Feral Attachments

Chapter 7

Isla

I understand the words coming out of his mouth, but as I look around me I don't really understand what he's talking about. I hadn't even looked in this room yet, as I assumed it was just a closet and I don't have enough belongings to need one. 

But now that I look around the space and take in what Atlas is saying, I can understand it more. The lights are low and warm, the colors muted. The walls appear padded to keep out sound and there's no windows to help keep it dark and cool. Omegas in heat are incredibly sensitive to any kind of stimulation. Light, sound, temperature, all of it makes us feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. A stressed Omega is far less likely to become pregnant. 

"What's that?" I ask, my voice so quiet I'm even surprising myself. I point towards a slightly raised platform in the corner and feel Atlas push me gently towards it. 

"Go look." he murmurs. I walk over towards it and lean down to touch it and realize it's a padded area. 

"For the nest?" I ask, looking back at him. He nods and I look back down at it, imagining how nice it would be to have such a comfortable, safe feeling place to settle in. "Where's everything else?" I ask, looking at him again. Usually an Omega will collect things with her and her attachments scent, like blankets and pillows, to make the area feel more comfortable. 

"My Omega will choose her own things. She will never have to use something else someone else has for her nest." he says warmly, clearly watching my every reaction. I nod to indicate I heard him, but I'm struggling to process this. 

My mind unwillingly floats back to my childhood, watching my mother sneak around in my father's room to collect things for her nest. Carrying them to a random closet and having to wait for my father to make time for her. He never took care of her, didn't even have the decency to respect her. I knew my mother dreaded it, but she couldn't control it. Her body, her wolf worked against her. 

The world was cruel to her. 

"Don't cry, little wolf." Atlas says from next to me. I didn't realize I had started crying until I feel Atlas wipe away a tear from my cheek. I sniffle and turn away, not wanting to share my moment of weakness. 

"I'm not." I snap, but there's not much heat behind it. Atlas doesn't say anything to me, just stands next to me quietly. "It's just not fair." I murmur, more to myself than to him. 

"What's not fair?" he asks. I sigh and tilt my head back, wiping my face and trying to regain my composure. 

"Why doesn't every Omega get this? Don't we all deserve it?" I ask, my voice cracking. I can practically feel the pain radiating off of Atlas at my words. He lets out a heavy sigh and moves slightly closer to me.

"You do. And I'm sorry I can't do more to repair the damage that's been done. All I can do is treat you the way you deserve, and to encourage others to do the same." he says quietly, reaching out to push my hair back away from my face. He's careful not to touch my skin, like he can tell my senses are on overdrive already. "I'll go, little wolf. I just wanted you to see this. To see the truth." he murmurs. 

He goes so quickly I can barely tell that he's gone. But once he leaves, the room suddenly feels cold and unwelcoming. 

I don't want to be in here.

I walk out and close the door behind me. The subtle hints of Atlas' scent still linger in my room, but they won't last long. I'm grateful he was thoughtful enough to leave before it permeated the room too strongly. Having the scent of an Alpha around constantly can be very distracting for an Omega. 

I decide to leave the house, to let the scent dissipate and to also clear my mind. It's hard to wrap my thoughts around what I've seen, considering what I grew up with. Even what I've seen in other packs wasn't much better than my childhood. Most Omegas are treated with disregard. It's been generally accepted that the only useful thing we can do is give birth to more Alphas.