The Awakened Omega

Jayden Locke had absolutely no memory of his life before the age of seven.

His father, Ardan, had always told him that a catastrophic accident at that age was to blame. According to Ardan, the same trauma had awakened a “special gift” within him. As a young boy, Jayden had believed him without question, wearing that strange gift like a badge of honor. It had felt good to believe he was different—to believe he was someone special.

Because he was an Omega.

His ability had made him feel as though he could stand on equal footing with Alphas, as though he could be strong. Although Omegas in the United Republic enjoyed far greater status and rights than those living under the inhumane conditions of neighboring Volkania, being born an Omega was still a disadvantage in a society dominated and governed by Alphas.

“Jayden? What’s wrong? You haven’t touched your food.”

Sitting across from him, Ardan studied his face with genuine concern.

“Oh, sorry, Dad. I was just lost in thought.”

Tomorrow marked the beginning of Jayden’s new life, and the weight of his impending responsibilities was already threatening to suffocate him. Ardan had gone out of his way to reserve a table at this luxurious Italian restaurant to celebrate the occasion, but despite the magnificent spread before him, Jayden had little appetite.

“Don’t worry. You’re flawless. More than that, you’re extraordinary. You have complete control over your gift now, don’t you? Remember, you’re entering that tower not as an Omega, but as Jayden Locke. Do your duty.”

“Yeah. You’re right. Besides, my inner Omega is completely dormant. I barely even register my own designation anymore. Thanks to the suppressants, I don’t give off a trace of pheromones, and I haven’t had a heat cycle in five years. Honestly, I’d be perfectly happy if it never woke up again. That’s exactly why you recommended me for this position, isn’t it?”

Jayden offered a self-deprecating smile as he idly twirled his fork through his pasta. Ardan lowered his voice, gently chiding him.

“Don’t look down on your own designation like that. Just look at what happened the other day. The first Omega soldier to join the military’s special forces made a tremendous impact. He saved countless Omegas. You could become a beacon of hope for our kind, too.”

Jayden froze, his fork hovering inches from his mouth. Then he lowered it to his plate with a dull clatter.

“And who was it that just told me to go in ‘not as an Omega, but as Jayden Locke’?”

He rolled his shoulders in an exaggerated, sarcastic shrug. Right on cue, Ardan’s secure terminal began vibrating against the tabletop.

“Talk about timing... Forgive me, Jayden. I can’t ignore this call.”

Ardan muttered a brief curse before picking up the terminal and swiping his thumb across the secure screen.

“Yes, sir. As a matter of fact, we’re having dinner together right now. No, sir, not at all. It’s an honor. Yes, sir.”

Jayden knew exactly who his father was speaking to. There was only one man alive who could make the Secretary of Defense sound so formal.

“Understood, sir. I’ll pass along the message. Good night, Mr. President. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ardan set the terminal back on the table and turned to Jayden with a warm, affectionate smile. By then, the younger man had finally started eating.

“Your new boss is looking forward to meeting you tomorrow. I never imagined the President himself would take such a personal interest in a rookie agent fresh out of the Security Personnel Bureau.”

“Is it because I’m an Omega? Or because I’m the Defense Secretary’s son?”

Jayden flashed a mischievous grin. Ardan chuckled softly and raised his wineglass.

“Probably both.”

After saying goodbye to Ardan and returning to his apartment, Jayden’s gaze drifted to the framed family portrait on the wall. It had been taken during an old family vacation, back when his mother, Mariel, was still alive. He reached out and gently traced her smiling face with his fingertips.

“Mom, starting tomorrow, I’ll be working right alongside the President. I’ll do my best to make Dad proud,” he whispered, trying to convince himself as much as her.

(Dad took me in when I was a helpless orphan and raised me into the man I am today. I can’t fail him. I won’t let him down.)

The conflicting waves of duty and anxiety refused to leave him in peace. He tossed and turned for hours before finally drifting off, only to find himself revisiting a dream he hadn’t had in years.

It always began the same way.

A young Jayden was playing in a sprawling, sunlit garden with a boy slightly older than himself. The scene was peaceful, but then the air would suddenly turn cold, and panic would seize them. They would sprint toward a nearby building, desperate to find shelter.

Huddled together in the corner of a dimly lit room, Jayden would squeeze the older boy’s hand.

“It’s going to be okay. We’ll make it,” he would whisper.

The boy’s trembling fingers would tighten around his own as he fixed Jayden with a piercing gaze.

“Yeah. I trust you.”

The boy’s eyes were beautiful—a vivid, striking shade of amethyst.

