TSC ABO Universe

Gabriel had been noticing things since Gideon took him and brought both of them to the London Institute. A lot of things. First and foremost that his father was wrong, and that he wasn’t worthless, or useless. At least that’s what Gideon said and since Gideon was his alpha, he had to listen to his older brother.

Not that he minded. Gideon was nicer to him than Father ever had been, and he always protected him, no matter what. It’s why he had taken Gabriel and left. He shook his head and brushed those thoughts away. He didn’t want to think about that.

He had also learned that Charlotte and Henry Branwell were not what he had been told they were. Henry was absent minded at times, certainly, but he was very kind to Gabriel, and not at all a danger to others with his experiments. And Charlotte wasn’t incompetent to run the Institute, and even though she was an alpha, she wasn’t cruel, not like the ones-Gabriel pushed that thought away again. But she was good at running the Institute and it wasn’t falling into disrepair or anything like he had been told it was.

He was still wary about being around them though. Gabriel much preferred the company of Gideon. Gideon didn’t mind having Gabriel cling to him either, or at least it didn’t seem like he did. And he had worked things out with Charlotte shortly after arriving, and Jem, a bit after that. Although prying Jem away from his other half had been a Herculean task, the way Gideon talked about it, and had required getting Charlotte and Henry involved, because Jem didn’t want to leave Will by himself.

Alphas could be very odd when they got territorial, and had a new one show up in their pack. Especially when it was one they used to fight with. Granted, Charlotte rarely got involved in the fights that his brother used to get in with Jem and Will, but she was usually the one ending them. Which was probably why she was so surprised when Gideon showed up with him, but she couldn’t deny that she was the best suited to allow them a place to stay that their father couldn’t force them, or at least Gabriel himself, away from.

And if Charlotte had any true problems with either of them it would have stemmed from their constant fights with the two boys she had claimed as her pack members, not because of her troubles with their father. Thinking of that made Gabriel think about Jem and Will, and about what had him curious.

James Carstairs might have been addicted to a demon drug, but it was clear that it wasn’t a willing addiction, or something that could be handled easily. Jem didn’t spend much time around Gabriel, even after he and Gideon had gotten used to each other and come to some sort of agreement. Jem preferred to spend his time around the most puzzling thing at the Institute: William Herondale.

Will had a biting tongue, was quick to be cruel, and could only be found in the company of Jem, who had hardly let him out of his sight since the day Gideon had sought refuge with Gabriel in tow. And he smelled like a beta, almost acted like one, and anything else could be brushed away by the time he spent in the presence of Jem, he supposed, as Jem was a very dominant alpha, unlike Gideon or even Charlotte, although she could be quite commanding when she felt it was called for.

It was clear that Jem considered Will to be his and that Will returned that opinion with fervor, glaring at Gabriel when he got too close. But he did wonder at some of his actions. Because he didn’t always act like a beta. Especially when he was around Jem. Gabriel knew that he was circling around even in his own mind but he couldn’t help it.

A lot of Will’s behavior could be put down to the fact that betas were adaptable and since he spent so much time around Jem, of course he would act more submissive at times, a bit more like an omega towards their mate or alpha really, and given his background and the speed at which he had adapted to the lifestyle of a shadowhunter, William Herondale was nothing if not adaptable. But he still wondered at other things that didn’t quite line up, and couldn’t just be put down to both of them being raised even more traditionally than he and Gideon were raised.

What had really gotten to him though was their encounter in the library. The way that Will reacted when Gabriel came in when he was with Jem was not normal for anyone except an omega who had just had someone come into their nest uninvited. He would know. The one good thing his father had ever done was make sure that Gabriel had been exposed to other omegas, and been taught by them, even if it was just to ensure that he would know how to be a good mate and make him more marketable for marriage.

And when one of those teachers had come into his room when Gabriel was in the middle of his heat and tried to come into his nest without permission Gabriel had reacted just as poorly as Will had to his intrusion in the library. Except Gabriel had been a bit more violent, whereas Will had Jem holding him in his arms, so he wouldn’t have been able to do anything even if he wanted to, which he had clearly desired, going off the anger in his eyes.

