Archive of Our Own

Grace stared blankly at the laptop in front of her, fingers resting on the keyboard as her mind drifted away from the report that she should be working on.

No matter how many times she told herself to stop agonizing over it, her thoughts always wandered to the events of a few weeks ago if her focus slipped. She had a few quiet revelations when Leon was feral, but it all boiled down to one thing: she longed to officially be a part of his pack. To be his pup.

She couldn't deny the relief that she had felt when Leon's protective behavior enveloped her, creating a sense of safety that she hadn't felt since…since before Mom died. A twinge of guilt twisted in Grace's chest whenever she imagined Leon in her late mother's place. She always had to remind herself that she wasn't replacing her mom—at least, not intentionally—but rather she was…expanding her family? Could she say that, when she and Leon hadn't even properly discussed everything that happened?

Sure, they talked about it briefly once Leon's instincts settled down again, but…

Grace opened her eyes to the soft cushion of the nest under her cheek and the smell of breakfast in the air. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up and stretched, a little groan slipping past her lips as she urged herself to wake up.

When she crawled out of the nest and shuffled into the kitchen, she was met with the sight of Leon standing before the stove, flipping a few slices of bacon onto a plate from one pan and diligently scrambling some eggs in another. Grace quietly watched him work for a few minutes, afraid to break his peaceful concentration. (She also might've wanted to delay the inevitable awkward conversation they were about to have, but that was beside the point.)

She couldn't help but stare at the scarred network of tissue that crawled up his neck and snaked down his arms, wincing in sympathy at the reminder of the deadly virus that almost took his life. She was grateful that the cure actually worked, even if it did throw a little curveball a week later.

Granted, maybe that curveball was a blessing in disguise? Grace wasn't sure yet.

Whatever bond had first taken root between them during Rhodes Hill and ARK quickly grew while Leon was feral. Her instincts had obviously responded to his, accepting his parental claim with an ease that terrified her. She'd been on her own ever since Mom died, so it was difficult for her to imagine that she could suddenly—potentially—have someone to rely on again.

Besides, did Leon really want her as his pup? What would his pack think? His mate? Did they already have kids of their own? She suddenly realized that she'd only known Leon for a little over a week; there was still so much she didn't know about him—

"You falling back asleep over there?"

Grace jumped as the older omega interrupted her train of thought.

"U-uh, n-no," she stammered, startled. At the skeptical eyebrow raise from Leon, she took a short, steadying breath and tried again. "No, I'm fine."

"Hmm," he hummed in a way that said I don't believe you but I'll let it go without saying a word. "Well, I hope you're hungry at least, 'cause breakfast is ready. Come eat."

"O-oh, you—you didn't have to do that," Grace said bashfully but dutifully followed his order, sitting down at the small kitchen table as he placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her.

"Course I didn't have to, but I wanted to," Leon said earnestly before he took on a joking tone. "Besides, Chris would kick my ass if I even so much as thought of skipping a meal."

With that, he began digging into his plate. Grace didn't eat with as much gusto, but she gradually worked through the food.

Something in her expression must've given away her contemplation, because Leon hesitantly inquired, "I hope you don't mind that I raided your kitchen to cook?"

"N-no, not at all!" she assured after swallowing a bite. "It's very good, by the way. Thank you."

Leon chuckled. "It's not a Michelin Star meal, but it gets the job done. Chris is the better cook in our house anyways." The small burst of sweet sandalwood betrayed his happiness and pride despite his humble response.

Grace hummed in acknowledgement. She lightly pushed some scrambled eggs around her plate as she slowly got lost in her thoughts again.

"Everything okay, Grace?"

"Hm?" she hummed again as she briefly met Leon's eyes from across the table. She could still barely see a ring of gold around his irises, but other than that, they were back to their piercing light blue-green color. When she saw the concern in them, she attempted to deflect, "Yes—yeah, it's fine. Just, um…Chris was the one who got us out of ARK, right? His team, I mean."

"…Yes, it was his Hound Wolf Squad," he answered after a pause.

"And he's…he's your mate, right?"

Leon's gaze contorted into a strange mix of concern and suspicion. "He is… Grace, what's really on your mind?"

"Wha—uh, n-nothing! Just…" Grace felt her face flush slightly in embarrassment. "Just getting to know you. After what happened yesterday…"

She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence aloud, but at least the door was open for the discussion. In a round about way, sure, but it was open nonetheless.

Surprisingly, Leon averted his gaze sheepishly and subtly pushed his food around his plate just as Grace did before.

"Did I say something while I was…" He cleared his throat. "Feral?"

She shook her head quickly. "No! No, not at all."

"Did I do something…?"

Grace furrowed her brows in confusion. Instead of answering his question, she countered with one of her own, "Leon, how much do you remember?"

He bit off a piece of bacon, apparently stalling for time before he finally admitted, "Just bits and pieces. Mostly feelings. The last thing I remember clearly is Perkins and Reed trying to take me to quarantine when things got really fuzzy."

"Oh…" Grace murmured, a little despondent. "So, you don't remember—" claiming me as your pup "—anything that happened while I was there."

"Not in detail," he agreed. "I remember feeling angry and…protective." Leon shot her a questioning look like he wanted her to elaborate.

A smirk curled her lips as she recalled, "You may or may not have traded blows with Agents Perkins and Miller in the quarantine suite."

"Of course I did," he said with a small snort and shake of his head. "Always looking for a reason to fight."

"Y-yeah, well, you were just doing it to protect me—er, us." Grace took another bite of egg, hoping Leon wouldn't point out her slip up.

To her relief, he didn't mention it, but something flashed in his expression, vanishing just as quickly.

"In any case," he began as he scraped up the last of his eggs, "I'm sorry if anything I did or said made you uncomfortable, and thanks for looking out for me and letting me crash here."

Grace let her gaze fall to her plate, mood becoming somber but keeping her scent neutral. "No, you were fine. And of course, anytime."

It was more than fine. I…I wanted to be your pup. I still do. Why don't you remember?

"Nice bedhead, by the way."

Grace's head snapped up at the playful quip, spying the small smile on Leon's face even though he tried to hide it behind his forkful of egg.

She would let the topic go. Maybe she'd even bring it up again later—if she had the courage. For now, she let the tension break with the banter.

"H-hey! Yours isn't much better!"

"With these luscious locks? Impossible."

Almost a month had passed since then, and Grace let her inner turmoil fester away.

She never mentioned it again, fearing that doing so would somehow irreparably damage the small bond they shared. Still, she found herself quietly internalizing her instincts, catching herself mentally referring to Leon as Mama and even almost slipping up during conversations with him. As such, she began to retreat into herself a little more.

She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out.

"Grace?" a tiny voice piped up.

Grace blinked out of her reverie and turned her gaze to the bedroom door. Emily stood just outside of it dressed in her pajamas, rubbing her eye with one hand and clutching onto her teddy bear with the other.

"Hey, Emily," she greeted with a small smile as she held out her hand. "Movie finished already?"

"Mhm," the pup murmured as she crossed into the threshold and timidly linked fingers with Grace, who urged her to get on top of the bed with her by patting the comforter. Emily crawled up with a few quiet grunts—cute, Grace's mind supplied—before settling into Grace's side. Emily suddenly paused, not-so-subtly scenting the air before she asked, "Are you okay?"

Taken aback by the question, Grace couldn't help but stutter, "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

The younger couldn't hide the way her brows furrowed and her lips pouted as she frowned. "You smell…sad."

Grace tensed slightly as she mentally reprimanded herself for letting her anxious mood slip into her scent again. It'd been happening more and more recently, but she did her best to mask it so that she wouldn't worry Emily. Swiftly manipulating her pheromones into something more relaxed, Grace attempted to discreetly steer the conversation away from her distress.

"Oh, no it's okay. I'm okay. But tell me, how was the movie? Did you like it?" Grace asked, giving Emily a tender side hug. For a second, Grace wasn't sure if the pup would take the bait for the subject change, but thankfully Emily was quick to let it slide once she registered Grace's calmer scent.

Emily nodded as she pulled her bear closer to her chest. "I liked the birds. They were really funny."

"Yeah, me too," Grace said with a chuckle. She tickled Emily's arm a little as she mimicked the seagulls from Finding Nemo, "Mine, mine, mine!"

Emily giggled and squirmed in place until Grace eased up. Once she quieted down, she let out a sigh and leaned further into Grace.

"You tired?" Grace inquired softly, brushing a few strands of hair out of the pup's eyes. Emily shook her head, about to refute the observation when her body betrayed her with a yawn. Grace huffed a fond laugh as she closed her laptop before setting it on the nightstand. "C'mon, let's get you to bed. You need to rest up before we go to Rose's house tomorrow. It's gonna be a long day."

Emily uttered a small whine when Grace slid off the bed but didn't protest further; she merely held her arms out in a carry me gesture. Grace happily complied, hoisting the younger onto her hip while ensuring that Emily maintained a good grip on her stuffed animal.

"I'm glad that Nemo's dad found him in the end," Emily murmured into Grace's shoulder as she walked across the hall to the pup's room. "It was nice to see them both so happy."

Grace agreed with a solemn nod. "Yeah, I like their happy ending, too."

When they reached the bed, Grace unfurled the covers with one hand before gently depositing Emily into the sheets and tucking her in. Once she was sure the younger was settled—teddy bear included—Grace tenderly nuzzled her cheek and jaw against Emily's head, causing her warm cinnamon apple scent to lightly intertwine with Emily's muted pup scent of milk. Satisfied with her work, Grace pulled back to place a soft kiss on Emily's forehead.

"Sleep well," Grace whispered before ambling to the door and switching the light off.

"Grace?" Emily called quietly.

Grace poked her head back into the room, squinting her eyes as she peered into the dark (unlike Grace, Emily still preferred it to be almost pitch black when she slept, likely due to having been blind for the majority of her life so far). "Yes?"

The pup remained silent for a few moments, hesitant, before she shyly murmured, "Thank you for finding me at the hospital that night."

Grace's heart both fluttered and ached as she turned over the innocent phrase in her mind. She thought back to the timid girl that she first found in the glass holding cell at the care center. Grace herself was terrified back then to be in charge of someone else's safety other than her own, but now she couldn't imagine a life without Emily. Plus, seeing Emily gradually come out of her shell and flourish in her second chance at life made it all the more worth it.

