It was hard for me to believe that I had already spent two months at the Guild and the end of my training was in sight. Every day I was stunned at how much more comfortable I had become in my own skin, how calm and focused my mind was, and how much my past seemed like a distant memory.

I was rubbing ointment onto my thighs, my fingers gingerly moving over the raised welts. Before I came here, I had thought that the pain the omegas underwent was just a rumor. Now I knew that what I had heard was just a ghost of the truth. I winced as I went over a particularly nasty wound, which was still raw and shiny. The ointment we used would make the wounds heal faster than normal, but it would still take a few days for my skin to be healed.

But it would never completely heal. Already, I had amassed a small collection of scars from the brutality of my training. The older omegas wore these with pride, a testament to how much they could endure. I had heard that some Knights even sought out the most scarred men. It was a stark contrast to the world I had left, where scars were considered unsightly blemishes.

More exciting than the scars were the urges that they had brought. I was now learning that my ass and cock and balls were purely for pleasure. Being physically hurt caused me to feel exotic tingles and sparks of pleasure there. It was just like I had known as a boy—I belonged here, among these men.

I thought about what Malin had said as I straightened my dress and slipped it on, preparing to go to an afternoon training session. Despite the hardships my body went through here, I didn’t regret my choice one bit. Here, I was surrounded by people who wanted the same thing out of life that I did: freedom to be myself and to follow my own life path. I made friends who understood my heart, unlike the classmates I had left behind.

It was comforting to know that I had made the right decision. I shuddered to think of what would have happened if I had simply followed what everyone else was doing. I would almost certainly have been married with kids by now, and looking forward to raising many more. And the worst thing would be that I would never have discovered my sexual self.

I entered the classroom, already comfortable among the marble walls and exquisite accouterments of the Guild. It was starting to feel like home, and I looked forward to seeing my friends in today’s training session. They had come from other schools in the area, but like me, they had been the only ones who had applied to the Guild from their classes. I sat down next to them, feeling refreshed and ready to start.

Our instructor was named Ariannis and his kindly manner was in contrast to the tortures he made us undergo. While we were to get a reprieve from the most masochistic pursuits, we would be practicing denial—an essential skill for men who served the Knights.

Because the omegas were meant to primarily focus on the Knights’ pleasure, they often had to forgo their own (hence the training we received in pleasuring ourselves). A Knight, exhausted from his own training but needing to let out some pent-up aggression, could be rough and single-minded. While some Knights, usually if they were in a better mood, got a thrill from pleasuring the omegas, more often than not an omega had to learn to deal with getting worked up and then disappointed.

I remembered in one of my earlier training sessions an omega asking Ariannis why it was like this. Why couldn’t a sexual experience be an equitable exchange of pleasure? While the Knights worked hard, the omegas did too. Would it be too much to ask the Knights to pay attention to the omegas as well?

The answer surprised me because it had been hidden inside myself. The student had been correct, Ariannis said. The experience was a transaction of sorts. Both parties would leave satisfied. At the time, the answer had puzzled me. I didn’t have much knowledge of orgasms, but I did know that they were typically considered the end goal.

As Ariannis would teach us, the drawing out and denial of the climax often yielded greater pleasure then letting an omega come outright. We eventually learned this through experience. At the start of our training, we had orgasms all the time. Many of the boys, like me, had never before experimented with their sexualities. Once we did, we were like children in a sweets shop. We sampled every technique in pursuit of the most intense pleasure.

But after a couple weeks, Ariannis instituted rules. We were to touch ourselves for a set period of time and then stop, never allowing ourselves to reach climax. These edges, as he called them, were to be performed several times a day, sometimes spaced out and sometimes all at once. We became painfully frustrated during this time, desperate for the release of our building tension.

It turned out to be worth it. When we finally had an orgasm after all that denial, it was better than an orgasm had any right to be. It was astounding. From that point onward, we relished the feeling of being on the edge, refusing to give in, basking in our steadfast self-discipline and the knowledge that the reward would be sweet.

In addition to this, some of the Knights received pleasure from denying omegas their orgasms. And because their satisfaction was primary, their wishes were to be followed.

I found that I wasn’t complaining.

“Today,” said Ariannis, cutting into my thoughts, “you will be practicing edges with an actual Knight. The rough hands and intense gaze of a Knight causes some omegas to have, er, difficulty maintaining an edge. You will need practice at this as well.”

He clapped his hands and to our amazement, six Knights filed in—one for each of us. While they looked as cocky and arrogant as any of the others, these six seemed younger and smoother, their faces unlined and their skin less scarred. Their badges, pinned to their tunics, marked them as juniors. They were like us.

