Chapter 10: Changed

"LINDA!"

The beta burst into her son's bedroom, falling down beside Kevin and touching his forehead. "What happened?"

"His eyes turned white and he fainted."

"White?" Linda pulled at one eyelid, sighing as she leaned back and shook her head. "Balthy, go find Clea. Alfie, bring me some cool water and a cloth." The younger omega dashed off, Balthazar helping move Kevin to the bed before turning to the door.

He stepped into the hall, finding himself facing Meg and three other beta guards that he didn't recognize. "Balthy, what's wrong?"

"Kevin fainted. Linda told me to get Clea."

The beta nodded, touching her fingers to the tattoo on the inside of her wrist. Unlike the one Balthazar wore, hers could reach any witch in the coven. She whispered something and waited for a response, nodding before looking back up at Balthazar. "Apparently she's already on her way. The witches sensed an upheaval of power last night and an explosion this morning so they were already planning to send her. Go back inside and she'll be here shortly."

Balthazar returned to Kevin's side, almost overwhelmed by Alfie's terrified scent. He reached out and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, pale blue eyes urging him to calm down. "Clea is on her way. The witches sensed something this morning and they were already planning to send her here."

"If this is what I think it is, Kevin's life is not in danger," Linda murmured. "I've only seen it once in my decades traveling the other lands as a spy, but it's not something I thought my son would become."

"There's something else," Balthazar interjected, trying to decide the most delicate way to break the news. "Your sons . . . last night they sprouted wings. They're messengers."

"Messengers? I didn't think they existed anymore."

"Balthy and his brothers are messengers, too. All four of them."

Linda's eyes widened, Balthazar heart falling as he realized that she had heard of the prophecy. He watched her warily, terrified of her reaction, and clearly his scent was strong enough for even the beta to pick it up. She smiled and reached out to grab Balthazar's arm, shaking him gently. "I'm not going to hurt you, Balthy. I'm surprised because I thought that the prophecy was just a myth told by Celestials to justify the wholesale slaughter of their special pups. Spellbounds would never treat their witches the way that Celestials have treated messengers. Is that why you didn't tell me before?"

"Yeah, I was afraid. Crowley said that it would be best to keep my nature to myself, but once Kevin and Alfie started having that same itching I knew that the secret was out. They sprouted their wings overnight as they went into heat."

A sharp knock on the door heralded the arrival of Clea, the witch wearing her customary dozens of bracelets, necklaces, and rings, a curious glow in her purple eyes. Without waiting for an invitation, the healer sat down on Kevin's bed and touched his forehead, closing her eyes.

"His mind is a jumble of images, colors and sounds flashing by too fast for me to catch. I've only ever met one psychic and no seers, but he seems to have developed their skill to see the future. From the number of paths I'm seeing, I'd guess that he is a seer."

"But why did he faint? He was in a lot of pain."

"I don't know, but I've heard that it can be a shock when these powers awaken. It's worse for him since he's in heat and his body is already under a great deal of stress. The best thing you can do is let him rest; there's nothing actually wrong with him. I'll come and check on him again when his heat is over and talk to him about his visions."

Linda nodded. "Alright, thank you, Clea. Balthy, can you watch the boys for a while? I have to go talk to Crowley about this."

The Celestial nodded. "Of course."

As soon as Linda was gone, Balthazar and Alfie moved Kevin to the head of the bed and tucked some pillows around him, covering him with one of the lightest blankets they had.

"Are you okay, Alfie?"

"I don't know," the younger omega whispered, wringing his hands as he shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "I have wings, my brother's a seer, and I can't focus on any of that because of this burning in my gut."

"I almost forgot you were in heat," Balthazar apologized, smiling gently at his friend. "Do you need to go take care of that?"

"Not yet, but soon. I want to be here when he wakes up."

Crowley looked up as Linda entered his study, closing the door behind her. "What's wrong?"

"My boys are messengers, and I know that Balthazar is one, too."

"Well, you get right to the point, don't you?"

Linda shrugged and sat down across from the Head Alpha, resting her arms on his table. "The itching, it was their wings coming in. Balthazar went through something similar when he got his wings earlier this winter. He also told me that he and his brothers are the messengers from the prophecy, the one that you have frequently told me was a myth."

"It's not a myth, but it's not safe to talk about. Omegas are already vulnerable enough, add to that some prophecy that most people won't understand . . ."

"You were afraid someone would attack Balthazar."

"Someone already did, without any help from a damn prophecy," Crowley growled, his eyes flashing as he remembered ripping out Gerald's throat. "Your boys aren't part of any prophecy, as far as I know, but I doubt it would be safe for anyone to know that they are messengers. My father was torn apart by his own pack when they found out."

"I'm not going to tell anyone, but there's something else."

Crowley raised one eyebrow. "Something more than your sons both sprouting wings, even though one is only a half Celestial?"

"Kevin had visions and his eyes turned white."

The alpha sighed and dropped his head onto the table, letting the silence stretch between them. "You are kidding me."

"Clea checked him over. She said that he's probably a seer, but it's too early to know for sure."

"This trumps three messengers in my pack."

Linda shrugged. "What am I supposed to do about this?"

"I know a private clearing not far away where they can practice flying. Balthazar has been using it since he showed me his wings. Other than that, let them speak with Mother when she returns. And tell the boys that I'll protect them."

"Thanks, Crowley."

Charlie led Jo to Rowena's room, fingers lightly twined with the alpha's. "I've known her most of my life; she never sleeps in."

