#antimad

[iamfruitie]

Caution and Care Pt. 12

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Nest Shopping

Dark tugged on the grocery cart and pulled it free from the long line of others. He’d never shopped at an Omega Store before, so, for once in his life, he felt fairly clueless. Yes, he had been taken to them as a child with his mother, but he couldn’t recall anything about them aside from there being plenty of nesting supplies. He’s bought things for omegas in the past, but it was usually them picking things out online and him paying.

Dark wasn’t alone at the store, knowing better than never to have some degree of backup when out in public. At the moment, the only person who was available and could be trusted with this was Jackie. Dark wasn’t fully sure how to feel about Jackie being his shopping partner. Wilford would have been his first choice, but he was out on a job with Chase. 

“Have you been to this Omega Store before?” Dark asked while he walked with Jackie, pushing the cart as they went. 

“A few times with Phan,” Jackie said. “I haven’t gotten nesting stuff with him, though.”

“What did you two buy here?” Dark watched as Jackie went quiet, and his face started turning pink. “And that’s all I needed to know.” He chuckled and glanced up at the hanging signs, looking for one of them to say something that would be helpful. “This way.” Dark left Jackie to gather himself and went for the sign that said Nesting. It was only a second later that he heard Jackie jogging to catch up, and was at his side once again. 

“Do you know exactly what you’re looking for or just grabbing anything?” Jackie asked, happy to switch the conversation back to nests. 

“I was told they wanted a fluffier nest. They like soft things and pillows or something like that to hold.” Dark explained.

“They would probably like Squishmellows,” Jackie suggested as they entered the section.

“Squish-what?” 

“They’re like…uh…stuffed animals but squishier? I mean, there are different sizes, but they’d probably like the bigger ones. Phan’s got a few of them he really likes. I can’t see Anti and Mad not liking them.” Jackie looked around, grabbing the front of the cart to guide Dark to where there were a few shelves filled with the mentioned Squishmellows. “Here. Hug one.” Jackie grabbed a random one and held it toward Dark. “Trust me. Give it a hug.” Dark just sighed and took what looked to be a blue bee and squeezed it in his arms.

“Oh!” Dark immediately understood why Phantom would like them, and could definitely see Mad and Anti approving as well. “You said there were bigger ones?”

“Yeah!” Jackie pointed to the other shelf. Dark handed the bee back to Jackie before stepping over to analyze the others. “They also got names.” Jackie went up to a random Squishmellow. “This one is Roxanne.” He pointed to the tag as he read. 

“Interesting.” Dark hummed and picked up a large fox. “I think Mad would like this one.” He checked the tag. “Fifi.” 

“This one is named Antoni.” Jackie grabbed a green turtle. “Perfect for Anti?” 

“Perfect for Anti.” Dark agreed, putting the fox into the cart while Jackie did the same with the turtle. 

x~x~x

“If you tuck a different blanket under like this, then you can slip in a book light. Propping a pillow under it will help it from coming out if you fall asleep.” JJ showed Mad and Anti the folding technique he used in his nest. He had offered to show the two some tricks he had while they waited for Dark to come back. 

“I am so trying that.” Mad chuckled, his hands absent-mindedly rubbing one of the fluffier blankets in the nest. 

“You are so not staying up all night to read.” Anti teased as his own hands played with the ears of the round stuffed rabbit in his lap. 

“Wilford tells me the same thing all the time.” JJ chuckled. “He certainly has his ways of enticing me to take a reading break.” He added with a grin that got Anti to laugh and Mad to flush a little. 

“I’ll be sure to keep that note in mind if Maddy gets a little too carried away.” Anti nudged Mad with an elbow. 

“Like you don’t get lost when you start reading.” Mad teased back, grabbing one of the pillows and lightly hitting Anti on the arm with it. 

“You’re about to play a dangerous game.” Anti lifted the stuffed bunny and was about to playfully hit Mad back.

“Mad? Anti?” Dark’s voice called. 

“Got your stuff!” Jackie’s voice followed and was filled with excitement. 

“You’ve been saved.” Anti winked and crawled out of the nest. JJ and Mad did the same, and the three left the room together. 

“We might have gotten a little carried away.” Jackie grinned, rubbing the back of his neck as he and Dark were surrounded by several massive bags. Some other alphas were bringing in even more bags and adding them to the collection. 

“Those two bags can go to my room,” Dark instructed some alphas. 

“You gotta see this awesome thing Dark picked out for ya.” Jackie started digging through the mess. 

“It wasn’t just-” Dark stopped when Jackie tossed one of the bags at him.

“All you, man!” Jackie had the biggest smile and shot some finger guns as he grabbed a different bag and moved to stand next to JJ, getting himself out of the way. 

“You got us something awesome?” Anti asked with a light chuckle. 

“Um…yes?” Dark wasn’t sure why Jackie refused to take any credit but went with it. He reached into the bag and took the fox out first. “For you.” Dark handed the fox to Mad and smiled at seeing him perk up. 

“JJ has a bunny one of these!” Mad took the offered fox and hugged it tightly. Anti watched Mad with his own smile.

“This one’s for you.” Dark pulled out a turtle and held it toward Anti. 

There was a pause as Anti looked at the turtle as if not believing it at first. He glanced over at JJ, who gave him an encouraging nod. Anti chewed the inside of his lower lip, seeing Dark patiently waiting for him, and he finally took the turtle. Anti looked at the Squishmellow, seeing the name on the tag and giggling a little. He saw how Mad was still hugging his fox, so he squeezed the turtle, finding it to be such a comfortable size. The squish of the padding was perfect, and the softness of the fabric felt good against his skin. Anti couldn’t help the little bit of a purr that snuck out as he hugged the turtle. 

“Thank you,” Mad said. “These will fit perfectly into our nest.” 

“Let me help you two get everything in your room.” JJ offered, picking up a bag.

“We’re going to have the biggest nest.” Mad grabbed a bag as well and walked with JJ. 

“I’m going to go call Phantom real quick.” Jackie excused himself and left the hallway, leaving Dark and Anti alone. Anti used the turtle to hide part of his face, knowing he felt hot and likely looking a bit red in the cheeks.

“Thank you,” Anti said softly, not able to look at Dark. He was waiting for the catch. There was always a catch when an alpha got an omega specialized gifts. 

“It was no problem. I want you and Mad to be comfortable. Don’t be afraid to let me know if you two need anything else. I’m going to check in on Wilford and Chase. You two enjoy bulking up your nest.” Dark smiled and then stepped away, meaning Anti was completely alone. 

“That's it?” Anti whispered out loud to himself, hugging the turtle a little tighter. Dark got them special gifts just because he thought of them? He didn’t expect anything? Anti fully hid his face as a new purr rumbled in his throat. 

“Anti!” Mad’s happy squeal got Anti to lift his head. “Feel how soft this blanket is.” He had a thick, green blanket bunched up in his arms. Anti giggled and felt the blanket. 

“Oh, damn. That is soft.” Anti said.

“Right? And there’s more of them. Come on, we have so much work to do.” Mad took Anti’s hand and pulled him to their bedroom. 