Then Will had sought him out later to warn him off Jem, again, and to tell him that the library was theirs, which didn’t make any sense because it was something that everyone should have access to. How vehement Will’s reaction was made more sense coming from another omega than it did a beta. Especially if Will had decided that the library was his, because if there was one thing omegas could get extremely possessive about besides their pack, it was the places that they felt safe enough to have a nest. Then they could be more territorial than an alpha.

All in all, Will was a conundrum that had Gabriel curious enough to risk causing trouble. He might not have done anything considering that Will did smell like a beta, but he remembered the warnings he was given about suppressants, and that they were fine for short term use, like to delay a heat for a few weeks if it was needed for health reasons, but how they were dangerous if taken constantly for a long period of time.

He couldn’t recall having detected a change in Will’s scent since the day he had met him, and the levels of recklessness to which he strived had already reached legendary status among the London Clave residents, and had been heard about back in Idris as well. It didn’t add up to a good picture in Gabriel’s head, especially if Will had been raised as traditionally as he was said to have been. However, the only thing Gabriel couldn’t understand was Jem covering for Will.

It was clear in every action that Jem made that he had been raised very traditionally, so the idea that he would help Will cover up being an omega seemed incredulous, with one exception. That being that he had decided that he wanted to keep Will to himself and it was his way of making sure that no one else would have an interest in Will, keeping his way clear and open. It did raise the question of if he was aware of what the consequences of the suppressants could be, but that was beside the point at this moment.

Although, Gabriel supposed that the idea of a highly biddable mate could appeal to Jem, but that raised the question of what would happen to Will when he died, as there had yet to be a cure or treatment found that would assist him in not dying due to the Yin-fen, at least from the grumbling, that’s what he had gleaned. That more than anything helped Gabriel to determine his next actions, as uncomfortable as they might be. If the younger boy was an omega and hiding it, then he shouldn’t be forced to do so by an overly possessive alpha who wouldn’t be around to deal with the consequences of his actions.

That’s why he was following Will now, since he was by himself for a change, heading to the library where Jem had gone to earlier, after an early lunch. There was an easy way to see if his suspicions were correct, and Gabriel intended to test it. If he was wrong, he would apologize, but he didn’t think he was. Gabriel walked quietly, making sure not to make a sound, and got right up behind Will, who had his head buried in a book. Gabriel reached out his arm, quickly and carefully, and grabbed Will by the scruff of his neck.

The reaction was immediate. The book tumbled out of Will’s hands, falling to the floor with a loud thump, as the holder of the book went completely limp under Gabriel’s grip. Nothing, not even the best suppressants could prevent that reaction. If someone gripped an omega by their scruff they would always go limp. It was why collars used to be so popular, before it became the fashion to keep omegas at home and not let them wander without another person present.

Gabriel removed his hand from the other omega’s neck and stood in front of him, wrapping his hand around Will’s arm instead, partially to keep him from falling over, but also so that the slightly smaller boy couldn’t run away from the conversation that they needed to have. He didn’t have to wait long before Will came back to himself, spluttering with rage and confusion.

When Will could finally focus his eyes and saw Gabriel, he angrily hissed “What was that for Lightwood?"

Gabriel could afford to be patient now. The younger omega had clearly never been around another before Gabriel if he was remembering properly and it was likely that he didn’t understand his own reactions to Gabriel’s presence at the Institute, even if Will did understand why what Gabriel had just done was very rude.

“I was just confirming my suspicions in the easiest way I could. Suppressants don’t cover up everything you know.” Gabriel said all of this calmly and as if it were a matter of fact, which it was.

Will paled. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He tugged on his arm, attempting to get Gabriel to let go of it, before using his other hand to try and remove Gabriel’s. Gabriel just reached up and grabbed that hand as well, using his size to drag Will out of the middle of the hallway.

“Are you going to try and deny it, even after you went limp from a grip around your scruff Will? Or do I have to do it again?” Gabriel looked at him, examining his face for a response. Will didn’t say anything, even as he moved his head farther back. “You’re an omega, you know it, I know it, and I’m positive that Jem does as well. My only question is if Charlotte is aware of this.” He said this firmly, hoping to prove to Will that there was no way out of this conversation. There it was, a flash of fear, before he covered it up with anger.

