Chapter Text
Eddie was running.
He was running as fast as he could through the forest, his thin shift getting caught on branches and brambles as he fled. He ignored the sharp stabs of pain in his bare feet as he caught rocks and tree roots underfoot, it didn’t matter about that temporary pain; if he was caught by those alphas again he would be in a for much worse pain, with no end in sight other than death.
It was illegal to trade in humans in this kingdom, omega or otherwise, but that didn’t stop rogue bandits from crossing the borders with their carts and cages, and snatching unsuspecting omegas from the side of the road.
And Eddie was normally so careful, his loud and energetic demeanour putting off most knotheaded alphas, who would much prefer a quieter and more demure omega, one that was seen and not heard. No, Eddie had no time for alphas like that, he much preferred the company of alphas who valued an omegas wisdom and intuition.
The village he grew up in with his Uncle had been quite forward thinking, with omegas allowed to voice their opinions at the village gatherings. That was probably in part to the new royal line that had come in, the Queen an omega herself, and the rightful heir to the thrown. If an omega had the ability to rule over an entire kingdom, then why should one not be allowed to voice their issues in the local town hall?
All of that was a far cry from this though, fleeing through the forest, being hunted down like an animal.
He could hear the sounds of several pairs of heavy boots behind him as he was chased. The vile thugs that had grabbed him, hit him, touched him, and generally been vile, before tying him up and throwing him into a cage with straw on the bottom, as though he was less than nothing.
He would rather die that go back into that cage, knowing that his only fate was to be sold like cattle to the highest bidder to be nothing more than some sort of sex slave, tied up and used as a bed warmer. No.
Eddie would die in these woods at his own hand if it came to it.
As it was though, he was loosing his advantage, being able to pick the lock on the cage and wiggle out of the poorly tied rope had been an act of desperation, there was on doubt in his mind that if he was captured again, they would not make the same mistake twice.
But being beaten and starved for several days was taking it’s toll, and Eddie could have hardly claimed to be an athlete at the best of times.
He was slowing down.
He slid down a small slope and saw a tiny alcove made by a large tree base, the roots reaching out into the air, creating a pocket of space underneath. Eddie dove in, pushing as much of his body into the compact space as possible. His harsh breathing sounded loud in the quiet space and he clamped a dirty hand over his own mouth to dampen the sound.
He heard the loud footsteps that sounded like they were right on top of him and his heart froze.
“Where the fuck has that bitch of an omega got too?”
“I dunno, but I’m not leaving this godforsaken place until it’s back in my cart. And I’ll be sure to make the little whore pay for this.”
“Ha, take it out on it’s ass, eh Jason?”
“When I’m done with it that omega bitch it won’t be able to walk right ever again!”
Eddie didn’t even dare breath as he heard their harsh voices over his head, the thick stench of alpha anger covering the area. A part of him was actually grateful for the suppression his scent was actually under.
“C’mon, the stupid bitch probably headed towards the water thinking we won’t be able to track him.”
With that the alphas began to move, their footsteps and scent fading as they moved further away. Still, it took several long minutes of silence before Eddie dared to move himself.
He slowly started to shift, wriggling his way out of his tiny hidie-hole and back onto his feet, he was on high alert as he scanned the trees for any sign of the monsters that had kidnapped him, after several beats of nothing he turned and set off running in the opposite direction they had taken. Anything to put space between him and them.
After several minutes he started to think that maybe he had gotten away when he heard a yell and the blonde haired alpha, Jason, lunged out of the trees at him, his hand clamping down like a vice around his wrist. Eddie let out a yelp and struck out with his other hand, his nails catching Jason on the cheek and drawing blood. Jason howled and released his hold on Eddie’s wrist to clutch at his face and Eddie took the moment to run.
He leapt over boulders, and ducked under tree branches as he tried to get away from them, tears were streaming from the corners of his eyes as he ran. He would not give in, he would not be caught by them again.
Eddie’s fatal mistake was when he glanced behind himself to see how close they were, which meant that he didn’t see the wall he collided with. His head and chest slamming into the solid structure and causing him to fall back onto the forest floor, knocking the air from his lungs.
He wheezed for several beats before opening his eyes to look up. That’s when he realised that what he had run into was not a wall. It was a man. A man who was slowly turning to look down at him with a scowl.
He was huge. He was easily the largest human Eddie had ever seen, towering and broad, his shoulders wide and his hulking shape towered over him, throwing him into shadow as he blocked the sun. He looked down at Eddie with a hard stare.
Eddie stared up at him in a frozen sort of horror as he looked up at the alpha’s face, because there was no doubt in Eddie’s mind that this Goliath of a man wasn’t an alpha.
Even as Eddie stared up at him in shock, his breath caught when he locked eyes with the alpha, they were a beautiful deep brown and Eddie felt like they were boring into his soul from above.
He felt tiny as he lay on the forest floor, covered in little more than a white nightie, barefoot and injured.
