CHAPTER 1 BETRAYAL

John entered his family's manor, calling out into what felt like an abandoned home. There hadn't been anyone stirring in the village and even the doors were unguarded. He called out for his sister, his anxiety heightened. The Omega soldier clutched the letter he had received stating his sister was on death's bed.

"My Lord, this doesn't feel right." Sir William Murray looked around suspiciously, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I can't smell anything. The place reeks of cinnamon and lavender. It's giving me a headache."

"I agree." Sir Stanford stood to John's right. The main foyer was dimly lit and John shook his head.

"This is my childhood home. Perhaps the illness has spread. It's a good thing we brought many herbs with us. Perhaps we should quarantine the estate completely."

"We don't know what we are dealing with." Sir William kept to the blond Lord's left.

"Harry!" John called. "Father?" Then for the old house servant a beta that had always been there to greet him when he visited as a child. "Himmel!"

He ignored his guard's/friend's apprehension and continued up the stone steps to where he knew his sister's chambers were. Fearful he would find her already dead he didn't even knock, instead flinging open her heavy oak door.

He didn't find his Alpha sister lying in her bed or on the floor. Instead, she was standing near the bed. The scent in this room hit John like heavy bricks. There was a young Omega with dark long hair disheveled. She was weeping, holding her torn clothes to her. John's sister was nearly naked herself.

"John-" she swallowed.

The healer in the Omega jumped to attention and he quickly went to the distraught Omega. She looked familiar. She clung to him with heavy tears sobbing and shaking.

"She's been like this for three days. Since-we." Harry at least had the sense to blush.

John could see the bleeding newly formed bond mark on the Omega's bruised neck.

"Did you clean this?" John demanded looking back at his sister.

"I-it was unexpected John. I thought if I could just-that she would submit. I didn't mean to hurt her-I can't-"

"Harry!" John growled at his elder sibling, taking out an ointment for some of the deeper bite marks. The blond Omega was glad he thought to bring his medical satchel. How could his sister be so foolish? "Focus. You need to clean that bond mark properly or it will become infected."

"She won't let me close to her. I-she was so flirty I thought-I didn't realize-" Harry looked pathetically lost, her lips had blood dried around the edges. She hadn't washed yet and looked half starved. John's stomach turned slightly realizing he had arrived just in time for the shared heat to have ended.

"Harry, what did you do?" John gasped, turning from the bruised young Omega. He was sitting on the edge of his sister's bed. The girl, he knew her and like a stone his heart sank into his gut. He knew this dark haired female because the last he had seen her was at a ball that he had been forced to attend.

She was of royal blood. A rather forbidding duke's cousin. Noble blood wouldn't lower itself to be with a Watson. Father didn't have much wealth thanks to grandmother.

"She's mine!" Harry hissed when John turned to his sister. "I've bonded with her."

"You've forced her Harry. When her family finds out- does father know?" John swallowed back the rising bile, this was bad. This was really bad, there had to be a way to fix this. The bond was new. He had heard of newly formed bonds being broken with little to no harm to the Omega. Alphas rarely felt much when it came to a bond. They were the stronger of the two. They sometimes lost weight and perhaps some sleep but nothing more.

Where was father? How could he let this happen? He usually had a very tight leash on Harry. Impetuous Harry, impetuous and well meaning. This wasn't like Harry to just take without a thought. It wasn't like her to force an Omega. No! She would never come up with anything like this on her own.

John's head started to ache and his heart threatened to beat out of his chest. The bruised Omega was holding tight to his arm whimpering and sobbing for him to help her.

The blond soldier needed to clear his head, needed to speak to his guards. Where had they gone? They were just behind him before he entered his sister's room.

"Yes, of course I know, foolish boy. Who do you think would suggest writing you such a letter?" John jumped, hearing his father's deep growl. The older Alpha, stood at the same height of John's foolish sister. Ian Watson had cold blue eyes and kept his straw colored hair in a low ponytail. Gray was starting to fade his neatly cut beard and mustache, peppering his head just barely. He carried no weapon, expecting someone else to do his dirty work, but John knew the weight of his father's fists. The man was muscle and had an accurate left hook.

Rumors around the estate painted his father as a deadly swordsman as well, but John Watson was no child. He had trained with the best and he wasn't going to go without a fight. Perhaps he would show father just how heavy and accurate his own fists were.

So the youngest Watson glared at his father who wore no royal robes only simple leather pants and a gray tunic. So casual in his attire John felt insulted once more by the lack of appreciation his own father had towards John skill at defending himself.

The young Omega at his side whimpered, clinging tighter to John. Harry quickly pulled the beaten Omega towards her, growling towards her father and the three other Alpha's at his side.

Lord Ian Watson signaled for the men to move towards John who had stupidly laid his sword down next to the bed when he started treating the injured girl.

"John, don't fight them." Harry pleaded taking her Omega to the farther corner. "I'm sorry John. I am so sorry."

"Harry?" John was on his feet ready to fight. "Harry what have you done?" John demanded turning back to his father, "What has he made you do?"

"Stupid girl. Taking something that wasn't hers. The Moran's wanted her life but I offered them an Omega to replace the cousin that your sister stole. That empty headed little bitch was promised to a royal prince. So the king sanctioned that your stupid horny sister be executed. However the bond was made and that would mean that Moran's dear cousin would be sentenced to death as well. So a trade was made. The King's son gets that one's twin, and Moran gets you. I had to give up some horses and pay a hefty fine but at least the Watson name survives. "

"I am not livestock! I am not yours to give-" John growled trying to buy time. He needed to stay calm. There were no exits. The window was blocked by a large Alpha as was the door and his father stood smirking in the middle of the bedchamber.

"Of course, I had to make it look like you were willing. So your grandmother will not know until you've been successfully bonded. She can't even break that, the old bitch. It's unnatural for an Omega to be alive after her mate has been dispatched but still she holds on to life as stubborn as ever. Well, I have you now, she can't protect you. You will at least bring us some wealth. Your children will be Royalty, John. Don't look so angry. And if you think your men will help we've taken them out with ease. Don't worry, Omega's of prime breeding age like them will just sweeten the deal. I'm sure Duke Moran would have a place for them in his court or a brothel."

"They are knights that serve-"

"Your grandmother's name has no value here! It has no value to these people! Too long that Omega bitch has paraded her Omega guards around like true soldiers. Well, they'll learn their place just as you will learn yours. On your back and as breeding stock. Go on, try not to damage his face. Moran wants him fresh."

John made a break for the door knowing it was futile, he broke someone's arm and ducked under a lunging oaf, making it to the dimly lit hall. He felt a pinch to the back of his neck, the blond Omega pulled the sharp dart embedded in his skin. His glazing eyes focused on his sister's apologetic face.

She held the small wooden cylinder that was her weapon of choice. "Sorry John. Just don't fight it. Just stop fighting."

"No." John whispered before falling into the darkness that came up to greet him, the sounds of whimpering echoing in his ears.