The next morning, I woke up in my bed alone. Spar had left in the night, after I had fallen asleep. My heart panged as I found myself wishing, with some surprise, that I could have woken up beside him. But didn’t Knights always leave after the omegas serviced them? Wasn’t waking up next to each other something only married couples did?

I let myself lie in bed longer, pondering the events of the previous night. For one thing, I was no longer a virgin. Despite all the carnal knowledge I had gained during my training, only now did I feel like a real omega. I had finally had the chance to be with a man. I was official now, and I would be bedding men several times a week, maybe even multiple times a day as I got used to it. The thought was exciting and mind-boggling.

I couldn’t imagine what my family would think of me now and part of me understood the reason for the Guild’s secrecy. The general populace didn’t know much about what omegas really got up to, hence the rumors bandied about by school kids. In public, we appeared dignified and elegant, a far cry from the way we submitted to the Knights behind closed doors.

This also made me think about how much my values had changed since I moved here. My life was filthy by townsfolk standards nowadays. My entire job had to do with sex. Sex was what I lived and breathed. For others, it was a way to make children or bond with a mate—though this latter reason was never openly discussed, and certainly not encouraged as the sole reason for sex. But for me, it was all about pleasure and service.

I recalled the discussion Spar and I had had. As I suspected, physical intimacy had opened his heart and he had told me some of the secrets of the Knights. I couldn’t help but feel tender towards him, despite the rough way he had treated me; my nipples and backside still stung from the clamps and the spankings. I found myself wanting to know all about him, beyond the tantalizing hints he had given me.

I felt grimy from the night before so I got out of bed and stripped to take a bath. The water would be soothing on my sore skin. I mused about what Spar would be doing with his day. Surely he would pick me again and we could see each other.

As I settled into the warm water, a troubling thought came to me. In school, I had never been particularly interested in any boy (or girl), while my friends had been consumed with puppy love for various classmates. As a result, I didn’t really know what romantic feelings were supposed to feel like. This was a problem because I had a sneaking suspicion that they were happening to me, and the subject was Spar.

My intense desire to see him again was one thing—he had given me an incredible orgasm and that was reason enough to want him in my bed. But I enjoyed sitting with him afterward and talking about his life, however briefly, and that was not something omegas were expected to do. We were companions, to be sure, but we provided relief and emotional support with our bodies, not our minds.

As I soaked in the bath, I wondered if I was the first omega to have had thoughts like these. I was frightened to tell anyone about them. Omegas rarely got kicked out of the Guild, but I didn’t want to draw any negative attention to myself.

The Knights somehow sorted out among themselves who would bed which omega, so I wouldn’t know who had chosen me until night fell. Now that I was out of basic training, I could choose to take up hobbies or go to other trainings for advanced skills. If I learned different techniques, I could be a more popular omega, or I could win a place as someone’s favorite. If I wasn’t in the mood for anything sexual, I could help in the garden or travel into the town. It must be difficult to be a noble, I thought. How exactly did they fill their days?

As I got out of the bath and dried myself, I fought the seed of anxiety that had planted itself in my breast. Half of me wanted to see Spar again, but the other half knew that rotating was important. I could not form an attachment.

* * *

I wasn’t entirely surprised when it was Spar who turned up again that night. I heard the knock on my door and held my breath, having no idea who it could be. But of course, he had chosen me again. Tonight though, the cocky attitude had been replaced with a semblance of something that could almost be called fear.

“I have news,” he said, his voice stolid. He was apparently trying hard not to betray how he really felt and was failing. It was up to us omegas to read emotions and respond accordingly, and we had even had training in it. It was easy to see, due to his stance and eyes, that he was upset.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I’ve been chosen for an assignment.”

“That’s good, isn’t it? You need experience,” I replied, not seeing what the problem was. The Knights got sent out on assignments frequently to help citizens in neighboring towns, or just to do patrols.

