Chapter Text
Awareness hit Tommy like a freight train.
He jerked up in bed, sucking in breath like a drowning man. He looked around, seeing he was in Adam's room, and when a murmur caught his attention, turned to see Adam sleeping next to him. By some stroke of grace, Tommy's waking hadn't stirred Adam. But the blonde knew that any sudden movement might. He swallowed, mouth dry, and looked around. Why were they sleeping in Adam's room? What had happened last night. Tommy shifted, looking around for any clue of the night. But the clue came from his own body, a sharp ache shooting up his spine from his rear, and his eyes shot wide. He lifted up the covers, breath coming in little gasps as he saw nothing but their skin.
He managed to get out of the bed without waking Adam, and found Adam's robe to throw on. He only stumbled once, when his feet first his the floor and that ache came back. He couldn't stay here, not with the flames of panic slowly rising under his skin, and... and Adam sleeping so soundly in bed. He couldn't go to Brad's. The healer might have been on his side, but he also worked out of his house, and any wolf with a problem might show up.
That left Isaac and Sophie's place. It was one of the perks of pack living that most of the houses were only a short run apart. It only took a few bangs on the door for Isaac to open it, looking sleepy and flustered. Tommy couldn't help but hurry inside without invitation, because being outside meant that wolves might come around and wolves might see him and Tommy suddenly had to clutch the wall against the encroaching darkness. He was not going to pass out from hyperventilation, dammit. He hadn't thought wolves could even do that.
"Tommy?" Isaac said, fully awake now. Sophie was coming down the stairs behind him, looking concerned.
"Can I use your shower?" The words came out breathlessly, but at least they didn't waver. Tommy couldn't pull his gaze off the floor, where Sophie's little toes dug into the plush rug.
"O-of course," Isaac responded, blinking quickly in confusion and just a hint of anxiety.
Sophie was the first to get it. She hurried over to Tommy and ushered him up the stairs, towards the master bedroom. "You can use some of Isaac's clothes when you come out, any ones you want. Since you two are about the same size, and all."
She showed him in and got him a towel before gracefully stepping out. For that, Tommy was glad. It meant he didn't have to undress in front of her. It meant he could look at himself in the mirror alone. He took a deep, shaking breath before pulling off Adam's robe and dropping it on the floor. He didn't have any bruises, no cuts, and for a moment he hated himself for thinking Adam would do something like that. Then, he remembered that he didn't want to think about Adam at all, and hurried to turn on the shower.
He couldn't remember the night before. Not most of it, anyway. He remembered the running with the pack, how Adam had made them stay away from the borders. He remembered playing with Brad, chasing his tail until the other wolf gave up and just plopped down. It was right when the sun started coming up that things got hazy. He had the vague memory of heading towards the Lambert Estate, seeking something. He sucked in a shatter-glass breath and focused on washing himself off, not wanting to even try and remember what happened after that.
There was no blood when he washed between his legs. He was sore, reasonably so, but Adam hadn't hurt him. He had no bruises, no cuts, except for the deep bite on the back of his neck that he'd discovered when the shampoo had hit it and set his flesh on fire. There was blood from that, dried and dark, so he left it alone. The rest of him, he scrubbed until he was red and raw, until the water ran polar ice cap cold.
Adam woke slowly, rolling onto his stomach to quell the nervous thrumming inside of it. He could feel power thrumming in him, in his bones. He'd always had some, as an Alpha pup, but this was different. It was like a storm under his skin, lightning and thunder rolling through his veins. And in that moment, he knew, Tommy had given him the power to protect the pack.
Good moon, Tommy.
He turned and looked to his side, only to see the bed was empty. That wasn't completely surprising, he'd probably have done the same thing in Tommy's position, but now he had to find him. A quick search of the house proved fruitless, but Adam knew Tommy wouldn't leave the pack grounds. His wolf wouldn't let him. So now it was just figuring out who he'd gone to.
He visited Brad first, knowing he and Tommy were close, but not quite ready for the tone Brad was giving him.
"So you lost him." Brad had never used this voice with Adam before. Short, and clipped. He was staring hard at Adam's jaw, because staring him in the eyes was a challenge but he was too angry to look away. Still, it made Adam's jaw ache as if it were a punch, not just a gaze.
"I didn't lose him. He's not missing," Adam said quietly. "He's around here somewhere, I can sense him. I just don't know exactly where."
