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Jesse grunted as his feet were kicked out from under him, sending him careening into the ground. He scrambled to his hands and knees, attempting to push himself up, but a heavy boot came down on the back of his throat, pushing his face back down into the hardwood floor. A chuckle came from the figure above him, and Jesse gritted his teeth. “How cute,” the alpha murmured, grinding his foot into the back of Jesse’s neck. “Still think you can overpower me, hm?” Jesse spat, his nails digging into the alpha’s calves. His distressed scent was overflowing the entire room, as if that would get the alpha off of him. “That’s it,” the alpha snorted, “Keep on struggling.” A growl left Jesse’s throat, before he began to continue to struggle. Eventually, he slumped beneath the man’s foot. He was grabbed by the back of his collar, and hauled up off the floor, until he was eye-to-eye with the alpha. The alpha had dark skin, darker than Jesse’s for sure, and a thick, black beard, scars littering his face. Jesse’s eyes darted down to the man’s throat, inhaling sharply upon seeing the darkened mating mark. Jesse growled, and kicked at him. The alpha just continued to look amused, before he clamped a heavy metal collar on Jesse’s throat. He then dropped Jesse back down to the ground, turning to his parents. “He’s nothing special. When he returns to you, he will be a suitable omega, I promise you.” Jesse’s face flushed, and he growled when he heard his mother say, “Are you sure? Even some of the toughest trainers in the state couldn’t break him. What makes you think you can?” It wasn’t accusatory, but when the alpha laughed, Jesse could tell he didn’t take it as such. “I’ve broken many omegas. Ones tougher than him. Don’t worry. Give me a year.” He reached down, gently petting Jesse’s hair. “By the time he returns, you’ll barely recognize him.” Jesse growled. We’ll see about that. Jesse fought beneath the thick robes the alpha—he refused to call him Gabriel—had forced upon him. He felt like he was suffocating, and considering he hadn’t taken a shower in a few weeks to riot against his parents, he wouldn’t be surprised if he suffocated in his own stench. The alpha reached over, smacking Jesse on the side of the head when he tried to remove the headcover. Jesse paused, and growled, before slumping back into the seat. The car smelled of other omegas. Plenty of omegas, plenty of them with a fiery scent. It tugged at Jesse’s heart. How many omegas had been forced through this? Had sat in his place, just like him, telling themselves that they would not break? How many of them had this man actually broken? Jesse refused to allow him to be another statistic for Reyes. The drive was long, and by the time they had arrived, Jesse had already thrown up on himself. Reyes just let out a snort, and Jesse could see him rolling his eyes, lightly shaking his head. Reyes dragged him out of the car without a second thought, not letting go until they got into a hot area. The place stunk of omega, scared scents mixing with determined ones. Jesse shuddered, so distracted by the scents that he didn’t realize that a heavy chain was being attached to his collar, forcing him into a kneeling position. “What the fuck?” Jesse snarled, and was rewarded with a smack. He groaned, rubbing at his cheek and lurching in the direction of Reyes’ scent, but ended up grasping at air. He growled, pin pricks running along his skin as he waited for Reyes to do something, anything. He waited for a few moments, before he hesitantly sniffed at the air. Through the omega stench, and the smell of his own vomit, he managed to make out the fact that Reyes’ scent had receded. He ripped off the head dress, his eyes scanning the area before he relaxed, realizing he was alone. He was in a barn. He could see slits of sunlight coming through the roof, and the smell of hay was becoming very pungent. He was chained in a horse stall, but was able to stretch out and looked around the barn. There were a couple other stalls, but there was only one stall that seemed to be occupied, the hay piled up in a nest-like shape. The stall next to him was in a similar state, but the scent was stale. Jesse grunted and leaned back on his heels, looking around the barn, wondering what the fuck they were going to do with him. He jumped when he heard the door open, and he scrambled backwards, back arching, getting ready to pounce on Reyes when he came into view. Light footsteps headed towards him, and he paused. This didn’t sound like Reyes. He sniffed the air. The scent of Reyes had returned, but this—no—this smelt more like— “Hello,” a soft voice called, and Jesse yelped, looking up. The omega in front of him was tall, as tall as Reyes and built just like him. There was a dark mating mark on his throat, his face covered in scars, and his blonde hair was cropped short. Jesse could barely make out the scent of pregnant beneath the stench of Reyes’ scent. Jesse began to shake, his eyes meeting the omega’s blue ones. “You must be Jesse.” “Fuck off.” The omega didn’t blink, kneeling down in the stall and gently reaching his hand out, a soft smile on his face. “He told me you haven’t bathed in a while. I can help you, if you’d like.” The calm, collected nature that the omega presented did nothing to soothe Jesse. Knowing that this omega was someone that Reyes had broken did nothing but stress him out more, considering the omega’s size. The omega moved forward, and Jesse sat, petrified, not moving as the omega began to strip him. “My name is Jack,” the omega murmured calmly, “I will be helping you get adjusted to your training.” “Of course, you are, you bastard,” Jesse snarled, but it did nothing to Jack. Jack tossed Jesse’s clothes to the side, moving forward and getting close to him like an omega would to their pup. Jesse shrank back into the hay, his breathing staggered when the man’s rough tongue came out to gently lick at his skin. Jesse shuddered. “What the fuck are you doing?” “Cleaning you,” Jack murmured, before he continued. The process reminded Jesse of his mother, of his omega father, of his siblings. This was common to do amongst family, less so when they got older, but done in times of great stress. To have this random omega doing this to him just caused Jesse to become more stressed out, a whimper escaping his throat. Jack paused. “You’re scared,” he murmured. Jesse didn’t move as the man reached over to wipe away his tears. “I’m sorry. I know it’s hard, but you will get used to it,” Jack soothed, “You all do. Just allow me to clean you, and try to relax, and everything will go all right. Promise.” Jesse closed his eyes. He inhaled sharply, trying not to whine as Jack went back to cleaning him. He had to admit, it wasn’t . . . the worst experience of his life. It could be worse. Jack diligently cleaned him, and yeah, Jesse did feel better, but he didn’t like it. Jack sat back on his heels, before he handed Jesse some new, light clothes. “He will be back for you later,” Jack murmured. He reached over, slowly petting Jesse’s cheek. “Just try to behave yourself. Things don’t have to go wrong.” Jesse snorted and turned away from him. He could smell hurt wafting off of the omega, but he didn’t care. What the fuck did it matter? Jack was broken. Jesse wasn’t. He just wanted Jesse to become mindless like him, driven by the need to be praised and filled by an alpha. Well, that wasn’t what was going to happen to him. He was going to get the fuck out. Jack continued to pet Jesse’s cheek for a moment, before he sighed and got up, quietly leaving the barn. Jesse sat in the back corner for a bit, waiting for those heavy footsteps to return. The sun began to lower, the streams in the roof beginning to get dimmer and dimmer. Growing bored, he began to mess with the hay, piling it up in a corner and making a shitty nest. It was nothing like the one across the way, but hey, it’d do. He sighed, twirling the heavy chain around his throat, before he looked up, hearing the door open. There were two pairs of footsteps. One was definitely Reyes, and the other was certainly not Jack. He scented the air. No . . . the other was definitely not Jack. Reyes stopped by the entrance to the stall, leaning against the entrance, arms and ankles crossed. He looked at Jesse’s nest, and snorted. “Pathetic. Ain’t never built a nest before?” Jesse sneered at Reyes. “Never had too.” Reyes rolled his eyes and reached down, unchaining Jesse from the wall. He glanced at the omega behind him, the kid only appearing to be a little younger than him. The boy was a little bit built, but still relatively thin. His hair was a dark black, but the tips had green to them. There was still some defiance in the omega’s eyes, but it was carefully hidden from Reyes. “Genji here will have to teach you, then,” Reyes dragged him to his feet, glancing at the boy. “Can’t have that, now, can we?” “No, sir,” the boy murmured, his voice light. Jesse realized that the kid was a