YORK

 

Ruby was an older Beta. You could tell she’d seen a lot just from a quick glance into her blue eyes. It was as if a lifetime of experiences were looking back at you. I couldn’t imagine all of the things she’d been through, especially after living most of her life in a city like Dirge.

But it was more than just her eyes. She got around slowly. Her hair was white and thin. Her skin, pale and blemished. Despite the obvious signs of age, Ruby had an enthusiasm that even young Alphas would have marveled at.

It was another day in Pandora for all of us. I observed Ruby as she spoke to a small group of Omegas in front of her. None of them were older than a teenager. Young, wide-eyed, innocent. They listened to the old Beta as she told them her story.

“…Their arms, swollen and as thick as logs. Their eyes, intense like a full moon.”

The Omegas were captivated, leaning forward on every detail Ruby gave to them.

“When they stood on their hind legs, they were taller than the tallest trees in the Timberlands.”

“Scary,” one of the Omegas said.

“Not scary,” Ruby responded. “If you looked close enough, you would see the one thing that mattered.”

Ruby pointed at her lips and smiled at all of them, bearing old teeth worn with age. Her smile made the wrinkles on her face more pronounced.

“They smile,” she said. “They always smile to let you know that you have nothing to fear from them. Yes, bears are the biggest beings in the Timberlands. Some of them have even come here to Dirge.”

There was an audible gasp from all of the Omegas listening.

“But you have nothing to fear from them,” Ruby continued. “Bears are friendly people. As big as they are, their hearts match. Their labor in the woods and the mines laid the foundation for Dirge as we know it. We wouldn’t be where we are without them. Remember… If you ever encounter a bear, you have nothing to fear. Open your arms and they will open their hearts in response.”

The relief on all of the Omegas’ faces made me smile. They all sighed as Ruby slowly stood up to her feet.

“That’s enough for today,” she said. “I’m afraid I’ve run out of stories for the time being. Go. Play.”

She shooed the Omegas away. They reluctantly got up from the floor and occupied themselves by playing their games with one another.

I was in just one of many Omega shelters in Pandora. There was no shortage of places to go for abandoned Omegas. Unfortunately, there was also no shortage of Omegas who needed a place to stay. Ruby was an older woman who did her part for the orphanage but just from the way she walked, I could see the toll it was taking on her.

“Ah! York! I didn’t see you there!”

The old Beta approached me with a smile on her face. I walked up to her and welcomed her with open arms. I wrapped her in a hug and squeezed her tight. She giggled softly against me.

“Not too hard,” she said. “These old bones can’t take much.”

“Sorry,” I said with a chuckle.

She took a step back from me and beamed up at me.

“It’s been a long time,” she said. “A few days.”

“I know,” I sighed. “I’m sorry… I’ve just… I’ve just been busy—”

“There’s no need to make excuses. You have a life of your own. As it should be.”

“But I really should be here more often. This place needs the company.”

Ruby and I slowly made our way through the orphanage. It was two stories high with multiple rooms. Despite how spacious it was, it was barely enough to accommodate the more than two dozen Omegas who were staying here.

I observed all of the Omegas in the orphanage. Some of them played games with each other. Others lied around just wasting the day away. They all looked at peace despite the circumstances they were living in.

“It’s nice to have you here,” Ruby said. “You’re the oldest Omega here. Everybody looks up to you.”

“I know… And I’ve been working.”

“Working?” she said, raising a curious eyebrow at me.

“Yes. See?”

I dug into my pockets and pulled out a couple of gold pieces for her. I plopped them down into her hands and watched as she squinted down at them.

“Gold,” she said. “It’s real gold. Even some silvers would have been nice. How did you—”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Just make sure that everybody here gets something to eat.”

“With this gold, I’ll be able to feed all of them for a good amount of time. I’ve learned how to stretch a gold piece in my old age.”

“I’m sure you have,” I said, chuckling softly.

She put a hand on my arm and grinned at me. The old Beta’s face was so kind that I couldn’t help but smile back at her.

But the smile on her face slowly disappeared. She put her head down and made her way over to a nearby chair. She plopped down and sighed as she stared at one of the Omegas across the room from her.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’m old,” she said.

“You’re not that old—”

“Save it, York. I know what I see in the mirror. I see it every morning.”

She had a way of speaking that commanded respect despite how caring she was. I smiled at her as she let out another sigh.

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be around,” she said.

“Ruby, don’t say that.”

“I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I’ve lived a long life. I’ve given birth to many children. I had a loving husband at one time. If my time comes soon, I’ll go in peace.”

