Negan's teeth pierce the tender skin of Chuck's mating spot sending a wave of euphoria through her body. The world melts away as all she feels is his arms tightly around her, his knot firmly inside her, and his claim on her neck. Warmth spreads from his bite throughout her body, filling her with a feeling of contentment.

This is what she wants. This is what's meant to be. To be Negan's. To be his mate.

At least that's what her omega side is thinking.

Negan's bite holds tight to her neck as his knot remains inside her. Only when his knot diminishes does he pull away, pulling her along with him to both lay on their sides. He lightly licks at the wound he had just made on her to clean it of blood and ensure that it heals quickly.

Within minutes, both of them are asleep which gives them a temporary respite from their raging hormones. It only lasts about an hour before they're at it again, all growls and groping hands. It's passionate and needy on both their parts. All they are thinking about is being with each other and that's it.

After several hours of sex and catnaps, Negan knows his mate needs to eat. Despite her protests, he leaves the bedroom to make them both some sandwiches. They barely get them down before they're all over each other again.

By the third day, they've slowed down as their energies ebb with the ending of their heat/rut, but the urge to be together is just as strong. Negan nuzzles his nose into her now claimed mating spot as he pushes into her with a lazy rhythm. After the claim, the scent coming from her neck is now forever changed. Hers is still there, but now it's mixed with his. As he smells himself on her, it has a sense of pride blooming inside him.

This is my omega he thinks. I'm gonna take fuckin' care of her forever.

Chuck's primitive omega side is thinking similar things. About how she'll always support him. Bear him all the pups he could ever want. Raise strong alpha sons and beautiful omega daughters for him. Tend his home with all the things he'll provide.

As she gets closer to her end, she puts her nose to his neck, breathing in his scent. Alphas don't get claimed like omegas, but she can't seem to keep her mouth away from his spot. He growls as she places an open mouthed kiss to his sensitive skin. It spurs her further and she places her teeth on the area in a light bite.

"Oh fuck," he groans.

The sensation of her teeth on his neck is too much and he can't hold back any longer. As he comes to his climax, Chuck goes over the edge as well.

Both of them are just about out of energy, but Negan manages to clean Chuck up of the used condom and get back into bed with her resting on his chest. They both fall asleep almost immediately and sleep through the night for the first time in three days.

The next morning, Negan awakes feeling completely drained since his hormones are back to normal. The memories of the last few days are hazy, but they sharpen in focus the second he sees the fresh claim on Chuck's neck.

"Shit," he mutters as his eyes go wide. "Fuck," he says louder.

The sound wakes Chuck up. She's just as dazed as Negan was, but when her hand goes up to her sore neck, her eyes slam open at the feel of the wound on her neck. She pushes herself up from Negan and looks at him.

"You claimed me?!"

"I didn't fuckin' mean to!" he yells back. Emotions are high for both of them at the moment.

Chuck jumps out of bed and runs to the bathroom to look at the new mark. "Oh my god!" she calls out upon seeing the textbook claim.

Negan gets out of bed and finds his boxers on the ground. "I didn't fuckin' mean to!" he says again as he pulls the boxers up his legs.

Chuck stomps back out to meet him. "You didn't mean to?! Are you telling me your teeth accidentally, somehow, bit into my neck!" she bites back.

He throws his hands up. "I'm saying I didn't fuckin' intend to fucking mark you!"

She shakes her head as she puts on the pajamas she found on the floor. "Well," she straightens up to look right at him, "you did mark me."

"This isn't all on me, Chuck," he barks back. "You fuckin' presented to me. You bared your fuckin' throat to me. I was in goddamn rut and you expect me ignore that shit!"

It hits Chuck all at once, the memories of the last few days. She had presented. She had bared her neck. Despite what she had thought and what she had said to Negan before her heat hit, her body had gone through the motions all on its own. It had granted permission and Negan, similarly under control of his baser instincts, had accepted.

Her eyes well up as she looks at Negan with his face twisted in anger, her own fury rapidly dissipating. "I'm sorry," she chokes out. "You're right. It was both of us."

Just one look at Chuck's expression has his emotions turning, as well. "It's okay," he says gently as he walks forward to wrap his arms around her. "I'm sorry." His only thought now is to comfort her and calm her down." I'm so fuckin' sorry, baby girl. I did take what you said seriously, but I just... I couldn't fuckin' stop myself." He starts to lightly run his hand over her hair. "If you want to reverse the claim-" he starts quietly, but Chuck pushes him away to look him in the eye.