[iamvegorott]

I want Dantimadmare with the flowers plss but Mad and Anti giving them to dark and mare

“I think I just made a really big knot,” Mad said with a tilt of his head, looking at the purple ribbon he had attempted to tie around the bouquet of flowers. 

“Works, it’s very fitting for us.” Anti giggled, adjusting the bow he had tied on the other bouquet. 

“How is it fitting?” Mad asked, trying to use what little remaining ribbon there was to make a bow, grunting when he just made the knot bigger. The two were in the bedroom working on adding some more decor to the flowers they had purchased. Mad sat at the desk, and Anti sat on the bed.

“We’re all pretty ‘knotty’.” Anti grinned and waited.

“We’re-oh yuck.” Mad stuck his tongue out. “That was a bad one.” 

“Which makes it a good one for me.” Anti picked up his flowers and went to where Mad was, holding his bouquet next to the other and nodding. “I think Dark and Mare are going to love these.” 

“Even with the giant knot?” Mad poked at the ribbon.

“Especially with the giant knot.” Anti bumped his nose against Mad’s temple, showing affection like a cat. 

“Maybe it’ll distract from us getting plastic flowers.” Mad giggled at the gesture. 

“Plastic is the only way those flowers survive more than a day.” Anti clicked his tongue. “Plus, it was a lot easier to get the colored roses we wanted this way.” He poked at the roses. The bouquet he made had red, blue, and black roses with a black ribbon, while Mad’s had purple and black with a purple ribbon. 

“Fair points. Do you think Mare and Dark are still in the office?”

“The workaholic is absolutely still in there, which means Mare is as well since usually he helps drag Dark away.” 

“He also helps drag me away.” Mad giggled some more.

“Oh honey, there is no dragging. We all just carry you.” Anti teased with a pat on Mad’s head. “You’re small and adorable like that.” 

“Hey!” Mad huffed as Anti slipped away with his flowers. 

“Off we go, Maddy.” Anti stepped out of the room. Mad scrambled to get his flowers and caught up to Anti. The two walked down the hall until they reached the office door. Anti just strolled in without batting an eye, and Mad followed him. 

“Hey Sparky, what are-oh?” Mare chuckled when he saw what both Mad and Anti held. “You and Starlight got some flowers?” 

“They’re for you,” Mad said as he went to Mare’s desk and handed him his bouquet.

“Darky~” Anti sang and bumped Dark’s head with the flowers, giggling when Dark just hummed at first before noticing the gift. “What do you think?” 

“A lot of attention to detail.” Dark praised as he took the offered flowers and looked at them closer. “Plastic to make sure they last?”

“Duh.” Anti winked and smiled at Dark guiding him down into a kiss. 

“Thank you, they’re perfect.” Dark’s comment got Anti to make a little purr. 

“Do you like it?” Mad asked. 

“I love it.” Mare had a soft, happy smile and rested his forehead on Mad’s. “They’re adorable just like you.” He chuckled and kissed Mad before he could protest the comment. Anti caught what Mare said and started laughing. 

“I told you!” Anti called across the room.

“Shut up!” Mad called back. 

“You’re even more adorable when you pout~”

“I’m getting the spray bottle.”

“Nope!” Anti pounced on Mad before he could leave the room to get his ‘Anti-scolder’. He caught him in a hug from behind and was back to laughing as Mad tried to squirm free. 

“Let me go!”

“Never!” 

Mare and Dark chuckled at the scene, getting up and looking at their bouquets together. They compared the colors and enjoyed the extra touch of the ribbons. They eventually decided Mad and Anti had enough fun, and Dark scooped up Anti while Mare did the same to Mad, getting squeaks and then sounds of protest from both of them. Anti from being interrupted and Mad from being picked up. 

“You said they would get flustered at the flowers,” Mad said to Anti as Mare and Dark started walking and continued their discussion of the bouquets.

“I thought they would.” Anti shrugged and started laughing again. Mad couldn’t help himself from laughing as well, happy that Mare and Dark loved their gifts. 

----------

@bookwormscififan @brokentimewatch

[iamfruitie]

Caution and Care Pt. 17

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Advice

“The heat was definitely an outlier compared to his usual ones, an outlier with most heats in general,” Henrik stated to Dark as he read from his clipboard. “As you already know, the average heat lasts between three to five days, and Anti only lasted twelve hours, according to them. It has been twenty-four hours since his last wave, and none other has come after his third wave, which is also odd to only have three.” 

“You’re sure Anti is fine with me knowing this?” Dark asked, leaning a hand against his desk and tapping a finger. “This feels like more information than I usually get.” 

“Well, from what I have been told, you are used to being told that ruts are fine and Wilford handles JJ’s heats, and everything tends to be fine with them as well. This is the first time you are handling a complication. And, yes, Anti gave his consent for you to know all this; I would not be sharing as much if he had not. I would be much more vague.” Henrik sighed and set his clipboard down. “If they are wanting suppressants, it will not be for at least a year until I feel safe doing so. I need their bodies to regulate and readapt to their new environments. Madrick will likely go into heat in the next few weeks. We have some more time to prep for him…maybe.”

“Maybe?” 

“Anti’s heat kicked in right when he and Mad finally painted their horns and saw Edward caring for Jackie’s crack. He felt safe, loved, and secure. That finally allowed his body to, well, go into instincts and start that healing cycle. Mad had been showing lots of signs of being very happy here, but something is holding his body back, and as soon as that wall is down, bam, heat.”

“Any theories?” Dark knew they got lucky with Anti’s heat kicking in when the two were already in their nest, but he worried they wouldn’t get lucky twice, and Mad’s would happen somewhere a lot more…dangerous. 

“Sadly, no. I am not sure what Mad is missing or wanting that Anti is not. We will just need to keep an eye on him. He has a strong scent, so at least any sign of preheat will show at least a little more before Anti’s did. Regardless, I will advise Edward to start getting more prepped for Mad now. I have appointments taking up most of the next few days and will be unavailable for a bit…” Henrik’s voice trailed off at the end. 

“Is there something else?” Dark prompted. 

“Edward told me why you wanted the documentation for Anti and Mad. So you know how to help, but also know who their old pack was.” Henrik chewed his lip for a second before getting his question out. “Do you plan on tracking them and doing something you probably should not?” 

“To be very honest with you, Henrik. I don’t know.” Dark confessed. 

“I do not want you to put yourself in danger because your emotions are getting in the way.”

“You sound like my father.”

“Well, sometimes fathers are right. Do not call attention to yourself that is not needed. It sounds like Anti and Mad were also outliers within that pack, but we have them now. They are safe. They are being cared for. That is what matters. Do not go on a hunt that is not needed. You are the pack alpha. You need to be level-headed about this.” Henrik picked his clipboard back up. “Anti and Mad will appreciate a hot meal, a nice, filling, homemade one.” He wasn’t subtle about his hint. “Have a good afternoon. Edward will let you know when I am free again.” 

“Thank you, Henrik,” Dark said as Henrik left the office, closing the door behind him. “Shit.” He muttered to himself, rubbing his face with his hand. Dark knew that Henrik was right.

But it didn’t make it any easier

x~x~x

Anti chuckled as Mad insisted that he sit at the kitchen table while he looked around for some food for them. 

