Jared arrived at his new home when he was no more than a baby.
Six months old, parents killed in a car accident. It’s a miracle he’s survived the crash with no more than a scar on his forehead. He had no brothers nor a single next of a kin to take care of him. He was a quiet baby, too small for his age and didn’t cry very often-- but he grew up strong and happy. He had a good, healthy childhood and an adoptive family who loved and still loves him very much, even if they don’t share the same blood.
That’s what his adoptive mother tells him when Jared asks about his ‘real’ family, a ten-years-old full of curiosity and a giant lack of subtlety. He remembers knowing he was different from this family, the need to know ‘why’. Why did he always feel like this, like a stranger?
Jared feels terrible about it later, of course-- about the way he’s asked it. His mother is a wonderful woman and she’s his real mother, no matter what. She doesn’t seem offended nor sad, though. She’s just relieved she finally let him know the truth about himself.
He still mourns the loss of two strangers that were supposed to be his family. It helps him to fill that void within his chest, that thing that seemed to be eating his insides-- not all of it, he’s sure this thing will never disappear completely no matter how hard he tries, but it’s enough to make him forget about the feeling altogether as the years go by and life seems to get back on its tracks.
In a blink, everything in his life is surprisingly great and a bit too perfect for his liking.
Jared is happy, of course. He can't even start to describe what he’s really feeling about the celebration happening in his flat at some random Friday night. It's a small thing, really. There are just his closest friends and his mother and maybe a distant cousin he can barely remember the name of-- but it's more than enough, and he's almost beaming at the reasons they're here.
He's just got his dream job and also the rank of the youngest person to join the Crowell & Moring LLP . Sandy, god bless her soul, finally said 'yes' after those wonderful four years they've been together and they're finally going to get married. He's not sure why she still loves him, after everything they've been through, after all the fights they had and his job always getting in the way, but Sandy does love him yet-- and he loves her more and more for that.
Right now, Jared feels he's the luckiest man in the world.
Unfortunately, for some reason he'll never really understand, life decides to remind him that he's not even close to being 'lucky'.
Jared doesn't know how to react at the trio of strangers stepping into his house out of nowhere. At first he barely notices their presence. Maybe they're someone's friends and he's still a gentleman so he keeps his mouth shut, enjoying his drink and Sandy's small, random talk. After five minutes, though, Jared deeply regrets not kicking their asses out of his home the very second they stepped in-- because the taller man of the trio is suddenly too close , wearing a stupid shit-eating grin on his face, fingers holding Jared's arms in a death grip and smiling like a damn lunatic who just got out of some institution.
Maybe that’s exactly what happened, because his next words are "I'm here to claim my mate" and Jared is a second away from losing his shit and punching this guy. He knows exactly what the stranger means-- he knows everything about this abomination of 'silent agreement' that keeps normal people and those... whatever-they-are in a peaceful coexistence but he has no idea why these guys are here, screwing with what was supposed to be a friendly meeting.
Because last time he checked, everyone at this party was a perfectly normal human being.
"Let go of me, you--" Jared hisses and then forces himself to shut up and take a deep breath. There are people staring at them now. His mother has a weird expression on her face, something he can't quite recognize but this isn't the time for that. "Listen, I don't care how high you are right now. You'll get out of my house before I call the police."
"And why'd you do that?" The man slurs and he's trying to be charming, but it ends up only pissing Jared off even more. "It's not like they'll really deny my rights, my little Omega."
Okay, this is getting ridiculous --
And suddenly there's a warm hand touching his lower lip and the man is calling him 'beautiful' and Jared doesn't even try to stop himself from finally punching the guy just as he's been wanting since this whole crazy situation started. The sharp, raw pain that ran through his entire arm was worth it-- it feels like he's punched a damn concrete wall, but the stranger finally let go of his arm and stepped back, green eyes wide in complete shock. It almost looks like the punch did nothing to him--he's just sincerely surprised at Jared's reaction, and Jared only wants to laugh--but the pain in his hand is worse and he cradles it against his chest.
He moves around, tries to ignore the tears of pain burning his eyes. This is complete nonsense, really. It's insanity and he just needs a moment to gather his thoughts and kick the crazy trio out of his house before things get out of hand, that's all. It's just a misunderstanding or something like that. He's no Omega, or mate, or whatever they think he is.
read the complete work on AO3 | tagging: @lizdoral79 @acesammy @angelicmeg @audaciousdean @catharticsam @corrupteddean @edgyhispanic @oh-jesus-sammy @policeofficerdean @pretttypadalecki @purgatoan @vintagesam
