Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

   Tim groaned as he sank to his knees on the cold wet pavement. His senses were dulled, and the submission he’d been fighting for several blocks was finally breaking past his efforts, making everything hazy and frightening and WRONG.

   Okay, maybe he’d made a mistake in fighting with their pack alpha. Again. And maybe he’d been a BIT too persistent about Bruce being alive. Maybe he’d been asking for it. But even though Dick wasn’t strictly HIS alpha, Tim had felt the familiar sting of utter abandonment when he’d been bitten.

   “Sit STILL, Timothy. We will return for you once the guests have gone.”

   “Take a rest now, champ. Your mother will pick you up tonight.”

   “We will return on Thursday. Oh for pity’s sake, Timothy, it’s just a bite. You should be RELAXING.”

   Tim forced himself to move, struggling onto a fire-escape. Roof. He needed to get to a roof. An omega trapped in submission-haze, alone, in the dead of Gotham’s night, would attract VERY unwanted attention.

   Tim barely made it to the gravel-covered rooftop before collapsing with a whine. The submission was overwhelming now, and he knew it would take hours to wear off. Crap. He couldn’t lie here for hours. Why the hell had he run away? Even being ordered to his room at the manor would be better than stranding himself alone with no alpha to give him orders; no one to keep him safe.

   But he’d been so scared.

   Footsteps suddenly stalked over the rooftop, and Tim was unable to stop another fearful whine. His muscles refused to move. No, please no, don’t touch me, please…

   “Hey,” a gentle voice said; rough, but soothing. It was very familiar. “I’m not going to hurt you, pup. Breathe.”

   Tim was pretty sure he was breathing. Maybe a little too fast, but still. Another whine escaped his chest. He couldn’t help it; he was so scared. Submission meant abandonment.

   “Who bit you, pup?” the deep voice asked, and it vibrated with a command that Tim was compelled to answer.

   “Dick,” he murmured wetly, distantly realizing that saying so was a mistake of some kind. Stupid stupid STUPID. Tim was a horrible omega. He couldn’t stop making mistakes.

   “Fucking… WHY?” the voice demanded, frustrated.

   Oh. Tim had messed up again.

   “No, baby bird, don’t cry,” came the next words, and they were much gentler now. “Please don’t cry. I’m sorry I… I’m not mad at you.”

   “He hates me,” Tim squeezed out, his words almost too slurred to sound human. His already-racing pulse picked up speed. “I know I’m a bad ‘mega, but… but I…”

   “Oh, kid, no,” the voice broke in sadly. “You’re not bad, you’re just… Do you want me to leave? I’ll leave.”

   “No,” Tim whimpered immediately, hyperventilating now. “Please, please don’t leave me again, I’ll be good, I’ll be… please… I’m so sorry…”

   “Fuck,” the voice murmured, and the roof was suddenly filled with the scent of a worried, irritated, protective ALPHA.

   That’s Jason Todd, Tim’s brain realized. That’s the man who tried to kill you for taking his place.

   All the critical thinking in the world couldn’t stop the desperate whine that came from his throat. He wasn’t afraid now. He was longing. He needed a command to follow, an Alpha to make happy, or he would be stuck in these panicky feelings for… for too long.

   Jason sighed as he sat Tim up with surprisingly gentle hands. “There are so many things to unpack about this situation, and I’m not sure I wanna be sober for all of it, but listen. Tim. Timbo. Timmy. Why are you afraid? I mean… besides the obvious wandering-around-Gotham-with-a-submission-bite part, which… we will definitely be talking about later.” A slight pause, and the scent swirling around Tim spiked with anxiety. “Are you scared of ME?”

   “No,” Tim managed to whisper, his head lolling towards the ground as he sunk deeper into the haze. “Can’t… Parents… always LEFT… I can’t… I wasn’t GOOD enough… I’m…” Tim suddenly found that his breaths weren’t working. He was panicking. He felt dizzy. He was so scared.

   “I can’t cancel this submission for you, buddy,” Jason was saying, his gruff voice sympathetic. “but I can let you crash at my place to ride it out. Dammit, what kind of alpha does this to their PACK?”

   “Dick’s n’t my alpha,” Tim slurred out between panicked breaths. “Bruce.”

   “Shit,” Jason muttered sadly. “I’m so sorry, Tim, I… look, I can… No, you wouldn’t wanna go back to Dick; he just bit you against your will. Fuck.”

   “Jason,” Tim begged tearfully, barely able to breathe through the heavy weight of fear in his chest. “Please help me. PLEASE. I can’t… I can’t… I can’t.” He shuddered as he fought for an inhale, then used that breath to KEEN. It was a cry for pack; a pack that wasn’t coming.

   Jason tightened his grip on Tim’s arms, but that did little to help. When no one answered his call, Tim desperately chirped at the source of the alpha scent in his nasal passages.

   A chirp to be claimed.

   Jason’s frame balked. “Tim, are you… NO, you don’t want that. I’m not a good alpha; I’m not even a good PERSON. Did you forget that I tried to kill you?”

   Tim’s lungs were beginning to burn, and his chirps, though weaker, became more desperate as he swayed. His scent practically poured please-protect-me-claim-me-PLEASE-ALPHA-PROTECT, and it was beginning to overwhelm his older brother.

   Just when Tim was running out of strength, a soft alpha rumble answered his chirps, soothing the worst of his trembles. The worried scent from Jason shifted to protect-claim-MINE, and Tim instantly tipped his head back, exposing as much of his throat as he could.

   A gentle thumb rubbed across the long thin scar there; a scar inflicted by Jason’s own hands. A soft voice ventured, “Are you SURE, kid?”

   Tim keened desperately, tilting his head further, and that was all the encouragement the alpha needed. He leaned forward, rumbling possessively, and bit down on the juncture of Tim’s neck.

   The slight pain barely registered as the alpha venom spread, spurred on by Tim’s racing pulse. It sent the omega into a second round of submission, this one deeper, because this was a pack claim. Tim felt the new bond flare to life in his head, and a weak purr started in his chest. He could finally BREATHE.

   Jason was scenting Tim’s neck now, dragging his wrists over the omega’s scent-glands in lazy strokes. The purring in Tim’s chest increased as he was bathed in PROTECT-LOVE-PUP-MINE-MINE-MINE.

   God, this was the best claim he’d ever gotten. And, yeah, maybe it wasn’t super smart. Jason HAD tried to kill him once, after all, and Bruce could still be out there, even though his bond was cold in Tim’s head. But maybe Tim could be selfish for once. Maybe he could give in to something HE needed.

   He relaxed as he was hefted up into strong arms. He’d definitely needed an alpha.

************

   Jason huffed in a poor semblance of irritation as he carried the kid home. As worried as he was about this turn of events, he couldn’t really stay MAD, not when the scent of please-love-me-please-stay filled his nose.

   And an omega, no less. Jason had already known the kid’s designation, but it was different when making a claim. Jason’s alpha instincts RUMBLED at the feeling of an omega pup to protect.

   He slipped into his apartment through the door, being absolutely sure to remain unobserved, and locked the door behind him. Then, reluctantly, he placed the dozing pup on the couch. The poor kid needed a nest, some food, and pack, and Jason’s instincts were SCREAMING at him to provide.

   Unfortunately, that also meant setting the pup down. Which. Jason had never imagined finding this hard to do.

   Tim didn’t like it, either, apparently, because he whined weakly when Jason began to leave.

   “Shhhhhhhh,” the older brother hushed, leaning closer to swipe his wrist over Tim’s cheek. “I’ll be right back, pup. Stay.”

   Drunk on submission haze, Tim obeyed, lying still. Jason hurried into his room, changed out of his patrol gear, and set about making a nest on his bed. He hadn’t slept for a few days, so it definitely needed fixing, and some recently-scented clothes for lining, of course. He himself never slept with anything extra, because he didn’t have a pack. HADN’T had one. But he had Tim now, and Tim needed his alpha’s scent, so a few hoodies went into the lining of the nest before Jason was satisfied.

   He went to get a bottle of water before returning to the couch. To his alarm, Tim was trying to sit up, visibly fighting the submission-haze. His earthy scent was soured with fear.

   Jason instantly hurried closer, rumbling a gentle alpha command in the back of his throat. Tim whined in response. Shit. Were those tears?

   The bewildered alpha sat on the couch, pulling the distressed omega close & pressing down on the bitten shoulder in a soothing sign of dominance. His scent radiated protect-safe-warm-submit, and after a long moment of breathless trepidation, Tim slouched, spiraling back down into full submission.

   Jason rumbled at him, pleased. It made the little omega smile. Jesus… When did I get so SOFT?

   The alpha held the water-bottle to Tim’s mouth, shaking off his tired thoughts to properly care for the kid. “Drink.”

   When Tim obeyed this command, Jason’s rumbling strengthened, and it caused the pup to go completely slack with a soft chirp. God, the kid was fucking ADORABLE. He was being so good, too, and it soothed Jason’s anxious instincts in a way that was unfamiliar to him. He felt… settled. Like his entire life up this point had been buzzing with the need to run, to fight, to move move move.

   Now there was only soft-warm-protect-keep-safe, and Jason… wasn’t tearful. He WASN’T.

   Jason gently helped the kid to stand, walking him to the bathroom, then leaving him there with some clean clothes & an order to change. When Tim came back out, now drowning in Jason’s PJs, the alpha abandoned all further restraint on his instincts.

   Tim purred weakly when he was scooped off of his feet, and Jason allowed himself to rumble as loudly as he could. He set his omega down in the middle of the nest, climbed in, and wrapped himself so tightly around the little pup that suffocation was a near thing.

   Jason knew he’d done the right thing when Tim pressed his nose against the alpha's scent-gland & purred with abandon.

   Jason, beyond pleased, scented his new omega pup with his wrists nonstop until the teen finally sank into sweet sleep.

Chapter Text

   Red Robin was a skilled vigilante with numerous skills honed to near-perfection.

   Unfortunately, that hadn’t been able to stop him from making a single slip-up… missing a single step in this stupidly easy drug-bust… and gotten shot. In the leg. So. He was very screwed.

   He barely registered being shot, though, before he was tackled to the floor. And it was THEN that he started to feel panic. He was wearing scent-blockers, as one always did when out fighting crime, but nothing in the world would be able to stop the submission when he was bitten, even if this was just a two-bit thug that he was SUPPOSED to be able to take out EASILY and---

   And…

   The man was gone, scrambling off of him in terror. The warehouse reverberated with a low menacing growl, and Red whined in submission, because that was his alpha, and he was ANGRY.

   Several gunshots went off, and Red Robin had barely managed to sit up before the fight was over. Red Hood was stalking towards him, fury in every line of his body. The younger vigilante tipped his head back with another whine, I’ll-be-good-sorry-Alpha taking over his instincts.

   Hood’s body-language instantly softened, and as he knelt, he rubbed off the scent-blocker on his right wrist. The instant overpowering scent of protect-pack-MINE-MINE-MINE filled the air, swirling around Red Robin in a heady mixture & chasing away the fear.

   Red Hood reached out, pulling Red Robin into his arms with a murmur of, “We gotta get you fixed up. You with me now, pup?”

   “Yeah,” Red sighed ruefully, self-deprecation washing through their pack bond before he could think about it. “I’m good.”

   Hood growled lowly as he sensed the pup’s emotion, and when Red tipped his head back in answer, he lightly scented the omega’s neck. A softer tone came out of the helmet. “Accidents happen in this line of work, pup. Do you understand? This was not your fault, and I’m not angry with you. You did a fantastic job of figuring out where we needed to drop tonight. I’ll take it from here.”

   Red Robin knew they were trivial reassurances, because he HAD messed up & that WAS a bad thing, but when Hood spoke that way, he didn’t have the will to argue. He settled on a quiet purr as he was gently picked up, and as Hood started back to their safehouse, he tried to purr back.

Chapter Text

   It had been a month since Tim’s last time at the manor, and he had been working steadily with the Red Hood in the meantime. The were cleaning up Crime Alley twice as fast now that there was an actual intellectual on the job, and when Tim wasn’t busy with that, he was gathering more information on Bruce’s case. (He’d need to leave the country to get actual work done on that front, and he didn’t know what his alpha would think about that.)

   Anyway, things were going great, which was why, after a HUGE fight with Poison Ivy, he was nervous. Because even though the Reds had handled her by themselves with minimal injury, they were covered in an unknown pollen, and they had no process set up for decontamination. That meant that they needed to get to the Cave. Fast.

   Tim barely had time to launch a proper protest before they got there. Jason didn’t want to go, either, but his alpha-like urge to protect his small pack was overriding his anger, so they rode FAST. It was all Tim could do to hold on.

   He was quickly ushered into the Cave, shivering. Then he was having his blood drawn by Jason, and Dick was there, and then Damian, and everyone was making so much noise…

   Then Tim was shoved into one of the decontamination chambers, and he moved through the process as carefully as he could.

   When Tim emerged in a clean change of clothes that smelled achingly like the Wayne pack, he was… alone. The Cave occupied two people. Neither were Jason.

   “Hey, Tim,” Dick said lightly, his nostrils flaring as he picked up Tim’s undeniable nervous-stay-away-don’t-hate-me scent, faint from the recent shower. He offered a small smile. “The contaminant was an old strain of cuddle-pollen, but it was nearly expired, so it shouldn’t throw you into heat. I’d take the antidote just in case.”

   Tim walked closer, uncomfortably aware of Damian’s eyes on his back as he took a vial of cuddle-pollen antidote from its storage unit. He administered it himself, on edge. He was still waiting, WAITING for the other shoe to drop, the WHY-DID-YOU-JOIN-ANOTHER-PACK rant to burst out of nowhere.

   It wasn’t coming, and the lengthening silence frayed his nerves.

   Dick finally sighed, standing. Tim whirled to face him, but Dick’s hands came up, peeling off his neck’s scent-blockers that were still there from patrol. A strained but gentle Alpha smell of anxious-safe-worried wafted over the air, and Tim almost whimpered. He didn’t WANT to smell it. Smelling it only reminded him of the days of safety, of curling up in his older brother’s warm arms after patrol or a nightmare; of pack cuddles with Bruce.

   “I missed you,” Dick murmured gently, moving closer with his arms out. A hug, Tim belatedly realized; Dick was offering a hug.

   The omega edged away, unsure, and the smaller alpha was suddenly at his back with a fierce glare. “Grayson only wishes to make certain you are well, Drake. There is no need for such open hostility.”

   And wasn’t that rich coming from the little assassin? But before Tim could think of a good answer, an overpowering scent of protect-keep-safe-stay-away-MINE filled the air, and a nervous whimper escaped him instead.

   Dick’s eyes snapped to Jason, who was stalking from the showers in his old PJs, and gave a nervous smile. “Oh, hi, Jason. You guys got hit with expired cuddle-pollen, so you’d better take---”

   Jason growled forcefully as he stalked closer, and Tim’s nervousness spiked into full fear as he realized that he was surrounded by not-pack & cut off from his alpha. He tilted his head back with a desperate chirp. Jason’s furious gaze leveled on Damian, who was standing directly between them.

   “Shit,” Dick breathed out, holding his hands up. “Damian, I want you to freeze. Don’t make eye-contact with them. DON’T.”

   Tim tried to stop chirping, and after a huge effort, succeeded. He pressed his back against the wall, watching with a racing pulse. A tense mix of smells filled the Cave, most of them unpleasantly nervous or irritated, but his alpha’s angry scent was the most pungent, and it tugged at his instincts.

   Damian looked down at the floor, freezing as Dick had instructed, and Jason stopped about fifteen feet away, every muscle thrumming with tension.

   “Alpha,” Tim managed to whisper, shockingly loud in the silence. “Don’t. He’s… he’s just a pup.”

   Jason’s snarl lightened, but did not disappear, and he kept his glowing green eyes firmly on Damian’s stiff frame.

   “Damian,” Dick murmured quietly, purposefully removing all alpha tones from his voice. He even tried to chuff, which was an omega sound, but points for effort. “Walk to me. Slowly. Do not turn your back.”

   Damian slowly did as instructed, edging out of the line between the Red pack. He was almost to Dick’s side when he made the mistake of throwing Jason a glare.

   Jason lunged forward, snarling, and Dick shoved Damian away as he, too, leaped forward. The alphas crashed into each other in a snarling mess of flashing teeth & scrabbling nails, and intense smells of PROTECT-MINE-PROTECT washed from both.

   Tim fell to his knees, horrified by the potential bloodshed, and keened as loudly as he could; a call for his pack to be with him RIGHT NOW. Surprisingly, Damian did the same from the opposite side of the fight, and as the sounds echoed off of the vaulted ceiling, both alphas froze, overwhelmed by instinct. It only took one more second for them to scramble apart, each dropping to their pup’s side.

   Tim threw himself into Jason’s arms, trembling, and shoved his nose against his brother’s collarbone. Pungent PROTECT-MINE-SAFE-ANGER filled his nostrils, and he almost gagged, sneezing. Jason rumbled an apology, softening his scent to mine-mine-mine-safe-loved-mine as he wrapped his strong arms around Tim’s trembling frame.

   Tim pressed closer, hiding his face in Jason’s warm shoulder, and meekly submitted to the possessive scenting his alpha had started. It didn’t take long, but once he was done rubbing Tim with his wrists & cheek, the young omega was covered in a thick protective layer of strong alpha scent. No other alpha would dare go near him now.

   “I’m sorry,” he whispered, pressing his cold nose against Jason’s neck. He sighed as the last of the tension left his body. “I didn’t mean to… I… that was stupid.” A thrill of fear crossed their bond; he really shouldn’t be saying something like this to his alpha. But he was their Pack Omega, not just a pup, so he pressed stubbornly on. “You guys just wanna protect your pups. You shouldn’t fight.”

   “Maybe,” Jason admitted quietly, which was as good as a full-fledged apology in Tim’s book. His arms tightened, and Tim went obediently limp, clutching gentle handfuls of Jason’s t-shirt.

   “I’m sorry,” Dick sighed from across the Cave. Tim cracked one eye open to check. Damian had allowed Dick to hold him on his hip, though the pup looked less than happy about it. “Why don’t we start over? Alfred has hot-chocolate ready upstairs, and there might be some leftover cookies. I just wanted to make sure you two were okay.”

   Jason growled grouchily, running his fingers through Tim’s hair. When it elicited a stuttering purr from his omega, the alpha did it again, pleasure permeating his protective scent. He loved making his pup feel safe, and Tim, knowing this, purred as loudly as he could. Anything to soothe his worried alpha.

   Damian wrinkled his nose at the displays of affection, but Dick gave them a soft smile. “Alpha.”

   Jason finally looked up, his irritation mellowed by Tim’s content purr. “What?”

   “Please come eat with us,” Dick said softly, tilting his neck back in a symbol of deference to the stronger alpha. “We will not touch you or your pup without permission; I promise.”

   Jason considered for a long moment, fingers still absently stroking through Tim’s shaggy hair. The teen paused his purring to nudge his alpha’s jawbone, murmuring, “It’s cold outside, and our stuff is still decontaminating.”

   At the promise of warm food, warm drink, and a warm place for his omega to sleep, Jason finally relented. He stood up, Tim still in his arms. The teen struggled, and when Jason’s grip loosened, Tim swung around to his alpha’s back, clinging like a monkey. Jason shifted easily to the new position, clasping Tim’s knees to keep him up. Tim chirped at him once more, a bit embarrassed that the others were still listening, but more concerned with the emotional health of his small pack. His alpha relaxed in response, instincts soothed by Tim’s expert pup noises.

   Dick gave them another hesitant smile before walking with Damian up the stairs. Tim pressed his cheek to Jason’s broad shoulder as they followed, closing his eyes. That had been a close call. Still… they were okay. All of them.

   He wondered if Bruce would be proud.

Chapter Text

   Bruce hadn’t been back home for one week before realizing that something big had changed.

   A lot had changed, of course. Everyone was a little heavier, a little darker, a little sadder than when he’d left. Damian got along wonderfully with Dick now, having been thoroughly claimed as his pup, and Dick had moved back home. Bruce did not begrudge them their new pack dynamic, not when it was so clear that Damian saw Dick as a father now. Bruce only re-forged his previously-broken bonds, claiming them both as their Pack Alpha once more.

   But this detail felt… bigger. Something started to feel off when he was allowed to re-forge his pack bonds with Dick & Damian, but was avoided by the other two. Jason’s behavior was par for the course, really; the unstable alpha hadn’t let anyone anywhere near his neck since returning from the grave. Tim, though, HAD been a part of Bruce’s pack. Why was he skirting the family like they were his worst nightmare?

   Tim didn’t live at the manor anymore, either. Bruce tried to respect that, but the longer he went without investigating, the more alarmed he grew at the fracture-line between a whole half of his family.

   When Bruce finally confronted Dick, it had been like herding cats to get the full story. When he DID get it, the Pack Alpha was furious. Dick had said Tim was crazy? He had bitten their Pack Omega, still a PUP, then let him flee the manor on his own? Dick had all but chased Tim away from their family?

   “It’s not like I can do anything about it, Bruce,” Dick had defended. “I tried, but he’s Jason’s now.”

   … what.

   Bruce, quelling his possessive territorial instincts, forced himself to patiently watch. Tim never came over without Jason, and while it hadn’t seemed important at first, Bruce saw new details once he knew what to look for. He noted how they both wore scent-blockers, mistrustful of the rest of the family. He noticed the silent looks they exchanged to communicate, and the quiet rumbles Jason made whenever Tim was a tad too jittery. The answering purrs had been almost too quiet to notice, but it was there.

   Tim was Jason’s pup now, and Bruce couldn’t have been more surprised. But surely this didn’t change anything. He would just have to win their trust back before re-integrating them into the pack.

