Chapter 6
Prim's heart thundered as she descended the steps into the Great Hall. The cacophony of voices and myriad scents threatened to bowl her over – she'd never before encountered so many people, much less Alphas, in a single place.
Feeling dizzy and overwhelmed, she attempted to make a beeline for Anne. However, a stern-faced professor halted her progress, directing her toward the Hufflepuff table instead.
"Slytherin is not for one such as you." Prim emitted a pitiful whine, and to everyone's astonishment, the professor patted her head gently- sniffing the air around Prim. For a moment, it seemed as though he would escort her to the Slytherin table himself, but then he came to his senses, his face registering confusion and mild shock. "B-best move along, Miss Cromwell. You may reunite with your friends later."
As Prim navigated the sea of students, she was acutely aware of the stares and whispers directed at her. She attempted to make herself inconspicuous by hunching her shoulders, but it proved futile.
The Hufflepuffs swarmed her, their excitement was palpable as they greeted the new fifth-year Omega. Their voices blended together in a cacophony of curiosity:
"Have you smelled her? She smells amazing!"
"Look at her hair, so long and silky…"
"Come sit by me! What classes have you chosen?"
"No, over here with me!"
Despite appreciating their enthusiasm, Prim wilted under the onslaught of attention, wishing she could simply vanish beneath the table.
Catching Anne's eye, Prim watched her friend's expression shift between worry and unmistakable irritation. Two boys on either side of Anne placed a hand on her shoulder, restraining her as she growled audibly enough for Prim to hear across the bustling hall.
As students found their seats, Headmaster Black strode to the podium, commanding the attention of the entire hall.
"I must remind you all," he began, his voice stern and authoritative, "that the Forbidden Forest remains strictly off-limits to students. Furthermore, I regret to announce that Quidditch is canceled indefinitely."
The student body rumbled with outrage at the declaration. Prim's gaze remained locked on the Headmaster, her knuckles whitening as she clutched the table's edge, waiting with bated breath for his closing words so she might escape.
"As you all may have noticed we now have an Omega student in attendance. New rules will be implemented starting immediately," Headmaster Black proclaimed, sweeping his gaze across the hall and briefly locking eyes with Prim. “Every house will attend a mandatory meeting with your Head of House, in which you will all be briefed on Omega witches, what to expect, and how to properly interact with them. That being said, the Alpha voice is equivalent to the Imperius curse when used on an Omega. Unless Miss Cro- Ehem- an Omega, has specified an Alpha as a protector or mate the use of the Alpha voice on any Omega is forbidden. Any student caught breaking this new rule shall be severely punished or outright expelled depending on the severity of the crime. I recommend all students attend their mandatory meeting before approaching an Omega student. That is all.”
As the Headmaster's words sank in, Prim's grip on the table relaxed, and she released a breath she didn't know she was holding. The tension in her shoulders eased, even as her fellow students continued to scrutinize her.
Sensing Anne's concerned gaze, Prim offered a small, reassuring smile.
Anne pointed to Prim, then herself, and mouthed, "Meet me after." Prim nodded, quickly averting her eyes when the freckle-faced boy beside Anne – whom could only be her brother, Sebastian – turned his dark gaze on her, a slow smile spreading across his face. Her eyes drifted to the other side of Anne, where a tall boy with a perfectly tailored uniform, lovely bright blue eyes, and a smattering of beauty marks sat. Ominis. With Anne's description of the boys ringing in her mind, she had no doubt of who they were. Prim's breath hitched – Ominis was breathtaking.
A soft trill slipped from Prim's lips as she pondered meeting Anne's closest friends. The Hufflepuffs around her leaned in, taking the sound as an invitation and blocking her view of the Slytherin table.
"Your hair is so lovely," one girl cooed, gently brushing her fingers through Prim's locks. “You didn’t really want to go to Slytherin, did you?
“We are all beta, so you are safer with us than you would be in Slytherin.” Another chimed in, "The few Omega that have passed through Hogwarts have always been Puffs, we knew you would end up with us."
Their curious gazes and eager voices enveloped her, while their fingers grazed her arms and hands. The commotion continued until a prefect's authoritative tone cut through the chatter.
"Alright, everyone, back to your seats, please. Let's give the Omega some space and focus on the feast."
With a mixture of reluctance and obedience, the Hufflepuffs returned to their seats, granting Prim a moment of respite.
****
Determined, Prim sprang from the Hufflepuff table, her sole focus on reuniting with Anne. The moment she stepped beyond the double doors, a horde of students closed in, their hands greedily reaching for her, hoping to catch even the faintest whiff of her beguiling scent.
