Chapter One

The rain pours outside on Kylo Ren's third visit to the seedy little bar in the red light district of Chandrila. It's not the kind of place a man with a good reputation should be, but alas – he needs an omega, and this is where one finds one. He's managed to go thirty-four years without one, but it's time. At least, that's what he keeps hearing.

A man in a white waiter's jacket escorts him to a private booth that Kylo is becoming increasingly familiar with. The tiny room with a one-way mirror taking up one side of the wall, the small table and curved leather bench that hugs the back of the room. He watches as the numbers appear on the glass in front of him as bids increase. This omega is certainly not what he wants, and he turns his gaze away from the shivering, sniveling woman to signal that he's ready for a drink. The waiter returns quickly, delivering a bottle and a tumbler, and Kylo pours himself a couple finger widths and takes a sip.

It feels as though this search will always be fruitless. He can't describe what exactly he wants, only that once he sees it, he will feel it. His mother doesn't understand. She wants pups, is blinded by her maternal need to caretake, even though her son long ago had grown up and left the nest. Kylo knows it's his responsibility to make sure their line of alphas is strong, purse, carries on the family name. He feels that urge to breed, something low and dark in his stomach, something under his skin that no matter how he itches, he simply can't scratch. Kylo sighs as the bidding reaches it's peak and the woman is taken away.

He leans forward in he seat as another is lead out. Small, smaller than most of the omegas he's seen on display. She crouches low, and he can see the bumps of her spine and the spindles of her ribs through her pale skin. Her dark hair is long, tangled, a mess – something inside of him suddenly longs to reach out and stroke her. He can feel her tension and distress through the glass, rolling off of her in waves. Before his brain registers that he's done it, he's hitting the bid button. It makes a soft ding noise each time a bid is placed, and the omega jerks her head up at the sound. Her little nose twitches, scenting, as hazel eyes flit around. The room she's in, reflecting herself, is bright and she's almost naked. A loose slip, dirty and stained, hangs off her slender frame.

She's like nothing he's ever seen before. Kylo scoots to the edge of his seat, downs the rest of his drink, and smacks the button again before another bid even comes in. He can't put into words what he feels inside of him. The choking need to protect, to get her out of that room as her lip curls into a warning sneer. Kylo has never witnessed an omega like this – more animal than woman, a kitten that thinks it's a lion. He hears the ding of a rival bid and hits the button again. He licks his lips and finds his feet, pacing in front of the mirror.

She stares out through her messy hair and her gaze can't choose where to settle. He watches as she crawls towards one window, pressing a little hand to the one-way glass. Lucky bastard, he thinks of whomever is inside the room on the other side of the mirror. Her mouth pops open in surprise as she studies herself. Head cocks to the side, curious.

That simple gesture makes Kylo want to cry. He smacks the button as another bid rolls in.

He will have her. He doesn't care what cost she comes at – she will belongto him.

It's just as everyone said it would be – once he found the right omega, he would know. Its why hes waited all this time, coming back and back after each disappointing evening. Once a month, he stalks into Plutt's and pays for a booth despite never finding a girl he wants. This one, though – his blood runs hot at the sight of her. He can only imagine what she must smell like, how ripe and delectable. He flings himself back to the table and pulls out his mobile, dialing the operator that has the information on each omega brought in.

"What is her age? Tell me everything," Kylo demands, voice rough and rumbling. He smacks the button as another bid comes in, ignoring the numbers that flash on the mirror as they climb higher and higher.

"Age, eighteen. Blood work shows that she is an omega, mother was an omega. Virgin, pre-heat."

The clipped voice on the other end sounds almost bored. "A very pretty girl, if not a bit rough. She looks to be a popular choice."

"What is the cost to purchase her out-right?" Kylo growls. He's done with this game.

"Oh, I'm sure you –"

"Tell me. Now." He's growing irritated as he watches her circle the room, barefoot on the underlit floor. She smacks at the glass of another mirror, searching for an escape. He whines, deep in his chest, with desperation. He needs to get her out of there, away from the prying eyes of any other alpha. Needs to get his sent all over her so everyone knows precisely whom she belongs to.

