"How are you feeling?"

It was a simple question, one Brandon couldn't really give an answer to with his frazzled mind. Jamie had been more than kind by helping him wash up, even going as far as to bat Brandon's hands out of the way when the weakened Alpha tried to reach for the soap.

Currently said Alpha was struggling to stay upright, enjoying the gentle scrape of Jamie's fingers through his hair. Clearing his throat, Brandon forced himself to focus in order to answer Jamie's honest question.

"I'm... shaky. Tired in general but the pheromones are still clashing." He didn't mean to sound like a pup complaining about a tummy ache but judging from the soft chuckle escaping from Jamie... that's exactly what he sounded like.

Luckily the beta didn't pester him on his childish reaction, instead applying the conditioner before rinsing his hands. There was a brief moment of silence before Jamie hesitantly poked against Brandon's uninjured shoulder, "Your muscles are tensed up too. Especially around the mark."

A grimace made its way on Brandon's face as he flexed his neck, sighing as it only managed to pull on the sensitive skin around the fresh mark and irritate it. "Nothing I can do about that besides wait until it relaxes."

There was a comfortable moment of silence as Jamie cleaned a few of the products up before Brandon licked his suddenly dry lips. "How do you feel? With all this?" He added a tired, halfhearted motion towards his mark, hand splashing back in the bathwater as Jamie paused. "It may be the pheromones messing with my head, but, you seem more...distant."

For a moment the Beta remained quiet, stacking away the shampoo and conditioner in the cupboard before closing the doors and slowly faced Brandon. Jamie's smile was gentle and understanding as he sat down beside the bath so Brandon didn't need to look up at him.

"I'm not ... unhappy about it, if that's what you think." Jamie murmured, reaching for the detachable showerhead before motioning with his chin for Brandon to lean back. The Alpha did as commanded, baring his throat in the process without a second thought.

He stilled as a shaking finger hesitantly pressed against his throat before Jamie's hand supported his head while the man rinsed his hair. "I...look. You've already seen Lobo's reaction when you informed him what a permanent mark entailed."

Oh yeah, Brandon vividly remembered. The charge in the air as the Lycan's gaze had cooled, turned lethal within a split second. How for a single heartbeat, Lobo had looked at Brandon as if he was a target needing to be destroyed.

"You're a smart and kind man, Brandon." Jamie's voice murmured softly, though his tone was almost distant. Hollow. "By now, I'm assuming you've already guessed what happened to us. In what state your father found us in."

The water shut off and Brandon looked up at Jamie, at the dampness in his eyes, the discomfort as the Beta wiped his hands dry before reaching for a towel so Brandon could get dried off. He knew alright, at the very least could make assumptions.

Try as he might, it wasn't too hard to notice the scars on their body, their reactions to Alphas and not make the connection. Then there was also the story Jamie had entrusted to him, about Royal's kidnapping and how the Corrupted had spoken to him.

Eyed him.

Jamie hadn't needed to explain what happened to them all. What happened each time he had pushed Sean to the back of their minds and had faced the Corrupted on his own. Brandon knew enough of the world and had learned about Corrupted enough to know those monsters lacked any morality.

They wouldn't shy away from anything if it got them what they wanted. Why care for what someone else wanted or needed, what that person refused if the Corrupted's own needs and desires were fulfilled?

As Jamie gently but quickly helped the weakened Alpha dry off, Brandon had to tense his muscles as Jamie whispered softly in the quiet room.

"I... I don't think that I... that I can handle-" His breath choked, voice breaking before Jamie struggled through the words, through the lump in his throat that was constricting his voice. "I can't handle being physical after- After all that." Jamie dropped the towels to the floor, hugging himself as he turned away from Brandon. "Not for a while."

Petrichor stung Brandon's nostrils as he quickly replaced his boxers with dry ones, clearing his throat before reaching for Jamie. Hesitating above the man's shoulder before redirecting, gently tugging on the fabric near his elbow. "I understand." He murmured softly, wanting to offer a hug to soothe the Beta.

And at the same time, how could he offer physical contact when Jamie had just stated he didn't want their relationship to cross boundaries? When the Beta was clearly suffering from the nightmarish memories only he contained?

It also made Brandon realize that he never really had offered any comfort to Jamie... not really. Sure he had treated the beta with kindness and respect but it had always been Sean that got the comfort, nurturing and love. Whenever Sean was out, it was always painfully obvious how their experiences had left a lasting impression on the Omega.

