Page 2 of Prelude to a Revolution

Still, with those eyes, she looks so like Sonria, only much smaller. At some point, her tiny frame might get looks and questions, but as long as her blood and eyes say beta, no one will be able to prove anything. At the most, they might chalk it up to them being the progeny of an Alpha and a beta. No one ever expects our pairing to have good stock, anyway.

Boy, are they ever wrong. Who in all the worlds could ever imagine my precious Sonria giving birth to not one but two omegas? It’s a blessing indeed. One that Stanlion will never take part in. If only they gave the omegas a say, a choice in where they went and who they married.

I’m not like the other Alphas. Just the very thought of my daughters being ripped away from me fills my gut with rage. It doesn’t matter that the High Echelon assures us they will be safe. Without my girls, life is not worth living. Sonria and I live for our daughters. They mean the world to us.

I detest that they couch it in terms of safety. It’s because of that nonsense that others are more than willing to give their omega children up. I want my daughters safe and happy. There’s no denying that. But no. They didn’t stop there. They stripped the omegas of all their rights, sending them off to whichever Alpha benefited this new corrupt government.

Besides, there’s nowhere safer for them to be. As a Guardian Alpha, I can fight. I can fend off hordes of other Alphas if needed. Anything to keep my girls safe. But then, they don’t want safety. It’s just a smokescreen, a cloud of lies created to divide us even further. Shaking my head, I dispel the thoughts from my brain.

Though, to my knowledge, they have no way of hearing my ideations, I wouldn’t put it past them to sense treason, even if it’s only in my head. A small bark of laughter brings my attention back to the smiling child up ahead. Her mirth is infectious, tempting everyone around to join in.

For someone so serious, her laugh is magical, a balm to all who hear it. It’s just what this worn sector needs. Glancing up at the suns, I note how they hang in the sky. The beep from my communicator answers in kind, confirming it’s time we head home.

Annora looks up at me, her smile waning. She knows that look. Once she glances at the sky herself, she nods in agreement. Though there are no strict curfews in place, once the suns start to fade, this sector is not safe for anyone not born here.

Other betas, ones jaded and angry, attack those who are outsiders, not giving a damn that we only want to help. They view all Alphas as evil, and our progeny as just one more person to hold their head to the ground, forcing them lower under the soles of their feet. They don’t take the time to ask questions or suss out motives; they either outright kill or hold for ransom.

I hate it for Annora. She has no concept of the violence that lurks in the corners of this sector, and I don’t want her to learn. I want to shelter my child for as long as I can. She’ll learn soon enough that just being a beta is unpleasant. I don’t want to add to it. For now, as a child, everyone is a friend, but when she becomes a woman, it will all change. Her prospects will be different.

Sonria and I have no problem with her ending up with an Alpha, but since she’ll be masked as a beta, we will know he loves her for who she is and not what her dynamic will offer him. Then, and only then, will we confirm what she thinks she already knows, taking her off the suppressants so she can enjoy a full life. But, if she ends up with a beta, she’ll have to live with this lie for the rest of her life.

With another small smile and curtsy to the woman, Annora takes out a few coins and hands them over, proud of herself for the transaction. It warms my heart to see her like this. She’s so kind, so giving. If only Karis grows up like her, then I’ll truly consider myself a lucky man and father.

I step over behind Annora, making a big show at looking at her acquisitions, oohing and ahhing about how fine a dinner it will all make. With that, she’s back to smiling, ready to go home and show her mother.

Digging into my pocket, I lean over to the lady and hand her far more than needed to pay for the items Annora holds so proudly. My adorable little negotiator. She clutches her purchases close to her chest as we make our way out of the marketplace and towards the transports that take us to our home sector.

As we exit, a small scuffle breaks out, with two betas fighting each other in earnest, their fists flying as they argue about something related to their sector and station. Food, no doubt. It’s a wonder they ever have enough to sell when these betas barely have enough for themselves.

Clutching Annora close to my side, I bypass them, but they don’t relent. Sweat flies off of them, filling my nose with the stench of their unwashed bodies. The closer they come, the further we have to squeeze against the aging brick behind us. They continue to punch and shove until they’re so close I’m afraid a mis-landed punch might harm my daughter.

If only today wasn’t an off day for me. If I were wearing my Guardian Alpha uniform, they would take all this violence elsewhere. As it is, the times I’m not working, I detest pulling rank, especially here. No one needs extra Guardian Alphas here in this sector, where free choice isn’t even an option.

Sector One is where betas go to die, and I never want to do anything that hastens that death. If I can just move from this spot, I’ll allow them to continue to take out their impotent rage on each other. Hell, I’m even okay with another Guardian Alpha breaking this up. Just not me. Not today. Not with my daughter. I do everything I can to keep my work and life separate.

Pushing her behind me, I tense, poised for the moment he will inevitably hit me. Since I’m not in uniform, I cannot step in. I am forced to hold my peace until one of their punches actually lands against me to act.

And then, it happens. One misguided step and his balled-up fist collides with my stomach. The hit itself it’s all that bad… for me. The trajectory of his punch means he would have connected with Annora’s face if she was still in front.

White flashes before my eyes, clouding my vision with my fury. It’s one thing to hit me. I don’t care, but the fact that my daughter is in danger floods my body with adrenaline, laced with the rabid desire to kill.

The growl builds in my stomach, soft at first, but as they continue to wrestle about, oblivious to the damage they nearly caused, it gets louder until I can no longer contain it. The roar bursts from my body, filling our vicinity with the angry sound. An Alpha roar. One that cannot, will not be ignored. Stepping in between them, my lips purse into a thin line as everyone in earshot, including Annora, falls to their knees in subjugation. I detest this part of my dynamic. I rarely use it, and never on my children or mate, but these betas crossed the line.

The acidic stench of fear reaches my nose as everyone quivers under my scrutiny. I wish I could direct my ire at the two that wouldn’t behave, but growls don’t work like that. They paralyze everyone in earshot. The only way to not be affected is to wear earpieces that cancel it out, but then we would know by the lack of response.

Glancing back, I note the fear shimmering in Annora’s hazel depths and cringe inside. This is the first time I’ve ever subjected her to this. Guilt churns in my gut as I turn my anger toward where it belongs. The two cower before me, but their eyes simmer with a malice that only years of ill-treatment can create.

And me, being an Alpha, is just one more injustice they’ll add to the tally. I shouldn’t have lost my cool, but I’m unable to think when someone threatens what’s mine.

“I have no objection to your fighting, but my daughter is here. You could have hurt her. Hell, you punched me in this fight of yours. What would have happened if it was my child, or any child for that matter?”

The one to the left stands, no longer paralyzed by my growl and spits in the dirt, his lips twisted up into a near feral scowl. “Then don’t bring something so ‘precious’ to our sector. Did you ever think of that? Our kids know to get the fuck out of the way when there’s a fight. You Alphas know nothing. Get out of here and take that cunt with you.”

Red tinges my vision at his words. The audacity of this miscreant to call my child that. My fingers ball up into a fist, the need to cause harm, to see his blood flow, pumping through my veins. I rear back, about to strike, when a small hand grabs my arm, stopping me short.

“Please, Father,” the soft voice implores. “Mother will want to know what’s keeping us. I would so love to make dinner soon with all of these amazing vegetables I’ve bought.”

The men peer around me at the child who acts so boldly in the face of such aggression, and my heart swells. I know the man’s words mean nothing to her. They are not terms we’ve used or allow her to hear, but she’s not stupid. She can determine tone and nuance. Nothing they said was flattering, and yet, she stands there, hand curled around my arm as if she has any strength to stop me.