Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Buck could feel an itch under his skin, an itch that meant something bad was coming. 

Of course it could just be his anxiety, it was extremely likely as it usually was just that, but today it felt different. 

It had started when he’d woken up, alone in his nest. He was supposed to be at Eddie’s but the alpha and his pup had both come down with something and hadn’t wanted to pass it onto Buck as his immune system wasn’t as strong as theirs. 

It wasn’t often that he stayed at home nowadays, there were even discussions about him moving in starting to happen, but as Buck lived with Bobby and Athena, his pack alphas, they would have to be involved in the conversation and they just hadn’t had the time for the four of them to sit down and hash out all of the details. 

He’d been living with his pack alphas for three years now, ever since he’d joined the pack. He’d been living with a group of alphas he’d met in Peru, it wasn’t until he’d signed the lease and moved in that someone had made a comment about how good it was living in a house with just alphas, that Buck realised what he’d walked into. He’d come clean immediately, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to hide that he was an omega, because even though he always worse scent patches (hence why they hadn’t realised he was an omega, they’d just assumed he was an alpha based on his size and build) it was recommended he take a break from them every few days otherwise it would lead to irritation of the scent glands and possible damage should he wear them for an extended period of time. So he’d usually take them off at night but his pheromones were particularly potent so there would be no way of missing the strawberry that was indicative of an omegas pheromones. 

So as soon as he found out what situation he’d gotten himself into it became clear that he couldn’t hide. The alphas he was with had been nice enough to let him stay, but as soon as he became a member of the Grant-Nash pack Bobby and Athena had strongly encouraged he move in with them. 

Then once he’d moved in some wires got crossed in his brain and his wolf began to become unsettled to the point it was becoming dangerous, Buck unable to physically function. So Bobby had given him a pack bite, something which tied them together but it also meant Buck was dependent on him, Bobby’s pheromones required to regulate him. If he wasn’t exposed to Bobby’s pheromones at least once a week it would make Buck sick and would eventually kill him; another reason why the logistics of Buck moving in with Eddie needed to be discussed in depth. They had to figure out a way for Buck to live with the man he hoped to mate with one day whilst not falling ill by being separated from the alpha he was tied to. 

But the night before he’d ended up curling up in his nest and accidentally falling asleep. He’d meant to get up eventually and sleep in his bed but Buck had always preferred his nest and tended to have down time in there before bed, getting comfy and watching documentaries on his laptop. But last night he’d fallen asleep in there. 

Which was now raising red flags in his head; if he was feeling unsettled whilst he was in his nest then something had to be wrong. 

He got out of his nest and stretched before heading to the kitchen, the smell of Bobby cooking breakfast luring him out into the communal space. 

“Morning kid.” Bobby greeted as soon as he smelt the waft of strawberries that always heralded the omegas arrival. 

“Morning Bobby, morning Athena.” He greeted. 

“Morning baby.” She smiled at him over her coffee mug. 

Buck went into the kitchen and stood behind Bobby, hooking his chin over the alpha’s shoulder. The alpha tilted his head away from Buck enough that the omega had unobstructed access to his neck gland, rubbing his own against his. 

“You’re starting early this morning, everything alright?” Bobby asked. 

“Dunno.” Buck mumbled, relaxing into the feeling of his pack alphas pheromones flooding his system, “Feeling a bit anxious this morning.” 

Bobby brought a hand up, gently rubbing his wrist gland against Buck’s other neck gland, “Thanks Bobby.” He sighed, relaxing even more.

“That helping?” 

“Mm, loads.” Buck hummed. 

Bobby could feel the omega beginning to relax to the point he would be practically boneless any second, “Careful kid, you’re going to collapse.” 

With that reminder Buck straightened up and separated from his pack alpha. Buck had a heightened sensitivity to scenting. His Mom was an omega, whilst his Dad was an alpha, yet the both of them had refused to scent him both as a pup and once he’d presented as an omega which had been very detrimental to him. But as a result he was extremely sensitive to it, scenting relaxing him far more than it should, meaning it was extremely easy for him to get lost in it. So if he was stood and scenting, he could become so relaxed he’d collapse to the floor, and he’d get so lost in the soothing sensation that he’d forget what would happen. But the pack knew him well enough that they knew at what point they had to warn him so he could step back and not collapse. 

Buck then went to make himself a cup of coffee once he’d shaken himself out of his scenting induced haze, getting a small, affectionate chuckle out of Athena who’d been watching the whole interaction go down. 

As he walked over to the table to sit down he placed a gentle kiss on the top of Athena’s head. 

“Is Eddie going to be back at work today?” She asked, as Buck took a sip of his coffee. 

Buck shook his head sadly, “No, he and Chris are still really ill.” 

“I understand Chris still being under the weather as he’s a pup, but Eddie should've been able to fight it off by now surely.” Athena hummed. 

“He emailed me over a doctor's note yesterday, they’ve both been hit with a gland fever, hence why even as an alpha Eddie can’t fight it. It’s an extremely intense strain as well, which is why he’s being very careful about this one.” Bobby ruffled Buck’s hair once he’d put plates down in front of the other alpha and the omega. Omegas typically had worse immune systems than alphas and betas, and gland fevers could be long and brutal, hence why Eddie was being so careful. It would likely take him and Chris around a week to get better (alphas having extremely good immune systems and pups glands were weak enough that the fever didn’t have much to latch onto) but for an omega recovery was usually three to four weeks. 

“Have you heard much from him?” Athena asked, looking over at Buck. 

“Yeah, we called last night, he’s looking pretty rough but he’s in good spirits, but I had to keep telling him off for scratching at all of his glands, they are really inflamed.” He explained. 

Athena tutted sympathetically, “Bless him. May and Harry both came down with what sounds like a weaker strain as pups and that was bad enough, I can only imagine what it’s like for an alpha. I have a home remedy I used for the pups, I’ll send it over to him as it should help relieve the discomfort a little bit.” 

From there the conversation moved away from gland fever as they all ate before splitting off so they could get ready for the day.

Eddie had been off work for three days and they’d had a different floater for each shift, but now that they had a more accurate timeline of how long Eddie would be out, Bobby was able to get a floater who could cover multiple shifts; an alpha called Agnes. 

Usually Buck didn’t mind floaters, he preferred being with Eddie but sickness couldn’t be helped so he’d just take it in his stride, but today was different. There was something about Agnes that Buck didn’t like but he couldn’t put his finger on it, all he knew was that something was wrong and his anxiety was back, making him antsy. 

“So, how did you end up becoming a firefighter?” Agnes asked, leaning up against the side of the engine as she watched Buck restock after a call. 

Buck could sense the implications of the question, she was asking how an omega became a firefighter, she just wasn’t allowed to outright ask. All first responders had their secondary gender marked on their uniform, the centre of their shield engraved with the greek letter and one of their sleeves embroidered with it, but you weren’t supposed to outright ask about it, the mark was so that the people they were helping knew as it could impact the kind of care provided and how they interacted with others. 

Buck shrugged, “I was living in Peru, ended up moving here with some guys I met out there and decided to try out to become a firefighter.” 

“So you just… became a firefighter?” 

“Yeah, pretty much, passed with flying colours, top five in my class.” Of course Buck knew all about the stigmas surrounding omega firefighters, they were a rare breed, same with omega cops, you were more likely to find them as paramedics. But that wasn’t to say it was impossible, the omegas were just subjected to extra tests to make sure they could handle the physical demands of such jobs. So the fact that Buck had not only qualified but qualified in the top five (beating multiple alphas) was practically unheard of. 

Even without being able to smell the alpha he could tell that had riled her up, most alphas didn’t like the fact that he, an omega, was a better firefighter than them, and Agnes was no different. 

“Wow, top five.” She got out through gritted teeth, “You must be quite something.” 

Buck stopped what he was doing, fully turning to Agnes, “Have we got a problem?” 

“No, no problem.” But Buck could tell it was a lie, seeing the way the alpha’s jaw tensed, “I’m just impressed, people like you aren’t common.” 

