Willow
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WC- 4.7k
Warnings-werewolf, alpha/omega dynamics, kinda asshole!Harry, storms, injury, talk of heat/rut, mentions of past violence
The storm had rolled in fast.
Y/N knew she wasn’t supposed to be out so late, but the surely ruined, soggy book in her backpack had distracted her. It was so easy to lose herself in the fairytale, a tale as old as time. A beastly man and a woman who softened him up, set in centuries past. She’d been ecstatic when the book shop in town had called her to tell her the copy they’d ordered for her had arrived and she had decided to make a whole day of it.
Find the wildflower pasture, sit under the biggest weeping willow she had found, bring a few snacks and read until her alarm went off. Get back home before sunset, when the forest was known to become disorienting.
That plan had gone to shit in chapter 3, when she was completely immersed in her book- and it had all gone downhill the moment she heard the rumble of thunder and the first raindrop hit her nose.
It had been foolish to wander off to the forest, especially this deep in it. without telling anyone. It was especially foolish as an omega- but she hadn’t been thinking. Y/N had always possessed a dreamy mind and she knew that. Some people call her ditsy, or lost in the clouds but she preferred to say she was a dreamer. She always had been and she didn’t particularly see anything wrong with that.
This time, however, she did blame herself for not being aware of her surroundings. It left her here.
Lost in the woods for hours, soaked through, shivering as she stumbled toward the distant light in the trees. The rain came down so hard that she was soaked to the bone, icy droplets feeling more like shards of glass as she fought her way through it. Her vision was blurred from the sheer amount of rain and the tiredness hitting her as she walked, waterlogged clothes and backpack useless on her form. Her phone was surely fucked, as was anything she could have used for survival in the backpack- and it wasn’t much. Half of an almond butter and jelly sandwich, a snack pack of cookies, an orange, a stuffed animal keychain hanging off the side- useless.
It didn’t help that she had wrenched her damn ankle in the midst, sharp pain shooting up her calf as she took every step.
In her attempt to find shelter, she went towards the lights that seemed to be smeared through the thick grove of trees. Up a curved driveway, she made her way through the cannot that gave her the tiniest bit of relief so she could see the place in front of her.
Anywhere would have been fine… but the last she had expected to find was the cabin she had always been told to stay far, far away from.
Y/N had no choice. Regardless of the rumors of its inhabitant, if she didn’t want to freeze to death out here- she needed to hope to god that he wasn’t as bad as people said, and would take mercy on her.
Her wolf was whining in her head as she got closer to the house, urging her forward as she dragged herself up the wooden steps. She could feel her energy drain more and more as she took each one, the push from her wolf being the thing that helped her conquer the final one. Every last drop of hope was rising in her throat as she knocked weakly on the door, barely able to feel her fingers.
It took a minute. Y/N leaning against the doorframe to try to keep herself upright as she took deep breaths, lightheadedness clouding her as she thought she picked up on the footsteps coming towards the door. It felt like a death march, the sound of the slow unlatching of a few locks as her vision blurred- and the door swung open.
The man standing before her was huge in a way she wasn’t fully used to, even being surrounded by her pack her whole life. This one beat them all out, tall, broad in shoulder and in torso, and even with her blurry vision she could make out some sharp features shadowed in flickering firelight. He was backlit, making him look shadowy as he stood before her- and even in her slightly delusional state, she knew he was powerful. It cut through her as she took deep inhales, feeling the swimming feeling hit her as she tried to speak.
Her wolf yipped, urging her towards him. As terrified as she was, and as reckless as her wolf could be, she didn’t have much of a choice. Her body couldn’t handle much more, but being in such a strong, overpowering presence had her trying to hold onto her consciousness.
This man was an alpha. No ifs, ands, or buts. Even if she couldn’t make out his scent in the rain, she knew it.
“Help- please.” She whispered with the last of her strength to speak.
This was completely and utterly the worst case scenario. Omega. Unmated. Hurt. Alone.
He could do anything and there would be nothing she could do about it.
“You shouldn’t be out here.” His voice was gravel, low and dangerous.
“I-I got lost,” she stammered. “The storm-”
“Doesn’t matter.” His eyes flickered, something primal and dark stirring behind them. “You shouldn’t be out here at all. The woods aren’t for little things like you.”
