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Phayu sighs quietly for what must be the fifth time in ten minutes. He categorically does not want to hear another word coming out of Som’s mouth, but he knows he has to. Som’s been a blessing in disguise, honestly he has been, but it doesn’t help when Phayu’s been listening to the same speech for the past hour and change.
Hosting the Mating Run had not been Phayu’s idea, but Phayu had signed off on it in a weak moment. In theory the Mating Run is pretty straight forward; it’s one evening where unmated alphas and omegas indulge in their most basic impulse: hunting. If all goes according to tradition, an alpha will smell an omega who they have a high level of compatibility with and hunt for them while the omega does their best to run and hide. If the alpha finds the omega, it’s a sign that they are mate compatible.
Phayu knows his history too and knows that it sounds straightforward but it hasn’t always been so clear-cut. Power-hungry alphas have been known to coerce omegas into mating with them and there have been plenty of alpha-on-alpha brawls for the same omega. Coupled with the fact that not all omegas want an alpha and not alphas want an omega, it’s evolved to a more relaxed game of hide and seek where both omegas and alphas need to return to base and present themselves as sane and consenting before any sort of mating happens.
For Phayu’s pack, the Moonstone pack, to host a Mating Run would in theory only mean giving up a large enough piece of land for one evening, round up betas to control the event itself, and find enough rooms to accommodate all the participants. Had it only been for the surrounding packs like a normal Mating Run, that would have been enough of a challenge, but his pack had decided to make it a Run available to all packs.
That is, every single pack in Thailand.
It’s for Phayu’s sake too and Phayu knows it. He’s twenty-five and has been Alpha Leader for five years. He’s young, way too young to be leading a pack as large as Moonstone, but with his mother’s health-... It’s the way it is. Being young is one thing, but being an Alpha Leader without an omega? It’s practically unheard of. Phayu is fine, or at least not in any danger of losing his mind, despite being omegaless, and he knows his pack means well, just wanting to make sure their Alpha Leader remains as sane as possible, they just have a strange way of showing it sometimes.
Their… concern leads to Phayu sitting around and listening to Som go on and on about the pros and cons of various options for the alpha-omega dividers for the Run. The beta is very passionate about all the minute details of the Run and Phayu is very glad to leave it to him and his team, but Som unfortunately also wants Phayu’s input.
“So what do you say, P’Phayu?”
Phayu furrows his brows, trying to mask the fact that he hasn’t been listening for a solid five minutes. “Well, you have good points either way, Nong Som,” Phayu says diplomatically. He glances at Sky, the most level-headed beta in Som’s team, who is fighting to keep his face neutral. “Nong Sky, what’s your opinion?”
Sky freezes and sends Phayu a hard look before plastering on a pleasant smile when Som turns to look at him. “Well, since P’Phayu is leaning less towards the traditional Run for everything else, why don’t we go more traditional with the alpha-omega divider?” he suggests.
“That sounds perfect,” Phayu agrees quickly, “we’ll go with that.”
Som scrambles to make a note of it in his folder but nods seriously. He looks over his no-doubt exhaustive notes and frowns. “Okay, well, I think that’s it for now.”
“And I’m sure you’re needed elsewhere, P’Phayu,” Sky adds.
Phayu nods, grabbing the flimsy excuse to end the meeting with both hands. “When am I not?” he jokes.
He sends Sky a thankful look as the beta physically steers Som towards the exit. He’ll have to make it up to his best friend’s mate at some point. Besides, he does have other things to do; like talk to his twin about the patrol changes they have to make once the other packs start to arrive. And eat, probably. He hasn’t eaten for a good few hours and his stomach is rumbling.
🌪️🌙🌪️
For all the work that Phayu knows has gone into the Mating Run and for it being the first time in the pack’s recent history they’ve hosted it, the start of the Run functions smoothly as if Moonstone’s never done anything but arrange Mating Runs.
He is happy for it, and pride fills his chest when he only hears good things about the arrangement as he walks around.
It doesn’t change the fact that there are a lot of packs - a lot of strangers - in Phayu’s territory, and Phayu’s been on edge about it since the first pack arrived a few days ago. It does help that every single visiting Alpha Leader has taken the time to properly greet him - both in the formal tradition of seeking shelter in another pack’s territory but also in a casual, alpha-to-alpha sense. They’ve all vouched for their packs but still agreed to let Phayu be in charge of any and all potential missteps as the hosting Alpha Leader, regardless of their own pack rules. It settles some of Phayu’s instincts that chafe at the sheer amount of people around, but not all.
By the time the official start of the Run approaches, Phayu’s instincts are still flaring in all directions. He’s never had so many people under his care before. He wants to protect all of them and wants to kick them all out of his territory at the same time. He keeps seeing new faces every day and he barely knows how to keep his red alpha eyes under control.
“Yu, breathe,” Saifah demands, warm hand resting on the back of Phayu’s neck.