   Bruce found out how wrong he was about three weeks after his return. The manor had been pretty empty for the day, so when he suddenly caught the honey-sweet smell of an omega in heat, he was taken aback. His protective instincts surged to the front of his thoughts, and he followed the scent to the main library.

   Tim tensed when Bruce entered, his nostrils flaring as the protective alpha scent wafted into the room. He kept his eyes on his writing, muttering, “Bruce.”

   “Tim,” Bruce murmured quietly, stepping further in. “Why are you up? You should be resting.”

   Though it was a normal statement to make to an in-heat omega, Tim threw Bruce a halfhearted glare. “I’m fine.”

   “Where’s Jason?” Bruce asked carefully, not sure where it was safe to tread in this situation. His instincts were screaming at him to provide, and while he knew how to reign himself in, he shouldn’t HAVE to. This had been HIS pup not too long ago.

   Tim turned back to his work, wincing. “He’s out with Alfred. He… didn’t know. He’ll be back soon.”

   “Of course he will,” Bruce rumbled quietly. “In the meantime, you should be resting, pup.”

   Tim’s jaw tightened, but his tone stayed polite. “I’m waiting for Jason, Bruce, but thank you.”

   Bruce rumbled again, displeased. This boy had always been stubborn when it came to self-care, and it seemed now was no different.

   Damian popped his head in, frowning. He looked annoyed, but his scent was spiked with worry-find-protect. The pup was still so young, but his alpha instincts were strong, and Tim was the only omega in a house full of protective alphas. His scent carried easily today, burning right through his cheap scent-blockers.

   “Hey,” Dick called out, entering the door right after Damian. He stared at Tim with undisguised worry that mirrored his scent. “Why are you not resting, pup?”

   Tim clenched his fists, his instincts no doubt overwhelmed by all of the alphas in the room. “I…”

   An aggressive growl suddenly came from the hallway outside. Shit.

   Tim whimpered as the new PROTECT-PACK-MINE-MINE-MINE poured into the room, and he tilted his head back in submission. When Bruce turned towards the door, he found himself staring down a pair of furious glowing green eyes.

   Though his alpha instincts roared to defend, Bruce forced himself to take several steps out of Jason’s way. Dick did the same, drawing Damian behind him. When the way was clear, Jason lost no time in rushing to his pup’s side, falling to his knees to cup Tim’s face with gentle hands.

   Tim stuttered another whine, trying to rub his face against Jason’s wrist.

   “I know, pup,” Jason crooned softly, swiping his wrists down Tim’s neck, then into his hair. “Shhhhhhh. I know. Let’s get you into a nest, huh?”

   “Sorry, Alpha,” Tim whispered tightly, burying his face in Jason’s t-shirt. “I didn’t mean… I just… I wanted PACK.”

   Jason gently gathered his pup into his arms, hefting the lanky teen as if he weighed nothing. “Don’t you worry, pup. I’m here now; you’re safe.”

************

   Tim melted when he heard those words. He was already relaxing now that that he could smell his alpha again.

   “Hey,” Dick’s hesitant voice ventured. “Do you want---”

   Jason growled low in his throat, but Tim chirped weakly to calm him, nuzzling his shoulder. Jason’s hackles seemed to lower, and he rubbed his cheek against Tim’s hair, placing one hand on the nape of the omega’s neck. When Tim made no movement to protest, Jason gently scruffed him.

   Tim went limp, a satisfied purr starting in his chest, and Jason rumbled with pleasure in return.

   Distantly, they were moving. By the time Tim was set into a bed, his vision had grown hazy. He normally fought to keep his wits when he was in heat, but with his alpha near, everything had suddenly become much simpler. Jason’s overprotective scent and reassuring embrace and authoritative rumbles made Tim feel SAFE, and his omega instincts took over easily.

   When Jason pulled away, Tim keened mournfully, reaching blindly after him.

   Jason immediately hushed him, moving back towards the bed. In his haste to return, he tripped, barely catching himself above Tim before crashing. He looked HUGE from this angle. Tim felt a momentary thrill of fear before his instincts reminded him that ALPHA meant SAFE, and another purr made its way out of his chest.

   Jason stared down at his omega, confused. Then something clicked in his expression, and he carefully loomed closer, purposefully making himself look big. (Big-ER.) It should have been threatening, and if it were anyone else, Tim WOULD be threatened. Instead, all he felt was protected, and his purring intensified.

   Jason broke into an incredulous grin. “You’re not afraid of me?”

   Tim only tugged at Jason’s shirt, impatient. He wanted his alpha to help him nest.

   Jason rumbled lowly as he bent closer, nosing Tim’s bangs. “I’ll be right back, pup. I’m just asking Alfred to get you some nesting things, alright?”

   Tim whined in annoyance, but it wasn’t hard for the alpha to pull away from his grip. And then Tim was suddenly alone, and fear soured his scent. He was vulnerable and he was scared and his alpha was leaving him just like everyone else always---

   A low growl re-entered the room a minute later, and Tim’s fearful scent was dulled by Jason’s PROTECT-SOOTHE-MINE-PROTECT. Tim had barely reached out before Jason was looming over him once more, making himself look as big as possible.

   Tim instantly relaxed, and his scent began to mellow back into sweet honey as he tilted his head with a submissive puppy chirp.

   Jason rumbled happily, carefully crawling into the nest to pin Tim in a crushing hug. The omega went boneless under the weight, content flooding his scent, and Jason’s rumbling strengthened. He rolled onto his side, tugging Tim close & beginning to firmly scent him.

   By the time Jason was done, the safe-protect-mine-stay-away smell was FLOODING the room, and Tim, thoroughly covered, was purring as loudly as his vocal-chords could manage. He smelled Alfred coming in, but the fact barely registered through the haze of heat & alpha-induced safety floating around him like a cloud. He felt extra blankets being tucked around them, creating a firmer barrier against the outside world. It was a lovely feeling. Tim hadn’t properly nested in years.

   The tired pup only moved when Jason made him drink some water, then hurriedly returned to the warm little center of his nest, shoving his nose against the scent-gland on Jason’s collarbone.

   The alpha rumbled, beyond pleased as he curled around his purring omega & kissed his hair. “You rest now, pup. I’ve got you.”

   Tim did just that.

Chapter Text

   Jason didn’t always get by with scraped knuckles and recently-cleaned guns and sore knees. Most days were fine. A lot were great. But some days were just…

   bad.

   Tim realized that today was one of those days when he emerged from training in the Batcave at midnight. Sure, it was late, and most of the Bats were out on patrol, but Dick & Jason should still be in the manor, so… why couldn’t Tim smell them?

   The omega poked his head into the kitchen, trying to regulate his anxious scent. “Alfred?”

   The beta looked up with a gentle smile. “Burning the midnight oil, Master Tim?”

   “Yeah, I, um.” Tim glance down at his bare feet, clearing his throat. “Where’s Jason?”

   “Hm.” The butler pursed his lips in thought. “I believe Master Dick went looking for him just a little while ago. Perhaps you should check the training-rooms?”

   Tim muttered a thanks before hurrying off, sniffing at every door he passed. It wasn’t like either of them to disappear like this; not at the manor.

   Tim balked when he passed one of the back parlors. The doors were shut, but an acidic scent seeped from between the cracks into the hallway.

   Pit.

   Tim carefully toed the door open, gagging as the scents hit his nose. Stop-help-stay-away-hurt-pain-rage-panic-KILL was flooding the room, and Tim wondered distantly why the whole manor wasn’t permeated.

   Dick was standing near the door, his grip white-knuckled on the back of a sofa, and he didn’t even flinch when Tim crept in. His steady gaze stayed across the room on Jason’s rigid frame. Both of the alphas were silent, their RAGE-PANIC-KILL and calm-home-stand-down-SAFE scents warring in the air.

   Tim pinched his nose for a moment, breathing deeply. Now was NOT the time to be overwhelmed. Jason’s fists were clenched, and he was staring at Dick with every murderous intention in his glowing green eyes.

   Those same fists were trembling. Jason was scared.

   Tim released his nose, tilting his head up to release a gentle warble. Jason twitched heavily, his eyes darting away from Dick towards Tim then back again, a snarl curving down his face. Dick obediently moved away from the omega, rumbling soothingly.

   Tim slowly crept forward, chirping. He was careful not to keen. Any remotely mournful noise would probably send Jason into fight-mode on Tim’s behalf, and no one needed that.

   Jason didn’t seem to hear his pup at first. Then his legs slowly began to give out. He sat heavily on the edge of a couch, squeezing his eyes shut & covering his ears.

   Stung, but determined, Tim focused on his scent, projecting calm-safe-secure-loved-loved-loved into the room. Jason’s breath caught when he smelled it. Alphas were powerful, but omegas were second to none in their ability to make their pack feel safe. Not protected-safe… warm-safe. HOME-safe.

   Tim rested one hand on Jason’s knee, crouching. He regulated his breathing, keeping himself calm. He’d done this once or twice before. Jason just needed a tailored atmosphere to draw him away from the green.

   Fortunately, that atmosphere was one Tim could provide.

   Dick, thankfully, stepped to the edge of the room, dampening his scent. Tim continued projecting secure-calm-loved while his alpha’s heartbeat slowed.

   Jason looked up ten minutes later with teal-green eyes, shaken, but present. Tim leaned closer with a poor Pack Omega chuff, one that wouldn’t mature until he was well past his teens, and brushed his cheek across Jason’s. Gentle-safe-loved covered some of the help-sorry-guilt, and Jason shuddered. The immediate danger was past.

   Tim climbed up onto the couch, allowing Jason to pull him close. The alpha weakly scented Tim’s hair & neck before going still, burying his nose in the omega’s soft black hair.

   Tim moved carefully, scenting Jason with his wrists until the sour scents of the room were replaced by a gentle warmth resembling a nest. Even Dick’s eyelids lowered, likewise soothed by the young omega’s calming ministrations.

   Tim nuzzled his alpha’s collarbone scent-glands until the bad smells were completely covered, then pressed his chest flush against Jason’s, going still. His happy purr vibrated through his whole body, and because of their proximity, through Jason as well. The alpha drew a deep sigh, finally relaxing into the couch. One arm locked around Tim’s waist. The other buried in his hair. And Jason settled.

   Yeah. Tim was BORN for this.

Chapter Text

   “Remember the morning after?” Jason suddenly questioned.

   Tim looked up from his sketchbook, blinking. Jason was tucked into the other end of the window-seat, and he’d been scribbling nonsense into his notebook instead of sketching. Now he was just staring absently at the pouring rain outside.

   “Uh,” Tim said eloquently, trying to get on the same train of thought. He shuffled his feet under their blanket, making sure they were covered from the drafty air. “I…”

   Jason glanced over with a blink, then a guilty smile. “After the pack bond, I mean. Ours. I was just thinking.” His gaze grew a little distant, and he grinned. “You looked like a skunk had gone several rounds with a pillow an’ lost.”

   “Seriously?” Tim squeaked out, trying in vain to sound indignant. “Out of EVERYTHING ELSE that happened that morning, THAT’S what you remember?”

   Jason shrugged with unabashed amusement. “It was funny.”

   “You actually thought that? You took the time to think, “Wow, I am so lucky to have found this kid, and by the way his hair looks like a sleep-deprived skunk”? What the hell, Jay?”

   Jason leaned over, swiping his wrist fondly over Tim’s knee. Probably to hide his silent laughter. “Yup.”

   Tim scowled fiercely, pulling his knees closer to his chest. It was a futile effort; his happy-content-loved scent would give him away. “You are THE worst.”

   Jason just grinned. He was confident NOW, but back then, he had been the epitome of awkwardness. Tim remembered it so well…

************

   It was raining. That was the first thing Tim’s brain noticed. It was raining outside, which meant Tim was INSIDE, which meant he had probably found a place to stay for the night verses wandering through Gotham in the downpour.

   Wait…

   WAIT.

   Tim’s next reaction was to bolt out of bed, but something slowed the commands from his brain to his limbs, and all he could do was shift like a sleepy sloth. He was surrounded by warm blankets and covered with pack scent and he felt so RESTED. None of this was normal. It was so not-normal that Tim, even while unable to move, silently panicked. His sour smell ruined the lovely safe-protect-mine scent covering the nest, and he felt ashamed, but he couldn’t think of why.

   And then he remembered Jason.

   Okay… stop. First things first. Tim could barely move, which meant he was still suffering from submission-hangover, which meant he was vulnerable. Second, he was in what smelled like Jason’s home apartment, alone, but only for the moment. Third, no one else knew where he was; he hadn’t taken his phone or anything with him when he’d run away from the manor, like a stupid kid with no plan.

   Well, okay, he HADN’T had a plan; he’d just wanted to get away from---

   And Tim suddenly realized, belatedly, that there was a single unbroken bond in his head. Dick’s had slowly been frayed over time, almost non-existent now; Bruce’s was a disconnected stump, alive but too far to reach, and Damian’s had never existed in the first place. Alfred’s was there, but faint; barely a thread, really.

   THIS bond was new. It was firm and solid and fraught with anxiety from both ends, but it was real, and it was incredibly strong; stronger than any bond Tim had had in… a very long time. It reminded him of his old friends; of Cassie and Kon and Steph.

   Tim muffled a hitched breath in a blanket, struggling to pull himself together. Now was the time to assess his chances of survival, not break down.

   The bond didn’t go away after Tim stopped paying attention to it, so yeah, it was definitely real. Both ends were closed off from emotion, but the strength of the bond itself was startlingly fierce. Tim wondered if he’d even have the strength to break it. Then he recoiled, dismayed. He wasn’t going to BREAK another PACK BOND; not after all the others he’d lost. He wouldn’t survive that. He couldn’t. He didn’t care if he was bonded to Deathstroke himself; unless Tim’s very life was in danger, he would take whatever he could possibly get.

   Actually, Deathstroke WOULD probably put Tim’s life in danger, so… there was that.

   Groaning, he tried to roll out of bed again, mildly succeeding this time. This was Jason’s apartment, he was sure of it. Which had to mean he was bonded to Jason. Which… Tim didn’t know what that meant. Did Jason want to torture him again? It had been a long time since the Tower Incident, but maybe he’d gone crazy for a night. Jason was an alpha. Maybe he was just in rut, and Tim, a kid in need of a pack, had been an unlikely victim of a pack claim.

   Slowly, stumbling a little because of the stupid hangover, Tim got to the door. He noticed he was in Jason’s clothes. He WANTED the thought to disgust him. It only made him feel safe.

   The alpha was in the kitchen; Tim could smell eggs and waffles and faint nervousness. His stomach growled, but he ignored that in favor of investigation.

   Jason looked up when Tim entered the room, his scent spiking with anxiety. “Tim… you’re awake.”

   Tim stared dumbly at Jason’s soft clothes, mild bed-head, and flour-dusted hands before meeting the alpha’s eyes. This… was weird. He’d been expecting… what? Not THIS. Not a soft worried gaze and made-from-scratch waffles and one sock on Jason’s foot, and who wore just one sock? This… was not what Tim had prepared for. Now he didn’t know WHAT to do.

   Jason closed the waffle-iron on more batter, then wiped his hands off on a damp towel, nodding at the kitchen island. “If you want, you can… Please, sit down. If you want.”

   Tim burned with awkwardness, but it was better than terror, even mixed with confusion. So he sat.

   Jason busied himself with the eggs, his back turned, which… That was weird, too. You never turned your back on someone you didn’t trust. Is he pretending? Lulling me into a false sense of security makes perfect sense. Or does he actually trust me?

   Jason cleared his throat. Paused. Cleared it again. Glanced at Tim. Looked back at the eggs. “I… uh… hope you slept okay.”

   Tim slow-blinked, remembering that he had shared a bed with JASON, and shouldn’t he be more concerned about that? The thought registered in his brain as contentment, and he REALLY didn’t know what to think about that, so he chose to not think at all. “Yeah. I did.”

   “Good.” Jason flipped some eggs over, fussing with the food a bit more than necessary. Then he whirled on Tim so fast that the omega actually startled, and dread overcame his scent. He was trapped in an unfamiliar apartment with a very large normally-unstable alpha, and he had no weapons, let alone good reflexes. He was still under mild submission. Jason could do anything he wanted; Tim wouldn’t be able to stop him.

   Strangely, the alarm faded away a little as Jason’s anxious scent strengthened.

   “I’m…” The alpha took a deep breath. Unclenched his fists. Clenched them again. His teal eyes stared straight into Tim’s, regret and uncertainty and defiance all at once. “I’m sorry for doing that. I know you asked for it, but you were… under the influence, really, and I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have taken advantage of that. And I’m really sorry.”

   Tim slow-blinked again, looking down at the counter before back at Jason. “I’m… I did? Ask?” He wracked his brain. Dick’s submission-bite… Running into the depths of Gotham… Getting to a roof… Smelling protective alpha… Loneliness. Intense, desperate, panicking LONELINESS.

   Tim shuddered with the semblance of a whine. Jason automatically stepped forward, then stopped himself. Both of them froze in awkward surprise.

   Jason cleared his throat as he stepped back, even though his vulnerable scent screamed protect-soothe-mine. “I, uh, yeah. You… did. But you were…”

   “Lonely,” Tim murmured quietly, looking down at his hands clasped in his lap. He swiveled on the chair a little, embarrassed, but soothed. Jason’s smell was honest, and you couldn’t fake that. “I was really… AM really…” He choked for a moment. Took a deep breath. Started up again. “I’ve kinda been alone for… a long time. I don’t remember asking, but I meant it. I needed it.”

   Jason released an awkward chuckle, turning around to rescue a burning waffle from the iron. “You WERE pretty out of it. Still kind of are. I don’t blame you for not remembering much.”

   Tim looked up, feeling strange. “Did you just… last night? You were there, right? I remember…” He felt himself flush. “Oh God, I was purring. I was PURRING.”

   Jason flashed a raised eyebrow. “So? Don’t all omegas?”

   “YES, but I…” Tim buried his face in his hands, groaning. “I never DO it!!!”

   “… why?”

   “BECAUSE, it’s just… It’s CHILDISH!!!” Tim looked up desperately. “I’m not a baby!!!”

   “Whoa,” Jason held his hands up, surprised. “I never thought you were. And it’s not, Timbo. It’s a healthy response to happiness or contentment; it helps amplify the feeling. It’s got lots of physical benefits, too, like… It calms your pack down. It calms YOU down. It helps you feel better when you’re sick or injured. It helps you sleep. Purrs do a TON of good stuff; they’re not childish.”

   Tim wrapped his arms around his stomach in the semblance of protection, raising one skeptical eyebrow. “How do you know all that?”

   Jason slow-blinked. “I used to do research on all this when Bruce took me off the streets. I’d grown up thinking omegas were just a lower caste in society, but I… I knew that thinking was just the result of where I’d been born, and… I wanted to learn more. Turns out omegas are BAD-ASS pack members, especially with younger pups around. Their brains are specifically wired for community; pack bonding an’ shit. I always wished we’d had one in the Wayne pack.”

   Tim winced a little, eyes on the floor. “Why are you telling me all this?”

   “Uh… I’m… I dunno.” Jason turned away again, serving up two plates of food. “I talk a lot when I’m trying to be comforting, ‘cause I suck at this crap. Eggs?”

   Tim blinked up again, confused. “You… COMFORTING?”

   Jason threw a guilty look over his shoulder. “Sorry. Probably shouldn’t be doing that, either.”

   “Wait.” Tim’s brain struggled to keep up with this new information. “You want me to know that you respect me.”

   Jason leveled THE most incredulous expression he could muster. “What gave it away?”

   “Jay,” Tim muttered desperately. “Why would you--- You shouldn’t respect ME. I begged you to claim me!!! Now you’re stuck with… I mean, I can break---” He choked a bit, looking to the floor. Breathe. Nothing’s even HAPPENED to you yet. It’s no big deal. Breathe.

   “Tim,” Jason said slowly, incredulous. “I bit you because we both wanted me to. Yeah, maybe you would have made a different choice in a different state of mind, but… I needed it, and you’d asked, and…”

   Tim took a surprised breath. “YOU needed…?”

   Jason slid over a plate of waffles with fruit on top, his scent mellowing into nervous-fond-mine. “Alphas need pack, too, buddy.”

   Tim looked up, deadpan. “Let me get this straight. You MADE that choice. It wasn’t just… instinct.”

   “I mean, instinct sure helped.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish. “But, yeah, I did. And I’m really sorry.”

   “Don’t be sorry,” Tim mumbled hesitantly, poking at his food as a warm feeling bloomed in his chest. “I asked for it. And THAT wasn’t just instinct… either.”

   Jason moved around to the other side of the island, carefully sitting next to Tim when the omega didn’t show fear. “Yeah… I figured. I just… didn’t want to assume.”

   Armed with the new knowledge that Jason DID want Tim here, even just a little bit, the omega suddenly felt very drained. He took a few bites of the food before throwing Jason a hesitant smile. It was delicious.

   The alpha grunted, turning his attention to his own plate. And everything was quiet for a little while besides the rain.

   Tim ate half of his food before slouching in exhaustion, bracing his elbows against the counter. Man, these emotional conversations took a lot out of you. He could understand why the rest of the family avoided them like the plague.

   A gentle hand entered Tim’s vision, hesitant. Tim slowly tipped his head to the side, exposing his neck in response. Part of him screamed DANGER, but part of him hoped.

   Jason slowly leaned, entering Tim’s personal space with a soft rumble. Tim slouched into his chair, muscles still responding in his submission-hangover. It normally made him scared to submit, but now he just felt… nervous. Because what if I’m not good enough?

   Jason hovered over Tim’s neck, sniffing to catch more of the omega’s please-love-me-nervous-I’ll-be-good scent. He rumbled again, touching his teeth lightly to Tim’s neck to accept the submission. It was a more traditional gesture, but an effective one. He accepted Tim, WANTED Tim, in his pack.

