Dean sits in his designated cage, shackled to the floor and too weak to move. The past two years have not been kind to him, not at all. His eyes stare listlessly out at the other cages filled with other beaten down Omegas. Over the past two years they have been beaten, trained, starved, and silenced. The only solace any of them could find was the distant vision of being with their alpha, even though for many this was a pipe dream. For Dean though, this was a lifeline. Every time he felt his will caving, he forced his mind to go back to the Alpha who chose him. My Alpha, Dean would think. The thought alone filled him with a kind of warmth that he resented. It was a warmth that spoke to Dean's biology as an Omega, his inescapable future that left him desperate for a different outcome. But his outcome could not change, so he was left hoping that Alpha would not be like the rest.
Dean heard the distant noise that meant the Betas were coming. Fear filled his body as his mind frantically tried to prepare for today's torture. But, when the door to the Holding Room opened, it was not the Beta who always took them to training sessions, it was a lively-looking female that Dean had never seen before.
"Hey guys, it's time!" Her voice was loud and quick, but it was not the sound of her voice that startled the Omegas in the room, it was the tone. This strange, red-haired Beta was speaking to the Omegas with kindness, a feature that was very rarely given to Omegas. Dean could see his cage mate, a small Omega named Kevin, was eyeing the woman suspiciously. He was not the only one. The Omegas had been taught to take any kindness cautiously, as it usually meant that the person wanted to take advantage of them. But for some reason, Dean trusted her.
"Come one guys, what's with the long faces? Today's the day you go home, remember!" A wonderful kind of warmth flooded through Dean as those words sunk in. I am going home. He could see that the other Omegas were stirring too, obviously ecstatic about the possibility that their Alpha could be better than this hellhole. "Okay, I'm going to go down the line of cages, and when I call your name, I want you to stand at the door of your cage." Of course, she had no way of knowing that most of the Omegas were too weak to stand at this point, but an order was an order, so as she called out names, one by one the Omegas stood at the front of their cage, legs shaking violently. Finally, Dean's name was called, and he slowly made his way up to the door. Then, the Beta made her way to each cage, opening the door and clipping on a cheap plastic collar and a rope lead. As she got closer, Dean could see that the name on the name tag was "Charlie". He could also scent her, and as she got to Kevin's cage, he could smell sadness on her. What in the world…, Dean thought, but before he could finish that thought, the Beta - Charlie - was at his cage. She pressed a button and the cage swung open, leaving him without something to hang onto. His knees buckled, and he smelled Charlie's sadness give way to concern. She grabbed him under the arms and hoisted him back up, backing sure he was firmly on two feet before letting go.
"Woah, are you okay? That was almost a pretty nasty fall." Again, Dean was amazed by this Beta's kindness towards him. He nodded once, the customary response from an Omega, as there was no talking allowed in this Omega Center.
"I see you've gotten it rougher than most here," she said, then she said in an undertone, "You're damn lucky you got me as your Transition Supervisor. I've seen Omegas beaten within an inch of their lives for collapsing like that. You need to be more careful." She pulled away and gathered up all the leads connected to the Omega's collars. "Alright gang, let's take you to your new lives!"
Castiel sat in the waiting room, eyeing his company warily. One was a scary-looking Alpha who introduced himself as Alastair, and the other was a short man with a british accent named Crowley. Alastair sat there with a metal shock collar and a chain lead. Crowley had a spiked leather collar and a nylon lead. Looking down at the provisions Cas had brought, he wondered if he should've brought something more than just a soft fabric collar and a slim chord, but he figured that he didn't need all the fancy stuff if his Omega felt safe. However, despite all of the precautions he took, he still felt incredibly nervous about meeting his Omega. He didn't even know its name yet, but he still felt an attraction that he couldn't seem to shake.
"Castiel Novak?" Cas's eyes swerved to an older male Beta standing in the doorway. It's time, Cas thought nervously, and he shakily stood to follow this man to meet his Omega.
