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Damian watched the omega from the shadows of the garden with the careful precision of a predator who had already decided this hunt would end in victory. An Al Ghul did not lose after all, especially when they had their eyes set on their prize. He kept his footsteps silent, his pup scent tightly suppressed, and his breathing measured. He had a plan, naturally. A brilliant one. He would make this omega his. Not in some ridiculous mate way, of course. That was beneath him. No, this was far more practical: the omega would become the shining jewel of his pack.
And Damian very much needed a pack.
He would present as an alpha soon enough; his scent already carried the promise, and a male omega, especially one as striking as this, would be an incredible asset. Rare. Coveted. The kind of rarity that made other packs seethe with envy. Damian would need to snap up the omega as quickly as he could before other packs tried to. Once he secured the bond and brought the omega to Gotham, Father’s pack would have to acknowledge his superiority when he introduced himself to them. Every pack dreamed of an omega to spoil, protect, and adore. Not to mention the way an omega’s milk would help him grow stronger, taller, better.
Yes. This was an excellent plan. Flawless, even.
His fingers tightened around the heavy jeweled bracelet clutched carefully in his fist. It was thick with emeralds and gold, an appropriate pack-courting gift for someone who would soon be his to provide for. He just needed to get closer.
Damian crept forward, eyes narrowed in concentration, only to blink when the omega suddenly vanished from view.
…Where the hell did he—
A hand seized the back of his neck in a lightning-fast scruff. Damian’s feet left the ground with an undignified squeak he would never admit to making. He found himself dangling in mid-air, staring directly into the face of the very omega he’d been stalking.
This was not part of the plan.
Up close, the omega was quite beautiful. Sharp jawline, shifting green eyes caused by the Lazarus Pit that caught the light like fractured emeralds, and sun-bronzed skin marked by several prominent scars. One in the shape of a jagged English “J” across his cheek, another slicing through his eyebrow, and a particularly vicious one stretching from the corner of his lip to his cheekbone, like someone had tried to carve a smile into his face.
Damian felt a hot surge of protective fury. I will find whoever did that and end them slowly, he vowed silently. My omega will be cherished. Anyone who hurt him will regret it in ways they cannot even comprehend.
“Why,” the omega drawled, voice low and rough, “am I being stalked by a tiny assassin pup?”
Damian lifted his chin with as much dignity as someone hanging by the scruff could manage. “I have come to make you an offer. One that would be mutually beneficial to us both.”
The omega’s eyes scanned him slowly, then softened with something that looked suspiciously like amusement. “Have you now?” His scent curled into the air, gun oil, rosemary, and rich dark earth, warm and soothing, clearly trying to calm the pup he’d caught. “How old are you, kid? Where are your parents? Why are you wandering around alone out here?”
“I am five years old,” Damian answered, keeping his tone cool and professional. “My mother is Talia al Ghul. My father is the Bat. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
He was small for his age, yes, but that would be fixed once he had regular access to an omega’s milk. Obviously.
“The Bat?” Something shifted in the omega’s voice. “You’re telling me the Bat’s in Gotham, you’re his kid, and Talia isn’t here… so you’re alone? Here? In the League of Assassins?”
“Yes,” Damian said carefully. Perhaps he should present the bracelet now. The omega seemed distracted.
The omega exhaled a long breath. “Well. Neither of your parents are doing their damn jobs, so I guess I will. You can call me Jason.” He sniffed at Damian, then scowled. “You’ve got no pack bonds? That’s so wrong it hurts.”
Before Damian could protest or offer his very impressive courting gift, the omega pulled him close, settling him comfortably on one hip like he weighed nothing. A warm nose pressed against his neck, and then—
Sharp teeth sank into his scruff.
A bright, golden bond snapped into place with startling ease, flooding Damian’s chest with warmth and safety and the overwhelming feeling of pack.
Damian’s eyes went wide.
Well.
This was… not how he had planned to acquire his omega.
Through the fresh pack bond, Damian could feel everything. Jason’s bright, overwhelming happiness at finding him. The fierce wave of protectiveness that wrapped around his chest like steel cables. The warm pulse of care, joy, and, most annoyingly since he had done nothing to earn it and didn’t the omega know that love was weakness?, pure, unconditional love. It was too much. Too fast. Too good. (It was everything he wanted, everything he dreamed of.)
Damian wanted to protest immediately. This was all wrong! He was supposed to be the one approaching the omega with dignity and strategy and strength and his magnificent plan. He was supposed to court him properly, present the jeweled bracelet like the superior provider he was, and prove that Damian Wayne could take magnificent care of him. Not the other way around!
Instead, a pathetic little puppy whine escaped his throat before he could stop it.
Jason shushed him gently, the sound low and rumbling. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I know it can be overwhelming at first. I’m going to take you back to my nest, alright? We both need some proper nest time. It’ll help, I promise.”
The grip on his scruff tightened just enough, and Damian felt his body go completely limp as the true scruff took hold. Traitorous instincts. Yes, he would go with the omega. He would do anything to please the omega. With the last of his conscious coordination, Damian shoved the heavy jeweled bracelet deeper into his pocket for safekeeping. He would offer it later, when he had regained some semblance of control over this entire operation.