foreigner, and he froze, staring the kid down as Reyes began to tug him out of the barn. Why the hell was this kid here? Shouldn’t he be back home, being trained by someone from his own culture. What the hell, Jesse thought in a panic, staring at Genji as the door closed behind them. He turned, looking at Reyes, who seemed to be focused on getting him to the house. Jesse took this chance to look around, trying to see where they were at. It was fucking hot, and the area was surrounded by woods. There was a children’s playset behind the house, and another barn in the distance, enclosed by a fence, a couple of horses and sheep grazing in the pasture. Jesse snorted. What the fuck is this place. He grunted as he ran into Reyes’ back, looking up at the alpha, a sneer on his lips. Reyes’ face was serious, more serious than he had seen in so far. “Listen,” he said, coolly. “And listen to me closely. This is one of those instances where I will allow no bullshit to happen.” Jesse’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Oh?” Reyes’ face remained impassible. “There are children here. Do anything to harm them or to make me discipline you in front of them and you will fucking regret it. Got it?” His fist thumped against Jesse’s chest, and Jesse’s lips curled back into a snarl. “More kids you’re going to whip into shape, huh? Pulling them straight from the crib?” Reyes gave him a bitter smile. “You wish that.” He turned, and headed into the house. Jesse sighed, waiting outside in the cooling air before he followed Reyes inside, blinking as he heard loud chattering and the sound of kids of various ages excitedly yelling. He paused when he heard the word dad getting thrown around. He followed Reyes’ scent, finding him beneath a pile of kids, with Jack off to the side, a small smile on his face. From what Jesse could see, he counted a total of five. He stood, rubbing at his arm, suddenly realizing just how wrong he was. A toddler crawled out from beneath the pile, her dark brown hair tied in pig tails. She was of Asian descent, making Jesse’s eyebrows furrow. As he looked at the ground, he realized that there was only one—no, possibly two—that could be genetically their kids. There were four girls, two with lighter skin and two with darker skin. The last one was a boy, with dark skin and dreads. He heard various accents among the group, and he wondered for a moment if any of these kids were actually theirs. It made his stomach churn. He looked to Jack, and then to the kids. He wanted to piss Reyes off, to test him, but upon seeing how happy the man was to be with his kids, he found the threat of being murdered unappealing. Hesitantly, he headed over to Jack, his entire body tense. No wonder the man had been so insistent. It wasn’t just that he was following Reyes’ orders . . . “Why the hell am I in here,” Jesse murmured. Jack glanced at Jesse, before he bent down to pick up the toddler, who was whining at his feet. He cradled the little girl close to his chest. “To help me with night time rituals.” “Why?” Jack gave him a look. “He wants to see how you are with kids.” Jesse snorted and turned away. He studied the group for a moment, realizing after a brief moment of contemplation that one of the girls looked like the adults. He kept his eyes on her, before he turned away. “Just tell me what I need to do.” Jack hesitated. “Well . . . you can start by giving Hana a bath,” he said, handing the toddler over.Jesse paused, taking in the little girl’s sticky face. “All . . . all right,” he murmured, taking her from his grasp. He began to head down the hallway, pausing when he realized that Jack wasn’t following him. He paused, looking over his shoulder. “Jack?”“I said you were giving her a bath, not me.”Jesse stood, before he turned back to Hana, who was staring at him with wide eyes. He sighed, and headed down the hallway. Jesse winced at the smell. He was wet, his clothes soaked. Hana had been fine. Sure, she had splashed, but that was about it. Brigitte, on the other hand, had been vicious, running away from him and not sitting still while in the tub. Lúcio seemed to think the water was a drum, and he was glad that Olivia and Fareeha old enough to bathe themselves, only needing a cursory scent check and glance over when they got out. Jesse turned to leave the bathroom, running a hand through his long hair, glad that it was slowly drying. He squeaked when he saw Jack leaning against the wall, glancing at him. “What?” Jesse asked, clearing his throat. Jack glanced at him, then towards the bedroom. “You’re not done.” Jesse pursed his lips. “Yes I am.” “No, you’re not,” Jack responded, standing up straight. “Put them to bed. All of them.” Jesse tensed. “No.” Jack sighed. “Jesse. Please. Just do this.” He didn’t want to break. Not to Jack, not to Reyes. But he saw the look in Jack’s eyes, and he knew he had no choice. So. He went through the motions. Fareeha and Olivia did not need much. They just wanted a story read to them, and they were out within a few pages. Lúcio wanted to talk to Jesse about his music, about the new music he was listening too, about his dreams. He ended up falling asleep with Jesse sitting on the bed, the radio quietly playing in the room. Brigitte just wanted to be tucked in. Hana had been hard to figure out. He cuddled with her, he read to her, listened to music with her. It took him nearly thirty minutes before he figured out what she wanted: a kiss on the forehead. Once he gave her that, she curled into his chest, and fell asleep. He left Hana’s room as the lights dancing around, pink rabbits hopping from wall to wall. He sighed, resting his head against the door jam. The door to Reyes’ room was closed, and he could smell that only Reyes was behind it. He swallowed and headed downstairs, knowing that the alpha was done with him for today. He saw the light was still on in the kitchen, and he paused briefly, before he headed in. Jack was sitting at the table, his arms crossed and his chin pressed against his chest. He looked up when Jesse’s figure darkened the entryway. “Took you long enough.” Jesse just snorted. “I’m not a parent.” “Don’t have to be a parent to know how kids work,” Jack shot back. He rose to his feet, heading to the fridge before he returned. It was a plate of fruit, and Jesse’s stomach gurgled. “Eat.” “What? No meat?” Jack shot him a look. “If you had behaved, perhaps Gabe would have allowed you to have more.” Jesse snorted and sat at the table, eagerly digging into the plate of food. He didn’t know the last time he had ate . . . “So.” Jesse began, with a mouthful of food. Jack raised an eyebrow at him. “Those kids.” Jack sighed. “Adopted. All except for Olivia.” Jack looked at Jesse, lips twitching. “Why do you care?” “Because none of them look like you, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Reyes’ was snatching kids from families,” Jesse sneered. Jack’s eyes darkened. “Think about him what you will, but he isn’t like that. He doesn’t enjoy what he does.” “Oh, so that gives him an excuse then for doing it?” Jack’s hands twitched. “Trust me, there are far worse alpha’s out there you could have been sent too. Now, if you’re finished, come on.” Jesse looked down at his plate. He wasn’t even halfway done. “But I’m not—agh!” He was grabbed by the collar, Jack dragging him off of the chair and tugging him out into the backyard. Jesse struggled as he was dragged along the ground to the backyard, but he eventually gave up, lying limp. Jack chained Jesse back up, and bent down, lips pulling back. “You need to think about what’s important to you—your pride, or getting to live the rest of your life happily.” With that, he turned and left. Jesse growled, tugging at the chain and pacing around the stall. It was fucking hot, he didn’t have much room to walk around in, and he was right pissed. He didn’t notice Genji in the stall opposite of him until the boy spoke up, “You need to get some rest.” Jesse jumped, turning and looking at Genji, a little disgruntled. “No. Not if it’s going to make that bastard happy.” “You are only a first day, yes?” Genji murmured, stretching out a bit in his nest before curling back up. “Tomorrow will be rough. Suggest you get some rest.” Jesse glared, sticking his tongue out and continuing to pace. Some time passed, before Jesse shot a glance at Genji, taking in the younger omega. Genji’s back was too him, his chest slowly rising and falling. It took Jesse a moment to realize that Genji was neither chained, nor wearing a collar. The words slipped out of his mouth before he could think them through, “What the fuck?” Genji’s head jerked up, letting out a small yawn and rolling around to face Jesse. “What? What is wrong? Did you give yourself a splinter?” “No,” Jesse retorted, continuing to stare at Genji’s bare neck. “You have no collar.” Genji raised an eyebrow. “Extraordinary observation.” “You’re not chained to the wall.” “Very intelligent, cowboy.” Jesse ignored the taunts. “Why the hell are you still here then?” Genji