Saved by an Alpha
✨Pairing: Alpha!Ari Levinson x Omega!OC (Secret Agent A/B/O AU)
✨Summary: If you look up the definition of a workaholic, you will find Ari Levinson's picture right next to it. Ari is on a mission to save all the omegas and alphas kidnapped by the Red Room. An organization that takes young alphas to train them into the perfect soldiers and young omegas to be drilled into the epitome of what their biology has deemed them to be. Ari has saved thousands over the years, but he still doesn't consider that enough. Some say he's running from a dark past; others say he has a savior complex.
Eloise can't remember a life outside the complex known to its residents as the 'care center.' She's always been in these concrete walls, servicing alphas when called upon, taking heavy heat suppressants, and acting as a caretaker for the new little girls. Her life may not be entirely happy, but it's all she's ever known. Plus, she cares deeply for each of the girls who come into her care, no matter the length of time. They give her glimpses of sunshine in her dark world. Soon her world will be turned upside down when a stranger that smells like tobacco and the ocean comes to 'save' them.
✨Warnings: A/B/O dynamics, feral behavior, violence, injury, crying, self-harm in the form of battling a door, self-loathing, mentions of child trafficking, death of a side character, and drugs
✨W/C: 6.9k
✨A/N: Hey, guys! So yeah…it’s been a minute, life has been crazy, and this chapter has literally been rewritten four times. But I hope you all enjoy it! Let me know if I missed any warning tags or if you want more!
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Chapter Two: Self-Control
When Sammy injects Eloise with the tranquilizers, Ari goes feral. He snaps and growls at the poor beta man, scaring all the children. The young girls all cry and shriek in fear, trying to further hide behind the cot barrier Eloise helped them make. The eldest three hold their place in the front, May puts Julia behind her, who screams for Eloise.
Ari ignores the crying girls. He lifts Eloise and holds her close to his chest, using his big arms to shield her from anyone who dares to get near them. Ari pushes the hair back from her face and gently prods near her eyes, trying to get her to open them again. As he focuses on the omega in his arms, he completely forgets about the open wound on his leg, which is currently bleeding through his tactical gear.
Sammy darts his eyes between the screaming children and the suddenly feral alpha in front of him. He’s never seen Ari like this before. Ari’s eyes are dilated to the point that his iris nearly swallows the whites. His gaze is stormy and focused on the woman he’s holding. Confused whines and grunts leave Ari’s lips as he tries to get Eloise to wake back up. Like that of a confused wild animal. Sammy has never seen an alpha snap into a feral state so quickly; if an alpha goes feral, it’s usually from a slow descent to madness or a severely traumatizing experience. Nothing like what’s happening right now. He tries to wrack his brain for a possible explanation but soon realizes the lack of time to do so. Ari turns to leave with the girl in his arms, and Sammy jumps in front of the door to stop him.
Ari snarls, and the girls scream again. Sammy quickly lifts his hands, palms up and out, to try and show he’s not a threat to him. He speaks softly and slowly, knowing that Ari is closer to a beast than a man. Sammy just hopes the conscious part of him is still lingering in the background.
“Ari, listen to me. You’re not yourself right now. You can’t go running off with her; the building is in code red and unsafe. You’re bleeding and need medical attention, and all these girls need to get to the jets, her included.” Sammy nods to the unconscious omega in his arms, which Ari holds slightly tighter in response.
“Move. I will protect her.” Ari steps closer, but Sammy stays firm in his stance. He knows letting them go will risk the omega he’s holding. If Ari gets alone with her and bonds with her, Sammy knows Ari will hate himself for the rest of his life.
“No. Ari, you’re hurt, and we have a mission to complete. I’m not moving till you come back to your senses.”
As Sammy stands there resolutely, he spots the growing aggression in the face of the alpha. A vein popped on his neck, and his eyes narrowed at him. Sammy cringes, knowing whatever is about to happen next won’t be pretty. He keeps his hands up but remembers the taser resting on a holster on his thigh.
Ari glares darkly at the beta as he weighs his options. At first, the beta seemed like no threat, given his size and stature. Now, he stands in his way from taking his precious new omega to safety, something he can’t allow. She needs to be safe so she can become properly his. She is his precious girl that he found. Not the betas. He has half a mind to mark her now just to show the other man just that. But he knows time is short and danger’s approaching the building.
