Part 1 – Hush
"I am nothing. I'm like someone who's been thrown into the ocean at night, floating all alone. I reach out, but no one is there. I call out, but no one answers. I have no connection to anything." ― Haruki Murakami
Castiel was lost. He had wandered too far into the woods. The trees were getting thicker, and it was getting increasingly harder to walk through the undergrowth. A couple of times he had attempted to turn go back the way he came, but he was sure he was just going deeper into this strange territory. It has been at least 3 hours since he left the flat.
Castiel shuddered at the sudden thought of meeting an alpha. He was pack-less since his last alpha abandoned him. Without a pack he was in danger from any wandering alpha who decided to fuck him. Alpha-less omegas had always been considered fair game, especially if they were older. Castiel had only recently turned 18, though he was the only one who noticed, and was still young enough to be unclaimed without it being too strange.
Although he had belong to an alpha.
For 6 heats he has been with Alastair, and they all ended in nothing. Not a single pup, he was completely useless. Omegas were meant to have children, for most it was all they ever did. It was all Castiel had ever intended to do.
Alastair had never even said a word. Castiel had woken up one morning on the hard floor of an unoccupied, unfamiliar flat. He had been so confused, for days he wandered around, pacing the rooms, just waiting and waiting for Alastair to come back. When he didn't return, Castiel realised his alpha didn't want him; and Castiel hated himself more than he ever had.
The pain of Alastair's betrayal broke him; for weeks he did nothing but cry and attempt to starve himself. Eventually he had decided that starvation was too difficult, and poison may be a more efficient option. What other options did he have? He was a barren omega, and he had no other skills, no education; Alastair had taken care of him from his first heat. He never needed to be good at anything, because he was so sure he would be raising pups. Couldn't blame Alastair for getting rid of him, Castiel was made to be bred, and without the chance of offspring there was no reason to keep him.
His alpha's rejection was like a piercing knife in the gut, every thought, and every memory made the knife twist; he needed Alastair back. If Alastair ever returned to him, he would be so grateful, appreciative of every second the alpha spent with him. But that would never happen, Alastair didn't want him anymore.
So into the woods he'd gone, collecting every piece of flora that looked like it could kill him. He picked various berries and mushrooms he could crush later and boil in water. He lugged along his cane basket full of ingredients, and determinately when onwards. But then he fucking got lost. Lost was a feeling he hated more than anything. Lost was the feeling he had when he found himself inside the flat. Castiel need a place, his place. His place was in an alpha's bed. And he knew before the end he would never find that again.
The sky was turning afternoon orange shades, and Castiel felt nervous about spending the night in the woods.
Fuck!
He heard them before he saw them. Two alphas arguing loudly, he stopped dead.
Please don't notice me!
"Fuck you Merle," one of them yelled angrily, "I ain't going back there now! And neither should you!"
Castiel backed away slowly, hoping to get far enough before they noticed his scent. His 7th heat was due in 2 days, and he worried the alphas would smell it coming on. Alastair always could.
"He needs our help!" the other – Merle – said.
"So you're just gonna run up north and obey. In spite of everything! Fuck you, I -"
He was interrupted by a muffle Castiel couldn't make out; but he had Merle's scent and he could tell the alpha was alert.
The other alpha huffed, "what is it?"
"Omega."
Castiel was running before his brain could process it. Finding the forest floor easier to manage with panic coursing through his veins. Alastair did this to him, knew he would be unsafe without a pack. The alphas were after him, the alpha who wasn't Merle was closer. But Castiel kept running, determined to put up a fight. When he was Alastair's, the mating scent was all over him, and no other alpha dared to lay a hand on him. That scent was gone now, along with everything else Castiel ever had. These two alphas could do whatever they liked to an infertile, abandoned omega, and nobody would give a fuck.
"Wait, stop!" the other alpha insisted. Castiel's instincts told him to listen to the alpha, but the cognitive part of his mind told him to keep running.
Merle had gotten closer than he realised, all of his attention on the other one, and came at him from the side; effectively tackling him to the ground. Castiel cried out, but only for a brief moment before he could whimper at the pain of his arms being twisted behind his back. His body was sore from the fall, and he could feel where there would be harsh bruises. He was certain he would have a few more bruises by the end of this.
The other was breathed heavily with effort of running. "Stop it, you're hurtin' him," he choked out.