   The omega chirped happily, his nervousness dissolving as the alpha gathered him into a hug and squeezed him close and fiercely scented his spine and head and neck. Had Jason been holding himself back this whole time? The love-protect-soothe-mine-mine-MINE was quickly flooding the room, and Tim absolutely melted in Jason’s arms, a weak purr stuttering to life in his chest.

   Jason squeezed tighter, a wave of content happiness flooding through their now-open bond. Tim blinked hazily as his mind was flooded with affection. His gaze blurred with stupid tears. He hadn’t felt this much love in… well, since last night, apparently, but before… And now it was so much; too much for him to even process. He didn’t know what to DO.

   Thankfully, he didn’t have to. Jason slowly rose, picking him up as if he weighed nothing, and Tim wrapped his legs around his new alpha’s waist and hid his face and held on tight. He felt like he was in free-fall, tumbling through uncertain open space with no knowledge of where the ground was or if he would have time to learn to fly.

   Jason rumbled possessively, sitting them down on the couch. He was warm and real and STRONG under Tim’s slight weight, and Tim wondered how an alpha, of all designations, could bring this much comfort just by being close.

   “You sure ‘bout this?” he mumbled sleepily, tucking his face against Jason’s scent-gland with a contented sigh.

   “Yeah.” Jason wrapped his arms tighter, cradling his new pup in a secure embrace. “I’m beyond sure.”

   Tim allowed his purr to rumble through his chest, and Jason relaxed, humming contentedly at the sound. Oh… oh yeah. Tim could do this one more time. Pack. Bonding. Healthy family love.

   Tim could let himself fall.

************

   The rain was slowly turning to sleet, Tim realized. They’d be stuck at the manor for a few more days. The prospect wasn’t so bad when you really thought about it. Alfred’s cookies would surely make an appearance, and NO one could resist those.

   Tim looked over at Jason again, cocking his head. “I was really nervous that morning.”

   “Hn.” Jason scribbled the end of a sentence with an unhappy flourish before meeting Tim’s eyes. “I know. I’m sorry.”

   “I wasn’t nervous of YOU. Much.” Tim absently picked at a corner of his blanket, lost in thought. “I was scared I wouldn’t be wanted.”

   Jason’s eyes grew sad. Dammit Tim. “Just because some people don’t see your value doesn’t mean you’re any less valuable. That… It’s really cheesy, but you know what I mean. Crap. No, don’t laugh at me, you--- I’m trying to CHEER YOU UP; why is this so hard?”

   “I don’t need it, Jason,” Tim huffed humorously, shifting across the seat to sprawl against his brother’s chest. “I know you love me.”

   “Good,” Jason muttered gruffly, rubbing Tim’s scruff in a firm circling motion. It triggered light submission, and the omega sighed contentedly, melting against his alpha with a cozy purr.

   Jason’s eyelids instantly shuttered, and he rested his cheek heavily in Tim’s hair. “I don’t deserve pack like you.”

   “Funny,” Tim muttered sleepily. “I was gonna say the same thing.”

Chapter Text

   Okay, so this was a big deal.

   An alien invasion was kinda par for the course, and usually the Justice League handled things just fine. But an invasion that required all the big-shots AND their proteges? That was a bit big.

   No one questioned it when Batman showed up to the party with about a dozen kids. There WERE a lot of side-glances, though, and Jason was pretty sure he saw some money change hands between the Flash & Arrow teams.

   Whatever. It’s not like Jason was here on orders. He was here because there were a lot of lives at stake, and he had a job to do. (A job that became mine… when exactly?)

   Tim followed in Jay’s footsteps, a constant shadow of a companion with two extra tricks up his sleeve when all other options had run dry. Jason was grateful they weren’t enemies anymore. He’d known the kid was clever, but he hadn’t known exactly HOW clever until Tim wired one of the motherships to explode without anyone else’s knowledge.

   Jason almost purred looking back on it. Everyone else had been shocked. Jason had just been pleased. His omega was so smart. Jason was strong. They made a perfect team.

   Oddly, it was during the victory battle that something went wrong. Well, lots of things had gone wrong before then, but not jarringly so. They were superheroes. They adapted to the unexpected. They moved on. Everyone was doing their parts perfectly, and the alien invaders were on the run.

   Jason hadn’t meant to get shot. He HADN’T. He was so sure he was in the clear for the next charge, but then the breath was knocked out of him. A searing pain lanced up his side, and Jason had been through a lot of shit, but THIS… This HURT.

   He was on his side. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t BREATHE.

   “Shit!!!” someone shouted, and a red blur zoomed past Jason’s vision. “We need an evac over here!!!”

   “We’ve got it!!! No, it’s handled; get him out of here!!!”

   A dark-blue blur entered Jason’s vision, and he whimpered, his mind suddenly overridden with pure TERROR. The smell burned right through his four-days-old scent-blockers. It didn’t matter that he was bleeding. He couldn’t breathe and he smelled the strongest alpha in the League and he was SCARED.

   A red blur suddenly appeared, blocking Jason’s view of the dark-blue, and a snarl reverberated through the air.

   Jason’s vision sharpened, instincts automatically honing in. Tim?!

   The battle was still raging somewhere up ahead, but right here, everything fell silent. Jason could sense at least six people close, maybe more. That was Superman. And that was Red Robin. Between Hood & Superman. SNARLING.

   “He’s injured,” Superman rumbled insistently. “I need to get him to a hospital.”

   “You’re SCARING him,” Tim bit back, his words hissing with more vehemence than Jason had ever heard him use.

   “Red, I understand you’re---”

   “You understand NOTHING!!!”

   “Kid,” Arrow’s voice put in, worried. “Let us help.”

   Jason whimpered softly, his terrified smell automatically mixing with don’t-touch-me-don’t-touch-me-don’t-TOUCH-me.

   Superman tried to step around Red Robin. The small vigilante snarled again, stepping right up into Superman’s personal space. Was that a kryptonite-laced birdarang in his hand?! “Not. Another. STEP.”

   Superman’s strong scent tinged with trepidation. When he spoke, the air thrummed with intense alpha command. “STAND DOWN.”

   Jason automatically tilted his head, panicked. He’d never felt the pull to submit this strongly, and he wanted it to stop. He saw the other nearby heroes respond as well, each getting on one knee.

   But Tim. Stayed. Standing.

   Jason almost gagged when he smelled the air again. Everyone else’s scent was being dominated by PROTECT-PACK-KILL-FERAL-MINE, and holy SHIT… Was Tim seriously going feral right now?!

   Superman took a single step back. No one in their right minds messed with a feral Pack Omega. NO ONE. The commanding alpha scent, the strongest in the League, was washed with respect-regret-retreat, and Jason almost sighed with relief.

   The confrontation was over. Red Robin had won.

   A gentle hand removed his helmet. Someone was speaking, but Jason couldn’t hear them. He made an intense effort to focus, blinking. That was Tim. He was gently cradling Jason’s head, silent, and anger rolled from his scent in WAVES.

   “Tim,” Jason murmured, fear pulsing through him. He could feel blood spilling from his side. He was dying. He was so scared of being touched, but he needed help. He needed to give in.

   Tim snapped his head up, snarling at someone who had dared to step closer. Jason could see tiny sharp fangs that had never appeared before, and the smell swirling in the air was overwhelmingly protective. There was no reasoning with Red Robin; not now.

   Hood knew what he had to do.

   “Tim,” Jason rasped out, getting his omega’s attention. He tilted his neck, seemingly begging to be scented. Tim made a poor chuff, leaning close, and Jason closed his eyes. He would allow this for just one moment. (He was scared.)

   The moment passed, and Jason weakly nudged Tim’s head. The omega tilted, willingly exposing his neck. He trusts me. Dammit.

   Remorseful for abusing that trust, Jason tugged Tim closer, and instead of scenting, bit down on Tim’s exposed skin. Hard. The omega jerked with a dismayed whine before going limp as submission took hold.

   Superman stepped closer, and Jay hugged Tim tightly, squeezing his eyes shut. He braced for having his precious puppy pulled from his grasp. What happened instead was strong arms under his body. Scooping him up. Holding him close. Wind rushed distantly.

   Jason cracked an eye open. They were flying. Tim was still in his arms.

   He closed his eyes against another wave of pain & finally gave in to the blessed darkness.

************

   Jason was falling. He was falling, drifting, tumbling through fog, and he knew that it was medication pumping through his veins, but it felt so real.

   And then he tumbled to a stop. He was in a soft bed. There was slight weight on his left side, grounding him. Gentle fingers tapped mindlessly against his collarbone. Something beeped quietly nearby, and everything smelled too clean. A hospital, then.

   Jason tried to crack his eyes open, but he couldn’t manage it. He took a deep sniff instead. Mine-protect-mine-pack-feral-nurture-MINE seeped into his nose, and he sighed, relaxing. “Tim.”

   The omega trilled quietly, nuzzling the scent-glands on Jason’s neck to cover them thoroughly with his scent. He wasn’t talking, and he smelled strange. He must still be coming off of going feral.

   Jason shifted a little, exposing more of his neck to his agitated omega’s ministrations. He managed to rasp out, “Did you hurt anyone?”

   A long pause as Tim nuzzled Jason’s collarbone. Then, sullenly, “No.”

   Jason’s brow furrowed as he tried to think. “You… You went feral.”

   “Yes.” There was no remorse in Tim’s tone. Only pure hard danger.

   Jason couldn’t help a shiver, and his scent spiked with mild fear. Tim gently purred, resting his cheek against Jason’s shoulder, and the noise smoothed over the alpha’s trepidation like a balm.

   “You…” Jason struggled to make himself speak. His words were slurring. “You challenged Superman. You went TOE-TO-TOE with SUPERMAN.”

   “No one scares my pack,” Tim purred dangerously. “NO ONE.”

   Jason raised a numb hand to Tim’s neck, rubbing circles into the skin before scruffing him. Tim was still in a submission-hangover, so the light scruffing made him completely limp. His arms curled defiantly around Jason’s shoulders, nose burying against the alpha’s neck. Submitted or not, he wasn’t going anywhere.

   Jason heaved another slightly-painful sigh, grateful for painkillers, and mumbled, “Sorry for biting you.”

   “You had to,” Tim muttered in answer. “I would have attacked someone otherwise.”

   Jason rubbed his fingers absently through his omega’s hair. Everything was still so fuzzy and disjointed and barely-there. He owed his life to Superman. What a terrifying thought.

   “I’m glad you’re here,” he rasped, turning his nose into Tim’s hair.

   The omega huffed irritably. “Go to sleep.”

   “Can’t.”

   “CAN’T or WON’T?”

   “Don’ wanna leave you.”

   “I’ll be here when you wake up.” Tim settled more firmly against Jason’s chest, beginning to purr. The sound swelled until vibrations filled Jason’s entire torso, echoing comfortingly in his head & coaxing him towards sleep.

   Jason went boneless, frowning. “S’ not fair.”

   Tim only purred louder. This little shit. Still. Jason couldn’t help hugging his pup closer as he sank into blissful darkness.

   Mine.

Chapter Text

   Tim Drake had made a lot of assumptions about Damian Wayne.

   How could he not? The pup put forth a persona just as unmistakable as his mother’s from the very moment he’d stepped into Wayne Manor. Cold. Demanding. Arrogant. He made sure his authority was readily apparent wherever he went, and everyone knew exactly what he thought of them within two seconds of initial eye-contact.

   Tim certainly had.

   It was easy to see everything Damian Wayne wanted you to see, and Tim had never bothered looking past the surface.

   Stepping into the Cave & immediately smelling distressed-impatient-lonely alpha, he wondered if maybe that had been a mistake.

   Tim backtracked immediately over the past twenty-four hours of information logged in his brain. Bruce was at some WE meetings. Dick was patrolling. Jason was upstairs, thank God, but they’d assumed Dick had taken Damian with him, which was why Tim had felt safe coming down alone to practice with his bo-staff.

   He definitely hadn’t expected Damian to still be down here. He also hadn’t expected the kid to smell LONELY. Since when does Damian Wayne get lonely?

   Okay, that was a really stupid question. The kid was raised by the League of Assassins, for crying out loud. He was most likely abused if not ignored by everyone. “Lonely” definitely made sense, so why hadn’t Tim considered that until now?

   Damian must have smelled him, even though his scent was mellow-wary-calm, because he turned away from his punching-bag with a scowl. Sweat was dripping from his hair, and it took a lot of work to make the Heir of the Demon break a sweat, so he must have been working out for a while. (Tim… wasn’t entirely sure how he knew that information.)

   “Omega,” Damian spat out.

   Tim’s eyebrow raised only fractionally, and he considered. That… was not the term of address he’d been expecting. Damian initially referring to his pack designation instead of his surname must mean something important. Was that all Damian saw him as? A pack designation? Or did he just want a response in kind?

   Tim filed the question away for now, simply giving Damian a nod before moving to one of the sparing mats. He was very conscious of deep green eyes watching his every move, but he tried not to let it bother him. This was open territory, right? He was still a Bat, and this was a public training area for them. So he snapped out his bo-staff, readied his stance, and began running through warm-ups.

   After a very long moment, the punching noises resumed, and Tim eased.

   It was almost half an hour later when Damian yelped. It was such a small noise that Tim almost missed it if not for the accompanying scent of frustration-pain-shame.

   Tim immediately turned, his scent shifting slightly to protect-soothe-comfort without his conscious decision. Damian, cradling his left hand, met Tim’s eyes with surprise in his own.

   They both froze.

   Tim shook his head, tamping down on his scent immediately. Wow, that was… What WAS that? “Broke a finger?”

   “It will not hinder me from my training,” Damian answered stiffly, the words sounding practiced coming from his mouth.

   Tim risked a small glare. “Yeah, you’re definitely Bruce’s son. C’mere; I’ll splint it for you.”

   “I can splint it myself,” the young alpha protested hotly.

   Tim sat down near one of the medical kits, raising an eyebrow. “But will you?”

   “You can not tell me what to do,” was the rejoining answer.

   Tim checked his frustration, focusing instead on how to interact with this kid. It was very nearly impossible, but there had to be a way; a different set of lenses Tim could put on for one conversation.

   “Alpha,” he hummed, deferring to the kid’s designation. Something in the air shifted, so more confident now, he gestured. “I know you don’t need it, but let me help.”

   “Why?” Damian bit out. It didn’t have as much sting as his previous words, and his scent, though normally well-controlled, was wafting between anger, hurt, and suspicion.

   Tim felt something protective well in his chest, but he ignored it. “I… don’t know.”

   Damian stared at the omega for a good long moment before sniffing the air. Then, apparently deciding that it was safe, he approached & sat stiffly in front of Tim, criss-cross, with his hand held between them.

   “Great.” Tim unraveled some medical tape, eyeing the kid out of the corner of his eye. “So just tell me if this hurts, okay?”

   Damian nodded silently, his eyes somewhere above Tim’s right shoulder. As Tim began his work, however, the pup slowly eased. Mild surprise seeped into his suspicious scent.

   “There,” Tim sat back, only a little satisfied. “Uhm… It’s not the neatest, but it’ll work.”

   Damian held up his hand, examining the broken finger with an absent gaze. “Indeed. I did not know you would be so… careful.”

   Tim raised both eyebrows. “What did you expect me to do? MAKE it hurt?”

   The expression Damian gave was answer enough. After a very uncomfortable silence, he made to leave.

   “Why were you so upset in the first place?” Tim suddenly questioned.

   Damian threw him a very angry glare. Which… okay… fair. “I am not UPSET.”

   “Lonely, then,” Tim pressed on, wondering how much he would regret this conversation.

   Damian’s eyes widened. “That is none of your business.”

   “Why?” Tim challenged hotly. “Because I’m just an omega?”

   Damian went still. His scent was undecipherable. The silence stretched long enough that Tim began to grow apprehensive. Did I make a mistake?

   “Grandfather,” Damian finally started, his words carefully chosen; his face a strange mix of emotions Tim could not read. “did not approve of omegas. Their social tendencies & strong emotional dynamics make them unfit to his single-minded mission. They are useful for nursing-mothers if female, and virtually useless if male.”

   “Right,” Tim muttered, his heart sinking. It was to be expected, wasn’t it? This kind of thinking did make sense when you ran a sadistic organization like the League.

   “Occasionally,” Damian continued quietly, his gaze on Tim, but a bit out of focus. “there would be an omega with enough driven purpose that Grandfather would allow them to serve as spies. Their pheromones can, with strict training, be very effective when infiltration & information-gathering is required.”

   “Right,” Tim said again, feeling a little sick. “I get it.”

   Damian’s gaze shifted a little, coming back to the present, and a frown creased his face. “My Grandfather thinks that way. I do not.”

   “You…” Tim paused for a moment. Reassessed. “Why don’t you?”

   Damian looked at the floor, picking self-consciously at a loose thread in the hem of his pants. “I am not sure, but I never have. While Grandfather’s mission does not allow for omega dynamics, and logically so, I often wished they were allowed in the compounds regardless. It would have been… nice… to have one around.”

   “I always wished we’d had one in the Wayne pack,” Jason’s voice whispered; a memory of a morning long ago.

   The new information pinged something in Tim’s brain. This kid was raised in a place virtually devoid of omega dynamics, which… mattered? It was cruel, sure, but alphas could get along just fine without…

   Oh.

   Damian wasn’t just an alpha. He never was.

   He’s still a pup.

   Understanding washed through Tim, and he unfurled his scent completely. Damian’s eyes widened as soothe-calm-protect drifted around them, covering the air like a warm blanket. His small fists automatically unclenched, and his gaze unfocused. That felt right, somehow.

   A chuff suddenly made its way out of Tim’s chest. Not an imitation… A real, mature, fully-grown omega chuff. A call for a pup.

   Damian stared at him with a mixture of shock & indignation. “What are you DOING?”

   “I don’t know,” Tim admitted sheepishly. But Damian was relaxing despite his shock, and that seemed right, so Tim chuffed again.

   “Stop doing that,” Damian tried to snap. It came out as more of a whine. “What are you doing to me?”

   “I don’t know,” Tim muttered again. “It’s instinct, Damian. If it feels strange, it’s because you’ve had such limited… omega interaction.”

   Damian’s scent cast about from wary to indignant to longing. “I don’t like it.”

   Tim took a deep breath, patient. “I’m no expert, but I’m guessing it would feel better if you actually followed your instincts instead of freezing.”

   Damian blinked in confusion. Tim hid a smile, allowing himself to chuff again, and the kid actually WHINED. And then he tipped forward, crawling closer. Past the invisible line he’d always drawn. Into Tim’s lap.

   As awkward as his rational side felt, Tim wrapped his arms around the solid pup tightly, cuddling him close. A purr rumbled in his chest, and Damian, so stiff a moment ago, almost instantly melted.

   Tim’s scent was washed with relief.

   “What is this?” Damian asked softly, fisting Tim’s shirt in one hand. His scent was steady with confused-embarrassed-content.

   “I’m not sure.” Tim rested his head on top of fuzzy black hair, wrinkling his nose. “Just… Instinct… I guess.”

   “Tt. That is hardly an explanation.”

   “… No. Maybe Dick would know.”

   “Perhaps.” A long silence. Then, “I am not a baby.”

   “I know.”

   “… I do not require your ministrations.”

   Tim rolled his eyes. “You could leave.”

   Damian’s hold tightened, and his scent tinged with regret.

   Tim Drake had made a lot of assumptions about Damian Wayne. But maybe some of them were wrong.

Chapter Text

   Tim honestly didn’t know what to think of the new almost-bond he had with the Wayne pack’s puppy. He didn’t know what the other Waynes would think of it, either, which always sent a shiver of dread down his spine. And he REALLY didn’t know what Jason would think of it, which… Yeah… Tim wasn’t going to overthink that.

   So he didn’t keep it a secret, because that would end badly, but he didn’t TALK about it, which was the same thing right now. But for a week or two after that singular incident, Damian kept his distance. He practically avoided Tim, and when they were together, paid no more attention to him than if he were a fly. Embarrassment? His scent was almost always locked down tight, which wasn’t much of a change from before.

   Jason once questioned Tim as to why Damian was ignoring him now. Tim really didn’t have an answer to that, honest to God, so he didn’t give one. He considered the question for a very long time afterward, however.

   He & Damian used to be mortal enemies. Tim had been unable to go a single day without a death-threat, or a week without an assassination attempt by the aspiring Robin. Why were their dynamics so scrambled NOW?

   Things had been simpler when they hated each other.

************

   Tim frowned up at the Bat-Computer over Batman’s shoulder, willing the numbers to stay in focus. They’d been working this case in & out of the Cave for three days straight, and they were so close. Just a few more hours. Then they could all go their separate ways. Finally.

   Jason paced nearby, exhausted but edgy. Being tired always did that to him. Tim chuffed softly every few minutes, which helped bring down the tension in the room, but didn’t really smooth the edge.

   Hood was tired. They were ALL tired.

   Because of his mental preoccupation, Tim didn’t notice the answering chirp to one of his chuffs until it was too late. He repeated the noise, instincts flaring. Small stocky arms wrapped around his waist, and a face burrowed against his side. Irritated-worried-grumpy seeped into the air, barely wearing through the old scent-patches.

   Batman swiveled in his chair. Hood stopped pacing. Nightwing stood up.

   Tim was far too tired to care at this point. His brain pinged him once out of courtesy before leaving him to his instincts, and he purred as he gathered the little alpha into a hug.

   The pup whined, a mix of neediness & demand. Tim reached up to his own neck, rubbing off a scent-patch in response. His tired-protect-soothe-comfort smell unfurled gently into the air, and Robin instantly relaxed.

   “Tim?” Jason ventured slowly.