“Well? Are we going to finish our mission?” Sammy asks calmly, his eyes wary as he glances at the children who watch them both carefully.
In that brief moment, Ari makes his move. “Fuck the mission!” He barks, with one arm, he keeps Eloise close, and with the other, he elbows Sammy hard into the doorway. The beta man grunts as his head connects with the metal frame. He slumps to the floor as Ari runs off with Eloise.
Sammy takes a couple steadying breaths as his vision swims for a moment. He checks the side of his head where it is connected with the metal and finds his fingers covered in crimson. Sammy curses and wipes his hand clean. He braces himself and carefully stands, only to hear a crunch. Looking under his boot, he spots the remnants of his comm, the only way he could have given his teammates a warning that Ari had turned feral and his heading right for them.
Sammy sighs deeply; he hopes they can recognize the crazed look in Ari’s eye when he reaches them, and they’ll be able to detain him. Maybe, if he works fast enough with the girls, he’ll be able to get there in time to help.
“Alright, kids, we have to go. I promise none of you are going to get hurt. My friend there was just, uh…grumpy…yeah, grumpy. Your caretaker will be fine. You can trust me.” Sammy offers them a tentative smile, hoping they’ll listen to his directions.
The eldest girls look between themselves warily while the others watch them, waiting to follow in their lead.
“What do we do, Nora?” Kairi whispers.
“We listen to him. Eloise said we have to remember?” Nora looks back at the other girls, “we gotta remember what Eloise told us. We’ll be okay.” She gives them her best smile while May picks up Julia again. They follow Sammy out of the building and into the quinjet waiting for them.
“Is that all of them?” An agent asks Sammy as he gets the 13 girls settled into seats and strapped down with help from Max.
“I think so. Have you seen Ari?” Sammy looks around, not seeing him or the omega anywhere. All he spots are children, their omegas, and other agents checking on them. He had a feeling Ari wouldn’t choose this location anyhow. It’s too crowded.
“No, wasn’t he with you? Where is the children’s omega? Also, what happened to your head?” Max frowns as he finishes strapping in the little three-year-old.
“He was with me, but he went feral. We have to find him, Max, before he hurts someone. He took the girl's omega somewhere.” Sammy quietly mutters to him. Not wanting to send the entire jet into a panic if they hear an unmated alpha has gone feral while so many unmated omegas are near.
“What? Why didn’t you com that in?” Max demands as they both begin quickly walking to the hatch of the jet.
“I couldn’t! He knocked it out of my ear when he slammed my head into a door to get me out of the way, then I stepped on it like an idiot. I had to focus on getting the girls out. Max, he’s completely dangerous right now. He won’t let anything or anyone get between him and the girl.”
“You don’t think he’s going to try and bond her do you?” Max murmurs with wide eyes.
“I don’t know.” Sammy solemnly shakes his head, “which is why we have to hurry; com this to the rest of the team.” As they pick up the pace, they hear the jets beginning to hum. “Shit!”
The jet starts to lift off, and the back hatch closes. “Put the jet back down! Open the hatch!” Max commands a nearby agent. The agent radios the request to the pilot and shakes his head. “Sorry, sir, the avengers are here. It’ll be too dangerous for us to land.”
“Fuck!” Sammy huffs, running his hands through his hair, “radio the others, now. We have to know what plane he’s on!”
“Right.” Max presses his com, “Jake, Rachel, have either of you seen Ari?”
“No, I’m on the other jet with the girls. Wasn’t he with Sammy?” Jake comms back.
“I just saw him a few minutes ago. He’s on our team’s plane. He had an unconscious omega in his arms, which was weird, but I figured the other jets were full.” Rachel hums as she answers Jake. She sets their team's jet to autopilot back to a shield safehouse, where they take the women and children.
“We found him.” Max looks to Sammy, who grabs the comm out of Max’s ear.
He puts it in his ear and distances himself from the other agent. “Rachel, it's Sammy. Listen, Ari’s gone feral-” he says as quietly as he can.
“What?!” Rachel and Jake demand. Sam hisses for them both to be quiet. “When did that happen?” Rachel questions, already heading back to the bunkers where Ari took the girl.
“Twenty minutes ago, I couldn’t say anything because my com broke. Listen, you must separate him from that omega before he does something both of them will regret.” Sammy urges, beginning to pace, thinking of everything that could have happened.