“So what if she’s not.” Will jutted his chin out angrily. “I’ve been on suppressants the whole time I’ve been in London. I don’t need an alpha and I’m not going to be kept inside and treated like I’m delicate, when I’m not.”

“I wouldn’t say that you don’t need an alpha considering the way you cling to Jem, Will. And considering how the rumors of how reckless you are managed to reach Idris, I’m not so sure that you wouldn’t be better off if Charlotte, or Jem” he added quickly, “restricted you to the Institute for a while.” Gabriel looked Will in the eyes for his next statement, wanting to ensure that he understood how serious he was.

“Do you have any idea how lucky you are that someone hasn’t done that before, especially given where you tend to spend your nights when you sneak out? Do you have any idea as to what could have happened?” Gabriel nodded, satisfied with what he saw in Will’s eyes, the uncertainty and wariness that he thought should have been present since he first started this conversation.

Mentally Gabriel was re-examining his previous conceptions. Will being on suppressants since he arrived made sense, especially if he was unsure what kind of reaction he would garner when he showed up at the Institute, but he couldn’t see why he would have continued using them without the influence of the alpha he spent most of his time attached to, especially as he had to be aware of the long term consequences by now.

“Why did you stay on suppressants after you arrived? Surely you had to have realized that you wouldn’t need them staying here? You do know what will happen when you go off of them, yes?” Before Will could defend his choice he made sure to add “And you will have to go off of them at some point, you do know that. Even if it’s just because you run out, or because you can’t find a supplier, or you and Jem mate.”

Will looked at him, incredulous. “Oh don’t give me that look, anyone with eyes and a functioning nose could tell how you two feel about each other.” Gabriel decided to test the waters a bit more, to see if he was entirely incorrect about his prior assumptions regarding why Will was in the suppressants. “He isn’t making you take them, is he?” Gabriel asked this very concernedly.

That finally got a genuine response from Will. “What on earth are you going on about Lightworm? Jem didn’t even realize that until after he had been here several months. Unlike you,” he spat out, “Jem respects my ability to make choices for myself. I have my reasons for wanting to keep it hidden and they aren’t any of your business. And who said that I’m ever planning on going off the suppressants?” He questioned as an afterthought.

Gabriel looked at him disbelieving. “You truly plan on taking them the rest of your life? Nevermind what would happen if you ran out of them, or were sent somewhere that you wouldn’t have access to them?” Will nodded. “This is lunacy.” Gabriel shook his head. “I’m going to Charlotte. She’ll sort you out.”

“The hell you will!” Will took advantage of the lax grip that Gabriel had on him at the moment and got lose, going to pick up his book that was still lying on the hallway floor, forgotten there earlier.

Gabriel went after him and grabbed him by the arm again. “Yes. I will.” He said firmly. “She’s your alpha, whether you like it or not, since you and Jem clearly aren’t mated, and she can deal with all of this and make you see sense." Gabriel started dragging him by the arm, Will dragging his feet and fighting him, when Jem came around the bend of the hallway. Gabriel dropped Will’s arm instinctively, wanting to appear behaved.

“Will, Gabriel, is everything alright?” Jem looked over them both, noting the rumpled clothes and identical looks of frustration on their faces. “You hadn’t made it to the library yet so I came looking and heard what sounded like an argument.” He directed this to Will. Then he looked over at Gabriel, “Will isn’t bothering you, is he?”

Will answered swiftly, going up to Jem and grabbing his hand. “He was the one bothering me. It’s done now though. Let’s go.” Jem narrowed his eyes, looking at Will, who was practically hiding behind him and looking increasingly anxious to leave. He hated seeing Will look like that and he could always get answers in private later he supposed.

“Alright then, if you’re sure.” Will nodded. Jem turned around and started walking with Will, letting him lead them away. He only turned around at Gabriel’s statement.

Gabriel was desperate not to let Will leave, knowing if he did it would be impossible to get another chance to talk with him, and not actually feeling comfortable going up to Charlotte by himself with his concerns. He wasn’t sure that she would believe him, she might just think that he was trying to sow discord. The way Jem looked at Will though...that might work. He clearly cared more for Will’s health than Will himself did. “I’m surprised that you’re fine with allowing Will to put himself in danger and risk his health.”

Jem paused, and turned around, bringing Will with him. “Why would you say that?” He asked, sounding puzzled.

