Chapter Text
You run, run as fast as your body will take you, your breath coming out in ragged wheezes as your chest heaves from exertion.
You can hear him, Brock, coming after you, he's screaming at you, telling you he would catch you, take you, then kill you.
He had finally snapped, his strange, somewhat violent tendencies finally manifested into murderous rage. He had killed the entire pack, tearing them apart, some quickly, some he had tortured before ending them.
You had fled, quickly shifting into your wolf form, your fur changing into your hair color, you had your chance and you took it, sneaking out through the back of the cave, there was a small hole big enough for you, a smaller omega to fit through.
But he had caught up to you, his much larger body much stronger than yours and he was using it now to chase you down to what you could only assume was your death.
You scanned the landscape, the way you were heading was up the mountain, the trees were thick and you had to take your path carefully lest you get caught in brambles and trap yourself.
Leaping over smaller brushes and sticks that littered the underbrush, feeling your stamina fading by the minute.
Brock laughed, his fur around his face and chest was stained with blood and his black fur was greasy from the fight.
His eyes deranged and full of fire and adrenaline.
You were desperate, you knew of only one escape route, it would either lead to your death, or survival and at this point you'd take anything.
You made a harsh turn, almost slipping but catching yourself on the loose leaves, Brock was slightly caught off guard, having to make a little wider turn after he registered where you went.
You made a line for the river, if you could get lost down the river, he'd lose your scent and wouldn't risk his own life to get to you, he thought to highly of himself.
You prayed it would work.
As you got closer your stomach turned, you knew you were to far up the mountain but it didn't matter, you would just have to jump.
Many months were spent in this area so you knew where to jump from.
You sped towards the cliff, your mind racing, Brock was gaining on you but you didn't care.
You were ready to die if that's what it took, but you weren't dying by his gnashing teeth.
You could see the edge now, the sheer drop off you had visited multiple times, your place to go when you wanted absolute silence.
You took a deep breath, knowing you had just a few more seconds to live, taking another few long strides, you planted your feet at the very edge, only registering the drop off was at least 100 feet down, thankfully it had rained recently so it would be more full than usual.
Leaping with all your strength, you closed your eyes, the wind rushing by your face and ears, whipping your fur around.
You could hear over the screaming of the wind of Brock's voice telling you he'd find you.
You opened your eyes to see the land and water speeding towards you.
You were actually landing in the water?
In a quick decision, you shifted back to human form, your naked body freezing in the icy winds, planting yourself feet first and stiffened your body in a feet first dive, holding your nose so water wouldn't slam up into it.
You took one last huge breath and squeezed your eyes shut.
The water was cold from the fresh rain, you wanted to scream as the water slammed into you, not enough to break anything but it stung your entire body. The dark waters enveloped you.
You stayed under the water for as long as possible wanting Brock to believe the fall had killed you.
The burning in your lungs became unbearable and you let yourself surface, taking a deep breath and looking up to the cliff, not seeing him standing there, you let the river carry you.
You shifted back into your wolf form to keep warmer and let your body relax. There wasnt anything to worry about in this river, it was deep, but not deep enough to house any of the larger predators that lurked in the shadows of the deep waters of the bigger, raging rivers to the south.
You let yourself drift in and out, the adrenaline finally leaving your body and leaving your limbs feeling heavy and aching.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After what felt like hours, you swam to the bank on the other side, the sun had set a while back but the moon was full so the forest was lit by the blue and grey tones of the moon.
You could barely stand, your limbs feeling like jelly from all the time in the water and the added weight of your sopping wet fur.
You stumbled out of the water, sluggishly shaking off, the water had soaked through your layered fur all the way to your skin.
You shivered as your body acclimated.
You needed to find shelter and quick. The moon wasnt very high, but it was very dangerous to be out alone at night, especially when you had no idea where you were and who's territory you were on.
You limped your way to the forest, keeping as quiet as possible, searching for a suitable shelter.
You spied a large tree with long, snaking roots that wove their way through the earth, the earth underneath made a small cave, big enough for you and another wolf your size.
Slinking your way through the mouth of the cave, you settled into the makeshift bed, thankful for the pine needles, leaves and other semi soft debris to cushion your sore muscles and bones.
You quickly succumbed to sleep, your mind however, busy with the memories of Brock on his terrifying rampage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you were finally waking from your sleep, you could tell it was mid day.
Sucking in a deep breath, you looked around, wide eyed for any sign of your attacker, terrified of him waiting to ambush you.
You sniffed the air, thankful to not smell anything.
You could however, smell another scent, another alpha, one you didnt smell last night. Or maybe he had just recently passed by, you weren't sure.
