intros
Merlin held his breath in long pauses, and tried very hard not to notice the strong pheromones that were now filling up the Omega den. An Alpha was coming, and it made Merlin's skin crawl at the thought of being chosen above the others. The majority of the other inhabitants were female, all in various stages of maturity. A few of the other women were of age to start entering heat, so suppressant herbs had become a staple in their diets, though they did nothing to counteract the strong scent of an Alpha. Instinct could overpower medicinal herbs any day.
The den was generally a calm place, only Betas and elderly Omegas were allowed to care for the unmated Omegas who had been herded together for protection. The term 'den' was a bit misleading, as the den was really more of a large cottage, secluded away from other villages, but frequented often by Alpha nobles seeking a mate. An den was a prime place to seek out a partner once a noble came of age, since any Omegas discovered in the country were taken from their family and escorted here, where they were raised to fit the roles that would be required of them.
Merlin had only been a member of the den for a few weeks now, and he still whined at night for his mother and his old village. The caretakers showed him pity and allowed him his sorrow in peace, but freedom was not an option for Merlin anymore. Though he begged and pleaded and shivered against the elderly caretakers, the iron cuffs for his magic remained, and so did he. The others did not understand his grief. Many of them lived their whole lives in the den, their earliest memories are of the secluded cottage, and not of mothers and neighbors and freedom.
When a noble visited to seek out a mate, the den workers rounded up all of their charges, shuffling them in to the front room where the latest Alpha waited to inspect them. Merlin wasn't hoping for much, as a male Omega, he was overlooked by many of the nobles that came seeking out a mate. He was also still very young, and his immaturity was still apparent. His silky black ears were still standing tall from his messy hair, and his sleek tail still held it's full size. He had barely seen twelve summers, and now he was a candidate for mating.
"Your highness!" One of the caretakers, Edith, squawked, voice breaking even in her old age with her surprise. She bowed deeply, gesturing for the young Omegas to do the same.
The man was a golden sun in Merlin's eyes, shining so bright it hurt to keep looking. He was young, but mature. He no longer had his ears, a true sign of an adult. He was also like every other Alpha that Merlin had encountered in his stay at the den, leaking curious pheromones and smelling like promises of a better life. As hard as he wished to ignore the pull to the man, he couldn't avert his eyes.
"Prince Arthur, we would be honored if you were to find a mate from our den. Please, feel free to ask them any questions you see fit. We have limited background information on all of them as well..." The Beta male's voice quivered against the strength of Arthur's presence, though he hadn't done anything but enter the cottage. Merlin wondered if he would draw the anger of the Prince if he couldn't stop staring, but his body wouldn't obey him.
When it was Merlin's turn to be looked over, Arthur stalked around him slowly, inspecting him carefully but not touching the boy. Finally Merlin's nerves broke, and his careful control on his pheromones broke, flooding the room with the sweet scent of an unmarked Omega. The prince's eyes went dark for a moment as the wave hit him full force. His nose twitched slightly as he studied Merlin's unique aroma, but only pleasure reflected on his face.
"I think..." The prince started, his low rumble sending tremors down Merlin's spine. The other Omegas seemed to feel the effects of such a dominant presence as well, swaying on their feet and puffing out their chests. Even the other males were softening their eyes and mouths for the prince.
"I think perhaps I have already made my decision." Arthur slowly crouched down in front of Merlin, lowering his head but offering his hand. The younger boy went in to a bit of a panic, as he had never been appropriately trained for what to do when the selection process went this far. He sent up a silent prayer and took Arthur's much larger hand in his.
'I can always say no. I can always say no.' Merlin repeated his mantra over and over in his head, something he had held dear to him when his freedom was stripped away.
'No one can take me if I don't want them to.'
The den mother Ellena, a sweet elderly Omega who had lost her mate to war, eyed Merlin with a knowing expression. She nodded to the pair, and the other den members were gently corralled in to another room.
"Y-your Highness." He mumbled, barely remembering his training as he bowed a bit too late to be respectful. The prince only laughed low in his chest, almost like a deep purr of contentment. Arthur gave a slight tug from where their hands were clasped, and Merlin toppled forwards in to his broad chest.
"What a wonderful mate you'll be..." Arthur purred, gathering Merlin's scrawny form in his arms. The larger knight held much of an advantage over Merlin, but the Omega suddenly didn't feel like running away any longer. Something about the way Arthur curled around him, nuzzling the delicate junction of his neck and shoulder, made Merlin forget all about his old home.