Castiel winced as the needle bit into his arm. Already eight months into the treatment, he should have been used to receiving the monthly injections. Castiel was participating in a clinical trial for a new slow release version of their hormone suppressants. The biodegradable polymer delivery system had been developed as an alternative to daily pills or weekly injections. So far, Castiel hadn't exhibited any side effects except a bit of fatigue. He also found that around the time of month he usually went into heat, he felt jittery and irritable. The drug did what it was supposed to do though, and he hadn't had a heat since he started the injection regimen.
Previously Castiel had forgotten his pills regularly; he had preferred to swallow his meds, since he hated needles. Missing his pills led to heats, which led to more sick days. He sequestered himself at home during that period; he became hyperaware of everyone's body odor and if he caught the whiff of an alpha, it made him crazy with desire. He also hated having to wear pads to soak up the constant slick he secreted during his heat. It was inconvenient and embarrassing. Additionally, the constant need to mate was frustrating and exhausting. Castiel had sworn he would never touch another alpha again, but none of the many toys Castiel had tried came close to replacing the feel of an alpha cock with swollen knot. Most of all, Castiel missed the human contact; being held and cradled while joined, until the alpha's knot finally softened and released them both from their intimate embrace. He had started running out of sick and vacation time, so when he found out about the clinical trial, he had readily applied. He was pleased with the results; most days he could almost convince himself he wasn't an omega.
Castiel was a scientist, and his research was in the area of cancer genetics. In particular he was interested in the genes that might indicate predispositions to cancer in the reproductive systems of omegas. Castiel had worked hard to get where he was; in addition to taking suppressants, he went to his therapist regularly and found outlets in meditation and exercise. There were other omegas who has successfully integrated into society, but they rarely revealed their identities. It was too dangerous; at best, you would be ostracized, at worst, you would be raped and killed. If you were lucky, you would be claimed early by a kind alpha. But mating was not a guarantee of a happy ending either. Too many omegas became prisoners in their own homes, subject to the whims of their alphas and their own biological makeup, only valued for their child bearing ability. Omegas who didn't find a mate and weren't suppressed were often lured into prostitution.
Nowadays, Castiel successfully presented as a beta, although he would always have the scars to remind himself of his omega biology. He envied his beta coworkers their safe lives that were unhindered by heats and animalistic drives. But even so, Castiel hadn't always wanted to be a beta; once upon a time he had dreamed of mating with a handsome and kind alpha, with whom he could make a home and family. He knew better now, but he had hit rock bottom hard before he had finally realized suppression was the only way to save himself. Castiel rarely dwelt on the past, but he would never be able to have a baby. It was part of the reason he focused his research on helping others. He had never had much desire to become a father, but although his sterility wasn't impractical, he was angry and ashamed that the choice had been stolen from him. And he had given up on finding a mate; he was used and damaged goods, no one would want him.
Castiel watched as the nurse removed the needle, swiping the minute amount of blood away with a square of gauze. He gently placed a circular Band-Aid over the injection site.
"All set, Castiel." The nurse, Samandriel, smiled and nodded at Castiel.
Castiel returned the smile. He had long suspected that Samandriel was also a suppressed omega. The younger man certainly looked and acted the part; he was slender and smaller than most betas, and he spoke softly and deferentially. Perhaps he was just submissive in nature, but Castiel could usually tell. There were no claim marks on his neck, but those could be easily covered, and not all omegas who chose to assimilate were running from their alpha mates. At any rate, Castiel didn't know him well enough to ask, and it could be taken as an insult if he was wrong.
"Thanks Sam'driel." Castiel said, pulling his sleeve down and shrugging back into his jacket.
"See you in a month." Samandriel replied. He turned to his laptop to enter in Castiel's vitals, which he had scribbled on a post-it.
Castiel picked up his shoulder bag and left the doctor's office. It was a brisk day in March, and Castiel wrapped his scarf around his neck snugly. He dug his hands into his pockets, keeping his head down as he walked against the wind. The doctor's office was only a couple blocks away from his workplace so Castiel always walked. This morning, Castiel had been in a rush and missed breakfast. He decided to duck into the coffee shop that was on the way back to work. The door jingled when Castiel pushed into the warm cafe; the smell of coffee and fresh baked goods filled his nostrils, and Castiel sucked it in. But as he walked towards the counter, he paused. Something else was in the air. A scent he couldn't identify that was separate and distinct from the usual coffee shop aromas. Castiel sniffed again; it was a pleasant scent, spicy and sweet with something darker underneath.