“Yeah, well, you don’t need to worry about me, okay? I’m good at what I do and it doesn’t matter that I’m an omega.” 

“Woah, woah, that’s not what I’m saying.”

“Good, so let’s leave it at that.”

Every time Agnes looked over at him Buck felt a shiver run down his spine, something about the alpha’s gaze was unsettling but he couldn’t figure out what, but Buck’s anxiety was growing. 

So eventually Buck ended up in Bobby’s office, pacing back and forth.

“Come on Buck, talk to me, what’s going on?” Bobby asked, watching Buck with steadily increasing concern. 

“I-I don’t know, she just makes me feel weird but I don’t know why. It’s like there are bugs crawling up my spine and I just need to shake it off but I can’t and I don’t know why. Sure she’s a bit off putting but this isn’t that, it’s something more-”

“Buck.” Suddenly Bobby was stood in front of him, hands on the omega’s shoulders, “Who are you talking about?” 

Right, Buck hadn’t given him any context, “Agnes.”

Bobby gave him a sympathetic smile, “I know you miss Eddie, kid, but you can’t take that out on Agnes.” 

“I’m not taking it out on her.” Buck protested. 

Bobby led Buck over to the couch so they were sat side by side, “Can I be blunt with you?” Buck nodded, so Bobby continued, “You may not realise it, but you’re taking out your feelings about Eddie not being here on the floater. I know the fact that she’s an alpha is causing your wolf to make a lot of connections between her and Eddie, but I need you to take a few breaths and suck it up until Eddie is back, clear?” 

Buck fucking hated tough love, but Bobby had a point, that probably was all that was happening, “Yeah, I hear you Bobby.” 

“Good. Just give her a chance and do your best to get through this. She’ll be gone before you even know it.”

Buck was walking across the apparatus bay when there was suddenly an arm slung around his shoulder, “What are you doing after work tonight?” The owner of the arm, Agnes, asked. 

“Uh, nothing much.” Buck replied. 

He tried to keep walking but Agnes flexed her arm so she had a stronger grip on him, bringing her other hand over so she could grip Buck’s bicep with it, using the pressure to move Buck off course and take him outside, “In that case we’re going out for drinks.” 

“Oh, uh, that’s nice, but I-”

“You haven’t got plans Buck, you just told me you ‘weren’t up to much’.” Agnes reminded him. 

It was once they were outside that Agnes released him, “Yeah, but by not much I meant I’m staying in and face timing my partner.” 

“There’s a partner on the scene? Tell all.” 

Buck didn’t want to tell this alpha anything about himself so he just did his best to wave her off, “I don’t know you well enough for that conversation.” 

“Then go out for drinks with me and we can get to know each other, you can call your partner another time.” 

Agnes grabbed onto both of Buck’s shoulders, squeezing hard. She then readjusted her hands, her thumbs uncomfortably close to Buck’s neck glands, if she wanted to she could shove her thumbs into them and massage and Buck would pass out, unable to wake unless an alpha decided he could. And he didn’t need that, he hated the sensation when he was forced into it. He liked it when someone from the pack did it, when he asked them to help. If he was too restless and couldn’t sleep he’d get one of them to put him into an alpha sleep so he could rest. But when it was against his will it was the worst, leaving him feeling disgusting and violated. When he’d first presented his Dad had done it to him a few times and some of the alphas he lived with used to do it as well. 

So Buck knew an alpha sleep threat when he saw one, and that was exactly what Agnes was doing, thumbs only just not touching his neck glands, but with one tiny movement she’d be able to essentially turn Buck off. 

But they were at work, so he highly doubted Agnes would try anything, “Me and you, drink tonight, I’m paying.” 

“Why are you so set on me joining?” 

The smile on Agnes’ face was terrifying, like a predator stalking its prey, “Because you fascinate me. You look like an alpha and have the skills of one, and yet you’re an omega. I need to get inside of your head and learn everything about you.” 

“Look, Agnes, I’m flattered but I’ve got other things going on.” 

Agnes moved her thumbs so they were resting on top of Buck’s neck glands. Buck couldn’t stop himself from stiffening up and the fear that overtook his face. Because he may be bigger and stronger than Agnes but that didn’t matter when alpha sleep was involved. 

“Don’t be scared.” Agnes cooed, her smile still malicious as she lightly ghosted her thumbs over Buck’s neck glands. Even though they were covered by scent patches they were still sensitive meaning he could feel Agnes’ thumbs way too well, “I’m not planning on doing anything, but if we’re going to be working together I want to get to know you.” 

“You’re only here for a few days, it doesn’t matter.” Buck felt like he couldn’t breathe, like Agnes was strangling him as opposed to just caressing his neck glands. 

The alpha peeled off one of the patches on Buck’s neck before taking one of her own off. Putting light pressure on Buck’s other neck gland she was able to move the omega’s head and neck towards her. 

Agnes scented herself against Buck, whispering, “Drinks, tonight, it’s not up for debate.” She then pulled away and put the scent patches back on before walking back into the station leaving a dazed Buck behind.

Obviously Buck wasn’t planning on going out with Agnes, the alpha terrified him. He’d been trying to avoid her as much as he could all shift and he’d actually done pretty well, but once the shift was over it got harder. 

Thankfully Bobby and Buck were changed and ready to leave before Agnes, so the pair were heading out to Bobby’s truck, having carpooled. 

Buck thought he was home free, he’d be in the truck and out of there before Agnes had even realised he’d left. 

But then a hand clapped his back, “So, where do you fancy going for drinks?” Agnes asked, wrapping her arm around Buck’s shoulders again. 

Thankfully as Bobby was there Agnes couldn’t do anything which gave Buck a sense of security he was thanking the stars for. 

“I told you, I can’t tonight.” 

“It’s fine if you want to go out, we can just do dinner tomorrow.” Bobby offered. It was a Tuesday which was normally when Buck and his pack alphas did dinner just the three of them. It was a way to make sure Buck was home once a week so he could definitely scent with Bobby for a bit regardless of how the rest of the week went or where he was staying. 

“I’ve also promised Chris I’d call him, he keeps being asleep whenever me and Eddie are on the phone so he’s forcing his Dad to make sure he’s awake.” Buck shrugged, “You know me, wouldn’t dream of rescheduling plans with him.” He then turned back to Agnes, “Sorry.” And then climbed into the truck. 

As soon as Bobby was sat he turned to Buck, “It’s family dinner tonight, you’re not calling the Diaz’s, so what’s going on?” 

Buck sighed, “I’ll tolerate working with her but I’m not seeing her outside of work, I can’t do it.” 

Bobby put the keys in the ignition and started the car, “Alright, but Chris and Eddie can’t be your excuse every night so you’ll need to come up with more.” And with that Bobby pulled out of the parking lot and began the drive back to the house.

Buck and Bobby settled in the omega’s nest after dinner, the omega relaxing as the alpha scented him. Buck purred loudly, his head cloudy from the pheromones of his pack alpha coursing through his system. Buck was happy to just exist in this state of limbo, not having to think or feel or do anything, just able to exist in a bubble of safety. 

“You good there kid?” Bobby asked with a chuckle. Buck just hummed to confirm that he was, head too floaty to figure out how to form words, “Anxiety easing?” Buck hummed again, “Good, that’s very good.” The omega let out a content little huff, getting another chuckle out of Bobby, “You needed this, didn’t you?” Buck nodded before upping his efforts to scent against Bobby. 

Buck didn’t know why he was so set on getting completely lost in Bobby’s scent but a small voice in the back of his head was telling him he needed to replace another scent that was on his skin, he was too spacey to figure out what that meant though. Plus Bobby had just begun to scratch his head, relaxing him even further until the world around him practically whited out he was so relaxed.

It had been impossible to miss that there was something off about Buck, Bobby just couldn’t put his finger on what. But Athena had also picked up on it, both of them able to smell the slightly souring smell of strawberries the omega was letting off. Thankfully it was a set scenting day meaning Bobby would be able to relax him and correct whatever emotions were running rampant and affecting the omega negatively. 