On the morning of his assignment, Jayden left his apartment long before sunrise to make his 0600 shift. After a thirty-minute drive, he arrived at his destination.

The Galen Citadel.

The executive mansion and the heart of the nation’s government. With its silver-gray, fortress-like exterior and a glass tower rising from its center, it stood as the ultimate symbol of Galen’s power. The massive reflecting pools surrounding the structure caught the first rays of dawn, casting shimmering light across the glass facade.

A quiet surge of pride stirred in Jayden’s chest as he took in the sight.

After his deployment briefing, he drove through the secure gate and into the underground parking structure, making his way toward the SPB tactical entrance.

“So you’re the new close-protection rookie.”

An Alpha agent stationed at the checkpoint looked Jayden up and down, his expression calculated and condescending.

“An Omega?” he muttered with a sharp scoff.

“Why the hell is the Bureau assigning an Omega to the Presidential Detail...?” he grumbled under his breath.

Without warning, he seized Jayden’s wrist and pressed a clear, film-like security tag against the sensitive skin on its inner side.

“This tag is your all-access pass. Scan it at any biometric panel, and the doors will unlock. It expires in twenty-four hours, so hand it in when you clock out. Got it?”

“Got it.”

Jayden frowned, his eyes narrowing. The Alpha had grabbed him without permission, and even after attaching the tag, he still hadn’t released his wrist.

“I don’t see how a fragile little thing like you is going to be of any use to the detail,” the Alpha sneered.

He yanked Jayden’s hand closer and took a deep, invasive sniff of his wrist. Scenting an unbonded Omega without permission was a gross violation of professional boundaries and basic social etiquette.

“You don’t even smell like an Omega. You’re as plain as a Beta. I guess we’ll see whether you’ve got any real talents beyond breeding.”

A fierce surge of adrenaline shot through Jayden, and the primal urge to twist the Alpha’s arm out of its socket surged through him. But Ardan’s face flashed through his mind, and he clenched his fists, forcing himself to swallow his anger.

“I’m not your typical Omega. That’s why I’m standing here. If you want to see what I’m capable of, keep your eyes open.”

The Alpha flinched at the defiance in Jayden’s eyes, but his grip only tightened.

“Cocky little bitch,” he spat.

Having had enough, Jayden seized the Alpha’s wrist in return, digging his fingers into the man’s forearm.

“I’ve tolerated your attitude long enough. Your discriminatory remarks are going straight to Internal Affairs.”

Before the Alpha could retaliate, a commanding voice cut through the tension.

“There’s no need to file a report. I heard every word. Release him. Now.”

Jayden turned toward the voice.

Another Alpha stood in the corridor, a towering figure well over 190 centimeters tall. His tailored suit did little to conceal his formidable physique; he looked as though he had a vest of solid muscle beneath the fabric.

Even with his instincts dormant and his tolerance for Alpha pheromones unusually high, Jayden felt his breath catch under the sheer weight of the man’s presence.

“Jayden Locke? I’m here to escort you. I’m Thorne Calder, Shift Detail Leader. I oversee the protection detail you’re joining today.”

Thorne extended a massive hand, and Jayden reached out to shake it. The man’s grip closed around his hand at once, firm and unyielding. The pressure was enough to make Jayden’s knuckles ache. It was a subtle but unmistakable display of Alpha dominance, and deep in his chest, Jayden felt his dormant Omega stir in a tiny, instinctive shudder.

(Get a hold of yourself... Don’t let him see you flinch.)

Jayden silently cursed his own biology and held the towering Alpha’s gaze.

“It’s an honor to be on the team, sir.”

“Come with me. I’ll introduce you to your training agent, Kier. But first...”

Thorne paused and turned his attention back to the checkpoint guard. A low rumble vibrated in his chest.

“Agent, report to the operations room at the end of your shift. We’ll discuss your disciplinary action then.”

“Yes, sir,” the guard muttered, barely audible, shooting Jayden a venomous glare.

“Don’t let him get to you. He’s an outlier. The rest of the detail is ready to welcome you,” Thorne said as they resumed walking.

Jayden knew better, of course. Throughout his life, being an orphaned Omega with the Secretary of Defense as his adoptive father had meant that his achievements were routinely dismissed as the result of “political leverage” or “the pity of the elite.” He had long since grown numb to the whispers.

“Do you have a problem with Alphas?” Thorne asked, glancing back at him.

“No, sir... I grew up surrounded by Alphas. Between the military academy and my special rotation at the Department of Defense, I was hardly ever around anyone else. Almost all my colleagues were Alphas.”

His voice softened slightly as he delivered the final lie.

Thorne’s gaze sharpened, and a dark, knowing smirk tugged at his lips.