“That won’t be for a long time,” I assured her.

“Perhaps. But if something does happen to me, you have to take my place.”

“W-what?” I stuttered. “Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“But I—”

“All of the Omegas in this orphanage look up to you. You’re older than all of them. You’re their role model.”

“Me?” I scoffed. “I’m just an abandoned Omega with no pack.”

“Just as they are. That’s who everybody in this orphanage is.”

She motioned for me to come toward her with her index finger. I took a seat next to her and she leaned in close to me.

“The life of an Omega can be rough,” she said. “Especially for those without a pack. They’ve been shunned. In a place like Pandora, there are vicious Alphas eager to take a turn with them. These Omegas aren’t anywhere close to their heats but I worry about them.”

She slowly turned her face to me.

“But I don’t worry about you,” she said with a grin.

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Because you know how to handle yourself. You may be an Omega, but you’re not as helpless as you pretend to be.”

I put my head down and laughed softly.

Ruby had a way of speaking that always made me feel better about myself.

I was just an Omega. I was shunned by my pack just like everybody else in the orphanage. I’d learned to live by myself for more than 20 years. I was so used to it that I couldn’t imagine anything else.

Still, the task of watching over so many other Omegas in the shelter seemed impossible.

“Ruby, can I ask you something?”

“What is it, Omega?”

“Why do you do this? Why do you watch over these Omegas? Why do you spend your time in Pandora when you’d be able to live comfortably in another part of Dirge?”

Ruby pondered my question for a moment then raised her index finger up.

“Look…”

She pointed at a couple of Omegas across the room. It was a teenage boy and teenage girl wrestling with one another. They were playing some kind of game, teasing each other with big smiles on their faces.

“Look at them,” Ruby said. “So carefree. So at peace. Just enjoying themselves.”

I could see Ruby staring at me from the corner of my eye. I continued gazing at the two Omegas playing in front of me.

“They’re smiling,” Ruby continued. “Even in a place like Pandora. Those smiles are more valuable to me than anything else. They’re worth more than all of the gold in Dirge.”

I slowly turned toward Ruby.

“That’s why I do this,” she said. “For them. You might not understand but eventually, one day, you will.”

“I… I think I know what you mean already…”

“There will come a time when you’ll have to choose, York. I don’t know when that will be. I don’t know what the choice will be. But always remember what’s most important to you. Let that guide you.”

Ruby spoke with a wisdom I hadn’t heard from anybody else. Not from any Alpha or Beta or Omega. No, Ruby spoke from an experience that couldn’t be taught.

I kept Ruby’s words close to me even though I didn’t understand them fully.

“I should probably get going,” I said.

“What? So soon? You just got here.”

“I… I have to go to work.”

“You can work here, you know?”

“I would love to spend more time here. But being here means I’m not making any money.”

“There are rumors going around. Some jaguars in Azure are looking to invest in Pandora. Their idea of philanthropy.”

Azure was the richest part of Dirge. It was the complete opposite of Pandora. While Ruby and I spent most of our times in the slums, Azure was occupied mostly by rich jaguars.

“I don’t see that happening,” I sighed. “As nice as it would be for some rich Alpha jaguar to come walking through the door, there are too many places in Pandora that need help. I have to do it myself.”

I stood up from my seat and put a hand on Ruby’s shoulder.

“I promise I’ll come back as soon as I can,” I whispered to her.

“Of course. Don’t be a stranger now, York.”

She smiled politely at me. It made it that much harder for me to walk away.

But I knew I had a job to do.

I made my way out of the orphanage. The scene of the Omegas in the shelter playing with one another left my head. The image of the real Pandora replaced it.

Abandoned buildings. Trash and debris all over the streets. Alphas roaming the alleys like they were up to no good. Even though the sun was just going down and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, it always felt like there was a tinge of darkness looming over Pandora.

I didn’t know why I kept expecting the slums to get any better. I guess I was just a dreamer. If it were up to me, I would spend all day in the orphanage and away from the harsh reality that the slums were.

“You ready?”

I turned toward the voice right next to me.

It belonged to a man who looked like he was up to something. He wore a pair of blue jeans and an oversized black coat to cover most of his physique. He narrowed his deep brown eyes at me and I sighed.

Most people would have issues working for a man like him. I had issues with him. But in Pandora, beggars couldn’t be choosers. Work was work.

And working for a Beta like Rip was the only way I could possibly make ends meet.

“I’m ready,” I sighed.

“It’s gonna be a long night tonight. Let’s go make some money.”