Y/N shivered, not just from cold, but from the way his voice curled around her, heavy with something unspoken. Her jumbled brain couldn’t exactly take the time to figure out what. A weird sensation of warmth was crawling up her feet all the way up to her chest, and she wasn’t sure if it was her body having a last ditch effort to keep her going… or something else.
Then another gust of wind howled through the trees, and he cursed under his breath.
“Inside, omega. Now.”
That rumbling tone was all it took for her to drop.
——
Y/N woke up slowly, her body aching all over.
She felt like she'd been hit by a truck.
As her eyes fluttered open, she found herself nestled under a heavy blanket, surrounded by pillows. The fire crackling nearby provided a warmth that thankfully went down to her bones to beat out the cold that had previously resided there, casting dancing shadows on the wooden walls. She blinked a few times, trying to remember how exactly she gotten here.
The last thing she vaguely remembered was collapsing on the doorstep, cold and exhausted from the storm- and a presence. A large, looming presence.
She slowly pushed herself up, wincing as her muscles protested. The real anxiety hit her as she looked down to see her body as the blanket fell down her chest, exposing her skin. She had stripped down to her underwear, her wet clothes nowhere to be seen.
Y/N winced yet again, wrapping the blanket tightly around herself to keep her chest from being exposed in the still damp bra. She was on a couch, the most comfortable one she'd ever felt, placed directly in front of the large fireplace. There were pillows everywhere, like someone had gone overboard trying to make her comfortable, which she couldn’t really fathom why. Her hair was damp, messy from her stupid storm adventure, spread out over the pillow, and she really didn’t know where to go from here.
Thank whoever had helped her, obviously- but with another crash of thunder, she knew she wasn’t going to be able to get out of here right away.
As she found her bearings, taking her first deep breath, the strong scent of what had to be an alpha hit her like a slap, making her head spin. The scent had her wolf yawning, relaxed in her head, which… was a first, to be honest. Usually restless and whining to get out and do something, find something, she had actually found comfort in their current position.
Though Y/N wasn’t sure she could argue. The scent was fresh and warm, like freshly chopped pine wood with a bit of peppermint with some smoke lingering. It surrounded her, filling her senses and seeping into her skin. It was masculine and powerful, like a dark forest after rain, mixed with a hint of something sweet, like honey, maybe?
All she knew was the it smelled incredible. Her muscles relaxed as she found herself nuzzled into the blanket, burying her face in the soft fabric, taking a deep inhale as it settled over her. The blanket smelled strongly of an alpha's scent, like they had wrapped it around her themselves. She could feel the warmth of the fire against her cheeks, and the softness of the pillows cradling her head and shoulders. She sank deeper into the nest of blankets and pillows, her body relaxing as the alpha's scent enveloped her completely.
It was conflicting to say the least. She should be terrified considering her position. An unmated omega with a restless wolf who didn’t seem to have much self preservation, weakened by both exhaustion and the slight injury to her ankle, all alone with an alpha- which she was beginning to recall- but instead, she felt her body melting into the pillows, her breathing slowing as she inhaled the rich, woodsy scent.
It was strange to say the least. Like her body recognized the alpha's scent and was trying to comfort her, rather than warn her of danger.
The longer she sat in her makeshift nest, the more it came back to her just where she was. Just who she was with.
The cabin, the tall, looming presence, the growl of his voice- the drop. She was in probably the worst case scenario, and yet… she still wasn’t panicked.
The rumors had painted a terrifying picture of the alpha who lived in the big cabin, removed from the packs outlying. He was said to be huge, ferocious, and reclusive, preferring the company of his axes and the trees over people. When a string of murders had happened in the forest only a thirty minute hike from his cabin, they had sworn up and down that it was him. That he had been in a rut induced rage, murderous and territorial of the space around his cabin.
While all secondary genders knew to stay away from this neck of the woods, Omegas specifically were warned to stay far away, as no one wanted to trigger his rut- and anyone else was told to stay away as to not trigger his rage. They said he could kill someone in minutes, that he was a danger to them all and had been rightfully outcast.
Y/N, though, had always thought it was a little bit cruel to paint a man who obviously had something wrong with him as a monster- it was perhaps social anxiety, or a pure hatred of people, but that didn’t mean he was some monster. However, that also didn’t mean that she purposefully came here. She avoided the area just in case.
