Chapter Text
At first, Qifrey didn't think much of his newest pup's mannerisms, mainly because he simply didn't know what her normal was. He thought that she might have some issues with adjusting to a home that was so different, but when she started to simply hang off the outskirts of the group, Qifrey became concerned. Normally, pups kept themselves close to each other. It was a survival mechanism, especially for those who came from rough situations. Yet Coco seemed less comfortable with the idea of getting too close.
It started when they came home after their incident in Kaln. Agott was still a bit standoffish with Coco, and for this reason, Coco avoided long interactions with her. But things seemed to get worse as she started to avoid other members of the family as well. He also noticed that with the growing days of her avoidance, Coco was simply not eating enough. He had a suspicion that she was starting to itch at her glands as well.
He didn't want to pry, believing that the girls would be able to communicate in time, settling whatever differences they had. But when Coco was still ousting herself from the pack, he wondered if maybe the situation was deeper than he realized.
He was growing more concerned when Coco simply refused to come to him for anything. If she needed food, she somehow would simply cook for herself. He would find leftover moisture from the dishes after her attempt to dry them. Eventually, when the suspicion grew too much for her, she stopped eating with them, choosing to eat in her room instead. He had asked numerous times about it, but she simply said that she was studying.
When they visited town, she wouldn't ask for anything, even when the offer was extended to include her as well. Nothing. She didn't ask for anything. What really hurt was when he would simply place items on her desk as a gift, only to have them moved to Agott's desk the following morning. He unintentionally whined at this, his inner omega feeling a bit sad at her rejection. He had a feeling that Coco was feeling vulnerable and unsafe in their home, and he needed to rectify that quickly.
One evening, Qifrey's senses were on fire! For some reason, they couldn't settle at all. Pup hurt, must find! was what his instincts were telling him. Yet, every time he went to the door to look in the hall, no pup would be found. He looked in the hall only to see a vacant space. His senses were screaming, trying to find out where the pup was!
He would wander back to his nest, attempting to sleep, only to instinctually find himself at the door again. 'Pup hurt! Find!' His instincts screamed. After the fourth time of being drawn to the door, Qifrey decided to try and quell his instincts. He silently opened the door to his room, again peering out into the hall. When he once again saw no one, he decided to listen to his instincts again. All it said was one name: Coco. Strangely, his eyes were drawn to a particular cubbyhole next to his door. Yet again, there was no child to be found.
He decided to use logic and make his way towards Coco's room. Instantly, his instincts told him, 'No! Go back! Coco! There! Coco?
Ignoring his instincts, he ventured to Coco's room. When he opened the door, he saw the blankets of her bed with a mound underneath. Yet his instincts were still loud, screaming, Go back! Not here!
For the next three nights, Qifrey's evenings were like this. He would end up in Coco's room only to find her tucked away in her bed. His instincts only seemed louder as time went on. One evening, Qifrey decided to talk to Olruggio about the situation.
“I think there's something wrong with my instincts, Olly!” Qifrey said, worried. After three days of little sleep, he was starting to feel the strain on his nerves. He even went as far as to snap his fangs at Agott one evening when she snipped and made a rude comment towards Coco. For some reason, his omega instincts were getting increasingly protective towards Coco. He even seemed to guard her against the other girls, choosing to sit in a way that prevented her from being seen by the other children. Every evening, his instincts screamed at him, telling him that his child was sick. Yet when he took a look at her, she seemed fine, if not a little tired.
He often internally begged her to come to him, to speak to him. But every evening, the same thing would happen. He would find himself in that same spot, staring at the wall at a child who wasn't there. He felt mad, like he was losing his mind!
“Have you thought of discreetly tailing her?” Olruggio asked. He knew how powerful omega senses were. Qifrey's in particular were always spot on. The only way to fool a mother's senses was to spray another's pheromones, and doing so was not only illegal but not usually done to children.
Qifrey looked at him like he had killed one of his children before thinking about it more carefully. The only thing that could possibly make sense was if Coco was using a spell to mask her presence or that she was purposely hiding herself in his room. His alpha startled him with another possibility.
“She may not be hiding at all, for that matter. Her scent could be so strong that it's confusing your own senses, especially if they are telling you she's hurt,” Olruggio said. He himself was growing concerned for the pup. From his eyes, he could see how sad she seemed. She seemed scared to get close. Her previous experiences must have left a scar. Olruggio watched as Qifrey paced his room.
