Jared's parents know nothing would make their son happier than to take his best friend as his Omega. Normally, Omegas are the bedroom slaves, household servants, equivalent of dildos or fleshlights whose children will never be recognized. But Jared's so fixated on Jensen, and even though Jensen is stubborn and arrogant and a criminal, convicted for his fight for Omega rights, Jared's parents obtain legal custody of him for Jared.

Jared is mortified. Jensen is angry and humiliated. Jensen is in Jared's name, though, and Jared can retract his claim: only Jared really, really doesn't want to.

The more Jensen resists, the more Jared becomes the Alpha he said he'd never be.

Drips. Drips. The crimson paint on his lips, a tint of faint copper smell, reminds you to stop touching him, but you can't. Warm liquid draining down the pipe with all the water from the faucet, that's yours, himhimhim all of it, from head to toes. Pink tongue licking the bruised lips from kisses and the rough hands that mean to put him into his own place, then the tip of velvety muscles moved itself to the fake tooth inside his mouth that replaced what his lover have plucked out the old one himself. His finger started tapping on where the other did put a blooming violet welt on the cheek, the exact hue of color that he deserves.

Scientists and statisticians have monitored falling birth rates for decades, helpless as declining fertility predicted possible human extinction. But a new ray of hope was discovered; boys are tested in their twelfth year, and the small percentage who are capable of conceiving are taken, separated for education and training in their new way of life. At eighteen, each is assigned to the man who will father the children he will bear. Jensen missed his testing; his status is discovered when he's an adult. Unprepared, untrained, and unwilling, he's assigned to Jared. Jared is conflicted by his desire to father children, his growing love for the man placed in his care, and sympathy for Jensen's difficulty adjusting to the changes in his life. Resentful and rebellious, Jensen finds unexpected strength and support from the man he should hate.