The Fake Mate

The Alpha/Beta/Omega (A/B/O) subgenre, often referred to as the omegaverse, is a speculative and usually erotic subgenre that features a social hierarchy based on strict power dynamics such as dominance and submission and secondary genders such as alpha, beta, and omega. Though the exact origin remains hypothetical, the genre is typically attributed to fanfiction communities, specifically those dedicated to the American television show Supernatural. It arose around the year 2010 and spread to other media fandoms, eventually giving rise to original works of fiction, as seen in Ferguson’s The Fake Mate. The subgenre has been particularly popular in stories that include so-called “shifters,” or humans with the ability to transform into a certain animal, such as wolves, foxes, and the like, and who will often mimic this animal’s traits. Over the years, A/B/O has been incorporated as an element of romance, paranormal, fantasy, and LGBTQ+ narratives, but it is often critiqued for reinforcing problematic power dynamics or gender essentialism.

This criticism typically focuses on the unique gender roles associated with the A/B/O social dynamic, as each secondary gender typically has specific physical, emotional, and societal traits. Alphas are usually portrayed as being strong, aggressive, protective, domineering, and biologically driven to lead or assert control over others. As described in the literature, they are often found in traditional leadership positions or violent roles, and they can be subject to “rut” cycles wherein they experience heightened or uncontrollable bouts of lust. Betas, on the other hand, are portrayed as neutral or more “human-like,” often taking on the role of mediators in the A/B/O social dynamics. Unlike alphas and omegas, betas do not typically experience heightened instincts, physical phenomena, or distinct sexual cycles. Finally, omegas are often portrayed as submissive and nurturing individuals who primarily take on a caregiving role within the A/B/O dynamic, regardless of their primary gender. As depicted in novels such as The Fake Mate, omegas are predisposed to “heat” cycles during which they experience heightened fertility and vulnerability. In most cases, each individual with a secondary gender exudes a particular scent or pheromone that can at times be indicative of a specific mood or emotional state and can also mark a heat or rut cycle or demonstrate the individual’s compatibility with another person. Within this context, the act of scent-marking, or mixing scents, thus becomes an essential feature of the narrative, demonstrating a relationship on an olfactory basis, given that scents are vital to typical A/B/O relationships as portrayed in shifter narratives.

In the context of A/B/O plotlines, the recurrence of scent, pheromones, and rut and heat cycles often drive the conflict or the tension within the narrative, as demonstrated in The Fake Mate when Mackenzie’s heat cycle drives her and Noah together. A/B/O narratives also often include physical phenomena, such as bonding marks or knotting in alphas, which mimic the knotting mechanism observed in canines. As seen in Ferguson’s handling of the A/B/O genre, narratives within this literary context tend to portray these secondary genders as an addendum to their identity: one that is steeped in more primal desires and instincts and which can, at times, overpower a person’s volition. Many stories in the A/B/O subgenre therefore focus on depicting customs and behaviors that originate from this alternative social structure; these narratives explore complex variations upon how characters conform, subvert, or challenge broader notions of their roles—both within society and within a relationship dynamic.