Everyone sat around listening to Rick explain what had happened, how he had woken in the hospital and learned what the world had turned to. "I met an alpha named Morgan, he saved my life along with his son, a beta named Duane."

"You haven't seen an omega either then." Shane muttered. "There aren't any, if we find one we need to protect them like our lives depend on it."

"I believe that," Rick replied, "but this pack comes first." Carol watched the alpha's talk, her husband was hesitant to allow his family near the alpha but he knew it was safer. He was just a beta despite desperately wanting to be an alpha, their daughter was 11 and had presented as beta just like himself and her mother. Carol was thankful he was letting her be close to their new alpha.

Carl was running around with Sophia after a while of listening to the Alpha's talk, Dale a beta was watching for any signs of Daryl. The 'beta' had said he was going to look for something to eat for everyone while he waited for his brother, Daryl finally emerged from the forest line with a large row of squirrels and rabbits hanging off his belt. His heart stopped for a second when he realized his brother's scent wasn't around.

He began to panic, he was running out of supresents, Merle had promised that he would bring some back. Daryl composed himself as grew closer to the pack, the new Prime's scent intoxicating. He shook his head about to turn and run when he was stopped by Sophia and Carl in an instant.

The younger ones knew his secret, suppressants didn't have an effect on pups. They could smell past it, the pups loved Daryl and no one knew why exactly other than 'he was cool'. Moralis's pups were by his side in an instant, anywhere Daryl went the pups were close by, Rick took notice of Daryl and the pups after a moment of silence.

"Where is my brother?" Daryl asked, he was strong willed but knew when to back from a fight. If he went too far someone could learn his secret other than the pups. They had been sworn to secrecy and promised to help Daryl hide what he was. He set the squirrels and rabbits down to present what he had found, he had set it between Rick and Shane unsure who to try to please. His Omega tendency trying to show through, he tried to push his panic down.

"Daryl, my name is Rick, I am prime now. I am sorry but your brother was being dangerous, I had to handcuff him to the roof."

Daryl stood staring at Rick, his hands balled up in firsts and they shook. Not with rage, but with pure panic. His brother was supposed to get him suppressants. The pups all looked at one another smelling his fear, he gulped trying to push back the cry only an omega could make that was about to escape his throat. The pups clung to him trying to calm him down, everyone watched them carefully trying to decipher their movements, Daryl didn't dare move in fear of hurting them.

"You left him." He finally managed out, the pups dispersed as his legs trembled. He was shaking with a rage and fear he had never felt before. He knew what real fear was, being locked in a closet only allowed out to eat and take suppressants, being whipped and beaten and threatened to be sold into an omega ring for misbehaving. This was almost worse, the idea of being left in a world like this without the things that protected him from sex and pup hungry Alphas.

"We had to, he was being a danger, and I dropped the key." T-Dog replied. "I am so sorry Daryl."

Daryl shook, his head dropped as he thought about what to do next, he couldn't go back for him, he was almost out of suppressants. "I...I know he is an idiot..but I need my brother."

"Daryl," Shane said standing slowly, Sophia stepped in front of Daryl but he shook his head and she moved away. "We can't go back, that place is a danger zone, and you know what he was doing to everyone. He was dangerous."

Daryl broke, no one had seen him cry, they didn't know he was capable of it. A sob escaped his lips as he tried to stop himself. "I need him."

"You don't need him honey," Andrea said trying to comfort the 'beta', "he wasn't good for you either. We saw the bruises."

Daryl turned to look at her, Ed lowered his head knowing they knew what he was doing too. "I do need him. I do..I can't..I can't do this without him."

"Daryl," Rick tried to ease the man, Daryl looked to this new Alpha. As he did he felt something hit him like a wave, Rick felt it too, Daryl tried to shake it away but Rick didn't. "Daryl, please just sit and talk about why you need him."

As Rick said sit, Daryl sat, no questions asked. Everyone's eyes grew wide, Daryl had never listened to an Alpha in the camp once, not even Merle. Daryl looked down at himself realizing that Rick was doing things to him he couldn't control, not even suppressants could keep away, he felt slick run down his leg. No one noticed his twitching leg or his movement to try and get away but Rick sat across from him and he stopped. The pups sat around the omega watching the Alpha waiting for his next move. "Can you talk to me about this?"

"No." Daryl hissed trying not to break down again. "I can't, we...we just promised to help each other. I would hunt and fish for the group and he would get me things I needed from runs."

"What things." Rick asked.

"Arrows, weapons, p-"

"Things for us." The pups all blurted trying to help Daryl hide his secret. "He would have Merle find us toys and books, he didn't want anyone to know about it though." Carl stated, Daryl calmed, he couldn't control himself around this stupid Alpha. Sophia raced to her momma pulling out a book and doll, Morales's kids each pulled out a toy as well and Carl brought out a book or two. Everyone had seen the toys appear but assumed they came from another parent.