“Already on it.” Rachel assures, “I’ll update you when the situation is taken care of.”
“Be careful, Rach. Feral alphas are dangerous. He may not recognize you. Hell, even if he does, he still might hurt you.” Sammy warns.
“I know. Don’t worry, I got this.” Her line goes silent, and Sammy lets out a breath.
“Do you think she’ll be able to do it, Sam?” Jake asks.
“I have no idea.” Sammy’s mouth sets in a grim line, hoping it’s not too late.
In the sleeping quarters, Ari has her lying on the bed he tried claiming for himself the night before. Her little stature fits perfectly into the small bunk; he crouches next to her watching her rest. His eyes drink her in now that he has her alone. They follow the curve of her face seeing a little button nose and full lips. His brows furrow as he reaches out and uses a finger to trace along one of her cheeks, finding them far too thin for his liking. He pictures them fuller and filled with color, her fuller, full of him. His eyes land on her flat stomach, and a growl slowly builds from his chest.
He goes to reach out for her again, this time aiming for her shirt, when he’s interrupted by frantic knocking. A snarl rips through his throat, and he jumps up, shielding his omega’s body with his own.
The knocking pauses, then a female voice calls out, “Ari, it’s Rachel. Open the door and let the girl go. You’re in a feral state, but I know you can pull yourself out of this!”
Ari marches up to the door but doesn’t open it, his mind barely registering that it’s his teammate outside, but what he does know is that she’s armed. He can smell the gunpowder from the weapon she’s holding.
“Leave us!”
The alpha command bellows strongly from him, so powerful that it causes the omega to whimper and whine out in her sleep. Ari holds back from rushing back to her side to soothe her, knowing that taking care of the immediate threat is more important.
Rachel stiffens but doesn’t move. Alpha commands have no effect on betas. She’s surprised that Ari even tried doing so. She narrows her eyes and sighs. She didn’t want to have to say this. The topic is so forbidden in the team, but she can’t think of any other way to bring him out of this state.
“Ari, do you think Sarah would want you to move on this way?” Rachel demands, keeping her voice harsh and tone firm to show he had no effect on her with his command. “Sarah always wished for your happiness, but not like this. Not by stealing some poor girl who has no idea who you even are!”
The mention of Sarah causes a pause in Ari, Sarah…the name brings back the image of his dead omega. Her dark-haired curls, bright brown eyes, and beautiful smile. Flashes and images of the life he once lived with her force their way through the feral haze clouding his judgment. Meeting her for the first time after she was rescued from their first-ever red room operation, getting to know her after her recovery, gaining the courage to ask her out, bonding, marrying, her death…
Ari nearly stumbles to the floor as his consciousness comes rushing back. His inner alpha snaps and growls at him as he puts the fucker back in its chains, using his Sarah as the anchor. He looks back at Eloise with wide eyes, disgust and shame flooding him.
He’s never lost control like that, not even when he and Sarah bonded. He brings his fingers up, brushing against the faded scar on his neck. What was he about to do to that woman? He knows the danger of letting his alpha genes take over his mind. He saw it happen all too often with his father and the various omegas the man took throughout Ari’s life.
People get hurt when an alpha allows his genes or instinct to take over. Anyone who is in the way of what a feral alpha desires often end up hospitalized or, worse, dead. Tranquilizers can even be considered useless to an alpha his size when feral. He’s shocked Sammy even tried standing in his way. He could have killed him.
Ari goes to take a deep breath to calm himself but quickly realizes his mistake as her honeyed scent overpowers him again.
“Fuck.” Ari hisses. He scrambles to the hand scanner and quickly unlocks the door.
As soon as it flies open, Rachel has her gun pointed straight at his head. “Don’t come closer. I will not hesitate to put you on the ground. Let me pass, Ari.”
Ari puts his shaking hands in the air, his breaths leaving him in heavy bursts. His alpha snarls and claws at his mind. Defend Omega! Threat! Eliminate the threat!
“It’s me, Rach. You brought me back for now.” Ari winces, and his teeth gnash at her.
Rachel’s eyes widen, and she keeps her gun up. She can see his struggle, but she can’t chance to give him sympathy when he could kill her at this moment. “Get away from the omega Ari, before someone gets hurt.”
