Chapter Text
Mom got up from the dinner table and opened the door, chatting with what sounded like a woman. I didn’t tune in, uncaring when the lasagna was set in front of me. I scooped my third slice, the rich, cheesy sauce comforting in its predictability. Macy, my sister, snickered.
"You're gonna get fat if you eat so much."
“Macy.” Mom scolded as she came in with a woman who had a guard trailing behind her. “Don’t patronize your brother. He’s growing. This lovely woman needs to talk with Shawn and I.”
Macy huffed, slouching. "Whatever."
I wiped my mouth and stood up, but my hands were shaking a little. I didn't want to draw attention to it. "Everything okay?"
Mom nodded and smiled nervously at the perky woman, who seemed a little too chipper for the situation. "Yep! Why don’t you show them to the living room while I call your dad? He should be home soon."
I nodded, pretending like everything was fine, though a knot twisted in my stomach. I didn’t know why, but I hated this feeling of unknowns looming over me. "Follow me."
The woman bounced over with a grin. “You must be Shawn! I’m Hayley, it’s lovely to meet you.”
I hesitated before offering my hand, still feeling that strange nervousness gnawing at me. “Nice to meet you, too.” I gestured to the seat across from me. “Take a seat. Want some water or anything?”
She shook her head and sat down with an exaggerated motion, making it look like she belonged, her hands neatly placing a few binders on the coffee table. "Who are you exactly?"
"Oh! I’m from SGPS." She smiled brightly, but my gut did this weird little flip. SGPS? I knew that name—Secondary Gender Preservation Services. They had to do with omega stuff, right? But why was I involved? Was I infected? Had my test results come back weird?
I didn’t ask—didn’t want to seem like I was panicking or anything—but I felt my throat dry up a little.
She glanced toward the door. "Perhaps we should wait for your parents."
There was a hushed conversation outside, and then Mom and Dad entered, wearing nervous smiles like they’d been rehearsing. "Hayley, this is my mate, Patrick."
“Nice to meet you!” Hayley said, her voice somehow too cheery, shaking Dad’s hand with almost too much enthusiasm.
Dad and Mom sat down, exchanging a look that felt like they were trying to figure out whether this was some kind of joke. Then Hayley reached into her bag and pulled out a bright green binder. I couldn’t stop staring at it—like it was some kind of prize or announcement I wasn’t prepared for.
"Well," she started, grinning wider than I thought possible, "Your son is seventeen and has one entry in the lottery for an omega. I’m happy to announce that Shawn has been chosen to receive one!"
For a moment, everything was silent—too silent. My mouth dropped open. Did she just say what I think she said?
I blinked, feeling my stomach twist in a way I couldn’t describe. “Are you fucking with us?” It came out before I could stop myself.
She laughed—like it was all part of the plan. “I promise you I’m not. It’s incredibly rare for someone your age to be chosen, but there are protocols for this.” She turned to my parents. “Would you be alright with an omega in your home?”
I felt a flare of heat in my chest—anger, frustration, confusion. I don't even know what that means. My brain was scrambling to catch up, but my mouth moved faster than I could think. “What do you mean by ‘chosen’? I didn’t sign up for anything.”
Mom was grinning now, her excitement palpable. "Oh, that would be just wonderful! I’ve only met a handful of omegas, but for Shawn? I would've never believed it!" She turned to Dad. “Patrick, honey, can you believe this? Our son gets an omega!”
Dad was still looking at the paperwork, not quite processing it yet, but he nodded. "This is quite a shock, but we'd love to make this work."
I glanced between the two of them—What? Make what work?
"What's her name?" I asked, forcing myself to focus on the conversation. I didn’t even care if I sounded rude. I didn’t know what was going on, and I needed something concrete to hold onto.
Her smile faltered just slightly, and I noticed a weird little twitch. She cleared her throat. “Actually, it’s a boy. A prime omega, the tiniest little thing.” She flipped open a binder with a crisp motion and handed me a photo.
I stared at it, my breath catching in my throat. He was—he was...tiny. So tiny. His doe eyes were huge and framed by dark lashes, and his hair was messy in that cute way that made him look almost fragile. Fragile.
I couldn’t help myself. "He’s..." I swallowed, struggling to find a word, my mind unable to articulate the rush of feelings inside me. What the hell is happening?
“Like what you see?” Hayley asked, her voice soft now, almost teasing. I felt myself nod before I could stop it. This is real. He’s real. The little guy in the picture felt so far away, but somehow...so close.
Hayley smiled like she’d just given me a present, her eyes scanning me, maybe waiting for some kind of reaction. I didn’t know what she expected. My heart was pounding. This wasn’t a gift. This wasn’t some surprise birthday party. This was... this was a new reality. And I didn’t even know if I wanted it.
Mom was practically bouncing in her seat now, her smile so wide I thought it might break her face. “Oh, how darling! When do we get him?”
Dad cleared his throat, looking between Hayley and Mom with that careful, assessing gaze he always had when things felt too good to be true. “So… let me get this straight. You’re saying that Shawn was chosen to receive an omega? And you’re here to... what, give him one?”
I stared at the photo again, unable to look away from the delicate features of the boy, Parker. Was he even real? Or just a photo from some AI program?
Hayley seemed almost too calm as she spoke again. “That’s right. There are some protocols that come with this, of course. But yes, he’s been chosen for Shawn. And if you all agree, we can start the process right away.”
