General Rut Headcanons
My Version of Omegaverse
Ruts are the alpha equivalent of heats, and occur far less frequently than heats do. Unlike omega heats which occur tri-monthly, most alphas get an annual rut which lasts much longer too, lasting from 14-20 days between the months of September to February.
During an Alpha's rut, they will typically become irritable and experience mood swings. They will also experience libido highs, but the pattern is different from an Omega's heat.
There are two stages of rut:
Pre-Rut
When pre-rut occurs, an Alpha's body begins to release pheromones meant to attract potential mates. However, this pheromone has a dual-purpose, as responses to it can vary depending on the sex of the individual. Alphas have mixed reactions to it. If the alpha detecting it isn't in rut themselves, they will have very little reaction aside from being wary of the individual. If an alpha who is in rut detects it, they will take it a challenge, and may be urged to seek out their competitor and brawl them.
During this stage, an alpha's libido rises but it isn't by much. The alpha may experience craving for physical contact or affection, and will spend the 5-7 day length of pre-rut seeking out a mate to spend their rut with. Mated alphas will try to court their own partners, while unmated alphas may go out to try and find one. Alphas will be aggressive and may have trouble controlling focusing on tasks. Alphas will be less irritable towards omegas, but they will have beef with other alphas. If they find a partner, they'll start denning in their home to invite their partner to nest.
Rut
During the main phase of rut, which lasts for the remainder of the period, alphas will withdraw into their own home turf and stay there. They will experience a number of symptoms, common ones including: dehydration, major irritability, fever, insomnia, over-sensitivity, headaches, and a major spike in libido. Alphas can take care of themselves during rut but it will be difficult. Alphas will show sexually receptive behaviour but their waves are less intense, and each wave can have hours between them. When an alpha is in rut, they'll try to scent their property and anyone they deem to be in their immediate social circle.
When an Alpha's rut begins to end, they will return to normal without many issues.
Other Rut Headcanons
An Alpha's rut takes place in the winter because in the winter, humans are usually shut indoors and mating becomes easier. (Also I checked if humans have a "mating season" and apparently, most babies are conceived during fall and winter).
Not all alphas have their rut occur between September and February, but most do.
When an Alpha's rut will occur changes as they age. Younger alphas typically have their rut earlier, between September and December. Older alphas typically have their rut between December and February. This is theorized to occur so that younger alphas have a better chance at getting their foot in the genepool before the older alphas.
Unlike heats which can be skipped when an omega is feeling stressed, alpha ruts will occur no matter the circumstance, unless the alpha is gravely injured. Winter is usually a hard time as it is, so alphas have evolved to ignore the environmental pressures of winter.
Rut symptoms lessen as an alpha ages, becoming more tolerable. By the time an alpha is 30 and up, their ruts may be half as difficult as they used to be. By the time they are 50, an alpha may not feel any rut symptoms at all aside from a modest rise in libido.
I'm new to this so I'm studying diligently
