Chapter 2

Rick Grimes was confused and tired. Waking up in a hospital and discovering that the apocalypse had started while he slept peacefully had been overwhelming. Seeing his wife Lori, kissing another man, his best friend, Shane Walsh, had been heartbreaking.

The dead walking around sometimes didn't seem like the worst. It was the people. People he trusted and was betrayed by. Feeling hollow inside, his omega side whining in distress, Rick looked up and saw the eyes of two alphas focused on him. Ducking his head Rick tried to keep the distress and with that the corresponding pheromones contained. It wouldn't do for the alphas to focus on him, he wasn't their omega. They weren't his alphas. His very being cried out for the one alphas that could make it all better. He hadn't thought at the time in high school that he would be with Lori that long. Rick had always dreamed of his alpha coming for him and sweeping him away. That was all gone now. His alpha was probably already dead and long gone.

Tears rising to his eyes Rick felt despair grip him tight. The only thing keeping him going on now was his son, his Carl. Carl did not yet have a dynamic that would come later in his teens. Would he be an omega like his dad? Would he be a beta like Lori? Would he be an alpha like Shane, or the Dixon brothers?

So deep in thought Rick did not register movement until the two alphas were right in front of him.

Each Dixon taking one of his arms Rik was dragged up and away from the fire "Come on, Officer friendly, let's go for a walk with good ol' Merle!"

Daryl snorted at that. Rick was so tense in their arms and Merle was not making it better by opening his mouth. The distress rising from the omega made their alphas rear up protectively. As long as an alpha lived they were compelled to help any distressed omega they came across. The urge was much stronger with their own mate, but family and friends were also protected with great care.

Nobody else sitting by the fire thought anything about the alphas taking away the scared omega. Too involved with their own problems and woos. Andrea, Dale and Carol looked on, but knew about the protective instincts. Andrea was busy calming Amy down, Dale was on watch with Glenn and Carol was taking care of Sophia and Carl. The Morales were busy keeping their children quiet and Jim and Jacky were involved with themselves, as newfound mates often were.

In the beginning everyone had been unsure of the Dixon brothers. The seemed like redneck trash, egoistically taking what they wanted, how they wanted. But over time the group discovered that only due to their hunting skills they were already more valuable than some others of the group. They were strong alphas, keeping them safe. So they put up with their antisocial behavior, their slang and Merle's chauvinism.

When Rick joined the group, things had been very tense. He had chained Merle to the roof top and almost left him there. It was their luck, that he had a second key to the handcuffs after T-Dog lost the key down the drain. The others had left in the van while Rick had gone upstairs again to free the alpha. T-Dog had waited for Rick, keeping the way clear.

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

"I lost the key!" T-Dog was frantic. It had really not been intentional.

The others looked at him. Disbelieve but also relief to be free from the oppressing alpha waring within them.

"What do you mean, you lost the key?" Rick was frantic, it would be his fault if the alpha died up there. Without a chance of survival!

Shaking his head Rick faced them "You go, I will release him and come join you at the city border." Rick moved to open the door. The alarm from the car Glenn was driving to distract the walkers was getting further away. He would have to hurry!

The outcry was loudest from Andrea, "The redneck deserves what is coming to him! He shouldn't have behaved like he did!"

"That is not for you to decide! Everyone deserves a chance. Now go. Time is running out."

When Rick climbed out of the van T-Dog joined him "It's my fault, I will help!"

Looking at him Rick only saw determination "Ok, get us a car and wait up front. Keep our way clear. I will go upstairs and get him."

Nodding T-Dog looked over to the nearby cars, and went on checking them out, always keeping an eye on the surroundings.

Satisfied Rick grabbed his gun and a knife, making his way upstairs.

He could hear Merle curse and yell as soon as he opened the door and saw him scratching up his own arm, trying to get out of the cuffs.

When the door opened Merle's head swung around in a panic, calming down when he saw Officer friendly there. "Get me out of these fucking cuffs, you fucking arsehole!"

Rick stepped closer to him "You will calm down now! I'm here to get you out, T-Dog told me he lost the key."

"Fucker probably tossed it away! I'll fucking kill the tosser m'self!" Merle was still struggling, breathing heavy.

Kneeling down Rick looked at the enraged alpha "You will do nothing. He didn't have to tell me. He is waiting downstairs to get us out of here. If you calm down I'll cut you lose." Rick held up the spare key. He couldn't trust the alpha not to hurt him in his state. The suppressant seemed to be still working, the alpha didn't know he was an omega.

Taking a deep breath to try to calm his racing heart Merle scented a clean, fruity scent. Eyes widening he looked on as the man knelt beside him. A rumbling sound escaped the cuffed alpha "Omega!"

Rick's eyes widened, the suppressants really stopped working now?! Acknowledging the alpha was the least Rick could do now, "Alpha"

Merle thought were racing wildly. The omega wasn't his, but something told him he was important. Instincts rearing up he growled "Better get us out of here then, Officer friendly!"

