"Dick's?" Rick looks from Glenn to Maggie, making sure the two Alphas weren't playing with him, "You're sure?"

"Yeah, we're sure." Glenn shifts, wanting to preen in pride at his find, but unsure of Rick's reaction.

"We checked it out from afar. It looks legit." Maggie adds, resting her hip against Glenn's in silent support of her Mate-to-be. Rick sees it and smiles, purring as the Alphas sigh in relief. The Pack had been in the same house for a month and resources were running low in the neighborhood. The two Alphas had been on a run and came across an overrun encampment in front of Dick's Sporting Goods. There weren't many Walkers hanging around, and they hadn't gone inside. If what the two of them were saying was true, the winter might be easier to deal with than Rick thought. Especially if the camping and hunting gear was still there in bulk.

"I'll run the idea over with the others; well done. I'm proud of you guys." Rick hugs both Alphas. He chuckles when Glenn whines into his glands with happiness at Rick's approval. They go and unload the food they found on their run. It's when everyone settles in for lunch that Rick brings it up to the rest of the group. He motions to Glenn and Maggie, letting them fill everyone in on the details.

"Are we sure it's safe?" Hershel asks.

"The windows and doors weren't broken." Glenn shakes his head, "It looks like there was a hole in one of the gates and then everyone panicked. The rest of the fences push out like the group had run them over fleeing from the Walkers. There was hardly any blood or bodies; it didn't smell too bad like some other places. I don't think they all got turned if any did."

"Why a Dick's?" Carl and Sophia snicker after the pup ask.

"Because it's a gold mine, especially come winter." Daryl speaks up, "The clothes last for long periods in the cold air and they're made to keep you warm. Thick but lightweight coats and pants. Good leather work boots, and water boots we can use in the snow. Thick gloves with hand warmers. The paintball gear is something we'll need."

"Paintball? Are you for real?" Beth scoffs in disbelief.

Daryl doesn't make a big deal out of the other Omega's reaction, looking at all their faces and the confusion there. All except Rick and Carl, who were smiling. The pup was the one to put the pieces together for the rest of them. "Dad took me paintballing once with some other guys and kids from our church group and it was awesome! Their guns go all the way from 'handguns' to 'high powered rifles'. The boxes of paintballs come in as many as two thousand in one box! We never finished the one we got, and we were there for almost two hours! The gear we got was cool too! We had chest harnesses to hold extra paintball rounds and fingerless gloves. Leg and hip holsters for the smaller guns like dad's python. They also have full chest and head and neckpieces, including BFGPs."

"BFGPs? What are those?" T-Dog asks. Some of the others were smiling, putting together what Rick and Daryl were thinking.

"Bite Free Gland Protectors." Rick supplies. "They're used by Omegas who share their heats with others that don't want to Mark or Bond. It's like leather and chainmail that goes over the neck and shoulders. It's for protecting the glands from an Alpha's teeth or in this case, a stray paintball. Getting hit there is one of the worst places because the glands are so sensitive. Most essential workers wear them. Police, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, lawyers. They're required to use them even if they're not an Omega for protection. Government-funded Breeders; GBs have to wear them to work too. They sell them in most stores for recreational or religious uses nowadays."

"But why would we need paintballs? I still don't understand how that's going to help us?" Beth was getting frustrated, they could hear it in her voice. Daryl goes over and sits next to her and Hershel, pointing at the fire.

"How much ammo do you think we got left? How many of you can shoot; trained in gun care past the farm?" The Theta smiles. "We use the paintball guns and paintballs to teach you guys how to shoot and aim for targets, like headshots. Work on y'all accuracy without wasting all our bullets. Teach y'all gun safety without putting anyone at risk. While a stray paintball can sting and bruise, as long as there's some distance, we can shake it off. While we teach you guys that, we can work on learning to care for and clean the real guns."

"Plus, Dick's has a wide selection for hunting, camping, clothing, and footwear." Rick adds in, "We'll need that stuff for winter."

"They also have portable heaters that don't use electricity or batteries." Glenn looks around at everyone, "they run off the oxygen around us as long as it's not too thin. So as long as we don't go to Mt. Everest they should work. Heats a space of 400 square feet, max. My family had one for a while when they moved to Michigan. It was able to get our house real warm for being so small. That's something we're going to need regardless if we stay there."

