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Most people would take one look at Damian and assume that he was an alpha. Tall, broad shoulders, and a commanding presence. He let the rumors of his designation circulate, only ever appearing in public with scent blockers. He was a private person. Damian kept the secret that he was an omega close to his heart. Only his father, Richard, and Todd knew that he was an omega. He had been tempted many a time to confide in Drake, Cain, and the others. Yet he feared their perception of him; that it would change if they knew what he was. It was foolish of him, yes. His father was a male omega. They did not treat him any differently. In fact, they respected Father.
Perhaps, he would reveal his designation if he found a reasonable partner.
None had drawn his gaze though.
No alpha, no beta, no omega.
He desperately desired pups though. His menagerie of pets helped with his longing for a small babe in his arms. A precious pup who looked at him with eyes full of trust and love, who he could nurture and adore. Spoil with gifts and keep secure in his nest.
If things continue as they were, Damian would never have a mate or children. He refused to let that be his life. Should that never occur, Damian had more than enough money to adopt and care for a plethora of pups. Damian… like his dam, was not good at expressing his emotions. He had grown up watching how that had damaged his brother’s and his own relationship with his dam until their pack bonds had stretched and nearly broken under the strain. Damian would risk it though, to have a pup of his own in his arms. To have a little family of his own.
***
Damian was patrolling with Red Robin when Red Hood called on the line.
“‘Ight. So. I was out taking out some child traffickers with my new buddy, Phantom. He kinda… couldn’t handle seeing the kids like that. He’s uh. A little feral. All’s good, just need some help getting him out of it.” Red Robin sighed.
“Red Robin and Corvus here. We’re on our way.”
Silently, they headed towards the location at the Docks that Red Hood was directing them to. The scent of fear and anxiety was strong when they landed. The smell of distressed made his inner omega whine. He could comfort them. All he had to do was remove his scent patch and reach out. However, it was being drowned out by the scent of an angry and protective alpha. Hesitantly, they walked towards where Red Hood and the others were. It seemed that Arsenal and Starfire had rescued the majority of the children who were being trafficked.
Four of the pups were still inside. Three of them were behind the protective alpha, cuddled together and wrapped in a black cloak with Lazarus green lining. The alpha was looking at them with his fangs bared, his eyes dilated so far that he could only see a faint ring on green. The alpha had pure white hair and a black outfit with white gloves and boots. The fourth child, a pup that couldn’t be older than three, was cradled in the vigilante’s arms, their head nestled in the crook of the alpha’s neck. The pretty brown eyes looked curiously from the pup’s head, framed by long lashes and cheeks that should have been far chubbier. Those little fists were gripping tightly onto the vigilante’s suit.
“Yeah, Phantom’s all protective over these four. One of them said something, I didn’t catch it, and then he went all feral and protective. Been trying to show him that we mean no harm, but it hasn’t done much,” Hood admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
Phantom, Red Hood had called him.
From what he could see of the other children, one was likely blonde, the dirt obscuring the true color. They had clear green eyes that tugged at Damian’s heart, peeking at him from behind the cloak wrapped around them. The second child was slightly older, their worry and hesitant hope clear on their little face which was streaked with dirt. Their brown hair hung in clumps and was likely matted, their cheeks showing a hollowness that indicated some time without sufficient food. Damian’s instincts longed to scoop that child up and feed them. He would happily make them a nutritious and child friendly diet to ensure they regained the necessary weight that they needed.
The third and final child that was wrapped in the cloak likely had some sort of injury, based on how they were holding themselves. Their black hair was short and uneven. Damian suspected that the traffickers had cut the child’s hair. The poor thing was in pain, yet still wary. All three of the children that were on the floor were trusting Phantom, the injured one leaning against the back of the alpha’s legs. They didn’t seem to be distrusting of the Outlaws or of Damian and his brothers. That was a good sign. So they just needed to focus on Phantom, the feral alpha.
