His body hurt, muscles twitching and protesting whenever he attempted to move. Brandon could feel the covers cling to his skin, felt disgusted with the amount of sweat he was losing.

He wanted to bathe and freshen up but at the same time, his entire body was incredibly sore. Almost as if his wolf had just awakened and forced him to undergo a rut.

Flashes of a memory sparked through his mind, making Brandon sigh softly in frustration at himself. He should've remembered that when one marks their intended, even with a temporary mark, the strongest ranking would still flood the body of the other with pheromones.

They didn't quite know why the highest ranking would alter the body of those they marked. Perhaps it was an attempt to balance out the pheromones between the pair and settle a ranking system.

However, most of the doctors agreed that the reason was simpler. Such an event already happened, when an Alpha appeared among gestating fetuses and released pheromones naturally.

Those that adapted and managed to block out the pheromones became Betas. Naturally resistant against the Alpha's pheromones and attitude, capable of handling an unruly Alpha if needed.

However, those who struggled or failed to resist the surge of Alpha pheromones, were the ones who became Deltas and Omegas.

As the doctor's pointed out, nothing stood above a Lycan. If a Lycan marked an Alpha, they would alter their bodies through the unnaturally potent pheromones surging through the Lycans.

Those wolves had survived Corruption after all. It left a mark on the former Alpha, empowering them in ways none would've expected.

Even if he was an Alpha, Brandon's body couldn't withstand the potency of Lobo's pheromones and had to adapt to them. Brandon might've forgotten about that fact but he wasn't upset.

If that's all it takes to bond with the Community...

As Brandon sighed and tried to roll over, his ears detected murmuring voices. Though he realized he was laying in his bed, Lobo's scent and presences soothingly close, he could hear the others.

Wait-

It wasn't that he heard the rest of the pack or his parents murmuring on the link. From the opposite direction he heard other murmurs. Familiar voices chattering with one another.

As he focused on those voices, he could feel the connection open up until he found himself within a clearing of the forest. A river cascading through the middle of the grassy fields and cabins littered across the meadow.

When his mind made the connection, he was shocked to find out it was the Community he was sensing. Due to Lobo's mark on him, making them a temporarily mated pair until the deal was sealed with a permanent mark, Brandon had gained a stronger mental link with Lobo.

And through him, with the rest of the community. Unexpectedly, the young Alpha now had access to the Community's shared mindscape.

Brandon could feel all of the Alters, even those he hadn't met yet. His own Beast was already roaming through the grasslands, tail wagging rapidly as it crawled up to the nearest Alter, displaying its belly to soothe any anxiety.

Jamie was the first to accept the offering, scratching through the Alpha Beast's soft fur and Brandon couldn't help but grin as Noah squealed in excitement when his Beast licked at the Little one's fingers.

Whining like a little pup, eager to play and bowing like a pup to invite Noah to play. Soon enough the pair was romping through the field, joined by a second wolf.

"They don't have a name."

Brandon jolted both physically and mentally at Lobo's comment. It took him great effort to open his eyes and smile at the Lycan, who chuckled and shook his head.

"Royal's?" Brandon croaked, making Lobo nod before the man leaned closer, crouching beside Brandon's bed with a deep sigh.

Mentally Brandon was aware of Royal's wolf approaching his own Beast, which instantly rolled over to reveal its belly. There was a sense of nervousness from the community and then relaxation and joy when both wolves romped around, playfully chasing a crowing Noah.

"Never scare us like that again. Please." The lycan tacked on, causing guilt to bubble up inside Brandon. He hadn't planned to scare anyone nor had he planned to pass out but apparently his body had other plans.

The young Alpha groaned as his muscles twitched before he muttered "I'll try not to. I'm sorry, I forgot this was going to happen."

"Nobody's perfect." Lobo shrugged, making Brandon chuckle while still feeling the connection with the Community. Smiling as his Beast was now free to interact and bond with everyone who wanted.

For a moment Brandon was worried, thinking of calling his Beast back because he didn't want the Community to think they were forced to interact with his other half. But Lobo quickly held up a hand, most likely hearing his thoughts and responded in return.

"He's no issue. And I doubt he will become one, unless he wants to deal with me." Lobo added with a pointed growl in his voice that made Brandon's Beast instantly lower its ears submissively.

As if to say "No way am I rebelling against you." The Beast knew its place and understood that these people were under Lobo's protection.

And now also, the Beast's protection. Because Brandon knew without a doubt that it would lay down its life if that meant the wolf could protect anyone from the Community.

It valued them that much.

Nausea and vertigo made the room spin as Brandon groaned, shaking his head at the buzzing sensation in his head. It was just when he first became aware of the pack link, having to adapt to the multitude of voices in his head.