“My heat’s done, I can help.” Anti offered, leaning back in the chair. 

“And it just finished. It’s still my time to care for you.” Mad said as he opened a cupboard. “Does anything sound good? Maybe some noodles? I think I see some sauce.” He mused on, not hearing Anti’s half-growl nor the person joining them in the kitchen as he went up on his toes and reached for the jar of sauce. It wasn’t until the person was closer and couldn’t ignore the recognizable scent that he realized they weren’t alone anymore. Mad leaned away when Murdock reached over him and grabbed the jar, holding it out to him. Anti was on his feet, and at Mad’s side in a second, lips pulled up into a snarl and baring his teeth. 

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior, Mad,” Murdock said. “I was out of line and relying on traditions I was raised with that I should know are beyond out-of-date.” Mad chewed his cheek and glanced at Anti before taking the jar of sauce. Anti still looked like he was ready to tear away some flesh with his teeth. “I understand your anger, Anti, and I do not blame you for it.” 

“Anti.” Mad leaned over and whispered into Anti’s ear, telling him that Murdock’s scent showed that he was most likely genuine. Anti grumbled before pointing a finger at Murdock.

“You’re still on thin ice.” 

“I promise to be better behaved.” Murdock gave a slight bow of his head before it tilted toward the other entrance to the kitchen, the sunglasses not allowing Mad or Anti to see where his eyes were looking. “I have some work to do.” Murdock excused himself before leaving the room, and Dark stepped in just a second after he was gone. Dark paused and sniffed the air, making a face. 

“Murdock came in, apologized, and helped me get some sauce,” Mad explained, holding up the sauce to show Dark. 

“I still don’t like him.” Anti huffed. 

“Something about his scent is off, but I can’t tell if it’s because we don’t know him that well and the bias we have or not,” Mad confessed. “I still…I don’t want to be alone with him.” 

“And you won’t be,” Dark said, stepping over and gently taking the jar from Mad. “How about I make you two some chicken alfredo? I know we have the ingredients for it, and it’s a meal I enjoy cooking.” 

“Only if you make yourself some as well,” Mad said.

“You reek of workaholic who forgets food.” Anti added as a tease. 

“I think I can manage that.” Dark chuckled, watching as Anti sat in a chair and pulled a laughing Mad to sit on his lap. He chuckled some more to himself as he set the jar down, satisfied that his scent covered Murdock’s, and he got to work on making them some food. 

[iamfruitie]

Caution and Care Pt. 14

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Horn Work

Anti couldn’t keep his leg still as he sat on the chair in the infirmary. Edward and Henrik worked together across the room, making some final touches on Anti’s horn prosthetic. Henrik had come over with it and measured Anti's horns to ensure it'd fit and was the perfect size to match his other one. Anti didn’t know how to explain the weird, nervous feeling twisting inside his stomach, but his scent was thick with it, and Mad was now holding his hand. 

“It’ll be okay. Henrik said it’s like a screw, so you can take it off whenever you want.” Mad said, using his thumb to massage the center of Anti’s palm. “We can ask to use their paint, and then we can paint each other’s horns.” His smile grew, and it got Anti to relax a little. 

“I would love nothing more than to finally be able to paint your horns.” Anti chuckled when Mad playfully bumped his head against his own and lightly purred, their horns touching. 

“Are you guys still working on the prosthetic stuff?” Jackie asked as he came into the room. 

“We are,” Edward answered while Henrik focused on filing. 

“Did you want to do a touch-up?” Jackie gestured to his horn, and that got Mad and Anti to share a look.

“Are you sure? We can do that after we’re done with Anti.” Edward offered.

“Nah. I don’t mind.” Jackie shrugged and sat himself in one of the other chairs. “Plus, I’d forget if I don’t get it done and over with now.” 

“I can finish up Anti while you work on Jackie,” Henrik said, holding up the prosthetic piece to make sure it had the right texture. It didn’t exactly match Anti’s, but it was the closest they could get with the material they were working with. Edward gathered some other supplies, pulled over a small table, and prepped everything next to Jackie.

“Are you sure?” Edward asked one more time. 

“I’m sure,” Jackie said. 

“Okay. Have you noticed any tenderness with the spot lately?” Edward dipped a long cotton swab into a solution and started rubbing it against a spot on one of Jackie’s horns. 

“Nope. Everything still feels good.” Jackie answered, giving Mad and Anti a smile when he noticed the two watching. 

“Is the solution causing any pain?” Edward sat down the dirty cotton swab, which had what looked like horn paint on it, and he got another one, repeating the same process. Soon, Mad and Anti could see what looked like a textured padding on Jackie’s horn. 

“Nope. Don’t feel anything.” Jackie then let out an audible shiver as the padding was peeled away. It didn’t hurt; it just felt weird.

“Oh.” Mad couldn’t stop his sound when there was now a crack exposed. “Sorry.” He quickly apologized.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s not the best thing to see.” Jackie chuckled. “Took me a bit to accept it. The padding stuff is just to make sure the crack doesn’t get worse while healing. What’d you say it'd take, Edward? Like two more years?” 

“Years?” Mad touched his own horn. 

“It’s a slow process, but it’s progress nonetheless,” Edward said as he examined the crack. 

“And I thought losing the tip of mine was bad,” Anti muttered, watching as Jackie was so casual while Edward worked on his horn, adding a different substance and layering on new padding. Henrik was now finished and heading over to Anti. 

“Are you ready?” Henrik asked. Anti looked at Jackie again before nodding his head. 

“Yeah. I’m ready.” Anti sat up straighter and swallowed as Henrik started setting the prosthetic.

“Jackie? Can we ask how that crack happened?” Mad’s curiosity kicked in even more. “I mean, if you don’t want to share, you don’t have to.” 

“Happened before I was brought into this pack.” Jackie sounded very casual. “After our parents passed, me and Chase left our birth pack. They couldn’t find use for us and had us leave. We were lucky that we could grab some things and walk out.” He gave a soft smile to the two with that part. “But-uh-after we left, we needed a way to get money. We weren’t taught much in the pack aside from how to fight. That’s what was expected of us. So, we used that knowledge, and we fought. Found some of those, like, underground fighting clubs. No regulations and a whole lot of money.” 

“A dangerous combination for those without proper backup.” Edward hummed. 

“Yeah.” Jackie weakly laughed. “Me and Chase picked up quickly that he does a lot better with all that talking stuff. Setting up deals, making bets, and hyping us up, and I was a lot better with the actual fighting. Too good, apparently. People get pissy when they lose money one too many times to what they see as an amateur. So they jumped us. Six of ‘em. I tried to keep Chase safe, but we learned they were targeting me. They pinned me down, took a rock chisel and a hammer, and…well…you can put the rest together.” 

“Ow.” Mad was now holding both his horns while Anti looked away.

“They would have done more, but a gunshot scared them off.” Jackie continued. 

“Was it Dark?” Anti asked.

“It was his father.” 

“His father?” Mad and Anti both said. 

“Yeah. He had apparently been watching us at the place for a while and heard the yelling. He said his son was taking over his pack and needed muscle. So he offered us a place to stay and a steady paycheck, and we just had to do what Dark told us. We like it here and never had any complaints.” Jackie turned his head when Edward stepped away to get some horn paint, pouring a few different colors and mixing them into the same shade that was Jackie’s horns. It looked like second nature to him. 