Had it been anyone but his twin, Phayu would probably have bitten the hand off. The overwhelming amount of smells invading his senses at every turn is messing with his head. He knows everyone’s wearing scent blockers, as is customary for any large gathering, at least until the very last minute but it’s impossible to stop strong emotions from leaking through. It’s a small comfort that the reigning emotion is excitement.
“Why did I agree to this again?” Phayu asks, taking measured breaths to calm his nerves. He has been cursing Sky’s suggestion to include every pack in Thailand for the past two days, and the closer they’ve gotten to the Run itself he’s started cursing his own inability to say no to his pack even more.
“Because my Sky can be terrifyingly persuasive when he wants to be?” Prapai offers cheerfully as he comes up to stand beside the twins.
Phayu snorts. “That’s true.”
His best friend’s mate is a force to be reckoned with, for sure, and with an alpha like Prapai at his beck and call, Sky is rarely opposed - even against Phayu. If he didn’t know Sky personally and knew the beta did what he did for the good of the pack, he’d be scared for his own position. Sky would make a good Leader even if he wasn’t an alpha.
“Also because your romantic ass can’t resist the chance at a soulmate connection,” Prapai adds, fluttering his eyelashes.
“You little-”
Phayu’s lunge for Prapai is only stopped by the feeling of Saifah’s grip tightening around the back of his neck. Saifah rarely shows off his strength, but when he does it’s humbling, and Phayu likes his head firmly attached so he settles for glaring at his best friend.
“Stop,” Saifah says firmly. “Yu, ignore him, he’s being an idiot on purpose,” he tells Phayu before glaring at Prapai. “Pai, stop antagonising him, he’s stressed as it is.”
Both Phayu and Prapai show their teeth at each other in a mockery of a smile before Prapai’s smile melts into a genuine one. Phayu can’t help mirroring it. His best friend is an idiot, sure, but he’s an idiot with good intentions and his little play eased a lot of the built up tension in his body. Not that Phayu will admit it.
Saifah shakes his head when he sees their smiles and lets go of Phayu’s neck. “I swear,” he mutters. “Anyway, I’ll go do a last-minute check with P’Chai about the perimeter patrols.” He narrows his eyes at Phayu. “Will you actually try for the Run?” he asks, actual worry seeping into his tone.
Phayu snorts. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”
No one will ever be forced to run but Phayu would still feel obligated to run, even ignoring his pack’s increasingly pointed comments about Phayu finding an omega. As an unmated alpha, Phayu is highly encouraged to participate in the Run, not to mention he’s the hosting Alpha Leader. Phayu can’t not run. And despite the mockery in Prapai’s tone, his friend isn’t wrong when he says Phayu wants a chance at meeting a mate. There is something special about finding a mate in a Run, too.
“Yes, I will try,” he concedes when Saifah and Prapai only look at him.
Saifah’s rare show of concern slides off him and he smiles easily and punches Phayu lightly on the shoulder before striding determinedly off towards the area they blocked off for the Run. Prapai nudges Phayu and they both wander in the same direction at a much slower pace.
The Run isn’t scheduled to officially start for another hour or so but there are already a lot of people milling around. Phayu can clearly see his pack’s efforts of organisation at work with plenty of betas guiding people to their places: alphas toward one side and omegas towards the other, betas and mated pairs towards the stands. Phayu is proud of his pack, proud of what they’ve managed to accomplish so far.
“P’Phayu, this way!”
Phayu shoos away Prapai towards the stands when Sky calls for him and heads towards his beta. “Nong Sky.”
“Alpha,” Sky greets him formally, lips quirking up.
“Ew, no,” Phayu says immediately, “please don’t.”
Sky laughs and gestures towards the side where the other alphas have gathered. “You’ll wait over there until about fifteen minutes before the Run. Then you’ll go through the doors,” Sky points, “and do whatever you want to prepare. The omegas will have a ten minute head start and then it’s you.”
Phayu nods in understanding. He already knows this, has been on the receiving end of serveral iterations of the speech during planning, but he also knows that it’s good to show that he is just like everyone else in this Run.
Sky’s polite smile shifts into a smirk. “You are not allowed to go to the omega side,” he lectures sternly. “Doing so will result in immediate disqualification for the Run and suspension for three Runs or three years, depending on what comes first.”
Phayu fights not to laugh at Sky’s expression and nods. “I understand.”
“Good,” Sky confirms and gestures for Phayu to head to the other alphas. “And P’Phayu?”
Phayu raises an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Good luck.”
Phayu doesn’t fight the urge to ruffle Sky’s hair, pleased when the beta huffs in annoyance. He really is touched that his pack cares so much. Let’s just say his friends aren’t the only ones who have gone out of their way to wish him luck today.
🌪️🌙🌪️
Phayu makes small-talk with the other alphas as they wait. There are alphas from all walks of life in the mix and Phayu finds it interesting to hear what made them choose to participate in the Run. For some it’s for the honor or the family name, for some it’s a fun challenge, and for some it’s a chance to be a part of something greater than themselves. Phayu recognises himself in all of it but he also knows he’s among the more relaxed in the crowd. He doesn’t feel any real pressure to perform well in the Run, and he tries to stay away from the more intense alphas in the crowd.
