Run Free - Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!Reader (Masterlist)
Summary: After spending most of your life in captivity a chance escape leads you to another Alpha who helps teach you how to be free and that not all Alpha are evil
Series Warnings: Fluff! Angst! SMUT! 18+ ONLY! Minors DNI! A/B/O Dynamics! Captive Environments! Talk and Mention of Non-Con! Human Trafficking!
Status: Ongoing
This series has no update schedule! Do not ask when it is getting updated!
Run Free - Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!Reader (Part 1: Run)
Summary: As an Omega you knew your place in the world, however when the opportunity arrives to escape you take it... only to find yourself face to face with another Alpha
Word Count: 2.9k
Warnings: Language! Captive Situation! Suggestion of Non-Con environment! Angst!
Dividers by @firefly-graphics
Series Masterlist / Masterlist
Chapter 1: Run
You woke up with a start, the sound of your cell door opening with a loud creak. You looked up to see one of your captors standing at the door looking down at you. The scent of the large Alpha assaulted your nose making you want to vomit.
“Eat, you’ve got a long day ahead of you” he ordered dropping the plate of food by your feet.
You glance down at the plate of food. Seeing the pathetic excuse for food, something that just looked like mush. Even though it was the only food you’d get you weren’t racing to eat it.
“Eat it you worthless omega” The Alpha commands with a growl grabbing your head and forcing it down “Or do I have to teach you where you stand?”
You didn’t dare say anything, your body reacting to the alpha command, picking up the plate and forcing the food down trying your best not to gag. The alpha watching on with a disgusting smirk on his face. You’d been held captive long enough to know your place in the world. As an omega, you were nothing more than a piece of meat for Alpha to use however and whenever they please, you had to lose certain battles to avoid others.
“It’s sale day for you Omega so you’ll be out of here soon enough” he smirks before making his exit.
You knew your future was dire, you were to be sold to the highest bidder. Your only hope was that you were brought by someone nice, that or when they did eventually kill you it would be quick. It was better than starving to death.
Once you had eaten you were dragged out of your cell. All the other Omegas were lined up and marched through the compound out to the courtyard. As you walked the other captors would laugh, purposefully tripping you up. Grabbing you as you passed, taunting you.
Once outside they ordered you to line up against the wall and strip down naked. A couple of omegas protested but were instantly whipped using the silver-tipped whip. They screamed out in pain, instantly submitting and removing their clothing. Soon you were all standing there naked, with the exception of the collars that stopped you from shifting. You could see the captors watching, a few of them whistling making your skin crawl.
They then turned on the high-powered hose and started spraying you all with freezing cold water. As much as you tried to avoid it they would always purposely aim the water at your face. Making you feel like you were drowning before giving you a short moment of respite. Just another level of torture they subjected you to.
Once they turned the hose off they handed out clean clothes. Which only consisted of shorts and a vest. They didn’t give you a towel you just had to remain damp until you slowly dried off. It wasn’t uncommon for people to fall ill and die from pneumonia here.
Once you were all dressed they attached silver handcuffs around your wrists. The pain from the metal stopping you in your tracks, the skin around your wrist already burnt and scarred.
Once you were all bound you were attached to a chain and dragged out. The sounds of whines filled the corridor as the silver dug into everyone’s wrists. You were led out to a truck and shoved inside. Someone coming and securing you all in place, additional silver restraints being attached around your ankles. Ensuring none of you could escape during transport to the sales centre.
You weren’t sure how long you remained in the back of the truck. All the omega quietly talked with each other about their lives before this hell. Eventually, the truck stopped but it wasn’t the end of your journey. Instead, you were herded out of the truck and into a shipping container.
Once in the shipping container, they gave out bottles of water and stale bread which felt more like a brick. Once they were gone they shut the shipping container leaving all of you in complete darkness.
Overall you had no clue how long you had been in this container. You had no way to tell the time, not that you did before when you were in your cell. Occasionally they’d bring more food or water but that was it. You guess though that you were in the shipping container for at least 3 days though.
Eventually, the door to the container opened and a blast of warm air entered the container. A direct contrast to the cold metal you’d grown accustomed to over the past few days.
As you stepped outside you savour the fresh air before you were taken into a rackety old truck. They chained you all up to the rotten wood. A thin layer of tarpaulin covers the roof and sides. You sat at the very back giving you the best view.
As the truck drove off you were able to look out. Dreaming of one day having the freedom to go wherever you pleased. Maybe the Alpha they sold you to would be kind enough to give you those freedoms. As the truck drove through the forest you imagined what it would be like to run through the trees. Darting in and around them, the wind whistling past your ears and through your fur.
Everyone bumped around as the truck travelled down the dirt road. At one point, however, you shifted just as the truck hit a large pothole causing you to be thrown hard enough for your retrains to break free of the rotten wood. Now completely free despite your hands and feet still being bound you got thrown out of the back of the truck.
As you roll along the dirt track you wait for the truck to stop but it doesn’t. You realise this was your chance to finally be free. You couldn’t stay here though. You quickly shuffled off of the road and into a bush to hide.
You waited there in silence waiting for your absence to be noticed and your freedom to be taken once more. But that never happened. They never returned.
You sat up and looked down at the silver shackles around your ankles. You start working on getting yourself free wincing at the metal brushed across your skin. Finally, you got yourself free and tossed the shackles as far away as possible. You examine the burns on your ankles, they were bad but like the rest but they would just scar over eventually.
You had no hope of getting your handcuffs off alone, you needed help. You passed through a town not far back, maybe you could find another omega or a beta to help you. You also knew you needed at least a beta to remove this collar that would allow you to be truly free.
Pushing yourself up onto your feet you steadied yourself against a nearby tree. Once you were certain your weakened ankles could hold your weight you started walking back towards the town. You made sure to stay hidden in the trees just in case you were spotted by the wrong people.
You walked for hours. Your body was so tired and weak. You clung to trees as you walked past, desperate to keep yourself up and moving. You couldn’t stop, not until you found somewhere safe.
Eventually, the edge of town came into view. Leaving the forest you stumbled through the back alley behind some building. At one point you stumbled catching yourself on the side of a dumpster.
Your legs felt like lead, it felt impossible to keep yourself up for a second longer. You slump against the dumpster hoping a moment of rest would help.
Suddenly a backdoor to one of the buildings opened. You froze in fear as the scent of an Alpha filled your nostrils. You turned to look and saw the large man walking out of the building trash bag in hand. He shouted something back to someone who was inside as he ran his hair through his long brown hair.
You didn’t dare move as he approached the dumpster seemingly unaware of your presence. You barely breathed as he threw the trash bag into the dumpster and turned to head back towards the building.
You risk glancing over the side of the dumpster a move you instantly regret when you accidentally make a sound. You saw the alpha freeze before slowly turning to face you, his eyes widening in surprise when he spotted you. His nostrils flared as he scents you and you knew you were in danger. There was no way this Alpha would let you get away now that he knew you were an Omega.
So you ran, or at least you tried to. Your weak legs refused to cooperate, leaving you stumbling.
“Whoa wait!” The alpha shouts moving after you.
You desperately try and get away but you trip and fall. With your hand bound by handcuffs, you weren’t able to catch yourself. Hitting your head as you fell, you tried to move but your body refused exhaustion taking over. The last thing you saw was the Alpha crouching over you.
Ari had woken up early that day, not that he’d slept well that night anyway. His mind running at a million miles per hour, running through all the things he could do and needed to do. He went on his usual morning run, hoping that would help but it didn’t.
In the end, he just decided to go to work early. He drove from his cabin just outside of town parking up behind the bar. Letting himself into the bar he owned he made his way into the back office.
Dropping his bag in the corner he first makes himself a pot of coffee before dropping down onto the small couch he had. He sighs running his hand through his hair.
Once the coffee had brewed he pushed himself up from the couch. He poured himself a cup taking a large sip as he moved to sit at his desk.
As he sat down at his desk his eyes fell on the picture on his desk. He smiled slightly as he remembered that day. It was the day his bar, The Red Sea, officially opened. He and his friend all stood outside smiling proudly.
When the bar first opened business had been booming. They almost had to herd people out when closing time rolled around. Presently the story couldn’t be any more different. Now they would shut up early to save money on utilities.
Ari knew he needed to do something but he had no clue what. If he didn’t find a solution too otherwise he’d have to consider selling up. And anyone who knew Ari knew that he wasn’t a quitter.
Sighing to himself he started going through the month's expenses. Doing all the paperwork that made his position even more painfully obvious.
“Do you ever go home?” Rachel asked leaning against the door frame.
“No it saves money” Ari says not looking up from his work.
“What’s the verdict?” She asks walking in and perching on the edge of the desk.
“Not great we maybe have 6 months at most to turn this place around otherwise I’ll have to sell” Ari sighs shaking his head.
“It’ll work out, you always think of something,” Rachel says patting him on the shoulder as she stands up.
“The rest of the guys are coming up later so don’t hide away in here all day” she adds before leaving him in the office alone.
Ari nodded in agreement before turning back to his work. He ended up spending hours in there working away. Putting off going out to see just how empty the bar would be. He could hear his friends though all laughing and talking loudly.
Eventually, he had done all the work he could and decided to head out to his friends.
“Ah, there he is the slacker!!” Jake shouts once he spots Ari.
“I hope you all paid for those beers” Ari retorted looking at the three men.
“Hey, we’re your best customers!” Max complains.
“You’re my only customers” Ari sighed as he stood behind the bar.
“Don’t worry Rachel charged us” Sammy said pointing over to Rachel who rolled her eyes as she wiped the bar down.
“Good because otherwise there won’t be a bar to come hang out in,” Ari says.
“Stop being so melodramatic you’ve just hit a slump. Every business goes through it, it’ll pick up soon” Sammy tells him.
“Yeah I bet something is right around the corner” Max says.
“Right let's stop being all depressed, you owe me a game of pool” Jake says pointing at Ari.
“I do?” Ari asks not recalling promising him that, the last game they played Ari wiped the floor with him.
“Fine call it a rematch” Jake says shrugging his shoulders as he racks up.
Ari smirks as he walks over “Fine let’s make it interesting”
Jake raises a brow as he stands up “What are you thinking?” Jake asks.
“You win, I’ll buy you a drink for a week. I win, you take a garbage out” Ari smirks.
“Oh no not that dumpster, that thing fucking stinks!!” Jake complains.
“Fine we won’t play,” Ari says shrugging his shoulders and stepping away.
“Okay, okay fine, you can break” Jake relents holding out the pool cue.
Ari smiled taking the pool cue from Jake and lining up his first shot. The balls broke with a resounding crack and much to Ari’s joy and Jake’s annoyance, 2 striped balls rolled into the pockets.
“Fuck sake man” Jake complains shaking his head.
“Regretting that decision now?” Ari smirks.
The rest of the game was pretty close, with Jake managing to catch up when Ari missed a couple. Everyone else cheering on who they thought would win.
“Go on Jake!” Sammy shouted.
“Hey you’re supposed to be backing me up” Ari complained to his childhood best friend.
“Nope sorry I’m backing my fellow Beta today” Sammy says holding up his hands in surrender.
“Don’t worry Ari we’ve got you” Max says gesturing to Rachel.
“Oh, so it's alpha’s vs Beta’s then?” Jake asks.
“Seems that way” Ari laughs.
Eventually, the game got down to the final ball. Ari lined up his shot, it should have been easy. It should have gone in, but for whatever godforsaken reason it hit the side of the pocket and bounced out. Leaving it perfectly open for Jake to easily pot it, which he did.
“Yes!! Rachel grab me a beer and pass Ari the trash” Jake says smiling victoriously as he walks back towards the bar.
Ari groans in annoyance as Rachel passes him the trash bag. All of his friends laughed as he made his way to the back door.
“And no holding your breath that’s cheating” Sammy shouts after him.
“Shut up I’ll do as I like” Ari shouts back as he steps outside.
As he approaches the dumpster he holds his breath as he chucks the bag into it. As he turns around and starts walking away he hears shuffling.
He turns around expecting to see a raccoon or something. He wasn’t expecting to see someone peeking out beside the dumpster. He sniffs slightly realising that it was an omega, one that looks completely petrified. He cautiously takes a step closer but you take off.
“Whoa wait!” He shouts moving after you.
He watches as you stumble and fall, it's only then that he notices the handcuffs around your wrists. He sees you try and push yourself up before completely slumping down in exhaustion.
“Hey it's okay, I’m not gonna hurt you” Ari says calmingly as he crouches down beside you.
You look up at him and he can see the fear in your eyes before they completely shut and you pass out.
“Shit” Ari mutter looking down at you “Sammy! Sam!” Ari then shouts “I need you out here”
“I swear to god Levinson if you throw something gross at me” Sammy says stepping outside “Fuck what the hell happened!” Sammy says when he spots Ari crouching beside you.
“I don’t know, she was hiding behind the dumpster and then ran when she saw me but tripped and must have hit her head” Ari said looking over at all your injuries, spotting the burns on your ankles.
At this point, everyone else had made their way outside wondering what was going on.
“Whoa is she okay?” Jake asks nodding down to you.
“I dunno, we need to get her inside” Sammy says as he looks over you.
“What’s she got around her wrists?” Rachel asks.
“Handcuff by the looks of it” Max says,
Ari decides to try and break them off but when his finger comes into contact with the metal he hisses in pain.
“Fuck that silver” he hisses shaking his hands.
“That must be what’s caused these burns” Sam says pointing to the burns on your ankles.