Considering his extreme fear responses and his perpetually terrified state, it called to any who saw Sean to help and comfort him.

Jamie had always seemed so composed, so confident and relaxed that it hadn't even crossed Brandon's mind that out of the entire community...

The beta was the one who needed help the most. Had witnessed and experienced the most yet was so selfless, so caring of the community that Jamie willingly took a step back to give the others the lives they needed the most.

Brandon's knees shivered before giving out, a surprised squeak leaving his throat as his vision lowered quickly. Luckily Jamie managed to save the Alpha from faceplanting, apologizing profusely as he helped Brandon get dressed and then aided him back to his bed.

Yet Brandon could still see that quiver in Jamie's tensed jaw, the treacherous wobble of his chin that showed how close the Beta was to losing it. When Jamie gently lowered him in the bed, there was a sudden stubbornness that reared in the Alpha's mind.

Because he suspected the Beta would brush everything under the rug and pretend he didn't need anything. Would hand over control to someone else so he could hide what he desperately needed.

Instead of releasing his grip on Jamie, Brandon kept a gentle hold of the beta. He could see the façade crumble and break when Jamie turned around and took one look at Brandon's opened arms. Waiting to hug the Beta, if he wanted to.

While Brandon didn't want to force anything on Jamie or the others, he needed them to know he was always available. That their desires and needs were heard and appreciated, that someone was willing to help them in their time of need.

Even through his newly forming link, he could hear Sean whine painfully at the sight of Jamie breaking down as he accepted his first hug in... probably his entire existence. As he flopped on the bed with Brandon, wrapped in the Alpha's arms and face buried against Brandon's clavicle, hot tears started splashing on Brandon's skin.

The Alpha's own beast whined in anguish as Jamie started crying in earnest, releasing years of pent up agony, years of pretending to be strong, to be unbreakable so that the Corrupted didn't turn their gaze on the rest of the community.

Drawing the ire and gaze of the Corrupted, just so they wouldn't try and force Sean and Noah to come out.

Jamie had selflessly sacrificed himself again and again. Brandon couldn't fathom how much courage one had to have to know what was about to happen and still push the others to the background. To volunteer being assaulted so that the others could be safe.

The young Alpha wasn't even sure how many of the community had been present back then and his stomach churned at the idea that Noah might have been the first to emerge. However the evidence pointed to the contrary, making Brandon realize that perhaps, it had been Jamie all along who appeared first.

A Beta, a wolf that was less dominant than the Alpha they originally were but not quite what the Corrupted demanded. Perhaps, those monsters realized the change and figured that if they did more, they could get what they wanted.

An Omega to dominate and do with what they wanted.

Soft sandalwood ebbed from Brandon in waves, the scent soothing and comforting as Jamie snuggled against Brandon, face buried in the man's throat while Brandon used what little bit of strength he had to wrap his arms around the Beta. Fingers tracing his spine back and forth, never dipping too far down, never clawing at Jamie's back like he was a mindless possession.

It was a gesture of comfort and warmth, an unspoken I'm here for you that Jamie needed to hear and feel. A reassurance that no matter what happened, no matter how Jamie felt and no matter the subject, he could always turn to Brandon for support.

Subconsciously, Brandon started humming a tune he had heard his mother hum often during his childhood. A soothing tone meant as a lullaby for when he was small, something that helped soothe the upset Alpha when he had been ill or simply struggling with his feelings.

Neither his mom nor dad had ever mocked Brandon when he had cried, when he had been overwhelmed with emotion or feeling sick. Nor had he ever heard the toxic advice to man up whenever he felt weak and vulnerable.

His wolf nearly growled at the idea, knowing there were plenty of people out there who threw that advice out like candy, thinking it would actually help anyone in their time of need. All it did was create people who learned to bottle everything help and never rely on anyone for anything.

A soft snuffle against his throat made Brandon smile, leaning back slightly to look at Jamie's sleeping expression. The poor Beta's eyes would undoubtedly be puffy when he woke up. His own eyes were heavy with sleep as well, even though he had spent quite a bit of time unconscious.

Yet his body demanded more rest, needed to recuperate. Brandon wrapped his arms snuggly around Jamie and sighed contently, knowing that if the Beta woke up before him and needed space, he could easily slip out of his grasp.

Plus he knew that his mom and dad would make sure they were safe and undisturbed. Undoubtedly Faye had made sure nobody would waltz into Brandon's room unannounced, especially not after they left a highly agitated lycan in the room with their weakened and freshly marked intended.