The number is very high, but Kylo doesn't so much as blink. "Fine. I'll take her. End this." He hands up and lifts the bottle of scotch to his lips as the END BIDS flashes on the screen. He can hear cursing from elsewhere, another room, and smirks around the bottle.

She is his.

"Up on the table, girl," Unkar barks, and Rey scrambles to comply. The room is too bright, smells sterile and prickles her nose. Clean and chemical. She kneels on the cold metal table and he gestures for her to move onto all fours. She does so, trembling.

She hates the doctor. She hates coming to this little room, after being brush scrubbed raw in a little tin basin. Her skin is pink and her hair roughly combed back into a plait by Miss Phasma, who hissed threats into her ear as she ripped the comb through her wild brown hair. Miss Phasma is an alpha, big and blonde and intimidating. Rey does her best to behave well. Alpha females are rare, even more rare than an omega.

And that's all Rey is, an omega. Basically nothing.

There are so few born anymore. Dwindling away. It's her duty to breed more, give an alpha plenty of healthy pups. After he pays a fair price for her skin.

The door opens and Doctor Maz breezes in, trailed by a tall man in a dark suit. He looks like the men that Rey has seen come into Unkar's before, the men that smoke cigars and drink golden liquor and buy time with the older omegas that have been discarded by their owners. If Rey isn't good, she knows that she'll meet the same fate. Masters are only so patient, will only put up with an omega for so long before they decide they're unworthy of a place in his home. If she doesn't obey, Rey will be sent back. She doesn't know which end is the scariest.

"Good evening, Rey," Maz says in a warm voice. She acts like she's nice, but then she jabs Rey with a needle. Acts like a friend, then cuts open her arm to stick something inside. Maz says it'll help, it'll make it so she can't have babies if something bad happens. Rey doesn't trust the tiny beta, but she doesn't snap at her either.

"Let's get on with it," Unkar grunts. His hand slides over the back of her thigh, tugging her legs further apart. She shuffled awkwardly to comply and the man steps closer. She smells a lot better than the acidic tang of cleaning products. More savory, spicy, something dark and cloying at the roof of her mouth and the back of her throat. She doesn't want to look at him too much, it's disrespectful. She forces her eyes straight ahead as they talk about her like she's not even there.

"She's healthy?" the man asks suspiciously. "She's so thin."

"Finding enough to go around these days is difficult," Plutt says. There's an awkward pause and Rey glances anxiously over her shoulder, finding the man staring hard at her handler's gut, stretching the fabric of his grimy shirt to capacity. "I have her papers. Virgin, clean - you can scent her yourself. Never presented but her mum was an omega, and her bloodwork shows her status."

They're talking about her like she's not even there, shivering and nude on the little table. Rey wishes she wasn't here, too.

"Yes," the man drawls. "I'd still like Doctor Kanata to perform the examination to be safe." Rey swallows nervously - she hates exams almost as much as she hates shots.

"She's got a birth control implant, which once her title transfers to you, can be removed," Maz says. She taps Rey's hip and she obediently turns over to her back. The table is ice pressing into her sharp shoulder blades. Rey draws her knees up, spread open, and blushes with shame as she realizes she can smell herself. She squeezes her eyes shut and imagines she's anywhere else.

She hears the snap of Maz's latex gloves, the squeeze of a lubricant tube. Someone inhales sharply and then Rey jumps with surprise when her nimble fingers push inside.

"Yes, still intact," Maz says. She prods around her abdomen and then her fingers withdraw with a disgustingly loud squelch. Rey feels the cool liquid slide out of her and down between her butt cheeks, making her clench there, too. All she can smell is the musky warmth of her vagina, the sterile chemical clean, and then that overwhelming alpha scent beneath it all. Spicy on the roof of her mouth, clogging her throat.

"I'd like to check, for myself." His voice is deep and Rey is helpless to argue. Even though having this strange man touch her seems repulsive, she isn't in any position to disagree. She takes deep lungfuls of air, which does little to soothe her frazzled nerves. It smells and tastes of him, of alpha. Maz's face is blank as she steps out of the way.

