Blaine stood outside his room, leaning against the wall and staring up at the ceiling, listening to the quiet sounds of the omega. He clenched his jaw and his stomach twisted unpleasantly. He knew he shouldn't leave the vulnerable were alone, but he needed to leave the room before he flew into a rage and terrified him even more. He was about to boil over in anger. He wasn't upset at the omega, but by what his behavior suggested. He had already known Hunter had abused the man, but he was still shocked that he seemed to assume that Blaine would treat him the same way. What had been done to him that he expected cruel treatment from any person he came across.
Blaine's wolf was growling, demanding something to tear apart, someone to punish. But he had already killed Hunter, and the Council had already sent for another Alpha to move and assume leadership of the Lima pack. His wolf was also howling for him to go back inside and curl protectively around the omega, and Blaine didn't really want to fight it. Maybe his bloodlust was still high from the kill, maybe he should have accepted Wes's offer to come help him deal with the omega instead of doing it alone. But he felt so protective and territorial already of the fragile were. He needed to take care of him, and he wasn't doing any good standing out here while the man waited inside, hurt and confused and scared.
He knocked gently on the door to warn him and then let himself back in, shutting the door again. The omega looked up from the plate of food with a guilty expression, lowering his head again and hunching his shoulders as Blaine approached him. It occurred to him that they hadn't even introduced themselves yet. He needed to stop reacting according to his wolf and try to be more rational.
He sat beside the omega, who stilled entirely, hands clenching the plate, which still had some potatoes on it, but no chicken, Blaine was glad to see. The omega kept his head lowered, but was peeking at Blaine from out of the corner of his eye cautiously.
"I can tell you have been through a lot," he said, "and everything that's happened today must be very confusing and scary. So, don't we clear up a couple things?"
The omega swallowed, lips pressing into a thin line. "Yes, Alpha," he said quietly. Blaine knew that would've been his response no matter what he said.
"My name is Blaine Anderson, and I'm Alpha of the Westerville pack."
The omega nodded silently, fingers twitching a little bit. Blaine waited for him to say something, but he didn't open his mouth.
"Do you want to tell me your name?" It wasn't a command. Part of being an Alpha was knowing when to exert control and power, and when to let other wolves feel their own sense of control. What the omega needed right now was to know and feel that he hadn't simply gone from one abusive Alpha to another, with no freedom or decisions available to him.
The omega looked up a bit. Curiosity and wariness flickered over his features. "Alpha, you want to know my name?"
The way he said it made Blaine feel sick, like he was surprised that Blaine would care about knowing who he was, the person he was.
"You can call me Blaine," he said, "and yes, if you want to tell me."
The omega's shoulders lowered a little bit and he carefully let go of the plate of food, lowering his hands to rest on either side of his legs.
"Kurt."
The sound of the name calmed his wolf a little. Kurt. That he would share this with him had to mean there was hope to help him heal. It showed even the tiniest amount of trust, and Blaine couldn't help but feel more optimistic.
"Kurt," he repeated, savoring the sound, "I don't know how much you remember about what happened before you woke up here. I know your previous Alpha hurt you, but you won't be treated like that here."
"Thank you...Blaine." Kurt hesitated, and Blaine saw his fingers curl into the material of the bedspread. "I...am not very good at serving an Alpha, but I promise I will learn. I will do whatever it takes to please you."
Kurt's eyes were wet and his mouth trembled. Blaine's wolf growled and demanded he do something. He wanted contact with the omega, he wanted to assert his dominance so he would feel protected and cherished, not like he was being coerced into being a servant or worse. Blaine couldn't resist satisfying the urge a little. He sighed and carefully rested his hand on Kurt's shoulder, one of the least aggressive displays an Alpha could make. He cringed inwardly at Kurt's tiny flinch, but didn't comment on it.
"I can't imagine what you've been through. And I'm sure you have a lot of questions. But bring you here isn't about having a slave. My pack and I want to help you heal and find a place where you can belong and be happy, whether it's with us or another pack. We're going to take care of you, and you will be treated like any other omega in my pack."