jerked his chin out. “What does it matter to you?” “You can escape!” “No point in escaping when I am so close to getting out of here anyways. I will be moving into the house soon. I’m not going to jeopardize myself,” the omega said calmly, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes as he pressed his cheek against the hay. Jesse continued to stare Genji down. For a moment, he thought about the look he had seen in Genji’s eyes earlier today. “He’s broken you.” Genji shook his head. “Not broken me. Has just shown me what I need to do in this world to survive.” “What?” Genji yawned. “You will understand soon enough . . .” He rolled onto his side, hay sticking to his clothes. “Get some sleep, please. Just make an attempt. It’s not bad here.” Jesse didn’t listen. He had already made up his mind: Genji was broken. He didn’t know how strong Genji had been before this moment, but he now had an even better reason to resist Reyes. He wasn’t going to let himself become a mindless drone. Jesse had passed out at some point during the night, slouching against the ground, barely choking himself out with the chain. Genji was gone by the time he woke up, the only other person in the barn being Reyes. “Get up.” Jesse just moaned in response, rolling over, burying his face in the hay. A gasp escaped his mouth when he felt a heavy boot nail his gut, and he jerked up, trying not to throw up. Reyes stared down at him, his arms crossed. “Truly pathetic.” Jesse glared at him. “What the fuck do you want?” All he got in return at first was a quirked eyebrow. Then, Reyes said, “You really think I’m just gonna let you lay here until you decide you want to cooperate? No. All of you learn sooner or later. Now. Get up.” Jesse glared at him, waiting for a few moments before he made a move to get up. Reyes reached behind him, unlocking the chain. Reluctantly, he followed him out of the barn. He saw Genji and Jack out in the pasture with the sheep, gently sheering the animals and collecting their wool. He glanced at Reyes, surprised that they were heading towards the house. “I’m not playing babysitter.” Reyes laughed. “You’re not,” he said, “They are at school.” Jesse sniffed. Sure enough, all of the kids’ scents were stale. Fuck, even Hana’s scent was stale. Although, now that he thought about it, they could probably afford to send her to a daycare . . . He looked at Reyes warily. “Then what the fuck do you want me in here for?” “You’re going to clean the entire house.” Jesse stared at him, then laughed. “Yeah, funny joke, hoss. That ain’t happening.” Their eyes met for a moment, then Jesse’s eyes slowly went wide. “You’re serious.” Reyes rolled his eyes. A sneer pulled at Jesse’s lips. “Oh? Why don’t you have your precious little omega do it? Or that bastard Genji, huh? I’m sure you’d love your pretty pet strewn out on the floor, cleaning the house to please you.” Reyes didn’t even bat a fucking eye. Jesse scented him discretely, and he couldn’t even find an ounce of anger on him. “What Jack does is none of your concern. While you are here, you’re supposed to learn how to behave, like how your parents wanted you too. Now, clean the fucking house, or you will regret it, ya hear me?” Jesse gave him a mock salute, fully expecting the man to lounge out on the couch and wait until he was done. Instead, Reyes turned on heel and headed outside. Jesse paused, before he followed his scent discretely, peering out the sliding glass door to see him going and speaking with Genji and Jack. Jesse pursed his lips into a thin line, and sat down at the kitchen table, crossing his arms. He didn’t dare eat any food, knowing that that wouldn’t leave his skull intact. Instead, he sat at the table, arms crossed defiantly. Jesse fell asleep, his chin resting against his chest. He jerked awake when the door opened and closed. He paused, sniffing at the air. Reyes. His body was vibrating as he listened to the alpha slowly move around the house, checking things out. Reyes appeared in the entryway to the bathroom, staring Jesse down. Jesse jerked his chin out, looking at him defiantly. Jesse glanced at the clock. Five hours had passed since Jesse fell asleep. “You haven’t cleaned,” Reyes said calmly. Jesse noticed the man had tracked in an awful lot of mud behind him. Reyes turned his gaze onto Jesse, and he slowly made his way across the kitchen. “I ain’t your fucking maid.” Reyes stared down at him, a chuckle slowly escaping his lips. He grabbed Jesse by the hair, hoisting him to his feet. “I wasn’t giving you a choice.” Jesse grunted, thrashing in the man’s hold as he was brought to the front door. The door opened, and Genji and Jack walked in, pausing when they saw Jesse being brought towards them. Reyes dropped Jesse onto the floor, his foot going between the omega’s shoulder blades, forcing him down, smearing mud all over his back. Jesse’s face was pressed into the mud, a grunt escaping his throat. “Lick it up.” Jesse paused, his face pressed against the cold linoleum. He then laughed. “Do you think I’m joking?” The man’s foot dug deep into Jesse’s back, causing the joints in his spine to pop loudly. “Lick it up. I can wait here all day.” Jesse glanced up, seeing Jack and Genji remaining in the doorway. Genji seemed nervous, meanwhile Jack kept his gaze firmly on the basket of wool in his hands. Jesse yawned, and continued to lay there beneath Reyes’ foot. Eventually, Genji and Jack moved from the doorway, and Jesse thought he was going to be let up off of the floor, but Reyes remained, pushing down on Jesse whenever he tried to move. He waited. And waited. And waited. He knew it had been a while when Jack returned and sighed. “We’ll go get the kids.” “Take a while. Take them to get ice cream,” Reyes replied, calmly. “Reward Genji for his hard work.” Jesse’s eyes darted to Genji’s figure, snorting when the younger man bowed and said, “Thank you, sir.” The two men stepped over Jesse and left. He heard the car start up, and leave. Reyes looked at his watch, before yawning. Jesse decided to speak up at this moment, “Gonna keep me pinned here even while the kids are here? Gonna show them your true self?” “I might.” The nonchalant-ness of Reyes’ voice made Jesse wonder for a moment if he really was going to keep him here. He pursed his lips into a thin line, swallowing a bit. He then sighed, stretching his tongue out to lick up the mud. Jesse gagged and spluttered, realizing that it wasn’t just pure mud, but mixed in with fucking manure. “Oh, don’t like it?” Reyes snorted, as Jesse forced himself to swallow it. “Should of cleaned the house like I asked you.” Jesse continued to gag, and eventually Reyes removed his foot, allowing Jesse to get up and clean the rest of the mud. Jesse forced back tears, his stomach revolting. He shuddered once he was done, not looking at Reyes. The man kicked off his boots and turned. “Clean the rest of the house, Jesse. Clean the entire house, mine and Jack’s boots, hell, even Genji’s. Just do what I fucking tell you too.” Jesse didn’t respond, wiping at his face, forcing back the tears. He rose to his feet, and got to work. Jesse collapsed in the now silent house, exhaustion tearing away at his body. It was four in the morning. The house had only continued to get dirtier once the kids got home, and Jack had been ordered not to help, not to do anything to make it easier on Jesse. He wasn’t even done. He still had much more to clean, and here he was, on the floor in the living room, exhausted beyond belief. Tears pricked at his eyes again, and he held in a choked sob. He tried to force himself to his feet, but his muscles went out again, forcing him down onto the floor. He heard footsteps behind him, the smell of tired, exhausted alpha coming down with it. Jesse wiped at his tears, and forced himself to regain his composure, attempting to force himself to his feet. “Jesse—?” “I’m not resting, sir,” Jesse forced out, white-knuckling the back of the sofa. Reyes was in his pajamas, the smell of Jack and Hana clinging to him. It was only his first day, and he wasn’t so sure how long he was going to last. It wasn’t necessarily that Reyes’ was breaking him, he still had the spirit to fight, but his instincts were telling him he just needed to roll over and bare his belly in order to be treated with any kind of decency. Reyes scanned his body, his eyes unreadable, before he slowly sighed. “Go to the barn, Jesse,” he yawned, heading into the kitchen. Jesse paused, every muscle tense, before he pushed himself away from the couch and to the wall, quietly following Reyes. The man was pouring a glass of water, glancing over his shoulder before he approached Jesse. He handed him one glass of water, before he began to chug the other one. Jesse stared him down, before he began to eagerly drink the glass of water. He continued to look at Reyes, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He glanced around the kitchen, a part of the house he hadn’t even been able to touch yet. “The house isn’t cleaned.” “You