#GR Omega

[soaps-mohawk]

Cherry Red, Crimson Blood

Chapter 38: Shattered

Summary: Things aren't okay. They never will be again.

Pairing: Poly 141 x reader

Word Count: 7,743 words

Warnings: Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, Alternate Universe, angst, PTSD, nightmares, POV changes, depression and anxiety, medical stuff, injuries, brief description of a possible death, language, mention of weight loss due to medical stuff, emotionally heavy chapter (again), slightly graphic imagery, illness, so much crying

A/N: I just want to make something very clear here since there's a scene in this chapter that might be interpreted this way, but 'mega is NOT suicidal. That's not something that's going to be in this fic, and neither is self-harm. It would have been well warned in advance if that was going to be something coming up in this fic. She's struggling a lot, but she's not suicidal, she's not going to become suicidal, nor will she self-harm even off screen. So don't worry. That's not what's happening. It won't be happening.

Okay, just wanted to make that clear. Enjoy the suffering!

MASTERLIST | <- Previous | Next ->

The scream slices through the silence seconds before chaos erupts. 

John is on his feet and out the door before Kyle is even fully awake. Simon is on his heels down the stairs, the two of them nearly colliding in their rush. His heart thuds in his chest as he sees your door open, the overhead light on. It’s bad. It must be bad if the overhead light is on. You hate the overhead light. 

He barrels in like a bull, ready to fight. The screaming has stopped, but it still rings in his ears. The fear, the panic. Something has happened. Someone got in. He should have made you take the room upstairs. He should have put a barrier between you and the door. That window. Someone could break that easily and grab you before they even noticed.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” 

The screaming has stopped, but gut-wrenching sobs have taken its place. He takes a moment to scan the room. Nothing is misplaced. The window isn’t broken, there’s no bodies, no one that shouldn’t be in there. 

“You’re okay.” Christine soothes you as you sob. “It was just a nightmare.” 

The bright fluorescent overhead light burns his eyes as he stands there, staring at the bed. Christine is right there, having beaten them across the living room, or perhaps she had already been in there, having heard you in your distress before they could. You're tucked in her arms, your face against her shoulder as she holds you. 

Nightmare. 

The safety and security the cottage promised has faded, leaving you at the mercy of the horrors your mind can conjure up in your sleep. Something twists deep in John’s stomach as he turns, motioning for the others to back up and give you some space. You won’t want them there, and things will only get worse if you notice them. 

His heart is still thudding in his chest as he stands there, the sharp sound of your scream still ringing in his ears despite his confirmation of your safety. The other three look just as startled as he feels, standing there tensely in the dark living room. He brings himself to move, turning his back on them for a moment to try and gather his thoughts as he flips on the lamp in the corner. It casts a warm light across the living room, far too warm for how he’s feeling. He’s trying not to panic, trying not to be sick on the floor from the worry. His heart is in his throat, trying to choke him. He’s trying so hard to be strong, not just for him, but for his pack, for you. 

He sinks down on one of the couches, rubbing a hand over his face. He had been so sure something had happened, that their safe little bubble had been breached and someone knew about their whereabouts. He had been so sure someone was trying to hurt you with a scream like that. 

Maybe someone was, but not in reality. 

What is it you dream about now? Your nightmares about your father and your traumatic presentation must seem like nothing now compared to what must haunt your mind. Do you dream of Graves and his torture? Do you dream of them leaving you behind? Do you dream of dying because of their failures? 

A hand settles on his shoulder, a body sinking onto the couch next to him. Arms are wrapping around him, easing him against a solid chest. 

He’s crying. 

He didn’t even realize the tears had started flowing. 

He can hear the reverberating voice in his head, yelling at him, telling him not to show such weakness in front of his pack, in front of his team. He’s supposed to be the strong one, he’s supposed to be the stable one keeping the pack afloat and steady. Yet here he is, breaking down in front of them. 

“It’s okay.” 

Kyle. 

His sweet Kyle. 

How he’s been neglecting his sweet beta, and yet, how willing Kyle still is to reach out and comfort him in such a time of visible distress. That’s what betas are supposed to do. Mediate and balance the emotions of the pack. How have they been coping with all of this? How have Kyle and Johnny been managing in such a time of disarray and upheaval? Have they been managing it? He doesn’t even know. He doesn’t even know the state of his pack, of the members of his team. 

What a failure he is. 

He lets himself lean against Kyle, something filling his chest as Kyle’s soft scent seeps into his senses. He’s projecting it, not just for John but also for the whole room. Johnny is crying too, soft sobs tearing from his chest as he sits on the other couch. Simon is on his knees in front of him, trying to get him calmed and breathing. 

They’ve been ignoring and denying each other for days, fraying the bonds further while trying so hard not to. The pain they’ve been causing in their emotional constipation and intentional neglect is almost worse than the pain caused by their infighting. At least fighting they were feeling something. At least fighting they weren’t cutting each other off so willingly. 

“We can’t do this anymore.” He says, his voice thick and shaky from his tears. “Cutting each other off. It’s not helping anything.” He doesn’t move from where he’s tucked against Kyle’s chest, letting the comfort wash over him for the first time in a week and a half. 

How he’s missed this. 

“It’s not doing any good for any of us.” Simon says, shifting onto the couch next to Johnny. 

“Especially not our omega.” Kyle says, voicing the thought flashing through all of their minds. 

“We may not be able to do much to help her right now, but we can focus on each other. That is something we can do.” John swallows thickly, his alpha starting to come back to life, his instincts aware again as he stares at Johnny and Simon. “Doing nothing isn’t good for any of us. We need to have something to focus on, something tangible we can do. Denying each other comfort isn’t going to help anyone.” 

“I full-heartedly agree.” 

John whips around, Christine standing in front of your closed door. He hadn’t even noticed her enter the room, hadn’t sensed her standing behind them. Johnny and Simon are the only two that don’t look startled, but they must have seen her come out from their position facing your door. 

“Sorry.” The corner of her lip twitches up in a smirk. “Thought you would have noticed.” 

John clears his throat. “How is she?” 

“Settled again.” Christine says, moving over to the chair. 

“How long has she been having nightmares?” Kyle asks. 

“Since that first day in the med center in Dallas.” She says, sinking into the chair. How heavy this must all be on her shoulders. “I’d almost call them more sleep hallucinations. Mostly of Graves. Seeing him in the room, being attacked by him.” 

“Is there anything that can be done to help?” John asks. 

“For these kinds of nightmares? Not really.” Christine folds her hands in her lap. “Her brain is trying to process what happened. Until she feels safe enough to truly begin working on processing the trauma, it’s likely the nightmares will continue.” 

“Is there anything we can do to help her feel safe?” Kyle says. 

Christine’s lips purse as she looks between the four of them. “I’m not sure any of you could do anything right now directly, at least. She’s not open to that yet. Working on your bonds with each other, though, could help her omega finally settle and allow her emotions to even out again. That can help her feel safer, remove that instability and the fear of losing control again.” 

All of them share looks, John and Simon staring at one another. They hadn’t even thought about that. Well, at least he hadn’t. Christine had told him months ago that omegas need their alpha when they distress, when their omega takes over. They can come back from it with the help of an alpha...their alpha. Without one, the chances of survival were slim. Yet here you are, trying to do it all on your own. Having to do it all on your own. 

That ache in his chest starts again as he stares at Simon. He sent Simon after you, he made Simon go through that process of seeing you in that state and scruffing you. He made Simon be the one to help you through that. He made Simon be there when you needed an alpha most because he couldn’t face the fact that he abandoned you, he left you behind like you were nothing but another faceless soldier. 

He wipes his face as the tears start falling again. He truly is a failure of an alpha. 

Despite Christine’s reassurances, John can’t help the automatic reaction to your screams. On his feet instantly, his heart pounding in his chest ready to fight bare handed whatever might be causing such a reaction. Whoever might be causing such a reaction. He can’t fight the demons in your head, though, and he’s always greeted by the sight of Christine by your side, comforting you as best she can. 

He wants to hate her, wants to be angry at her for taking his place, doing what he should be doing. His alpha scratches at his mind every time he sees her by your side, giving you comforts he should be giving, but it’s his fault. It’s his fault she’s the one there with you. It’s his fault you’re suffering so much. Those thoughts send his alpha crawling back into its cage with its tail between its legs. 

It doesn’t matter the time of day, whether it was a nap or the middle of the night, your screams have a pain throbbing deep in his chest. His heart is constantly racing, waiting for that rush of adrenaline at the sound of your terrified scream, at that rush of instinct to protect and fight. He’s not sure how much his heart can take. 

He might have a heart attack by the end of their stay at the cottage. 

That’s something he’s been trying not to think about. 

They can’t stay here forever, no matter how much he knows you’ll want to, how much the others will want to. Eventually they’ll begin to go stir-crazy, itching for something to do. They still have jobs, and Kate can only keep them off the radar for so long, and can only give so many excuses. Eventually they’ll have to go back. Eventually they’ll have to make that decision of what comes next. 

He’s going to delay that as much as he possibly can. 

They can’t go back while Shepherd is still out there. They can’t trust that anywhere is safe while he’s still skulking around, while he still has contacts that could put them all in danger. That could put you in danger. 

That’s not a risk he’s willing to take again. 

But what comes next? 

What will they decide to do? Can they go back, knowing what the inevitable will be? Can they take that risk of having to leave you again, put you through that constant fear and worry that they might not come back? What if they all leave again? Could you survive the fear that something might happen while they’re away again? Not to them, but to you? 

Could they leave you alone again? 

Those are thoughts for another day when they’re inevitably faced with the fact they have to return to society and their lives and jobs. 

They have time. 

He has to make sure you’re okay first. 

You’re not okay.

You’re so very far from okay. 

The bedside lamp is on, casting a golden glow around the room. 

There’s nothing there. There’s nothing there. 

It’s one of the rare times you’ve woken before you can react, before you can scream and alert everyone in the house that you’ve had a nightmare. They’ll all come running. All of them. 

You hate it. 

You hate the nightmares, you hate the fear, you hate the constant pain and worry and the constant knowledge that your pack is right there. They want to go back to how things were, they want things to go back to normal, but they can’t. They expect you to forgive them, to go back to loving them, but how can you after everything? 

They left you. 

They let this happen to you and they just want you to pretend like nothing happened. That’s what they would do. Go back to normal life after being tortured and forget it all happened because that’s what they do. 

You’re not them. 

You don’t want to be like them. 

Cold. Heartless. Uncaring. Unwilling to put anyone but themselves first. 

Fuck them. 

The only thing keeping you here is the fact you’re bonded to them. That, and you’re an omega. You’d get picked up off the street and brought right back here to your owner. Or, worse, you’d get picked up by someone looking for a cute little omega to add to their collection. 

Or worse. 

You’d get picked up by someone else. 

Graves. Shepherd. 

If you’re lucky, they’d kill you instantly. Leave your body on the front porch for the others to find. You won’t care anymore. You’ll be dead. 

You hastily wipe the tears from your cheeks, wiggling yourself back until you’re leaning against the headboard. Your shoulder doesn’t hurt quite as much anymore. It still throbs, still aches, still occasionally almost puts you on the floor when you try to reach over your head with it. Your throat is healing too. Soup isn’t quite as horrible as it was a few days ago. Solid food makes you ache, but at least you can get it down without feeling like you’re swallowing glass. 

You still haven’t spoken to them, though. 

You can hardly stand to look at them. 

Fuck them. 

Just the thought of them makes you want to scream. 

Dr. Keller says it's normal, being angry. ‘It’s all part of the process.’ The anger, the fear, the pain, the depression. It’s all normal. It’s all part of the process. It’s all necessary. You won’t get better holding it all in. You won’t get better numbing yourself. You won’t get better if you don’t allow yourself to feel everything. 

You hate it. 

Why should you have to go through all these feelings, all this pain? Why should you be the one suffering because of their decisions? It’s not fair. They should be suffering. They should be in pain. They should be the ones on the brink of insanity because of the fear and the pain and the suffering and their omega constantly screaming at them. 

It makes you want to scream. 

Screaming will only draw them in, force them closer. Screaming will alert them all, make them all come running. You don’t want any of them near. You don’t want to have to see them again. 

Fuck them. 

You let out a huff before wiggling back down the bed until your head hits the pillow. You won’t go back to sleep. You never do. At least you have the pain and exhaustion and tumultuous emotions and your very nature to excuse your constant naps, constant sleeping during the day. They don’t need to know you’re not sleeping at night. They won’t care. They don’t care. None of them do. 

Fuck. Them. 

You want your phone, you want something to keep you occupied. It’s probably lying somewhere on the side of the road shattered beyond repair. That, or it’s back in the barracks. The barracks. Fuck that place. You’ll rip your hair out strand by strand if you have to go back there. It’s not safe, it’s not happy. There’s nothing good about that place anymore. 

It’s just a place of pain. You might as well have been tortured by Phil there. 

You were tortured there. 

It wasn’t a physical torture, but a mental one. The entire experiment was just torture for you. No one thought of you, no one cared about you. 

Dr. Keller cares. 

It’s her job to care. 

Still, you can’t hate her entirely. She’s the only one that understands. She’s the only one that can help. She’s the only one that’s been helping. Not just now, but back then. She cared, she fought for you, she did her best with what she had. Sure, she made mistakes, but so did you. She’s the only one you can forgive. 

She’s the only one you want to forgive. 

Fuck the others. Fuck your pack. Fuck those fucking soldiers who were never going to care about anyone but themselves, who were never going to care about anything but their jobs and their duties and the good of the world. 

You should have been their world. 

They couldn’t put you first. They wouldn’t put you first. They didn’t want to put you first. 

They won’t change. They can’t change. There’s no hope for change. 

You’ll just go back to the way things were before and be forced to pretend everything's okay and that you’re happy and fine and content. Were you ever really content or were you just trying to make the best of the situation? Were you deluding yourself into believing you loved them and cared about them and that they loved you and cared about you to numb the fact you knew deep down that they never would, that they never could. Were you deluding yourself into thinking everything was fine and dandy to hide the constant pain from the knowledge that you would never come first? 

The pain begins to burn in your chest again. It’s hot like acid, rising in your chest to your throat, threatening to choke you. It’s a deep pain, one nestled right in against your soul. Tears leak out of your eyes again as you squeeze them shut, pushing your right hand against your chest in an attempt to get it to pass. 

You thought you were dying the first time. 

You could only be so lucky. 

The bond. 

It’s trying to break, trying to sever itself, trying to free you from the constant pain, but it can’t. 

Maybe because deep down you don’t want it to. Maybe deep down you want to forgive them and move past all of this. Maybe you want things to go back to normal, even if normal means pain and distress and fear. Maybe you want to believe them that they’re finally going to put you first. 

‘Maybe’ is only a doorway to disappointment and pain. 

Fuck yourself. 

Fuck your omega. 

Fuck your pack. 

Hell, fuck Dr. Keller for not fighting harder, for not doing more. 

Fuck Graves and his haunting of your nightmares.

Fuck Kate for choosing you.

Fuck Shepherd for creating the initiative in the first place to try and cover his own ass. 

Fuck them all. 

You tug the blanket higher around yourself, rolling onto your right side. 

Fuck. Them. All. 

You don’t want him here. 

He does it now, usually in the mornings. 

You hate it. 

You like it. It’s nice. He’s the only one making an effort. 

He never says anything, surprisingly enough. It’s silent as he sits there, steaming cup of coffee in hand. Always coffee, never tea. He won’t sink that low. He brings you a cup, but you can never bring yourself to touch it. You feel like a mental patient stuck in a straight jacket. You could free yourself, but that would bring too much awareness, too many questions, too much pain. 

You don’t want to. 

So instead you sit there in silence, staring out at the sea. It’s so far away still, yet it’s right there. You can hear it and smell it and see it. 

The sea. 

They brought you to the sea. 

John remembered. He did it for you. 

The thought has something stirring in your chest, and it’s not pain or anger. 

You hate it. 

Johnny leans back in the chair, his eyes on the horizon like yours. He sits there in that chair every chance he gets, usually in the mornings when Dr. Keller takes time for herself and leaves one of them watching you through the sliding glass door. You do feel guilty for forcing so much on Dr. Keller’s shoulders, yet you need her. 

You’re not ready for the others yet, no matter how loudly your omega screams at you. 

You don’t want them. 

Fuck, you desperately need them. 

Your eyelids flutter frantically as you try to keep the tears at bay. You can’t cry. You can’t let him know how close you are to breaking down. You can’t. 

You can’t reach out. 

You can’t take his hand. 

How desperately you want to. 

You nearly breathe a sigh of relief when the sliding door opens, Dr. Keller’s soft footsteps crossing the wood planks of the porch. 

“Ready to go inside now?” She asks, pressing the back of her hand against your cheek. You don’t say anything, don’t react, frozen in fear of everything coming tumbling out in front of Johnny. “You’re getting cold.” 

Johnny glances your way and you immediately turn to look at Dr. Keller, scared to look him in the face. That desperate hold you have on the gaping wound in your abdomen will open and your guts will come spilling out like some gory scene in a horror movie. 

Disembowelment thanks to your own weakness. 

Dr. Keller holds the crutch out for you as you push yourself to stand. Your legs are strong enough you could probably walk without it, but it’s still nice to have it in case you get tired. 

If you fall, you’ll never get up again. 

It’s the weakness from your liquid diet over the past week and a half. The weakness of being unable to eat solid foods, to properly nourish. You’ve lost weight, your clothes hanging from your body in a way they never did before. You’ve lost the softness that marks you as an omega, but it feels fitting. You don’t feel like an omega anymore. 