Gabriel glared at Will. “Do you want to tell him or should I?”

Jem glanced over at Will. “Tell me what? Will?”

Will looked at Jem, “Nothing, he’s just trying to cause trouble.” He didn’t quite meet Jem’s eyes.

Jem raised an eyebrow. “Gabriel?” He asked, voice lilting upwards. “What is it that you wanted to tell me?” Will looked up at that, opening his mouth, which Jem halted before he could speak. “Unless you can look me in the eyes and tell me that Will, don’t bother repeating yourself.” Will closed his mouth at the dark tone that accompanied Jem’s words.

Gabriel took his chance, choosing the most damming words he could think of to make sure that Jem would pay attention. “You mean he never told you that the side effects of the way that he’s been using the suppressant potion could leave him completely helpless to protect himself?” Gabriel made sure to ask this as innocently as he possibly could.

Jem stared at him, a blank expression on his face. “What?” He said flatly.

Gabriel had trouble meeting his eyes, but was happy to explain things further now that he had caught the alpha’s attention. “The way he’s been using the suppressants, it isn’t how they are meant to be used and it can cause some serious problems.” He decided to make sure that Jem wouldnt just brush him aside. “That’s not to say that there aren’t alpha’s who don’t like some of the side effects of course, but the others are usually enough of a detriment that they’re rarely used long term.”

Gabriel stopped for a moment, pausing to look Will, who was now silently fuming, and Jem, who looked at Will, and moved his hand to hold Will by his arm. He turned back to Gabriel. “Explain, please.” Was a barely veiled command that was uttered with forced calmness.

Gabriel began to talk. “Suppressants are only meant to be used short term. Any longer, and the risk of side effects increase, especially if the dosage is particularly high.” He flicked his eyes over at Will. “And given everything I would assume that a high dosage is being used, which means that the side effects once an omega comes off of it can be quite severe.”

He looked at Jem’s face, which was betraying his confusion and anger at the matter. “Like I said before, some alphas might enjoy one of the side effects that normally happens to some degree, which is that an omega can be become very submissive and obedient, more so than would otherwise be normal, and they can have difficulty in refusing anything told to them by any alpha, not just one from their pack.”

“There’s also a possibility of an omega becoming more protective of their alpha and pack mates, their nest, and especially of any pups. But since there is also a high risk of damage to their ability to have children, as well as the possibility of severe mood swings, and other problems, most don’t believe that the chance of a biddable “perfect” omega is worth the chance of the other side effects as well.” It was easier for Gabriel to distance himself from this than to remember the discussions he had overheard his father having with a warlock on the topic.

Gabriel pulled himself out of those memories and focused on the two in front of him right now. “And no matter what Will might like to believe he won’t be able to stay on suppressants forever. Eventually his body’s needs will overwhelm them. It may take quite a bit of time,” he said carefully, “but it will happen. And then once it does, he will be dealing with whatever damage was done by the suppressants to himself, with a very good chance that they might not work on him after that as well.”

The more Gabriel talked, the more Will had shrunk in on himself. He had tried to defend his choices early on a few times but was glared into silence by the now very angry alpha who was present. Finally, by the time Gabriel was finished, Jem was completely furious and growling at Will, while keeping a grip on his neck to ensure that he couldn’t run away. Not his scruff, but just above it so that if Will did try and pull away Jem’s grip would slip to there, which was enough to keep the younger omega from moving so much as an inch.

Jem finally spoke after hearing Gabriel out, turning to look at Will, growling while he spoke. “I don’t want to hear any excuses. Just a yes or no, am I clear.” He moved on without waiting for a response. “Is what Gabriel said true?”

Will looked down as much as he was able to, mumbling his response. “Yes. At least I think so. I’m not entirely-” Jem cut him off with a squeeze to the back of his neck.

“If you’re about to say that you aren’t sure because you never looked into it, don’t.” Jem actually looked dangerous, Gabriel thought. He wasn’t sure if he should leave to get Gideon, or maybe Charlotte to break up what looked like it could turn into a very ugly situation. He glanced at Will, who looked very forlorn, and began to pick up a foot, preparing to leave and find his brother, when Jem spoke again, halting him in his tracks.

