Chapter Text
Winter was on its way. The rivers waters were getting much cooler now. The winds were chillier and at night, a light frost would settle on the ground, turning things crispy and white, only to be thawed once the sun began to rise in the morning.
Food was getting more sparse. It was probably a mixture of global warming and overhunting by humans that was the cause. It seemed like there was less food every year, and it was true. Winter was by far the hardest part of the year to get through, and as such, teamwork was important.
As the sun rose, as did a certain wolf; an alpha. His gorgeous grey and white fur coat with flecks of black here and there, had started to thicken, getting him ready for the harsh winter to come. He was hunting as much as he could as of late due to the seasonal changes. He needed to fatten up ready for the snow. He wouldn't know when his next meal would be once it had fallen as it could remain on the ground for weeks on end.
Tiredly, the wolf gave a wide yawn. He was alone. The pack he once belonged to had caught him attempting to mate with the lead omega. The two wolves had fallen for one another but once they had been spotted, Genos was chased away, disowned by the group. All he wanted was a family of his own, to continue his bloodline, but that hope had been temporarily dashed for now. Mating season was over for another year.
Stretching, the alpha left his den, smelling the cool morning air, his warm breath leaving little puffs of smoke. Now was as good a time as any to go hunting for food. As silently as he could be, he weaved in and out of the trees and over the roots that made lumps in the earth beneath his paws, sniffing around.
He picked up the scent of meat nearby. Live meat. Possibly a rabbit, if he wasn't mistaken. Following his excellent sense of smell, he tracked it down stealthily, keeping low to the ground, continuing his hunt. His ears perked up as he heard a branch snap a little ways away. He looked up and spotted a rabbit. He licked his lips and lowered himself to the ground.
Waiting for the right moment, Genos then sprung to life. No soon as the rabbit heard the movement, it was off like a shot, darting between the trees, jumping over small bushes, all the while having the lone wolf hot on its tail.
A grey muzzle poked from between bushes, picking up the scent of meat. The rest of the animal emerged, an omega wolf named Saitama. He too was alone. He wasn’t fond of working with others half of the time. Even though he was an omega, he was stubborn and independent and had his own ideas, but if he was to separate from the pack, he would surely be doomed. That was just how it was for lone wolves. Besides, there was no way the alpha of his pack was going to let one of his omegas leave. They needed each other.
Aside from his somewhat stubborn personality, Saitama was a good hunter and a valuable member of the pack. He was beautiful with a thick coat of various shades of brown and greys and an equally thick tail. He was young but would be a great choice to mate with next year.
He had set off from the others that morning, not too far away that they couldn't smell each other's tracks. He was on the hunt to find small prey of his own. Much to his surprise it didn't take long. A rabbit seemingly out of nowhere bolted past him at full speed and although Saitama knew it was running from something, he recklessly chased after it. He wasn't going to let anyone else have this meal. ‘ Finders, keepers, right?’
As he started to close in on the rabbit, Genos was startled by the sudden appearance of another wolf just up ahead of him. His ears flattened back, teeth bared along with a growl as he chased even faster now, his heart pounding in his chest. This was his rabbit and he wouldn't allow anyone to take his meal away from him. His eyes now remained focused on the rabbit, still avoiding obstacles as he attempted to catch up to the other wolf who was frighteningly agile to say the least. Genos continued his sprint through the foliage, now having to fight for his food.
Saitama heard the trampling behind him; it was a quadruped, not a human. That was all that mattered. The omega kept zipping through the forest with skillful agility until when he thought the moment was right, he leapt, hoping to catch the prey. The rabbit suddenly bolted out of his way to the left. The rabbit however was thrown off at the last second by the presence of the other wolf that had caught up faster than it had expected.
Just as he thought that his prey had been caught, Genos saw it change direction when the wolf leapt. Luckily, he could make that turn. He followed the rabbit, now closer than the other wolf. He could do this! He kept up his pace, panting. He was determined to get that rabbit in his teeth before the other wolf did.