“It’s an overnight assignment,” he said, and my heart fell. If he wasn’t there to claim me for the night, there was a chance I would have to bed someone else. The thought was worrisome. I cursed myself for thinking this way; I had been a fully-fledged omega for just a day and I was already in danger of making a huge mistake. It was also self-involved of me—I was here to focus on Spar’s emotional distress.

“Oh,” was all I could say in response.

“There’s more,” he said, walking over and sitting on the edge of my bed. “It’s going to be a dangerous assignment. The King has enemies, and I have to go on a patrol into their territory.”

The worry in his eyes now made sense and I felt concern take root in me. I knew that our kingdom was at war with a distant enemy in a neighboring land—over the mountains, I had heard—but I didn’t think any actual fighting had happened. The King was trying diplomacy first. If the Knights were doing reconnaissance over enemy territory, they were preparing for war.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” I said. “It’s just a patrol.”

He was unconvinced. “I’m worried,” he admitted. “Few of us have been over the border.”

“You’re a dragon, Spar,” I said. “You have the most powerful weapons anyone can have. You have claws and fire, and you can fly.”

“That’s the problem,” he said. “The King isn’t the only one who employs dragon Knights. Did you think that we were the only ones of our kind on the whole continent?”

This comment was stunning. I had never even thought to ask whether dragon shifters existed anywhere else. It stood to reason, now that I considered it, but most people thought our Knights were the only ones of their kind.

He saved me from having to respond by flopping onto my bed next to me. I was suddenly aware of his lean, broad body, graceful like a cat under his thin linen tunic. It ignited my desire and I realized that despite my earlier thoughts, I would serve Spar tonight.

“Let’s forget about it for now, anyway,” he said softly, moving towards me. He took my chin in his hand and started to kiss me tenderly, stroking my cheeks and pushing the strands of hair out of my face. I sighed and pressed myself against him, enjoying how warm and solid he felt. Being with a man was unexpectedly comforting, and with the Knights, I knew I could be safe.

He reached a hand under the hem of my tunic, hiking it up, and explored down there, only to find that I was already rock hard. Like a good omega, I had been keeping up with my edges, making sure that I would be ready to serve a Knight at any time, and like clockwork, my body readied itself to be penetrated by Spar’s glorious cock.

I could feel it pressing against my thigh, hard and thick like a staff, and I immediately yearned to feel its hot, velvety skin against my own. I tried taking initiative and made to undress him, but he swatted my hand away, taking my wrists and holding them tightly. I didn’t even dare try to move—there was no way I could resist his awesome strength.

“Take control, would you?” he asked, but he wasn’t upset, just amused.

“I can’t help it,” I said. “I can feel your hardness, and I want it.”

“Oh, so you’re hungry for me,” he said, and his voice had an edge to it now.

I rounded my lips into an O-shape in response, miming sucking his cock. I felt it twitching and I inwardly felt delighted at just how easy this was.

He sat up and started to remove his trousers. His cock sprang free immediately and he pushed me down towards it. I eagerly went forward, taking his length in my mouth and relishing his familiar scent and taste. I licked beads of precome from the tip like they were honey.

“Get me nice and ready,” he said lazily, behaving for all the world like a king.

“I will,” I said, and I did.

* * *

The next day, I found that Spar had left again. The Knights started their work early and I knew that he would be off on his mission already. I hadn’t been afraid for him, but now that he explained he was going into enemy territory, I was. I couldn’t imagine how the enemy dragons would look. Were they as stocky and richly colored as ours were? Did they have similar customs? My world had expanded overnight.

After some rumination, I decided that there wasn’t much I could do for Spar, and moping was useless. The primary problem I would have to deal with tonight was bedding a man who wasn’t him. Of course, it wasn’t a guarantee that I would have to serve someone at all, since some of them would be off on missions, but it was a possibility. And to my horror, the thought made me feel repulsed.

I cursed myself for failing just a few days after graduation. The responsible thing to do, if this became a big problem, would be to request that Spar and I be made to see other people for some time. The councilmen knew that situations like this occurred frequently, and one of the solutions to nip it in the bud was to request break periods like this, so the Knight in question couldn’t keep choosing the same omega. No one would take it personally—it simply had to be done. But I hadn’t learned what to do if I felt disgusted by the thought of bedding other men. Training hadn’t prepared us for that.

