Chapter 13: Relaxed

It was too much to hope that they could sneak out two nights in a row without Linda noticing. She was waiting outside their suite just after midnight, arms crossed over her chest and dark eyes glaring holes into the two young omegas and their alpha escort. Crowley, wisely, decided not to brave her wrath, squeezing Balthazar's hand once in encouragement before fleeing the opposite direction, ignoring his omega's whispered, "coward". He had no intention of facing the irate beta if he could help it.

"Get inside," Linda growled, the guards on either side flinching. Even Meg, who was generally unperturbed by anything, shrunk against the wall to avoid being the target of the older woman's wrath. Heads hanging, Balthazar and Mshindi slipped past Linda and back into the omega suite. Kevin and Alfie, who had snuck back in through the window, were seated by the table, their climbing gear in their lap. Clearly, they had been caught.

Mshindi and Balthazar joined the brothers and stared at the floor, no one willing to meet the fury in the beta's dark eyes. As expected, Linda broke the tense silence. "What do you think you are doing? Sneaking out in the middle of the night while two of you are in heat?"

"It was my idea," Mshindi murmured, picking at the bottom hem of the blue tunic Alfie had found for him that morning. "In my land . . . well, you never noticed, I think, but omegas do not hide away during their heat. They take some precautions to reduce their scent, but otherwise they are able to walk among alphas without issue. Your three sons wished to learn more about this practice, and I was willing to show them."

The boys knew the instant that Linda relaxed, Mshindi's reference to three sons reminding her how close Balthazar, Alfie, and Kevin had become. She knew that none of them were used to being constrained during heat, and she had almost expected them to make a break for it at some point. At least with Mshindi's assistance, their escape had probably been a little safer. "That doesn't make me feel any better."

Mshindi grinned and glanced up at the beta spy. "Sure it does. You think of me as responsible, like my father, and you are a little curious how our omegas protect themselves during heat and why our alphas don't jump them."

Linda sighed and took a seat in the circle, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, I do want to know that. I'm still angry, but you might as well tell me what you've been up to."

Balthazar waved his hand at the brothers, offering to begin the explanation. "Mshindi told us that we didn't have to be locked away during our heats and that in his tribe the alphas and betas are the ones expected to control themselves, not the omegas. We wanted to see that in action, so . . . wait." He turned to gape at Mshindi, shaking his head almost imperceptibly. "You knew. Somehow, without me even realizing, you led us into meeting with Crowley."

The Nomad grinned, his teeth brilliant against his tar-black skin. "I wondered when you would realize that. Yes, I suspected that Crowley would be in the clearing last night, and I thought that it would be a great test for the three of you and for him."

"How do you always seem to know these things?"

Mshindi shrugged. "I spent a great deal of time speaking with Crowley when he granted me an audience. I could see how much he missed you, and there were dark circles under his eyes that hinted at a sleepless night. It wasn't hard to infer that he had become used to sleeping with you, and perhaps with Kevin and Alfie, and was now having trouble adjusting to an empty bed. I had the same problem during my first assignment after cuddling with my siblings my entire life. It wasn't hard to see that he would try to find a place to relax, a place that reminded him of you, so I sort of tricked you into leading us there."

"You knew he would show up?"

Mshindi raised one finger and waved it sharply. "No, I thought that he might. I didn't lie to you when I said that we were unlikely to run into any alphas while we were out; I just neglected to inform you that one of my skills, one that has made me a great messenger and ambassador, is the ability to read people. I read Crowley correctly."

"And he controlled himself," Kevin added, his white eyes narrowing slightly. "He controlled himself like one of the alphas of your pack."

Linda sighed leaned back in her cushion, all tension fading from her slight form. "I remember your father trying to explain that to me, years ago, but as a female beta it never really mattered. Do your omegas really walk around during heat without a care in the world?"

"We have some methods to reduce their scents somewhat, including a tea that your sons have been drinking. I have not seen any evidence that the north grows the herbs that we use to make that tea and the ointment I also brought, but I am sure that we can trade them if it is something your people wish to experiment with. Except for the final day, the tea and ointment can reduce the scent of an omega in heat or an alpha in rut to something significantly more manageable for both subgenders. Crowley controlled himself admirably."

Linda ran one hand over her face. "I don't know how I can be mad at you when Mshindi clearly manipulated you into this."

"He said that it's a skill we'll need. He didn't say why."

Kevin perked up as soon as he realized that his mother was significantly calmer. "He also taught us to shift without losing our clothes. Well, without losing our necklaces, I guess I should say." He reached up to finger the colors beads hanging from his neck. "We can all manage that now, and we would never have been able to if we didn't sneak out."

Linda grinned and leaned forward, taking her son's hand in hers. "You're learning to shift forms with your clothes and supplies? Kevin, that's incredible! I spent a year among them and I could never master that!"

"My father is not the best teacher," Mshindi murmured. "Even my mother readily admits that her skills lie in other fields. Before I became an ambassador to the tribes and later a messenger to the north, I would teach our young pups. This is what I would teach."

The beta bit her bottom lip and held out one hand hesitantly, palm up in a supplicating gesture. Smiling, Mshindi reached out to grab her wrist, nodding. He would teach her.

Castiel stood by the window, staring out toward the lake, when a gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder. When omegas were alone, they tended to let their guard down, but Cas had never been allowed to have quiet, peaceful time away from his older brothers. He tensed up, a flash of fear threading through him before he forcefully pushed it away and turned to face his companion.

Damian smiled at the younger omega, inclining his head toward the table he preferred and the two cushions resting next to each other. Cas's brothers had all but ordered him to spend time with one of the two omegas, and Jordan was currently asleep in Gadreel's lap, lulled into a sense of calm by the older man's fingers carding through his hair. Damian was more Cas's speed, anyway; calmer, older, and a great deal more centered than the excitable pup.

The Celestial joined his companion, biting his lip as he shifted uncomfortably and stared at the table. Damian was shorter than him, but broader, a life of trade having honed his muscles impressively, even his skin darker from years in the sun. His pale green eyes glowed against that bronze backdrop, his brown hair highlighted in gold and worn loose around his shoulders.

Damian chuckled and twirled a lock of his hair around one finger. "I usually tie it back, but it seems irrelevant when I spend half my time rutting into a pillow while in heat. Glenn constantly tells me how impractical long hair is, but I know that he secretly loves it."

