Chapter 28

Dean walked lightly around Castiel. He tried to give forlorn glances his way, but they all backfired and caused him more loneliness than he'd intended on having. Castiel wasn't backing down on his threat and Dean did everything with caution. Whenever he and Castiel were in the same room Dean was stepping around him like a timid mouse avoiding the clutches and claws of a cat. When Castiel stared towards him Dean cowered a little like an Omega would. Castiel felt this strange rush of power that he enjoyed having over Dean, but after about a week the novelty wore off. Castiel felt bad leading Dean around like he still had a leash around his neck, especially when Dean was acting terrified of him like he couldn't predict Castiel's next move.

Castiel did not like Dean being scared of him; he simply wanted Dean to understand why he was angry.

So when Castiel found Dean trying to nap in his bed he decided it was time to break down the barrier he'd created. He was still angry at everything Dean had done, but what was the point of being angry at the Alpha when he hadn't even been given a chance to explain himself? Castiel slowly made his way into the room and looked over at the Alpha. Dean was twitching wildly and dreaming, but the dreams were not pleasant. Dean was shaking so violently and he appeared to be crying. Castiel's wings drooped at the sight and he let out a sigh. He got on the other side of the bed and lightly ran a hand through Dean's hair. Dean jumped and yelped as he curled his wings up on his body and faced Castiel with fearful eyes. Castiel lowered his wings to show he wasn't a threat.

"Why are you walking around like I'm going to hurt you Dean?" Castiel was truly saddened by the reaction he'd caused Dean to have.

"I-I've never seen an Omega act like an Alpha," Dean admitted. "It was scary I'll tell you that."

"Please don't be scared of me Dean," Castiel sighed and tried to get closer to him. "I don't want that at all. I just..."

"What did you want Castiel?" Dean asked he was getting a bit frustrated with playing the other angel's mind game. Dean had been put through a hell of a lot to get back to his family and friends at the pet shop and newly made allies. In fact he'd been dreaming about the horrible atrocities he'd committed while in the mill.

"I wanted you to know how mad I was at you," Castiel explained with a deep sigh. "I wanted you to feel bad, but now I realize that the things you did in there probably weren't by choice. I realized that I never got your side of the story about it all and well I guess that's why I'm here."

"It was awful," Dean's back stiffened at the mention of it all and he tried to remain calm. The last thing he needed in front of Castiel was a panic attack. That would really make him seem damaged. "God it was awful. They just kept us in these cages until they were ready for us to fight. They'd take me out of prep and that was being injected with drugs to promote aggressiveness."

As Dean spoke it was like his body convulsed. He shook without control and he was trying to stay in control of his fear, but the memories of the horrid mill were almost too much to bear now that he was back in society where most people did not treat angels like animals. Crowley's face came to Dean's mind and he choked on the air trying to escape his throat. Castiel's heart ached at Dean's attempts to stay collected after discussing his time in the place that most called Hell.

"Dean," Castiel said in a calming voice and moved closer to Dean even though he knew that he was still hesitant towards him. "It's ok. You're ok."

Castiel continued his mantra and coaxed Dean's wings away from his back. He started with his hands, but then eventually moved on to using his teeth to preen at Dean's wings and nip at his neck, leaving little soothing love bites to show that it was indeed alright. Dean was briefly taken back to their time together in the cage at the pet shop when they were babies and he remembered taking care of Castiel like this when he was scared and sick and had one else to turn to. Dean felt comfort flowing through his veins almost immediately and he started to release the tension in his muscles.

"Y-You're not my mate," Dean swallowed hard and tried his best to relax. "Why are you doing this?"

Castiel had to stop and think about what Dean had said. Sure he was not in fact, Dean's mate, but did he want to be? Ever since their initial meeting in the pet shop and even after despite Castiel not showing Dean his wings during times when things were heated Castiel knew that he'd felt some sort of primal attraction to Dean. He felt safe around the Alpha and he felt comforted and cared for. He supposed he was only trying to make Dean feel the same right in that moment.