“Maybe we should have Phantom come over and paint your horns.” Edward teased a little.

“I have one complaint.” Jackie joked. 

“There we go, all set,” Henrik said. “Let me get you a mirror.” 

“So, it doesn’t hurt anymore?” Mad asked while Henrik stepped aside for a second.

“Not really. I mean, if it’s exposed and someone stabs something into it, yeah, but with the patch and all that, it feels perfectly normal.” Jackie answered. 

“It's really good,” Anti said as he looked into the mirror Henrik gave him, his fingers tracing the prosthetic that was almost the same color as his horns. “And more horn paint will stick to this?” 

“Yes, it will.” Henrik smiled. 

“Could we…could we borrow some colors?” Mad asked. 

“Of course. Edward, do you have enough for Jackie?” Henrik asked as he started gathering the horn paint, finding a spare bag to place them in, and adding several brushes.  

“Yep. You two have at it.” Edward chuckled, working on covering Jackie’s patch with paint. 

“Thank you.” Mad took the offered bag, and Anti finally looked away from the mirror, placing it down as he stood. He chewed the inside of his cheek before going over to Jackie.

“Our old pack alpha…when we were kicked out…he stomped on the tip of my horn until it broke off,” Anti confessed in a soft voice. 

“Sounds like he’s a knotless dick.” Jackie’s comment got Anti to chuckle a little. 

“He certainly couldn’t get any omega to make slick.” Anti relaxed as Mad took hold of his arm. 

“We’ll bring everything back in the morning,” Mad promised Henrik before excitedly tugging on Anti’s arm. “Let’s go.” Anti laughed and waved at the others as he and Mad ran off with the paint. 

“I call dibs on painting first,” Anti said as soon as they were in their room. 

“Oh, I’m so shocked.” Mad giggled and crawled into the nest, handing the bag to Anti. 

“I’ve been wanting to paint your horns for a long time. I don’t think I can wait anymore.” Anti dumped out the bottles and picked up one with green paint in it. “Perfect.” He crawled to get behind Mad and guided him to lie back, to rest his head in his lap, and he got to work.

Mad’s eyes fluttered closed as soon as the brush touched his horn, slipping away into a happy, warm zone as Anti focused on each stroke of the brush. Line after line, dot after dot. Anti did everything he could to make sure it was perfect. He shifted Mad’s head to get to different spots and angles. When he was finished, Mad looked like a very fancy circuit board.

“There. Almost as perfect as you.” Anti leaned over to kiss Mad’s forehead. 

“Softy.” Mad teased as he opened his eyes, laughing when Anti blew a raspberry against his skin in retaliation. “My turn, my turn.” He sat up, turned around, crossed his legs, and patted them. Anti grinned before falling forward so he was face-first in Mad’s lap. “Anti!” Mad was back to laughing. 

“Whoops. Was I not supposed to do that?” Anti played up his tone as he flipped over. 

“No, you weren’t.” Mad used a clean brush to poke Anti’s nose. “Get comfy.” He said as he reached over and found some purple paint that matched perfectly with the green he saw Anti using. 

Now it was Anti’s turn to close his eyes, a small smile on his lips as he felt Mad painting. There were lots of small lines before longer, curved ones were made. Anti sank away more when Mad started humming. He had such a warm, soothing voice. Anti wished Mad would go back to singing as much as he used to; maybe that would come back, too. He knew the others wouldn’t say anything bad about it. He’d bite their ears off if they did.

“Anti?” Mad’s voice brought Anti back to the present. “I’m done. Do you want to check it in the bathroom mirror?” 

“I’d love to.” Anti got out of the nest, and Mad joined him in the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and felt an urge to cry tears of joy. They were finally official mates. They were painted. 

“I made constellations,” Mad explained, pointing to one of Anti’s horns. “That one is Libra-” He pointed to the other. “And that one is Cancer. There’s the other stars in there as well.” 

“It’s amazing, Maddy.” Anti praised in almost a whisper. 

“And I look so cool!” Mad looked at himself in the mirror. 

“You always do.” Anti hugged Mad from behind, beginning to purr while Mad giggled. 

“Let’s head to bed. I really want to cuddle right now.” Mad leaned his head back and kissed Anti’s cheek, able to tell how much his mate was holding back. Anti nodded and walked them back to the nest. He cleared out the paint and brushes, noting to himself that he should ask for horn paint remover in the morning to clean the brushes. Mad got into the nest first, and as soon as Anti was in, he wrapped himself around him in a full-body cuddle. Anti hugged Mad and was brought back to that happy place by Mad’s loud purrs. 

This place was perfect and comforting and safe. He had his mate and his mate was happy and getting friends that would keep him safe. Anti felt more like they belonged in the pack rather than by the pack. This was home.

Anti used a foot to push a blanket away from himself. Someone must have turned on the heat cause he felt a little bit warmer than usual, but it wasn’t that distracting, and he fell asleep not too long after. 

[iamfruitie]

Caution and Care Pt. 8

Part 1: Link Prev: Link Next: TBA

Gemstones

Mad had waited until he and Anti were back in their room, putting away their new belongings before bringing up what he had heard.

“They found our records,” Mad said bluntly, tucking a new pair of pants away into a drawer.

“Our…already?” Anti was standing in the closet, hanger and shirt in hand. 

“They must be really good at their work.” Mad stayed kneeling on the ground as he picked up another pair of pants, checking for tags. 

“You don’t think…if they find out about…that, they’ll change their mind?” Anti chewed his lip as he tried to busy his hands by continuing to hang the shirts. 

“I don’t know why they would. It doesn’t seem like something they’d be interested in. We don’t know everything, but we know enough that I don’t think they’d even want to deal with that.” Mad was still bubbling a bit from Dark’s earlier praise of calling him smart. It was the first time an alpha had called him that without adding an ‘ass’ to the end. 

“True. But they’ll look at us differently. Like we’re broken.” 

“But we’re not.”

“I know, Maddy.” Anti paused again, swearing he could hear the shouting again. The demands. The insults. Their attempts at setting conditions that would be worse than death. The fight. The clawing and biting and punching and kicking and begging and crying and-

“Anti?” Mad’s soft voice pulled Anti back to the present. “We’re safe.” He looped his arm through Anti’s. “Maybe we should take a break? We still have a lot of this place to see. I wouldn’t mind a walk.” Anti looked at Mad and relaxed at seeing his smile.

“A break sounds nice. Lead the way.” Anti tossed the shirt on the bed and took hold of Mad’s hand, letting himself be walked out of the room. “I wonder how much is actually opened to us.” He mused out loud. 

“Safe to say the other’s bedrooms are probably closed off.” Mad giggled a little. 

“I never would have guessed.” Anti gave Mad a playful nudge with his elbow. 

“Oh! Hey, Mad!” Jackie greeted when he saw the two enter the main lobby. “Anti, right?” 

“That’s Jackie,” Mad whispered to Anti.

“Hm.” Anti just hummed as Jackie walked over to them. He quickly sniffed the air; the alpha’s scent didn’t seem bad. It was a bit chalky and had some… daffodils. A floral scent. That would explain Mad relaxing around him. A familiar and safe scent for him. 