"What's your mate like?"

Damian reached out and gently clasped Cas's bicep, squeezing gently as soon as the younger omega relaxed. He decided to address the younger omega's clear discomfort with simple touches rather than answer his question. "Were you abused by a former partner? Or your dominant parent?"

Cas shook his head. "I'm sorry that I keep reacting like that. I don't mean to."

"Tell me what happened and I'll tell you about my mate."

Cas turned to stare at the table, catching his brother's expression out of the corner of his eye. Gabriel, who had been learning the Wilderness beading techniques, looked up from the tunic he was working on and nodded toward Damian. Max was nowhere to be found, probably in his room suffering through a spike in his heat.

"It wasn't a partner," Cas finally answered. "I've never been courted before Dean accepted my request, and my sexual companionships were incredibly short-term. Michael wouldn't allow me to form any attachments that would threaten his plans for me."

"Michael isn't your dominant parent, is he?"

"No, he's my oldest brother. My parents both left before I went into heat the first time. Michael was always domineering, even before that, but I imagine he thought it was expected of him. He is an alpha, and he was Father's heir apparent more than twenty years before I was born. He, uh, he and I never got along."

"You fought with him?"

Cas chuckled, running his hand through his raven hair. "Yeah, constantly. It seems silly; I'm the youngest and he was the oldest and he certainly expected that I would obey him without question. I did, too, until I was about ten or so. I wanted to run with one of the Celestial splinter packs, one that is fully established in the southern mountains, and he punished me severely for even asking. My brothers saw what had happened, and they wanted to retaliate, but Michael was twice our size. What could we do? Our only sister, Anna, was willing to defy Michael enough to take us on a trip to the south, and the Head Alpha of that pack started training us to fight. After that, every time Michael hit me, I hit back. I never had peace after that, but I refused to bow to his whims just because he was my alpha. I'm not property to be bought and sold."

Damian ran a soothing hand down Cas's back, smiling as the younger omega curled up against his side. This is how omegas are supposed to interact with each other, Cas found himself thinking as the softest of purrs vibrated against his chest. "He shouldn't have treated you like that, Castiel. Omegas aren't property, and we shouldn't be coerced into mating alphas purely for our family's advantage." He paused for a moment, just long enough for Cas to notice, before taking a deep, fortifying breath. "Gabriel told me this morning why you haven't been eating. I'm sorry about that."

"Thank you," Cas whispered, fighting against the burn of impending tears. "I learned not to expect much sympathy back home, and it is refreshing to see that not everyone is a dick." At Damian's chuckle, Cas glanced up to meet his mint green eyes. "Call me Cas."

"Alright, Cas. You told me about your brother, so it's only fair that I tell you about my mate. I met Glenn before my first heat when he brought his trading caravan to the small farming village where I was born. I thought that he looked exotic, with his dyed blue hair and matching eyes, so tall that even Sam would have to look up to him, but lean, like an omega. Honestly, I thought he was an omega when I first saw him, before I was brave enough to talk to him."

"How did you figure it out?"

"I, uh, it was on the day before my first heat when I visited his stall at the market. I didn't know I was going into heat, and my parents couldn't smell it that early. Glenn, however, is one of those rare alphas who can smell omegas' hormonal changes before they go into full heat, and he was incredibly interested in me. He sold me the spices my parents sent me for and warned me that I needed to stay inside for the rest of that week. He was struggling to hold himself back, I could see it, and I think that he almost went into rut right there. I asked him if he would want to see me again when my heat was over, and he said he would find a way to stay in town long enough to do just that. He did, too; changed his whole trading route to spend three days with me when I finished my heat."

"Pretty romantic."

"He does try. It was almost six months before he returned; longest six months of my life. I asked him to take me with him when he left again, but he said I needed to finish growing up first. I thought that was ridiculous; both of my older sisters were apprenticed by fifteen, and my three younger brothers all had promises in town from artisans to take them on when they were old enough. My oldest brother was set to inherit the farm, and I just wanted to travel. When he saw how upset I was, Father spoke with Glenn and asked if he would be willing to take me as an apprentice with the understanding that I was not allowed to mate until I was at least twenty. Glenn agreed to those terms, but I was furious. I didn't want to wait."

"He made you wait five years before mating?"

Damian grinned and shook his head. "He tried to, but I didn't even make it three. We returned to my home village just before my sixth heat and just after my eighteenth birthday. I asked Glenn to mate me before my heat, and my parents reluctantly agreed to let him."

"Why did Glenn agree?"

"He almost didn't. He wanted me to grow up a little more, make sure that the trader life was one that I wanted to lead and that I had every life experience I wanted. I pointed out that I hadn't slept with anyone since I started traveling with him and that I had already made up my mind. He mated me three days later and I asked him to stay with me when I went into heat."

Cas perked up at that, turning slightly so he could meet Damian's eyes. "Did you get pregnant?"

"Yeah, pretty quickly. Glenn was surprised; I don't think he had ever considered the logistics of having pups on the road. We made it work, though; our first son was born six months later."

"Six? Pregnancies last nine months."

"You know, the really cool thing about traveling so much is that you meet a lot of people with a ton of stories. One thing I learned is that the gestation time of your pup changes depending on your form. Human gestation is forty weeks, but wolves give birth in eight to ten weeks. So every week I spent in wolf form was equivalent to almost a month of pregnancy in human form."

Cas stared at the older omega, cobalt eyes wide as he tried to process that information. "I had no idea. Do a lot of people do that; use their wolf form to give birth sooner?"

"Not really, not that I've seen, I guess. I spoke with one woman who had her pup in just over three months because her pack was on the road in the winter and it never really made sense for her to spend any time in human form. I had been riding in Glenn's cart for the first few months of my pregnancy, but I told him that I wanted to run with him at least for a few hours each day. I kept track of the time, and I spent just over three weeks in wolf form, letting me give birth in the fall instead of the winter."

"Did you give birth in wolf form?"

"No. And none of the wanderers or rogues who had used wolf form to shorten their pregnancy had ever done it, either. I wouldn't recommend it; I imagine the pup would be born in form and would grow at wolf speeds. I would have hated to miss anything with Dan."

"How many pups do you have?"

