"Is it just me or-"

Brandon frowned, flexing his fingers once again. He hadn't imagined it after all. While he felt more relaxed and at ease than ever before, he had figured it was due to having less chores and being able to spend some time relaxing with his Intended and the rest of the community.

However, Brandon had to admit that whilst it may play a part, the majority was due to Lobo's pheromones coursing through his veins. The young Alpha knew that especially Deltas and Omegas experienced an improvement in their health and strength once marked, especially so when the mark was made permanent.

Which many had attributed to the difference between them and their mate's rank. The biggest difference after all had been reported on an Alpha and Omega pairing. While the Alpha had noted being calmer and finding it easier to soothe himself, the Omega had pointed out that his formerly frail health had vastly improved.

The young Alpha couldn't really say anything about his health; he hardly ever was sick to begin with besides the occasional cold. But never sick enough to lay in bed or feel too miserable to do his job. Yet now he felt rejuvenated... invigorated.

He hadn't really anticipated to receive any boosts of any kind yet Brandon had to admit he had forgotten to include the fact that Lobo was a Lycan. Although he didn't behave like the few Lycans Branon had encountered, the man very much was one of the Apexes of their kin.

Being marked by one of them surely had its benefits but Brandon had never expected to feel like this. He was almost jittery with the energy that coursed through his body and kinda relieved that Lobo wasn't with him in the room at that moment. Brandon had needed to still do some of his chores in order for his wolf to not feel completely useless and Lobo had decided to return to their room and decide whether Brandon should move in with them, or they should move in with the Alpha.

The very idea made him blush, knowing that Lobo was more than willing to take that step. With the way the Lycan had been getting more comfortable around Brandon, the young Alpha was more than aware of every little gesture Lobo made. The way the Lycan often gave Brandon that look, the one that made his stomach burn pleasantly and sent shivers down his spine.

Small, gentle touches that made his entire body hyperaware of the pheromones coursing through his system, sparking to life at the slightest warmth from the Lycan. Even now, with Lobo nowhere in sight, his mark tingled with awareness at the idea of his Intended touching him.

"Even when he's not here, he's driving me mad." Brandon muttered before turning on his heel and tried to focus on the paperwork on his desk. Yet each attempt failed miserably as whenever he moved, a hint of ozone sparked from his neck.

Reminding him of a certain someone who wasn't there.

"If he's here, Lobo distracts me. If he's not here, somehow it's even worse!" The complaints rang through the room along with the sound of Brandon's chair scraping over the floor before he decided to put his work aside.

He wasn't one to push back on something truly needed but right now, his mind and Beast were overtaken by an overwhelming need to find his Intended. For what purpose, he had no idea but Brandon was sure that at least the jittery energy dancing just underneath his skin would be soothed with a single touch from his beloved Lycan.

Letting his feet devour the distance between their rooms, Brandon fought hard not to flush when a few of the pack gave him a sideways glance before hiding little smirks of glee. After all, the bond developing between him and Lobo had been the hottest topic among the pack.

Even now, if he focused on the link with his pack members, he could hear either Lobo's or his own name drop on several occasions before the link muted relatively quickly once they noticed his presence.

The young Alpha paused with widened eyes as he caught a thought that made him stand still in shock before shaking his head.

"Are they...placing bets on when we're fully mated?"

The scramble of thoughts and eerie silence over the pack link that followed confirmed his thoughts quite easily. He caught fragments of amusement and cheers of encouragement for their blossoming relationship. Most shocking for the young Alpha was to discover that his father also had his part in the betting pool.

As if sensing his youngest's mind hinting of betrayal, Ryker's voice sparked through his mind, coloured with amusement "Hey, I bet you and Lobo wouldn't last till the end of the month before the mark is finalized."

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence." Brandon murmured sarcastically, arriving at the Community's old room and took a calming breath, trying to regulate his heartbeat. A heart that skipped several beats when his father's retort made Brandon knock much sharper than he had intended to.

"For your information, Faye bet you guys wouldn't last till next weekend."

Now that made Brandon flush deeply, awkwardly waiting in front of the door before pausing when not a sound was heard. Letting his knuckles raffle against the door a bit louder, Brandon perked his ears for any sound from within.

He did catch a hint of breathing but besides that... nothing.

"Lobo? Or anyone else for that matter?" He questioned, slowly poking his head in their room with a sense of hesitation. The last time he had been in their room without clear invitation was due to a groggy Sean after all and Brandon did not want to betray anyone's trust by barging in without permission.

He let out a sigh of relief when there was a nudge over the mental link before Jamie's voice permitted him in. "Go on. Sean took over when Lobo was packing our stuff."

Instantly his Beast was on high alert, pondering why the Omega wasn't responding to them at all. Not even the mind link showed a hint of jasmine, making Brandon and Beast push the door open completely.

Their eyes instantly found Sean and Brandon's worries disappeared like snow before the sun. He was barely aware of softly closing the door behind him before his feet carried him closer to the bed. Closer to a visibly nesting Omega.

There was a mess of clothing and blankets, the box with all the scented candles still on the floor as if left after trying to pack them. More importantly, within the mess of clothing and blankets piled on the bed, was Sean.