You don’t feel like anything anymore. 

You’re fighting your instincts out of pain and suffering and stubbornness. You keep taping your omega’s mouth shut despite how loudly she screams at you. You don’t want your instincts. You don’t want that need. Eventually it has to go away. Eventually it has to recede and your omega has to go back into her cage and sleep. Eventually you can numb yourself to it and force it away forever. 

That will certainly make things easier. 

But will it make things better? 

No. Probably not. 

It’ll make things worse. 

But if it allows you to keep your distance, allows you to avoid them, you’ll risk it. You’d take numbness over anything right now. 

How you miss those long days of depression while they were away. How you took those days for granted. 

Who knew those hours spent worrying about them and their distance and what might happen to them would be for nothing? 

What you wouldn’t give for all of them to disappear right now. 

How badly it would destroy you. 

“She’s at war with herself. That instinctual need is screaming at her, but that emotional pain is keeping her shut away. If anyone is going to get through to her, it will probably be you.” 

“I can’t do that.” 

“Can’t or won’t?” 

Simon clenches his jaw as he stares at Christine. As much as he wants to hate the doctor and her ability to see straight through him, he can’t deny how necessary her presence has been. She’s the only one you tolerate, the only one you’ll let close. Without her you’d probably be rotting in bed, stuck and unable to do anything out of stubbornness. You won’t let them close, yet you need them close. 

You’re going to rip yourself in half, metaphorically and possibly even literally. 

He shakes that mental image from his mind. The horrifying images his mind has conjured up over the last few days have his stomach churning. Even his tea no longer looks appetizing. 

He put milk in it this time. Almost how he likes it. Almost how he wants it. 

“Johnny’s the one actually trying.” Simon says, staring across at her. She doesn’t shy from his gaze, doesn't even flinch. “You should talk to him.” 

“While I agree, reintroducing a beta from the pack is the first step, eventually she’s going to need an alpha.” Christine says. 

“She needs her alpha.” He argues. 

“She doesn’t want her alpha.” Christine counters. “He’s going to be the last she lets close, but she’s going to need some kind of stability.” 

“I can’t give her that.” 

“Can’t or won’t?” 

Simon clenches his hand around his mug, his knuckles going white. She’s infuriating, yet he can’t be mad at her. Not completely. The good she’s doing for you, for the pack, far outweighs his annoyance with the doctor. She’s right. He knows it deep down, but he can’t. He can’t do that, he can’t put you through that. He’s already done enough. He did his part, he faced his fears, he saved your life. That’s enough for him. It’s up to John now. 

John has to do the work to fix it. He broke it, it’s no one else’s job to fix it. 

“Maybe both.” Simon finally says, pushing himself up to stand. “It’s not my job to fix this.” 

He leaves his mug behind as he stalks out of the kitchen, heading for the front door. He can’t stand being in the house any longer, cooped up with the same five people. Four people and a ghost. 

He shakes his head, jogging down the steps into the gravel. He should go for a jog. A long jog. He could jog to town and back. That will clear his head. 

That’s a long jog.

If something happens while he’s away, he won’t get back in time. It’ll be his fault because he took the time to do something selfish. He can picture it, coming back to find five bodies laying in pools of blood, dead because he wasn’t there to help, because he wasn’t there to fight. 

It’s a ridiculous thought. There’s three other highly trained soldiers in the house. If anyone tried anything, they wouldn’t make it past the door. He can see it now, Price’s alpha coming out in a rage because someone dared try to enter and hurt his vulnerable omega. He’d probably win in a fight ten to one if that happened, and he has Kyle and Johnny to back him up. Christine would take you and run the first chance she could. She wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Not again. 

Still, he can’t shake that fear. If he can’t sprint back, then it's too far. If it will leave the pack too vulnerable, he can’t. 

To the beach and back, then. 

She’s like an angel. 

The soft sunlight streaming through the clouds makes her glow. You wouldn’t be surprised if the sun was shining just for her, sending down a beam just to illuminate just how ethereal she is. 

The Garrick beauty is genetic. 

Kyle is beautiful in terms of a man. He shares the same ethereal glow as his sister, but Ashley? You don’t feel worthy of looking upon her. 

“Kyle never mentioned an omega, but then again, he never says much about his job.” She gives another dazzling smile, your heart rate picking up just slightly. “Can’t, I should say. You haven’t been with them long, huh.” 

“About nine months.” You say, your voice still a bit hoarse. It’s not quite healed yet. It might be that way forever. 

“Such a short amount of time to go through so much.” She says, giving you a soft, sympathetic look. You don’t know how much she knows, though it’s still fairly obvious you’ve been through hell. That you’re still going through hell. “Christine told me a bit about what happened. I don’t blame you one bit for being upset at them. I would have left them, but I know. In a perfect world, right?” 

You make a quiet sound. Indeed in a perfect world where omegas have rights and can make their own decisions and could leave and have support in doing so. You’d leave with Dr. Keller or even Ashley, even though you’ve only known her for ten minutes. She has the same magnetic energy as Kyle, so much so you don’t mind the way the scent blockers burn your nose. She probably smells like something warm and soft, something comforting. 

“So, tell me about yourself. What do you like to do?” She says, settling in the chair. It’s cool outside, but she doesn’t seem bothered by it one bit. 

You scramble for something, anything. What is it you like to do? What are your hobbies? You’re drawing a blank, your mind searching through its filing cabinets to find where you shoved all the things you like to do. 

“I like to read.” You finally say, remembering the stack of untouched books on the dresser across from the bed. 

“Oh? What do you like to read?” She asks. 

What do you like to read? What is a genre? What are books? 

“Oh, I read anything, as long as it’s interesting.” Is that the truth? You’re not quite sure. 

“I see, I see. Well, there’s quite the collection on those shelves inside. I’m a reader too. Read through those entire shelves over the years.” She grins at you. “We could do a little book club, if you’d like. Read some books and talk about them over some tea. We could get Christine in on it too. Have a little thing just for us girls.” 

You nod, staring at her in awe. This is the first time someone outside of your little circle has offered to do anything with you, for you. 

You want to do it. 

You want to spend time with someone who isn’t your pack, who isn’t Dr. Keller. 

“Okay.” You say, still staring at her in awe. 

“I could come over on the weekends, or we could do a call if you’re not up to seeing anyone.” She continues, and you’re not sure if she made this plan before she came, or if she’s coming up with it on the spot. Regardless, you're still impressed by her and her dedication to a complete stranger. 

“Would...would that be too much?” You ask, your brain starting to wake up again, the wires connecting once more. 

“Not at all.” She shakes her head. “I live and work in Exeter, so I’m not too terribly far away.” 

You’re not sure where Exeter is off the top of your head. Your mental map isn’t even sure how far away London is...or even where you are on a map of England. Are you even in England right now? 

“What do you do for work?” You ask, realizing you’ve been silent for an awkward amount of time. 

“I’m a finance lawyer.” She says. “Mum used to say ‘you love to argue so much, you should become a lawyer.’” She laughs. “So I did.” 

“You must make a lot of money.” You say. You don’t know how much lawyers make in England relative to the US. 

“I make enough to be comfortable.” She says. Enough to travel back and forth every weekend. “Seriously, though, if you need or want anything, let me know. I’m more than happy to come sit with you and give you a break from those stinky men.” 

You’re not quite sure what happens to your face. It contorts, muscles shaking off the dust and starting to move before you even realize it. Your lips are tilting upwards instead of downwards. Something is happening. Something that feels good, something that you’ve been missing. 

You’re smiling. 

You’re smiling. You haven’t smiled in a long time. Weeks. Not since the cameras. Not since your pack left. You haven’t felt like smiling in so long you’re certain you forgot how to. But yet, here you are, smiling at Ashley. It’s not a genuine smile, one that crinkles your eyes and shows joy, but it’s a smile. It almost hurts your face after so long. 

She’s funny too. 

Stinky men. 

They are that. 

Your smile falls as soon as the sliding glass door opens, your head whipping around to look. Ashley turns to look too, perhaps out of instinct at your sudden movement. 

You’re half expecting it to be one of the guys, maybe Kyle out to ruin the moment, but it’s only Dr. Keller. 

“How are things going?” She asks, stepping up beside you. 

“Good.” Ashley says. “We’re planning a book club.” 

“Oh?” Dr. Keller raises a brow, looking between you. “I think that would be fantastic.” 

“You’re welcome to join in if you’d like,” Ashley says, giving Dr. Keller a smile. 

You stare up at Dr. Keller, watching the way her lips turn up a smile, her eyes shining with...something. Her hands open and close, tugging at her pants almost nervously. Your brows raise as you look back up at her face. She almost looks...flustered. 

Oh. 

Another grin forms on your face as you stare between them, Ashley still smiling and Dr. Keller still looking a bit flustered. 

Oh. 

“You could join us if you want.” You say slowly, still looking up at Dr. Keller. 

She seems to snap out of her daze, her gaze darting down to you. She gives you a soft smile, back to her composed, professional self. “If that’s what you’d like.” 

You nod. Even though you see her constantly every day, you’re not tired of her existence yet. She’s the only one whose existence in the house doesn’t make you want to gouge your eyes out, the only one you want to talk to, to see, to have around. If you had the choice, you’d be here alone with her. 

That’s not possible. You know it’s not. 

“A thing for just us girls.” Ashley says. “On the weekends. No pressure whatsoever.” 

“I think that would be fantastic.” Dr. Keller says. “A nice little distraction.” 

“A nice break from those stinky men.” You say. 

Both Dr. Keller and Ashley erupt in laughter. 

Another smile tugs at your lips. 

You don’t want to be here. You can feel him staring at you from behind. He hasn’t moved since Dr. Keller left, still just standing there like he’s not sure he can approach you or not. You hope he doesn’t. You want him to. 

You don’t say anything, still staring out at the ocean, but you can see him reflected in the glass, obscuring your view of the horizon. Hatred burns inside of you as you have no choice but to stare at him, even when you’re trying not to. He’s like a ghost, always haunting you. He always will be. 

“I didn’t want to try to rush into this.” He finally says, knowing you’re not going to say anything. You won’t greet him, welcome him into your space. It already feels like an intrusion into your safety, him being here. 

Is this becoming a safe space? A nest? No, not that far. It’s becoming sacred to you, though, and having him in it without invitation feels wrong. It makes you uncomfortable. 

You hate it. 

“But I just wanted you to know that we’re all feeling the weight of what we did, I’m feeling the weight of what I decided to do. We all feel guilty for putting you through that, for forcing you to endure things you never should have.” 

He swallows thickly, falling silent for a moment. You almost feel like laughing at his attempt at an apology, another attempt at an apology. Why is he even bothering? He knows you won’t forgive him. He’s probably doing it for himself again, to make himself feel better. 

“I know it’s not an ideal situation, being forced in such a small space together, but we all wanted you to know that you’re the one setting the boundaries. If you don’t want us to be somewhere or do something, then you can tell us, or have Christine tell us. If you don’t want to see us at all, we can make our best attempts at that.” 

“That would be ideal.” You say, breaking the silence you’ve held for days. It’s the first time you’ve spoken to him since the hospital, since his first sad attempt at an apology. 

It shocks him to stillness and silence. 

The words hurt, burning your throat like acid as you stare at his reflection in the glass. You hate it, how pathetic he looks standing there. Where’s the big, tough alpha? Where’s the strong protector? Where’s the person that’s supposed to take care of you and care about you? 

He never existed. 

He left you behind. 

He never cared. 

Anger begins to bubble within you. 

“I’m sorry.” He says, his voice shaking. “I never meant for this to happen-”

“You think your sad attempts at apologies are going to work?” You hiss at him through your teeth. You push yourself to stand, turning to face him. “You left me. You fucking left me there knowing full well what was going to happen!” You’re shouting now. All the quiet movements on the other side of the wall in the main area stop. 

They’re all listening. 

It’s not like you’re giving them much of a choice not to. 

Fuck them.

“I know,” He says, his eyes wide as he stares at you. 

“Do you? Do you know?” Your voice is wavering, your throat starting to ache but you can’t stop. Not now. It’s all coming out and there’s no stopping it. “You. Left. Me. You willingly turned your back on me time and time again even when I was being tortured! You leaving was torture enough and you still chose me second. I’ve always been second. I’ve never mattered enough for you to even question anything!” 

You let out a sob, the sound cracking in your throat. It hurts, but it will always hurt. You’ll always carry this hurt with you, so you want him to hurt too. 

“I asked you once if you would ever leave for me. You said if things got dangerous, if my life were ever at risk because of you, you’d leave in a heartbeat.” The tears are falling, streaming down your face. “Was that a lie?” 

He doesn’t say anything. He just stands there, staring at you. Does he even remember that conversation? 

“Was that a lie?” You shout, making him jump. 

His eyes drop to the floor, his scent souring. Good, you think. Let it hurt. 

“Answer me.” You say, pushing him to give some response to your question. You need to know. You need him to say it. 

“I didn’t intend for it to be.” He says quietly. 

“You didn’t intend for it to be.” You say, bitterness coating your tone. “What the fuck does that mean? You said you wouldn’t let me go even if the initiative failed. Was that a lie too? Was it all a lie to keep me happy and complacent? ‘The job always comes first,’ even when my life is in danger, right? The job always comes first over everything, even me. You lied to me.” You swallow the sob threatening to come up. “I want to hear you say it.” 

He stands there, tears brimming in his eyes. He hasn’t moved hardly a muscle, still frozen like a statue. 

“Say it!” You scream at him, your throat tearing around the words. You’re surprised you’re not tasting blood yet from how raw it feels. 

“I lied.” He says, swallowing thickly. “I lied to you and I couldn’t keep my promise. And I’m sorry-” 

“Don’t apologize.” You cut him off starting to pace as the anger burns hot in you. “Don’t you fucking apologize to me, you don’t deserve to apologize. You don’t deserve the chance at forgiveness. You’re a shitty alpha and you always have been!” 

You let out a sob, wiping at the tears streaming down your face. There’s a tear sliding down his cheek, and it brings you some sort of relief deep down. So he can feel things after all. 

“I don’t know what I expected, though.” You let out a sardonic laugh. “You military men are all the same. It’s always about the job and the image and the ‘greater good’ and making sacrifices, even if that means sacrificing your pack. You’re just like my dad. You never wanted an omega, you never wanted me. You cast me out and let me suffer when I needed you most.” 

The anger burns hot in you again, shooting through your veins until it’s choking you as you stare at him standing there pathetically. He thought he could apologize, he thought his groveling would mean anything to you. Fuck him. Fuck them all. 

“You left me.” You grit out, your hands starting to shake. “You left me! You abandoned me, you let me get hurt! You didn’t care, you never cared about me!” You storm over to him. “Fuck you!” You scream, hitting his chest. “I fucking hate you!” You shove him back, sending him stumbling. “Get out!” You shove him again, pushing him back towards the door. “Get out! I never want to see you again!” 

He stumbles back out of the door and you slam it in his face so hard it shakes on its hinges. You click the lock as you sob in pain, pain both physical and emotional. Your chest aches, a tearing feeling burning through it. 

The bond. 

You don’t care. You don’t give a fuck anymore. You hate him, you hate them all. 

The tears and sobs threaten to choke you but you don’t care. You don’t care anymore. You don’t care about anything anymore except the anger burning hot through you, making your hands shake. Your legs give out and you slide to the floor against the door, sliding until you’re laying down on your back on the hardwood. It’s cold against your skin but you don’t care. You can’t care anymore. 

If you fall, you’ll never get up again. 

Her hand presses against your forehead, wiping some of the sweat beading on your skin. Despite your shivers, you’re burning hot. A fever. You worked yourself up too much earlier in your outburst. She had been proud of you for finally releasing some of it and showing some emotion, but she knew the consequences of getting so worked up would be high. Your omega is still unstable, on top of still trying to physically recover. You hurt yourself doing that, even if it was necessary. 

She shushes you as you whine, fingers grasping at the blanket clumsily. She pulls it higher over you, your body shuddering underneath the pile already stacked on top of you. She’d put every blanket she could find over you, and yet you still shiver. Worry floods her again as she stares down at you, your eyes pinched closed. You must be aching, your show of anger taking its toll. 

It was necessary, but at what cost? 

If your temperature continues to spike, the risk of distress heightens. You can’t handle distress in your current state, which would mean your omega would come out, finally be freed again from the unprotected cage it's been pushed back into. If your omega comes out, that will require John to help, which may only drive you further into distress. 

She needs to try and stop this before the situation continues to deteriorate. 

But how? 

How can she move you past this without the help of your pack? She can’t give you the comfort you need. Medicine or any therapeutic methods can help solve the issue at its core. Sure she can try and lower your fever with medicine, but you need your pack. You need that comfort and stability that only they can offer. 

You need someone, and it can’t be her. 

If your omega comes back out, they might never be able to get it back in. It’ll be the end of you. All of your recovery, the fight you’ve put up against your body and your instincts and your mind will have been for nothing. 

You need someone. 

An idea begins to form in her head, her hand resting against your forehead. It’s hot under her hand, your skin burning. You might hate her later for this. It’s risky, but sometimes risks have to be taken in dire situations. Sometimes those risks pan out in the end. What will happen if it fails? The inevitable that’s going to happen if she doesn’t try. It’s a lose-lose situation, but if it works, it could be a win-win. 

She can’t help you, but maybe she has someone who can. 

She tucks the blankets around you, cocooning you in an attempt to keep you warm and still while she steps away. She won’t be gone long.  