"Three: Dan, Alice, and Kelly. Dan's with Glenn this winter, learning the trade, and the girls are staying with one of my cousins in the city while I'm in here. I had planned to try for a fourth this spring, but Glenn got stuck in the main city longer than expected. I'll ask him at the end of the summer, I suppose, though I hate to be pregnant during the winter."

Cas dropped his head back onto Damian's chest, letting the older omega's steady heartbeat calm him. "I've thought about it, you know. I've thought about what it will be like to be pregnant, to have pups."

"Do you want that?"

"With Dean? Absolutely."

Gabriel looked up as Max emerged from his room, the younger omega disheveled and stumbling, purple eyes dark with his heat-enhanced lust. Gabriel chuckled as Max fell onto the cushion beside him, reaching for a cup of water and draining it quickly. "I forgot how exhausting day four could be."

"You don't think five is the worst?"

"I never remember much of day five, to be honest. I'll be out of my mind for most of it." Max glanced over at Jordan, watching as the boy started to writhe in Gadreel's arms, slowly waking up in the throes of his heat. "It's going to be bad for him, too. Damian will be fine; I haven't seen him lose control yet."

"We'll help you as much as we can, of course." Gabriel looked up from the pattern he had been working on, nodding toward Cas and Damian. "Damian is good for Cas."

"It comforts him to speak with an older omega, one with a mate and pups. I think it will help him clear up a lot of his own concerns." Gabriel nodded at Max's assessment, sighing as he glared at the beaded pattern he had been working on.

Cas had lapsed into silence after the discussion about pups, thinking back over his interactions with his alpha. Something was bothering him, something big, but Damian wouldn't push him to talk. Cas was extremely grateful for the older omega's patience.

"I, uh . . . I have something else to ask you."

"I could tell."

Cas chuckled, the tension in his chest easing somewhat. "Okay, what do you know about this omega space thing?"

"It's amazing but it can also be incredibly dangerous. I'm guessing you're asking because you experienced it with Dean recently."

"Yeah. We've been courting for months . . . recently we kind of started experimenting with things that wouldn't trigger an incomplete mating bond, and some of those things gave me a taste of omega space. Dean never lets me stay long; I think he's worried that I'll get . . . lost?"

Damian shrugged. "Lost is a good way to describe it. Tasha got lost that way, for a very long time, and it created an incomplete mating bond."

"Why?"

"Well, omega space is cause by a rush of endorphins, and it manifests differently for everyone who reaches it. For me, it's like a hypnotic trance and I slowly lose connection to my senses until it feels like I'm flying. It takes me a while to get to that state; most times I'll dip just below the surface, I guess, and get this kind of fuzzy detachment before I come back."

Cas nodded, thinking back to his own experiences. "Yes, it was something like that. It wasn't like flying, but I did feel like I wasn't really in control of my body anymore. Like getting really drunk, I suppose."

"Many omegas can go pretty high, and if you get too detached from your body you'll lost your wolf. Temporarily, calm down!" Cas hadn't even realized that he tensed up at the words as he struggled to rise, pausing at Damian's gentle command. Slowly, endeavoring to calm his racing heart, the Celestial settled back against his Wilderness companion. "There, that's better. What I mean is that your wolf can't follow you into omega space. They get confused and they reach out for any bond, any grounding sensation, until you return. For a short endorphin spike, the wolf will be fine, but a longer one will leave it confused and in pain. That's what happened to Tasha; she was gone so long that her wolf became desperate for another bond and it latched onto the only other person it knew and trusted."

"Asa."

"Yes. Her wolf convinced itself that it was bonded to Asa's alpha, and when she returned she didn't complete the mating. Three days later, it almost drove her insane."

"So unmated omegas should avoid omega space?"

Damian shrugged. "Quick dips are fine, but usually we only trust our courting partner enough to go there. Left alone, the wolf will reach for a mating bond. Once you are mated, however, you can stay in the clouds as long as you like, and your partner's wolf will keep yours grounded."

"So I really should avoid it until I'm mated?"

"It would be best. When are you planning to mate?"

"Five minutes after Dean's father says we can," Cas grumbled, ignoring the shiver of unease that danced down his spine. Some part of him, some small part, still believed that John would reject his suit and that Dean would be forced to send him away, but he ruthlessly pushed those thoughts away. Dean had promised that they would be together, no matter what.

Damian just smiled at his words, leaning back against the wall as he remembered the years he spent waiting for his own mate. "He's lucky to have you, Cas."

"I'm pretty lucky to have him."

"You guys have been awfully quiet all day." Dean twirled an arrow between his fingers before knocking it, pulling it back in one smooth stroke and releasing it. The arrow sliced into its target three hundred feet away, the straw target shaking from the impact.

Benny grumbled something under his breath, leaning against his log and fletching another arrow. "I spent the night guarding the omega wing. Guess I'm just not awake yet."

Sam exchanged a charged glance with his brother, some silent communication passing between them as the taller brother took his place on the firing line. "You seem distracted, not tired. Did you speak with Gad last night, maybe hear something that disturbed you?"

Benny grinned, thick fingers expertly tying off the delicate binding on his arrow. "Yes, I did get to talk to him when supper was delivered. I couldn't touch him, of course, but I think that he slept better knowing I was nearby." He let his words fade off, intentionally not answering the question that Sam had been subtly asking all morning.

"We're not going to tell you, Sam, so you might as well stop pushing," Jo growled, cursing as she knapped a bad point that she couldn't reshape.

The brunet grunted in agreement and fingered his bowstring. "I know how stubborn you can be. Can I trust that you would tell us if it was something dangerous?"

Jo turned to Benny, raising one eyebrow. "Yeah, if it was dangerous, or if situations change and it becomes an issue, we will tell you."

"Hey! Mind if I join you guys?"

The four wolves looked up as Alicia strode onto the field, a bow held in one hand and a quiver of arrows in the other. Her long, confident stride seemed a bit off, and something in the way she almost met his eyes convinced Dean that she needed to let off some steam. "Sure, pull up a target," Dean replied, nodding as Sam took position on the line far enough away that Alicia could stand between them.

The alpha nodded in thanks as she took position, her curly brown hair pulled out of her face as her dark indigo eyes measured the distance to her first target. Raising her bow, Alicia neatly sunk four arrows into the middle target before she spoke. "I'm going with you to the border. Max, too. We'll be spending the spring and most of the summer in Spellbound lands."