“Fuck. Who the hell would do this to someone” Rachel says shaking her head.
“Sick bastards” Ari growls ignoring the pain as he breaks off your handcuffs.
He then gently scoops you up in his arms to take you inside. He had no clue who you were or where you’d come from, but he was damn well sure he wasn’t gonna let anything happen to you now.
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This series has no schedule, please don’t ask when it will be updated!
Series Masterlist / Masterlist
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Run Free - Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!Reader (Part 2: I Know Places)
Summary: As an Omega you knew your place in the world, however when the opportunity arrives to escape you take it... only to find yourself face to face with another Alpha
Word Count: 2.6k
Warnings: Language! Light Angst! Fluff! Talk of Captive Situation
Dividers by @firefly-graphics
Series Masterlist / Masterlist
Chapter 2: I Know Places
Your entire body felt like it was made of lead. Everything ached and your head was pounding. As you slowly woke up you could hear hushed whispers, you sighed trying to fall back asleep. It was only when you took a deep breath that the smell of an Alpha and Beta filled your nostrils.
Your memory flooded back to you. How you escaped from your captors. Made your way into town only to be found by another Alpha. Your rush to run away, your body not cooperating leaving you powerless.
You woke with a start your eyes instantly finding the Alpha from before stood beside another man who must have been the Beta you smelt, on the other side of the small room. They both jumped once they saw that you were awake and made their way over.
“Hey, hey it's okay you’re safe we’re not gonna hurt you” the Alpha says bending down beside you.
You pushed yourself away as much as you could on the small couch. You didn’t trust him, every Alpha you’d ever met treated you like a piece of meat. How could this one be any different?
“My name is Ari, and this is my friend Sammy, he’s a doctor,” Ari says gesturing to his friend.
“I’ve treated the burns on your wrists and ankles, but I would like to take you to my clinic to check you out further” Sammy says making you look down and notice your wrists and ankles had been bandaged up.
“No,” you say your voice wavering, you didn’t trust these people, what if it was all an elaborate ruse to capture you?
“Please, you’ve clearly been through something horrible and we want to help, you can trust us I promise,” Ari says gently.
You lock your eyes on him, you could feel your body relaxing. Unlike any other Alpha you’d encounter he didn’t make your blood run cold in fear. Your inner wolf was screaming at you to trust him but you couldn’t give in. You needed a chance to escape if you needed it, if this Alpha truly wanted to help you he wouldn’t need anything to keep you captive.
“Take the collar off,” you tell him.
“What?” He asks confused.
“The collar, it can only be taken off by an alpha or beta, it stops me from shifting, take it off and maybe I’ll trust you” you explain.
“Only if you let us treat you properly, we don’t have to go to the clinic if you don’t want but somewhere cleaner than here” Sammy bargains.
“Hey this place is clean” Ari huffs glaring up at his friend.
You couldn’t help but chuckle weakly at the exchange between the two friends. Ari looked back over at you with a warm lopsided smile that had your heart stuttering.
“Okay, deal” you agree nodding your head.
Ari smiles at you before carefully moving to remove the collar from your neck. With the shortening distance, you could smell his scent better. The scent of pine and grass fills your nostrils making you instantly relax. You mentally kicked yourself though, you had to keep your guard up. Once the collar was removed Ari threw it in the trash with disgust.
“Can I ask what your name is?” Sammy asks you gently.
You glance between the two men “Y/N” you tell them
“Okay Y/N, now are you comfortable coming to the clinic or would you prefer somewhere else?” Sammy asks you.
“Clinic will be fine” you say nodding your head gently.
“Great, now just to forewarn you, the rest of our friends are outside” Ari says as he helps you up from the couch.
“They’re friendly like us, you don’t need to worry about them” Sammy adds.
You nod your head allowing them to lead you out of the office. As you stepped out into the bar the scent of two more alphas and a beta hit you all at once. All of them turn to look at you.
You instinctively cower back, shoulders hunching in trying to make yourself look as small as possible. Looking down at the floor unable to meet their intense gazes.
“Hey it’s okay, they aren’t gonna hurt you” Ari says to you gently as he rubs your back soothingly.
You look up at him, his bright blue eyes looking down at you reassuringly. Without realising you find yourself nodding, shifting to lean on him more. You glance away briefly before looking back up at him catching him sending a hard look towards his friends who then instantly advert their gazes. Despite the fact, two of them were fellow alphas.
Ari and Sam help you out of the bar and into Ari’s pickup truck. As he drove you to Sam’s clinic Ari kept glancing over at you. He could see that despite his constant reassurance you still looked incredibly nervous. He couldn’t blame you though, it didn’t take a genius to see you had been through something horrific.
When you arrived at the clinic Ari and Sammy led you inside and straight into an examination room. They helped you up onto the bed before Sam went to grab his kit while Ari sat down on the chair in the corner of the room not wanting to crowd you.
“Let me know if anything hurts okay” Sammy tells you as he starts checking you over.
Ari sighs as he watches, his hand running over his beard in thought. His eyes travelled over your body now noticing how many cuts and bruises covered your body. The next thing he noticed was that your bond mark was untouched. You weren’t running from an abusive mate. Leaving him even more curious and concerned as to what had happened to you.
“Are there any injuries under your clothes?” Sammy asks you.
“Nothing fresh, I um did fall from a truck though” you admit making Ari and Sam exchange a concerned glance.
“Okay well you may have broken some ribs, I will have to touch your chest to check or we can send you for an X-ray,” Sammy says giving you the choice.
“X-ray please,” you say meekly.
“Of course, Ari can you help move Y/N to the X-ray room,” Sammy asks and Ari jumps straight up to help you down from the examination bed.
They take you down the corridor to the X-ray room. Helping you back onto the bed and helping you lie back down.
“Okay, so all that’s gonna happen is we’re gonna step out of the room for a couple minutes while the machine takes the X-ray” Sammy explains as he sets up the machine.
You nod your head in understanding before glancing over at Ari who gave you a reassuring smile.
“We’ll be straight back don’t worry” Ari reassures you.
He gives you one more reassuring smile before stepping outside. You take a deep breath calming yourself. The nerves were creeping in now that you were completely alone. Even if you knew it was only for a moment. You scolded yourself, you couldn’t give in to your biology so easily. You barely knew these people you couldn’t really trust them. Could you?
When you saw Ari step back inside you let out a deep sigh of relief. He helped you sit back up and slide off of the bed.
“Okay?” He asks you gently.
“Yeah,” you say your voice still shaking.
They take you back down the corridor back to the examination room. This time however instead of sitting in the chair in the corner Ari perched against of the end of the bed.
“Okay so you’ve only got a small stress fracture in your rib, that should heal nice and quickly with rest. My main concern is your burns and the fact you’re severely malnourished” Sammy tells you.
“What can you do for her?” Ari asks.
“I can give you a cream for the burns and you’ll have to change the bandages regularly. I also can give you some vitamin and mineral tablets to help with the malnutrition, I can also suggest a diet too” Sammy explains.
“Will I be able to shift?” You ask hopefully.
“In theory, there’s nothing stopping you, but I wouldn’t suggest it not until you’re more healed. The main thing you need is rest, and somewhere safe to recover” Sammy says glancing over at Ari.
“You can stay with me if you’re okay with that” Ari offers.
“Oh um,” you say uncertainly.
“Look you have every right to be hesitant after what you’ve been through but you couldn’t find a better or safer place in my opinion” Sammy says.
“It's a nice cabin just outside of town away from everyone, I’ve got a spare room you can stay in, it’s safe I promise, I’m not gonna let anything happen to you I promise, nobody can hurt you now” Ari tells you gently, putting a hand on your shoulder.
You feel your inner wolf pushing you to accept his offer. As you looked between the men you could see how sincere they were being. They were really trying to help you. You had trusted them so far maybe you could trust them some more.
“Okay,” you agree quietly.
“Great we’ll get you everything you need and take you straight up there to settle in” Ari smiles.
Ari watched as you looked around his cabin taking it all in. It wasn’t grand by any means, but he liked it and he hoped you did too. The majority of the ground floor was open-planned, the kitchen diner flowing straight into the large spacious living room. Upstairs was where his bedroom, the guest bedroom and the third room he used as an office was.
When he led you upstairs he was relieved to find a bag of spare clothes waiting in the guest room. While you were all at the clinic he had asked Rachel to find you some spare clothes. Grateful that she’d brought them straight here so you could change out of the thin and tattered vest and shorts you wore. He’d given you the red plaid shirt to wear in the meantime to cover up and keep you warm. The same shirt you were now picking at the sleeves.
“You can do whatever you want in here to make yourself more comfortable, just let me know if you need anything” Ari says as you look around the room.
“Thank you, for everything,” you say fiddling with your fingers.
“It’s nothing, the bathroom is just down the hall if you want to freshen up” Ari says pointing down the hall.
You give him a small smile nodding in thanks.
“I’ll leave you to settle in, I’ll be downstairs if you need anything” Ari tells you before heading off down the stairs.
You waited listening to the sound of the stairs creaking as Ari walked down them. Once the creaking stopped you walked over to the bed sitting down and running your hands over the soft duvet. You let out a content sigh as you sank down into the bed. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d felt something so comfortable.
You felt a wave of emotion build up and you had to take a deep breath to stop yourself from crying. You couldn’t dare show any more weakness. You couldn’t be taken advantage of again. While Ari had been kind to you so far, he was still an Alpha and you were still an Omega. You could never be completely safe. Pushing up from the bed you made your way out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom.
Once inside the bathroom, you notice the lock on the door and quickly turn it. You turn round to face the shower reaching inside to turn it on. When you feel the warm water you instantly pull off your ratty clothes and jump inside.
As the water fell over your body you felt your muscle relax. All you wanted to do was stand there and enjoy the warmth. Eventually, you grabbed the shampoo that was on the side and started washing your hair. You then started washing your body watching as all the grime and dirt that was seemingly ingrained in your skin washed away down the drain.
When you stepped out of the shower you wrapped yourself up in a warm and fuzzy towel. You threw your old vest and shorts in the trashcan not wanting any more physical reminders of that prison. You grabbed Ari’s shirt intending to give it back to him. As you stood back up you caught sight of yourself in the mirror and let out a small gasp.
You hadn’t seen your reflection in years. To the point you barely recognised the person staring back at you. As you stared at yourself you realised how terrible and weak you looked. You had to force yourself to look away before you were physically sick.
You hurry back to the guest bedroom closing the door behind you quickly. You start looking through the bags of clothes that had been lent to you. Relieved to find some comfy trousers and a hoodie.
As you slip off the clothes you can smell the distinct scent of Rachel, the Alpha you’d briefly met at the bar. The scent of fresh sea air fills your nostrils. It was a nice scent but you did prefer Ari’s.
Once you were dressed you started making your way down the stairs. Finding Ari in the kitchen making some food.
Ari glanced over him when he sensed you walking in, the scent of honeysuckle filling the room. He smiled warmly when he saw you now dressed and cleaned up. You looked so much better than how he found you in the alley.
“I thought you might be hungry so I made you something to eat” Ari says putting a sandwich on a plate and putting it on the table.
“Thank you,” you say with a small smile shuffling over to sit at the table.
As you took your first bite you couldn’t believe how delicious it was. The softness of the bread and the filling melting on your tongue. You couldn’t help but let out a small moan of content.
“Tasty?” Ari asks with a playful smirk.
“It's the nicest thing I’ve eaten in years” you admit.
“What did they feed you?” He asks.
“Oatmeal I think, it was just kinda mush, sometimes we’d get stale bread,” you tell him as you continue to eat.
“I’m sorry” Ari sighs his brows furrowing “I’m not the best cook but I’ll try my hardest”
You smile at the offer “I know a bit from before um you know, so I’m sure we’ll handle” you tell him.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking but how long were you there for?” Ari asks cautiously “You don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable” he adds quickly.
“I don’t know, what year is it?” You ask.
“2023” Ari Answers
“Um, that would be uh 15 years then” you answer clearing your throat and looking down.
“God I’m so sorry” Ari sighs shaking “but you’re safe now, you’re never gonna have to go through that ever again”
You glance back up at him and see in his eyes how sincere he was. A small reassuring smile played on his lips.
“Thank you” you smile.
“And you can stay here as long as you need or want, there is absolutely no rush, I want you to make this place your home, your safe place, anything you need or want we’ll get it”
“Thank you, you’re being so kind to me” you say looking down at your lap.
“You don’t need to keep thanking me, and I know your experience probably tells you otherwise but not all Alphas are dicks” Ari smiles making you chuckle quietly.
You smile over at him, you really want to thank him again despite him telling you not to. But maybe he was right, maybe there were nice Alphas out there.
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This series has no schedule, please don’t ask when it will be updated!
Series Masterlist / Masterlist
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Run Free - Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!Reader (Part 5: Out Of The Woods)
Summary: With the full moon you and Ari spend time together in your wolf forms.
Word Count: 5.7k
Warnings: Angst! Fluff! Mention of Captive Situation! A/B/O dynamics!
Dividers by @firefly-graphics
Series Masterlist / Masterlist
Chapter 5: Out Of The Woods
You were in your room making your bed when you happened to glance outside to see the night sky. You stopped what you were doing and walked over to the window to admire the view. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky allowing you to see every star in brilliant detail.
Not satisfied with the restricted view your window gave you, you made your way down the stairs and onto the back porch. A smile grew on your face as you looked up at the endless sky, watching the stars twinkle and listening to the sounds of the forest around you.