I supposed that I would simply have to get over it. I was an omega and my primary job was to serve the Knights—all of them. My pleasure was important, but secondary to this. If someone else knocked on my door tonight, I would welcome him and serve him just as well as if it had been Spar.

Later in the day, I found myself nursing a headache, so I went to the infirmary. I hadn’t needed to go here before, but when I arrived, I realized that I would have to claim sickness more often. The ward was so lovely, even better than the rooms we lived in. Wide windows were open to let fresh air in, and caged birds sang soothing, trilling songs. Small indoor fountains with plants and flowers gave a natural feel to the space.

“Can I help you?” asked the nurse sitting at a desk. I had been so taken with the surroundings that I hadn’t seen him at all.

“Just a headache,” I said. “Some worvil will do the trick.”

He nodded and got up to lead me into one of the patient rooms. Because our bodies were largely how we did our jobs, we had learned that keeping ourselves in good health was paramount. The nurse did some basic checks on me to make sure I wasn’t harboring a more subtle form of illness.

“You seem all right,” said the nurse, skeptical. He was looking at me curiously, like he was trying to detect something under the surface.

“Is there a problem?” I asked, nervous. I didn’t want to fall sick during my first week. I was also increasingly paranoid that he could somehow tell that I had a romantic problem, as if it would be written on my face.

“It’s probably nothing,” he continued, taking my hand to check my pulse again. “You just seem a little depressed.”

“Depressed?” I asked.

“You’re preoccupied, anxious. Is there anything the matter? Family troubles? Body problems? You know you can tell us.”

I hadn’t any idea what he was talking about, though I had the uneasy feeling that he was picking up on my worries about forming an attachment with Spar. I was worrying about his well-being also, but that was to be expected. He wasn’t the only one going on the mission and we were all concerned for the safety of our Knights.

“I’m okay for now, thank you,” I said more firmly.

He nodded and stood up to retrieve the worvil from a cabinet, preparing it with some hot water. The dried leaf tea he made was bitter, but I knew it kept headaches at bay easily. However, it also made one somewhat loopy, having the convenient effect of making one unfit to serve a Knight. I didn’t want to have a headache, but I couldn’t deny that it had come at an opportune time.

“Go on and take a nap after taking this,” he said, handing me the tea cup. “You should be back to normal in time for serving someone in the evening.”

I would be lying if I said that part of me wasn’t hoping that the worvil was strong enough for me to take the night off. But it seemed that it wouldn’t be the case.

“Thank you,” I said, sipping the tea. The warmth flooded through my body and into my extremities. I was looking forward to drinking it slowly with a book in the quiet of my own room.

He smiled at me and led me out, leaving me to puzzle over why he had thought I had seemed depressed. I wondered what I had done to make him think that. I kept sipping the tea and by the time I reached my hall, it had started to take effect, compelling me to walk right to my bed. I pulled the sheets over myself and settled in for my nap.

The worvil must have been stronger than I thought because I woke up at an odd hour in the early morning, my body perplexed by the fact that I had gone to sleep in the afternoon and woken up nearly half a day later. I felt oddly bright and alert, and realized that I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep.

As soon as I remembered my thoughts from the day, I panicked. What if a Knight had knocked and I had missed him? I immediately got up, boosted by a jolt of adrenaline, and checked my door. Nothing. If there had been someone, they would have left a note. Maybe the nurse had given them a warning because of my headache, or maybe I just lucked out.

I was intensely relived. Spar would be here tomorrow and I could see him again. I could only hope that he returned safely.

* * *

I had already eaten my lunch, growing increasingly anxious over the lateness of the mission—they should have arrived that morning—when I heard the huge brass bells chiming at the Knights’ castle. I allowed myself to feel some relief, but I couldn’t be too sure. What if he had gotten injured, or worse, captured or killed?