Hopefully she could continue giving Emily the loving home that she deserved.

"Of course. I'm glad I found you, too," Grace said with a watery smile. "Goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight."

With that, Grace gingerly shut the door. She leaned against it for a bit as she held her tears at bay and desperately smothered her scent. Emily was already having a difficult time adjusting to a normal childhood; she didn't need Grace's conflicting and overwhelming emotions added into the mix.

When she felt composed enough to move without breaking down, she quietly shuffled around the apartment to turn off all the lights and the TV in the living room before retiring to her room. She left the door ajar in case Emily needed something during the night. Lastly, she ensured that the nightlight in her ensuite bathroom was on before she crawled into bed and turned off her bedside lamp.

As per usual, Grace found herself tossing and turning, her mind refusing to quiet her racing thoughts.

Leon had invited her and Emily to a get-together at his and Chris's house. Normally, Grace wouldn't fret over such a thing, but what made this time so different was that Leon's pack was going to be there, whom she'd never met before. The same fears that she'd been ruminating on for close to a month swirled in her head, namely: would they ever accept her into their pack, let alone accept her as Leon's pup?

Grace sighed as she turned over once more, forcing herself to dispel the thought.

No, she couldn't dwell on that tonight. She needed to rest if she was going to have any chance of making it through tomorrow with minimal freak outs.

She could do this.

She could do this.

She couldn't do this.

Grace stared at the front door of Leon's house for a few seconds too long, holding a tupperware of homemade cookies in one hand and clasping Emily's hand in the other. She tried to will herself to let go of Emily's hand to knock, but the loud conversation and laughter of people she didn't know stopped her in her tracks.

An odd sensation crept down her spine, hissing something in the back of her mind that Grace couldn't yet name. She had to actively suppress the shudder that threatened to expose her nerves.

Instead of lingering on the troubling feeling, she plastered on a smile and looked down at Emily. "Could you knock for me, please?"

The pup happily obliged, stepping forward to rap her knuckles on the stained wood. Grace almost thought that no one heard them when the door went unanswered for a little too long, but it finally clicked open to reveal Leon standing behind it.

She absentmindedly relaxed at the sight of the older omega, her instincts distantly whispering something about safety and Mama before she mentally slammed the breaks on her thoughts. Nope. Now was not the time.

"Hey, you two," Leon greeted with a warm smile.

"Hi, Leon," Grace replied, echoed by Emily's own greeting.

"Come on in," he said, stepping aside and holding the door open wider to allow them entry. "Emily, Rose is in the living room if you want to go play."

"Okay," she acknowledged, giving one last parting look to Grace before she scampered off to search for her friend.

Unconsciously, Grace froze in place as the pup disappeared from her sight. A feeling similar to fire ants crawling across her skin made her that much more aware of the anxiety rippling through her veins. The sounds of multiple conversations and laughter drowned out everything else, and she was unaware of how tightly she was white-knuckling the tupperware container until a warm hand gently covered her own.

"Grace?" a voice tinged with worry asked. She snapped out of her brief episode with a small, sharp inhale, eyes refocusing to meet Leon's. "Hey, you okay?"

Sandalwood and vanilla drifted into her space, surrounding her in comfort, and it was only then that she realized that Leon wasn't wearing any scent patches. She suddenly felt self-conscious for wearing her own, but she knew it was for the best. She wasn't officially a part of the pack, so her scent might not be welcome to the others; plus, she didn't want to potentially sour the atmosphere, literally and figuratively.

"Yeah, s-sorry," she finally managed to wheeze out as she stepped inside, allowing Leon to close the front door. "J-just a little nervous."

Understatement of the year.

Leon let go of her hand, forehead creasing in thoughtful concern. "If it's too much—"

"N-no, I'll be fine," Grace rushed to reassure him. She contorted her lips into what she hoped was a convincing smile as she held up the plastic container. "Emily and I made cookies to share."

She could tell that he didn't want to move on from the topic of her troubles so soon, but Leon must've relented for the sake of keeping the peace.

He matched her grin with one of his own. "That's perfect—we were missing a dessert item. Here, you can drop 'em off in the kitchen."

Grace followed the older omega to the kitchen as she tried not to get overwhelmed by all the scents flowing throughout the house. They weren't necessarily overpowering, but they were a bit suffocating since she wasn't exposed to so many pheromones regularly.

The same foreboding sensation zipped through her system again, but she pushed it aside for the time being.

When they entered the kitchen, Grace immediately spotted two women preparing different fixings for the hamburgers and hot dogs that Chris was supposed to be grilling. They were both smiling and laughing as one sliced some tomatoes and the other peeled apart some lettuce. Grace stood slightly behind Leon, voice stuck in her throat, afraid to interrupt their ongoing conversation.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—Leon had no such qualms.

"Claire, Ashley," he rumbled happily, effectively catching their attention. "This is Grace, the one I met on my last mission. Grace, this is Claire and Ashley."

"Oh, you're finally here!" the blonde—Ashley—exclaimed excitedly, haphazardly setting the lettuce down so she could stride over to Grace. With little warning, she pulled Grace into a tight hug. "Leon's told us so much about you!"

Grace was immediately engulfed by Ashley's sweet scent of mango and pineapple. Despite the refreshing scent and the other omega's clear excitement, Grace's muscles locked into place, awkwardness making her brain short-circuit.

"U-um…"

"Ashley, easy," Leon lightly chastised as he carefully pulled her back a bit, his scent sharpening ever so slightly. "Remember what I told you about going slow on the introductions?"

"Oh, right!" she acknowledged as she released Grace from her grip, abashed but no less enthusiastic. "Sorry, I just couldn't wait to meet you."

"We all couldn't wait to meet you," Claire concurred with a smile, wiping the tomato juice off her hands before she held one out. "Those of us who had RCS, especially."

"Oh… Y-you, too?" Grace asked as she took the offered hand and shook it. The soft yet spicy scent of jasmine and ginger wafted in her direction—alpha, her mind supplied.

"Yep," Claire confirmed, releasing Grace's hand in favor of casually crossing her arms and leaning her hip against the counter. "Thankfully, I hadn't gotten to stage three of the T-Virus yet, but it was a close thing. Leon here told us that you were the one to figure out Elpis was a cure. And that you saved his ass."

"U-uh, well I-I-I wouldn't say that—"

"Ha, wouldn't be the first time!" Ashley chimed in with a giggle, sneaking a pointed glance at Leon before turning back to Grace and stage whispering. "I actually helped him when we were infected by Las Plagas. He had passed out after I was cured, so I had to lift him into the treatment chair by myself. It was quite the feat, considering how heavy he was—"

"I am right here, you know," Leon quipped with a raised brow. A smirk twitched his lips as he added, "And you forgot to mention that the heaviness was all muscle."

"Don't try to take my achievements away from me, mister!"

"I'm not, I'm just saying—"

Grace watched the two omegas playfully bicker back and forth, subconsciously biting her bottom lip. She noted how comfortably they interacted with each other, and she wished not for the first time that she could let herself open up just as easily. In the meantime, she averted her gaze, feeling out of place as their banter continued.

Claire rolled her eyes with a content smile, scent growing a little warmer at the scene. She leaned over towards Grace, joking, "Don't mind them, it's just their sibling rivalry talk."

Grace swallowed and nodded, not saying anything as her stomach clenched.

Intruder.

Oh. So that's what the weird feeling was…

"Here," Claire said gently as she gestured towards the tupperware of cookies that Grace still clutched in her grasp. "I can take those off your hands if you wanna go walk around a bit. I know Sherry's been excited to meet you face to face."

Grace perked up a little at the mention of someone she was acquainted with. "R-really? O-okay."

She relinquished the container to the alpha, who shot her an encouraging look before turning away to finish preparing the fixings for the meal. Grace spared one last glance at the still bantering omegas before she slipped out of the kitchen.

Once she was certain that she was out of sight, Grace paused in the hallway to catch her breath. Her hands trembled as she double- and triple-checked her scent patches, ensuring that they were still secure, not a leak to be found. Gathering her resolve, she curled her fingers into loose fists to hide their tremor and stepped into the heart of the home.

Her anxious demeanor settled somewhat when her eyes first landed on Emily and Rose. The nine-year-old and six-year-old, respectively, had small puzzle pieces strewn around them on the floor as they tasked themselves with fitting them together. A random cartoon played quietly on the TV to provide background noise while the two worked.

Her gaze shifted over to the adults in the room just as a familiar voice asked, "Grace?"

"Sherry?" she questioned as said omega stood up from her seat on the couch and approached her.

"That's me!" Sherry confirmed with a smile.

She reached her arms out in the beginnings of a hug, but faltered in the movement. Grace didn't understand why until she registered the sudden tenseness in her shoulders. She swiftly dropped them into a relaxed stance, but Sherry had already taken notice.

"Sorry," she apologized with a sympathetic smile as she lowered her arms. "I should've asked first."

"I-it's okay," Grace assured. She attempted to fight back the flush that threatened to heat her face as she continued, "Y-y-you still can, i-if you want."

Sherry's smile brightened as she carefully closed the distance, discreetly telegraphing her movements as she brought Grace into an embrace. Unlike the bone-crushing hug that she received from Ashley earlier, Sherry's warmth soothed the nerves prickling under her skin, especially when the other omega's lavender and honey scent enveloped her. Grace sunk into Sherry's hold with a silent exhale.

"I'm so glad you could make it today," Sherry said as she gently squeezed Grace one final time before pulling back. "Gosh, it's so great to actually see you!"

"I-it's good to s-see you, too," Grace agreed with a timid smile, self-consciously fixing the edge of her shirt. "How, um, how have you been?"

"Pretty good. Getting back into the swing of things after the…side effects from Elpis," Sherry replied with a half-pointed-half-embarrassed look.

"Yeah," the man on the couch chuckled wryly, "those were some pretty wild side effects."

"Jake!" Sherry berated softly as she whipped her head around to him. The alpha held up his hands in surrender, looking at least somewhat chagrined despite the playful smirk on his lips. Sherry huffed a little in disbelief before turning back to Grace. "Sorry about that. That's Jake, my mate, though you probably already guessed that."