“I plan on it. Rachel, I need you to lock me in our cell bay. I can’t trust myself not to go feral again while we’re stuck on the plane with her.” Ari demands those cells can keep alphas twice his size locked away without a problem, but they can’t be locked from the inside.
“Done.” Keeping the gun pointed at him, they walk to the holding cells in the back of the jet. Once Ari is inside the small space, Rachel locks the door and opens the small window that allows them to talk. Only then does she relax her stance and holster her gun.
“Ari, what happened in there?” Rachel asks, seeing him slump onto the chair. Ari holds his head in his hands and rubs the mark on his neck.
“I’m not sure.” He admits. “All I remember is getting to our last room of kids, and when I opened the door, that omega stabbed me-”
“Stabbed you?!” Rachel’s eyes widen, and she peers inside more, finally seeing the blood running down his injured leg. “Shit, Ari! I’ll get you medical supplies.”
“Thanks,” Ari mutters, not thinking he really deserves them, but also knows he’s no use to the team if he loses a leg from infection. “Anyway, I could already feel my control slipping when she got too close, then when Sammy tranqued her, I just lost it.” Ari shakes his head, all of it sounding nonsensical.
“Was anyone hurt?” Rachel passes him a small trauma kit through the hole, which he grabs.
“Sammy might be. I tossed him out of my way when he tried to stop me. Did you hear from him? Is he okay?” Ari’s brows furrow in concern when he realizes he has no idea if Sam even made it out before the Avengers showed up.
“I heard from him. He sounded fine, just concerned about you. Are you okay?” Rachel sighs, watching Ari start to tend to his wound.
“I’ll be fine, Rach. Just need some time to myself til we get back. Could you check on her for me? I didn’t…We’re not…” The word gets caught in Ari’s throat and stings far worse than the anti-bacterial spray.
“I’ll check on her. You know Fury is going to have your ass for this, right? You might be suspended from the team or kicked out of the agency.” Rachel frowns. She doesn’t think Ari deserves either of those for what’s happened; it was clearly out of his control.
“I’ll deal with Fury. And Rach…thanks for snapping me out of it.”
“Of course.” Rachel gives him a small smile before walking off to do as asked.
Ari sighs deeply as he finishes bandaging himself up. Despite the wound being closed, he can’t remember the last time he felt so raw and wide open. He has no idea why the girl caused him to react like he did, but he knows he’s staying the hell away from her. He can breathe easier now that he’s in the cell, her scent long gone. With his head clear, he tries to think through everything that happened repeatedly, but it never makes sense. Ari hopes that once they get back to the safe house, he’ll hear Fury’s judgment, and deal with the punishment, then everything can move on. He doesn’t want anything to change. Ari doesn’t need a new omega. He doesn’t need anyone or anything but his team and his job.
If he has those, he’ll be alright.
He doesn’t need her.
Eloise slowly returns to consciousness, her mind hazy. She carefully opens her eyes, trying to adjust to the room’s brightness. She squints and licks her dry lips, her throat lightly aching. Eloise shifts and pauses. She’s not on her cot in her room. What she’s lying on is far too comfortable. Her breathing quickens, and all the events from before she blacked out come rushing back.
Eloise sits up in a rush and immediately regrets it as her head swims. She pauses to place her head in her hands and takes slow, steadying breaths. The feelings are familiar. Whoever was with that alpha must have drugged her, something the Red Room has done to her many times over the years whenever she had to move buildings. Once she catches her bearings, she looks around her unfamiliar surroundings. The walls surrounding her are a beige color. There’s also a hardwood floor like an actual bedroom, not a concrete room. A real bed, something she hadn’t slept on since before she was 5, a time she barely remembers. Under better circumstances, she would have savored lying on the cotton and springs. Still, she’s in unfamiliar territory, the enemy's territory.
Taking her time, Eloise carefully stands. Her legs feel weak, and she wonders how much time has passed since her kidnapping. She spots a pitcher of water with a glass resting nearby but decides not to drink, no matter how thirsty she is. Who knows what drugs or other things could be lacing the water? She’d rather not risk it. Not when she has to figure out where she is, where her children are, and how she will save them.
Worry immediately begins bubbling in her chest when she thinks of her poor girls. Eloise hopes they’re safe and that whatever plans these people have for them are not malicious. Once she finds them, she will run far away from the Red Room and these people. Eloise has no idea how she’ll get the funds and space to care for 13 children, but she’ll figure it out.