   Tim rested his chin in fuzzy black hair as the pup nosed his collarbone, glancing in his alpha’s direction with lidded eyes. “Yeah?”

   Jason opened his mouth. Then closed it. Frowned. Shook his head. Bewilderment seeped into the air. “Nothing.”

   Tim hummed softly, his hold tightening as he turned his attention back to the screen.

************

   Luckily, it seemed everyone was willing to forget about that incident. Who were they to judge, right? Everyone had been too tired to see straight, after all, let alone ignore their instincts.

   Tim was grateful for the lack of scrutiny. He didn’t need his loyalty questioned.

   Of course something else had to come up.

************

   “Were you hit, Robin?” Batman questioned urgently.

   Tim looked up from his tablet, immediately wary. Jason stood up from the chair at the Bat-Computer. They’d been working some cold cases during a quiet night, but it seemed that peace wasn’t going to last. The Dynamic Duo was back early.

   Robin stalked away from the Batmobile, movements stiff. Batman stalked after him, and an irritated alpha growl echoed through the Cave.

   Tim’s scent immediately soured with fear. Jason rumbled possessively, stepping closer & letting his protect-mine-pack scent smooth over Tim’s.

   The low growl, however, had not been directed at them.

   Robin whirled on his heel, snarling in defiance. “No, Father, I am FINE.”

   “That’s not what I asked,” Batman rumbled irritably, stalking closer. For every step he took forward, his son took two back. The tension was rising, and Batman was growing angry at the defiance.

   Tim flinched when Robin threw himself at his feet. The pup knelt, head lowered, cheeks burning in shame, and chirped.

   Everyone else froze. Tim simply stared, dumbfounded. Had Damian just…?

   The pup peeled off his mask, but kept his gaze lowered, holding desperately to the last of his pride. His faint scent wafted with scared-ashamed-please-help-me. “I appeal to the Pack Heart. Please grant me your emotional protection. I am compromised, and am unable to properly wield myself in a fight.”

   Tim glanced up at Batman, who looked LIVID, then at Jason, who, though shocked, remained a protective wall at his back. Then he looked down at the pup, swallowing. “Damian… I… I don’t think you…”

   “Please,” Damian whimpered quietly. Fear spiked through his scent. “Please, Heart, I…”

   Tim carefully knelt, resting his hands on the pup’s shoulders. “Hey, Damian, listen. Bruce isn’t going to hurt you; he’s just worried. Why are you scared?”

   Damian hung his head lower, ashamed. “I have failed my mission tonight, disgraced myself as Batman’s partner, and lied about being contaminated in the field. I deserve his wrath.”

   “Okay, first of all, no one’s going to hurt you for that,” Tim said firmly. “Second, what were you contaminated with?”

   Damian’s frame shivered. “I… fear-gas.”

   Batman sucked in a breath. Jason made an angry noise of surprise. Dick, who had just exited the elevator, froze.

   Tim instantly pulled Damian into his arms. He could smell the fear a little better now; the pup had kept a good lid on it, but it was still there. Tim’s instincts weren’t having it. He tugged Damian into his lap, tucked the pup’s head under his chin, and held him tightly as he trembled.

   “What did you do to him?” Dick demanded angrily, stalking closer.

   “Me? Nothing,” Jason spat in defiance, hackles raised. “Ask your ALPHA here.”

   “Robin has been compromised,” Batman explained calmly, tugging his left glove off & offering his wrist to his eldest with no hesitation. The scent worried Jason, but soothed Dick. “I accidentally scared him. I apologize.”

   Dick grumbled a grudging answer, kneeling with his arms out. Tim reluctantly moved back, trying to hand over what wasn’t his. Then Damian whimpered.

   Everyone froze again.

   “I… I’m sorry,” Tim stammered out, wrapping his arms tighter. He stared at the ground, unable to face the rejected alpha in front of him. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to, I just… He was so scared, and he… He asked me, and… He doesn’t mean…”

   “Easy,” Jason rumbled soothingly. “You’re doing the right thing, Tim. The kiddo really needed an omega, Dick; lay off.”

   Tim closed his eyes, tuning out the rest of the conversation. The trembling pup in his arms was screaming at instincts he’d never realized he had before, and as confusing as it was, he couldn’t just ignore them, right? He gently scented Damian’s back, neck, and hair, purring until the trembles eased.

   “I apologize,” the pup whispered stiffly, fisting Tim’s shirt. “Such behavior is unfit for either of us.”

   Tim hummed softly, resting his cheek in Damian’s hair. “I think we’re alright.”

   Jason & Dick’s scents curled around them protectively, each concerned for their pup & somehow working in tandem to soothe. Batman left to retrieve an antidote. Alfred waited patiently nearby with Robin’s clean civvies.

   Yeah… they were alright.

************

   Upon further overthinking, Tim decided that they were not alright.

   The omega avoided Wayne Manor like the plague. It would be so easy for someone to corner & interrogate him there, and he was scared. He didn’t trust Bruce. He COULDN’T trust Dick. And Damian… would be better off without him. They were not in the same pack. It was as simple as that.

   Jason got busy for a while with a string of drug-busts in Crime Alley, and Tim, though longing to help him, confined himself to solo work. He didn’t know what Hood could have to say to him if they were alone, but he was afraid. Surely Hood disapproved of him being called the Pack Heart by another pack’s puppy.

   The only times Tim saw Jason were in snatches at the end of the day. Tim would go to bed, his own bed instead of their pack nest, before Hood returned from patrol. The alpha never crossed that line to wake him up, even if Tim was only pretending. Jason would just stand in the doorway to check Tim’s breathing, then retreat to his own room, a faint scent of discontentment trailing behind him.

   It felt wrong somehow. Tim was a traitor, and the sensation only increased with each passing day.

   Was this normal? Did ALL omegas feel warring instincts this way? How could Tim have gone so wrong so fast?

   Unfortunately, there were no omegas in the apartment to tell him, and Tim had precious few friends with the designation. Maybe that was for the best. He needed to figure this out for himself.

   And that’s how Jason found him on an early night home from patrol, criss-cross in his room, surrounded by stacks of books & focused by intervals on two computer-screens.

   Tim didn’t look up at first because there was no scent to warn him. Then Jason mumbled, “The HELL?”, and Tim almost fell backwards into three stacks of books.

   “Alpha,” he hurried, his voice about two octaves too high. He slammed the laptops shut. I was just… I was… I didn’t…”

   Jason looked around for a moment before raising an accusing eyebrow. “Busy?”

   “Sorry,” Tim squeaked out, scrambling to his feet whilst trying to keep the panic out of his scent. “Sorry, Alpha, I’ll, I didn’t, I…”

   “Tim,” Jason rumbled assertively. “Breathe.”

   Tim hung his head, falling silent as he obeyed. When he was calmer, he glanced up, unsure. “You’re… not mad?”

   Jason tilted his head, confused. Then, realizing his mistake, he hurriedly reached up to his neck. As soon his scent-patches were rubbed off, smells of I’m-sorry-worried-mine-come washed across the air.

   Tim whined softly, lowering his gaze as relief crashed through him. “I was… I was doing research.”

   “For?”

   “I’m… I don’t know… how to be an omega,” Tim mumbled quietly, shame washing through his scent.

   Jason’s right hand twitched. “What do you mean, Tim? You’re a perfect omega.”

   Tim’s instincts couldn’t help but hum at the praise, and his shoulders eased. “It’s just… Something… feels off. And it looks like I wanna be a part of the Wayne pack, but I swear I don’t, it was just INSTINCT and he’s just a PUP and I know he’s not MY pup but I feel so wrong just leaving him alone and there’s no one to ASK about it so I just… I…” He gestured helplessly to the mess around him, out of breath. His scent was sour with the lack of healthy hormones, which probably wasn’t helping Jason. God, he really was useless.

   Jason stepped over two piles of books, rumbling, and gathered Tim carefully to his chest. Tim almost sobbed as he allowed himself to be pressed close, inhaling the strong comforting scent that he’d isolated himself from.

   Jason hushed him as he rubbed his wrist over Tim’s trembling back. “Your pack scent is stale, pup. That’s bad for your health.” When Tim nodded, the alpha noted, “You’ve been avoiding me.”

   “I’m sorry,” Tim said meekly, pressing his nose to Jason’s neck. He didn’t know what else to say. There WAS nothing else to say.

   Jason hummed in discontentment. “Are you afraid of me?”

   “No,” Tim mumbled truthfully, tears pricking at his eyes. “Just… disappointing you.”

   Jason’s scent washed with relief, and Tim realized belatedly that it had been laced with guilt up until now.

   “I thought it was something I did,” the alpha admitted softly, burying his nose in Tim’s hair to inhale his slightly-off omega scent.

   “No,” Tim said forcefully, wrapping his arms around his brother’s waist & squeezing tight. “No, Jay, never.”

   Jason rumbled absently as he continued scenting Tim’s back. A more comfortable silence fell, and Tim closed his eyes, taking deep breaths of the scent he’d been starving for.

   When Jason finally pulled away, both boys were relaxed, the tension unwound from their limbs. He gently tugged Tim to the edge of the bed, sitting them down. “Okay, now tell me again. Slowly. What are you working on?”

   Tim took a deep steadying breath. Jason rested a hand on the scruff of his neck, grounding him, so he pushed himself to explain.

   Five minutes later, Jason had a strange sad-amused-fond look on his face.

   Tim twisted the hem of his shirt. “You’re still not mad?”

   “Why would I… no.” Jason looked around at the stacks of books, a sad smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You’ll be a fully-mature omega in a few years, at most, and Dami is still a pup. Of course you feel a need to care for him.”

   “I just… I don’t know how,” Tim finished helplessly, gesturing. “I’m a terrible omega.”

   Jason rumbled deeply, displeased, and Tim dropped his eyes to the floor. But his alpha was gentle. He’d ALWAYS been gentle. He rubbed his scent through Tim’s hair before cupping his face.

   Tim forced himself to look up, pale blue eyes meeting teal green. Jason stared him down, a fierce edge to his tone when he spoke. “You are GOOD, omega. SO good. I swear it.”

   Tim pressed his forehead to his brother’s shoulder, relaxing in submission. If his instincts said that it was true, then he’d believe it. His insistent brother didn’t really leave any room for disagreement.

   The alpha carefully rubbed circles into Tim’s back. After a moment of silence, he muttered, “I’m sorry you don’t have good role-models, pup, but you… You don’t need all this.” He gestured vaguely at the messy room. “What you need is inside of you. You were BORN with it. Research all you want, but in the end, I think you need to trust your instincts.”

   Tim slouched a little, frowning. “But what if my instincts are wrong? What if they say to claim him, to bring him into OUR pack? What if they say to go back to HIS pack? I don’t… I love our pack, Jay. I don’t wanna ruin it.”

   Jason drew a deep sigh, resting his chin in Tim’s hair. “I don’t think you will, baby bird. Things might not stay the same, but… They won’t get worse. You need more pack to care for. Whatever comes next… just… don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

   Tim hugged his brother again, content for the first time in weeks, and took deep breaths of mine-safe-protect.

   A promise.

Chapter Text

   The next time the Red & Wayne packs were in close proximity did not go as Tim had imagined.

   It was the end of a joint mission. Everyone was tired. Damian had ignored Tim all night, and that… hurt. Tim, however, was too exhausted by the end of the mission to fix it, so collapsing in a guest-bedroom with a snoring Jason it was.

   Tomorrow, he promised himself. Tomorrow he’d fix it.

   A huge crash of thunder jolted Tim awake. He blinked rapidly at the ceiling, confused. Then he heard the pouring rain, the rattling of the windows, and the howling wind.

   Jason sat up, spine rigid. Gotham never got rain like this. NEVER.

   Tim sat up, too, more thrilled than scared, and leaned heavily against Jason’s shoulder. A measure of tension bled out of the alpha’s spine, and he raised one arm to tuck Tim close, compulsively scenting his back & head.

   Tim allowed this. His alpha wasn’t scared… He was alert. Protective. He didn’t have to be; it was only his instincts that caused a feral not-safe reaction to the rain. Tim knew that, realistically, they were fine.

   That thought dissolved as soon as they heard the alarms.

   Both boys tensed. They were no stranger to alarms, but this wasn’t an attack or intrusion. This came from Gotham; flash-flood warnings, then a tornado alert.

   Someone knocked at the door, and Tim jumped. Jason growled deeply.

   “Boys,” a tense voice called. Bruce. “This storm is getting worse, and Alfred wants us in the Cave. We can monitor for distress signals from there in case the city needs us.”

   “Okay,” Tim called back. “We’ll be right there.”

   The footsteps receded. Jason remained still as stone, his nostrils flaring.

   Tim took a deep wary breath, trying to figure out why his brother was still frozen. It took a moment, but then he smelled it… Faintly distressed alpha.

   Tim got up, but an iron grip latched around his wrist.

   “Alpha,” Tim murmured soothingly, tugging. “C’mon.”

   Jason just stared at him, still & quiet.

   “Jay,” Tim tried again, frustration rising. He was the only omega in a house full of tense alphas, and he had to DO something about it, but he couldn’t be everywhere at once.

   Jason’s scent was protective, but something else slowly edged in. Desperation.

   Tim switched tactics, crawling closer to rest his forehead against Jason’s chin. He couldn’t bring himself to purr through his tension, but he chuffed. Realistically, it was an expression towards younger packmates; a call to come more than anything else.

   Surprisingly, it worked. The alpha rubbed his chin in Tim’s hair before slowly trailing him out of the room.

   Tim kept one hand in his brother’s as he followed his nose. The distressed smells were coming from a door three rooms down. Dammit.

   The omega knocked before opening the door. Dick was sitting in the middle of his bed, arms wrapped around his knees, shivering. Damian was by his side, softly whining at his numb alpha. Dick’s scent was numb-disgust-helpless-stay-away, but Damian’s reeked of angry-scared-answer-me-please-help.

   Tim stepped forward. Jason yanked him back, growling. Because of course… It was another pack’s den.

   Damian looked up, bristling. To Tim’s utter horror, shiny tears pooled in the pup’s frustrated eyes, illuminated every time lightning crackled outside.

   “Dami…?” Tim whispered hoarsely.

   “Please,” Damian cut in, his biting tone betrayed by his desperate scent. “Please help him. He doesn’t like the rain. He’s not LISTENING to me, Heart.”

   Tim tugged gently at Jason’s grip, turning a pleading gaze on his agitated alpha. “Jason. Please. I’m okay; I can do this.”

   Jason’s luminescent green eyes darted from Dick to Damian to Tim. His grip spasmed.

   “Let me do this,” Tim insisted gently. He changed tactics again, stepping back into his alpha’s space to nuzzle his collarbone. The omega’s soothing scent caused his brother to relax, and the alpha reluctantly released his arm.

   Tim slipped away before Jason could change his mind. Damian moved away from Dick, swiping tears from his face, but Tim didn’t let him get far. He went for the puppy first, wrapping him in a brief hug & nosing his hair.

   Damian relaxed a little, small hands fisting Tim’s shirt. “Drake…”

   “I’m sorry,” Tim whispered quickly. “for staying away. I was thinking too hard, but I’m here now.”

   “… No more thinking?” Damian’s tone tried to go for contemptuous, but it landed closer to hopeful.

   “Yeah.” Tim squeezed tighter before releasing. “No more thinking.”

   Damian’s scent softened, reassured. Tim supposed that would have to do for now as he moved closer to Dick. His oldest brother wasn’t responding to ANY of this, not even Jason’s edgy scent. He just stared into the distance, unshed tears in his eyes, unseeing.

   Tim gently touched his shoulder. “Hey.”

   Dick didn’t even blink, but his scent shifted to a confusing fear-don’t-touch-me-stay-away-grief-helpless-terror.

   Jason’s dark form staggered against the doorway. “N… NO, Dick, GOD. It’s US; we’d NEVER… You’re SAFE here.”

   It took Tim an embarrassingly long moment to realize what was going on, but his heart sank once he did. What had triggered this? Rain?

   He edged closer, allowing his instincts to guide him, and carefully tucked his head under Dick’s chin. When Jason automatically growled, Tim snapped back, silencing him. Damian remained mute.

   Dick’s scent slowly shifted as Tim nosed his collarbone. A dull realization dawned on his face, and some of his muscles unspooled. Tim knew it was because of his designation. Omega scents were inherently safe, and Dick… He hadn’t had one in such a long time. MY fault.

   It wasn’t long before Dick had Tim pulled into his lap, face buried in his hair. He inhaled deep lungfuls of Tim’s scent, edging towards hyperventilation. Tim continued scenting Dick’s neck, back, and head with his wrists, allowing protect-soothe-care-warm-safe to balloon out into the room.

   Jason whined softly, and Tim winced. He knew his alpha didn’t like this. He was administering pack comforts to another alpha, and it had to hurt, but… Tim couldn’t do nothing. Dick was his brother, and he was scared.

   Bruce’s alarmed scent wafted down the hall ahead of him. His tone edged with alpha command. “Boys. CAVE.”

   Jason whirled away to face the hall, snarling vehemently. His scent shifted from agitated-fight-mine to protect-stay-away-keep-safe.

   Tim chuffed again, feeling pulled in too many directions. Jason’s hackles lowered, but he stood firmly at the door, keeping Bruce out. Damian instinctively drew closer, leaning against the edge of the bed. Dick carefully relaxed.

   Tim waited until the tension had smoothed into something manageable before gently tugging Dick off of the bed. The alpha followed him like a sunflower after the sun, too drunk on Tim’s soothing scent to do anything else. Damian, worried but calmed in equal measure, clasped Dick’s hand as he followed.

   Tim walked them out of the room. One of his hands held Dick’s, but he used the other to firmly scent Jason’s cheek as he passed, then, hesitating only for a moment, Bruce’s. The oldest alpha looked stunned, but Jason followed immediately, instincts coaxing him gently after Tim’s safe scent.

   The house was creaking dangerously, but Tim knew they’d be secure in the Cave. There weren’t even triggering rain noises down there.

   Alfred stared openly when the short omega entered with a line of dazed alphas trailing him like ducklings, Bruce following some distance behind. Wisely, the butler did not comment as he pointed them to a corner near the Bat-Computer.

   Tim felt his heart leap, and he hurried forward as instinct beckoned. It wasn’t a nest, not yet, but Alfred, the saint, had gathered the most comforting pillows & blankets from the entire house into one big pile for Tim’s convenience.

   His three alpha brothers stood still, watching dazedly as Tim got to work. Damian, the most alert, kept a firm hold of Dick’s hand. Whenever Jason began to shift uneasily or Dick’s eyes grew too distant, Tim paused to rub his scent on them before continuing.

   It was about ten minutes before he stood back, satisfied. It wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t need to be; not tonight. Tim wanted safe, not exceptional.

   He let himself fall face-first into the soft middle, chuffing heavily. Jason was the first to come, sitting at Tim’s side, and Damian hurriedly followed, tugging Dick after him.

   Tim leaned over, fussing with the extra blankets until Dick & his pup were nestled safely. He spent at least five minutes scenting them after that, determined to make everyone feel secure. Damian relaxed first, responding easily to Tim’s omega ministrations as he curled under Dick’s arm. Dick, though still a bit out of it, began to ease as well. Tim didn’t stop until his oldest brother’s eyelids drooped shut.

   Sighing, the exhausted omega flopped onto his other side, tugging at Jason’s shirt. The alpha instantly rolled closer, practically crushing Tim with his weight as worried-mine-claim-protect-mine-mine-mine washed forth.

   Tim threaded his fingers through Jason’s hair as the neglected alpha tucked him close, breathing deeply of the omega’s soothe-calm-safe-warm-yours. It wasn’t too long before he relaxed, tension bleeding out into the warm nest beneath them.

   Tim tucked his head against Jason’s collarbone, sighing contentedly. He didn’t like his alpha being worried, but he didn’t think he would ever get tired of smelling protect covering him like a promise of safety. “Thank you for trusting me, Alpha.”

   Jason rumbled grudgingly, heavy eyes closing as Tim stroked his hair. “You’re… good kid… pup. Do what you think is right. Get it from me.”

   Tim snorted softly. “Go to sleep, Jay. I’ll take care of you guys. Promise.”

   Jason dug his nose into Tim’s hair, doing just that.

Chapter Text

   Tim woke up to an atmosphere of safe-warm-cozy-protected-nest-pack. It was very similar to waking up in Jason’s nest, only more so, and it took him a moment to remember what had happened the night before.

   He wriggled around in Jason’s arms, being careful to stay put. The grip tightened a bit around his middle, and Jay grumbled sleepily into his hair, but he stayed asleep.

   Dick was sleeping on the opposite side of the nest, his back turned to the edge. He was pale, but his breathing indicated a deep sleep. Damian was bundled loosely in his arms, sleepy green eyes trained on Tim. A faint scent of embarrassed-thankful-hope came from the pup.

   Tim’s heart swelled. This was the closest the two packs had come without killing each other. Everything felt so nice. Warm. Calm. Safe. Two different alphas rested in his nest, and it was Tim himself that had kept the peace.

   Tim’s pleasure must have registered in his scent, because Damian’s eyes slid closed as a soft rumble sounded from his chest.

   Tim’s fingers twitched, and his instincts begged for him to complete what was long overdue. He’d made a multi-step plan before coming here; one that involved patience and tact and careful manipulation of potentially hostile alphas, but…

   You don’t have time for that, his instincts insisted.

   But Dick, argued Tim sullenly.

   Puppy, his instincts whined.

   Tim released a soft chuff. Damian perked up, startled. When Tim chuffed again, the pup wriggled a little, mumbling, “What are you doing?”

   Tim cocked his head. He was too sleepy for this. “No more thinking, right?”

   Damian considered that. His stoic face was betrayed by the growing hope in his scent.