"Is that her?" a voice called out from the crowd.
Students around her seemed on edge, their behavior off as her Omega scent wafted through the air. She could feel the weight of their agitation, their restlessness.
Disoriented and off-balance, Prim stumbled back. Before she could regain her footing, she was abruptly swept into a shadowed alcove. Looking up, her eyes met the dark gaze of Sebastian, Anne's brother.
"Careful no’, they're like beasts," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down her spine. His imposing frame acted as a barrier between her and the throng of students, offering her a brief respite from the overwhelming attention.
"Thank you," Prim breathed, her heart racing in her chest as she tried to compose herself under his protective watch.
"You are Anne’s brother?" she whispered, appreciative of the reprieve from the swarm. He smelled like a forest of fir trees after a fresh rain. "S-Sebastian?"
He huffed, smiling. "Anne's mentioned me?"
"Of course! She’s talked about you and Ominis so much that I feel like I already know you." Prim giggled, bouncing on her toes with a lively chirp. Sebastian chuffed in response, the action ruffling her hair. “I'm thrilled to finally meet you!”
“I’m pleased to meet you as well, lassie.” His visage bore a striking resemblance to Anne's – freckled and sun-kissed, yet brimming with mischief – with the same hue of hair. His dark eyes stared down at her with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. His cheeks flushed pink, and he offered her a shy smile, but Prim couldn't shake the nagging unease as his eyes dilated and he leaned forward, a low purr emanating from his chest.
"You smell divine..." His gaze roved over her hungrily, and she felt him sniff her hair, his hot breath fanning her temple as he groaned. "Bonnie lass..." He mumbled, cupping her face and brushing his lips across her forehead, then her cheek, eyes glazed. "Omega..."
Her designation fell from his lips like a breathy moan, sending Prim on high alert. Something was off with him.
"I appreciate your help, Sebastian, but can we meet with Anne now?" she implored, but the Slytherin seemed not to hear her. He leaned in once more, burying his face in her hair with a purr. "Please, step back. I’d like some space and I don’t-"
He was Anne’s brother, they looked so much alike and Prim desperately wanted to trust him…But her instincts screamed for her to hiss, fight him off, and escape and find Anne.
"I’d be a perfect Alpha for you, Prim..."
Panic swelled in her chest and a high keening fell unbidden from her lips as Sebastian's hand encircled her waist, fingers splayed as he pressed his body against hers. She felt something rigid press into her stomach and with horror she realized it was his manhood, "Och, I cannae think clearly with your scent about-"
"It’s all right, when we find Anne we can figure out what’s happening, but you have to let me go-"
"I’ll no’ release you..." With a growl, he pushed his hand behind her to grip her backside, his large fingers digging into her flesh hard enough to leave a bruise. "Never give you to another Alpha, no’ even my sister…Omega’s such a bonnie wee thing."
"Anne!" She keened, "Help-"
" Silence and be still ." Prim huffed, her body betraying her as her throat closed up and her limbs slackened as his voice rang in her ears with a familiar undercurrent of power.
A tear slid down her cheek as she watched students pass the alcove, unable to call for assistance or defend herself. “So obedient… Stop crying .” His issued commands burst forward without hesitation or remorse, so unlike his sister who never once abused her designations power.
His mouth latched onto her neck, warm and wet, he sucked her mating gland with bruising force. His teeth scraped the sensitive raised flesh and she jolted, shreik caught in her throat from his command for silence. His hips jerked against her stomach, rumpling her new dress as he sought her warmth. She sniffled, biting her lip as dread swelled in her chest and her body betrayed her, eager for an Alpha's touch. His scent thickened, sweetening with lust and lulling her in.
She turned her eyes skyward, willing her mind to drift elsewhere as her body heated for him.
"When is your next heat?" The Alpha voice compelled her to divulge the truth. "I cannae wait to knot you…"
"I don’t know. I'm not fully transitioned; I haven't experienced a heat yet..." A string of information tumbled from her lips, robotic and cold as she obeyed. Had she really believed that Black’s warning would keep her safe?
I’m such an idiot.
"Saved yourself for me, did you?" Just as he inclined his head, licking his lips, a steely voice snarled " Stupefy !" from behind him.
A light flashed red, silhouetting Sebastian before he stumbled and collapsed to the ground with a moan.
Prim quivered and panted, raising her eyes to behold the blue-eyed Ominis towering over Sebastian, an angry scowl contorting his aristocratic features. The scarf she had imbued with her scent for Anne hung around his neck, sweetening the acrid citrus scent wafting off of him.