Sam turned to face her, one eyebrow raised. "I thought Wilderness alphas weren't allowed in Spellbound lands. Why would they welcome you?"

Alicia shrugged, lowering her bow. "I'm half Spellbound, and my mother's agreement with Crowley allows any and all of her pups to cross the border under his protection. He has the same agreement with her, though he doesn't have any pups."

Dean chuckled. "I hear that he's getting pretty close to that. He's intent on mating Balthazar."

Alicia grinned, finally raising her eyes to meet Dean's. "Good! He deserves to be happy. I didn't spend much time with Balthy before he left to find Rowena, but he seemed to have the perfect level of irreverent disregard for authority to deal with Crowley."

"Crowley's smitten with the boy," Dean confirmed. "Cas told me that one of the palace guards attacked Balthy and Crowley tore his neck out with his teeth. In front of his whole court. I doubt anyone in Spellbound lands questions Crowley's feelings for his omega."

Alicia smiled, glancing east as if she could see Crowley's castle from there. "The court is going to be very different with an omega sitting on the dais with Crowley. I can't wait to see what their pups look like." Something in her gaze softened at the word pups, and Sam reached out to touch her arm.

"Why do you two need to leave so suddenly?"

"Well, for one, Rowena needs some extra witches to perform the Equinox ritual at the border. She won't make it back to her lands for it, so the Coven will run it without her, but she insists that she has to conduct her own smaller ritual at the same time. Max is a full witch and I'm half, so with Mother, Rowena, and Charlie we should be able to manage it. Normally Charlie would stand in omega position, but she said that a recent change in her powers will let her stand as a naturally born witch. We'll have the four boys and one of our local omegas with us to stand in the center of the circle and power the fertility part of the spell. After that, Mother will return home in the hopes of breeding this heat season."

"That's the real reason you two are leaving?"

"Yeah. We were here last time Mother bred, and it was uncomfortable for all of us. Max and I thought it would be better for everyone if our parents had free run of the house when the female omegas go into heat." She lowered her bow, staring at the engraved wood as she bit her lower lip. "Mother lost her last pup, and she was devastated. Rowena promised her that she would be able to have another, and we want to make sure she has the best chance possible."

Sam reached out and placed a gentle hand on Alicia's shoulder. "It's not your fault your mother had a miscarriage, Alicia. It happens sometimes."

Benny moved to the young alpha's other side, wrapping a lose arm around her waist as his gentle vanilla and sandalwood scent helped soothe her. "Anyone can have miscarriages, even omegas, despite the fact that society tells them that they are meant to be bred."

"I know," the half-witch whispered, "but Max and I still think she will have more luck if we aren't here. We already told her, and she is willing to let us stay in Spellbound lands for a couple of seasons if she is successful."

Benny smiled and tightened his grip slightly, Alicia glancing up into his eyes at the action. "If Rowena promised your mother another pup, cher, then she will be successful."

"What did Rowena promise you?"

Benny grinned, instinctively glancing over Alicia's head to meet his own leader's forest green eyes. "Not her, but Charlie. She promised me twins with Gadreel. A boy and a girl."

Dena chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "That's great, Benny. You've always wanted pups of your own. Have you picked out names?"

"Dean, we aren't even mated yet." Dean raised one eyebrow in disbelief until Benny relented. "Okay, yes, Gad and I talked about names. It seems a little silly, to name pups that aren't even conceived yet, but we did agree that the names should both start with T. We didn't get any further before he went into Max's suite."

Alicia raised her bow again, glancing at Dean out of the corner of her eye as she released another arrow. "What are you going to name your pup, Dean?"

The older alpha blushed, the dark color bringing out the freckles on his cheeks. "Geez, Alicia; Cas and I haven't talked about that at all. He did tell me that he wants pups, but we didn't really talk about names or anything. I just hope the little one looks like Cas."

"What about you, Sam?"

The taller alpha froze at Alicia's question, his fingers tightening imperceptibly on his bow as he struggled to answer. "I'm, uh, not ready for that."

"Gabriel is beyond ready for it," Jo pointed out, testing the balance of one of her knives before throwing it across the field into one of the painted targets. "His bond with you is incredibly strong, and he will do anything to make you happy. If you tell him that you will never breed him, Gabe will still be content with only you, but it isn't what he wants."

Sam sighed and turned away from the archery range, placing his bow gently on the ground as he took a seat on the log Jo recently vacated. "I know what he wants. And, despite my trepidation, I love him enough to give it to him. I just . . . I don't feel ready."

"Neither do I, and I'm twice your age," Benny argued. "Nobody's saying that you should breed him tomorrow, just that you should one day. Think about what your pups will look like."

Sam smiled dreamily at the mental image. "They will be so beautiful. Can't you just imagine a little boy who looks like me, but with Gabe's golden eyes?"

"Or a girl that looks like him," Alicia posited, "with your sunflower hazel eyes. She'd be a little heartbreaker, for sure."

Sam grinned, clenching his hands on the edge of the log as he let the image of that child blossom in his mind. "I can see her. Maybe you're right; maybe I could be ready."

"That's the spirit!"

As the conversation continued around the thought of pups, Dean smiled at the mental image of his pack growing, youngsters running alongside their parents and growing up in the wilds of the forest, as he had always wanted to. Despite his position as Wilderness heir, he still entertained the fantasy of living in the forest for the rest of his life, Cas and his children by his side. Sam and Benny would join them occasionally with their own mates and offspring, and they would find a way to visit Crowley and Balthy and their pups, but mostly it would just be his family. It was his wildest, most desperate dream.

Kevin and Alfie stared across the table at their mother, Balthazar and Mshindi waiting patiently off to the side. Linda narrowed her eyes and Kevin glanced away, whining low in his throat. Alfie grabbed his brother's hand and squeezed reassurance, both of them meeting Linda's gaze again with a new steel in their eyes. Sighing, the beta looked away and nodded, the entire silent conversation finally concluded. "Fine."

"Great!" Kevin clapped his hands and rose from the table, grinning at Alfie and nodding toward his room. "Alfie and I will go down the wall like usual and meet you three and Crowley in Balthazar's clearing. We'll bring the fire supplies like last night."

