Monster in my bed.

Sometimes I wonder if I was meant to be born in a world like this.

A world where the powerful decide who gets to live freely, and who doesn't even get to breathe without permission. A world where everything - from the price of bread to the length of your skirt - is decided by someone bigger, stronger, meaner. An Alpha.

I was born to a Beta father and an Omega mother. That alone marked me different. My mother, Ava, was gentle. Soft-spoken. She used to sing when she cooked, even when there wasn't much in the pot. I remember her warmth, the way she smelled like sun-dried clothes and flowers from the corner of our yard. She died when I was seven. A sickness. No one ever said what exactly.

But I remember how I screamed for her. How I curled up in night after her, not understanding why she wouldn't hold me anymore.

My father, Liam, was never the same after that.

He blames himself. Still does. I've heard him crying late at night, whispering her name. I think in some part of his heart, he believes she died because he was just a Beta - not strong enough to protect her from the sickness, or from the world.

Since then, it's just been us. Him and me.

We live in the outer ring of the city - the edges no one talks about. The air is heavy with dust, and the buildings are cracked, tired. We have electricity most days. Water sometimes. Food... when we can afford it. Twice a day if we're lucky. Once a day if we're not. But even then, I'm grateful. Some don't even have that.

We wear what the Alphas throw away - shirts worn twice, jeans faded at the knees, coats with broken zippers. Most of my closet smells like another person's perfume.

But I've learned not to complain. Not when my father comes home with sore feet and a fake smile after standing all day at the shoe counter, selling to people who never bother to look him in the eye.

I want more.

Not luxury. Not even comfort.

I want understanding.

That's why I applied to Kingston University. Their Advanced Biomedical Science program is one of the best. They study the virus - the one that changed us all. The one that gave us these classifications. Alpha. Beta. Omega. I want to understand it - to understand myself. Maybe help others like me - the hidden Omegas and the Betas who get ignored.

I applied two months ago. Never thought I'd hear back.

But today... today the shortlist results are coming.

I checked my email every hour from sunrise to dinner. My heart racing every time I refreshed the screen. Nothing. Until after we'd eaten. My father had just taken our plates to the sink when the notification came.

Congratulations, Miss Brown. You've been selected for an interview at Kingston University.

I couldn't breathe. For a moment, I just stared at the screen, my hands frozen.

Then I whispered, "Papa..."

He read the email over my shoulder. And for the first time in years, I saw his eyes light up. "Your mother would be proud," he said softly, voice thick with emotion.

I think I cried that night. Not because I was sad. But because for the first time in a long while... I felt like I had a future.

Two weeks passed in a blur.

And today... I stand at the edge of everything I've ever dreamed of.

The main city rises in front of me like something from another planet. Skyscrapers stretch into the clouds, their glass windows catching the light like mirrors of heaven. Roads so clean they shine. Cars that look like they belong in magazines. Alphas everywhere - tall, polished, powerful - walking like the world owes them something.

I must look like an insect to them. A speck in their perfect world.

I squeeze my father's hand as we stand in front of the university gates. He looks at me with those tired, kind eyes and says, "I'm right here. Go inside, do your best."

I nod, heart thudding so hard it feels like thunder in my chest.

I'm dressed in the best I could manage - plain black pants, a thrifted blazer that doesn't quite fit right at the shoulders, and scuffed shoes. My golden-brown hair is tied in a high ponytail to keep it neat. I tried to hide the natural curves of my Omega body under layers, but it's still obvious. Small frame. Narrow waist. Wide hips. I walk carefully, keeping my steps steady.

I know my scent is under control - the suppressant patch behind my ear burns faintly. It's illegal. Dangerous. But it keeps me safe.

My fingers tremble as I reach the main entrance. The building towers over me - white stone columns, glass doors taller than any house I've seen, and walls that seem to hum with power. Students rush in and out, some laughing, others quiet, all dressed in things I could never afford. I feel their eyes on me. Or maybe I just imagine it.

I look back once.

My father is still there. Waiting on the steps. Smiling, just a little.

I take a deep breath and knock on the interview room door.

"...May I come in?" I ask, voice small.

I hear someone say yes from inside, a female voice.

So I step forward, my heart pounding, and slowly push the door open.

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