I blinked. “The process? What process?” My voice was tight, and I was barely holding it together. This wasn’t like picking out a puppy or a new car. This was my life, and it felt like it was moving way too quickly for my liking.
Mom’s eyes lit up again, though I noticed she was trying to keep it together. “We’ll make it work, won’t we, Patrick? We’ve been planning this for years.” She said it like it was a casual thing—like she’d always known it was coming.
What? I could feel the blood draining from my face. “Planning? You knew about this?” I looked between them, trying to make sense of it all. It felt like I was suddenly standing in the middle of a game where I didn’t even know the rules.
Dad’s face softened. “We didn’t know, exactly. But this... this isn’t entirely unexpected. The idea of an omega for you has been something we’ve toyed for a while. You’re a Prime after all, much more common to get an Omega. We just didn’t know when it would happen.”
This wasn’t a conversation we had, I wanted to shout, but the words stuck in my throat.
“Okay, so… he’s tiny. And, uh…” I swallowed hard, trying to hold it together. A tiny omega. A boy. My mate. That word made my skin crawl a little. “What’s... what’s he like?” The photo didn’t give me much, except a feeling of something I couldn’t name yet.
Hayley brightened up again, like a lightbulb. “Parker is sweet, soft-spoken, and loves to bake! He’s also a bit of a bookworm. He’s very skilled around the house, which is great for you.” She paused, eyes flicking to my parents. “He’s one of our most fragile omegas, though, which is why we’re so careful about the pairing process. He’s a prime omega, after all. It’s rare, especially for someone your age.”
I couldn’t help but shift in my seat. Fragile? The word echoed in my head, setting off alarms. What did that even mean? Was he going to be...weak? I felt an overwhelming urge to protect him, even though I had no idea who he really was.
“Fragile?” Dad asked, his voice more serious now, as if he’d finally understood something about the gravity of the situation.
“His physical condition,” Hayley explained, lowering her voice slightly. “Prime omegas are rare and delicate. Their bodies are highly attuned to their mates. Sometimes they can become... overwhelmed with emotion, or their physical needs can become more demanding. It’s not a bad thing, but it does require extra care.”
I felt a cold sweat form on the back of my neck. Emotional needs? I didn't even know what my emotional needs were half the time. How was I supposed to take care of someone else like that?
My mouth went dry. “When does he come here?” I had to know—some small part of me needed to ground myself in something solid, and the idea of actually meeting him, even if it terrified me, felt like something I could control.
Hayley flipped through a few more pages in the binder, like she’d been waiting for me to ask. “There’s a process. After everything’s settled, the omega needs a few weeks to heal before the bonding process can begin. We recommend waiting until he’s fully adjusted, of course.”
I nodded mechanically, unable to stop myself from looking back at the photo. He’s going to be in my house. In my space.
Mom looked over at me, eyes twinkling with that same excited energy she always had when she was making big decisions. I felt a chill crawl down my spine. “This is just so wonderful! Imagine, Shawn—an omega to take care of. You’ll have someone to look after. Someone to... love.”
The way she said it made me feel like the words weren’t meant for me at all. They were meant for herself. I didn’t ask for this. I wanted to shout, but instead I just nodded. I wanted to scream. I wasn’t ready for this.
“Is there anything else we should know?” Dad asked, now scanning the documents with an intensity I hadn’t seen in him for a while.
Hayley handed him another sheet. “There’s one last thing. The omega will need a special IUD, to prevent pregnancy. It’s almost guaranteed to work, but there’s a small chance of failure. If you agree, we’ll make the arrangements for that, too.”
I could feel my heart thudding in my chest. Pregnancy? What the hell? I hadn't even thought about that. I didn't want kids. Not yet, anyway. It was the last thing I wanted to think about.
I glanced at my parents. They were nodding, like this was just another decision on a to-do list. I couldn’t look at them anymore. My hands were trembling, and I had to swallow twice to keep my voice from shaking. “So, when does he come home with me?”
Hayley’s eyes softened. “It’ll take time. You’ll have to go to the SGPS facility in the city for your appointment, and after the samples are taken, we’ll arrange everything. It should be a few months before he’s ready to move in.”
Mom clapped her hands together. “Perfect! We’ll get it all sorted right away. I can’t wait!”
I nodded vaguely, my mind still spinning. A few months. That was how long I had to prepare for something I never asked for. Something that felt like it was happening to me rather than for me.
Mom was already making plans in her head, no doubt imagining how the house would change once Parker moved in. She would probably redecorate everything, make it “omega-friendly.” The thought made my chest tighten.
The world seemed to spin a little slower as Hayley stood up, gathering her things with practiced ease. I couldn’t take my eyes off the photo of Parker. This is happening. Whether I was ready or not, this was my future now.
“Good luck, Shawn,” Hayley said, her voice softening for a moment. “I think you’ll be a wonderful mate.” And just like that, she was gone.
The house was eerily quiet after she left, as if the air itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. I didn’t know how to feel anymore—there were too many emotions, none of which made sense. Was I supposed to feel excited? Or was I just scared out of my mind?
I turned to face my parents. Mom was still grinning, too caught up in the excitement of it all to see the storm brewing inside me. Dad, on the other hand, looked like he was still trying to process it all, his face unreadable.
“So,” I said, trying to sound normal, “what now?”
Mom spoke first, her voice filled with a joy that didn’t reach my heart. “Now we start preparing. We’ve got paperwork to fill out, an appointment to schedule... this is going to be such an exciting new chapter, Shawn!”
I wasn’t sure I agreed with her.