Written for Day Four of CS Halloweek on Tumblr under the "crystals" prompt.
The soft sobs and stifled sniffles of the remaining omegas chafed against Emma's nerves as she stood alongside them, awaiting the next round of alphas they would be presented to. The final round, thank the gods.
Once a year, unclaimed omegas of age were brought before unmated alphas in the hopes mate bonds would form, thus furthering the species. Unclaimed omegas were carted from village to village until either their mate bond emerged or they were declared defective and released to fend for themselves. This was the fifth and final village Emma had been brought to, and she was about to face the fourth and final rotation of alphas.
Just one more round and then, with any luck, she'd be free.
Most omegas feared being unbonded, even though, given the disparity in numbers between alphas and omegas, it was a rare occurrence. Whilst unclaimed, omegas had protection under the law, but once declared defective those provisions - the ones that made it a punishable offence, to the point of death, for an alpha to mate with an unclaimed omega who was not their bond - were no longer in place. Being defective made an omega vulnerable, but none of that concerned Emma. She knew how to take care of herself, how to live off the land and survive on her own. All she had to do was make it past the next round, then she could go where she pleased and be left in peace.
Peace.
Such a notion seemed like a dream given the ravages their society had faced in the decades since the realms had begun to crumble. Tribes warring with other tribes, corruption and treachery within the Leaders' Council, omegas slaughtered so alphas from rival packs could not breed them and thus keep their bloodlines going, devastations that had all led to the current alliances and governing body that oversaw the bonding rituals in which alphas and omegas alike were required to participate, paraded before one another wearing nothing more than a crystal hanging from their necks.
Although, alphas were not led into the arena with their hands bound before them, unlike omegas, who were restrained in order to ensure they could not fight back should they be opposed to the alpha the sacred crystals deemed as their bond.
In the presence of a bond, the crystal glowed in a color unique to the fated pair, and they were expected to solidify that bond by mating before either were permitted to leave the arena. Emma had discovered early on that just because fate designed two should be bonded, it didn't mean either of the pair would be overjoyed at the prospect. Too many times she'd had to endure an omega either being forcibly taken over the Mating Stone by her alpha - who did not need her consent once the crystal established the bond - or ravaged by a pack of alphas in their rut because their alpha had been displeased by fate's choice and had rejected the omega rather than claim her.
While the latter was not all that common, the former had already played out within the arena a number of times already that day, leaving Emma and the other unclaimed omegas shaken. As each rotation of alphas entered the arena, the tension only increased. Most of the alphas were in rut, and if they hadn't been at the start of the day, then the scent of both unclaimed omegas or the sudden heat that had come over the bonded and mated ones would surely have thrown them into such a state.
Fortunately, there did not appear to be as many in this final grouping as there had been in the previous ones, not that Emma got more than a peek at the pairs of bare feet that made their way into the sunken enclosure (the arena they called it, though it was nothing more than an earthen pit with a few trees along one end and a caged holding area on the other, with three Mating Stones, or altars, in the center). With her head bowed in submission - both a deferential expectation and a compulsion of her biology that yielded power to both the entering alphas as well as the governing body of elders taking their place above to oversee the proceedings - Emma kept her eyes on the crystal hanging between her breasts, willing it to remain dormant.
Gazes that ranged from predatory to cursory prickled along her skin as she and the other two omegas waited for one or more of the alphas to move closer. The crystals would not activate until the males were within a specific range, and Emma could not figure out what on earth they were all waiting for, hovering just beyond the boundary. Several more rapid beats of her heart passed until it seemed one of the alphas had broken away from the pack, evident by the scent of one of the omegas changing in an instant, followed by the pained moans of her heat coming on fast and relentless.
Emma lifted her head slightly and glanced over to where the omega was being led to the Mating Stone, then quickly shifted her eyes away when the alpha commanded her to present. She'd almost clamped her eyes shut, hoping to block out the next few minutes, when she caught sight of the most stunning pair of eyes she'd ever seen.
Which belonged to the most beautiful alpha she had ever set her eyes on before.