She leaves your door cracked open just in case, even though she doubts you’ll be moving much while she’s away. 

Just in case. 

One can never be too careful. 

She heads up the stairs quietly, going slow to avoid startling any of them. She’s intruding on the safe space they’ve made in their solitude. It feels like invading sacred grounds, but it's a necessary invasion. Their omega is in danger. They’ll forgive her. 

The bathroom door is closed at the end of the short hallway, a light on inside. The lights are on in both rooms too, glowing beneath both doors, and she takes a gamble. Based on the heaviness of the footsteps above the kitchen she can guess the room on the right is the one Simon and Johnny are staying in. If she’s wrong, she’ll have some explaining to do before she’s ready, and she knows John will have his thoughts about this. Though, with what happened earlier, perhaps he’ll agree. You won’t see him, but maybe...just maybe... 

She lets out a deep breath before knocking firmly, waiting a breath before she calls out.  

“Johnny, I need your help.”

She just hopes you don’t hate her too much later. 

NEXT ->

To be notified about new chapters, please follow HERE and turn on notifications

[midnighthazee]

Greenridge ABO Series

Series Masterlist Masterlist

I'm a visual person and like to have pictures to help visualize. So this is the back of the GR Pack mansion :)

Warnings: mentions of blood, mentions of abuse, fear, mentions of bodily fluids, language?, mentions of possible death, mild aggression, anger....

WC: 2876

Chapter 2

“Do you smell that?” a young man asked.

“Smell what, Seungmin? Stop getting distracted. You have five more burpees.” 

“Changbin, I’m serious.”

Changbin sniffed the air. “Is that…blood?”

“I think so...” Seungmin said, following the smell.

They walked for a couple minutes, following their senses until they came across a body - your body.

“Over here.” Seungmin called behind him as he rushed over and knelt down. 

“Oh my god. What happened to her?” Changbin asked, taking in the sight of your battered and bruised body. 

“We should call Felix. I’m afraid to move her.” Seungmin suggested.

“We need Doc Quinn… I don’t know if Felix could handle this.” Changbin said as he attempted to carefully lift an arm.

You didn’t move or make a sound at his touch.

“Is she…alive?” Changbin asked.

Seungmin gave him a nervous look before reaching two fingers towards your neck. He pressed against your pulse point and waited a few seconds.

“There’s a heartbeat. And she’s breathing.” Seungmin said with a smile.

“Well that’s a relief.” Changbin let out the breath he had been holding. “We need to get her to the house. Chan can tell us what to do.”

They carefully rolled you onto your back before Changbin lifted you into his arms. He froze, looking down at you as he caught a faint whiff of your scent.

“What? What’s wrong?” Seungmin asked.

“She’s, uh…” Changbin cleared his throat. “She’s an omega.”

Seungmin’s eyes grew wide as he looked at your face. He caught the faint scent too and exchanged glances with Changbin. They definitely needed to bring you to Chan. Chan was their alpha - Alpha to the Greenridge Pack.

The Greenridge Pack was one of the few packs neighboring the Nyko pack. And thanks to a longstanding agreement between the two, the Greenridge pack was safe from being overthrown by Nyko. 

The boys jogged home, hurrying to get you to the house to be examined. Seungmin had sent a text to the pack doctor that they had an emergency. She replied that she was on her way. He sent another one to Felix too but no response.

Changbin brought you in through the basement doors, leading you into the med room off to the side. Seungmin rushed upstairs to get Felix and Chan to come downstairs.

“Felix. I was texting you. Come here.” Seungmin said breathlessly.

“My bad. I’ve been gaming. Just let me finish this round. I’m about to top my high score.” Felix said.

“No now. It’s an emergency. Get to the med room.” Seungmin said, leaving Felix’s room and heading down to Chan’s office.

“Chan, you should come to the med room. We found a girl near the border. She’s in bad shape. I called Doc Quinn but you should come see.”

Chan got up quickly, ready to follow Seungmin downstairs.

“You should know…” Seungmin whispered to him, stopping him before they exited the room. “She’s an omega.”

Chan stared at him with wide eyes before rushing down to the basement. Felix was there already, looking you over and taking your vitals.

“I don’t even know where to start. We need Doc Quinn.” Felix said, shaking his head at your condition.

“I already contacted her. She’s on her way.” Seungmin informed.

Chan came over to you slowly as Felix twisted your arm to get a closer look. He noticed something and grabbed a pair of tweezers. He began removing it, causing you to groan. He successfully pulled it out of your skin and dropped it into his palm. He hissed, shaking his hand and dropping it on the floor.

“Silver. Seems like someone shot her with silver pellets.” Felix spoke, looking wide-eyed at Chan.

Chan’s jaw clenched, looking over your condition. There were several spots littering your body…enough to kill you.

“We need to remove them all.” Changbin said, stepping forward.

“No one touches her.” Chan growls, causing everyone to tense. “We wait for Doctor Quinn.”

“Chan, at least let me start taking the pellets out.” Felix quietly pleaded.

Chan just nodded to him.

Felix moved to your arm to remove the next pellet. He managed to carefully remove five before Doctor Quinn finally arrived.

“My…who do we have here?” She asked, taking in the girl on the table.

“We found her unconscious.” Chan stated. “Seems she was hunted with silver bullets.”

“Weird. There’s no hunters around here.” Doctor Quinn furrowed her brows. She listened to your breathing and heart as Felix removed another pellet.

“How many pellets have you removed?” she asked.

“Only seven. There’s still so many left.” Felix looked pitifully at your body.

“Her heart rate is low. Her breathing also doesn’t sound right.” Doctor Quinn informed the room.

She moved to flash light in your eyes and check your pupillary response. After one eye, you groaned, growing conscious. Everyone in the room tensed as you opened your eyes. You didn’t recognize the room and it was bright. You winced, moving to sit up.

“Careful. We still-.” Quinn began to say.

The sound of her voice startled you. You then noticed her and four others in the room. Panic set in, making you jump from the bed. Your legs gave out beneath you, making you fall to the cold tiled floor. Quinn tried to approach you but you growled, crawling back in fear of the strangers.

“It’s okay. We don’t want to hurt you.” she spoke warmly.

You kept your head low, avoiding looking at either of them. Your whole body shook and you weren’t sure if it was because it was cold or if you were that scared. Your forehead was also sweating and your skin felt clammy. Even your stomach churned and before you knew it, you threw up. It wasn’t much but you definitely didn’t feel right. 

“Is that…?” one of the boys began to ask.

“Oh dear. That’s not good.” Quinn said, trying to approach again.

You flinched, growling as you looked away and attempted to kick her in defense. It was a lame attempt but you barely had the strength. You decided on trying to crawl away from them.

“We won’t hurt you. We just wanna help.” Felix tried to say.

You didn’t listen, the pounding of your heart clouded your ears as you looked for a way out. Unfortunately, they were blocking the only exit.

Chan moved closer, emitting calming pheromones in efforts to relax you. It made the boys feel a bit better, but did nothing to calm you even though you could smell it. The boys could tell it wasn’t working and looked at Chan with worried expressions. Chan moved closer and you growled once more. You realized what a grave mistake you just made as you caught a whiff of his scent - he was the alpha.

“Chan… careful.” Felix cautioned.

Chan? No…. Please don’t let this be Alpha Chan. You thought.

You had heard his name a few times and none of it was good. You moved away from him but he was quick to approach you. You kicked frantically, but he grabbed one of your legs as you tried to crawl away. You let out a yelp but didn’t dare to look at his face as you tried to fight him off.

After lots of squirming, he had you pinned down on your stomach. Squirming and whining, you felt tears on your cheeks. There was a pinch in your arm before you felt yourself slipping into the darkness once more. You tried to fight the sleep trying to overtake you, but it was no use.

“Well she didn’t go down easy…” Seungmin noted.

Chan glared at him. “Go get the mop and clean this up.”

Seungmin’s shoulders dropped as he left reluctantly.

Changbin and Chan lifted her back onto the hospital bed in the center of the room. Doctor Quinn looked at the few pellets Felix pulled out of her.

“Did you touch these at all with your hands?” Quinn asked quickly.

“No…they’re silver. I was careful” Felix said, coming back around to grab the tweezers he was using.

“Not all of them.” Quinn picked up a blue one and studied it. “I think these have cobalt.”

The guys’ heads snapped towards her.

“That’s why she’s vomiting blood. We need to get all these pellets removed as soon as possible. We don’t know how much cobalt is in her system right now. We don’t have a lot of time.” Quinn told them, moving over to the medicine cabinet and pulling out a vile. She measured out some of the medicine and injected it into your IV felix set up.

Felix began removing the pellets with the help of Doctor Quinn. It took about thirty minutes, but they managed to remove them all. Chan had paced the room as they did so. There wasn’t much Changbin could do now, so Chan said he should go rest. He figured he would try since it was so late, but he found himself worrying over you.

Seungmin had come back and cleaned up the vomit before heading upstairs himself to shower and sleep as well. He knew there wasn’t much he could do to help right now either, so he opted for staying out of the way.

“Four cobalt pellets. I’m not sure how much was in them but my guess is a low dose. We took out a total of forty silver pellets on top of those.” Quinn informed Chan. “Whoever did this wanted her to suffer as they killed her.”

Chan shook his head, fists balled in anger at his sides and jaw clenched. He wanted to rip off the head of whoever did this to her.

“I’ll keep you updated, Alpha. Try to go get some rest.” Quinn spoke, resting a hand on Chan’s shoulder as she saw his anger building.

Chan looked once more at you before reluctantly leaving the room in a huff. Quinn listened again to your heart and breathing.

“Who would do something like this?” Felix mumbled.

“Someone evil. I fear that because there’s no hunters around here, someone of our kind did this.” Quinn pursed her lips. “Help me get her into the bath. I wanna clean her up.”

“Yeah, sure.” Felix shook his head as he looked at you. He grazed your cheek with his fingertips ever so softly.

They moved you to the bath and Quinn bathed you. Felix gave you your privacy and went to change the bedding on the hospital bed. He found a blanket somewhere and put that on there too before slipping some pajamas to Quinn to dress you in.

Quinn bathed you, gingerly wiping your wounds. She even drained the dirty water and filled it up once more before continuing. She took care in washing your hair, conditioning it too. After finishing your bath, she detangle and styled your hair into two french braids. Then she dried you off, inspecting your skin and injuries as she dressed you. Felix helped bring you back into the room and they put you to bed, covering you with a blanket and placing the IV back into your arm.

Again, Quinn checked your vitals, content with the results this time.

“Medicine’s working already.” Felix said with a smile.

“Yes. I’m going to update Chan before heading home. She’s sedated for now, but should wake in a few hours. Give her some food when she does. I’ll come back tomorrow to check on her again. Maybe then she won’t be so hostile.” Quinn smiled at Felix before heading upstairs.

“I was just heading back down.” Chan said, running into Quinn in the living room.

“I just wanted to update you before I leave.” Quinn ushered him outside to talk.

On the front porch, out of ear shot from the others who were possibly awake, Quinn updated him on your status.

“I’m guessing you already know she’s an Omega.” Quinn began.

“The scent was faint but I made it out.” Chan nodded.

“Well based on her condition, my guess is that she’s been severely abused. She’s malnourished, and I don’t think the dirt and injuries on her were just from being outside tonight. Looking at her skin, she had old and new bruises. There’s scratches and scars as well. That poor girl has been through Hell.” Quinn shook her head. “I don’t know who did this… but it's a miracle she got out. It’s not going to be easy to gain her trust, but I believe you can.”

“I hope so…I can feel the bond already I think…well I know…she’s my soulmate.” Chan spoke in a low voice.

“I figured…based on the way you eyed her the whole time we tended to her.” Quinn chuckled, nudging him with her elbow.

Chan smiled, ears turning red.

“If that’s the case, then she’s meant to be here. So be patient with her. In the meantime, we need to get her fed. I gave her an IV drip since she was so dehydrated. And the sedative should wear off in a few hours. So when she wakes, try to get her to eat. And have her take it easy, okay? She’s still healing. Don’t let her get too stressed out.”

“I will take care of her and make sure everyone will be on their best behavior.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow to check in.” 

They both stood, Quinn walking to her car. She opened the door, but stopped.

“Chan… you should know…” Quinn gave him a sympathetic look.

“What?”

“She’s been marked. Whoever it was, clearly isn’t her mate but did it anyway.”

Chan was seething to say the least. He was so furious he couldn’t see straight. He closed his eyes as he clenched his jaw. First they abuse her, then they mark her? Taking deep breaths he tried to center himself.

“Chan…she’s yours. When the time is right, you can fix this.” 

“You and I both know it’s a risk.”

“But not impossible.” Quinn raised her eyebrows before getting in her car and heading home.

Chan made his way back into the house. He wanted to see you. And now he would be able to truly see and smell you since Quinn cleaned you up. Felix was sitting on the couch, eating a sandwich, when he came in.

“Oh Chan…. Wait till you see her. She’s so pretty.” Felix beamed. “Like the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. She takes my breath away.”

Chan smiled at Felix but headed downstairs without a word. Felix was quick to follow, eager to see his reaction. Chan walked into the med room quietly and it felt like the air had been sucked from the room. Felix was right. You were gorgeous. A girl straight out of a fairy tale, you have the beauty of a princess. Your smooth skin, soft braided hair, and gentle features made him want to drop to his knees and sing praises to the heavens.

He made his way over to you, feeling the pull of his soulmate. He took his fingers and lightly stroked your cheek and down your arm. You were frail and in desperate need of a meal. But despite all the bruising and scars, he found you absolutely stunning. And your smell…it was like home. The salty air of the ocean, and the sweet smell of strawberries filled his nose.

Chan looked across your body to Felix and noticed the way he looked at you. He was staring at you in awe as well.

“She’s your soulmate….isn’t she?” Chan asked.

Felix looked up at him confused before nodding. “I- I can feel it.”

“She’s mine too.” Chan smiled sheepishly.

“We are… both her soulmates?”

“Seems like it.” Chan shrugged, holding your hand. “You should get some rest.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Neither am I. But you did amazing work today helping Doc Quinn. And tomorrow is going to be hectic with everyone. She’s going to need lots of patience from us. For her to learn to trust us after what she’s been through is going to be tough.”

“Yeah….” Felix conceded. “I’ll rest…but only if you rest too.”

“Fine. We will both rest. The sun will be up in a couple hours.” Chan gave you one last look over before heading upstairs. 

Felix headed upstairs and took a quick shower. Then he remembered that someone should be down there in case you wake up. So he put his pjs on and grabbed a pillow and blanket, heading down to sleep on the couch in the basement living area. 

The living area was just outside the med room. The other side of it had a bar, and then behind the bar was a full bedroom and bath, a room with gym equipment, and a storage room.

Upstairs, everybody has their own room. Chan wanted to make sure if they ever got an omega in their pack, they would have their own space too so there’s an extra bedroom. And if a friend needed a place to stay too? Well they could use the basement bedroom.

It didn’t take long for everyone in the house to finally be sleeping. The rest of the pack would be in for quite a surprise in the morning, but for now, they slept peacefully.

TAGLIST:

@its-the-solar-system @estella-novella @lxvxchxrlxttxbxrsx22-blog @butterflydemons @readr1221

[ofthemorningstars]

The Way We Fit

TerzOmega ~ Smut below the cut 4k words Yes, Omega is much larger than Terzo, with fangs and claws, but Terzo won't let that get in the way of their love. (Size difference k!nk) Based on the character depictions of Terzo and Omega that have been lovingly crafted by @kabukiaku , thank you so much for continuing to allow me to write stories based on your characters, and for giving me guidance and insight along the way! They truly are so special to me, and writing them is always such a fun process!

If you enjoy this story, check out her other socials too! kabukiaku's Ao3 kabukiaku's Ko-fi ---

Terzo checked his phone for what felt like the hundredth time. It had been fifteen minutes since Omega had last responded, and Terzo was getting a little antsy. He had been torturing Omega all day, sending him texts and photos that were at first just suggestive, but eventually became explicit as his excitement grew.

Omega's replies were shy, at first, but slowly got bolder, trying to match Terzo's energy. He was considering sending Omega an even racier photo in the hopes of speeding his arrival along, when he finally heard a key in the door to his chambers. Terzo’s expression twisted into a devilish grin. Today had been a long day; he had been waiting very patiently for Omega to come home. He was in the mood, and he knew just the ghoul for the job.

Terzo arranged himself just so on the bed, leaning back on his elbows with his legs bent at the knee in front of him. He was wearing nothing but sheer black thigh-high stockings and a pair of black lace panties, which he was already straining against. By the time Omega walked into the bedroom, wild eyes widening even further upon seeing Terzo laid out so pretty for him, Terzo felt like his body was on fire. He was itching to be touched.

Terzo didn’t know what had come over him today, but since they woke up that morning, he had felt an insatiable NEED gnawing at him, threatening to eat him alive.

He had wanted to try and satisfy his need that morning, but they had been up all night fooling around the previous night; by the time they finally woke up, Omega had to leave for his ministry obligations, leaving Terzo all alone in his chambers on his day off. He had wanted to drag Omega back to bed, to beg him to stay, but he knew Omega would've done it, for him, and gotten in trouble. He had spent the whole day unable to think about anything other than Omega, and so, feverishly, he decided to make it both of their problem. If he couldn’t have his ghoul now, he would make sure that Omega would be prepared for him later.

Evidently his plan had worked, if the visible bulge in Omega’s pants was to be believed; Terzo’s grin widened.

“Terzo…” Omega croaked out, towering over him, a hand twitching at his side.