Shivering at the command Rick finally reach for the captured wrist, hands shaking in the face of the suddenly intense alpha.

As soon as the wrist was released Rick found himself on the ground with the alpha scenting his neck. Struggling against the alpha would just prolong the scenting, so Rick kept still and silent. He felt a lick on his neck and flushed when he felt the alpha mark him. While only mates were usually marked, family and friends could be put under protection. But for Merle to do so was very strange. They didn't know each other, he seemed to hate Rick from the first moment… What was going on?

Suddenly able to breathe again Rick felt his arm grabbed und was pulled up from the ground.

"Come on, little omega, we're getting out of here!"

Shaking the last confusion of until later Rick followed. Muscles tensing when they came downstairs and waiting for the sudden explosion of temper to happen, Rick kept between T-Dog and Merle. The beta would not have a chance against the alpha otherwise. But Merle surprised him when he just got into the car. Shrugging at T-Dog's perplex expression he got into the driver's side and they took off. Merle lunging around in the backseat, while steadily scenting that the omega upfront was alright.

~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~

When they had come back to the camp Rick had been elated to find his family there! His son and beta wife were safe, along with his best friend, Shane.

But when he had stooped down and taken Carl into his arms, the suppressants no longer working, he had smelt the elation but also sadness from his boy. Turning to Lori he discovered that she smelt different… No longer like him... But that could be due to the time they spent apart.

Not willing to think of anything else but the relief to have his family back Rick saw Merle talking to another man, another alpha presumably. Merle was pointing at him and the other alpha was looking at him with an intense fascination.

Daryl could scent the newcomer. When Merle stepped up to him he could smell the scent of an unclaimed omega on his brother. Rumbling deep in his chest at the thought of his brother claiming the sweet smelling omega Daryl focused on him "What did you fucker do?"

"Nothing, Darylina! Officer friendly over there just cuffed me to the fucking roof!" Merle would have pouted if that was something badass alphas did. Why did his brother think he had done something…? Even if he did!

"Merle…"

The snarl in his brother's voice made Merle sigh "Don't get you panties in a twist! I tried to take over the lead of those stupid fuckers, officer friendly over there came and cuffed me, then released me when the beta tosser would'a left me to rot."

Feeling his blood heat up at the thought of his brother cuffed, alone on a roof with walkers almost let Daryl see red, "He did what…"

"Calm down! It's fine, at least I found the fine piece of omega ass…"

Merle was silenced when his brother turned fiercely glowing eyes on him "Is he your omega?"

"No."

"Then you will leave him alone!"

"I marked him!"

"…"

Startled eyes met Merle's "Marked? Why?"

Deciding whether or not it would be worth it to rile up his brother further Merle decided against it. "He smells of flowers and fruit, a clean scent. He smells like family…like mom did"

Daryl almost wanted to check if his brother had a fever "He smells like mom?" The disbelieve clear in his voice.

"Yep."

Focusing on the omega again, Daryl tried scenting him from the distance. Without success. There were too many others around. Most distracting was the way the omega's wife smelt like the alpha asshole. Could the omega not smell that?

Deciding now was not the time Daryl took off into the woods, Merle following him, to hunt. Otherwise they would go hungry tonight.

Rick saw the alphas leave. Taking hold of his son, the omega went into the tent. Tired beyond believe he soon slept, keeping his boy in his arms. Carl equally happy to have his dad back, leaned into him. Scenting at the neck and sleeping easily for the first time since the whole nightmare started.

Outside Lori was looking at Shane. What should they do now? She had broken the bond with her husband, he had broken the trust of his brother…

But they just couldn't stop. Couldn't stop the flare between them, the forbidden union made so much sweeter due to the emotions being high. The omega pheromones of Rick riling the others up. The failed suppressants making the man smell so sweet and unclaimed.

Shane would have like to claim Rick for his own. But he had always been able to resist. When he thought Rick gone, he had taken his wife, so have at least a piece of Rick. And she had been all too eager. Practically falling into his arms and urging him on. She didn't seem to care for Rick at all.

But now, Rick was back. The feelings were there again. And feeling the urge to keep a piece to himself Shane took Lori into the woods, taking her again and again. Knowing that her husband would be able to smell it.

Once satisfied they went back to the camp, unaware that they had been seen by two growling alphas.

Unaware that their last kiss, just outside the tent, was seen by a heartbroken omega.

As soon as night fell, Rick was sitting by the fire. He thought about what he had seen, what he had smelled from his wife. He knew he couldn't ignore it, he knew he would have to react somehow. The best course of action would be to end his relationship, he scoffed at the thought, with the cheating beta. It would be best for him and his son. Omega's always had sole custody due to their dynamic. As Lori was a beta no court in the world would have given her custody. Now, without courts and Shane as her new alpha and Rick without an alpha, things did not seem so easy.

Tension and worry eating at him, distress rolling of him, Rick went with the two alphas when they grabbed him. Wanting to get away. Hoping they wouldn't hurt him even more.

Tbc