Jo shrugged and waited as Charlie knocked on the door, both women entering a moment later. The sunlight fell across the pale blue blankets wrapped around a slender form in the single bed, Rowena turning her head to acknowledge their presence but not uttering a sound.

"Is everything okay?" Charlie pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, reaching out to place a tentative hand on her mentor's forehead. She had never known Rowena to be sick, but there was a listlessness to the tiny witch that worried her.

"I'm fine," she whispered, her accent stronger than ever. "My prophet . . . the bond broke this morning. It feels like I've lost a limb that I never noticed having. It's going to take me time to adjust to this absence."

"Your bond . . . does that mean that the new prophet has risen?"

Rowena nodded and closed her eyes. "Two new messengers sprouted their wings in the wee hours of the morning. Two male omegas. It's the last thing I saw before my bond snapped."

"I think one of them is the prophet," Charlie murmured, remembering the conversation that she had with Jo the night before. "I'll test the boys, of course . . ."

"I agree with you. Nothing in the prophecy ever indicated that one of the four would be the next prophet, and I have stared at those images for five hundred years. I have walked every path. I think that one of the other three messengers is your prophet, and it's very likely that it's one of the two who went into heat last night and gained their wings."

"This is the time of the year that male omegas traditionally go into heat," Jo murmured. "Max went into heat this morning; I heard Tasha mention something about locking him away in his wing of the palace. The boys have their heat unnaturally early, but I would imagine that male omegas in Celestial and Spellbound are also entering their heats now."

"Yeah, they have theirs just before the Spring Equinox, and the females have theirs a month or so later. I'm guessing that Cas and his brothers will have their mid-year heat just after the Summer Solstice."

"How are you going to figure out who it is?"

Charlie shrugged, running her fingers through Rowena's hair as the witch purred contentedly. "I guess we'll have to travel to Celestial lands after we return home. Apparently I'll know him when I meet him."

"You will," Rowena confirmed, closing her eyes and letting her apprentice calm her. "I just need to rest today, child. If you could arrange for some food, I would be most appreciative."

"Of course, Rowena. We'll go harass the kitchen staff now."

Charlie pulled Jo to the door, pausing as Rowena called her name. "I see that you found your legacy. I wondered how long it would take you two."

Charlie blushed and tucked herself against Jo's side. "At least I figured it out before we left."

"I'm glad you'll have someone to look after you."

Akobel stood on a rise overlooking the southern mountains, one hand raised to block the glare from the morning sun on the last of the winter snow. "Looks passable."

The petite woman beside him, a pale omega with wavy, dark chestnut hair and light blue eyes, shrugged, checking the weapons on her belt as she kicked at the snow underfoot. "Yeah, I can get through that. It'll be better when I get to the southern slopes and into Wilderness lands since there should be less leftover snow in the lowlands. Do you want me to leave today?"

"Yeah, get packed up. Don't take any weapons that you wouldn't need for hunting, and take the fastest route you know. I wouldn't put it past Michael to send his own envoy if we wait too long, so you need to get to John first."

"Of course. There's a trading post on our border where I have met with Wilderness guards in the past, and they have always let me through. What do you want me to tell the boys if they are in Wilderness lands?"

"To flee and never return."

Hannah looked up at that, tilting her head curiously. "That can't be Michael's message."

"No, it's Anna's, and of the two of them I trust her more. She said that they will be in danger if they return, and I remember how afraid they were when they ran away at the beginning of the winter. Michael planned to force them all into mating alphas of his choice, taking the one power omegas have away from his own brothers. They were right to run, and you have to warn them to keep running. If they go far enough south, Michael will never be able to find them."

Hannah nodded and turned back to the horizon. "Michael will have guards loyal to him at the border. They will see me leave and watch for me to return. When I come back without the boys, he will immediately launch a much less polite expedition."

"Yeah, Anna thinks so, as well. She is working on that. All you have to do is find them and warn them to leave. Don't come back until you do or until you have exhausted all hope of tracking them down. If you can't find them, neither can he."

"Very well, I will go get packed. Who is Michael sending to Spellbound?"

"Metatron. I can guarantee that you will reach the Wilderness city before he even leaves the mountains, but I cannot guarantee his loyalty. You know Malachi; he aligns with the greatest power in order to assure his own survival, but he will not risk his pack needlessly. Metatron is old and won't leave until the snow is completely gone."

"Agreed. Will you send anyone with me to the border?"

"Rachel and Hester. They'll escort you to the last mountain."

"Alright, I'll go let them know."

"Hey, Tasha."

"Hey, Cas. What's up?"

The raven-haired omega bit his lip and looked away, clearly uncomfortable. "I wanted to ask how Max is doing. If he . . . if he has someone to help him through this."

The witch smiled and reached out to run her fingers through the taller man's hair, soothing him like she would her own son. "Don't worry about him. He has a couple of male omega friends from the city who are going through this with him, and a couple of female omegas keeping them company. We're a pretty tight-knit community, so generally all of our young, unmated omegas get together for both rounds of heat here in the palace. If you or your brothers want to visit him, I know that he would appreciate the company, but you don't have to worry about him being alone right now."

Cas visibly relaxed, the tension draining out of his form. Tasha took a moment to marvel at the change in the young omega, who had been nearly starved to death when they first met and could almost fit in rail-thin Garth's clothes but now shared shirts with the broad-shouldered Wilderness heir. She could understand why Michael had been threatened by the boy. "Yes, I was worried. I know how tough heat can be. My brothers and I go into heat so early, and we have rarely had the luxury of a safe home and support during our time."