I couldn’t appear too eager to receive any news of him, so unfortunately, I would have to wait. Knights and omegas were allowed to care for each other, but they weren’t allowed to behave like romantic partners. If I showed more interest that anyone else, I would only be indulging myself.

I had a strong suspicion that he would see me that night if he could. There was no denying the connection we had; like he had first thought, the fact that I was obedient in just the way he liked was crucial to our sexual chemistry. And like I had first thought, being physically intimate had made him more emotionally open to me, whether he realized it or not. I had a hard time believing that I was more obedient than the other omegas, but then, I didn’t know what their personalities were like in the bedroom.

I had trouble killing time until the evening fell. I tried reading a book, but failed to get absorbed in the story, and I didn’t feel like facing any of my omega friends while I was wrought by anxiety. I settled on giving myself a bath, making my skin smooth and supple for Spar when I saw him again.

My heart leapt into my throat when I heard the knock that evening. When I called out to come in, the door flew open and Spar was there. I was immediately suffused with joy as I was so relieved to see him. He appeared to have some scratches and bruises on his face and arms, but otherwise, he was healthy, and his eyes glowed. I got up and went up to him.

“You’re safe,” I said.

“I made it,” he replied. I detected pain in his voice and was concerned. Did something go wrong on the mission? Was it more difficult than they expected?

I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. “How was it?” I asked lamely, regretting my words as soon as I saw the flash in his eyes.

He hesitated. “It was mediocre,” he said. “There was an unfortunate turn of events.” He paused again, taking my hands and leading me to sit down on the bed. He seemed to be trying to decide what to say next. “I don’t want to talk about it now.”

“You don’t have to talk about it at all, then,” I said, smiling gently at him. I was still getting used to the more subtler parts of my job, namely comforting these men in times of emotional distress—goodness knows they needed it. It was sometimes hard to tell if I was doing a good job or not with Spar, but if he was opening up to me more and more, shedding that initial cocky attitude, then maybe I was getting there.

I put my hand on his face, stroking his prickly cheek, and kissed him on the lips, licking them gently and stroking his hair, which was as scruffy as ever. It was clear to me that he needed a cathartic, sensitive experience with me after whatever he had gone through on the mission. As an omega, I was fully prepared to provide just that.

He responded to my kiss languidly, pressing his lips against mine and taking ownership of the situation immediately. I surrendered to him, thinking that he might want to be in control now when he couldn’t have been on the mission, and moved closer to him on the bed. His hands found my shoulders, then the buttons of my tunic, and immediately started to undo them. The fabric fell from me with a soft sound, and he pulled away so that he could properly pull the tunic down.

I imagined that he felt mentally as well as physically exhausted from his ordeal. I couldn’t at all think what had happened on the mission—surely, someone hadn’t been fatally injured, else we’d have heard about it—but from the way he was tenderly touching me, I could tell that he wasn’t into playing rough today.

But he was still being his usual, dominant self. He pushed me down onto the bed and I fell on my back into the plush sheets. He got up to remove his clothes and I slid the rest of the tunic and my pants off of my legs, tossing them away. Fortunately, I had freshly shaved myself that morning, and I fingered my smooth balls, enjoying the satiny feeling of my skin. I ventured to slip a finger into my ass, which elicited a raised eyebrow from Spar.

“Going a little far, are we,” he said, amused, and I immediately took my hand away, pinching my nipples instead.

“The only pleasure you will get is the pleasure I give you,” said Spar silkily. “Luckily for you, I’m in a mood to be generous.”

He slipped his own finger over my asshole and rubbed gently. I was already hard, of course, but he took the lube on my nightstand and used some. I whimpered and reached out and took his cock only to find that he was already completely hard.

“Looks like I can get you going simply by being myself,” I said slyly.

He grinned and tilted his head, regarding me for a moment. I had no idea what he was thinking, until he went over to the smaller of my toy boxes and retrieved the ropes. I hadn’t had the chance to use them yet, since they required a partner, and a shiver went down my spine as I realized he intended to bind me.

He took my hands and moved them above my head, swiftly tying my wrists together. He was so quick about it that I figured the Knights had to have learned it in their training. In just a few seconds, I was securely bound, feeling even more exposed than before.

