Chapter Text
Dean Winchester had learned from a young age that love was not something meant for him. Born the eldest son of the prestigious Winchester family, he should have been cherished, protected. But he was an omega in a world where strength and power were revered above all else.
Especially in the Winchester household where breaking the mold of things was not tolerated and Dean was an omega that broke the mold. He hadn’t done it on purpose, but John Winchester did not care and did everything in his power to force Dean into that mold.
Appearances were everything for high society, magical families especially. Omegas were to be hidden, their passive magical power a boon for their alpha and never their own to use. If they should possess a rare and formidable magical gift, they had to be sure never to outshine any alpha. It would be this ability that would instantly mark them as an asset to the family name.
Unfortunately for Dean, his stepmother, Kate, had decided his fate the day she had mated his father. She had never accepted Mary’s children and had made their childhood as miserable as possible. The fact that Dean had inherited Campbell magic instead of Winchester magic like Sam had was a thorn in her side. She had taken matters into her own hands when he started showing strong magical traits, used her own subtle power to manipulate John and make his life miserable.
“What is this supposed to be?”
Scalding hot liquid splashed Dean’s face. He tried not to wince or show any sign that the hot coffee burned every bit of skin it touched. His stepmother held an empty cup in her manicured hand, her face twisted in disgust. “This is undrinkable!” she snapped.
“Sorry, Kate,” Dean murmured, making sure to keep his head bowed in submission.
“Make a fresh pot. Immediately.”
Despite having brewed the coffee the same way he did every morning, Dean took the cup from his stepmother’s outstretched hand and nodded in acquiescence. He kept his head down as he passed his father, who continued eating his breakfast as if nothing had happened.
“What a useless omega, can’t even make coffee properly. When are you getting rid of him, John. He’s being a bad example for Adam.”
Adam was his younger omega half brother, the one that would save their family’s reputation after Dean had proven to be useless and Sam had run away to join the King’s alpha army. Adam sat demurely next to their father, smirking at Dean and enjoying his mother’s mistreatment of him.
“Not to worry, Kate,” John turned to her before continuing. “I am in communication with–”
Dean pretended not to listen to their conversation as he hurried out of the room. One might think that being the eldest son would warrant some sort of sympathy from his father, but after almost 20 years of hate, Dean had lost all hope that his family would ever love him.
Magic defined the noble houses. The Winchesters were feared and revered for their command of powerful mental magic and their ancestral mastery of sigils, a legacy that earned them a coveted place in the King’s court. Alphas were expected to inherit the strongest abilities, their futures paved with glory, while omegas were seldom gifted with more than passive talents, if they were lucky enough to have magic at all.
His younger brother, Sam, was barely eighteen and already a rising star in the King’s elite alpha army. With his unnerving precognition and mastery over sigils, Sam had become indispensable, praised, admired, and destined for greatness. That he had escaped during the night to join the army instead of staying to be the head of the family as his father had wanted, was never spoken about. Sammy had made it out and Dean was proud of him for it.
Adam, too, had shown signs of powerful magic before he could even walk. His voice carried an unnatural command—whatever he asked became your deepest desire, and you’d obey without hesitation, without question, as if it were your own will all along. He had inherited this power from Kate, who could manipulate your thoughts and insert subtle ideas into your mind. Both their magical powers were inconspicuous but useful for any alpha they mated.
Perfect omega magical power.
After Adam’s first heat, there had even been talk of marrying him off to an alpha of the King’s choosing, likely to turn him into yet another pawn of the court. But his influence over you, while potent, proved fleeting. A gift that could bend minds, but not hold them. It was impressive, yes, but ultimately useless in the King’s long game. So Adam stayed.
Dean, unlike his brothers, had always been different. Even as a child, he could hear the whispers of spirits, feel their energy pulse beneath his skin like a second heartbeat and converse with the ones willing to talk to him. He could conjure protective barriers without a single lesson, dispel dark forces with instinct alone, and draw strength from the very spirits others feared. It was a rare and valuable gift—exorcist potential in an omega, a miracle by any standard. It was the kind of power that could have elevated him within their world.
Instead, his father saw it as an abomination. Omegas were never meant to surpass alphas, not in strength, not in skill, and certainly not in magic. The sheer force of Dean’s abilities, evident even in childhood, was not something John Winchester could tolerate. It didn't matter how rare or extraordinary the gift was—Dean’s magic was a threat. To the family’s reputation. To their carefully maintained hierarchy. And most of all, to Adam’s future.
Before Dean could even understand his magic, Kate convinced John to seal Dean’s power away using blood sigils. It hadn’t taken much convincing to lock his power away without explanation or remorse. The boy who spoke to spirits and shaped light into shields was silenced—erased—before he had the chance to become anything.