“You’re finally home, my darling,” Terzo purred sweetly. He spread his legs, beckoning Omega forward with a curl of his finger. “Come here, big boy.”

Omega practically ripped his mask off in his haste, letting it fall to the floor. Terzo’s heart skipped a beat at the expression on his face, all hunger and yet still full of such tenderness. Sweat had already begun to bead on his brow. His jaw was tense, and his eyes were scanning up and down Terzo’s body, drinking him in.

He approached Terzo slowly, almost reverent as he crouched down on the bed by Terzo’s feet. He moved to kiss Terzo’s calve before looking up at him, eyes questioning. Terzo’s smile softened as he nodded, reaching down to ruffle Omega's soft white hair affectionately.

Omega took one leg in his large hand, stroking up the back of it. He kissed his way from ankle to inner thigh, repeating the process with the other leg. His breath was hot and heavy on Terzo's skin, and Terzo began to squirm loosely in Omega's hold as lips and tongue tickled closer to where he wanted them. By the time Omega's mouth finally pressed a lingering kiss to his bulge, Terzo had begun to sweat as well, electricity coursing through his veins. Terzo grabbed Omega gently under the chin, tilting his face up to make eye contact.

“I want you inside me tonight, amore,” Terzo breathed, wanting to cut right to the chase and make his intentions known. Omega blinked, eyes growing impossibly wider.

“Are you sure, mia luce?” Omega stammered, his grey skin flushing darker. Omega shifted his weight on the bed, rubbing his legs together subtly. It was true that it wasn't their most common bedroom activity; due to their size difference, it was quite taxing on Terzo to have full penetrative sex with Omega. Tonight, though, Terzo was craving Omega as though his life depended on the press of their bodies together.

“Sì. I need you,” Terzo responded as though he’d never been more sure of anything, eyes lidded heavily. He ran a thumb over Omega’s bottom lip, tugging it down gently. Omega swallowed hard before grabbing Terzo’s hand in his own, turning his face into it and kissing Terzo’s palm. Omega staggered to his feet, going to fish a bottle of lubricant from the nightstand. He began to fumble with the lid of the bottle, seemingly forgetting about both of their clothes still being in the way in his haste. Terzo chuckled.

“My my, amore, so impatient,” Terzo tutted, as though he had any room to talk. Omega looked dumbfounded before realizing what he was doing. He hastily set the bottle on the bed, then made as though he were going to remove Terzo’s panties, but Terzo stopped him gently, catching his hand.

“Strip for me?” Terzo asked, voice saccharine as he batted his eyelashes. “Slowly,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

Omega eagerly complied, unbuttoning his shirt with trembling hands. Despite his eagerness, he did his best to take his time for Terzo. As he peeled back his layers, Terzo could see that his poor ghoul’s flush continued from the tips of his ears all the way down to his broad, muscled chest. Terzo nearly drooled at the sight of so much bare skin. After he had discarded his belt, Omega hesitated for the briefest of moments before beginning on his trousers. As he finally freed himself from his underwear, he glanced up at Terzo expectantly. It was Terzo’s turn to rub his thighs together. He inhaled loudly as he bit his lip, staring with open want.

“Mm, my beautiful ghoul is such a big boy,” Terzo crowed, wanting to shower Omega with praise. Omega looked chuffed, preening a little. “Sì. So beautiful… I want to taste.” Terzo’s tongue came out to lick its way up two of his own fingers, putting them fully in his mouth before slowly drawing them out through pursed lips, working to maintain eye contact. Omega’s cock jumped.

“Come play with me.” Terzo’s voice was syrupy, and all the invitation Omega needed to pounce. Omega crossed the room to Terzo before he could blink, and then he was upon him, kneeling again on the bed and pulling urgently at Terzo’s panties. This time Terzo didn’t slow him, wanting to be freed from the suffocating fabric to feel his lover’s touch. Terzo kicked the panties haphazardly across the room once Omega had gotten them down his legs. Omega grabbed him then, touch impatient. Terzo groaned, throwing his head back. He had been craving this all day, but at the rate at which Omega was moving in his enthusiasm, Terzo was worried about their night being cut unceremoniously short.

“S-stop, amore,” Terzo cautioned as Omega was mid-stroke, trying to catch his breath. “You are getting me too riled up,” he quickly added as he felt Omega freeze in an instant. Terzo scratched between Omega’s horns, feeling guilty for worrying him. Omega instantly melted, turning to putty in his hands. He rested his head on Terzo’s hip as he waited for direction, looking up at him with eyes full of adoration. His ragged breath was hot on Terzo’s skin. Terzo tugged gently at Omega’s hair, pulling him up to his face.

“Kiss me,” Terzo whispered. At once Omega’s mouth was on his, hungry and invading in a way that was incredibly welcome. He bit Omega’s lower lip gently, pulling it into his mouth, and Omega moaned. Terzo’s hands floated up to cradle Omega’s face, the pads of his thumbs running along his cheekbones. Throbbing turned to a persistent ache as their tongues danced together, and Terzo didn’t know how much more teasing he could take. Spreading his legs wider, Terzo coaxed Omega into making his way between his thighs. Omega followed his lead, breaking away from the kiss with a soft sound as he got himself into position.

“I need you, Omega,” Terzo reminded him softly, taking Omega in hand and stroking him delicately. Shuddering at his touch, Omega nuzzled the side of Terzo’s face. Terzo searched for where Omega had set the bottle of lube down on the bed before his striptease, wriggling in Omega’s hold to reach it. When he finally got it, he flicked open the cap, slicking the fingers of one hand with a generous amount. He handed the bottle to Omega.

Omega rocked back on his heels, giving both of them space to prepare. Terzo hissed as he slipped a finger into himself, slowly thrusting in and out. When he was comfortable, he added a second, and then, since Omega was so big, a third. Omega slicked his cock as he watched, enraptured, precum beading at his tip. Terzo curled his fingers, massaging, milking himself, enjoying the way Omega’s eyes watched hungrily as precum pooled on Terzo's stomach. Terzo groaned self-indulgently. He was as prepared for Omega's massive size as he could be. At this point, Terzo was just having fun with him.

Terzo withdrew his fingers from himself and beckoned Omega forward. Omega drew closer, reaching behind them to grab a pillow and propping Terzo’s hips up for easier access. Omega caressed Terzo's chest, then stomach.

“Are you ready?” Omega asked in a hushed voice.

“I am,” Terzo replied confidently, sure in his desires.

Terzo thought back to the first time they had done this, the first time that Omega had been inside of him. Omega had been sweating before they even started, trembling with nerves, so worried that he was going to hurt him despite Terzo’s endless reassurances. When he realized how afraid Omega truly was, Terzo had stopped them, cradling his ghoul’s head in his lap and soothing him until he steadied. They had a long talk, then, about boundaries, and how they didn't have to do anything that Omega didn’t want to. About how size wasn’t a factor that Terzo cared about, and how he never wanted it to be something that came between them.

Yes, Omega was twice his size, with beautiful fangs and claws, and in many ways, it was true that their bodies didn’t quite fit together. But they loved each other, and Terzo wouldn't let anything get in the way of expressing that love. Terzo even found those differences quite enticing, something that he had no problem admitting to Omega. When Omega had finally pushed inside of him that night, when they had finally united, it was all either of them could do not to finish far too early.

Terzo closed his eyes for just a moment, grounding himself in the present before he could get lost in sweet nostalgia. Omega moved closer, lining himself up with Terzo’s entrance, too focused on his task to notice that Terzo's mind had been elsewhere. He looked to Terzo for the go-ahead, face flushed, not quite meeting his eyes. Terzo smiled warmly at him, his own face surely a deep shade of pink by now. When Omega gingerly worked his tip inside, Terzo’s eyes rolled back, hissing before letting out a long, low moan as he was stretched. He had been aching for this all day.

“Yes! Oh, you feel so good, amore,” Terzo gasped, desperately aroused, biting his lip and letting his hands float up above him on the bed. Omega slowly pushed inside with a grunt, a look of concentration on his face as he gradually inserted as much of his shaft as he felt comfortable with. He rested, allowing Terzo a moment to adjust to his considerable girth. Terzo attempted to grind down on him anyway, shifting his hips. He was starved for more.

“Nn… deeper,” Terzo moaned breathily. Omega pushed inside just a little further, hesitant. Terzo knew from experience that he was pushing his luck, but he had to try.

“Deeper!” Terzo urged him on, panting.

“I really don’t think–”

“Please, Omega!” Terzo begged greedily, eyes wild and pleading as his chest heaved. Omega grabbed Terzo’s hands up above him, leaning forward, effectively pinning him to the bed. Terzo felt his cock jump at the suggestion of being physically restrained, but Omega's expression was one of concern.

“I don’t want to hurt you, tesoro,” Omega said sternly, voice firm. Terzo met his gaze, Omega's soft eyes boring into him. Terzo felt a twinge of guilt for pushing him too far. Releasing one of Terzo’s hands, Omega propped himself up to lean down to meet Terzo’s lips in a tender kiss, full of unspoken feelings. Terzo kissed him back with a shuddering sigh, his free hand coming up to tangle in Omega’s hair. Their kiss steadied him, and Terzo felt his clawing, overwhelming need calm, just a little. Just enough.

Terzo brought his legs up to wrap around Omega's large frame, locking his ankles. Omega cautiously began to move, slowly at first, but as his confidence grew, so did his momentum. Their breath came out in huffs, twining together. Terzo urged him on with the responsiveness of his body, moving with Omega and encouraging him to pick up both speed and force.

“Aaah, Omega!” Terzo cried, reaching out a hand, wanting to touch, he didn't care where. “You are doing so good, mio caro… so good,” Terzo praised him. Omega shivered, finally allowing himself to relax, surrendering freely to pleasure, beginning to make noises of his own. He hoisted Terzo’s legs further up his body, tucking them under his arms. His large hands wrapped around Terzo’s hips, claws digging as he gripped tight.

Terzo looked down, watching as a bulge in his belly disappeared and reappeared with each thrust, visible proof of his lover filling him. He was so intensely turned on by the sight that he felt lightheaded, balling the sheets up in his fists. When he watched as Omega gave a particularly forceful thrust, he reluctantly made himself tear his eyes away, his worries about cumming prematurely becoming a little too real.

An idea came to Terzo then, one that was too enticing to pass up. Terzo wanted to catch Omega up to where he was, in the hopes that they could finish together. Terzo felt around the bed blindly, looking for the discarded bottle. Finding his prize, Terzo asked for Omega's tail, stroking it lovingly, sensually, when it was presented to him. Omega to let out a shuddering moan. Terzo brought the narrow spaded tip to his lips, planting a kiss on its apex.

“Would you play with yourself for me?” Terzo murmured against Omega's skin. Omega whimpered, nodding emphatically, looking excited. Terzo lubed up the end of Omega's tail, taking his time, perhaps teasing him a bit more than was necessary. When Terzo finally released him, Omega allowed the tip of his tail to snake around behind him, penetrating himself. He pushed inside just enough to brush against his own prostate, letting out the most beautiful sigh.

Terzo tightened his thighs around Omega, wanting to get as close to him as possible. He wanted to touch Omega, to run his hands and his mouth all along his body, but in their current position, he couldn’t. Terzo whined, writhing under the ghoul. He was nearing his limit, pleasure building deliciously at the base of his spine. His hips moved in time with Omega’s motions, and he was overcome with a desire to ride Omega, to bounce and grind and control the speed and depth on his own. He would have to talk to Omega about letting them try that for a future encounter…

“Omega… I want you to cum inside me, amore… Please...” Terzo panted before repeating Omega’s name. He knew his dirty talk always made Omega weak, and he needed him to buckle before he lost his own grip on his control. Omega huffed through his nose, concentrating and picking up speed. Terzo began to drool, head thrown back in ecstasy, his speech turning into incoherent babbling.

Omega tightened his grip on Terzo’s hips, moving inside of Terzo and playing with himself all the while. Omega began to whimper, and Terzo could tell he was close. Unable to speak, he began to moan loudly, wanting to spur Omega on. It was working. Omega bucked hard, trying to restrain himself in order to protect Terzo, to not bury the entirety of his girthy length within him, but he was visibly struggling with his composure.

“Terzo…” Omega hissed out through gritted teeth, desperation in his voice. Omega reached out and grabbed Terzo’s cock, working him furiously. Terzo shouted at the added stimulation, back arching off the bed. He tried to hold on for as long as he could, but this was a battle he couldn’t win. It was an unspoken game between them, to see who could make the other climax first; neither of them wanted to finish before the other was satisfied, but inevitably, someone had to lose.

Tonight’s loser proved to be Terzo. He came with an agonizing wail as orgasm tore through him, his release painting hot streaks across his heaving chest. Pleasure washed over him for what felt like a blissful eternity. As he began to come down, Terzo bit his lip against a whine as Omega continued to move inside of him, overstimulated but needing with everything in him to let Omega finish.

“Omega..” Terzo whispered over and over like a prayer. “Please… Cum in me, Omega, I need you,” More dirty talk. He knew exactly how to push Omega’s buttons, how to overwhelm his senses. Omega lost it then, his cock kicking inside of Terzo as he came with a guttural groan, the dam finally breaking. His seed spilled out of Terzo, dripping onto the sheets.

As Omega braced himself with trembling arms on either side of Terzo’s head, sweaty and winded and struggling for air, Terzo felt an overpowering warmth and affection bloom through his chest. He wanted to cradle Omega in his arms, to stroke his hair and smother him with kisses, but in his current position he settled for reaching up to cup his jaw. Omega leaned into his touch.

Omega pulled out of Terzo slowly, carefully. Terzo mourned the loss. Standing on unsteady legs, Omega briefly left to get a towel, ever the gentleman, and helped Terzo clean up. Terzo silently wished that he would just leave it be for the moment and stay within his reach, free to touch, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless. When Omega settled down beside him it wasn’t a moment too soon, and Terzo descended upon him immediately, caressing and kissing and quietly singing praises. His hands and mouth explored Omega’s face and body, touch insistent, making up for all of the contact he couldn’t indulge in while they were in their previous position. Omega chuckled, reveling in the attention he was being showered with.

“Feeling better now, Papa?” Omega teased. He reached for Terzo, coaxing him back up to his level, stealing a kiss himself. “For a minute there I forgot which one of us was the demon,” Omega joked. Terzo cringed, feeling guilty.

“Sì. I am so sorry, my darling. I guess I did get a little out of control,” Terzo said, remorseful over the prospect of having perturbed Omega. “I am sorry for being such a menace.” Omega’s smile widened, and he took another kiss, making sure to take his time.

“What are you apologizing for, mia luce?” he asked against Terzo’s lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so turned on in my life.” Another kiss, this time with plenty of tongue. Terzo felt a spark of arousal race through him, though his body was too tired to follow through with it. He groaned into Omega’s mouth.

“Mio amato monstro…” Terzo breathed against Omega’s cheek when they broke apart. Omega started trailing languid kisses down Terzo’s neck, his chest. “I shouldn’t have distracted you while you were working. I don’t want to get you in trouble,” he continued, genuinely repentant.

“Worth it,” Omega stated simply, shrugging. They continued trading lazy kisses and lingering touches until Omega decided that they needed to get ready for bed.

“It’s getting late, tesoro,” Omega said reluctantly, pushing up on one elbow.

“It’s not that late yet,” Terzo scoffed, wanting to continue to bask in the afterglow that they’d been indulging in together for quite some time.

“Maybe not, but we still have to clean up and eat. We both have to work tomorrow, it’s Sunday,” Omega reminded him. Terzo grimaced. “I don’t want you giving another half-asleep sermon. Sister Imperator really chewed you out the last time that happened.” Terzo rolled his eyes, remembering the talking-to he’d had to sit through the last time that he and Omega had fucked away a Saturday night.

“Hm. Maybe you’re right,” Terzo conceded. He grimaced as he sat up. “Let us take a bath first.” He went to stand, not realizing how weak his legs felt until they started to give out under him. Omega lunged to catch him, pulling him back to sit on the edge of the bed. Terzo chuckled, trying to play it off. He made to stand again, batting Omega away when he tried to help, but Omega was having none of it and scooped him up in his arms.

Terzo started to protest, indignant at being carried like a child, but soon relaxed at Omega’s warmth and the scent of his skin. He knew Omega just wanted to help, that he wasn’t looking down on him. Terzo sighed. Tonight was not the night to be stubborn, he was far too worn out for that.

Omega carefully sat Terzo down on the edge of the tub and began preparing a bath. He kissed Terzo on the crown of his head and left to change their bedsheets while the water ran. Terzo felt lonelier than he usually did in Omega’s absence. When the bath was ready and Omega had returned, they slipped into the water together. They made quick work of washing each other, wanting to get to their favorite part: relaxing. Terzo sat firmly between Omega’s legs, his back to Omega’s chest, Omega’s arms wrapped loosely around him. Terzo hummed to Omega softly, and Omega’s tail came up to wrap around Terzo’s leg.

Terzo grabbed one of Omega’s hands in his own, examining it. His was tiny in comparison. If they were to try and lock their fingers together, to hold hands in the traditional way, they wouldn’t quite fit right. They were frequently having to come up with creative ways to get around their difference in size, but that never bothered Terzo. He and Omega would do anything to fit together. To complement each other.

Terzo pressed his face into Omega’s hand with a sigh, leaning into it. He kissed Omega’s palm, and then up each of his fingers, slowly, deliberately. When his tongue came out to taste Omega’s skin, Terzo couldn’t help but rub his thighs together. He felt Omega’s cock twitch at his back.