"Because I care about you Dean," Castiel nipped at his neck again, holding it for a second before releasing the skin. Dean let out a tiny whine, but he was completely relaxed as Castiel spooned him from behind. "Because despite everything you may have done in that mill that angered me to no end, I found that never could quite stop caring about you."

Dean felt his cheeks flush and he looked over at Castiel behind him and for a moment their lips were inches apart. Dean stopped himself from kissing the Omega. It would not have been fair after all he'd put him through and before he'd even properly courted him again. Sure Dean had courted Castiel before, but this time he'd have to again. After all that had happened Dean figured the Omega deserved a second chance at being won over by Dean's love. Dean turned back over on his side and allowed himself to be held by Castiel. Castiel buried his nose into Dean's neck, inhaling the Alpha's scent and sighing contently. Dean closed his eyes, tucking the underside of his wings close to his body. He knew Castiel wasn't ready to see the damage Crowley had done to them in response to Dean not making prize winning angel pups and Dean wasn't quite ready to explain it all either. Slowly though, Dean drifted off with the knowledge that he'd been given another chance to fix everything between him and the Omega he'd fallen for.

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Ezra awoke to the scent of another Omega and he blinked in the darkness of the room. He saw a figure lying down on a blanket nearby and he immediately recognized it to be Anna. She looked thinner than she had been when she'd left, but her stomach protruded further than the rest of her. Ezra swallowed hard for he felt her pain. His litter of angel pups hadn't been planned; in fact they'd been put in him in one of the breeding stalls which was the worst imaginable way to have them. He sensed Anna wake up and lift her head to look over at him.

"Looks like we're both mothers," he smiled slightly though the situation was tough. "I'd say congrats, but I can guess the manner as to how you were impregnated."

"Dean doesn't know," Anna remarked. "We were separated once we got there and the second I went into heat they threw me in to breed me. Thank God it wasn't him that had to do the job, just some stupid stud Alpha that I'm sure is in the pound right about now."

"Again," Ezra whispered, careful not to wake his babies or Adam who was sleeping comfortably next to him. "I'm sorry that things happened, especially something like this.

"I will not abandon them," Anna looked to her stomach where the fledglings had just begun to kick and she tried to calm them. "I refuse to be a monster like that mill would've turned me, both of us, into. I will care for them until they're old enough to be adopted by some worthy humans."

"A wise choice," Ezra nodded and pushed a fledgling closer to his side. "I will do the same with mine."

"He really cares about you," Anna motioned to a sleeping Adam. "I can sense it. Hold onto him there's not many Alphas out there like him or his brothers."

"Strong, handsome and manly?" Ezra joked.

"Sincere and worth it." Anna replied instead and Ezra was caught slightly off guard by the truth of the statement, but before he could ask Anna what she meant by it she was asleep again and Ezra was left lying down with tiny sleeping babies and a large potential Alpha mate at his back.

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Sam awoke from his rest to golden hairs tickling his nose. Gabriel had broken one of his big rules he'd laid down by cuddling up to Sam sometime during their sleep. Sam had agreed to let Gabriel stay in the same bed as him only because Adam had taken the couch and Gabriel had reluctantly complied. Now it appeared as though Gabriel would be the only one potentially regretting the choice. Sam took the few moments that it took the Omega to wake up to watch over him. A smile formed on Sam's face when he looked over at his sleeping bedmate and he remembered back to a time when he had shared a cage with a tinier version of Gabriel when Sam had been quite tiny himself. He remembered back to Gabriel's hostile nature and how he'd originally tried to drive Sam away, but Sam hadn't given up and until they'd been separated it had been simply peachy.

Now Sam was staring danger in the face and debating going back to sleep and pretending to be just as shocked about the cuddling situation when Gabriel woke up. Gabriel begun to stir and Sam knew there was no going back. Gabriel stared at him for a moment and Sam felt his heart constrict with slight fear. Much to Sam's delight and surprise though Gabriel simply sighed and turned back over on his side and closed his eyes.

"I broke my own rule." Gabriel admitted and Sam released the breath he'd been holding.

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