The door to the elevator opened, with a whoosh as her legs gave out and she staggered. "What the hell?" she said in a panicked tone. Cait picked herself up and walked to the elevator in the most embarrassed and ashamed possible and boarded. The smell lingered on the elevator, but it was accompanied by a strong perfumey floral smell. It felt familiar to her.
In the massive elevator, Kieran Rose stood, the boss's executive assistant. He looked at her. "Miss? Are you okay?" His brows furrowed in confusion as he looked at her, and a pity she felt uncomfortable with.
He was tall, handsome in a youthful way. His eyes were a steel grey and his hair was almost the colour of smoke. He was dressed in a fine suit. Something that would be handed down from father to son in a Beta family, hung like daily wear. He had a kindness about him that made her trust him. That put her on guard.
Then the overwhelmingly sweet floral smell hit his nose. It seemed to be emanating from her.. This was impossible. Kieran's eyes widened. What was a girl like her doing working here? Moreso, what was wrong with her? Her hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat, and she was carrying multiple bags.
"I need to get home, then I will be alright," Cait said. She leaned against the wall as the elevator shook. She slid down them. A puzzled look crossed her face as her body seemed to react to the lemony scent of the elevator. Instead of it soothing her, her body warmed in the wrong place.
"Mercy of the gods." she muttered and shifted her bag quickly. She was perplexed and mortified as a wetness spread to the crotch of her pants; it was like she had pissed her pants. She moved her purse.
"You are not alright at all. Did you know that you are giving off Omega pheromones?" Kieran advised her. His breath hitched as he catalogued her appearance, Ashy Silver blonde hair with a yellow tinge, sallow skin, and silver eyes. He hit the door close button and let the elevator make its trip. He had to talk to her.
"That should be impossible, my parents are both Betas? It could be because I am sick. I get this way every month now," she said.
"Really, because I am an Omega, and we can tell? You are feeling sick because you have gone through repeated estrus without an Alpha or Alphas guiding you out of it," he continued. She had the tremors and all the text books signs of collapse.
"Do you not know that it is a crime to disclose your status, because it could kill you?" Kieran said. He pulled out his phone and messaged the boss.
"I have been to doctors recently, shouldn't they have known?" Cait probed with exhaustion.
Kieran looked up from the message he was writing, "Not necessarily." Kieran laughed. "Cut the crap. Who sent you?"
Kieran> 2:03 am: Boss, did you know that we have an Omega in the office, well, other than myself. I have quite a problem, could you lend a hand? I'll owe you one.
"No one? I work here" Cait said. She showed him the copper accounting band. Cait's brows furrowed in confusion. Shock crawled on her face. "Listen, maybe you are confused. It couldn't be true. If it was, I did not know. I swear. My parents never told me Beta Dominants could have Omegas?" Cait said as she slid to the floor of the elevator.
Silas> 2:05 am: What would an Omega be doing here? Did my Father send another?
Kieran> 2:06 am: She has an employee ID. Check the logs to see if she is legit. You have fifty floors. If not, I will have to take her to the ABO, and the Alphas there might not be as gentle on a virgin like her when they are drunk and eager.
"They can't. Besides, Beta doctors can't smell the pheromones, and tell until we go through puberty. It seems like that has not happened properly." Kieran's nose twitched as he continued. "Listen, if your parents did not tell you, then you wouldn't know what you really are." He was just absolutely the worst at calming people down.
"I thought only Alphas could smell Omegas? How can you?" Cait asked, and she tried to pick herself up. The shakes set in. She pulled her bags, searching through them.
"That is a common misconception. We have to be able to identify each other. Let's get you taken care of, okay, and then we will figure out which clan you belong to." Kieran said.
"Shouldn't we go to an ABO to sort this out?" Cait asked. The elevator had risen to the top floor of the executive suites. She supposed he would need to check with his boss, but the door opened.
Her boss, Silas Thorne stepped onto the elevator. The picture from the lobby did not do him justice. He stood taller in person, shoulders cutting clean lines against the elevator's brushed steel walls. Dark chocolate brown hair swept back sharply, revealing aristocratic features that looked carved from marble. His ice-blue eyes looked like a clear sky.
He smelled like lemons, honey, sunshine, and chamomile tea. Like relaxation, like she could finally be at ease if she just touched him. Like the elevator. Cait felt her stomach flip-flop.
'This is so mortifying! I am so fired. I am screwed.' Cait thought. She'd never reacted this way to anyone before. Her body betrayed her instantly, a rush of wet heat pooling between her legs. She clenched her thighs together, shocked. Her cheeks flushed crimson. She hated herself for it.
"Ugh." Cait said as she curled up as the shakes took hold of her again.
Silas looked down at her. His jaw was tight. The stubble shadowing his chin gave him a rough, dangerous edge. His suit jacket stretched across broad shoulders, hinting at thick muscle underneath. He undid his tie.
