The Omega Prize (The Legion Omegas Book 1)

2. Brie

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roaning, Brie smacked at her wrist to stop the alarm. The wristband was regulated to give seven hours of sleep, tracking it by pulse and movements. She hated the thing and wished there was a way to get it to allow more because she was always left feeling tired. Trying to snuggle back into her nest of blankets, the damn alarm kept going off and wouldn't stop until she got out of bed and made enough movements to register as being 'awake'.

"All right, all right," Brie mumbled, rolling over the side of the bed to her feet. She stumbled to the bathroom to relieve herself and winced as she turned on the light. Even with her eyes closed, they burned for the first couple of minutes.

By the time she finished and walked to the sink to wash up and brush her teeth, she was awake and able to open her eyes without pain. Brie had never been the type to need anything to wake up besides movement and light. She could never get back to sleep if she had to get out of bed for any reason either. Stimulants like coffee were an extra charge that she just couldn't afford with her other costs on the pay from the club, so it was a good thing for her that she didn't need them. As it was, Brie barely had enough extra to cover her suppressants each month and keep herself fed, but she always found a way.

Once done in the bathroom, Brie headed to her tiny kitchen. There were cafeterias and cafes throughout the station, but every room had at least a small fridge and a heating unit.

Grabbing a glass for water and her bottle of pills, she emptied it into her hand and frowned down at the little white lumps. Heat suppressants were hard to get since they were illegal. Alphas didn't enjoy being denied what they consider rightfully theirs, but Brie had arrangements with one of the chefs in the cafeteria on her deck.

Cherik was from a race that didn't have the Alpha-omega dynamic, and he would get them smuggled in with his food orders for her. She hadn't heard from him in a while and was down to only four pills. Brie took one, and though she usually skipped out on eating in the cafeteria to save money, she decided to go as an excuse to see if he had gotten in her suppressants and just hadn't sent a message to her yet.

Brie threw on some shorts and a baggy shirt, then head toward the cafeteria where Cherik worked. Her apartment was one of the cheaper ones, so it wasn't close to any of the public spaces. Brie didn't mind since it meant less traffic in the area. For someone who slept odd hours due to working in the club, that was worth more than having to walk farther to reach anything. Plus, being right next to Sheena was something she wouldn't give up even if she could afford a better place.

Luckily, with the odd hour she came in, the cafeteria was empty, and she had a chance to talk to Cherik without worry of being overheard. The cafeteria was a buffet type set up, where you paid to enter the room by swiping your wristband as you passed through the doors, then gathered food on a tray to sit and eat.

Cherik was an Olarian who had bright orange skin, so he was easy to spot as soon as Brie walked in. She made her way over to him while grabbing her breakfast. Loading down her tray, she grabbed two bowls of fruit since it was something that she rarely got to have due to the cost. Fresh fruit was hard to come by in space unless you had money to spend on fast shipping.

Cherik noticed Brie making her way to him and turned to clean the table next to the drink dispenser. She stopped and pretended to think over the choices.

"Hey, do you have my package? I'm running low," she murmured just loud enough for him to catch.

Even with no one close enough to hear, she couldn't help being nervous.

"Sorry Brie, they haven't come in. We found out they busted the usual supplier, and we haven't had any luck finding more just yet. I have some friends looking but..."

He trailed off with a shrug and started to walk away. Brie broke out in a nervous sweat as she reached for his arm.

"But, Cherik, I only have three pills left! I've never been without the pills."

She tried to keep her voice down, but she could tell he heard her panic.

"There's nothing I can do. I'm not expecting another delivery till next week, but I'm not sure he will even have any by then."

He gave Brie a sad look and rested his cool hand atop hers on his arm.

"I'm sorry Brie. I'll let you know as soon as my supplier gets here. With or without them."

Cherik walked through the double doors into the kitchen, leaving Brie staring after him. Almost a week until she could get more pills, and only three left. She cursed herself for not having a backup stash.

Taking her tray and forcing herself to eat the food on it, she didn't taste any of it as she sat and thought about her issue. Once she finished, she dumped her trash in the recycler and headed out of the cafeteria.

Wandering around for a while, Brie's mind alternated between running in circles and freezing. She finally headed back toward her rooms, still not sure what was going to happen to her now.