"You know, you're the strongest omega I've ever met. Your brothers rank up there, but they are nowhere near the warrior you've become. I don't think anyone will ever lock you up or starve you again, Castiel. Dean won't let them, but I think you have learned that you don't have to let them, either. I know it sounds weird, coming from someone with magic to protect her, but I pity your older brother when he runs into you again."

Cas smiled as his eyes met Tasha's, the younger omega reaching out to hug the witch. "Thank you, Tasha. Dean says it, but he loves me. It means a lot, coming from you."

"Don't assume that I don't love you just because I don't want to get in your pants," Tasha scolded, smiling as the other omega blushed. "I feel like I've adopted you and your brothers to some extent, and I'm going to be sad to see you go. I hope that you will come back to visit us once you've taken your place in the pack."

"Yeah, I'd like that." Cas looked over his shoulder as if he heard something, smiling softly at the sound. "I have flight practice in a few minutes. Thank you, Tasha; it means a lot to have someone who cares about me and my brothers, and not as trained breeders."

"Get used to it! My pack is very welcoming, even accepting a decently powerful, natural-born witch from Spellbound lands. Accepting you is nothing compared to that!"

Benny leaned back against the nearest tree, adjusting his position until he was comfortable. Gadreel had stretched out on the ground beside him, head pillowed in the beta's lap, whining at the burning in his muscles. The training session had been brutal, Cas pushing his brothers hard in their flight drills as Dean worked with his pack on the ground. Charlie had joined to watch the practice, making a fire and providing snacks, water, and tea for the group when everyone took a break. She sat beside Jo, massaging the alpha's shoulders and whispering something in her ear.

"How you doing, cher?"

"Everything hurts," Gadreel grumbled, his voice vibrating against Benny's thigh. "How are you not completely dead right now?"

"Dean's pushed us like this since I joined his pack. I'm used to the pressure by now."

"Cas has never been like this. I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Dean, I'd guess."

Gadreel chuckled and rolled over onto his back, turning his face up toward Benny's. "Not yet, I'm sure, but they are getting awfully handsy."

"I've noticed. Are you jealous?"

Gadreel shook his head, reaching up to wrap his hand around Benny's thigh, squeezing gently. "No, I think I'd like to enter into our mating completely sane. I worry that Cas and Gabe aren't thinking about that as much as they should be."

Benny reached down and ran his fingers through Gadreel's light hair. "You're the sensible one, aren't you?"

"One of us has to be." Benny smiled and leaned down to kiss the omega, curling his fingers behind Gadreel's head. It was an incredibly awkward position, but neither of them cared.

Sam, Gabe curled up in his arms as he sipped his restorative tea, caught his boyfriend's attention and nodded toward Benny and Gadreel. The blonde chuckled, tucking his head under Sam's chin and nuzzling him. "They're pretty much perfect for each other."

"You're pretty much perfect for me," Sam replied, holding the omega closer. "I don't know how we lucked out and found each other, but I have never been happier in my life."

"I never thought I could be happy as an omega," Gabriel whispered, his golden eyes distant. "I hated it sometimes, especially when Michael started pushing us to mate, but I don't feel like that anymore. You've made me happy to be an omega, to be your omega, so thank you for that."

Sam smiled and kissed Gabriel's forehead, running his fingers through the smaller man's blonde hair. "I'm pretty happy to be your alpha, too, you know. I was really surprised when you came onto me that first night; most omegas I've ever met either found me intimidating or the less desirable of the big Winchester Alphas."

"Less desirable?!"

Sam chuckled at Gabriel's indignation. "Dean's the heir and he's always acted like a traditional alpha. Dad's influence, I think. Me, I've always been happier with my books and I've never had much interest in the alpha fights or proving my place in the pack. I've never even had much, uh, experience, and the one time I was with an omega I maybe freaked out and ran away."

"Why?" Sam shook his head, brown hair falling to cover his face. Gabriel reached up and pushed the strands back, golden eyes meeting dark hazel. "Why?"

"I was worried about what she expected from me," Sam whispered. "She had gone after Dean three or four times and been rejected before she seduced me, and I thought that she wanted to sleep with me to get closer to him. I didn't want to be seen as an omega's door to my brother's bed, so my handful of other experiences were with male betas since they wouldn't be interested in mating Dean. Until I met you, I have never met an omega who was interested in just me."

Gabe nuzzled Sam under his chin and purred, sensing as the alpha relaxed at the sound. "I was never interested in your brother, for whatever that's worth."

"Thank you, Gabe," Sam whispered. "It really does mean a lot."

On the other side of the fire, completely ignoring their brothers and pack mates, Cas and Dean hunched over attack patterns scratched into the dirt where the snow had melted days earlier. "This is similar to the one you were practicing earlier, but with a lower attack vector. It should be a stealth angle, but you'll have to test it from the sky. I can't fly, so I'm guessing at some of the details here."

"Yeah, I think we can do that," Cas mused, twirling a stick in his hand before using it to make a small adjustment. "I can't wait until we get Balthazar back. It's going to make this formation work so much better."

"Only, what, ten days left? Something like that?"

"Something like that," Cas echoed, his eyes distant. "Dean, Balthy . . . he's going to become Crowley's mate one day, isn't he?"

"I mean, yeah, that seems likely."

Can bit his bottom lip and clenched his hands in his lap. "If he's the mate of the Head Alpha of Spellbound and I'm the mate of the next Head Alpha of Wilderness, then how will I ever see him again? I can't be separated from him forever."