Bobby made sure as many of their glands were in contact as possible other than the ones on their inner thighs as those were only touched by mates, the action far too intimate with far too many connotations. But Bobby made sure wrists, ankles and necks were receiving as much stimulation as possible, and with the way Buck had gone boneless and was only replying in hums it was clear the excessive scenting was doing it’s job. 

Call him possessive but there were only two alphas who should be allowed to reduce an omega to this state; their mate and their tied alpha (should they have one or both), and Bobby found a lot of joy and pride in being able to have this kind of relationship with Buck and knowing that the only other person who would be able to do this to Buck would be Eddie once they’d mated (because with them it was definitely a case of ‘when’ not ‘if’). 

Bobby made sure to use all of his tricks to keep Buck relaxed, not wanting to give the omegas anxiety any reason to spike, instead keeping him docile and calm.

Arriving at the station the next day Buck felt much better, his anxiety not resurfacing, Bobby having successfully stamped it out the night before. But as soon as he saw Agnes his mood dropped completely. 

Agnes smiled at him, but there was a malicious undertone to it, especially in the way she flashed a sharp canine at him (it wasn’t a fang, just a very sharp looking tooth, thank god). 

“Good call with your partner last night?” She asked as Buck stepped into the loft. 

Buck didn’t look at her, just walking over to the kitchen to get himself a coffee, giving her a non-commital, “Yeah, good.” 

“So, drinks tonight then?” 

“Nah, meeting up with a friend.” 

“Tomorrow?” 

Buck finally turned to face her, “Look man, can’t you take a fucking hint? I don’t want to hang out. You’re a floater, you’ll be gone in a few days and we’ll never see each other again, so let’s just leave it at that.” 

Agnes took a step forward, getting into Buck’s personal space, “Not a great attitude to use when speaking to an alpha, learn some fucking respect.” 

“This is my firehouse, not yours, you’re a guest, so act like it.” Buck could live without his first coffee, so he walked away, going to sit with Chim and Hen who’d been lost in conversation so had not seen what had just happened between the alpha and omega.

Eddie still looked like pure shit, even through the phone screen, his skin pale and eyes sunken, his neck glands angry and inflamed. 

“Did the hospital not give you anything to help?” Buck asked. 

Eddie huffed, pure misery on his face, “They did, it’s just not working.” 

Eddie brought up a hand to scratch at his neck, “Edmundo Diaz, don’t you dare scratch that neck gland.” Buck scolded, getting a groan and an eye roll out of the alpha, “Did Athena drop that stuff over?” 

“She did.”

“And?” 

“I haven’t tried it yet.” Eddie admitted, looking shy. 

Buck groaned, “Come on Eddie, your glands look really bad, even if it just helps a little bit it’ll be better than nothing.” Eddie pouted at him through the screen, “God, you’re so immature when you’re sick.” 

“And it’s worse because I haven’t got nurse Buckley to look after me.” Eddie said with a cheeky smile. 

“I’ve told you, I’ll come over and look after you.” Buck reminded him, softening. 

Suddenly Eddie got serious, “No way, I’m not letting you catch this, it’s bad Buck, really bad.”

“Which is why you need someone there to look after you.” 

“Someone who’s not an omega, you’ll be sick for at least a month if you catch this.” Eddie reminded him, “The only people who could feasibly do it is Karen or Chimney, and they’re already dropping food around, I don’t want to put them out anymore than we already are.” As betas Karen and Chim were far less susceptible to gland fever due to their glands being redundant, and if they managed to catch it it would be like nothing more than a sore throat. 

Buck shook his head, “I don’t like you and Chris being alone whilst you’re going through this, and I don’t like how long it’s taking you to recover from this, you should be starting to look better by now but you’re not.” 

“All the more reason for you not to be here, if we’re a pup and an alpha and it’s hitting us this hard then imagine what it would be like for you.” Eddie reminded him, “You can’t catch this. Now come on, tell me about how the station is falling apart without me.” Buck groaned loudly, “That bad, huh?”

“The floater who’s standing in for you is a bitch, I really don’t like her.”

Eddie gave him a look, “Do you actually dislike her or are you taking your feelings out on her?” 

“Bobby said the exact same thing.” 

“Which means we’re right.” 

“No, seriously Eddie, she makes me really uncomfortable, she keeps trying to get me to go out for drinks with her, and she’s really pushy about it.”

“What’s her secondary?” 

“Alpha.” 

Eddie couldn’t hold back the low growl that came out of him, “Once I’m better I’ll rip her head off for you.” Buck couldn’t help but feel flattered by that, he loved it when Eddie got possessive, his alpha instincts rearing their head just for him, “She hasn’t done anything inappropriate to you, right?” 

Buck knew he should tell Eddie the truth, tell him how Agnes had gotten up in his personal space and scented against him, but a little voice in his head was telling him not to. Because if he did Eddie would leave the house and hunt the woman down, and a) Eddie was really sick, and b) because they weren’t mated yet nor were they tied, nor was he his pack alpha dueling laws were a bit easier to dispute. Had this been Bobby or Buck and Eddie were already mated, the alpha would be able to fight Agnes as long as they just used claws and fangs, and as they’d be protecting an omega any bodily harm or death as a result was completely legal, but when the alpha was just in the same pack as the omega with out any legal claim over them it could be a bit trickier, as it could be called into question whether it was actually justified. And Buck didn’t need Eddie getting into a duel and then getting arrested or killed on his behalf, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. 

So, he lied, “No, she hasn’t.”

“Good, that’s good. But if that changes you tell me, okay?” 

Buck couldn’t stop the sappy smile that overtook his face, “Of course, thank you.”

“I love you Buck, I’ll do anything for you.” He vowed. 

“You big old softie.”

Thankfully Buck had a few days off, so he spent them relaxing at home, enjoying his Agnes-free time, knowing he’d have to see her again as Eddie still wasn’t well enough to go back to work. His break from the alpha ended far sooner than he would’ve liked though, so Buck was trudging into the station a few days later, Agnes already there and waiting.

“Buck, hey.” She greeted, voice too sweet to be genuine, clapping a hand on the omegas back before readjusting so the Alpha Sleep threat was back, fingers and thumb far too close to his neck gland, “How was your time off?” 

Buck had no choice but to follow Agnes’ lead, the pressure from the alpha’s hand urging him upstairs, “Yeah, fine.” He replied. 

“Same here, thank you for asking.” Agnes quipped, her voice laced with sarcasm. When they reached the top of the stairs Agnes softened, “I’ve been thinking about the conversation we had the other day, the one where you were speaking out of turn?” 

Buck huffed, “You mean when I told you to leave me alone?” 

“Sure, whatever you want to call it.” She sneered, “But I’ve been thinking, and I’ve decided, as an alpha, whether or not this is ‘my station’ I still have the power between the two of us. So you’re going to go out for drinks with me, and you are going to let me interrogate you so I can figure out how to be better than you, an omega.” She practically spat out Buck’s secondary gender like it was poison. 

“That’s not happening.” Buck pushed back. 

Agnes didn’t massage his neck glands or put any pressure on them, instead she grabbed the skin at the back of Buck’s neck, scruffing him, causing Buck to go rigid as he froze up. There wasn’t anyone else in the loft so no one could see what was happening between the alpha and the omega, the pair too far from the railing to be seen by people in the apparatus bay. 

“I’m not letting go until you agree.” Agnes growled even though Buck couldn’t really respond like this, scruffing always triggered a fear response in a fully presented omega (whilst newly presented omegas found it relaxing) making them freeze up completely, bodies going rigid and their vocal folds practically becoming paralysed, “Buck, I’m serious.” 

It took some effort but Buck eventually managed to get a grunt out, prompting Agnes to release him, Buck going completely boneless as he fell to the ground. 

The alpha squatted down in front of him, “Good omega. But if you tell anyone, and I mean anyone, about the fact that I scruffed you I will use all of your omega traits against you and force you into some groveling little pup, is that clear?” Buck gave her a jerky nod, still becoming reoriented after the scruffing, “Good boy. Drinks, tonight, no excuses.” She ran a hand through the omega's hair and then straightened up and walked away.

