A/N: Alas, each of us have a guilty pleasure. Mine are alpha/beta/omega fics. Quick note before reading, I know this 'verse is quite different from others, so if you don't like it, don't read it. Don't bash or flame, please.
As usual, I have my beta, Audrey, aka stelesandwands, to thank (for both fixing my mistakes AND coming up with the punny title) and Em!
The bar was completely crowded, but despite the cheerful chattering around him, Dean could still hear his pack loud and clear, shouting and laughing at each other. Jo had Ash's hand gripped in hers as she effortlessly pushed it onto the table top for the fifth time in a row, Garth cheering them on. Charlie and Jess sat at the farthest corner, away from the noise, and made pointless, but entertaining, chit-chat. Across them were Crowley and Benny, who's southern drawl clashed heavily with the Englishman's teasing quips.
Dean leaned back as Sam settled beside him, two beers in his gigantic, baseball mit hands. He flashed his brother a grin before sliding one bottle over and popping the lid off the other one.
"You okay?" he wanted to know.
Dean quirked an eyebrow at his Beta. " 'Course I am. Why d'you ask?"
"You look a little out of it," Sam said with a shrug.
"Too loud in here," Dean explained. "Drawbacks of werewolf powers- everything's amplified to the max."
Sam barked a laugh and nodded in agreement. He glanced across the table to where Jess sat. When he caught her eye, she sent him a wave, which made Sam grin like a madman. Dean rolled his eyes fondly. Three years ago the two first mated, and Jess still had the same effect on Sam as she did when they first met. The two seemed to be stuck in the honeymoon phase, and Dean honestly doubted they'd ever get past it.
When Sam turned his attention back to Dean, the Alpha teased him with a mocking, soulful stare.
"Stop it, Dean," Sam muttered, shoving the other in the shoulder.
"You are putty in her hands, bitch," he insisted.
"Am not, jerk."
Dean would have pushed on with the teasing, if he hadn't heard the front door bell, and picked up the sudden change of smell. His head perked up in interest, his eyes searched for the entrance. He knew that scent by heart now.
Sam noticed his behaviour, a smug smile already on his face. Before he could say anything however, Dean stood up and said, "Keep an eye on the pack for a sec, will 'ya?"
"Sure thing, Alpha," Dean heard his brother's snarky reply, but didn't pay attention to him anymore.
He meandered around the tables and people, his nose set on the sweet smell before him, like a wolf hunting. One or two other Alphas greeted him along the way, and he responded vaguely, his focus on the scent and only the scent. It tugged him towards the bar, pooling and pooling in his mind until he came to a sudden stop. At the sight of unkempt, black hair and electrifying, blue eyes, his heart all but jumped into his throat and his wolf yipped happily.
"Hello, Dean."
Castiel wore the same reserved smile he always did. A lumpy, grey hoodie clung onto his small frame, as if he was talked into going out last minute and threw on the first items of clothing he had reached.
Dean grinned. "Hey."
The thing about Cas' scent was, it did stuff to Dean that no other scent did. Cas smelt sweet and spicy and addictive all at once. His scent was warm like the summer breeze, fresh and crisp like the first snow in December. It struck all of Dean's senses at once, like lightning, overwhelming and drowning him in Cas. Made Dean both calm and excited, made him want to wrap himself in Cas, and doze off somewhere as he kissed him senseless. And that terrified him.
No one smelt like Castiel. No one. His brothers' scents were similar, they shared his earthy, spicy tones, just like Dean knew he and Sam both smelt of pine. But they each had a personal flare to it. Sam of books and Jess' muffins, Cas' brother, Gabriel, of gummy worms and chocolate. Dean's been told his is leather and grease. But Cas, Cas was evergreen forests and clear blue streams and knowledge and innocence. He was a mix of everything Dean liked about him.
"Where is the rest of your pack?" Castiel asked.
"Other side." Dean jerked his chin in the direction behind him.