"Hey, Cas, don't worry about that," Dean soothed, pulling the raven-haired omega into his arms. "I don't care about this stupid war, and I never have. I think Crowley and I can come to some sort of agreement that will let you and your twin see each other as much as you want. And he can bring his pups to visit us and you can take ours to spend time in Spellbound lands."

"You would do that? You would break five hundred years of tradition just to make me and Balthy happier?"

"Sweetheart, I would declare war on all three packs to make you happy."

Cas smiled at the sentiment, leaning in for a chaste kiss as he cheered up considerably. A few feet away, clearly having caught the tail end of their conversation, Charlie stiffened and turned to stare at the pair. Jo glanced up at the witch, her head tilted curiously. "What's wrong?"

"Something Dean said," Charlie murmured. "I got a flash of that prophecy that Rowena told us about, but just for a second. Until I bond with my prophet, this is going to be completely out of my control."

"What did you see?"

"Bodies," Charlie whispered, closing her eyes as she tried to focus. "I think . . . don't tell them, but I think that he may declare war on the other packs to keep Cas."

"To keep him happy?" Jo was trying to learn what would be expected of her as the prophet's legacy, and at this point it seemed to be keeping secrets and acting as the speaker's sounding board when she saw something she needed to work through.

"No, just to keep him."

Jo felt a shiver of ice run down her spine, a reaction to the ominous tone in Charlie's voice. "Are you sure? Charlie . . ."

"I know. I wish I didn't," she admitted. "But I keep seeing these tiny little images, and I'm trying to work through them as they come. I saw two other flashes the night Rowena told me that I had been chosen as the next speaker, and this is probably the most disturbing one yet."

Completely oblivious to the women's conversation a few feet away, Cas leaned back in for a second kiss, this one decidedly less chaste. He felt Dean's arms tighten around his waist as he deepened the kiss, fully intending to pull away a few moments later. Dean, however, had other plans, reaching up to thread his fingers through Cas's hair to hold him close. The alpha growled softly against his lips, and Cas felt himself start to float away, losing all resistance as he melted into Dean's arms.

The hand on Cas's waist slipped under his loose shirt, the heat of Dean's palm almost burning his oversensitive skin. Cas whined as he tried to get closer to his alpha, to close what little gap existed between their bodies. Dean was quick to oblige, shifting his body and pushing Cas back against the ground, the hand on his back sliding down to slip under the waistband of the willing omega's pants.

Jo caught the aroma of incredibly aroused alpha first, the spicy cinnamon-apple almost drowning out the increased sweetness in Cas's normal honeysuckle-clover scent. She looked up sharply, catching Sam's eye as the larger alpha recognized the danger a moment later.

"Dammit," Sam growled, carefully shifting Gabriel from his lap to the ground as he pushed himself to his feet. "Jo!"

The two alphas moved as a unit, Benny just behind them as the sour scent of their fear reached him. Sam growled a challenge, forcing Dean to break away from his omega to answer the threat as Benny grabbed Cas and pulled him away. Dean roared, lunging forward towards Cas as Sam jumped on his back and forced him to the ground, Jo leaning in to help hold him still as Gadreel and Gabriel grabbed their brother's arms and helped Benny drag him to a safe distance.

Cas came back to his senses first, his agonized whine slowly fading into uneven panting as he leaned against Gadreel's chest, Gabriel's arms wrapped tightly around him. Benny ran gentle fingers through the omega's hair as he purred soothingly, knowing that Dean would never be able to calm down if Cas was still riled up.

Dean stopped struggling a moment later, his eyes returning to their normal green as the black of fury and bloodlust faded at last. Interrupting an alpha intent on mating was dangerous bordering on suicidal, especially one as big and strong as Dean Winchester, but Sam had been wrestling with his brother for twenty years and knew his every weakness.

"You can let me up now, Sammy," Dean murmured, his voice more subdued than Sam had ever heard. Sam moved to sit in front of his brother, nodding at Jo to reassure her that everything was under control. "I'm sorry."

Sam sighed and stood, reaching down to help Dean to his feet. "We're going to go for a walk and talk about this."

Dean nodded contritely, crossing over to the cluster of omegas curled up with Benny. He knelt down beside Cas and reached out to caress his cheek, waiting for those piercing blue eyes to meet his before offering a small smile. "I'm sorry, Cas. I didn't mean to get so carried away."

Cas extricated himself from his brothers' arms, leaning forward for a quick hug from the alpha. "I know. It's not only your fault."

Dean ran his fingers through Cas's hair again before gently pushing him back into his brothers' arms. "It's definitely mostly my fault. Sam and I are going for a walk; we won't be coming back here today. When you guys are done with flight practice, we'll meet you in the city. Okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Dean."

Dean smiled as he joined his brother at the edge of the clearing, glancing back over his shoulder. "I love you, too, Cas."

Dean and Sam walked in silence for almost ten minutes, the trek through the forest much longer in human form. When Dean finally spoke, his voice had regained some of its former confidence. "That's not the first time."

"Yeah, I guessed as much. Cas fell way too fast. How often?"

Dean shrugged, kicking at a rock in their path absently. "Three or four times now. Just kissing, some heavy petting, a couple of hand jobs, and one blowjob." Sam and Dean had always had a very close, honest relationship, and the older alpha knew that he had to be completely open with his brother now, no matter how uncomfortable it got.

"Geez, Dean; you can't let him give you a blowjob! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Rowena would tan your hide—"

"He didn't," Dean interrupted. "I gave him one."

"Oh." Sam worked through half a dozen responses in his mind, but the sudden unbidden mental image of his brother on his knees in front of Cas wouldn't leave him. "Really, you, kneeling on the floor, giving an omega a blowjob?"