“I am going to talk to Magnus, and get answers William. I know he’s where you’ve been getting the potion but you are over there far more often than that requires. He is going to tell me every little thing that you’ve been hiding from me and you had best be exactly where I told you to be when I get back here.” Jem said this lowly and darkly.

Then Jem called for him. “Gabriel, if it isn’t too much of an imposition I would appreciate it if you could keep Will with you and not let him out of your sight, as clearly you have all the sense that he lacks. If he gives you any trouble at all just let me know when I get back and I’ll deal with it then.” He might have phrased it as a request but it was clearly a command, as even while he was asking he was walking over to Gabriel and dragging Will with him, who he pushed into Gabriel, and then turned on his heel and left.

Gabriel was astonished that Jem’s response was to leave when he was clearly filled with rage, but had enough awareness to grab onto Will to prevent him from running off. Then he took advantage of the fact that Will was still in a state of shock over the whole situation to drag the unresisting younger omega up to the room that he was currently sharing with Gideon.

Gabriel did have his own room, but he was more comfortable building his nest in Gideon’s room at the moment, as the Institute still didn’t feel quite like home, and he just felt safer around his brother and alpha. And Gideon wasn’t one to deny something that made him feel safer, although Gideon had informed him that it also made him feel better, keeping Gabriel close, that way he could keep him safe, as he felt it was his job to protect him.

He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about letting Will into his nest, but a quick peek at him was enough to convince Gabriel that it would be the best way to keep an eye on Will. Suppressants or not, being in a nest would only help to make Will feel better. And Gabriel wanted the younger omega to stop looking like the world was ending. Once Will was in the nest and had a bit of time to calm down, he was unlikely to leave it without a command to do so.

Will only began paying attention to where they were when Gabriel brought them inside the bedroom where his nest took up most of the bed. That’s when he began fighting to get lose from Gabriel’s grip on his upper arm. Gabriel just held on and managed to surprise even himself when he issued a command. “Enough, Will.” The tone of Gabriel’s voice made Will still just enough that he had Will in the nest before he realized it, and the hold he had him in ensured that he wouldn’t be leaving it either.

Gabriel had pulled Will into him, placing his head directly in the crook of his neck, where hopefully the scent of another omega would be enough to calm him down. Just in case though, he had Will’s neck in a grip that wasn’t dissimilar to how Jem was holding him earlier. Will started to struggle away from him but halted when he felt Gabriel’s hand start to move down his neck. He finally settled even though Gabriel could tell he was annoyed about it, at least judging by the huff of air he let out.

More than that though, Gabriel could smell how scared Will was, which just made him want to bundle Will up more. He might not have particularly liked Will all that much, but the younger omega was acting more like a frightened pup trying to prove that he wasn’t scared right now than anything else. Which actually gave him an idea.

“If I let go are you going to stay put?” Gabriel asked, almost scolding Will.

“Do I have a choice?” Will replied sulkily.

“No. You really don’t. Unless you want Jem angrier than he already is at any rate.” Gabriel said dryly. He let go of Will’s neck and moved him so that he could take off his shirt. Will just stared at him with a confused look on his face.

“What on earth are you doing?” Will asked him with a dumbfounded expression that did nothing to hide his current anxiety.

“Helping you to calm down.” Gabriel responded as kindly as he could manage. Once his shirt was off he waited for Will to come to him and frowned when he didn’t. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

“I assure you I have no idea what you’re on about.” Will muttered snidely.

Gabriel eyed him. “When was the last time you were around another omega exactly?” He aimed to keep his tone even, like Gideon used when he was talking to him, and he had heard Charlotte use with Will and Jem once, as he didn’t want to spook Will while he was confirming his prior thoughts.

Will looked down and mumbled just enough that Gabriel could make out that he was the first. Gabriel blinked, having recalled that he was the first omega Will had been around since he got here, and having known that, but despite having suspected that Will had never really been around other omegas, he still would have expected him to have been exposed to at least one or two others as a child.

“Well then,” Gabriel started, “since you wouldn’t have any way of knowing I suppose, something that can help to calm us down is sucking on another omega’s nipple.” Will looked at him disbelieving. “It really is quite soothing Will.” Gabriel sighed. “You should try it at least, because your heart is racing like a rabbits and that is hardly healthy.”