"I'd hide too if some asshat fucked me while I was drunk," Brad muttered, and a stillness took over Adam. His wolf shifted inside him, coming to the surface, and he felt his eyes go. He knew the orbs staring down at Brad were yellow, just as well as he knew that Brad felt the change in the air.
"Careful, Bradley," Adam said softly, putting his hand on the doorframe and leaning in over the smaller wolf. He understood that Brad was upset, but wolf life was a series of cues, a constant play between wolves, submitting or challenging. It looked harsh to some, but it was the way they lived, the way things had been for thousands of years. Some packs had tried being more democratic, but it always failed miserably. As much as they were people, they were wolves, and their instincts wanted power in control. Adam was that power, and all he could do was use it wisely. And sometimes, that meant reminding wolves where they stood before things got out of hand.
Brad was his friend, had even been his lover once, but Adam couldn't allow disrespect. Not for the pack's sake, and not for Brad's sake. If Adam didn't put him in his place, someone would, and it would be a hellova lot less pretty.
Brad sucked in a breath and swelled like a balloon, before deflating and hanging his head. Adam made a rough noise and leaned in, pressing his face into Brad's hair. This was also the power of the submissive wolf, to entice protection and possession. As much power as Adam had over the pack, they had over him.
"I'm sorry," Brad muttered, only a little bit of hesitation in his voice. Adam could live with a bit of hesitation.
"I didn't want to do it either," Adam whispered.
"But you did," Brad pressed. "You did do it... and you did want it... your wolf wanted it. And I know how much you like Tommy."
And it was true, in some ways. Adam hadn't forced himself to take Tommy. His wolf had wanted it from the moment he sank his teeth into Tommy's flesh two months ago, and even moreso when he had gotten a whiff of Tommy's intoxicating scent. And he wanted Tommy as a man. He loved Tommy's tenacity, his shy smiles and sneaky smiles and little grins when he was getting away with something.
But knowing Tommy was in pain was not what he wanted.
"I didn't want to hurt him," Adam whispered, allowing himself just a moment of vulnerability with Brad, one of the few wolves he would allow that with.
"I know." Brad stood on his toes, kissing Adam on the cheek. It made something in Adam's chest loosen that he hadn't known was tight and knotted. "We'll find Tommy, and we'll take care of him. He has a pack, Adam. We don't abandon our own."
The next place to check was Isaac's house. The moment the small male opened the door, Adam knew Tommy was there. He could smell him like a delicious meal to a starving man. He took a step forward, only to have Isaac move with him, getting in his way. The brunette's eyes shot wide the moment he'd realized what he'd done, and now Adam smelled fear.
"Easy," Adam said, taking a step back, but not looking down. "It's alright, Isaac." Isaac and Brad were two of the most submissive males in the pack, but they were completely different. Adam didn't know what happened to Isaac when he was a kid, but he suspected some Alpha had ripped him up one side and down the other at some point. That was not going to happen again, not at Adam's hand. "You take care of him for me this morning, okay? I'll come back later."
Isaac visibly relaxed, a shudder going through him. He nodded. "He can stay with us as long as he likes. He's always welcome here."
Adam smiled and turned to leave. He wanted to see Tommy, but letting the Omega have his space right now might be a better idea. And he knew Isaac and Sophie would take care of him. Isaac bid him farewell and closed the door. Adam took a deep breath before heading off. Tommy would be safe there, and he had other things to attend to.
As much as the pack was family, it was business. And Adam couldn't have waited a moment longer to mate with Tommy. He met Rife right on the border, his gaze sliding over the members of the Moro Pack at Rife's back. He took care to saunter up, letting the relaxing swing melt through his hips. Adam was all for power games when they prevented violence. If Adam threw his newfound dominance around enough, the Moro Pack might leave without even trying.
He cocked his hips, tilting his head back. Only Neil was at his back. There were other wolves not too far away, but this needed to look like Adam didn't consider Rife a threat at all. "Rife! It's a pleasure to see you. It's been so long." Anyone with a brain could see that his mockery of a smile was more a baring of teeth than anything.
"Adam... you look well..." The older Alpha's gaze slid over Adam, and his lifted his head to sniff the air. As if he had to confirm the power he felt rolling over the border like a landslide. "I didn't know you were mated. An Omega?"