"No!" she interrupts immediately. It startles her how automatic it is. "I don't want that." She wipes at her eyes. "I-I knew we would be mated. I wanted it, but... I just wanted more time to prepare, I guess. But now..."

"Yeah. I wanted to wait, too." He nods his head sadly. "I was afraid to have a mate again," he admits hesitantly.

"You're afraid?" She's confused.

He nods again. "Being mated... It's intense. The feelings are so much more than anything else," he explains. "The way I feel about you..." he lets out a breath, "it's already... different. I was afraid..." he trails off, unsure of how to say what he wants to.

She's struggling to understand him. "You're afraid... of me?"

"No," he answers instantly. "Not you. I'm afraid..." He shakes his head. "I'm afraid you'll feel that way about me. That you'll fuckin'... love me like that. And that I'll fuckin' disappoint you and break your heart." He looks away. "I couldn't stand it if I fuckin' did that to you."

"Negan..." She lays her hand on his cheek. "I trust you."

"You shouldn't."

"Have you lied to me?"

He shakes his head.

"Have you hidden anything from me?"

"No."

"Then why shouldn't I trust you?" She smiles up at him and he can't help but return it.

"All I want is to protect you, baby girl." He takes her chin in his hand and pulls her face toward his in a kiss. "Now that you're my mate, that feeling is gonna fuckin' multiply. It's..." He pauses to try to put it into words. "People get shit wrong about alphas and omegas. They think the alpha is the head fuckin' honcho in the relationship. I guess that's probably true for abusive knotheads, but that's not how it's supposed to be. An alpha should live for his omega. Her life is much more important than his." He sets his forehead on hers. "It's a lot of responsibility and I'm scared I'll fuck it up again," he whispers.

She tilts her head to kiss his lips. "You won't," she whispers back.

"You don't know that."

"I do," she replies with certainty.

He chuckles and kisses her back. "Well alright then." He's still afraid of making mistakes, but her faith in him means the world to him.

"We need a shower," she comments with a laugh.

"We really do," he replies. "After that, I'll make us something to eat. I'm fuckin' starving."

"Me, too."

The whole rest of they day, with their heat/rut taking a lot out of them, they lounge about. They practically eat themselves out of house and home to replenish their energies then cuddle on the couch in front of the tv until they go to bed again.

In the morning, Chuck invites Diane over. She figures that it's best to tell her in person that she and Negan are now mated to each other. As Negan and Chuck wait for Diane's arrival, they both nervously mill around the apartment.

"Is your mom gonna fuckin' kill me?" Negan finally asks.

"I don't think so...?" Chuck answers without a lot of confidence.

"Shit. She was just starting to fuckin' like me."

"She'll understand when we tell her it was both of our decisions. I think." She shrugs a little. "At least we can tell her that I'm not gonna be pregnant since somehow we managed to stay safe the entire time."

"That's something, I suppose," he mutters. "You should probably call the doc to tell her this shit, too."

"Yeah. I guess I should." Chuck quickly calls Dr. Bailey and sets up an appointment for the next day to meet with her.

As she's finishing up with that, the intercom buzzes and Negan answers it.

"It's Diane," comes through the speaker.

Negan presses the button to buzz her in and turns back to Chuck, who is now done on the phone.

"Here we go," she says. There's no way to hide the fresh claim on her neck, so the second Diane looks at her, she'll know.

And that's exactly what happens the moment she walks through the door.

"You claimed her?!" Diane yells as she glares at Negan.

"It's not Negan's fault," Chuck tries.

"Did you two discuss it beforehand or was it just what Negan wanted?" Diane spits.

Negan wants to fight back, but he knows that will just make things worse, so he stays quiet.

"Mom!" Chuck calls out. "I'm telling you it wasn't just Negan. It was both of us. Neither of us could control it."

Diane still looks mad. "Did you use protection?" she huffs out.

"Yes. We did," Chuck answers. "Don't be mad at Negan for this."

Diane looks over to the man, who has his head hung low. She sees that he isn't talking back or making excuses, but she's unsure why? "Did you plan this?" she asks bluntly.

He shoots his head up to answer. "Absolutely not. I would never intend to hurt her like that." He takes in a deep breath. "I know this is more on me and I take that fuckin' responsibility-"

"No," Chuck interrupts. "If I hadn't given you those signals, you wouldn't have marked me. I know it."