Dean shrugged. "I kinda liked it. He really liked it. Besides, the other way would be too risky. I'm not stupid."

"I'm not sure your actions today back that up."

Dean growled something under his breath. "I wasn't going to do anything, Sam."

"Except try to strip an omega in the middle of your whole pack," Sam retorted, grabbing Dean's arm and forcing the other alpha to stop and face him. "You can't do that anymore."

"Well, obviously—"

"No," Sam interrupted, raising one hand for silence. "You can't do any of that anymore. No more omega space, no more hand jobs, no more touching below the belt. You two aren't going to be naked together unless you're swimming and the rest of us are there, too. If I even think you've done something with him, I'll kick your ass halfway to Celestial lands."

Dean's green eyes widened at the ultimatum, at his little brother giving him orders. "Sam . . ."

"It's for your own good. Mostly, it's for his. Hasn't Asa told you about what almost happened to Tasha when they were courting?"

Dean shook his head, turning to follow Sam as the taller alpha started walking again. "What?"

"He and Tasha had been courting for almost two months, waiting for the go-ahead from Dad for her to join the pack. They did the same kind of stuff that you and Cas have been up to, mostly flirting with omega space. One day, he let her fall too far and stay gone too long, and he almost couldn't bring her back. He said that when Tasha did finally come back to herself, there was something off, and his own wolf was anxious and twitchy for a couple of days. On the third day, he couldn't function; all he could think about was her. Tasha almost went insane trying to stay away from him, but thankfully Rowena was still traveling with her at the time and realized what had happened."

"An incomplete mating bond," Dean whispered. "Just from omega space? I didn't think it was that dangerous."

"It's not, as long as you're mated. Sometimes an omega can reach it during a casual hook-up, but that is rare. Tasha and Asa had to mate immediately or risk permanent mental damage, but thankfully Dad's approval arrived by messenger the next morning. Asa said that it wasn't really an incomplete mating bond, but Tasha's wolf was in omega space for so long that it thought she had been mated and didn't understand why there was no bond."

Dean was silent until they reached the edge of the trees, the alpha raising his eyes to stare at the lake shining in the distance. "You think I'll do that to Cas."

"No, not really," Sam assured him, clapping his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'm sure you know what to look for and you never let him fall long. I just wanted you to know that Rowena's somewhat cryptic prophecy is not the only danger in your future. You've been in some level of courtship with him for almost three months. That's a long time for anyone to maintain control."

Dean snorted as they began the long trek around the north side of the lake. "Doesn't seem to be a problem for you, though. I haven't seen you lose control yet."

"Dean, I've had to control myself my whole life. You're John Winchester's heir; the big alpha of Wilderness pack, and you've never had to worry about that. I know you've never been with an omega before—"

"Neither have you."

Sam shrugged. "Fair point. But I have spoken with Mom at length about alpha-omega relations and I know that you kinda grimaced your way through every sex and mating talk that either of our parents have tried to have with you. You've never had to hold yourself back, you've never had to worry about staying in control of your wolf because being a big, dominant alpha is all you've ever wanted. Now you have this omega that you love by your side all the time and it's a strain. I can see that. Hell, Benny can see that. You have to find a way to reign yourself in before you hurt Cas or inadvertently create a bond too early."

"That control thing . . . it's part of it, I guess," Dean conceded, "but not all of it. I mean, I knew exactly what I was doing the first time I gave Cas a hand job. I knew that it was crossing this line that we have to watch during a courtship, but I didn't care."

"Why?"

Dean clenched his fists at his side. "Because I'm worried that Dad won't accept him."

"Dean?!"

The older Winchester threw his hand into the air, exasperated. "Don't you think Dad has plans for me? Haven't you been watching over the past ten years as he threw omega after omega at me? I have never, even for a second, been tempted by one, but he kept trying. The law says that he can't pressure an omega into mating, but nothing protects the alphas from coercion. I tell Cas that his brother's idea of a 'perfect omega' doesn't matter, but the thing is, Dad's got a pretty similar mindset. He'll like Gabriel; your omega is small, submissive, and doesn't like to fight. Castiel is six feet tall, well-muscled, as aggressive as an alpha, and has almost as many scars as we do. Dad's going to hate him."

"Mom's got scars, Dean, and she was never really submissive. I'm sure Dad wants you to be happy, no matter what his personal opinions are."

"Dude, were you paying attention when we practiced with those angel blades? Cas pinned me. No one except you has ever been able to do that, but he overpowered me the first time we faced off in an actual fight. I couldn't beat him; the best I could manage was a draw. You're bigger than me, and I can still take you down most of the time, but Cas is . . . we're evenly matched. It's what I've always wanted in a mate, but Dad would flip his shit if I told him. He is not going to want me with an omega who can physically dominate me, even if it's only half the time."

Sam stared at the ground as he walked, keeping his stride at the shorter, even pace he used when Dean was walking with him. "Look, I'm not saying that I think Dad would reject your chosen mate or anything, but let's say you're right. If he does anything like that, I'll do everything in my power to make him change his mind. Mom will, too, I know it. But what you're doing with Cas isn't going to help either one of you. If you mate him before Dad gives his approval, the consequences will be dire."

"Yeah, I know," Dean whispered, remembering back to his father's punishment for previous, smaller infractions against his rules over the last twenty years. Crossing his father was never wise, and the rules about inter-pack mating were some of John's most prized laws. "I wouldn't have gone that far, but . . ."

