Owned: Omega Market, #3

By Leann Ryans

Lena's father had chosen her mate for her. 

Going through the center was just a formality before moving into the mansion she'd spent half her life visiting.

 

The first time Remi saw Lena, he decided she would be his. He'd been patient as he waited for her to mature and be put on the Omega Market.

It didn't matter what her father had planned, Lena would belong to him, and he was going to show her what it meant to be Owned.

***This is book 3 in the Omega Market series but can be read as a standalone.***

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leann Ryans
• Release date: Nov 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223671824

Leann Ryans

I'm a wife and mother of four who's been an avid reader since I could pick up a book. It wasn't unusual for me to read a book a day, ignoring the real world as I was sucked into the pages of a great story. I grew up on sci-fi and fantasy books before discovering the world of romance. PNR has always been my go-to, and omegaverse is my addiction of choice. I love writing books featuring heroes who are a bit rough around the edges but aren't overly cruel. My heroines aren't always the take charge type, but neither are all women. They are comfortable in their femininity. If you're looking for a story that has dark themes without leaving you wanting to punch the hero in the face, mine might just be for you.

Book preview

Owned

Omega Market Book 3

Leann Ryans

Copyright © 2021 Leann Ryans

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Epilogue

Thanks

The Omega Prize

Meek.

Docile.

Innocent.

She was everything expected from an omega.

Dominate.

Determined.

Ruthless.

He’d show her what it meant to be Owned.

Chapter One

Lena

Lena ducked her head, pulling her eyes away from the boy across from her. It wasn’t his alien heritage; she was familiar enough with that, though the leathery patches on his deep brown skin were interesting to look at.

No, she looked away because even at her young age, her budding omega instincts forced her to. He likely wasn’t much older than her, but his build already showed his alpha dynamic, and his attention was centered on her.

Gavril, I wasn’t aware you had an omega daughter. Congratulations.

Her shoulders hitched higher at the mention of her. Her father had introduced the older alpha as his new boss, and she didn’t want to get in trouble for drawing attention or being disrespectful. According to her father, women and children were to be seen, but not heard.

I do. She’s a good girl who will hopefully make a good match one day.

Her father’s voice held the proper amount of respect, though the words felt wrong to her. Her father had never called her a good girl before, at least not in her hearing, but for some reason the words of praise sent a shiver of worry down her spine.

It must be hard to know she will go up for auction when she’s of age. It’s hard to let them go when we know what can happen.

Lena sneaked a peek at the boy again. He was still staring at her, and he smiled when he caught her looking.

Her heartrate tripled and she almost couldn’t hide her gasp as she jerked her gaze away. His chuff of amusement was clear, but the adults seemed more interested in their conversation than the children by their sides.

I’m hoping to find her a match before then, so I know she’s going to be safe and cared for.

There was a pause that sent another shiver down her spine before her father’s boss responded.

I didn’t think that was possible, though I understand your concern. She seems lovely, but the system doesn’t always work out to the omega’s advantage.

There was caution in the older alpha’s tone, but she could hear the curiosity too. She’d attended events similar to the one they were at with her parents before, and her father had taught her to read people and the things they didn’t say.

She doubted he realized she also learned how he manipulated them into the things he wanted. Her father was a shrewd man with a lot of ambition. Moving to Decloui to take on the low-level position at the new company would seem crazy to anyone else, but she knew he had a plan.

There are ways. My brother works with the Market. I could explain more while we eat if we could sit with you.

Lena sucked in a deep breath, the pheromones swirling around her doing nothing to calm her racing heart. She was sheltered outside the few times her father dragged her mother and her out for show, and it was the first time she’d been in the presence of an alpha since her instincts began to awaken. There were still years before she had to worry about the particulars of her dynamic, but her mother had explained enough for her to understand why the large males made her uncomfortable.

Being compared to the mouse her cat was eating at the time hadn’t left her with a feeling of security, but it had made the point clear. She was small and weak. Prey for the larger, stronger males.

