𝐎𝐑𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐂 | ⁽ˢᵒⁿⁱᶜ ᵗʰᵉ ʰᵉᵈᵍᵉʰᵒᵍ ²⁾

𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔩𝔬𝔤𝔲𝔢

It hadn't been your intention to dishonor your family.

After all, you were a good boy. You kept your hands clean, obeyed your father without question, and took your duties as the second heir seriously. Even going as far as becoming an apprentice of the village healer so that when the time came to stand beside your brother as a fellow chieftain, you could provide medical care for your tribe. But then your parents grew concerned about your choice—your brother too.

Natural leaders and warriors have been in your bloodline for generations. Waging war and leading their people to greatness was practically their second religion.

Your brother Aeolus had already proven himself worthy of the mantle. He'd led your tribe into raids against neighboring villages, taking more than his share of spoils. He was the perfect candidate to take over the tribal leadership once your parents stepped down.

And then there was you—the quiet one who preferred helping others to pillaging them. Not to mention what happened at the ceremony. You could remember it well. The sky overhead was clear blue with not a cloud marring its perfection. A gentle breeze blew through the grassy plains where the tribe's people gathered. They were dressed in their finest garments and made up their faces with colorful war paint. All the excitement and anticipation were in the air, and everyone seemed ready to begin the long-awaited ritual revealing your and Aeolus's second gender.

The majority of the tribe were either alphas or betas. Omegas, on the other hand, while not uncommon, were treated like outcasts. You didn't understand why, but you assumed it was because they were proclaimed the weakest of the three. They were kindhearted and very peaceful. Most of them lived on the outskirts of the village and either tended the crops or cared for the sick. Any conflict or violence they kept well away from. Omega boars can conceive pups by mating with another boar so long as they are either alpha or beta. They were just generally seen as the breeders and caretakers of the tribe. Nothing more, nothing less.

So when your master, the village healer, poured a small vial of herbal concoction onto your left hand, you knew something was wrong before anyone else said a word. The fragrance of citrus, cinnamon, honeysuckle, and mint filled the air. It was entirely unlike what Aeolus smelled like when his alpha symbol appeared. His aroma was spicy, earthy, and wild. This smell was sweet. Pleasant. Soft. Almost feminine.

The village healer had carefully flipped your hand over and inspected your symbol closely. Then after a moment of hesitation, she spoke.

"I'm sorry, young warrior," she whispered, "but I have never known a chieftain or chieftess to be born an omega."

Your heart sank. The series of gasps and shocked whispers from the crowd broke the silence that followed.

"But—"

"She must be confused."

"How could this happen?"

You looked around at the faces staring back at you. They were incredulous and horrified. Angry, even. How could this be possible? Did the village healer make a mistake? Maybe she mixed up the potion. She had been sickly lately, and her mind wasn't as sharp as it once was.

But there it was. As plain as day on the back of your hand. Your Omega emblem.

Aeolus had always been the strong one. The leader. The warrior. He was what you were supposed to become. And now here you were, standing in front of your people as an omega boar, having no idea how to come to terms with this sudden change in fate.

You tried to hold yourself together, but it was impossible. Tears streamed down your face as you stumbled into a muscular arm.

You could hear Aeolus shouting at the healer over the ringing in your ears as he held you close. But the words were lost somewhere amid the sobs that shook your body. He was angry. Very angry. He was hurting. He was confused. He was sad. And he was worried about you.

He would have to be. In all the years you'd known each other, you'd never heard him speak ill of another. He was a boar of honor and integrity. And you were his little brother. You did everything together. He taught you to hunt, fight, stand up for others, and defend your tribe. He was always there to help. Always guiding you along the right path.

Except for this time, he couldn't.

Not only had he failed to see the truth of your identity, but he had also lied to you about it. Proclaiming that you would be the strongest, bravest, most honorable alpha ever to grace the plains. That you were destined for greatness.

Because that's what your brother promised: to make you into a hero.

His face swam in front of your eyes. So many times, he'd asked you about your plans for the future. What did you want to do when you grew up? How did you see yourself helping your tribe alongside him? All you wanted was to be with him. To be his equal. His partner in crime. Not some submissive omega who could only sit back and watch as he led the charge into battle.

But that dream was over.

You were a failure—a disappointment.

Every part of you hurt. Every single thought in your head was centered on how awful you felt.

You couldn't breathe. A heavy weight pressed down on your chest, threatening to crush your lungs. You clutched the cloth of Aeolus's tunic tightly as your vision began to blur and fade. He was slipping away from you and leaving you behind.

Just like everyone else

No wonder he participated in watching you drown the next day.

Woo! It is Friday, my dudes! It took way too long to fall back into this fantastic genre. I know it's been torturous without some good old Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but consider this a special early/late birthday present to you all as I'm going to pass out on my bed with one of those blow-up whistles hanging out of my mouth.

Also, a boar is a male hedgehog, and a sow is a female hedgehog, in case you didn't know. :)