"Did he need to self-soothe? Or perhaps his Heat has broken through?" Brandon pondered, hesitating next to the bed and allowing his mouth to open in order to taste the air. His nose only caught whiffs of Sean's natural pheromones, a soft and warm jasmine that spread through the air and mingled with the other scents coming from the multiple fabrics wrapped around the Omega.

Wait, is this-

Leaning closer to Sean, Brandon inhaled deeply to properly analyse the pheromones before he sagged to his knees. Letting his knuckles gently graze against Sean's face, Brandon couldn't help but feel ecstatic despite his shock.

He fell on his ass unceremoniously, unable to tear his eyes off Sean whilst inhaling the warm, fuzzy and happy pheromones that clung through the air. Brandon could sense the confusion from Jamie, as his reaction seemed disproportionate to what was happening.

But for an Alpha, this was one of the greatest gifts an Omega could give them.

Most cases of Nesting was influenced by an Omega's pheromones; either their need to self-soothe or their Heat made them seek out the comfort of soft fabrics and warm scents that stabilized their mental state.

However, when Omegas felt the peak of happiness and felt truly comfortable with both themselves and their surroundings, they would be able to nest out of pure contentment.

To find Sean in his room smelling of joy and warmth, being so content with his current life that he was able to perform Lucid Nesting made Brandon's heart melt. The young man could feel his Beast respond as well, but had to push back against his instincts.

His teeth ached. That deep-seated Alpha instinct thrummed in his canines in a painful pulse and his own pheromones flooded his mouth to the point it left a chemical taste behind. Hell, Brandon could feel his teeth partially shift, begging to mark the Omega that was so warm, soft and trusting of him.

The young Alpha couldn't even hear the voices murmuring over the bond he had with the community, eyes unmoving from Sean's peacefully slumbering form. All he could do was mentally scream at himself and his wolf, unable to say or do anything.

"Don't you fucking dare mess this up!"

Teeth sank into flesh, tearing and breaking skin as blood flowed freely. Still, Brandon bit down harder as his eyes stayed focused on Sean, unable to control his desire to mark and claim. The pain was shocking as his canines dug deeper into the flesh of his own arm, the Beast's instincts still roaring even though his own Beast felt conflicted at what it was doing.

It had been so good for so long, had submitted to everyone time and time again. Then again, Brandon had never expected that Sean would've blessed him with this gift and triggered a hidden bomb waiting to explode.

"You okay in there?"

A spark of electricity zipped through his body, recognizing the voice all too well. Yet Brandon could do nothing but let out a low growl, wincing as his jaws refused to unclench and instead bit down harder.

He deserved Lobo's anger, the community's betrayal. He wouldn't be surprised if they avoided him after all this-

"The fuck are you talking about? You're doing everything you can to stop yourself from marking Sean without consent. You bit yourself to remain in control. Even your Beast ran to me to aid you." Lobo retorted with warmth, the rasp of his voice sending another shiver of awareness over his spine.

He did that?

As Brandon focused, he could slowly piece together more fragments of reality. Of his beast gently pinned by Lobo's Lycan form, not protesting or fighting in the least. It had acted on an impulse too hard to resist, like a pup running after a flushed rabbit before it realized what it was doing.

Ever so slowly, Brandon took a few deep breaths as his jaw painfully clenched before finally relaxing. One glance at his arm made the young man wince, realizing that Sean would've been writhing in agony at the amount of pheromones that had pumped through his system. If he had actually bitten Sean, any progress would've been irreparably broken.

"I called your dad over so he can take a look at that wound." Lobo murmured softly while Brandon simply sighed and slowly stretched his tensed muscles until they relaxed.

"I'm actually surprised you didn't take over the second I started losing it." Brandon confessed, getting up to toggle the overhead ventilation to get rid of the smell of blood. The last thing he wanted was to have a lucid nesting Sean wake up from his happy place and sense blood in the air.

Lobo was quiet for a brief moment before he replied, "I can't. Sean is that deeply relaxed and happy that I just couldn't take that away from him."

A soft knock sounded at the door, forcing Brandon to head outside of the room before he was engulfed in a warm, comforting hug by his father.

"You brave stupid idiot son." Ryker grumbled half-heartedly. "Look at your arm! It looks like an animal tore a chunk out of you." He added jokingly, gently cradling Brandon's injured arm before sighing. "This is why having a strong Beast is a curse but I keep repeating myself; you're doing an amazing job."

"Doesn't feel like it." Brandon said in a small voice before he was once again pulled in an even tighter embrace that made his joints pop audibly. "I couldn't do anything. I was so afraid I was gonna snap and bite him-"

Ryker grasped both of Brandon's shoulders and looked his son in the eyes. "A weaker Alpha, a lesser Alpha wouldn't have had a second thought and claimed him where they stood. They wouldn't have cared about what Sean or the others wanted and would've simply taken what they wanted. Time and time again you are proving that you are not like that filth. Have some faith in yourself."

"Indeed."

Ryker's statement and Lobo's agreement made Brandon's chin wobble, overcome by emotion before he hid his face. He would go back in the Community's room after he regained control of himself and had his wound checked.

Now? Now he needed a moment to crack and break without worrying the people he wanted to impress on the most.