Look, Buck knew that Agnes’ threat was genuine, but Agnes didn’t know he was tied. And as much as Buck didn’t want to bring anyone else into this situation, Agnes’ most recent threat was affecting him much more than it should be (probably due to the lingering feelings that the scruffing had brought on), so he had to bring Bobby into this. 

So Buck did the smart thing and went straight to his pack alpha. 

But clearly Agnes was keeping an eye on him and clearly she’d already figured out what the omega was going to do. 

If Buck told Bobby Agnes knew her career was in danger, because it wasn’t hard to see that the Captain had a soft spot for the omega, meaning he’d most likely side with him as opposed to Agnes, like every other person was expected to. 

So no matter what she did she was screwed. 

And because of that, and because she didn’t fully know what to do her wolf decided to push her into its most preferable solution; dominance. 

She ran at Buck and tackled him to the floor, pulling the attention of everyone nearby as she growled, their bodies colliding, clattering to the ground as Buck yelled out. 

The 118 was a weird station because they didn’t seem to respect the natural order of things. All of them yelling and running to the omega's aid, rather than letting her, the alpha, handle the situation by herself, like it should be. 

There were hands on her, pulling her off of Buck, the omega trying to get out from under her. Thankfully Agnes managed to get a good grip on Buck’s neck and dug her thumbs into his neck glands, the omega going limp underneath her. 

“Get off of me.” She growled, “Get off.” 

Suddenly the door of Bobby’s office burst open, “Let her go.” He practically roared. 

For a second Agnes had some hope that the Captain took the biological hierarchy seriously. But that hope was shattered when the Captain lunged at her, sending her flying. 

She knew exactly what was happening, a duel had been initiated. This had been an outcome she hadn’t expected. 

Agnes and Bobby rolled around on the floor, fangs gnashing as claws swiped at the other. 

“You have no right to duel me over this.” Agnes snarled. 

“Oh yes I do.” Bobby snapped back, “That omega is mine, we’re tied.” 

Agnes hadn’t known that, if she had, she would've been more subtle in her attempts to take control of the omega, to assert her dominance over Buck and reinstate the natural order. But it turned out Buck was tied, and to the Captain no less, which threw the hierarchy into disarray. 

So whilst it should typically be the alpha that was held in higher regard than the omega, Bobby had a duty of care towards Buck, meaning he took priority. 

But Agnes was of the opinion that omegas shouldn’t have jobs like these, so really they shouldn’t be in this position in the first place. But there wasn’t anything she could do about it now, so instead she had to fight. Because either she was losing her job or dying, neither was ideal and both would result in a great amount of shame being put on her name. 

It was when Bobby was straddling her hips and had his hands around her throat that Agnes managed to grunt out a surrender, finally giving in. 

Bobby let go of her neck, instead putting his hands on the floor, either side of Agnes’ head, still straddling her. The Captain loomed over her, panting, “Empty your locker and get out of my sight.” He commanded, “There’ll be a hearing regarding your future with the LAFD, or lack thereof.” He then stood, immediately moving over to Buck who was lying on the floor with his head in Hen’s lap. 

“Why isn’t he awake?” Bobby asked, trying to keep his voice level. 

“I didn’t want to wake him whilst you were dueling, he’ll probably need you.” Hen explained. 

Bobby nodded, satisfied with his fellow alpha’s reasoning, “Alright, let’s move him to my office and I’ll take it from there.” He then bent down and lifted Buck, Hen standing as soon as she was free. 

“Chim, how about we grab some stuff for him from our lockers and Eddie’s?” She suggested, getting a nod out of the beta before the pair headed into the locker room as Bobby took Buck to his office. 

He gently laid Buck down on the couch, peeled the omegas wrist and neck patches off and made sure there was a pillow under his head before he went and got a blanket from one of the storage cupboards. 

On his way back to his office Hen and Chim joined him with items of clothing in hand, the three of them going into Bobby’s office. 

The pack alpha draped the blanket over the omega before taking the things from Hen and Chim, packing them under Buck’s neck before he pressed a gentle thumb into one of Buck’s neck glands, using only enough pressure to wake him. 

Buck woke with a sharp inhale, glazed eyes lazily taking in the ceiling before slowly moving over to Bobby, the alpha smiling down at him, “Hey kid.” Buck let out a tired huff, closing his eyes again, “I know you’re feeling rough, but can you focus on me?” 

Buck’s eyes fluttered open, he then reached out and took Bobby’s wrist, “You can take it off.” He told him, prompting the omega to open his eyes and locate the corner of the scent patch before peeling it off, he then brought it to his neck, the alpha more than happy to let the omega scent. 

“She’s gone now.” Bobby told him, “I kicked her out of the station and I’m going to make sure she is fired at the very least, okay?” Buck nodded, closing his eyes again, “I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you, I should’ve trusted your instincts and gotten someone to replace Agnes.” 

“It’s okay, not your fault.” Buck assured him, voice soft and hazy.

“No, it is, I’m your pack alpha, we’re tied Buck, your well being is my top priority but I failed you. And now look what’s happened.” 

“Don’t want you to blame yourself.” He mumbled, “You had a point.” 

“It doesn’t matter. If you’re uncomfortable it’s my job to do something about that, but I didn’t.” 

Buck shook his head, looking sadly at the alpha, “It’s okay, I should’ve done more myself.” He then pulled himself up into a sitting position, “It’s fine.” 

“Buck-” 

“Please Bobby, I don’t want you to put this all on yourself.” 

Bobby took one of Buck’s hands (his other one still scenting Buck’s neck), looking the omega in the eyes with an intensity that communicated how seriously he was taking this, “No, as your Captain and as your pack alpha it is my duty to stop things like this from happening, I have the power to stop this but I didn’t and that’s on me.” Buck opened his mouth to respond but Bobby cut him off, “No, you’re not fighting me on this.” 

Buck’s nostrils flared as his eyes snapped shut, gulping back a submissive whimper, shit, Bobby hadn’t meant to do that. Usually he was so good at keeping in control, at playing the strong pack alpha, the rock for the young omega, but he was so wrapped up in his self-loathing that he hadn’t managed to catch himself, accidentally allowing his pheromones to carry a bit of that bitterness and anger. And it was no surprise it had hit Buck, the sharp spike of burnt rubber and acetone aggravating the omega’s scent glands, clashing with his strawberry smell. 

“Sorry, sorry, that’s not directed at you, that’s me, it’s for me.” He quickly apologised, forcing away the bitter feelings so the pure cedar came back to sooth the omega. 

Buck’s face relaxed after a second so Bobby released his hand so he could run his fingers through the younger man’s hair, getting a purr out of him after a few seconds.

“Can I sleep?” Buck eventually asked. 

Bobby smiled at him, “Of course, how do you want to do it?” 

“Can I stay here?” Buck asked instead. Bobby smiled at him, nodding, “Thank you. I’d like you to do it.” 

“Sure thing kid, whatever you need.” When an omega willingly entered alpha sleep it was restorative, so it would help him regain energy and settle after the forced alpha sleep which had the opposite effect. 

Buck got comfy on the couch, curling up on his side under the blanket Bobby had brought in for him, nuzzling into his pack’s belongings. 

“You ready?” Bobby asked. 

“Yeah, thanks Bobby.” 

Bobby smiled softly at him, “Anything for you kid.” With that he reached out and massaged Buck’s neck, the omega immediately going limp. 

Bobby sat on the floor, just watching Buck but eventually Chim spoke up, “He’s right you know, it really isn’t your fault.” 

The alpha shook his head, “No, I don’t need you to placate me.” He huffed, “Tell me I fucked up, because I did.” 

Chim went to open his mouth so he could protest but Hen put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head, the beta taking the hint and closing his mouth again. 

Hen then walked over and perched on one of the couches arms, arms crossed, “Yeah, you did fuck up.” She said, making Bobby look up at her, “You put him in an unsafe position that could’ve been avoided, and as his pack and tied alpha you should know better.” 

“I know.” Bobby sighed, looking back at the sleeping omega’s unnaturally relaxed face, “Why would I do that?” 