Castiel dropped onto the barstool at the counter, his eyes briefly flashed to the seat beside him, then back to Dean's.
Technically, as Dean wasn't pack, he couldn't sit unless he had permission from the Alpha, even if he was an Alpha himself. He glanced over at Michael, Cas' eldest brother and leader, but saw he was already regarding him with caution.
The thing was, Michael was an okay dude. He was a good ally. He respected other packs, but was able to stand his ground and protect his own if needed. Michael was nothing if not fiercely protective; touch his family, and even the wrath of God would be nothing compared to his. And he was especially protective of Cas, the youngest brother, the smallest wolf. The Omega.
"Better not, I only came to say hi," Dean answered Castiel's unspoken question. "Haven't seen you in a while."
"Michael needed someone to check our borders, we heard of a possible rival pack," Castiel explained. "Gabriel and Balthazar were sent, but I went after them because I knew they would get lost."
Dean smiled, because despite what Michael thought, the Winchester knew Castiel was more than capable of handing rowdy wolves their asses. "Michael get pissed?" he asked.
"Not more than usual," Cas replied with a smile.
Dean laughed, and accidentally leaned in a little too close. He saw Lucifer, Michael's Beta, silently slide off his seat beside the Alpha. He suavely strolled over to them and placed a hand on Castiel's shoulder. Dean took a step back from Cas, his posture passive, but not submissive, because he was still an Alpha, and Lucifer only a Beta.
Castiel watched nervously between the two, his fingers twisted in the material of Lucifer's shirt as if to restrain him.
"Alpha Winchester," Lucifer drawled with a smirk. "How about I take my baby brother over now? Besides, I'm sure your pack is missing you."
Dean's jaw clenched, but he didn't reciprocate the taunt. He gave a quick, "I'll see you around, Cas," as he turned on his heel and left the bar counter.
By the time Dean reached Sam, the buzzing in his ears was back, but Cas' scent still lingered in his nose.
"Had a nice chat with Cas?" Crowley smirked.
Dean growled sharply, showing he wasn't in the mood.
Sam watched him warily, then suggested, "You wanna pack up for tonight?"
The Alpha looked at his pack as he considered. They were much quieter than when he'd left them, toning their conversations down to light, short words. Everyone had had enough for the night. Dean nodded to his Beta. "Yeah. Let's go."
Pack members stumbled to their feet, some tipsy, some not, but each one visibly tired. Dean placed an arm around Charlie's shoulders protectively, seeing as she was youngest. Jess snuggled into Sam's chest, to which he responded by wrapping his arm around her waist. The differences were subtle, but there. The mated pair was much closer together, heads rubbing as they scented each other, whereas Dean held Charlie like a big brother would hold his sibling. Jo was the only one in a lively mood, poking and teasing Benny. The two got on well despite the large age gap, which Dean was happy to see. Crowley, being his usual mysterious self, stuck behind them as Ash and Garth drunkenly brought the rear.
Dean stopped and made Charlie stick around inside as everyone piled out the door, sparing one last glance in Cas' direction. The Omega sat between two of his pack mates, an Englishman named Balthazar and a redhaired girl, Anna. He was watching the two argue playfully, tossing insults back and forth like a tennis match. Charlie jabbed Dean in the ribs and grinned at him. When the Alpha looked down, she nodded at Castiel and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Do I sense something going on between you two-" she asked, but Dean pressed his hand against her mouth and steered her out the door.
Home was a two-storey wooden lodge that used to belong to the Campbells, Sam and Dean's grandparents. It was left to their mother when they died, then given to Dean when he left his parents' pack to start his own with Sam. It had more than enough room as several generations of Campbell packs grew up there, just as the Winchester pack had in Dean's childhood home. Dean was alone in the master bedroom and everyone else had one to themselves too, with the exception of Sam (he shared his with Jess) and Ash, when he spent some nights on Garth's floor.