Dark haired with a pale complexion, he did not possess the typical build of an alpha, but his demeanor and overall countenance was no less commanding. His bonding crystal lay dormant, nestled in the thick thatch of hair sweeping across his chest, and Emma fleetingly wondered what color it would glow when triggered by the presence of his mate. Her eyes drifted lower, an anticipatory swoop fluttering in her belly as she followed the tapering trail of hair that narrowed at his trim waist before thickening again at his groin. The sight of his half-hard cock, which stiffened into a proud and impressive stance under her furtive gaze, made her mouth water as a dull ache began to form between her legs.
Trailing her eyes back up, she gasped when she realized he was staring at her, his brows lowered and intense, making her pulse quicken and her throat go dry. She was about to drop her head back down - after all, eye contact with an alpha was not something she should be encouraging - when a large hand painfully grabbed her arm.
"Come, Omega!" another alpha demanded, dragging her towards the Stone. "We've been bonded."
Panicked, Emma dug in her heels while her eyes sought the crystal hanging from this alpha's neck. A crystal still void of color, causing her to glance down at her own, which did hold a hint of shine, but it was clear - to her anyway - that the illumination was from the waning sunlight and not an indication they had been bonded.
"No," she protested, attempting to wrench her arm out of the vice of his grip as he dragged her over to the Mating Stones. "No, you're making a mistake, we're not-"
She never got the chance to finish her sentence, forcibly spun around and thrown over the Stone she was now vulnerable and exposed, completely at the mercy of an alpha who was not her mate. A potential death sentence for them both.
~/~
Killian had noticed her the moment they'd been led into the arena. While the other two omegas cowered in their submissive stance, the blonde beauty's posture held a measure of strength, and even a hint of defiance, that appealed to him. It was clear she hadn't been well tended to, though. Bruises littered her extremities, and the bindings at her wrists were clearly chafing her delicate skin. Skin he longed to touch, with flowing tresses of golden hair he wanted to run his fingers through, but he knew he needed time to collect himself before approaching.
They all did, having spent too much time pent up together with the torment of omega scent permeating the air around them. At least in the arena he could clear his head and his sinuses, breathe in the fresh air and take command of his nature before it got the better of him. A difficult task to accomplish when the sea glass of her eyes flickered over the forget-me-not of his before trailing down his body in a similar fashion to how he'd just appraised her. He couldn't help the swell of his cock, knowing she was looking, and it had taken every ounce of willpower he possessed to not do exactly as the buffoon of an alpha currently declaring himself her mate - despite the lack of matching color within their crystals - was doing.
Surely though, he wasn't fool enough to actually attempt to take her?
Fury erupted inside him when the other alpha forced her over the Mating Stone. With swift steps, Killian marched up and grabbed the alpha's arm, swinging him around as he reared his arm back, the blow landing the other alpha on the ground as Killian shook out the pain in his hand from where it had connected with his jaw.
"Have you a death wish, mate?" Killian seethed. "Any fool can see it was a trick of the sun, her crystal is clearly not glow-"
The words died on his tongue, for as soon as he'd pulled the alpha away, the blonde omega had scampered off and around the Stone, putting it between herself and them. When Killian glanced over he could now see that her crystal was, in fact, glowing a deep crimson.
Had he made a terrible mistake?
Darting his eyes back to the other alpha, he noted (with a measure of relief) the dormant state of his crystal, then flicked his eyes back to the omega, whose wide eyes were trained at his chest. Glancing down, Killian saw the crimson glow of his crystal and as his eyes slowly raised back up to meet hers there was only one thought growling through his head.
Mine.
The omega - His Omega - began to back away, but was stopped short when she was gripped with the first spasms of her heat ripping through her. With no other thought than to comfort his mate, Killian rushed forward, her scent overtaking him as he backed her against one the trees.
"Let me help you, Omega," he murmured, caging her in with his hands braced against the thick oak's trunk. "I know how to make you feel better, love."
"No, please."
Her words were betrayed by the breathless, sultry tone they were spoken in, as well as the way her body swayed towards his. The joint glow of their crystals cast a radiance upon her flushed skin and a new scent was added to her already intoxicating bouquet when slick began to wet her thighs.
