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When a variety of plants were placed at the entrance of Arthur’s tent at the same time it closed, it was a sign his heat began. That was, as unfortunate as it was, an inconvenience. Dutch and Hosea needed him for their plans of getting into the good side of those rich ass families ruling over Rhodes. They might be settled for now, but the winds could change at any minute, so there was a hurry to keep going despite them not saying it out loud.
Yet, everyone respected the Omega. Pearson reserved a ton of meat just for him. Mary-Beth got responsible for bringing water and placing it near the opening. The Alphas were out there patrolling more often, spreading their scents around to cover up for the heat, intimidating any potential threat that would try to put their hands on Arthur. ‘He is not alone’ was the message they dropped with every scent and every piss they took around.
John appreciated how the pack got in unison with the goal of watching over Arthur.
He was cleaning his gun when Micah decided to stand near the fireplace. The girls began to whisper to themselves. Javier stopped checking his guitar. Bill had the face of someone who was ready to hear a man saying something disastrous. Kieran turned his face to the horses, afraid of being dragged into a mess. John didn’t refrain from his movements, though his focus was stolen as well. His head was down but his eyes were up. Tense, because nothing good came from that bastard’s mouth. They all wondered what kind of shit he would spill this time.
“Is this how y’all gonna deal with this?” His voice oscillated. He must’ve drinked. Probably to get the courage he lacked. “Shame on you. Shame on all of you.”
“What are you talking about?” Lenny appeared in the frame, looking bored. The one brave enough to question what insanity Micah was throwing around.
Micah pointed his thumb at the tent Arthur was staying in. John’s hands froze around the gun. “I’m talking about the poor, suffering Morgan inside there.”
“That answers nothin’, oi!” Sean shouted from somewhere, definitely taking a piss and paying attention to this commotion.
“So dense, all of you.” It was infuriating that he was talking as if he knew more than them. As if he was superior. “I’m saying that it’s a shame that a pack full of competent Alphas are letting him go through his heat alone.”
Snarls, hisses and complaints echoed after a heavy silence. John returned to rub the cloth on his gun, slower, meticulous. He was the only one who wasn’t expressing his displeasure through sounds.
“What nonsense are you saying?!” Miss Grimshaw snarled, releasing a pressuring smell to make the young ones stop their misbehaving. Unfortunately, that didn’t work with the blond Alpha. “If Arthur required help for that, he would have asked.”
“Things have changed, old lady.” Micah shrugged, flashing a shit-eating grin at the older Alpha. “We don’t have the luxury of wasting time with a problem that can be solved in a couple hours. Give the man a knot and he’ll be functioning in a moment.”
John wasn’t sure if the low growl came from him or from Charles, who sat by his side. It probably came from both.
“Don’t talk about Arthur like that.” Tilly hissed, her fangs appearing a little under her lip. She was so protective of the other Omega. They had a bond that was different, considering they were both the only Omegas of the pack.
“Oh, please. I would say the same if it was you. It’s a matter of dynamics, nothing more.”
Grimshaw gasped. “Mr. Bell! She is sixteen!”
John returned his guns to their respective holsters. His hat casted a shadow over his face, hiding the change in his pupils. They became as thin as a diamond. His gums itched. His fangs were tearing the thin tissue, slowly coming out. Charles stood and moved away. He realized what was going on with him and did not want to be nearby. Not because he was afraid, but because he wanted to clean the way for John.
“Just what do you want, Micah?” His raspy, aggressive voice ripped through the air. The pack went quiet. All eyes were on him. If Micah felt intimidated, he hid it well. “What is all this about?”
Micah put his hands on his waist. Laughed, then spat something on the floor. Wanting to impose himself. “If no one here wants to do a favor for Morgan, then I shall pay him a visit.”
John’s muscles burned when he launched at the bastard. His hat fell, his jaw opened in an unhinged shape, exhibiting his large fangs. Micah barely had the time to react. All he could do was growl at the Alpha above him and place his hand over his throat to protect it. Not that it could fix anything. If John couldn’t rip a piece of him, he would beat that face until his knuckles were raw.
Nobody dared to step on it. They let him become an animal over Micah, snarling and punching and rolling over the ground. Abigail did scream something, but gave up her attempts at reaching John after realizing he would not come back until he was satisfied. Until he taught a lesson to the most detestable man of the gang.
“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!” John grabbed his shirt and pushed him on the ground. Micah coughed. He tried to speak, but the younger Alpha didn’t let him. “A REPULSIVE ASSHOLE SUCH AS YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE!”
Micah spat on his face. His hand had a strong grip around his throat. Enraged, John bit it either way, feeling satisfied to hear him scream and to taste his blood.
“If you value your useless life, never suggest that again. You ain’t worthy. You’ll never be.” With blood running down the corner of his mouth, he grabbed Micah’s face and got closer, staring deep into his eyes. “Learn your fucking place, Micah Bell.”