“Don’t go getting yourself all worked up again, tesoro,” Omega chuckled breathily, his tone playful. “We need to actually sleep tonight.”

“Do we?” Terzo asked idly, stroking Omega’s arm. “I think I can handle a little tongue-lashing just fine. Surprisingly well, actually,” he quipped as Omega’s other hand began to glide its way down Terzo’s body. Terzo tilted his face up, lips seeking and being quickly met. It was an awkward kiss, truthfully, upside down and wet. Terzo wouldn’t have traded it for the world. When it broke, Terzo spun in his hold, straddling Omega’s lap instead.

No, maybe they didn’t always fit together perfectly, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

[midnight-shadow-cafe]

A New Beginning

Pairing: Daryl X reader, Eventual Daryl X reader x Rick

AU: A/B/O

Warnings: brief mentions of a character death, farm takeover to prison

Authors note: I love yall💜

Word Count: 1.3k

Masterlist

MDNI18+MDNI18+MDNI18+MDNI18+MDNI18+

The Greene farm had been your sanctuary for years, long before the world fell apart. You had lived just a few miles down the road from Hershel and his family, keeping to yourself but always there when they needed a helping hand. When the dead started walking, the farm became your refuge from the horrors outside. It was safe—for a while, at least. Then the group arrived, survivors who had been on the run, searching for shelter.

Among them were two men who had an instant, unexplainable pull on you—Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon. Alphas, you could tell, though they never said it out loud. The moment you laid eyes on them, you felt the connection. Rick, the strong, stoic leader who seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, and Daryl, the rugged, quiet hunter who preferred the solace of the woods over the company of people. And you, the Omega who had learned to survive on her own, found herself inexplicably drawn to them both.

It wasn’t long before you and Daryl grew close. It started slow—a shared glance, a soft touch. He was closed off at first, wary of letting anyone in, but you saw past the tough exterior. You saw the man beneath, the one who cared deeply but didn’t know how to show it. Daryl found comfort in your presence, the way you didn’t push him to be anything other than himself. When the two of you started spending more time together, it became clear that what you had was more than just a bond of survival. You were his Omega, and he was your Alpha, even if he didn’t have the words to say it.

The first time Daryl kissed you, it was tentative, as if he wasn’t sure he had the right to. But when you kissed him back, pulling him closer, he understood that this was real. That you were his, and he was yours. The bond between you deepened, and though you kept it quiet from the others, it was there—undeniable.

But then the farm fell.

It had been chaos. One moment, everything was calm, and the next, walkers were everywhere, overrunning the fences, pouring through the fields like a relentless tide. The group scattered, each person fighting for their lives. You had been separated from Daryl in the chaos, and for a few terrifying hours, you didn’t know if he was alive or dead. You and Maggie had fled in one of the cars, with Beth and Glenn, your hearts pounding as you sped down the road, leaving behind the only home you had known in this new, terrifying world.

The hours that followed were a blur. You kept driving, hoping, praying that the others had made it out alive. Every bump in the road felt like another step away from everything you had built, and all you could think about was Daryl—whether he had made it. Whether you’d ever see him again.

It wasn’t until you reached the highway—the place where they had once left supplies for Sophia—that you saw them. The familiar motorcycle, with Daryl and Carol riding side by side. The relief that washed over you was overwhelming. You barely waited for the car to stop before you were out, running toward Daryl, tears streaming down your face.

When Daryl saw you, he swung off the bike, and for a moment, everything else fell away. The world around you, the walkers, the destruction—it all disappeared. He caught you in his arms, holding you tight, his grip so strong you thought he’d never let go.

“I thought I lost ya,” he muttered into your hair, his voice rough with emotion. “I ain’t lettin’ you go again. Not ever.”

You held him just as tightly, burying your face in his chest. “I’m here,” you whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

That reunion on the highway was a brief moment of peace in the middle of the storm, a reminder that despite everything, you were still together. You had all survived. And now, you would keep surviving—together.

The group traveled for weeks after the fall of the farm, moving from place to place, scavenging for food, looking for shelter. It wasn’t until they found the prison that they finally stopped running. The prison was grim, cold, but it was secure. It gave them a place to rest, to rebuild.

But even the prison couldn’t keep the pain of the past from catching up to them. Lori’s pregnancy had been a shadow hanging over Rick ever since the fall of the farm. You had seen it in his eyes, the way he carried himself. The stress, the fear. And when Lori went into labor, it all came crashing down.

The birth was chaotic, dangerous, just like everything in this new world. Carl was with Lori in the small hole in the wall they found while running from walkers, trying to help her as best he could. But there were complications, things they couldn’t fix with the limited supplies they had. Lori knew she wasn’t going to make it, and in her final moments, she made Carl promise something no mother should ever have to ask of her child.

“Promise me, Carl,” she had said, her voice weak, tears streaming down her face. “Promise me you’ll take care of your sister. And when the time comes... you’ll do what needs to be done.”

Carl, brave beyond his years, had nodded, tears in his eyes as he promised his mother the unthinkable. When Lori passed, Carl did what she asked of him, ending her suffering and bringing Judith—his baby sister—into the world alone.

Rick was shattered. His grief was all-consuming, and for weeks after Lori’s death, he was a ghost of himself, lost in his pain. He withdrew from everyone, even Carl, unable to process the loss. You and Daryl tried to help him, offering him space when he needed it, but also letting him know that you were there for him.

It was in those quiet, lonely nights after Lori’s death that the bond between you, Daryl, and Rick deepened. The connection you had felt from the moment you met Rick became impossible to ignore. He wasn’t just your leader or your friend—he was your mate. And just as Daryl had become your Alpha, so had Rick. He was the missing piece in the bond you and Daryl shared, the one you had been waiting for without even realizing it.

Two months after Lori’s passing, everything changed. The grief that had weighed Rick down finally began to lift, and with it came a new understanding of the bond between the three of you. It started with a look, a shared glance between you, Daryl, and Rick. You had always been there for him, just as you had been for Daryl, and now, it was time for him to finally accept that he wasn’t alone.

That night, the three of you came together, not just physically, but emotionally. Rick found solace in the arms of both you and Daryl, the three of you forming a bond that was stronger than anything you had known before. It wasn’t about replacing Lori—nothing could ever do that—but it was about building something new, something that could help Rick move forward.

Daryl had been the first to say it. “You ain’t alone, Rick. We’re here. We’re your family.”

And Rick had finally believed it.

From that moment on, the three of you were bound together, not just by survival, but by love. You were mates, a family, and no matter what came next, you knew that you would face it together.

As the days passed, the prison became more than just a shelter—it became a home. Judith, Rick’s baby girl, was a reminder of everything they had lost, but also of everything they still had to fight for. You, Daryl, and Rick took turns caring for her, the bond between you growing stronger with every passing day.

There were still dangers, still hardships, but now, with your Alphas by your side, you felt ready for whatever came next. You had survived the fall of the farm, the loss of friends and family, and now, with the bond between you, Rick, and Daryl stronger than ever, you knew that nothing could break you. Together, you were unshakable.

Hope you enjoyed! Please follow, like and Reblog💜 -Midnight’s Cafe

[reallyromealone]

Incubus Smiley x male reader part 2 what happens after the first time, does Smiley bring us home him, I must know

Sure friend

Warning: mentions of sex, demon nahoya, omegaverse

Demon! Smiley x Omega male reader

(name) didn't see the demon for months though a new development arose.

(Name)s belly grew in size, the town believing be was attacked by an alpha and left pregnant but (name) knew what happened... He was mated to a demon. A few alphas tried to step up to care for the "poor omega" and help raise the pup but (name) wasn't interested in them.

His Omega longed for the demon.

"We think it would be best if you perhaps pursued a relationship with the eldest Shiba son" (name)s dam said softly "he is willing to support you and the.... child so long as you devote yourself as his mate and remove the mating mark" they said softly and (name) felt his heart drop and his mouth moved before his brain could stop it "no..."

"What?"

"No... I-I am not going to mate with him when I have an alpha..." (Name)s voice was quivering as he gripped his pants and his parents looked at him disappointed "and how do you wish to care for your pup? Think of them"

(Name)s eyes were watering as he stood up and stormed from their small home, holding his belly.

He didn't know where he was going as voices called to him "(name)!" A voice boomed out as a large hand grabbed his wrist, there stood Taiju Shiba in all his glory "have you considered my proposition?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and stared down the Omega whom he intended to make his bride "I-I need time to think about it..." (Name) said nervously as he fidgeted slightly "don't make me wait to long" Taiju said releasing his wrist that was already bruising slightly as the man walked off.

(Name) knew he wasn't supposed to go in the woods, he knew little omegas should be at home safe...but he needed his alpha... Before it was to late.

"Hello?" (Name) asked softly to the trees as he stepped through the deep forest and tried so hard to hear anything he could but the woods were... Silent.

Unnaturally so.

"...my omega..." A whisper in the wind called out and (name) perked up at the voice he recognized "alpha?"

The trees and landscape warped to arch a pathway.

(Name) felt hypontized as he followed the path, sweet whispers in his ear as his hand gently held his belly and gentle kicks from his pup as he reached a cave entrance.

"Hello?"

The cave was unnaturally dark, almost like a void as multiple red eyes opened up and (name) despite everything walked towards the void that stared back as a whispy hand reached to him "alpha..." (Name) was relieved as he smelt the pharamones that were his mate, pulled into the void and the cold air wrapped around him like an embrace "mine" could be heard echoing around him, multiple voices speaking but all from the same person as (name) was set in a bundle of fabrics and pillows.

"Nessst" a voice rang as candles lit up, he was in a room full of pillows and candles lit by magic "you made me a nest?" (Name) said as he snuggled a pillow, it was a messy best and obviously made by an alpha who didn't know what he was doing but the sentiment made (name) melt "thank you... May I see you?"

The whispers went silent as the eyes moved to one being and from the shadows came a man-- sort of.

The demon had six eyes and wild pink hair that had long almost ram like horns spear through with intricate designs throughout it.

He was intimidating to say the least but... This was him.

His alpha.

"I missed you" (name) whispered as he reached to the Alpha who kept a smile on his face, moving to scent the Omega "who touched you?" His voice was clear and territorial and (name) hesitated as he looked away and fidgeted but the demon caught the bruise on bus wrist "whose looking to die...?" Who harmed his Omega, the only marks he should bare are from nahoya himself.

"... My parents want me to mate with the village pastors son..."

Nahoya giggled at this though his laughter was anything but happy as his grin grew "you're mine" he said possessively and (name) held him close "that's why... I came looking for you, I didn't want them removing your mark"

Nahoya grinned at this "you can't remove the mark... Whoever tries will burn from the inside and die... You're mine and only mine"

Nahoya kissed his neck and reached down to touch his belly "why did you take so long to get here?"

"I... I didn't know where you went, you mated me then vanished"

"I can't feed on you till our pups born... We're mates now so you are the only one whom I can feed on but don't worry it won't kill you but I can promise it will feel delicious"

"May I know your name?" (Name) asked as he was settled into the nest, the demons claws gently touching at his stomach "my given name is Nahoya Kawata but many call me smiley"

(Name) heard of him, a demon feared by many and took lives with a smile.

"What's yours?"

(Name) (lastname)..."

"Kawata"

"What?"

"Silly Omega... You're (name) kawata" he said almost condicendingly as he crowded his Omega and held him close "they won't find you... I control these woods and will lead them astray..."

"Could you lead them back to the town?"

"...fine" nahoya said with a grin "in exchange for a kiss"

(Name) gently kissed him, the demon taking control of the kiss as his long tongue wrapped around the omegas small human tongue "I will keep you alive by my side... We demons have the power to grant immorality..."

"Are you going to..."

"...turn you? Fuck no, I like my sweet little human just as he is...easier to mark and bend and fuck full of pups"

"Perverted alpha..."

"Baby you don't even know, your mates with a sex demon" nahoya said teasingly "and I like you human, my sweet little Omega"

Humans had something demons didn't, nahoya could never place it but it was something nahoya craved constantly.

And now he had it laying before him.

Pregnant and ravishing.

"I tried to make you a nest, it's kind of shit... I got you nesting materials I know omegas like"

(Name) saw how relaxed nahoya became, the Alpha less formal demon and now speaking seemingly how he would in causal conversation.

"It's not bad for an alpha" (name) said genuinely as he struggled to sit up, the Alpha snickering at him "shush! You're not carrying a watermelon on your stomach!"

"Yeah yeah, lemme help you little Omega"

Nahoya helped the Omega sit up with some teasing and watched as he fixed the nest and handed him items "it needs your scent" (name) said with a blush and Nahoya grinned before scenting it and tossing it back, this became their routine for the next hour and the demon was pleased with his mate.

Nahoya was watching as his mate slept, tilting his head slightly before standing and vanishing in the shadows, going to handle business.

Nahoya would make sure no one ever found him again, never would try to take his Omega from him.

The demon walked through the shadows of the night, placing curses on the town.

If any harm his mate their young will die before the age of two.

Pleased he returned home to see his mate still asleep, and made food for the Omega.

Demons didn't need to eat but nahoya enjoyed it, he enjoyed the flavors though they didn't provide him anything other than joy.

He would make sure his mate and young would never need anything.

[bwoahtastic]

nico having a terrible day at work where one of the cases he was working on going wrong and the pups that he was trying to rescue disappearing along with the traffickers when they go to ground. he is devastated, feeling like he's failed completely, and normally he would hole up in his tiny little apartment, but now he really wants toto.

he knows that toto will be at home with seb though, so he isn't expecting anything but he allows himself to call, thinking that even talking to toto will make him feel better. he tries so hard to keep it together, but as soon as toto calls him darling he's sobbing. toto insists that he come over and sends a cab to pick him up, waiting outside the house for nico as the cab pulls up. nico clings to him, and toto carefully directs him inside, wrapping a blanket around him.

nico can't bring himself to talk about work, but being with toto makes him feel better. toto lends him a soft t-shirt to sleep in, and in toto's bed nico finally feels safe again.

in the morning, toto leaves nico in bed to go and make breakfast, not realising that sebby is awake and curious about the pretty omega in his papa's bed. nico slowly wakes to find seb staring at him grumpily, cross because that's his side of papa's bed and now a stranger is sleeping there. seb continues to be cross throughout breakfast, and poor nico is trying so hard with him because he really wants seb to like him. toto is nervous too, but even having nico with him, safe and less upset than before is a relief

Plss! Nico has been working on this case for months and they seemed so close, only for the traffickers to suddenly disappear with all the little ones again... Nico is heartbroken, blames himself, wants to tears all the feathers out of his body but now, he also just wants Toto.

Nico knows Toto is home with Seb and he really doesn't want to take time away from Toto and Seb, knows that Toto had been busy lately and missing slow days with his cub like crazy! But Nico is spiralling and for once, he is desperate to cling on and needs Toto! Nico calling Toto, convincing himself that a short call will help him settle, and after he will just drag Kimi in a nest and it will be fine. Right? But then Toto picks up and goes "Hi darling" so fondly, so comfortingly and Nico just breaks!

Toto trying to soothe him while sending a cab and he doesn't hang up until the cab is entering the driveway. Nico just flinging himself in Toto's arms hiccuping "I should have tried harder, put in more hours" and Toto knows it's work related but knows not to ask for more details.

Toto bringing him inside and helping him change into a soft old shirt from Toto and Nico is so quiet, eyes red and cheeks covered in tears tracks and Toto hates seeing him so in pain!

Toto getting him cuddled up in bed and bringing him some tea and just holding Nico while the Omega manages to calm a little. Nico falling asleep cuddled in Toto's arms, finally feeling safe, and Toto just holda him, stroking his hair snd making sure Nico isn't having nightmares before falling asleep as well.

Nico whining a little the next morning when Toto gets out of bed, but Toto promises to be back soon with breakfast and Nico feels so spoiled! Nico just snuggling into the pillows again and closing his eyes for a bit longer, before opening them again when he feels someone staring!

Seb having woken up cos he smelled papa making pancakes but then also smelled a new scent! Seb being grumpy cos the stranger is on Sebby's side in papa's bed! How rude! Just mean mugging Nico the best he can while hugging his stripey tail!

Nico moving to sit up, gently introducing himself to the cub and Seb chirps suddenly when he sees Nico'a feathers. Cub going *bap bap* at them but still mean mugging Nico to make aure Nico doesn't think he is enjoying this!!

Toto coming in with a tray with breakfast goodies and being a litlte bashful seeing Seb there, having hoped to be there to introduce them in hopes of it going better. Seb is still grumpy while eating his pancakes and Nico is trying to talk to him a little but sebby only grumbles in return. Toto tutting at his cub a little but he knows seb doesn't like strangers thst much, and the fact he is eating pancakes om the bed with Nico there is something already!

Toto leaning in to kiss Nico's temple because he is just so relieved Nico came to him and is safe! But then has a cub climbing onto his lap and whining cos he wants papa's attention!!

[generaltrashshecox]

Kinktober 2023 Day 9:

Glory Hole | Lactation | Stripping (Shayne/Ian omegaverse)

Wow 2 omegaverse fics in a row? O!Ian A!Shayne Implied mpreg

It was the first day back after having the pups and Ian was feeling confident. After months at home taking care of and feeding little ones he's was happy to get back into the swing of work of course with his alpha by his side. He even felt good enough to join in on some videos for the shoot week. During lunch everyone was hanging out in the lunch room as usual and somebody was watching tiktoks at full blast when he heard a baby crying. He turned to tell whoever it was to turn it down when suddenly he felt his breasts let-down. He felt his nipples start to leak and his eyes widened as he crossed his arms over his chest making his way to his office. He texted Shayne to come quickly and sat in his chair mortified as he felt his shirt start to get soaked. Shayne knocked on the door before stepping inside.