He gradually closed the distance between them, only then to miss a raised tree root that arched up then back into the ground. The rabbit fit under perfectly. Genos however tripped, cartwheeling forward over it at high speed, his gorgeous furry coat now all dusty and dirty.
Saitama scrambled to a halt, just barely tripping over the same root as the other wolf before him had. He hadn't missed the hilarious mishap and he couldn't help but cackle.
He hadn't seen him, or smelled him before. He stopped laughing to scrutinize the other wolf. ‘ Who is this guy? ’. He was very big and handsome, definitely an alpha and surely he had plenty of mates and pups not too far away. Oh Saitama would be in trouble if he was caught anywhere near him. He took a few steps back and sniffed the breeze, trying to identify the other a little more without coming too close.
The alpha’s head spun a little, dizzy from the motions. He let the dizziness clear before shaking his head. Having heard the laugh, Genos felt heat rise to his cheeks in embarrassment. Looking to where the laughing came from, his ears flattened back, stunning golden eyes focused upon the other, teeth grit, but no growl. But then he let his defences down some, not showing his fangs anymore as the other didn't come any closer, instead sniffing the air. He opted to do the same. The scent that filled his senses was that of an omega. Something didn't seem right. Where was the rest of his pack?
"What's an omega like you doing out here on your own?", he asked as he got to his feet and shook his entire body, a plume of dust floating from his coat.
The gentle breeze brought the dust to Saitama's muzzle and he sneezed cutely, then huffed in embarrassment, sitting on his haunches. "Just because I’m an omega doesn't mean I can’t go hunt on my own, y’know?", he replied proudly, chest puffed out.
Sure, it generally was against pack rules, but such things never stopped Saitama. "My pack is around, so don't try anything”, he smirked and eyed him over with his vividly brown eyes. "And where is your pack? " he asked, assuming Genos was the leader. His pheromones sure gave him that impression.
Genos was now on guard. This omega had mentioned that his pack was nearby. They could strike at any given moment. And because Genos had no pack of his own, he'd be in big trouble.
Looking right back into those chocolate hues, Genos spoke, "I'm a lone wolf in search of a pack of my own". That was all the omega needed to know. He decided to take a few steps forward, closer to Saitama, curious as to how the male would react, knowing it may be a step too far. "Don't you know it's dangerous to be alone with a strange alpha? You just lost me a meal", he growled, eyes narrowing.
Saitama’s heart pounded with anxiety but he refused to show his fear. He bared his teeth at the other male and lowly growled, standing his ground. "You just lost me a meal, so don’t even think you can threaten me, I can hold my own”. Saitama's tail was however between his legs. He had never gotten in a fight with a stranger, as feisty as this alpha was.
"I lost you a meal? That's a joke. I started chasing it first. You jumped in half way", he answered, surveying the males appearance. He may look intimidating but the tail between his legs said otherwise. “Oh, and the tail between your legs says otherwise", he teased, pretending to take a better peek at the others tail under him, his own tail bristled in annoyance, his gaze now meeting Saitama’s again. He came to a stop just a few feet away from Saitama. "I suggest you go back to your pack. I doubt they'd be best pleased in knowing that an omega of there's has wondered off".
Humiliated by the other wolf noticing his cowering tail, Saitama felt worse, his tail remaining where it was. His back legs even buckled, but he held his head high. Such a stubborn omega. He growled at him again and took a few steps back away from the other. "I can see why you don't have a pack of your own; ready to eat your own meal rather than putting an omega first”.
Seeing the omega’s defences crumble by the second, Genos knew he had the upper hand. "If I had an omega of my own, I'd have caught if for them to eat. But you belong to another pack, so I don't need to provide for you. Besides, I'm sure you're capable of catching your own food, or having your mate catch it for you".
Saitama's ears flattened, fighting back the urge to lower his head. He knew his next move would be underhanded, but he had no other choice. A short whimper escaped his muzzle.
Genos heard the whimper from the not so cowardly omega. His ears instantly pricked up as he heard a noise, followed by another, and another, both left and right. This could only mean trouble...