You sat down on the steps wrapping your arms around your knees as you just stargazed. You were so lost in the stars that you barely noticed Ari coming out to join you. Your only sign was the feeling of warmth that you always felt when he was nearby.
“This is the most beautiful sky I’ve ever seen,” you said as he sat down beside you.
“It is amazing, I don’t think I could ever live in a big city, the light pollution would ruin it all” Ari agreed nodding his head “Did you used to live in the city?”
“No, just close to one, I never really was allowed out much after dark anyway” you admitted with a shrug of your shoulders.
Ari looked over at you sadly, you didn’t speak much of your time before you were taken but whenever you did it was rarely positive. Your parents seemed controlling and psychologically abusive. They kept you so sheltered that you barely knew your own biology. The fact that in the years you were gone they didn’t look for you didn’t sit well with Ari at all. It did spur him on to make sure the life you lived now was full of freedoms and everything else you deserved.
“You know it’ll be a full moon in a couple of days and Sammy said you're more than strong enough to shift now so why don’t you join all of us for a run” Ari suggested as he glanced up at the moon.
“People still do that?” You asked surprised.
“Yeah it's not as common nowadays, like a lot of things where the world has grown more modern, people have less time to do what our ancestors did. Not everyone is free to do it, like emergency services and other essential businesses” Ari explained “If the full moon falls on a weekend then I can’t go on a run because of the bar”
“Guess that makes sense, kinda like the pack thing, people rely on it less because the world is more open,” you said making Ari smile as he nodded his head.
“Exactly like that, so you up for joining us?” Ari smiled nudging your shoulder.
“Yeah sounds like fun, it’ll be nice to stretch my legs and get out, feels like i’m only ever here or at the bar but even that’s rare,” you said as you looked back up at the stars.
“Do you wanna get out more?” Ari asked as he watched your eyes search the stars.
“I dunno, maybe, I feel like getting out and I dunno having a job or something seems like the next logical step but then I know I still get nervous around unknown alphas which is kinda stupid” you sighed shaking your head.
“It's not stupid” Ari interrupted putting his hand on your shoulder getting you to look at him.
“After everything you’ve been through no one would blame you for being wary around Alphas and not wanting to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation. Maybe we can find you a job in admin or something where the only people you’ll have to interact with are people you know and then go from there?” Ari suggested squeezing your shoulder reassuringly making a small smile pull at your lips “And I know for a fact that it’s absolutely something you can do, in the past couple of months I’ve watched as you’ve come out of your shell into this much more confident and amazing woman, the fact that you now so openly trust me when before you ran at the sight of me shows how much you’ve grown” Ari continued, when he looks back over at you he sees tears collecting in the corner of your eyes.
“Shit, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry, fuck” Ari apologised scolding himself for bringing up your past.
“No, no,” you said grabbing his hand and squeezing it “These are happy tears I promise”
Ari looked back over at you uncertainly “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, yeah alphas still kinda make me nervous but you’ve made me feel safer than I ever have before in my entire life, you’ve given me freedom and a second chance of life, none of this growth would have been possible without you” you told him a couple of tears rolling down your cheek.
Ari reached out to cup your cheek gently wiping away your tears. The both of you smiled gently when you leaned into his touch. Ari wanted nothing more than to close the distance and kiss you, and unbeknownst to him you wanted the same. Instead, he cleared his throat and let his hand drop from your cheek.
“It’s late we should probably head inside” he said, not really wanting to.
“I know but just another few minutes? Please?” You asked with a small hopeful smile and puppy dog eyes that made Ari want to bend over backwards for you.
“Of course ‘Mega” he smiled.
You smiled back over at him, the pet name he used making your insides feel all warm and mushy. You shuffled closer to him resting your head against his shoulder as you looked up at the sky.
Ari kept his eyes on you the entire time, the stars were pretty but you were spectacular. The feeling of your head resting on his shoulder made his heart skip a beat. Unable to stop himself he nuzzled his nose into your hair breathing in your scent. He felt every worry he had about you, the bar and everything in between melt away and a sense of calm washed over him.
Much more than a few minutes later you lifted your head from Ari’s shoulder. You nodded sleepily as he asked if you were ready to head inside. Ari stood he offered you his hand expecting you to drop it once stood up but you didn’t. You held onto him as you both walked inside and up the stairs. Only dropping your hand once outside your room, just to lean up and kiss his cheek as you said goodnight and slipped into your room.
Ari stood outside your room unsure as to what to do. Part of him wanted to knock on your door, even going as far as raising his hand to do so. The other part of him held him back, reminding him to let you make all the decisions. Flexing the hand you held he turned and walked back to his own room.
A couple of days later was the full moon you’d been waiting for. You could feel the excited energy in the air as everyone arrived. Rachel who normally gave a playful roll of the eyes at the boy's antics was even laughing along with them.
“You ready for the run?” Sammy asked walking over to you.
“I think so, just a little nervous it's been forever since I last shifted” you admitted fiddling with your shirt.
“You’ll be fine it’s like riding a bike you never truly forget” Jake reassured you with a smile.
“It's been years since I’ve done that too” you pointed out with a chuckle.
“Hey, maybe Ari should take you on a little bike ride date through the park” Max grinned earning a slap around the back of the head from Ari.
“What these boneheads are trying to say is that it's a natural part of you, nobody can take it away permanently” Rachel assured you.
“We’ll all head out and shift and give you time and space to do it when you’re ready” Jake offered, everyone nodding in agreement.
You watched as they all headed towards the back door that led out to the porch. As Ari passed you to also leave you reached out and took his hand halting him.
“Do you mind staying?” You asked nervously.
“Yeah of course” he agreed waiting with you as everyone else headed out.
Once they were gone you could hear the howls of your friends outside as they shifted. Looking in their direction Ari could see the hesitancy in your eyes.
“You’ll be fine, just gotta take a couple of deep breaths and let it happen, don’t overthink it” Ari reassured you.
“What if I can’t?” You asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper.
“Then it’s something we’ll work on, you don’t have to come with us tonight and if you want I’ll stay back here with you too” Ari said but you shook your head.
“No, no you go it's fine,” you told him with a smile.
Ari nodded “Okay, but look if it helps I’ll show you” he offered as he took a step back from you dropping your hand.
You watched as he closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. His body begins to change, his shirt melting away and being replaced by dark brown fur. Once fully in his wolf form, he sat down in front of you allowing you to get a good look.
His fur was the same dark brown as his hair, as well as being slightly longer and thicker than the usual wolf. He was already immensely big and muscular but his fun only added to that. Your favourite part though was his eyes, the strikingly light blue a direct contrast to his dark fur.
He stood back up and walked over to you. Brushing his head against your leg making you chuckle. Your hand fell to the top of his head, fingers running through his thick, soft fur. You couldn't help but smile at the blissed-out look on his face as you stroked his head. He went as far as thumping his hind leg when you scratched behind his ear. He nuzzled up into your hand before pulling away slightly to give it a gentle lick.
You watched as he padded out of the cabin to join his friends who you could all hear playing outside. You could feel the pull to go join them, join him so you leant into it. Closing your eyes you took a couple of deep breaths, stretching out your back as you felt something shift.
When you opened your eyes you were no longer at the same height as you were before. You were much lower to the ground, glancing over your shoulder you saw your tail wagging back and forth and you realised you had done it. You let out a victorious yip before stretching out your back and shaking out your fur.
Ari was sat on the back porch watching his friends play with one another. Tackling each other to the ground or chasing each other. The sound of a playful yip behind him made him turn, standing when he saw you in your wolf form trot out of the house.
Ari’s ears instantly perked up and his tail started wagging as he admired your wolf. You were much smaller and skinnier than him, but perfectly streamlined. He could already tell he would struggle to keep up with you when you hit full speed. Your fur looked silky smooth, almost like the moonlight was bouncing off of it.
As you walked over to him you lowered your head bowing in submission to him. Ari tilted his head slightly before walking over and nudging his snout against yours making you raise your head. He could see the surprise in your eyes so he nuzzled against you to reassure you. There was no need for submission here/
You began to wag your tail before jumping away down the stairs to go join his friends. Ari remained stood on the porch watching you run rings around Jake and Max, at one point using Max as a springboard to tackle Jake.
As much as Ari wanted to watch you play and interact with his friends he knew they should start the run soon. Throwing his head back he let out a long howl that made everyone stop and join with him. The sound of your howl perfectly harmonised with the group like it had always been there.
Once he stopped he shook out his fur before jumping down the stairs and beginning the run. You and his friends followed closely behind. He had expected you to stay near the back of the pack but instead, you closely flanked him.
You couldn’t believe how free you felt. Even the moment you escaped didn’t feel like this. You weaved in and out of trees, feeling the wind whip through your fur, whistling past your ears.
You easily matched pace with the rest of the pack but you wanted to go faster. See just what speed you could get up to, but you could feel the unspoken rule to stay behind Ari. You knew that Ari wouldn’t mind if you pushed ahead, he wasn’t like other Alphas. This pack wasn’t like other packs, while they all saw Ari as their unofficial leader, they didn’t care about hierarchy. So you waited until Ari signalled for the pack to break.
Ari glanced over his shoulder and could see you were itching to break away. Wanting to run just with you he let out a short bark and broke away from the pack. He turned to the side you were on nudging you to run faster. He could see the sparkle in your eyes before you darted off.
Ari could tell you were gonna be fast but he was surprised at how quickly you had gotten away from him. He could barely keep up, every time he felt like he was gaining you’d dart between trees making him slam on the breaks so he wouldn’t crash into them.
At one point you had completely disappeared from sight and Ari had no clue where you were or what direction you’d gone in. He slowed down to a trot and lifted his nose into the air to try and track your scent. However he could smell you in every direction he turned, he tried to listen for you, his ear twitching in different directions but he couldn’t work it out.
You were crouched close to the ground as you circled him, making sure to stay out of his line of sight. You slowly began to stalk towards him, keeping yourself low, carefully placing your paws so as not to disturb the leaves. You had to fight the urge to wag your tail as you got closer and closer.
Once you were close enough you pounced using your speed and the element of surprise to tackle Ari to the floor. He let out a huff of surprise at the impact before the two of you play fought on the ground. You stood over Ari playfully snapping at him as he twisted underneath you. He managed to get his paw on your chest pushing you off.
You bounced backwards as he got back to his feet. Your tail was wagging furiously back and forth as you performed a play bow. Ari mirrored you watching happily as you bounced side to side enticing him to play. You were like a like a coiled spring waiting to snap, Ari was just waiting for the perfect moment.
You circled him barking and whining for him to play but he was just watching you. You were mid-bounce when he finally pounced hoping to tackle you, however, your reaction speed was much better than he anticipated and you’d dodged his attack and had taken off again.
This time however you allowed Ari to match pace with you. The two of you nudging each other as you ran. As you broke into a clearing in the woods Ari made his move finally tackling you to the ground. You twisted underneath him but he kept you pinned standing tall over you.
Once you had stopped wiggling underneath him, submitting to him, he dropped his snout down to yours gently nuzzling it against yours. A sentiment you quietly reciprocated, even going as far as licking his face.
He gave you one last nudge before moving off you so you could stand up. As you stood you moved to stand side by side nuzzling your head into the thick fur of his neck. You then let out a large yawn and Ari could tell you were clearly ready for bed. He could hear the sounds of his friends still playing and enjoying the full moon, but he didn’t want to leave your side.
The two of you slowly made your way through the woods back to his cabin. You walked side by side brushing shoulders as you walked. You however slowed down as you approached the cabin. Ari stopped on the porch turning round to see you stood a few meters away. He tilted his head not sure why you had stopped. It was only when you let out a low whine, one he always heard pups give out, one he used to do when he was a pup.
You didn’t want to shift back yet.
So instead of heading inside the cabin Ari moved to the corner of the porch and settled down. He then called you over watching as you pad over and settle down beside him.
Ari watched over you as you fell asleep. He kept watch as his friends came back, growling quietly at them so they wouldn’t wake you. Once they were gone he allowed himself to relax. Especially when you moved in your sleep to lie closer to him. He let out a quiet yawn before gently resting his head on your shoulders and allowing himself to fall asleep.
The first couple of days after the full moon run you could feel the relaxed atmosphere in the cabin. However, a few days later you could feel Ari’s stress levels rising. If he was at home he’d spend the majority of the day in the office, where you could hear him pace back and forth. If he went to the bar he’d come home visibly tired.
Whenever you could sense his stress you felt the urge to do something to help him relax. So you’d make him dinner, leaving the leftovers in the fridge for when he returned late at night. If you woke before him, or before he was back from his morning run you’d make sure there was a cup of coffee waiting for him.
Today he was working away upstairs in his office, he’d been there all day. Not even going out for his morning run. It had gone lunchtime and Ari had yet to come downstairs for lunch. All you could hear was him occasionally pacing back and forth.
Not wanting him to go hungry you made him some lunch and a fresh cup of coffee. When you opened the door you found Ari sat at his desk, elbows resting on the desk hands running through his hair.
“Hey I thought you might be hungry” you said grabbing his attention.
He quickly looked up having not heard you walk in, he looked down at his watch eyebrows raising slightly.
“I didn’t realise the time, thank you” Ari smiled as you put the plate down on his desk.
“Everything okay you looked really stressed when I walked in” you asked him as he started eating.
“Just work stuff, it's fine,” Ari said shaking his head.
“Is it the same work stuff that’s been stressing you out the last few days?” You asked making him raise a brow at you.