Each pack member made a beeline for their bedroom without much fuss except for Ash, who insisted that the night was still young, then proceeded to pass out on the sofa. Needless to say, no one bothered to move him.
As Alpha, Dean should have been up first by default, but due to his love for sleep and Sam's creepy mental alarm clock, it was the Beta who was up by seven thirty and already scuttling about. By the time Dean himself woke, most of the pack was already done with breakfast. He liked to go for runs before breakfast, and was usually accompanied by Sam, who would have already digested his breakfast. They would stay out about an hour, varying between running and jogging. Jessica was left in charge of the pack, a job which should be given to the Alpha's mate. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Dean knew he should be settling down with someone permanently. An unmated Alpha meant no heirs for the pack (and grumpiness in older age, but Dean never liked to think about that). His pack was undoubtedly expecting him to find someone, and Dean was trying, he was. But no one seemed to click with him. Their eyes were never the right shade of blue, or their scent was never sweet enough. Sam thought these were ridiculously high standards and that he would never find a mate at that rate.
"They're not standards," Dean insisted through several breaths, three days after their visit to the bar. "They're preferences."
"There's no difference!" Sam countered.
"Look, if I die alone, then I'm counting on you and Jess to come up with a good replacement," Dean told him.
"Yeah, with the way things are going, we'll have to get on that pretty soon," his brother replied.
Dean shoved him. " I'm not that old. I'm not even old, for Christ's sake!"
Silence lasted only a few minutes as they jogged, then Sam asked, "You got anyone in mind?"
"What, for a mate?" Dean clarified, and his brother nodded. "Nope. No one."
They quieted after that, but Dean's mind worked on like an engine. He lied when he'd said he didn't consider anyone as a potential mate. It was Cas. Cas, who made his heart do stupid things when he talked, made his day better by just being with him.
Cas, who didn't show any interest in Dean whatsoever.
When they got back, Dean headed straight for the shower, and reappeared in the living room some twenty minutes later, tugging his shirt over his wet head. He found Benny flicking uninterestedly through TV channels and nursing a bottle of cold beer.
"Hey, you're still here?" Dean asked as he settled on the sofa.
Benny took a long draw from his beer before saying, "Yup. Everyone suddenly disappeared."
"Any idea where?" the other asked.
"Jess took Jo and Charlie on a grocery run," he explained while he turned down the volume. "Ash and Garth are out with a few friends from The Roadhouse, and Crowley went off somewhere."
Dean nodded to the werewolf as if to ask, "And you?"
"I'm enjoying a day of peace and silence, brother." Benny laughed. "What about you, Alpha? Got anything special planned for today?"
Dean shrugged. "Might go down to Bobby's, see if he needs any help."
The truth was, he was hanging around to see if Castiel would call (he decided not to dwell on how much of a teenage girl that made him). Most of the time, if Michael gave him permission, Cas came over to the lodge and lazed around with Dean. The Omega was great to talk to, because even if Dean didn't understand most of the stuff he said, he liked to listen to his interests. Cas was a book nerd like Sam, but was also crazy about space and history. He knew so many random facts and tidbits, and despite his deadpan tones, Dean could tell it was something he was really passionate about.
But Dean hadn't heard from Castiel since the night at the bar.
The Winchester left Benny on the sofa, already fiddling with his phone in his pocket. He played with the idea of calling him, seeing what he was up to. After making sure Sam wasn't lurking around any corners, he found Cas' contact and pressed 'call'.
It rang several times, and Dean started thinking it would go to voice mail when he suddenly heard the familiar click of Castiel picking up.
"Hey, Cas. It's Dean," he started.
"Sorry to disappoint, Alpha, but it's Gabriel," came the cheery reply of Cas' brother.
Dean scowled, annoyed, as he grit out, "Okay. Can I talk to Cas?"
"No can do, Dean-o. I'm afraid Cassie can't come to the phone right now," Gabriel said.
"Why?" Dean asked.
"My God, you're a stubborn one. Ever heard of minding your own business?"