"I know," Sam replied, saving his brother from elaborating. This conversation was already way past the boys' normal level of emotional heart-to-heart. "I've got your back, Dean, you know that. Just . . . control yourself around Cas, okay? Don't worry about what Dad will think, just don't mess up this courtship. One way or another, he's going to be your mate."

Dean nodded, smiling up at his brother. "Thanks, Sammy."

Kevin jerked awake just as Balthazar and Samandriel finished their lunch, the dark-haired omega rolling out of bed and tucking himself up against the wall with his legs pulled up to his chest. Alfie joined him instantly, wrapping his arms around his brother and purring softly. "Welcome back, Kevin," Balthazar offered, sitting down in front of the smaller man. "Feeling better?"

Kevin shook his head, shocking white eyes flickering around the room. "I can still see all of these . . . images . . . and I don't understand any of them. I see wolves I don't recognize, places I've never been, and some sort of war that is much, much worse than the border skirmishes that the three packs have fought these past few decades. What is going on?"

"Clea said that you're a psychic or a seer; that's why your eyes are white. She thinks it's more likely that you're a seer."

"A seer?" Kevin took a deep breath and leaned against Alfie, struggling to calm his racing heart. "Okay, a seer. I've met one, a long time ago. She was a Wilderness rogue, but Mother traded with their band frequently when they were passing through our lands. She had white eyes."

"Did she see the kind of things that you're seeing?"

Kevin shrugged. "She seemed to understand the images, and I have no idea what these are. Most of them pass too fast for me to catch, almost like listening to a language I barely know. I need someone to help me translate . . . whatever this is."

"I'm sure Mother will take us to see her after the Equinox," Alfie offered, shifting uncomfortably as he rubbed his back against the wall. Kevin and Balthazar exchanged a charged look, both of them standing as Kevin pulled his brother to his feet.

"Alfie, you really need to take care of that. Balthy and I will be in the main room, okay?"

Alfie whined and nodded, twitching as heat danced across his skin and he resisted the almost overwhelming urge to fuck something. He had been pushing down that desperate urge to mate for the past two hours, but he was almost past the point where his self-control would be enough. Balthazar had tried to get him to leave a couple of times, but the young omega had wanted to be present when his brother woke up. Omegas in heat, whether they were breeding or not, needed to mate once or twice a day to satisfy their wolves, and Alfie was way overdue.

Kevin and Balthazar retired to the main room of their suite, closing Alfie's bedroom door behind them to give him some privacy. They could smell the spike in his scent, but thankfully the door would muffle some of the noise he was bound to make.

"So, how are you feeling, Kevin?"

"I don't know. Freaked out? Who the hell expects to wake up with wings and visions?"

Balthazar shrugged and fixed the other omega a small plate of food, which Kevin gratefully accepted as his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since the night before. "I woke up with wings and lost my home, my family, and almost my life. I can't help you with the visions, but maybe I can offer you advice on the wings."

"Yeah, that would be great. Can I actually fly?"

"Yeah, absolutely. You'll need to practice, build up your strength, but I was able to fly to the supply post directly east of here and back in one morning."

Kevin's eyes widened, his pupils the only color in his pale eyes. It was going to take some time to get used to those white eyes. "Is that the day that you were attacked?"

"Yeah. Gerald was supposed to meet me at the edge of the forest and escort me back. When he put that collar on me, I couldn't shift and fly away, so I ran. When your heat is over, Crowley and I will show you the clearing where I practice flying."

"Yeah, that would be good."

Balthazar tilted his head and leaned closer to sniff Kevin, furrowing his brow at the omega's calm scent. He was still in heat, but there was none of the urgency that Alfie had been emitting all day. "Are you still in heat?"

"Yeah, but I don't feel any urge to mate. I'm sure the shock of the visions this morning pushed that urge down for now. I'm guessing I'll be as bad as Alfie tomorrow."

Balthazar chuckled. "You can't be as bad as Cassie when he goes into heat. We didn't have the luxury of a guarded suite of rooms for most of our heats, so we hid in the mountains near our home and tried to get through it together. My twin could catch an alpha's scent four, five miles away and he would go crazy. It was all Gad and I could do to restrain him. As much as he hates the idea of submitting to an alpha or walking two steps behind someone else for the rest of his life, that boy craves a knot."

"Well, if he's dating Dean Winchester, I'll imagine that he'll get what he wants. We heard a lot of stories about him while we were traveling through Wilderness lands. He has slept with a lot of betas, male and female, and there was a rumor that he bottomed for an alpha once."

"No," Balthazar breathed, leaning forward in a request for more gossip.

Kevin grinned. "He's the heir to Wilderness pack, so John would bring dozens of omegas to meet his son every month, males and females, but Dean rejected every one. I heard that John tried to bring him a young male who was already in heat once, and Dean just straight up ran away, refusing to be coerced. That might have been his first patrol with his current band, come to think of it. He doesn't believe in manipulating anyone, regardless of their subgender, and he resented what his father was trying to do. I'm pretty sure that John stopped that nonsense, but Dean slept around with betas to get back at him, especially male betas."

"Because they can't be bred," Balthazar murmured. "Is John afraid that his son will mate a male beta? He can't possibly think that."

Kevin shrugged. "We gathered all of the information that we could, but we couldn't get answers to all of our questions. From what we could tell, Dean was attracted primarily to male omegas, but he wouldn't court anyone his father introduced him to. Meeting your twin was . . ." Kevin's eyes went distant as his pupils narrowed to pinpricks. "Fate," he whispered, his eyes flicking back and forth. "They were fated to meet. What am I seeing right now?"

"Is it one of your visions?"