“You will pair up and practice in your own rooms, then report back for a discussion,” said Ariannis, turning to the Knights. “I trust you have been briefed?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said the first Knight, nodding. My classmates and I were goggle-eyed. We saw Knights walking around the grounds or skulking about after dark, having visited their favorite omegas, but we had little interaction with them. This would be the first time any of them were allowed to lay their hands on us.

“Very good,” said Ariannis. “Go on now, get into pairs.”

The Knights were all so beautiful, with their broad chests and sharp jaws, that I would have been pleased to pair up with any of them. Before I could even make a move, one of them strode up to me. I had been chosen.

“I’m Spar,” he said, his voice low and rough, a smirk coloring his expression. As I took in his appearance, scruffy black hair and golden-green eyes and all, I realized that he was familiar. Had I seen him around before, walking through the grounds of the Guild? I was startled when I remembered that he was actually the Knight I had seen after my initiation ceremony, on my first night here. He was the one who had made that lewd comment. I couldn’t remember what it was, but I remembered how it had made me feel.

Of course, only someone dripping arrogance like him could have made a comment like that. It had to be him. Those golden eyes were unmistakable, and now that I was aware, I saw that he was looking at me like he could see under my clothes. It was just my luck to be paired with someone as lascivious as he, though with his looks, I found that my body wasn’t complaining.

I tried my best to match his confidence. “I’m Soren,” I said, standing up straight and puffing my chest out. His eyes fell down and looked me over and I shivered. He was looking at me ravenously, as if I was a deer that had offered itself for his consumption, and he couldn’t wait to take me back and devour me. The thought was simultaneously thrilling but frightening. But more than anything, it was arousing.

We had gone without orgasms for a week or so, and I could feel my body responding to his attention. My cock was already hard and my skin sensitive; the fabric of my shirt rubbing against it was almost too much sensation. I was focused entirely on his eyes, trying to summon all my bravery to show that I wasn’t scared.

And I wasn’t. The Knights were men, after all. But I was still new to experimenting sexually with them, and knowing that I was going to be doing it with the one right in front of me was unnerving. Not only because he was a Knight—and he could turn into a dragon—but also because I simply didn’t know him.

“Now, the Knights have been briefed already, as I said, so get going, everyone. I expect you back here at a quarter until the hour,” said Ariannis.

“Are you ready?” asked Spar. A grin played about his lips, as if he was anticipating what he was going to do to me.

“Of course,” I said, hiding my nerves with a sly smile. We were going to go to my room and he wasn’t going to hurt me, after all… But it was going to be the first time I would be alone in my room with a man.

The junior omegas’ corridor wasn’t far and we traveled there in a group. I fleetingly thought of how odd people in the town would find this—a pack of people traveling to have scheduled sexual encounters for educational purposes.

Of course, we were allowed to take pleasure in our encounters as well. As I turned the key and opened my door, I felt Spar place a hand on my nape, his fingers stroking my bare skin.

He pulled the door closed behind us. Now, with the denial imminent, I suddenly felt awkward. Thankfully, it was he who was to lead us.

“Go on, strip,” he said simply, and he started to remove his own heavy leather outerwear. I quickly moved to do as he said, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. It was also the first time I had undressed in front of a man as well. I knew, soon enough, that my secret center would be exposed to him. The thought made me even harder.

I finally stood nude before him, trembling with both arousal and excitement. He had stripped down to his tunic and pants and stood there, appraising me. I could feel his cool gaze on my skin, tracing my cock and muscles. I wondered how he could be so confident when he was a trainee Knight himself. Perhaps the Knights did their own kind of training.

“Now, I want you to lie down on your bed,” he said, his voice low. I marveled at how calm he was. Was he not bursting with desire himself?

“Bring yourself to an edge,” he instructed. My hand crept down to my thighs and danced around them, eventually reaching my cock. I used one hand to pump it, then used the other hand to rub my balls.

For a brief moment, I was struck by the absurdity of what I was doing. Two months ago, I would never have even touched my body for sexual pleasure—it was considered sinful. But now, I was doing it with vigor, and even a hint of desperation, in front of a strange man. I had changed. Even the fact that he had made that comment months ago didn’t bother me. I was here for his sexual pleasure, and he was treating me respectfully so far, anyway.