“Hi, Jackie.” Mad greeted, and Jackie perked up even more.

“It’s nice to hear ya! I also heard that you two managed to convince Dark to buy a bunch of candy,” Jackie said with a chuckle. “JJ did almost the same thing with Wilford when he came in. Someone told me before that there’s like science stuff behind the sweet tooth, like needing the extra sugar to process the…like…stuff making.” He awkwardly gestured at the lower half of his body. “So Chase got some of those like sample jewelry things? Wanna help me tease my brother?” 

“Brother?” Anti echoed. 

“That explains a lot,” Mad stated.

“In a good or bad way?” Jackie asked.

“Good.” Anti and Mad said together. 

“Let’s go mess with Chase.” Anti wanted to feel some pack normalcy, even if he was just watching it. He missed being in a group, talking and teasing and laughing at silly stuff. Having Mad at his side, either joining the fun or resting against him and reading. Those were the best times, and the idea of having some of it back sounded nice and kept him going. 

He was still cautious, eyes always on Jackie as he guided them to where Chase was. His hold on Mad’s hand was tight, reassuring himself that he was there, that no one could take him away. The signs were there and blaring in his face that he was safe, but there was still that worry. It was beginning to calm at least, that was a good step. 

“I can see why the kit is so expensive if you don’t return it,” Chase said, hunched over a table with a vast collection of gems and chains spread out in front of him. 

“There’s a lot to choose from. And this only covers the basic gems and chains. There’s also cuts and sizing to account for.” Wilford said as he stood next to Chase. 

“The cuts?” Chase’s face showed that he was already getting overwhelmed. 

“Breathe.” Dark placed a hand on Chase’s back. “First, find a gem that makes you think of him.” He reached over with his other hand and brought only the gems closer to Chase. Jackie went over to stand with Wilford while Mad and Anti stayed at the end of the table and watched, the other alphas not realizing they were there yet. “Think of colors that don’t fit and put those aside so there’s less to focus on.” Dark continued his help, moving some gems further aside when Chase brushed them away. “Keep narrowing them down.” Anti tilted his head, noting Dark’s patience, something he’s shown a lot of with everyone, including himself and Mad.  

“I don’t know.” Chase chewed the inside of his cheek, sniffing and pausing when he noticed there were more scents in the air. “Hey, guys.” He greeted Mad and Anti. “You can look at the stuff, too.” 

“Really?” Mad perked up, and Anti was already pawing at the gems. 

“Just don’t break them.” Chase chuckled. 

“No promises.” Anti picked up a sapphire, remembering those were the same ones on JJ’s horns. 

“I feel like if I give him a green one, it’d be too much.” Chase shuffled the remaining gems. “I don’t want them to blend in with his hair.” 

“What does he look like?” Anti asked. 

“Tell us about him.” Mad started arranging the gems into little groups. 

“Might as well take advantage of having some omega ears with this,” Wilford said. “Probably would have saved me some hassle.” 

“Oh-uh-his name’s Marvin.” Chase fished out his phone and tapped away for a second before showing Anti and Mad his screen. 

The man in the picture was an omega man lounging on a couch, a book in his lap, but looking at whoever was taking the picture with a big grin. His hair was long and green, and his horns were a stunning dark green that neared looking black. 

“He’s really cool and funny and can outwit anyone. Stubborn in the best way and beyond sarcastic. He really likes cats and works a lot with plants, and his smile is just-damn is his smile the best part about him.”

“Gross.” Jackie faked a gag. 

“Shut up.” Chase reached over to smack Jackie’s arm. 

“You’re being all gross and mushy.” Jackie continued to tease. 

“Like you wouldn't be the same if you talked about Phantom.”

“Don't bring him into this.”

“You started it.” 

“Your face started it.” 

“We have the same face.” 

“Mine’s better.” 

“How-”

“Opal.” Mad cut off the bickering brothers. 

“Opal?” Chase echoed. 

“Opal would be fitting for him,” Mad explained, placing the small gem on Chase’s phone. “I like the fire opal.” He added in a softer voice, the gem in his other hand. Anti just smiled, a jade in his hand, but he didn’t say anything about it.

“Take note,” Wilford whispered to Dark, earning a glare that got him to chuckle. 

“Dude…Dude, that’s perfect!” Chase bounced up. “Maybe with the gold chain and-holy shit, it’s perfect!” He was practically vibrating. “I would hug you if I didn’t think Anti would bite my face off.”

“Smart man.” Anti’s comment got Chase to start laughing. 

Dark watched as Mad showed Jackie the gem in his hand and how Anti was relaxing some more as the alphas laughed and joked, a light smile tugging on his lips. Anti did end up making eye contact with Dark. There was a pause before Dark smiled at him, and Anti glanced away, looking down, but there was a stronger smile on his face. 

Anti found himself really hoping that when they did read their files, Mad was right, and they’d still be able to stay. He was…happy. He didn’t want to lose that. He didn’t want Mad to lose that. He was really liking it here now. He didn’t want to go. 

[iamfruitie]

Caution and Care Pt. 11

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Murdock

“The jeweler said it’ll take a few days to make everything,” Chase explained as he leaned against the meeting room table while Anti and Mad looked around the space. 

“And then you’ll ask him to be your mate?” Mad asked. Anti was too busy trying to open the drawer to a tall filing cabinet, making a face at finding that it and every other drawer was locked.

“That’s the plan. I hope he says yes.” Chase weakly laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“I can’t see why he wouldn’t,” Mad said with a shrug. 

“Are you guys going to live together?” Anti asked, giving up on getting into the cabinets for now. 

“Dark said he can move in here,” Chase answered.

“Looks like this place won’t be filled with endless alphas anymore at this rate.” Anti chuckled. 

“I can’t see JJ complaining about that.” 

“We could do a cuddle pile.” Mad smiled brightly, and there was a hint of a purr as he thought about having somewhere so warm to nap. “Oh-I-I mean-” He looked away, and his face got hot as he realized what he had done.

“You are so cute!” Anti teased as he pulled Mad into a hug. “I’m sure the other omegas can’t resist a good pile.” 

“There you are, Chase.” Wilford popped his head into the room. “Good morning, Mad. Good morning, Anti. Do you mind if I steal Chase for a moment? Got some work questions.” 

“Ask away,” Anti said while Mad was now looking at the cabinet, noticing some different scents that weren’t just paper and ink. 

“Give me a second,” Chase said as he stepped out of the room. 

“There’s something else in here,” Mad said to Anti, trying to get a better scent of the cabinet. “There’s so much paper in here, I can’t figure it out.” 

“Have I ever told you that I love how strong your nose is?” Anti tried to see if he could catch what Mad did, but all he could focus on was Mad’s scent. 

“Just a few times.” Mad chuckled. “Maybe if you could get a bobby pin or something like that, we can unlock it.” 

“Stay right here, and I’ll get some really quick,” Anti remembered the collection of bobby pins already stocked in their bathroom. 

“I won’t go anywhere,” Mad promised, and he was still messing with the cabinet, his concentrated face proving that he really wasn’t going to go anywhere.