can finish it up tomorrow,” Reyes snorted. “What? You think I’m gonna kill you? Break you down on the first day? I’m good, but I’m not that good.” Jesse continued to look at Reyes, forcing his eyes open. Reyes stepped close, whispering, “Besides, what’s the fun in that?” Reyes pried the empty glass from Jesse’s hand, putting it down on the kitchen table. “Now. Go get some rest.” Jesse stared him down for a moment, before he began to head out of the house. He stepped out onto the porch, feeling Reyes’ eyes on him. He shuddered as he felt the warm air touched his skin. He tried to keep himself upright, carefully stepping down the step. His legs went out, his body slumping to the ground. Jesse woke up the next morning, finding himself in the stall. He wasn’t chained to the wall, but upon feeling the soreness in his muscles, he knew it would be pointless. He moaned, pressing his face into the hay. The door to the barn opened, and he didn’t look up as someone lightly padded towards him. “Told you to heed my warning,” Genji murmured, sitting down by the stall, his legs crossed. “Fuck off,” Jesse said, being muffled by the hay. He could feel Genji’s eyes on him, carefully watching his movements. “I feel like horse shit.” “Well, you are what you eat.” Jesse wished in that moment that he didn’t feel like he was dying, because he would have gotten up and thumped him into next week. Jesse just curled up tighter, moaning as his hips slid through the nest and pressed against the cold floor. Genji sighed, crawling close to Jesse, and nudging him. “Get up.” “Fuck you.” There was another pause. “You’re not going anywhere today. Just move for a second.” Jesse tried to move, but he ended up just rolling out of his nest, shaking a bit as his skin touched the cold stone floor. Genji moved past him, and he heard rustling for a moment, before Genji began to push him back into his nest. Jesse inhaled, his body shuddering before he slowly relaxed. The nest was perfect now, thick beneath him and preventing him from making contact with the hard floor. “Thanks,” he murmured, closing his eyes. “Not a problem.” Genji sat next to Jesse, reaching over and gently stroking his hair, humming quietly as he began to untangle the long strands as well as the straw. He continued to hum, nearly lulling Jesse back to sleep, but he forced himself to stay awake. His mind was slowly processing his thoughts, knowing this would be a good time to ask any questions he had. Why Genji was accepting his fate, why Reyes was such a confusing human being, why was Jack even with him— “Your mind,” Genji murmured, “What are you thinking about?” “Huh?” “I can feel the gears turning in your head. You are thinking about something,” Genji murmured, slowly sliding down into the hay, letting out a loud yawn. The sun was streaming through the roof, warming up the barn, making Jesse not want to leave. He hoped Genji was right, and that he wasn’t going to be bothered today. “I ain’t thinkin’ ‘bout nothin’.” “You can lie to yourself all you want, but I know you’re going to ask me a question.” Jesse chewed at his bottom lip, reaching up and itching at his cheeks. He flinched as he smelled himself, trying not to gag. He sighed, slumping into the nest. “Why the hell are you here?” “What do you mean?” “Well . . . I mean . . . why were you sent here. To Reyes.” Genji paused, before he slid down into the nest next to Jesse, rolling onto his side to peer into his eyes. “My father had sent my older brother to him years prior. Wanting my brother to calm down, to become an alpha worthy of leading our family. He taught my brother and became the image our father always wanted him to be. He was happy with the result, and when I presented, well . . . they were not happy with what I presented as. You know, I was . . . not smart, and ran around, messed around with a lot of people. The council wanted me gone, wanted me to go through training like Hanzo did.” Genji rubbed at his eyes tiredly. “So. I am here. Learning how to become the omega my father and the council want me to be.” Genji closed his eyes. “I should have known that what I was doing wasn’t going to be tolerated for long.” Jesse grunted. “Fuck them. You shouldn’t want to go back.” He rubbed his face. “Should run, now that you have the chance too. You should get going.” “Do you not understand what I said?” Genji asked, clearly holding in a sigh. “I want to go back to my family. I want to make my father proud. Gabriel and Jack have treated me well, have shown me what I need to do to live a nice, healthy life. Our training is not one and the same.” Jesse stared up at the brain ceiling, pursing his lips into a thin line. Genji continued to lay next to him, gently stroking Jesse’s hair. Jesse had his arms crossed, the sole of his foot tapping irritably against the floor. He paused, and said, “Your brother came here?” Genji nodded. “Why? You said he was an alpha.” “Why not? Don’t think of this as him making you the perfect omega. Think of it more as . . . him trying to make you a better person, the person your parents want you to be,” he said softly. Jesse swallowed, licking his lips. “I still don’t like that.” “Then . . . well . . .” “Genji!” Jesse jumped, a whimper escaping his throat when he felt his muscles strain. He looked at Genji, who sat up and looked around the stall. “Yes, Jack?” “Come on, we’re going to go get you some new clothes. The girls want to go horseback riding, so Hana and Lúcio will be going with us.” Jesse perked up a bit. He liked going horseback riding, it was one of the past times that he was allowed to keep. Despite the fact his muscles were protesting against him, he tried to scramble up to his feet, gripping at the stall. He met Jack’s gaze, who had an eyebrow arched. “Can I go with them?” Jack paused, scanning Jesse’s face. “Aren’t you still tired?” “I could horseback ride with my eyes closed.” Jack licked his lips, itching at his cheek. “Well . . . I don’t know, Gabriel doesn’t usually let that happen for a while—” A dark figure appeared behind Jack, Reyes’ voice echoed through the barn, “Get ready then, Jesse. We’re leaving soon.” Jesse tried to hide a triumphant grin. He looked at Genji, and winked. “See ya. Hope you enjoy your time here.” He moved with a purpose, ignoring the pain shooting up his legs like pin needles. He headed to the pasture, where he eagerly began to saddle up the horses for the girls. Brigitte had a small pony she was going to ride, tied to Reyes’ already saddled up horse. Jesse took care of his own horse, before he helped the girls up onto theirs. He was grinning wide, unable to stop. Gabriel was watching him closely, and Jesse tried to hide his grin from him. Gabriel approached him, grabbing him by the scruff. He looked down at Jesse, heaving a soft sigh. “Don’t try to do anything stupid today Jesse. I’m trusting you.” “You got it, hoss,” Jesse replied, giving him a mock-salute. Gabriel just snorted and shook his head, before he headed to his horse. Jesse clambered up, grinning at the feeling of the reins in his hands. He looked up, waiting for Gabriel’s move. Gabriel motioned for him to take the lead.
Jesse grinned, calling to the girls and began to lead a path into the forest. Jesse looked over his shoulder every now and again, not surprised at all to see Reyes’ eyes consistently shifting back to him. Jesse kept going, leading them in whichever direction he pleased. If he really tried, he could close his eyes, imagining himself back at home, running through the deserts of New Mexico on horseback. The forests of Indiana would have to do for now. Jesse stopped when they reached a stream. He looked behind him, seeing Olivia and Fareeha still at the top of the slope, waiting for Reyes and Brigitte. Jesse narrowed his eyes, and saw Reyes completely focused on getting Brigitte’s horse to come down the slope. Jesse’s breath picked up. He looked across the stream, then back to the group, noticing they still weren’t paying any attention to him. He looked back across the stream. And ran. Jesse knew he was pushing the horse harder than he should. But he couldn’t stop, he couldn’t give Reyes a chance to catch up with him. Hell, he probably wouldn’t come after him, not till Jack got home. Who would bring their kids on a wild goose chase? Still, panic was overriding every single sense he had. After what seemed like hours, they escaped the tree line. An open prairie was ahead of him, and Jesse could nearly cry. He was almost there, almost free— He let out a scream as he was violently jerked off the horse, falling onto the ground. He was pinned to the ground by the collar. Fuck, he had jerked off by the collar. He sat up, inching back a little bit until the pressure by the collar was released. He looked up, seeing his horse neighing and pacing back and forth. Jesse stood up, attempting to head towards his steed again, before he was jerked back against by the collar. Frustrated, Jesse let out a scream. The sun dipped beneath the horizon by the time Jack showed up.