Merle growled, but, thankfully, loosened his grip. There was a moment of deadly silence while the two stared at each other. "You should leave us alone, Daryl," Merle whispered menacingly.
Nonononono! Castiel whimpered again, shutting his eyes tightly.
A growl ripped through Daryl, and Castiel felt Merle flinch (if only a little.)
"Just smell him! Nobody cares about this boy. You shouldn't either."
Merle knew he was unclaimed, Castiel was hoping he would have the opportunity to lie. But Castiel accepted that Merle was right; if nobody cared about him, Alastair had forgotten him, did it really matter if he was raped?
Daryl sure seemed to think so. He lunged at Merle powerfully, knocking him away from Castiel. Castiel heard the crack of a bone, and the sound of Daryl's hits. Fear filled him, if he could beat another alpha this way, he dared not imagine the things he could do to an omega nobody cared about.
Castiel was afraid, Daryl just wanted him for himself, and he should run. But he couldn't run, couldn't force his body off the ground, couldn't look away from the way the muscles on Daryl's arms flexed when he pulled back from the unmoving alpha.
When his brother was limp, but with any luck not dead, he looked over at the omega. The omega who, for some reason, hadn't run when Daryl gave him the chance. He was curled in himself and staring at Daryl with blue eyes as wide as plates.
Oh shit! He was fucking beautiful. Those eyes, and that pretty raven hair, full lips and a delicate little face. Daryl stared back, feeling suddenly very uncomfortable. He moved away from his brother, closer to the omega and the poor boy flinched. And he was definitely a boy, Daryl estimated the little angel was half his age.
When Daryl spoke he tried to be delicate, "you're okay. I'm not gonna hurt you."
Castiel glanced nervously at Merle's unmoving body. "You hurt him," he accused in a whisper. Castiel didn't believe him, he refused to believe him. Oh god, why didn't he run?
Daryl, once again, softened his tone. "He wasn't bein' very pleasant."
Alastair wasn't very pleasant, Castiel thought bitterly. Castiel remembered then that he had dropped his cane basket. "I… um, I need to get…" He scanned the area, but there were no signs of it.
This piqued Daryl's interest, "what?"
Castiel looked at him with helpless eyes, and Daryl felt in concerned frown. "A basket, it had my berries and stuff. I need -"
"I'll help you," Daryl interrupted insistently.
Daryl stood up and swiftly lifted him as well. Catching him his legs threatened to collapse. "C'mon little one. Wait, what's your name? I'm Daryl."
"Cas-Castiel," the boy stammered. Daryl grunted in approval.
They spent a good 20 minutes searching for the basket and came up with nothing. Castiel was devastated, his plan was ruined. He was sure when he had started running the ingredients would had flown everywhere, and he couldn't remember dropping his cane basket at all. Maybe he should just buy a gun? Daryl, although confused about the intensity of his feelings, tried to comfort the crying boy.
"I'm just so useless," Castiel sobbed into his hands.
"Hush little one," Daryl, almost cooed, gently stroking his hair. "C'mon, it's getting dark. Maybe we should go find your alpha, I'm sure he's pissed."
Castiel shook his head. "I don't have one," he mumbled.
Daryl was shocked, Merle had said the same thing but he hadn't expected it to be true. "Why?" Daryl gasped before he could stop himself. He felt guilty because he knew it wasn't a question to ask.
Castiel sobbed harder and his body started shaking.
"Shit," Daryl said, "sorry, I didn't mean ta do that."
Castiel took deep breaths to calm himself. "No, no. It's okay. I um… he left me."
Daryl hated the alpha instantly. Who would leave this little omega alone to get lost in the woods? "Why?" Daryl asked again, caution in his voice.
Castiel stopped himself from reacting. "I can't…" he said slowly, "I can't carry. I'm barren."
Daryl's mouth fell open as he looked at the poor boy, he could feel his scent emanating sympathy and Castiel could probably smell it. Daryl put an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer. Castiel leaned against him, although he felt disappointed Daryl would never consider him as a mate, alphas were reluctant to touch anything that couldn't give them children. It was just instinct. Not that Castiel wanted Daryl to take him as a mate, he was firmly set on dying now; but knowing that Daryl would reject him hurt all the same.
Daryl gently played with his hair, "oh you poor, little omega."
Castiel whined softly and looked up at him.
Daryl smiled, "c'mon let's take you home."
Castiel couldn't bear to say he didn't have one.