“I’ll be just a minute.” Anti felt confident in leaving Mad alone; it was only for a little bit, and Chase and Wilford were both right outside the room. They wouldn’t let him get hurt. Anti would literally bite their throats out if they did. 

Mad heard the door close as Anti slipped out the other entrance to the room, and his attention went solely to the cabinet. He really wanted to know what else could be hidden in there. There was a bit of a sweeter scent. Maybe it was another candy stash? That would be kind of funny if Dark had more than one place where he stored his treats. Although the sweetness didn’t remind him of candy, it was something else. 

“Well, who do we have here?” A new voice and a new scent had Mad go still. He looked over at the alpha, his coppery scent almost fitting for his appearance. Red horns that slowly got darker the closer they reached his head, almost looking bloody. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark red sunglasses, and his grin made Mad uncomfortable. “Such a little thing, aren’t you?” The alpha chuckled, stepping closer, and Mad started shaking. He forgot where he was, forgot that he was safe, and whimpered. Where was Anti? He needed Anti. “Oh, don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you.” Mad felt his back hit the wall and wondered how he was standing with the numbness in his legs. “Who could ever want to hurt something as fragile as you?” The alpha hummed, his grin growing as he trailed his fingers across Mad’s jaw, stopping them to hold his chin. “I was told there were two of you. I wonder if your partner is just as soft. Imagine being the lucky alpha that gets both of you.” Mad wanted to do what Anti would, to bite this alpha’s hand, to call him names, to lash out somehow, but all he could do was let out a weak whine. He hated how nothing was working in his body or mind. He hated feeling so defenseless. “Maybe-” 

Whatever the alpha was going to say stopped when a hand gripped his wrist and yanked him away from Mad. Dark shoved the alpha into the nearby wall and pressed his other hand against his throat. 

“Don’t touch him,” Dark growled. “Do you understand me? Don’t you ever touch him.” The alpha took a moment to chuckle. 

“I didn’t-”

“Answer me, Murdock. Do. You. Understand?” 

“Yes, yes. I understand.” The alpha, Murdock, tapped Dark’s arm twice, and that was enough to get the hand off his throat, but he was still trapped against the wall. “He’s off-limits. I hear you loud and clear.” 

“You are walking a fine line. You are lucky that my father knows yours. Now get out.” Dark dropped both hands, but his anger was still thick in his scent and clung to the air.

“You can’t fault me for not knowing. And you know what your father’s said about that temper of yours,” Murdock clicked his tongue, fixing his shirt before heading out of the room. He gave Mad a smirk and a wink as he passed, and Mad slunk further into the wall with a whimper. Dark was trying to calm himself, taking deep breaths, but as soon as he heard Mad’s whimper, all that leftover anger turned into worry. 

“You shouldn’t have seen that. I’m sorry. Do you need-” Dark stopped his question when Mad suddenly hugged him, face tucked into his chest.

Anti rushed into the room a moment later, having seen the new alpha leaving, and got slapped with the scent of Mad’s fear. Seeing the two hugging only added to his confusion.

“What happened?” He demanded, dropping the collection of bobby pins and going over to the two. “Maddy? Are you okay?” Anti was ready to go back out there and bash that alpha’s head in with something. 

“I’m okay.” Mad let Dark go with a sniff. He then went to Anti and started whispering to him. Dark assumed he was filling Anti in due to the hardened look on the other omega’s face, but it changed as he looked at Dark. 

“Thank you,” Anti said as he hugged Mad. Dark had protected Mad while he was away. Dark had stepped in when he wasn’t there, and Mad was okay. Dark kept Mad safe. 

“I thought the message went through to the entire pack. I will be sure to check that everyone understands. I’m sorry that he got too close. I will be sure that never happens again.”  Dark promised. 

“Can we ask something?” Anti asked, wanting the mood to get better.

“Of course.”

“What else is in the cabinet?” 

“What else? It’s just paperwork.” Dark turned to look at which cabinet Anti pointed at.

“There’s something else in there,” Mad said, and Dark felt relief that he was talking to him. He had worried for a second that he would go silent around him again. 

“I’m not sure what else there could be, but I can check.” Dark offered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring of keys. “The only ones that use this cabinet are myself and Wilford, so maybe Wil-” He paused when he opened the top drawer, saw something in there, and then closed it. 

“Well, now I have to know what’s in there.” Anti chuckled. 

“It’s me contemplating my friendship with Wilford.” Dark sighed. “And speaking of the devil.” He added as Chase and Wilford came into the room. 

“Murdock had a lot to say.” Chase rolled his eyes. 

“We’ll discuss that later. Right now, I’d like to know why this is inside one of my filing cabinets.” Dark gestured for Wilford to come over. He opened the drawer, and Wilford instantly started laughing. 

“I forgot I put that in there.” Wilford was still laughing as he reached in and pulled out a bottle. 

“Artificial slick?” Mad squinted to read the label. His eyes widened when he realized what it was and found the reason behind the odd sweet scent it gave off. 

“Lube? Why do you have lube in there?” Anti was now laughing as well. 

“Me and Jamesy wanted to…experiment and-”

“Stop. I do not want details.” Dark cut off what he knew was going to be a long and not the most appropriate story. “Just take that to your room, and don’t use my cabinets to store that kind of stuff.” 

“Oh, don’t be boring.” Wilford chuckled. “Do you want it, Chase? I already have plenty.” 

“I-uh-you-we-ah.” Chase just sputtered and went bright red in the face. 

“That’s a yes.” Wilford placed the bottle into Chase’s hand. “Now, we have some work to do.” He clapped his hands and grinned. Dark just sighed while Chase continued to make sounds, and that got Anti to laugh more, and Mad ended up joining in. 

[iamfruitie]

Caution and Care Pt. 10

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Beginning Tour

Dark leaned against the hallway wall, texting on his phone while waiting for Mad and Anti to finish getting ready. He was still on that over-protective instinct after Anti’s breakdown the previous day. It didn’t help that both omegas fell asleep on him right after that, trapping Dark on the couch until they woke and then went to their room for the rest of the day, aside from coming out for food.

The current plan was to show Anti and Mad the work side of the Manor and start asking them what they wanted to do. Dark had a few ideas of what they might enjoy, but he was leaving the final choice up to them. 

When the door started to open, Dark straightened up and was a bit shocked to see Mad stepping out on his own, closing the door behind him. He noticed how Mad was looking around, seeming a bit embarrassed, before walking up to him.

“Morning, Madrick.” Dark greeted with a soft smile. 

“Morning.” Mad picked at the hem of his shirt. “Could…uh…could we ask a favor?”

“Of course.” 

“We need more nesting supplies. We started working with what we could find in the closet, but…but we like a fluffy nest.” 

That explained the flustered look.

“I can easily get you all the nesting supplies you and Anti could dream of.” Dark couldn’t help the little rush of pride at knowing he was the one trusted with this request. “Would you like me to set time aside and organize another shopping trip for you two, or would you like me to stop by the store while I am out today?” 

“Could you get the stuff while you’re out? Setting up a whole trip sounds like a hassle and would take more time.”

“Any requests?” 