A big hand spans the width of her hip bones. Rey squeezes her eyes shut, tossing her head back. She doesn't want to look at him. A digit, much bigger than Maz's, slips inside of her, thick and warm. He's searching for something and Rey hisses as he presses something inside of her. Their gazes lock as her head snaps up to glare at him - his eyes are light brown, staring intently into her own. He presses on her abdomen and something warm blooms inside of her, so different than the doctor's prodding. Rey gasps.

He stands back and slips his finger out of her, wipes his finger on the paper towel from the dispenser beside him. There is an unacknowledged tension between them. Rey swallows weakly.

She shuts her thighs and resists the very strong urge to cover her nudity. There's no point - this man is here to buy her. He can do whatever he wants to her once the money is in Unkar's greedy little hands. She's nothing more than a pet in this world, and she was born to obey.

And it's worse than that - when Rey does go into heat, she'll want him to do it. Rey will go crazy with the need to be filled with his cum. To breed for him. Like a good little omega, no better than a broodmare. She's heard the other girls talk about it, she's heard their wails of pleasure through the thin walls as alpha after alpha pay for their turn. And the omegas, they're helpless. They're completely out of their minds with lust. It happens to all of them, eventually.

The shame of it makes her quiver and blush whenever she thinks of it. What it'll be like when it's her turn.

"I'll take her."

She glances up nervously. Up and up, he's so tall. He wears his dark hair long, slightly wavy. His eyes are light, toasted brown, set deep in a pale face. She look away quickly before anyone can catch her.

"Wonderful. We'll go to my office while she gets prepared." Unkar opens the door and they sweep out, leaving her alone with the tiny doctor.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Maz helps her sit up and must not notice that she's trembling from head to toe. She grabs the grubby old dress Rey had been wearing and she stands, fitting her arms in the sleeves and tugging it over her head. She has no idea what to expect. Every master is different, with expectations and wants that vary wildly from alpha to alpha. He could be mean, or violent, or a drunk. He could force himself on her every night until her belly grows round and heavy with a pup. He could lock her in a cellar and never let her see the light of day.

The girls that worked on their back for Plutt have wild stories, each worse than the next. Paige is the only kind one, telling a story of how her master had been kind and treated her well, gentle when she was first brought home. But he died, so she was forced to come work for Plutt or starve out on the streets. Or worse, go into heat unprotected on her own, and be torn apart by any alpha is smelling range.

"That's one word for it." Rey smooths a hand over the worn-thin material of her used-to-be-white dress. She doesn't own any shoes. She has never left Plutt's before.

"Just remember, the quicker you learn the rules and the better you follow them, the more favor your master will show you." Maz pats her hand and leads her to the main floor. There are no customers around, probably due to her special circumstance. The man is probably spending a lot of money for her. She's rare.

Rey's friends are lined up waiting for her. Paige kisses her cheek and tells her to get word back if she can. It reminds her that she's going away forever. That she may never see them again. Tears sting hotly at her eyes and she doesn't fight them. She's sad, this is scary. A girl can only be so strong. Phasma even looks somewhat softer as she pats the top of her head. She has grown up here. Born from an omega whore, raised by omega whores. Bought and paid for her innocence. To be used up until there's nothing left, just an old, broken down shell of a person, less than a rag doll. Then she might come back to Unkar Plutt and see her friends again.

The man and Unkar come out of his office and the firelight crackles golden, playing over his features. She stares now, surrounded by her friends, but his face is impassive. His features are unique, but what stands out is a long scar that starts above his eyebrow and cuts downward. He must be a strong alpha to receive a wound like that, a good fighter.

A strip of crimson leather hangs from one of his big hands. Rey eyes it, and him, anxiously.

"Be good, girl." Plutt sucks on his cigar and doesn't even look at her. The other man steps closer, too close, much closer than Rey is accustomed to. She leans back from him, wary.

"Rey," he says in a quiet voice. "Lift your hair." Her hands lift before she's even conscious of it, some ancient part of her DNA obeying the command of her superior. Its never felt so strong. He loops the leather around her neck, notching the buckle shut. Snug but not too tight. It itches, the unfamiliar weight is uncomfortable, it smells new. She hates it.

"I'm Kylo Ren. I'm your master now." One of his long fingers traces the leather then tips her chin up so that their eyes meet. She trembles, nervous and afraid, of her fate with this strange new man.