Jesse was sitting by the invisible fence, glaring into the distance. No matter how hard he tried, the fucking horse wouldn’t return to him. He could do nothing except wait. The sound of hooves announced Jack’s arrival, and Jesse’s lips pulled back into a snarl as the older omega climbed off of the horse. “Fuck off, you dumb cunt,” Jesse snarled. “I’m fucking tired of you, you stupid brat,” Jack snarled in return, the scent of angry, enraged omega filling the clearing. Jesse shuddered, his head whipping around to face Jack. Jesse tensed, his mouth going dry. He knew he had only been at the Reyes-Morrison’s for about three days, but he thought he had known what this family dynamic was. Reyes was the controlling, angry one. Jack was the soft one. Clearly, he was wrong. Jesse didn’t move as Jack moved towards him. Jack grabbed him by the collar, heaving him up to his feet. “You want to fucking be sent to another family? Want to be sent there and have the absolute shit beaten out of you until you emotionally, physically cannot deal with it? Is that what you want?” He asked, adjusting his grip and grabbing Jesse by the hair. Jesse screamed and thrashed, his hands clasping over Jack’s, trying to relieve the pressure on his skull. “Fuck you. I don’t want to fucking conform to whatever the hell my parents want me to be.” Jesse met Jack’s gaze. “And fuck you for standing by and watching him do this.” Jesse’s lips pulled back into a snarl, and he interrupted Jack. “How many omegas has he fucked? I doubt all those kids were adopted. How many of them are biologically his?” Jesse could tell Jack’s blood had went cold, his grip tightening on Jesse’s hair. Jesse sneered at him, lips curling back. “Hana looks an awful lot like Genji. You don’t even have the decency to let him raise her.” Jack howled, and threw Jesse down to the ground, before he began to pummel into Jesse. Jesse snarled and attempted to fight back, mindful of the man’s gut. Jesse threw him off, and he leapt onto Jack, his hands digging into the man’s coat. Jesse let himself get hit. He let Jack’s fists connect with his nose, he let Jack bite his hands and kick at him. He would let him do anything as long as it meant he didn’t notice Jesse’s hand sinking into his pocket, retrieving the collar key. “You stupid, ungrateful fuck—” Jack snarled, before Jesse headbutted him. Jack’s head snapped back against the ground, a moan escaping the omega’s lips. As efficiently as he could manage, Jesse unlocked the collar and shoved it around Jack’s throat, before he tossed the keys across the invisible fence. Jesse jerked back, his body shaking. He watched as Jack rolled around on the ground, pressing his palms against his face. Leave, he told his body, but he remained rooted in place. Go. Come on. Reyes or Genji will be coming after him. Come on. Go. He finally found the will to move when Jack began to rise to his feet. Jesse inhaled sharply, as Jack snarled, “You . . . You cunt—” Jesse would think about this moment years later. He would think about the choices he had, what he could have done differently, if he should have just stayed and not ran away like he had wanted. If he should have tried to talk to Jack, to apologize. But the moment he saw Jack pull out the pistol, his mind shut down. Jesse lurched forward, running at Jack with his head down, his right shoulder tucked in front of him, slamming right into Jack’s stomach. Jesse jumped away as he heard Jack scream, and watched as the older omega collapse to the ground, tears pouring down Jack’s face as he screamed and wrapped his arms around his gut. Jesse’s body was vibrating. He could hear the sound of hooves, and his heart leaped into his throat. He snatched the gun off of the ground and took off in a run. He managed to get to his horse, climbing up onto the saddle as Reyes entered the clearing. Their eyes met, Reyes’ gaze unreadable. Jesse just swallowed, and turned away. Jesse sat in an abandoned hotel, somewhere inbetween Reyes’ house and the nearest city. He could see it in the distance, and he wasn’t quite sure what to do. Once he had gotten to the hotel, he had slapped the horse on the ass, and watched it scurry off to . . . wherever the hell it decided to go. He was surprised to find the water still worked, and he scrubbed himself clean in the tub, cutting his hair and trying to hide his omega scent as best as he could. He headed over into the bedroom, and after a moment of fiddling with some cords, he was able to get the TV to turn on. He watched the local news, wondering if they were going to report him. He waited. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth as there was no mention of him. He curled up in the bed, spreading out and trying to ignore the thought that there may be bugs hiding beneath the dusty, ripped sheets. But he didn’t care, he really couldn’t, not when he was free. There was never any report about an escaped omega from a training facility. There was never any mention of an omega with a gun. There was never any mention of an omega causing another to miscarry. There was nothing. It was like he escaped from Reyes and Morrison and they didn’t even care. It scared him. Two months had passed since he had escaped. Jesse was playing on leaving the States, but he couldn’t not yet. He needed to save up some money before he could, and robbing whatever poor sap crossed his way wasn’t really giving him the best results. Jesse’s eyes followed an elderly lady with an eyepatch through the street. It was late, and she had her hood up, the rain gently pelting down. He could smell that she was an omega from here, and while he didn’t want to do this to her, the glint of gold along her wrist enticed him. He thumbed the safety of the pistol, his heart thumping in his ears as he quickly made his way out of the alley. The dirt and grime he’s acquired on his body has masked his scent, allowing him to creep up behind people unnoticed. He followed the woman for a bit, before she turned down a dark path with burned out lightbulbs. Jesse picked up the pace, taking his gun out from the inside of his coat, and he came up behind her, pressing it against the small of her back. The woman stopped, going painfully still. Jesse grit his teeth, leaning up and speaking against her ear. “Give me all your money, and that bracelet. If you don’t, I’ll shoot you.” “You will?” the woman said calmly, and before Jesse could respond, the woman turned around, ripping the pistol out of his hand and pressing her forearm against his throat, pushing him up against the brick wall. “You picked the wrong person to fuck with, boy.” Jesse was shaking. He saw the inside of the woman’s coat, and there was the tip of a handgun. His eyes went wide. Oh God, she could kill him, she could kill him and no one would even know or care— Tears pricked his eyes, and an involuntary whimper escaped his throat. The woman paused, before she leaned forward, sniffing at his throat. To his surprise, she stepped back, letting him go but keeping hold of his pistol. The woman looked him up and down, before she took the bullets out of the gun, dropping them to the ground. Jesse rubbed at his throat, and watched her, his skin prickling. The woman looked at the serial number, staring at it for a few moments before she looked at Jesse. “So. You’re the one who stole Jack’s gun.” Tears began to pour down his cheeks involuntarily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, before a whimper escaped his throat. The woman looked at him, and then snorted, throwing the empty pistol at him. “No need to lie, I can tell it all over your face. Not to mention I’d know that gun anywhere.” Jesse’s teeth dragged across his bottom lip. The taste of blood filled his mouth, and he thought about running, but his bullets were discarded all along the floor. “H-how?” “I bought him that gun.” The woman leaned forward, sniffing at him. “Huh, you’re just like Fareeha said you were.” The woman then smirked, reaching up and running a gloved hand over the man’s shaggy hair, pushing the cowboy hat off of his head. “Although, she never mentioned you had a thing for cowboy hats.” Jesse inhaled, grabbing his hat and holding it close to his chest. He stepped away. He thought about Fareeha, wondering about the connection between her and the Reyes-Morrison family— He caught a whiff of her scent. “You’re her mother,” he said, his mouth going dry. White hot pain shot through his head as the woman nodded. He bowed his head, pressing his closed fists against his forehead, scrunching his eyes shut. How many omegas has he fucked?
Hana looks an awful lot like Genji.