I glanced at him and saw that he had taken his erection out and was stroking himself quickly. My eyes widened—it was the first time I had seen another man’s cock in a sexual content. I remembered how satisfying my toy had felt inside me and wondered how a real cock would feel. I imagined it would be much better, but I pushed those thoughts away. I wouldn’t be feeling one anytime soon.

“Tell me when you’re there,” he said, his voice husky with lust.

I felt the orgasm creep up on me suddenly, and I started bucking my hips, willing myself to arrive at the edge, which I quickly did. “I’m there,” I said, not wanting to make eye contact with him. I closed my eyes.

“Excellent. Now stop,” he said.

I was almost panting when I did. I tried some slow breathing to calm myself down because as I felt him draw nearer, my nerves became more jittery. I felt him stop next to the bed, then sit down. He took his boots off, setting them down gently, and then scooted closer to me. I felt his hand on my stomach, his rough fingers lightly stroking my skin. Between this and the restrained orgasm in my core, I was flushed with sexual frustration.

I didn’t dare open my eyes to look at him; seeing him so close to me, touching me, might have been too much. Instead I basked in the feeling of his fingers gliding across my skin, ever closer to my cock. He teased me, though, going everywhere but there, tracing lines on my inner thigh and around my crotch, making circles that grew smaller and smaller. He would get there eventually, but he was taking his own time.

I ventured to peek at him and saw that he was engrossed in drinking in my body with uncharacteristic reverence written across his face, as if he were saying a prayer before going for the kill. I couldn’t help but see him as a predatory kind of creature—the way he had taken command of the situation was mesmerizing, and even though he looked like a perfectly normal man, albeit a savage-looking one, I always remembered that part of him was an immense, fire-breathing dragon.

I gasped when his fingers brushed by my balls. I couldn’t help but squirm a little as he circled ever closer, eventually fisting my swollen cock and pumping it, then using a finger in my ass. I moaned and saw him bite his lip, like he was restraining himself. His cock was out, full and erect, and now that I could see it better, I was startled by the size. It was significantly larger than my toy, which already stretched me out.

It was obvious that he wanted to plunge his cock inside me, but of course, he couldn’t do that now. I was to remain pure and unsullied until my graduation ceremony. Of course, the more he stroked me, building my orgasm again, the more I wanted to be filled with him too.

“You are such a lusty little creature,” he said with a laugh, watching me writhe with abandon on the sheets. What had happened to me? Not only was I allowing his strange man to touch my most intimate parts, I was recklessly enjoying it.

“I’m not the only one,” I managed to say, eyeing his erection, which throbbed and twitched like it was alive.

“I’d love to feel this in you,” he said, his voice low, almost a whisper. “But now is not the time. Now is the time for me to take pleasure in watching you squirm, fighting to keep away from the orgasm you so obviously want.”

I was stunned. I had no idea that he could talk like that, inciting even more desire in me. I didn’t think that a Knight—known for aggression and roughness—would be able to handle me with this degree of delicacy. He used his other hand to fill me up with his fingers, and it felt good to have something in there, pressing hard and hitting pleasurable spots.

“Does this feel good?” he asked, smirking. He was enjoying toying with me.

“Yes,” I whispered, my mind lost in a haze of lust, which enveloped me like thick smoke.

He increased his pace and I focused on reaching the climax that would never come. I was sure he had been instructed to not let me come. The whole point of this exercise was to learn how to endure the attention of a real, live Knight—it wouldn’t do to go back on that progress with an orgasm.

But I wanted one. I had never had an orgasm given to me by a man yet, and from what I was experiencing, I could tell it would be an exotic experience. Having someone else’s fingers down there seemed completely taboo. It felt like we were sneaking around, like we weren’t supposed to be doing this.

“You have to tell me when you’re there, again,” he said. “I’m in control here.”

Something in me melted when he said that, falling for the seductive tone in his voice: I had nothing to worry about, all I had to do was follow his instructions and focus on his touch and I would be alright. Even though we were strangers, I was starting to feel safe with him. Maybe it was his commanding demeanor, maybe it was the honor I knew the Knights adhered to. Whatever the case, I was feeling more comfortable with the situation with every passing moment.

But even though the pleasure was consuming me, part of my mind was distracted with curiosity about him. There was so much I wanted to know. We had learned about how the Knights worked in our classes, but we didn’t learn anything about their personal lives. What was it like to be a shifter? Did it hurt to transform?

Spar turned out to be skilled with his fingers and he brought me to the edge. I quivered under his touch as he stroked me steadily, wanting to draw out the experience and enjoy it was long as possible. I was tempted to just stay there forever, relying on my own willpower to prevent myself from orgasming.

