The words struck her, a slap to the cheek. A rush of cold air that seeped from her lungs, and Quinn tried her best to stifle the flinch that ran through her. A sharpness that had oxygen wheezing from her throat, fingers tightening on her frock, dizziness a havoc on her soul.
An Omega.
Her mind spun. The Omegas treated Alphas like trash, like servants, like slaves. To be attached to a pack would be a life of servitude, of being used day and night like a dog. There would be no love, no freedom, only a twisted form of sickly revenge. And they'd try to wring out whatever Quinn had in her to harvest children. That too would be torture.
But just one Omega…Just one single Omega as compared to a group.
Her eyes were fluttering, darting to Z's. The eyes behind that mask were warmer than most, gentler than all. And his hands on hers felt strange, led to a tingle in her fingers, a flicker of something spreading deep within. Her words were choked when they spilt from her lips, harried and quick because he must understand.
She did not want an Omega, not even if it would be justZ.
Quinn began to speak. "I am a Beta…I will not be the Alpha that you want me to be—"
"It does not matter to me," Z smiled, and her mind hissed with warning. "I don't care." There was something wrong with him, something strange about this Omega. The warmth in his pupils, chocolate and honey had gone, eclipsed to form an endless darkness. And his eye swept over her and stayed oddly on her lips. And Quinn only felt a strange rush up her spine. "You will do just fine. I accept you."
"But we cannot do this. I will not please you at all," she explained, fingers wrung, hands tapping. She did not notice the quiet that had settled upon the room, the held breaths as if she'd committed treason. Panic was all she knew. He could not want her. He could not have her. "I do not possess the parts of an Alpha. I do not have Ruts. I understand that the Mating Laws are meant for reproduction, and I cannot give you the child you want. Not in the way you want them." Her voice wavered at that. "I am not an Alpha. I am weak, I am powerless, I am a defect. Quite frankly," her lips twisted and pulled. "I do not even have a clit that can satisfy you—"
"Do not," his voice was shivery thin, fingers tightening around her wrist in an almost bruising grip as if insulted by her words. And Quinn held her tongue, started by the rage in his eyes. The bubbly mannerism was gone; the boyish grin was replaced by cold, hard steel. "Assume of what I want. Do not assume that I want to be fucked by a woman." His lips quirked, an almost sneer. "Do not assume that I want to be touched by you—"
"No, no I completely understand," was her oddly snappy answer back, her breath quickening. "Because touching you in any way would be the last thing I would ever want to do. I'd hate it—" Her eyes widened at her remark, hands to her lips. Her eyes darted towards him because surely, he must be pleased by her words, surely—
"It's the last thing you want to do?" The red bled into his eyes, and there was a roar of his pheromones, ballooning in the air it stretched like wildfire, hissing in the air. "You'd hate it?" He hissed. "It is an honour, to be chosen to be an Omega's Alpha, much less mine."
"I mean no disrespect—"
"You find me that repulsive? You find me that disgusting?" There was a strange anger in his eyes, a pinched growl, that hissed from his lips. His fingers were on Hyeon's wrist raising him up and the Omega squirmed, oddly docile, oddly weakened dragged from his spot, hunched over before her. Z was strong and huge, he towered above her now, muscles rippling, the dark coat swaying. She saw now the ripple of his arms, thick and corded with muscle, with strength. "You'd touch another Omega over me? Someone like him?"
She was scrambling wanting to go on her knees, fumbling on the wood. Fuck. Heat was twisting up her spine, and this time she noticed the air in the room. The heavy silence that filled in the panting, tortured breaths of the rest of the group. And she squeezed her eyes shut, cursed her own mouth. But God she didn't want an Omega, she didn't want to be tied down forever. "I don't mean it like that—"
"Answer me Beta!" was his roar that startled her into a freeze, hands on the wood.
"I will touch no one. I am honoured to receive this opportunity," she tried picking up the pieces, tried fixing her wrongs. "I am grateful for your offer. But I must decline. I just don't want an Omega."
"You're," he exhaled, a bark of laughter escaping his lips. "You're rejecting me?" There was a crazed look in his eyes now, a slit that formed in the crimson. A ragged exhale, in broken stuttered gasps. And she flinched at the strange chaos of emotions that seemed to ravage his soul. What was wrong with him?
"I will do anything for you," Quinn explained. "Please, don't misunderstand my appreciation for saving my life. I am here to serve, but not as your Alpha. I do not want that, surely, surely there are others better than me—"
"Don't lie," he spat. "I smell you; I can smell how much you want me too." His eyes were blown wider, body straining against his coat, fingers digging around her wrist, pulled tighter towards him. "You're wet." Her breath caught, self-conscious thoughts drifting to the space between her legs. She slammed her knees together, and noticed now the strange ache of dangerous want.
The hall was now too quiet, his scent of cookies crumbling into melted sugar, horribly caramelized. But it continued caressing her skin, fluttering over her body. Phantom fingers in her hair, her clit throbbed, a strange pulse that had wetness slipping between her legs. And his eyes remained ever so haunting behind the mask.
He was right. She was dripping, saturating her panties with want from his scent alone, and that had heat rising up her cheeks. Quinn opened her mouth and closed it, felt a blush begin on her cheeks also because of their audience.