"Wait," Mshindi called, reaching into his bag and pulling out a colorful jar. "Tonight your scent will be stronger than we would normally expose an alpha-in-training to. Use this ointment on your scent glands, all of them." Alfie's eyebrows shot into his hairline and he cleared his throat. Mshindi nodded, waving a hand at the slender brunet's crotch. "Yes, including your genitals. Hurry up now, so we can get going."

As soon as the two embarrassed young omegas covered their scents, they slipped out of Kevin's window and headed for the back gardens. Mshindi and Balthazar, dressed in leather fighting clothes, followed Linda out the front door, bowing to a confused Meg as they passed. "My boys are having a hell of a time with their heat tonight," Linda explained, glancing over her shoulder at the closed door to her suite and wincing. She was really quite an amazing actress, a skill that had won her the title of Crowley's best spy. "I thought these two deserved a break for a few hours while Kevin and Alfie are taking care of themselves."

Meg snorted and nodded, having watched over her fair share of omegas in heat. Charlie was the worst, especially since she was exclusively attracted to female alphas. She spent her entire heat in Meg's arms, nuzzling her and begging for relief that the beta simply couldn't provide. If the howls that she heard from the omega suite were anything to go by, Alfie suffered even more during his heat than the young witch. "We'll guard them, Linda; don't worry."

"I never do when you're here," the older beta purred, smiling at the warrior as she led the boys away. "I really am quite fond of that girl," she added as soon as the trio were out of earshot. "It's a shame that she's in Rowena's pack and only comes to town a handful of times a year."

"I'm going to miss her when I leave," Balthazar murmured, fighting back the tightness in his chest that always came over him at the thought of leaving Spellbound lands. "I'm going to miss all of you."

Linda wrapped a comforting hand around Balthazar's lower arm and squeezed gently. "We're going to miss you, too, Balthy. But you won't be gone forever; as soon as you and your brothers get everything sorted out with John Winchester, you can return and become Crowley's mate. I can't wait to see that day."

"I have a feeling that I will still be here to see it, too," Mshindi added, thinking back to the gift of beaded mating day jewelry he had given Crowley. "It will be quite the event."

"A Head Alpha taking a mate . . . it has only happened once in recorded history," Linda added. "All of the Heads of each pack have already been mated, often with pups, when they took over their lands. The last one to do so, the only one I know about, was your father when he accepted Naomi. That was . . . almost fifty years ago now."

Balthazar nodded. "Yes, Metatron's told me that story once or twice. He was there, though he was very young. I don't even think he had presented yet. He said that my parents' marriage was mostly a political alliance; the southeastern pack at that time was threatening to break away, so Father accepted the oldest non-alpha pup of the Head of that pack to become his mate. Mother was always cold and aloof to Father and mildly protective but not caring toward us, but she did seem to love my older non-omega siblings. Of course, her birth pack is gone now; Crowley decimated them and brought you Alfie to raise."

"This war has been tough on all of us," Linda replied softly.

"I won't have a mate I don't love. I won't have a family as dysfunctional as the one that raised me." Balthazar clenched his fist as they reached his clearing, somewhat glad that they had elected to walk in human form even if it took longer. "My pups will know that both of their parents love them, and they will never suffer the kind of abuse that my brothers and I endured."

"Of course they won't," Crowley assured him, emerging from the shadows of the trees as the three wolves entered the clearing. Balthazar smiled gratefully and embraced his alpha, the tattoo on his arm tingling slightly. It had been doing that whenever they were near each other for two days now, ever since Crowley had formally accepted his courtship request. "What has you so worked up, darling?"

"Just thinking about my parents. They had an arranged mating, and it wasn't ever more than that. I was just thinking how lucky I am not to have been forced into that kind of relationship. When Michael told us his plans, the alphas he wanted to sell us off to, I never questioned my fate, but I find myself looking back on my parents' relationship with horror. I never want that for me, or my brothers, or my pups."

"And you won't. I can assure you of that." Crowley stiffened as he caught the scent of the two younger omegas, burying his nose in Balthazar's neck for a moment as he let the rosemary-mint aroma calm him. "Day four. I am so not prepared for this."

"They have extra blockers tonight," Mshindi assured the alpha. "I know that this is a lot to ask of you, but you have more self-control than I have ever seen in a first-timer." Crowley grumbled something semi-unkind, but he pulled away from Balthazar and turned to greet the two young omegas. He also reached out and took Linda's hand, kissing it gently and grinning as the beta's eyes narrowed.

"Kevin, go ahead and get the fire started; I have a surprise for you tonight."

As soon as the flames were bright enough to illuminate the clearing, Crowley reached into his supply bag and pulled out a heavy leather harness. It looked like something that a draft horse would wear, though there were not many of the beasts in the mountains and Balthazar had never seen their tack up close. "What is it?"

"Maggie and Meg helped me adjust a harness to fit a wolf, specifically an omega messenger. There are buckles to adjust the size of the straps, so all three of you can fit in it, and there is a small set of straps for a rider to wear that will attached here on the sides of the saddle part." Crowley pointed at the various sections of the gear, smiling as Balthazar's eyes widened.

"This is to let someone ride us safely," the omega realized, reaching out to run his fingers over the expertly stitched leather straps. "This is amazing."

"It was Mother's idea, to be fair," Crowley admitted. "She told me that messengers would have to carry passengers from time to time, often their own flightless pups, so these harness systems were very common in the days of the king. These straps ensure that the passenger will not fall off, even if the messenger has to dive very quickly or bank away from a threat. You'll need to test them, though, if you are willing."

"Of course I am! I can fly across the clearing, very low, so that if my passenger does fall off it won't be a long drop. Do you want me to carry you again, Crowley?"

The alpha grinned and shook his head, watching as Balthazar stripped down to his under shorts in order to shift. He still hadn't mastered pulling clothes into his wolf form, though he could now reliably manage the beaded necklace. "No, I know that I am heavy enough to tax your strength, and I would hate for the test to end because of my size. I thought you might try a much lighter load; Linda is the smallest of us and shouldn't strain you at all."

"Me?!"

Crowley grinned as Balthazar completed his shift, the white wolf almost glowing in the light from the campfire. "It's perfect. Your sons are too small to reasonably carry someone my size even on the ground, and they've only been flying for a couple of days so a passenger is out of the question. Balthazar is one of the biggest omegas I've ever seen, so this should be an easy test for him and this riding gear."