   Tim waited for an acceptable length of time before chuffing again. Damian whined softly, too sleepy to properly hide the hopeful-please-accept-me scent ballooning into the nest. Dick shifted in his sleep, instincts automatically responding, but Damian didn’t give himself time to be caught. He wriggled smoothly out of Dick’s arms, plopping over into Tim’s.

   Tim hugged the puppy close, burying his nose in Damian’s hair like a man possessed. Damian whined in a mix of annoyance & embarrassment, but his little nose pressed to Tim’s shoulder; a submissive gesture.

   “They might be mad,” Tim warned as Dick began to stir.

   “Okay,” Damian whispered softly. His arms tightened around Tim’s middle.

   Tim nosed Damian’s hair. “You’re not scared?”

   “No,” Damian admitted quietly. His next words were almost unintelligible. “I need you.”

   Tim reeled in shock for all of two seconds before his scent exploded with PLEASED-EXCITED-MINE. Damian keened softly in response, the noise muffled in Tim’s shirt, but unmistakable; a puppy call for a pack claim.

   Tim rolled onto his side, barely conscious of the waking alphas in his nest, and nosed at Damian’s chin. When Damian tilted his head, Tim gently bit down. It was that simple.

   Though Tim wasn’t an alpha, Damian went boneless with emotional submission, his soft keening fading into a pleased alpha rumble. His scent shifted quickly to loved-protected-safe-bashful-affection, and Tim absolutely melted.

   “Omega?” Jason rumbled questioningly.

   “Puppy?” Dick whined quietly.

   Tim ignored them both, wrapping all four limbs around the pup & squeezing him. Damian tucked his face against Tim’s neck, rumbling nonstop as he was enveloped in the omega’s safe-happy-loved-enamored-mine-mine-mine.

   The puppy-love was almost too much for Tim, and he buried his nose in Damian’s hair, tears in his eyes. Later, he knew, they would both be embarrassed at the amount of affection being shared, but right now the puppy was positively drunk on his first Omega Claim, and Tim was going to enjoy every second of it.

   “Damian,” Dick whined insistently, moving closer.

   Jason growled quietly from the other side. “Not an inch closer.”

   “But he’s my---”

   “He’s being claimed by an omega, Dickhead. You want your face ripped off? No? Then I’d suggest waiting it out.”

   Dick grumbled something under his breath, sitting back. “This is all your fault.”

   “Is it now?”

   “You knew Tim wanted my pup.”

   “He’s not taking him away, idiot.”

   “No? What’s he doing, then? You guys don’t live here; what’s Damian gonna do? Spiral into sadness whenever his… his Pack Omega leaves?”

   “… We’ll figure it out.”

   “You---”

   “We’ll figure it out,” Jason repeated firmly, an alpha growl in his tone. “I don’t like it either, Dick, but this is really important to Tim. And if I had to guess from the smell we’re drowning in, it’s important to Damian, too. He’s just a pup. He needs this.”

   Tim popped his head up, glaring in the general direction of the noise.

   “Sorry,” Dick rumbled meekly. “Shutting up now.”

   Tim plopped back down, huffing, and returned to the essential task of drowning his new puppy in love-safe-mine.

   “Are you jealous?” Jason muttered quietly.

   “No,” Dick snapped back, just as soft. “but I really want a camera.”

Chapter Text

   Red Hood released his grapple early, rolling with the impact to the roof. He came up running, ignoring the sting in his knees. No time no time no time.

   “Red Robin, report.” a young voice snapped. Robin, Nightwing, and Batman were all helping in the search. They had tried to get a location multiple times to no avail. The only answer ever coming from the com was strained whimpering.

   The sound tore at Hood’s heart, and his instincts howled at him to defend as his bond with his pup thrummed in terror. He never should have let them split up. Of course the Scarecrow would have broken out tonight, and of course it was Hood’s omega that was cornered and dosed and cut off from their trackers.

   My pup my pup my pup my pup my pup my fault.

   MY fault.

   He ran faster.

************

   Nightwing ducked quickly into his fifth building, breathless. The best he had was a last-known-location, which wasn’t ideal, but Red Robin couldn’t have gotten that far. Every structure Nightwing had investigated so far was empty.

   What would an omega do? he wondered anxiously, sniffing the stale air of the building before rushing to the next one. What would Tim Drake do?

   It wasn’t really a question of logic. The fear-gas most commonly used by Scarecrow tended to strip someone’s brain down to its basest instincts. Red Hood knew Red Robin’s    instincts better than the rest of the family, so he’d probably know where to look first.

   Upon entry of his seventh building, however, Nightwing froze in shock. Fear-help-guilt filled his nostrils, faint, but undeniably familiar.

   Robin growled possessively, a fierce baby sound, as he entered on Nightwing’s left. “We found his hiding-place, Hood. Rendezvous at our position. I do not smell blood, but fear is prevalent.”

   Nightwing hurried forward, dancing with light steps between empty rooms. He had to see for himself. The last time Red had gone missing… He returned with another alpha. He left the pack. He can’t do that again; Hood will…

   Nightwing stopped short as he neared the next-to-last door down his hallway. It was shut tight, but the awful stench of fear still leaked through. This was it.

   “Hey,” he called back to Robin, slowly cracking the door open. “I found---”

   A fearful yelp echoed off the walls. Red Robin’s hunched form scrambled deep into a corner, movements clipped. The room was dark, but Nightwing could make out the golden symbol on his chest & wide blue eyes in his face. His cowl was off. What did that mean? Hopefully no one had---

   Another whimper pierced the air, slicing through Nightwing’s calculating thoughts like a butter-knife. That was a puppy sound. A scared, abandoned, lonely puppy sound. It tugged painfully at a place in Nightwing’s head where a fragile bond used to be.

   “Hey,” he murmured, thoughtlessly tugging at the neck of his suit to peel at the scent-blocker there. “You’re safe now, Red. It isn’t real, okay?”

   “What are you doing?” Robin hissed behind him. Red jerked back in the exact same moment, smacking his head into the cement wall. The scent filling the air washed bitter with TERROR-HELP-PACK-RUN-RUN-RUN.

   Nightwing stumbled a step forward, coughing. His own scent filled with worry-protect-defend, and he did his best to keep it steady. “Tim, puppy, it’s just me. You’re safe now; whatever you---”

   The frightened omega keened. “P… please… don’t… I’ll help, I’ll be good, Dick, I sw… please…”

   Nightwing’s spine went cold. “Timmy? Can you see me?”

   “Please,” Red begged softly, head tilted in submission as his body jerked with sobs. “I’ll be useful, I… I… I’m sorry… please don’t… don’t bite me, don’t… don’t leave…”

   Nightwing’s heart sank all the way down to his toes.

   “Get out of there,” Robin suddenly hissed, tugging at Nightwing’s arm. “You’re scaring him. Hood is here.”

   Nightwing hesitated for a second too long, frozen in horror by the fear of the omega before him. A fear of ME. Terror backed by too many betrayals and not enough love and borderline abandonment…

   Please don’t bite me; don’t leave…

   A second too long. Red Robin keened miserably, and Hood body-slammed Nightwing in the hallway, angry teeth sinking into vulnerable flesh.

   Nightwing went limp in surrender before the alpha venom even took hold, his scent exploding with guilt-submit-fear & pup-please-protect.

   Hood landed with all of his weight on Nightwing’s body, but one gloved hand protected his head from the hard ground. A menacing growl sank into the older alpha’s skin, and he shut his eyes, whimpering softly for his pup. Hood wouldn’t hurt his pup, right?

   Hood shifted off of him, and a second later, Robin was roughly deposited into Nightwing’s arms. The pup immediately wrapped around Nightwing’s torso, growling grumpily in Hood’s direction as the frenzied alpha rushed away to his omega.

   Nightwing buried his nose in Robin’s hair, shuddering in relief, and tried to remember how to breathe.

Chapter Text

   Tim whimpered fearfully, turning his head away from the afterimage burning in the corner. Unfortunately, another one loomed in his peripheral vision every time he shifted his gaze. There were too many.

   He was fine. The bite wasn’t coming. The green eyes weren’t beating him into the ground with his own staff. The precious scent of puppy wasn’t dead of dying. There was no blood. He was fine.

   The sounds coming from his throat begged otherwise.

   “Shhhhhhhhhhh,” someone rumbled soothingly. Tim was physically shifted, and he realized that he was cuddled in a strong embrace. Someone was hugging him. Someone was scenting him. Someone was rumbling loving nothings to him as he panicked.

   He sighed shakily, fisting good-smelling fabric. “Alpha.”

   The rumbling strengthened in answer, deepening to a frequency meant specifically for anxious pups. Tim felt himself begin to ease, but another frightful image jumped out at him from the shadows, and he couldn’t help a reflexive yelp.

   A large hand rubbed circles into his back, covering him thoroughly with mine-protect-love-stay-away-MINE. It was oddly soothing, and Tim was getting dizzy. The other hand rested lightly on the back of Tim’s neck, and there it stayed, waiting.

   Tim mustered a soft chirp. The hand tightened, firmly scruffing him, and Tim sighed in relief as pup-submission began to take hold. His drugged body, confused as it was, recognized that he was with an alpha now. A strong, loving, protective alpha. He was covered in the alpha’s scent, and his instincts purred, because scruffing, above all else, meant that he was safe.

   “I’ll take care of you, pup,” his alpha confirmed, and the possessive rumbling sank into Tim’s very bones.

   A promise.

************

   All Dick could keep thinking was “This is not how it should be.”

   He stood carefully in the hallway, silent, fresh out of the shower with scent-blockers on. He knew he’d be hard to smell this way. He just wanted to make sure his little brothers were okay.

   Dick slowly stepped within sight of the cracked door. Damian had just gone in, leaving it ajar in his haste. Dick could see Jason lying full-length in his nest, a cozy, tidy, well-kept nest that could only belong to an omega. Tim was curled up in his arms, whimpering softly as Jason rumbled beneath him. The alpha was scenting Tim’s head, neck, and back in one continuous loop, blanketing the room in so much mine-protect-love-stay-away that Dick almost turned tail. Damian, sweet puppy, hovered around the edges of the nest as he waited for the fear-gas illusions to wear off. His role as a pup, the only pup available to the omega, would be needed soon enough.

   Dick lowered his gaze, throat thick. Everyone was so worried, and yet… an overwhelming amount of love poured from Jason’s room. Dick didn’t miss how Tim’s fists curled into Jason’s shirt, or how Jason relaxed with his nose in Tim’s hair. Jason was taking care of Tim, had been taking care of him, in ways Dick had never even considered before.

   Damian perked up as he heard a weak chuff, giving a returning puppy chirp. (A sound he rarely made for Dick.) Tim held out one arm, grasping needily, and Dami didn’t need to be asked twice. Dick blinked exactly once before his puppy was in Tim’s & Jason’s arms, scenting Tim with possessive fervor even as he was cuddled like he deserved.

   Dick stepped back, feeling sick. There was so much… so much. His apology could wait. He’d ruin this atmosphere if he made himself known too early, so he backtracked, turned around, and left.

Chapter Text

   It was barely a week after Tim’s encounter with fear-gas that Jason began to have problems. Not problems with Tim, of course, and surprisingly none with Damian or Bruce. This time it was Dick causing him trouble.

   It was the little things that Jason almost missed. Frustrated snaps for no apparent reason. A slight challenging edge to Dick’s scent. A deference to Tim whenever they were in the same room.

   Jason’s brain put it down to “resent for being dominated for no good reason”, because yeah, Jason had overreacted a little, and left it at that. But then the dynamics shifted a little more each time they were in the same room together, and even the puppies were getting stiff from the added tension.

   Something was about to snap, and it sure wasn’t Jason.

************

   “What is your problem?” Hood bit out, shifting on the edge of the roof. Nightwing’s body-language had been hostile all evening, which was not ideal when you were stuck on a stakeout with the guy.

   The blue-striped vigilante, predictably, didn’t answer. He stared down at the building they were watching, sulking in silence.

   “Asshole,” Hood muttered sullenly, turning his attention to his scanner. “I’m beginning to wonder if I even did anything.”

   “It’s not you,” Nightwing growled out, sounding a little strangled. Hood caught a whiff of lonely-sad-irritated. Wing’s scent must’ve been burning through his hours-old patches.

   Wait… lonely?

   Hood turned to glare again, glad he’d elected to wear a domino instead of his helmet tonight. “Why are you lonely?”

   Nightwing glanced up with an equally fierce scowl. “You’ve only taken almost my whole pack, Hood.”

   “No,” Hood almost said, but he choked, because I kind of have, haven’t I? “I haven’t claimed Robin.”

   “Your omega has.”

   Well… yeah. “The kid needed it.”

   “I know.” Nightwing’s fists curled against the concrete edge of the roof. “That’s the problem, isn’t it?”

   “You can’t do everything,” Hood pointed out harshly before his brain caught up with him. That was Nightwing at his core, wasn’t it? Being needed by someone. Helping. Serving. Loyalty to his own.

   Jason Todd had all but yanked the entire Wayne pack into his fold, leaving Nightwing on the outskirts with Batman.

   Hood took a deep whiff of lonely-challenge-fight, and something shifted. “Shit. You want a fight.”

   Nightwing snapped irritably in answer, and Hood didn’t squash his instincts this time before tackling the man to the roof, knocking the air out of him. The scent coming from Nightwing shifted to fight-challenge-hopeful.

   “You want to be beaten,” Hood said gleefully, pinning Nightwing with heavy hands. “You want to be claimed.”

   Nightwing snarled at him, performing a complex flip that dislodged Hood & put about five feet between them. “You… you’re insane.”

   Hood pulled himself down into a crouch, a feral grin splitting his face. “No? Don’t feel lonely for a leader of your own? Don’t want your omega back? Don’t notice your scent?”

   “Stop it Hood,” Nightwing snapped angrily, shifting his weight to something steadier.

   Hood hesitated for a moment. What was he doing? This was virtually irreversible. Did Dick really want his authority taken away? And what about Bruce? Sure, the guy only had a sire-puppy bond with Dick, but what would he do if Dick became a member of Jason’s pack?

   Jason took one more whiff of lonely-fight-hope, and his instincts sharpened. He wanted this, he realized; he’d wanted it for a while now. Bringing Dick into his pack would solidify their tenuous brotherhood more than anything else. It would strengthen his pack & fix the unresolved familial tension between the pups. Having an Alpha Second… just made sense.

   And try to hide it as he might, Dick wanted it, too.

   Hood lunged forward. Nightwing met him midway, snarling, and the alphas clashed in a deadly battle mixed with hand-to-hand styles, snaps & growls. A lightning-fast dance that, should even one movement miss, could end in disaster.

   Two minutes in, Nightwing swung a bit too hard. Just like that, the tension snapped. Hood stepped aside, letting the swing carry Nightwing over the edge of the roof. Hood grasped his arm at the last second, yanking him back in an overhead arc & slamming him into the ground.

   All of Nightwing’s air left his lungs, and Hood pinned him with one knee, fist pulled back. That was it. The battle had been won in a literal fell swoop with no outside weapons; the traditional & fair way to best someone in a challenge. Hood had won.

   Nightwing took a deep breath of blessed air, tilting his head back in respectful submission. Hood was the stronger alpha. He always had been, and he always would be. It was over.

   Hood’s instincts sang in victory, and he lost no time in tugging at the hem of Nightwing’s suit, then biting the exposed skin at the juncture of his neck; the proper placement of a claim-bite. The smaller alpha twitched, then went limp, a dual challenge-submission & claim-submission taking hold. Submit-respect-grateful swirled gently in the air.

   Hood’s feral grin turned soft as he pulled away. “If you wanted to be pack, Wing, you should have just asked.”

Chapter Text

   When Tim heard the door opening down the hall, he looked up from his & Damian’s case files with a huge grin. Finally. Their alphas had been gone all night doing what they’d called “brotherly bonding”. Tim hadn’t slept a wink, so he’d gotten Damian up early to work on some cases with him. (Who was anyone kidding, though. The pup was always up early.)

   Tim stood up to rush forward, but he froze when the chaotic mix of smells hit his nose. Brother-alpha-pack-love-protect-submit-respect-satisfaction-affection-fond.

   Dick’s smell was on Jason. Jason’s smell was on Dick. Tim didn’t like it. His instincts bristled in a mix of protective fear, and his scent soured. He didn’t like it at all.

   Jason paused when he entered the room, dressed down now in civvies & a red hoodie. He raised his eyebrows. “Tim?”

   Tim didn’t respond. He couldn’t smell Jason’s intentions; he couldn’t smell Jason. Only confusing unrecognizable scents met his senses; scents that had never been mixed before; scents he both loved & feared.

   Tim turned & ran.

************

   It wasn’t really that long before he was found. Tim’s scent was a confused mix of angry-defeated-fearful-dreading-hurt, and he had horrible control over it right now. He had probably permeated the entire west wing of the house.

   The door of the huge wardrobe clicked open, and Jason’s slightly-glowing teal eyes peeked around the edge. He smelled like alpha-warm-protect, and Tim’s racing heartbeat instantly calmed.

   “Pup,” Jason rumbled deeply, kneeling outside so he was closer to Tim’s level. “will you come out?”

   Tim shook his head, whimpering. A wave of fear washed over his scent. “I don’t kn-know what’s… what’s wrong with me. S… Sorry.”

   “That’s okay. I’ll come in.” Jason opened the door a bit more, and when Tim nodded, he folded himself into the available space with fluid grace, shutting the door behind him. Tim instantly crawled into his lap, and the alpha rumbled steadily, pleased.

   The next few minutes were silent but for that comforting noise.

   Tim finally nestled deeper in Jason’s arms, his cheeks burning. “I dunno what’s wrong.”

   Jason hummed thoughtfully. He shifted Tim a bit until he was cradling him more than hugging him, and Tim relaxed with a soft chirp, his instincts instantly responding. His scent smoothed to tired-warm-pup-loved-safe.

   After another long silence, Tim whispered, “How’d you do that?”

   “You’re not used to having your needs met,” Jason murmured simply, tucking Tim closer. “You haven’t ever since you were little. Your instincts don’t know how to react the way an adult’s would, that’s all.”

   Tim pressed his nose to Jason’s hoodie. He was acting this way because his instincts were stunted? That kinda made sense. You probably needed healthy pack dynamics as a child for your instincts to develop accordingly. Tim was just a really late bloomer in that sense.

   Jason… didn’t seem to mind. He was being so patient, and Tim had run away from him.

   “Sorry,” Tim absently whispered.

   “Why?” Jason brushed a hand through his hair, scenting his head with familiar protect-soothe-mine. “It’s natural for you to be confused here. I’m the one who’s sorry. I should have asked you before bringing Dick into my pack.”

   Tim couldn’t help a small whine. “Yeah… We’re… talking about that. Later.”

   “What do we do now, then?”

   Tim shifted around a bit, resting his head over Jason’s heartbeat. “I dunno. My instincts are wack, apparently. I say we go with yours.”

   Jason settled further into a corner, hugging Tim close, and rumbled so loudly that Tim could feel it in his bones.

   The omega went slack, sighing. Yeah. That was the good stuff.

Chapter Text

   Jason rolled a pen between his hands, stubbornly squashing the anxiety in his scent with alpha-calm-assertive. Tim didn’t need to smell anything other than reassurance right now. He was about to make some important decisions, after all.

   The strange thing was, everyone else in the house seemed to know it, too. Bruce, somehow understanding that he was losing his entire pack & acting calm about it, was holed away in the Batcave, removing himself completely from the dynamics upstairs. Dick was sticking to the kitchen area, where Alfred’s calming beta scents & Damian’s pup presence kept him on an even keel.

   That left Tim to Jason, and the alpha had possibly never felt more nervous.

   He practiced a little finger-spin of the pen in his hands. It was metal for a reason. Whenever he was nervous, anything in his hands ended up breaking. He’d learned long ago to invest in metal objects that seemed to serve no real purpose. A heavy metal pen that didn’t work. A metal ball-bearing that rolled off of literally anywhere it was set down. A fidget-spinner. (Trendy, but it worked.)

   The pen reminded Jason of his late-nights-completing-homework days, so it was his favorite.

   Tim faced the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out into the backyard, crossing his arms. He looked a lot better than he had last night. Quiet cuddle-time with Jason was usually the way to go for the omega, and Jason thanked his lucky stars that that was it. He’d met omegas that insisted on being super high-maintenance & practically blew up in your face every time you set off too many of their hormones. Not fun.

   “So I know you mean well,” Tim started nervously, tapping one finger against his arm. “I know that. So could you… I’d like to follow your thought-process. Tell… tell me why.”

   Jason made a low rumble, a reassuring sound, before resting his elbows on his knees as the pen spun between his fingers. “Instinct, primarily, I’ll be honest. Dick wants to be a part of our pack, and I want that, too. It’ll make the pack stronger to have an Alpha Second.”

   “Which is something, statistically, he’s very good at,” Tim muttered under his breath.

   Jason paused to allow his omega to think before continuing. “You’ve already claimed his pup. He’s not like Bruce, an outsider to the pack’s bonds. He’s caught in the middle, and he needs a place for things to stabilize again.”

   “A place under you.” Tim turned around, his blue eyes scrutinizing.

   Jason met his gaze, conscious of the assertive edge his scent was taking on. “Yes.”

   Tim offered a tiny smile. “You’re such an alpha.”

   Jason gave a feral grin; an expression only Tim could see through to the playfulness underneath. “Yes.”

   Tim glanced away, his eyes absently scanning the room as his brain ran faster. “So having Dick in the pack would make the pack more stable. You, the Alpha, Dick, the Alpha Second, me, the Pack Omega or Pack Heart, and the pup.” Tim wrinkled his nose. “What, would you claim Damian, too?”