"Are we all agreed then, we camp out there for as long as possible?" Rick lets his Pack make the final decision. When everyone agrees to it, Rick smiles, "So then it's settled. We get whatever supplies we need to from these houses and we move on."

"I don't know how I feel about this. Dick's is filled with dangerous weapons. guns and hunting knives that pump oxygen into animals to make them explode and-"

"All the more reason to go." Daryl cuts Lori off, "Your here cause of the pup. Don't make it any harder than it must be. You move with the Pack or you move without it, but you don't get a say in where we go."

He goes over to Rick and places his hand on the Prime's shoulder, grabbing his bow while Rick scents him, "Goin' hunting. See if I can find something better than canned condiments."

Rick laughs and sends him on his way, seeing him out the gate on his way to his watch shift. Lori follows him, the whole Pack watching her approach the Prime. Rick growls when she goes to wrap her arms around his waist and moves away from her. She scuffs and glares while she crossed them across her chest instead.

"What do you want?" Rick grits his teeth.

"I want you to think about this. Is this the right decision for us; this house is stable enough, do we need to move onto another place right now? Especially not to a department store filled with things that can hurt or kill us if we're not careful."

"We live in a world that's trying to kill us. Or did you forget about the Walkers that eat people while you were reading your romance novels? Those weapons you're so afraid of will give us a fighting chance. The guns will help everyone, so will the camping gear and heaters. They have blunt weapons like bats and stuff we could use. Starting with paintballs. They'll build confidence with Carol and Beth and Sophia so they aren't scared to use them. Carl needs a weapon that's not as heavy as the one he was using at the farm. The knives benefit everyone. There was a lake not too far from here that we can go fishing, Glenn said his grandfather taught him. Andrea and Amy brushed him up on anything he forgot before the Quarry fell. Daryl could find more arrows for his crossbow and-"

"Don't." Lori snaps.

"What?" Rick glares, setting his hand on his python. When the Beta shakes her, Rick pushes on. "No. You didn't say shit until I mentioned Daryl. I've seen some of the looks you send him; I've heard you call him a Knot Clencher. You better explain, now."

Rick hears several growls and snarls when the slur comes from him, but they're all aimed at the Beta. Lori's face turns red and she growls, "That right there! Look I get it ok, Alphas have urges but sometimes I wonder if you care about us at all. You have people looking to you for guidance or whatever. You need to focus on them and being a leader; not chasing tail with some stupid Omegan slut that's just going to-" SLAP!

Lori holds her face as it changes red from the handprint on her cheek. Rick stood frozen as she threw everything in his face, doubting himself. He didn't see Carl move until afterward. Daryl was there, by his side, pulling the pup away from Lori while she looks at the boy in disbelief.

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT! YOU CAN'T TALK TO DAD LIKE THAT AND YOU DON'T GET TO CALL DARYL THAT, LORI~~!"

"CARL!" Rick snaps out of it and picks the pup up by his scruff, and away from Daryl. Turning Carl to him he sees tears in the boy's eyes; his red eyes. Carl was presenting.

"We need to go now." The Pack moves, taking the camp down and putting everything into the vans. Rick, Daryl, and Lori stay with Carl while they do that.

"Carl you can't say stuff like that." Rick makes his pup meet his eyes. "You can't; not to her."

"She gave me up." Carl returns, "She didn't want us that's why she drew up the divorce papers and Renounced me. I let her stay because she WAS my mother and cause the baby doesn't deserve to die cause its mother is selfish. If she says something like that again, not even the baby will be enough for her to stay." Carl runs over to Carol and Sophia, wiping his eyes. As he passes Lori reaches out for him, the dark look in her eyes has Rick bending her wrist with a low growl. Daryl puts his hand on his knife; staying right behind his Prime, waiting for his signal.

"Act like you're going to raise your hand to anyone in my Pack again, especially my pup, and I will drop you in the middle of a Herd." Rick leaves the Beta where she is, and Daryl follows with a shallow growl at the woman, pushing past her.