"Yes. I keep seeing their meeting over and over, with slight differences each time. In most of them, I see a half-starved black omega attacking a bigger mahogany alpha before they talk, but sometimes they don't fight. I'm seeing how they could have met, but it's pretty clear that they were meant to meet."

"I thought seers were supposed to look into the future, not the past."

Kevin shook his head free of his visions, his pupils widening back to their normal size. "Dude, I have no idea. I need to speak to that seer that we met with Mother, or maybe Rowena when she returns. She's old enough to know what I'm going through."

They both looked up as Alfie's howl sounded through the door to his room, Kevin chuckling as he reached out and poured himself some water. "That boy has the loudest orgasms, I swear. I pity the beta who eventually mates him and has to put up with that."

Alfie stumbled out of his room a few minutes later, having cleaned himself up. "Sorry about that, guys. I held out as long as I could."

Kevin smiled and held out an arm, pulling his brother to his side as he finished his lunch. "I've never seen you resist the urge for so long. Feeling better?"

"Much, but I can feel that burning already returning. I'll have another episode before supper, I'm sure." Alfie reached for his own cup of water, taking a sip before speaking again. "What were you talking about before I interrupted?"

Dean was in the middle of a meeting with Asa when the omegas returned from their training session, the last light of the sun fading from the sky. He saw them from the study's window, but he couldn't leave to greet Cas for almost an hour. Once his meeting with Asa was complete, the alpha returned to his bedroom, not surprised to find the raven-haired omega waiting for him. What was a surprise was the small bag Cas had packed and placed in the middle of the bed.

"Going somewhere, Cas?"

"I, uh, thought it would be best if I spent a few days with Max."

"Max is in heat," Dean replied carefully, stepping forward to take Cas's hands, stopping him from picking nervously at the edge of his robe. He caught the omega under his chin, forcing him to look up and meet his eyes. "Talk to me, Cas."

"It wasn't only your fault," the Celestial whispered, smiling sadly at the alpha. Everything he wasn't saying hovered in the air between them, Dean nodding.

"You want some time to clear your head, gain control of your sudden addiction to me and that omega space you seem to love so much?"

Cas chuckled, Dean's words cheering him up considerably. "Something like that. I don't want to be away from you, even for a few days, but I know that we really do need some separation. This courtship is incredibly long; if our situations were different, we'd have been mated over a month ago. Our wolves are starting to gain control of our interactions, and we can't give in."

"So you'll spend a few days with other omegas and try to center yourself?"

"Yeah. I thought that it would be best, especially after what happened today."

Dean leaned his forehead against Cas's, arms falling to hang loosely around the omega's waist. "I don't want you to go, but I know that you should. Sam's right; you fell into omega space way faster than I expected, and it took you too long to come back. We can't do that again until we're mated. It's getting too dangerous."

"I know. What else did Sam tell you?" Dean could tell from the omega's teasing tone that he already knew the answer, probably having heard it from Gabe earlier than evening.

"He said that if I don't obey these new rules he's set for us, he'd kick my ass half way back to Celestial lands."

Cas tilted his head back and offered Dean a gentle kiss before pulling away, returning to the bed and his waiting bag. He slipped out of his robe and laid it on top of the blanket, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. "I thought you might like to have that while I'm gone."

"Thanks, babe." Dean followed Cas into the hall, keeping his distance in an effort not to touch the omega and get any more alpha scent on him. The last thing Cas needed was to enter a room full of horny omegas smelling like him. They walked into the main hallway to find the rest of their pack waiting for them, Sam and Benny standing to one side with Jo while Gabriel and Gadreel leaned against the nearest pillar with bags at their feet.

"They decided to join you in your self-imposed exile," Sam explained, smiling at Cas. "I think they just want a break from fighting practice."

Gabe chuckled and wrapped his arm around Cas's waist. "I hear it's quite the party in the omega wing tonight; ready for some fun?"

Gadreel placed a hand on Cas's shoulder as the three walked away, helping his twin cheer up their youngest brother. They knew how much losing control that afternoon had shaken the young omega, and they hoped that some uninterrupted time alone with just other omegas would help him regain his confidence. He felt Cas start to turn, to look back at Dean once more, but he tightened his grip and shook his head. "It'll just make it harder, little brother. He knows you love him, and he will be waiting when you return."

"Thank you, both of you, for coming with me."

"We'll always be here for you, Cassie," Gabe promised. "Always."

Crowley looked up from his conversation with Abaddon as Linda entered his private study, not bothering to knock before taking a seat in front of his desk. "Linda, so good to see you."

"Sorry to interrupt, Crowley, but I knew that you would just be going over the supplicants for tomorrow. I have someone I would like you to meet, privately, when you have the chance."

Crowley shrugged. "Alright, who?"

"Do you remember when I traveled to the southern continent and spent a year living with the Nomad Tribes? This was about two years before Kevin was born."

Crowley nodded, glancing at the intricate beaded necklace hanging on a stand on the edge of his desk. It was one of the things Linda had brought back from her trip, a gift from the Alpha of the largest of the tribes, the Plains Walkers, who favored bright colors and beaded jewelry. "Sure, I remember. What about it?"

"Well, the son of the alpha I stayed with has traveled here in the hopes that you would grant him an audience to discuss terms for a more permanent trading relationship."

"Isn't it a two-week journey to the southern continent?"

Linda shrugged. "Something like that. He didn't realize what winter means up here; down there it's just the end of the dry spell in the middle of the rainy season. Now that he has had to travel through snow and deal with icy streams, he would prefer to stay here until the weather warms up considerably and the snow melts."