Now, she was pretty sure she was nearly naked in his den, covered in his scent. But he had taken care of her- wrapped her in fine fur blankets and kept her warm when he very well could have left her out on his porch to die- or worse.
She settled in her spot as she heard footsteps, trying her best to be as alert as possible- but her body felt more at ease than she would have mentally liked to be. The sound got louder as she pulled the blanket further up her body as if it could defend her if need be, taking a breath and holding it as the alpha strode into the room, carrying a tray with a steaming mug of something that smelled strongly of herbs and honey. His gaze fell on Y/N, curled up under the blankets, and he paused, inhaling deeply before setting the tray down heavily, the mug clinking against the wood.
"Drink," he gruffed, nodding at the mug. "It's a warming tonic. You're still trembling."
Y/N eyed the mug warily, her first thought yelling at her not to drink anything from an alpha she barely knew, even if she was cold- and even if he did save her from the storm. While her wolf had snorted and called her dramatic, her wariness must have shown on her face, because he sighed heavily and took a large gulp of the liquid, closing his eyes briefly as he swallowed before continuing. "There. Now drink. I'm not going to poison you to get you into my bed. I am not going to harm you. You’re going to be sick from being out there if you don’t let me help you."
Y/N hesitated for a moment longer, then reached for the mug with trembling fingers. She took a sip, her brows furrowing at the unfamiliar taste- a blend of lavender, honey, and something like mint, maybe? There was some sage too, and the faintest hint of elderberry. As the warm liquid slid down her throat, she couldn't help but let out a shaky breath through her nose. It was surprisingly pleasant. She took another sip, then another, until half the mug was gone.
The alpha watched her intently, leaning against the fireplace mantle with his arms crossed. It wasn’t lost on her that he had backed off, giving her some needed space between the both of them… though part of her- the wolf part- felt oddly offended.
"Why the fuck were you out there?" The alpha spoke after a few moments of silence and staring. His tone had a gruffness to him that had her feathers ruffled, making her shrink back a bit into the blankets.
The alpha's gaze sharpened as she shrank back, his eyes narrowing. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly, though there was a hint of frustration in his tone. "You're in my house, wrapped in my blankets. I just saved you from freezing to death. The least you could do is answer my fucking question." He pushed off from the mantle and moved closer, towering over her for a moment before he sat down in a nearby armchair, something that must have been custom made considering the man would probably make any normal chair look like it was for a child.
"Answer the question, omega." He growled softly, watching as she hid herself in the blankets like a shield.
Her body language was screaming 'scared'. He wasn't an idiot. He knew he was scaring her, but he wasn’t meaning to. The idea of her out there pissed him off.
His wolf was pissed the fuck off, even more than the man was. Rage wasn’t unfamiliar to him, it was like an old friend, but it wasn’t pleasant. He was trying to keep the visible snarl off his face as his wolf tried to urge him closer to check her over again, but it wasn't a smart idea. Not when she was already scared.
What kind of pack let omegas walk around in the woods unattended? Did they not know the dangers of being unclaimed out there? Or did they just not care?
That thought alone had his hackles raised, wanting to take a bite out of whoever ran her pack now- but he needed to calm down. It likely wasn’t her fault. Most packs around these parts shielded the omegas, he knew. It wasn't something he fully disagreed with. Sometimes it was better to take care of the problem instead of alerting the masses. The stress could take a real toll on the omegas and he knew that, but if there was real danger wouldn’t they want to ensure they didn’t go off alone? Or was it that this one in particular was disobedient?
Nevertheless, he felt the weird twinge under his chest as she avoided his gaze. It pissed him off that she seemed afraid, and he wasn’t helping his case by being a dick.
She didn’t know that he wasn’t angry at her, but angry at her situation- or that he’d rather take his axe to his own hand than harm an omega. He took a deep breath and softened his voice slightly, trying to be less growly. "Where were you going?" He tried again. He watched as she uncurled slightly, wrapping the blanket more around herself like a security blanket.
Y/N hesitated, biting her lower lip nervously as she glanced up at him through her lashes. "I... I was reading," she admitted with a hesitant whisper. "I went out to the willow tree in that big flower field but I-I got lost in a book and didn't realize how late it had gotten. Then the storm hit and- and it got so bad so fast, I couldn't see where I was going and the trail got all muddy so I couldn’t walk properly." She hugged the blanket tighter, as if it could shield her from his disapproval. "I know it was stupid. I shouldn't have wandered off like that, but it wasn’t on purpose."