“You all right?” the woman asked, reaching out and grabbing him by the shoulder. Jesse jumped, jerking his shoulder away. “You gonna force me to go back?” he asked, heart thumping. “Slap a collar around my throat and usher me back to hell?” The woman snorted. “If I were going to do that, I would have done it by now. Besides, they don’t want you back, anyways. If they did, they would have already come and gotten you by now. Both of them are persistent bastards, they would have never let you get away so easily if they really cared that much.” She looked him up and down. “Even if you had hit the omega in the gut.” Jesse’s stomach flipped, looking down. He shuffled on his feet, wiping at his eyes. “I didn’t want to do that,” he whispered, “I just wanted to go free. He . . . he pulled the gun on me, and I couldn’t—” The woman clasped his shoulder. “It’s all right, son,” she said calmly, “I don’t blame you. I don’t agree with what they do.” Jesse just nodded, swallowing harshly. He looked hesitantly up at her, before he looked back down. The woman slung her arm around his shoulder, beginning to guide him down the street. “Come on, son. I’ll buy you something to eat.” Jesse stared down at his food. His stomach gurgled, but he didn’t make any move to eat. He looked up at the woman, who was leisurely sipping at her tea. She looked at Jesse and raised an eyebrow, causing Jesse to jerk his head back down. The woman laughed. “You’re definitely nothing like how the others described you.” Jesse swallowed. “How did they describe me?” “Brash, abrasive, a loud mouth,” she said with a shrug. She gently cocked her head back. “Although, they’re known to lie.” “Like with Fareeha.” The woman smiled. “Yeah, exactly.” She took another sip of her tea, while Jesse began to dig more into his food. She leaned back, gently rubbing at her chin. “They never did tell me your name.” He swallowed, flinching as the food struggled to go down. “It’s Jesse,” he murmured, eyeing her carefully. “You never told me yours either.” “It’s Ana,” she replied, giving him a soft smile. “I must apologize for you not knowing. Jack and Gabriel try very hard to keep my identity a secret.” “I wish that they had.” Ana cocked her head, and Jesse pressed himself further back into his chair, biting down on his tongue. She leaned forward, her hands clasping around her cup. “I know you said something to Jack. I’m not so sure as to what, but all I know is that you had shaken him up badly. I have never seen him so pissed before.” She jerked her chin out. “So. What did you say to him?” “You’ll kill me if I do.” “I have more important things to do than kill you.” Jesse rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. He then lowered it, resting his elbow on the table and biting down on his knuckles. “I told him that I didn’t believe that they had adopted all those kids. I asked him how many omegas that Reyes had fucked, how many of them had babies that he ripped from them.” He paused, unable to look at Ana. “I told him that I thought it was suspicious how much Hana looked like Genji. Said that they didn’t even have the decency to let him raise his own young.” He pressed the palm of his hands against his eyes. “And then he began to beat the shit out of me, and I fucking . . . caused him to miscarry.” Ana lightly shook her head, gently lowering her hood. “Oh, lad . . .” she said, softly. “Well. I’m not going to sit here and say your claim was unfounded, because if I had been in your shoes, I would have assumed the same.” She leaned back, before she lightly shook her head again, giving a loud sigh. “Don’t blame yourself. Jack has never had an easy time getting and staying pregnant. Olivia was a miracle for them . . .” She rested her forearm along her knee. “You probably never noticed due to being in a lot of contact with Gabe, but Jack is just as angry and abrasive as him. He is not a gentle omega. He . . . hm, the anger that comes with that job keeps him stressed out. You know how it is.” Jesse just nodded, looking down at his lap. Okay, that made him feel a little bit better . . . He looked at Ana as he took a sip of his drink. “Why are they doing this job then?” “Hm?” Jesse wormed his bottom lip between his teeth, and quickly murmured, “Never mind . . .” He shifted uncomfortably in the booth, before he asked, “Why is Fareeha with them? Why . . . why do they have so many adopted children? I don’t get it. They don’t seem the type.” “Your job doesn’t define who you are,” she said, coolly. “Why does anyone have children? To love and cherish them. My . . . my job takes me too far away from home to reliably be there for Fareeha. They are better suited to care for her . . .” She licked her lips. “On the other hand, Brigitte is with them due to the fact her father’s mate died. He went off to find himself and recover. I’m sure he’ll be back eventually . . .” Ana looked distant for a moment, then swallowed. “The other kids are adopted from areas they had gone in the war. As a sort of . . . to repent for what they had done there.” Jesse bit his tongue. He looked down, before forcing more food in his mouth. Ana continued to watch him, before she began to hum quietly. Jesse glanced at her, before he looked down again. He thought for a moment, before he let out a small scoff. “What?” Ana asked, cocking her head back. “Just surprised you’re not trying to give me a speech, telling me that they’re good people or some shit,” he murmured, scratching at his temple. “People appear differently to everyone,” Ana said, “Someone could be the nicest person in the world to me, but the meanest for you. I don’t need to change your mind, because your mind is made up, and fairly so.” Ana stood up, clasping his hand on his shoulder. “There are truly evil people in the world. Use your judgement to figure out who truly is.” Ana placed some money on the table, far too much for what they got. “See you around, Jesse.” The California sun beat down on Jesse. He could practically feel his skin beginning to burn, but he pushed on, his boots digging into the sand. A year had passed since he had escaped from the Reyes-Morrison home, and he hadn’t thought of them much sense then. There were times where he would lay in bed and think about it, think about them, before he’d shove the thoughts out of his head and roll over. The only other time he thought about them was when Ana appeared out of nowhere, and out of curtesy, he’d ask after Fareeha. Ana would always look at him with a raised eyebrow, before she’d let out a chuckle and tell him how they were. Jesse would just nod, before going quiet and wait for her to speak. Jesse wiped at his forehead, a shiver traveling through his body. He stopped at a bus stop, rummaging through his wallet, before he let out a soft sigh. There was an alpha standing on the other side of the bus stop pole. He glanced at Jesse, before looking back at the bus. Jesse stood upright, clearing his throat and checking his pockets, before the alpha next to him spoke up, “If you need money for the bus, I can give you some.” Jesse jumped, turning to look at the alpha. For a moment, he wondered if Genji was standing next to him with scent blockers. But upon seeing the alpha’s face, all thoughts of Genji left his head. “Nah, you don’t gotta do that.” “If you have somewhere to be and no money, I do not mind.” The alpha tilted his head back, and said, “I have seen you around before. You frequent the beach.” Jesse’s eyes went wide, and he shifted on his feet. “Oh,” he said, clearing his throat. “I . . . I didn’t realize I was around here a lot.” “Quite frequently, yes . . .” The alpha cocked his head back. “Do you have any place to live?” Jesse froze, before he began to scratch as his cheek. Clearly, he had been letting out waves of uncomfortable, because the alpha took a step back and flipped the palm of his hands up, slightly tilting his head back. “I didn’t mean to sound like that. But I have room, if you need it, and wouldn’t mind giving you a comfortable place to stay.” “I don’t want to be a burden—” “I have more money than I know what to do with,” the alpha replied. Jesse thought for a moment. Then, without another thought, he said yes. Looking back on it, Jesse should have known. Hanzo was a perfectly gentleman, a gentle alpha. Jesse didn’t have to worry about food or if his soft, warm bed was going to disappear. Whatever Hanzo did for a living, he did it well, and let Jesse hop from job to job. Their silent relationship melded perfectly with one another, each one knowing what the other needed. It was perfect. Apparently, their bodies thought they needed to speed it along. Waking up sweaty, gross, and with slick pouring down his thighs, Jesse felt disgusting. He hadn’t had a heat in years. Why the hell was he having one now? Jesse tossed and turned in the bed, whimpering and whining. He didn’t know how much time passed before he heard the front door open, followed by hurried footsteps to his door. He inhaled sharply, the scent of alpha rut taking over the apartment. Heats and ruts only synced up if there was attraction from both parts. Heats only happened if the omega was interested, and vice versa. To smell the rut coming so heavily off of Hanzo . . . Hanzo stood by the door, wavering on his feet, his eyes tracing over Jesse’s covered body. Hanzo licked his lips, that perfect restraint keeping him painfully away. Hanzo wasn’t stupid, and neither was Jesse. Jesse squirmed, tugging the blankets down along with