Painful animosity grew slowly inside of her like a rosebush made only of thorns. It wasn’t just the political types who looked down on Omegas, the rest of the population had similar ideas about what it meant to be part of the weakest dynamic: Naive, simple, and easily led.She fought her nature not just because of what it required, but because to be Omega meant having the respect of absolutely no one. Why did she have to sacrifice so much, only to gain so very little?Leda pushed open the door of the Diner and even that small movement seemed to sap her off all energy. Her arms felt like weights at her sides and she wondered how she could possibly make it through her shift.Selene was standing by the counter with a terminal in her hands, a very stressed look on her face. “What are you doing here?”Sliding an apron over her head, Leda frowned at the older woman. “Working, what else would I be doing?”“Did you not r

Leda worked as if her mind was outside of her body. She placed plates piled high with chicken heavy under cream sauce and freshly picked vegetables just lightly steamed. She recognized herself to be in a haze, with only enough awareness of her surroundings to perform the most basic of tasks. Luckily, that was all that was required of her. She retrieved the empty plate from in front of a man who did not even bother to look at her as he demanded his wine glass be refilled. She complied, face empty and placid, as the feedback from a microphone going live came from a nearby speaker. When Leda’s gaze moved to the podium at the front of the pavilion, the same Alpha woman she had met earlier was standing at the podium. “Thank you all for being here this evening. My name is Helen Hart and I am the chairwoman of the Aquila Children’s Hospital Foundation. As you all know, the proceeds from tonight’s event will support the expansion of the Center for Genetic Disease on

Leda was engulfed in an agonizing haze, as if she had leaped from a skycar hovering over the Astropolis and plummeted hundreds of miles to the ground. Her entire body was on fire, with a deep ache pulsating from every part of her being. She felt as though she had been torn apart. As she struggled to open her eyes, all she could see was an overwhelming darkness. The soft surface underneath her only amplified the searing pain emanating from the wound on her shoulder. She was paralyzed and surrounded by stillness, unable to perceive anything except a constant throbbing. Leda's body reacted to her despair, as she curled up into a ball and held herself tight. She felt as though she was only a consciousness trapped in a silent, painful void, perhaps resembling what death would feel like. Suddenly, a bright light blinded her, bringing a stark contrast to the darkness. The light was as agonizing as the pain, causing Leda to produce a keening sound akin to a dying animal. Each breath was a s