Rick takes the supplies van with Carl, to calm the pup down and keep him from the Omegas. Even though he knew Carl wouldn't do anything or even think about doing anything, it was better to keep him away. They can't have the Omegas going into Heat. Especially now when they didn't have Suppressants.

Glenn drove in front, leading them to the department store. When they get there they find the encampment deserted, and they pull the vans right into the building. Rick tries to decide who he was going to take to check the building, but Daryl just pushes over a display case. The glass breaks and the sound echo through the store. Two Walkers come out of the aisles and they take them out quick. Rick turns to the Theta, wanting an explanation for the unnecessary noise. When Daryl herds Sophia and her mother out of the car, the Prime turns away and grabs a tent. He sets it up as quick as possible, the sticky sweet smell of Omegas in Heat filling the air. Daryl gets them situated inside while Glenn distracts Carl. The pup's red eyes keep wandering back to where the three Omegas were. The pup could tell they were in heat and would be curious about what he was smelling. Rick relieves Glenn so the Alpha could help unload the vans of their equipment. He has Carl help to put up tents, the young pup was glaring and baring his teeth at Lori anytime she got close to the Pack. When the Beta moves close to the Omega tent, putting down crates Rick has to pull Carl away from her.

"You can't attack people Carl, even Lori. You're in Rut right now and we'll deal with it later, but you can't attack people for getting close to you." Rick purrs while he pets Carl's neck and hair in an attempt to calm the boy.

"I'm sorry." Carl huffs, earning a pull on his ear as a reminder to behave, "I don't want Lori close to her."

"Her?" Rick raises an amused eyebrow.

Carl turns a deep red down to his neck, "Them. I meant them; the Omegas. Not that they can't protect themselves or anything, I'm not saying that but-"

"You're presenting." Daryl climbs out of the tent with a little laugh, "An Alpha by the smell of it. That's a normal response for an Alpha in Rut towards an Omega, especially with one in Heat like Sophia is."

"But I thought she already her Heat, why's she having another one?" Carl tilts his head to look around Daryl at the tent. Rick thought it was cute his pup had a crush on Sophia; his pup was in love for the first time and had no idea what he was doing.

"Your Rut triggered it because she wasn't completely done with her Heat. We just put her on Suppressant, which we no longer have." Daryl turns to Rick, "Carol's staying with her right now but Carol's fertile scent is fading. I think she's becoming an Elder, and with her instincts with the pups and her submissive nature…"

"You think she's a Lambda." Daryl nods and Rick considers it. "I'll talk to her after we get Sophia calm."

"What's a Lambda?" Carl asks. Rick swallows his bitterness for Lori. if they had raised Carl in a Pack environment, he would have known what one was; would have had one himself.

"A Lambda is like the Pack babysitter; the Caregiver of the Pack's pups. Carol would be responsible for caring for you, Sophia, and any future pups when your parents are busy."

"Basically, what she's doing now but with a higher ranking and more say over punishments and rewards for ya." Daryl cuts in. Rick shoots him a look. Carl was still watching the tent and was making tiny movements to get closer to it.

"Then as the Lambda, I think Carl can come in if he wants to." Carol smiles from the tent opening. "We locked him out of the RV back at the farm and being on the road hasn't given them much time to play together. Omegas and Alphas need physical contact during their cycles. As long as someone is watching at all times I see no reason they can't help each other."

Rick looks at Daryl, gauging his reaction. When he shrugs, the Prime asks Carol to check if Sophia wanted Carl there. When he gets confirmation from both female Omegas he walks Carl to the tent. "If any of them tell you to leave, you do not argue. You leave and come to find me or Daryl, understand?"

"Yes sir." With a pat on the shoulder, Carl walks over to Carol, scenting her before going in.

"Hey Sophia look, I got a pack of cards. Now we can play." Carl sits across from the Omega, but close enough for their legs to intertwine. Rick goes back to looking for supplies they might need later.

It's while he is looking for gloves to prevent blisters that he finds arrows. Someone had moved them away from the weapons area in a somewhat large box. Bow and crossbow bolts mixed but Rick picks it up anyway. Daryl would be able to tell the difference, and he'd be able to use some more arrows. He puts the box in his tent and checks on the Pack. Everyone had gathered around the fire pit where Beth and Hershel were making food. The tents circled the pit, each one next to one of Glenn's heaters. They blocked the doors with the vans, parked with the back ends against each other to block the view of the outside. All their supplies were in boxes around the campsite.