“Remember, you’re not supposed to let go yet,” said Spar silkily, a warning tone in his voice. I heard myself whimpering, struggling between telling him to stop and telling him to go on.

“I’m there,” I said, resignation in my voice. He slipped his fingers out and removed his hand from my cock and I ached, feeling hollow and wanting to be filled again.

“Very good,” said Spar. “That’s what I like in an omega. Obedience.”

Something about the way he said that sent a shiver up my spine. It sounded like he was implying that that was his preference, and not what all Knights liked. If I wanted to impress him, I had to obey him.

“Is it,” I said absently, lost in his appearance. When he was this close to me, I could see the faint stubble on his cheek and the small scars on his face. His dark hair was glossy in the sunlight and he gazed at me intently, like he was a stalking predator.

“It’s time for us to go back,” he said, turning off the smoldering look and suddenly becoming formal. As he got up to put his outerwear back on, I had the sense that I had glimpsed something hidden within him. I recalled something an older cousin had mentioned years ago. It was physical intimacy that drew many men out of their emotional shells. Did Knights work the same way? He hadn’t revealed anything deep, but there had been a certain vulnerability there, when he was so focused.

“I wish I didn’t have to leave,” I said, trying to be coy.

He stopped what he was doing and looked at me, a small smile on his face. “I don’t want to leave either. But I will see you again.”

“How can you be so sure?” I asked, a playful note in my voice.

His smile expanded into a triumphant grin. “Because the next time I have the chance, I’m going to pick you. I’m going to make you mine.”

* * *

Invigorated but frustrated from my encounter with Spar, I went to the baths to freshen up and then take the afternoon off. The Guild was located an hour’s ride from the heart of town, so we didn’t usually travel there. But I hadn’t been in a while, and I had made plans to visit a teashop with an old friend, Ledelia, or Leddy, as we all called her.

I found the carriage I was to take waiting for me outside, and I stepped in, relieved to be behind the curtain. Thanks to the amazing bath facilities at the Guild, I had become used to being clean all the time, and I didn’t want dust to settle on my clothes.

The ride was relaxing and I pored over the novel I was reading, still feeling the roiling in my belly that was the denied orgasm. It was distracting—and so were memories of Spar’s intense face—but I steadfastly focused on my book. I had had to wear an undergarment, otherwise my leaking cock, which was bound, would soil my pants. The soft fabric brushed against my skin, only drawing more attention to that area. I supposed that this was one of the many challenges an omega would have to deal with.

Leddy had been one of my closest friends at school, and I was glad she had replied to my letter. I had lost touch with many of the others—it was apparent that our friendships were only meant to survive through school. Or maybe it was because in their new lives, they had to shun someone who had chosen my path—not only of being an omega, but of being a man who bedded other men.

The carriage rolled to a stop outside the teashop and I stepped out, feeling self-conscious. The black horses of the Guild were distinctive, so everyone would know who I was. I had seen many of the senior omegas carry themselves with a regal bearing that I had not yet developed. I would have to, if I wanted to be able to tolerate going anywhere outside the Guild grounds.

Leddy was waiting for me outside the shop, and stood up from the bench as she saw me approach. A genuine smile crossed her face, and I felt warmth rising in my heart at the sight of a true friend. I also saw that there was a small person with her, clutching a doll.

“This is my niece, Talise,” said Leddy. “Come on Tally, say hello.”

The little girl stared up at me, blinking. She couldn’t have been more than five years old. I wondered if she knew who—or what, rather—I was, and was being reticent because of it. “Hello,” she muttered.

“She’s shy,” said Leddy, shrugging. “Let’s go inside, then.”

We sat down at a table and placed our order. “Your niece is very cute,” I said, feeling awkward. The conversational atmosphere was completely different from the Guild—we could talk about anything there, without fear of judgment. While I knew Leddy valued my friendship, there were simply some topics too taboo for her ears.

“Isn’t she?” said Leddy, stroking the child’s hair. She took a small notebook and set of paints and brushes from her bag, and the child started coloring vigorously, oblivious to the world around her.

“So, how is married life with Romis?” I asked, recalling the boy Leddy had been seeing for years now. She had married him as soon as we had finished school and he had taken over part of his father’s farming business. I remembered him as a kind classmate.

Leddy flushed. “It’s wonderful,” she said. “Of course, we have problems, as well—you don’t go from your parents’ house to your husband’s perfectly smoothly—but overall, it’s really the life I dreamed of.”