“Good pup,” Jason soothed, voice warm as melted honey, causing every bone in his body to go limper, like a puddle. “Such a good pup.”
Damian had the vague sensation of being carried, strong arms cradling him securely as the world moved around them. He lost time somewhere between one breath and the next, only resurfacing when he was placed into something incredibly soft and warm. A nest. Jason’s nest.
A soft, sweet scent drifted through the air, something like warm milk and vanilla and homey like the spices of Nanda Parbat, and suddenly Damian was starving. His mouth watered so intensely it was embarrassing. He whined again, louder this time, reaching out blindly for the omega with grabby little hands. Feed me. Feed me, omega. I’m empty. Fix it.
He could feel Jason hesitate through the bond, could smell the way the older omega wanted to feed him, the instinct practically vibrating between them.
“No, pup. Not yet,” Jason whispered, regret thick in his voice. “You should be fully aware for that.”
Damian protested loudly in his head. I am awake! I am right here! I can eat now! His eyelids fluttered, trying to stay open as he frowned with all the dramatic indignation a five-year-old alpha pup could muster. He was perfectly awake. He could eat. He needed to eat. There was an empty place inside him that ached to be filled perfectly by his omega’s milk.
But the combination of the fresh bond, the safety of the nest, and Jason’s deep, soothing purr rumbling against his ear proved too powerful. Damian drifted off to sleep despite himself, tucked securely against Jason’s chest, secretly deciding that, while this was a complete reversal of his flawless plan, it was… tolerable.
For now.
When Damian woke, he was deeply displeased with himself. Mortified, even. How could he have lost his composure so completely? Falling apart like some mindless pup the moment Jason scruffed him was utterly humiliating. How was he supposed to convince this omega to join his pack when he had proven nothing? He hadn’t protected Jason. He hadn’t provided for him. He hadn’t spoiled him with the lavish care a pack omega so clearly deserved. All he had managed to do was fall asleep like an infant.
“You’re awake,” Jason said, voice warm with obvious pleasure.
Damian blinked his eyes open and took in the nest around them. It was a glorious mess of blankets in every size, shape, and luxurious fabric imaginable, clearly the best of the best, the kind Grandfather would have demanded for any omega under League protection. The entire space smelled strongly of Jason, with the faintest threads of Damian’s own alpha pup scent already beginning to weave in. It was large, chaotic, and hands-down the most comfortable thing Damian had ever slept in. Traitorous nest. It was undermining his dignity.
“Yes,” Damian said slowly, gathering what remained of his pride. He pushed himself up onto his knees and tilted his head down in a clear show of submission and apology. It was not a good look for an alpha trying to prove his worth, but he had acted abominably. “I would like to apologize for my truly abominable behavior. I acted like a mere pup, and for that, I am sorry.”
Jason made a startled spluttering sound. “Your abominable behavior—like a pup—Damian, I scruffed you. That’s not abominable, that’s normal. And you are a pup! You’re five years old!”
Damian frowned, stubbornness settling into his small frame. “An alpha is not a pup. And I am an alpha.”
The omega scooted closer, clearly drawn by the unhappy pup scent rolling off him. “Dami—can I call you Dami? Dami, you’re going to present as an alpha eventually, yeah. But not for years. You’re still a pup right now. You’re allowed to act like one.”
Damian clenched his fists. The omega simply wasn’t understanding the gravity of the situation. “But a pup cannot take care of a pack. Or an omega,” he protested.
Jason looked confused, then worried. “What?”
Damian’s face burned as he forced the words out. “I am attempting to pack court you!” He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out the heavy jeweled bracelet, presenting it with as much solemn dignity as he could manage while staring fixedly at the blankets. His eyes stung. His face burned. This was not how any of this was supposed to go. How was he ruining his own flawless plan so spectacularly?
“Oh, pup,” Jason crooned, soft and delighted. “Did you get me jewels?”
Before Damian could respond, he was being pulled into the omega’s strong arms, bracelet still clutched in his fist. “Oh sweetheart, habibi, why don’t you put that on my wrist, you clever boy? You were trying to pack court me when we are already in a pack?” Jason’s voice was warm with affection. “Of course I’ll join your pack, pup. I’ll take care of you.”
Jason offered his wrist, and Damian didn’t hesitate. He fumbled only slightly in his haste, latching the bracelet securely around it. He was not foolish enough to give the omega time to reconsider.
Jason pulled him closer, purring. “Well, since we’re pack now… can I please feed you? I’ve been dying to since I first saw you, you tiny thing.”
Damian made a mental note to protest the “tiny” label later. For now, he nodded desperately.
Jason shrugged out of his shirt and offered one milk-heavy breast. He gave a low, approving purr when Damian latched on. It took a few clumsy moments to find the proper rhythm, but soon sweet, warm milk was flooding his mouth and filling his belly. The empty ache inside him eased with every swallow. He drifted in a haze of contentment, Jason’s fingers gently carding through his hair, scenting him, the fresh pack bond glowing brighter and happier between them with every mouthful.
“Such a good pup,” Jason purred.
Damian thought, rather grumpily, that he could be a good pup if that was what Jason wanted.
Just this once.