Eloise glances around again when she spots two doors and a window. She goes to walk over to the window when she suddenly stops and hisses in pain, feeling a tug at her calf. Looking down, she spots gauze wrapped around her leg.
“What the hell?” She quietly murmurs to herself in fear of someone listening. She has no doubt they are monitoring her despite spotting no cameras around. Eloise reaches down and carefully runs her hand up the gauze. She hisses, feeling four stitches underneath the bandage. She doesn’t remember getting hurt during the kidnapping unless it happened while unconscious.
She huffs a tad in annoyance, that will slow her down, and she doesn’t have time to wait for it to heal. Shaking her head, Eloise sits up and limps to the window. She’ll have to be careful with her leg until it’s time for the big escape. Any damage she does to it during or after, she’ll have to deal with later.
Looking outside, she gasps, seeing she’s at least six stories up in the air. Below her are trees around whatever building she’s in, and in the distance is a lake. Just like in the care center, she’s utterly secluded from civilization, meaning escape just got ten times harder. “Damn it.” She mutters and glances at the window pane, which is also pretty thick. She tries lifting the window to no avail either, so escape out of the window is no option at all.
Eloise hates how leaving is looking bleaker at the moment. Now her only option is to find some vehicle and hope she can learn to use it in whatever time she has before these people find her.
Eloise hobbles over to the other door in the room and finds a small bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. A pair of clean clothes, a towel, and some toiletries rest next to the shower. She scoffs at them; yeah, right, like she’ll risk being vulnerable and bathing at a time like this. These people are crazy for thinking she would be. She decides to rinse some water over her face and drink from the tap, the cool water soothing her aching throat. Drugging tap water is more challenging unless they want to drug their entire building.
Being in the Red Room didn’t teach her much about the ‘outside’ world. Eloise couldn’t tell you anything about how taxes, politics, or even major cultural norms. Other than the ones that taught her about an omega's place in society, of course, under an alpha. However, by listening to the alphas that guard her and the men she would service, Eloise, learned valuable skills in observing, learning, adapting, and surviving.
After another couple of mouthfuls of water, Eloise sits on the toilet and contemplates her next moves. She glances at the door leading out of her room and sees that it’s made of metal, assuming it’s locked. Maybe if she can catch a guard's attention, she can at least get some information. Ask about her children, where she is, and what they plan to do with her. If they don’t answer, then she can always wait for when they transport her, IF they do. For all Eloise knows, this place is no different from the Red Room, except now she doesn’t get her little lights.
The thought makes Eloise cringe, and she shakes them off. She has to hope that’s not the case. The door doesn’t have a slot, so the guard has to open it to deliver her food unless they plan for her to starve. Food…her stomach growls, reminding her that she still hasn’t eaten. Maybe she should…no better not. They could slip something in the food too. Better to wait to see what these people want with her first.
With her next course of action decided, Eloise gets up and hobbles over to the metal door. She knocks on it a few times, ensuring it’s hard enough for anyone nearby to hear her.
“Hello?! I have some questions! Can I please speak to somebody?! Hello?!”
“Yes, Ms. Briggs?” A man a few inches taller than herself answers the door. He smiles down at her, which reaches his brown eyes. He runs a hand through his thinning brown hair and tugs at the jacket of the black suit he’s wearing. She spots an embroidery with an eagle emblem over the letters S.H.I.E.L.D.
“Who?” Eloise looks at him in confusion. She’s never heard that last name in her entire life.
“Ah, right. Sorry, you still haven’t had your debriefing. What can I help you with, Eloise?”
That only confuses Eloise even more; debriefing? Like, someone is going to take off her clothes? Her eyes widen, and she steps back, ready to defend herself. The man looks at her in surprise and takes a step back, giving her a tentative smile.
“Where am I? What’s going on? Who are you, and where are my kids?” Eloise demands, her fists tightening at her sides.
“My name is Agent Coulson. You’re in an S.H.I.EL.D safe house to recuperate and learn your next steps to becoming a functioning member of society. There are just a few more people ahead of you before Agent Sitwell discusses your case with you.”
“You didn’t answer my question about my kids.” Eloise’s eyes narrow at him. She’s never heard of Shield and has no idea what he means about rejoining society. However, her focus isn’t on those things; it’s her children and ensuring they’re safe.