It wasn’t often that alphas went into a feral protective state. Especially so when it wasn’t even their own pups. Damian’s inner omega, which had already been at attention due to the smell of upset pups, was practically screaming at him that this, this man, was utterly worthy of him. This was the first time he had ever felt this way towards another being. Making up his mind, Damian reached up and removed the scent patch on his neck. His brothers both looked at him in surprise, but he didn’t care. Letting his omega scent out into the air, he slowly approached the feral alpha. There was a relieved and pleased note to his own scent. In his state, Phantom would likely think Damian was happy that he’d protected the pups and that they were safe. In actuality, he was so happy to have found someone that finally interested him, that would match him in being a perfect parent to pups, no matter their origin.
“Good alpha,” Damian crooned, continuing to walk forward as Phantom made no moves against him. “Such a good alpha for protecting the pups.” Phantom blinked at him, some of his guard lowering.
Damian was now close enough to gently unwrap the three pups in the cloak. Phantom was keeping a close eye on him, as were his brothers behind him. He could hear them whispering, however it was low enough that he could not understand the words. Damian removed his glove, letting the pups smell him. Once they relaxed due to his comforting omega scent, he picked the smallest one up, rubbing his face against their hair, covering them in his scent. The other two on the ground whined, reaching up towards him, wanting the safety and comfort that being with an omega would instinctively give them.
Handing the toddler in his arms to Phantom, Damian leaned back down to grab the two that were clamoring for his attention. Damian noted that the injury seemed to be on the pup’s right leg. It was a gash that was clearly infected, based on the swelling and the redness. Damian resisted the urge to tut at that. He would need to make sure all of the pups were washed and attended to before they could be put in a nest. Damian walked back towards his brothers, expecting the alpha to follow him. He wasn’t disappointed to hear the footprints behind him. Stopping a few feet from the other vigilantes.
“I’ll be taking the pups and Phantom back to one of the nearby safe houses. We should be able to take care of the pups and then nest with them. That should make Phantom calm down and come out of his state,” He told them. Red Robin nodded slowly.
“We have good enough pictures of them on our body cams. We can run facial recognition on them to see if it matches any missing persons reports. Be careful, little brother. He is still feral. Let us know if you need anything,” Red Robin told him. Damian nodded, both grateful and sad. These pups should go back with their parents, but he would enjoy what time he had with them nonetheless.
“Come on alpha,” Damian said, turning to glance back at the vigilante behind him. “Nest.”
Phantom seemed to perk up at that, instincts wanting him to get the pups somewhere they could be safe and protected. It wasn’t too far of a walk with the children. It would go much faster if he could have been able to grapple, but he could not do so with two children in his arms. Finally, they reached the safe house. Phantom sniffed warily when they entered, growling softly but not making much of a fuss. The scents in the house were stale, which worked in Damian’s favor. It took little to no prompting to get all of them into the master bathroom.
It was a tight fit, but Damian’s instincts told him not to let any of the pups out of his sight. Setting one child on the toilet seat, he grabbed two towels and spread one of them out on the floor. There. That would be a good place to put the children for now while he got a bath running. He set about getting the bath going, putting the second towel on the bottom of the tub.
“What are your names?” He asked as he set about filling the tub with lukewarm water. It would hurt later, to establish a relationship with them only for them to be taken away. However, he wanted them to feel comfortable and pretend for a short while that they were his.
“I’m Mary,” the pup with the matted brown hair told him. Damian hummed.
“Mary. A lovely name. It might take a couple baths and tries to get all of those knots out of your hair, but I promise you I shall do my best,” he reassured her. She sniffed.
“Thank you. I like my hair. It’s - It’s curly though.”
“I’m Caleb,” the injured pup told him.
“Hello Caleb. We’re going to have you go first, that way the water is as clean as possible for your wound. I’m going to need to clean it and bandage it after. It will hurt a bit, but I can give you some ibuprofen to help with the pain and the swelling.” He needed to tell them all what was happening, so they could feel reassured and know what was coming. Damian looked back, then huffed. The silly alpha was still holding the other two and on his feet. Damian patted the floor.
“Alpha. Sit.” Phantom huffed, but did so. The baby still clung to the feral man, but that was fine. The other child scrambled out of his hold and joined the other on the floor, snuggling into Mary’s side.
