Brandon was oddly giddy, keeping his excited pace slow enough for Sean to keep up with. Before, when he had planned to take a run with Jamie, he was more than welcoming to the idea.

After all, running together formed a bond of trust and friendship. A bond that could be developed into something more, if both parties were willing.

It was one of the reasons why the border patrols were constantly switched around, blending the members together on a daily basis.

To further strengthen the bonds of the pack, build a soul-deep layer of trust, acceptance and understanding between one another.

Which was also why it was so hard for Ryker and Brandon to keep Sean and Jamie's secret. In doing so, they were technically betraying the pack's trust by lying to them.

However, it wasn't a malicious lie done to harm and once the truth would inevitably come out, the pack would understand it with ease.

They were united. A family, thanks to the years of bonding spent with one another.

So when he had made the offer to Jamie, Brandon had been prepared for a rejection, as it did leave them open for inspection from the rest of the pack.

Taking Jamie out on a run opened up a slew of opportunities, risks waiting to happen. So he had been more than surprised when Jamie accepted.

But the possibility to bond with the omega was more than what the young Alpha had hoped for!

He was as excited as when he went on his very first run, sticking his nose in every rabbit hole along the way. Newly shifted and allowing his instincts to guide him, resulting in a run where Brandon chased every moving object, sniffed every tree and probably scent-marked more than he wished to remember.

Brandon knew that if he were shifted at that very moment, his wolf would be wagging non-stop. Potentially even whimpering, as if it had been offered its favorite toy.

Nevertheless, Brandon was more than eager to shift or more so, to see Sean's wolf. The switch between personalities had initially been a surprise but Brandon had to admit it was a smart move from Jamie.

If border patrol saw an unknown Beta in the presence of Brandon, they would certainly come over to investigate. Their wolves would turn the greeting into an instinctual friendly competition, to see which one of them was the strongest, the fastest, had more stamina.

A competition that could unintentionally bring up unwanted memories of past trauma.

However, they wouldn't dare treat an Omega that way. And if Sean gave them any signs that he was uncomfortable, Brandon could bet his left paw that anyone on that border patrol would find a way to suddenly disappear into the forest.

It was one of the things he loved about his pack. Their utmost respect for the omegas, their wellbeing and needs.

Not all packs were like that but Brandon felt blessed to call this pack home. Even more so with the delicate situation Sean now found himself in.

And Brandon quickly realized there was a second reason why Jamie agreed to the run. The unknown scent of them, be it Omega or Beta whilst in the presence of Brandon's Scent, would allow the border patrol to take in Sean or Jamie's scent without a confrontation.

The young Alpha made a quick note to invite either Sean or Jamie on more runs. The more runs they did on different times, the more individuals of the pack could take in their scent without a need of being formally introduced.

It would lower the confusion within the pack and ease the undoubtedly frightened Omega's worries.

Brandon made to leave the packhouse before blinking and returning on his steps in realization. Sean followed him with a hint of confusion before his scent turned infinitely sweeter when Brandon gestured to the changing room.

"I don't know if you would prefer to change and shift here or just shift within the woods. There are a few locations along the border that hold clothes for those who need them but I figured you might be more comfortable shifting here."

Sean nodded rapidly, peeking into the room to make sure it was unoccupied before closing the door behind him. Brandon smiled to himself, grateful that his wolf had thought of the possibility before he quickly undressed, stuffing his outfit into one of the many lockers lining this hallway and then shifted.

His wolf was impatient and giddy, shaking out its fur, snorting and nearly pacing in front of the changing room. It was all Brandon could do to prevent his wolf from clawing at the door and whining like an overeager pup begging for a treat.

Thankfully his patience was quickly rewarded as the door was nudged open. Brandon's tail was already wagging, a hint of pheromones escaping before he shut down his wolf from producing anymore.

Sean's wolf slowly emerged, such a light grey color that he seemed to be white. And it was very obvious both from the tucked in tail, flattened ears and the bitter, pungent jasmine that the Omega in front of him was extremely stressed.

Quickly Brandon lowered his own massive form to the ground, the mix of grey, black and brown fur standing out against the lighter colored and smaller wolf.

