man's unrecognizable expression; that he wasn’t the only one in that place feeling it .
The blonde had an addictive scent, one that Izuku found himself inhaling deeply, almost instinctively. It completely overshadowed the nauseating aroma of the place. He felt how these pheromones forced his adrenaline to rise and course through his veins, awakening his primal instincts, feeling a knot of heat spread within his stomach.
A sensation both exhilarating and unnerving
“I won't ask again. Who are you? ” The blonde's voice cut through the air, drawing Izuku's attention back to the present. He hadn't realized how close the blonde had come until he felt the warmth of his breath on his skin.
Izuku's gaze flickered to the blonde's cheeks, where a slight blush had appeared, softening his features and adding an unexpected allure to his commanding presence. It was a disorienting contrast to the earlier menace, leaving Izuku momentarily confused.
Did he really find this alpha attractive?
“Why don't you start by lowering that damn fucking sword?”
Had Izuku disobeyed an order? Had he defied the intimidating alpha standing before him? Was it his adrenaline speaking for him, or had he truly challenged him?
The crowd watched them horrified, uncertain of the alpha's next move. The omega couldn't bear the suspense of what would happen next. The blonde regarded the omega with a mixture of surprise and amusement. His sinister smile morphed into a mocking smirk, revealing a glint of dangerous intent in his scarlet eyes.
“Lower my sword?” repeated the blonde, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “How brave. Or maybe just stupid? Tell me, who do you think you are to order me around, you little fuck?'
The omega shrugged, refusing to surrender to the urging instinct to bow his head. He held his gaze steady on the dangerous scarlet eyes of the alpha while his pheromones suffocated him more and more, intensifying the heat in his gut.
It hadn't crossed his mind that the alpha probably already knew his secondary gender. Was that why he was smiling sarcastically? He probably didn't see him as a threat anymore, but rather as entertainment at this point.
But he couldn't let the alpha toy with him and reveal his secondary gender to the crowd. He didn't know their reaction, nor how violent it might turn.
Should he confront the alpha and risk exposing himself, or submit and hope for protection? If he yielded, would the blonde shield him from the crowd's fury—or leave him vulnerable?
“Well, if you stopped trying to impose your will on others, you probably wouldn't run into so many "fucks",' the omega once again surprised himself with the sarcastic tone in his voice, ignoring the force pulling him to kneel before the alpha.
The alpha seized him by the collar of his cloak, pulling him closer, enveloping the omega in his scent of adrenaline and violence. The blonde leaned towards his neck, a typical alpha move when asserting dominance over a rival, but instead of biting him, the alpha rubbed against him.
“I really need to know your name,” he whispered close to his ear. “ Omega… ”
“I apologize to you, my lord, for the foolishness of this young man,” a familiar scent filled the air, his voice resonating with a mixture of defiance and irritation marking his presence with an intensity that Izuku couldn't ignore. The redhead's scent was a blend of challenge and hostility as if the blonde were invading his territory.
Izuku turned to the direction of the distinctive aroma, still with the blonde's hands on his neck. Although the grip remained strong, the blonde showed no signs of letting go. At the same time, he saw the redhead approaching accompanied by a crew of guards, who forcefully pushed their way through the crowd, dispersing them. The men on the blonde's side drew their swords, forming a protective barrier around their leader.
“But I urge you to release my fiancée’s neck in this instant”