When P’Chai, Phayu’s left-hand man and head of security, ushers them towards the doors, Phayu feels his blood start pumping. There’s a new tension in the air, excitement and anticipation, as they head to a makeshift locker room. There, everyone is free to change clothes, stretch, warm up or do whatever they need to do to get ready.
Phayu tries not to get sucked into the charged atmosphere, but it’s hard. He feels eager, ready to run.
Everyone who’s participated in a Run tells it differently, has different advice to give, but Phayu at least knows he doesn’t need to do anything special to get ready. He’s young, athletic and stubborn, which works for him in most scenarios.
He does, however, make sure he has a bit of water and stores his phone away in a lockbox before heading towards the curtains separating them from the world. His fingers itch to pull the curtain for a peek, but he doesn’t. He has seen the blueprints, personally mapped out and fenced the entire Run area in, so he theoretically knows what’s there. He knows that beyond the curtain is a field that serves as the base for the Run where the audience will be - watching the participants start and later see them return either alone or with their new mate - and then it’s all forest. To the right of them are the omegas, separated by walls and bathrooms and people. All in the name of not smelling each other before the scent blockers come off.
Mating Runs can be done differently, without the separation of alphas and omegas, or where they can all see each other before the Run, but Phayu likes this. It’s the traditional way, the way it’s been done for centuries. Well, the separation and being hidden from each other anyway. He likes the mystery of it. He doesn’t know who’s running, doesn’t know who among the visiting packs is a participating omega. He’s confident he won’t be chasing one of his own omegas but he won’t actually know for sure until the start when the scent blockers are removed and his instincts take over.
It’s the thickening tension in the air that makes Phayu notice something’s different rather than anything else. It ripples through the alphas and Phayu tenses, ready to break up a brawl if he has to, when he smells them.
The omegas.
There are so many scents that he can’t parse through them at first. Then, slowly, some scents filter out and Phayu is left with a handful of scents that make the hair on his arms stand on end. He’s salivating. They smell so good.
Citrus. Jasmine. Petrichor. Apple. Mint.
He wants to chase them, smell them closer.
He fights the urge to rip off the patch on his own scent gland, to pump out his pheromones and let the omegas come to him. He can’t do that, it’s not allowed. It’s his instincts talking and he knows he’s not alone. He tries to block out the rumbles and whines and movement around him, centering himself. He can’t be pulled into the posturing or he’ll be fighting alphas before the Run has even started.
“Alphas!”
Phayu opens his eyes at Chai’s commanding tone. He finds his beta in the opening towards the fields, having pulled the curtain aside. No one has made a move to pass him, despite the increased intensity of omega scents washing over them. The beta is as imposing as any alpha when he wants to be and Phayu smirks at his enforcer when the man looks his way.
“Scent patches may come off shortly,” Chai tells them knowingly, “but please don’t stink up the place with your pheromones until you’re by the tree line. It’s a hassle to get rid of for us who’s left,” he says.
It garners a trickle of laughter and Phayu rolls his shoulders, biting back a snarky comment. He really should give Chai more credit for easing some of the tension in the room. His beta finds his eyes and a corner of his mouth twitches. Phayu clears his throat to not laugh.
With a glance to his watch, Chai raises an eyebrow at the crowd. “Patches off, alphas, you run in a minute.”
Phayu tears the patch off his scent gland, barely feeling the sting. His heart thuds loudly in his chest and he shakes his arms out. He wants to go now, wants to run, wants to find the scents that are still in his nose.
“Go.”
Phayu takes off.
He doesn’t think, doesn’t plan, doesn’t consider his options. He’s running on pure instinct. He feels his fellow alphas around him, but they’re not important. Not right now. Right now he only needs to focus on what his nose tells him, where his gut is telling him to go.
He doesn’t hesitate when the scents spread out. The delicious jasmine scent isn’t right and the lovely mint one has a hint of chocolate in it that makes it too sweet, so he doesn’t follow them when they turn off the path. Phayu likes sweet just as much as the next person, but there’s something to be said about a little sting, a little zest.
He goes after the tart scent of fresh apples because it tickles his throat in a good way but then it mixes with vanilla as he gets closer and it makes his nose itch. It’s not right.
He has to go back, find the other scents, the good ones.
He almost gets pulled in by an intriguing cherry and a ripe peach scent, but they both turn too earthy quickly.
Then there’s a citrusy scent that has Phayu chewing on his own saliva and he hurdles in that direction. He loses it for a minute and his instincts fight him when he tries to double back to catch it again. Trusting his instincts, he pushes forward instead of going back and picks up another citrusy scent, similar but different. It’s not as good and Phayu veers off the path, trying to find that one scent that will hit him in the throat. He wants it to consume him, come for his breath.
His thighs are aching and he’s breathing hard when he almost does a full turn, scent pulling him off to the side. It’s a tangy scent, but clean, and it makes Phayu want to bite into it.