You poked your head out of the hole, searching for any sign of another wolf.
You didn't catch any movement, exiting the small cave and stretching, whining in protest, grimacing at the horrible way your limbs popped and your skin burned.
You made your way to the river bank, your throat was on fire.
You dipped your tongue into the water, savoring the cold feeling running down your throat, soothing the burning of your parched mouth.
You had let your guard down, not even realizing the wolf walking up on you until you took a deep breath and smelled them.
You yelled, in the process, sucking up some water into your mouth and nose, effectively choking yourself. You stumbled, falling to your side, coughing violently while trying to drag yourself away.
The footsteps sped up before stopping close beside you.
Tears welled in your eyes as you caught your breath and you couldn't help the fear that ran through your body, "Please... kill me... do it quick." You pleaded with Brock.
You heard a whine, thinking it was odd, you looked up through foggy eyes and saw a beautiful white, blonde and gray wolf standing before you, his grey blue eyes were full of concern, searching your face.
"Why would I kill you? Are you ok? Are you being hunted?" His deep voice asked, scenting you, he looked for any signs of harm.
You shook your head, still a bit light headed from choking, ""The Alpha of my pack... he went homicidal and killed the pack, I escaped, I don't know how far I went, I jumped into the river and let it carry me here."
The light colored wolf nodded his head, looking around, searching the area with stern eyes, "Well, if you're with us, he won't harm you." He said, his voice harsh but it wasn't towards you.
Looking back to you, his eyes softened, you tipped your head to the side, looking for the others in the 'Us' he spoke of.
"There are others?" You asked, not wanting to question an Alpha but you were still on edge, afraid.
He smiled, nodding his head again, "Yes, my pack, it's strong, I have quite a few permanent members and many allys." He stated.
You looked him over for any sign of lies but didnt see anything to question.
"I'm Steve by the way. " he offered, smiling at you, his sharp canines gleaming.
"Y/N... thank you, for helping me." You replied, dropping your head to show submission to the Alpha who in turn beamed at your willingness to show your respect.
You hefted yourself up, still having to look up to look him directly in his eyes. He was bigger than Brock, his shoulders broader, the slope of his back was less swayed than Brock's, the way his muscles bunched and curved around his neck and chest and around his ribs showed strength and his haunches were thick with well used muscle.
He knew what you were doing, you were judging him, which was acceptable, you were seeing if he could protect you, and the look in your eyes said that he could very well.
"I'll lead the way... come... let's meet the pack." Steve said, flicking his tail, brushing your side in a friendly gesture.
You followed him, keeping a respectable distance between you both, you weren't in his pack, nor had you been claimed by him, you had no right to crowd him.
As you followed, your mind started to race. Were you walking into a trap? Were you walking into another deranged Alpha? You tried to calm yourself. He hadnt given you any red flags to make you think he had any ill intentions.
You hadn't noticed that he had stopped until you bumper into him, he didn't growl like you expected him to, but you still cowered, waiting for punishment which never came.
Steve gave you a sympathetic look, "We're here. I didn't want to bother you, you seemed to be deep in thought. " he said kindly.
You nodded, not trusting your voice. He walked forward, letting out a low howl, a greeting, and announcing his presence to his pack.
It was answered with many other howls, all of different pitches, some louder than others.
The first to greet him was a smaller wolf, a Beta from the size and body shape, he was young, his body still a bit disproportionate, that of an adolescent.
His fur was light brown, a slight wave to his fur, his tail curling over his back, wagging as he approached, smiling, his milky white teeth gleaming.
"Hey Steve, how was your patrol, anything cool happen? When can I go with you, I'm getting stronger, I'm almost of age for my first hunt! Oh who's this?" He asked excitedly, his eyes bright with wonder that could only belong to a pup.
Steve chuckled, huffing as he greeted this young beta, "It was good, nothing out of place, except for our new guest, this is Y/N... this is Peter." He introduced you both, you were about to speak until the excited pup began speaking again, "Oh hi! I'm Peter! It's nice to meet you, I'm the youngest of the Pack, you're really pretty, where are you from?" You were slightly overwhelmed by his rambling, smiling at his excited antics.
Steve was about to intervene until a lithe red and white wolf pushed him aside, not forcefully but enough to make her point, "Oh... Sorry." Peter said, smiling sheepishly as he stepped aside.
"I'm Natasha, I'm lead Omega." She introduced, right to the point. Her green eyes were sharp and calculated, her body was lithe but powerful. She was a bit taller than you, a little taller than the average Omega but that only further proved her position.
"I already heard your name, nice to meet you Y/N." She said, a sly smile on her lips.