   “I’ll have to if this is gonna work.” Jason made a careless gesture. “He’d stay in the care of Dick as a pup-sire relationship, the kind they have now. He already doesn’t exercise more control than that.”

   “I guess so.”

   Jason spun the pen for another few minutes before murmuring, “Omega.”

   Tim met his eyes, something in his gaze settling. That was to be expected. He had more control right now than anyone else in the house, quickly outstripping even Jason’s authority. It was the next few hours that would make or break Jason’s pack.

   “Omegas have final say over pack bonds,” Jason said respectfully, staying in his lowered position in the chair. “Alphas can form them, but omegas are the emotional, mental & hormonal caretakers of the pack’s health; you know that. I can’t take back my claim, but I can’t force Dick to be in the pack without your consent. I want you to know that that means you, currently, rank second; not Dick. If you allow him in, your bond is above his, putting him near the bottom of the hierarchy. He’d need to earn the position I wanted for him, and he’d need to earn it from you.”

   Tim turned back to the windows, his shoulders pushing back as instinctual reassurance washed over his scent. “Interesting.”

   Jason shut his mouth, allowing the silence to grow. Tim was a thinker, and there was no more information to offer. Not from Jason.

   “You’re a good alpha,” Tim suddenly said, as if it was a realization.

   Jason raised one eyebrow. “Thanks.”

   Tim turned around, a frightening mix of emotion in his eyes, even though his scent stayed level. “You have all this power inside. Or… powerful emotions. Thoughts. But you don’t do anything with it. You’re so strong but you’re not… corrupt. Hungry.”

   Jason quirked a bitter smile. “I was, once.”

   “Yeah.” Tim puffed out a single breath as they thought of the same bloody night at Titans Tower. He shook his head. “You were never that way deep down, though. You’re good inside.”

   “I have to be,” Jason murmured quietly, confused now. “Have you seen the alphas who aren’t? It’s easy to get carried away.”

   “Exactly,” Tim pressed on, uncrossing his arms. The look in his eyes was fragile now. “You have all this strength inside; all this power. And you’re just… giving it to me?”

   Jason felt his expression melting into fondness. “That’s how it works, Timbo. Alphas are the leaders. Omegas are their strength.”

   Tim’s eyes blurred, and he turned away again as his scent washed with stunned-grateful-assertive-warm-protect.

   Jason patiently waited.

   “Okay.” Tim turned again, wiping his nose, and straightened. “Let’s go see Dick.”

Chapter Text

   Dick had been prepared to accept a message of rejection from a grumpy Jason, or perhaps, at best, a fearful barely-agreeing Tim. What he had not expected was Tim storming into the kitchen with assertive-steady-protect clouding the air around him & a dangerous glint in his eyes.

   Dick automatically curled his lip, his instincts perceiving a threat. Jason, who had taken up guard in the doorway, snapped his teeth with a low warning-growl.

   Dick forced himself to stand down.

   The omega planted himself only three feet away, glaring. Damian slunk to the edge of the room, dampening his scent. Jason crossed his arms, watching. Dick felt a thrill of worry when he realized that the stronger alpha would be a passive observer in whatever came next.

   “I’m sorry---” he began.

   “No,” Tim cut in, immediate.

   Dick fell silent, floored. It suddenly became very apparent that Tim was the most powerful dynamic in the room, and Dick’s instincts switched instantly from fight to flight.

   He stayed where he was.

   “You hurt me,” Tim said icily, bitter-hurt-anger coming from him now. “You put me me in countless vulnerable positions over the years, and you treated me like another alpha, not the omega I am.”

   Dick felt sharp guilt crawling up his spine. “Tim---”

   “You bit me,” Tim said forcefully. “and left me. I ran to Jason for help.” The omega’s eyes shone with unshed tears, and his bitterly powerful scent was almost overwhelming. “Jason. An alpha who had tried to kill me. Death was a preferable option to your abandonment, Dick; a power that you misused.”

   Dick opened his mouth again, but nothing came out. His instincts drove him to his knees before he had the time to think about it, and he stared up at Tim with blurred vision, ashamed. His pup-brother; his Pack Omega; his fault.

   So this is what it felt like to fail.

   Tim unfolded his arms, his scent shifting to determined-firm-aggressive. “You are a member of my pack now, Dick, because my alpha has taken pity on you; nothing more. I…” He choked for a moment, remorse washing into his scent. “I love you, but I… I don’t trust you. If you want that trust, you’ll have to earn it.”

   Dick tilted his head back with an instinctual whine. All of his brothers were here; everyone was watching. He could be humbled no further than this. What had Dick been thinking, treating Tim like a young Jason? That it would fix his first set of mistakes?

   Tim’s eyes softened, and he leaned over Dick, breathing against his neck. Dick suddenly remembered that omegas tended to go feral under this much emotion, and he squeezed his eyes shut, fear-hope-guilt leaking into his scent.

   Instead of biting down or ripping his throat out, Tim gave him a light nip; a warning far more effective than an alpha’s because of the emotional power behind it. Then he scented Dick very lightly, just enough to take the edge off of his fear, and withdrew.

   Dick opened his eyes, dazed. He hadn’t been claimed, but he hadn’t been attacked. A good middle-ground. Tim’s feral eyes, however, were inches from his own, and Dick forced himself to stay still. Something grasped two of the bonds in his chest… a weak alpha-pup bond with Damian, and a Pack Alpha bond with Jason… and tugged.

   Dick gasped as the bonds flared in response, clutching his chest. It hadn’t hurt; it hadn’t even damaged them. It was a show of power. Tim had control over his packmates’ bonds, and through them, some of Dick’s. He wouldn’t break those bonds, not if it would hurt Jason or Damian, but…

   he could.

   And that was probably the point.

   “I’m sorry,” Dick whispered while he held Tim’s gaze. He kept his neck tilted; a show of submission. “I never meant to hurt you.”

   “I know,” Tim said simply. He pulled away. “but you should have done better.”

   Dick’s instincts didn’t deny him.

   The omega turned away, hands shaking. “Take care of your alpha, pup.”

   Damian obediently went to Dick’s side, scenting his collarbone with worried-angry-defend. Dick closed his eyes again, relieved. Damian didn’t hate him, and no one was taking the pup away. Dick had one comfort left, and he was going to cherish it for as long as he possibly could.

   He’d taken all of his others for granted, after all.

************

   Bruce rubbed his brow, sighing. He wished he knew what was going on upstairs. He couldn’t even check his pack bonds; they were fraught thin with chaos.

   That was the truth of the matter, though, wasn’t it? His children were slowly leaving his pack. First Jason, then eventually Tim. He only had a thin father-son bond left with both his oldest & his youngest, and he wondered if either would hold up as they transferred to another pack.

   Not for the first time, Bruce wondered why Jason was doing this. He had genuinely cared for Tim, surely; he had formed a legitimate alpha-pup relationship with the omega. But Dick? They’d been at odds ever since Bruce could remember; why would Jason suddenly take him into his pack? And what about Damian? The poor pup had changed hands so many times over the years, and Bruce couldn’t see a good reason for Jason to take him in, either.

   Did he just want to hurt Bruce? Win? Have the last laugh?

   It was a mess, but the best Bruce could do was stay out of it. It didn’t hurt, exactly, not like it would if the bonds died or snapped, since they were only transferring to a new alpha. It did ache somewhere deep down, though. Each bond lost was another empty hole where Bruce’s children used to be.

   He wondered if that was for the best.

************

   Tim pressed into Jason’s arms as soon as they were safe in another room, unable to suppress his trembles.

   “Whoa,” Jason hushed immediately, scooping him close. “Easy.”

   “That was hard,” Tim whispered thickly, rubbing his face against Jason’s scent-gland.

   “You did so good, pup,” Jason rumbled soothingly, sinking into the corner of a couch. “I’m proud of you.”

   Tim burrowed closer, breathing in Jason’s thick awed-fierce-protect-soothe-MINE until he felt safe. That strong alpha smell would soon cover his own anxious-nervous-fear, and Jason was already kicking up a steady comforting rumble.

   One step at a time. It would be okay. Jason would make sure of it.

Chapter Text

   Jason startled awake in the deepest part of the night, growling. It took him a second to register why. Then it hit his brain like a truck. He was in Tim’s warm nest, curled protectively around his omega pup who was sleeping, and there was an intruder at the door.

   His growl strengthened, and he curled closer, shielding Tim from sight.

   The scent near the door spiked with nervous-anxious-fear. “Al… Alpha.”

   Jason forced himself to focus. “What the hell, Damian?”

   “I…” Damian shuffled in the doorway, barely visible in the faint moonlight. “I apologize. I forgot to ask permission.”

   Jason felt his feral protection giving way to confusion. “Why do you…?”

   “May I enter your den, Alpha?”

   “Well, yeah, but you…” Jason trailed off as the pup drifted close. He smelled so… scared.

   What was going on?

   “Relax; I’m not gonna eat you,” Jason grumbled tiredly, sitting up. “You want Tim?”

   “N… No.” Damian straightened, hands clasped behind his back. Jason noted that he was wearing a traditional white League robe; something he vaguely associated with twisted presentations & pretentious ceremonies. “I submit myself, Alpha. I bind myself to your ways; your path is my path, and I will forever protect your own.”

   Jason stared for an embarrassingly long time before muttering, “What?”

   Damian seemed to stiffen. “I… I submit---”

   “Yeah, I got that part.” Jason swung his legs over the side of the nest to better sit up, and Damian went as still as a statue. “Relax, I don’t… What are you talking about? Is this a League thing?”

   Tim turned over in the nest, awake now, but silent. Watching.

   Damian stared at Jason’s hairline; a formal gaze. His scent washed with confusion. “It is tradition. You have claimed all members of my pack, and I, a pup with no unquestionable authority bonds, am the last. It is only right that I present myself thus. I… I should have chosen a better time. I assumed that it would go quickest, if… I mean, if you were sleeping… that is…”

   “Damian,” Jason rumbled gently, his heart sinking. “How many times have you done this before?”

   Damian almost flinched this time. “Many.”

   “Your scent,” Jason finally realized. “It’s so unguarded. You never… Is this part of it, too?”

   “It would not do to shield my intentions from a new alpha,” Damian said stiffly, his voice verging on a tremble.

   Jason studied the pup for a long moment, indecisive. This would tie things together pretty well, but he hadn’t imagined it happening in the middle of the night, nor under such… heartbreaking circumstances. Damian looked like he was offering himself up to be slaughtered. On the other hand, if Jason refused… He knew how proud the pup was. Damian would perceive himself as unworthy; unclaimable after everything that he’d done in his short life.

   Jason reached forward, very gently drawing the pup close. Damian, though putting forth a good show of confidence, was trembling under his hand. Jason pretended not to notice as he carefully pushed the shoulder of the robes down, a shoulder that was specifically designed for moments like this, and ran his fingers over the kid’s trapezius.

   Fuck.

   “Damian,” he whispered, shocked. One two three four… five scars. Not submission bites or simple nips. Harsh claiming bites. Savage ones that were still rough on the pup’s soft skin, even years old.

   The pup whimpered softly, whispering in Arabic, “Please be gentle.”

   Jason leaned forward, brushing his nose against Damian’s jawbone to scent him with respect-warm-safety, and then g e n t l y bit down on the scarred skin, puncturing just enough for the claim to register.

   While most pups would have tumbled over, Damian trembled harder as he forced himself to stay standing. Tim, fortunately, was not having that. He leaned forward, pulling Damian bodily into his nest with comforting chuffs, and immediately began scenting the pup to cover up the fear-awe-sad-hope-relief with warm-protect-safe-ours-home.

   Jason leaned over, brushing his wrist through Damian’s soft hair, and whispered in Arabic, “My safety is your safety; my family is ours. Protect my Heart, pup, and be safe.”

   Damian melted into the nest, soothed by the formality & tradition, and tucked his head under Tim’s chin to best inhale his scent. Tim hummed contentedly, curling Damian close as he scented his back. Love-pup-mine came from the omega, while determined-warm-obey-mine-protect came from Damian.

   Jason really wanted to take a picture, but he forced himself to stand. He needed to check on Dick.

Chapter Text

   Dick looked up when Jason entered. He was sitting in the middle of his bed, still & quiet, knees pulled up to his chest. The bed was used, but startlingly bare, only a few sheets piled around in the imitation of a nest.

   The sight made something in Jason’s chest ache, and his scent washed openly with remorse-guilt-protect-brother-mine.

   Dick rested his chin on his knees, wrinkling his nose. “You claimed him.”

   Jason swallowed past a dry throat. “Yes.”

   “Good.” Dick blinked slowly, his face alarmingly blank in the faint moonlight. “He needs pack.”

   “You’re pack, too,” Jason muttered before he could stop himself.

   Dick didn’t say anything. His silence spoke volumes.

   Jason walked over to the edge of the nest, quiet respect taking its place in his scent. “May I enter?”

   Dick shrugged weakly. It wasn’t much of a nest to enter, but he recognized the show of respect.

   Jason crawled in, sitting by his brother’s side. “I can’t smell you.”

   “Yeah.” Dick stared at his wall, unseeing. “Shock, I guess.”

   Jason felt his stomach plummet. “Your bond broke?”

   “You claimed him. What did you think?”

   “I don’t know. Not this.”

   “Hm. It wasn’t a strong bond. I…” Dick took a shuddering breath. “I never bit him, after seeing his scars. I couldn’t. Our bond was built slowly over a long… a long time. It was never guaranteed.”

   “So guarantee it now,” Jason murmured insistently. “Dick, I know it’s complicated right now, dammit. I know, and I’m sorry. Maybe I should have left everyone alone, but you can’t give up now; not when we’re so close. Claim him again, for real this time. As your brother; your pack.”

   Dick puffed out a short sigh. “If he wants it.”

   If.

   If this were Tim, Jason would just cuddle him; fix his mental issues with social bonding and scenting and all the things omegas needed to thrive. But this was Dick; an alpha with omega tendencies that had virtually no pack & no respect. Alphas needed that respect; they needed command and healthy hierarchy and someone to protect. Dick’s skin was a sickly pallor now, and he didn’t smell like… anything. He was in shock, which meant he was receiving nothing; nothing that he needed.

   Jason leaned over, resting his forehead against Dick’s hair with a reassuring rumble. Dick relaxed in response, tilting his neck in deference, and rumbled back. Jason felt uneasy at the lack of detectable hormones, so he nuzzled Dick’s collarbone until the alpha smelled a little less like numb emptiness; a little more like pack.

   Dick tipped over when Jason was finished, resting against his shoulder, and sighed. “Alpha.”

   Jason hummed in response, hesitantly initiating a one-armed hug.

   Dick relaxed as sad-mine-protect surrounded him like a fog. “‘M tired.”

   “I know, Dickiebird.” Jason tightened his hug. “Get some rest. It’ll be okay. Promise.”

Chapter Text

   Tim woke up with a warm pup in his arms & contentedness surrounding him like a cloud. Damian’s face was pressed up against his collarbone, breathing deeply of the omega’s scent even in sleep. Milky pup satisfaction drifted around them, unchanged by Damian’s forced presentation back in the League.

   Tim nuzzled his face in the little alpha’s hair, scenting him happily with love-pup-warm-safe-mine.

   Wait.

   Where was Jason?

   Tim twisted to look. Jason’s scent was hours old, so he grasped their bond, tugging. Jason’s end was healthy & alive, the brightness subdued by sleep. The tugging woke him up, though, and alarm shot through the bond before it mellowed back into sleepy reassurance. Jason gently tugged in return before sinking back towards sleep.

   Tim breathed a sigh of relief. His alpha was alright, just sleeping somewhere else. Probably with Dick, actually, and didn’t that boil his blood…

   The omega took deep breaths. Dick had been alone, and Jason was their alpha. He was trying to divide his protection & time between his three pack-members while they weren’t a tightly-knit pack. And that was okay. That was Jason’s job.

   The pup stirred in Tim’s arms, whining sleepily, and scented Tim’s neck. “Wh’t happen?”

   Tim sat up, ruffling the pup’s hair fondly. To his surprise, Damian followed him when he pulled away, collapsing across his lap with another whine.

   “You got claimed, pup,” Tim finally answered, hefting the muscly boy up into his arms. “You’re still feeling the effects, I bet.”

   Damian buried his face against Tim’s neck, small hands fisting his shirt. “Please…”

   Tim straightened anxiously. Anything. “What?”

   “Please protect me,” Damian whined softly, trying & failing to sound commanding. “I’m… I’m not strong… after claims. Mother says it is my only weakness.”

   “Oh puppy,” Tim murmured sadly, hugging Damian tight. “It’s not a weakness; it’s natural. The younger the pup, the longer it takes for submission-haze to wear off. You’ll be okay, I promise.”

   Damian relaxed a little. “Are you sure?”

   “Yes.” Tim ran his fingers through fuzzy hair. “You’re not weak. You’re just a pup. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone’s a pup at some point.”

   Damian didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to. His relieved-warm-safe-embarrassed-grateful scent spoke for him.

   Tim cuddled with the pup happily for about ten minutes before standing up. Damian whined again, but he settled when Tim firmly clasped his hand, leading them down the hall.

   Jason may have been safe, but Tim had to check on them. Just in case.

   He pushed the door open, peeking in before entering. Jason was in the middle of Dick’s big bed, which sported a horrible-looking nest; the worst Tim had ever seen. Dick was held firmly in the bigger alpha’s arms, asleep. It looked like the two had tangled together for warmth.

   Tim’s initial surge of jealousy was almost instantly calmed by alarm. The room smelled wrong. He smelled Jason’s anxious-worried-protect, which was normal enough, but there was almost no smell of Dick. Only a thin thread of sadness drifted from the smaller alpha.

   Tim crept closer, curious. Jason cracked one eye open to check, but upon seeing Tim, simply closed it again. The bags under his eyes were awful. Tim would have to take care of that. But Dick…

   Tim swallowed past the lump in his throat. Dick looked dead.

   “Heart?” Damian whispered softly, unsure.

   “Hang on,” Tim muttered absently, reaching through his bond with Jason to Jason’s bond with Dick. He gently tugged, not enough to wake, but enough to investigate. The bond was strong between the two, but it sang with unhealthiness on Dick’s end, and it was dull.

   It felt just like Tim’s had for most of his life, alone & packless.

   He has an alpha, his brain pointed out.

   He doesn’t have anything else, it reasoned back.

   Dick was in shock, but he was stable, and he was warm. Jason had made sure of that. Still, what had made Dick so---

   His bond with Damian. It had snapped. Because Damian had a new alpha now.

   Tim closed his eyes, debating with himself for almost a whole minute. He didn’t trust Dick. The worst part of him thought that this was what Dick deserved. But at the same time… he was an omega. It felt wrong to do nothing.

   In the end, his instincts won out. He had to make this better. Just by a little bit.

   Tim turned to draw his pup close, making eye-contact. “Can you smell Dick?”

   Damian wrinkled his nose, fear shining in his eyes, but scowled. “No.”

   “He’s in shock,” Tim gently explained. “He could really use a pup packmate to take care of.”

   Damian’s eyes brightened in understanding. “Another bond?”

   “You were just bitten last night,” Tim warned softly. “So I need to know, honestly, if you’re up for it.”

   Damian considered for a moment before nodding, determined. “I can do it. I… I will be rendered helpless, however.”

   “Dick will protect you,” Tim reassured firmly. “We’ll protect you, too, me an’ Jason. Do you think Jason would let any pack-member get hurt under his watch?”

   Damian looked Tim up & down, judging. “Well… you have been rather safe & healthy under his care.”

   “Exactly.” Tim gave him a little nudge. “Go get him.”

************

   Jason cracked one eye open when he felt movement. Damian crawled towards him over the bed, his gaze zeroed in on Dick. When he caught Jason watching, he froze, trepidation spiking in his vulnerable scent.

   Jason rumbled very quietly, closing his eye again, and projected safe-protect-accept.

   Damian crawled closer. “Grayson?”

   Dick shifted a little, and Jason pushed, rolling him over before curling up at his back. His only role here was to protect, and he was doing that just fine. He could doze in the meantime.

   Tim gently tugged on their bond again, fond, even though he stayed near the edge of the room. Jason’s rumbling strengthened in answer.

   Distantly, the sleepy alpha heard Damian asking to be claimed as pack; a bond he & Dick had never shared before. Dick mumbled protests for about two minutes.

   Jason cracked one eye open again, growling. “Just do it, Bluebird.”

   Damian presented his shoulder, trembling but impatient. Dick, however, didn’t bite anywhere near the pup’s scars; the multiple claims of multiple alphas. He gently bit further out, closer to Damian’s shoulder. The place for packmates. Brothers.

   Jason closed his eye, satisfied as he felt Dick’s bond strengthen & brighten in his chest. Damian tumbled into Dick’s arms, rumbling like a little tank-engine, and Dick curled around him with the faintest scent of protect-brother-mine.

   Jason gave it about five minutes before double-checking. Dick’s skin was regaining a bit of color, and though silent tears seeped from his closed eyes, he looked more peaceful than he had all night. Damian was pretty far gone in his arms, a little rumbling ball of warmth pressed close to Dick’s chest.

   Jason rolled off of the bed, stretching with a groan, and bumbled over to Tim, ruffling his hair in greeting. “Thanks.”

   Tim pushed his hand away, shoving him back towards his own room. “You need rest.”

   “You need to eat.”

   Tim chuffed insistently, and Jason couldn’t help the smile. He wasn’t a pup, so that wouldn’t work on him. Still… After a long night of trying to regulate lonely-sad-alone scents, the omega smelled really good. Like… home.

   Jason didn’t really protest too much as he was bundled into their comfy nest & tucked in. Tim cuddled close in his arms, whispering, “Just a nap, Jay,” before liberally scenting him.