“That’s for children Lightwood and I’m long past that stage in case it has somehow slipped your notice.” Will exclaimed sarcastically. Gabriel chose not to mention that he was acting very much like one and went with the quicker route, choosing to help Will to feel better faster over arguing with him.

He reached over, batting Will’s hands away, and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck again, this time not letting go, and bringing Will up to his chest, where he latched onto Gabriel almost immediately. Gabriel laid on his side with Will curled into him after that, waiting until Will’s heartbeat had stopped its frantic pounding before letting go of Will’s scruff. It took several minutes for him to come back to himself, but even when he did he didn’t move. Will just stayed where he was, soothed by the motion, like Gabriel had told him he would be.

Gabriel chanced moving slightly, reaching for a blanket and partially pulling it over them so that they wouldn’t get cold. Will still didn’t budge, and just relaxed further into him when he started combing his hand through Will’s hair the way he had seen Jem do it before. Gabriel didn’t know long they had been like that, half-dozing off when Jem came in, looking for Will.

Jem had left, furious, and wanting answers, but unwilling to chance taking out his anger on Will in his desire for them. And he had gotten the answers he wanted, and more than he had went seeking, he reflected on his walk home. As much as he just wanted to rush back to the Institute and Will, he walked slowly, willing himself to calm down, not wanting to frighten Gabriel when he returned, as he had earlier, remembering what he and Gideon had discussed. As Will should be with Gabriel when he got back, he needed to be calmer than he was, no matter how angry he might still be.

He was still angry, mostly with Will, although he still harbored some anger for Magnus, even if it was significantly less than he had earlier. Jem was angry at the situation that had led to current events, really.

When he had pounded on the door of the residence that Magnus was staying in he had pushed the door fully open the second it began opening. Magnus wasn’t thrilled to have the door practically slammed in his face, but knew a raging alpha when he saw one. He also had guessed immediately that it was about Will, as that was one of very few things that could set Jem off.

When Jem had confronted him over the suppressant potions he had been supplying Will, Magnus had just sighed and told him to come to the parlor and sit down. “Do you honestly think that I didn’t try to tell him Jem?” He had asked, sounding exasperated, while lounging in an armchair. “He’s a Herondale and as stubborn as they come. If I hadn’t made the potions for him he would have found somebody else. And to be completely honest, I’m not sure that I would trust someone who would source him the dosage he wanted.”

Magnus waved his hands around, motioning while he talked, fed up with the conversation already and wanting to move it along. “Do you know how many warlock’s who are willing to sell a suppressant at that dosage are either working with a brothel or some other kind of buyer Jem.” He sat up straight, looking Jem in the eye to make sure that he understood how serious Magnus was. “They’ll get the omega to trust them and then use that to take advantage and sell them to a buyer.”

He sighed tiredly. “I do what I can to stop it, but whenever something like that gets shut down another person will immediately take the empty spot. And if the warlock selling the potion isn’t involved in the sex-trade then they might not be using the proper ingredients, or selling the necessary dosage properly. I didn’t want Will getting caught up in that. So yes, I supplied him and kept doing it, long past the point I should have so that he wouldn’t go looking elsewhere and wind up in trouble.”

Magnus had leaned back in his chair again. “Besides, you have bigger problems right now. I got out of him why he was so desperate to be on them and have been working on solving that issue so that he’ll stop using them, but he’s refusing to believe me when I tell him that it is non-existent.”

From there the story of the curse Will believed himself to be under spilled out, and Magnus had explained why he believed it to simply be a cruel trick, and that Will refused to believe it without hearing it from the demon himself, who was proving difficult to find as Will didn’t have a description beyond the colouring.

“How sure are you that it was a trick?” Jem had asked.

“Positive.” Magnus had thrown his hands in the air, pacing around the room. “But Will is dead set on refusing to believe it. I’ve told him countless times at this point that with the way your Institute Head and her mate treat him that he has his proof, but you know how he is.” Magnus had thrown himself back into his chair with that. Jem had to agree. Will was nothing if not hard headed when he had decided something.