Nobody in their right mind would willingly intrude into their room, especially not without a very good reason. He yawned and settled in, falling asleep within a short moment. When he woke back up, Brandon was momentarily disoriented, as during their slumber they must've moved around quite a bit.

Instead of Jamie snuggling up to him, he was now comfortably held by the still snoozing Beta, who's soft and steady breathing was the only sound in the room. The sound along with Jamie's steady heartbeat under the young Alpha's ear made Brandon smile contently before slowly stretching in the man's hold.

Still sore but that's to be expected.

His mark was quite tender but not as easily aggravated as it was before. A soft sigh of relief slipped from Brandon, grateful that he seemed to have it easy compared to some of the stories he had heard.

Lycans were rare creatures on their own, so information of Lycans marking anyone let alone an Alpha was hard to find. The only reason why Brandon even knew of such delicate information was due to the fact that their own pack now hosted a Lycan.

More than likely, the Lycans had contacted the Pack Alpha Ryker and addressed the situation before giving him the information. Knowing full well that using it against the Lycans was ill advised at best, given that the powerful Lycans could very easily show any upstart Alpha who exactly was in charge.

Undoubtedly his father had already informed the Lycan pack that Lobo had emerged once more and had put a claim on Brandon, albeit temporarily for now. They would be more than curious to find out more about a new Lycan's intended.

Hell, Brandon wouldn't be surprised if one of the Lycans were to walk into his room right that very moment. They took anything related to their kin very seriously and would take matters into their own hands. Even with Alpha Ryker and Luna Faye safeguarding Brandon, there was little they could do against a Lycan wanting to investigate one of their own.

A knock sounded on the door and for a moment Brandon's heart froze, thinking he had thought the Lycan investigation into reality. When his dad peeped around the door and offered him a warm smile when he noticed his son was awake, Brandon let out a sigh of relief.

"Damn pup, just say you didn't want to see me." Ryker chuckled teasingly, approaching the bed before reaching for Brandon's forehead. "Hmm, fever seems to be settling nicely." The Alpha murmured softly, smiling as he realized Jamie was still deeply asleep and clinging onto Brandon. "I'm happy for you pup." The man whispered softly, making Brandon smile as his dad patted his head.

"Thanks dad. And I'm sorry about earlier, was just thinking of the Lycans." Brandon murmured softly before flushing brilliantly as his stomach released a long, drawn out gurgle. A sound that was soon mimicked by Jamie's stomach as the Beta roused with a sleepy hum.

His father wisely backed away a few steps from the bed, clearing his throat with a teasing "Good morning you two, we thought you two were too tired for dinner yesterday so we didn't wake you up. I'm assuming you're both wanting some breakfast?"

Brandon turned to look at the curtain before rolling his eyes at himself after one look at the blackout curtain that sealed any daylight out of the room. Following his gaze, Ryker chuckled and walked over before tugging on the roll, causing it to zip up and flood the room with bright sunlight.

"Fuck!" Brandon cursed, squinting his eyes before hiding his face against Jamie as he grumbled "A lil' warning next time?"

Jamie released a sleepy huff but chuckled nonetheless as Alpha Ryker's laughter bounced off the walls. "There's my whiny pup who hates mornings. Breakfast will be prepared and brought up, if you let your mother know what both of you want."

With another chuckle and a pat to both their heads, Ryker easily slipped out of the door and avoided the pillow flung after him.

Brandon sighed before stretching as Jamie blinked against the sunlight and groaned. His eyelids were still a bit puffy but Brandon knew that swelling would go down soon, especially after a cold rinsing.

"Breakfast?" The Alpha questioned as Jamie grumbled and yawned before waking up fully as he looked down at the young Alpha in his arms.

"Breakfast." He rasped in agreement, slowly sitting upright and stretching his limbs before he added "After that, we need to see if you can move around better than yesterday." He added making Brandon smile before composing their breakfast order and notifying his mother.

They waited in a comfortable silence, slowly waking up and simply appreciating being in one another's presence. No words were spoken but their mind links were slowly wrapping around one another, connecting on a level much deeper than before.

Today wouldn't be the day that they marked one another, let alone mated. But that morning, with the sunlight heating their skin and showing identical smiles as Faye knocked on the door and walked in, was the day their bonds established itself.

It was a silent vow, a promise to one another that no matter what, they'd be there for the other.

Always.