"I could smell you the second you walked in." A rough male voice drawled.
Castiel froze. He was fully suppressed, or so he thought. Only the faintest trace of his omega musk was ever present, and that was during the peak of his heat cycle, or what would have been the peak if he wasn't on meds. The shot he had just received wouldn't work instantaneously; there was a half-life for the degradation of the polymer beads, but there should also have been enough overlap from the previous dose. But the half-life was only an estimate, and drug release rates could vary from person to person. It hadn't been a problem previously, but now Castiel realized that today's date coincided roughly with when the start of his heat cycle would have been without suppressants. Castiel turned to look at the man who had spoken.
The man leaned back in his chair, tipping it back slightly by balancing his legs on the rung under the table. He gave Castiel a smirk. Castiel swallowed hard. He was incredibly gorgeous- sandy hair, emerald green eyes, a nose that a Greek god would envy, and a spray of light freckles across his cheeks. A chiseled jaw and full lips completed his perfect face. He wore a fitted t shirt and ripped jeans, and Castiel couldn't help but admire his sculpted arms. His posture was cocky, as if he was spoiling for a fight. And then Castiel realized where the scent he had caught was coming from. This guy was an alpha.
"Smell something you like?" The man said teasingly, but Castiel heard menace in his tone. "Me too." he added, taking his legs off the table rung and letting the chair set back on the floor.
"I'm Dean." He offered, holding out his hand. Castiel ignored it and didn't answer.
"I'm suppressed..." He whispered, more to himself than Dean. He felt stunned and caught.
"What did you say?" Dean withdrew his hand, frowning slightly. "It's a shame that you're so rude, with such a pretty face." Dean made a show of inhaling deeply. "And such a lovely scent."
Castiel took a step closer so he wouldn't have to speak too loudly.
"I said, I'm suppressed. And you shouldn't assume so much." Castiel said quietly. "I know your type. You think you're entitled to everything." Castiel couldn't prevent the anger from seeping into his voice, even as he cringed inwardly at the way he was speaking to a stranger. He had been triggered; alphas made him nervous and he never trusted them. And this one has come on to him. Even worse, Castiel had felt himself stirring where he had rarely felt interest since he had started his meds.
"Really?" Dean commented, rubbing the scruff on his face with one hand. "Could have fooled me. And as for what I'm entitled to..." He looked Castiel up and down, and Castiel fought the urge to flee. Say no firmly and confidently and he should leave you alone, he reminded himself. Dean had a predatory grin on his face now and Castiel's desire to run ratcheted upwards.
"I'm sorry. I'm not interested. Please leave me alone." Castiel said loudly, so others sitting nearby could hear him. He hoped his voice hadn't quavered. A couple of heads turned in their direction.
"No harm, no foul." Dean said lightly, holding out his hands in a placating gesture.
Dean shrugged but kept his eyes on Castiel. Their eyes caught for a beat. Then Castiel forced himself to walk away. He could feel the heat of Dean's stare following him as he walked away. Once he was safely outside the shop, Castiel walked out of sight and then let himself lean against the brick wall of a building, burying his face in his hands. He took deep breaths; the cold air hit his lungs almost painfully, but helped him clear his head. After another minute, Castiel was able to continue walking back to work.
When Castiel returned to his desk, he removed his coat and scarf. He rubbed his hands and blew on them to warm them up. Sitting down heavily in his chair, he toggled his mouse to wake his computer up. He automatically reached for his coffee and then realized he had neglected to get any after his encounter with the alpha. Castiel felt completely off kilter after their meeting. There was no way he could focus for the rest of the day. He had planned to run some assays in the lab after he came back from the doctor's office, but now he settled for answering emails and writing a report on his results from earlier this week. His mind kept wandering despite his best efforts though; the alpha's smell had been irresistible. Castiel was so angry that he had let the bastard get to him. He thought he was long past those days. He had vowed he would never touch another alpha. And the way he had spoken to him so arrogantly, so sure that Castiel would say yes to anything he suggested. It reminded him too much of another alpha he had known long ago. Castiel pushed down the memory and tried to focus on his work.