Damian helped Caleb remove his dirty clothes and then helped the small male pup into the bath water. The child hissed and then whined, clinging to Damian as his injured leg hit the water. Phantom growled, looking around for any perceived threat. Damian ignored the alpha, crooning at the poor pup as it got used to the water. Once Caleb was comfortable in the water, the curtain drawn to give the poor thing some privacy, he began to wash the pup. Unbidden, from his lips, came sweet whispers and promises to the child he was doting on. He praised the boy as he followed Damian’s directions as he washed his hair. He itched to grab a pair of scissors and fix the hatch job, but now was not the time.
Once he was done, he drained the tub. Grabbing another towel from the cabinet, he helped Caleb dry off, being extra careful around the boy’s injured leg. After assisting the boy out of the tub and onto the toilet, he started the next bath. As that ran, Damian did his best to gently clean the gash and wrap it with gauze to protect it. Phantom, having noticed the wound, whined and sniffed at it, the scent of distressed alpha starting to leak out. Chuckling, Damian reached over to brush his wrists over Phantom’s head. It was both a claiming gesture and a soothing gesture.
Once Caleb was clean and taken care of, he needed to wash Mary. Damian was able to get most of the tangles out. He didn’t want to keep Mary in the water too long, as it would cool, and he did not want her to get a cold. Either way, she looked much better and happier, smiling and giggling when she was able to run her hands through her hair and her curls were visible once more. The third child still refused to tell Damian their name. It was understandable. The poor thing had been through a lot.
While he washed the third child, Phantom was happily cuddling and scenting Caleb and Mary. The youngest, the baby, had finally let go of the alpha and was giggling and babbling to the others. Phantom spoke for the first time when Damian gave him the third child and grabbed the baby.
“Good omega,” the alpha rumbled. It was just two words, but it set Damian alight. His inner omega was howling in excitement and happiness at the praise.
Damian shot off a quick text to his brothers, asking them to drop off food outside the safe house and to drop off some comfortable clothes and pajamas for them. Then he scrunched up the towel, to make a little head rest for the baby, that way they could lay down with their head out of the water. It was a bit of a struggle. Despite his comforting sounds and scent, the baby did not like being in the water and getting a bath. This time though, when the sounds of an upset and uncomfortable puppy came from the bathtub, Phantom didn’t growl. He just made a few comforting rumbles.
Soaking wet and his energy draining, Damian finished bathing the baby, swaddling them in a soft clean towel and holding them close. Checking his phone, he felt relieved to see that Timothy had dropped off the food and items he requested. Ushering Phantom and the children to the couch, Damian checked the front door. The scent of chinese food permeated the hall and drifted into the apartment, making all four pups start whining for food. Damian took a deep breath, trying to not let it affect him too much. He needed to keep a level head and not become frantic in his desire to give the pups everything they needed.
Damian brought the food and the cardboard box marked ‘clothes’ inside. After passing out the food to everyone and making a bottle for the baby, Damian opened the box. He’d eat once he’d looked through it all. There was a selection of fleece and cotton pajamas for both the pups and for Damian and Phantom. Even better, Timothy had added some stuffed animals for the pups. There was also a selection of soft, smaller blankets for the children and some large blankets and pillows for the nest. Though he often fought with his elder brother, he was always the best to go to when it came to these types of things, as he went above and beyond.
“D-Dam. You need to eat too,” came Mary’s soft voice from behind him. Tears pricked at the edges of Damian’s eyes and he swallowed. He’d hoped… he’d dreamed of being called ‘Dam’ by a pup. Now it had actually happened.
When he stood up and turned around, he stopped in his tracks. Oh. This was why Mary had said something. Phantom hadn’t touched his own plate, but had made Damian’s and was holding it out to him. Not only that, but he had speared a piece of broccoli on a fork and was offering it to Damian, making an encouraging sound. Damian felt his cheeks warm. Phantom was trying to feed him, to make sure Damian was fed. He sat down and let Phantom feed him some food before taking the plate and continuing to eat. He didn’t want the alpha to feel rejected when he didn’t eat the pieces of meat on it. The man likely wouldn’t understand what a vegetarian was in his state.