While his younger omega half-brother flourished under his mother’s gentle guidance, celebrated for his charm and power, Dean was relegated to the shadows. Treated more like a servant than a son, he lived in the house but was never truly part of it. He was a ghost among the living, watching the life he might have had slip further out of reach.
It hadn’t always been this way. His mother, Mary, had loved him. She had nurtured his power, passed down from her Campell blood. During the first two years of his life, he’d blossomed and purified the land around their home without even trying. But after Sam’s birth, Mary never fully recovered, passing away soon after. Sam was only six months old when John remarried, and just a year after that Kate bore Adam—the perfect omega. When Adam turned two, everything ended for Dean.
He was, as his step-mother constantly reminded him, an abomination.
Dean stared out the kitchen window as he brewed a fresh pot of coffee, indulging in impossible dreams where he was valued for his power, where he fought alongside his brother in service of the King.
The sigil that sealed his magic burned against the back of his neck, reminding him of reality. No omega would ever become a soldier. No matter how strong.
He knew there was a need for soldiers, for this land had been plagued by unearthly creatures since time immemorial. Some of these beings resembled humans, others were in the shape of animals, or their shape was so twisted their darkness defied description. These otherworldly monsters were malicious to humans.
The task of hunting them fell on the magical families, descendants of bloodlines that possessed supernatural powers. Only these select families were able to fight the supernatural and were able to defend the land. Indispensable to the King and his people, the magical families enjoyed high social status.
The Winchesters were a long established noble line, one of the families who had risen to power through their ancestral knowledge. Dean’s own grandfather, Henry Winchester, was a legend among the King’s warriors, giving his descendants a prestige others only wished they had.
Once Dean had turned nineteen, an age when omegas of magical families usually mated, he’d been ready to fulfil his duty as a Winchester omega, but he hadn't received a single proposal. And because his father had never given him a stipend, Dean couldn’t move out. He depended entirely on his father’s cruel household where he was considered even lower in rank than the servants.
It was strange that his father would even think of looking for a mate for Dean.
“Your coffee, Step-mother.” Dean placed a freshly brewed pot of coffee on the table in front of his step-mother. Kate huffed but didn’t comment. Before today, Dean had been convinced he’d spend the rest of his life as their slave. Hearing that they were considering finding a mate for him made that insidious feeling of hope grow in the pit of his stomach.
Dean closed his eyes and tried to stomp all feelings out of his heart. ‘Don’t get your hopes up.’ he thought to himself . ‘As an omega stripped of his power, I am nothing after all.’
—
Later that morning, after clearing the breakfast table and washing dishes he ran outside to do any household chores he could away from his step-mother and half-brother. The servants were well aware of this and always left the laundry and outdoor chores for him to complete. This also gave him the perfect excuse for when he practiced the few martial arts and sigils Sam had been able to secretly teach him before he left.
“Good morning, Dean.” Dean was so focused on his cleaning that he was startled to see his neighbor, Michael, standing behind him.
“Ah. Good morning, Alpha Milton.” He smiled, grateful to have a distraction for the monotony of chores.
Alpha Michael Milton was the second son of the Milton family. They also had a strong magical inheritance and lived in the neighboring manor. Michael was one of his only friends, a calm and even tempered alpha with a handsome face and dark short hair. He was wearing a well tailored suit that morning, unlike any Dean had ever seen when Michael visited. ‘ Why is he dressed like this?’ Dean wondered with that same hopeful feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“Good weather this morning.” Michael stepped closer to Dean, subtly scenting the omega.
Dean agreed with a short nod and a subtle scenting of Michael’s own woodsy scent. He always appreciated these short talks with Michael. He was one of the only people that even considered him part of the Winchester family and not just another of the servants.
“Is there anything I can help you with?” Dean asked. It was strange to see Michael visiting this early and this well dressed. Michael blushed and looked away, making that spark of hope grow.
“I have an appointment with your father. There’s an important matter my family wishes to discuss with him.”
Dean’s eyes widened slightly. ‘Could it be?’
“O-oh. Alright. Don’t let me keep you any longer.” Dean was so curious he could feel the need to follow the alpha inside and listen in, but he silenced his wayward thoughts instead and returned to his chores.
He was almost done in the garden when one of the servants came out of the house to call him inside. Dean tried his best to clean himself before joining his father. It was rare that John even acknowledged his presence. Anticipation grew in his gut as he knocked on his father’s office door and was let in.
Inside sat not only his father and Michael, but also his step-mother and Adam. In spite of that, the anticipation in his gut increased and he tried his best to conceal his feelings behind an expressionless face. There was nowhere for him to sit, so he chose to stand, his back against the door he’d just entered through.