He barrels through the bushes and stops, chest heaving. The scent is thick. It’s like lime and warm laundry, with a hint of petrichor, and it’s everything. It smells of slow mornings and home. Phayu wants to roll in it, wants to never breathe anything else in his life.
“Alpha.”
Phayu spins around at the small voice, tone a little scared, but there isn’t anyone around. He squints to see through the foliage but doesn’t see anything.
“Up here.”
Phayu looks up towards the trees and only has to turn his head a little to spot the boy. He’s clinging to the tree, eyes wide and body shaking. Phayu wants to laugh and lecture the boy at the same time but he chooses to cross his arms instead.
“Alpha,” the boy whines.
The sound, coupled with the scent still pulsing around him, tugs on every heartstring Phayu has and he crumbles. “Little omega,” he purrs, “are you stuck?”
The boy huffs, nerves clearly receding now that Phayu is engaging with him. “Obviously.”
Phayu raises an eyebrow. He sees the broken branch just underneath the boy’s foot, probably the way he climbed up, and he knows that while the boy is relatively high up, it’s not that high up. The boy could get down on his own if he just looked for it. Or jump down. It wouldn’t be too bad of a fall, maybe a broken bone in the worst case scenario.
“Alpha,” the omega whines again and Phayu has the distinct feeling the boy would stomp his foot if he could.
“Yes?”
“Help me down.”
Phayu takes a step closer, scent filling his nose. Part of him wants to just climb up the tree and let the omega cling to him, but he’s enough of a tease that he can’t make it easy for the boy. “Help you down, what?”
The omega’s jaw drops and his grip on the tree slackens. “What?”
“What do you say when you need help?”
“Are you kidding me?”
Phayu inhales as the scent shifts, the hint of petrichor increasing. It makes Phayu’s mouth water again. He wants to lick it up, get the scent in his mouth to see if the omega would taste the way he smells.
When Phayu remains silent, the omega sighs. It’s a heavy, theatrical put-out sigh and Phayu wants to pinch the omega’s cheeks. He’s adorable. Clearly a brat, but adorable all the same.
“Will you help me down, please?”
Phayu pushes his own scent out at the omega’s words, preening when the boy swallows hard as the scent hits him. “Good boy.”
The omega is surprisingly obedient as Phayu verbally guides him down the tree. He rewards each step with a compliment and a small push of his scent. The omega’s scent also shifts as he comes down the tree, petrichor fading to the background and sun-warmed laundry pushing to the front, and Phayu’s self-control is only so good.
He doesn’t wait for the boy’s feet to touch the ground before he stalks forward and grips the omega by the waist, lifting him down the last bit. The boy makes a startled noise but he settles down easily when Phayu nearly face plants into his neck, glueing himself to the boy’s back. He inhales deeply, the scent thick. It’s surrounding Phayu and he can practically visualise tendrils of scent searching to cover him. He approves.
The boy goes nearly boneless and Phayu rumbles in satisfaction, pressing the omega closer to himself.
The scent is most potent by his scent gland and Phayu’s teeth itch to bite into it. He needs the omega to belong to him, be his. In order for the omega to be his, however, Phayu needs to get them back to base. They need to put themselves before a beta to make sure their scents or minds haven’t been altered. Phayu reluctantly pulls himself out of the omega’s neck, only barely resisting the urge to lick the skin, and turns the boy around in his arms.
“What’s your name?” he asks softly.
“Rain,” the omega answers immediately, eyes wide and trusting.
Phayu wants to coo, settling for touching their noses together lightly. The boy, Rain, goes a little cross eyed trying to look and Phayu’s heart squeezes. “Suits you,” he says instead. “My name is Phayu,” he offers.
“Alpha Leader,” Rain whispers, eyes widening even further in recognition.
Phayu nods. “Yes, I’m the Alpha Leader of Moonstone.” He grins, jostling the omega just because he can. “Welcome to my home.”
Rain blushes and looks down, fingers tapping restlessly against Phayu’s arms. He’s chewing on his bottom lip and Phayu’s stomach swoops at the sight. The omega is far too alluring for his own good. The pinch in his expression dampens Phayu’s spirit, however, and the need to comfort builds.
“Rain,” he says carefully, bending down and tilting his head until he has eye contact with the omega. “What’s wrong?” When the omega doesn’t answer and only chews thoughtfully on his lip, Phayu tugs the bottom lip free and leans in until his forehead is pressed to Rain’s. “Will you tell alpha what’s wrong?” he coaxes, voice sweet.
“You’re cheating,” Rain mumbles, tone sulky, but his body relaxes.
Phayu inhales deeply again, trying to ignore the heat sizzling in his gut. Comforting the omega comes first, even if Phayu’s instincts are screaming at him to claim. He gently pushes more of his scent out and Phayu feels Rain sag a little in his arms.
