Notes:
   Rose finds out that Merlin is her true mate. Smut ensues.
Warnings: smut, loss of virginity

  Rose rushed as fast as she could to lock up the cabin. Quickly, she locked the doors and windows, drew the curtains, and covered up any other entrances to her home as quickly as she could manage.
   She took a deep breath as she drew the curtains in her kitchen, facing the window closest to her front door. She leaned against the wall, panting slightly as she tried desperately to fan herself.
   Of course! Of all the luck she had to go into heat while an injured man laid a few rooms away!
   Rose didn't know much about weres since she'd never had a chance to learn, but she knew all about heats. Every Omega learns from a young age how those work. Heats are the process in which an Omega is stricken with the urge to mate with an Alpha and become pregnant.
   Usually though, an Omega would have their first heat around 13 or 14 and it would mostly be as a sort of process for knowing they were growing. The second heat would happen when the Omega was 16 or 17 and that was the age when Omegas usually mated. The third heat would be when the Omega was in her (or his) early twenties. By that time, if the Omega wasn't mated, they were looked upon with disgust.
   Rose was 21 and yet this was her first heat. Why it took her so long was a mystery to her but she assumed it was because she hadn't been around any weres--or had a pack--in a long time.
   The heat rolled off her skin, making her uncomfortably hot, and she could feel the ache already beginning, her natural lubricant beginning to leak out of her. She suppressed a low whine, trying her best not to let her instincts take over.
   She couldn't know that, a few rooms away, Merlin sensed her distress and was about to end it.
                              * * * * *
   If there was one thing Merlin hated in this world, it was ferals. Wolves. Weres. It didn't matter. They knew better than to stray from their packs. Doing so was dangerous and stupid and often resulted in more problems than it was worth.
   Being the Alpha Pack Leader of his own pack, Merlin had had to deal with numerous threats to his pack over the years: ferals, hunters, disloyal members discontent with pack life. All of them he had tried to avoid as often as possible. He was a fair leader, kind-hearted and loyal, and definitely strong enough to take care of everyone.
   The problem was that many packs were dying out nowadays both from hunters and ferals alike. His was one of the last of the original were packs still alive. Actually, there weren't many packs left at all. Merlin counted himself lucky that his had survived.
  Recently, there had been trouble in their borders. Merlin had thought to find a way to resolve the problem before it got too out of control. He always hated going into the city but he trusted information a lot more when he gleaned it for himself. Besides, his older brother, Arthur, could take care of the pack while he was gone.
   After he had learned all he could --both from extension research and word-of-mouth--he decided it was time to head back. He was taking a shortcut through the woods when he had been attacked by ferals. They came so fast that he had no time to defend himself when they bore down upon him.
   He honestly thought he was gonna die. Yet, somehow by the love and mercy of Mother Lupa, an angel had come to save him. At least, he had assumed she was an angel when he first met her.
   She had been the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life. Her long fiery red hair fanned her pretty face, one with rosy lips and cheeks, her figure was one anyone would've killed for, and her eyes...they were indescribable! They were a sort of minty green with other colors swirling in them and gold and silver flecks.
   He'd known the second he saw the gold in her eyes that she was a were but the silver was something he'd never come across before. He couldn't remember a were with that color in their eyes before.
   Nevertheless, something about her had him feeling protective of her. He felt something for her yet he couldn't place the feeling. And it didn't help that he was weak as a kitten and she spoke to him in such a sweet gentle voice.
   Merlin had to assume she was like him--that she, too, had magic--although he wasn't sure exactly what her powers maybe. Why else did he obey her wishes? Usually, he would be the one to give the orders. Yet, when she spoke, he felt the need to listen. She wasn't controlling him exactly--she was just really persuasive he decided.
   Rose was her name, she told him. A beautiful name, he had thought, and very fitting of her appearance.
   She had been there for him during the time he needed to heal. He had woken up only a few times since he had arrived in what he assumed was her home. Each time he was awake for only a few minutes for one reason or another--for food, relieving himself, restlessness, the cold, or the heat.
   Now, it was two days later and he suddenly found himself awake and feeling much better. The wounds on his body were pretty much gone, save for the cuts on his stomach, although he was sure there would be permanent scars there.
   It occurred to him that he was awake and something must've woken him and that's when he first noticed it. A strong scent invaded his nostrils, one that was...pleasing?
   He smelled roses, vanilla, sunshine, magic, and...love...?
   Something about the scent was vaguely familiar but he couldn't think straight due to the scent. That was when he realized his pants had become uncomfortably tight.
   Merlin cursed his hormones as he made decision. Everything was about to change.
                           * * * * *
   Rose was still in the same position when she heard a voice behind her call her name. She turned to find Merlin standing there, watching her intently.
   "Merlin, you scared me!" She said. "Are you ok?"
   "Are you?" He asked.
   She was taken aback at his words. "What do you mean?"
   "You're an Omega." He stated plainly as he took a step toward her. "And you're in heat." His eyes had turned gold but he could tell she was afraid so he covered his nose and tried to force his eyes blue again as he asked, "You're alone?"
   Rose knew it was stupid to tell the truth but found she couldn't lie to him. "Yes."
   "Where's your pack?"
   "Dead." Her expression changed. "You're an Alpha."
    "Yes."
    "But you haven't--"
    "I can control myself." He stepped closer to her and placed his free hand on her face. "You need to be taken care of." Rose started to protest but Merlin added gently, "I knew when I scented you. I recognized it as the scent of my mate calling out to me."
   Another wave of her heat overtook her, making her bend over from the force of it. "Alpha!" She begged. "I-I need..."
   "I know." He whispered. "But I will only take you as my mate with your consent."
   "Yes." She whispered.
   With that, his arms were around her petite body in seconds and he was carrying her up the stairs to her room as fast as he could in his situation. He walked through the door, shutting it behind him and carried her over to the bed. Inhaling deeply, he let out a contented grunt when her strong scent invaded his nostrils.
    Merlin gently laid Rose down on the bed then joined her. His lips descended onto hers as he tried to ease her into their mating. The temperature of her skin had become nearly unbearable by this point and she was already grinding against him.
   His eyes glowed gold and they were both immediately naked. His fingers wandered down to her opening where he found her to be quite wet. He uttered a low curse as he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Her opening was wide and accepting. If he was gonna take care of her, he'd better do it now.
   Merlin reached a hand between them to pump his cock before slowly filling her inch by inch. He didn't want to hurt her if he could help it. Alphas are already large by comparison of human males and he was considered particularly large even for an Alpha though not ridiculously so.
   Judging by Rose's expression, she didn't have any complaints. He settled for a slow and gentle pace so as to alleviate the pain of her heat while not causing her unnecessary pain. She writhed beneath him in pleasure, grabbing ahold of his shoulders as she tried desperately to chase the feeling of pleasure that was coursing through everyone of her nerves.
   Merlin increased his pace until he could feel his knot swelling to fill her up completely. He groaned as he continued to grind against her, trying to keep the pleasure going for both of them and, if her moans were anything to judge by, he was succeeding.
   He lay atop her and continued his frenzied movements as he whispered loving words and endearments into her ear. "I should've known." He whispered, as if he were talking to himself.
   "What?"
   "I was stupid to deny the truth." He continued, looking into her beautiful eyes. "But I knew the moment I scented you."
   "What do you know?"
   "That we're true mates."
   But before she could ask what that was, his knot broke, making the conversation halter as pure pleasure overrode both their senses and he bent down to give her the mating bite, holding her close as they came undone together for the first time.