“I would like to discuss the future of this family. Mainly the prospect of mating. Dean, I thought it best for you to be present for this conversion as well.”
‘Mating?’ Hearing his father say that word made the feeling of hope he’d stomped away with all his might grow in the pit of his belly. Perhaps the news he was about to hear would not be so bad after all?
“There have been a few discussions on joining our families between myself and Richard Milton.” Dean had to really dig into his memory to remember Richard Milton. He was Michael alpha father and head of the Milton family. A disagreeable alpha, if Dean remembered their few and far in between interactions correctly.
“Michael, being a second son, has the opportunity to join any family of his choosing to strengthen the bloodline. As we don’t have an alpha successor, Richard and myself have agreed that Michael will be joining our family and mating your brother, Adam.”
‘Oh.’
Of course it would be Adam.
Everything went black for a moment, he was lost in a chasm of despair as his only friend and hope, the only alpha he trusted, was suddenly taken away from him and given to his half-brother. Dean had been aware that his father had intentions of having Michael join the family, only he had hoped it would be by mating him.
But no, Michael was to mate Adam. Dean looked at the alpha, who blushed in embarrassment and looked away.
John’s voice was as cold and unyielding as ever when he spoke, interrupting Dean’s thoughts. “Dean, you will be sent away to be betrothed to the Krushnic family’s current alpha heir, Castiel Krushnic.”
Dean blinked, his throat tightening. “Krushnic?” He had heard the name whispered in quiet, fearful tones. “Sir, I—”
John’s hand slammed against the table, silencing him. “You’ll do as you’re told, boy. You think I’m keeping you here to scrub floors for the rest of your life? No, you’re gonna make yourself useful. That family’s got power, and if you’re lucky, they’ll find some use for you.”
Dean kept quiet, looking down at his hands, the loose sleeves of his white shirt dirty from the work he’d been doing this morning. His cuffs covered half of his calloused hands. Dark worn trousers covered his legs and worn out shoes finished his simple outfit. Compared to his brother’s colorful and elaborate suit he was a pitiful picture. Dean probably was being ‘mated’ off to be a breeder or a servant for the Krushnic alpha. That was what his father probably meant as ‘useful ’ anyway. With a sigh Dean accepted his fate.
“As you wish, Father.”
“What? Aren’t you glad to mate into the Krushnic family, Dean?” Adam added with insincere enthusiasm, not even bothering to hide his hateful smile as he leaned on Michael’s shoulder, who was still looking down, avoiding Dean’s gaze.
The Krushnic family was known for producing only alphas with strength that was feared by all. Many of their lineage were gifted with exceptional celestial power that gave them unimaginable strength against all kinds of monsters. The family was one of the most powerful bloodlines in the kingdom. Their legacy was built on divine energy, and their warriors were said to be blessed by celestial forces. Castiel, their heir, was a living legend—a warrior who could wield holy energy as a weapon, cutting down enemies with ethereal blades and summoning powerful energy to wield as he commanded. His gaze could pierce through lies, revealing hidden truths and unseen forces. He was no ordinary alpha.
He also had a reputation of being heartless.
Adam smirked and continued. “You really hit the jackpot, Dean. They say no omega lasts more than three days in that house. Alpha Krushnic chews ’em up and spits ’em out.”
Dean had heard as much from the servants.
And now his father was telling him to potentially mate the alpha, likely intending to never allow Dean to step foot back in this house again after Krushnic rejected him. Everyone in the room knew that this arrangement was doomed to fail. He would either be claimed and used as a breeder or thrown out and homeless by the end of the whole ordeal.
“You should be grateful that we are even considering this amazing opportunity. Who would ever want a useless omega like you?” his step-mother chimed in, glee apparent in her voice. “However, we are in no position to refuse a mating request by such a powerful family, it would be rather rude.”
“Yes, you have no choice but to accept. Pack your things. Mr. Krushnic’s carriage will be here soon to take you to his estate.”
Dean nodded, turned and left the room without another word. There was nothing else for him to do except follow his father’s wishes. Although he used to look forward to leaving the Winchester home, with the Krushnic residence as his final destination he probably was going out of the frying pan and into the fire.
When the Krushnic carriage arrived a few hours later, it was as grand as he had expected—polished wood, gilded accents, and the family crest emblazoned on its side. The man who stepped out was not Alpha Krushnic but his steward, an older beta that introduced himself as Bobby Singer. He regarded Dean with a sharp, assessing gaze before nodding gruffly.
"Get in, kid. We got a long ride ahead of us."
Dean obeyed, climbing into the carriage without a word. As the wheels began to turn, carrying him toward an uncertain future, he allowed himself one last look at the house that had never been his home. Then he let it go.
For better or worse, his life with Castiel Krushnic was about to begin.