Magnus had managed to calm him down from a blind rage to a simmering anger, and had given Jem a flushing potion before he left. “It will work quickly.” He had said, “But it will take over a week for every last bit of the suppressant to be completely out of his system. This just hastens the process and makes sure that it works quickly. He’ll likely have a heat come on fast after that, given that he’s never gone through one before.”

Jem had taken it and left, deep in thought. He was still angry that Will hadn’t thought to trust him with the truth behind why he left to become a shadowhunter, not wanting to worry Jem apparently. And he was furious that Will had disregarded everything that Magnus told him and in doing so put himself at risk. And a small voice in the back of his head pointed out that Jem was angry with himself for not noticing, and for being a bad alpha by being unaware of the problems his pack mate (and future mate an even quieter voice whispered), had faced alone. Especially since it was his job to ensure that his pack was healthy and safe, especially the omega’s.

When he made it back to the Institute he realized that he didn’t know where Will and Gabriel would be, just that if Will had listened to him, they would be together. Which made Jem question where exactly they would go when it hit him. Gabriel would have wanted the safety and comfort of his nest after that confrontation and would have dragged Will with him.

The sight that greeted him when he entered the room though, raised all of his instincts several notches. Because seeing Will actually giving in to his instincts for once, curled up in a nest, which he had denied himself, and with the larger omega, just made him feel even more protective of his omega. And maybe he was a bit jealous at how close Will was to Gabriel.

He strode over to the nest, careful not to get to close to it, not wanting to set Gabriel off, and commanded Will, “Will, by me, now.” Will looked startled and blinked at him, dazedly. He pulled away from Gabriel though, and came to Jem as he was told. That’s when Jem handed him the flushing potion. “Drink.” He ordered sternly, with a glare to make sure that Will would obey.

Will looked at him, questioning, but drank it without complaint, grimacing at the taste after finishing it. “Wonderful.” Jem looked over at Gabriel who was watching him carefully. “Thank you for keeping an eye on him for me.” To Will he said “Now we are going to have a very long conversation with Charlotte. You have a lot of explaining to do.” Jem growled.

Then he grabbed Will’s hand and pulled his protesting pack mate out of the room. He hadn’t quit with his protests by the time they made it to Charlotte’s office, although they had quieted, maybe due to the fact that Will was beginning to sweat heavily at that point, the flushing potion starting to work. Jem swore Charlotte had a sixth sense for trouble because they had barely arrived at her door when she opened it, looking them over and evidently not pleased with what she saw. When she got a closer look at Will however, her face shifted to an expression of concern.

“Jem, Will?” Her voice lilted upwards in a question. “What’s wrong? Do I need to contact the Silent Brothers?”

Jem shook his head in a negative response. “No Charlotte. Will has some things he needs to talk with you about however.”

Charlotte looked at Will who was beginning to look ill. “Will?” She asked. Will stayed silent, even as they entered her office. When she asked after him again and he still ignored her, Jem growled, and gripped his neck, which, while making Charlotte tell him off, also prompted Will to begin talking. The more he talked, the more the more the look of distress on Charlotte’s face grew, and her scent grew stronger too. Will was sweating buckets by the time he finished his story, which had required some encouragement from Jem to tell, several times.

After Charlotte had listened to his story in full, she closed her eyes and sighed, pinching her nose near her eyes. “You never could make things easy, could you Will?” She murmured. Then she got up, walking over to them, before she pulled Will into a hug, ignoring the suppressant potion being flushed from him. “You foolish pup. Did it never once occur to you that Henry and I have loved you since shorty after you came to us? That our care for you is why we want to claim you as ours properly?” Will whined.

She pulled back to look at Will closely. “And you can stop your arguing on that Will. You don’t get a say in the matter anymore, you obviously care for us given your actions, and once the potion is out of your system you will need a claim to warn others off. You are our pup and we are going to claim you as such.” Having made sure Will was aware of her plans for the immediate future, she moved on.

“You’re also grounded to the Institute for the foreseeable future and even after that you’re not to leave it alone.” As Charlotte continued on listing all of the restrictions Will was going to be facing he looked more and more defeated. All of them, whether he liked it or not, were there to protect him, and didn’t sound dissimilar to what rules Gabriel followed, if more severe due to Will’s actions.