Once everyone was fed, Damian instructed (as best he could) Phantom to dress himself and the kids in the pajamas that Timothy had procured. During this time, Damian changed out of his Corvus costume and into his night clothes, leaving his domino on. From there, he began to build a nest on the large, king sized bed. He was mostly finished, adjusting some of the blankets when he heard one of the children approach and stand in the doorway. Damian didn’t look back, but let them watch him as he continued to fluff the pillows and tweak the nest.
“Can I help?” Damian looked back. It was the third pup, the one who hadn’t told Damian his name. He looked utterly adorable in the blue pjs with white clouds on it.
“Of course.” The little pup clambered onto the bed, moving some of the blankets.
“Um. My name is Alexander. But you can call me Alex.”
“Well, thank you for helping, Alex.” Damian acknowledged, laying down, finally satisfied with the nest.
“The baby’s name is Hazel, I think. That’s what the bad guys called her.” Alex fidgeted for a moment, then cuddled into Damian’s side. Ah, what a sweet pup. They reminded him of Richard, in a way, due to how physically affectionate they were.
“That is good to know.”
They did not have a chance to talk further, as Phantom came in with Caleb, Mary, and Hazel. The pups excitedly climbed into the nest, each trying to get a spot next to Damian or partially on top of him. Phantom gently passed Hazel to Damian before he left. Damian would let the alpha do a few rounds of patrol around the safe house before he called him to the nest to sleep. Phantom seemed to be coming out of the feral state. Thankfully, Damian didn’t need to call for the alpha to return, as he came back after two rounds, gently crawling into the nest and placing himself between Damian and the pups and the door. Damian purred happily. What a good, protective alpha, he thought sleepily.
Warm and surrounded by everything he’d ever dreamed of, Damian fell asleep.
***
Two weeks had passed, yet they were unable to find the parents for the four pups. The records kept by the traffickers were incomplete and nonexistent in other cases. Damian had been in heaven the last fortnight. He kept his domino on, telling the children to call him Corvus, or if they felt comfortable, Dam. Mary and Caleb called him Dam. Hazel was trying to talk. Poor thing was behind developmentally, but was catching up rapidly with the attention and encouragement from both Damian and Danny. Phantom, who’s name was Danny, had stayed. He’d also put on a domino, but had revealed his human form and been acting as a surrogate alpha for the children as Damian was acting as a surrogate omega. Danny had continued to dote on Damian, in a fashion. Giving him food. Making sure he had time to rest, bathe, and take care of himself.
Was it any surprise that it had led to them making out one night, after the pups were all asleep in the nest?
Though he had assumed that he would be a vigilante for far longer, Damian was not disappointed at all in this break, in being a devoted Dam to four adorable pups. He was also immensely pleased with how Danny was courting him. Everyday he was waiting for the shoe to drop, for the children’s parents to be found.
When the news came of Hazel’s parents, he cried.
Not because they wanted her back, but because they had perished trying to prevent her from being taken. She had no home to go back to. No one was surprised when Damian offered to adopt her. Richard and Jason teased him about being like his own father, his own Dam, adopting pups that needed a home. They did so in a loving and endearing way, so it did not perturb him.
Caleb’s and Mary’s parents had sold them. As such, both sets would be prosecuted for having done so. Alex was a far more interesting case. From what they could determine, once they finally found some information on him, he had been given up by his parents to an orphanage. It seemed that Alex’s parents had done an illegal test on him to determine that he was going to present as a male omega, and thus had given it up. What fools. Those tests only had a sixty percent accuracy, at best. That was one of the reasons why Damian’s mother had never bothered to conduct one.
It was amusing though, how just months ago he had been longing for a mate and pups.
Now, here he was, in the process of adopting four of them and being courted by a very kind and very fatherly alpha. It would likely take some more time, but Damian was fairly certain he could return to light vigilante work. To think, all of his dreams could be granted in such a short amount of time.
Damian looked forward to what the future held with his new family.