He let out a little whine, stretching his front paws towards Sean to show he meant no harm, even rolling over to bare his belly when the Omega hesitated.

Sandalwood turned soft and warm, as Brandon tried to release calming pheromones that would lower Sean's stress, would help him gain back control of himself.

There was a hesitant touch against his belly, a cold nose taking a delicate sniff. But it was enough to make Brandon's jaw droop open, tongue lolling out and body shuffling over the floor from the strength of his wagging tail.

It made Sean huff softly, edging along the wall as his tail slowly relaxed from its position, still curled slightly between his legs as his ears twitching at the tiniest of sounds.

Clearly the Omega was still wary but willing to trust Brandon to not just pounce upon the poor pup.

Slowly, Brandon rolled on his paws, taking care not to make sudden movements that would scare Sean right back into the changing room.

Or worse.

Especially so if Brandon would allow his wolf's urges to take over. Right now it wanted nothing more than to dive muzzle first in that soft, luscious fur that gleamed in the sunlight.

To inhale that soft Jasmine scent, stronger now that he had shifted. To roll in that scent, bathe the Omega in his saliva to mingle it with his own so nobody would dare intrude on what was his-

At that, Brandon shook his head with a snort, pushing his wolf back. Instead of giving into any of those tempting urges, Brandon shook out his fur and took a few steps towards the door, checking over his shoulder to make sure that Sean would follow.

Much to his surprise, the Omega was stuck to him like a shadow, matching every step with one of his own. Pressed up against his side, ears flickering to the surroundings.

Undoubtedly he worried to either lose Brandon once they ran into the shade of the forest, or perhaps the possibility that he'd bump into an unknown wolf before they even made it out of the pack house.

Still, the trust Sean placed within him was making Brandon's wolf strut, head and tail lifted proudly as Sean remained by the young Alpha's side.

"Where are we going?"

The soft voice within his head made Brandon's muzzle slam shut with an excited whimper he couldn't contain. Slightly embarrassed, he quickly replied to Sean on their newly formed link before the pup could question the sound.

"We're heading out to the borders and will make a quick tour. If you want, I can show you around the remainder of the territory?"

Sean hesitated for a moment, ear perked at a slight sound in the distance. All the while Brandon felt elated that the Omega trusted him enough to stay by his side, hell, to go on a run in the first place.

So when he nodded and took a step closer in order to follow wherever Brandon lead, the young Alpha could barely contain his wolf.

Digging his claws in the forest soil, Brandon propelled his wolf forwards, pushing its attention to the run instead of harassing the Omega besides them in any shape or form.

In this shape, his wolf's instincts and urges were harder to ignore. It wanted to pounce on the Omega, but not in a sexual manner.

No, his wolf simply wanted to play, instigate a game of tag between them to further deepen their bonds. But Brandon could already anticipate Sean's reaction to that.

Hell, given how badly Sean had reacted back when Brandon and Ryker had been roughhousing, the poor Omega would believe it was under attack, not being invited to play.

So Brandon forced his wolf to focus, providing it with a task that drew away attention from the Omega following them.

For a moment, it worked. His wolf was taking in their surroundings, more alert than ever now that it had an unmated Omega by its side.

It had a task to complete. An Omega it needed to protect.

Any sound was perceived as a threat until properly investigated. His nostrils flared at each whiff of air that passed by, analyzing every fraction of a scent that could trigger an alarm.

Realistically, there wouldn't be any Corrupted or rogue wolves within their territory. Border patrol was strict and would've alerted the pack the second there was even a distant scent of danger.

Hopping over a fallen tree, Brandon braced for impact, landing firmly on the other side before pausing, realizing that perhaps Sean couldn't follow.

After all, in his wolf's eagerness to protect Sean, it had stormed ahead to make sure that the forest was safe for the Omega to frolic through. It hadn't thought to look back and see if the pup was struggling to follow.

As he turned to look over his shoulder, there was the light sound of approaching paws before Sean leapt over the tree, almost effortlessly.

His own footfall was silent and as Brandon continued to run at a slightly slower pace, he couldn't help but let his attention roam to the Omega running alongside him.