Everyone looked at Daryl, the parents eyeing him. "You were getting those things? I thought they came from you, Moralis." Lori said.

"I thought they came from you Carol."

"I thought they came from you, Lori." Carol laughed. "You care about our pups a lot."

Daryl nodded, hiding his face. "I just..they like me and I like being around em, but hell y'alls kids can be a lot. Sometimes I need a break and those toys seem to work fine. I mean I do like em a lot don't get me wrong but when they are constantly asking for me or seeing what I am doing or asking what Merle is doing. I can't always keep up with the little things."

The kids giggled trying to keep the conversation towards them not him, they knew that he was terrified of people finding out his secret. Each one had been saved by Daryl at one point, or been given something. The pups hardly left his side at all, and the adults nodded understanding his need for some privacy.

"I just would like a second okay, to think." Daryl whined, everyone nodded and he ran to the tent.

Two tablets left, two.

He was screwed, he couldn't go back into the city, and he wouldn't even know where to look. He had to fess or get caught. He took a deep breath and emerged from the tent, as he stepped back out the tablets shaking in his hands he smelt Rick. He shook and stopped dead in his tracks, the Alpha stopped inches away from him. "Daryl, I wanted to just apologize, I know how scary it can be losing a brother. I shouldn't have cuffed him, but I had to, he almost killed T-Dog."

"That racist son of a bitch has always been good at being stupid and getting cuffed. He was two days out of jail when the world went to shit." Daryl muttered, he looked at Rick. "I have something to tell you. Tell the pack alright.."

"What is it?"

"Can I do it in front of everyone?"

"Yeah, of course, let's go."

——-

Daryl followed Rick back to the crackling fire, he held the tablet bottle tight in his hands, they would learn soon anyway once his suppressants were gone. The pups huddled close to Daryl once again. "Pups, I gotta tell em."

Carl stood, the young Alpha becoming protective in an instant, everyone saw him move, stepping in front of Daryl as if he could protect him if something went wrong. The three beta girls kept close waiting. Carl's chest rumbled a slight growl escaping, Daryl chuckled as he stepped up. "I have something to say, since you will find out in two days anyway." He unclenched his fist, the tablet bottle becoming visible.

"I'm not a beta." He managed, everyone stared at him dumbfounded, Carl continued to stand in front of Daryl rumbling in protection. "Merle has been doing runs for me to get more...I have two days left...and I..I don't even know if he had found any..I...I do send him to get stuff for the pups though cause it's in my true nature. I am an omega...I..I didn't say nothin cause I was scared alright...I know I'm a scarcity and..and I was worried you wouldn't let me hunt anymore.. Would keep me locked up..like..like. Just locked up alright.. I was scared and I wasn't planning on telling you but I am almost out.."

Rick watched Daryl shake, his son standing in front of him for protection.

Andrea laughed out loud, "So that's why the pups like you."

Daryl looked at Andrea trying not to sob, he had expected them to yell at him, try to lock him away like his father had done. Ed eyed the omega but didn't move, his daughter glaring and the other pups doing the same. "You aren't mad?" He managed out.

Shane tried to hide his smile, "No Daryl."

Daryl sighed in relief, this was the first time anyone had wanted him as he was. For everyone else, they had a feeling of hope, no one had seen an omega in a long time or at least they thought they hadn't. They finally thought life was moving forward, Rick cocked his head seeing the Omega stay stiff unsure of himself. They had a connection, something Rick wanted to pursue but he knew it would be too soon to push. He had just arrived, just became Prime, he had cuffed Daryl's brother to the roof. He shouldn't try to push him, he would plan to court but not yet.

Daryl continued to shake a bit, he looked between the four pups standing protectively around him. "You all go back to your parents now." He muttered, they nodded racing off as they were told. "I won't stop hunting, or fishing, or being useful just cause I'm not hiding it. My heat only comes around every other month. I will be useful okay. I can hide away during my heat..I know it will make things hard, I know what it can do and I don't want to be trouble. If we find more suppressants I will start taking them again." Daryl stated. "I won't be locked up alright, I can't."

Everyone nodded. Rick smiled, Daryl was strong and he loved that, he wanted to court the omega and take him as his mate as soon as he could possibly fathom but he had to wait. "Alright, all we ask is that you be careful. You stay here during your heats at least alright, we can have the betas take care of you if yo-"

"I can take care of myself, no use wasting resources on me." Daryl mumbled, "really I am fine."

"Daryl, how long have you been on suppressants?" Dale asked, the older man seemed to know things.