"Everything alright, babe?" he asked gently and Ian moved his arms to show him his now soaked through shirt. "What happened?"

"I don't know! I was eating lunch and then somebody was watching tiktoks and I heard a baby cry and now-" he gestured to his chest. He buried his face in his hands embarrassed. "Can you... Help me?" he asked gently and Shayne tilted his head.

"How?"

"They usually don't stop until one of the little ones feed so if you could-" he fidgeted nervously.

"Feed from you?" he finished for him. Ian nodded his head not looking at him. He stepped closer to him putting a hand on his chin lifting it up. "Don't be embarrassed it's normal. And I'll do it happily if it makes you feel better," he said with a smile. Ian blushed wondering how he got so lucky to be mated to such a sweet and gentle alpha. Our alpha, his brain whispered and he leaned into his touch. Then he felt more milk leak out of his breast and he whimpered. Shayne pulled away hand going to Ian's shirt lifting it up to expose his torso. His chest was swollen and leaking and his breath caught in his throat.

"So do I just-" and he nodded before he got the sentence out and putting a hand behind his head bringing him closer. He could smell it creamy and sweet and he flicked his tongue at it before finally wrapping his lips around it suckling gently. Ian sighed in relief as milk filled his mouth slightly sweet and more tangy than he thought but it was delicious and he moaned as it came from Ian, his omega. He knew he needed this so he drank gently gulping down his nectar mind getting clouded. He flicked his tongue at it again not being able to help himself and Ian moaned. It didn't feel this way when he was feeding the pups but fuck Shayne's wet hot mouth on him always had him feeling like this. He held the back of his head pulling closer as he felt himself start to slick. Shayne groaned as he did flicking again before biting as he drank making him cry out. He could smell his arousal thick in the small office. He pulled away looking up at him eyes blown.

"Right now?" And Ian whined almost embarrassed before he nodded. They got up Ian sitting himself in his desk making sure to move important things out of the way as Shayne locked the door. He came back and kissed him and he tasted his milk on his tongue making him whine. "You taste good don't you?" he asked gently. Ian whimpered at that before he pressed a kiss to his lips again as his hands went to his pants. They knew they didn't have much time until somebody was knocking at his office door so he took off his pants quickly before Shayne pushed his to his knees. He spread his thighs watching the slick stick to them as he did. He lined up before pressing in easily groaning and Ian moaned leaning his head back. He fucked into him gently making sure to press against that spot that made him shake. He looked down seeing how flushed he was and also saw he was still leaking and he leaned down taking his nipple into his mouth once more and suckling as he buried himself. Ian groaned gripping the back of his head as he did.

"Fuck Shayne-" he cried out and Shayne groaned always loving the way he moaned his name. He bit down again and his fingers buried themselves in his hair as it sent a shockwave through him. He was drenched he felt it as Shayne pounded into him and he would definitely have to get his desk cleaned. They knew they weren't going to last long their sex life non-existent with their little ones but that was perfect. Shayne felt his knot start to swell and Ian felt it too pressing against the rim of his opening.

"Knot me alpha," he groaned trying to force it into himself but he pulled back.

"Not now pretty omega," he said growling. He tried to keep his brain cleared for a moment. They couldn't be stuck together at the office. Ian whined at his rejection but he nuzzled into his neck kissing their bonding mark making him gasp. "I'll knot you when we're home fill you full again," he said slamming into him over and over. He didn't like it but he agreed whining and baring his neck more and he nibbled on it. His hands went up to his chest massaging them and he groaned feeling so much relief from it getting closer and closer. He left his neck going back to his chest lapping at the milk that had leaked out from his massaging before suckling a nipple into his mouth once more. He bit again and that sent Ian over the edge cumming with a cry and he pressed more into his mouth. Shayne wasn't far behind feeling how wet and tight he was and having his taste on his tongue filling him up making sure his knot didn't press in. They laid there for a moment Ian running a hand through Shayne's hair absent-mindedly as he laid eyes closed basking in the after. Soon they would have to get back to work but right now they just enjoyed each other Shayne pressing kisses wherever he could.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door snapping them back to reality and they pulled apart getting dressed quickly. They looked at each other sheepishly knowing once the door opened everyone in the office would smell it but they giggled just a bit at the thought. Shayne pressed a soft kiss to his lips smiling.

"Next time you don't have to ask."

[steakbuilder99]

clone movie night 🎥🍿✨: grease

- tech is pissed off the entire movie. WHY IS THE CAR FLYING 🔈⁉️⁉️

- “it’s just a movie tech, it’s not real”

- crosshair + fox are trying to fight off the demonic urge to just inhale a pack of cigs, they don’t even blink

- wrecker and hardcase are singing along any chance they get. they don’t really know the words, but they’ve got the spirit!

- fives is also singing along. loudly. off key.

- echo has a full bachelors degree in 70s and 80s movies. he is considering disowning fives.

- grease is bly’s favourite movie. hopelessly devoted is HIS song, he doesn’t miss a note. can’t say the same for everyone else though.

- hopelessly devoted can be heard from down the street when it comes on. a chorus of tired/drunk clones fill the sky with song 🎶🎶

- “i’m going to bed i’ve had enough of this shit” - a third of them after hopelessly devoted is finished.

- dogma doesn’t really know what’s going on but he’s happy to be there.

- cody and hunter literally don’t know what’s going on they’ve had so much to drink. just to cope with this movie.

- obiwan supplied the drinks after cody told them they were watching grease.

- howzer is insanely jealous of danny’s hair. he basically adopts danny’s personality after watching the film for a solid 3 days.

- “you look like an absolute twat” - crosshair

- waxer and rex are actively trying to keep omega out of the room because the rating is PG, not G

- omega is smuggled in through tup’s hoodie. mayday and wolffe help keep her hidden.

- “what have you got there??” “chips” “share?” “piss off”

- “i dance better than that!” - jesse. he really can’t. mans has two left feet.

- kix and hound are incredibly sad to have missed movie night this week. they LOVE grease.

- slick and boil are not. they hate grease with an active passion. but they’re unfortunately stuck on the couch grumbling throughout the movie.

- waxer and thire practice their moves throughout the movie. they think they’re absolutely killing it, and for the most part are, but omega nearly blows her cover laughing at them.

- ponds is the first to get popcorn. he doesn’t sit down again until he’s finished running kitchen errands for everyone else. it’s an hour and a half into the movie by then.

- gregor is clapping, he’s singing, he’s dancing, it’s love at first sight for gregor. for the rest of the week he’s blasting grease songs. this is the only movie he can sit through aside from charlie and the chocolate factory.

- wolffe doesn’t dare move. he can’t let everyone know he’s watched grease 50 times over. he mustn’t.

- “SIT DOWN FOR KRIFF’S SAKE” - wolffe at some point

- “…. thought you hated gr-“ “SHUT THE FUCK UP”

- snoring can be heard in the last 20 minutes of the movie. everyone is passed out afterwards.

- except for omega, gregor, echo, and surprisingly fox. fox and gregor, both insanely drunk, are basically reenacting the movie on the lawn. omega and echo are laughing at them, joining in on the occasional number.

- “10 more minutes echo please!” “fine, only because i’m too tired to argue with you rn”

[malkavians-lewd-genderhoard]

𝕸alkavian's 𝕮obweb (NSFT)

PT: Malkavian's Cobweb (NSFT)

𝕰zekiel, The Fallen Angel.

PT: Ezekiel, The Fallen Angel.

A lowly 𝕷unatic who has made a blog to help archive my genders, as I've noticed some blogs just happen to disappear without any archive, or even archives disappear. And considering that Pronouns Page can just delete flags (as it has before), this would be a decent alternative to such.

PT: Lunatic. (I can reclaim this slur.)

I am, as a human, AFAB And intersex. I identify best with Masculine-aligned genders. However, I was assigned both Female at Creation and Angel at Creation.

I do not feel human, and feel closest to demons, fallen angels, and reapers.

I am diagnosed with DID, PTSD, NPD, BPD, MDD, ADHD, Autism, Tourettes, and Psychosis. I suspect I also suffer from Cotard's Syndrome.

Pronouns, Titles, Honorifics, Tags, and DNI below.

𝕻ronouns

PT: Pronouns

He/Him/His •

Dae/Daem/Daes/Daems/Daemself ♪

Grave/Grave/Graves/Graves/Graveself ♪

Guro/Guro/Guros/Guros/Guroself

Fallen/Fallen/Fallens/Fallens/Fallenself

🪦/🪦/🪦s/🪦s/🪦self ♪

⚰️/⚰️/⚰️s/⚰️s/⚰️self

💉/💉/💉s/💉s/💉self

Key:

• = Main Standard

♪ = Favorite

𝕿itles

PT: Titles

(No Title) •

(Pronoun) with a Broken Halo ♪

The Angel with a Broken Halo ♪

The Undead Demon

The Grave Keeper

The Graveborn

(Pronoun) Blood-Splattered Dream ♪

(Pronoun) Who Rejects Humanity

(Pronoun) Who is Buried

The Angel with Ebony Wings

The Rotting Angel

The Unholy Angel

The One Shunned from Purity

(Pronoun) with Featherless Wings

The Angel from The Grave ♪

• = Main Standard

♪ = Favorite

𝕳onorifics

PT: Honorifics

Mister - Mr. •

Sir. •

Reaper - Rpr. ♪

Mortem - Mrm. ♪

Yandere - Yre. ♪ (I can reclaim Yandere.)

Darling - Dng. ♪

Rot - Rot./Rt.

Gore - Gor./Gr.

Guro - Gur./Gr.

Blood - Bld.

• = Main Standard

♪ = Favorite

𝕿ags

PT: Tags

Gender - Anything pertaining to genders

Identity - Anything pertaining to identities (Nonhuman, etc)

BPD - Genders and/or Identities tied to BPD

Autism - Genders and/or Identities tied to Autism

Hypersexual - Genders or Identities tied to Hypersexuality

Death - Anything with themes of Death

Decay - Anything with themes of decay and/or rot

Cemetery - Anything with themes of cemetery/graveyards

Gore - Anything with themes of blood, guts, organs, etc.

Cannibal - Anything with themes of cannibalism

Medical - Anything with themes of medicine and hospitals

Zombie - Anything with themes of zombies

Vampire - Anything with themes of vampires

Angel - Anything with themes of angels

Fallen Angel - Anything with themes of fallen angels

Demon - Anything with themes of demons

Undead - Anything with themes of anything undead

Corpse - Anything with themes of corpses

Halloween - Anything with themes of Halloween

Yandere - Anything with themes of Yandere

CNC - Anything with themes of CNC (Consensual Non-Consent)

Kinkic - Any Kinkic genders or has themes of Kink

Omegaverse - Anything with Alpha/Beta/Omega themes

Whore - Anything with themes of Whore

Slut - Anything with themes of Slut

Other - Anything that does not fit any of the above tags

𝕯NI

PT: DNI

Anti-MOGAI, Anti-Xenogender, Anti-LGBT+, TERF/TEHM

Discourse (LGBT, Syscourse, Shipcorse, Para, or otherwise)

Ableist, Fakeclaimer, Anti Self-DX

Send harassment or suicide baits

[salsabila539]

Implora Lip Moist Serum

Klaim dari produk ini dapat menghidrasi,merawat, menghaluskan, menutrisi, dan meningkatkan sintesis kolagen pada bibir sehingga bibir menjadi lebih sehat,lembab dan bervolume, kemudian memberikan warna alami pada bibir.

Key Ingredients : Camellia Oil, Vitamin E dan Omega 3,6,9.

Tekstur dari Lip Moist Serum ini seperti lip serum pada umumnya yaitu oily dengan warna transparant, ketika diaplikasikan akan berubah warna menjadi pink dan aromanya seperti beri-berian dan tidak menganggu.

Setelah aku menggunakan lip serum ini menurutku produk ini tidak lengket ketika digunakan, lumayan melembabkan bibir dan dapat digunakan menjadi lip primer jadi bibir tidak kering ketika menggunakan produk bibir lainnya.

Cuma menurutku warna pink yang dihasilkan dari product ini lumayan terang jadi jika ingin warna yang lebih natural cukup memakai produk ini sedikit saja dan walaupun glossynya sudah hilang tapi stain warna pinknya masih ada dan lumayan awet.

✅Rp.21.500/Netto 2,85 gr.

3,5/5⭐

#imploralipmoistserum #implora #lipserum #lipmoistserum #lipmoist #lip #moistserum

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝕊𝕒𝕝𝕤𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕒 (@salsabila.539)

[rendakuenthusiast]

Glagolitic ō corresponds to Greek omega and there seems to be no phonological reason for its presence whatsoever. It is not even used consistently in Gr borrowings.

From Carlton's Introduction to the Phonological History of the Slavic Languages.

[tianjinwellmadescaffold]

Cuplock Scaffold Omega Ladder Access Transom Manufacturing - Wellmade Gr...

[satdanhchobabauchelaferrforte]

Công thức nấu món ăn ngon cho bà bầu nghén

Ngay từ khi biết mình mang thai, mẹ bầu đã phải quan tâm hơn đến vấn đề ăn uống và dinh dưỡng. Điều này càng quan trọng với những mẹ bầu bị ốm nghén. Gợi ý 3 món ăn cho bà bầu nghén giúp mẹ bầu ngon miệng hơn trong giai đoạn ốm nghén này.

Xem thêm: đoán vui bầu con gái da mặt đẹp hay xấu

3 cách chế biến món ăn cho bà bầu nghén giúp mẹ bầu ngon miệng hơn

Nguyên nhân chính gây nghén do sự tăng nhanh của nồng độ hormon trong thời kỳ đầu mang thai. Để khắc phục tình trạng này, bà bầu có thể dùng một số món ăn sau:

Thịt bò xào rau củ

Thịt bò là loại thịt giàu dinh dưỡng đặc biệt là lượng protein và sắt vô cùng dồi dào. Bà bầu bị nghén không ăn được các loại thịt khác thì có thể ăn thịt bò cũng giúp bổ sung dưỡng chất cho cơ thể rất tốt. Thịt bò kết hợp với các loại rau củ như bông cải xanh, ớt chuông, cà rốt…tại nên món ăn thơm ngon hấp dẫn và giúp mẹ bầu bị nghén ăn ngon miệng hơn.

Nguyên liệu

500g thịt bò 1 củ hành tây trắng, 1 củ hành tây tím 1 trái ớt chuông 1 bông cải xanh 1 bó cần tây Gia vị: bột bắp, hạt nêm, đường, tiêu, dầu ăn

Cách làm:

Thịt bò sau khi mua về rửa sạch và cắt thành từng lát mỏng vừa ăn. Bóc vỏ hành tím và tỏi rồi mang đi băm nhuyễn, để riêng từng loại. Ướp thịt với 1 muỗng cà phê hạt nêm, 1/2 muỗng cà phê bột ngọt và 1/2 muỗng cà phê tiêu xay, 1 ít tỏi băm, 1 ít hành tím băm, 1 muỗng canh nước mắm, 1 muỗng canh dầu ăn, trộn đều lên và ướp trong khoảng 15 phút. Các loại rau củ rửa sạch, thái miếng vừa ăn. Cho vào chảo 2 muỗng canh dầu ăn, đun nóng dầu và cho hết số hành tỏi còn lại vào phi thơm. Sau đó cho hết phần thịt bò đã ướp gia vị vào và xào nhanh với lửa lớn trong 2 phút thì vớt thịt ra, để lại phần nước xào. Cho tiếp phần rau củ đã chuẩn bị vào xào với nước thịt trong khoảng 5 phút thì nêm thêm 1/2 muỗng cà phê hạt nêm, 1/3 muỗng cà phê muối, đảo đều thêm 2 – 3 phút trên lửa lớn cho rau củ chín sơ thì cho thịt bò vào xào chung. Xào thêm 5 phút cho thịt và rau củ vừa chín tới thì tắt bếp, thêm 1 muỗng canh dầu hào là có thể thưởng thức rồi.

Xem thêm: bầu mấy tháng thì uống sắt và canxi

Bánh quy hạnh nhân

Hạnh nhân là loại hạt rất giàu dinh dưỡng như canxi, magie, photpho, vitamin E, chất chống oxy hóa… Trong đó thành phần magie dồi dào giúp mẹ bầu giảm nghén hiệu quả. Bánh quy hạnh nhân là món ăn vặt thơm ngon hấp dẫn mà bất kỳ bà bầu nghén nào cũng không nên bỏ qua.

Nguyên liệu:

250g hạnh nhân lát 5g bột hạnh nhân 30g bột mì đa dụng Muối 1/4 muỗng cà phê 120g đường bột 50g bơ lạt Lòng trắng trứng 2 cái

Cách làm:

Đun chảy 50g bơ lạt. Cho vào tô 2 lòng trắng trứng, 120g đường bột, dùng phớt đánh đều cho tan đường, tiếp đến cho 50 gr bơ lạt đã đun chảy vào đánh cùng. Rây 30g bột mì đa dụng cho vào hỗn hợp bơ lòng trắng trứng, cho thêm 1/4 muỗng cà phê muối, 5g bột hạnh nhân và đánh đều đến khi bột sánh lại, cho tiếp 250g hạnh nhân lát vào và trộn đều. Làm nóng lò trước ở nhiệt độ 170 độ C trong 10 phút. Cho bột vào túi, bóp bột thành từng bánh tròn và cho vào lò nướng ở nhiệt độ 170 độ C trong 8 phút. Bánh nướng xong, lấy bánh ra tiếp tục cho vào lò nướng để sấy bánh ở 110 độ C trong 20 phút là hoàn thành.