While his own wolf was charging through the woods, scaring off any nearby animals with its intimidating aura, Sean's slimmer form followed along elegantly.

Paws stretching out, gracefully brushing over the forest floor before curling underneath his smaller body to propel him forwards. Stretching out fully before barely contacting the ground underneath him.

Sweet jasmine flowed strongly around Sean as the Omega clearly enjoyed the run, earlier fears and distractions easily forgotten.

For a moment, the Omega was free. Bathing in the sunlight that kissed his fur wherever it managed to pry past the canopy.

It cast Sean in an otherworldly glow, making his silvery fur near ivory in the light. A blinding vision of everything Omegan.

Seemingly floating mid stride, like some ethereal wolf spirit that frolicked through the woods. Careless and liberated...sweet and utter perfection.

Brandon noticed distantly that the Omega even stepped seamlessly in the tracks of his own front paws. A perfect print left behind, just as perfect as the Omega itself-

In his distracted state, Brandon didn't notice the slightly raised tree roots up ahead, nor the small ditch behind it.

Not until his paw snagged behind the root, causing him to trip with a startled yelp and fly head over tail into the pile of accumulated leaf litter.

He laid there stunned for a moment, awkwardly lying on his back with leaf litter and dirt stuck in his nostrils and fur.

Silence clung heavily in the air as Brandon slowly pushed back up, snorting and shaking his fur out. Meanwhile Sean stood a little distance away, ears perked and head tilted curiously, tail slowly wagging between his hind legs.

"Are you okay?"

Brandon sneezed, getting the last of dirt out from his nostrils before pawing at his muzzle. "Just a bruised pride. Should've looked where I was running instead of getting distracted."

That made Sean's head only cock more to the side, a picture perfect image of confusion. "Distracted? By what?"

Brandon bit on his tongue as he could smell that pure, innocent little Sean, truly had no idea what kind of power he held over the young Alpha.

However, Jamie seemed to realize, as there was an abrupt chortle of amusement before Sean shook his fur. The poor pup seemed even more confused than before and Brandon awkwardly pushed ahead, deciding against answering the question in favor of distracting the Omega with the pack territory.

And Sean was fairly easily distracted too. During their run, Brandon purposefully slowed down when Sean's attention seemed drawn to mundane scenes.

Like when they had ran by a lake, only to get hissed at by a protective geese with her brood of goslings. The fluffy yellow chicks had drawn Sean's attention, who unconsciously slowed down for a moment, distractedly following Brandon.

Throughout their run, Brandon felt amusement at the near child-like curiosity showcased by the Omega. But with each moment of stunned awe from Sean at the most basic of things, an eerie feeling crept up on Brandon.

The awe and admiration that Sean portrayed for a simple run around the territory, taking in the sights that most wolves saw on a daily basis, made Brandon pause mentally.

It was something one would expect of a newly Presented wolf on their first run.

If Sean hadn't experienced all this throughout his life... something that Brandon had seen since he was a pup...

The young Alpha shuddered, dreading to think of the possibilities.

After all, his own father had guided him around the territory as soon as Brandon could walk and follow the rules. It was a habit that all packs followed, as it imprinted the boundaries of their territory within the children.

Even when they hadn't presented yet, they instinctively knew when they were at the edge of their territory.

Hell, Brandon could ask any child older than five about a location within the pack territory, and the child would've been able to give a general description of the place.

Yet Sean was looking at the world as if he had opened his eyes for the very first time.

As if he had been allowed outside for the very first time.

Bile burned in Brandon's throat at the mere idea, at the possibility that the wild and random idea wasn't that far off the truth.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts aside for later and instead indulged Sean and his wolf. What originally was supposed to be a quick lope around the territory became an intensive tour, leaving not a single place untouched.

Every spot worth investigating popped in his mind, satisfaction and pride flowing strongly through Brandon at the awe pouring from Sean, the sweetening jasmine scent that clung to Brandon's nostrils.

Though halfway through, Brandon realized that the once elegant and effortless gait of Sean was soon slowing down, muzzle covered in drool as the poor Omega was struggling to keep up.

Flicking his ear guiltily, the young Alpha realized that in his enthusiasm to give Sean everything he wanted, he had forgotten to ask the Omega if he was doing alright.