Unlike most werewolves, Gabriel couldn't care less about the species' class system. He considered everyone equal. It was something Dean admired about him, but right now, he really wished he'd cut it out.
"Gabriel, just tell me what's going on!" Dean demanded. "Where is Cas?"
"In heat," the other told him.
A pindrop silence.
Dean spluttered, "What? Since when?"
"Yesterday," Gabriel returned. "Although I fail to see how that is part of your concern." Before Dean could make any response, he heard, "Cassie- Cas, no! Go away, it's not for you! Cas, get off- Balthazar!"
Then nothing. The call disconnected.
Dean stood in the middle of the dining room, blinking at his phone. What had just happened?
During the couple of months Dean had known Castiel, he learnt the Omega used heat-suppressants, ever since his first heat. Cas didn't have a mate, which was considered unhealthy for Omegas, because of their natural instinct to care for others, just like an Alpha's instinct to lead. Omegas were usually smaller than other wolves, so for them, mates also meant protection. Which, Dean supposed, Cas didn't need, seeing as he had three older brothers willing to kill for him.
So why was he suddenly in heat? Did he get off the suppressants? Was he planning on finding a mate?
Dean's heart stumbled at that, and decided not to think about it anymore. He pocketed his phone again and headed out to the Impala.
He didn't think about Cas as he helped Bobby around the car salvage, and he didn't think about Cas when he picked up the girls from the store.
Except that he did.
The thought of Cas possibly ready for a mate made Dean happy, terrified and angry at the same time. He knew the chances of Cas wanting Dean as his mate were slim; Castiel wasn't interested in him. But that was the thing: he was never interested in anyone. Dean sort of assumed Cas just didn't care about that stuff. He never talked about it (although, in hindsight, that shit was private), and never expressed a want for anyone other than his pack members.
So Dean came home with a raincloud thundering over his head. He barely spared Sam's questioning look a glance as he stomped into the kitchen to make himself a sandwich. Despite his angry chewing, he could still hear Sam ask Jessica about it. Jess had replied he'd been like that when they found him.
"Dean, can I come in?" Sam's voice came from the hall.
"Free country," Dean muttered. Sam could come into the kitchen if he liked, just as Cas could mate with whoever he wanted.
But fucking damn it, why wasn't that Dean?
Sam silently dropped his long limbs into the chair next to Dean's. "You wanna tell me what's up?"
"Forget it, Samantha. 'M not talkin' feelings with you," his brother snapped.
Sam nodded mutely and asked instead, "Wanna go out with us? It's pool night down at The Roadhouse."
"Nah, I'll stay in tonight," Dean replied. "Don't worry about me, Sammy," he added as his brother stood up.
"I'm your Beta. It's kinda in the job description," Sam said with one of his shaky chuckles.
Finally, Dean was left to eat his sandwich in peace. He listened intently as the pack got ready, and then shuffled out the door. From the voices he made out, only Crowley was staying in. He remained sitting when the door clicked closed, but when the car engines roared off down the street, Dean got to his feet and left back upstairs. After perking up his ears and peeking over the railing for any sight of the Englishman (it turned out Crowley was in his room, in the middle of some shady phonecall), he lay down sprawled across the sofa. His cell sat on the coffee table in front of him if Sammy called in case of an emergency.
Half an hour into an episode of CSI: Whatever, Dean had lightly dozed off.
He vaguely heard Crowley step out of his room and muttered an amused, "Tosser," in his direction, to which he replied, "Asshole."
The other chuckled and flicked Dean's sock-clad foot before disappearing down the stairs, but soon came back with what Dean's nose recognized as tea.
"Seen that one before, it's the sister-in-law," Crowley informed him before his door shut behind him.
Dean cracked an eye open in the direction of the TV to see that, yes, they were arresting some brunette in tears. He shuffled a little and plumped his pillow, and as he closed his eyes-
The cell phone rang.