"You think I'm big, you should see my twin brother," Balthazar purred, turning his head so he could watch as Crowley slipped the harness around his chest. "He's not more than seven inches shorter than Dean Winchester at the shoulder."

"Holy hell. Really? Damn." Crowley ran his fingers through his omega's iridescent white fur, smiling as the colors changed around his hand. "Those Winchesters grow their alphas huge, or so my mother tells me. Legacies tend to be much larger than their mundane companions. Your brother must be about my size in wolf form, then."

"Yeah, about. I think he might be a bit taller. Gabe and Gad are smaller than him but bigger than me, though Gabe not by much. It was always a comfort to be nearly the right size in wolf form, even if my human form is a bit above the normal omega range."

"Well, I'm a bit short for an alpha, so I guess we fit together pretty well." Crowley settled the small, thin saddle in front of Balthazar's shoulders, cinching the wide girth and buckling the chest strap carefully. He had added a heavy buckle on the back of the saddle for another wide strap, a long one that reached down the wolf's spine to his lower back. It attached to a wide belt, a safety mechanism that Rowena had recommended Crowley add.

Balthazar craned his neck as Crowley tightened the belt, rolling his blue eyes warily. "You catch my dick with that thing, I'm never giving you pups."

Crowley chuckled and ran his fingers over Balthazar's furred sheath, grinning unrepentantly as the wolf snapped at him. "Don't worry, I made the length adjustable." He moved the buckle forward one hole on the back strap, tightening it down and slipping his fingers underneath it to test the result. "There; how does that feel?"

"Snug, but not too tight. How will my passenger stay on?"

"She'll wear a wide belt that buckles to your saddle in three places. As long as the leather is kept oiled and put away safely, this harness should last for some time."

"I assume you're ready for me now." Linda stepped forward, eyeing the belt in Crowley's hands with no small amount of trepidation. She was not happy to be part of this experiment, but the alpha was right; she was the smallest and the safest passenger for Balthazar to carry. She raised her arms and let Crowley fasten the belt around her waist, climbing onto Balthazar's back as soon as the omega crouched down closer to the ground. Crowley attached the three straps, letting Linda test their connection before Balthazar rose to his feet.

"Open your wings for me, Zar; let's see if the straps are placed correctly."

The white wolf nodded and flexed his shoulders, freeing his wings and slowly stretching them out to the side. Linda watched in amazement, reaching out to run her fingers over the soft white fur. "They are bigger than I thought they'd be."

"Zar says that they have to be big enough to carry him. Alfie and Kevin have slightly smaller wings, though they are sufficient for omegas of their size." At Crowley's words, the two young males shifted forms, opening their own wings and comparing them to their friend's. "He wants to know if you are ready to fly, Linda."

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

Crowley nodded, tilting his head as Balthazar spoke again. Linda couldn't hear the Celestial, but Kevin's yipped response came through loud and clear. "Then what do you suggest? Well, no, she's going to be holding on tightly with her legs already so that won't work."

"You won't be able to hear her very well at your normal flying speed," Alfie added. "What about your shoulder? Would you feel it if she tapped there?"

Linda placed her hand on the side of Balthazar's shoulder blade, tapping three times. The wolf shifted under her and turned to speak to Kevin and Alfie again, Crowley finally translating his omega's words. "He wants you to tap his shoulder three times if you wish to end the flight. If you are willing to let him fly above the trees, squeeze with your legs and tap once with your hand. If you cannot relax enough to do that, he will just fly you in a circle around the clearing and return here. Kevin and Alfie will try to keep up."

Linda nodded and tapped Balthazar's shoulder once. The white wolf flexed his wings before taking off, his ground speed pretty impressive for an omega, Kevin and Alfie struggling to keep up. Linda took the few moments they were on the ground to adjust her seat, settling back on her tailbone and pulling her shoulders back moments before Balthazar leapt into flight, his transition smooth and perfectly controlled while the younger omegas struggled to follow.

Linda forced herself to take a deep breath as they rose into the air, amazed at how smooth the young omega's flight was, despite the fact that he had only been practicing for a couple of months. She felt herself relax, enjoying the steady warmth of the wolf beneath her and the chill of the air rushing past as she squeezed his sides with her legs and tapped him on the shoulder.

Balthazar yipped happily as he flapped his wings a couple of times, rising above the trees as Kevin and Alfie fell back. The beta turned aback toward the palace, her breath catching in her throat at the incredible view as Balthazar banked slightly to the left and turned back toward their fire. Linda buried her fingers in the white wolf's soft neck fur, settling deeper into the saddle as Balthazar curled his wings back and landed, loping back to their companions.

"Well, what was it like?" Crowley reached up to unbuckle Linda's straps, helping the petite beta dismount before removing the saddle and harness from his omega.

"Incredible," Linda sighed, leaning against Kevin as her sons rejoined the group. "I can't imagine what it would be like during the day, being able to see all the way to the horizon. You can probably see the northern mountains if you fly high enough."

"I can," Balthazar assured her, stretching his back and checking himself for any injuries. He had been sore for an entire day after carrying Crowley and he wasn't eager to repeat the experience. "But I have to take off far away from the city or the guards might notice me." He nodded toward Mshindi, smiling at the southern omega. "I promised our guest here a daytime flight once the boys' heats are over, and I'll probably fly north far enough for him to see the mountains."

"We have a few tall peaks where I come from, but none in Plains Walkers' land. And they are each just one mountain, rising above the land. Balthy tells me that the mountains of his birth are hundreds standing close together, snow capping each one. I have never seen such a thing, and I feel the need to do so."

"They're fun to look at, but not fun to travel through," Kevin groused. "Especially not in the middle of winter when the snow goes above my head!"

Balthazar shrugged. "You get used to the snow. The summers in the northern peaks are pretty amazing and the lakes are fed by glacial runoff so they tend to stay cold year-round."

"I'd like to see that," Mshindi murmured, his dark eyes distant as he reached up to wrap his fingers around the large white shell hanging from his beaded necklace.

Kevin's white eyes flashed silver in the uncertain firelight as he stumbled forward, catching himself by grabbing Alfie's shoulder as a vision flashed through his mind. "What did you see?"

The half-Celestial shook his head, nodding gratefully as his brother helped him sit on a nearby log. "I don't know, Alfie. I saw Mshindi standing next to a tall man against a backdrop of snow, but I couldn't identify him or catch any details of the location. I have no idea why I keep seeing these half-formed images but they are driving me crazy."