The only two tents that were away from the others were the Omega's and Daryl's. Rick checked in with them and found Carol reading while the pups slept huddled together. Daryl was keeping watch and still double-checking the aisles from the second floor. Rick went upstairs. Daryl smelled off. It took him a minute to realize that Daryl was keeping his distance because he was in Heat too.

The smell coming off him wasn't sweet like Sophia, like honey, but rich. The smell of rain and wet dirt coated in pine; a forest after a thunderstorm. Rick couldn't help shudder at the smell, some would find it unappealing. It made Daryl smell beautiful and dangerous. Rick found the smell to be inviting and cleansing; he wanted to bask in it, and that made him stay away. If Daryl found out Rick found his scent attractive, his Heat scent, he'd have an arrow in his ass before he could blink.

"Find anything?" He asks the Omega. Daryl glances at him and swallows, one shoulder lifted higher than the other. He was nervous around Rick right now, and Rick could understand why. The Alpha sits down on one of the shoe display cases and takes one of the shoes, examining it. He bares his neck to one side, telling Daryl that the Theta was in control and the Prime wasn't a threat to him.

"Some birds." The Omega holds up a Nike bag. "Figure we could enjoy some fresh meat."

Daryl ducks his head with pink cheeks when Rick purrs in approval. The Pack had food, even jerky from a deer Daryl had caught days ago, and yet the Theta was still providing food for them.

'Omega can provide.' Rick's instincts tell him, 'Strong Omega; good Omega. Make a good M-'

"We appreciate it, Daryl, truly. Thank you." Rick says instead. He didn't need a new Mate so soon after Lori's betrayal. The Alpha needs to focus on his son, his pup, who was presenting and needed him, but when things calm down… no. Daryl wouldn't want a broken Alpha like him. Not one that came with baggage named Lori.

"I'm sure they would have emergency Suppressants in this place, I could find some if you want. Sophia's going to go through a whole other Heat so soon after her last; I'm not sure that's healthy."

"Why're you asking me?"

"You're the Theta." Rick shrugs, "Your call."

Daryl sits next to Rick on the display and pulls off his boots, picking up another pair off the ground. He puts them on instead. Rick would have to remember to get the Pack socks, Daryl's feet were a minefield of blisters.

"Can if ya want, but I doubt they'd work well." The Alpha nods. They had used Daryl's Suppressants before because the over-the-counter pills hadn't worked. But with those lost to the farm….

Below, T-Dog was walking over to the Omega tent with food and stopped, calling out to Carol. When she gave permission to come closer, the Beta looks up to Daryl. The Theta gives a thumbs up. Then, pointing behind the man to Lori, who was making her way over to the tent, he gives him a thumbs down. T-Dog gives the food to Carol then stands guard, refusing Lori's entrance to the Omega tent. When she starts to kick up a fuss, Maggie comes over and they grab Lori and start dragging her away. Lori fights back and they let her go. When she goes to smack T-Dog, her equal in her eyes, Daryl jumps to his feet and leans over the railing. A loud snarling growl echoes down. The Pack freezes and looks up as Rick comes to stand next to the Theta.

"Lori. Back away, NOW!" The Beta does so, backs away towards the tent. Both Rick and Daryl snarl this time, and so does Carl from the tent. The pup's red eyes glare at the woman and when she reaches into the tent, the Pack moves as one. They try to get closer to her so they can remove her. Her scream stops them, and she yanks her bleeding hand away from Carl's mouth. The pup had bit her, to protect the two Omegas in the tent with him. Sophia pulls him backward, away from the tent door so Carol could get out and stand before Lori as well.

"Hershel," she says, "will you go fix her hand. Lori, the next time you come near this tent, I'll sink MY teeth in you."

The Pack goes back to what they were doing and Hershel looks at Lori's hand. Rick watches for a moment then goes and sits back down with Daryl following him.

"So not just an adrenaline junkie then?" The Omega snorts, "Got some other kinks there Officer Friendly?"