“Yeah, just got a problem I’m trying to solve” Ari sighed glancing down at the paperwork on his desk.
“What kind of problem?” You asked him.
“The bar isn’t making enough money, if I don’t find a way to reduce costs and boost sales I’ll have to sell” he explained sitting back in his chair as he looked up at you.
“You can’t sell, you worked so hard on getting that bar,” you said shaking your head at the idea.
Ari gave you a small smile before shrugging his shoulders “I don’t want to but if I don’t do something quick then it might be my only option” He explained.
“Let me help, look over this see if I can find something, you’ve been looking at it for so long that you might be overlooking something” you suggested pointing to the paperwork.
“You don’t have to,” Ari said shaking his head.
“Please Ari, we spoke out finding me something to do maybe this could be it? I’m good at maths too, my parents didn’t let me go out much so I spent a lot of my time doing extra school work” You told him.
Ari sighed sadly at your admission. You were slowly telling him more and more about your past. The more you did the more he hated the way you used to live. The more he wanted to make sure you had the best life possible now.
“Okay, but I won’t blame you if you get bored” Ari said with a lopsided grin making you chuckle.
“Oh I won’t” you smiled grabbing a pencil from the pot on his desk and the paperwork.
Ari smiled as he watched you go sit down on the couch in the corner and start reading through it all. Almost instantly you started circling stuff and making annotations.
Ari continued eating taking a small break as you worked before returning to his work. Doing the things he hadn’t been able to get to yet.
“Have you thought about doing themed nights?” You asked grabbing his attention.
“Themed nights?” He asked as he looked over at you.
“Yeah I can remember my parents telling me how they met at an open mic night, you could do something like that getting local musicians in, or maybe even an omega only night” you suggested.
Ari hummed in thought as he leant back in his chair, rolling his pen between his fingers.
“Is that something you’d be interested in, an Omega only night?” He asked.
“Yeah, I mean I know not all Alpha’s are bad, you, Max and Rachel have shown me that, but I think there’s still a guard that goes up, and to be able to have a safe space to do that and have fun would be appealing to the Omegas in town” you explained making a smile grow on Ari’s face.
“That’s a good idea, i’ll do it, on one condition though” he smiled making your head tilt in question.
“You have to help me organise it,” he said.
“Oh no, I don’t think I’d be good at all that, you’re the expert with all the bar stuff,” you said shaking your head as he stood up from his chair.
“Yeah, but I’m not an omega” he pointed out as he walked over to sit beside you on the couch.
“I can guess at what an omega wants but I wouldn’t know from experience, so getting your insight would be valuable” he explained as you turned to face him “You tell me what needs to happen to make omegas completely comfortable and safe while also having fun, whatever you feel is right because if you feel safe after everything you’ve gone through,” Ari said reaching out to take your hand in his “then other omegas will too”
You bit your lower lip slightly as you gazed down at your hand in his. It looked so tiny compared to his large strong hands, it felt comforting and safe being held by him. Your heart fluttering at his touch. Your gaze meets his, his bright blue eyes shining with reassurance.
“Okay” you agreed.
“So we have a deal?” Ari asked with a lopsided grin.
“We have a deal” you smiled nodding in agreement.
“Great, now I saw you scribbling away so tell me how screwed I am,” Ari said nodding down to the paperwork.
You chuckled gently and shook your head as you grabbed the paperwork “You’re not screwed, I think if the themed nights go well and a couple easy changes are made you’ll be rolling in it in no time” you told him.
“You sound very optimistic” Ari grinned.
“I am” you smiled.
You started explaining all the different things you noticed. Where the margin could be increased and what supplies could be swapped out for cheaper ones. You’d even found deals he could take advantage of so he could get some of the more expensive alcohol for a fraction of the price.
“Wow” Ari muttered sitting back “I have been scouring that for solutions for weeks and you’ve come in and solved it in less than an hour” he said shaking his head in disbelief.
A bashful smile appeared on your face as you looked down at your lap shaking your head.
“Seriously, you’re amazing at this sort of stuff, I hate this side of owning and running a bar, I’d much rather spend my time actually working behind the bar than in the office, if you want you could help me out full time, work at the bar doing this sort of stuff” Ari suggested.
“Really?” You asked glancing over at him.
“Yeah of course, only if you want to though don’t feel like you have to,” Ari said.
“Yeah I want to, you’ll have to show me how to do all of it but yeah I’d love to” you smiled nodding your head.
“Great, I’ll add you onto the payroll” Ari smiled standing back up.
“Oh you don’t have to do that,” you said shaking your head.
“I wouldn’t be a very good boss if I didn’t pay my employees, especially one as important as you” he grinned as he walked back over to his desk.
“I don’t need the money though,” you said shaking your head, Ari’s reminder that you didn’t need to pay rent or anything while you stayed with him fresh in your mind.
“Use it for stuff you want then, treat yourself” Ari smiled as he scribbled something down.
“I haven’t even got a bank account and you should be saving not adding costs” you pointed out.
“We’ll sort that, if you’re working for me then you’re getting paid for it especially when you’re saving my business,” Ari told you.
“Fine but will you let me pay rent or something?” You offered as Ari walked back over to you.
“We can discuss that at a later date” he smirked making you roll your eyes.
“It really is your way or the highway isn’t it” you sighed smiling up at him.
“You know me so well omega” Ari grinned “Now let's go take a break we’ve done some good work and we deserve to relax” he said offering you his hand.
“What are you thinking?” You asked taking his hand and allowing him to pull you to your feet.
“Why don’t we go on little run just the two of us?” Ari suggested a wide grin growing on your face.
“I’d like that a lot” you smiled.
Ari led you down the stairs and out onto the back porch only dropping your hand as he shifted into his wolf form. You chuckled as he leapt down the steps, turning to face you wagging his tail encouraging you to join him. You smile as you shift jumping down the stairs, nuzzling your snout into his scruff.
Ari then trotted away a short distance and called for you to follow. You trotted after him the both of you heading deeper into the forest. Unlike the full moon run, you and Ari took your time strolling through the forest. Your shoulders occasionally brushed each other.
Eventually, Ari led you to a stream that ran through the forest. You wagged your tail in excitement quickly running towards it splashing through the stream. Ari smiled as he watched you play in the stream chasing the splashing water.
You turned spotting Ari watching you on the side of the shore not stepping into the stream. Deciding that wasn’t good enough you turn your back to him kicking your hind legs out towards him, splashing him with water.
He huffed in annoyance giving you a playful snarl as you looked back over at him. You do a play bow inviting him to come play with you. He charged into the stream after you, chasing you through the water.
The two of you continued to play, splashing each other, trying to tackling each other into the water. When you stepped out of the stream you shook your fur out causing water to spray over Ari. He playfully snarls at you before shaking his own fur out and spraying you back.
You huffed in annoyance barging Ari with your shoulder before dashing further into the forest. You heard Ari howl before running after you. You could hear his paws hitting the ground behind you, never getting close enough to actually catch you.
You find a small cave darting inside hoping Ari hadn’t spotted you run inside. You crouch down to keep a low profile, staying silent waiting to see him. You heard leaves rustling and twigs snapping as he approached. He appeared near the entrance of the cave, snout pointed upwards as he tried to sense where you were.
Excitement got the better of you and your tail began to wag, it didn’t create much noise but Ari instantly looked over in your direction. You saw the excitement on his face as he stalked closer to you.
He blocked your escape his tail wagging victoriously as you rolled onto your back. He stood over you as you submitted pawing at his chest. He lowers his head brushing his snout against you.
He then stepped back enough for you to stand up, as you do so a clap of thunder rips through the air. You instantly cowered further into the cave. Ari walked closer to the entrance seeing the heavy rainfall and lightning flash through the sky. As he glanced back at you he saw you pushed as far back into the cave as possible, shaking with fear, tail between your legs.
He padded back over to you nuzzling his snout against you soothingly. He felt you relax slightly but you flinched once more when another clap of thunder rumbles through the air. As you whimpered he rests his head on top of you, gently licking your face to calm you.
Knowing that you’d have to wait the storm out Ari got you to lie down. Once you were settled he lay down beside you resting his head over your shoulders. You shift besides him move closer into his side, feeling his calming woodsy scent wash over you.
As the storm rolled on Ari kept comforting you. Nuzzling his snout against you whenever you’d flinch. Gently licking your fur like his mother would do when he was a pup. As the sky grew darker and the night drew in Ari encouraged you to fall asleep and curled up next to him, his head resting on top of you as you slowly dozed off.
Ari tried to keep himself awake until the storm passed so he could comfort you if and when he needed to. But as he lay so close to you all he could smell was your lavender scent. He felt his entire body completely relaxing as he too fell asleep inside the cave.
When morning broke the storm had passed. Ari was the first to wake, gently getting up and stretching out his back with a wide yawn. He then padded over to the entrance of the cave, looking up to see the bright blue sky, no cloud in sight.
He glanced back over at you, seeing you curled up still fast asleep. He didn’t want to disturb you but he knew you’d most likely be hungry and would be far more comfortable back in the cabin. Walking over he nudged his snout against yours, gently waking you with the occasional lick.
You blinked a couple of times as you woke lifting your head tiredly looking up at Ari. He nudged you again but you dropped your head, rubbing your paws over your face as you tried to get comfortable and fall back asleep. Ari gave you a light warning growl as he nudged you again getting you to stand, you huffed in annoyance snarling slightly to show your displeasure at being woken up.
The two of you slowly made your way back to the cabin. You tiredly leaned against Ari as you walked, Ari didn’t mind though knowing you didn’t sleep well last night. He would just gently encourage you onwards, choosing the easiest route home possible.
Once you got back to the cabin you both shifted back to your human forms. You let out a large yawn as you stretched upwards.
“Are you hungry, we haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday?” Ari asked as he walked into the kitchen.
“No, just tired, I think I should just go lie down,” you said shaking your head.
“You should try and eat something it’ll get your energy levels back up, just toast or something?” Ari pressed gently.
“You can go lie down afterwards I promise” he added when he saw your hesitancy.
“Okay” you yawned moving to sit down at the kitchen table.
“Thank you” Ari smiled as he set about making the both of you some toast.
Once you’d eaten you trudged upstairs to your room to go lie down. Ari cleaned up the plates, making himself a cup of coffee before heading upstairs to his office. Planning on setting in motion some of the changes you suggested.
After a couple hours Ari had yet to hear you resurface. So he carefully and quietly poked his head into your room. He smiled when he sae you fast asleep, hands curled around his shirt that he’d given you on your first day. He doubted it smelt much like him anymore so he made a mental note to leave another out for you.
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Series Masterlist / Masterlist
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Run Free - Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!Reader (Part 6: You Belong With Me)
Summary: You help host the first couple of events at the bar to bring in new customers and both you and Ari start feeling something different towards each other
Word Count: 3.2k
Warnings: Fluff! A/B/O dynamics!
Dividers by @firefly-graphics
Series Masterlist / Masterlist
Chapter 6: You Belong With Me
The first event you and Ari planned for the bar was an open mic night. You’d reached out to bands and performers in the area to see if they’d perform. A few of them agreed.
The bar was pretty quiet as the first band arrived early to set up their gear. You had spent the majority of the day in the office running over the accounts. When you walked out to the bar to grab a glass of water you saw Ari helping the band carry in their amps.
“Hey would it be okay to grab some water?” Someone asked behind you.
Turning around you see one of the band members, a beta, leaning over the bar.
“Oh yeah sure, how many?” You asked grabbing a couple more glasses.
“Just 4 thanks” the beta said with a lopsided grin.
“Are you new to the bar? I’ve been in here a few times before and never seen you?” He asked as you poured his drinks.
“Fairly new, moved to the area a couple of months ago now” you nodded giving him a small smile.
“Well it's nice to have you, especially since I heard this was your idea” he grinned.
“I can’t take all the credit” you chuckled shaking your head.
“You should its a really good idea, there’s not many places to play on a regular basis around here” he smiled making you look down bashfully.
“So what’s your band’s name?” You asked him.
“We’re the Beatas, because we’re all betas and beat like music beat” he said proudly.
“Oh like the Beatles?” You smiled.
“Exactly like that! I’m glad you got it” he exclaimed making you laugh “I’m Colin by the way” he added holding out his hand.
“Y/N” you smiled shaking his hand.
“Nice meeting you Y/N, mind giving me a hand carrying these over,” he asked as you placed his drinks on the bar.
“Sure let me just make Ari one” you agreed, quickly making a 5th pint of water.
Ari was just carrying in some of the band’s equipment when he spotted the guitarist Colin stood at the bar talking to you. At first, he worried that you were uncomfortable but then he saw your smile, hearing you laugh at whatever he said.
He knew he should be happy that you were more comfortable talking with strangers, it meant you were becoming more confident. But he felt this possessive feeling stirring deep inside him, that he needed to show the beta you were off limits.
Which you weren’t. You didn’t belong to anyone, especially not Ari.
He pushed the possessive feeling out shaking his head slightly as he put the equipment he was carrying down. He sighed running his hand through his hand as he stood back up. Turning around he was surprised to see you stood right behind him holding a pint of water.
“I thought you might be thirsty” You smiled passing him the glass.
“I am, thank you ‘mega” Ari grinned taking the glass from you “You alright?” He asked you quietly, glancing over at Colin.
“Yeah, I’m good just needed another drink” you smiled up at him “I should probably get back to work” you added pointing over your shoulder towards the office.