“The children you were overseeing are no longer your responsibility. They’re being taken care of.” Agent Coulson grabs the door as if to close it.
Eloise quickly holds the door before he can, “what do you mean being taken care of?! Let me see them. I need to make sure they’re okay.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I cannot do that. You no longer have to worry about them. That’s all I can tell you.” Coulson tries to reason with her, but Eloise gets more agitated the more she’s denied.
She tries to pull the door open more, but the Agent is stronger than he looks and keeps the door barely open.
“Let me out! Let me see my children right now! Damn it!” Eloise growls and pulls with all her might, her leg throbbing from her muscles tightening up.
“Someone will be in to see you shortly. Please try and calm yourself before then. I understand you may have gained an emotional attachment, but it is for the better that you don’t see the children again.” Agent Coulson shuts the door, and Eloise hears the click of the lock.
“NO! No damn it!” Bringing her fists back, Eloise pounds on the door with all her might. Tears prick her eyes, and her breathing becomes shallow as his words sink in. They won’t let her see them ever again! “No! No! I don’t accept this! Let me out! Let me see my children!” She sobs as she pounds on the metal, bruising her hands.
She backs up, aiming her shoulder at the door she charges, putting all her strength into it. Eloise cries out in pain as her shoulder and injured leg hit the metal. She falls to the floor cradling her injuries for a moment.
Agent Coulson sighs, hearing the distressed omega on the other side of the door. He will admit they’ve never had one have such a bad reaction to learning that the children in their care are no longer their worry. Most of them celebrate their freedom. The omega bangs on the door again, pleading to be let out and to see the children she watched over. He knows giving her another dose of the tranquilizer wouldn’t be a good idea, but he also doesn’t want her to beat herself to hell while they wait for Agent Sitwell.
An idea comes to mind on how to calm her, and he figures he may as well give it a shot. Fury isn’t going to be happy with his decision, though. He taps his comm, “can someone please send Agent Levinson to room 626, please?”
Ari’s breaths come in short pants. His muscles flex underneath the tight gray shirt he’s wearing as he does push-ups on the floor of the room designated to him in the Sheild safe house.
With each breath he takes and every force of his muscles, he tries to push further back the one omega that entrapped him with her scent. The overly sweet mixture of peony flowers and honey. The mix made him feral and dangerous. She keeps resurfacing despite trying to shove her in the back of his mind. Like a song that keeps replaying in your head no matter how much other music you listen to. Ari pushes himself harder, trying to think of other people, places, and anything else.
The beach. My beach house. Sammy. The mission. Finding her. Peonies and honey. Wait-
“Fuck,” Ari growls as his cock swells in his shorts. It’s like he’s a horny teenager thinking about a crush. It’s annoying as hell. He sits back on his haunches, wiping the sweat from his brow. The omega hasn’t left his mind since he saved her, and it’s scaring the shit out of him.
Ari shouldn’t be reacting to her like he is. He stands and grabs his water bottle, downing the contents. Ari remembers the last time an entrapped omega him as she did, which didn’t end well. He’s not planning for a repeat of last time. He has to stay away from her and hope the effects of her scent wear off on him.
Ari sits on his bed and runs his fingers through his neck-length hair. So far, he’s been able to work his body through most of the cravings. Once they landed at the safe house, S.H.I.E.L.D’s medical staff grabbed her to remove her tracker and do a general health check-up. Ari was led off the jet in cuffs and a muzzle. All of his team yelled at Sitwell about how unnecessary it was, but Ari knew they were treating him like any rouge alpha.
Only after a full psychological exam that took two hours was Ari deemed back in control, even though he already knew he was. Then they questioned him about what happened, what caused the snap, if it would happen again, and everything else Ari didn’t know the answer to. After hearing the story, Fury decided that Ari would be suspended for two months. Once this set of girls is off to the rehabilitation facility, Ari has to go to his house and stay there for leave.
Ari agrees with the punishment. It’s fair enough. Gives him some time to think over everything, and hopefully, by the end of the two weeks, she won’t be playing in his head like a broken record. A record that repeats the memory of her saccharine sent, the feel of her soft skin under his rough fingertips. He groans, rubbing his head, a slight headache building. He’s unsure if it’s from his many workouts to control himself from running to find her or fighting his inner alpha about her.