Crowley chuckled and nodded. "Of course. I have time tomorrow morning for a meeting if you would like to bring him then. Will you arrange quarters for him?"

"Yes, I was hoping to offer him the suite next to mine in the omega wing."

Abaddon tilted her head, raising one hand in a question. "He's an omega? Isn't he in heat?"

"No, they have their heats at different times of the year than we do up north. The male omegas go into heat in the late part of the 'short rains' season, so around the third week of December, and the next one a few weeks after the dry season starts, which would be the third week of June. I'm pretty sure the dates line up with Balthazar's heat cycle, as a matter of fact."

"Weird," the alpha murmured, glancing down at her papers as she marked off the meeting on Crowley's official calendar.

"Well, he's certainly welcome in the omega wing, then. Tell Meg and she will arrange it. Does he have any special dietary requirements or allergies that the chef needs to be aware of?"

"Not really. He's eaten more toxic plants and animals than you have heard of, and I doubt any of our foods will bother him."

"Alright, get him settled and bring him here in the morning. What's his name?"

"Mshindi. I'll see you in the morning, Crowley."

Kevin and Balthazar, curled up on the cushions and eating candy while watching the sun set, barely looked up as Linda entered the suite. Alfie opened the door to his room, having just made it through his second mating urge of his heat, scent spiking with confusion as his eyes locked on his mother. Balthazar and Kevin looked up at the sudden change in aroma.

Linda entered the room, a tall, slender, dark-skinned man one step behind her. He wore a red garment, the cloth wrapped around his legs like a skirt before loosely covering his chest, though the fabric looked too thin for northern winters. His shoes were simple leather sandals, which were also completely inappropriate for the current weather conditions, and layers of colorful beaded collars and necklaces adorned his neck and upper chest. A similar beaded band wrapped around his head, and a wider one around his waist as a belt, the entire effect striking against his rich, tar-black skin.

"Wow," Alfie breathed, light brown eyes widening. "You're magnificent."

The newcomer, his scent marking him as an omega, chuckled softly, one hand resting on a cloth bag hanging from one shoulder. "You are too kind." His words were soft, but stilted, too precise and measured for a native speaker, his natural accent a warm undertone.

"You're from the Southern Continent," Balthazar realized, rising to his feet to face their guest, Kevin standing slightly behind him. The half-Celestial was worried about his newly white eyes frightening the dark-skinned omega.

"I am. My name is Mshindi, and I am one of the sons of the great Chief Masinde of the Plains Walker Tribe. Your mother visited my father decades ago and became great friends."

Linda nodded. "Mshindi has come now to negotiate a trading partnership between Spellbound and three of the largest Nomad Tribes. He has a meeting with Crowley tomorrow, and he has been assigned the suite next to ours. In his tribe, it is customary for an honored guest to stay with the leader's family, so I have offered to have him sleep here tonight."

"Unless you object," Mshindi interjected smoothly. "I know that your customs are different and that two of you are in heat, which can make everything more uncomfortable." He emphasized each syllable of that word, rolling the sounds in his mouth before offering them forth. The way he spoke was mesmerizing, and Balthazar found that he wanted to spend a great deal more time with this newcomer, if only to listen to him speak.

"No, we don't object," Alfie answered, glancing at his brother and friend before speaking. "It will be nice to have someone new to talk to."

Balthazar rolled his eyes. "Apparently I'm not new enough for him anymore."

Alfie shrugged. "We have spent a lot of time together recently, Balthy. You're already part of the family. I'm Samandriel, by the way, but my friends call me Alfie."

"I'm Balthazar, but most people call me Balthy."

"And that's Kevin, who is too embarrassed about his eyes to speak to you."

Mshindi tilted his head curiously. "I have seen eyes like that before. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Some of our shamans have eyes like that."

"Really?" Kevin perked up at that, stepping forward to offer his arm to the visitor. Mshindi reached out and grasped the offered arm, wrists touching as they exchanged scents. He greeted Alfie and Balthazar the same way, all four omegas settling down on the cushions that were arranged near the window. Mshindi placed his bag on the floor and adjusted his layers of beaded jewelry, making himself comfortable as Linda slipped out to order food for the boys.

"Yes. A shaman, from what my father told me about your culture, is similar to a witch in your land. They have powers and a great deal of knowledge about medicinal plants, and they serve as advisors to our Chief, what you would call a Head Alpha. Some of them get sporadic visions and some can see the future, or at least certain possible paths. The most powerful of them are typically called seers."

"Yeah, that's what we think I am," Kevin replied. "The visions just started this morning when I went into heat."

Mshindi nodded his head thoughtfully. The boys had thought, at first, that he was bald, but he did have very short, wiry black hair behind his colorful headband. "That is how our shamans gain their visions. Generally they are born with some level of power or a natural aptitude, and the visions will come sometime after they reach adulthood. Have you been able to interpret any of your visions yet?"

"No, unfortunately. I have seen a vision from the past, a meeting that I knew about, but I kept seeing it again and again with small changes each time."

"Our seers usually view the future only, but once in a while they are shown something from the past, some momentous event that will influence their own future. I do not know more than that, unfortunately, since I am not a seer, but I can tell you that all shamans eventually find their way. I am certain that you will, as well."

Kevin had no idea why the words of a visitor from the south they had just met calmed him so much, but he felt a tightness in his chest start to fade. Worries he had not known he carried bled away, washed clean by this newcomer's words. "Thank you," he whispered, hoping that his words conveyed his relief. "Tell us about your home, Mshindi."