Harry listened to her explanation, his expression softening as she spoke. He could smell the tinge of guilt and self-reproach mixed with her naturally sweet scent- one he was trying very hard not to think about. The alpha sighed, running a hand through his hair as he gathered the correct thing to say. It was obvious she was a sensitive little thing and he was… blunt, to put it kindly. Kind of a dick and very abrasive if you were being fully honest.
"You weren't trying to be foolish, the" he conceded, letting out a grunt. "Just... distracted." He paused, considering her for a moment before speaking again. "You're an omega. You're not mated. Your pack doesn't warn you not to be in the woods without a chaperone?"
It was so foolish to him.
Why they wouldn’t protect their most precious, their most vulnerable, the most valuable in the best ways they could. “The forest had so many dangers for unmated omegas… Are you not aware of them?”
Y/N blinked up at him, looking startled by his questions. "W-well, yes, I'm an unclaimed omega," She stammered, heat prickling her cheeks. "But usually I'm very careful! I just... got carried away this time." She glanced down, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. "We're warned somewhat. They usually say if you’re unmated, go in pairs. But I live so close to the edge of the territory, I didn't think..." Her voice trailed off as she realized how stupid that sounded.
Harry shook his head slowly, a rueful chuckle escaping him despite himself. "Close enough that you think a solo walk is safe." he murmured, tone dry. "Guess they don't tell you just how dangerous it can actually get, or you wouldn’t be out there at all. Especially for someone who zones out reading." He leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees as he eyed her seriously. The disapproval and irritation on his face was enough to make her wince.
"Unmated omegas get targeted. By rogues, other packs who have low omega numbers, and apparently even feral alphas in perpetual rut.” He gave her a look, knowing that she more than likely had heard that very untrue rumor about himself. “It isn’t fair, it shouldn’t happen, but bad things happen in the woods. All sorts of nasty shit when you’re not prepared. And if it isn’t another person or animal, it’s the elements.”
It horrified him to think of what would have happened if she didn’t find his cabin. Even the thought had his wolf snarling and snapping, enraged at the possibilities.
He watched as she digested his words, her eyes wide and taking in everything he said. He could see the realization dawning on her face, the understanding of just how much danger she had put herself in, and at the very least she was beginning to get it. The fact she hadn’t been aware at all made him want to growl in frustration, but he kept it in check. "Your belongings are unsalvageable. Your phone was put in rice but it doesn’t seem to want to power on. What pack do you belong to?”
Well, fuck.
Y/N swallowed hard, her mind reeling from the information overload. Not only had she had a brush with death, but she was sitting in front of Harry Styles. Y/N had heard the stories, of course, but she had always brushed them off as exaggerations. Now, sitting here in the cabin of the infamous 'feral alpha', she was realizing just how naive she had been.
If he had truly been feral in the way her pack had sworn, she would be dead right now. She had no phone, her ankle was wonky, and she had no true idea how far she was away from her own territory. "I... I belong to the Whispering Willow Pack," she admitted, pushing her damp hair behind her ear.
"Of course you do.” Harry muttered darkly. The irony was there, of course, because of course a sweet little omega like her hadn’t been warned about all of the dangers- just warned about him, most likely.
It wasn't hard to remember why he left that damn pack.
He had gotten into a fist fight with the beta son of the Alpha because he had been too handsy with an omega who had said no. He had snapped the beta's nose and nearly killed him. Instead of thanking him for protecting the omega, as they should have, they had thrown him out of the pack, twisting the narrative about why he had left and made his cabin considered to be exiled.
Now he was the big, bad wolf. Their urban legend to scare people away from the forest as opposed to the real, tangible threats.
"How old are you?" He asked sharply. And why did he not remember her? Surely he would have. He was 34, and she looked to be a bit younger. If they went to school together at all… he definitely would have noticed her. He’d have remembered that scent. Still, something about her was so familiar that he was wracking his brain to figure out why.
