Chapter Text
It was cold. So cold.
The wet underbrush squished and squelched beneath their boots-releasing the dizzying scent of petrichor. The wetness found its way through the worn out soles of their boots and left their socks damp and chilly. Between the constant cold drizzle and the burs and branches slowly scratching their way through every meager piece of fabric they had on their person, it seemed as though every element of the forest was working to make them miserable.
It was succeeding.
A stray root caught the lone figure’s foot and they hit the rotting forest floor with a soft thud. They gasped as the ground pressed against the still healing wounds along their arms and sides. With a heave, they rolled themselves over-wincing as a few stray branches made themselves known against the fading bruises along their backs.
Maybe I should just rest here, they thought. They took a deep breath and whined as the movement caused their back to seize. It’s not like I’m in any shape to do anything else.
Not safe. Their instincts whispered. Strange scent. Pack scent. Not ours. Their instincts continued.
The figure groaned as their body did its best attempt to enter flight mode. It was a futile effort though. They were too tired, too injured, too weak . Running would only make things worse. It was much smarter to rest when they could- save their energy for more important things.
Like dying. A small part of them whispered from deep in their mind.
Yes. The figure thought back. They stared at the overcast and gray sky. Like dying.
The thought didn’t bother them like it should have- would have in the past. But there was no coming back from what happened. What they did.
No. Death was a natural consequence for betraying their pack. It was only out of the kindness of their late alpha’s son that they were allowed to merely be banished rather than killed outright. Though at this point execution may have been kinder.
They mentally shrugged. No matter. They thought. I would either die from the elements or from being packless regardless. Their body spasmed as a weak cough wracked through their body. Strange, they mumbled mentally . It seems like the cold’s not as bad as before.
Their consciousness ebbed and flowed along with the clouds as time kept its slow march forward. There were birds and rain and clouds and a strange warmth. The strange and ever present warmth.
It was starting to get quite hot actually.
Their fingers twitched as they tried to start the arduous process of removing the unnecessary layers in an attempt to fight the slowly overbearing heat. They didn’t get far though, as the wind shifted directions slightly and brought with it a musky and rich scent far different from the forest’s normal petrichor.
The figure froze and their once slow heartbeat began racing once again. Danger. Their instincts cried. Danger, powerful, death, SUBMIT! Their instincts screamed as a shadow entered their periphery.
They arched their back as much as they could in an effort to offer their belly and neck. It was a feeble attempt at submission, but it was all they could muster in their current state.
The shadow’s answering growl shook the prone figure to their core.
“Shit,” the shadow gasped. “Oliver, get Malachi on the phone and tell him to prepare for a critical Omega,” it ordered.
Omega, the figure mentally screamed. This was bad bad bad bad. Omega was an old term- an ancient one. No self-respecting modern pack would use the term and follow the strict hierarchy it emerged from. No modern pack, but modern packs weren’t the only packs out there.
They let out a terrified whine once they realized exactly whose territory they staggered their way into. The shadow cursed again and bent over the shaking form. “Shh, little omega,” they cooed. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
The omega let out another terrified whine and slammed their head back into the ground to offer their neck.
“Ezra,” another voice called out. “The poor thing’s too terrified to listen. Malachi said to scruff them so that they wouldn’t hurt themselves.”
The shadow growled again but stopped when the omega whimpered. “Fuck, fine,” they huffed out. “I hate scruffing without permission though,” they grumbled. The shadow, Ezra, reached out a hand and gently wedged it under the omega’s neck. “I’m gonna scruff you, okay little one.” Ezra soothed. “You’re too panicked and might hurt yourself, so we need to calm you down.”
The omega didn’t have a chance to respond before they felt Ezra’s hand gently squeeze the base of their neck, and then everything went black.