Xem thêm: loại sắt và canxi nào tốt cho bà bầu ngừa thiếu máu loãng xương

Cá hồi sốt cam

Cá hồi là một trong những loại thực phẩm lành tính, tốt cho phụ nữ mang thai, cung cấp omega-3 và mang hàm lượng vitamin B tốt nhất cho cơ thể. Cá hồi hoà quyện cùng hương vị thơm ngon của sốt cam hứa hẹn sẽ đem lại cho mẹ bầu nghén một bữa cơm ngon miệng và hấp dẫn.

Nguyên liệu:

300g cá hồi 1 quả cam Bơ thực vật 1 củ tỏi Gia vị thông dụng.

Cách làm:

Bóc phần da cá hồi. Sau đó rửa sạch rồi dùng khăn giấy thấm khô, ướp cá với ít muối và tiêu. Xoa đều để cá thấm gia vị. Bắc chảo lên bếp, đợi chảo nóng thì cho bơ vào. Đun đến khi bơ tan thì cho cá hồi vào áp chảo, mỗi mặt từ 2-3 phút. Vắt nước cốt 1 quả cam tươi và loại bỏ hạt, cho vào chén 1 muỗng canh đường, 1 muỗng canh tương ớt, 1 muỗng canh mật ong vào khuấy đều. Cho tiếp vào chảo một chút bơ, đợi bơ tan thì cho tỏi vào phi thơm. Sau đó, cho phần nước sốt cam vào đảo đều. Sau đó cho cá hồi vào, dùng muỗng rưới đều cho cá thấm vị là hoàn thành. Miếng cá hồi vừa chín tới, khi ăn sẽ cảm nhận mềm tan trong miệng cùng vị ngọt thanh, thơm ngon của sốt cam.

Khi nghén việc ăn uống của mẹ bị xáo trộn, do đó mẹ nên kết hợp bổ sung dưỡng chất bằng các viên uống: sắt, axit folic, DHA, … Bên cạnh đó, mẹ đừng quên bổ sung magie B6 đầy đủ bởi theo nhiều nghiên cứu, đây là bộ đôi vi chất có tác dụng rất tốt giúp giảm nôn nghén ở bà bầu. Nếu mẹ bầu đang gặp tình trạng thiếu magie B6 thì cần kết hợp bổ sung qua cả chế độ ăn và sử dụng viên uống để đáp ứng nhu cầu của cơ thể.

** Mẹ cần uống đúng cách, uống đúng thời điểm và tìm hiểu uống sắt và magie B6 cùng lúc được không để các dưỡng chất được hấp thu tối ưu.

Trên đây là những thông tin khoa học, hữu ích về mẹ ốm nghén nên ăn gì để hành trình mẹ bầu mang thai đỡ vất vả, thai nhi phát triển khỏe mạnh. Chế độ dinh dưỡng hợp lý giúp mẹ ăn uống đủ chất, kiểm soát các cơn ốm nghén hiệu quả để có một thai kỳ khỏe mạnh và an toàn.

[ekipsaglik]

Sağlıklı Beslenme İçin Basit ve Hızlı Tarifler

Sağlıklı beslenmek, günümüzde yoğun yaşam tempolarına rağmen herkesin hedeflediği bir yaşam tarzı haline gelmiştir. Hem lezzetli hem de sağlıklı yiyecekleri hızlı bir şekilde hazırlamak, zaman sıkıntısı yaşayan birçok kişi için kurtarıcı olabilir. Ben Gizem, bu yazıda, sağlıklı beslenme için basit ve hızlı tarifler hakkında bilgiler vereceğim. Tüm tarifler hem besin değerleri açısından zengin hem de damak tadınıza hitap eden lezzetlerle dolu.

Sağlıklı Beslenme İçin Tarifler

Sağlıklı Beslenme İçin Tarifler 1. Yeşil Smoothie Tarifi Yeşil smoothie'ler, özellikle güne enerjik başlamak için harika bir tercihtir. Ayrıca, bolca vitamin, mineral ve antioksidan içerirler. Sabahları hızlı bir şekilde hazırlayabileceğiniz bu tarif, sizi uzun süre tok tutar ve gün boyu ihtiyaç duyduğunuz enerjiyi sağlar. Malzemeler: - 1 su bardağı ıspanak - Yarım avokado - 1 adet muz - Yarım su bardağı badem sütü - 1 yemek kaşığı chia tohumu - Yarım su bardağı su Hazırlanışı: Tüm malzemeleri blenderda pürüzsüz bir kıvam alana kadar karıştırın. Soğuk tüketin. Bu smoothie, lif açısından zengindir ve bağışıklık sisteminizi destekler. 2. Fırında Sebzeli Somon Somon, omega-3 yağ asitleri açısından oldukça zengindir ve kalp sağlığını destekler. Ayrıca, yüksek protein içeriğiyle kas gelişimini destekler ve uzun süre tokluk sağlar. Fırında sebzelerle birlikte somon pişirerek hem lezzetli hem de besleyici bir öğün hazırlayabilirsiniz. Malzemeler: - 200 gr somon fileto - 1 adet kabak - 1 adet kırmızı biber - 1 adet havuç - 1 yemek kaşığı zeytinyağı - Tuz, karabiber Hazırlanışı: Somon filetolarını ve doğranmış sebzeleri fırın tepsisine yerleştirin. Üzerine zeytinyağı gezdirin ve tuz, karabiber ekleyin. 180 derece fırında 20-25 dakika pişirin. Bu tarif, omega-3 ve vitamin dolu bir öğle veya akşam yemeği alternatifi sunar. İlginizi Çekebilir; Kas Gelişimi İçin Gerekli Vitamin ve Mineraller 3. Kinoalı Salata Kinoa, protein açısından zengin bir tahıl olup, aynı zamanda glutensizdir. Kinoalı salata, öğle yemeği için mükemmel bir seçenektir. Yüksek lif içeriği sayesinde sindirimi destekler ve kilo kontrolünü sağlar. Malzemeler: - 1 su bardağı haşlanmış kinoa - 1 adet salatalık - 1 adet domates - 1 avuç taze nane - 2 yemek kaşığı zeytinyağı - Yarım limonun suyu - Tuz, karabiber Hazırlanışı: Kinoayı haşlayın ve soğumaya bırakın. Ardından doğranmış salatalık, domates ve taze nane ile karıştırın. Üzerine zeytinyağı, limon suyu, tuz ve karabiber ekleyin. Bu salata, vücudun ihtiyaç duyduğu vitamin ve mineralleri sağlarken, sizi uzun süre tok tutar. 4. Avokadolu Tam Buğday Tostu Tam buğday ekmeği ve avokado, sağlıklı yağlar ve kompleks karbonhidratlar açısından zengin bir kombinasyondur. Kahvaltı ya da hafif bir öğün olarak tercih edilebilecek bu tost, enerji seviyenizi dengeler ve sağlıklı yağlarla kalp sağlığınızı korur. Malzemeler: - 2 dilim tam buğday ekmeği - 1 adet avokado - 1 dilim domates - Bir tutam kırmızı biber Hazırlanışı: Avokadoyu ezin ve tam buğday ekmeğine sürün. Üzerine domates dilimi ekleyin ve kırmızı biber serpiştirin. Hızlı, besleyici ve lezzetli bir atıştırmalık olarak tüketebilirsiniz. 5. Chia Tohumlu Puding Chia tohumu, omega-3 yağ asitleri ve lif açısından zengin bir besindir. Chia tohumlu puding, hem hafif hem de besleyici bir tatlı alternatifi sunar. Aynı zamanda uzun süre tok kalmanızı sağlar. Malzemeler: - 2 yemek kaşığı chia tohumu - 1 su bardağı badem sütü - 1 tatlı kaşığı bal - 1 çay kaşığı vanilya özü - Taze meyve dilimleri Hazırlanışı: Chia tohumlarını, badem sütü, bal ve vanilya özünü bir kapta karıştırın. Buzdolabında en az 4 saat bekletin. Üzerine taze meyve dilimleri ekleyerek servis edin. Bu tarif, düşük kalorili ve besleyici bir tatlı arayanlar için idealdir. 6. Diyet Kıymalı Rulo Patates Tarifi Hem sağlıklı hem de bütçe dostu bir tarif arıyorsanız, bu diyet kıymalı rulo patates tam size göre. İçinde yalnızca 100 gram kıyma kullanılmasıyla hem et sevenleri mutlu eder hem de hafif bir öğün sunar. Patatesin doyurucu etkisiyle kıymanın lezzetini buluşturan bu tarif, öğle veya akşam yemeklerinde tercih edebileceğiniz mükemmel bir alternatiftir. Malzemeler: - 4 orta boy patates - 100 gram kıyma - 1 adet kuru soğan - 1 yemek kaşığı zeytinyağı - Tuz, karabiber, pul biber - 1 adet yumurta - 1 tatlı kaşığı domates salçası - Yarım çay bardağı süt Yapılışı: - Patatesleri haşlayıp ezerek püre haline getirin. İçine yumurta ve sütü ekleyip iyice karıştırın. - Zeytinyağını tavada ısıtıp ince doğranmış soğanı kavurun. Kıymayı ekleyip pişirin ve baharatları ekleyin. Domates salçasını da ekleyip karıştırın. - Hazırladığınız patates püresini streç film üzerine ince bir tabaka halinde yayın. Üzerine kıymalı harcı koyup rulo şeklinde sarın. - Ruloyu yağlı kağıt serili fırın tepsisine yerleştirip 180 derece önceden ısıtılmış fırında yaklaşık 20 dakika pişirin. - Fırından çıkarıp dilimleyerek servis yapın. İlginizi Çekebilir; Dioksijenil ve Bağışıklık Sistemini Güçlendiren Vitaminler 7. Fırında Pırasalı Mücver Tarifi Klasik mücverin kızartma halinden sıkılanlar için, hafif ve sağlıklı bir alternatif sunuyoruz: Fırında pırasalı mücver! Pırasanın tazeliğiyle yoğurdu buluşturan bu tarif, kızartma yağlarından uzak durarak hafif bir öğün sunar. Yanında yoğurt sosla birlikte mükemmel bir lezzet yakalayabilirsiniz. Malzemeler: - 2 adet pırasa (ince doğranmış) - 1 adet büyük havuç (rendelenmiş) - 2 yumurta - 1 çay bardağı tam buğday unu - Yarım çay bardağı zeytinyağı - 1 çay kaşığı kabartma tozu - Tuz, karabiber, kırmızı biber Yapılışı: - Pırasayı ve havucu bir kasede karıştırın. Üzerine yumurtaları ekleyip çırpın. - Un, kabartma tozu, zeytinyağı ve baharatları ekleyip iyice karıştırın. - Yağlı kağıt serili fırın tepsisine karışımı ince bir tabaka halinde yayın. - 180 derece önceden ısıtılmış fırında 25-30 dakika pişirin. - Pişen mücveri fırından alıp dilimleyerek servis yapın. Yanına yoğurt sos ile sunabilirsiniz. 8. Fırında Somon Tarifi Sağlıklı bir öğün dendiğinde ilk akla gelenlerden biri olan somon, omega-3 açısından zengin ve düşük kalorili bir seçenek sunar. Fırında pişirilen somon hem pratik hem de lezzetlidir. Yanında sebzelerle birlikte mükemmel bir dengeli öğün hazırlayabilirsiniz. Malzemeler: - 2 dilim somon fileto - 2 yemek kaşığı zeytinyağı - 2 diş sarımsak (ezilmiş) - 1 adet limon (dilimlenmiş) - Tuz, karabiber - 1 çay kaşığı kekik - Yanına: Brokoli, havuç, kabak gibi sebzeler Yapılışı: - Somon filetolarını zeytinyağı, sarımsak, tuz, karabiber ve kekikle ovun. - Bir fırın tepsisine yerleştirip üzerine limon dilimlerini koyun. - Sebzeleri dilimleyip tepsiye yerleştirin. Üzerine hafif zeytinyağı gezdirip tuz ekin. - 180 derece önceden ısıtılmış fırında 20-25 dakika pişirin. - Fırından çıkarıp somonu ve sebzeleri sıcak servis edin. Sağlıklı beslenme, zaman alıcı ve zor olmak zorunda değildir. Yukarıda paylaştığımız tarifler, sağlıklı yaşam hedeflerinizi desteklerken, kısa sürede hazırlanabilen ve besin değeri yüksek öğünler sunar. Hem hızlı hem de pratik olan bu tariflerle, sağlıklı beslenmek günlük rutininizin ayrılmaz bir parçası haline gelebilir. Kaliteli beslenme alışkanlıkları oluşturmak, enerji seviyenizi yükseltir, kilo kontrolüne yardımcı olur ve genel sağlığınızı olumlu yönde etkiler. İlginizi Çekebilir; Sağlıklı Beslenme ve Bağışıklık Sistemi Güçlendirme Bağışıklık Sistemini Desteklemek İçin Dioksijenil ve Asterocoll Kullanımı Çinko ve Selenyumun Sağlığa Faydaları Read the full article

[erin-writes-ghost-fluff]

Observations

A/N: Round 2, electric boogaloo. Again, thank you to a friend who helped come up with a pretty, poetic way to describe Grave's wings. I made sure it all went through this time. Let's try this again, shall we? Again, here's a visual of Grave's wings. Minors/Under the age of 18, do not interact, my fluff is not for you.

Fandom: Ghost 

Characters: Grave, (OC) Copia, Papa Emeritus Primo 

Warnings: Swearing. Some tickles. Might be OOC but IDC, I wrote it for myself.

Summary: Primo’s been fascinated by Grave’s wings since Terzo brought her home. Observations ensue.

Irish Gaelic translation: Mora Duit- “Morrow to you.” A greeting.

Italian translation:  Buon pomeriggio- Good afternoon.

Grazie- Thank you

Fatina- Little Fairy

Dolcezza- sweetheart

~ ~ ~

Primo paid the creature no mind, at first. He knew however, that Terzo's story of summoning a ghoul in Ireland was false. Even with Omega's help, his younger brother didn't have half of what he needed for the ritual. When confronted, Terzo caved and admitted that she was in fact, a phooka. Going forward, Grave didn't bother the old man much. The other ghouls told her he’d pissed on one of them, when angered on one occasion.

 

He seemed easily irritated, so she gave both he and Secondo a wide berth. Though Terzo told her something interesting, her second week at The Ministry:

Approximately a year before he found Grave, Terzo had called for a ‘family meeting’ between himself, Secondo, and Primo. Said meeting was Terzo reprimanding his older brothers for their treatment of the creatures. They were Satan’s creations, was his logic. Should The Ministry really disrespect such creatures that their Dark Lord formed? They needed to treat them better, Terzo had said.

At first the two scoffed at such a notion but soon began to see Terzo was right. From that point, they had been trying not to be as unkind. Hell, Primo and Mountain eventually bonded and became platonic mates.

This would explain why Primo was so quick to comfort her after ‘orientation’ with Nihil and Sister. After all, he named her. He saw how well she tended to the graves of Copia’s rats. He liked her help in the garden too. Mountain was certainly glad she was there.

Even with all of this information, Grave was still slightly apprehensive when Primo invited her for tea in the greenhouse, a month later. When she asked Copia about this development, he seemed excited for her.

“That's considered a high honor among the ghoul pack,” he explained with a smile. “It means he's taken a liking to you.”

Grave blinked. “Really?” 

“Yeah!” Copia affirmed, ruffling her hair. “Eh, don't be nervous. He’s intense at times. He comes off as scary and grouchy, but he's mellowed out a little bit. …Don't tell him I said that, ok?”

The phooka giggled, headbutting his hand being careful with her horns.

“I promise he won't know.”

Copia sighed in relief. “Grazie! He’d kill me if he knew I said that!”

He rubbed her horns affectionately, pressing his temple against his. A gesture of affection within the ghoul pack.

“I’ll let you go meet him. Don't wanna keep him waiting!”

They parted ways, Grave making her way out to the garden. She was proud of the work she had done in it, thus far. She had planted many flowers, so the bees had a food source. None of them had bloomed but they were growing tall. Especially her sunflowers.

The door to the greenhouse was ajar, meaning Primo was already expecting her. Her heart picked up just a little, as she entered. At once, the smell of lavender and rosemary entered her nostrils. There were pots of them on the greenhouse table. The soft scent of tea was also noticeable to her. Primo had already brewed a pot.

“Ah, perfect timing. Come sit, Grave. I made one of my own blends.”

His voice held a slight rasp to it. It had sounded that way since she met him. He had spread an old blanket on the ground, with cushions for them to sit on. Like his two younger brothers, he was wearing his papal paints.

“Mora Duit,” The phooka greeted, “what blend is it?” Her nose twitched, going haywire, finding she liked the smell of it.

“Buon pomeriggio, Primo returned the greeting, before smirking at her. Tea wasn't the only reason he wanted her here.

“Why don't you tell me? Do The Fair Folk have a keen sense of smell?”

It was now Grave focused, trying to figure out what all he put in this blend.

“Rose… with chamomile, and erm… berries?”

The eldest Emeritus chuckled, pouring a cup for her, then himself. 

“Hawthorn berries. But very good. Your nose might be just as powerful as a demon’s.”

He passed the cup to her, before grabbing a bowl of sugar cubes.

“Do you take sugar with your tea?”

“Please! Two lumps! They're perfect!