Still with a teasing grin, Jake lifted a hand in a nonchalant two-fingered salute. "Sup."

"Hi," Grace responded with a polite—if slightly forced—smile and acknowledging head nod.

"And this is Rebecca! Our resident doctor and scientist of the group," Sherry continued as she gestured to the woman who sat leisurely on the floor by Rose and Emily.

Rebecca pushed herself onto her feet, dusting her pants off as she joked, "Yep, because our ragtag group of badass agents absolutely refuse to go see an actual doctor most of the time. But maybe that's just because I give them special treatment." She smiled pleasantly as she stepped closer, stopping at just the appropriate distance to not completely invade Grace's space. "Nice to meet you, Grace."

"Y-you, too," Grace replied, silently noting the gentle whiff of chamomile and rose that floated in her direction at the beta's movements.

Something must have caught Rebecca's eye, because her gaze flicked down a little for a split second and her smile faltered just a fraction. It was only then that Grace realized she had begun to fidget with the patch on her neck. She quickly smoothed her hand over the bandage before clasping her hands in front of her, clearing her throat awkwardly.

She was about to apologize out of reflex when Rebecca spoke up, swiftly schooling her expression with another relaxed grin as she changed the subject, "Did Leon ever tell you about the time he rode up a skyscraper on a motorcycle? More than once, might I add."

The evening was going relatively well.

The food that Chris grilled was a nice change of pace from the simple meals that Grace managed to prepare—even if it was just hot dogs and hamburgers. They all ate outside on the back patio, enjoying the peaceful outdoors and each other's good company.

Leon also introduced Grace to Jill and Carlos, an alpha and beta mated pair. Admittedly, Grace felt intimidated by Jill at first; the alpha's rigid nature didn't exactly boost her confidence. However, when Carlos swooped in with his easygoing charm, Jill's disposition lightened, causing Grace to relax some as well.

The atmosphere was lively with the whole pack in the same area. Stories and life updates were traded, inside jokes were thrown around, and lighter memories were brought up fondly.

Needless to say, Grace contributed very little to the various conversations going on around her.

Her chest gradually tightened with either envy or grief—she couldn't tell, nor did she feel like differentiating the two—until eventually she had to step away for a moment to breathe. She sat on the stone steps of the patio that led to the rest of the backyard, quietly watching Rose and Emily swing on the playground set.

She tried to urge the tightness in her chest to loosen, but it was difficult to do so when the shared laughter and happy scents behind her drifted her way. Everything just served as a bitter reminder that she wasn't a pack member.

Before she could fall too deep into a spiral, Grace minutely jolted back to reality when a presence beside her made itself known.

Jill sat down next to her on the steps with a grunt, settling into a comfortable position before she held out a glass bottle. "Drink?"

Grace's brows nearly shot up into her hairline, but she managed to control her expression as she stumbled, "O-oh, um, I-I don't really drink beer."

"Good, 'cause I grabbed you a root beer," Jill said with a lopsided smile, turning the bottle in her hand to show the label. "No alcohol allowed on the premises anyways."

Grace huffed an embarrassed chuckle as she took the drink from the alpha. "Th-thanks."

She twisted the top off, but before she could take a sip, Jill held out her own drink in a toast. "To having survived another day kicking some bioweapon ass."

Grace's smile was slightly more genuine this time as she clinked glasses with Jill and tipped the bottle back to swallow a few hearty gulps. Her eyes flit back over to the two pups on the swings, who were screeching in delight as they tried to swing higher.

"So," Jill dragged out a little, gaze following Grace's. "Emily. She's your pup, right?"

Grace gave a subtle nod, eyes never leaving the girls. “In every way that matters, yes.”

In her peripheral vision, Jill nodded with a breathy but not unkind chuckle.  “Yeah, that seems to be the tradition around here.”

Grace tilted her head and shot the alpha a curious look.  “Tradition?”

“In a sense,” Jill said with a one-shoulder shrug.  “It's not uncommon for us to go on missions and come back with a new pack member. That's actually how most of us met."

"Oh," Grace uttered. "Y-yeah, she was one of their…t-test subjects in the care center."

Jill's brow furrowed with a disappointed tsk, scent turning bitter ever so slightly before returning to its neutral spicy notes. "Disgusting fuckers. Creating viruses and bioweapons are bad enough, but throwing kids into the mix is just monstrous." She sighed before relenting, "But hey, at least you got her out, right?"

Grace fell silent as she thought back to that wretched night—to when she almost failed in doing just that. The gurgling and inhuman screams of Emily's mutated form echoed in her ears as she whispered, "It…it was a close call."

"Hmm…" Jill solemnly hummed in acknowledgement, fingers tapping the glass bottle in a nervous tick.

Realizing that she unintentionally brought down the mood, Grace pivoted the conversation back into what she hoped was a lighter topic, "A-anyways, b-back to this, uh…tradition. Who—who did you meet that way?"

A fond smile softened Jill's expression as she replied, "Carlos, actually. During the Raccoon City outbreak." She laughed a little. "He stuck by my side even when I didn't want him to—"

"Well, I couldn't leave you in that hellhole by yourself," a smooth voice interrupted.

Grace turned slightly to see said beta walking in their direction with a carefree grin. He sat down on Jill's other side and playfully bumped her shoulder, letting his calm pheromones naturally mingle with hers.

"Besides, it was love at first sight—even if you won't admit it," he teased.

"Oh yeah, 'cause nothing screams love like being covered in soot and B.O.W. guts," Jill quipped back.

"Exactly!" Carlos said with a laugh. His mood sobered slightly as he inquired, "What're we talking about?"

"I was just filling Grace in on the pack's tradition of taking in strays," Jill replied, quirking her eyebrow as she sipped her drink to hide the twitch of her lips.

"Ah, so you started with the story of the handsome stray you found," he jested, exaggeratedly preening as he puffed up his chest. "Wise choice."

The alpha punched his shoulder lightheartedly, causing him to cry out in shock and mock pain.

"Maybe I should tell her about Leon instead," Jill said as the beta rubbed the faint hurt from his upper arm.

Grace perked up a little in interest. "Wh-what about Leon?"

"Well," Carlos cut in, "he's certainly the most known for it. It kinda started with him anyways."

"Yeah," Jill agreed. "He was quick to claim Sherry as his pup after Raccoon City.  I don’t know all the details, but…I do know it was tough for the two of them when they were separated shortly after.  Sherry luckily had Claire for a while, but Leon…”  She shook her head in dismay.  “Well, maybe that’s why he bonded so fast to Ashley during his mission in Spain.”

"And even though it took a while for it to happen, it was actually his idea for all of us to form a pack," Carlos continued. "Honestly, I'm surprised no one else thought of doing that sooner…"

"Really?" Grace asked, attempting to keep the surprise out of her voice. "I-it was Leon's idea?"

"Yep," the beta confirmed. He hooked his finger under the small leather string around his neck, pulling it out from underneath his shirt to reveal a simple silver band. "He also wanted everyone to have a pack ring."

Jill's gaze slid down to her right hand, and Grace's eyes followed until she spotted a matching silver ring on the alpha's thumb. "It's not common in many packs, but…it's a nice reminder that we have people to fall back on. A place to come back to."

"Oh," Grace breathed, taking that moment to turn around and search for similar jewelry among the group.

She couldn't see everyone's bands from this distance, but—sure enough—she spotted a few after examining with some difficulty. Sherry wore one on her pinky. Jake displayed his on a simple chain necklace. Claire sported hers on her pointer finger.

It seemed like everyone had one.

Everyone but herself.

"I see…"

Grace's chest constricted beyond what she thought possible, causing her breath to hitch quietly and her heart to start racing. Her instincts—which she was able to ignore for most of the evening—began to howl, unbidden.

Outsider, outsider, outsider-don't-belong—

"Grace?"

She nearly choked on her own spit as she was brought back to reality by the alpha's gentle prodding. Her suddenly frantic eyes flickered between Jill and Carlos, both of whom wore concerned expressions. Jill's scent cautiously reached out to her, attempting to wrap her in comfort without being overwhelming.

"Hey, what's—"

"Water," Grace interrupted lamely, rushing to stand up even though she tried to appear nonchalant. "I-I-I'm going to go get s-some w-water. Be—be right b-back."

Still clutching her bottle of root beer in hand, she strode towards the back door of the house, feeling faint as she passed the others and their pheromones to get inside. She closed the door gently, not wanting to disturb anyone's conversation nor bring attention to herself. With a whooshing exhale, she shakily made her way to the kitchen.

She absently scratched at the patches on her wrists as she set the glass down on the kitchen counter, the skin there becoming increasingly agitated as she did so. Fire prickled in her veins again as she opened the fridge, the cool air providing temporary relief until she closed it again after grabbing a bottle of water.

Breaking the seal on the plastic cap, she sipped on it for a few minutes until she started to feel queasy—but she somehow managed to calm down a little. Her instincts dulled from agonized roars to pathetic whimpers in the back of her mind, and she almost had to physically restrain herself from whimpering out loud.

"I-it's fine, Grace," she whispered to herself. "You're fine."

She practiced a few breathing exercises until she felt marginally better. Telling herself that she just needed to make it through another hour or two, she eventually built up the courage to go back outside.

As she stepped out of the kitchen and into the hallway, she barely heard vehement whispers in the living room. Initially, she disregarded it and tried to discreetly walk past, but that course of action was thrown out the window as the tail-end of a sentence caught her attention.

"—need to tell Grace soon, Leon."

She halted in her tracks.

"I know, Rebecca, I just…" A sigh. "I don't know if…"

"…Listen, I don't want to rush you. Trust me, I don't. But she's going to figure it out eventually even if you don't tell her first."

"I know, I know. I just don't want things to get awkward if it doesn't pan out how I think it will. What if she decides to distance herself from us?"

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it, but Leon—"

Grace couldn't bear to hear more.

With her heart sinking further and further into her stomach, she re-emerged outside, false bravado crumbling as she finally relented to her inner omega's wishes.

Not wanted, outsider, leave, leave, need to leave—

"Hey, everything okay?"