Mshindi crouched in front of the younger omega, staring into his white eyes. "Did you smell anything that would help identify this other man? I'm honestly surprised that I have featured in one of your visions, especially given how short our association has been thus far."

Kevin grinned as he searched for the image, grimacing as the memory eluded his grasp. "Yeah, I can't smell anything except pine, but the mountains are covered in evergreens so that doesn't mean anything."

"What kind of pine? Maybe I can help identify the mountain in question if I know the specific trees in the area."

Kevin glared at Balthazar, his face twisted into a clear are-you-fucking-kidding-me response. "It's pine trees. They smell like pine."

The Celestial shrugged, raising his hands in surrender. "You lowlanders can identify a hundred species of deciduous trees; why would you think that it would be different in the mountains? We have blue spruce, red cedar, juniper, yellow pine, longleaf pine, white fir, blue fir, jack pine, western hemlock, loblolly pine, weeping cypress, white pine, white spruce, black pine, or any of a variety of smaller pinyon trees. They don't smell the same."

The other five wolves stared at him in something that was half-shock and half-wonder, the tableau broken when Crowley chuckled and stepped forward to pull Balthazar into his arms. "You're such a nerd."

The omega grinned as he nuzzled his alpha, letting Crowley's spicy scent wash over him. "You know you love it."

"I love everything about you, Zar," Crowley purred, running his fingers through the omega's hair. "I can't wait until we're mated and I can prove it to you."

Kevin felt a tremor of fear at the words, a pseudo-premonition, but he pushed that shiver away. He was determined not to let his newly active psychic powers control him.

"Welcome to day five."

Cas chuckled, sipping his tea as he watched Jordan growl and writhe on the floor, the young omega displaying his neck and flashing his belly in an effort to attract any mate. He had long since shed his shirt and pants, clad only in his loose cotton undershorts as his heat manifested as an actual increase in his body temperature. If he wasn't locked up in the omega wing, his heady, sweet scent and provocative gyrations would be too much for most alphas to ignore, though he would learn to control himself in future heats. Cas remembered his own first, brutal week as a breedable omega and his desperation for it to end, but there was nothing he could say that would help the young pup get through this last day.

"Were you like that your first heat?"

Damian shook his head, having picked at his breakfast that morning. Most omegas had little to no appetite on their last day, every fiber of their being encouraging them to mate and get out of heat at last. "It was pretty bad, especially since I lived in a much smaller town than this and I knew everyone's scent by heart. I could smell some of those alphas I had known all my life through my window, and my new feelings toward them shocked me. When my heat was over, I understood the difference between what my wolf wants, especially when I'm in heat, and what I want. I told a few of those alphas what I had been thinking when I was locked away, and they assured me that they understood my predicament and would never have taken advantage of it. Glenn told me, many years later, that he had intentionally avoided my side of town because he wasn't sure he would have been able to control himself. What about you?"

"Oh, gods, I was terrible. It hits me worse than any of my brothers, and they had to tie me up on my fifth day because I could smell alphas even in our secluded wing of the palace. Normally, I wouldn't have anything to do with them, but my heat makes me desperate."

Damian shrugged, shifting uncomfortably on his cushion. "You'll be mated before your next heat, and everything will be easier then. You'll desire your mate, and you'll call out to him, but you won't be attracted to any other alphas or betas." He watched Cas sip his tea one more time before abandoning the cup on their small table, his own breakfast still untouched. "You aren't eating anything?"

"I can't. Even the smell of the fruit is too much for me. Charlie said that she would come in to check on me today; maybe she can help again."

"Did you try going into Alicia's bedroom again?"

Cas snorted, waving at the omega on the floor nearby who had stopped rolling around on the floor and had started rubbing against Gadreel, the older omega desperately trying to get the pup into the guest bedroom. "It all smells like him, now. His scent is overpowering yours and Max's today, and I'm honestly surprised that half of the city isn't outside trying to get in."

"The first heat smells the sweetest, and Jordan's natural scent is pretty flowery to begin with. I can't wait to see what kind of mate he attracts someday." Damian sighed and pushed himself to his feet, his scent spiking at the movement. "If you'll excuse me, I need to take care of this."

Left alone with his untouched breakfast and his own thoughts, Cas glanced toward the window and ran his hands through his dark hair. "I miss you, Dean."

"Can't I just give you my shirt like last time?"

Charlie shook her head, sipping her tea as she pointed at the low couch against the windows. Sighing, Dean stretched out across the cushioned surface, rubbing his scent on the fabric before moving on to the floor cushions. "Jordan's in quite a state today. Even the lingering hint of an alpha's scent might be too much for him. First heats can be hard on male omegas."

Dean chuckled as he rubbed his neck against one of the smaller pillows before tossing it on the couch. "Only for the males?"

The young witch shrugged. "It wasn't so bad for me or any of the female witches I've seen in heat. The males though . . . maybe it's because they're rarer and they have a biological need to prove their worthiness to be bred." She glanced up from her tea, emerald eyes glowing through the steam as Dean slipped out of his shirt and rested it on the arm of the couch. "I hear that Cas can't hold himself back if he scents an alpha while he's in heat. His brothers had to tie him up during his first one to keep him from escaping the omega wing of their palace."

Her soft, sultry words had the desired effect as the alpha's scent spiked, his heady cinnamon and apple musk threaded with the slightest touch of arousal. Dean raised one finger in a scolding gesture, jade eyes narrowed at the slight omega. "That's not fair."

"I really need this room to smell like you. Gabe said that Cas didn't eat much for supper last night and he hasn't touched his breakfast. Jordan's scent is much stronger and sweeter than I thought it would be, and even Alicia's room is lousy with it. I'm hoping that I can bring him in here and shock his system, then take him back to the omega wing and have him eat there."

"Is that going to help Cas get through this heat food aversion thing?"

Charlie shrugged, leading Dean out of the small sitting room and back into the main wing of the house. "I've never treated a case as severe as this, to be honest. I may not be around the next time he goes into heat or is around other omegas in heat, so I'm hoping that you and Gabe can continue this treatment on your own." She gulped back the last of her tea, reveling in the sharp burn as is seared its way down her throat before turning to face Dean in the small hallway. "I don't think you should breed him during his next heat."