Tradition and the law dictated their first coupling be done over the Mating Stone, but Killian couldn't stop himself from rutting against her. The scorching heat of her slick coated folds meeting his own heated flesh forced a groan to rumble through his chest as a wanton whimper fell from her lips. Skimming his nose down the gentle slope of her neck, he hummed appreciatively at the shiver trembling through her when he inhaled deeply over her scent gland, his mouth watering at the prospect of claiming her. Which made her next words all the more confounding for him to process in his lust filled and proprietary state.
"Reject me," she begged, her tone laced with panic-stricken alarm.
He knew she couldn't possibly mean such a thing, not if she were thinking clearly, not if she weren't being bombarded by her nature's need to heed her biology, but his own muddled condition made his reply sound harsher and more domineering than he intended.
"Are you mad? Do you have any idea what will happen to you if I sever our mating bond? All these unmated alphas left roaming the arena, many of them in full rut and eager to mate, but restrained under our law. You would become fair game, Omega." Holding her with his gaze, he reached up and gently cupped her face, the pad of his thumb softly caressing the apple of her cheek as he laid out the cold reality of her situation. "One way or another you're not leaving this arena untouched. So, you can either present to me or become sport for them."
Her body shuddered, but whether it was from his words or the torment of her heat intensifying in its efforts to get her mate, he could not say.
"I don't want to be taken like some animal in front of everyone," she said, finally giving voice to her qualms.
Killian would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved to hear her reasons. For a moment, he'd been concerned that she somehow found him lacking and that was the reason she'd asked him to reject her, for in their society omegas had not the authority to break their bond - that power was bestowed upon their alpha. Still, he was not unsympathetic to her feelings, he didn't much relish the idea of mating her in public view either.
"To some of these alphas," he began, hoping his words might alleviate some of her anxieties and lessen the significance of what was expected of them, "that's exactly what you are, love."
Based on her disgusted expression, he'd hoped wrong.
"And to you?" she asked in an accusing tone, some of the defiance he'd appreciated earlier tightening in her features.
His eyes fell to her collarbone, her words causing his jaw to clench. Truth be told, he had thought so. Had been taught so from a young age, all alphas had, but now, in the face of his mate, her scent driving him mad and awakening primal instincts pivotal to the very nature of what he was, all Killian could think was-
"You are my mate. Mine. To protect and cherish. Even with my life." Her eyes softened, the wary tension tightening her shoulders relaxing even as another shudder of pain rolled through her.
"Alpha!" a voice from above called out. Craning his head upward, Killian could see the Elder Alphas growing impatient. "Either mate her or reject her, enough talk!"
Glancing over his shoulder, Killian saw the other alphas being herded back into the holding cage. There they would wait until the arena was cleared of both unclaimed and bonded omegas, a second audience to witness the ritual he could no longer avoid.
"Come, My Omega," he commanded, gently taking her by the arm and leading her forward while whispering in her ear. "You and I both know tradition must be met. There's no way around it, love." When they reached the Mating Stones he saw her eyes jump to the alphas leering from the cage. "Hey," he soothed, taking her face in his hands once more. "Just you and me, love. Close your eyes."
Swallowing tightly, she obeyed, a single tear caught in her lashes.
"Listen to my voice, Omega." His voice was low and hushed, but the tone held all the command and authority inherent in him as her Alpha. "Let it be the only voice you hear, and just as my hands-" lightly, he skimmed his palms up and down her arms, causing the fine hairs beneath them to raise "-and cock-" she gasped at the feel of him rutting into her again, a moan quickly following when he applied a feather soft kiss behind her ear, "-will be the only things you feel, imagine only my eyes on you, Omega. Just you and me. No one else."
"Y-Yes, Alpha," she replied. The use of his title made his member throb and twitch in anticipation, causing him to be more forceful than he'd planned when guiding her to stand before the Stone.
"Present, Omega," he growled, blocking her from the view of the alphas behind him as best he could, wishing to keep the sight of her, slick and pinked and plump, all to himself as she obeyed and gingerly draped herself over the Stone with her hands still bound in front of her.