“Don’t work yourself too hard” Ari smirked with a playful wink as you chuckled stepping away.
“I’ll try not to, but the numbers are just too fun” you smirked walking back to the back office.
You were halfway to the bar when Colin called out grabbing your attention.
“Hey, you gonna come see us perform later?” Colin smiled.
Ari went to reassure you that you didn’t have to if you didn’t want to. They were expecting and hoping it would be a busy night tonight. He didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed. But before he had the chance you spoke up.
“Yeah, of course, wouldn’t want to miss it” you smiled nodding your head before disappearing to the back office.
Ari glanced over at Colin seeing him smiling proudly to himself as he turned around and unpacked some gear. Ari let out a small huff as he turned around to grab the last of the gear from outside.
As the band was setting up Ari made his way into the back office. The door was slightly open allowing him to peek inside, and watch you as you worked. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched you, biting your lip in thought as you looked down at the paperwork.
As he pushed the door open you glanced up smiling when you saw him.
“Hey, everything okay?” You smile putting down your pencil.
“I’m good, the band is just setting up now,” Ari said as he sat down on the small couch.
“Cool, hopefully, it draws in a crowd” You smiled leaning forward and resting your arms on the desk.
“It will, it's a good idea I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier” Ari smiled noting your bashful smile “Speaking of which, you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, if there’s a big crowd which hopefully there will be then it might be overwhelming and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable and unsafe,” Ari said sitting forward a serious expression on his face.
“I’ll be fine, I think so anyway” you sighed standing up and walking over to him, sitting beside him on the couch.
“If you’re not certain then-“ Ari said shifting to face you.
“I want to see how it goes” you interrupted “After spending the last couple weeks working here I feel much more comfortable and confident and I don’t want to be hiding away in here, not comfortable enough to come out to the bar” you sighed shaking your head “So by being here tonight I’ll be able to see where I am, I won’t know if I don’t try and if I do feel uncomfortable with the crowds then I can come back here or one of the guys could drop me back to the cabin,” you told him shrugging your shoulders slightly.
“As long as you’re completely sure, and as soon as you feel uncomfortable and want to go let me know” Ari said earning a warm smile from you.
“I’m sure, Thank you Ari” you smiled.
Later on, much to Ari’s relief a crowd started to form in the bar. It started small but once the music started, more people made their way into the bar. Ari was kept busy behind the bar serving drinks alongside Rachel and Max.
Whenever he could he would glance over to where you were sat with Jake and Sammy. Smiling whenever he saw you smiling and enjoying yourself.
He had just stepped out of the bar for a couple of minutes to change one of the barrels but when he got back to the bar he had to stop himself from growling. Looking over at you he saw you’d been joined by Colin who was sitting far too close in Ari’s opinion. Especially since Sammy and Jake had seemingly disappeared.
“Whoa, what’s put you in a bad mood? Dodgy barrel?” Rachel smirked when she saw him.
He didn’t answer, glancing over at her briefly before looking back at you. Watching as you laughed at whatever Colin said, putting a hand on his arm.
“She’s fine, don’t worry I’ve been keeping an eye on it” Rachel told him once she saw where he was looking.
“I still don’t like it” Ari huffed crossing his arms over his chest.
Rachel frowns at him before smirking up at him realising what the issue is.
“You’re jealous” she stated.
“What? No I’m not” Ari huffed shaking his head.
“Yeah you are, you don’t like him getting so close to your omega” Rachel smirked.
“She’s not my omega” Ari reminded her sternly.
“No but you want her to be don’t you” Rachel retorted.
Ari huffed unable to respond because, yes he did. The more time he spent with you the more he fell for you. But after everything you’d been through it had to be up to you, he couldn’t betray your trust by admitting how he felt.
“Why don’t you tell her how you feel, she trusts you” Rachel said gently.
“I can’t, I don’t want to break that, I’m the first Alpha she’s really trusted, showed her that we aren’t all out for an omega to fuck whenever we please, I can’t tell her how I feel and undo all of that” Ari sighed shaking his head as he looked down at the floor.
“Maybe a beta would be better for her, more trustworthy and less intimidating, I just wish it wasn’t that douche” Ari grumbled looking over at you and Colin.
“He’s not a douche, he’s being really sweet and charming” Rachel scolded.
“He’s a womaniser and gets away with it because he’s a beta” Ari fired back.
“God you’re practically green with envy” Rachel muttered under her breath.
“Look why don’t you go over and hang out with Y/N, it’s quietening down a bit, me and Max can handle it while you have a break” Rachel offered, making Ari raise a brow as an idea popped into his head.
“I have a better idea” he said walking over towards you.
When you saw him approaching in the corner of your eye you turned smiling at him. Ari put on his most charming smile as he leaned on the bar across from you.
“Hey you alright?” He asked looking only at you.
“Yeah I’m good, the music’s been great” you smiled glancing over at Colin.
“I was thinking while we had a quiet few minutes I could teach you how to pour a pint so you can help out behind the bar on the omega-only night?” Ari suggested.
“Really?” You asked slightly uncertain.
“Yeah it’ll be fun, c’mon” Ari smiled gesturing for you to join him behind the bar.
“Yeah sure, be right back” you told Colin with a smile before hopping off your bar stool and making your way behind the bar.
“Okay I’ll start you off easy, this larger isn’t too lively” Ari smiled passing you the glass.
“Now you want to hold the glass at an angle and pretty close to the tap” Ari instructed as you stepped up to the tap.
“Like this?” You asked holding up the glass.
“Bit more like this” Ari said stepping closer so he was standing right behind you.
His arm reached around you, hand resting on top of your tilting your hand so you held the glass at a 45-degree angle. You glanced over your shoulder at him, smiling up at him.
“Then pull the tap all the way down” Ari instructed, you followed, the larger flowing into the glass.
“Okay so as it gets closer to the top tilt it back upright slowly” Ari instructed.
As you continued to pour the drink, Ari glanced over at Colin spotting him watching you. However when Colin saw Ari looking at him he quickly averted his gaze.
“There we go and if it needs more of a head then you just give the tap a small pushback like this” Ari demonstrated “And now you have the perfect pint” he smiled as he passed you the pint.
You smile up at him as you take a sip, nodding your head “Tastes good” you grinned licking the top of your lip.
“You’ll be running this place in no time” Ari smirked as he moved to lean against the back counter.
“Well I don’t know about that” you chuckled shaking your head as you moved to stand next to him.
“Yeah you’re a natural with the numbers and you can pour a good pint” Ari smirked taking the glass from you and taking a large sip.
“But you have the charm” you pointed out with a smirk, stealing the glass back from him.
Ari grinned as he looked down at you, Colin shifting in his seat at the end of the bar caught Ari’s eye, the beta cautiously watching you interact with Ari. The possessive feeling he felt earlier returned. So he moved his arm around you, leaning down to whisper in your ear.
“Don’t sell yourself short ‘mega” Ari whispered.
You threw your head back laughing, your hand landing on his chest as you smiled bashfully shaking your head.
“I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one Alpha,” you say with a small smirk “now I’ll be right back, just popping to the ladies,” you said patting his chest as you passed him your drink.
“I can’t promise this will still be full when you get back” Ari joked as he took another large sip.
You smiled over your shoulder at him, shrugging your shoulders “You deserve it” you smiled before heading out of the bar.
Ari grinned down at the floor as he took another sip of the pint. As he glanced back up he spotted Colin watching him again, but once their gazes met Colin quickly averted his and moved away from the bar back towards his band.
Ari finished the pint before moving to pour you a fresh one, as he did so he spotted Sammy and Jake walking past.
“Oi you two” Ari called grabbing their attention.
“What’s up?” Sammy asked turning to face him.
“I trusted you to look out for Y/N tonight, not leave her alone with strangers” Ari stated.
“She was fine, we left her with Colin,” Jake said pointing over his shoulder.
“I don’t care” Ari growled “Don’t do it again”
Sammy and Jake raised their brows at him before exchanging a glance with one another.
“Alright, not a problem boss” Jake nodded with a shit-eating grin.
A couple weeks later the bar was once again packed, but this time with Omegas. You were worried this idea wouldn’t work, that no omegas would want to come. But the place was full and business was booming.
You and Sammy were busy behind the bar serving, while Jake stood on the door making sure it was only Omegas let in. Ari remained in the office the entire night, ready to step in if an Alpha tried his luck.
During a quiet five minutes, you took your chance to head to the toilets. As you walked down the corridor you heard the sounds of an Omega giggling. You assumed it was someone giggling about how hot they found Jake since you’d heard a lot of that tonight.
But as you rounded the corner you froze for a moment when you saw Ari stood with the giggling Omega. You quickly hid, peeking around the corner to watch them. You watched as the Omega flirted with Ari, twirling her hair as she batted her eyelashes at him.
You expected little to no reaction from Ari but instead, you saw him smile back at her with the most charming smile you’ve seen. You instantly felt sick to your stomach as you watched, forcing yourself to look away.
You had no idea why you felt this way and you knew you shouldn’t. You weren’t bonded to Ari, you weren’t even dating. So despite the deep connection you felt with him, you couldn’t stop him from flirting with others.
Glancing back around the corner you watched as Ari flashed her another smile. He put his hand on her shoulder before turning away and walking back into the office. You waited in your spot for a couple more moments before making your way back behind the bar.
“Hey, you alright?” Sammy asked you when you returned.
“Yeah… fine” you said clearing your throat.
For the rest of the evening, your mind was stuck on what you witnessed. Your mind running over every possibility. Leaving you questioning everything, your friendship with Ari, your place in his life and home.
The next day you were sat at home, cup of tea in hand as you sat on the couch. Barely listening to the story Rachel was telling you.
“Hey you okay? If you’re tired from last night say and I’ll let you rest” Rachel asked grabbing your attention.
“Hm? Oh no I’m good i just-“ you started before sighing and shaking your head.
“Just what?” Rachel pushed gently.
You glanced up from your tea debating whether to ask her or not. Out of everyone she was the one besides Ari you trusted the most with the question you had.
“Do you think Ari wants me to move out?” You asked her.
Rachel choked slightly on her sip of tea “what on earth gave you that idea?” She asked.
You shrugged your shoulders slightly “I just saw him being quite um friendly” you said clearing your throat “With an omega last night and I just thought maybe he’d want to have his space back”
Rachel nodded slightly before moving to put her mug down on the coffee table.
“Do you want to move out?” She asked you.
Your mouth opened and shut as you tried to answer. Because no you didn’t want to move out, you loved living in this cabin with Ari, but you knew it wasn’t for forever. Eventually, you’d have to move out.
“I-I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter, if he likes this omega-“ you said before Rachel interrupted you by placing her hand on your arm.
“Then he won’t want you to move out,” Rachel told you gently.
“But-“ you started.
“But nothing, look Ari is a very charming Alpha and knows how to charm his way out of a situation, but here’s a little secret, I’ve always thought that it was just a bit of a bravado and if he really likes someone he gets nervous around them, so if you saw that charm… he didn’t like the omega,” Rachel told you.
You let out a sigh nodding your head slightly “But it’ll happen eventually though, he’ll find someone he likes and they won’t want me around” you said gesturing to the house.
“Maybe” Rachel admitted with a shrug of her shoulders “but don’t worry about that for now”
You nodded slightly, looking down at your tea, finger running over the rim as silence fell in the room.
“Can I ask you something? Woman to woman?” Rachel asked breaking the silence, you nodding your head “How did you feel when you saw Ari with that Omega?” Rachel asked you.
“I hated it” you admitted “I felt physically sick”
You saw Rachel smile slightly as she nodded her head “Do you like him? As in more than a friend?” She then asked you.
You let out a long sigh shaking your head “I don’t know” you admitted.
“Okay that’s fair, love is always a bit confusing to begin with” Rachel reassured you.
“I know there’s this connection, and moments when I know I’ve wanted to kiss him, and he makes me feel so safe and comfortable but…” you sighed shaking your head.
“It's scary to take the jump” Rachel finished for you.
“Ye,s” you sighed.
“I know how you feel and I know it must be even scarier considering this is your first time experiencing this sorta thing… but if you ask me, you couldn’t go for a better guy” Rachel said with a warm smile.
“Really?” You asked unconvinced.
“Really, and all you need is a moment of bravery, but don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with,” Rachel told you.
“Okay, thank you Rachel” you said with a small smile.
“It’s nothing, now I’ll let you get some rest you had a late night last night” Rachel said standing up.
You gave her a grateful smile “thank you Rachel for everything”
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Series Masterlist / Masterlist
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Run Free - Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!Reader (Part 3: It's Nice To Have A Friend)
Summary: As an Omega you knew your place in the world, however when the opportunity arrives to escape you take it... only to find yourself face to face with another Alpha
Word Count: 3.6k
Warnings: Light Angst! Fluff! Talk of Captive Situation!
Dividers by @firefly-graphics
Series Masterlist / Masterlist
Chapter 3: It's Nice To Have A Friend
For the first couple of days, you stayed with Ari he decided it was best to stay home and make sure you were okay. Rachel was more than happy to cover the bar, Max even offered to help out too. All the work Ari needed to do himself he could do from home anyway.
Every day he would help clean your wounds and redo the bandages around your wrists and ankles. When he first did it he could see how anxious you were, flinching whenever his fingers touched your skin. But the more he did it the more relaxed you seemed
He could tell you were still nervous around him though. So for a large portion of the day, he just let you get on with whatever you wanted to do. Making sure not to crowd you and to give you your own space.