Diane looks between the two and sees that Chuck isn't lying. She seems okay with all of this, so Diane figures she should be okay with it, too. "So... This is happening now?"

Chuck and Negan both nod.

"Okay then," Diane says almost to herself. "As long as you're both happy, I guess everything is good. But I won't hesitate to get Chuck away from you if you break her heart," she directs at Negan.

"If I broke her heart, I'd let you," is all he says.

The next day, Chuck and Negan get ready for their appointment with Dr. Bailey. Since it's been about three weeks since the news broke about Eldritch, the press have mostly moved onto other stories. Especially since Chuck and Negan have made it completely clear that they won't ever sit down for an interview. That doesn't mean that there isn't the odd reporter still trying to make a story out of them, which Chuck and Negan are aware of.

As Negan drives them to the medical center, he notices a car making the same turns as him. "Fuck," he growls as he checks the rear view.

"What?" Chuck asks.

His voice is gruff as he answers. "We're being followed."

Chuck looks back to see. "I don't see..."

"The red Nissan."

She looks closer and finds the car just as it turns off. "Well they're not following us now."

Negan just lets out a low growl. Since he's newly mated, the urge to protect his omega is high.

His reaction as well as his general temperament have her a little worried. "Are you okay?" she asks.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? You seem tense."

"I just don't want those fuckers coming after you."

"I don't think anyone's coming after me, Negan."

"Not if I can fuckin' help it."

They get to Dr. Bailey's office and are directed to one of the exam rooms. After a few minutes of waiting, she comes in carrying her laptop in one hand.

"Hello." She shakes both of their hands and sets her computer on the small table, readying it for the information she will enter into it. "So," she starts. "How's your arm?"

Chuck lifts her casted left arm a little. "It's not too bad, really. More annoying than anything else now."

"That's good, but that's not why you're here, is it. I'd like to look at the mark, if I could." Dr. Bailey gestures to the exam table.

"Sure." Chuck hops up on the bed and moves her strawberry blonde hair away from the left side of her neck.

Dr. Bailey looks at the bite for a moment then pulls back. "Looks great. Full claim. Nice and clean. Looks like it's healing just fine." She sits down in the chair in front of her laptop and starts typing.

Chuck gets off of the exam table and sits back down in the regular chair by Negan.

"So," Dr. Bailey finishes typing and looks to the pair. "Being mated now traditionally means you will be more in tuned with each other. Since that was already the case, I'm not exactly sure what to expect of this. The feelings may be more intense or it might just be more of the same. Negan," she looks at him, "how does it feel to you? Is it similar to your first mating experience?"

He clears his throat as he thinks it over. He normally wouldn't talk about this kind of stuff, but trusts Dr. Bailey, so he opens up. "I guess. I mean, it does feel more..." he thinks about what he wants to say, "I guess I'm more fuckin' anxious that I won't be able to make her happy or keep her safe. That's all I want."

Chuck reaches over to grab his hand. "You don't have to worry about that, Negan."

"I can't fuckin' help it. With Lucille..." He shakes his head. "I loved her and I wanted to take care of her. But I wasn't a good fuckin' husband. I was unfaithful and I know I fuckin' hurt her. It's not that I didn't fuckin' care she was hurt. It's like I just fuckin' put it out of my mind so I could still do whatever the fuck I wanted." He lets out a huff and hangs his head. "I was so goddamn selfish."

Dr. Bailey, who was a friend to Lucille and knows very well how Lucille felt about Negan's infidelities, can't stop herself from asking what's on her mind. "Do you think you'll be selfish with Chuck?"

He looks over to his mate to see her expectant face. "Every fuckin' bone in my body is fuckin' telling me that I'd fuckin' die for her. And if anything happened to her, I'd go fuckin' crazy." He lets out a breath. "I was bad after Lucille, but I'd never come back if I lost you," he says to Chuck.

Looking in his eyes, Chuck can see how genuine he is. She's not sure how to respond. "Negan..." She reaches her hand out to caress his cheek.

"I need to ask you, Negan," Dr. Bailey interrupts the moment, "given what you did to protect Chuck before she was your mate, do you feel you could become violent again?"

"If someone was hurting her, ab-so-fuckin'-lutely," he answers quickly.

"I suppose I mean, would you become violent in inappropriate situations? If, say, someone bumped into her in the street."

He lets out a huff. "I can control myself, if that's what you're fuckin' asking."

"He got paranoid on the way here that we were being followed," Chuck mentions.