Rick shifts his pants a little and Daryl laughs. The Omega leans forward to catch Rick's eyes, "I could smell it after I growled. My nose is much more sensitive in Heat, and you're not really trying to hide your arousal. That turned you on; me growling?"

"I'm not used to it, but I mean… I've always been bi, known since I was a kid that I'm attracted to both Alphas and Omegas." Daryl hums in acknowledgment, "And mine and Lori's sex life pretty much died before it began. So, when I watched porn…. the Alphas that would growl while they fucked…."

"Well, that was pretty fucking open." Daryl raises an eyebrow at the Alpha.

"I'm sitting here with a boner I got from you growling." Rick shrugs, "Figured it wouldn't be much of a problem."

Daryl laughs and nods at the Pack, "Let's get back and grab some food. But first." The Omega surprises Rick by burying his nose in the Alpha's glands. He breaths deep, intending for it to go no further than that. Rick bares his neck to give him more room and breathes him in in return. The Omega grabs the back of Rick's neck and flexes his fingers like he's unsure if he wants to hold on. The Alpha purrs and tightens his grip on Daryl's neck, and the Omega holds on with a whine. They smell each other for a while, shuddering against one another as they shift closer. When they finally pull away and rest their foreheads together, Daryl was almost in Rick's lap. Their boners rub together, and Rick bares his teeth with a whine. The Omega push against him with more force, more purpose, and the Alpha gasps.

"Daryl, wait…. your heat…."

"Gives me a little more confidence… less doubting myself…. let it." Daryl grabs Rick's chin and kisses him. The Alpha in him surges and he kisses back, rutting against Daryl's thrust. High on Heat and the smell of each other, they get each other off. Daryl suddenly rips himself away, grabbing his crossbow. He takes off down the stairs and out one of the service doors leading outside the store. Rick pants, and with the smell of the rainforest in his nose, he knots his hand like a teenager.

Daryl would never forgive him; he preyed on an Omega in their Heat and almost used him to get off. His lip pulls back in anger at himself, 'Disgusting Alpha.'

He changes clothes and leaves the ruined mess of jeans and underwear in one of the trash cans on the second floor. There was a huge wet spot on the crotch and thighs from Rick's cum and Daryl's slick, and if Daryl caught them in Rick's tent…

Rick goes down to the dining area and grabs some food. He tells a worried Glenn that Daryl had run outside because he thought he heard something and they were going out there on watch. He takes the food to the door and goes outside, planning his apology just in case.

….

Daryl enjoyed the taste of Rick's tongue, the few times it met his. He wanted to suck it into his mouth and allow it to coat his teeth in Rick's saliva. He ignores the small voice in his head that sounded like his father, telling him this Alpha would use his hole like he was bred to be used and leave him. Rick wasn't like that, and Daryl was grateful for it. This Alpha was the one who brought him Suppressants, the one who went back for Merle. The Alpha that allowed him to live with his Pack and care for his pup, for all the Omegas and pup. He protected them with a brutal strength that made Daryl's instincts keen in pleasure.

The Omega could still see Rick's hand through Shane's chest, covered in blood. He could see Rick's fangs and red eyes when Lori insulted Daryl. He can feel the Alpha's hands searing heat into his waist when he groomed Rick's hair.

'Good Alpha; my good Alpha.'

'Not my Alpha.'

'Not yet.'

'No, not yet.' Daryl agrees with his instincts and grinds harder into Rick's boner. The Alpha tightens his hold on Daryl's neck and waist in a gentle hold, his thumb rubbing against his glands. The Omega purrs, feeling something harden under him, and a gust of slick leaves him as he feels Rick's knot. He almost reaches for the Alpha's pants when he freezes. Pulling away like he's burned, he bolts for a door, only remembering to grab his bow at the last second.

No, Daryl refused to be an Alpha's breeding whore like his father tried to make him. Rick was a good Alpha, and Daryl liked him as both an Alpha and a man, but he would have to earn Daryl. Earn him the way Alphas earned their Omegan Mates centuries ago. Rick would have to court him; Rick would have to give Chase.