The first couple of days you barely left your room. Occasionally he’d check in on you, offer you food or something. Usually finding you reading a book or curled up napping. You did start to spend some more time outside of your room.
Once, when Ari went downstairs to grab himself a coffee to help him through the paperwork he had to do. He found you reclined on the couch reading, you’d even given him a warm smile when you looked up. When Ari returned to his office he found it really hard to focus, not because paperwork was dull but because he was so happy to see you smiling.
It was about a week into your stay that Ari left the cabin for the first time. He was running low on groceries, he was already pretty low before you came along but now he had two mouths to feed.
He let you know exactly where he was going and when he’d be back, double and triple checking that you were okay alone. Asking if you wanted to come with him. You politely turned him down saying you would be fine.
He chose to believe you, despite the niggling voice in his head that said you were lying. He could sense you were a little uneasy but hoped you be okay once you realised there was nothing to worry about.
He wasn’t expecting to open the door and instantly be hit with the feeling of anxiety and fear. It made him stop dead in his tracks. In all his life he’d never been able to sense an Omega’s feelings so strongly. He glanced around the living room not spotting you anywhere.
He quickly dropped the groceries in the kitchen before rushing up the stairs, taking two at a time. The feeling of your fear and anxiety grew stronger as he approached your room. Peaking when he knocked on your door.
“Y/N, it's me, Ari, you okay?” He asks poking his head in.
He spotted you sitting on the bed knees brought up to your chest. When your eyes met his he could see a flash of fear before suddenly they calmed. The feeling of relief crashed over Ari as you suddenly calmed down.
“Hey is everything okay?” Ari asked walking into the room, sitting down at the end of your bed.
“Yeah sorry, just-“ you said, shaking your head and taking a shaky breath.
Ari could feel the embarrassment rolling off you in waves “It's okay you don’t need to explain, I’m sorry I was gone so long” Ari apologised realising your biology was taking over, he knew omegas felt uneasy whenever an Alpha wasn’t around.
“No, I’m just tired I think, I’ve never slept well” you admitted, dismissing Ari’s suggestion that it was his absence to blame, even if you knew that was the case.
“Have you not slept well since being here?” He asked furrowing his brows slightly.
He had seen you napping often, but had always put it down to you being comfortable. Not that you weren’t sleeping at night.
“No, but I never have, maybe I did before but I can’t remember” you admitted shrugging your shoulders.
Ari furrowed his brows glancing down at your bed. It was the same as his, it was perfectly comfortable for him. He hoped it was just where you were getting used to it.
“Okay, I’m just gonna go put the groceries away, Do you need anything?” Ari asked as he stood up.
“Um no I’m good thanks” you said with a small smile.
You watched as he left the room. Letting out a deep sigh trying your best to get your emotions in check. You hated how freaked out you’d gotten with Ari gone. You moved your knees from the chest, revealing Ari’s shirt that he’d given you on that first day. No matter how much you wanted to give it back, you couldn’t bring yourself to. The scent of it calmed you down.
The next day Sammy came over to the cabin to check on how well your recovery was going. The three of you sat in the kitchen while he examined your burns giving a hum of approval.
“They’re looking good, clearly keeping on top of it” Sammy said glancing over at Ari.
“How’s everything else? Are you feeling physically stronger” Sammy asked you.
“A little bit yeah” you said nodding your head gently.
“That’s good, it’s not going to be a quick fix so don’t be worried about slow progress” Sammy reassured you.
“Have you been taking the vitamins? And getting enough sleep” Sammy then asked, Ari’s interest peaking wondering what you’d say.
“Yeah I take them every morning,” you said dodging the sleeping question.
“But she hasn’t been sleeping well” Ari added looking over at you as you dropped your gaze.
“Well, I’m sure it’ll take you a while to get used to it, rebuild your nest the way you want it” Sam offered glancing between you and Ari.
“Nest?” You questioned.
At that moment Ari realised exactly what the issue was. His guest bed, like his own, was built for purpose not comfort. There was nothing there except what was necessary. Of course, you’d feel unsettled without a proper nest, especially as an unbonded Omega.
The next thing that hit him was the fact you didn’t know what a nest was. Both he and Sammy exchanged a confused look.
“Do you not know what a nest is?” Ari asked you.
You shook your head, and they both looked at you as if they didn’t believe you. As if it was common knowledge.
“Have you never built one before, you know on your bed with blankets and cushions?” Sammy asked.
“No, they never gave me any of that, I slept mostly on the floor, or a thin mattress,” you told them nervously tugging at your sleeves.
“What about before?” Ari asked.
You shook your head once more “They took me really young” you admitted quietly.
Ari sighed as he glanced over at Sam. You hadn’t told them exactly what you’d been through. But as you revealed more snippets of information Ari was starting to think you had been held captive by a human trafficking ring. Something he unfortunately had a lot of knowledge about.
“Okay well, what we can do is the three of us go down to the store and you can pick out some things you like?” Sam suggested.
“You’ll be perfectly safe, you’ll have me and Sammy watching your back” Ari reassured you.
“Do you think it will really help?” You asked them uncertain.
“Yes, I really do” Sammy told you nodding his head.
“Okay, let’s go” you agreed nodding your head slightly.
“Great, let's go then” Ari smiled.
As Ari drove you and Sammy into town you stared out of the window of the car. Taking all the sights in. The last time you were far too nervous to appreciate all of it.
Once you got to the store, Ari and Sam led you through the store to the area with the pillows and cushions. Ari came to a stop and you glanced up at him unsure what to do. Far too used to just following his lead already.
“Go ahead, go pick whatever you want” Ari said gesturing for you to carry on.
You took a few hesitant steps away from Ari and Sam. Ari watched as you started looking through everything. Your fingers reached out to touch a blanket and a smile grew on your face.
“You like that one?” Sammy asked you.
“Yeah, it's so soft,” you said unable to pull your hand away.
“Well into the cart it goes” Ari smiled grabbing it and putting it in the cart.
Ari continued to watch while you searched for stuff you liked. Grabbing another blanket and a few cushions. Ari could see you were trying to hold yourself back, but he kept reassuring you to get whatever you wanted.
Once you had selected everything and Ari paid he drove you back to the cabin. When you arrived back to the cabin Ari and Sammy helped carry everything to your room before leaving you to sort it all.
“Fancy a drink?” Ari asked Sammy as they walked down the stairs.
“Yeah sure” Sammy agreed.
“So how do you think she is?” Sam asked as Ari passed him a beer.
“I dunno, she doesn’t talk about what happened and I’m only getting snippets here and there, I think she’s trying not to seem weak” Ari sighed shrugging his shoulders.
“What do you think happened to her?” Sammy asked furrowing his brows.
“It sounds like she was held captive, by who I don’t know, worst case is traffickers,” Ari said earning a low growl from Sammy.
“Fucking hate traffickers” he growled.
“You could say that again” Ari scoffed taking a deep pull of his beer “One thing I’ve noticed though is how strong she projects her emotions, I’ve never encountered an Omega like her”
Sam raised a brow and smirked slightly “Some people say you’re able to pick up on emotions better if it's a true bond” he suggests.
Ari shook his head “It's not that” he’d heard of true bonds, a kind of bond between two people that existed before even the bonding ritual occurred, where the two souls could communicate their feelings without that bridge, but they were extremely rare.
While he definitely loved seeing you get better and you smile. Your presence also seemed to calm him down too. He couldn’t dare entertain the idea of anything beyond helping you get better. You had serious trust issues around alphas and he wanted to fix that, not make it worse.
“Well then, it has been a while since you’ve been in close contact around omegas a good couple of years at least, maybe you’re just not used to it” Sammy offered.
“Yeah that’s probably it” Ari sighed, even if he didn’t truly believe it.
“Yeah” Ari sighed before remembering the other day “Well actually, she seems really nervous to be left alone, I can’t stay here all the time but I don’t know what to do”
“Well, maybe we can start introducing her to everyone, properly. Then they can come keep her company and help her relax until she’s okay to be alone” Sammy suggested.
“That could work, you sure you’ll be okay with that?” Ari asked.
“Yeah they’ve all been asking after her anyway, I’m sure they’ll love to help,” Sam said nodding his head.
“Well that’s nice to hear, thanks Sammy” Ari agreed.
Ari and Sam continued to chat for another couple of hours. Sam caught Ari up with everything to do with the bar. It was when Sammy left that Ari went upstairs to check on you since you hadn’t reappeared since coming home.
When he poked his head into your room he expected to see you still organising everything. However, he found you fast asleep curled up under blankets and around your new cushions.
The thing that caught his eye though was the item you held close to your chest as you slept. It was the shirt he’d given you on the first day. Ari smiled to himself, his chest filling with pride seeing that something you were seeking comfort from something that was his.
He shut the door behind him quietly before making his way back downstairs. Careful not to let the stairs creak too much. Smiling the entire way, relieved to have helped you even if just a little bit.
Ari and Sammy set their plan in motion. They decided to first introduce you to Jake. It was an easy choice, you were already relatively comfortable with Ari and Sam. Jake being a Beta meant you wouldn’t be as nervous around him, that and he was one of the friendliest out of the group.
To begin with, you didn’t say much, just listened in to their conversation. Chuckling occasionally along with them. Ari wasn’t too concerned that you weren’t talking, if his theory about you being the victim of trafficking was correct you probably weren’t used to this sort of situation.
However, Ari did love how you would smile and listen intently. Asking questions as you got braver. He would be lying however if he said he didn’t enjoy you seeking comfort and reassurance from him. You would glance over at him occasionally and naturally shift closer to him on the couch.
The next person they introduced you to was Rachel. Despite her being an Alpha you were more relaxed around her. You recognised her scent from the clothes you had been borrowing from her.
“You look great by the way” Rachel smiled nodding at you.
You gave her a bashful smile “Thank you, for the clothes too” You thanked her.
“It’s nothing really, I’m more than happy to help, and look if you want maybe we can go shopping and get you some more” Rachel offered.
You instinctively looked over at Ari who furrowed his brows for a split second before realising you were asking for his permission. He smiled nodding his head gently.
“I think that’s a great idea, it’s completely up to you though” Ari told you, letting you know it was completely your choice.
“Yeah that would be nice thank you,” you said looking back over at Rachel and nodding.
Rachel, Jake and Sammy all visited throughout the week. Once they felt you were comfortable Ari started leaving the house. First for just half an hour then for longer. One day he was able to spend hours at the bar, coming back to the cabin to hear you laughing with Rachel.
The last person they introduced you to was Max. Out of all of them, he was the most intimidating so he arrived while the rest were also visiting. When he arrived you stepped closer to Aria and glanced up at him nervously, Ari put his hand on your back and whispered in your ear “He looks worse than he is I promise.”
You nodded and looked back over at Max before taking a step forward and holding out your hand to him. Max raised a brow glancing over at Ari who was equally surprised at how brave you were.
“Nice to meet you,” you said as you shook Max’s hand.
“Nice to meet you too, Sammy told me a lot of things about you,” Max said.
“Only good things” Sammy corrected as you glanced over at him.
“You guys all seem close, are you like a pack?” You asked as you sat back down.
In the modern world packs outside of families were rare. The world was more fluid, people were able to move between groups. The was little need to restrict yourself to one group for your whole life.
“Kinda I guess, we’re all lone wolves in one way or another but we’re also like a family, no one is really in charge” Ari explained making the group scoff and laugh.
“As if! It’s your way or the highway!” Sammy exclaimed.
The group of friends all chatted and laughed as they exchanged stories from their past. Whenever Ari glanced over at you he could see you smiling and laughing along.
“You terrified the poor people!” Rachel laughed shaking her head at Max.
“They shouldn’t have snuck up on me, tensions were high in Sudan had to be on guard” Max said shrugging his shoulders.
“Why were you in Sudan?” You asked them.
“We um, were out there helping refugees, humanitarian mission” Ari explained leaning forward.
“Yeah we all travelled together around the world, helping those who couldn’t help themselves, sometimes getting them out of dangerous situations to somewhere safer” Sammy continued.
“So you’ve helped people like me before?” You asked hesitantly.
“Maybe not your exact situation but yes, we’ve helped people like you before” Ari confirmed.
You nodded your head slowly sitting back and looking down. The group exchanged a look at each other, noting how you had suddenly gone in on yourself. Jake moved the conversation along turning to more cheerful topics but you remained silent the rest of the afternoon.
Your mind was raced. In some sense you were relieved. Knowing they helped people like you meant you were definitely safe around them. But you couldn’t help but feel uneasy, like all your secrets had been revealed, making you feel sick to your stomach. Had they known all this time?
As the evening drew in everyone started to leave. Rachel coming over to you with a smile.
“You still okay to go shopping in a couple of days?” She asked you.
You nodded running your hands up your arms and hugging yourself slightly.
“Great I’ll see you then, night Ari,” Rachel said looking over at Ari with a small smile.
“Thanks, Rachel” Ari smiled saying goodnight as he closed the door.
As he turned back around he spotted you in the kitchen grabbing yourself a glass of water. He walked over stopping at the threshold not wanting to crowd you.
“Hey I’m sorry if we made you feel uncomfortable earlier talking about helping people like you” Ari told you.
“It’s okay,” you said quietly.
“No it’s not, the last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, I just wanted to let you know that you’re safe with us, that we just want to help” Ari explained taking a couple of steps towards you.
“I know I just-“ you sighed shaking your head and looking down at the floor.