A creature of taste, he thought, adding the amount of sugar cubes she requested. He handed her a small spoon to stir up and dissolve the sugar. Feeling comfortable, Grave shifted out of her ghoulette form to her true phooka form. She dug her paws into the earth, enjoying how the cool dirt felt.

She had no human hair in this form. Only long, fluffy, black fur, with lopsided rabbit ears, goat horns, piercing yellow eyes, raccoon paws for hands, black fox paws for feet, and the tail of a lion. 

Her wings shimmered, appearing to be iridescent. They were long, gossamer like in their beauty and yet... They reminded him of frayed leaves, stuck stubbornly against the wind on a branch. The last vestiges of summer unwilling to let go, no matter how the elements strip it away, bit by bit.

One could see patterns and swirls inside of them. These wings were what intrigued Primo the most. The way they caught the light, they almost looked like stained glass windows. 

They were a work of art that Primo wanted to study. To admire. It could wait, however. Tea came first. He didn't know if Grave would even allow him to touch them. He was still taking great pains to earn some of the ghouls trust, so he could study their wings and behavior. Understandably, she may not want a mortal she barely knew, examining and touching her wings.

“How are you adjusting?” He asked, opening up the conversation.

“Much better. Now that the pack has accepted me, I don't feel out of place. I feel close to da and dad.”

Primo raised an eyebrow. “You refer to Terzo and Omega as such already?”

Though he wasn't all that surprised. His little brother couldn't stop gushing about her, upon their return. Of course he got attached. Omega too began referring to her as his ‘kit’ shortly after they came home.

“I do. I don't exactly know what a father is, considering phookas don't have family units like you mortals… but I observed so many humans over the thousands of years I spent in Ireland. But I know da is like the men I observed with their own children, both young and adult. It comes naturally to him.”

“That it does. He’s nurturing and kind to the little ones here in The Ministry. It’s a shame he couldn't have any of his own.”

“Why?”

Primo sighed after sipping his tea. 

“The Ministry is strict, Grave. Especially with us three Papas. We cannot have any sort of wife- or husband in Terzo's case- to appear available to fans. Therefore, he cannot be with a woman to bear his offspring. Sister already disapproves of his relationship with Omega. But if he were to break that rule and marry a woman? He’d be exiled from this place, never allowed to return.”

Grave’s brows furrowed. That didn't seem so bad. If exile was all they did…

“From how he speaks, he’d want that.”

Primo shook his head.

“His title would be stripped. He’d be barred from The Ministry, not allowed to preach, not allowed to perform, not allowed to see us.”

He lowered his voice, in the event the wrong person could be listening.

“Think of The Ministry more like a cult. There have been those that have tried to leave in the past. Nobody ever heard from them again. It makes me suspect that they were killed. And I don't want that to happen to my brother. If you can…. Protect him, alongside Omega. You may have noticed, nobody here trusts Sister. Aside from Copia. But I have my theory on that.”

Grave nodded, taking a sip of the tea. The blend was flavorful. It tasted as wonderful as it smelled. The rose didn't overpower the other herbs in the tea. 

“You have my word. Of course I’ll protect him. I care about him greatly.”

It took some weight off of Primo's mind. A fae and demon protecting Terzo together would be nearly unstoppable.

“Grazie. He’s lucky to have you.”

Now, time for a subject change. He didn't want to worry her with all of this talk of The Ministry.

“Your flowers are doing good. Your sunflowers are getting bigger than I expected. Those snapdragons are finally sprouting too, I see.”

Her tail began to sway at his praise. She smiled, taking another sip of her tea. 

“I’m so glad! I’ve never had experience planting my own flowers! I’ve only watched other mortals grow them. Being able to see my efforts and diligence pay off, is rewarding.”

He nodded, smiling. “Indeed. Flowers take time, but it's always nice to see them sprout, grow and eventually bloom.”

That reminded her… there was something she wanted to ask him to plant.

“Papa Primo? Think you could teach me how to plant and care for pumpkins? I wanna eat ‘em, but I want some for carving.”

Ahh, yes. That could most certainly be arranged. He was going to plant some anyway.

“Yes, of course. Mountain and I plant some later in the summer, so the children have them to carve for Halloween.”

Her tail wagged again, only faster this time Primo noted with a bit of amusement. 

“Thank you! I do love a good, fresh pumpkin but the mortals always carved such curious faces on ‘em! I’d like to try that too!”

He smirked. “You enjoy the Halloween season, I take it?”

“Absolutely! Samhain is the best night of the year!”

Her enthusiasm was charming. Though he wasn't surprised. The Veil was said to be thinnest on Halloween. Perfect for foolery, trickery, and phookas were beings of pure mischief. She’d already been up to it, according to what he heard in the halls of The Ministry. 

“Let me guess, you like the pranks the most, don't you?” He gave a soft, throaty chuckle.

Considering the gleam in her golden eyes, and the fanged grin that went with it, Primo had his answer.

“I assure you, you don't want to pull that sort of fuckery with Secondo or myself.”

The retired front man may have chosen his words poorly. To a being of mischief, Grave considered this a challenge.

“And why not?” 

Oh, she wanted to play that way? Well, he may be older but if this was how she wanted to fuck around and find out, he would certainly show her why that was an ill advised idea. 

He set his cup down, leaning forward, his white eye almost glowing. 

“Because fatina,” Primo began, his voice now authoritative, if not sounding a tad gutteral.

“Neither I nor my brother take kindly to pranks. Ask your father or Copia what we’d put them through in our younger days, when they got up to such fuckery.”

Grave shifted around, a little unnerved. Ok, maybe those two were off limits…

“Y- yes, Papa…” she replied with a nervous grin.

He reached forward, patting her head. “Good ghoul. No need to worry if you keep yourself out of such mischief, regarding us.”

She couldn't resist being a little smart ass, one last time, however.

“....You didn't say anything about da, Copia, or the other ghouls though.”

He raised an amused eyebrow at this, giving an almost mischievous smile.

“Just so you know, Terzo screams like a little girl at spiders. Copia also startles easily. He’s almost too easy.”

She giggled, tail back to wagging again. “Oooh, noted! I’ll have to try and fuck with ‘em later!”

They finished their cups of tea off after another few minutes. Grave stood up and stretched, her wings stretching out with her. This was when Primo decided now would be a good time to ask. 

“Grave? Before you leave, might I request something?”

Her head tilted to the side questioningly. Now that just wasn't fair, Primo thought. He saw why his two of his younger brothers were charmed by her. Suppose she was an endearing, little thing.

“Do you need help with something, papa?”

“Nothing serious. If you would permit me, I would like to study your wings. You are the only non-demonic entity we have in The Ministry. Your wings are vastly different from a quintessential ghoul’s or an air ghoul’s, for example.”

A surge of excitement coursed through the fae. Copia was right! Primo did like her! ...And according to his thoughts, he considered her cute? Oh no, no! There was nothing cute about her! Phookas were often feared in the old days, back home! Nevertheless, her tail wagged once more.

“That's fine! I’m happy to assist!” She replied, shocking Primo. He thought for sure she might have said no. 

Suppose she trusted him? But why? She wasn't close to him the way she was to Terzo or Copia. It was a pleasant surprise, nonetheless. He gathered tea supplies, carrying them on a tray, while Grave took the cushions and blanket to the laundry room. They both agreed to meet back in his room. After all, Primo had to be able to make notes.

Once they were both present, he led her inside, inviting her to sit on his bed. He opened up a large notebook that had been written in over the course of many months. All observations and studies he had made on the ghouls and ghulehs. Now, a new entry will be written. After dating the page, a sudden thought occurred to him.

“Grave? Did Terzo give you a human name for when you're in your mortal glamor, by chance?”

“He did. Picked it right out of a baby book. ‘Shailyn.’ It's of Gaelic origin. It means ‘from the Fairy Palace.’” 

He nodded, making a note on the page. He opened a drawer on his bedside table, locating his magnifying glass.

“Turn your back to me,” Primo instructed. “The light catches them best this way.”

Grave did as she was told, even spreading and extending her wings to make things easier for him. He nodded in approval, taking the magnifying glass to begin his work.

“I’m going to touch your wings with your permission. You have patterns I wish to get a better look at. There's a few areas that intrigue me.”

The phooka took a moment to respond. Fairy wings were sensitive. It didn't take much to damage them or cause great pain. 

“I’ll be gentle, I promise. I’ll treat them as I would a seedling. I know we aren't as close as you and your fathers, but I would never handle such beautiful wings harshly.”

She believed him. He was Terzo's brother and thus far, he had treated her with respect and even kindness. 

“...You have my consent. But please, please be easy. They are delicate.”

Primo gave her some reassuring scratches, on her neck and under her chin, causing her to purr. He raised an eyebrow, quickly making another note. Damn it all… He was quickly finding her absolutely adorable. Not that he would say such a thing aloud. He had a reputation to keep after all. Though Terzo often said, that was a silly way of thinking.

Gently, he took a wing in one hand, while he used his magnifying glass to look at the patterns. They looked purple when the light hit them. They swirled in different directions, always changing, sometimes in a spiral. He set his tool down, writing something else down.

Afterwards, he took his pointer finger, absentmindedly tracing a pattern on her left wing, wanting to feel and know the texture. As soon as his finger began to move, they twitched involuntarily. Grave let out a soft gasp, a smile trying to wobble across her lips. She was glad he couldn't see her face at the moment.

Uh- oh. 

Primo jerked his hand away as though he’d been burned. “Are you alright, fatina?”

“Mm-hmm!” 

It tickled. And worst of all, she felt the tickling sensation go into the left side of her back in addition to that wing. Two spots at once. He didn't need that information!

“... Are you sure?”

She didn't want him getting suspicious. “Yes! You can, erm, continue!”

She could take it. 

Primo resumed, trying to figure out a description in his notebook for how the texture felt. Dragonfly wings? Yes, yes, that would do-

His thoughts were interrupted by a stifled giggle. The elder Emeritus blinked, before a smirk came to settle on his lips. 

Ahhh, another ticklish ‘ghoul’? Poor little thing. I wonder…

He now pretended that he didn't hear her, continuing with what he was doing. It was still part of the observations, he told himself. It wasn't his fault she was this sensitive after all.

The more he traced, the harder it was for the phooka to keep her laughter at bay. She was practically snickering into her paws. Her tail began to beat against the bed.

No, no, no, he can't know, right? He’s not doing this on pur-

More giggles now began to spill over, Primo’s smirk now growing into a mischievous smile. Had she seen that, she probably would have gotten flustered and nearly fainted.

“Something funny, Shailyn?” He asked, feigning innocence, his finger traveling upwards.

"N-nothing!” She replied, blushing beneath her fur.

“Then why are you giggling?” 

No response except for a shake of her head. Her resolve was crumbling and they both knew it. Well, if she was going to be a difficult little gremlin…

This time he lightened up his touch further, using his blunt nails, yet treating her wings as though they were fragile panes of glass. One could never be too gentle. It worked as he wanted, loud giggles issuing forth. 

“Grave…” His voice held an almost playful, teasing tone, “are you ticklish, ghoulette?”

He almost chuckled at how her fur had fluffed up and bristled out. Her tail whipped around frantically as she gripped the bedsheets.

“Ok!” She squeaked, “yes, yes, I am!” Another bubbly laugh escaped and Primo now found himself completely enthralled with the creature.

There was no denying it anymore. He found her cute, interesting and wanted to bond with her. His fingers moved downwards, causing a squeal followed by a shocked cackle. The fact that she wasn't trying to escape had not gone unnoticed by him. 

“I-I  thought you were studying-” Her words were broken up by laughter.

A low laugh reverberated through the elder Emeritus’ chest. 

“I still am. But call this a curiosity that has to be satisfied, dolcezza.” 

Oh dear lord… his thoughts indicated mischief. And that was her job! Grave didn't mind, however. According to his thoughts, he seemed to be enjoying himself a bit. Not that she would admit it, but she was having fun too. Wait. Was this another way of bonding, she wondered? Interesting.

Any further thoughts came crashing to a halt, as he used both hands, his touch maddeningly gentle as he slowly and methodically scratched up and around both wings, giving her no time to process.

Grave cackled, back twitching and arching, trying to avoid his fingers but it was useless. Her legs kicked out frantically as she began to snort in between her laughter.

“Please!” She managed to get out, “it’s so bad!”

Primo couldn't help but be a little evil. He’d be lying if he said her reactions weren't melting his heart. 

“Oh, is it? It can't be that bad, I believe you're exaggerating, Shailyn!”

Behavior such as this was rare for him these days, but he still occasionally indulged. Mainly with Terzo. His poor little brother needed reminders not to let the stress of being papa get to him, after all.

He scratched in between her wings now, causing them to beat together, her laughter growing high pitched. It was here, he found something interesting. Something he had only previously observed with the ghouls.

A bundle of nerves which reflexively forced her wings shut, when gently pressed upon. A loud, uncontrollable squeal flew from her lips, eyes widening at how horribly that one, small action tickled.

“What the fuck?!” She nearly shrieked, snorting several times and falling over onto her side on the bed.

Primo paused, eagerly jotting his findings down.

“You and the pack share a common trait!” He announced, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. 

“W- which is?” She panted, greedily taking in air.

“That spot in between your wings,” he explained, “a cluster of nerves that makes your wings close. It's a reflex but one I’ve only seen in ghouls. I didn't think other creatures might possess this trait.”

Even Grave herself was unaware she had this reflex. She made a note to talk to Omega later. He might be able to tell her more.

“Now, where was I?... Unless you’d like me to stop. Then by all means, tell me and I will.”

Grave found herself blushing, tail twitching and swishing with embarrassment.

“Erm… you can continue for a bit more. I don't mind.”

Primo chuckled but it sounded warmer this time.

“Having fun, are we?”

He gave her no warning before he suddenly resumed, fingers gently massaging those nerves in between her wings. Grave was immediately launched back into borderline hysteria.

“NOT THAT!” She now begged, laughter wild yet giddy.

“Aw, I’m sorry, let me move spots!” His tone of voice was taunting, and she most certainly didn't like that.

Oh fuck- 

The spot he moved to nearly made the poor fae hit the roof. He’d found where her wings connected to her back, incessantly scratching, nearly driving her to madness. She gave another shriek, smacking the mattress, trying to cope.

“I’M TELLING DA!” She let out a bleat, before falling back into mad, uncontrollable laughter.

Her threat and new noise caused Primo to bark a laugh. Deciding to take it a little easier on her, he reached in front of her, going for her belly.

“Terzo can't help you, fatina,” Primo taunted in that same playful tone.

Her cackles died down to giggling once more, as he clawed and wiggled his fingers into her stomach. It was still a bad spot but more bearable than where he’d been tickling.

“He knows what happens when he tries to intervene. You're trapped here with me!”

He gave a theatrically evil, low chuckle, watching his giggly prey squirm and kick. Oh yeah. He was stealing her from Terzo and his younger brother could just get over it. …Or at least share. There was much Primo could learn from her and he had so many questions. But they could wait. They had time.

“Before I stop, answer me this: Are you going to try any pranks or mischief with me?” 

He skittered his fingers around the expanse of her belly, her feet pumping like pistons. She laughed into her hands, letting out the occasional squeak. 

“Depending on your answer, I may just have to find more ticklish areas on you.”

Grave did not want him going after her ribs, so she answered quickly.

“No! No, never!”

Primo smirked. He didn't know if he believed her but he could see she was tiring, and he didn't want to push it too far.

“Hmm. Very well. I’ll release you…. For now.”

He ceased, now only rubbing her belly in soothing circles, making her purr happily while she caught her breath. She groaned embarrassedly, giving him a playful glare.

“Was that absolutely necessary?”

“Yes,” he huffed out a laugh, “I get to write that phookas are ticklish in my observation journal.”

Once her breathing regulated, she turned over on her stomach, allowing him to resume looking at her wings. He was gentle but no longer intentionally tried to tickle her. They were magnificent, he thought, admiring how the light made them shimmer.

The iridescence was beautiful up close. They even looked as though they glowed softly in dim or lower light. With every new find, Primo would write something down. They didn't seem out of proportion to her height, either. She even went outside again to let him compare what they looked like in sunlight versus artificial light.

Just as Primo always thought, they reminded him of stained glass in the sunlight. He knew some might disagree with his view, but they could not deny the beauty.

After returning to his room and writing down his final observations, he pulled out something from his cabinet for her. A bottle of aged, Irish whiskey.

“Because you’ve been so patient and have put up with so much, I thought I’d give you this as a thank you present.”

Grave blinked, completely taken aback.

“This whole bottle?!”

“Of course! Take it, Shailyn. You’ve earned it.”

“Have a drink with me then?”

Well…. Who was he to turn her down? He gave a warm smile, took two glasses from his cabinet, and took short walks to the cafeteria for ice. He returned, pouring them each a glassful.

Grave hummed in approval after taking a small sip.

“Oh, good shit!” She grinned, “the flavor is perfect!”

“It is, isn't it? I’m glad it's to your liking.”

The two spent the next hour conversing over their drinks, just as they had done earlier. And when they finished, Primo hardly protested when she curled up in his lap to read his Satanic Bible.

When she inevitably fell asleep, he figured there was no point in trying to move her. His own eyes felt heavy, and he soon found himself asleep before he realized it. It was exactly how Terzo found them an hour later, snickering softly, before taking a picture with his phone.

Seemed they were getting close to one another, he thought with a smile. 

Well, damn. He’s still a giant softie! I fucking called it! 

Even if Primo didn't admit it, Grave had indeed won him over.