Her glistening sex made him wish he could bury his face between her folds and lap up every drop of essence their bond was pulling from her body, but some things would have to wait for another time. Positioning himself behind her, Killian slipped his cock through her sodden folds, coating himself in her slick to ensure they were both prepared. Bloody hell, she was so wet. Lining himself up at her entrance he rutted forward and groaned at the lack of resistance, just tight heat enveloping him, welcoming him into her depths as she instinctively pushed her hips back towards him, beckoning him to sink in deeper with each thrust.
His hands grabbed her waist, using his hold to anchor himself as well as set the pace as he drove himself in her sweet heat again and again. Faintly, he could hear grunts and other sounds coming from the cage at his back, and when he looked up, all eyes of the Elders were on them, watching as he thrust into his mate again and again and again. A spark of primal pride flickered within his alpha nature, smugly gratified that these alphas knew to whom his omega belonged, a sudden urge to pull her to him by her hair so he could sink his teeth into the tender flesh above her gland practically overwhelming him.
He did pull her upright, but not by her hair. Grunting, he withdrew his cock then hastily spun her around, ducking down to thread his head between her restrained arms so he could lift her into his before she could even register what was happening.
"What are you doing?" she panted, her legs dangling over the crooks of his arms as her breath puffed against his lips.
He claimed those lips rather than answer, his teeth skating across the bottom one before she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to surge inside. Swallowing her moans, he backed them up against an out of the way - and out of sight to all those who had thus been privy to their mating - tree, its trunk covered with a soft moss that would provide some comfort to her back.
"Alpha," she whined, her back bowing off the trunk, her hips swiveling in search of his cock. "Please, Alpha. I need-"
"I know what you need, My Omega." He didn't hesitate to fit the tip of his cock back into her, groaning at the feel of her around him once more as he slid home, all the while pledging, "I'll always give you what you need, love. For the rest of our lives, I swear it."
Fuck, she was responsive, even with the limitations of their current position, not to mention her still bound hands. He really ought to untie her, he thought, but when her teeth clamped down on the juncture of his neck and shoulder, all rational thought left him.
Crying out, Killian drove into her at a frenzied pace. Everything fell away from his consciousness. Everything but her. The rub of her taut nipples through his chest hair, the pants and moans on her breath as it staccatoed in his ear, the slap of their skin, the mixture of their scents, her walls tightening around him.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
He could feel the swell of his knot sooner than he'd anticipated, and desperate as he was to have her finish before he knotted her, he precariously reached between them to coax her over the brink, circling her clit with his thumb until she convulsed and cried out in pleasure. As she rode out the waves of her ecstasy, Killian quickened his pace to chase her, filling her with his knot and his seed as he careened over the edge of bliss with her.
He wasn't quite sure how he managed to get them safely on the ground, but there he sat with his Omega straddling him, both of them sated and weary and wearing the biggest grins he suspected either of them had ever sported in their lives.
"Here, love," he said, lifting her arms from around his neck and working to undo her bindings. "All better?" he asked, tossing away the ropes and keeping a tight rein on the rage bubbling at the sight of her raw red wrists.
"Yes, thank you." Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, her gaze a bit timid as she hesitated to give voice to something she clearly wished to say.
"What is it, Omega?"
"Y-You didn't… claim me," she said. "I thought… I mean, don't you want me to have your mark?"
She sounded almost frustrated at herself for asking, for being so disappointed, for letting him hear how vulnerable she felt at being left unmarked.
"Of course I do, love," he assured her, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her flush to his chest. "And I will. I just thought…"
"Thought what?"
"I just thought we might want to know each other's names before taking that step."
Her giggle caused a responding chuckle to rumble in his chest, a lop-sided smile hanging haphazardly off his lips before he sobered and pulled her far enough back from him to look her in the eye.
"Might I have the privilege of knowing my Omega's name?"
"Emma," she said. "Emma Swan."
"Emma," he parroted on an awe infused breath.
"And you?" she prompted. "Might I know the name of my Alpha?"
Her Alpha.
Hers.
"Killian Jones. At your service, My Omega."