FORBIDDEN BOND: The Alpha's Desire

(Keal’s POV)

The scent of lavender and lemon clung to the air in the Royal Palace, a pathetic attempt to mask the truth. My truth. Underneath the layers of soap and the hastily applied scent blockers, I was an Omega. A male Omega. A walking, breathing impossibility in the Kingdom of Veridia.

Veridia was an elegant enclosure, a society built on the backs of Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, each with their designated role. Alphas were the leaders, the protectors, the dominant force. Betas were the backbone, the workers, the organizers, filling the gaps between the Alphas and Omegas. And Omegas… Omegas were meant to be delicate, submissive, the bearers of children. Female Omegas, that is.

Male Omegas? We were whispered about in hushed tones, branded as cursed, an abomination against nature. Most were quietly…disposed of at birth. My mother, Elara, a former palace maid who now takes care of the palace garden, had risked everything to keep me alive.

Each day was a performance. I walked, talked, and acted like a Beta. It was a constant, exhausting act, one I couldn't afford to slip up on, not even for a second, otherwise, it would be my doom.

“Kael! Are you slacking off again?” The gruff voice of Barnaby, the head cook, ripped me from my thoughts. He was a mountain of a man, a Beta with a perpetually sour expression. My stomach clenched. “Those vegetables aren’t going to chop themselves. Prince Alaric's birthday feast isn't getting any closer.”

"Sorry, Barnaby," I mumbled, grabbing a knife and throwing myself into slicing carrots. The work was mindless, but it kept me out of sight, away from prying eyes and sensitive noses. The kitchen was a chaotic symphony of clanging pots and shouted orders, a good place to disappear.

"Honestly, boy, you're as clumsy as a newborn foal," Barnaby grumbled, but he didn't press further. I was small for my age, and my build was more…delicate than most Beta males. It made me an easy target. The other servants, mostly Alphas and Betas, enjoyed their little jabs, their casual cruelties.

“Heard the Prince is turning thirty-one,” a Beta named Gareth said, sidling up beside me. He reeked of sweat and arrogance, a typical Alpha wannabe. “Still unmated. Pathetic, isn’t it? A Prince without an heir. Makes you wonder if he’s even a real Alpha.”

I kept my head down, focusing on the carrots. "I wouldn't know," I muttered, my voice barely a whisper.

Gareth chuckled, a nasty sound. “Oh, but you will, won’t you, Kael? You serve him his food, clean his chambers… maybe one day you’ll accidentally brush against him and finally trigger his Alpha instincts. Imagine that, a lowly Beta servant finally giving the Prince what he needs. I mean, seems he can't seem to get it from an omega, maybe he prefers Betas. " He winked, and a knot of anxiety twisted in my gut.

“Leave him alone, Gareth,” a sharp voice cut through the air. It was Maeve, a Beta girl who worked in the laundry. She was one of the few who didn't treat me like dirt. "He's just doing his job."

Gareth sneered at her, then back at me. “Just saying, Maeve. Some people are just…destined to be useful, in one way or another." He sauntered off, leaving me with a cold dread settling in my bones.

Later, as I scrubbed the palace floors, I overheard snippets of conversation. Prince Alaric this, Prince Alaric that. Everyone was buzzing about his upcoming birthday celebration. It was the social event of the year, a carefully orchestrated display of wealth and power. More importantly, it was another opportunity for the eligible Omegas of the kingdom to try and catch the Prince's eye.

"They say he's too picky," one maid whispered to another, dusting an ornate vase. "He's turned down so many perfectly good Omegas. Some female Betas too."

"Maybe he's waiting for a sign," the other replied, giggling. "A true mate, destined by the Moon Goddess herself."

I scoffed inwardly. Destiny was a luxury I couldn't afford. My destiny was to survive, to remain hidden, to protect my mother.

Speaking of my mother, she works in the palace gardens. I managed to steal a few moments with her during my break, finding her tending a bed of roses. Her hands, once strong and capable, were now gnarled with age and arthritis.

"Kael, my love," she said, her voice raspy but filled with warmth. "You look tired. Are they treating you well?"

"They're good… and I'm fine," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just busy with the Prince's birthday preparations.”

Her eyes clouded with worry. “Be careful, Kael. The palace… It's a dangerous place. Especially for you."

"I know, Mama," I said, taking her hand. Her skin was papery thin, and I could feel the fragility of her bones beneath. "I'm always careful."

She squeezed my hand tightly. "I still regret it, you know? Keeping you here, in the palace. I should have taken you away, far away from all this."

"Don't, Mama," I pleaded. "You did what you had to do. You saved my life."

She sighed, her gaze drifting towards the palace walls. "I was blinded by love, and I was so foolish. I thought… I thought maybe, if I kept you close, I could protect you. But I was wrong. All I've done is put you in more danger."

The unspoken truth hung heavy between us. My father. He was the reason we were trapped in this gilded cage. He was the reason I had to hide. He was a member of the Royal Family who later went rogue; leaving me to be a bastard son of an unknown rogue.

“The scent blockers,” she said, her voice regaining its strength. “Are they working? Are you using them religiously?”

“Of course, Mama. I reapply every few hours. I even started using the extra strength ones. I’m fine.” I hated lying to her, but I couldn’t bear to add to her worries. The scent blockers were barely effective as my scent keeps getting stronger with each passing day. My Omega scent, even suppressed, was a constant threat, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

That evening, back in the cramped servant quarters, I lay on my thin mattress, staring at the ceiling. The sounds of the palace – music, laughter, the clatter of dishes – echoed around me, a constant reminder of the world I could never be a part of.

I thought about Prince Alaric. I'd seen him only a few times, usually from a distance as I couldn't raise my head to look at him every time I got to serve him. He was a striking figure, tall and powerfully built, with the regal bearing of a true Alpha. He always seemed so…distant, so burdened. The weight of the kingdom rested on his shoulders, and the pressure to find a suitable mate must be immense.

I wondered what he was really like behind the mask of royalty. Did he ever dream of escaping the confines of the palace, of shedding the expectations and finding someone he truly loved? Or was he destined to marry for duty, for political gain, sacrificing his own happiness for the sake of the kingdom?

A wave of longing washed over me, a foolish, impossible desire. I was a servant, a hidden Omega, an abomination. He was a Prince, an Alpha, the future of Veridia. We lived in separate worlds, separated by an unbridgeable chasm of social hierarchy and biological destiny.

And yet… a tiny spark of hope flickered within me, fueled by the whispers of fate and the undeniable pull of a bond I couldn't comprehend. A bond that could destroy me. What am I even thinking? I guess scent blocker can't block the Omega's mind in me because a servant having a crush on the heir to the throne is a common fantasy for omegas. Why couldn't I just be a Beta or an Alpha like other males? The moon goddess definitely didn't fancy me very much; a product of a secret affair between a royal member who went rogue and a palace maid. That kind of relations

hip would surely not produce the best child. So here I am, having to survive rather than live.