Y/N blinked at the abrupt question, startled. "Twenty five." She replied softly, teeth catching her lip nervously as she tried to place him too. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, but her memories were hazy. She didn’t think she had ever met him properly. He was a few years ahead of her, which would explain why she couldn't quite place him on sight alone. He seemed so familiar, though. Safe.
For all she knew, she should be begging him to let her go and let her hobble home, or use his phone to call someone to get her as soon as possible. She didn’t know why she felt so… calm. "Do I... do I know you? Have we met before? I know… I know of the rumors and things but you seem so familiar to me, and I can’t place it." she asked hesitantly, furrowing her brow as her wolf was whining at her that this alpha was somehow significant.
Maybe they’d run into each other on neutral territory before? Though, she didn’t think she would be able to forget a huge alpha wolf. Not one as powerful as he seemed to be. It dripped off of him, and there was no mistaking that.
Harry's eyes narrowed as she asked the question. "You would know me if you did. I don’t think we have met.”
There was that damn inexplicable pull towards her. His wolf wanted to be near her, to inhale her scent deeper, to wrap her in his arms and keep her close and nip at her skin and that simply wouldn’t do.
He couldn’t do that.
It was confusing and irritating, because he hadn’t felt this way about any omega before- he hadn’t wanted to. He had always been content with his solitude, not caring to mate or have pups. But this omega... She was different, and he wasn’t sure why. His wolf was urging him closer, wanting to reach out and touch, but he restrained himself for now. "Answer me something." It wasn’t a question but a demand as he leaned forward, elbows on his thighs. There was a real chance she could slap him over the question, but with his mind feeling a bit less sharp as normal and the urges he felt, he had to ask.
"Are you close to your heat?" He asked bluntly, his nostrils flaring as he tried to pick up any scent that would indicate she was in her most fertile cycle. He wasn’t subtle about it either. It would possibly explain the weird pull he felt towards her- his instincts kicking in at the scent of a receptive omega.
She just smelled so good his mouth wanted to water. Like honey and lavender with a hint of something spicy like cinnamon. He wasn’t sure if she always smelled this good or if she was close, and he had to ask.
Why did he want to bite her? Why did he want to crawl over her on the sofa and cover her with his body, keep her pinned there as he rubbed his face all over her soft skin and keep her smelling like him? His wolf was already preening at the fact she was covered in scented blankets, but he wanted the real thing on her.
He wouldn’t, obviously, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t fighting that part of him from wanting to come out. “I’m not going t’do anything. You don’t have to worry. You’re fine. But I just… it smells like you’re a few days out, perhaps.”
And if she was, it was an even more stupid decision of her to end up in the woods.
Y/N's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink at his question, understanding what he was asking. "No, I'm not. I don’t think so." She replied, shaking her head. "I mean, I’m not in heat. My cycle is pretty regular and I’m definitely not due for another few weeks." She hugged the blanket tighter around herself, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and morbid curiosity. Why was he asking her this? What did she smell like to him to make him ask?
Harry's brow furrowed, his mind trying to puzzle together why he was feeling this strange pull towards her if she wasn't close to her heat. His wolf should be itching to get her out of his house, to get as far away as possible, not stirring and whining like a pup over an omega he had never met prior to catching her soaked body before it fell onto his porch. "You're sure?" He pressed, searching her face. "You can't be mistaken? You're not one of those omegas who have irregular cycles? Started a new suppressant or something to trigger it?"
Y/N met his gaze steadily, with a small degree of confidence. "I'm positive," she said softly but firm on the issue. "My cycle has always been regular. Like clockwork, actually. I keep track of it meticulously because... well, you know how it is for omegas." She gave a small, self-deprecating smile. "Or- or you wouldn’t because you’re an alpha, I guess, but wouldn't risk being out in the woods if I thought there was even a chance I was close to my heat. It's just not worth it."
Harry's expression turned pensive as he processed her words. On one hand, it was reassuring to know she wasn't out in the woods during a vulnerable time, which spoke to her intelligence and at least some sort of self-preservation instincts.
But on the other hand... his wolf was going absolutely fucking crazy to get closer to her, and Harry was now stuck trying to figure out why he felt so drawn to her when she wasn't even close to being in heat.
It made no sense- and the only option he could think of as to why wasn’t something plausible for him.
He needed a moment to think, to breathe without her scent clouding his judgement.
“Fine. I will get you food. Don’t move.”