The alpha's eyes widened in shock as a bitter note of despair colored his scent and he whined softly under his breath. "Why?"

Charlie placed a gentle hand on Dean's arm, squeezing gently until she felt some of his tension ease. "I don't say it to be cruel, Dean; you know that. You and Cas are going to make beautiful little babies and I can't wait to be the weird witchy aunt to them. But he isn't healthy enough to breed, mentally. What will happen when he's three months pregnant and the male omegas in the city go into heat? He'll go into starvation mode and stop eating again, and there might not be anyone there who can help him through it. Do you want to risk him losing the pup?"

"No! No, of course not."

"You should wait until he can make it through an entire heat cycle without missing more than one or two meals."

"How long will that take?"

Charlie shrugged, running her fingers through her fiery locks. "I don't really know. The female omega heat is only a few weeks away, then he and his brothers have a heat four or so months after that. You should know by the fall male and female heat cycles whether he is recovered enough to try for a pup this winter."

Dean nodded slowly, his gaze distant as he counted the months in his head. "You think he could be well enough by winter?"

"Yeah, as long as you and his brothers keep helping him through this food aversion. And watch Gabe, Gad, and Balthy for any similar symptoms, though they didn't seem to have suffered as much as he did during their previous heats."

"Yeah, I can do that." Dean ran his fingers through his hair and chuckled, grinned wryly at the young witch. "I must sound like some damn knot-head alpha, only worried about when I can breed my omega."

"It's not a crime when he's excited about pups, too. Trust me, he's going to be more upset that he has to wait than you are."

Dean chuckled. "Yeah, I know."

"Alright, so I'm going to go grab your boyfriend and try to get some breakfast into him. Wish me luck!"

"Is this what day five is like for Plains Walkers?"

Mshindi shrugged as he worked on a beaded chest piece, focusing on the intricate pattern he was trying to create with some tiny onyx beads Crowley had procured for him. "It's similar. We do gather in one house on the last day, eating a small breakfast of fruits before the younger males start to lose their minds. Mated males tend to be in charge, forcing the younger omegas to eat between bouts and wrapping them up in soft, colorful blankets so they can rest. There's a great deal less howling, though."

The Celestial chuckled as Alfie's voice sounded through the suite again, the notes shriller and more desperate than they had been the first day. "I can't help but pity the beta who lands that boy; he'll go deaf the first heat they spend together."

"But think about how cute his pups will be."

Balthazar nodded in agreement, glancing back at the scroll he had been trying to read for the past hour before placing it to the side. "How will that work, anyway? I mean, there haven't been any messengers in the past hundred years except Crowley's father, and I don't really understand how the inheritance works. I was hoping you might know."

"It's rare for the various empowered wolves to mate each other, and it was rare five hundred years ago, as well. Crowley's parents were a messenger and an incredibly powerful natural witch who also happened to be a speaker. He has a great deal more power than a half-witch should, and he is certainly physically stronger than either of his parents. Those kind of pairings can produce anything."

"What about me and Crowley? Or Dean and Cas?"

"There's no way to know for sure, but a half-witch and a messenger should at least have half-witch pups, if not full witch, and you may even have another messenger. Hopefully you have at least one half-witch, since Linda has told me that full witches are not allowed to rule Spellbound pack and Crowley has expressed an interest in having an heir."

"Yeah, he wants to try to run this pack more like Celestial and Wilderness lands where alpha pups of the Head Alpha will inherit the throne. I can't wait to give him that."

"Invite me back for the presentation of your first pup. Ceremonies up here are so much more extravagant than the ones we have back home, so I can't imagine what that party will look like. Knowing Crowley, the celebrations could last for a whole month."

Balthazar chuckled as he imagined the throne room full of local nobles and visiting dignitaries, all of them dressed in their finest suits and carrying gifts for his pup. "I'll make sure to invite you." He paused for a moment, clearly switching back to his previous thought process. "What about a legacy and a messenger?"

"I'd have to consult the shamans, but I'm pretty sure that particular pairing has never been seen in a thousand years. Chuck's parents were a messenger and a witch, and I think that contributed to his incredible powers. With a legacy and a messenger, I'd think that all of the pups would take after one parent or the other, possibly with the messengers being larger and stronger than usual. I guess it would be the same for both of your brothers who are planning to mate legacies. However, this is the first time the tribes have mixed like this in hundreds of years, so anything could happen."

Balthazar shrugged, jerking as the tattoo on his arm began to tingle. Tilting his head curiously, the omega placed a hand over his mark and cleared his mind. "Yes?"

"Zar, Mother just contacted me. She has asked that I send an omega to the border with you for the spring equinox festival. She plans to do a small one of her own, and she already has five witches but she needs a fifth omega to join you and your brothers inside the circle."

"Okay, who are you sending?"

"I wanted to see if you would ask Mshindi. He's the only omega you know who can go with you; I need Kevin and Samandriel to stay here."

Balthazar chuckled and nodded, knowing that he was projecting that image to his alpha. "One day I'm going to tell Alfie that you use his full name when you communicate with me."

"Zar."

"Okay, okay! Yeah, I'll ask Mshindi."

The omega broke the connection, his eyes clearing as he met Mshindi's gaze. "Crowley wants to know if you want to travel with me, Meg, and Ruby to the Wilderness border for the equinox. He has enough omegas here for the ritual that the Coven is running, but Rowena apparently needs one more and has asked for you."

"I'm honored that the speaker has asked for me specifically. Of course I will go."

"I'll let Crowley know." Balthazar paused for a moment before touching his tattoo again, a slow grin spreading across his face. "I guess you'll be meeting my brothers sooner than I thought."

"I can't wait."

AN: Between GISH, getting ready for my convention, and attending #SPNNC, I haven't had as much time to write recently as I wanted. After publishing the first chapter of Mulanatural, I had to pause for a while, but now I'm back! This was a much calmer chapter than the previous ones, but a lot of what was revealed here is foreshadowing for the future.

Important points: Cas's day four conversation with Damian, Alicia & Max going to Spellbound lands, Benny's comment, Dean's wish, Kevin's vision, Charlie's conversation with Dean, and Mshindi's speculation about pups. Feel free to speak up if you think you know where any of those are going!

Also, I can't wait to write Sam & Gabriel's pups. I'm just sad that I have to wait so many hundreds of thousands of words to get there.