Grace's eyes snapped up to meet Chris's warm but concerned brown ones. His cedar wood and ginger scent enveloped her softly, and Grace nearly relaxed into it until the guilt slammed into her hard.

Need to LEAVE!

"Y-yeah," she said, pausing to clear her throat before continuing, "I, uh, I actually j-just remembered I have a b-big report due M-Monday that I really—really need to work on."

She knew Chris didn't buy that excuse one bit, judging by the frown that overtook his features. He took a step forward and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the small pattering of feet running up to them.

"Grace!" Rose squealed with a wide grin, nearly knocking the omega over as she plowed into her legs and waist for a hug. The pup's chin dug into her stomach—which didn't help her nausea at all—and looked up at Grace with pleading eyes. "Can you play hide and seek with us?"

"U-uh…" Grace replied awkwardly, swallowing thickly as she glanced between Rose and Emily. Trying to ignore the stares from Chris and a few other members of the pack, she hesitantly declined, "I-I'm sorry, Rose. I wish I could, b-but s-something came up so I have to go home."

"Awww," Rose whined, posture wilting as she leaned more of her weight onto Grace. "Just one game?"

Grace knelt down—partly to get down to Rose's level and partly to relieve her stomach of the pup's unintentional pressure—and gently gripped the girl's shoulders as she apologized with a weak smile, "I'm sorry, but m-maybe Emily could stay for the night, if—if Chris is okay with it."

She turned to the alpha, trying to keep the desperation off her expression but probably failing miserably.

Though Chris quickly hid his earlier pinched look with a soft smile, Grace could still make out the worried glint in his eyes. Even so, he easily agreed, "Of course. Emily is always welcome to spend the night. I'm sure we can scrounge up some clothes and essentials for her."

"Sleepover!" Rose cheered, retracting herself from Grace's hold and jumping over to Emily.

Emily, however, had a frown on her face that she didn't even try to conceal. She studied Grace with keen eyes, and the older briefly marveled at how perceptive she could be at times, especially when it came to Grace's well-being. Despite the patches still covering up her scent, Emily must have found something in Grace's posture that put her on edge.

"I wanna go home with you," Emily stated quietly, shuffling over to Grace to grab her hand.

"A-are you sure?" Grace asked, just to be sure. "You can stay if you want."

Actually, it would be better if Emily stayed. Grace wasn't sure what her instincts had in store for her in the near future, but the staticky sensation bubbling under her skin alluded to the fact that it wouldn't be pretty. She didn't want Emily to see something unsavory, especially if it had the chance of frightening her.

Unfortunately, the pup seemed to have made up her mind.

"No, I wanna go home," she affirmed, intertwining her fingers with Grace's and clutching on with a gentle but resolute strength.

After a moment of consideration, Grace relented, "Okay."

They quickly traded polite goodbyes with everyone, well-wishes and promises to meet up again soon being offered their way as they turned to cut through the house to get to Grace's car out front.

Grace withheld a shiver, Chris's appraising gaze piercing her back as she closed the back door.

Get out, get out, need to get out—

She ushered Emily through the house, eager to leave the space that was filled with so many cloying scents when she was stopped by Leon's voice.

"Oh, leaving already?"

Grace unintentionally squeezed Emily's hand tighter, bracing herself with a steadying breath before she turned around.

The older omega stepped out of the kitchen, an easygoing yet curious look settling on his features. Rebecca emerged behind him, a pleasant smile on her lips.

The conversation that Grace overheard between the two earlier replayed in her mind, and she averted her gaze from them in muted shame.

"Ah, y-y-yeah," Grace stuttered, heart rate picking up again. "I have, um, work th-that I need to catch up on, s-so…"

She barely contained her flinch when Leon's steps grew closer and his hand rested on her shoulder. The touch practically burned her skin, even through her shirt. She froze in place, breath hitching.

"Grace, did something happen?"

Leon bent his head down slightly, trying to meet her eyes. His scent reached out tentatively, questioning, and Grace had to fight back a gag as her body began to enter flight mode.

Disregarding the sudden adrenaline, she grit out, "N-no, not at all, b-b-but we really sh-should be going."

She didn't have the heart to pull away, instincts warring between curling up in his arms and running out of the house.

Not his pup, not pack, LEAVE.

The silence stretched between them for a bit longer than Grace liked, but eventually Leon conceded, "Alright. Drive safe, okay? Let me know when you get home."

Suspicion heavily laced his tone, but Grace didn't mention it or attempt to dissuade his worries. Instead, she nodded to him, waved goodbye to Rebecca, and strode to her car with Emily in tow.

The thirty minute drive back to their apartment passed in a blur—which, thinking back on it now, was not good, considering she was the one driving—and should've been her first warning sign.

By the time they entered their apartment, Grace's ears were ringing and she felt a little disconnected from her body. She shed her jacket carelessly onto the floor, uncaring that her phone, wallet, and keys clattered onto the linoleum with it as a hot flash swept through her body. Tearing the scent patches off her neck and wrists, she dug and scratched at her scent glands, flooding the entryway with her agitated pheromones.

The pack's scents still clung to her nostrils, ramping up her queasiness until she could no longer ignore it.

She hardly registered Emily's alarmed line of questioning as she rushed to her ensuite bathroom and fell to her knees in front of the toilet. Gripping the edge of the seat, it took only seconds before she lost her dinner to the porcelain bowl.

Once her stomach stopped rebelling, she shakily wiped her mouth with her hand, blearily noting that her pulse was racing and her breaths were too fast. The edges of her vision darkened as the room blurred and spun around her, and she barely had the common sense to lie down before her arms gave out on her.

The last thing she heard through the ringing in her ears was Emily's panicked cries.

"Grace?! What's happening?! Please don't leave me alone! Grace!"

She silently apologized to her pup for doing the one thing that she had wanted to avoid: scaring her.

Grace felt her eyes roll into the back of her head, and she knew no more.

Leon crossed his arms as he stared into the flames of the fire pit, running through Grace's hurried departure one more time in his mind.

She had been jumpy and stiff, appearing all too much like a spooked animal trapped in a corner. She had also been way too pale for his liking, sweat forming on her brow as she tensed under his hand. What concerned him most of all, however, was that she looked like she was two seconds away from being sick at the slightest hint of his pheromones.

Guilt sunk its claws deeper and deeper into his chest, threatening to rip it open and expose his bleeding heart.

Maybe this get-together with the entire pack wasn't as good of an idea as he thought. Shit, she probably got overwhelmed from all the new people and scents. Why didn't he consider that before?

Maybe he should've stuck closer to her side throughout the night—wait no, that could've made it worse, if her reaction to his scent at the end was any indication.

Not to mention, she also wore scent patches the entire evening—

"Hey," his mate's voice rumbled in his ear, large arm curling around Leon's waist to gently pull him against his side. "I can practically hear you overthinking from here."

Leon sighed as he allowed Chris to take some of his weight. He turned and nuzzled his nose against the alpha's scent gland, letting Chris's calming pheromones alleviate some of his worries.

"Can't stop thinking about Grace," he admitted, turning back to stare at the fire again. The idle chatter from his pack members died off as they tuned in to their conversation. "I…I shouldn't have let her go. The way she left was…" He shook his head with another heavy exhale.

"It was certainly abrupt," Claire concurred from her place in the lawn chair beside him, a drowsy Rose in her lap.

"And the fact that she wanted to leave Emily here was concerning as well," Chris noted. "Not out of the ordinary, sure, but it felt off this time."

"Maybe she started feeling sick and didn't want Emily to catch it?" Ashley suggested, brow creased in concern. She slumped forward in her chair, burying her head in her hands. "Ugh, now I really feel bad for jumping her when she got here."

"No, you were fine," Leon reassured, watching as Claire rubbed the omega's arm in sympathy. "But I guess Grace being sick is not out of the realm of possibilities."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she overworked herself either," Sherry said as she huddled further into her mate's side on the bench across the pit from Leon. "I've been meaning to get with her to have a girl's day out or something so she might be encouraged to take a day off from work… In any case, whatever's going on with Grace certainly didn't get past Emily."

"They've got a really strong bond," Carlos noted, crossing his arms. "Guess that's to be expected though."

"Yeah, it shouldn't really be surprising. They went through some shit together," Jill said. "But who hasn't in this pack?"

A solemn hush fell over the group. The crackling fire and the occasional chirp of crickets served as the only ambient sound for a while.

Leon leaned into Chris's side again as he tried not to fall back into his guilty spiral, prompting the alpha to rub his thumb along his hip and plant a chaste kiss in his hair.

Though he was mostly soothed by his mate, a tiny part of Leon remained apprehensive. Checking his watch, he quietly noted that almost half an hour had passed since Grace and Emily went home. Hopefully he would hear from the omega soon.

"Speaking of our pack," Claire tentatively spoke up, brushing a strand of loose hair out of Rose's face, "did you ask Grace about joining?"

Leon tensed, abashment causing him to choke out an awkward laugh. "Well, about that…"

"Leon!" Ashley whined, her tone a mix between teasing and earnestness. "You still haven't asked her?"

"I wanted you all to meet her first—"

"And now that we have," Carlos jumped in, "you can ask her."

"You don't need our seal of approval, but you have it, if that makes you feel better," Jake added.

"Plus, you and Chris are basically the de facto pack leaders anyways," Sherry said with a grin. "Or did you forget who started this pack?"

Leon grumbled under his breath, cheeks heating lightly at the reminder. He subtly twisted his wedding band—which also doubled as his pack ring—around his finger, finding comfort in its presence.

"To be fair," Rebecca cut in, "I was almost done talking him into it when we saw that Grace and Emily were leaving. I think he'll finally have the guts to actually go through with it next time."

Leon sighed as Chris's chest reverberated with a chuckle.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his back pocket, and he fished it out to check the screen. The worry that had been gnawing at him all evening eased slightly when he saw that it was a call from Grace.

He waved the screen for the group to see, muttering, "I'll be right back," before walking a few steps away as the others continued to converse.

"Hey, Grace," he said as he answered the call. "You make it home safe?"

…A quiet sniffle.

He froze, shoulders growing taut.

"Grace?"