The Omega ran outside with slick running down his thighs and a flush to his glands. He rubs the oils over the door and sits on some creates next to it to spread his scent. Once he's sure Rick will smell him, he takes off towards the next building, leaving a trail for the Alpha to follow. He goes upstairs of the next building and waits; if Rick came outside then the Chase was on. If he didn't, Daryl would have to wait for one of them to make another move on the other to try to make Rick Chase again.

Daryl purrs and whimpers in excitement when Rick walks outside with food. 'Alpha brought food to the Chase,' Daryl thinks, 'Lori was twice the idiot that she was before for letting this man go. Especially to someone like Shane.'

Daryl almost laughs when Rick stumbles as he comes out of the door, staring at it like it bit him, right at the spot….

'Oh.' Daryl deflates and gets his bow, ready to go back, 'Rick didn't know Daryl left for a Chase.'

He stops when he sees the Alpha put the food down and his excitement grows when Rick smells the door and the creates. Alpha was giving Chase. Daryl slicks more when Rick turns to the building and sprints. He starts rubbing his slick and gland oils everywhere, bolting down the stairs before Rick comes into the room. Daryl makes it to a small grouping of trees when Rick comes out of the building, red eyes and fangs. The Omega climbs a tree, knowing he won't get away from a rutting Alpha.

Rick ends up at the bottom of the tree, crooning up at Daryl. He noticed the Alpha's elongated face with a snout and fur was sprouting from random patches of skin. His shoes were gone as his feet and hands had shrunk to half. If Rick could turn into a full Lycan with a wolf form the size would be the right for his large paws.

"What's the matter Alpha?" Daryl teases. Walkers started coming out of the woods and Daryl's smile fades, "RICK!"

The Alpha turns around and pulls a branch up from the ground before swinging it at the Walker's head. He decapitates three of them and bashes two other heads in. He turns back to the tree. He starts trying to climb it to get to Daryl, the blood of the undead staining his shirt and hands.

The Theta swallows a whine, his pants soaked in slick and pre-cum. God, he wanted this Alpha; he'd have to act before his Heat ended or he'd never act on it. "Rick?"

The Alpha's red eyes found Daryl's blue ones and holds them. With each blink, Rick's face and body return to normal and he backs away in shock. "Daryl…...?"

The Omega climbs down. Checking Rick for bites or scratches, he purrs and rubs their glands together to calm the Alpha. When he pulls out a rag and starts wiping the blood off, Rick whines and submits himself to the grooming. When he's done, Daryl reaches up and digs his fingers in Rick's curls, pulling. The Alpha's eyes turn red again.

"Catch me." Daryl takes off towards the building across from Dick's again, shooting a Walker on the way in. Rick finally catches him in the room Daryl had used as a watch post at the beginning of the Chase. The Alpha pushes Daryl against the door. He feels Daryl tense and pulls them to the floor, the Omega straddling his thighs, facing him. He kicks the door shut as another Walker shows up, the lock clicking into place. Rick just breathes in Daryl's scent and purrs, and when the Omega joins in, he presents him with his lost arrow.

Daryl grinds into Rick's lap afraid he'd lose his nerve if they waited any longer. They grind and thrust against each other until they cum, Rick's hand once again holding his knot. They wait until their pants are more or less dried before they head back, killing two more Walkers. It was getting dark when they reach the door to go back to the Pack and Rick pulls Daryl into a hug before he could enter.

"Rick?"

"Please tell me you won't regret this… what we did or might do." The Alpha rumbles sadly against Daryl's glands. "I like you Daryl and I know you're wary around Alphas because of your past with them. But I don't want to ruin whatever kind of relationship we have, as friends or Packmates."

"Or more?" Rick tightens his hold on Daryl and the Omega holds on tighter as well. "I ain't wary of you or the others, you're good people; you're a good Alpha. I ain't gonna regret this, even if I act closed off once my Heat is over. Never."

They kiss a chaste, lingering, touch of lips, then join the Pack again. As everyone settles down, Rick drops off the box of arrows and a quiver he'd found outside Daryl's tent. A courting gift for when he came back from checking on the Omegas. Carl had done well, but they sent him to Rick's tent when everyone started to sleep, not wanting to push their luck. Carl was an Alpha. He pops his knot in the early morning much to his embarrassment and the amusement of the others.