When you glanced back up you could see Ari’s kind eyes only looking back at you with concern. You remembered how he was able to calm your nerves with just a touch of his hand on your back. You glanced at his large arms and started to wonder how you’d feel wrapped within them.
You gave in to the pulling sensation you felt and surged forward to wrap your arms around his waist. Ari jumped slightly not expecting you to want to be this close to him. Once he got over his surprise he wrapped his arms around you and rubbed your back soothingly. He felt you completely relax for the first time ever.
“Thank you” you whispered, your head buried in his chest.
“It’s nothing really” Ari said dipping his head to rest on top of you, breathing in your scent feeling instantly relaxed.
“Can I ask you something?” You asked when you pulled out of the hug.
“Of course, you can ask me anything” Ari told you nodding his head.
“Any of the people you helped, were they trafficked?” You asked hesitantly.
“I don’t know, many didn’t talk about it, but we were aware of it and we helped people avoid it” Ari admitted.
You nodded your head in understanding “That’s what happened to me, I was given to them, they moved me around I was going to be sold when I escaped” you told him glancing down at the floor.
Ari put his hands on your arms bending slightly to get you to look at him.
“Hey it's okay, you’re safe now nobody can hurt you anymore, and you don’t need to tell me everything” Ari told you.
“Thank you, I’m so glad it was you who found me” you told him smiling slightly up at him.
“Me too, weird twist of fate, I was only outside because I lost a bet” Ari admitted with a small chuckle.
“A bet?” You questioned tilting your head in a way that made Ari smile.
“Yeah I lost a game of pool to Jake and had to take the garbage out to the smelliest dumpster in the world” Ari explained making you laugh.
“Yeah it did smell terrible, and I’ve smelt some pretty terrible things” you laughed.
Ari smiled down at you warmly making you tilt your head again wondering why he was smiling at you like that.
“What?” You asked him.
“Nothing you just have a really nice smile and it’s so nice to hear you laughing” Ari told you smiling.
You look down bashfully “Thank you” you smiled.
“It’s nothing, it’s been a long day so why don’t you head up to bed?” Ari suggested noticing how tired you seem.
“Yes of course, thank you for today and for introducing me to your friends” You smiled nodding your head.
“No problem, they were all excited to meet you” Ari smiled.
“Night Ari” you smiled heading towards the stairs.
“Night Y/N, sleep well” he called after you.
Once you were gone he smiled to himself. He hadn’t realised how much he wanted to feel you in his arms. He had to resist his urge to follow you up the stairs. He needed to let you go at your pace, even if he was only just starting to realise how much he wanted you.
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Series Masterlist / Masterlist
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Run Free - Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!Reader (Part 4: Red)
Summary: You begin to open up more to Ari but when you want him the most he has to stay away for your safety
Word Count: 4.8k
Warnings: Angst! Fluff! Talk of Captive Situation! A/B/O dynamics!
Dividers by @firefly-graphics
Series Masterlist / Masterlist
Chapter 4: Red
Like promised Rachel took you into town to find some clothes of your own. You had to admit that initially, you were nervous, you felt somewhat exposed. You found yourself looking over your shoulder hoping you wouldn’t spot one of your old captors looking for you.
One thing you didn’t expect was the amount of omegas that were all just out. They all seemed completely at ease, they didn’t shy away or hide. It helped you relax more, especially knowing you had Rachel watching your back.
Rachel made sure to take everything at your pace. Helping you find stuff you liked, suggesting things for you. You went from shop to shop picking up a few items here and there.
You were currently in one of the changing rooms trying on some of the clothes Rachel had helped you pick out. You were trying on a white cami but when you caught sight of the scars on your back you quickly grabbed a sweater and slid it on to hide them.
“Hey, how’s everything?” Rachel asked knocking on the door.
“Um good I think,” you said running your hands down the cashmere sweater.
“Can I come in and have a look?” She asked gently.
“Uh yeah sure,” you said, quickly unlocking the door and allowing her to slip inside.
“Oh that looks great on you” Rachel smiled making you smile bashfully.
“Thank you, it's so soft” You couldn’t stop yourself from stroking the soft fabric, finding the sensation comforting.
“What did you think of the rest? and the cami?” Rachel asked looking through the pile of clothes.
“They’re good, I didn’t like the cami though” you admitted with a small shrug of your shoulders.
“Are you wearing it now?” She asked you pointing and you quickly nodded.
“Great, I’ve got a shirt you can try on over the top” Rachel said holding out a light blue and white plaid shirt.
You nodded making sure you were facing her as you took off the jumper so you could hide your scars. However, you had forgotten about the mirror behind you. A mistake you clearly realised when you noticed Rachel’s eyes flicker to a spot behind you.
You quickly turned so your back was pressed against the wall. Holding the sweater close to your chest. Eyes trained on the floor as you closed in on yourself.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to” Rachel apologised quickly catching you off guard as she took a step back giving you more space.
“Please don’t tell Ari,” you asked quietly not raising your eyes from the floor.
“Lips are sealed, I’ll let you finish and then why don’t we go see the guys at the bar?” She suggested making you glance up slightly.
“Yeah sounds good” you agreed quietly.
Rachel gave you a reassuring smile before slipping out of the changing room. You locked the door behind her before taking a deep shaky breath and hugging yourself tightly. You tried to calm yourself down but you couldn’t.
You started getting dressed back into your own clothes when you got a whiff of Ari’s scent. Pulling the long-sleeved top up to your nose you realise his scent was imbedded in your clothes. It was barely there, but you could smell it. You felt yourself finally begin to calm down.
“Okay?” Rachel asked as you stepped out.
“Good” you nodded making her smile.
“Great, let's get this paid for and we’ll head to the bar” Rachel smiled taking the clothes from you.
This was the first time you had actually stepped foot in the bar since Ari found you. It wasn’t too busy, a few small groups sat at tables. You spotted the guys all sat at the bar. You then caught sight of Ari stood behind the bar chuckling as he polished a pint glass.
His eyes met yours and his smile grew when he saw you walking over. When he first spotted you he could sense the lingering nerves on you but they almost instantly melted away.
“Well hello ladies, did you enjoy your shopping trip,” Jake asked turning round to face you.
“Yes very successful” Rachel smiled sitting down on a free stool.
“Here, follow me you can put the bags in the back office” Ari smiled stepping out from behind the bar and grabbing some of the bags.
You followed Ari with the rest of the bags to the back office. When you placed them down you started glancing around looking at all the things Ari had. The bottle of scotch on the side, the pictures of him and his friends. The large pile of paperwork spread out on his desk.
“Did you have a good time, you seemed a little nervous when you got here” Ari asked turning to you.
“Yeah was just a little overwhelming but I’m good I promise,” you told him not wanting to tell him the truth.
“Okay, good I’m glad you had a good time now let me get you a drink” Ari smiled holding out his hand.
You smiled, took his hand and let him lead you back out to the bar. You sat down at the bar beside Rachel, Ari then placed a beer bottle down in front of you.
“It’s non-alcoholic, thought you might want to ease yourself in” Ari smiled leaning against the bar.
You raised the bottle to your lips taking a small sip before nodding your head “Not bad” you said.
“I’ll take that” Ari chuckled pushing up from the bar.
Ari got back to work serving customers and cleaning behind the bar. He kept looking over at you smiling when he saw you freely chatting and laughing with his friends. You were completely different to the version of you he found behind the dumpster. He smiled to himself his chest filling with pride that he had been able to help you.
His fortune seemed to be changing too, this was the busiest the bar had been in weeks. It seemed to be getting busier too, with more groups walking in. When a group of male alphas walked in Ari glanced at you to make sure you were okay but you seemed unaffected.
Jake was telling you a story when you got distracted and glanced out over the bar. You spotted an omega approaching one of the alphas that had arrived a short while ago. You watched surprised that she so willingly went over to him and started talking to him. Maybe alphas weren’t as dangerous as you thought. The illusion was shattered when the alpha then growled at the omega turning aggressive.
“Get the fuck out of here omega” he commanded.
Your blood ran cold as fear ran through your body. Your body acted of its own accord, unable to disobey an alpha command even if it wasn’t aimed at you. You darted out of the bar heading to the back office the only safe space you could think of. Ari shouted and growled as you left.
Ari had his back turned to the bar but turned when he heard the commotion behind him. He turned back around just to see you running away towards the office, your fear filling his senses. His sights focused on where he heard the growling from spotting another omega fleeing out the door from an alpha.
“Hey!” Ari shouted glaring over at the alpha.
“What?” The alpha huffed taking a sip of his drink.
“Get out, I don’t tolerate aggression like that” Ari warned nodding to the door.
The alpha scoffed turning his back to Ari ignoring his demand.
“I told you to get out” Ari growled moving out from behind the bar.
He had no clue exactly what this alpha had done, but he’d scared you. Ari’s protectiveness over you boiling over.
“No. You don’t want whiny bitches like that in here, I was doing you a favour” the alpha argued over his shoulders.
Ari grabbed the guy by the collar pulling him off his chair and dragging him out the door. He throws the alpha to the ground harshly.
“I don’t want assholes like you” Ari growled before heading back inside.
“Max. Make sure he leaves” Ari ordered as he walked back over to the bar.
“Already on it,” Max said getting up and walking towards the front door, Jake following closely behind.
“Rachel watch the bar for me” Ari told her before heading out the back to the office.
As he approached he could smell the fear rolling off you in waves. He stepped inside the office he spotted you in the furthest corner curled up in a ball. He carefully approached making sure to give you enough space and bending down to be at your level.
“Hey it’s okay, it's only me, you’re safe” Ari said gently.
You glanced up your body shaking as you nervously met his gaze. Ari gave you a small reassuring smile before shuffling slightly closer and sitting down.
“I’m sorry” you whispered looking down.
“You have nothing to apologise for, I sent that guy packing,” Ari told you making you look back up at him surprised.
“Really?” You asked.
“Yeah, I don’t want people like that in my bar, and he scared you and I couldn’t have that” Ari reassured you.
You shook your head slightly “he didn’t scare me, well he did but not really, it was the alpha command that made me run” you explained picking nervously at your sleeves.
“He commanded you?” Ari asked furrowing his brows.
“No not me, but-“ you sighed pulling your knees closer to your chest.
Ari remained silent waiting for when you were ready to tell him whatever it was. Ari watched as you took a shuddering breath looking up at the ceiling and closing your eyes. You were internally debating whether to tell him the truth or not, the reason why you reacted like you did.
When you opened your eyes and looked back over at Ari you could see him patiently waiting. You could see the hint of concern but also that he was masking his emotions. Not allowing himself to push you into anything, despite how he felt. You remembered how kind and caring Ari had been since taking you in, making you feel safe.
“While I was… you know… they um would use alpha commands to make us submit and so they could do whatever they wanted to us” you told him.
Ari felt physically sick when he realised exactly what you meant “they raped you?” He asked hoping he was wrong.
You nodded sadly “It was how they made their money, for the first couple years I was just a prisoner they told me it was to keep me safe, but once I turned 18 it started, once you’re older and you make them less money they sell you, I heard alpha commands so much I didn’t need my biology to tell me to follow” you explained.
Ari sighed shaking his head sadly “shit, I’m so sorry you had to live through that, and I promise I will never ever use an alpha command on or near you, I don’t like them anyway it’s not right for someone to be able to take away someone’s choice because of biology” Ari told you, he wanted to reach out to reassure you but stopped himself.
You sighed slightly your eyes falling to his hand which was on the floor between you. His words alone had calmed you but you wanted, needed more. So you shuffled towards him moving into his side and resting your head on his shoulder. Ari stiffened slightly shocked at your willingness to get closer before relaxing.
“Thank you Ari, I’ve never met an alpha as kind or as sweet as you” you admitted as his arm moved around you.
“It’s nothing, just doing what’s right,” Ari told you quietly.
He pressed a gentle, barely there kiss to the top of your head. Breathed in your calming lavender and wildflower scent. He felt all his anger towards the alpha and your captors leave him, completely relaxing with you in his arms.
“If you want I can get one of the guys to take you home” Ari offered after a couple of minutes.
“No I’m good, I’d um- I’d rather stay here with you” you admitted making Ari smile, his chest puffed out with pride
“Okay, no problem, maybe I can teach you how to play pool” Ari suggested.
“I’d like that” you smiled.
When you woke up you instantly didn’t feel well. Your head hurt and your stomach was churning. You trudged your way down the hall to the bathroom hoping a shower would make you feel better. It didn’t.
You didn’t want anything to eat but made your way downstairs to grab a glass of water. As you walked into the kitchen you found Ari leaning against the counter drinking a cup of coffee.
“Morning, sleep well?” He smiled when he saw you.
“Yeah,” you said as you fill a glass with water.
“Fancy coming to the bar again today?” Ari asked.
“No I’ve got a bit of a headache so I think I’m just gonna just relax today” you told him making him furrow his brows.
“Oh, well there’s painkillers in the bathroom cabinet if you need some” Ari smiled finishing his coffee and putting the mug in the sink.
“Thank you, have a nice day at work” you smiled watching as he shrugged on a jacket and headed out.
Once he was gone you made your way upstairs as you started to feel more unwell. Your stomach cramping feeling like you were being stabbed. You felt yourself grow extremely hot and feverish. You grabbed the painkillers hoping that the pain would soon subside, having no idea what was happening to your body.
Hours later Ari was making his way home from the bar. Sammy had joined him wanting to see how you were getting on. As soon as he opened the front door he almost recoiled at the scent of you exploding in his senses. He then realised that what he could smell was your pain and fear.