his sweatpants. Hanzo inhaled. “Jesse—” “Come over here,” Jesse murmured, his hands digging through his pubic hair to rub at his folds. Jesse’s eyes rolled back into his head, moaning under his breath. The muscles in his thighs spasmed, causing his legs to jerk out and spread wide. He heard the wet, sticky sound of his folds parting, his cunt gaping, trying to find something to clamp down on. Hanzo’s back straightened, his eyes going wide. “Jesse, I can’t—Not while you’re—” Jesse laughed, his voice thicker than it normally was. “Oh, come on, Hanzo, we both know what this mean.” He made sure to make eye contact with him, arching his back. “So, come over here and fuck me. We can figure this out tomorrow, where we want to go with this. Please, I just—” Hanzo’s gaze snapped up from his spread legs to Jesse’s face. “Come over here, alpha.” Hanzo’s eyes darkened, a growl escaping his throat as he placed his hands flat on the bed, crawling up towards him. Jesse pressed his face against Hanzo’s throat, a light growl escaping his throat. He rubbed himself all over Hanzo, grinding down on the man’s lap. Hanzo let out a soft sigh, running a hand through Jesse’s hair. “I don’t like that they ordered omega entertainers,” Jesse growled, his hands cupping Hanzo’s face. “Fuck. You have me. You don’t need entertainers. Tell your stock holders to fuck off.” Hanzo let out a soft chuckle. “You worry too much. I always come home to you.” “Yeah, but how long until you stop?” Hanzo went still, and Jesse ignored it, continuing to rub himself all over Hanzo’s body, making sure to get every inch covered. Hanzo grabbed him by the shoulders, and gently pulled him back, looking him into the eyes. “I’m not going to leave you. I don’t want anyone else unless but you.” Jesse jerked his chin out. “Prove it then.” Hanzo paused. Then he leaned down, his face pressing against Jesse’s throat, right above the mating gland. Jesse inhaled, his back arching into Hanzo’s chest. “How about during your next heat, you become my one and only?” Jesse froze in Hanzo’s grip, his eyes going wide. For once, the cloud had lifted. He suddenly realized where he was, what was going on, what he had become. Something he had once told himself he was never going to become. Hanzo slowly pulled back, looking up at Jesse. Hanzo’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, “I didn’t mean to bring this up so quickly. We don’t have to do that if you don’t want too, if you’re not ready, and if you’re never ready—” “Can I think about it?” Jesse interrupted, looking over Hanzo’s shoulder before he turned to meet his gaze. Hanzo looked at him, surprised. “Look, I just . . . never thought I’d get this far in life, okay?” he said. “I . . . I never thought I would let myself get this close to someone. So, I just . . .” Hanzo was looking at him so patiently, his eyes so full of love, that Jesse couldn’t look away. He rubbed at his forehead, inhaling sharply. “I love you, Hanzo. I never thought I would be able to love you, or anyone. I just . . .” Jesse bit down on his knuckle, before he looked up, “I want to make sure I’m right for you.” Hanzo reached over, gently stroking Jesse’s bearded cheek. “You’re perfect.” Tears pricked Jesse’s eyes, and he wrapped his arms around his throat, crying silently into the man’s throat. Eventually, he pulled back, tugging Hanzo to his feet and towards their bedroom. He curled up tightly against Hanzo’s chest, staring into the darkness, overthinking everything. Naturally, Ana appeared out of nowhere to give her wise words of advice. “You’re never going to get rid of that cowboy hat, are you?” Jesse was sitting in a diner the next day, nursing a cup of coffee. He ran a hand through his hair, squinting his eyes shut, knowing what he wanted, but being unable to convince himself to do it. He looked up at Ana, who was wearing a sun hat, a thin scarf, and a tan coat. She sat across from him, crossing her legs and waving the waitress over. “Why would I?” he murmured, glancing at the waitress as Ana ordered a cup of tea. “It’s the one thing I have left of who I used to be.” Ana raised an eyebrow at him. “Who you used to be? What’s happened since the last time I saw you?” She took her sunglasses off, placing them on the table. “You’re still dating Hanzo, aren’t you?” Jesse’s face turned red and he swallowed harshly. “Yeah. I am. I . . . he . . .” He rubbed at his throat, feeling the lump of the mating gland beneath his rough fingers. “He . . . he wants to mate with me.” Ana’s lips quirked. “Haven’t you already done that? If I remember correctly, you sent each other into heat and rut.” “Sh!” he squeaked, tugging at the collar of his shirt, desperately clearing his throat. “Yes, yes we have, but I—” He cleared his throat once more. “I . . . I don’t mean it like that . . . he . . .” Jesse then motioned to his neck, before scratching at the gland. A small smile spread across her face. “Oh? So, someone actually does want to be with you long term?” she teased lightly, causing Jesse to kick her in the shin. She chuckled, before taking a sip of her tea, smiling at the waitress. She turned back to him, and said, “What’s the issue then? You love him, don’t you?” Jesse nodded, feeling the heat rush to his cheeks. He couldn’t believe he was admitting this . . . “Then mate with him.” “I don’t think I’m worthy of it,” Jesse admitted, “I want to make sure that . . . that I’m in a good state to be with him long term. I don’t want too . . . I don’t want to fall in love with him, have him mark me, and then discovering that I’m not good for him.” They went quiet, Ana sipping at her tea before she reached over, gently grabbing his hand. “If he hasn’t left you yet, he’s not going too. You’re both going to change and evolve as you get older. But you know what? If its truly meant to be, even if you discover that your personalities aren’t meshing well, then you two will figure out what you need to do to keep yourself together.” Jesse couldn’t look at her. He rested his head down against the table, sniffing. “I . . . I suppose so. But I don’t want to get hurt.” “You won’t get hurt unless you try and it turns out wrong. But you need to at least try.” Ana ran a hand through Jesse’s hair. Jesse returned to the apartment later that day to see Hanzo sitting at the kitchen table, filling out paperwork. “You didn’t go to work?” Jesse asked, hiding his surprise. Hanzo looked up at him, and shook his head. “I wanted to show you just how serious I am about this situation,” he said, his voice even. “I didn’t want to come home and smell like other omegas.” Jesse’s shoulders relaxed, a soft smile spreading across his face. “Hanzo . . .” He paused, before he straightened his back and headed over to him, sitting across from him at the table. He cupped his face. “I want to be with you.” Hanzo paused, staring back into his eyes. “Are you sure?” “Yes,” he said softly, “I want to be with you forever, and fuck . . . even if this turns out bad, I’ve got faith.” He stroked at Hanzo’s beard, leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together. “I’ve got faith in us.” Hanzo was clearly pleased by this. A purr rumbled through his chest, before he began to nose at Jesse’s neck. “I love you, Jesse.” “Love to you too.” Jesse’s hand went over the large bite mark on his throat. Ana had been right, like always—it had worked out. At least, for five years it’s worked out. Jesse wasn’t so sure about the future, but five years was better than what he ever thought he could accomplish. Their life had gotten hectic. Hanzo’s job required him to be away more and more, and due to Jesse feeling like a freeloader, he got a more stable job as a workout instructor. . . . Well, until he got pregnant. Jesse smiled, laying back on the couch. If he was being completely honest, this all felt like a dream. He still wasn’t sure if he would wake up and discover he was fucked. Jesse pressed his face against the side of the couch, rubbing at his stomach. After he discovered he was pregnant, he immediately told both Hanzo and his employer, who put him on maternity leave immediately. You’re fucking three months pregnant and hadn’t realized it? God dammit, kid, take care of yourself! Come back once its born. Your job will be waiting. He remembered the look on Zarya’s face. She had been shocked, but mostly disgruntled. Hanzo had been excited, and has already planned on taking time off once the baby is born to help him out. He looked up as Hanzo came out of the bedroom, the man looked incredibly stressed. “What’s wrong?” Hanzo looked at him, biting down on his bottom lip, before he quietly walked over to Jesse and sat down, gently taking his hands. Jesse sat up, his tongue darting out to lick across his lips. Hanzo stared down at their interlocked hands for a moment, before he took a deep breath. “My brother has contacted me. He . . . he would like for us to come visit him for Christmas.” Jesse’s eyebrow quirked. “And that’s a problem . . . because?” “I haven’t spoken to my brother in years,” Hanzo whispered, “. . . In fact, the day we met was the last day I had ever even seen him. He left with his mate and I . . .” Hanzo shook his head. “I don’t know if we should go.” Jesse sat forward, his grip tightening. “Hanzo. He’s your brother. No matter what you did, if he wants to try again, then you should try, right?” Hanzo leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Jesse’s shoulder, sighing softly. Silence fell over the two of