Of course. Let us sit while the kids explore. Ivar will keep your daughter company.

Her eyes flashed up to her father’s face. He never let her out of sight, and she couldn’t believe he would agree with the other man’s suggestion to leave her unattended with his son.

Brown eyes tipped down, warning clear in their depths even as his lips agreed. She knew what would happen if she misbehaved.

That sounds perfect, thank you.

Lena swallowed hard and fought the urge to curl her shoulders in further. She was supposed to remain quiet and docile, but she wasn’t to cringe or seem fearful. It made him look bad.

Stay with Ivar and don’t go too far.

She nodded, holding her breath as she dared to hope. She hated coming to company events with her parents, and even a few minutes away from his watchful gaze would be a relief. It was impossible to be perfect constantly.

Her father’s gaze lingered a moment longer before he turned to follow the older pair beside Ivar to a table near the center of the room. A small smile was all her mother offered before the arm linked with her husband turned her as well, and Lena was left standing across from the alpha son of her father’s boss.

What’s your name?

When her attention was brought back to him, she realized Ivar had moved closer, now standing within arm’s reach. Her sharp intake brought in more of his scent, but it wasn’t as potent as his father’s had been. There was enough scent neutralizer in the air to dampen the pheromones of anyone beyond a few steps away, so the tension slowly drained from her shoulders.

Lena Krell.

Are you really an omega? Your eyes are weird.

She ducked her head again before looking back up at him. His brown eyes were almost the same shade as his skin, but the pupils were orange instead of black. That wouldn’t be considered odd since his father’s had been the same, but her mismatched eyes always brought comments.

Yes. It’s called heterochromia. It’s rare.

She wanted to ask about the patches she could see on his hands and neck, but she wasn’t as forward as he clearly was.

Dad said you’re human. Are you as soft as you look?

Ivar didn’t wait for her to respond, reaching out to run his hand down her arm. His palm was slightly rough and felt cooler than her mother’s touch. The differences between them fascinated her.

You are!

His gaze had moved to her bare arm, the words said in a hushed voice. When he reached out with his other hand Lena took a step back, shooting a worried glance toward where her father had disappeared.

Ivar seemed to realize what he was doing and straightened, dropping his hands to his side.

I’m Ivar Uton. My father owns part of the company, and one day it’ll be mine. So will you.

Chapter Two

Remi

Remi snorted at the kid’s statement, though a smirk pulled up the corner of his lips. He remembered being that young and cocky.

Hell, he was still young and cocky.

He hadn’t even reached thirty yet, and he was already in a management position with his sights on being a partner in the next few years. It wouldn’t take long if he kept his focus, but he found his eyes drifting back to the little omega standing with Oso’s son. He’d never seen her or her father before, though to be at the party they had to be associated with the company.

He made a mental note to do a little digging. The man could be one of the new hires, but if he was already sitting at Oso’s table, he was someone to keep an eye on.

Especially with such a pretty daughter.

Leaning back in his chair, he let his gaze wander over the human girl. He wasn’t close enough to scent her, but he’d overheard the kid asking if she was an omega. She was obviously too young to be ready for the Market yet, but she certainly had appeal.

Pale skin shone under the twinkling lights overhead. Long black hair was piled atop her head in a sophisticated updo, and while her curves had yet to develop, he could see a hint of the beauty that was to come.

Her body language spoke of shyness, but he wondered if it was a front. She wouldn’t be the first young girl to hide behind false modesty when her parents were around. It was twice as common with omegas.

She didn’t know how to respond to the little upstart’s assertion, though. As young as she was, she likely didn’t have any experience with rebuffing advances, and a pink flush rose in her cheeks as she floundered.

The kid didn’t seem to care about her hesitation. Pulling her arm through his, Ivar took control of her much like an older alpha would. Remi found himself choking down a growl, the urge to lunge forward and rip the kid’s hand off almost unbearable.