"Like wise." You said, giving her a small bow to let her know you respected her place.
The next was a fawn colored wolf, another Beta, though he was around the same size as Natasha.
He had a kind smile on his face. He was a bit older than the rest, his eyes showed it, he waited for Steve to introduce him.
"This is Clint, he is another permanent pack member, though he has his own smaller pack here from when he lived alone with his mate."
It wasn't unusual for Betas and Omegas to breed and form packs when no Alphas are present, Alphas aren't as common as the other two presentations and if they want Alpha protection, Alphas wont force their hand in breeding the claimed Omega.
You smiled, telling him your name, continuing with the formalities.
Next was another Omega named Wanda, her dark copper fur was brightened by greys and brows around the legs, face and under belly. She was friendly, around your age, she had a wise way about her, she had a look in her eyes that said she had been through a lot.
Next was a shy Beta named Bruce, his fur was flecked with gray, especially around his eyes and muzzle, suggesting he had been through a lot, considering his age, he didn't look very old, but his eyes and demeanor said he had a rough time.
After that was an eccentric Beta, easily one of the most cocky and forward Betas you'd ever encountered, he was older but his demeanor and looks said otherwise. He had nicknames for everyone, he was called Tony, though Steve called him Stark most of the time.
You were slightly overloaded but you held your ground and were so happy that you were surrounded by a pack that was trusting.
Two more were introduced, though they were a little quicker than the others, a mainly gray wolf with some darker brown and black fur on his back and head was also named Steve but went by his full name of Steven. Another Beta, for obvious reasons, only females can be presented as Omegas because they were the only ones that could breed.
Though there were very rare occasions that Females could present as Alphas and lead packs and still breed, but Male Alphas were more common, though still not as common as Omegas and Betas.
The last you assumed was Peggy, her blond fur was darker than Steve's, her features were very much Omega, bright eyes, soft facial features, soft curves and a small frame. She introduced herself, friendly towards you, but not overly.
Once you were acquainted, you assumed you were done, hunger was gnawing at your belly, you were hoping to be allowed to hunt or they had some spare food.
From your right you heard "Where's Buck?" Steve asked, you turned towards him, about to question when Natasha sighed.
"He is at the other perimeter, guarding the pack while you were gone." She informed him quickly.
Steve nodded, an unreadable look on his face.
He turned towards you, giving you a soft smile, "Only one person left, he's fairly new to the pack... been here a few months, I lost him for a few years. But that's for him to tell you." He said smiling to himself.
You were slightly confused but kept following him, your hunger momentarily forgotten.
You made your way through their den, the cave that made up their housing had some clothing articles, for when they shifted to humans on the rare occasions. As you made your through the thick trees and under brush you caught another scent, one that you knew was definitely not a Beta.
You looked towards Steve, unsure what you were smelling was true.
Steve gave you a knowing look, "It's very uncommon, but our pack has two Alphas, I'm the head Alpha, but he is my best friend, basically a brother and I told asked him to join my pack as another Alpha for protection.
As you pushed your way through the underbrush you were met with the profile of a handsome wolf. His frame was huge, bigger than Steve, his fur was Black with a few strands of brown mixed in. His fur was soft and thick.
When he turned towards you, his eyes were a shocking blue, a harsh but handsome contrast. You also noticed that his left front leg was covered in thick scars going upwards to his shoulder, the fur was sparse over the limb, silvery marks littered the exposed skin.
His eyes landed on yours, they were like steel at first, but then softened when he was done looking you over.
You were stunned by his features, he was one of the most handsome Alphas you had ever seen, his whole presence radiated strength and pure Alpha.
It put you at ease.
"Hey Buck. I wanted to introduce you to our guest, I howled but you didn't answer, I was worried." Steve greeted.
The other Alpha smiled, "You know when I'm guarding the parameter, nothing gets past me." He replied, smirking at the blond Alpha.
Looking to you, you suddenly felt extremely nervous suddenly, his interest eyes bore into you, exciting you but making you squirm uncomfortably at the same time.
"I'm Bucky, nice to meet ya." He said, his voice was a lot softer when speaking to you, speaking to you with the respect of an Omega.
It took you a second to speak, "Y-Y/N, it's nice to meet you too." You said, suddenly feeling self conscious.
He smirked again, looking you over for a second then back to Steve, "So food is ready then? I'm starved, I'm sure you both are too." Bucky asked, your stomach decided to growl loudly, making both Alphas chuckle.
"Yes, I could do with some food, it should be prepared, let's go see shall we."
He turned towards the den again, leading you back the way you came, Bucky following eagerly until he remembered you were there.
He looked at you, smiling kindly, "You comin Doll?" He asked.