"Come on, there's a small flowing creak not too far away. Let's get you cooled off and rest up before we go back home." Brandon proposed, guiding the tired and drooling Omega to the water source.

Sean instantly lapped at the water, flopping down in the gently flowing stream so it flowed over his chest. It only made Brandon's guilt intensify, head lowering and ears drooping in shame.

"I'm sorry." Sean's head snapped up at Brandon's apology, eyes wide and startled as Brandon continued, "I should've asked, no, should've lowered the pace, should've kept an eye on your condition instead of pushing you so hard."

Water trickled from Sean's whiskers and damp fur as the Omega stood to shake itself before approaching Brandon, flopping on the floor tiredly.

"I...It's...I'm alright. Just... not used to it." He licked his lips, head resting on his paws as the Omega curled up with a yawn. "I liked running....it's really nice...can see...why...they....li...ke....."

Brandon twitched his ears as silence followed, head tilting curiously before his tail flexed in a wag.

Asleep. Like a tired pup.

The young Alpha let out a yawn of his own, stretching his body as he sent a thought to his father, letting the Pack Alpha know about the current situation.

He would stay awake and keep watch of their surroundings. And most importantly, protect the Omega that was within his care.

After several hours, where Brandon's attention was torn between watching his surroundings and admiring the slumbering form of Sean, his ears picked up the sound of approaching wolves.

Brandon wasn't too worried, simply stepping a bit closer to Sean. Positioning his body slightly over the snoozing Omega and huffing out a sound of amusement when he whined like a grumpy pup in his sleep.

The young Alpha could already feel his hackles raising at the approaching wolves for making such a racket. Sean stirred, stretching his legs before simply rolling over with an annoyed huff.

"Brandon, you weren't supposed to be on patr-oh..." Malcom paused halfway through his sentence when he spotted the sleeping Omega at Brandon's paws.

The rest of the small patrol instinctively slowed their gait at the mere sight of the Omega. Sean chose that moment to whimper in his sleep, rolling over to present his belly as he stretched languidly.

"Is that the new arrival?" Kimberly inquired, tail flicking curiously as her nostrils flared to catch a whiff of Sean's scent.

Everyone around the Omega was behaving in the same manner. Ears perked, tails swishing and nostrils flaring in the hope to catch and imprint that scent into their minds.

Alexa and Marius, the two Delta wolves, kept their distance but even they seemed to be intrigued. Quinton even stretched himself out before taking a few curious steps forwards.

Brandon bared his teeth, fur bristling and tail curling stiffly, making it clear to the two Betas, two Deltas and their Alpha in charge that Sean was not to be approached.

The two Delta siblings instantly lowered themselves to the floor, averting their gaze from Sean to sooth Brandon. Kimberly and Quinton both merely huffed with amusement before both Betas took a step back.

Yet Malcom remained where he was, eyes flitting over Sean's form until Brandon took a step forward, growl intensifying.

"The Omega is under my care and protection on orders by the Pack Alpha." Brandon stressed, snapping his jaws as he fully stepped over Sean, keeping the slumbering pup underneath him. "He will be introduced when he is ready."

The group lowered their heads in agreement before Kimberly snorted, shaking out her fur with a teasing spark in her eyes.

"So, you're already eloping, Alpha Brandon?" She snickered, quickly turning tail to run back to her patrol job. The shock chased the fight out of Brandon, who stared slack jawed at the female Beta as the two Deltas and Quinton quickly followed her example.

Malcom snorted a huff of amusement before turning to follow his patrol. "You might want to wake the pup up. The weather is turning and it might rain soon."

Brandon nodded his acceptance, waiting until the group left and groaning mentally, knowing that the rumors would be spreading along the pack like wildfire.

While a certain level of protectiveness was to be expected when Alphas were guarding an Omega, Brandon's insistence that none of them approached Sean had given a clear sign to the group.

Even if he was fully in control, his Beast has made its intentions clear. It had detected the curiosity in the other wolves, more so within Malcom's own Alpha beast.

And had made a statement.

Sean was theirs, until the pup chose to refuse their offer. And Brandon's Beast had no qualms with staking its claim for all to see.