"Are you all right, Miss Cromwell?" Ominis inquired, concern etched across his face. His movements were precise, his head tilted slightly as if relying on his hearing to find her.
She sniffled, unable to move or speak - Sebastian’s command had yet to wear off.
"Primrose?" Ominis's voice carried a note of concern as he raised his wand. Prim closed her eyes against the sudden glare of red light. The tall boy regarded his fallen comrade with a mixture of disgust and disbelief twisting his handsome features. "Do enlighten me, did you just attend Black's speech in the Great Hall and then immediately rush out to do the precise opposite of his counsel? You bloody, impulsive nitwit!"
Sebastian remained silent and unmoving.
With a sigh, Prim’s savior turned his attention to her, his orange citrus scent growing tart with the weight of his emotions. “You are free to do as you will.” His voice was as crisp as his scent, words infused with power.
Prim shivered, her body jerking with the force of her panic. She scrubbed her wrist over her neck and hip to rid herself of the scent of Fir. Relief flooded her system when he came to her rescue, and her heart swelled with gratitude as she recognized his efforts to protect her.
"Thank you… Uh, Ominis?" Her throat was scratchy, her voice raw and small as the tears she’d been forbidden to cry tracked down her cheeks.
“Ominis Gaunt, at your service.” Anne’s brother lay inert on the floor, and Prim experienced a pang of guilt for his predicament. Would Anne be upset? “I would say it’s a pleasure, but given the circumstances, well…”
"I don’t know what… I didn’t mean for..." Her voice tapered off, her mind a jumble of questions. The scent of fir clung to her persistently.
"Your Omega scent," Ominis elucidated, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. Despite the milky, unseeing eyes that marked him as a blind wizard, he seemed to sense her presence with uncanny accuracy. He involuntarily took a step closer, his expression darkening and eyes shifting as if searching for her. He shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts, and deliberately stepped back, putting distance between them. "Why, pray tell, are you not on suppressants?"
“Suppressants?” What on earth was he- Oh ! “The nurse said I’m not supposed to take those until my first heat…”
“Bloody hell.” Ominis pinched the bridge of his nose, his jaw clenched. The struggle between his attraction and the restraint he imposed upon himself was palpable, his knuckles white as he fisted his wand.
“It’s not bothering you?” Even now, she could smell the crisp scent of oranges permeating the alcove, tasting it in the air. It's a tangy tinge speaking of the Alpha boy’s displeasure. “My omega scent?”
“It certainly is bothering me, but thanks to Anne… And you…” He turned to her accusingly, “I’ve had enough time to adjust and gain my bearings…So has Sebastian.”
Sebastian groaned, and Prim recoiled. "...Is he going to be okay?"
Ominis turned to her, head canted down and brows raised, “Sebastian just assaulted you.” He pointed out slowly, enunciating his words as if she didn’t understand English. “Why are you asking after his health?”
“I- I don’t think he meant-”
"Leave him," Ominis declared, his wand lifting with a pinpoint of red light as he stepped forward, whacking Sebastian in the side as if to test his wakefulness. "He might even learn some self-control from this little lesson, but I doubt it..." He turned toward Prim, brow raised before turning back and marching out of the darkened alcove.
As she trudged behind him, Prim hesitated before reaching the hall, struck by an inexplicable attraction to the tall brunet. "Please, wait!" she implored.
To her surprise, he halted in his tracks, swiveling to face her entirely. "What now?"
"I... would you?" she lifted her wrist toward him, suddenly remembering he couldn't see. "I… still smell like- I don’t want to smell like him."
An eyebrow arched, a smirk dancing on his lips. "And what precisely do you expect me to do about- Oh!" His eyes widened, stepping forward, hand extended. "You want me to scent you?”
"You don't have to…"
"How terribly bold of you. Come here," he commanded, brooking no argument even without the use of his Alpha voice. "Though I must warn you, I'm not particularly experienced at calming Omega or scenting in general." Her heart raced as she stepped forward, eager to forget the incident with Anne's brother but unable to ignore the magnetic pull she felt toward Ominis. "Where shall I–"
"Everywhere that smells of him. I don't want… Sebastian, he–" Her voice wavered, breaking off as she stepped closer to Ominis, a perfect stranger. Yet unlike Sebastian, he had proven himself safe, reliable, and undeniably alluring.
"Very well." Leaning forward, he sniffed the air around her. "Just remember, you've got Anne to thank for this. We have an agreement, and I'm simply honoring it. Though I must admit, I'm not entirely displeased by the task." Silently and methodically, he rubbed his wrist over her neck, chilled fingers raising to graze her cheek and run over her lip. She gasped at his careful attention. He moved slowly and deliberately, his head tilted as if listening to her reactions, prepared to move away at her request.