It takes another few minutes before Phayu gets Rain to tell him what’s wrong and he hugs the omega close to his body when he’s done. Apparently Rain hadn’t joined the Run because he was particularly keen on it, but rather his whole pack was coming and it was more or less implied that every unmated omega and alpha would run. That was pressure enough but then he’d been overwhelmed at the start of the Run and had just taken off with no plan. When he’d calmed down a little, the omega had climbed the tree so he could pass the time, maybe sleep, and then the branch had snapped under his foot, leaving him scared and unable to get down in his panic.
Phayu can sense there might be something else behind Rain’s mood too, but he doesn’t want to force Rain to say more than he wants. It’s enough that the omega has trusted him this much.
“Rain,” he says seriously, pulling back only enough so he can see Rain’s face. The omega’s eyes are still a little insecure and Phayu wants to make it go away. “Do you want to come with me to base and get tested or stay out here for the rest of the Run?”
It chafes at him to give the omega the option because his entire being is roaring at him to make his omega submit, to claim, to own. He knows in his bones that Rain is his mate, has since he could pinpoint the scent, but he’s not an animal; he’ll let Rain choose. He wants Rain to choose him too.
“T-tested?” Rain stammers. “Mate tested?”
Phayu snorts. “What other kind is there?”
“I-I’m your mate?”
Phayu frowns. “Of course you are,” he says, blinking. “Why else would your scent lead me here?” Rain ducks his head again, mumbling incoherently, and Phayu tips his head back up with a gentle finger under his chin. “Omega,” he purrs, “your scent brought me here. I believe I’m your mate and I would like for us to get it confirmed. Does that seem like a good plan to you?” he asks.
Rain nods. “Yes,” he whispers, “I would like that.”
Phayu smiles and, to soothe some of the flames licking his insides, presses a kiss to Rain’s cheek. “Good.”
🌪️🌙🌪️
Phayu holds Rain tight to himself the entire way back to base, arm firmly around the omega’s waist. Partly because he feels like Rain might need the support, but mostly for his own sake. He is seconds away from picking Rain up and running away with him. He doesn’t want others to look at him, at his omega. It’s the mating instinct, Phayu understands that, but it messes with his head.
When they pass the tree line and see the crowds of spectators, Phayu can feel Rain tense up and he rubs the omega’s side reassuringly. He tries to ignore the hum of voices when they get closer, but it’s difficult. His packbonds, normally easy to push to the background, are practically vibrating and he sends a wave of calm down them so at least his pack members settle down a little. He can’t do much about the other packs.
“Nong Sky,” he calls out.
Sky comes jogging towards them and Phayu can see the excitement in the beta’s eyes.
“Alpha,” Sky says a little breathlessly when he’s close enough.
Phayu rolls his eyes but doesn’t complain this time. It’s tradition, a formality, but he still doesn’t like for his friends to call him by his title. “Will you take care of Nong Rain for me?” he asks instead, smiling reassuringly at Rain when the omega whips his head to look at him.
“Not together?” Rain asks.
Phayu turns to face the omega properly and pushes a little of his scent towards Rain in comfort. “The testing needs to be done separately,” he explains gently, though Rain should already know this. “To make sure you want this on your own and not because I’m scenting you.”
Rain pouts and Phayu has to bite his tongue so he doesn’t kiss the omega. He forces his body to relax.
“Nong Sky is nice,” Phayu continues, reaching up to push a strand of hair out of Rain’s face, hand coming to rest on Rain’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine. You’ll be a good boy?” He lightly taps the side of Rain’s neck, unable to resist. “For alpha?”
Rain blushes and Phayu doesn’t fight the urge to gather the omega in a hug. He smiles when Sky fakes gagging next to them and reluctantly pulls away.
“Come on, Khun Rain, let’s get you away from P’Phayu so you can clear your head. Then you can tell me how he made you come with him so he wouldn’t look like a loser,” Sky cuts in, reaching for Rain and pushing Phayu out of the way in the same movement.
Phayu doesn’t take offence and only smiles reassuringly at Rain when the omega’s eyes widen in shock. Sky’s bark is worse than his bite and he trusts his beta to make Rain comfortable. He also trusts Sky to have Rain back in his arms as soon as he can, which is partly why he asked for the beta and not someone else.
He watches until Rain has disappeared behind the omega curtains and then heads towards the alpha side. Another pack’s beta is waiting for him by the curtains, smiling. To avoid any rumors of unfair treatment he can’t have his own betas test him, so Phayu smiles tightly at the unknown beta. The testing itself is quick and painless, a standard set of questions to make sure he’s in a stable frame of mind. He is more curt than he’d like to be, his instincts yelling at him to go to his omega, to keep him safe and away from prying eyes.
“You’re free to go, alpha.”
Phayu barely waits for the words before he’s out the door. He’ll come back for his phone another day, or have Saifah or Prapai get it for him. He just wants to get to Rain, to his omega. There’s no sign of him when Phayu gets to the omega side so Phayu takes a steadying breath. He won’t storm into the room, he won’t. He can wait.
“Yu!”
Phayu waves a hand to show he heard his twin, but doesn’t take his eyes off the doors.
“You found someone!”