“I like really soft stuff and-” Mad paused to look over his shoulder, checking that the door was still closed before getting closer to Dark, tugging on his sleeve to get him to lean down to his height so he could whisper into his ear. “Anti really likes pillows. Things he can hold.” 

“That’s far from surprising.” Dark chuckled, smiling when that got Mad to do the same. “I’ll be sure to get all your supplies by this evening." 

“Thanks.” Mad turned his head at the door opening.

“Morning.” Anti greeted as Mad went to his side. Dark waited while Mad whispered to Anti, assuming he was getting filled in. 

“Good morning. I wanted to show you two some of the more business side of our home. I had mentioned before about finding you two a place to work. I figured showing some other examples may give you two thoughts on what sounds the most fitting.” Dark explained as he started walking, and Mad and Anti walked with him. 

“We get to learn more about what you guys actually do?” Anti asked.

“Yes. Something tells me you two will not know peace if you are left unaware of our work. Curiosity is a powerful trait.” 

“I call it being nosy.” Anti giggled and nudged Mad, who was giggling as well. 

“Well, the first thing you can be nosy about is our weapons laboratory.” Dark opened a door and stepped in, holding it open for the other two. Anti and Mad shared a look before going into the room as well.

“Woah!” Mad said his awe out loud while Anti looked around the workshop with wide eyes. 

“Good morning. Can I help-” An alpha started greeting Dark and paused when he noticed two omegas scrambling off to look at the equipment. “Don’t touch-” His scolding stopped when Dark’s hand went to his shoulder, the grip tight. 

“Don’t raise your voice,” Dark warned. “Come back here, please.” Anti and Mad put down the tools they were studying and returned to stand in front of Dark. “This is Google. He’s the head of this department. Google, this is Mad and Anti. Our newest pack mates.” 

“Hello,” Google said with a flat tone. He was about the same size as Chase, had black hair just long enough to tuck behind his ears, and wore rectangular glasses. His horns were a deep navy blue, and the tips were a lighter blue. They were a different texture as well. 

“We’re currently trying to find a place for Mad and Anti to work. I assumed letting them see the other locations might give them some ideas.” Dark explained. 

“I’m not sure working with weapons is going to be the best choice.” Google kept his voice soft so the other two wouldn’t hear him. 

“Give them a chance,” Dark said back before putting his voice back to regular volume. “What are you working on right now?” 

“I’m working on the contract wishing for, to put it into layman’s terms, a flamethrower,” Google answered.

“Flamethrower?” Anti perked up, and Mad started looking around. 

“There is more complication to the device beyond that, but yes. The client basically wants one to aid in…pest control.” Google glanced at Dark as Mad walked over to the table where the weapon lay. 

“Madrick, be careful,” Dark warned when Mad picked it up. 

“It looks like a classic flamethrower,” Mad commented, handing the weapon to Anti. 

“Have you two worked with weapons before?” Google’s voice showed his concern as Anti stepped aside, out of the way, and propped the flamethrower on his shoulder. 

“I’ve read a lot about them. I like learning about their mechanics, and Anti thinks they’re-”

“Fire in the hole!” Anti’s call cut Mad off, and he squeezed the trigger, sending a blast of flames out of the weapon. Google let out a string of curses, and Dark stood stunned for a second. “Well, that sucked. I thought it’d be more concentrated. Like, yeah, the big blast sends a message, but you need more control to actually get stuff done.” 

“The nozzle needs to be different,” Mad explained, pointing and being cautious not to touch the tip of the weapon. “We could probably add an adjustable one so you can control how thin or thick the range of flames is.” 

“This is the most excited I’ve seen them about something outside of the candy store,” Dark said out loud. “Maybe they can work-”

“We need to talk in private.” Google didn’t let Dark finish. “Please.” He added with an awkward clearing of his throat when Dark looked at him. 

“Okay.” Dark stepped to the door and looked out. “Chase? Come here.” He called over the closest person he saw. 

“Yeah, boss?” Chase asked after jogging over. 

“Could you escort Mad and Anti to the main meeting room? I need a moment to discuss something with Google.” Dark requested. 

“Yes, sir.” Chase did a little salute. 

“Anti, Mad, Chase is going to take you to the next leg of the tour. I will join you shortly.” Dark said, and he watched the two look a little disappointed to leave their new toy. “Maybe you could convince him to stop by the kitchen along the way? I was planning on restocking a few…treats of mine, so you’re welcome to finish what’s left.” He grinned at Mad when he saw him catch on. 

“We’ll see you soon.” Mad took hold of Anti’s hand. Anti just chuckled, putting down the flamethrower, and left with Mad. 

“So. There’s a problem?” Dark asked Google as soon as they were alone. 

“I really hope you’re not suggesting those two omegas work in here?” Google’s voice showed he was more worried than offended. 

“Maybe I am,” Dark said with a shrug. “If they are confident and comfortable in here, why not?” 

“I know this is going to sound outdated, but I’m worried about omegas working in here. This isn’t the safest position. The smaller one, Mad, looks like he weighs ten pounds, and more than half of this equipment would launch him across the room. Anti might be fine, but he looks more excited to use the weapons than develop them. He doesn’t need a hazardous playground.” Google stopped and sighed. “Having them living here is dangerous enough. We shouldn’t add unnecessary risks.” 

“Is that why you’ve yet to invite your omega here?” Dark could smell the shift of fear in Google’s scent; it was thick enough to stand out.

“I-I don’t know-I don’t-” Google sputtered out. 

“You head out every night and come back in the morning reeking of the same omega. You’ve been more irritable, on edge, and extra cautious around JJ, and now the thought of working with two more omegas is triggering a more instinctual aspect of your brain when usually you are an alpha of logic. You want to claim this omega but have been forcing yourself to hold back because you wish to keep him hidden from our work.” Dark saw how Google was now unable to even look in his direction. “I have already told Chase that his omega is welcome to move in. In time, when Jackie settles with his, that option will open to him as well. So, obvious as it now is, your omega would be welcomed.” 

“It’s not safe for him to be here,” Google said softly. 

“If that is what you truly believe, then he can remain where he is. But do everyone a favor and claim him. Get some jewelry, let him buy horn paint, and mark each other. You will feel a thousand times better. And, as for what Anti and Mad are going to do, if they wish to work in here, I will not stop them. I will let them know you are still the lead in this department and should follow your direction.” Dark didn’t leave room for argument and started heading for the door. He paused and looked back to Google. “In regards to your fear of your omega not being safe here, I hope you know that anyone living under my roof is safe. If someone comes in and shows any signs of putting my pack in danger, you know I will handle it. No one will hurt what’s mine.” With those parting words that were more of a growl than spoken, Dark left the room, the door shutting behind him. 

[iamfruitie]

Caution and Care Pt. 9

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Quick warning; this does go into discussion of how Mad and Anti were removed from their old pack. Nothing too graphic is described, but there is still talk of some serious topics Main CW is implication of threats of sexual abuse

The Files

The next day, Mad wanted to revisit the library, and Anti couldn’t say no when his mate was bouncing on his feet and purring with his request. Anti also didn’t mind the idea of just sitting and either doing some reading or just relaxing in general since he knew Mad would be happy and safe in a place filled with books.  