He looks over to her. "I wasn't fuckin' paranoid. They were following us for a few goddamn blocks. If you don't remember, reporters fuckin' followed us before."

"I remember. But even if they do follow us, they know not to approach us. No one's even tried to talk to us for like a week."

He lets out a little growl which has Dr. Bailey raising an eyebrow. "I'm not gonna fuckin' kill anyone," he reassures.

Dr. Bailey nods. "I just want you to keep your head, Negan."

"I will, doc," he replies with some attitude.

"Good. Now," Dr. Bailey lets out a breath. "Now that you're mated, the issue of pups really needs to be discussed.

Both Chuck and Negan are slightly uncomfortable with the subject. The most they've talked about it with each other is that they don't want kids right at the moment. Beyond that, they haven't discussed it.

Dr. Bailey sees the discomfort in them. "Have you talked about it?"

They both look at each other before Chuck answers. "Not really. We've been using protection, but..."

"We aren't rushing," Negan finishes the thought.

"Since Chuck can't take suppressants, the urge to have a child will build the longer you continue to have heats and ruts without actually getting pregnant."

Chuck didn't know that. "Really?"

"Will it be fuckin' dangerous for her?" Negan asks. "Will her heats get bad like before?"

"No," Dr. Bailey answers. "But there's a strong possibility you'll both just be less in control. More feral."

Chuck and Negan give each other a look.

"It's something to think about," Dr. Bailey adds. "Again, we're in uncharted territory. You may be able to keep it together until you both decide you're ready. But maybe..."

Chuck completes her sentence. "Maybe we'll be too hormonal to care and I'll get pregnant during my next heat."

"It's certainly a possibility," Dr. Bailey comments. "Especially given how the claim went."

After a few more minutes of discussion, Chuck and Negan bid farewell to the doctor and head home. They happen to hit rush hour congestion, so it makes the trip back longer.

"Goddamnit," Negan groans as he brings the car to a stop. "I'm so fuckin' sick of this city."

"I kinda am, too. Since I'm not working, it's like I don't have any reason to want to be here."

"I wanna get on looking for fuckin' houses when we get back home." He looks over to Chuck for a moment. He'd been wanting to move for a little while now, but now that Chuck is his mate, he wants to make an actual home for her. "And I guess I should look for a goddamn job," he adds unenthusiastically.

"I've been looking around online already. I found some companies that will let me work from home full time. I sent out some resumes, so I just need to hear back."

"Rick mentioned that there are some empty houses in his neighborhood in Alexandria up north. It's a newer fuckin' community I guess. Maybe we could look at those."

Chuck smiles at the thought. "That would be nice. And it's really not any further away from my mom than we already are." She hesitates before asking what she wants to. "Is there a school close by?"

"Did the doc give you baby fever?" he jokes.

She chuckles. "No. I was thinking for you. Maybe... you could apply for a job there." She smiles at him, hoping that he won't be mad at the suggestion. The subject of him teaching again got brought up at Thanksgiving, but Negan dismissed it and hasn't mentioned it since.

He looks over to her and lets out a sigh. "I don't know..."

"It would make you happy."

He shakes his head and looks away. "They might not fuckin' let me set foot in a school again."

"Rick would vouch for you."

He looks back over to her. "Maybe."

"You know he would. And I bet the people you used to work with would, too. Like that guy I met when you took me to the baseball field."

The cars finally start to move ahead of them.

"Fuckin' finally," Negan mutters and pushes the car forward.

"I want you to be happy," Chuck blurts out.

Negan glances over to her. "I am happy. Anyway, it doesn't matter what fuckin' job I have as long as we're together."

His words make her smile, but she doesn't want to let on how much they mean to her. "That was pretty cliche," she jokes.

"What? That was fuckin' romantic as shit!"

She laughs. "It was, like, former-a-list-star-but-can't-get-any-good-movies-so-they-do-a-crappy-rom-com level romantic."

"No it fuckin' wasn't! It was like..." He struggles for a relevant comeback. "I don't know shit about rom coms. What was that one with the guy and the girl and the lake and everyone fuckin' loves it?"

She laughs at his description as she tries to think of what he's talking about. "Uh... The Notebook?"

"Yeah! The fuckin' Notebook. It was like that."

"I've never seen it. I think they die in it or something."

"Oh shit. Then not like that. It's like one of those sappy happy ending ones."

She giggles. "Let's hope."

When they get back to their apartment building, they start to look up available houses. They set up some appointments for houses nearby and some near Fredericksburg to be close to Diane as well as the houses in Rick's neighborhood. Over the next few days, they start to visit them.