Rick and Daryl had gotten a few looks from the Pack at the strong smell of each other but ignore them. They kept it together for almost two weeks, Chasing each other for an hour, then returning to their duties. Rick was teaching the Pack house-clearing techniques, while Daryl taught them hunting whistles. Everyone pitched in with gun lessons. The hunting section provided a few handguns and several suppressers. No more loud noises calling herds upon them. Beth and Carol did well with the paintball guns as training wheels, as did Sophia and Carl to a lesser extent. Sophia had become a mini-Daryl. She choose a smaller, pink camo crossbow for beginners that Daryl had fixed to shoot far enough to be useful. The Theta even talked about teaching her to hunt with it once they were sure the place would be stable enough.

After two weeks of foreplay, Rick and Daryl meet again in their building, in the room they had claimed. Daryl decides to take it a step further. The Omega was on the Alpha's lap and grinding again. This time Daryl shifts so Rick's cock thrusting against the cloth between Daryl's ass. He whines and pulls Rick with him as he falls back, the Alpha now covering him and thrusting against his hole. God did that feel different. The Omega reaches down and undoes Rick's jeans with shaking hands.

"Hey shhh." Rick croons trying to calm the Omega. When he goes to pull away, Daryl growls and pulls him back. Rick groans and rubs against his ass again. Fuck.

"Ain't gonna regret this." Daryl whispers, "I want it to be an Alpha I trust. Not to some fucking group like Randel's."

Daryl trusted Rick with this; his Heat, his first…. Rick almost growls; the Omega would rather Rick take his virginity. He wanted it to be with Rick, instead of another group finding him, taking turns raping him, and killing him. The Alpha understood and could respect that.

"Does this mean you accept my Courting?" Rick wanted to make sure they both wanted this.

"Fuck yeah." Daryl kisses him again and they pull off their pants and underwear just enough to do what they needed. There would be other times to strip each other. Rick presses one finger in Daryl's hole to test how slick he was and to make sure Daryl really wanted this. If he flinched or took too long to loosen up, Rick would put it off until another day. He refused to harm Daryl because he wanted him. When the finger goes in with no resistance, Rick growls his approval.

"Do you want control or do you want me to?" he asks the Omega.

"You start, I'll take over if I need to." Rick knows that Daryl wasn't making a crack about him being unable to perform as Lori would have. This was for Daryl and the Alpha purrs in pleasure that the Omega wasn't so far gone he'd push aside his comfort so Rick would fuck him. The Alpha faces a little resistance when he inches in but once the head pushes past the opening it gets easier.

"Not going to break." Daryl huffs.

"And I'm not going to hurt you. This is your first time."

"Maybe with an Alpha's cock in my ass but not the first time I've had something up there." Daryl smirks and grabs Rick's hair, pulling with a growl, "Take me Alpha."

One hard thrust and Rick was balls deep in the Omega's ass. "That's playing dirty."

"Dirty like you in my ass when neither of us has access to showers…. or toilet paper?" Rick barks out a laugh, his head falling to Daryl's shoulder while both of them giggle and snort.

"Did you really make a poop joke while we're having sex?" Rick snorts.

"I can make another one; my slick isn't the only thing making the passage wet." Rick almost pulled out when he roared with laughter.

"You're nasty."

"Yet your cocks still inside me."

"Mmhmm." Rick thrust, pulling a gasp from the Omega. "Do you want to continue or are you going to keep making jokes about your shit."

"Fucking shit Rick." They laugh and keep going, small quick thrusts and long deep ones that pull groans from both of them. After about twenty minutes of panting and giggles, finding a better angle, Daryl turns them over and thrust down into Rick's lap.

The Alpha grips his waist and holds tight as Daryl gasps, Rick's dick pounding right on his prostate. "Alpha."

Rick keeps thrusting up into Daryl's hole while the Omega pushes down as hard as he can. Their rhythm was off, and Rick kept sliding out, but they managed to make it all the way to the end. Daryl cums first, shaking him to his core; cum and slick shooting out in waves. Rick holds him while he shudders, not moving, not adding to it. When Daryl stops Rick goes to pull out, preparing to finish by jerking off and knotting his hand. The Omega pushes down though, keeping Rick inside him and not letting him go.