His grip on his glass tightened as they passed him, her delicate scent tickling his nose. It hadn’t ripened to the full fragrance of a mature omega, but the notes were there, encouraging his instincts to drive him to watch her. Protect her.

His smirk grew as he forced his muscles to relax when they moved further away. It was fairly easy to guess what her father was doing, and if he was trying to use her to get closer to Oso it meant he was just as ambitious as Remi. That didn’t automatically make him an enemy, but it did make him competition, and Remi liked to know who he was up against.

It wouldn’t be hard to find out who this new person was and where he came from. Remi could already guess what he was aiming for, and a plan was forming to be sure he’d have the upper hand if he ever needed it.

Remi hadn’t planned much beyond becoming a partner in the company, but an omega mate sounded like a nice thing to have. Especially if she was one he could watch mature and guide from afar until the time was right.

Remi chuckled as Ivar’s bold statement replayed in his head.

The boy only thought the little omega would be his. Teaching him he couldn’t have everything he wanted would be an added bonus to a pretty little mate.

Chapter Three

Lena – Six years later

H appy birthday, darling!

Lena smiled as her mother dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Taking another bite of her breakfast as her mother moved to pull a mug from the cabinet, she tried to ignore the way her stomach squirmed and tried to reject the food she was forcing down.

Why are you eating in the kitchen?

She dropped her eyes to the bowl in front of her to avoid her mother’s gaze. The woman was too observant, and Lena couldn’t look her in the face and lie.

I didn’t see the point in eating in there alone.

It wasn’t completely untrue. It seemed pointless to sit at such a large table alone and force the maid to clean it when it was just as easy for Lena to eat at the counter.

The real reason was because she’d hoped to avoid her father, but she could hear his footsteps approaching behind her. Giving up on eating, she carried the bowl to the trash to dump it.

We have servants for that.

Her father’s advancements over the past few years had led to a lot of changes. They’d moved from the modest home they’d lived in when they first arrived on Decloui to a larger one in an affluent neighborhood. He’d hired servants to attend to every little detail, including a tutor so she didn’t have to be ‘exposed to the public’.

Lena would have given anything to attend school like the other children. It seemed with each new advance, more restrictions were put in place. She’d thought she was sheltered when she was younger, but now she was caged. It may be plush and gilded, but it was a cage none the less.

Her stomach quivered again, threatening to rebel as her father moved to her side.

Yes, Father, she murmured.

A wiry hand clasped her shoulder, turning her to face him. Bony fingers gripped her chin harder than necessary to tip her head up, and she was forced to look into her father’s eyes.

It’s finally time. Are you ready?

Her breath stuttered to a stop as her throat closed around a lump. She’d known what was coming for years, but she’d thought her father would give her a bit more time.

Dear, it’s her birthday. Surely you don’t plan to send her off today! I made plans for us.

Her mother’s voice was soft, but her tone carried a touch of reprimand. It was the closest Lena had ever heard her mother come to arguing, and she couldn’t be more grateful for it. She had to fight back the prick of tears that threatened as she swallowed and waited for her father to answer.

It felt like he kept her dangling for hours though it was only a few heartbeats before he released her and she took a quick step back, ducking her head again.

I suppose we can wait for tomorrow. She could use a bit of… preparation.

The sigh Lena let out once he left the room was shaky, but the fist around her heart and lungs eased. It was only a day, but she would take what she could get.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t ready to leave her father’s house. She’d been looking forward to that day for so long she couldn’t remember when the longing began. Most omegas put off going to the Collection Center, some having to be hunted down and brought in forcibly, but Lena had no problem with moving on to the next phase of her life. She’d been raised to take her place at an alpha’s side as his mate, and had fantasized about it often enough.

No, the problem was Ivar.

Lena had met him shortly after they moved to Decloui six years prior. Ivar was the son of her father’s boss, one of the owners of the company they worked for, and he was an alpha.

She hadn’t thought anything of the fact that he was always her escort at the company functions her father took her to, or that he was the only male she was allowed to be alone with. Her father frequently visited Oso, bringing her along