He was helpless.
He sucked in a breath of air, “I-
His quiet voice was cut off by a shout that was way too close for comfort, “He went this way!”
The giant in front of him frowned out in the direction of the voice before his gaze returned to Eddie and ran over his body as if assessing him, before he turned and took three steps towards a rock wall with several wooden crates and barrels in front. He lifted a wooden barrel with barely a thought, that sight alone was shocking, Eddie had seen three grown men struggle with a load that size before.
The alpha then lifted the side of a crate, it was hinged. Eddie blinked, it was a hidden door to a dark crawl space.
The giant looked back over at him, “Get in.”
Eddie heard the footsteps getting closer behind himself as he stared up at the large alpha, what was this alpha’s plan? Could Eddie really trust him?
“Now!”
At his command Eddie scrambled to his feet and hurried to the dark hole at the base of the rock face, praying to the gods that he wasn’t trading one prison for another as the wooden panel closed behind him, and the barrel was shifted in front to conceal the space.
Once he was in here Eddie realised that it was slightly bigger space than he thought, with several crates containing bottles and jars stacked on either side. This was clearly a storage space, but with the wooden planks creating a lean-to roof and the stuff disguising the entrance, it was practically invisible to anyone outside.
Through the cracks between the wooden planks Eddie could see the clearing where he had run into the large alpha. It took only moments for the three alphas who had been pursuing him to emerge from the tree line. All of them looked slightly worse for wear as Eddie had lead them on quite the trail through the trees, but none more so than the blonde leader, Jason, who had three deep scratched on his cheek that were still dripping blood.
Eddie shivered, even from a distance he could feel and smell the wrath radiating off the alpha.
His three of his kidnappers blinked up at the large Alpha that had hidden Eddie, their faces morphed into a mixture of shock and horror. He easily towered over them, and was almost twice as wide as any of them he was so big. Even these bandits would think twice about picking a fight with a man this size, he looked like he could easily pick up any one of them and snap them in half like a twig.
It was Jason who steps forward with an arrogant air about himself, “Greetings. Apologies for the intrusion, but we are looking for an omega, you-“
“Chasing.”
At being cut off Jason pursed his lips at the larger alpha, before flashing him a smarmy smile, “Chasing? No, no, we’re not chasing anyone. They are my intended you see, and they have gotten lost in the woods. I’m trying to find them to bring them home.”
“Then why bleeding?”
Eddie watched the exchange through the thin slither between the planks, he could see Jason getting angrier at the alpha’s broken questions.
One thing Eddie had learnt in the last few days was that Jason thought of himself as noble and superior, he hated anyone he thought of as beneath him questioning him.
Jason scowled, “I don’t think that’s any of your business, is it?”
At the larger alpha’s silence he got agitated, squaring up Eddie’s protector, as though looking to fight, “Listen you brute, I’m looking for my omega because he belongs to me. Have you seen him?”
“Leave my land.”
Jason scoffed “Your land? It’s the fucking woods! Now listen here you thick clod, I’m looking for my fucking omega that has black curly hair and wearing a white shift. Have you seen the dumb bitch?”
The alpha moved so quick he made even Eddie jump, his large shape looked incapable of how lightning quick he strode forward, a hand reaching out to clamp around Jason’s throat and lift him, pinning him against a tree, his companions yelling in shock.
“No omega here. LEAVE!!”
And with that the huge alpha threw Jason to the ground, the blonde haired man scrambling backward in the dirt and leaves to get away from Eddie’s protector, a look of fear on his face, “What the fuck?”
His two lackeys up and ran away without a backward glance at their leader. Jason finally managed to get to his feet and he started to back away when the huge alpha started to growl. The deep low grumble resonated through the air and even Eddie could feel it vibrating in his chest from where he was watching, his breath caught at the scent of the barely repressed fury.
It was terrifying. Breathtaking in it’s ferocity, whilst Jason and his knothead cronies had that strong alpha posturing scent that common thugs liked to exude; alphas of polite company usually kept their alpha musk under control, as is polite. But Jason pushed his out, a clear posture from pathetic alphas that liked to prey on helpless omegas.
This alpha’s scent was something else entirely. He did not need to posture his scent, just a slightest whiff had Eddie wanting to drop to his knees, he smelt powerful and commanding. He may have been a man of few simple words, but any words spoken by this alpha should be obeyed, without question.
He was a Prime-Alpha, the stuff of legend.
Eddie felt faint.
The pain and fear of the last few day, along with the lack of food and water, and a manic run through the woods was catching up with him. He was trembling like a leaf in a storm, his legs barely able to hold him up, and the force of the alpha’s scent as he scared away Eddie’s attackers was the final straw.
The last thing Eddie saw before his vision went black was Jason scrambling through the undergrowth to get away, tripping over a tree root as he did so, looking as scared as Eddie had been when their positions had been reversed.
Eddie didn’t even feel himself hit the floor.