His alpha howls at him to search, to make sure she’s okay, and to soothe her when she wakes up somewhere unfamiliar. It’s making his body yearn for her. He can’t remember the last time he’s popped so many erections in three hours since he’s been back to his room. He won’t give in to the cravings, though. She should go through processing, leave the building, and never be around him again. His alpha may demand her as his new omega, but he refuses to do that to her.
She’s finally free, and he’s too fucked in the head to take a new omega.
Ari’s brooding is interrupted by a knock at the door. He doesn’t move from his spot on the floor and instead shouts out.
“Yeah?!”
“Ari, it’s Sam. Let me in.” Sammy calls back and rattles his locked doorknob.
Ari curses and stands, unlocking the door before heading to his bathroom. He can sense the confusion and concern coming in waves off Sammy. He already knows the questions coming his way and the apologies he has to make. Sammy follows Ari as he goes into the bathroom to run water over his face and neck.
“What the hell is going on with you, man? You really scared me back at that facility. I thought you were going to hurt someone. Are you okay?” Ari spots Sammy watching his reflection in the mirror with a frown on his face. He spots the bandage on Sammy’s head. He does his best to keep his demeanor calm and his mouth in a grim line.
“The real question is if you’re okay.” Ari turns to him and looks him in the eyes, “I’m really sorry about what happened back there, Sam. I couldn’t control myself. Did I do that?” He points to the bandage.
Sammy lightly runs his fingers over the gauze, “yeah, you did. But I’m fine, and so is the girl, if you’re wondering. I can see you regret what happened. We all can. Going feral was out of your control, though, Ari.”
“I know that. It doesn’t make me feel any better. I don’t know what it was about that omega’s scent that’s causing—caused me to go feral. Not even Sarah did that to me.” Ari shakes his head and leans back against the porcelain sink.
“I think I know.” Sammy says carefully, gauging Ari’s reaction, “she’s your singer.”
“What? You mean, like my soulmate?” An incredulous laugh leaves Ari’s lips at the thought. There’s no way in hell she’s his soulmate.
“Yeah, I mean, it all adds up.” Sammy begins pacing a bit like he always does when thinking hard about something. “When an alpha meets their singer omega, it causes an intense flood of pheromones and hormones to flood both parties. Which, in turn, causes a feral-like reaction from the alpha to claim their mate, and if the omega wasn’t unconscious, she might have had a breakthrough heat. However, the tranquilizers allowed her to bypass that part of the process. It explains your behavior and intense reaction, but your self-control must be extraordinary to not have claimed her.”
“Wait, slow down.” Ari places a hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving, “Sammy, this sounds ridiculous. She’s not my singer, I’ve heard of those, and they’re extremely rare.”
“It’s the only explanation, Ari. She’s your chance to move on-”
“No!” The word immediately leaves Ari’s lips in a snarl, and he lets go of Sammy. He felt this was coming. Sammy was always trying to get him to leave Sarah behind. Using their team’s connections to try and set him up on dates. It always pissed him off. The thought of Sammy using this girl, the one who caused him to lose control completely, nearly makes him see red.
“She’s not my singer or omega, and I am not her alpha! I had my omega, and you know I refuse to take another!” Ari barks.
Sammy meets Ari head-on despite the anger and anguish rippling off the alpha. His gray-blue meeting Ari’s baby blue in a challenging stare. More often than not, Sammy isn’t afraid to challenge Ari and stand up to him, knocking him down a peg when his Alpha genes take over. It’s something Ari has always admired about him, but right now, it’s setting him on edge.
“Ari, Sarah is dead-”
“Sam!”
“She’s not coming back, and you’ve been punishing yourself too long.” Sam’s jaw sets, and the tension in the room skyrockets even further. Ari clenches his fists to keep from hauling off and punching the man in front of him. He doesn’t care how right he is; all he knows is that Sammy needs to shut the fuck up.
“I’m not done with the mission,” Ari says, trying his best to keep the growl out of his voice. His inner alpha howls at him to put Sammy in his place and remind him of their designations, but he won’t do that to a concerned friend.
“That’s the same excuse you’ve told me for six years. Ari, if she is your singer-”
“Damn it, Sammy! She’s not!” Ari snaps again, his chest puffing out as he tries to make himself bigger. He steps closer in an attempt to intimidate him again. Sammy has none of it, keeping his stare and his fists tightening.