Although, despite being told that there was someone who worked in the library, Anti couldn’t help his first reaction being to stand in front of Mad when he saw a man in the room. A glance and sniff told him that the stranger was a beta. His horns were a dark honey brown, with no jewelry or paint. His scent was ink-like, soft yet musky, and a thick cloth was around his eyes. 

“Hello.” The beta greeted, casually slipping a book into place on the shelf. “You must be Anti and Mad.” 

“Yeah,” Anti answered, still keeping his distance and, in turn, keeping Mad away.

“I cannot see you, but I can scent you. You two are scents I haven’t experienced yet. I am aware we had two new omegas join us, so it’s simple logic.” The beta explained. “My name is Host. My main responsibility is to care for the library and sometimes provide my insight to Dark, and, yes, I am also aware of that ironic wording.” There was a light chuckle at the end of his comment. 

“I like him,” Mad said to Anti, smiling, and that was enough to get him to allow Mad to go off on his own. 

Anti sat himself down on one of the couches, able to see Mad and Host from his spot. He really had planned on reading a bit of the book he had brought with him but found himself just watching the two instead, book beside him and ignored. Mad was happy, getting more and more comfortable here, and now had someone who could talk books with him at the level he deserved. He was talking more, looked less scared, smiled, and laughed, and the thought of Mad losing another home caused Anti’s body to itch with anxiety. His throat felt thicker, his face ached while trying to keep it neutral, and his heart raced to the point he feared it would leave his chest. 

When Dark sat next to him, it took Anti a moment to notice, having to yank himself back to the present and look at the alpha. He saw how Dark was looking off at Mad and Host as well, but, with the slight bitterness in his scent, told Anti he was likely looking only at Mad. Anti couldn’t tell what kind of bitterness affected Dark’s scent. Mad could translate. Could tell him if it was fear or anger or nervousness, but all it was to Anti was another rush of worry. 

“You read the files.” Anti guessed.

“I did. Well…Edward is working through them, but I saw the big red stamp on top of them. They’re not subtle, are they?” Dark didn’t look away from Mad yet.

“No…they’re not.” Anti crossed his arms, hugging himself. “Are you going to ask us to leave?”

“Why would I ask you to leave?” Dark finally looked at Anti.

“Cause we’re…” Anti chewed his lip before getting it over with. “Cause we’re infertile.” 

“What does that have to do with you two staying here? The only thing that will change is that Edward and Henrik will work together to make sure that if you two wish to be on suppressants, they will be suitable for you.” 

“Really?” 

“Of course! Why would…” Dark’s voice trailed off, and he sighed. “I have a feeling that information is related to you and Mad’s…” 

“Getting beaten out of our pack?” Anti finished for him, sniffing right after. 

“I still don’t understand.” Dark confessed.

“Look at Mad again. Look at him. He is quite literally the perfect omega for any knothead of an alpha to want. He’s small and soft, and even his horns are curved to make his head the perfect heart shape. He’s also smart as hell with a nose that would make the most trained alpha look like they’re clogged.” Anti sniffed again. “He is perfect, and they wanted him to be pack omega.” 

“They?”

“The alphas, most of them, there was one that was fine, but all the others agreed with the pack alpha that Mad needed to be with him. Imagine an alpha trained from birth with Mad’s abilities? Imagine several. Imagine omegas with Mad’s traits to pass down to even more pups. A pack filled with highly intelligent and skilled members that could take anyone out if they got bored.” 

“You don’t have to talk about this.” Dark noticed how Anti was beginning to shake. 

“But we were already together.” Anti continued as if something was forcing the words out. “Me and Mad were already together, and Mad didn’t want to be with the pack alpha. Mad fucking hated him. A crude, vicious, angry, hothead of a bastard who only saw Mad as a way to strengthen his title rather than someone to love. Saw him as a fucking breeding machine rather than a living person.” Anti dug his nails into his arms. “So Mad told him no, and I told him where to stick his fucked-up idea, so, obviously, they came up with another fucked-up idea.” The laugh that came out was strained. “They said they would allow myself, and Mad to stay a couple, to be able to live peacefully and be provided everything we would need or want. We would both be seen as pack omegas, so we would both get every benefit of the name, and the supposed only trade-off was that Mad was to have the pack alpha’s pups. Bear his pups and allow the other omegas to raise them so we won’t get attached. Five was the magic number. Five pups for a lifetime of peace.”

“Did you tell them no again?” Dark asked, now wondering if getting all of this out would help Anti.

“I did…but Mad said he would do it. He said he was willing to go through that so we could be happy. I-I can’t tell Mad what to do with his body so I let him go. He went to the doctors, and they ran a few tests to make sure everything would be as quick as possible, and that…that was when they found out about Mad.” Anti stared down at the ground. “They panicked, worried there were other omegas with the same trait, so they gathered all of us up and gave us the same test. The others were fine, but I wasn’t. They stamped my file and shoved and locked the two of us into a room while the alphas discussed what to do. No windows, no exit, just a small, dark space while their whispers could just barely be heard through the door.” Anti swallowed and blinked away the tears beginning to form. “They said we were broken. Useless. Wouldn’t be good for anything more than a way for alphas to get their needs out without worries. They were planning horrible things.”

“Anti-”

“-The shit they wanted to do to Mad I-” Anti used the palms of his hands to wipe off his eyes. “-I couldn’t let that happen. So when they opened the doors, I attacked. I lashed out, clawed the fuck out of the pack alpha’s face. I tried to get to his horns, but by that point, I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know there were four of them. I only heard two voices. I thought I could distract them enough for Mad to get away, and I’d figure out what to do with myself after he was safe…but they pinned me down, pinned Mad down. They kicked and spat and cursed, and the pack alpha…” His hand went to his horn, his broken horn. “Mad was spared for the most part. They didn’t want us dead, just damaged enough to be abandoned forever. No one wants a ruined omega.” Anti flinched when there was a touch to his back; glancing over, he saw it was Dark’s hand. He waited. Waited to see what the hand would do, and it threw him off when the touch became a comforting one, gently rubbing small circles and crooning at him. Dark was crooning at him. 

“You’re not ruined, Anti. You’re not broken or useless. You and Mad were brought into this pack, and there will never be any plans to have you two removed unless you choose to leave yourselves. You have a choice. You will always have choices.” Dark saw how Anti stared at him with wide eyes. “I will do everything I can to keep you and Mad safe. Even at the cost of my life, you two will be safe.” 

Safe.

Safe.

He and Mad were safe here. He and Mad were welcomed here. 

The pack alpha here was kind to his people, caring, and wanting the best for all of them.

They were safe.

Anti finally snapped, throwing himself forward and breaking into a fit of sobs into Dark’s chest. 

Dark immediately wrapped his arms around Anti in a hug, feeling the omega gripping the fabric of his blazer, tears already soaking through part of his shirt. 

Mad came over to the couch, confused as to why Anti was crying, but didn’t question when Anti yanked him into the hug. He shifted to get more comfortable and hugged Anti, softly purring to help soothe him. Dark adjusted his arms so he now held both omegas, Anti still crying on him while an arm clung to Mad.

Dark looked down at the two and decided right then and there, that they were his.

And no one would ever take that away from him.