Chapter 3

Disgusted and bewildered, Hamilton snatched his hand from Jefferson's grasp, fighting to keep control of himself. A part of him, something primal and aggressive and new, growled at Hamilton's restraint - the other, rational, logical side, the part of Hamilton was used to utilizing, held back his instincts with cables of steel-plated will.

"Secretary Hamilton?" Washington's voice flitted through the haze of the omega's mind. The omega suddenly found himself being escorted by Jefferson to one of the couches lining the edges of the office.

His nerves were on fire, individual fibers ran with some molten substance, but Hamilton felt cold with humiliation as he sat down with a grunt. He'd never experienced something so intense...so personal.

"Alexander," Washington quietly intoned. "Are you alright?"

Grunting, Hamilton shifted, leaning against the arm of the couch. He felt as if he were going to burst - as if he were coming apart at the seams.

Absently, Hamilton recalled hearing, from passing omegas in public, about the rare occurrence of meeting one's soulmate - the word resonated within him somewhere deep, somewhere carnal - but he'd never actually done his research on the subject, figuring something as blissful as discovering one's soulmate would never happen to a disaster of a man like himself.

"Son," Washington, apparently, wasn't taking a grunt for any type of answer. "Do we need to call for a doctor?"

Usually priding himself on his handle on his second sex, Hamilton felt shame rise in his throat. He'd always been so careful - he dressed as a beta and applied scent blocker liberally, even in private leisure, when company was not expected. Hamilton knew the world and its unfair treatment of those who inhabited it. Those who did not deserve their happiness were often feed it, while people like Hamilton had to fight to just stay alive.

Even in an advanced society like theirs - a society that fought against the tyranny of divine right - played by rules and laws interpreted to gift canonical aristocracy the pleasure of overarching freedom.

Therefore, married and bonded omegas were permanent property, held by their legal mates, and rarely allowed to do anything outside of explicit permission.

And yet, despite years of oppression, omegas had somehow garnered the idea that bonding to someone was romantic, that their mate would favor and revere them when the opposite was true. They had the delusion of choice, but where they saw happiness, Hamilton saw chains. Being the property of someone else, they lacked both presence in court and voice in vote.

He'd fought and rallied and wrote, nearly inconsolably passionate in moments because he knew, felt it deep within him, that he was the only one who could make a change. So he's had to work and work hard.

"No, your excellency," But to succumb to a fit of weakness in front of two men of well renown was exceedingly mortifying. "I don't require medical assistance."

"It seems to me, Secretary Hamilton," Jefferson drawled and Hamilton shuddered a bit, he sounded orchestral and the omega just wanted togive in. To give in to the voices chanting, singing, imploring on the edges of his subconscious to besalaciousand use everything in his arsenal to make the alpha before himhis. "That you have been unfortunately affected by the magnanimous presence of yours truly."

And suddenly Hamilton is very aware of his previous disgust as it crashed through the iron fence of his control, sating his illogical desire for the alpha. Jefferson, for all of Hamilton's hormonal affection, solidified Hamilton's supposition of the alpha's arrogance in that moment.

"Secretary Jefferson, I don't think-" And it seems as if Washington is going to defend Hamilton when the omega cuts him off. "You know what, sir?" Hamilton has his head in his hands, taking deep breaths, glad that the onslaught of hormones have ceased for the moment. "I've been working too hard with little sleep."

Washington sighed and Hamilton felt a large, warm hand claim his shoulder, softly squeezed. "I'm in concurrence. You've done much in the past few weeks to make up for Jefferson's absence. I'm sure he'd be willing to -"

"Yes yes," Jefferson, with a voice interlaced with a strange mixture of amusement and incredulousness, shifted, catching Hamilton's attention. The omega suddenly became aware of the color of the alpha's breeches - dark magenta if he'd known anything about such topics - and the absurdity of the material. "I can weather the duties for a few days. I dislike the notion of being indebted anyway, sir."

Washington hummed, "Truer words."