…
Dean watched with longing as the omega walked out of the coffee shop. Dean thought he had never seen anyone more beautiful. The omega was just a bit smaller and shorter than Dean, with a vulnerable, open face. Intense blue eyes that reminded Dean of the evening sky just after dusk, lovely pink lips that were just a bit chapped, and a mop of tousled dark brown hair that Dean would love to mess up even more. The omega smelled way too good and too strongly for someone who claimed to be suppressed. Dean found himself wanting as he hadn't for a long time. But the guy wasn't interested, which both frustrated him and increased his desire for the omega. Dean bit his lip. He didn't even know the guy's name. Dean made a split second decision and then shrugged his jacket on and ran out the door. The omega couldn't have gone far. The cold wind slapped at Dean's face, but he barely noticed, as he walked quickly down the sidewalk. He saw a figure huddled against the wall a half a block down. It was the omega. Dean didn't want to spook him so he waited near another store front, pretending to admire the goods in the window. A few minutes later, the man was up and walking down the street at a brisk pace. Dean followed, closing the distance a bit, but still about a hundred feet behind. He pulled up the hood of his jacket, hunching against the bitter wind.
He followed until the man disappeared into a corporate building. Dean slowed his pace and read the sign by the door: BiOmega Therapeutics. Of course he would be working for a place like this. Dean walked by the glass doors, peering in as inconspicuously as he could. There was a front desk with a receptionist and also a security guard near the entrance. Dean briefly entertained the idea of blustering his way past them and into the offices and labs, but it would be easier to just hire a private investigator. He kept walking and then turned at the next corner into the city park. In early March the trees were still bare, but crocuses and daffodils were starting to poke their heads out of the ground. Dean strolled leisurely through the park despite the cold. His thoughts were full of the omega in the coffee shop. If only he had gotten his name. It had been years since Dean had desired a mate. Once upon a time he still believed in finding "the one" but that had soon devolved into a series of disastrous relationships. They always ended with his would-be mate wanting a family. Dean had no desire for this; his father had been a cruel and domineering man, as well as an alcoholic; an alpha that mistreated omegas and thought of them as sub-human. When Dean was 15, his omega mother had left home with his beta brother, Sam. She was tired of John and his archaic belief that alphas were also superior to betas. John had always treated Sam poorly, but at least he never lifted a hand towards his younger son. He constantly beat Dean, telling his alpha son that he was toughening him up so he could hold his own against other alphas as an adult. But when Sam turned 11, John decided that he didn't need to "baby" the beta anymore and started beating him as well. After a week of this, Mary took Sam and disappeared in the middle of night.
The years alone with his father had been rough on Dean. He had to take care of everything around the house, and make sure they were both fed. His father miraculously remained employed although when John was home he spent most of his time drunk. Dean had left home as soon as he turned eighteen. To support himself, he worked odd jobs, sometimes as a handyman, sometimes as a bartender or waiter. He found he especially enjoyed the restaurant atmosphere, and eventually took a couple of classes at the local culinary school. Dean was comfortable in the kitchen from the years of cooking for himself and John, although he had never made anything fancy. At school, he found he had a talent for creating new dishes and an instinct for pairing complementary flavors. After he finished his classes, he started as a prep cook at an upscale restaurant near his apartment. Like many alphas, Dean rose quickly through the ranks with the help of his looks and commanding presence. He became involved in the management side of the restaurant, and discovered he had a knack for it. Eventually he decided to open his own business, and today he was the owner of a thriving eatery, La Storia. Nowadays, the place practically just ran itself, and Dean just checked in occasionally.
With the success of the restaurant, he had moved from the small studio he started in into the penthouse apartment in one of the tallest buildings in the city. Other than his expensive home, Dean lived frugally and continued to dress in the same jeans and flannel shirts he had always favored. Despite his wealth and social opportunities, he tended to stay in and cook at home. The exception was when he was trying to woo a potential mate. In those cases, Dean pulled out all the stops, and was happy to lavish gifts and expensive outings on the lucky girl or guy. But relationships didn't always work out, and Dean had needs too. He had tried hard to live differently from John, but he wasn't above using services that provided omegas for alphas that just needed release. He convinced himself that he was providing much needed employment for these omegas, and he always was respectful with them; afterwards, he left embarrassingly large tips, which made him a favorite of the beta pimps.
He was older now and at thirty-seven, much more in control of his drives. At his age, most alphas had families: a pup or two and an omega at home caring for them. Dean was content to live alone, not wanting to settle but no longer believing in "the one" either. It had been awhile since he had felt like pursuing anyone for more than a casual fuck. But that man, his eyes, his slender frame, and even his anger, they spurred Dean on like no other had done in recent times. Dean had felt his mouth water at the man's scent, his cock stirring even before the omega had turned around and shown his gorgeous face. Dean had to have him. He knew if he persisted, the man would give in to him. Dean had never been refused before. And he liked a challenge.