He can’t look away, doesn’t want to miss when Rain steps through the doors, but Phayu nods, smiling at the joy in his twin’s voice. “I did.”
“Who’s the unlucky one?”
Phayu snorts at Prapai’s question. “Shut up,” he counters. He knows it’s not his best comeback, it’s even a weak one, but he is too tense to care. He just wants Rain to come out so he can do what his heart has been telling him to do all this time, so he can be with his new mate.
It can’t be more than a few minutes, but it’s a long few minutes where Phayu ignores his twin and best friend, before the doors open. Phayu’s heart immediately speeds up.
“Alpha!”
Phayu smiles at the relief in Rain’s voice, as if he wasn’t sure Phayu would be waiting for him. He opens his arms, bracing when Rain comes running. The omega jumps into his arms and Phayu can only feel content when he plants his face in Rain’s neck. He’s immediately drowning in lime and sun-dried laundry with that teasing hint of petrichor and he wants to live in the scent forever.
“Get a room!”
Phayu pulls his face away enough to mimic a bite towards Prapai, firmly ignoring his friend and brother grinning at him. He adjusts his grip on Rain’s thighs and promptly walks away, heading for his house. It’s further away than the temporary mating houses the pack has set up for new mates, but it is private and Phayu wants to see Rain spread out in his bed.
Rain makes a half-hearted attempt to protest at being carried but seems satisfied when Phayu only tightens his hold. Phayu pushes out more of his scent as Rain snuggles impossibly closer.
The walk to Phayu’s house is both over way too soon and takes too long for Phayu. He is thoroughly enjoying the weight and scent of his mate wrapped around him but at the same time he has been keeping a tight hold of his instincts since he first saw Rain and they’re clawing at him to take what the omega is giving him. He barely lets Rain see the common areas of the house he shares with Saifah before he’s kicking the door to his bedroom closed behind them.
The room is dark, only lit by the fading light from the outside and a small lamp by his bed, but Phayu doesn’t mind. He likes the way it creates shadows on Rain’s face when he lets the omega drop to the bed, the way it highlights Rain’s full cheeks and the cut of his jaw.
“Alpha,” Rain whines when Phayu only looks for a moment.
“I know, sweetheart,” Phayu says softly, gently nudging Rain’s knees apart to make space for him and runs a hand down Rain’s arm. “Alpha’s going to take good care of you.”
Rain’s whimper fans the flames in Phayu’s gut but he is very careful when he stretches out over the omega. He doesn’t want to go too fast, wants to make sure Rain is comfortable, even if his insides are howling.
“Alpha, alpha, alpha,” Rain chants, head tilted back to reveal his throat.
Phayu swallows hard. He wants to bite, wants to mark up the tempting bit skin to let everyone know the omega is taken.
“Rain,” he grounds out, cupping Rain’s face to make the omega look at him, “my sweet little omega,” he licks his lips when Rain whines, “my mate.”
Rain seems as overwhelmed as Phayu feels, eyes nearly glazed over, and it makes Phayu’s teeth itch again.
“Alpha,” Rain repeats.
Phayu wants to revel in the fact that he’s already reduced his mate to only one word, but he needs to hear Rain say his name. The need of it almost overpowers his primal want to reduce Rain to nothing but whimpers and he clings to it.
“Who am I?” he asks, stroking Rain’s cheeks with as gentle of a touch as he can muster. Rain makes a little noise in the back of his throat that has Phayu burning.
“Alpha,” Rain answers promptly, wrapping his arms around Phayu’s neck. “P’Phayu,” he continues when Phayu nods encouragingly at him. “Mate.”
His heart flutters, satisfied, and Phayu lets the possessive flare in his stomach take over.
“Good boy.”
He doesn’t attack Rain’s mouth, but it’s a close call. He sucks on Rain’s top lip and then bites into it gently, relishing in the omega’s moans. He’s thankful that the fire in him seems mutual as Rain licks into Phayu’s mouth the first chance he gets, desperation making both of them sloppy. It’s wet and hot and Phayu doesn’t understand how the smallest touch of Rain’s fingertips on his back makes his whole body feel electrified. He grinds into Rain, moaning when the omega meets it with a roll of his hips. They’re both hard and Phayu wants to consume him.
To protect some of his sanity, Phayu grabs Rain’s hands and pins them to the bed above his head. The sight of his omega in his bed, eyes dilated and throat on display, is almost too much for Phayu. His cock is throbbing, his gums itching.
“Bite me,” Rain moans.
Phayu swallows hard. He lets his head rest on Rain’s collarbone, trying to catch his breath. His nerves are firing under his skin, he feels raw, too close. “Rain,” he whispers against the omega’s chest, lips brushing the skin, “my pretty, pretty omega. Mine.” He lifts his head enough to nibble Rain’s collarbone. “You’re mine.”
Rain nods eagerly. “Yours,” he agrees. “Rain is P’Phayu’s.”
Phayu presses a string of open mouthed kisses along Rain’s skin, towards his neck. He feels seen, understood, known. The omega’s words are exactly what he needs to hear, what his head and heart are screaming at him; the confirmation that the omega is his, that Rain is Phayu’s.