Cas was lead into a small Greeting Room to wait a little longer. He eyed some pamphlets hanging on the wall, but once he saw what they were about, he turned away in barely concealed disgust. The Beta had said that the wait would be about 15 minutes, and sure enough, as the clock showed that 15 minutes had passed, he hears a knock at the door.
"Come in." He says, and the door swings open. Immediately, Cas is filled with worry and excitement as he sees who is behind it. Two Betas, the old one from before, and a young red-haired female, are each helping his Omega stand. As they help him enter the room, Cas takes a closer look at the sickly Omega they are practically carrying. He has the look of a well-built, muscular man who has been starved. His eyes are sunken in and hold unspeakable terror, and his weak frame is shaking uncontrollably.
"What did you do to him?" Cas demands angrily. The older Beta looks at him in shock, and the female regards him with cautious respect.
"Sir," she says, "Your Omega was… hard to tame, as his file says. He insisted on working against the Betas in charge, and that behavior is not tolerated here." Her voice turns bitter at these last words. "In fact, I'm surprised you care about his appearance at all. Most Alphas say nothing."
"Well, I guess I'm not most alphas." Cas sits down next to the Omega, trying to be gentle, as he sees (and smells) his terror ramp up.
"Hey buddy, you okay?" The Omega just nods, averting his eyes. "Hey now, none of that. You're allowed to speak to me, okay? And you're allowed to look at me too. I won't hurt you Omega." The Omega slowly turns to Cas, disbelief etched into his face.
"Yes Alpha, of course I will look at you, if that is what you want."
"My name is Castiel. What is your name, Omega?"
"Nice to meet you, Alpha Castiel. My name is Dean."
"It is nice to meet you too, Dean." Cas smiles warmly, and he can feel Dean relax a little, "How about we take you home, huh? You don't look too good." Dean tenses again, and Cas wonders if he said something wrong.
"I'm sorry Alpha Castiel. I'm sorry that I do not meet your expectations. Please forgive me, Alpha."
"No - Dean, I'm not angry with you. I was just remarking that you seem ill. When is the last time you have eaten?" Dean shifts uncomfortably, wincing as he does so. Before Cas can ask what is hurting him, the Omega speaks.
"I'm not sure, Alpha Castiel. They don't really feed us that often. I am sorry that I can't give you a straight answer."
"Don't apologize Dean. Frankly, I'm astounded that they treat you this way."
"It is the way it is, Alpha. It is how it has always been."
"Well, that doesn't mean it's right. Here, let me help you." And with one swift move, the Alpha lifted Dean up and carried him out of the room.
Dean was amazed. Not only had Alpha Castiel not gotten angry when he saw the state Dean's body was in, but he actually helped him. It was more than a hope, it was a dream. Dean was painfully aware that he was not the able-bodied man he was two years ago when Alpha picked him, but a weak, sickly shell of an Omega. He thought that when Alpha saw him today, he would demand a different Omega, a better one, one that could keep his mouth shut long enough to not get beaten. Instead, this miracle Alpha's scent filled with concern and… fear? What could Alpha Castiel be afraid of?, Dean wondered.
"Hey, Dean, are you okay? You can tell the truth. I promise, I will not hold it against you?" Alpha spoke softly but firmly, letting Dean know that he was safe.
"Honestly? I'm hungry, and I think I have a broken rib," Dean coughed wetly, "and I'm sick. I apologize, Alpha Castiel."
"Well, I'll take you back home, and I'll get you some food. Oh, and I'll get you some medicine for that cough. Really doesn't sound good. And don't apologize for telling the truth Dean. I'm glad you trust me." Again, Dean was taken aback by Alpha's kindness.
"Thank you so much Alpha Castiel. I will not let you down." Alpha looked at Dean sharply, and Dean was sure he had said something wrong, but then his gaze softened.
"You are entirely welcome, and don't worry," Alpha smiled, "I don't think you will let me down."