“I love looking at you like that,” he said triumphantly, “bound up and helpless. Now, you’re ready for me to take you.”

He bent over me, moving me further up the bed and positioning his cock over my waiting entrance. I was on fire now and my skin felt like it was illuminated with lust, glowing in the dim lighting of the lamp. He pressed himself into me easily and filled me up.

I was awash with desire as he let his weight settle down on me, getting into a comfortable rhythm as he started to thrust in and out slowly. There was a different texture to this experience—it wasn’t just that he was being tender or that he needed more gentle sex after whatever he had faced. It was that this session could be called making love. There was something else in the air between us—the spark of real romantic feelings.

Despite being lost in the immense pleasure his body brought me, anxiety crept in. I knew that the feelings were bad. I couldn’t allow them to progress any further. But how could I stop when sex with Spar was so good? Wasn’t that the whole goal of what the omegas did? I was making him feel better about the difficulties of being a Knight by pleasuring him like this, and it seemed like his comfort with me was an essential part of that.

It wasn’t hard to drive the thoughts from my mind as he mouthed my neck, biting down on it firmly, and grasping a handful of my hair close to the scalp to tug on. Even when making love, Spar just had to be in control.

“Are you getting close?” he asked, his voice low in my ear.

“Yes,” I said, the word barely escaping with my breath.

“Good,” he replied. “I want you to stay there.”

It was becoming more of a challenge. He was grinding into my ass with his steady movements, giving me the pressure I needed to achieve orgasm. But I didn’t have to try that hard—it was like we were naturally designed to bring each other to climax, and even if I wanted to stop, I couldn’t. I was steadily climbing the mountain of pleasure, getting closer and closer to the point of no return.

I was sure that he knew what he was doing, too. Even as he was thrusting against me, he was taking care to put that perfect pressure against ass, and the way he teased the tender skin on my nape didn’t help. The rope pressed against my wrists with every thrust, reminding me that I was helpless. But I didn’t feel an ounce of fear. I felt completely safe—oddly enough, even more so than if I had been unbound. There was a feeling of security that came with the ropes that was utterly inexplicable.

“I get to come first,” he said, almost to himself, as his own orgasm built up. He increased his speed and pulled me closer to him, pressing my skin against his own. I felt the weight of his muscular body pinning me down as he used me for his orgasm, his cock twitching and pulsing like it was going to explode with come at any moment.

There was nothing to focus on that didn’t turn me on, so I could only hope that he would orgasm before I did. I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt his hot seed inside me suddenly, escaping as he pulled his cock out, come dripping down my thighs. I waited patiently, missing the feeling of him inside me, bound and ready to take whatever he was going to give me next.

I hoped that it was going to be an orgasm, but I couldn’t be too sure. He used his strong arms to flip me over and I found a comfortable position with my backside in the air in front of him, sticking out in a way that I felt was awkward but he probably thought was arousing. I felt his fingers lightly trace patterns on my skin, then a pause as he left and went to the toy box again.

I craned my head around and saw that he had selected one of the small floggers. Was he going to whip me with it? I thought he had wanted a gentle experience, but then, I could have been wrong.

“You’re a remarkably obedient boy, Soren,” he said softly, “but I want to do some training of you on my own.”

I hadn’t any idea what he meant by that. I could only see what he was going to do. To my relief, he started to stroke my cock again, bringing me to the edge. This wasn’t difficult, since I had just been there a moment earlier.

“I think I’m getting better at telling when you’re going to come,” he said. “I think it’s right… now.”

He had been right. I convulsed as he took his hand away, leaving me desperate for his touch and a climax. But it was not to happen. He immediately whipped me several times, quickly, snapping the flogger with skill against my cheeks. I was left stinging and shocked.

“Did you like that?” he asked.

I couldn’t lie. The frustration, in my perverse mind, was more stimulating than anything. I couldn’t decide if I wanted more of the flogger or an orgasm. “Yes,” I said.