Lobo hummed in agreement, tapping against his own temple before rubbing soothingly over Brandon's back when the young Alpha managed to sit upright.

"It'll take some time getting used to, though we have it easier on thar regard." Lobo chuckled and Brandon could sense why.

For Brandon, the connection with both pack and community was like having multiple radios going off at once and trying to focus on a single voice amidst the crowd.

But for the community, they experienced the pack as if it was a phone call. A landline connected to each individual community member and they could choose whether to pick up or ignore the call.

"How are you feeling?" Lobo asked, eyes intense as he studied Brandon's every movement. Brandon slowly stretched his limbs, flinching when his muscles and glands protested.

His fingers brushed over the few glands giving him trouble as he replied "Sore but that is to be expected. Glands that have laid dormant for years are being awakened by your pheromones so they'll be tender for a while." He gave Lobo a pleasant, relaxed smile as the lycan absorbed that tidbit of information.

"Anything I can do to help?"

Honestly, Brandon shouldn't be surprised. While Lobo was blunt and didn't mince his words, that didn't mean the lycan didn't care. In fact, he cared a great deal about those close to him but it was only natural to be on guard after everything that happened to their community.

"Not really." Brandon sighed, stretching his limbs as much as possible before trying to get up. He was rather surprised when Lobo pushed him back and gave him a pointed look.

"You spent the last day asleep and haven't eaten anything yet. Stay." Lobo commanded, finger pointing at the bed with a stern look in his eyes.

The young Alpha leaned back in the seat and watched as Lobo cleaned up his room for a bit before heading for the door. Brandon assumed the lycan was going to leave but he was surprised when Lobo opened the door to his mother.

Faye grinned, giving her son a cheeky grin as she handed the tray with food to Lobo. She fluttered past the massive lycan towards her son, cupping Brandon's face in her hands.

"Don't you ever give me or your father a scare like that! Half of the pack was in an uproar because you startled poor Lobo and made him shift to get you help." Faye scolded Brandon, causing the young Alpha to grin rather sheepishly and scratch at his nape.

It hadn't been his intention to panic or startle anyone after all. He had simply forgotten how taxing a new mark could be on one's body, too distracted with Lobo's presence to remember that simple fact.

But he knew that his sudden collapse had scared his family, so Brandon took the scolding without protest and offered his apologies once more.

After a few moments his mother calmed down, and while Brandon was half expecting for the Pack Omega to fuss about him longer, he was surprised when she backed off.

Instead, Faye smoothed out her clothes before standing up with a grin at Lobo. "I trust you'll take care of my youngest. If it's not too much to ask, can you let me know if anything changes?"

"Naturally." Lobo lowered his head before giving Brandon a look that made the young Alpha shiver. "He won't be leaving the room or the bed for that matter, until he's fully recovered."

Faye grinned, her face glowing with appreciation as she gave Brandon a kiss on his forehead before she pulled a rather surprised and sheepish Lobo in her arms for a quick hug. "Thank you, my dear. If you both need food or anything else, you know where to find me."

The Pack Omega was out of the room before the pair could blink, closing the door quietly behind her. Lobo cleared his throat with an awkward cough before shaking his head.

"I love that woman."

Brandon snorted, leaning against the headboard of the bed as he yawned. "You and dad both. He'd move heaven and earth for anything mom desires."

"Understandable." Lobo murmured, eyes flitting back to the door for a moment. "She supports anyone she takes in as family, without a care or bias." This time the Lycan turned back to Brandon with the tray of food in his hands. "Guess it runs in the family."

The young Alpha blushed, face heated as he lowered his gaze to his lap. Lobo's low chuckle rumbled through the air and only succeeded to make Brandon flush even deeper.

He was grateful when the tray of food was placed in front of him but startled when Lobo hesitated, lingering at his side. He could tell the lycan was struggling with his instincts, eyes flitting over Brandon's posture and the tray of food before it clicked.

Newly marked pairs would stay in close proximity for a while, considering the fresh mark and the health of the marked one. However, part of that also laid in the fact that whomever made the mark would feel extremely protective of their intended.

Brandon was perfectly capable of feeding himself even while he was feeling sick. But it was clear that Lobo's instincts were urging him to feed Brandon himself.

And when Brandon offered Lobo a warm smile, the lycan relaxed before taking a seat with a sighed chuckle. Plucking the offered fork from Brandon's loose hold before giving in to his instincts that demanded one thing.

Nurture your mate.

As the young Alpha accepted the tasty morsels, he could feel his wolf growl lowly in a content purr. His sore body and muscles relaxing, realizing that he was safe to be weak. Safe to relax.

That he was being taken care of. It made Brandon's stomach twist and churn but not uncomfortably so. And each time his eyes looked away from the food and found Lobo's intense gaze, his flush grew.

This is... new....

But he liked it. He liked it a lot.