“I can’t tell you that, only you have the answer.” 

Now that the other alpha in the room had berated the pack alpha and hadn’t been scolded or threatened as a result Chim was now able to speak up, because even if betas weren’t led by a primal instinct in the same way an alpha or omega was there was still a part of their brain that made them submit to the hierarchy, something learnt from years of evolution, before the betas stopped developing wolves. 

“Seriously Bobby, when an omega comes to an alpha with a concern like this, especially involving a second alpha, you’re supposed to act, work be damned.” The beta sighed, “Why didn’t you listen?” 

Bobby finally stood and grabbed a fresh scent patch out of his desk drawer, covering up his exposed wrist gland, “I-I don’t know.”

“Yes you do.” Hen told him, leaving no room for argument, “You’re just too scared to admit it.”

“Or too ashamed.” Chim added, “But either way you need to fess up, for your own sake.” 

Bobby crossed his arms and leant back against his desk, watching Buck’s face, alpha sleep always made him look so young, “I didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that I’d put the omega I’ve sworn to protect into a dangerous situation.” He finally admitted. 

“So you made it worse.” 

Bobby couldn’t stop his wolf from making an appearance, his head snapping over to Hen, flashing a fang at her with a low growl. Thankfully he managed to get control back pretty quickly, before Hen’s alpha could retaliate, “Sorry, sorry, you’re right, I did make it worse.” 

“You know you’re going to have to tell Eddie and Athena about this, right?” Chimney reminded him. 

“Shit, they’re not going to be happy.” 

“Especially not Eddie.” 

“Wow, way to make it worse, Chim.” Hen hissed, elbowing her best friend in the ribs. 

“What? I’m right.” He protested. 

“Doesn't mean you should say it.” 

Before the duo could begin to bicker the tones went off. 

Bobby glanced over to Buck, making a hard decision in his mind. He couldn’t wake the omega, he needed to sleep off the forced alpha sleep Agnes put him in, but being left alone in alpha sleep made him extremely vulnerable. 

Bobby knew he couldn’t stay at the station as the run down dispatch was giving them told him he would be needed on the scene, so he couldn’t stay behind with Buck to protect him. 

As Hen and Chim left Bobby grabbed a key out of his desk drawer before following after the paramedics. He detoured past Buck, briefly scratching the kids head before leaving, locking the door behind him. 

Chapter Text

Agnes wasn’t attracted to Buck, she preferred her omegas to be petite and skinny, just like Shelly, her mate. But now that she’d tried to dominate Buck, dueling for him but losing, made her wolf want to take him and claim him. She needed him to be hers as a point of pride, to clear the shame from her name that her failure had brought upon her. 

Besides, her father had three omega mates, all of whom she’d mated with before Agnes was born, so she’d grown up in a multi-mate home and wanted the same thing for herself. And now her wolf had set its sights on Buck for mate number two. 

She wanted to burst back into the station and initiate a second duel, this time beating the Captain and claiming his tied omega for her own. She’d sink her fangs into the omega right then and there, making the Captain watch before she killed him and then dragged her prize home. 

Besides, Omegas weren’t supposed to have jobs like these, they were supposed to be nurses, teachers, social workers, mothers, not firefighters. So Buck shouldn’t have even been allowed into the academy let alone placed in a firehouse as one, no matter how good he was. So once Buck was hers she would remove him from the workforce as her wolf had big plans for this omega; he’d be a house omega, just like Shelly, no longer requiring a job. Then, on his next heat, she’d fuck him and get him pregnant so he really couldn’t go anywhere, his omega knowing they needed their alpha so not letting him leave. She’d keep him dependent on her and make sure he lost all of that muscle, he was an omega, he didn’t need it anyway. He didn’t need to be strong or bold, he needed to be sweet and submissive, doing whatever an alpha told him to, not talking back like he had been doing the whole time they’d been working together. She’d make sure he became the perfect omega, just like Shelly. 

Shelly would stay on birth control for her heats, they’d had pregnancy complications in the past so the omega having pups just wasn’t possible, the process far too dangerous for her. But she wouldn’t let Buck near the stuff, because she needed to make sure he couldn’t leave and she needed him to be their breeder, that would be his role in her house, he’d be the one to conceive and carry the pups. She and Shelly would help him through his heats together, and God the thought of that was just so fucking hot; getting to pleasure her omegas, the omegas pleasuring each other, the omegas pleasuring her. She let out an aroused gasp as her plan began to form in her mind, the thought alone enough to get her riled up, her cock twitching. 

She’d keep Buck round and pregnant for the next five years at least, leading to a house full of young pups and two stay-at-home omegas to care for them, whilst Agnes went out and worked to provide for her pack. 

Agnus had wanted a breeder for so long now, it had been hers and Shelly’s dream, the pair of them desperately wanting pups, and she’d just been handed the perfect one, or at least an omega she could sculpt into the perfect one. 

And sure Buck would need to be on medication for the rest of his life to stop the separation from his tied alpha killing him, but that always weakened the omega which was just another win for Agnes. 

God, the longer she sat in her car and thought about it the more she was itching to storm into the station and claim the omega as her own. 

Her fingers moved as if they had a mind of their own, the digits tingling. She pinched the corner of one of her neck patches and peeled it off, doing the same with the second one. She then removed the ones on her wrists and ankles before shoving her hands down her pants and ripping them off of her inner thighs, her hands running along her half hard cock as she did so, an aroused shiver running up her spine. 

The car was flooded by the scent of cedar and nutmeg, the former the daily scent of alphas whilst the nutmeg signaled their wolf’s primal desires taking over, she also knew that this meant that as soon as she smelt the omega her fangs would drop and she’d begin to produce mating venom, the cinnamon poison ready to mix with the fresh strawberries of an omegas pheromone oil. 

Her wolf wanted to claim the omega so badly that she didn’t want to just barge in and duel Bobby for him, so instead she was able to find the clarity to play smart. She’d literally just left the station and was still in the parking lot so she knew they weren’t out on call and she knew exactly how to get them out of there, fast. 

She pulled her phone out and called 911, making a false report that the 118 would definitely be called out to, one that Bobby wouldn’t be able to sit out on. She didn’t need long to get in there and the false claim of a fire would require them to do a full sweep so she’d have plenty of time. 

Agnes watched with a smug smile as both engines and the ambulance rushed out of the station. 

There was no way Buck would have gone out on the call, after an involuntary alpha sleep he’d be out for the count and unable to work but she hadn’t seen him leave, meaning he was still resting in the station. She also knew that the man behind would be the beta probie, the kid was only 18 and a pathetic weakling, so if he caught her she wouldn’t have any issues overpowering him. 

Once the station had been empty for a few minutes she climbed out of her car and stalked inside. She didn’t worry about looking around for the beta instead heading straight for the Captains office. She knew how Bobby would be thinking in this moment, she knew he’d want to keep his omega close, meaning he would be keeping him in his office to rest rather than the bunk room. 

The beta was nowhere to be seen so she made a beeline to the office and tried the door. 

It was locked. 

And whilst that should dissuade her it actually gave her more hope because there was no way an alpha would leave a vulnerable omega easily accessible, not when there was another alpha on or near his territory that posed a threat. So a locked door meant he had stashed the omega away for safe keeping.

Using her alpha strength and firefighter training she knocked the door free, the lock unable to stop her shoulder as she rammed it against the wood. 

As soon as she stepped into the room she spotted Buck, asleep on the couch, clearly having not been disturbed by her breaking the door down. Agnes knew what that meant, it meant Bobby had put him in alpha sleep, and that made everything even better for her, the Captain had just handed her what she wanted on a plate. 

The sweet smell of strawberries hit her and she took in a deep inhale, letting the smell overtake her senses. She felt her fangs drop and began to taste the cinnamon venom that was trickling in her mouth. 

She stepped further into the room only for a voice to stop her, “Agnes? What are you doing?” She turned to find the beta probie in the doorway, she hadn’t bothered to learn his name. 

“This doesn’t concern you, beta.” Agnes growled, “Go back to whatever it was you were doing and leave us alone.” 

