All omegas faced this moment, but most of them had family to rely on to help them make a good choice. For better or for worse, Adrien was alone in the world, so the decision of how to proceed with regards to his heat was entirely up to him.

“Review the options again?” Sweat pooled in the small of his back, despite the room’s roaring air conditioner. Adrien wiped at his face, finding his upper lip and forehead damp.

“The first option, and the most popular by far, is to have a family member arrange for the purchase of your first heat by some well-to-do friend or business associate. Since your father, God rest his soul, has passed on to the next world, and you don’t know the whereabouts of the omega who birthed you, the duty could reasonably fall to an uncle or brother.”

“No,” Adrien gritted out, his glasses slipping down a bit on his nose. “I have no family.”

“In that case, the second option is to allow me, as matcher of the university, to see if there are any alphas amongst the alumni who’d like to purchase your heat outright. Obviously, the university takes a small percentage of the price as a fee for service rendered. I admit, though, Adrien, given your financial situation, the third option might be the best one for you.

It’s guaranteed to generate the greatest profit for your valuable and once-in-a-lifetime first heat.”

“And what’s that entail?” He already knew, but he needed to hear it again to make it real.

“An online public auction of the heat. Ninety percent of the proceeds go to you and ten percent go to the university for the trouble. If you want, we could offer an attempt at breeding you at a premium. That will bring in the highest possible bids. Obviously, there are alumni of the university who’ll pay a tidy sum when offered a heat purchase directly, but if you give them an omega to bid on? Especially one as handsome as you? Well, they’ll bankrupt themselves in a frenzy of competition for the right to claim your first heat.

And, if you’re willing, they’ll shell out even more for a chance at breeding you.”

Adrien ran a hand over the flat, toned stomach beneath his soft sweater.

He cleared his throat, words stuck for a moment, until he finally said, “I’m not sure I’m ready to try for a pregnancy.”

“Understandable. But you have to also consider your finances. Certainly you can sell future heats and breeding attempts, but none will go for so high a price as a first heat and first breeding combined. You know how much alphas like to stake their claims—even if it is only for a single season.”

Adrien closed his eyes. He’d face up to ten such ‘seasons’ in his life. No omega had been known to go into heat more than ten times, and most averaged only five, but each successive season was less fertile than the last and brought in less money. Assuming you didn’t fall in love with an alpha and marry him. Then one man handled all an omega’s seasons and became financially responsible for his well-being for life. Such pairings were common but not expected.

“And, as you know, unless you fall for one another, which is highly unlikely, any child you bear is the concern of the alpha. You wouldn’t be required to participate in its life at all. The wee thing would be immediately transferred to the alpha’s care after a period of chestfeeding and then weaning.”

“That’s still a large portion of my life. Four months of pregnancy followed by a year of chestfeeding, at a minimum. The interruption to my college career would be a strain.” To put it mildly. He’d only just begun to really make headway understanding the connection between Hontu woven fabric and their spiritual life.

“College can wait,” Mr. Finch said. “I see in your files your goal is to be named a certified art history professor. For you, an omega, to have that chance the government demands a large fee. According to your university

accounts, you’re barely able to afford another year of education, and I’m not even sure if you can achieve enough funds to reach your goal. Even by selling the breeding along with the heat.”

Adrien’s stomach hurt.

“But, if you truly want to aim for such a lofty future career, then an online, public auction is definitely the only chance you’ve got.”

“Do I have to decide now? About the breeding, I mean?”

“So it’ll be the auction for sure?”

“Yes, as you point out, I have no other choice financially.”

Mr. Finch made a happy sound. “Excellent. We can always get the auction going with just the first heat on offer. Once the pot is bubbling with bids, we can sweeten it by offering the breeding as an add-on. It always creates a frenzy to drop the breeding offer mid-auction. Drives the alphas wild.”

Adrien’s head swam. He sat down on the hard single bed he’d slept on for the last four years of studies. “What do I have to do? What’s the next step?”

“You’ll come to my offices tomorrow. We’ll discuss the protocol for provoking your first heat. Then you’ll pose for some photos for the auction—

naked, of course, so they can see the goods. Make sure to have everything down there looking as nice as possible. A little trimming never hurt anyone!

It can actually help make the package look a bit bigger. After that I’ll work up the wording for the online auction, set it up for you, and get it started immediately. We’ll be able to sense within the first day whether or not we need to be worried.”

Adrien’s mouth went dry. “Why would we need to worry?”

“In your case, based on the photos in your file, I think you’ll be fine.

You’re young and attractive, though that mop of blond hair could be a bit neater. Stereotypically, alphas do prefer brunets, fair or not. Still, there are always the fetishists who love the lighter hair. You have a tender look about you, and that will make them want to take you apart,” the matcher said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “And when you’re in heat, you’ll want him to take you apart, too. Ah, heat. It makes sluts of us all.”

Adrien shuddered.

Would he be a slut in heat? He couldn’t imagine wanting a stranger to touch him, take him, and impregnate him. But the matcher was right; he was running low on the funds his father had left to him when he died. And

without family to fall back on, he was definitely in a place in life where he had little choice but to go the auction route. While he dreaded the thought of carrying a stranger’s child, of interrupting his studies and his student life so thoroughly, he also knew he’d likely have to agree to be bred, too.

If he was very lucky, in a best-case scenario, he’d auction off the breeding for high value, but it wouldn’t take. That way he’d collect all the breeding money without having to pay the ultimate price of time, discomfort, and pain.

Still, he wasn’t ready to admit any of that aloud just yet. It would make it too real.

Pacing the floor of his small dorm room, he agreed to let the matcher set up the auction and make the appointment for him to come into the office the next day for photographs. After a week or so, he’d give his consent to offer up his first breeding, too.

He rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses. They stung with sweat. It couldn’t be that bad. Every omega did it. He’d be just like anyone else.

He just wished he didn’t have to be.

Chapter Two

THE MATCHER’S OFFICE was garishly decorated and reminded Adrien of a brothel in a movie, complete with red curtains and wallpaper to match. Mr.

Finch himself was unattractive enough—short, stubby, and stinking of cigar.

He’d been on his cell phone when Adrien first arrived, but he’d waved him into a chair across from his wide wooden desk and smiled. Then he’d swung his feet up on top, leaned back, and lit a cigar, puffing it at the ceiling. A nameplate resting on the front of the desk read Ron Finch.

“I know, Phil, but this one is a doozy of an omega, I tell you. He’s hungry for cash, and you know what that means.” Ron winked at Adrien and flicked his ash in the red tray on his desk. “He’s here now. Yes, he’s handsome. Plus he has a sexy little butt that jiggles just right when he walks. I’m telling you, it’s worth putting up a fight for him. You’ll see.”