“Let me offer you a bit of unofficial advice. An unmarried Omega at twenty-nine is a rarity. Most have already been claimed and marked by an Alpha by the time they reach twenty-five. In a nation where Alphas make up the majority, plenty of men are desperate for an Omega partner. And a male Omega like you will always attract a certain kind of predatory attention.”

Jayden’s brows drew together. It was the brutal reality of their world, but hearing it from the very man who had just reprimanded a guard for discrimination left a bitter taste in his mouth. It seemed that every Alpha, regardless of rank, ultimately viewed Omegas as objects to be brought to their knees.

“The Bureau cleared my medical records, sir. My Omega functions are completely dormant, so I won’t pose a liability to the detail.”

“Regardless, making it this far in a meritocracy dominated by Alphas takes absolute resolve. Keep your focus on the job. I expect great things from you.”

Unsure of Thorne’s true intentions, Jayden gave a neutral nod and followed the imposing Alpha down the corridor in silence.

Thorne eventually stopped in front of a secure door.

“Your training agent is waiting inside. Like you, he’s a bit of an outsider on this detail—the only Beta on the Shift Detail. I think the two of you will find some common ground.”

Thorne pushed open the door marked Equipment Room.

Inside, a man stood with his back to them, meticulously arranging tactical headsets and sidearms on a metal counter. He was remarkably well-built for a Beta, standing well over 180 centimeters tall with a powerful, athletic frame.

“Kier, this is our new rookie, Jayden Locke.”

The man slowly turned around.

“Ah, you’re the new guy. Nice to meet you. I’m Kier Holt.”

“Oh...”

The words died in Jayden’s throat.

Kier had a sharp jawline and strikingly handsome features, but it was his eyes that held Jayden spellbound.

They were an unearthly, piercing shade of amethyst.

(Those purple eyes... They’re exactly the same as the boy from my dream.)

Jayden stood frozen, staring at the hand Kier had extended until the man let out a soft, low chuckle.

“Is it my eye color?” he asked gently.

“Ah—sorry. I just... I once knew someone with exactly the same eyes. It’s an honor to meet you, Agent Holt. I’m Jayden Locke.”

Jayden hurriedly took his hand. Kier’s fingers closed around his own, but unlike Thorne’s dominating, bone-crushing grip, his touch was steady and reassuring, enveloping Jayden’s hand in a quiet warmth.

(What is this feeling...?)

For the first time in his life, Jayden felt his inner Omega stir in response to a Beta. It wasn’t the fierce, burning heat of a biological trigger. Instead, a profound sense of familiarity washed over him, bringing with it an overwhelming feeling of safety—as though he’d finally found a missing piece of himself.

Lost in those violet eyes, Jayden didn’t realize he was still holding Kier’s hand until the other man gave him a playful smirk.

“I don’t think I’ve ever received such an enthusiastic handshake on someone’s first day.”

Jayden immediately let go, heat rushing to his cheeks.

“The Leader probably told you, but I’m the only Beta on this shift. Drop the formalities. Just call me Kier.”

“Thanks, Kier. It’s... good to know I’m not the only one.”

Trying to shake off his embarrassment, Jayden watched as Kier began handing him his tactical gear.

Jayden removed his civilian suit jacket and slipped a low-profile ballistic vest over his uniform shirt. He fitted his communications headset over his ear, secured his compact sidearm in its holster at his waist, and tucked a tactical folding knife into a concealed pocket on his belt.

Kier stepped closer, moving into Jayden’s personal space as he reached out to adjust the fit of his body armor.

With the Beta suddenly only inches away, a strange tremor rippled through Jayden’s chest. There were no pheromones for him to register, yet his heart hammered against his ribs.

“Listen carefully, Jayden. Your position puts you within one meter of the President at all times. You’re the final line of defense. Never forget that.”

Under the intensity of those vivid purple eyes, Jayden could barely manage a whisper.

“Understood.”

Behind them, Thorne cleared his throat softly as he approached Jayden. He picked up Jayden’s suit jacket from the bench and held it open for him.

Surprised by the unexpected gesture from his superior, Jayden slipped his arms into the sleeves and offered him a small, polite smile.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Well, look at that. Our Shift Leader is playing the gentleman,” Kier teased, a knowing smirk spreading across his face. “Is it because he’s a rookie, sir? Or because he’s an Omega?”

Thorne’s expression remained impassive, though a low grunt rumbled in his chest. He placed a heavy hand on Jayden’s shoulder, the force straightening his posture.

“All right, playtime is over. It’s time to introduce you to the President. Stay alert. The man is a Peak Alpha.”