“We don’t serve your kind here,” the barista looked down at the omega symbol on the inside of Blaine’s wrist. 

  New York was supposed to be different. He had spent his entire life in small town Ohio and under the control of Alphas who didn’t have his best interests in mind. He had hoped that moving out here was the way to get some control.

  Then, he couldn’t get an apartment without the lease signed by an Alpha.

  Then, he got lower grades on his assignments than he should.

  Then, he wasn’t chosen for any performances. 

  He hated that he had to rely on Kurt for everything. He hated that people treated him like something less than human. He hated that his parents were right. 

  He especially hated that he was unable to argue against Alphas. 

  Tears burned in his eyes as he hurried down the street, hands crammed in his pockets. He still had a little bit more power because he had been claimed and the simple black leather collar around his neck proved that. 

  By the time he got into the apartment, he was trembling with rage. Blaine’s hands shot up to try to tug off the collar but his fingers were trembling too much with the latch. 

  “What are you doing?” Kurt asked and a rush of calmness slammed into his brain, infuriating him further. 

  “I want it off!” He shrieked and wrenched away from Kurt’s hands, ignoring the pain in his chest. “I hate…I hate this!”

  “Alright,” Kurt undid the collar and held it in his hands as Blaine rubbed at the red marks left on his neck. 

  They had bought that collar together shortly after the move to New York. Collaring an omega was an intimate, powerful moment that sealed their bond. It had never felt strangling before now and Blaine fought back tears. 

  “Can you put it back on when you leave the house? I just worry,” the collar was held in a limp grip and Blaine sighed. An unclaimed omega was in constant danger of Alphas when they walked outside; the collar signified a bond and no one wanted to mess with another Alpha. 

  “I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I’m just so tired of this. I’m tired of being treated like an animal.”

  Kurt gently took his face in his hands and pressed a kiss to his forehead, waiting until Blaine relaxed before he spoke. “I hate it too. I hate that no one gives you a chance when I know how smart, funny, and sweet you are. I want the world to see how amazing you are but this world is shitty and…it’s not right.”

  Blaine nodded shakily into his chest and sighed. 

  “In this house and in our relationship we are equal,” Kurt whispered. “You are not a lesser person. You are my boyfriend and I love you. I want to marry you.”

  “Alphas and omegas can’t marry in the traditional sense,” Blaine mumbled. “We can get a bonding certificate.”

  “That’s basically a glorified sex slave agreement,” Kurt squeezed him tighter. “I want you to be my husband, not my omega.”

Andersons were Alphas. They were Alphas, they married Alphas, and they had children who were Alphas. It wasn’t the best way to do things. Alphas needed Omegas to feel complete but this was the only way to ensure a pure Alpha bloodline. Nothing was more important than bloodlines and the Andersons were well respected because of it.

  Which was why Blaine was so terrified on his sixteenth birthday when he felt the searing pain in his wrist and the small Omega sign was forever imprinted on his body. 

  His parents had been disgusted, horrified that their youngest son was a lowly Omega. Laws had been passed that declared Omegas as equal to Alphas but they were often ignored. He heard often about how weak he had to be to break the bloodline and how badly they wished the old laws were still in place so they could sell him in order to get rid of him. 

  They even refused to take Blaine to go get his suppressants; saying that they hoped someone would just claim him and be done with it. Cooper had to sneak him out and pay for them.

  Two more years. That was all the time he had and he could move to New York and to an Omega compound. He wouldn’t be shamed for what he was, he would finally be able to make his own decisions and live his own life.

  The leather cuff around his wrist itched as he walked through the halls, head down. Somehow, his prescription had expired and Cooper could only come next week. As soon as he turned eighteen he could take care of the suppressants himself but until then he just had to wait. He just had to be invisible as always and hope that no one noticed. 

  But they did.

  As he walked down the hall Blaine could see the Alphas turning their heads to look in his direction, pupils dilated. Blaine’s heart was in his throat as he hurried, desperate to stay hidden. He just needed to last until the weekend.

  Nothing happened until after gym. Blaine was changing in the far corner as always, trying to hurry so he could run to calculus, when someone slammed into him from behind and his face cracked painfully on the locker.

  “I knew I smelled an Omega,” an Alpha snarled into his ear and Blaine spun around, eyes wide. 

  Four members of the football team loomed over him, smiling nastily. One of them had a bruising grip on his arm, squeezing tightly. He reached a hand up and traced a finger over his cheek.

  Blaine couldn’t breath; he absolutely couldn’t fight. He was biologically wired to submit and could hardly move while he was surrounded by these four huge Alphas. 

  “You didn’t take your pills did you?” The one on the left smirked. “I think you want this. Who would have thought that the quiet, nerdy little freak was actually a slutty Omega?"

  “I’m not…” he breathed, shaking his head but the first Alpha slammed his hand into the locker and he snapped his mouth shut.

  “Listen, you-“

  “Get away from him,” another voice snarled. “He is mine.”

  Blaine blinked furiously as his vision cleared of tears and saw Kurt Hummel standing behind them. 

  Of course he knew Kurt. He had watched him suffer through bullying and slushies to the face but he always kept his head high. He had watched Kurt keep his head up and kept doing what he loved, singing. He was a powerful Alpha, someone who knew what they wanted and fought to get it.

  “Yours?” The football player scoffed. 

  Kurt’s eyes darkened and he took a step forward, looking like rage personified. The other Alphas shrank back a little and gave them both a dark look before scurrying off and leaving them in the locker room alone.

  “Are you alright?” Kurt asked softly and Blaine let out a shaky breath, tears filling his eyes as he nodded. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not like them.”

  “Thank you. They would have hurt me and…” Blaine looked down at his shaking hands. “I’m so sorry, I haven’t taken my suppressants…I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Kurt gave him a small smile and finally Blaine looked into his eyes.

  It was like an electric shock had raced through him, starting from his scalp all the way to his toes. His breath was taken away and he felt the mark on his wrist burn. By the slight jerk and gasp from Kurt, he knew that he had felt the exact same thing. 

  “I’m Blaine,” he said breathlessly. 

  “Kurt,” he smiled back but had to take a step back. “You feel different from anyone I’ve ever met.”

  “You too,” Blaine squeezed his hands into fists. 

  “I’m not trying to be mean but maybe you should go home. As much as I’d love to be around you, something bad is going to happen if you keep walking around without those suppressants. Why didn’t your parents get you more?” Kurt frowned, a strange protective look in his eye. 

  “They’re a little desperate to get rid of their Omega son,” Blaine said bitterly. “But my brother is coming into town soon and can take me.”

  “Good,” Kurt reached forward to grab Blaine’s phone from his locker. “I’m putting my number in here. Go home and get safe, then call me.”

  Blaine nodded quickly, clutching his phone to his chest as Kurt walked out of the room. His hurt was pounding and his mind was racing but a sudden rush of calm went over him.