John let go of the blond Alpha, who groaned in pain and cursed his existence. Yet, he didn’t try to attack. Knew better than increasing his humiliation and reinforcing John’s position in the hierarchy.
Abigail came soon after Micah left to lick his wounds. His scent was heaving on the others. He had to calm down so the pack could rest again. It was hard, John was one step close to going feral. It cost a lot of rumbles, gently touches over his face and even a shy hug from Jack to bring him back to his senses. He thought he should apologize for making a scene. Dutch had ordered them to not fight while they were in a complicated situation, and then he did this.
One fond look from Hosea, however, assured him that he did nothing wrong so he shouldn’t feel sorry.
He looked after Arthur. He protected the Omega’s honor. He chased a threat away from his Dam.
“I think you should see him.” Hosea said, giving him a paternal patting on the back. “He does need an Alpha, after all. And who’s better than his pup?”
Some inner, childlike part of himself beamed. Time to take care of Omega! Of Mama!
“Yeah,” He grinned a little. “I suppose yer right.”
________________
The cloth was hot due to being on Arthur’s forehead for so long. The tent had a sweet, sticky scent over it. It comforted John, to see their Omega safe in his den. Far away from threats that were inside the pack itself. Even so, the sense of protection and duty was consuming his being. He wanted to guard the place. He had to. He feared that taking his eyes off Arthur would put him in danger, as irrational as it was.
Dutch might be acting weird, but he would never force his son to spend his heat with someone. And even if he cogitated it, Hosea wouldn’t allow it. He would go against their leader if it meant stopping Arthur from being used like a toy. Not only him. John would be there, too. Ready to punch some senses in the pack Alpha. Some of the folks would join in. Charles, Sean, Ms. Grimshaw. Maybe, just maybe, the others too. Everyone, in the end. As loyal as they were, nothing would forgive this sort of thing.
“Marston?” Arthur croaked, not opening his eyes. John held his wrist close to his nose. He took a deep whiff and purred in content. “Fetch me some water, boy.”
The Alpha obeyed. Helped Arthur to sit down and served him a glass of water. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks for the wonderful reminder.” Arthur grunted, coughing. John scoffed, turning his face to the side. “I thought I was too old for heats as strong as these.”
“Must be the stress. You’re doing… you’re doing too much, Arthur. Pushing yourself too hard. Even I know that cycles are affected by those things.” He recalled in a small, worried voice. “When was the last time Dutch gave you a break?”
Arthur looked offended. He hated when someone implied he needed to rest. “Hell I know,” He snapped, letting his body fall on the nest. “I don’t keep track of when I lazy around, only when I’m workin’.”
John shook his head. This proud, stubborn mule.
“Fuck you, Morgan.”
“I will if you leave my den, Marston.”
Their banter was interrupted by a warning growl coming from John himself. Not at Arthur, but at the person who was at the entrance. His brain detected another Alpha near the heating Omega and reacted like this, not giving him enough time to realize it was just Mary-Beth, the softest Alpha of the group.
“Are ya really threatening our sweet Mary-Beth?” Arthur mocked his reaction, grinning amidst his suffering. John had to refrain from tossing a pillow at his face.
She arrived with the stew Pearson prepared. As expected, Arthur said he wasn’t hungry. In response, John had the espetacular plan of feeding him. He refused, of course, blabbering that he wasn’t a kid. John had to go low, letting out the most pathetic yet puppy-like whine one could make. It triggered the Omega’s already inflamed maternal instinct. If it was to make the not-so-young Alpha happy, he would eat the entire bowl. And that was exactly what he did.
“Fucking manipulator. Evil. You’re evil.” He grumbled as if he was casting a spell over John, who laughed as he cleaned the place.
“Learned a thing or two from Hosea. Some of his teaching can be pretty useful.” He had this shit-eating grin that annoyed Arthur ever since they were young. Some things, as old as they were, never changed.
Arthur narrowed his eyes while John squinted his. It was a contest between two cats. Whoever blinked first would be a victim of the other.
“Oh, such a dedicated student Hosea had.” Arthur ironized, starting to reorder the blankets of his nest. It was cute. John wanted to kick him. “I wonder what would he think if he found out his dear apprentice used to beg me to do his writing exercise?”
“I wonder what Hosea would think if he discovered that you indulged me every time so we could go riding together.” John retorted, unfazed. He tossed the plates outside the tent. It was made of wood anyway.
“You were so bad at riding horses that I was afraid you would fall and die.” He insisted on his meaningless defense as he frowned at the Alpha.
Too bad Arthur didn’t realize he just gave John more fuel to his argument. “So you admit you already loved me back then, uh? That’s cute, Arthur, considering you said you hated me.”
“Don’t you dare to put words in my mouth, you little shit!”
“Then don’t give me a reason you bastard!”
In the next moment, John had Arthur laying his head on his lap. His breathing was unsteady due to another heat-peak. He was a mess of soft, friendly noises. The opposite of the fuming man from minutes ago. John, on the other hand, was calmly dealing with this. He made sure to scent his brother. He rubbed his wrist over his neck and his hand over his scalp. All those gestures to remind him that a family Alpha was there for him.