   Jason barely managed to whisper a thick “Thank you” before drifting off in comforting warmth.

Chapter Text

   Red took careful stock of his injuries. A broken ankle. Burns from a cigarette on his neck. A few cracked ribs. A sluggishly bleeding bullet-wound in his forearm. Bruises pretty much everywhere else.

   It was possible that Red Robin had seriously underestimated this new gang, and, for going on a stakeout alone, was now paying the price.

   “It’s the client,” one of the guards muttered, poking his head in to talk to Red’s interrogator. “She wants to see the goods before deciding.”

   “Cheapskate,” the man responded, flicking his cigarette at Red’s masked face before following the guard out of the room. “Don’t you go anywhere, now. You’re gonna fetch a hefty price in just a few minutes, and I’ll be a little annoyed if you ruin that.”

   Red Robin almost laughed. Ruin his sale? Right. He definitely wouldn’t wanna do that.

   Luckily, he’d activated his panic-button right before falling into the trap. It was a waiting game now. Surely his pack would be here soon to get him out. Batman would come at the very least. Right?

   Unfortunately, he was running out of time. He could smell more alphas down the hall, a few betas, and a strong undercurrent of lust. Not uncommon in these parts; criminals hung with the worst of the worst. It was just… never this close.

   Red Robin tugged at his chains, wishing once more that they hadn’t drugged him. He was an escape-artist; one of the best. They’d hit him good or he would have been out of here already.

   The door opened once more, and he instantly squashed a thrill of fear. A lady in an overcoat stepped in, complete with an old-fashioned cigar.

   Alpha, his brain pinged him. Lust-cruelty-bad-alpha-danger.

   “The party’s all here,” he said aloud, his tone relaxed & bored. It was always worse to stay silent.

   “You weren’t lying,” the woman sniffed, waving her cigar through the air. “Assuming this is the true Red Robin.”

   “We can’t get his gear off,” the boss-man reasoned, grinning cruelly. “Only the Bats have that kind of tech, though I’m told you can get around it.”

   “Oh, I think I’ll manage,” the woman preened, approaching Red & bending to examine his face. Her breath stank of smoke & fancy wine. “My specialty, you see, is making them want it.”

   Red Robin kept his scent neutral. Torture hadn’t gotten it out of him, and neither would empty threats. If they knew he was an omega… the most emotionally appealing dynamic… it would be far easier for them to mess with his head.

   And he’d sooner die than spill any secrets he’d sworn to protect.

   “Hm.” The woman straightened. “I’ll take him.”

   Red suddenly stiffened, a new scent catching his attention. It was faint, and it didn’t help that he could barely feel his bonds through the drugs, but…

   There it was again. Closer.

   “What is that?” one of the guards asked, interrupting the negotiations.

   “I smell it, too,” another one muttered.

   Red slowly grinned. “Sorry.”

   All eyes turned to his beaten bloodied frame, and the air thickened with the tension of an unasked question.

   “My Pack Alpha,” Red murmured softly, almost apologetic. “He’s coming.”

   The woman laughed, barely amused. “Oh, darling pup---”

   Gunshots.

   The guards edged away from the door, apprehensive. It wasn’t just the noises. It was the smell. The closer it got, the stronger it became, steadily flooding the room. Alpha-mine-protect-avenge-kill-feral.

   Ohhhhhhhhhhh.

   “What?” the woman snapped as Red’s grin widened.

   “He’s in rut,” was the murmured reply.

   The door crashed open the very next second, and all hell broke loose. Red briefly lost consciousness from the noise alone, overwhelmed by all the clashing scents. He didn’t hear gunshots, though. He heard the crackle of electricity.

   What---

   A wordless rumble filled the room, and Red looked up. Everyone was on the ground, bleeding & broken. His rescuer---

   He jerked back. Protect-danger-feral assaulted his nose. He was… He thought his alpha… but this… This wasn’t Jason. This was Dick, blood dripping from his escrima sticks & a snarl on his face. He was in rut.

   Red instantly whimpered, old memories overlapping the present. A phantom bite… Nightwing taking off his chains… the crushing sense of failure… the gang-members on the floor…

   Nightwing was kneeling at his feet, his escrima discarded. His palms were turned up and his throat was bared and besides his breathing, he was still.

   Red blinked rapidly, shifting. He was free. The danger was gone. Nightwing hadn’t even touched him.

   Nightwing was rutting. Nightwing was submitting at Red Robin’s feet.

   “What the hell,” Red muttered shakily. Protect-attack-feral-alpha-mine still swirled around the room, but the alpha wasn’t moving.

   “Omega,” Nightwing rumbled respectfully, his accent thick as he struggled to speak through his instincts. That was it. No request to help; no explanation. Just a simple acknowledgment of Tim’s authority. And his scent…

   Oh. Nightwing was in sympathy-rut.

   Red felt himself fading, and he blinked. “Take… Take me to my alpha. Please.”

   Nightwing stood in one fluid sweep, gently pressing himself to Red’s least-injured side. He supported the omega’s weight easily, moving at a slow pace out of the room & down the hall. His movements were so gentle---

   And then between one blink & the next, there was that smell again. PROTECT-AVENGE-ALPHA-FERAL-RUT-MINE. Red’s knees almost buckled because he knew that scent. A weak keen escaped his throat.

   The gunshots stopped, as did the yelling. A moment later, the scent engulfed Red with a pair of strong arms. FURY-PROTECT-FERAL-MINE-MINE-MINE.

   Red Robin huffed a painful sigh, relaxing. The scents were dangerous, but they surrounded him like a bubble. He was safe; the eye of the storm. Nothing could touch him here.

   “Pup,” Hood rumbled deeply before Red lost the battle to sleep.

Chapter Text

   Tim woke up in pain. He whimpered, shifting. That only made the pain worse.

   “Pup,” someone said urgently, and then an overwhelming rut scent was washing over him, engulfing the air with safe-pup-protect-stay-away-MINE. Someone semi-aggressively nuzzled his hair, spreading the scent on his head, his neck, his collarbone, and his wrists until all of his main scent-glands were thoroughly covered by mine-possessive-safe.

   Alpha, Tim’s tired brain reminded him, and he sighed. The scent was incredibly strong; the same instincts telling Jason to protect with a vengeance were telling Tim to relax, drawing him down into heavy pup-submission.

   “Mine,” Jason rumbled stubbornly, curling Tim close without aggravating any of his wounds.

   “Mhm,” Tim breathed sleepily, pressing his nose to Jason’s shoulder near his scent-gland. A weak purr vibrated in his throat. He was safe.

************

   The next time Tim woke up, daylight was streaming into the room, and the pack puppy was curled up near his stomach. Scents of the Alpha Second were light in the air, and scents of the Alpha were prominent, but muted. Jason wasn’t there.

   Tim couldn’t stop the anxious whimper. He was injured and confused and scared. This was wrong.

   The young alpha pup instantly uncurled, crawling close & scenting Tim’s collarbone with intense concentration. Worried-determined-protect-brother-mine. Tim’s heartbeat slowly calmed, and the tension uncoiled from his spine.

   “Do not be scared, Omega,” Damian rumbled quietly, tucking himself to Tim’s bandaged chest & rubbing his scent under Tim’s chin. “Our Alpha Second has finally coaxed Alpha to go shower & eat. It has been too long, and his rut will continue in an unhealthy manner if he does not take care of himself.”

   “Sorry,” Tim whispered hoarsely, well aware that it was his job Dick was taking.

   “Do not be sorry,” Damian ordered instantly, ferocity spiking in his scent. “You were outnumbered & without backup, and while that was a stupid situation to be in in the first place, you could not have helped yourself once drugged as you were. We are more than capable of picking up your duties until you are well.”

   “Okay,” Tim breathed sleepily, burying his nose in bristly black hair. Damian, though a pup, did have the command of an alpha, and Tim was too tired to put up a fight. If Damian said it was okay, than it was.

************

   When Tim woke up for the third time, he was hungry. His alpha was still gone, his pup was gone, and the room was dark. A soft keen for pack escaped him. His skin was cold. He was still recovering. This was wrong.

   “Hey,” someone rumbled softly. Oh. Dick. A steady wave of alpha-nervous-protect washed into the room. It was a weak alpha scent. There was no way it would keep Tim safe.

   The omega whimpered again, tugging on his bond with Jason. Jason’s end flared in response, alarm & anxiety, but the alpha did not come.

   “Jason had to help B with Scarecrow,” Dick murmured softly, apologetic. He approached the nest, sitting on the very edge. “I… I got injured, rescuing you. They wouldn’t let me go.”

   Tim turned his face into his pillow, trying to breathe. It smelled kind of like Jason.

   “I can protect you,” Dick promised firmly, a wash of determination enveloping his scent. Tim’s instincts began evaluating the atmosphere without his permission. He knew what this was. A determination to prove oneself. Dick was offering a bond; an unbreakable tie that would ensure, above all else, that he would protect Tim.

   Or forever endanger him.

   Tim whimpered softly, and Dick made a soothing rumble in response, pushing his scent out. Protect-determined-soothe-brother-mine.

   Tim rolled away from his pillow, gasping when his ribs spiked with pain, and chirped. Dick slowly crawled into the nest, lying down with careful movements. He didn’t reach for Tim. He only held up one wrist; a respectful offer of comfort.

   Tim curled a little closer, putting his nose near Dick’s wrist & breathing in his scent. His heartbeat calmed. Dick wouldn’t hurt him. He only wanted to protect.

   Teeth and anger and disappointment.

   “Sorry,” Tim whispered thickly, pulling back with tears in his eyes. “I can’t yet. I can’t.”

   “Okay,” Dick breathed quietly. He reached out very slowly, scenting Tim’s neck in reassurance. And then he leaned back, rolled up, and left the nest. He stood near the door. Kept his space. Guarded the den. Sad-determined-brother-safe-protect.

   Tim curled up in his empty nest, sad, but soothed. How was it possible to be so weak but so respected at the same time? And, still, he was safe.

   Food was on the way, but Tim was so tired. He slept.

************

   Tim woke up again when Jason returned because the alpha was practically vibrating with PROTECT-PUP-MINE. He had all of one second to be afraid before the scent washed over him, followed by large arms & a hulking shadow.

   “Pup,” Jason rumbled possessively, gently pulling Tim into his lap. “Were you good for Dickie?”

   “Mhm,” Tim hummed happily, dropping quickly into pup-submission. He tilted his head back, allowing his alpha better access to scent him. Feeling so safe was bliss.

   “Was Dickie good for you?” Jason checked softly, stroking through Tim’s hair once he was done aggressively scenting him. The smell of rut still lingered in the room, but it was dulled now by paternal-keep-safe.

   “Yea,” Tim whispered absently, barely able to hold his eyes open. He pressed his nose to Jason’s collarbone. “Wants t’ be pack.”

   “He is pack.”

   “My pack.”

   “That’s up to you.”

   “He w’s so nice.”

   “I’m sure he was, pup.” Jason twirled Tim’s hair between his fingers. “You’re being so good for me, omega. Even though I left you.”

   “Always come back,” Tim pointed out, muffled.

   “Of course I will.” Jason rubbed Tim’s nape. “May I?”

   Tim instantly nodded, and Jason firmly scruffed him. The omega went completely limp, submit-safe-happy-safe-loved flooding his sleepy scent.

   Jason rumbled deeply, pleased, and gently rocked Tim as the omega purred contentedly. No one else entered the room. Everything was sleepy and quiet and safe.

   Just as it should be.

Chapter Text

   Tim woke up feeling safe. He turned over, burying himself further into the warmth. The pain of his ribs was a distant thing.

   The warmth rumbled, and a gentle hand stroked up & down Tim’s back, covering him in alpha-protect-secure-love-mine. “Good sleep then, pup?”

   Tim mumbled incoherently in response, nosing around until he found Jason’s collarbone. Alpha-warm-safe-protect-mine. He sighed contentedly, going boneless.

   Jason chuckled softly, moving his hand up to rub a thumb over Tim’s nape. “I should scruff you more often. You don’t sleep enough.”

   “Nooooooo,” Tim whined sleepily. “Alpha cuddles now; lecture later.”

   Jason slid his arms under Tim’s body, lifting him from the bed. “You actually need food, puppy. You’ve barely eaten since we rescued you, and that was three days ago.”

   Tim whined again in protest, but Jason nipped at his shoulder, so he fell quiet. This was nice, anyway. Jason ran warm, and his scent-glands were all uncovered, wrapping Tim in a bubble of protective pheromones. No one would dare hurt him here.

   “Is he well?” Damian’s voice demanded as they took the stairs.

   “He’s much better,” Jason rumbled happily. “The purring acts as a pain-reliever & semi-healer, so as long as we keep him happy, he’ll be okay.”

   “Right,” Damian said firmly, as if he’d just been given a mission of the highest priority. He scrambled up onto a bar-stool next to Tim’s, reaching out to rub his scent over the omega’s exposed collarbone. Tim hummed sleepily, allowing this. The pup was anxious to help, and his scent was soothing, but not in the way he probably meant it to be. It quieted Tim’s insecurities to have the pack’s youngest near at hand.

   Jason bustled around preparing breakfast, but abruptly paused when Dick entered the room. Even Damian froze. The smaller alpha smelled… off. Jason’s rut was over by now, giving way to his usual possessive alpha pheromones, but Dick’s sympathy-rut still appeared to be in full swing. His normal scent of protect-warm-affection mixed weirdly with avenge-claim-possessive-jealous-mine.

   Dick glanced around, then smiled when he saw Tim. “Omega.”

   Tim blinked a few times. The smile clashed sharply with the spike of claim-aggressive-mine that entered Dick’s scent. “Alpha.”

   Dick’s smile brightened, and he walked closer, offering a wrist. “May I?”

   This was weird. The actions were normal; the words were par for the course, but the atmosphere was wrong. Tim hesitated for a moment, but he sensed Jason’s intense staring & calm pheromones, and Damian was watching alertly at his back. If anything was truly wrong, surely they’d catch it before he did. “Sure.”

   Dick walked only close enough to reach Tim, gently dragging his wrist down Tim’s shoulder & across one of his collarbones. It wasn’t a true scenting, but it did add to the pack scent, which was the point. The alpha immediately backed off after that, retreating back to a respectful distance as he quietly inquired after breakfast.

   Tim barely heard Jason’s rumbling answer, lost in thought.

************

   “What’s wrong with you?” Tim couldn’t help asking when Dick passed the living-room for the ninth time that day, stopped to sniff the air, then continued on his way.

   The alpha stopped in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder with a rueful grin. “Sorry.”

   “No, it’s just…” Tim waved a hand helplessly. “You’re feeling protective; I get it. You’re just being weird about it.”

   Dick shoved his hands into his pockets. “I just want to respect your space.”

   And Tim… Tim didn’t really have anything to say to that. Because he had set boundaries, and Dick was respecting them, wasn’t he?

************

   As the week inched on, it became increasingly clear that something really was wrong with Dick. His mixed rut smell stretched on far longer than it should have, gaining a sour edge, and his movements became sharper. He rarely neared the den anymore, and he didn’t offer to scent Tim after the once. Whenever he did happen to stalk past, his eyes looked dark & his walk was agitated. He didn’t act like himself at all.

   Unfortunately, this was also affecting the rest of the pack. Jason didn’t sleep well, sitting up instead to guard over Tim’s nest or anxiously pacing the room. He almost never went out to find Dick, but he did try to order the other alpha to go take a nap. Dick only snapped at him before going on his way.

   Damian was affected far worse. He woke up at the most random of times, whimpering from a nightmare, and it was all Tim could do to calm him down. During the day, the pup stuck dutifully by Tim’s side, but he flinched at nothing & was often caught looking longingly at the door.

   Tim realized almost too late that something was tearing his pack apart.

************

   “What’s wrong with Dick?” Tim whispered in the darkness, knowing Damian was asleep but Jason wasn’t.

   The alpha shifted in his position at the end of the bed, sitting up a little straighter. “I don’t know. He’s… unstable.” A heavy hand rested on Tim’s ankle. “My priority right now is you.”

   A warm feeling curled in Tim’s gut, but it wasn’t enough to dispel the knot of anxiety. Damian whimpered in his sleep, and Tim coasted gentle fingers through his hair, dragging his omega scent over the pup’s head to calm him down. The boy curled closer, subsiding.

   Jason heaved a sigh. “His rut hasn’t ended.”

   Tim looked up, trying to make out the details in the shadowy form of his brother. “That’s… bad… right?”

   “Yeah.” Jason ran a hand through his hair. “I’m surprised he hasn’t gone feral.”

   Tim’s nostrils flared as he remembered picking up Dick’s scent earlier in the day. “He almost is.”

   Jason leaned over, placing his head in his hands. “I don’t… I don’t know what to do.”

   That was the kicker; what drove reality home in Tim’s thoughts. Something bad was happening & his alpha didn’t know what to do. Jason was lost. He was scared.

   “This is my fault,” Tim slowly realized. He looked down at Damian, suddenly nauseous. “My boundaries are making him sick somehow.”

   “That’s not negotiable. Your boundaries should be respected, and he’s respecting them.”

   “But at what cost? His mental health?”

   “It’s your mental health you’re protecting in the first place,” Jason reminded quietly. “He hurt you.”

   Tim felt his eyes burn. “He’s more than earned his place in my pack. I’ve just been too caught up in the past to see it.”

   Jason said nothing, not even to dispute ownership of the pack. He’d given temporary power to Tim, after all. He’d handed over his authority for this issue knowing that Tim would pick the best route; make the best choice.

   A lot of good that did.

   “Hey,” Jason suddenly crooned, drawing closer. “Hey, pup, don’t cry. It’s gonna be okay; he’ll be alright.”

   “I just…” Tim scrubbed furiously at his eyes, stopping when Jason tugged his wrist down to scent it with his own. “I’m supposed to be helping this pack, not tearing it apart. I want Dick here, but something’s stopping me. I don’t know him anymore.”

   “Then get to know him,” Jason said quietly, rubbing his wrist over Tim’s cheek now to spread alpha-secure-protect. He said it so casually, like it was that simple.

   … Maybe it was.

************

   It would have taken Tim a long time to track his oldest brother down under normal circumstances. Dick didn’t usually hide in the east library. As it was, following the souring smell of possessive-claim-protect-upset-mine took about five minutes.

   He paused just outside of the door. Maybe he should have told Jason where he was going. Or Damian.

   Chill, he told himself. This is your BROTHER, not some villain.

   His instincts didn’t really appreciate the significance of that difference. Maybe it wasn’t much of a difference at all.

   He hasn’t done anything, Tim reminded himself, slipping into the library. Yet.

   Dick was pacing behind the couch, his movements almost erratic as he spun, walked, and spun again. The scent he gave off was much stronger in here, and Tim nearly gagged. He… might have miscalculated.

   Dick froze in his tracks, nostrils flaring, and stared Tim down. Something in his eyes was wild. Uncontrollable.

   Tim tugged urgently on his bond with Jason, and Jason’s emotions flared in alarm. He would come.

   After several tense moments, Dick’s shoulders went back, and he relaxed off of the balls of his feet, no longer poised to rush forward. He looked… guilty? His hands clasped behind his back, and his expression shuttered. It was hard to read his body-language now. “Omega.”

   Tim swallowed nervously, projecting confident-safe-calm into his scent. “Alpha. You’re not well.”

   Unexpectedly, Dick’s lip curled in a snarl. “You should leave.”

   Tim crossed his arms, glaring. “No.”

   Dick snapped the air, impatience-desperate-feral spiking in his scent.

   Jason slid in behind Tim, barely winded. His presence gave Tim enough courage to snap back, a low puppy growl vibrating in his throat.

   Dick backed off a touch, surprised. “What are you---”

   “Submit,” Tim ordered firmly, putting more force into his glare.

   Dick began to snarl again, his scent edging into fully-feral. They were running out of time.

   Tim snapped once more, keeping his teeth bared, and uncrossed his arms to make himself look bigger. “Submit!!!”

   Dick stepped back, then dropped to one knee, grunting. His instincts were waging a fierce battle in his body, and it showed. The clashing smells of submit-claim-dominate-aggressive-alpha were almost cloying.

   Tim walked forward with measured steps, keeping his scent calm. “I’m going to claim you, Dick. I want you in my pack.”

   Dick looked up, and his dark eyes suddenly looked so human, so pleading and desperate and hopeful all at once. Then they darkened again, and he lowered his head into his hands, gasping. “I can’t… I’m… I’m not…”

   Jason moved around them to stand behind Dick, poised. “He’s almost gone, Tim.”

   Tim nodded silently, taking the warning for what it was. “Hold him.”

   Dick’s head snapped up. “No, I want it, I do!!! I won’t struggle, I…”

   Tim held his hands up, pacifying. “Can you honestly say you won’t lunge in a fit of desperation? What about accidentally hurting me when you feel the bite?”

   Dick lowered his head again, subdued. He was trembling, Tim realized.

   Jason knelt down, gently looping his arms under Dick’s, then clasping his hands behind Dick’s head, forcing the smaller alpha to keep his gaze on the ground. “Easy,” he murmured when the man began to struggle. He adjusted his grip to be gentler, less constricting, and rubbed his scent on his big brother’s neck. “Steady, Dick, steady. It’s just in case. I won’t hurt you.”

   Tim knelt as well, waiting. He knew how hard this was. It was almost impossible for any alpha, let alone a feral alpha, to submit to a wounded omega for a claim. It didn’t usually work like that. To submit so much power was to make yourself painfully vulnerable, and Dick, already feeling so alone, would hate that.

   The alpha finally sat still, panting. His hands trembled, and he grabbed Jason’s arms for something to hold onto. His scent roiled with aggressive-pained-feral-desperate-fear.