The beta’s eyes darted to the omega and then back to the alpha, “You shouldn’t be here.” 

Agnes let out a malicious chuckle, “I don’t care, fuck off and let me do what I need to.” 

“You have to leave, Cap kicked you out after he beat you in a duel. If he finds out you’re here he’ll kill you.” He begged. 

Agnes stormed over to him, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him to the wall, “Do not tell me what to do, beta.” She growled, “I should kill you for even being in here with me and that omega.”

“Agnes, please.” He gasped out as she tightened her grip around his throat, “Please let me go.” Instead of responding she growled and tightened her grip around his throat, “Agnes, Agnes, please, stop it.” The beta couldn’t take in a full breath as she simply continued to growl and cut off his airway, “A-alpha, I-I’m s-sorry, alpha.” He managed to wheeze before she squeezed so hard his neck snapped. She released him and let his body flop to the floor like a lifeless doll. 

“Pathetic.” She spat, splattering his face with droplets of golden mating venom. 

Agnes then turned back to Buck, walking over to the omega. 

She dropped down to her knees next to him, immediately shoving her face into his neck and sniffing at his neck glands. His strawberry scent was just so strong, so overwhelming that she couldn’t not get lost in it, her arousal just rising in time with her cock. She brought a hand to the other side of his neck, feeling to see if there was a patch there too, overjoyed to find the gland exposed. She caressed a thumb over the gland, touch light enough that she didn’t wake the omega, although she did get a small shiver out of him, making her chuckle. 

“God, you’re so sensitive.” She hummed, her breath tickling the omega's neck gland, “You’re going to be perfect once you’re mine.” 

She then began to suck on the other gland but didn’t bite, just enjoying the taste of strawberry mixing with cinnamon. 

The alpha then sat up and checked the omega’s wrists, finding those glands also uncovered. She then slipped his boots and socks off to find his ankle glands covered so she peeled them off, helping herself to more of the sweet strawberry she loved so much, licking and snuffling at his ankles. 

Agnes knew for a fact that Buck’s inner thigh glands would still be covered, but he was about to be hers and he was deep in alpha sleep so he wouldn’t know that she’d helped herself to his inner thighs before she bit him rather than after. 

She gently undid his belt and pants before slipping her hands into them, tracing the muscles until she reached the patches, peeling them off. Just the act of being so close to the omegas cunt had her gasping and moaning in pleasure, the strong strawberry pheromones really getting to her and putting her on edge in the best way possible. She then removed her hand and did his pants and belt back up, being a courteous alpha and showing some restraint. 

But even with all that restraint she couldn’t stop herself from pushing his shirt up and running her fingers over his stomach letting out a satisfied hum. She let herself indulge in the feeling of soft, smooth omega skin under her fingers before deciding it was finally time to wake him up so she pinched his neck gland. 

The omega’s eyes fluttered open, looking relaxed and content, so obviously the alpha sleep had been voluntary this time. 

As soon as he processed the fingers drawing patterns on his stomach his eyes slid down before following the arm up to find the alpha it was attached to smirking at him. 

“Ag-” But before he could even finish saying her name she reached around and scruffed him, his body going tense and rigid, pupils blown as he lost control of his body and voice. 

He did however manage to get a terrified whine out, so Agnes merely shushed him as she continued caressing his stomach. 

“Hello Buck.” She greeted, voice sickly sweet, filled with false kindness, “Did you sleep well?” But he couldn’t respond, not able to move or use his voice, only able to stare at her in fear, “I know this is scary right now but I promise it won’t last.” She cooed, “You’re going to want me soon enough, because I want you and you’re an omega so I get to have you. 

“You know, when I first invited you for drinks I didn’t think I’d want you like this, didn’t think I’d want you to be my mate, but your alpha won’t let me have you, and, well, that means I just have to have you. Besides I already have a mate but she can’t get pregnant so we need a second omega, we need a breeder, and it just makes sense for that to be you. 

“Me and Shelly want a big family with lots and lots of pups, so you’re going to be very busy, no time for firefighting anymore, but that’s okay because omegas shouldn’t be firefighters anyway.” She dipped down and placed a kiss on his cheek, “You’re destined for bigger things, Buck, much, much bigger things. But it’s okay, me and Shelly will be with you all the way, you’ll even have both of us helping you through your heats, and we’ll do the same for Shelly when it’s hers. Just think about how good it’ll feel having an alpha and an omega in bed with you during your heats, whilst I make sure you’re fulfilling your role in our family. I’m the provider, Shelly is the home maker and you’re the breeder, that means you don’t have to do anything, just relax all day every day with pups in your arms, you’ll be fulfilling your purpose and once you feel how good it is to just be an omega you’re going to love it, I know you will.” 

A single tear ran down Buck’s cheek so Agnes licked it off for him before she decided to go back to sucking on the omegas neck gland, lapping up as much scent oil as she could, making the skin all red and puffy from abuse. 

But the omega was clearly still scared as more tears dribbled down his face, so to relax him, Agnes tangled her hand that had been caressing his stomach in his hair and began to scratch his scalp. His body immediately relaxed as much as it could whilst in a scruff and he began to purr.

Agnes then began to grind against the edge of the couch, trying to get some relief as each new thing the omega did just made her more and more aroused, more and more worked up. 

Once she’d sucked and abused the neck gland enough she sunk her fangs in, coming in an instant, a howl muffled by the omega’s neck as she released him from the scruff. 

When she finally came down from the orgasm she took her hand from his hair and hoisted him up, rearranging them in one swift movement so she was sitting on the couch with him in her lap. 

As more venom left her and entered him the omega began to go limp until he was fully unconscious, submitting fully to her and her power, her venom infecting him making him well and truly hers. 

But it was as she pulled her fangs from her omega’s neck she felt him pulled from her lap before she was thrown to the floor. 

As soon as she processed what was happening she realised she was in an all too familiar position, a certain alpha straddling her hips with his hands around her throat. 

Agnes managed to get her leg between the two of them, planting her boot on Bobby’s sternum and pushing him off. 

She gasped for air as she lunged at Bobby and slashed at him with her claws. 

“I told you not to come back here.” Bobby growled, “But you came back and tried to claim my omega.” 

“I didn’t try, I succeeded.” She snapped back, “He’s mine, so give him to me and let us go.”

“Never!” 

She and Bobby ended up on the floor again, rolling about as they each took swipes at each other and tried to bite at one another. 

“You have no right to him any more, he’ll want to come home with me soon enough and you’re not going to stop it, he’s my mate and you can either accept that or die.” 

At some point the pair had gotten to their feet again so Bobby grabbed her biceps and rammed her against the wall, “Don’t you dare threaten me, you mated him against his will whilst he already has a pack. He is mine by law and unless you kill me you can’t take him, even with force.” 

Agnes sneered at him, a malicious grin taking over her face, “Give it a day and I promise you he’ll want to come with me, he’ll want to join me and my other mate in our own little pack, he’ll willingly take synthetic alpha pheromones so he doesn’t need to be near you, he is going to breed and be bred by me and me alone, happily carrying my pups with each heat. 

“I’ve smelt how strong his pheromones are and I know how potent mine are, together we’ll be able to have twins every heat, at the least. But hey, if you let me take him you can still be in his life, you can watch as I keep him pregnant for years to come, maybe I’ll even be nice and let you hold a pup every now and again.” She leaned in close to him, her smirk only getting wider as Bobby let out a low growl, “My venom is stronger than most, so when he wakes up from this first dose his omega will already want more and force him to willingly follow me, and then we’ll get home and fall into bed together, us and my other mate, happy as can be all curled up and warm, together. 

“I’ll send Shelly around for his things and with all the necessary paperwork at some point next week. You wouldn’t want to hurt that omega by keeping him away from his true alpha, would you? You’d keep him from being a mother just because you’re selfish?”

“You talk a big talk for the alpha who's losing.” Bobby growled. 

“Ha, I’m not losing, just because you’ve got my back to the wall doesn’t mean you’re on top.” She slammed her heel into his foot, getting free. 