The first house is just outside of Charlottesville, so it's not too far away from their apartments. It's been recently renovated and completely modern with all new appliances and a chic paint job. After the realtor goes through her whole spiel, she leaves the couple to wander the house on their own.

"It's cute," Chuck comments.

"Cute?" Negan replies. "It's fuckin' tiny. No yard. And there's barely enough room for any counters in the kitchen. It only has two goddamn bedrooms and the second one is as big as a fuckin' closet."

"So pass?"

"Definite pass."

The next one is closer to Fredericksburg and is a huge Victorian in need of some repairs.

"This shit is gorgeous!" Negan calls out as he gestures all around him. "Look at all the hand carved wood."

Chuck looks to what he's talking about. It certainly was gorgeous... about fifty years ago. Now everything needs refinished. And some fresh paint wouldn't hurt. "We'd have to put a lot more money into it. And it's a little big for just us," she comments.

"Room for pups!" the realtor replies, desperately trying to get rid of this property.

Both Chuck and Negan stop themselves from glaring at the young beta woman. It seems like the second people know they're a newly mated pair, all they think about is "when are you having children?" It's annoying for both of them.

Negan turns back to Chuck. "Maybe you're right."

"It would be beautiful to the right buyers," Chuck mentions to the realtor diplomatically. "People who are good at renovating, anyway."

After a few more days and a few more houses that didn't quite fit for them, they travel up to Alexandria to look at the available houses in the little community that Rick lives in. They turn off the main road and drive a ways before they come to a nice sign saying "Welcome to Monroe Estates." As they drive past the sign and further in, they see beautiful manicured lawns sitting in front of perfect suburban homes.

"This looks really nice," Chuck mentions as she looks out the window.

They pass a row of townhouses, which Negan sneers at. "I don't like that shit. What's the point of living in the goddamn suburbs if you're gonna have to share your fuckin' walls and have a small ass yard."

Chuck points off to the right. "Those houses have big yards."

"That's more like it."

They continue on to the address the realtor sent them, pulling up to the fairly large gray sided house with a raised front porch. They get out of the car and meet the realtor at the door.

"Hello!" the cheery beta male greets then leads them inside.

"All of the houses in this area were built within the last ten years and I helped sell every single one of them," he explains happily. "In that time, Alexandria has really blossomed into a tight knit community. But it's still close to various shops, including grocery stores and markets and also a very good school district."

"I actually know someone here," Negan comments. "Rick Grimes."

"The sheriff, right?"

"That's the one."

"He's just a few houses down."

The realtor goes over all the details of the home, three bedrooms, two and a half baths, hard wood flooring, granite counters, two car garage. The more Chuck and Negan see, the more excited they get. When the realtor steps out to allow them the chance to talk, they instantly turn to each other and speak at the same time.

"I fuckin' love it."

"This is the one."

They both smile at each other.

"You really like it?" Negan asks.

"Yeah. I do. I love the whole neighborhood. And this house is perfect. As long as the price is right, I guess."

"Don't worry about that," he's quick to say

"I don't want to start out our lives swimming in debt. I still have student loans to pay off."

He pulls her into him by the hips. "I have savings enough to make a hefty down payment. And you're gonna start your new job as soon as you get that fuckin' cast off in a few days."

She gives him a little kiss. "And you're gonna see about getting a job at one of those schools that guy mentioned."

He nods with a little smirk on his face. "I will. But the school year already started, so I'm not gonna get my fuckin' hopes up."

She shrugs a shoulder. "Maybe something will open up. You never know."

"I'd be further ahead going into town and getting a job at that fuckin' grocery store he mentioned."

She giggles. "Be a bag boy?"

"I'd own that shit. Best damn bag boy ever."

She laughs more loudly. "You'd help old ladies carry their groceries to the car?"

"Old ladies fuckin' love me," he comments with all of his confidence.

"Maybe you could get tips," she jokes. "Show them some leg."

"Shit yeah! We'd have this house paid off in no time."

When the realtor comes back in, he finds the pair giggling in each other's arms. "What are we thinking?" he asks. "I can show you a unit in the town houses."

"No." Negan lets go of Chuck to turn to the man. "We'll take this one."

After going over all the pertinent details, they start to get the ball rolling on the paperwork. They won't be able to move in until after the new year in a few weeks, but that doesn't matter to them. All either of them can think about is that they are one step closer to making a new life together.