“Qifrey, don't worry. We will get to the bottom of this and figure out what's wrong.”
Qifrey looked at him, surprised.
“You don't think I'm wrong?” he asked, surprised.
“Not in the slightest!” Olly smiled knowingly. “There is not an omega out there that has a stronger mothering instinct than you! If your instincts are telling you that something is wrong, then something is wrong!”
Qifrey watched as his friend took his cloak from the chair and made his way to the door.
“I’m going to town to speak with some friends. Ask around for any tips to make a new pup more comfortable. We’ll start with catering to her own instincts. You spend some time observing her. Take notes on anything that seems strange, even if it's small.”
With that, he was gone. They were a team, after all!
It took a little while to notice the smaller changes to Coco's behavior. She was elusive as ever, careful of any misstep that might land her in the eyes of the adults of the atelier. When Olruggio came back from his trip to town, he told Qifrey about what his friends had recommended. They started with small changes to the living room, providing small blankets and pillows. They rolled out a softer comforter. Qifrey purposely stayed sitting on the carpet for a while so that his scent was embedded in the fabric. He remembered that Coco mentioned how his scent comforted her during their trip to Kaln. His inner omega wanted to push that towards her. Come to me! It wanted to say.
After a few days of observation, Qifrey realized something he should have noticed earlier. Late one evening, Coco seemed to hover at the stairs as if waiting for something, or perhaps afraid of something. He pretended to go about his usual business, needing to maintain composure lest he be discovered watching. Despite every part of him wanting to jump to comfort her, he chose to finish cleaning up near the stairs so that she couldn't see him, but he could see her.
She continued to glance up the stairs before deciding against it. And he grieved at the look on her face as she took off in the complete opposite direction from her bedroom.
He had hoped to catch where she could have gone, but once he had a chance to look, she was gone from the hallway, much like a ghost. Again, his inner omega screamed, Pup hurt, find her. The sour scent permeated the hallway as if beckoning him forward in order to find her. He once again chose to follow his instincts, only for them to lead him to the same maddening spot in the recessed shelves. It was as if he could see her standing there in front of him, yet his eyes refused to see her.
One thing was heavy on his consciousness from this brief moment of clarity. Coco wasn’t returning to her bedroom every night. She was somewhere in the hall.
Later that evening…
As if possessed, Qifrey felt the urge to build a nest in the living room. Large, soft blankets and round, plush pillows. Items from every child (save Coco) were hidden amongst the pillows, with each of the children's scents within them. Much like a cat with catnip, Qifrey rubbed every surface of the nest. Something told him to surround the edges of the nest with houseplants, so he found a few around the house and arranged them here and there. By the time he was done, the nest looked more like a lush cave than a distinguishable nest.
Olruggio came down just as he was about done, only to be met with a low growl.
Don't come close. Child hurt!
Yet Olly simply grumbled back, I know. Let me help, before walking over.
Qifrey watched him wearily as he placed an item of his own in the nest. He also produced a few snug stones and hid them within the blankets.
A whine greeted him.
Thanks. Sorry.
Olruggio smiled. For the first time since they were children, Qifrey was fully immersed in his omega side. His body moved purely on instinct. It was how he knew that Qifrey would do anything for his children. Anything.
It was as if Qifrey was in a trance. Once he was done with the nest, his body moved like a bloodhound. Sparing but a glance at the alpha, Come! he grunted before taking off down the hallway.
always.
Qifrey was once again driven to the same spot from the previous night's pass. This time, however, his omega took charge and simply pushed past the part where he would have stopped before. Something said, Look closer. Pup hurt here. Coco hurts, here!
After a moment of hesitation, he reached out and found a small, weak part of the wall. To his amazement, Coco had built a false wall within the shelf. His heart broke as he heard the pained yelp that came from the small crawl space.
Coco!
From his spot behind his partner, Olruggio was heartbroken by the sight. The poor child was huddled away as far as she could go. She had built a nest in the literal wall! A frankly horrific reminder that she felt alone in this world.
In a society ruled by instinct, there were few moments that drove a person of any gender to build a nest. A/B/O societies thrived on pack bonds and pack dynamics in general. It was crucial to the well-being of the pack and the individuals within it, especially among omegas and children.