But Bobby wouldn’t go down that easily, not when Buck was involved, not only were they tied but he was like a kid to Bobby, the omega his son in everything but blood. 

He grabbed the back of Agnes’ head sinking his claws into her scalp, so deep he hit the bone, getting a pained roar out of the other alpha. He then smashed her head against his desk, knocking her out. He released her as she fell to the ground before slashing at her neck, severing her carotid artery. 

Blood immediately began gushing from her throat, a puddle of the stuff expanding rapidly. 

“Call the cops.” Bobby barked out. 

“Already done.” Chimney reported, “They’re on their way.” 

“Good.” Bobby then went over to Buck who was curled up on the floor, wrapped up in Hen’s arms as the alpha paramedic massaged his neck glands, keeping him under so he didn’t have to witness any of what had just happened. 

Without saying a word Bobby took him from her and relocated the omega to the bunk room, away from the blood and bodies in his office. 

He sat on the floor by Buck’s bunk, he used his wrist to scent against Buck’s neck gland that had been bitten by Agnes whilst he took the wrist closest to him in his free hand and sunk his fangs into it, his protectiveness bringing on his pack venom. He let the venom leave his mouth and enter Buck’s wrist gland, allowing it to flow into his blood stream, hoping that it would stop Agnes’ venom from affecting him too much. Because if she was right and her venom was potent enough that he’d already be wanting her after one bite then they had a hard few weeks ahead of them as his system fought it off. Thankfully a mating bite took three months to become permanent and multiple bites so this wouldn’t be forever, but it would take at least a week for Agnes’ first dose to fully leave his system, 

But Bobby knew that right now, what Buck really needed, was Eddie. The familiar alpha’s pheromones would help ease him through this. But Eddie was sick, so for now this would have to do until they could figure something else out.

It only took ten minutes for the cops to arrive, so they began going through the CCTV footage and looking over the bodies in the office. 

After an hour and a half Rick came into the bunk room to take Bobby’s statement as the alpha refused to leave the prone omega. He also refused to wake Buck up, his wolf certain that it was the only way to protect the other man as this way he wouldn’t have to experience the effects of Agnes’ venom and the toll the withdrawal would take on his body. 

If Bobby could he’d keep the kid under for the whole time it took for Agnes’ venom to leave his system he would, but that was extremely dangerous, even if it was intermittent. But whilst they were still in the safe zone Bobby would keep him under as much as possible. 

He had to protect Buck from Agnes no matter what, and this was currently the only way to protect him from the alpha’s venom that was poisoning him. 

“I need to take Buck’s statement too.” Rick eventually said, having finished taking Bobby’s, something that had taken an hour due to the fact there were two duels and lots of facts surrounding both that needed covering. 

Bobby’s wolf began protesting but he knew he didn’t have a choice, the cops needed Buck’s side of the story, so Bobby reluctantly applied pressure to one of the omega’s neck glands, his eyes gently fluttering open. 

Buck let out a small, groggy grunt as he came back to consciousness, his brow creasing. He looked around the room, trying to get his bearings, so Bobby gave him a hand, “You’re in the bunk room, you’ve been in an intermittent alpha sleep for a few hours now.” 

“Oh.” Buck’s brain was clearly moving slowly, like he was wading through fog, but that wasn’t a surprise after everything that had happened over the course of only a few hours. 

“I know it’s hard right now, but do you think you could tell me what happened?” Rick asked, getting Buck’s attention. 

Buck wetted his lips and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he tried to put his thoughts in order, “I- I don’t…” He took another deep, shaky breath in through his nose, “Agnes?” 

“Yes, can you tell me about Agnes.” Rick prompted. 

“Uh… Bobby- I-I asked Bobby to put me in alpha sleep, but he wasn’t the one who woke me up, it was her.” 

“Okay, and do you know why she wanted to wake you?” 

“She said she had plans for me.” Buck told him, “She wanted me to be her and her mates breeding omega.” Breeding omegas weren’t a new or uncommon thing, for hundreds of years alphas had been mating omegas they weren’t attracted to specifically to keep them around to bear children, usually because they had desirable genes but they were also used if the alphas real mate couldn’t have children of their own (or wouldn’t be able to produce enough to satisfy the alpha), so hearing that Anges had wanted Buck as a breeding omega wasn’t all that shocking of a concept. 

“And do you have any idea why she might have chosen you?” 

“Because Bobby wouldn’t let her have me.” 

“Okay. So she woke you and told you she wanted you as a breeding omega, then what?” 

Buck took a deep breath, trying to remain calm but tears still managed to dribble down his face, “She was scratching my scalp and sucking on my neck gland.” He brought his hand up to touch the gland in question, feeling how swollen and inflamed it still was, “Then she bit me. She bit my neck.” His tears turned to sobs, his shoulders shaking, “I don’t want to be her mate, I don’t, I don’t.” 

“It’s okay Buck.” Bobby soothed, beginning to scratch the omega’s scalp to try and calm him, “It was only one bite, everything is going to be okay.” 

“But what about Eddie?” He sobbed, “He’s going to hate me!” 

“No he isn’t, you didn’t want it so he has nothing to hate you for. If anything he’ll hate me because I killed Agnes before he could.” 

Buck suddenly sat up, “You killed her?” 

“I did, you’re safe now.” 

Buck pulled Bobby into a bone crushing hug, “Thank you, thank you so much.” 

“You’re my omega, kid, I’ll do anything for you.” Bobby went back to scratching Buck’s scalp, the omega beginning to purr up a storm, “Now, how about we go to the hospital? Agnes managed to get a full dose in you and even though I’ve given you some pack venom the withdrawal from her won’t be pleasant, so let’s get you some hormone shots to take the edge off, how does that sound?” 

Buck shook his head, “No, I want Eddie.” He muttered. 

“He’s still sick, Buck. Besides, hormone shots are the recommended treatment for something like this, even with another alpha’s pheromones being used to stabilise the omega.” 

“I need Eddie.” Buck reiterated, tears beginning to leak from his eyes again, “Please.” 

Bobby couldn’t deny Buck anything so he gave in easily, “Alright, we’ll figure out some way to get you two together but only once we’re at the hospital and you’ve had your shots, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

Bobby went to stand but Rick stopped him, “Actually Bobby, I need you to come to the station, two duels and two deaths, one of which was not duel related requires more than just CCTV footage to clear.”

“Rick-”

“You’re not under arrest and you’re not in trouble Bobby, we’ve already confirmed that you did everything right and it was all legal, but we just need to get everything on record in a controlled environment, so no one can dispute what happened.” When Bobby opened his mouth to protest, Rick shut him down with an offer he hoped would placate the alpha, “We also need to bring Agnes’ mate in for questioning so we can find out how pre-meditated this was, which I’m happy for you to watch.” 

Bobby looked over at Buck, feeling torn, so Buck made the decision for him, “Go, please.” 

The alpha nodded, “Okay, but I’m sending Hen with you.”

Rick sat down at the table in the interrogation room, looking at Shelly who was sat on the other side, “Mrs Eastwell-”

“Uh, just Shelly is fine.” She squeaked out. Shelly was the kind of omega that only really existed in alpha romance books; tiny, shy, out of her depth without an alpha by her side, unable to even look a beta like Rick in the eye without getting spooked, the kind of omega that couldn’t live without an alpha controlling every aspect of their life, and that broke Rick’s heart because he knew that everything that had happened would be even more devastating for her than usual. If anything this news alone could quite possibly kill her, the loss of her mate sending her and her wolf into such a deep grief her heart pretty much broke in the most literal sense possible. 

“Shelly, I’m Rick.” He said, “I’m so sorry to call you in but there has been a series of incidents that your alpha has been involved in.” He explained, “Were you aware that she’d set her sights on a second mate?” 

Shelly looked down at her hands and shook her head, “N-no, I wasn’t.” 

“Did she give any indication that she wanted a second mate?” 

“We’d mentioned it. Agnes’ Dad has three omega mates and her brother has four, so she’d mentioned it’s something she would like but she’s extremely particular about omegas so hadn’t found anybody she liked enough.” 