The Alpha jumped up with a yelp. Still dizzy and drunk with sleep, he blindly felt around for his phone. Once he realized he wasn't going to find anything in his pocket, he felt around across him and finally brought the cell to his ears.
" 'Lo, Sam?" he asked.
"Dean," a deep, tired voice rumbled.
The Winchester's heart beat flew off the charts in a second. "Cas? What's going on?" he said, instantly noting the distress in the Omega's speech.
"I- My heat- It's-" he stumbled over his words, his breathing shallow.
"Cas, listen, buddy. Where are your brothers?" Dean asked calmly, even though he was freaking out inside. He had absolutely no idea what to do with an Omega in heat. None of his girls were Omegas, let alone the guys. Male Omegas were rare, like female Alphas.
"I don't know. I- I think they went out."
"They left you alone?" Dean growled.
"My fault. I told them I'd- that I'd be fine," Cas explained. "I thought I'd be fine."
"Did you reach any of them?"
"No- Didn't call them."
Dean stayed silent, his brain thinking rapidly, processing the fact that Castiel called him before any of his brothers or pack mates. He barely dared his mind to wander further down that road.
"It won't go away," Cas said softly. "Dean, make it go away."
Dean's throat clenched like someone's fist snaked around it. Knowing that Cas was hurting, it made Dean's whole body hurt. His entire being was screaming at him to run over there. But he couldn't. Castiel was not in his right mind. Dean knew heats could be incredibly uncomfortable if an Omega didn't have a mate. He was just the first friend Cas came across in his contact list. D was like, the fourth letter in the alphabet.
"Cas, buddy, I can't," Dean said.
"Why?"
"You know why."
Castiel exhaled shakily. "Please, just make it go away, Dean. It burns."
And like that, Dean's mind snapped, and his wolf took over. It knew Castiel was in distress, and wanted to act on it.
"Stay put, I'm coming over," Dean barely registered the words leave his mouth before he hung up and sprinted out of the house. Baby's engine was purring and he was gripping her steering wheel in the span of two minutes. He didn't have time to explain to anyone. Sam would take care of the pack while he was gone, and Crowley was more than capable of fucking up whoever tried to mess with him.
By the time he rolled up (more like came to a screeching halt) to Cas' house, Dean already could smell the Omega's pheromones. After making sure Baby was locked and safe, he all but kicked down the front door. His heart pounded in his ears as he sniffed the air for a sense of Cas' direction. His scent took him down the left hall, to the farthest door. Fully aware that Cas knew he was here, Dean pressed down the knob with shaking hands.
The room was in complete darkness, save for the sliver of light Dean let in from the hall. It illuminated Cas' bed, and Cas himself, squinting under the chemical, pale yellow light. The air was a mixture of Cas' usual sweet scent, salty sweat and addictive pheromones.
In all honesty, Dean was lucky he didn't go into cardiac arrest, judging by the speed his heart was hammering.
Castiel's skin was pale compared to the dark blue covers pooled around his waist and legs. His breathing was heavy, his hair wet with sweat and his irises thin, blue rings around his dark pupils. A faint smiled appeared on his lips at the sight of Dean. Even if Cas' eyes weren't used to the sudden light, he knew Dean by scent, just like Dean did for him.
The Alpha closed the door as quietly as he could and just stood there. Which irritated him, because he usually had no problems making his way around the bedroom. But there, on the bed, was a were his wolf was dying to mark as his own. Dean never wanted to claim anyone so badly in his life. And Cas was the one person he just couldn't, not without his consent, not when he's so out of it. So yeah, Dean had every right to stand there like an idiot.
"Dean."
The raspy voice brought him back to his senses. Dean licked his lips absently, before asking, "You okay, Cas?"
The other sent him a small scowl, which relieved Dean, because at least Cas had some small part of himself left.