I wasn’t surprised to hear that. Everyone I knew who grew up to become a parent or who’d followed their parents’ trade or business had espoused similar sentiments. There was always the odd couple who had problems of abuse, gambling, or the like, but from what I knew of Romis, I knew he would take good care of my friend.

“How are you enjoying your time at the Guild?” asked Leddy.

To her credit, she had asked me this question smoothly and surely, without a trace of the hesitation others often had when discussing the Guild. Leddy had been one of the few friends who saw no issue with what I wanted to do and had encouraged me.

“I love it,” I said. “I don’t regret my choice one bit. I’m still in training, though, so I’m not yet a full-fledged omega.”

“And uh, are the rumors true?” she asked, nervously glancing at Talise. The child was engrossed in a painting. “You know, about what the Knights like…” She peered at me intensely, almost as if she was afraid of the answer.

“They are,” I said with a nod, recalling the concealed savagery in Spar’s gaze. I wondered if she would be frightened by seeing my scars. I decided against taking the risk.

She seemed impressed by this. “So is it difficult, then?”

“It is difficult,” I said, “but I feel like I’m among people who understand me fully. You know I never truly fit in at school.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” said Leddy, and she did indeed seem sincerely happy for me. The waitress brought us a platter with our teapot and cups, and we poured it out, breathing in the heady scent of the flowers they used to flavor the tea.

“You won’t be able to have children, though,” continued Leddy. “I actually wanted to tell you this, Soren, I’m expecting.”

My eyes widened. “Leddy, that’s wonderful,” I said.

“We’re beyond thrilled,” said Leddy. “He or she, whichever one it is, will be joining us at the end of the year.”

“A winter child,” I said, nodding. So that was that, then. Leddy was well on her way to becoming a mother. And a good one she would make, too, with her caring nature and immense patience.

“You’re sure you don’t want your own?” she asked curiously. For a moment, I felt the connection between us shake, as I felt like an outsider again. Though she was one of the most accepting of my friends, she didn’t fully understand the life of the omegas, and she didn’t understand that I was disinterested in being with a woman. To people outside the Guild, the thought of not having children was inexplicable.

“I’m sure,” I said, though the uncertainty that plagued everyone started to creep upon me. I had never been the kind of person who was particularly interested in children, but Talise was so sweet and well-behaved, it made me wonder.

“And you can’t take a wife as well, can you,” continued Leddy. “I know you’ve always been the independent sort, but it would make me lonely.”

“We’re not completely lonely, you know,” I said. “We have each other. The camaraderie between all the omegas is truly lovely. It’s like having a family.”

But she was right. The one downside to being an omega was the absence of romantic attachments. It wouldn’t do to get married and then continue to bed other men—if I was allowed to marry a man in the town at all. And of course, we were only human—jealousy was bound to erupt if anyone felt possessive. We had had some training on how to deal with the complex emotions involved in sex, and one of the primary points was to “rotate” so that strong attachments didn’t form.

But of course, that raised the question, what did Spar mean when he said he’d make me his? Perhaps he hadn’t yet been taught about attachments in his training. He was probably new to the omega-Knight relationship too, after all.

“I’m glad to hear that you’re happy with your choice, then,” said Leddy. I could see the cogs turning in her brain. She was realizing that I really was happy. And I was—even with the restrictions of my lifestyle, I enjoyed feeling sexually fulfilled.

“The luxuries that the Guild offers don’t hurt either,” I said slyly. “I get to bathe in a warm, bubbling pool at least once a week.”

I couldn’t help but take pleasure in the raw envy on Leddy’s face. “I thought only the King had those,” she said.

“We never have to cook or clean either,” I said, relishing her reactions. “It’s like being a noble.”

“Well, you are nobles,” said Leddy, sighing.

“People still look on us with disdain,” I said.

“A class just lower than nobles, then,” she countered. “And still higher than any of us.”

I felt a small hand tug on my sleeve and turned to see Talise, who was clutching a vividly-colored page from the notebook.

“It’s you,” she squeaked, her shyness getting the better of her. “For you.”

For someone so small, it was good work. I was touched. The sheer joy on the child’s face at having created something for someone else was precious. “Thank you,” I said. “I’ll treasure it.”

“Are you still sure you don’t want children?” asked Leddy.

I simply smiled and shook my head in response. I would have to get used to hearing that question when I stepped outside the Guild. But looking at the drawing, with its intricate lines and bold colors, made me wonder. This lovely little creature had extended her generosity to me, a stranger. For a moment, I thought I understood why people had children and enjoyed their company so much. And that thought led me to something else—what exactly was I missing out on?