'Good Gods.' thought Cait as she looked up at him. Cait's throat went dry. That scent ,lemons and honey and chamomile, hit her like a physical blow. Her core clenched hard, flooding her panties with slick warmth, again. She dug her nails into her palm, panic flaring.
Never. Not even with Henry. Her body had always been hers to control, a fortress sealed tight against unwanted reactions. Until now. Until him. She understood she was not peeing herself. Her body was reacting to him, his smell, his proximity. The boss's assistant was right. She was an omega.
Silas looked at the panicking and floundering girl on the floor. "I thought you said she was an employee; she looks like she's sixteen years old."
"I'm twenty," Cait said, her face red in embarrassment. As soon as the door had opened, she smelled him and her body reacted again, signifying what this man had told her.
"So, Kieran. What is the favor?" Silas said as he boarded the elevator.
The smell of an Omega was strong in estrus; this was like hitting a brick wall of it. It was as refreshing as Kieran's scent, but overly sweet like a female and far more complex. It smelled like a bouquet of flowers, a sickly sweet Gardenia. He looked at his assistant and then again at the floor where the scent was the strongest.
Kieran looked at Silas, "I think you know what I am asking you to do," he sighed.
This was a big ask, Elias Thorne had negotiated a line of omega women for him, an impossibility to those who were not as insanely wealthy as he was. Uniquely wealthy due to a continent's worth of natural resources and available extracted resources.
"Kieran," Silas pinched the bridge of his nose, "You realize that if I bind to her for some reason-,"
Kieran cut him off, "I will survive. I can survive without it. But she cannot."
Silas sighed, Kieran was self sacrificing to a fault. He was the kindest person he met. He knew that it was safe. Kieran had witnessed the trap omega female's father had sent his way. He would not sacrifice their mutually beneficial relationship on one.
This woman was not a trap, but she was an unknown, he hated unknowns. He had briefly viewed the file, because that was all that was necessary. Lots of previous addresses, good education and minimal time within the company. She had not yet made it to her first evaluation, but people within her department had already started singing her praises.
All he had was the file and what was in front of him to trust. If she was bound to him, he would be responsible for her. There weren't any omega women he had not seen. She was not hard on the eyes as a beta. But she did not look like an omega. Not a bit.
She had long ash blonde hair, and then a captivating pair of silvery gray eyes peered upwards at him. They looked like liquid mercury in the light. Her legs were long and rose to a thin and delicate upper body; her dress shirt was open fully. A white camisole drenched in sweat revealed two small peaks underneath. His breath caught in his throat.
"Around this time of night, the Alphas in this city are usually blind drunk. You smell like you are a virgin and you are very ill. Don't let this feel awkward, but I called someone to help." Kieran explained.
"We will need to take you to a hospital, would collapse not do this to her?" Silas said, his eyes looking down again. She was rail-thin. Something was very wrong with her.
"Hospital?" Cait shook her head. She could not afford a regular surface hospital. "An ABO hospital. I have had a boyfriend before, and we did that.." she explained.
"Even if you were with a Beta or Omega before, they cannot reach the area that you need to hit," Kieran said. A blush crawled across his face; he could be explaining the birds and the bees to his lost little sister. She had the same and very rare eye color as his father. What if she had survived all these years?
Cait moved herself into the recesses of the elevator as it began its trip to the parking garage. "That's bullshit. It definitely was uncomfortable," she said as she pulled her purse to cover the wet spot in her pants. Lo and behold, her pills rolled out. She reached for them. "I will just take my menstrual medication and go to the ABO. No offense."
Silas cleared his throat and loosened his tie further; he exhaled. "We'll have to talk after this, Kieran." he said as he looked down. Kieran had been right; she was completely innocent, probably very confused, and in pain. Kieran was sacrificing a lot for her.
"I'm Silas, what is your name?" he asked, he already knew, having checked before the door opened. There were not many people here. She was new to this branch. Two months. He moved closer to her.
His proximity stirred something in her instinct. "Ah," Cait groaned. She flinched as her thighs shook, embarrassed. "My name is Cait Agneau. I am so sorry, sir." Cait's eyes watered from embarrassment, her cheeks flushed. This was her boss, and future heir to all of the Thorne companies.
"Don't be. I am sorry you are going through this. I can't imagine what a surprise it is that you are going through this." Silas said as he crouched beside her. "I swear on my honor and name, that what my assistant is saying is true. You are an Omega. You need some help that is going to seem very weird to you." Silas said as he bent down. He held out his hand. "Do you think you can stand it?"
Silas blushed. She indeed smelled unmated, and being one at her surprising age, was probably very painful. Her pheromones were very compatible. Her body was advertising loudly what it needed. It was the scent of a rut.
Alpha men got them every three to four months. Pheromones were just something that Alpha and Omega could smell on each other. Its notes and complexity were also made up of the smell of their harem. She had no traces of a male on her. Just the salt smell of the traverse and a cheap cologne.