A choked sob, and then, "…Leon…"

His blood turned to ice in his veins.

"Emily?" he inquired frantically. "What happened? Is Grace there?"

"P-please, help," the pup cried, gulping down air through her tears. "I don't kn-know what to—to do!"

Leon's gut churned, sick with dread as Emily's wails echoed through the speaker next to his ear. His scent snapped from sweet sandalwood to smoky inferno in an instant. His pack turned deathly silent behind him, and Chris swiftly materialized at his side, offering himself as an anchor in the maelstrom of emotions that unexpectedly consumed him.

Clutching his mate's arm for support tightly enough to bruise, Leon urged his tone to remain steady as he asked, "Where are you?"

When all he got in return was more sobbing and hiccuping breaths, he shifted his panicked gaze to Chris. The alpha nodded in understanding, turning to face Claire as he grimly ordered, "Watch over Rose. We'll be back."

Without waiting for a response, the two jogged into the house, grabbed their keys and wallets, and loaded themselves into Chris's Jeep.

"Can you take some deep breaths for me, kiddo?" Leon asked as Chris started up the car, putting the phone on speaker and doing a few exaggerated breaths himself so that Emily could hear them over the phone. "In…and out."

He heard her follow his example, so he kept up the exercise for a few more rounds as Chris pulled out of the driveway.

When she was able to manage a few shaky inhales and exhales on her own, Leon praised, "Good. That's good, Emily. Can you tell me where you are?"

"H-home," she replied simply, a tiny hiccup disrupting her.

"Okay, Chris and I will be there in twenty minutes," he assured her, holding on to the handlebar above the passenger window as the alpha stepped on the gas. "Where is Grace?"

"Her—her bathroom," Emily whimpered.

"Are you with her?"

"Y-yeah."

"Okay, good. Keep an eye on her. Is she awake?"

"Nuh uh."

Fuck.

He was white-knuckling the handlebar at this point, nerves completely shot to hell even as he kept on a brave facade for the pup on the other end of the line.

In his peripheral, Chris's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared like a bull's in response to Leon's jittery pheromones. They were making good time; it was a miracle that they hadn't been pulled over for the countless traffic laws they were surely breaking.

Leon reverted his focus back to Emily. "You're doing really good, Emily. We're almost there. Is Grace laying down?"

"Yeah, she's—she's on her side," Emily confirmed, sniffling some more.

"Okay, that's good. Don't move her, okay? Just leave her on her side," he gently instructed.

"Okay…" the pup acquiesced.

Leon's heart was racing a mile a minute, but Emily's next observation had it freezing in its tracks.

"Leon…h-her scent is off. Wrong. Like—like sick, but…different? I don't—I don't know—"

…Oh shit.

Oh shit.

Shit, shit, fucking SHIT.

Leon's eyes widened as he turned to Chris, who glanced at him with a matching alarmed expression. In that moment, he knew that they just drew the same conclusion.

It sounded like Grace was experiencing an omega drop.

Guilt crashed over him as his mind finally connected the dots of Grace's odd behavior from the evening. Her compulsion to wear scent patches around the pack, her negative reaction to pheromones, her hasty exit when she reached a tipping point that Leon neglected to notice—it all boiled down to the initial stages of a drop. Though not always fatal, it was imperative to bring the affected omega out of the drop before it developed into something more life-threatening.

Leon forcibly swallowed down the whine that wanted to crawl up his throat at the new information, focusing instead on examining their surroundings to determine how close they were.

"We're pulling up now," he informed Emily, taking her off speaker phone as Chris parked. "Two minutes."

The duo paid the front desk clerks no mind as they blazed past them and bypassed the elevators for the stairs, taking the steps two at a time until they reached the third floor.

"Coming in," he told the pup over the phone before he hung up and shoved the device back into his pocket.

He deftly unlocked the door and nearly took it off its hinges from how hard he pushed it open.

He rushed inside, and his instincts went haywire as Grace's distressed pheromones slammed into him like a brick wall. His nose burned and his eyes teared up as the twisted scent assaulted his senses. Her pleasant apple and cinnamon scent had transformed into a conglomerate of sour, rotten, and burnt fruit.

Despair, her scent whimpered.

Isolation, it cried.

But most notably…

Rejection-rejection-rejection—

Something nudged Leon from behind, and he whirled around at the supposed threat, snapping his teeth with a harsh snarl as he saw red.

Danger! Protect pup!

"Whoa! Easy, Lee," a gruff voice placated as the hulking figure it belonged to retreated back a step. "Easy…"

Fresh cedar and ginger gently wafted in Leon's direction, blocking out Grace's pheromones just long enough for him to regain his bearings.

When his vision cleared, he was met with the sight of his mate in submission. Chris's hands were held out at his sides in plain view, and his head was turned so that he could bare his neck fully to Leon in an open display of trust. The large alpha had even crouched down slightly so that Leon could tower over him.

"Fuck," Leon exhaled shakily as his posturing deflated, trembling slightly from the adrenaline rush. "Alpha—Chris, I… I'm sorry—"

"It's okay, hun," Chris consoled. He studied Leon's expression, considering, before asking, "Can I touch?"

Leon nodded desperately, pitching forward to envelope himself in Chris's arms and bury his nose in his scent gland.

Chris continued to pump out his calming scent as he murmured, "That's it, Lee. Slow breaths. I've got your back, okay? You're not alone."

…Yes. Chris was right. He would guard Leon and the pups with his life.

Leon just needed to focus on the pups' well-being.

He inhaled deeply, soaking up the alpha's comforting scent and words for a few precious seconds. When he felt like he could hold himself together again, he gradually pulled away from Chris's hold.

"Good Omega," Chris rumbled encouragingly, resulting in a fleeting purr from Leon. "Go take care of your pup, okay? I've got things handled out here. Yell if you need anything."

His pup.

His pup.

Instincts strengthened his resolve as he turned around and made his way to Grace's bedroom. When he stepped inside, he quickly noticed a head of silver hair peeking out from the ensuite bathroom.

"Leon," Emily wept in relief as she scrambled to her feet, phone still in hand.

"Hey, kiddo," he cooed as he knelt down and held out his arms, allowing the pup to cling to him for a bit before gently pushing her back to meet her bloodshot eyes. He tenderly wiped a stray tear from her cheek as he said, "Chris is in the living room. Why don't you go keep him company, hm?"

Emily hesitated, biting her lip as her gaze flit back towards the bathroom. After a brief moment of contemplation, she nodded quietly to him before slinking out the bedroom.

Exhaling a bated breath, Leon stood up and clenched his fists, bracing himself for whatever awaited him in the next room. Despite the atmosphere reeking of rot—rejection-rejection-rejection—he strode forward towards the source unwaveringly.

The sight that greeted him sent shivers down his spine, chilling him to the bone.

Grace laid on her side, unconscious, just as Emily described. Pale as a ghost, she trembled intermittently as if she were cold, even though sweat coated her skin. Most worryingly of all, her scent glands were scratched to hell, dried blood clotting the areas where her fingernails dug into the deepest.

With a sympathetic hiss, Leon cautiously maneuvered around the relatively small bathroom. He flushed the toilet first, no longer wishing to see or smell the sick that lined the bowl. Then he sat on his heels behind Grace despite his knees' protests, hands hovering inches above the younger omega, unsure of where to begin.

Breathing, his mind supplied. Make sure nothing is obstructing her airway.

Leaning over, he held one hand in front of her nose, satisfied when her breaths softly puffed against his skin with each exhale. He leaned down further and tilted his head, listening intently for any crackling or gurgling. When nothing concerning immediately jumped out at him, he sat back up with a semi-relieved sigh.

They still had a long ways to go before he could fully relax.

Deciding to evaluate her lucidity next, he gingerly brushed some stray hairs out of her eyes so he had a clear view of them, softly shaking her shoulder with his other hand.

"Grace?" he called out, closely watching for any reaction. "Grace, can you hear me?"

…Nothing.

A slightly more stressed exhale left him as he tried to reassure himself, "Okay, that's okay."

His scent briefly spiked with bitter notes of anxiety, but he swiftly subdued it, not wanting to add to the sour pheromones that already clogged the air. Instead, he manipulated his scent to something comforting, vanilla sandalwood timidly swirling into the space.

His next move was to get her off the floor—his back and joints be damned—when a twitch in her expression cut him off.

"Grace?" he tried again, hope permeating his tone as he studied her with wide eyes, afraid to blink should he miss something.

Her facial muscles contorted again, accompanied by a small jerk of her head.

Her jaw clenched.

Her arms tightened.

And all too quickly, the intermittent tremors from earlier evolved into full body convulsions.

"Fuck," he hissed as the involuntary shudders caused Grace's back to knock against his knees and her head to clip the tile floor.

Acting on what basic knowledge he had of seizures, Leon reached up and ripped a hand towel off of its hook, folding it haphazardly before carefully placing it under her head. She was already on her side—thank goodness for that—so there was not much else he could do other than wait.

It was agonizing.

He felt utterly helpless, forced to watch his pup contort in painful ways without being allowed to touch her. He knew it was for the best, that it was the right thing to do, but his heart ached as he was reduced to a useless bystander in the fight that Grace endured with her own body.

"I'm here, Grace," he said, staving off tears as his fingers dug into his thighs. Words were the only form of comfort he could provide right now, and he wasn't even sure if she could hear them. "You're okay. It'll be okay—I've got you."

The seizure only lasted about thirty seconds, but they were the longest thirty seconds of his life.

Grace's face flushed a dark pink, breaths spluttering and rasping as her taut muscles worked against her. Spit dribbled down her cheek, but—from what Leon could see—it at least wasn't tinged with blood. Her wrists and fingers were painfully curled in on themselves, nails digging crescents into her palms.

"I'm here, baby. I'm here," he repeated when her bitter scent spiked with a sharp note of sickness and distress, the endearment falling naturally from his lips.

Finally, once those thirty seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity ended, the convulsions ceased.

The vice that gripped and threatened to destroy Leon's heart eased as well, and the air that was trapped in his lungs whooshed out of him.

"That's it, Grace. You're okay," he encouraged.