   Tim patiently waited.

   After an agonizing wait, Dick shuddered, forcing himself to relax. His head dipped lower, and a reverent whisper escaped him. “Omega.”

   Tim leaned closer & offered a praising croon. He had to play this right. If Dick’s feral instincts took over for even a second, the claim could be ruined.

   Dick’s shoulders dropped when he heard the sound, as if relieved. He barely twitched when Tim took his left hand & rubbed the wrist against his cheek, lightly scenting him. It was meant to calm, and it looked like it worked. Jason’s restrictive hold combined with Tim’s omega scent coaxed Dick’s guard down.

   Tim leaned closer, testing, and rested his nose on Dick’s shoulder. Dick twitched again, but his head was blocked by Jason’s arms, so he couldn’t move far. A weak keen escaped him. A call to be claimed.

   It was now or never, so Tim shoved all thoughts aside, tugged down the shoulder of Dick’s shirt, and gave a quick sharp bite.

   Dick, predictably, began to struggle. Jason cursed quietly as he held him in place. Tim barely noticed the interaction, because a new bond was springing to life in his chest & it felt right.

   He did notice when Dick went limp like a puppet with cut strings.

   “Shit,” Jason murmured quietly, unwinding his hold to cradle Dick back against his chest. The smaller alpha was flushed & feverish, and his lidded eyes roamed dizzily around the room. “What’s wrong with him?”

   “I believe it may be a type of shock,” Alfred’s voice offered calmly, followed by a soothing beta scent. Tim looked up to see him standing in the doorway, a sad smile on his face. “Master Dick has not had an omega’s bond since his mother’s death, I believe. You learn to live without such things given time, but finally gaining an omega packmate is likely sending his system into overwhelmed hysteria.”

   Tim stood up, fear leaking into his scent. His instincts were roaring at him to finish the job, to solidify the claim with scenting and cuddling and nesting, but knowing that his brother was in danger pushed all of that to the side. “What do we do?”

   “You finish your claim, Master Tim,” Alfred soothed quietly, as if reading the young man’s mind. “You cover him with pack scents & stay with him while his body rides it out. A rut, going feral, and submitting to a long-awaited claim is a lot to handle. Do not let him handle it alone.”

************

   It wasn’t hard for Jason to carry Dick, who was burning up by now, and manhandle him into Tim’s nest. His worry gave him strength, and Dick had definitely lost weight. It was a mildly concerning thought.

   The upside to all of this was getting to watch Tim’s extreme bossiness. The omega walked around the nest at least six times, prodding a pillow here, fussing with a blanket there, and generally fixing up what was already perfect. Only when Dick gave a low needy whine did Tim scramble into the nest, flopping onto his big brother’s chest. He nuzzled aggressively under Dick’s chin & over his collarbones, then used his wrists to rub Dick’s other scent-glands, covering the smell of weak-feral-alpha with omega-safe-dominate-possessive-MINE.

   Dick went utterly limp, rumbling weakly as Tim settled down on his chest. The omega pressed his face to Dick’s neck, continuing to scent him, and gently kneaded Dick’s shoulders as a purr like a tank-engine vibrated in his chest.

   The kid really was a cat, honestly.

   “What has happened?” Damian whispered shrilly, rushing into the room & coming up short at Jason’s side. “What did you do to him?”

   “He’s been claimed,” Jason explained calmly, ruffling the kid’s hair to both mess it up & spread his protective alpha scent. “He’s also going into shock, so Tim’s finishing the claim & giving him a safe space to wait it out.”

   Damian looked up, scowling to cover up his obvious worry. “Would pack cuddles help?”

   Jason gave the pup a shove, grinning. “Go right ahead.”

   Damian clambered quickly into the nest, plastering himself to Dick’s side without dislodging the possessive omega on top. Dick sighed contentedly, utterly limp. His hair was damp with the fever that had taken over his system so fast, but his face was peaceful, and his body was relaxed. It probably had a lot to do with the omega aggressively scenting his neck.

   Jason perched on the edge of the nest facing the door, allowing his protective scent to balloon into the room. He would stand watch while his Alpha Second rested and his omega finished a fierce claim and his youngest pup fell asleep. It was his job, after all.

************

   Bruce barely made it up to the second floor before his faithful beta blocked his path.

   “Alfred---” he tried desperately.

   “Master Bruce,” the elder answered, sure & steady. “Why don’t you help me make some tea?”

   “Dick is hurt,” Bruce argued quietly, rigid. “I’ve stayed away through losing Damian to Jason, Tim getting injured, and Dick going feral; now this? What’s wrong with him? I need to help, I---”

   “You, Master Bruce,” Alfred cut in quietly. “are the most self-controlled alpha I have ever had the fortune to meet.”

   Bruce’s brain stopped in its tracks, reeling for a moment at the praise. Which was of course the point. “So?”

   “You have held your peace & kept your space while your sons establish a new pack, and I admire you for it,” Alfred soothed lowly, placing a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “I can assure you that the boys are all safe, and, if tonight goes well, they will finally unite under Master Jason’s leadership as one. Leave them be for a little while longer. You wouldn’t want to damage so much progress when they are so close to being whole.”

   Bruce finally deflated, allowing Alfred to steer him back towards the kitchen. “No… of course not.”

   “Be at peace, Master Bruce.” Alfred scented his shoulder before retrieving some mugs. “You will be able to prove your care soon enough.”

   Bruce helped to prepare six cups of tea, silent. Waiting was getting rather difficult. He wanted his sons back.

Chapter Text

   Dick woke up feeling safe. He wasn’t used to that feeling. It made tears pool under his closed lids & trickle down his face.

   “Oh my gosh---” Someone shifted on top of him. “What did you do to him?!”

   “I didn’t do anything!!!” a younger voice replied scathingly. “Maybe Todd---”

   “Wanna try that again?” a deeper voice growled from further away.

   “Guys, shut up; gotta fix this,” the first voice snapped quietly, and a wrist was held to Dick’s nose. He took a deep breath, nostrils flaring, and couldn’t suppress a whimper when he smelled omega-protect-soothe-warm-mine.

   The voice hushed him, and his hair was nuzzled, spreading that delicious scent further. Actually, now he could smell it everywhere. He was covered in it, wrapped in protective-possessive-pup and omega-gentle-safe and calm-confident-alpha.

   The omega settled back on top of him, nudging up under his chin, and began purring. The sound was gentle to his ears, and it vibrated soothingly through his chest, triggering every instinct he had to slip into safe-relax-submit. Nothing signaled more safety than an omega’s purr.

   “Dick?” Jason’s voice came closer, and a calloused thumb brushed over his face, wiping his tears away. “What is it?”

   Dick, lost to the bliss, released a quiet keen. He hoped his content-overwhelmed-joyful scent said enough, because he didn’t have the words. He was so happy.

   His pup snuggled to his side, petting his wrist with gentle little fingers, and his alpha’s hand settled in his hair, slowly stroking. His omega continued to purr on his chest, causing his brain to produce melatonin & serotonin at an exponential rate. It… It felt… amazing.

   Dick allowed himself to drift.

************

   Tim spent the better part of three days nursing Dick’s hormonal imbalance back to health. Sure, he was a little aggressive about it, but the alpha humbly submitted to every care, looking surprised each time he received a new scenting. It was kinda heartbreaking, but Tim had no one to blame, not even himself. Nothing was black & white anymore.

   “Water under the bridge,” Jason told him firmly when Tim expressed his doubt. “Everyone’s been hurting for a long time, kiddo. What matters now is that we heal & move on. Together.”

   Well, Tim could do that, now that he had a stable pack to support him. So he scented Dick and massaged his aching muscles when he slept too stiff and made sure he ate more than his fill, because Dick had lost weight, dangit, and Tim remembered how debilitating that had felt once upon a time.

   Surprisingly, it was Damian who soothed best when any of them woke from a nightmare. He curled close, rumbling & warm, and offered his protective puppy scent & his comfortable cuddles. It didn’t matter that he scowled at them. They all understood.

   As soon as Dick could properly function again, Tim ordered everyone to ditch the scent-patches when not on patrol, and Jason actually agreed. Their protective scents slowly filled the house, creating safe spaces in the rooms they most frequented. Tim was healing quickly with his alpha’s care, so he took extra time to make his pup & his oldest brother feel wanted. (It’s what he used to wish for, after all. Having the power to give that to others? It felt amazing, and once he started, Tim never wanted to stop.)

   Of course the next week did come with some… unforeseen changes. Damian entered a growth-spurt, and was nearing the time he would have presented had he not been forced to at the early age of four. He was getting grumpier, though, and his scent was maturing. He fought much harder during workouts & patrol, but he napped every hour if you just stuck him in a patch of sunlight, and Jason took full advantage of this to quell the pup’s moods. Thankfully, he’d claimed the current responsibility of the hurricane that was Damian, leaving Tim with Dick.

   That was an odd change, too, because though Tim knew so much about Dick, they’d never been bonded before. The alpha was a strange mix of overprotective & needy, growling when Tim so much as released a hint of sadness, but whining softly when he himself went too long without being touched.

   The omega could work with that… It wasn’t hard to figure his brother out once Tim’s heart was open to try. He scented Dick every time they crossed paths, sometimes only stroking briefly through his hair, but it always elicited a pleased rumble. When they went out on patrol, in pairs now because of the pack’s still-settling changes, he made an effort every few minutes to rest a hand on Dick’s shoulder or gently flick his ear or lean against his side. He found that the more casual touches he bestowed, the healthier Dick’s scent & moods grew.

   “It’s weird, Jay,” Tim muttered thoughtfully one morning, trying hard to reach the cereal on the top shelf in the kitchen. “It’s like, every time I touch him he gets stronger.”

      Jason leaned against the counter, an eyebrow disappearing into his bed-head. “Need some help?”

   Tim subsided with a frustrated whine, pointing to his feet. “Get over here.”

   Jason sauntered closer, smirking, but Tim didn’t give him a chance to reach up himself. He hopped onto his brother’s back, scaling him like a tree, and stood on his shoulders to get the cereal down. Jason, to his credit, stood rock-steady as soon as he realized he was being used as a step-ladder.

   “I’m not complaining,” Tim continued casually, dropping back to the floor with a quick nuzzle under Jason’s chin as thanks. “I’m just not used to it. Not being the needy one.”

   Jason rested his elbows on the counter, making a face when Tim poured the milk first. “Haven’t you heard, baby bird? Dick subsists off of physical touch alone. He’ll starve without it.”

   “Ha ha ha,” Tim muttered sarcastically, turning around to put the milk in the fridge & coming up short when Dick appeared right there. “Shit---”

   Dick backed off a few steps, his expectant scent souring with trepidation. “Sorry--- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean---”

   Tim couldn’t help breathing a laugh, setting down the milk. “Don’t creep like that, you big goof; you scared me. C’mere.”

   Dick’s expression perked, and he hurried forward, gathering Tim eagerly into his arms. Tim scented his collarbones & under his chin, then his back, beginning to purr. He’d never get used to Dick following him around like a puppy for a spare scrap of affection. It was kinda sad, but it was also really sweet, and it wouldn’t last. He’d enjoy it while he could.

   Jason snorted behind him, and the tell-tale clink of a spoon told Tim he was stealing his cereal. “You guys are saps.”

   Tim wriggled around to offer a dispassionate glare. “Wow, it’s like you don’t wanna be a part of the nest tonight.”

   Jason’s smile immediately disappeared. “I didn’t say that. Did I say that?”

   “Todd!!!” Damian declared impatiently, marching into the room with a sharp weapon in hand. “I demand to know what you did with my other katana!!!”

   “I didn’t touch it, baby bat,” Jason drawled calmly, unfazed by the sword waving dangerously near his head.

   Damian stomped his foot, and Tim muffled a snicker into Dick’s shoulder. “Then who did?!”

   “I dunno.” Jason stooped over, cereal abandoned, and picked Damian up like a toddler. “Where did you last leave it?”

   The pup struggled, furious. “Put me down!!!”

   Jason moved to the sun streaming in through a window, humming calmly. His utter chill was even having an effect on Dick, who dropped his chin onto Tim’s head, eyelids lowered.

   The upset pup filled the air with petulant whines. “I can’t remember.”

   Jason held Damian securely against his chest, rubbing the pup’s nape with one hand to trigger light submission. “Do you remember practicing with them yesterday?”

   Damian whimpered impatiently, dropping his head onto his alpha’s shoulder. “Yes.”

   “Do you remember putting them away?”

   “No.”

   “Riiiiiiiiiight… That alarm went off right after you trained. So maybe it’s just behind something near the training-simulator, huh?” Jason’s hand slowly closed on Damian’s nape, triggering full submission. The pup whined in protest, but they all knew he could have escaped if he’d really wanted to.

   “I’ll help you look later, bud,” Jason murmured softly, swaying side to side in the sunlight as the grumpy pup dropped off against his shoulder. It was only took seconds for Damian to succumb to sleep.

   “Wow,” Tim muttered approvingly.

   Jason threw them a smirk. “I’m the pup-whisperer.”

   “Yeah,” Dick chuckled softly, burying his nose into Tim’s hair. “You really are.”

   The omega hid a smile against his brother’s shoulder, allowing himself to relax. Things were still unsteady, still settling, but… they were good. It felt so right, now, to be here with his brothers; to claim them as his pack with himself, plain old him, at the heart of it.

   There had been a time, once, when Tim Drake was afraid.

   He wasn’t afraid anymore.

************

   The pack’s nightly nesting was probably Jason’s favorite result of the past chaotic months. It was beyond satisfying to come home after patrol, tired & sore, to a cozy nest that his omega happily maintained during the day. It had everyone’s scent in it; even clothing from Bruce & Alfred. And it was always full.

   Jason crept into his room before dawn, gently coaxed the already-sleeping pup to roll over, and tucked him up against the smaller alpha’s side. Dick’s arm curled sleepily around Damian’s back, preventing him from rolling towards the edge of the nest again in his dreams. Both of them smelled like sleepy-content-omega-protected-calm-warm-safe.

   Tim, who had had an earlier night than Jason because of his still-healing wounds, cracked one eye open from Dick’s other side to watch. Jason felt a surge of pride for this boy, this wonderful pup who had opened his heart to him and helped to build his pack and kept them smelling so happy & safe. He leaned over the nest, showing his appreciation with a fierce nuzzle under Tim’s chin.

   Tim’s eye slid closed, a soothed purr starting up in his chest. That was the best feeling ever; the best leap of joy Jason ever felt was when he caused his little brother to purr. He rumbled back, protective & calm, and climbed into the nest to settle at his pup’s side.

   Tim twisted sleepily, burrowing against Jason’s torso. “Y’re best alpha.”

   Jason rumbled louder, stroking through the pup’s hair. It wasn’t long before the omega relaxed once more into sleep.

   Trust that to be ruined by a new scent at the door.

   Jason growled at the darkness in warning. His pack was sleeping. What could possibly be more important?

   “It’s just me, Jaylad,” Bruce rumbled gently. His didn’t wear scent-blockers, so it was easy to smell nervous-soothe-protect-alpha-safe.

   Jason couldn’t help relaxing a little. He knew the man didn’t mean any harm. “Just… be quiet.”

   Bruce perched on the edge of the nest, gazing at Jason with eyes too full of kindness in the soft moonlight. “How’s your pack?”

   Jason glanced down, scanning over Damian’s curled bundle of limbs and Dick’s peaceful face and Tim’s slowly-breathing back. He couldn’t help a grin. Mine, his instincts rumbled, and that translated strongly into his scent. “They’re doing great.”

   “Being brought into one pack has been very good for them,” Bruce murmured with a smile. “I’m proud of you, Jason.”

   Jason looked up, blinking. “Why? I… I stole…”

   “You’ve done what I never could. You’ve united them with true bonds under true leadership. You’ve made them a real family.” Bruce’s scent was gently bittersweet, but his smile grew. “I’m beyond proud of you, son.”

   Jason’s throat closed up, and he tried to glare before his scent gave away his stupid emotions. “What do you want, old man?”

   Bruce raised his hands in supplication, calm respect entering his scent. “I only want to claim my sons again.”

   Jason’s eyes narrowed. “You wanna be a part of my pack? Under my leadership?”

   “Given some time, yes, but I’m not asking for that right now.” Bruce’s scent betrayed his utter sincerity. “I only want to be bonded as your father again. All of you.”

   Jason looked away, feeling both oddly honored & out of place, as if this wasn’t his gift to give. Maybe it wasn’t. “Bonds formed without a bite take time, Bruce.”

   “Do they?” Bruce questioned softly, and something tugged faintly at Jason’s emotions.

   Jason looked up, eyes wide. “We… we have a bond?”

   “A father can not so easily be kept from his children,” Bruce rumbled gently, resting a hand on Damian’s head. “I can feel the others, too, sometimes. The foundation is there, and I know they’ll trust me if you do. I only need your respect.”

   Jason fell silent for a moment, shocked. He noticed it now that he was paying attention; a thin connection between him & Bruce that had formed without his knowledge over the course of living, working, and training together. And now Bruce wanted… what? Not to take Jason’s pack away or challenge his leadership; not even to complain. He’d come to praise Jason & his pack-building skills. To ask a question. A very vulnerable question. May I bond, as a father, with my sons?

   The answer, when it came down to it, was surprisingly simple.

   “You have my respect,” Jason murmured hoarsely, looking once more at his sleeping pack. “They need you.” I need you, he didn’t say, knowing his hopeful scent said it all.

   Bruce rumbled deeply, pleased, and leaned over Damian. It only took a little nuzzling, a little scenting for Damian to stir, hug Bruce’s offered wrist, and sigh. By the relaxing of Bruce’s shoulders, Jason could tell that it was already done; a bond had been fully forged between sire & pup. Damian had always held a special regard for his true father; a willingness for connection. He always would.

   Dick was next, and that was almost simple, too. He woke up when Bruce nuzzled his hair; muttered, “B’rce?” with a confused head-tilt. He grasped the wrist his father dragged down his neck. “What…”

   “I’d like to be your father again, Dick,” Bruce murmured softly, cupping his eldest son’s face. “If you’ll have me.”

   Dick’s sleepy face fractured into a thousand emotions before settling on aching hopefulness. “Yeah… of course. You always were.”

   Bruce rumbled contentedly, nudging Dick’s head back to scent his neck & shoulder, and Dick slipped back to the edge of unconsciousness with a happy sigh.

   Tim… was harder. He was so wrapped up in Jason’s arms that the alpha felt a spike of possessiveness when Bruce turned his way. Surprisingly, the older alpha sat near Jason’s feet, patiently waiting.

   Jason nuzzled Tim’s hair for a moment, taking a deep breath of soothing sleepy omega scent. Then, knowing he’d only get more territorial the longer he hesitated, he brushed his little brother’s face. “Timmy.”

   Tim grumbled irritably, cracking one eye open. “Wh’t?”

   Jason smiled gently, tucking Tim’s hair behind his ear. “Bruce has something to say to you.”

   Tim blinked groggily, rubbing one eye as he pushed himself upright. “Oh… sorry… yeah?”

   Bruce smiled again, achingly gentle. “I’d like to be your father, Tim. Your true father, if you’ll have me… If it’s not too late.”

   Tim’s sleepy eyes widened, and he looked at Jason for confirmation. When Jason nodded, his gaze swung back to Bruce, and his scent flooded with nervous disbelief. “You… want me? As your son?”

   Bruce held his hands out; a quiet request. “Please.”

   Tim stared at the old alpha for a long time before a whimper escaped him. That was all the encouragement Bruce needed to cup both hands around the omega’s face, bending forward to nuzzle his hair. Then, ever so gently, he dragged his wrists over Tim’s neck, collarbones, shoulders, and hair. He ended with pressing their foreheads together, whispering words meant only for Tim’s ears, for Tim’s father-son bond.

   Jason looked away & tried not to feel jealous. Then Tim was sinking back into the nest, purring contentedly as he curled under Dick’s free arm, and Jason realized that it was his turn now. He suddenly wasn’t ready.

   “Jaylad,” Bruce said so softly, so tenderly that it made Jason’s chest ache. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to resist the overwhelming emotion, but then Bruce was rolling him over and pulling him up and holding him.

   Jason pressed his face against Bruce’s shoulder, a sob choking his throat. “All… All I ever wanted… I was just so angry all the time, I…”

   Bruce gently hushed him, scenting the back of his head & shoulders as their bond began to strengthen. “I know, Jaylad. I know.”

   Real tears were escaping Jason now, because the fully-formed bond between him & Bruce felt so steady and calm and safe, and all he’d wanted ever since crawling out of his grave with a broken bleeding body was to feel this safe.

   “Why do you even want me?” he whispered brokenly, clutching fistfuls of his father’s shirt as he was continually scented. “I stole your pack… I tried to kill you… Sure, I helped bring you back, but I… I was so mad…”

   “I know,” Bruce murmured again, sounding heartbroken. He pulled away, and Jason almost keened, but the older man cupped his face & stroked away his still-flowing tears. “You were never evil, Jason… You never truly wanted to hurt. You were just a pup without a home, without a father; of course you got angry. You were just hurting with no one to run to.”

   Jason couldn’t stop another whimper, his gaze blurring with fresh tears, but Bruce wiped away those tears and pressed a tender kiss to Jason’s head and tucked him close. And it felt… right. Like something Jason had been missing this whole time, had ignored out of hurt and anger and fear, was finally returned to him, making peace fully attainable. He felt whole; home; safe. His Alpha Second was here, balanced & calm, and his ferocious alpha pup would be entering maturity soon. His little brother, his sweet fierce precious omega was drawing them all together into one loving family, safe & content. And his father… The only man he’d ever truly thought of as “Dad”… finally held him close.

   Jason Todd was a fully-grown alpha, and this was his pack.