He could smell the difference between her and the smell of his mother, which smelled like a bakery full of various scents. It was simple and not revolting, although powerful. This was going to be a long night. If his father found out, this was going to get awkward when the fight began. His father had sent lavish gifts, hoping to plant him with women who made him feel dead inside when he touched them.
Kieran bent to pick up her belongings when he grabbed the bottle of pills. His nose wrinkled at the harsh smell. It smelled like a poison that once was used as a natural suppressant. Omegas used to take in the dark ages to deal with their ruts. It was a mild hallucinogen and toxic if taken for a long time. It smelled like it could be masking something else.
Every Omega and Alpha was trained to smell poisons. It was made from Ophelia's tears. A white vine that sprouted little white flowers, had the bluest berries, and grew by the beds of water. It was more like a poison to them.
"Boss, this just became an emergency." Kieran paused and shook the bottle.
"What is it?" Silas asked.
Kieran's hand shook as he gripped the bottle. He could kill the person who did this; first of all, it was an affront to Omega's now that society had progressed a few hundred years. He tossed the bottle over to Silas. Cait watched the exchange.
Kieren turned to look at her, a look of disbelief on his face. "You are not taking these, are you? Damn it. Who gave this to you to take?" he asked, his tone angry. "If they were trying to kill you, there are easier and less painful ways."
"My father got these for me. I have always had the worst time of the month, and they help." Cait confessed, heat rising to her cheeks.
Silas looked at her, seemingly shaken, who would be as cruel as to poison a girl with these things since she started. "H-how many years have you taken these?" his voice sounded with sadness.
"Two years?" Cait answered. Her boss looked visibly distressed by the answer. "It can't be that bad. Can't it? My mom took it for years."
"And your mother, is she still alive?" Silas asked; he knew that the answer would probably be sad. They learned things like this in school. Her father, most likely a Beta, probably pulled this recipe after learning what she was; she would have definitely been taken from her mother when she was born with what she was.
"No," Cait said. The shock came over her.
"This is poison. Trust me, as reluctant as you might feel, living the lifestyle is important to your health." Kieran said as he plucked the bottle from the ground.
"Are we going to take an ABO van?" Silas asked. He did not want to stink up his car.
"No, we'll take my car," Kieran said with a sigh. He would take it home for his father to smell; it would be faster than a DNA test.
"Do I have much of a choice? "I will take the ABO van, if I can," Cait said
"I will get you there quickly. Plus, you'll have more time to mentally prepare." Kieran said. And so would the boss. He would owe him big if actually touching a woman did not change his personality like it did to others. He frankly would have let this pass.
"I have to work tomorrow," Cait exclaimed. "In six hours, I can't afford not to."
"You are on leave for your estrus. Besides, you won't need to work anymore." Kieran said as he gave Silas a look, "Omega benefits pay more than Silas pays. The ABO will assure your future, no matter who your father is."
The elevator opened to the garage. "Fine, take me. Guide me or whatever." Cait said. She tried her hardest to stand, but her body was not cooperating the way she wanted it to.
"Here, I will help carry you," Silas said with pity. He was not a monster; she was very ill. Poisoned and stuck in the state of a long rut. He had endured a rut once; it was painful. He picked her up; the smell intensified, but he was not grossed out. Kieran looked at Silas, searching his expression for disgust. He thought he would have to lift her.
"So you understand, Cait. That Silas will be trying to reach that area that has never been reached before, right?" Kieran said.
"Wait, that is guiding?" Cait said. She felt her lower body heat. "Ah," she groaned as an unbearable cramp hit, her body arched.
"That is guiding, normally you would have a party, pick out who you feel instinctually is right for you, and then you would go to bed," Silas said as he balanced her light body in his arms.
"I am here because all the other Alphas are either asleep or too drunk and might be too rough. Normally, you learn about this stuff when you are a child as an Omega, just like you learned about reproduction in school as a Beta. It is just a different set of responses to pheromones, biological functions, and different…sizes." Silas said.
"Speaking of scent. Do you dislike the smell coming from Silas? I need to know so I can make other arrangements." Kieran asked.
"No. It smells like honey, lemons, and chamomile. Like my favorites." Cait said. "I smelled it earlier, but just thought someone brought in lemon bars." Cait asked. She fidgeted and felt like she had gotten soaked in a water fight. She realized she was sweating; her body was also reacting to every movement or jostle now.
Silas felt himself start to blush as she described his scent as being a favorite. It surprised him that she was able to pick it up even when he wasn't releasing it on purpose. She must have a powerful olfactory sense.
"T-thanks," he said.
"Here it is." Kieran had summoned his car, he opened the back door and allowed Silas to place her in the back as he put her belongings in the trunk.
Silas climbed up in front. Her scent quickly filled the space. He did not know if it was because she had not reached the milestone that every Omega had by her age or if she was virile. But this was going to be a long drive.