He stood to dampen a washcloth, being mindful not to step on the younger omega as she went completely limp. Kneeling down behind her again, he started with gingerly wiping away the saliva from her cheek with the corner of the rag, idly checking her breathing at the same time. Then he folded the rag and gently dragged it over her skin, focusing on her face, neck, and arms to assist in cooling off her overheated body. Eventually, he re-wet the cloth to cool it again before carefully placing it on her forehead.

All he could do now was wait.

Now that Grace had fallen so deep into an omega drop as to have a seizure, he was hesitant to move her. No matter how much his instincts whined that his pup was surely uncomfortable on the hard floor, his medical training overruled the urge. Instead, Leon settled for tenderly stroking her hair and observing her for any signs of another seizure.

"Whenever you're ready to come back, I'm here, Grace," he murmured. Whether it was for her sake or his own, he wasn't sure. Maybe he just needed to fill the tense silence. "I'm not leaving your side."

He continued to whisper soft reassurances as the minutes ticked by slowly. He flipped the washcloth again so the cooler side was pressed to her forehead, and he moved her hair away from her neck so he could lightly blow against the back of it.

Grace's complexion faded from a harsh red to a light pink as oxygen circulated throughout her system without the hindrance of taut muscles and choked breaths. Her scent dulled as well. The rotten notes of a drop still clung to it, but at least the acute distress faded.

Leon removed the rag from her head and was about to refresh it again when he caught subtle movement under her eyelids.

He clutched the rag tightly in his fist, reminding himself to stay calm as he asked, "Hey, you with me? Grace?"

Her eyes flickered under the lids, but whether or not it was in response to his voice, he didn't know. However, after one bated breath, then two, Grace mumbled out a weak groan, "Mmm…Muh…?"

"Hey, Grace," Leon sighed, relieved. "Hey, you're okay. Just breathe for a minute."

The younger omega fought to open her eyes even just a sliver. A slurred chirp fell from her lips when she attempted to lift her head and failed, body too wrung out yet. She squirmed some, completely uncoordinated, as her wariness and agitation grew.

"Easy, take your time," he urged softly, placing one hand on her shoulder to keep her from straining herself and gently running the other through her hair. "I'm gonna sit right here with you."

His words didn't quite reach her. Dazed from both the seizure and her instincts, she continued to flex against his hold. A low, frightened keen ripped from her throat as her scent took on an undercurrent of anxiety again.

Desperate to keep her placid, to help, to do anything, Leon methodically pushed out calming pheromones. Not enough to overwhelm—just enough to soothe.

Safe. Calm. Protected. Warm.

He smiled ruefully when he recalled how Grace did the same for him not even a month ago.

Fuck, he should've discussed having her and Emily join the pack sooner. He should've told her how he viewed her as one of his own instead of letting it fester in the background. Maybe this all could've been avoided.

He took a cleansing breath. No, he couldn't focus on that right now. He needed to direct his immediate attention to something more important than his guilty conscience.

Safe. Calm. Protected. Warm.

Grace stilled under his hands, and he briefly feared that his pheromones would cause her to be sick again. Instead, a weak purr rumbled from deep in her chest and the sharp edge of her scent smoothed out. She was still a little confused and uncertain, but at least she was receptive to his pheromones.

Encouraged, Leon maintained a steady stream of comforting pheromones while he waited for Grace to recover a little more.

"We'll get you to bed soon. Promise," he said.

As time stretched on, Grace gradually became more cognizant, though she remained very lethargic. She pried her eyes apart, enough for him to note the ring of omega gold around the edge of her irises—which he expected, unfortunately, given the current circumstances. She also couldn't quite focus them yet, Leon could tell, but it was a start.

Eventually, she clumsily shifted her arm until her hand rubbed against his that he had placed on her shoulder, searching. He grasped it gently without a second thought, quickly deducing what she was trying to communicate to him.

"Had enough of the floor, huh? Yeah, me too," he quipped lightheartedly with a tender squeeze to her hand. "I'm gonna lift you up. Just lean into me and then relax, okay? Let me do all the work."

It took some awkward maneuvering on Leon's part, but in the end he successfully lifted her into a bridal carry and managed to get to his feet. His back ached and his joints creaked in protest, but he paid them no mind as Grace tucked her head under his chin. She sluggishly folded her arms against him like she was trying to burrow into him, another purr emitting from her when he gave into his instinct to lightly scent the crown of her head.

Leon shuffled through the tiny bathroom door—mindful not to knock her feet against the trim—and carefully deposited her on top of her bed.

"There we go," he grunted, heaving out a breath as the muscles in his back loosened. He chuckled wryly, "These old bones aren't quite what they used to be, huh Grace?"

He received no response from the younger omega other than a disoriented blink.

He patted her shin, the touch grounding him as he commented, "Let's get you a bit more comfortable."

He removed her shoes and set them on the floor, ensuring they were out of the way so he wouldn't trip over them. He briefly considered helping her change into more comfortable clothes, but ultimately decided that he didn't want to overstep any potential boundaries. Instead, he guided her under the covers of her bed, pulling away the fluffy comforter and leaving her with just the light sheet on top so she wouldn't overheat.

After adjusting her pillow so she was comfortable, he paused to examine her scent glands again, wincing at the angry welts that decorated her neck. His fingers traced down her arm lightly, leaving goosebumps in their wake until they reached her wrist. Bloodied scratches littered her forearm and scent gland, and he knew that he would find matching wounds on her other arm as well.

He turned to go root around the bathroom for first aid supplies when a feeble whine stopped him. Grace's hand was flimsily outstretched in his direction when he looked back, and he delicately captured it in his own as he returned to her side.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he inquired softly.

Leon patiently waited as she tried to find her voice. She swallowed, throat audibly clicking, and he mentally noted that he should procure some water for her as well. When she found the strength, she drowsily mumbled, "Mm…don'…'eave…"

"Oh, baby," he whispered, cupping her cheek and caressing his thumb under her eye. "I'm not leaving you. No power on earth would be able to drag me away from you right now. We just need to get you patched up real quick. I'll be in the bathroom just for a minute, okay?"

He scented her to tide her over, keeping his pheromones in check since he was still wary of causing a negative reaction. Once she settled back into bed, Leon resumed his task of searching for first aid supplies. With everything he needed piled in his arms, he brought them to Grace's bedside and placed them on her nightstand.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he gingerly guided Grace's arms to rest in a position that would allow him easier access to the wounds. He narrated his actions to her in soothing tones, carefully cleaning her wrists before applying some ointment and bandaging them. When it came to cleaning the glands on either side of her neck, Leon proceeded with extra caution, hyperaware of every wince or whimper that the younger omega couldn't hold back. Once those were bandaged up as well, he allowed himself a moment to breathe.

Grace's drop was still in full effect. Though her scent glands were covered in gauze, the rotten tang of the drop stubbornly clung to the pheromones in the air. Leon's stomach clenched in response. His instincts bubbled under his skin, begging him to do something to bring his pup back from the brink.

So he let them take over.

Before he knew what he was doing, he found himself building a nest around Grace. It was a little crude, considering he had to work with limited materials and a bed instead of a nesting pad, but he made it work. He jostled Grace as little as possible as he meticulously rearranged a few pillows and sheets, scenting the materials liberally as he formed the nest.

By the time he finished, he was purring up a storm, intuitively providing audible comfort while he focused on his task. His pheromones had also sweetened to counteract the bitter notes from Grace's drop, hoping to simultaneously soothe her and gradually encourage her out of the drop.

"How's that?" he inquired past the vibrations in his chest.

Looking up from where he stood at the foot of the bed, he softened at the content look on Grace's expression. She had practically melted into the nest, bleary gold-ringed eyes half lidded as she fought to stay awake. Though she said nothing, the twitch of her fingers was all the beckoning Leon needed to join her in the bed.

He kicked off his shoes before climbing in, moving as delicately as he could so as to not disturb the nest nor his peaceful pup. He shuffled around until he laid at the head of the nest with Grace tucked into his side. His purring became impossibly louder as she nestled under his chin and into his neck, subconsciously scenting herself.

"I see you've made yourself at home," Leon teased softly, nuzzling her back to show her that he didn't mind (rather, he encouraged it).

He received a quiet mewl in response before she went limp against him, nearly on the verge of sleep.

"Hold on a second," he said as he reached for his phone that was thankfully still in his back pocket. "Humor me just a bit longer. Then we can go to sleep."

He typed out a quick text to Chris requesting the alpha bring a few bottles of water and something with electrolytes, making sure the message went through before he placed the phone behind him.

"Stay awake, Grace," he said when he felt her body start to grow heavy again. A puff of breath whistled against his neck and collarbone, and Leon couldn't hold back an amused chuckle as he realized that Grace actually huffed at him, clearly annoyed. "I know, I know. I'm just torturing you at this point, aren't I?"

Contradictory to what he said, Leon rubbed her back in slow up-and-down motions. He knew the action threatened to put Grace to sleep, but his instincts were still at the forefront of his mind, aching to comfort. His other hand came up to brush her hair out of her eyes, lightly tapping her temple when they fluttered closed again.

"Chris should be here any second," he reassured.

As expected, a gentle knock on the closed bedroom door came a minute later.

Grace whimpered quietly in his arms again, and Leon had to bite back a growl deep in his chest before it could escape, protective instincts flaring for a split second. Exhaling quietly, he reminded himself that he and Grace were safe—it was just his mate, after all. Chris had honored his promise so far of guarding them while they were vulnerable, and Leon trusted him to continue doing so.

"It's okay. It's just Chris," he whispered. He let her hide in his embrace as he called out towards the door, "Come in."

The door slowly creaked open as the alpha poked his head in first to gauge the situation before he entered their domain. His expression softened as his eyes landed on the two omegas huddled in the makeshift nest, and Leon caught a whiff of happy alpha pheromones before they were reigned back in. Chris carefully shut the door behind him before he tentatively inched toward the bed with the requested items in hand.

"How's it going?" the alpha asked as he set down a few waters and Gatorades on the nightstand, gaze lingering over Grace's form in muted concern.

"Better now, I think," Leon hummed. "Should be smooth sailing from here, at least. Can you crack one of those open please?"