“IF she is. Don’t push her away. Give this a chance is all I’m saying. You’ve beaten yourself for six years, trying to blame yourself for Sarah’s death. It wasn’t your fault, and if this girl could help you move on. Then it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”
“No,” Ari says, his voice unwavering as he shoulders Sammy out of his way and returns to his room. He throws open his window in an attempt to get some fresh air. Hoping that it’ll cool his head and the heat of anger swirling in him.
“Why the hell not?!” Sammy scoffs, still following after him.
“Maybe because she just got her fucking life back!” Ari snaps at him, “she just got saved from being controlled all her life by alphas. I’m sure she’ll love hearing that another is ready to step up and suffocate her again!”
“That’s when you take it slow. Help her get through the program, let her have and understand her freedom. Get to know her and tell her about the tension between you two because I’m positive she will have no idea. Then let her decide. It’s not that hard, Ari. I’m not telling you to claim her. I’m telling you to keep her close and get to know her.”
Ari goes silent at that. He knows what Sammy tells him isn’t a horrible idea. But he can’t trust himself. Ari can’t hurt her like he hurt Sarah. He shakes his head and lets out a deep sigh.
“Sammy, I can’t go near her again. What if I go feral again, huh? I could bond with her and I doubt either of us want that. Or I could end up hurting someone like I hurt you.”
“You won’t. The initial finding process has passed. You should be able to control yourself with no problem. Her scent may just be stronger, and make you a bit…ah…sexually frustrated since you haven’t claimed her.”
“I’m not seeing her again. And that’s final.” Ari states.
“Well, that’s too damn bad because they’re requesting your presence in her room.”
“What? Why?” Ari’s head snaps up at that. Why the hell would they need him? He thought for sure Fury would want to keep his ass far away from her after what happened.
“I don’t know the specifics, just that she’s completely freaking out and banging against her door. They’re worried she’ll hurt herself. They can’t give her more tranquilizers because she still has the anesthesia from her tracking implant removal in her system.”
“If they need an alpha to calm her, why not send one of the other agents?” Ari demands despite the immediate disapproval of another alpha laying a hand on her, ringing through his head.
“Everyone knows what happened during the mission, and more than a few people have come to the same conclusion I did. Everyone knows she’s your singer.” Sammy sighs.
“Well, it’s none of their fucking business,” Ari grumbles. For a secret agent facility, no one keeps any personal secrets around here. “Wait, does that mean Steve-?”
“Yeah, your brother knows too. He wanted to come here before I did, but Fury pulled him away for debriefing.”
“Shit,” Ari huffs. Steve is the last person he wants to talk with about all this. The last thing he needs is his brother lecturing him about becoming their father. In fact, if Steve even mentions their father, he’ll sock the fucker in the jaw. “What does her possibly being my singer have to do with me going up there?”
“You’ll have the most immediate calming effect on her since she is your singer. Ari, if you are convinced she’s not, then prove it to yourself. If your presence doesn’t calm her, then she’ll have the same distress levels.”
“If that’s true, how come she panicked when we saved her?” Ari questions him with narrowed eyes; he’s confident that proves she’s not it.
“She hurt you. An omega hurting an alpha already triggers a fear response in them. An omega hurting their singer? It makes the response ten times worse. It also seemed she focused intensely on protecting the little ones in her charge, which would alter her response to you. Upstairs it will be just you and her. You’ll get your best answer there.” Sammy smirks, knowing he has Ari beat. The man has two doctorates, one in medicine and the other in designation studies; he knows his shit.
Ari grunts and takes a moment to think. He knows Sammy’s right. He just hates that he is. She can’t be his singer. It would fuck up too much. It just has to be some weird reaction he had to her scent. He can feel his alpha tugging again as if in agreement with Sammy. He knows he can keep that fucker in his chains now. He’s going to be more prepared this time.
“Fine.” Ari relents, and Sammy gives him a big victorious grin. “Wipe that look off your face before I do it for ya’ Sammy. I’m just doing it 'cause I hate the thought of the poor girl hurting herself in a panic.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night. Now get moving.” Sammy claps Ari on the back, pushing him towards the door.
Ari huffs and goes straight to the stairs. Despite his reluctance, his feet begin moving quickly up the six flights. Hoping he gets there before she hurts herself too severely.
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