“Have you ever thought it was unfair?”
Vivid violet eyes traced the figure reflected in the mirror. The freshly dyed hair had turned into exactly what he’d intended—a painfully ordinary brown, dull and lifeless, without a trace of luster. The dye job was so flawless that there wasn’t the slightest remnant of its former brilliant gold.
Chaika ran his fingers through his hair with satisfied eyes as it had become plain to the point of dreariness. He then tore his gaze away from the mirror and turned around. Facing Andre, who was sunk deep into the sofa smoking opium, he asked again,
“Have you ever thought it was unfair?”
“What is it this time?”
“That we’re both abnormal beings who pass on our line through unnatural breeding, yet Alphas get to enjoy everything as rulers, while Omegas are treated like livestock that exist only for reproduction. Alphas buy and sell Omegas like breeding mares. And yet, without Omegas, those bastards can’t even produce proper heirs.”
A thin chuckle leaked from Andre’s mouth along with the opium smoke. His twisted lips and eyes clearly said, Here we go again.
“Whether it’s an emperor, a king, or a high-ranking noble, if you’re not an Alpha, you can’t inherit a title. And Alphas can never have Alpha children without Omegas. They could sleep with dozens, hundreds of Betas, but all they’d get are useless Beta offspring. In the end, to secure an heir to pass on their titles and lands, they frantically gather Omegas. They lure them in with sweet words and pheromones, rape them, sometimes buy them like cattle. After forcing them to bear children, if an Omega child is born, they sell them off at a high price for political marriages or throw them out like prostitutes, while giving everything they own to the Alpha children.”
Chaika irritably swept a hand through his dull brown hair, then snatched the opium pipe from Andre and took a long drag. It was an utterly casual motion, one that showed no concern for anyone watching—yet every movement carried a strange sensuality. That was, without question, the influence unique to an Omega.
“When God created Alphas and Omegas, He must’ve intended them to exist as pairs. So why is it that Alphas get everything and rule, while Omegas are stripped of everything, used, exploited like livestock? Don’t you think that’s unfair?”
“If you don’t want to die, I told you not to touch my things.”
Instead of succumbing to the Omega pheromones that would’ve toppled any ordinary man, Andre reclaimed his opium pipe and put it back between his lips. Having managed only a single puff before it was taken from him, Chaika snorted softly as he stared at Andre with violet eyes.
“That ridiculous sense of ownership. Guess you’re an Alpha through and through after all.”
There was an unmistakable, deep-seated disgust laced into the accusation. Andre, unfazed by the contempt directed at him, tapped the opium pipe against the ashtray.
While that was happening, Chaika walked to the window and fixed his gaze on the magnificent, beautiful castle visible far in the distance beyond the open frame. Fluttering high as if brushing the sky, the banner bore the crest of the ruler of a vast domain—the Duke of Castiya—embroidered in vivid clarity.
“Hey, Chaika.”
Andre called out as he placed the pipe on the table and stood up.
“It really is unfair.”
Chaika murmured softly, lips barely moving as he stared at the castle beyond the window. Then he dug his nails into Andre’s arm at his side and asked,
“How much did you say we could get?”
“If it’s the child of Duke Mihail Castiya, one of the very few dominant Alphas on the continent—and if that child turns out to be an Alpha too—then the price is whatever you name. Sell it right, and you could buy a castle in a fertile domain and live in luxury for the rest of your life.”
What was most commonly traded on the black market were Omegas, but on rare occasions, Alphas appeared as well. As Chaika had said, every single member of the ruling class on the continent was an Alpha. In most countries, titles and lands above the rank of count couldn’t be inherited unless the heir was an Alpha. Because of that, families who failed to produce an Alpha successor would sometimes secretly buy Alpha children from the black market just to preserve their lineage.
A satisfied smile spread across Chaika’s lips.
“I’ll give birth to an Alpha using the seed of a noble ruler, then sell it for the highest price. With just two Alpha children born of a dominant Alpha, you could easily buy an entire country. Don’t you think?”
“You’re vicious.”
Andre clicked his tongue. Chaika’s violet eyes sparkled as if he’d just received praise.
“That’s exactly it, Andre. Cold, ruthless, heartless, selfish, merciless. Omegas live exploited lives because they lack those things. But I’m different. Who says only Alphas get to exploit Omegas? Just like those bastards who use reproduction to reinforce their dominance and ownership, I’ll use reproduction as a weapon too.”
“I’m only warning you again because it’s you, Chaika. That bravado is something you can only afford because you’ve never carried a child. Once an Omega bears a child, maternal instinct kicks in. Instead of selling it, they’d throw away their own life to protect it. Just like our mother did.”
Just like our mother did.
At Andre’s final words, Chaika’s pale face twisted grotesquely. A warped sneer curled across his contorted lips.
Maternal instinct. That was the shackle Omegas were born with. A maternal drive just as powerful as their urge to breed. Alphas exploited that instinct to further dominate, own, and exploit Omegas.
“I’m different. I’ll be different.”
Chaika muttered the words again, as if carving them into himself.
“We’ll see.”
Andre replied with a mocking smile. Instead of snapping back or losing his temper, Chaika merely lifted the corner of his mouth into a crooked grin.
“Yeah. Just watch. I’ll pull it off. I’ll become the most vicious human this world has ever seen.”
Those beautiful violet eyes, steeped in malice, locked once more onto the distant castle. Duke Mihail Castiya—the strongest Alpha on the continent aside from the Emperor and Crown Prince. The Emperor’s younger brother, proudly listed high in the line of succession. An Alpha who, uniquely, despised Omegas so deeply he refused to lay a finger on them. Because of that, he possessed seed that fetched the highest price on the black market. He was Chaika’s target.
Tap. Tap.
Someone knocked on the door. The signal that it was time.
“Time to get going. Ready to be sold, hyung?”
Andre asked, resting a hand on Chaika’s shoulder. Chaika tilted his head and nodded with a crooked smile.