His phrasing left a lot to the imagination, but he didn't feel like reliving the horrific scene he was first greeted with so soon, especially in front of Grace. Even though she probably wouldn't have understood what they were talking about to the fullest extent, Leon didn't want to risk it. There was no way that he was going to chance her having any kind of relapse.

Chris shot him a we'll talk about this later look, but otherwise did as he asked, breaking the seal of one of the waters.

Leon shifted both himself and Grace into a semi-sitting position as he roused her, "C'mon, up you go. Can you take a few sips for us, Grace?"

She stubbornly hid her face in his neck for a few moments, grumbling in protest at being kept from sleep. Ultimately, she relented, turning her face outwards and reaching out a shaky hand for the bottle.

"I gotcha. Just drink slowly," Chris instructed gently as he held the water up to her lips.

After drinking enough to satisfy her thirst and the couple's worries, Grace leaned back into Leon's embrace. He crooned in approval, adjusting their position so they were laying back on the pillows again.

"Thank you, Chris," he addressed the alpha.

"Of course. Anything else I can do while I'm here?"

Leon hummed, glancing at the bedroom door before asking, "How's Emily doing?"

"She's…doing okay," Chris answered somberly. "She was pretty shaken up earlier, but I've got her watching a movie right now." He hesitated, gaze roving over Grace before settling back onto Leon. "Do you think she could come see Grace for a bit? It might help put her at ease."

Leon looked down at Grace. He nearly cooed when she snuffled softly into his neck, making herself comfortable in his arms. He didn't want to disturb her any more than necessary, but he couldn't deny the need he felt to reassure Emily as well.

"That's fine. I can't promise that this one will be awake for much longer, though," he said, pitching his voice lower. "She's had a rough time."

"We'll make it quick then," Chris said, heading for the door.

"Oh, and Chris," Leon called, causing the alpha to pause. "Can you bring a few more things for the nest?"

A small smile spread across Chris's lips, adoration softening his features as he nodded in acknowledgment before exiting the room.

Leon sighed as he relaxed back into the nest, instincts sated with his pup in his arms and his mate in the vicinity. He peeked at his watch—almost ten o'clock—before wrapping his arm around Grace, encasing her in a hug. She hardly moved at his shifting, merely curling deeper into his side, if that was somehow possible.

"I know," he murmured into her hair. "We'll sleep soon. Don't you wanna see Emily first?"

As if spoken into existence, the bedroom door opened slowly, revealing said pup with her teddy bear clutched to her chest.

"Remember, we gotta stay quiet, okay?" Chris whispered from behind her, a few blankets in his grasp.

She nodded, seemingly studying Grace in Leon's arms before padding towards them. She remained silent until she reached the side of the bed, peering over the nest in an attempt to determine Grace's well-being for herself.

When she couldn't see much due to Grace's folded position, she asked timidly, "Is she okay?"

"Yes, she's okay. She's really tired right now, but she'll be fine," Leon answered truthfully.

Despite his reassurance, Emily's face scrunched in a tiny frown. "She still smells sick."

Now that it was pointed out to him, Leon's olfactory senses registered Grace's pheromones again, no longer nose blind after having been exposed to them for so long. They were still very much present in the room, but at least the sour notes had dulled a bit.

"Yeah, she's still a little sick," Leon admitted, "but with all of us here to take care of her, she'll get better in no time."

Emily's frown deepened slightly as a look of contemplation flashed across her features. Leon was almost tempted to ask her what she was pondering about when she held out her teddy bear, effectively breaking his train of thought.

"Here," she said, leaning forward a little when he didn't immediately take the stuffed animal from her. "Brownie always makes me feel better when I'm sick or scared. Maybe he can help Grace feel better, too."

"Oh," Leon breathed, heart melting into a puddle at the sweet gesture. He lightly grasped the teddy bear and brought it to Grace's chest, careful not to rub too much of his scent on it so that it retained more of Emily's milky scent. "That's very kind of you, Emily. Thank you."

Grace shifted against him, causing everyone in the room to freeze with bated breath. She mumbled nonsensically, drawing the stuffed animal closer to her chest before letting out a quiet purr. Leon exhaled in relief, grinning a little as he looked back at Emily.

"Workin' like a charm already."

The pup smiled bashfully, obviously pleased but containing her excitement at being able to help.

"Alright," Chris said with an air of finality as he placed the extra blankets at the end of the bed. "Why don't we let them get some rest? I think it's about time for you to go get cleaned up for bed, too, hm?"

For a second, it looked like Emily was going to protest, but when her eyes landed on Grace again she appeared to think better of it. Instead, she wrung her hands in front of her and muttered a quiet, "Okay… Goodnight, Grace. Goodnight, Leon."

"Goodnight," Leon responded, gaze not leaving her form until she disappeared out the door. He turned back to Chris, solemn. "You'll make sure she's okay?"

"Yeah, I got her," Chris affirmed as he rounded the bed to take the spot Emily vacated. "I'm gonna put her to bed and then I'll be on the couch for the rest of the night. If you need something, come get me."

"Okay. Keep your phone on you, too."

"Yep. And Lee?"

"Hm?"

His mate leaned over, careful not to disturb the younger omega in Leon's arms as he nuzzled his cheek along Leon's temple, lightly scenting him. A pleased rumble ignited within the alpha's chest as he praised, "Taking such good care of the pups, Omega. I'm proud of you."

Leon's eyes fluttered closed as he soaked in the encouragement, unconsciously emitting a soft chirp. He'd been so focused on Grace that he didn't realize just how much he needed the reassurance until that moment. He tilted his head to caress his cheek along Chris's, scenting him in return before pulling back just enough to chastely peck him on the lips.

"Thank you. I love you."

"Love you, too. Get some sleep."

As Chris began to move away, however, a sharp whimper erupted from Grace below him, and her hand clumsily shot out to grasp the sleeve of his shirt.

"Whoa, hey," Leon gasped, suddenly on edge. "What's wrong, Grace?"

She whined again as she tugged on Chris's sleeve, a hint of longing creeping into her pheromones. When neither of them moved to complete whatever request she tried to convey, she grasped Chris's wrist and maneuvered it to the pillow behind her. With awkward, stilted movements, she guided him to start scenting the material.

Leon's furrowed brow eased, understanding dawning on him. "Oh… You want Chris's scent for the nest?"

At that realization, a thoughtful expression crossed Chris's face. "If that's the case…"

He gently retrieved his arm from Grace's grip and picked up one of the extra blankets at the end of the bed. He scented it generously, imbuing it with impressions of happiness, safety and protection. Once he was satisfied with his work, he gingerly tucked it along Grace's back, encasing her in warmth.

With the blanket at her back, Leon at her front, and Emily's bear in her arms, Grace finally settled, quickly losing the battle against sleep.

"Huh," Chris whispered, bewildered but no less in awe. "I didn't think she'd take to my scent so soon. I'm glad it seemed to help, though."

"Yeah… It just makes me wonder how long she felt the need to hold back her instincts." Leon shook his head, fighting back tears as remorse sunk in. His voice cracked as he spoke, "She dropped, Chris."

"I know," Chris said solemnly, "but we're here now. Let's just take this one step at a time, okay?"

"Right," Leon sighed, sniffing once. "Maybe…could you ask Rebecca to swing by tomorrow morning with some things scented by the pack? Grace might be more receptive to them now. And Becca could take a look at the scratches on her scent glands while she's here, too."

"You got it," the alpha agreed. Before he left, he reached over and tenderly squeezed Leon's hand with a warm look. "Night, Lee."

"G'night."

Chris turned the overhead light off as he exited, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

Alone with his thoughts, Leon examined Grace with what little light the nightlight from the ensuite bathroom provided. Her expression had smoothed out, no longer the anguished scrunch that plagued her while she was awake. Her breaths were deep and even, broken up by the occasional snuffle that Leon found way too adorable. Overall, she seemed content. At ease.

So why couldn't Leon feel the same?

The pheromones indicating Grace's status as an omega in a drop lingered in the air. His own instincts still buzzed under his skin, competing with the guilt that was slowly but surely eating away at him.

In an attempt to comfort both himself and his pup, Leon adjusted the blanket that Chris had scented so it was more snug around Grace. Caressing her hair, he allowed himself to scent her one more time before he huddled back into the pillows, clutching Grace to his chest not unlike how she was holding Emily's teddy bear. He gave into the urge to press a delicate kiss onto the crown of her head as he closed his eyes.

"I'll try to do better," he murmured. "I promise."

With a mournful sigh, he settled in for a long, restless night.

His assumptions of getting little sleep were proven true numerous times throughout the night.

Every time Grace shifted or made noise, Leon's eyes would snap open, assessing her condition before he allowed himself to relax again.

Breathing? Normal.

Heart rate? Steady.

Scent? Still sour, but maybe a little less than before.

He went through the motions each time, reassuring himself that she was still here. She didn't fall deeper into the drop. She was still okay.

His consciousness was on a hair-trigger all night, so it was a wonder that he slept through the beginning squirms of Grace in the throes of a nightmare.

Coming out of deep REM sleep (that he somehow managed to fall into), Leon blinked bleary eyes open. Confusion clouded his mind as he stared up at the ceiling, trying to piece together why he was awake. His question was swiftly answered by a small cry next to him.

Jolting awake, he sucked in a sharp breath as he pushed himself up with one arm, leaning on his side as he impulsively asked, "Grace?"

The younger omega's back was turned towards him, obscuring her face from view. Leon cautiously placed a hand on her shoulder, noting the tremors that racked her body. Fearing the worst, he sat up fully and leaned over to view her at a better angle, restraining himself from shaking her shoulder.

Please don't let it be another seizure.

"Grace? Can you hear me? I need you to wake up," he called, semi-frantic.

She mumbled something incoherent before lurching awake with a sob.

"Hey, hey, you're okay," Leon soothed, relieved that she was just dreaming and not the alternative. He rubbed her shoulder in the hopes of grounding her and lulling her cries. "You're okay."

Neither of them moved for a few minutes, choosing to stay quiet except for Grace's hitching whimpers and Leon's own pacifying hushes. He tentatively pushed out calming pheromones as well, glad to see that they helped when her breaths came a little easier. Eventually, her sobs petered out until they were merely sniffles.