“I’m going to ruin you,” Phayu promises. “You’ll be mine, only mine.”
“Only yours, P’Phayu.”
“Ask me again,” he orders. He needs to hear Rain say it, ask it of him.
Rain wiggles his hands free and frames Phayu’s face, hauling it up so he can look into Phayu’s eyes. Phayu would protest if the determination in the omega’s eyes wasn’t the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Sweet but feisty, just like his scent.
“Bite me, P’Phayu,” Rain demands clearly. “Bite me, alpha.”
Phayu is helpless to resist.
He kisses Rain hard, groaning into the omega’s mouth. He trails his hands down Rain’s body, underneath his clothes. He needs Rain to be aching for it, as out of his mind as Phayu feels.
Phayu smirks into Rain’s cheek as the omega tears his mouth away, a deep moan ripping out of him as Phayu gets his hands on his cock. The sound alone can probably push Phayu off the edge if he isn’t careful. Phayu pumps his hand just to hear it again. His omega doesn’t disappoint, his moan turning breathless as Phayu thumbs the tip. Rain’s hands claw at his back and Phayu bites Rain’s jaw in retaliation. It’s probably a harder bite than the omega expects but his cock twitches in Phayu’s hand and Phayu files away that piece of information for later.
“My needy little omega,” he purrs into Rain’s ear, pleased when the omega’s whole body shivers.
He kisses down the side of Rain’s throat, hovering just above the omega’s scent gland. The clean laundry scent of him is strong and warm, wrapping around Phayu. He can picture his sheets smelling like Rain, like fresh laundry warmed by the sun, and he wants to bottle it up. The hint of lime adds a little spice to it and the petrichor only deepens the scent. Phayu wants it embedded in his lungs.
Rain wiggles impatiently, hooking his legs around Phayu, and Phayu laughs against the omega’s neck.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll bite you,” he assures him. “I’m just going to take my time with you first. Going to get you all nice and pliant for me.”
“P’Phayu,” Rain whimpers.
Phayu presses a light kiss to Rain’s scent gland. “I want to see you fall apart, make you forget any name but mine.” He nips the skin just beside it. “Then I’ll bite you.”
It’s only half the reason. Phayu wants to bite Rain, he does, his whole body thrumming with the anticipation of it, but he wants to make Rain come once before he does. As soon as he bites Rain, bonds them together as mates, Rain will naturally take on some of Phayu’s scent. Mates inherently smell like each other and as much as Phayu wants that, wants to belong to his omega and have his omega belong to him in that intimate way, he wants to get one unfiltered, unadulterated moment of only Rain.
“Yes, yes, anything, P’Phayu, alpha, yes,” Rain babbles, tilting his head to give Phayu more space. He’s also thrusting his hips, fucking himself into Phayu’s hand.
Phayu growls and bites down on Rain’s shoulder, being careful not to break the skin. He has plans for his omega later. He wants to cover him in marks, wants to come all over him, wants to fuck Rain in every single position he can think of, but he also wants Rain to take what he wants. He wants his omega to tell him exactly how and where he wants to be touched, wants him to touch Phayu exactly how and where he wants. Phayu doesn’t plan for them to sleep anytime soon.
He shares his ideas with Rain, whispering into the omega’s ear. The hand on the omega’s cock doesn’t stop either and he feels Rain leak more and more the longer he speaks. His own cock aches, pressing against Rain’s leg, but he tries to ignore it. He needs Rain to come first and then he can get some relief.
“Are you close, my messy little omega?” he asks.
Rain whimpers and nods. “Yes.”
Phayu kisses the omega quickly. “Good, I want you to come for me.” He licks Rain’s jaw, speeding up the movements of his hand. “Come for your alpha.”
Rain keens, arching his back. He’s so gorgeous, Phayu can barely believe the omega is his.
“I can’t-, I need-”
“What do you need, Rain?” Phayu asks.
“Bite me.”
Phayu huffs a laugh against Rain’s throat. At least his omega is consistent. It’s all the boy’s asked for.
“Are you going to come like a good boy if I do?”
Rain’s tongue darts out to wet his lips and he nods rapidly. “Yes, yes, Rain’s a good boy, anything for alpha.”
Phayu groans and rolls his hips against Rain’s leg. He puts his nose directly onto the omega’s scent gland, inhaling deeply and committing the way he smells to memory. He loves Rain’s scent but he’s also primally eager to learn what the omega will smell like once they’re mated, what note of Phayu’s scent he’ll take on.
“Are you ready?”
Rain moans. “Alpha,” he breathes out.
Putting his free hand lightly around Rain’s neck to hold the omega in place, Phayu places his teeth around Rain’s scent gland, licking the skin once in warning. The omega only pushes his neck up to meet Phayu’s mouth and Phayu’s stomach swoops. He doesn’t hesitate and bites down.