them for a moment, before he murmured, “You’re going to have to go with me.” Jesse snorted. “I wouldn’t dream of letting you go alone.” “Jesse. We’re going to have to go to Indiana.” He froze. While Jesse hadn’t told Hanzo of what had gone on there, he did tell him that there were unhappy feelings towards that state, some place he never wanted to return to. Jesse kept himself from showing any time of discomfort, as he looked to Hanzo. “I’ll go with you.” “You don’t have too—” “No. I need too. I love you, and this is important to you. I’m going with you whether you like it or not, okay?” Hanzo’s eyes softened. He leaned forward, gently pressing a kiss against his lips. “I love you, Jesse.” Jesse just hoped that that would be enough to keep him sane. Jesse had thought that meeting Hanzo’s brother would cause awkwardness between the two brothers. Not between him and Hanzo’s brother. Jesse stared at Genji, who had dyed his hair green again. Genji stared back at him, his hands clasped on the side of his large stomach. Hanzo was looking between the two of them, clearly confused by the silence and tension between them. “Jesse.” “Genji,” Jesse replied, his voice quivering. Genji’s eyes dropped down to Jesse’s stomach, before he looked him in the eyes. “Gonna cause me to miscarry?” Jesse bit back a whimper. “You know I didn’t do that on purpose, Genji . . . and . . . I think you can figure out why I’m really here,” he replied, shifting uncomfortably beneath the other omega’s gaze. Genji snorted, turning on heel. “Come in. Zen is excited to meet you, brother.” Hanzo glanced at Jesse, grabbing him by the bicep. “What the hell is this about?” Jesse swallowed. “I was at the same training farm as him,” he whispered. Hanzo’s eyes went wide, and Jesse could tell that everything was slowly falling into place. “You’re the one he told me about,” he murmured, “The one that had escaped. Jesse, unable to reply, just headed inside, ignoring the stares that followed him. He followed Genji’s scent to the living room, where he saw an alpha holding a toddler to his chest, gently rocking her. Jesse stopped, rocking on his feet as Hanzo joined him. “You have children,” “Only one other,” Genji replied softly, taking his mates hand. “Hanzo, Tekhartha. Tekhartha, Hanzo.” “Greetings,” Tekhartha said softly, “Please, call me Zen.” Hanzo stepped forward to meet his niece. Meanwhile, Jesse stood in the entryway, feeling Genji’s eyes piercing painfully through his skin. “Jesse,” Genji said softly as he stood up. “Why don’t we leave our mates alone so we can speak? We have much to discuss.” Jesse swallowed. “I’m sorry,” Jesse said, sitting at the kitchen table. Zen and Hanzo had headed outside with the little girl, the conversation between the two alphas clearly lighthearted. “I know what you’re thinking and I didn’t—I would never—” “You would never?” Genji asked with a snort. “I know how you thought of them. You made it painfully clear before you left.” “I would never have done that if my hand hadn’t been forced. He was going to shoot me.” Genji tilted his head a bit, a small hum escaping his throat. “Was he? And you couldn’t have done anything differently? Couldn’t have knocked the gun away, couldn’t have just taken it from him?” “Don’t you think I’ve thought about this every single day?” Jesse snarled in return, pressing his hands against his face. “Believe me, I wish I could have done things differently.” Genji leaned against the counter, humming quietly as his hand stroked along the swell of his stomach. Jesse continued to stare down at the table, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. “I do not understand how you’ve . . . become this,” Genji said, motioning to Jesse. “Honestly, I thought you would have killed any alpha who came near you.” “Your . . .” he swallowed. “Your brother is different.” Jesse’s hands clenched above the bump. “Why didn’t they tell anyone what I did?” “You weren’t their problem anymore,” Genji replied, coolly. “They figured you would either return, go live your life, or wind up dead.” Jesse turned his head away. He could hear the excited giggles of the little girl outside, and pain shot through his chest. “Do you visit them?” “Often,” Genji said with a shrug. “Believe it or not, but they weren’t evil. They were trying to help.” Jesse snorted. “I’m being serious.” Genji glanced outside, before he looked back at Jesse. “Go visit them.” Jesse paused, then rapidly shook his head no. “Go see them,” Genji reiterated. “You have guilt, you want answers. They can give it to you.” Jesse couldn’t help but reluctantly agree. They had moved. Jesse stared at the house, his hands gripping the steering wheel. No longer were they in the middle of the country, they were right in suburbia. The grass was nicely trimmed, a white picket fence, the perfect dream. Jesse scrunched his eyes shut, wondering if this was really a good idea. He took a deep breath, and got out of the car, knocking before he could rethink it. The door swung open, and he blinked in surprise. Fareeha stood in front of him, leaning against the door jam with her arms crossed. She took one look at Jesse and snorted. “Mama said you would show back up,” she said, before jerking her head over her shoulder. “Dad is upstairs. Pop won’t be home until later.” Jesse stepped in once Fareeha walked away, scenting the air. Morrison—no, Jack’s—scent was stale, and Rey—Gabriel’s scent was the strongest leading up the staircase. Hesitantly, he began to head upstairs, wondering what was going to happen to him. Would Gabriel kill him?
Would Gabriel just take an eye for an eye?
Did Ana lie to me?
“Jesse?” Gabriel didn’t look the way Jesse remembered. He and Jack had slowly morphed in his mind, becoming these monstrous creatures who would kill him upon seeing him again. Gabriel was much smaller than he remembered, his beard and thick eyebrows now peppered with gray hairs. His hair was still hidden beneath a knit hat, and his face had grown wrinkly. But he still looked like Gabriel. His body posture was a hell of a lot different, much more relaxed, and his face . . . He must have walked into the wrong house. “I-I’m sorry,” was the first thing to come out of Jesse’s mouth. Gabriel frowned. “Pardon?” Gabriel was sitting on the bed, looking like he had just gotten dressed not to long ago. Jesse realized that there were large scars on the man’s forearms, and he began to spot more scars on him. On his throat, on the slightly exposed skin of his stomach. Tears rushed down Jesse’s cheeks. Being back here, being in his presence, remembering the last momentary eye contact, remembering what he had done to Jack was too much for him, the guilt was eating him. He curled in on himself, his hat falling off of his head and his hands clenching at his hair. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. He heard Gabriel get up, and he accepted his fate. Gabriel was going to kill him. “I’m sorry, I never meant to do what I did, I’m sorry—” That familiar heavy hand fell onto his shoulder, gently pulling him to his chest. Jesse was shaking in Gabriel’s hold, waiting for the man to do something. But he did nothing, he just stood there, and held him. Jesse sniffed. “Why aren’t you hurting me?” Gabriel frowned. “What?” “I caused Jack to miscarry. I was a dick, I ran away because I thought I was something special.” Jesse found himself burying his face in the man’s cotton shirt. “I’m sorry. It’s been eating away at me.” Gabriel tugged Jesse to the bed, gently sitting him down. Gabriel sat down next to him, handing him a tissue to wipe away his tears. He allowed Jesse to calm down for a bit, before he said, “It’s all right. We never blamed you for what happened. We both understood what could happen by taking you in.” Jesse frowned. “What . . . what do you mean?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think that we had some idea of what you were like before I came to see you?” he asked. There was another moment of silence, Jesse trying to figure out just what the hell he meant, when Gabriel continued, “You’ve met Ana, haven’t you?” Jesse frowned, before his eyes went wide. “Wait a minute—her weird job—how she appears out of nowhere—” he stopped, “She was spying on me!” Gabriel laughed. “Took you long enough. She wasn’t . . . well, yes, she was spying on you. She pays attention to at-risk omegas and alphas whose parents want to train them. She then tells me or Jack, so we can offer our services. What we try to do is find out what the alpha or omega want, who they want to be, and we help them,” Gabriel glanced at him. “We just never got to the point with you. You escaped far too soon.” “Is . . . is that why you never came after me?” “Why would we? If we had talked to you about it, you would have wanted to go free anyways.” Gabriel closed his eyes. “I regret what we did to you, how we tried to help you. We should have done it differently.” It felt weird for Jesse to hear. It felt weird to hear this, he thought he would have to apologize for whatever happened— “I’m sorry for what I did, too,” he murmured, “I should have done a lot differently. Genji tried to get me to listen, but I couldn’t . . .” “You were young, Jesse. If anything, I should be the one apologizing.” Gabriel leaned his head back a bit. “Are you happy, now? Ana tells me you’re with Genji’s brother.” Jesse chewed on his bottom lip. He nodded. Gabriel clasped his shoulder. “Then that’s all that really matters, kid.” Jesse supposed he was right.