"Daryl?" The Omega moves his hips, riding Rick in small, slow thrust. Rick groans and lets him, kissing Daryl and letting their tongues battle in their mouths. Rick doesn't put up a fight until he feels his knot growing. He tries to hold his knot outside Daryl's hole, but the Omega grabs his hands and holds them away.

"I want the full experience. I want you to…. to knot me."

"If I do…."

"There's a chance we'll breed, yeah I know. Are you ok with that?"

"I want you to be my Mate of course I'd want pups with you." Daryl sucks air between his teeth, no longer moving. He stares at Rick in shock, and the Alpha's brain finally catches up with his mouth.

Rick holds on to Daryl's waist. He doesn't want him to run like Lori did when he said he wanted another pup because Carl asked for a little brother. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but I do. I want you, you're strong and don't take shit from anyone. You're kind and care for the Pack even when we weren't one yet. Seeing how you are with the pups…. If you don't want it, fine, I'm sorry. I'll keep my distance, I'll be a good Alpha and not approach you this way again. If you want to wait, I don't care if I'm old and on my deathbed, I'll wait. But please, don't run from us, don't leave the Pack because of something I said or did…."

Daryl grabs Rick's face as he starts to hyperventilate and pulls it to his glands, holding him there while he purrs and chuffs. Rick whines and breathes him in, tightening his grip and thrusting shallowly, "Don't leave us. Please. I'm sorry."

"Ain't nothing you have to apologize for." Daryl takes a deep breath and eases himself onto Rick's knot. It swells inside him and he breathes through it, purring and scenting HIS Alpha. When Rick cums it's with a broken moan and a shudder. He holds Daryl to him as he pulses inside his Omega and licks at Daryl's glands in silent promise. They'd Mate as soon as they could, but with Lori alive… they weren't murderers.

"We'll wait until my knot goes down, then tell Carl, then the Pack. I want you as my Mate and I don't want you to feel like we're a secret. If we're together, then we're together and I want everyone to know it."

"Does this mean I can stomp Lori's ass into the ground if she calls me a Knot Clencher again without worrying about being kicked out?" Daryl shifts and groans as more cum spills into him.

Rick growls and nibbles at the Omega's gland. "She does it again and you can rip her throat out with your teeth and none of us would try to stop you."

"Like you could stop me even if you did want to," Daryl growls with a yank at Rick's hair. He gasps when Rick bucks up and hits his prostate, spilling into him again. "Jesus, does it ever stop?"

Rick smirks and thrusts up again causing Daryl to growl playfully. They wait until the knot goes down, almost two hours, then Daryl cleans up and they go find Carl.

The pup was cleaning dishes when they found him and they didn't even have to tell him. Carl's head shoots up and he smiles wide. He runs over to them and throws his arms around Daryl's waist with loud purrs and whimpers. The Omega looks at the young Alpha in surprise, then at his dad. Rick purrs as well while the Pack gathers around to see what the fuss was about. When they smell Rick and Daryl, everyone gives their congratulations, everyone except Lori. The Beta, pissed, refuses to come near any of them.

…

It was almost two months later when the Walker herds took over the sporting center. They had gotten their supplies together a few days before when T-Dog first saw them closing in. When the Herd showed up everything was in the vans and they were miles away. Everyone gathers around the fire pits, Hershel giving Lori a checkup. The Beta was at five months and only now starting to show. Rick was getting off his watch when Daryl approached the Alpha.

"Hey, we gotta talk." The Theta pulls the Prime away from the others.

"What's wrong?"

"It's been two months since my last heat." The Omega tucks his hands under armpits, "I'm always regular. Have been since I presented. Haven't missed a heat, ever."

"Daryl….?"

He hands Rick a plastic stick, but he didn't need to look at it to know what it was. He kisses Daryl with a purr building in his throat. Daryl groans and kisses back gently. They pull apart and rest their foreheads together, pleased purrs fill the quiet area. Everyone looks to them and waits for the news. Daryl smiles at his Alpha.

"I'm pregnant."