Rain’s scent blossoms in his mouth and his nose. Phayu feels the omega tremble and it takes a few seconds, a couple tugs on his cock, before he spills over Phayu’s fingers. The mate bond flares to life in Phayu’s heart, Rain etching a place for himself permanently in Phayu’s soul.
He licks soothingly over the bite as Rain comes down from his orgasm. It will scar over in a few days, a perfect set of Phayu’s toothmarks in Rain’s skin, and Phayu feels a tingle over his own scent gland. He wants Rain to mark him too, complete their bond. He wants Rain to bite him when he’s inside Rain to create a perfect circle of being each other’s and his stomach swoops at the image.
He nibbles on Rain’s neck as Rain groans. “Are you ready to go again, my omega?” he asks.
“I can’t feel my feet,” Rain croaks.
Phayu laughs, rising up on his hands to hover over the omega. He smiles, heart fluttering when Rain mirrors his smile, eyes bright. “I told you I’d ruin you,” he says lightly.
Rain blushes but daringly meets his eyes. “I’m not ruined yet,” he says bravely, swallowing when Phayu narrows his eyes at him. “You still haven’t fucked me.”
Phayu scoffs. “You’ll learn not to challenge me,” he warns.
“I’m not scared.”
“Good,” Phayu purrs. Rain’s eyes darken. “I don’t want you to be scared.” He smirks and runs a finger down the omega’s face, pulling on his bottom lip. “We’ll see how many rounds you can take today.”
🌪️🌙🌪️
Phayu wakes up to light hitting him straight in the face and groans. He goes to turn over but is stopped by a warm weight on his chest. The memories flood in and Phayu promptly puts his nose into Rain’s hair, inhaling.
The omega’s scent is soft and calm in sleep, warm laundry and petrichor its strongest components. If Phayu concentrates he can smell the pop of lime that creates the beautiful contrast, but also a darker underlying tone of sandalwood to round it off. It’s Phayu’s own strongest scent coming in and he’s already obsessed. He likes it, just like he suspected he would.
Phayu hugs Rain closer to himself, the omega already lying half on him. They didn’t get much sleep, only napping in short intervals through the night, and Phayu knows he should let Rain sleep as much as he needs. He can feel his cock stirring, however, desire awake and burning inside. He had thought that the mate bite would calm some of the desperation for Rain, but it hadn’t. Nor had Rain biting him, properly connecting them both, helped. There is still a craving for his omega, a deep, searing hunger.
“Yu?”
Phayu huffs at the sound of his twin’s call through the door. He hums loud enough for it to be heard, petting Rain’s head when the omega snuffs in his sleep and tucks his face into Phayu’s neck.
Saifah peeks through the door, glee evident on his face. “I know you have another day for… this,” he says, gesturing towards Phayu and the bed. A newly bonded couple are allowed at least a full day, usually two, in seclusion to help stabilise the bond. “But I thought you wanted to know that the first packs are leaving.”
Phayu blinks. “Already?”
“Long way home and all,” Saifah shrugs. “New mates are probably going to be around for another few days.” He smirks. “It wouldn’t be fair to drag them out of bed.”
Phayu glares. “So why are you bothering me?”
Saifah scoffs. “Because I can, obviously.” His grin turns genuine. “P’Chai and I are handling it, I just thought you should know.” He begins to pull back. “Take another two days if you need it. Or three.” The door clicks shut.
Phayu wants to be annoyed at his twin, for disturbing them and risking waking Rain, and for being an obnoxious ass, but he can’t be. He hears what his brother doesn’t say loud and clear: the pack is fine, we’re taking care of it, enjoy your time, we’re happy for you.
Rain mumbles something inaudible in his sleep and Phayu’s attention is drawn right back to him.
He gently, lightly, runs a hand down Rain’s back. He can hardly believe that he’s now mated. Less than twenty-four hours ago he was considering kicking everyone out of his territory so he could be done with the Mating Run already, wishing he’d never let Sky talk him into it in the first place. Now he has Rain, his omega, his mate.
It’s a double win in Phayu’s books. He has Rain who, in the snippets of conversation they managed between bouts of bone numbingly good sex, has shown himself to be smart and funny, if a little innocent and overly sweet. Beyond that, Phayu will now have a pack that won’t worry so much about him. They’ll get to have a proper Alpha Pair and focus their attention to more worthy causes. Like getting Saifah a mate.
Phayu chuckles to himself and presses a kiss to Rain’s forehead. He’ll get Sky on his side and together they’ll convince Som that Saifah is his new pet project. It’ll be only fair as Phayu’s born the brunt of the pack’s matchmaking for the past five years while Saifah’s been happily on the sidelines.
All of that later, though.
For right now he just needs to hold Rain, maybe get a little more sleep. Then he’ll convince his omega to shower or perhaps take a bath. They’ll recreate some of Phayu’s fantasies and some that Rain shyly confessed to during the night. It’ll be good. Saifah said to take his time. Phayu doesn’t plan on leaving his room for more than food for at least another two days. Maybe then he won’t burn quite as much for his omega. Maybe.