However, children relied on their parents to build that pack bond for them through scenting, nesting, and protective instinct. When one of their own is neglected, like if the child is the runt of the litter, while it's wrong, that pup would be left to fend for themselves. If the tide were in their favor, that child would have the potential to be adopted into a different pack and raised as if they were their own. If not, then that child would be susceptible to shutdown.
They would attempt to self-soothe by self-scenting, or, in extreme cases, build their own hidden-away nest. This was considered a red-flag situation because it meant that the child was on the verge of shutting down. Essentially, they lose their will to live entirely.
The thought caused his internal alpha to go into overdrive. His paternal instincts were kicked into overdrive. As the pack alpha, it was his duty to protect their pack, even if the conflict was internal. Before he understood what he was doing, he gave off the scent of sedation. Both Coco and Qifrey collapsed.
Qifrey's hand extended weakly towards his child, grasping onto her hand. Olruggio's scent surrounded them. It left no room for argument, though Coco's weak yelps, Scared! Help! to which Qifrey weakly responded, I'm here! Olruggio simply grunted, Coming to get you.
Before gently pulling Qifrey out and reaching into the hole, he noted how lived-in the space was, yet also how scarce it was. A simple worn blanket from when she first arrived and a small pillow. He placed a hand on her neck where her glands were, and the once-shivering child fell forward into him. He pulled her out, releasing Qifrey from the sedation.
Qifrey stumbled to his feet before checking himself to make sure he was stable. He then reached out to Olruggio and growled, threatening him to unhand her! Though he didn't get very far before Olly dropped the child into his arms.
The very first thing he did was hold her tightly to his glands. He still wore his robes from earlier and wrapped her securely in his cloak.
Not paying the other man another thought, Qifrey rushed the child to the nest in the living room. He removed the cloak from his body and gently placed the child amongst the blankets. Fully engrossed in his instincts, Qifrey thoroughly checked her over. He noted that she was too skinny and that she must have been cold.
He surrounded her with blankets and peered out of the living room to see if Olly had followed them. Seeing the man sitting on the couch next to them, he simply said, “Food, please,” before returning to his charge.
As he went through checking her, he also took time to scent her as well. He rubbed her using his scent glands and tried his best to erase her own abandoned scent. He whined, Pack here! Mom here! Safe! Hoping that his urging would put her mind at ease.
Eventually, her body relaxed against the pillows. Though she curled herself into a ball facing away from him, the scent of shame then poured out of her, and his inner omega cried.
Qifrey moved over to her and curled around her in desperation, trying to urge the child to understand. It was then that Olruggio came back with a plate of food from earlier. A small growl from Qifrey told him to stay put and to simply leave the food at the entrance.
As the food was placed, Qifrey then reached over and picked up a bun. He placed it nearby until his child was ready, then started to rub her back.
Darling, Momma here! His omega called again.
Eventually, Coco relaxed enough to latch onto him with a vice-like grip. Both of their instincts were on fire, and neither really spoke. Only their instincts communicated, and as the night went on, Coco eventually relaxed enough that Qifrey was able to feed her.
They would eventually talk. There were too many concerns about the circumstances that they needed to address. The nest in the wall, the self-isolation, the refusal of meals, and the behavior between the children all needed to be addressed. Coco was part of their family, however short that time may or may not be. She was his for now, to love and protect.
His mind was numb from the instincts that consumed him. He took the girl into his arms and turned her to lay against him. He then broke apart the bread and started to feed it to her little by little. Still deep into her natural instincts, Coco simply gave in, yet there was a part of her that bloomed with guilt and trepidation.
What if it was an act? What if this was a feeding before he let her go? She was simply too much trouble…
Her scent must have caught his attention as he responded with a mix between a whine and a growl, imploring that it was, in fact, not an act and she wasn't going anywhere. He held her closer. She was practically in his lap at this point. In his desperation, he put out a strong protective scent, the same type of scent that mother omegas gave when they had just given birth.
From outside the nest, even Olruggio was on guard. With a bit of forward thinking, Olruggio cast a protective barrier in the living room. Since it was late in the evening, the other children were in no threat of getting snapped at by their master. However, Olly brought a chair over to the hall just in case they did catch Qifrey's scent and got curious.
Back in the nest, Qifrey was able to get Coco to eat the rest of her meal. It took a while, as she was clearly not eating enough for a while. He placed the empty dishes to the side and maneuvered her to rest against him, resting her head against his own glands. It was imperative that his maternal scent overpower her own. Her instincts drove her body to believe that she was an unwanted pup.