Castiel's hand suddenly came up, his palm outstretched towards the Alpha. Dean knew he had wasted enough time, and reached for the hem of his shirt. As he undressed, he was fully aware of Cas watching him intently, eyes steady and trained solely on him. When Dean tossed his boxers to the side, he carefully approached the edge of his bed. Castiel teetered under Dean's gaze, heat radiating off him like crazy.
The Winchester settled on his knees right in front of the Omega, and barely had time to assess the situation before he suddenly had a lapful of Cas. He hissed softly at the intial contact; Castiel's body was a furnace compared to his. In contrast, Cas seemed to relax against Dean's chest, as if he was ice to his blazing skin. He nuzzled behind Dean's ear and sighed contently.
"You're so cold," he said gently.
"No, you're just incredibly hot," Dean countered without thinking.
They both laughed, Cas' chuckle quieter compared to Dean's bark. The Omega pulled back to look into the green eyes, and his warm hands cupped Dean's stubbled jaw, then tipped the Alpha's chin up. Dean's heart beat stopped.
With a small dip of his head, Castiel closed the distance between them. His lips were soft and plush against Dean's, kissing him with unbelievable gentleness.
Dean's expectations of kissing Cas (and yeah, he had thought about it, sue him) were nothing compared to actually kissing him. In a way, it was similar to the Omega's scent. An explosion of tastes, all equally addictive and delicious. He tried to put it into words, he did, but none could do it justice. So he settled for, totally freakin' awesome.
The Winchester's arms instinctively came around Cas' waist. His wolf urged him to pull them higher up the bed.
He brought Castiel's head back onto the pillow, pulling his lips off with a soft smack and pressing them to his neck. He trailed his lax mouth down the stretch of Cas' pale throat, to the dip of his shoulder. Each kiss grew more heated and more selfish, as he lost himself in Cas' overwhelming scent.
Dean wanted to leave a claim. With every kiss, the need to mark his skin grew. He needed to nip Cas playfully, needed to bite him to make him his. But knowing that he couldn't? Well, that was more unfair than anything Dean ever came across. The only marks he allowed himself to leave were bruises, because he comforted himself by knowing they would be gone by morning.
Castiel's body arched into his, unsatisfied with the lack of contact. He used every moment he found to rub into Dean. His hands were everywhere; dancing over Dean's shoulders, tracing his spine, ghosting over the small of his back, massaging his hips. The Winchester knew what it meant. Castiel was scenting him.
Omegas didn't mark their mates like Alphas and Betas did. They didn't rely on bites- they relied on their smell, rubbing it into their mate's skin, melding their scents together.
And for Dean, knowing that was what Cas was trying to do only made resisting the urge to bite harder.
Castiel's legs wrapped around his waist, effectively bringing them even closer together. Dean was suddenly towering over him, watching his cerulean eyes, hooded and sparking with want. Hands shakily held Cas by the waist, he kissed him deeply once more as the Omega took him in.
Castiel's eyes fluttered closed as his hips snapped up to meet Dean's. He breathed the Alpha's name over and over again, his pheromones flared up again, driving Dean insane. The Winchester aimed his thrusts properly, and was rewarded by Castiel's blunt nails raking down his back. The more often he hit the right spot, the faster Cas would come. Which really, served everyone well. Cas could get at least one night's worth of peaceful sleep, and Dean wasn't intending to knot him. That was the line he wouldn't cross. Knotting was for mates, and Dean felt that he'd be using Castiel for his own needs if he did.
As Cas' arousal reached an all-time high, Dean pushed harder and deeper, and kissed longer and dirtier. With one sharper roll of his hips, Castiel moaned against the Winchester's tongue as warmth pooled between their stomachs. Dean, with what little control he had left, let go of his lips and pulled out. He sat back as Cas slowly relaxed, his body pliant and unmoving. A sudden urge to care washed over him, so Dean left to the bathroom, found a towel and wet it.
He sat down higher up Cas' bed, and rubbed him down in gentle strokes, careful not to wake him. Then he set the towel aside and, no longer able to pretend his dick wasn't about to fall off, left back to the bathroom.