“Y/N!” Ari shouted running inside and up the stairs.
“Ari wait!” Sammy shouted after him.
Ari burst into your room to see you drenched in sweat and curled up in a ball. Your face was contorted in pain all your muscles visibly tensed. The next thing Ari noticed was the smell of your arousal, making his mouth go dry.
“Ari please help” you cried out, your voice wobbled.
Ari instinctively went to step inside but Sammy physically tackled him to the floor. Ari growled at his best friend trying to push him off. The two men tussled on the ground, deep growls rolling off the both of them. Ari knew he had the strength but Sammy had the upper hand and was quicker at dodging Ari’s attempts to push him off.
The fighting only stopped momentarily when Sammy landed a hard punch to Ari’s cheek. Ari looked up at his best friend in momentary shock before shoving him harshly back, Sammy landing on his back with a loud thud.
“What the fuck Sam! She needs me!” Ari growled finally pushing himself to his feet.
“She’s in heat Ari, probably a breakout one going by the intensity” Sammy said holding his arms out to keep Ari back.
“She wants my help!” Ari shouted hearing you whine desperately.
“No, it's all biology! She doesn’t know what she wants not really!” Sammy told him trying to calm the angry alpha.
“She’s terrified!” Ari growled glaring at Sammy not believing that he was stopping him from helping you.
“And we want her to feel safe, she’s not gonna feel safe if you send yourself into a rut!” Sammy said raising his voice to get his point across.
Ari stopped for a moment his logical side winning out as Sammy’s words sunk in. Ari desperately wanted to help you but Sammy was right if he didn’t get out he would become a danger to you.
“I’ll look after her, as a beta her heat doesn’t affect me, but you should go stay at the bar” Sammy told him sensing that Ari was calming down.
“I don’t know” Ari sighed shaking his head and fighting the urge to be there with you.
“Stay in the woods, you’ll be close enough to keep an eye on everything but far enough away so you don’t go into a rut” Sammy suggested.
Ari nods his head pushing past Sammy, resisting every instinct to go to you. He paused at your door feeling the pull towards you but fought against it running down the stairs. He pushed out onto the back porch pulling off his jacket.
He shifted into his wolf self, his clothes melting away as deep brown fur replaced it. He ran off of the back porch and towards the woods. Once he was far enough he turned to look back at his cabin. At the window to your bedroom. He could see Sammy stood at the window watching him go. He threw his head back letting out a loud howl, letting you know he was there even if you couldn’t see him.
“Sammy! Sammy! Where’s Ari?” You cried out when you saw Sammy walk in.
“He’s had to go, but you’ll be okay, I’ll be here,” Sammy said holding the back of his hand to your forehead.
“I’m scared, what’s happening to me?” You whimpered as another cramp hit you.
“It's your heat, have you not had one before?” Sammy asked and all you could do was shake your head.
“Okay, it’s okay it will pass just get as comfortable as you can” Sammy sighed shaking his head.
“Is there nothing else” you begged desperate for the pain to stop.
Sammy moved over to your window looking out before turning back towards you “No sorry we just have to wait it out” Sammy sighed.
You then heard a loud howl from outside, you’d never heard it before but you knew it was Ari. You let out a small whine wanting him desperately.
Every day was torture for Ari to stay away from the cabin. He had to fight every instinct and urge to be with you. He felt like he was failing you, abandoning you when you needed him. Even if he knew that he was doing the right thing.
That didn’t stop him from visiting the cabin every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Howling so that you knew he was there.
It had only been a couple of days when Ari tested how close he could get. Going as close as curling up at the bottom of the steps of the back porch.
“Ari” he heard Sammy sigh.
Ari lifted his head to inspect Sammy. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up a cold rag in his hands.
“She’s fine, but you’re too close,” Sammy told him.
Ari let out a huff of annoyance but stood. He stretched out his back before kicking out his hind legs, sending clumps of mud in Sammy’s direction.
“Very mature, now go, and no closer than the maple tree” Sammy said brushing off his shirt before pointing to the tree in question.
Ari lets out a low growl snarling at Sammy but moves over to the maple tree settling down underneath it. He watched as Sammy walked back inside the cabin. Ari rested his head down on his front paws, his ears flicking to any sound. Making sure you were safe.
When he decided to test the boundaries again later on in the week he was met by Jake patrolling outside the cabin. The thinner wolf with light brown and grey mottled fur gave him a warning growl when he approached.
The both of them knew that Ari could easily overpower him and get inside if he really wanted to. Ari watched as Jake stood his ground, hackles raising. Ari glanced up at your window only to hear Jake snarl in response. Ari huffed before glancing back at Jake and turning back towards the woods. Jake tilted his head in surprise that the alpha gave in so easily.
For the first time in days, you woke and wasn’t in blinding pain. You sat up and a chill ran through your body. You grabbed Ari’s shirt and slipped it on, hugging it tight to your body. Ari’s scent filled your nostrils and calmed you down.
“Hey, how you feeling?” Sammy asked as he walked in with a bowl of water and a cloth.
“Tired, but much better,” you said pulling the blanket over your lap.
“Any cramps?” Sammy asked holding the back of his hand to your forehead.
“No, they’ve gone,” you said shaking your head.
“The fever has gone too as well as other heat symptoms” Sammy nodded stepping back “are you hungry?”
“Starving, where’s Ari?” You asked.
“Not far, I’ll let him know you’re better, and we’ll talk once he’s back” Sammy reassured you “in the meantime go freshen up and I’ll see what Ari passes for food in his kitchen” Sammy smirked making your snort with laughter.
“Thanks Sammy” you smiled thankfully.
Ari was fast asleep under a pine tree when he was woken up by pine needles being kicked in his face. He woke with a start to see Jake still in wolf form wagging his tail playfully. Ari pushed himself up raising his nose in the direction of the cabin.
Jake nudged him forward and Ari sprinted off towards the house. He could hear Jake following close behind and was half expecting Jake to stop him. Once he reached the back porch he stopped and looked back over at Jake who was stood a few meters away wagging his tail.
Ari shifted back into his human form, picking out a few stray pine needles stuck in his hair.
“Thanks Jake,” Ari said watching Jake wag his tail before running off towards town.
Ari turned and opened the back door and instantly heard the sound of you laughing. Stepping inside Ari almost immediately spotted you sitting at the kitchen table eating. Once your eyes met his your smile grew and all Ari could smell was your lavender scent.
Seeing Ari again instantly made you feel more at ease. Your eyes roamed over his body not realising how much you’d missed him. You couldn’t help but smile when you saw the rogue pine needles in his hair. You also noticed the faded bruise on his cheekbone, your eyes flicker to Sammy wondering if he’d hurt the Alpha.
“What are you two laughing at?” Ari smiles moving to sit down at the table.
“Just how you almost burnt your place down making toast” Sammy smirks making Ari rolls his eyes.
“It got stuck in there! I couldn’t get it out and it just continued to burn” Ari says defending himself.
You snorted with laughter as you smiled warmly over at Ari, a sight that made Ari’s heart swell. If he could he’d jump over the table and kiss you senseless, he didn’t realise how much he’d missed you until he saw you smiling again.
“How are you?” Ari asked you.
“I’m good much better” you said with a small smile.
“Do you know much about heats?” Sammy asked you gently.
You shook your head “Nothing, my parents never told me and…” you said trailing off.
“That’s okay, all it is is your body’s natural cycle, it causes cramps and fever-like symptoms, it’s also when you’re most fertile and your body subconsciously lets others know particularly Alphas,” Sammy said glancing over at Ari.
“Oh,” you muttered nervously looking over at Ari.
“It's why Ari had to go, because it triggers Alpha ruts, biology and instincts would have taken over and neither of you would have been in complete control” Sammy explained and you looked over at him in confusion.
“What do you mean?” You asked.
Sammy and Ari exchanged a glance before Sammy cleared his throat “Well… since it is when an omega is most fertile the internal biology drives you and surrounding alphas to mate, so much so that mating actually causes the negative symptoms of heat to end” Sammy explained.
A wave of realisation rushes over your features and you shift slightly in your chair appearing uncomfortable.
“In this day and age there are suppressants you can take, I’m guessing that they hid them in your food, they stop the cycle and prevent heats” Ari explained sitting back noticing your sudden nervousness.
“I can give you some so you don’t have to worry about heats anymore,” Sammy told you.
“That would be great thank you,” you said quietly.
An awkward silence falls in the room before you excuse yourself saying you were tired and wanted to rest. Ari watched you go, sighing sadly seeing you hide away again. You had made so much progress he’d hate for all that to be undone.
“It’s just a lot for her to take in, she probably just needs time to process it all” Sammy reassured him.
“I hope so” Ari sighed running his hand over his beard.
“I’m surprised she didn’t know about them though” Sammy admitted shrugging his shoulders.
“She was taken when she was 16 so she might not have even had one, it seems like her parents weren’t the best either,” Ari told him quietly.
“Shit” Sammy muttered shaking his head.
“She’ll be fine though right?” Ari asks hesitantly.
“Yeah, it was more intense since it was a break-out one, but her body was probably waiting until it was strong enough so it means she’s on the right track,” Sammy said standing up “I better go I’ll drop round the suppressants tomorrow”
“Thanks Sammy, for looking after her and out for the both of us, I dread to think what would have happened if you weren’t here” Ari sighed shaking Sammy's hand.
“Well I’d like to think your logical brain would have kicked in to stop you from doing anything stupid” Sammy smirked before heading out.
Ari wasn’t expecting to see you for the rest of the evening. All he wanted was to make sure you were okay, but he knew you needed space and after finding out everything, you might not even want to be around him anymore.
To calm his nerves he pulled out his bottle of scotch. Pouring himself a healthy measure he settled down on the couch. He took a large sip before slumping down and resting his foot on the coffee table.
“Hey” you said quietly startling him.
He quickly looked over his shoulder to see you stood there. You were wearing the shirt he’d given you, pulling nervously on the sleeves.
“Hey, you okay?” Ari asked sitting up as you move around the back of the couch to sit down.
“I’m good, it was just a lot” you sighed crossing your legs.
“I’m sorry, but I promise you’re completely safe here, I would never have let anything happen to you” Ari promised.
“I know,” you said giving him a small smile.
“And I hope you didn’t think I abandoning you, trust me I wanted to be there to help you, but I knew I needed to keep you safe, I did wish I was a beta though,” Ari told you.
“No, you’ve allowed me to trust alphas again, shown me that you aren’t all monsters” You said moving closer to him, looking at him directly in the eye.
It was true. All Ari had done since finding you was be kind, caring and sweet. He made you feel safe for the first time in years. Even hearing how he left to keep you safe, you knew he’d been checking in too. Hearing Sammy mutter about it and hearing Ari’s howls.
You smiled when you noticed a rouge pine needle in his hair, instinctively reaching out and pulling it from his hair. You saw his eyes widen in surprise before softening. A small smile appeared on his lips.
“I just kinda wish I wasn’t so naive about all of this stuff, I’m a fully grown adult who knows nothing” you sighed dropping your hand into your lap, rolling the pine needle between your fingers.
“Don’t worry about it, and look you can ask me anything there’s no such thing as a stupid question” Ari reassured you making you smile.
“Thank you Ari, I’m gonna head to bed, I just wanted to check you were okay,” you said gesturing to his bruised cheek as you stood up from the couch.
Ari looked back at you in surprise, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips “I’m good, just Sammy knocking some sense into me, no need to worry” he told you.
“Okay, night Ari” you smiled bending down and very quickly kissing his cheek before darting up the stairs.
“Night Y/N” Ari muttered watching with wide eyes as you went.
Once you were gone Ari shakes his head slightly trying to work out if this was a dream or not. Your lips had just grazed his cheek but it still sent a jolt through his body. He quickly downed the rest of his drink reminding himself it was probably just a lingering effect of your heat, despite him wanting that not to be the case at all.
Sharing is caring so please reblog and leave a comment to really make my day!
This series has no schedule, please don’t ask when it will be updated! Same goes for Masterlists, AO3 and Wattpad!
Series Masterlist / Masterlist
I don’t have a taglist but follow @secretswiftymarvelfanlibrary and turn on post notifications to stay up to date!
You sweet love. I hope you're able to find some joy and peace this hoeliday season. Sending you a big hug and the gentlest of forehead kisses. ❄️❤️
—
You chirped happily as your alpha nuzzled at the imprint of his teeth on your neck, playfully snuffling along your bondmark as his big hand trailed up and down your back in lazy, soothing strokes.
"You always smell so good, omega," Ari hummed, his nose skimming up the side of your throat and flooding the bedroom with your happy, wanting scent.
"Alpha," you sighed dreamily, feeling peacefully, blissfully dazed as you tilted your head, baring your neck even more, both an invitation and a plea.
Grinning, Ari gave your neck a playful nip, his tongue teasing along your skin in a rough drag and making you moan softly.
Before your brain could process his movements, he was rolling you over until you were sprawled beneath him amongst the rumpled bed sheets.
"Gonna make you feel so good, sweetheart," he promised, gently nuzzling your nose with his before stealing a kiss from your lips and then starting his descent down your body, one goal–and destination–in mind.
Hey sorry that I haven’t responded to this sooner and I hope you have a very happy Hoelidays 😉
But oh my goodness Alpha Ari is the absolute best thing to come back to 😍 I am obsessed and he is the perfect alpha and I just wanna fall headfirst into his world 🥰 This has definitely given me a push to get the next part of Run Free up because I need more Alpha Ari in my life!