“Okay, and what’s she like at home?” 

A smile graced the omega’s face, her eyes briefly flickering up to look at Rick before she went back to looking at the table, “She’s perfect, the perfect alpha in everything she does. She’s just so kind and protective, she makes sure I’m safe and taken care of and does anything I ask her to just to make me happy. She’s the best person I’ve ever met, she’s almost too good to be true.” She let out a small huff of a giggle, “She’s like an alpha hero from a fantasy romance book with how chivalrous she is. 

“And as soon as I show even the slightest sign of going into heat she drops everything no matter what to take care of me, she never leaves my side once from the very start of my pre-heat all the way to the end of my post-heat. And she’s so tender during her ruts, never once going too far and hurting me, not even by accident. 

“She’s so thoughtful and tender in everything she does. She embodies everything good about alphas, there isn’t a bad bone in her body. The only reason she’d ever harm anyone would be to protect me, she won’t even kill flies.” 

That stumped Rick, Shelly’s description of Agnes was nothing like the woman he’d seen on the CCTV footage from the station. The woman he’d seen at the station was dominant and aggressive, forcibly scenting against Buck, scruffing him, putting him in alpha sleep, forcibly mating him, dueling. She wasn’t this sweet and gentle alpha Shelly was talking about, she wasn’t some story book hero, she was a violent and possessive woman who was a danger to omegas. 

“Has she ever displayed any signs of dominance?” 

“I mean, sure, she’s dominant and possessive but only in the way all alphas are. That’s why they bite and infect us, right? They’re marking their property so no one else can have it.” 

“So her killing a beta and forcefully mating an omega against their will would be out of character to say the least?” 

Shelly looked up at Rick, analysing his face, trying to see if there was any sign of humour, checking to see if this was some sick prank, “W-what do you mean?” 

Rick took a deep breath, readying himself, “I’m sorry Shelly but Agnes has forcefully administered a mating bite today, murdered a beta coworker of hers and been involved in two duels-” 

“But- but she’d never do that, I swear, that’s not who she is.” Shelly protested, “I’ve known Agnes since before we both presented and she’s never been anything other than sweet and caring..” 

“I’m sorry Shelly but there’s CCTV footage that proves it, there’s no disputing the fact.” Rick said, giving her a sympathetic look. 

“No, she- she wouldn’t do that, she’s a good person, she’s a really good person.” 

“Shelly-”

“You’re lying, you have to be lying. I know her and I know she’d never treat anyone like that.” Shelly was beginning to get worked up, understandably so given she’d just been told her mate wasn’t who she thought she was, “Something must have happened, she has to be ill.” 

“Sh-”

“Please don’t arrest her, she’s sick, she should be at a hospital not in prison, please.” Shelly sobbed, tears already drenching her face. 

Rick’s face fell, he hated delivering news like this, “Agnes is dead, Shelly. I’m sorry but the second duel was to the death and she lost.” 

Shelly began to wail loudly, “No, no, she can’t be dead, she can’t, without her I have no one, I have nothing.”

“It’ll be alright-” Rick tried to sooth, but his words only made things worse. 

“No it won’t! It was just me a-and Agnes, there was no one else, I’m all alone now.” She scrubbed at her face, trying to get rid of the tears, “I’ve never had a job, we mated when we turned 18, I never went to college, I have dedicated my life to looking after her and our home, I can’t survive without her.” 

Rick offered her a box of tissues, the omega taking a handful and wiping her face before blowing her nose, “Shelly, there are programs for people like you, omegas who have lost their alpha and are unable to support themselves. You can go and live with other omegas who are going through the same and there you can learn skills to support yourself or they can place you with a pack or alpha who specialises in helping forced feral omegas.” 

Shelly’s breath hitched, “Oh god, I’m feral.” She then began to sob even harder, “No, no, I can’t be feral, please, I don’t want to be feral.” 

“It’s okay, we’ll get you with a foster pack, you don’t have to be feral.” 

“No, I want Agnes, I want Agnes back.”

Bobby let out a low growl as he watched Shelly’s discussion with Rick, watching as the omega pleaded for her mate, “I don’t know what alpha she’s been mated to but it sure as shit isn’t the Agnes we know.”

Athena placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, being a calming presence for her husband, “Bobby, you know what the duality of alphas can be like, we see it all the time.” 

“I know, but Shelly makes her sound like the model mate, like she wouldn’t hurt a fly, like she wouldn’t murder a beta and forcibly mate an omega. I’ve never seen an alpha swing that violently between those two extremes.” 

“She said her pheromones were potent, right?” Bobby nodded, “So there’s a chance she had an extremely dominant wolf, that could cause her to only display alpha extremes.” 

“But something always triggers the extremes.” Bobby pointed out, “What about Buck would trigger her wolf in that way?” 

“The skill” Athena simply said. 

Bobby looked over at her, shocked, “What?” 

“Rick went through all of the CCTV footage where Buck and Agnes were on shift together, she’d developed an obsession with finding out what made him tick so she could be better than him.” She explained, “Then you dueled her and she lost. Rick thinks that it’s a case of wanting what she couldn’t have and that manifested in claiming Buck as her own. It’s the only logical progression.” 

As soon as he’d gotten off of the phone with Athena, Eddie pulled his shoes on and flung the front door open, running to his car and speeding off to the hospital. 

Thankfully Carla had come and picked Chris up a few hours earlier, the pup practically recovered so the beta had insisted on taking him so Eddie could just rest as he still wasn’t at full health. 

Logically he knew that he should stay home, he was still sick with gland fever, but Buck was in danger and his alpha had taken over as a result. 

“I’m here for Evan Buckley.” He told the nurse at reception as soon as he burst into the hospital. 

She looked at him, “What’s your relation to the patient?” 

“We’re in the same pack.” He pulled out his ID and handed it over, the nurse scanning it until she found the section that had the name of his pack on it. She compared it to Buck’s information that she’d pulled up on her screen. Once she was satisfied she handed it back to him and pointed him in the direction of Buck’s room. 

He burst into the room to find Hen sitting beside Buck’s bed, the omega fast asleep with a cannula in his hand and another under his nose. 

“What the fuck happened?” He growled, Buck’s slightly sour scent putting him even more on edge.

“Eddie?” Hen replied, looking shocked, “You shouldn’t be here.” Eddie had a face of thunder, flashing a fang at the other alpha, the smell of nutmeg pouring from him, clearly his wolf was in charge so Hen knew not to push it any further, “He’s going to be okay.” She said instead, “I know it looks bad but he’s going to be fine. They’re flooding his system with hormones to help break down as much of the mating venom as possible, and the cannula under his nose is supplying pheromones to keep him calm.” 

“He doesn’t need any of that synthetic shit anymore.” He hissed, “He’s coming home with me.” 

“Eddie, you’re sick.” She reminded him. 

“No, he’s right.” Both alphas heads turned to the door to find Bobby and Athena stood there, the former having spoken, “He may be sick right now but Buck needs him.”

“A sick omega isn’t ideal,” Athena added, “But given the circumstances we’ll just have to deal with it.” 

“I’ve already signed the papers, so as soon as you’re ready to take him you two are able to leave.” Bobby informed him, “But the sooner the better, the hormones and pheromones they’re giving him will only do so much, he needs the real deal as soon as possible.” 

“Chris is with Carla, I can take him home now.” Eddie told them, walking over to Buck and immediately beginning to unhook him from the IV and removing the cannulas. Technically he shouldn’t be the one doing this but he was an EMT and his wolf was in control so he knew what he was doing and trying to stop him would only result in a fight and there’d been more than enough of those today. 

Eddie didn’t wake Buck up, simply lifting him up in his arms and carrying him out of the room, the omega still in his hospital gown and all.

Buck was pulled back into consciousness by pressure on one of his neck glands, the other throbbing painfully without any stimulation. He took in a deep breath as he fluttered his eyes open, immediately being greeted by Eddie’s face. But only one thought hit Buck, something primal, a burning sensation in his veins and brain, “Agnes? Wh-where’s Agnes?”