He reached a hand down to play with me again. And again, it took me just a few seconds to arrive at an orgasm. He was horribly good at detecting where I was, and as soon as I thought I was going to tip over the edge, he slowed down, arriving at a pace that was tantalizingly close, but just not close enough. After several agonizing moments of this, I couldn’t bear it any longer. “Please, Spar!” I cried. “Please let me come.”

The flogger came down hard, but he didn’t seem like he was taking anything out on me. He was clearly using it as a tool in whatever kind of training he was doing. He whipped me several times in the same spot, building the pain—and the pleasure.

“I decide when you come,” he said. “Though, I do like to hear you beg.”

Again he stroked me, and again, I was brought to the edge too soon, knowing that I’d have to hold off as long as I could. But I simply couldn’t. I was too new to holding off on the pleasure. I didn’t want to find out what would happen if I came without permission, so I asked him again. “Please, Spar? I’ve been so good.”

He stopped touching me and flogged me again. I cried out in pain; it was becoming unbearable. I writhed on the bed, struggling to keep my position on my knees.

“Not yet” was all he said.

I realized only then that he was playing a game with me, and that I was willingly playing it. I liked this. I liked being denied and being hurt and giving someone else control over my pleasure. I liked being helpless and humiliated. It was liberating, in a way, to not have to worry about a single thing except whether I was going to be allowed to orgasm or not.

After a pause, he started stroking my cock again, and I knew the pattern would repeat itself. I wondered what I would have to do to break it. I had to try something different, this time, to see what he would do.

“If you don’t stop, I’m going to come,” I said, whining plaintively. “I can’t help it. I don’t want to come without your permission.”

“Good boy,” he said in an uncharacteristically soothing voice. “Go on, ask for permission.”

I couldn’t believe I was finally going to get an orgasm. I felt like I had been waiting for hours. “Please may I come, Spar?”

“Yes.”

He stroked me vigorously as I let myself go, and as I leapt off the peak, he flogged me as well. The combination of sensations was exquisite and I cried out, moaning wildly and bucking against his hand like a dog. I was lost in a world of pain and pleasure, and nothing existed for me right now, except Spar and his wondrous fingers and the stinging of the flogger.

Eventually, the pleasure mitigated and I came back down to earth, wondering what in the world had just happened. I felt Spar sit down on the bed next to me, unbinding my hands. I was lying prone, still processing the sensations flowing through me. He gathered me in his arms and I curled up instinctively, enjoying the feeling of being pressed against his chest, which was a little damp with sweat.

“I’ve been reserving this game for a special omega,” he said quietly.

“Is that so,” I said, drawing up enough strength to speak.

“I’m glad I did,” he replied.

There was more silence as I tried to dredge myself up from the cozy feeling I was ensconced in. I stretched out and found myself sitting in his lap, his arms encircling me. He squeezed me gently and I remembered all the thoughts I had before.

I was reluctant to leave the nest I was in, but I got up and regarded him. I could tell what was happening to me—the feelings released during my orgasm were being directed towards him. That was what I had learning in my training. It was how attachments formed. But they hadn’t told me it would feel heady, like a drug. I couldn’t break away from his intense gaze. It wasn’t the arrogant, predatory look he had given me when we had met. It was something else—caring.

I sat back down next to him, still twitching from the aftershocks of the orgasm. He watched me closely. “That was… a great orgasm,” I said.

“Good,” he replied. “And you were incredibly obedient. I have never met a man like you. You are one of a kind.”

I still had a hard time believing this, but I didn’t protest. “We ought to sleep,” I said. I felt like I had fully come down now, and I was remembering my thought that I should rotate more. But how could I rotate when I could just do this again? It was hard to resist the temptation. No, it was impossible. Did the other omegas have experiences like this? Would they be able to rotate if they did?

We lay down in the bed and I felt him snake his arm around me. It felt good, but it worried me as well. This was my last chance to put an end to this. It wasn’t worth sacrificing either of our careers. We were both young, we had opportunities. I couldn’t throw it all away for a good orgasm.