"M-mm…Leon…?"

Stunned at having been addressed by her, Leon couldn't keep the awed tone out of his voice as he answered, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm here."

To his pleasant surprise, her eyes opened. They searched the room until they met his own, and—to Leon's even greater surprise—he noticed that they had almost returned to their hazel hue. Gold still outlined the edge of her irises, but it had mostly receded to a thin ring. Hope sprouted within him; maybe she was closer to recovering from the drop than he originally estimated.

When it appeared that craning her neck to look at him was becoming uncomfortable, Leon helped her roll onto her back, ensuring that her head was cushioned by a pillow. Once she was situated, she sluggishly asked, "Why are you here?"

He frowned. He didn't want to dodge her question, but he had to know, "What do you remember?"

"I…" She paused, expression screwing up in contemplation. "I was at the party, talking with…Jill? And Carlos? But then I started to feel bad and… Oh."

Her eyes widened as a weird mix of realization and fear crossed her features. Her skin somehow became even paler than it already was, giving her a ghostly countenance that was exacerbated by the dim lighting of the room. She went rigid as she began to quietly wheeze for breath, and her scent turned bitter with nerves and trepidation, putting Leon on high alert.

"Easy, easy," he crooned. "You're okay. Take some deep breaths."

Just as he did with Emily mere hours ago, he walked Grace through a breathing exercise, exaggerating his own inhales and exhales to get her to follow along. It worked for the most part, but he could tell that she was still anxious about whatever she remembered. Was it something that she didn't want to tell him?

"L-Leon?" she stuttered through shaky lungs, frightened.

He lifted his hand, and when she didn't pull away, he stroked his fingers through her hair. Trying to break it to her softly, he explained, "I won't lie to you, Grace. You suffered from a pretty bad drop. If Chris and I didn't get here when we did…"

Something like horror flashed in her eyes, and she pushed up on her elbows, trying to sit up as she profusely apologized, "I-I'm so s-s-sorry! You—you don't have to stay! I can—I'll t-take care of m-m-myself and—"

"No, that's not—" Leon interrupted before pausing to shake his head with a sigh. He needed to reassure her before she pushed herself back into the drop. "Can I… Would it be okay if I held you? Only if you want to."

Grace blinked up at him, remnants of tear tracks still glittering her cheeks. He ached to wipe them away—they had no place being there, staining her skin—but he refrained. Instead, he waited patiently for her decision.

A few conflicting emotions flit across her expression as she gave his request some thought, but eventually, she said, "O-okay…"

Leon reclined on the pillows and opened his arms in invitation, allowing her to adjust however she wanted. She timidly laid her head on his shoulder, tucking one arm into her own chest while the other settled on his torso, fingers meekly twisting into his shirt. He curled his arm around her shoulders, giving her a light squeeze before he started to comfortingly run his hand up and down her back.

Maybe now that she didn't feel pressured from his gaze, she'd be more willing to open up.

"I'd ask you a penny for your thoughts, but I don't have my wallet on me at the moment," he lightly joked, pleased when it earned him a small chuckle from the younger omega. "So I guess I'll just ask: what's on your mind?"

It was quiet for a moment. Leon was content to just lay there with Grace in his arms, but eventually his silence was rewarded.

She subtly nosed at his neck, subconsciously drawing out his pheromones as she murmured forlornly, "Your scent reminds me of my mom, you know."

He blinked, intrigued, but held his tongue.

"B-before she…died," she said haltingly, "she was the only family I'd ever known. She made me feel safe, no matter where we went. B-but when she died—when she was murdered," her breath hitched, and Leon gently tightened his arm around her in reassurance. She continued, barely above a whisper, "I thought I'd never f-feel like that again. With her gone, it felt like a piece of me had been ripped out. I missed—miss her so much. I was s-so scared and alone for the longest time." She swallowed, throat clicking. "But then I—I met…you."

She extracted herself from his embrace, sitting up and facing away from him like she couldn't bear to see his reaction. Leon's heart clenched at the vulnerable display, aching to comfort but knowing she needed the space. He slowly sat up as well, ensuring that he was sitting behind her so that she wouldn't feel encroached upon.

Grace hunched over and buried her face in her hands, causing her voice to become a little muffled as she continued, "And s-suddenly I felt safe again. I tried to keep my distance because I didn't want to b-burden you, b-but ever since you went—went feral, I haven't been able to stop thinking about…about…"

Her body trembled on her next inhale. One of her hands slid down to her chest as if trying to calm her own racing heart, and the other snagged her hair, not quite pulling but clearly fighting the urge.

"Grace," Leon finally stepped in softly, resting his hand on her back. "Hey, can you look at me?"

She appeared to mull it over for a moment before jarringly turning to him. She didn't quite meet his eyes, but it was enough.

"Good," he encouraged, letting his hand slip from her back in order to hold both out in front of him. "Gimme your hands?"

She flinched, a startled glint in her eye. He didn't have time to question it, though, as she was quick to clasp his fingers in an iron grip.

"Good," he said again. He demonstrated another exaggerated breath, relieved to see her follow suit. He caressed his thumbs over her knuckles as he implored, "Listen to me: you are not a burden. Never have been, never will be, okay?"

She nodded slightly, even though she still seemed doubtful. "…Okay."

"Okay," he said with his own nod. He tilted his head, carefully prompting, "So?"

Grace averted her eyes as she worked up the courage to speak, gripping his hands with surprising strength, like she expected him to leave if she said something wrong. He just continued to brush her knuckles, hoping to be an anchoring presence rather than an intimidating one.

"When you were feral," she started again, sounding out each word, "you…you claimed me as your pup."

Leon's thumbs stopped their gentle ministrations as shock overtook his system for a second.

She'd known for that long?

Fuck, he really should've broached this topic a lot sooner.

Before he could reassure her, Grace rushed to continue, apparently taking his silence and stillness as rejection, "B-but when you didn't remember after the fact, I didn't want to push it. And—and w-when everyone at the party was wearing p-pack rings, I—I just figured…you didn't actually see me in that way. W-w-which is f-fine, if you don't! I promise! I w-wouldn't want to intrude—"

"Grace."

Her jaw audibly snapped shut as she shrunk in on herself, and Leon vaguely worried that she might've bit her tongue. He had half a mind to run his hand down his face in exasperation—because, wow, he felt like he really fucked up for not discussing her place in the pack sooner—but didn't in favor of keeping ahold of Grace's hands so she wouldn't retreat.

In fact…

He gently pulled her forward, enveloping her in his arms and steering her head into his neck next to his scent gland. She seemed reluctant, but obediently went with his guidance. Once he was satisfied with their positioning, he began to scent her in earnest.

My pup, my pup, my pup—

She froze, stiff as a board.

He scented her more, nuzzling her temple as purrs erupted from his chest.

My pup, my pup, my pup—

Before he knew what was happening, Grace's form collapsed into him. Her breath hiccupped as tears uncontrollably spilled down her cheeks, wetting the soft cotton shirt that he wore. The weight of the stress from the past few minutes—hell, the past few days, few weeks, few years—seemed to melt from her. Her entire frame shuddered harshly with the force of her sobs as she finally allowed herself to desperately clutch at his back.

Leon just hugged her tighter and pressed her head deeper into the crook of his neck as he released calming pheromones alongside the claiming ones. He softly rocked them both from side to side, the strength of his purrs steadily increasing as he tried to soothe her.

"Oh, my pup…" he whispered sorrowfully.

Grace drew in a frantic gasp between sobs as she whimpered, "M-Mama…"

Leon was slightly taken aback by the new name, but he swiftly embraced it. If Grace wanted to bestow him with the same honor that was once carried by Alyssa Ashcroft, then he would wear it with pride.

"I'm here, baby. I'm here. Mama's got you."

Finally—finally—the rotten notes in her scent dissipated, giving way to sugary cinnamon apple pie as relief and joy flooded her pheromones. The sheer tidal wave of them nearly choked Leon, but he couldn't have been happier.

As Grace's sobs lessened, Leon gradually let up on his pheromones, eventually pulling back from the embrace so he could instead cradle her face in his hands. He wiped away her tears like he longed to do earlier, and pure relief swept through him when her hazel eyes stared back at him, no trace of gold to be found. Ironically, he felt his own eyes begin to burn as he said, "Baby, I'm so sorry I waited so long to tell you. With ARK still being so fresh, I didn't want to overwhelm you. But that's my mistake, and I'm sorry I made you feel like you had to suppress your instincts around me."

Grace sniffled, shaking her head as much as his tender grip allowed. "I-it's okay. I think we were both afraid of overwhelming each other."

"Maybe you're right," he said with a small huff of self-deprecating laughter. "In any case, we want you in the pack, Grace. I want you in the pack, for as long as you're willing. Trust me when I say that all of us would go to hell and back for you. You don't have to do this alone anymore, okay?"

"…Okay," she agreed with a wobbly smile. He returned it with his own, releasing his hold on her to stubbornly rub the water from his eyes. As he did so, he noticed Grace glance down at his hand. Looking back up at him, she inquired, "Does this mean I get a cool pack ring?"

His chuckle was more genuine this time, which caused Grace's expression to brighten as well.

"Yes, we'll get you a cool pack ring, and we'll get Emily a bracelet like Rose. But for now," he gestured to where her bedside clock displayed four o'clock in bright red numbers, "let's get some more shuteye first. We both could use all the sleep we can get before Rebecca's visit later in the morning."

"Oh, okay," she readily agreed. As she waited for him to settle comfortably in the nest, she asked curiously, "Why is she coming over?"

Leon beckoned her to join him, and he answered as she shifted next to him, "She's bringing some nesting materials that the pack scented. Figured you'd maybe want them, since you took to Chris's scent so quickly. She's also going to give you a check up while she's here."

"Hm, thank you, Leon," Grace hummed, burrowing into his warmth. "Sorry about crying into your shirt, by the way."

"Don't sweat it. It's seen worse," he quipped.

With his pup safely in his embrace, he allowed himself to indulge in his instincts one more time. He tenderly placed a kiss on her forehead, and he felt her lean into it. He smiled, sighing out a short purr before falling still.

"Sleep tight, baby."

"Goodnight, Mama."