"I'll forgive you for not sending a wedding gift," Adam tossed back. "Yeah, I just couldn't wait to get him under me. Soon, he'll be swollen with my seed. And the benefits of mating with an Omega..." Adam rolled his shoulders and let the sentence slide off. Of course, he thought far more of Tommy than that, but he couldn't let it show. He couldn't waver.
"Oh yes, I've heard all about them. Are they really all they're cracked up to be?" Rife asked, sending Adam a challenging look.
"Hmm, well, I haven't really gotten the chance to flex my muscles yet." Adam reached inside himself and stoked that fire, cradling it in his hands, feeling the beat before letting it pulse out. He wished a silent apology at Neil, who he heard whimper and slump at his side. But he watched Rife's wolves hunch under the power. He watched them curl in on themselves and start falling to their knees, head bowed. Normally, an Alpha couldn't control the wolves from another pack, not with their own Alpha present. But if the difference in dominance was great enough, pack ties didn't matter.
Rife turned and looked at his wolves, a hint of panic sparking in his eyes. Adam could see the sweat on his brow, and knew he was fighting kneeling too. He swallowed with difficulty, a moment Adam relished, before saying. "Yes, I can see they are quite impressive." He spoke like he had a boiled egg in his throat, blocking any air. Adam jerked his chin up and let the wolves go, watching them shuffle towards Rife. Some of them even crawled. No, there was no way these wolves could stand against Adam's pack now, even if they had the numbers. They couldn't stand against Adam.
"So, what brings you to this part of town?" Adam asked, raising his brow. "I wasn't informed you were visiting."
"Just swinging by," Rife said tightly. "We'll be on our way, of course. Sorry for the oversight in not contacting you." He wasn't making eye contact anymore, not for even a moment.
"See that it doesn't happen again," Adam said lowly. He stayed there, watching Rife scurry off with his wolves like a disciplined child. It was almost anticlimactic, that what could have been a war filled with bloodshed had boiled down to a few minutes of grandstanding. But everyone was safe. No one had been hurt. That was the important part.
"Are you alright?" Adam murmured, turning to kneel before his brother, who hadn't gotten up. Being closer to him, Neil had felt the effects of his power the most.
"I'm fine," Neil said, a little short of breath. "Shit, Adam."
Adam huffed out a breath and offered Neil a hand. As they walked home, the wolves that had been hiding in the forest joined them. They all brushed by Adam as they did, licking at his jaw and offering their necks. They'd obviously felt it too, what he'd done. He greeted them happily, all of them, even when they got back to the main grounds and the whole pack was there to greet him. This was who he'd done it for, these children that ran into his arms, these young females that came to kiss his cheek, and everyone else. It made the knowledge that he'd took advantage of Tommy almost bearable.
Almost.
Tommy, who stood off to the side and very determinedly didn't look at him. Adam felt a sharp pain jerk through his chest, and Neil put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll... I'll go talk to Tommy. Okay?" Adam glanced at his brother and smiled sadly, nodding his head.
Neil followed Tommy to the other side of the estate, where the Omega was sitting. He moved to get up when he saw Neil, but the Beta held a hand up, both placating and quietly commanding.
"What do you want?" Tommy asked softly, staring at the ground at Neil's feet. Neil had never seen the boy so submissive. Usually, Tommy had a few sharp words for Neil, and a quick grin. His wolf must have been riding him hard for him to be acting like this.
"I just want to talk," Neil said, sitting down next to Tommy but being careful not to touch him.
"Did Adam send you?" Tommy muttered, pulling his knees up to his chest.
"I sent myself," Neil retorted. "You deserve to know what's going on." So he told Tommy, all about Rife and the Moro Pack, about the other packs that had been making threatening moves, about the power that Adam had gotten by mating with him. He told him about the way Rife ran a pack, and about the meetings they'd been having. Tommy listened quietly, not saying a word.
"So... that's what happened," Neil finished, running a hand through his curly hair. "We'd been keeping everything a secret from the pack. After..." He took a breath. "After Mom and Dad passed away, we wanted everyone to feel safe. They were beloved, and the last thing people needed was to know we could be taken over."
"How am I supposed to take that?" Tommy whispered after a moment. "Am I supposed to just lay down and give up because it's what's best for the pack?" He looked up at Neil, and there wasn't anger or hate in his eyes, but confusion and pain.
"No," Neil said softly. "No one should tell you how to feel. But you had to know everything."
Tommy nodded and hugged his knees close. He didn't say anything after that. Neil stayed with him though, until the sun fell and even the light left them.