Daryl looked at Dale dumbfounded, he closed his eyes and thought. "Since my first heat, after my first I was on them. I was eight and I am twenty-three now. So..uhm..a while."

Rick let out a gasp of shock. "That is 15 years."

"Yeh, I know.."

"Daryl, that isn't healthy for your body." Lori tried to explain. "What was your last heat at least."

"When I was eight." Daryl replied, everyone looked at him, he hated the staring but didn't move. "Why?"

Amy and Andrea instantly felt sick for Daryl. "That isn't good honey. Even on suppressants you're supposed to let the heat occur." Andrea started, Daryl stepped back a bit. His world crashing down on him, he was trying to piece together the things he had been told and the things that were real. "Why have you taken them for so long?"

"My pa..told me I had to. That it was required by law for omegas to take suppressants until they were mated or in..in the omega ring. I was supposed to be sold when I was sixteen, buyer feel through and I had fucked up again. Then uhm dad passed and so I kept taking them waiting for my mate.. Merle kept giving them to me so I assumed I had a prescription. Even when he was in jail or I was running in the streets I was taking them. I mean once the apocalypse started it was more out of fear. My old man said the only thing an Alpha wants an Omega for is pups."

Rick and Shane growled, the omega ring. It had been their main station at work to bust them. Daryl looked at everyone who was trying to hide their tears or their anger towards Merle and his father. "What?" Daryl was confused as to why everyone was looking at him like he was a hurt pup.

"That isn't true Daryl." Rick began.

"What isn't?"

"There is no law for omega's to take the pill, omega rings are bad Daryl illegal. Rick and I were on the force to break up the rings, didn't you learn this in school?"

Daryl froze. "Omegas aren't allowed at school." The words repeated in his head. Omegas were meant to serve their mate, to give them pups and to do the housework, but he was a bad omega. He wasn't supposed to be born as an omega, it was wrong for males to be omegas, he had to be kept hidden.

Carol felt a sob escape her lips and Ed shook his head. "Who told you that?" Rick growled.

"My pa, and Merle. Merle helped me learn to read and write though, and would get me out of the closet from time to time. That's how I know how to hunt and shit, he would let me out from time to time when dad was on a bender." He smiled thinking about his little spouts of freedom, then back in the closet.

"Closet?" Amy almost cried.

Daryl furrowed his brow, the stars sparkling in the sky and the fire crackling. "Yeah, the closet. The omega proofed closet, scent blockers so no one knew I was there, really it was my room but ya know. Stupid lock..I mean it was left unlocked sometimes but after a while I figured out that leaving it was bad, shouldn't leave the closet. Rules..rules don't leave the closet. Don't ask questions. Omegas are supposed to serve and breed, stay in the closet or be sold." He was rambling now, everyone was staring at him like he was crazy.

"Daryl, those are lies. Your father abused you, Merle helped him do it too. You never had to take blockers, omega rings are illegal. Omegas don't just breed and serve, they work too. They were lawyers and cops, we even had an omega president once. They became so rare because of the rings, kidnappings and rapes, murder. Daryl being an omega is a gift and the way you talk about it sounds like a curse. Omegas went to school, and were teachers too."

Daryl's head was spinning. He knew the abuse was wrong, the pain and fear he felt he knew was wrong. He had assumed the omega ring was for bad omegas, but he didn't realize it was illegal. He had been locked up after his first heat and never let out again until his father died when he was twenty, he had been on the streets but always had his suppressants, Merle would let him crash with him when he wasn't in jail and had always made sure he had the pills. So he didn't break the law, now he was coming to terms with it being a lie.

Rick stepped forward and the omega stepped back making a sound that only Omegas could make when in distress. Rick pulled away and everyone watched Daryl, the first real signs of being a true omega.

"You..you mean it isn't true? It was all a lie, I was abused or tortured for no reason and my..my brother helped?!" He was raging now, his body shaking in fear and anger. "I was..I was so scared to fuck up and go outside with people because I was told I was a curse. I..I never wanted to go to the ring, or mate just to have pups..but I wanted out of that goddamn closet...It was so small and cramped and smelled horrible..you mean..you mean I didn't have to be locked up? I could have watched movies and gone to school and..I could have..I could have met people like me? You mean there were male omegas...you mean..you mean that I wasn't bad..I was good..I was a good pup and wasn't bad that I presented like that?" He sobbed again. "I..I could have I could have had a life...I didn't have to live my life in a closet, taking pills, and cowering under a whip..I could have had friends..I could have been normal...this isn't normal."

"Daryl." Amy tried to comfort the omega but he pulled away and raced off towards his tent. Everyone looked to one another, unsure what to say or do, they had just gotten so much information and their own heads were spinning.

 Rick sighed and went to find the omega.