But it wasn’t just that. It was romance, for sure, so I absolutely had to break it off. But not now. It could wait. As I drifted into the realm of sleep, I resolved to deal with it first thing tomorrow morning.

* * *

To my surprise, Spar was still there when I woke up. I rolled over drowsily and instantly became more alert when I sensed his form under the covers next to me. “Spar?” I called, my voice foggy with sleep.

The shape next to me turned over. Spar looked me in the eyes, his lids half-closed. A thought struck me like a lightning bolt—maybe he always left because he didn’t want me to see him like this, vulnerable in the morning. Maybe this was him opening up even further.

“Good morning, handsome,” he said, grinning.

So he was still his usual self. “Hello,” I said, scooting closer to him. He draped an arm over me and I reveled in its warm weight, feeling comfortable next to him.

“I should get back to the castle,” he said, rolling over and staring at the ceiling.

“I should get breakfast,” I added. “I think we slept in a bit.”

He sighed. “I suppose so. Will I see you again tonight?”

“Spar,” I said, my anxiety returning as I remembered what I had resolved last night. “Did you ever learn in your training to see several different omegas?”

He perked up as he realized that bad news was looming. “Yes,” he said cautiously.

“Well, you’ve been seeing me every time this past week,” I continued, hating myself for the pained look in his eyes. It was incredible how I could break this news to one of the Knights, of all people, and end up feeling like I was kicking a helpless puppy. “Shouldn’t we also be seeing other people?”

There was a pause. I could tell what the unspoken words were. I don’t want to see other people.

“I did see other omegas before you graduated training,” he said. I instantly felt a pang in my heart and was surprised by it. The thought of Spar bedding other omegas shouldn’t have been so distressing.

It was hard to get the words out, to tell him that he shouldn’t see me again tonight. “You know the danger of seeing one omega too often,” I said. “It might be best for both of us if you did more …rotating.”

He looked at me for a moment, something angry kindling in his eyes. He knew I was right, he had to. I was sure that it had been impressed on both the Knights and the omegas that they had to rotate. Sure, Knights could have their favorites, but all the omegas were trained to please Knights, so even if they couldn’t always see their favorite, their needs would be satisfied.

That’s what was important—their sexual needs. But what about their emotional needs? I asked myself. Their desire to have a companion. Didn’t they have that too?

“I don’t like this,” he said, and I was surprised to see that he was having a hard time with it. Or maybe it was simply that he was used to getting his way, and to be told that he couldn’t see me, for a while at least, resisted that. “Don’t you want to see me too?”

I chose my words carefully. “You know I enjoy spending my nights with you, Spar,” I said. “But seeing each other so often is a risk, and it’s one that neither of us should take. It jeopardizes our careers, and what would happen then?”

His mood changed swiftly. “I’m sure we can handle it,” he said. “We can see other people once or twice a week, maybe.”

“But last night was too powerful,” I said, pressing on. “Spar, this isn’t normal sex. You know what the townsfolk are like, or, maybe you don’t. They don’t play the kinds of games we do. These are risky practices.”

“But what about our connection? None of the other omegas are like you,” he said. “Being with you is so much more fulfilling.”

I stood firmly. “It’s not worth the risk of getting booted from the Guild or the castle. You know what would happen then.”

That gave him pause. If he couldn’t be a Knight anymore, he’d have few job opportunities because everyone was so frightened by shifters. The same went for me. Omegas were considered tainted and I wouldn’t be able to find respectable employment. The Guild and the castle were all we had.

“Maybe we just need to take a break,” I said, feeling like I was pleading. “We can revisit this after taking a week’s break. Just try it.”

It took him a while to agree, but he finally did. “Okay,” he said. “This doesn’t feel right, though. I think you are meant to be my favorite.”

I expected him to be cold to me as he dressed and went to the door, but he sweetly gave me a hug and kiss before leaving. I felt horrible about what I had said to him, but I knew I was right. We absolutely could not have a romantic relationship—we were literally putting our livelihoods on the line. He nodded at me courteously as he left, leaving me to wonder what I had just done.