Considering the amount of stress and the cold reception that she received when she first arrived, Coco must have been battling against her baser instincts for a while.
It was when she finally dozed off that Qifrey's own instincts were quenched. He still felt protective; his omega would never feel completely at ease when it came to the girls. Their well-being always kept him on edge, even when they were comfortable.
To know that one of them felt so alone that she would attempt to completely shut down worried him. It was something that needed to be addressed, and he would do his best to curb her fears.
“Qifrey, the other girls will grow curious when they wake. What do you think?” Olruggio asked. He had a feeling what the answer would be. Considering his earlier actions, Coco would be under Qifrey's protection for a while.
“No, it's imperative that I care for her until she feels safe again. I can't have the other girls interfering. We all need to have a proper conversation about this soon. This won't be tolerated here,” Qifrey said firmly.
Most of the time, the girls were openly allowed to have access to any of the nests in the house. Yet this was purely a nest for Coco, a sanctuary for her until she felt safe enough. She was hurt, and he needed to help her.
“Understood. You want me to take over for a while?”
A growl greeted him. He gave his own grumble, You misunderstand, before continuing.
“What I meant was, I can't take over teaching the others for a few days until Coco is better. I’m not taking her away from you.”
“…That would be fine… I apologize, I’m a bit unsettled at the moment—”
“I understand, Qifrey. One of our pups just tried to completely shut down, pretty much lost her will to live. It's a hard reality for a parent. You gotta believe that I’m fighting my own instincts as well. Damn near ready to cast a spell to prevent anyone from contacting us for a while.”
“I just… I should have known, Olly.”
“You did know, Qifrey! You just couldn't find her. You told me your instincts were active. She was trying not to be found.”
“…”
It was true. He did understand that his instincts were trying to find her. It was hard because of how far she had gone in order to hide from them. It was even hard to realize that he failed to do anything about it before it got this bad.
But then again… Coco was smart. Thinking back, she tried her best to attempt to throw off his scent. It was another question that weighed on his conscience. Why? It was another question in the long list of things to talk about when they were able.
It took three days for Coco to return to her senses, even with the constant scenting from her omega. It didn't matter to him, though. Qifrey remained firm in his convictions and continued his care. Meanwhile, the other members of their family gave them a wide berth. Allowing them their space was integral for Coco's recovery.
When Qifrey needed to remove himself from the confines of the nest, Olruggio would step in, ensuring that Coco was surrounded by their protective aura. The other girls left small gifts outside the nest for Coco, which Qifrey would take into the nest.
After the third day of continuous care, her scent finally gave off something familiar, like milk. Instead of the vacant scent that abandoned pups gave, Qifrey decided to test the waters, noting that her body finally relaxed to a curled position beside him.
“Coco, are you there?” he murmured to her. He gently turned her to him. She looked at him with hazed-over eyes, drunk off his pheromones. She silently nodded.
He took another once-over at her form. Her face was now filled with her familiar color. He took her hand in his and said,
“I’m sorry it took so long to find you.”
He quickly raised a hand to stop her from any protest.
“Before you say anything, it really is my fault. I should have known how you would feel being in a new place like this. I should have been more attentive to your emotional state.”
He ran his hands through her hair, pausing when he cupped her face.
“You haven’t felt safe for a while, have you?”
She simply shook her head no.
He nodded, gathering her closer to him, though his heart felt heavy at this. It was a kick to his ego to know that one of his pups was suffering like this.
“We will talk, but please… I implore you to be honest about your feelings. Please don't allow yourself to fall this far again. My heart can't take it!”
She nodded again before closing her eyes, dozing off to a deep slumber.
It took another three days before Qifrey allowed the others near, save Olruggio, anywhere near the nest. Reestablishing a bond was a tricky situation. It required constant scenting and being in the proximity of the affected party for a while. It ranged from one to sometimes a few weeks, depending on how far the sick went into their instincts.
Pups were even trickier because the abandoned pup still held firmly to their previous pack bond. It could cause them to go comatose. Gentle exposure and a safe space were the only ways to bring an instinct-ridden pup from a drop like that.
The aftereffect of this was that Coco would essentially be drunk off the pheromones of her caregivers, not being able to move for a while. It didn't matter to Qifrey in the slightest. He would do whatever it took for her.
To be continued…