It was the reassurance Arthur needed.
Rage boiled up inside his guts once Micah’s face appeared in his mind uncalled. This, added with the current vulnerable and sweet Arthur, turned the conflict from earlier much worse.
“Wish I could kill him.” John mumbled, looking down at Arthur’s flushed face. He felt honored to be allowed to see him like this. To be given the chance to help his independent, dear brother.
“Honestly, me too.” Arthur replied to his astonishment, still with his eyes closed. It even made John flinch. He thought he was too deep into his heat to pay attention to anything else.
“You don’t know who I am talking about.”
“Of course I do. Being in heat doesn’t make me deaf.”
Oh.
“You heard it.” John lamented, using his free hand to cover his face. “I won’t apologize for that, though. I know he has become Dutch’s bitch, but I ain’t letting that slip. Fucker deserved that and more.”
“It 's fine. I’ll be damned if I judged my pup for standing up for me.” He said, so full of confidence and pride at John. “As long as you always leave Dutch to me, it’s fine, I won’t scold you.”
John was slapped with nostalgia. He was transported to the past, to a terrible day he watched Dutch lose his composure. He didn’t remember the cause of it. All his brain had storage was him trying to soothe their leader, Arthur picking him up and coddling him in his arms, hiding him in his tent. ‘Leave him to me’, he had ordered as he wiped the tears from the little pup’s cheeks. ‘There are some people that I need to protect you from’ he completed, which enraged John at the time. He was an Alpha. He didn’t need protection.
But he learned to appreciate that. To rely on Arthur. To understand that, as his little brother and pup, he deserved to be guarded by him.
“I know,” He acknowledged, rumbling at the end. The noise was broken and rough. Ugly. But he would never feel embarrassed with Arthur. “I know my place very well. I won’t break this rule.”
“It isn’t a rule, dumbass.” Arthur shuffled and turned on his back. All that work to flick John’s forehead. “It’s a promise.”
Unable to verbally appreciate this revelation, John simply leaned down and nuzzled Arthur’s face. Happy, loud croons came from him. The Omega, instead of pushing him away as he would normally do, mimicked his action and added a couple chirps in the mix.
Their scents were light, soft and sweet. Coffee and cinnamon from John, earth and mulberry from Arthur. At this point, they didn’t have to talk to communicate. Their animal part already did that for them.
___________________
As composed and collected Charles was, he couldn’t hide his jump at seeing John outside, reeking of Arthur’s heat smell. He looked worried, angry and ashamed at the same time. John held back a snort. It would be funny to mock him for that, but his brother would be upset. Right now, Arthur was his priority.
“Hey, Charles.” John greeted, rubbing the back of his head, trying to appear harmless before dropping the bomb. “Arthur needs ya. I did my part, but there are some things that I can’t do.”
Charles’ scent hit his nose in a way that bothered him. There was too much joy in it, and of course alongside an amount of arousal. John almost growled, but he didn’t, because this was a good man. A good Alpha. Someone he could entrust Arthur to.
“Are you sure, John?” He checked in a cautious, yet expectant voice.
“He called for you. That answers it, no?”
Charles did not have wings, but John was sure he flew over the tent. Fucking hell. This guy was whipped.
“You let him go there, John?” The lovely voice of Abigail came from behind him. He chuckled, turning to see her. “I thought you wouldn’t let any Alpha take him.”
“He 's different. I risk saying that he’s worthy.” He replied, walking to his tent to get his hunting rifle, being followed by the female Alpha. “Besides, it was the first time Arthur called someone. I think that means something.”
Abigail smiled fondly. “They would make a great pair, wouldn’t they?”
“I suppose.” He agreed, mounting Old Boy. “Gonna do the hunting thing while Arthur is busy. Is there any particular meat you and the boy wanna eat?”
It pained him to see the shock in Abigail’s face, but he knew he deserved that. He was absent in their lives for so long. Even if he was willing to change that, it didn’t mean it would go smoothly.
“The boy’s been talking about fish recently. Think you can get some?”
John nodded, but still didn’t leave. “But how about you?”
Abigail did that charming thing of looking down and tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’ve been missing a rabbit.”
“Noted. I’ll be back in a couple days.”
“Take care, John!”
As he rode with one goal in mind, to please this family he had formed, a damning realization dawned on him: Charles would be mounting Arthur for the next few days. They would be mating like beasts in that tent.
Consumed by disgust and jealousy, all John’s good mood disappeared.
“I’m going to punch him when we get back, boy. You bet I will.”
They disappeared into the forest, avoiding certain ambush spots of the Lemoyne Raiders.
John caught a good number of trout and the fattest rabbits he could find, immensely happy to be providing for Abigail and Jack. If he also stopped by a store in Saint Denis to buy the sweets Arthur liked, that would only be between him and the guy who sold it.