A fiery heat coiled low in her belly as Ominis's large hands splayed over her hip, much like Sebastian's had, yet the contact ignited a vastly different reaction within her.
As her arousal sweetened her scent, a deep rumble emanated from Ominis's chest, akin to a contented cat's purr. Prim's cheeks flushed with heat, realizing he must be acutely aware of how his touch affected her. Glancing up, she glimpsed his eyes shifting vacantly, half-lidded, as an irresistible urge to be closer to him took hold. His hand traced her rear, contouring her body with care, devoid of the painful aggression Sebastian had wielded.
Ominis's brow came to rest against hers, his eyelids fluttering closed. "His scent is gone…" he mumbled, a hint of sarcasm coloring his accent. "You're welcome, by the way."
Compelled by instinct and an electrifying connection, Prim grasped his wrist, stepping closer. He didn’t struggle as she brought his arm to her face and gave a tentative sniff.
As her tongue flicked over the gland there, a burst of citrusy flavor flooded her senses, drawing forth a purr. The heat that had yet to fade since his hands roamed her body intensified, tightening her muscles in anticipation of his attention.
Ominis's breath hitched, prompting her to move even closer, the buttons of his vest biting into the plush curves of her breasts. Rising onto her toes, she rubbed her wrist against his neck, fingers ruffling his soft brown hair. He stood tall, refusing to make her scenting of him easier, but she knew he enjoyed her affection. The way his scent sweetened to lure her in, how he trembled under her touch, eyes closed and lips parted to breathe her in.
Her lips curled in a dazed smile before retreating, cheeks stained with a rosy blush. The tantalizing scent of oranges intensified, and Prim found it increasingly difficult to resist the urge to taste him again.
"Hm," he hummed, his warm breath caressing her skin before he withdrew, a frown supplanting his smirk. "Seems Sebastian is not the only one lacking restraint." Prim chuckled nervously, uncertain whether he referred to her or himself.
"Sorry, you have a unique scent…" She mumbled, feeling dazed and uncomfortably warm. Most Alphas bore an earthy, bold scent. Yet Ominis exuded an unusual citrus fragrance- an oddity among Alpha- reminiscent of her father's sweetened cinnamon aroma.
"I beg your pardon?" He stiffened, indignation tingeing his voice.
"Please, don't be upset! I didn't mean—" Prim's Omega hormones responded to his disapproval, desperate to placate him. The urge to please her Alpha was overpowering, panic welling within her. "Oranges are my favorite!" she nearly screamed, clapping a hand over her mouth as her words reverberated down the hall.
As she hid behind him, shielding herself from the curious stares of passing students, Prim was astonished to hear Ominis chuckling. Clearing his throat, he straightened, his smirk making a reappearance. "Come along, now."
As she trailed after him, Prim grappled with her tumultuous thoughts. The school was already overwhelming, and she couldn't help but worry about her scent. Her mother had never had 'the talk' with her. "Oh!"
"Something amiss?"
"No, I just remembered a book my Papa wanted me to read…"
Bafflement furrowing his brow, Ominis said, "I'd have thought you'd still be frightened after what just transpired… That's quite the recovery you just made."
"I'm safe now. I have no need to be frightened since I smell like you," She preened, scenting her wrist. “I smell delicious now. Like orange juice cake or muffins…If I could bottle your scent and use it as a perfume I would...” Prim bit her lip, blushing at the blunt words she’s just babbled. She looked at Ominis, twisting her fingers together as watched his neck turn scarlet, the blush spreading to his ears and cheeks.
"Hmf," he huffed as he raised his wand, a faint red dot of light pulsing from its tip as he aimed it toward Prim. Placing his free hand on her lower back, he gently guided her forward. "We'd best make haste; I'm quite certain Anne is in a state of utter frenzy searching for you."
Anne.
Oh, no.
Prim's heart constricted at the mere thought of confronting her friend. How could she possibly explain to Anne that her own twin brother had come dangerously close to taking Prim's virtue in the school hallway?
She gnawed her lip, unable to focus on her dilemma as the heat that bloomed under Ominis’s earlier touch had yet to fade, bleeding outward from deep in her gut with a pulsing beat that matched her heart and twisted her from the inside with a writhing need. Her skin prickled and dampened with a sheen of cold sweat…
Ominis stopped dead in his tracks, head jerking toward Prim as his arm fell from her back as if she’d bitten him. He sniffed the air, brows drawn and face severe.
“Oh, bloody hell!”