It was clear that Charlotte didn’t trust Will’s ability to make good judgements, if she ever had, and was now taking the excuse to put into place every rule she had ever thought about in regards to Will. Jem didn’t get let off either as she turned to him, after sending Will to wash off, the flushing potion having seemingly run its initial course by then.

Charlotte wasn’t thrilled with Jem’s role in assisting Will in hiding that he was an omega. He was banned from being alone with Will at all or even around him for a time. Jem had growled at that, not wanting to be apart from Will for any length of time, which just made Charlotte do something she rarely did, growl back at him and remind him that he was still a member of her pack and that he was still subject to her decisions. Jem wound up leaving and going to his room, where he had been restricted to for at least the next week, which had him angry beyond words.

Charlotte was still in her office, sitting in her chair thinking about how to tell Henry everything that had happened in the past few hours, trusting that Gabriel would be informing Gideon of his discovery and that Gideon would seek her out to find out more details.

She knew that Will wouldn’t like being grounded to the Institute but there was no way of knowing exactly what the side effects of the suppressants would be until he was completely clear of them and had gone through a heat. She wanted him to have time to adjust to what was going to likely be a different way of interacting with others in a safe place before she allowed him out. Plus, with the way suppressants worked it was entirely possible that he would get overwhelmed from having a working nose again.

Being able to detect changes in someone’s mood, and all of the scents that made up the Institute for the first time in years would be enough to make anyone balk, to say nothing of going into London itself. And Charlotte wasn’t sure if Will would be able to control his reactions to that influx of information that he would have suddenly available to him either. It would be far better for him to get used to all of that at home first, without having to worry about their pack’s reactions before being around any others, where hopefully he would have learned to control them by then.

Charlotte just wanted Will safe, and was going to take the chance to keep him safe and run with it. He was going to be with her or Henry at all times. And possibly Gabriel as well, as he could be trusted more than Will could currently, and would hopefully be a good influence on Will.

Charlotte was also taking the chance to finally claim her pup. She and Henry had seen Will as theirs since shortly after he arrived at the Institute, and now she could make sure that everyone else would know that too. She wrote a note to Magnus asking him to come by and talk more about the particulars of the curse Will believed himself to be under, wanting to hear about his reasoning from him, not just second hand. She would need to be able to counter Will’s arguments after all.

And she was quite angry at Jem right now too. But she had restricted him to his bedroom for his own good, whether he liked it or not. Everyone was well aware of the feelings the boys shared for one another and she didn’t quite trust his self control when it came to Will. He would be smelling like an omega again soon, and would be going through what would apparently be a very brutal heat. She didn’t want them to do anything they would regret. Which was why they needed to be separated until Jem had grown used to Will’s scent, and Will had gotten a better handle on himself.

She just wanted her pack members safe, and Charlotte included Gideon and Gabriel in that now. She got up to go to Henry’s workshop so that she could talk with him about today’s happenings, thinking that things were going to change significantly around their home.

Warning ⚠️ It’s not nsfw, but it does contain spanking.

“I’m sorry Will, but we don’t have time for this right now. I know you know that. Why don’t you go work on that pile of paperwork you’ve been ignoring for the past few days?" Jem was saying distractedly. “I promise that after tonight we’ll have all the time you want, just not right now." He grabbed Will by the shoulders and spun him around. Then he gave him a light swat, to encourage Will to move forward. “Now go, you have paperwork to do.”

Will left. He was angry with Jem and Tessa. All he wanted them to do was pay attention to him. And let him help them to become less stressed. And if it meant that he got to have his mates taste on his tongue, or have them dripping from his hole, he was thrilled. He didn’t even care if he got to come anymore, even though he’d like to. They were so stressed over this stupid party that they had to throw to keep the Clave happy.

It’s not like it would be any different from other parties. It would be the same annoying officials, making the same pleasantries, and nothing would actually get done. He didn’t see why they needed to put so much effort into it. Well, no, he could understand why they needed to be diplomatic with some of the people who would be there, but it was mostly just going to be others congratulating each other on how important they are. They wouldn’t notice if small things weren’t quite right. And with Jem and Tessa putting all their focus onto making sure that the party would run smoothly they hadn’t had any time for him recently.

And nothing he had done over the past few days had worked either. Not kneeling right in front of them and looking up at them through his eyelashes, not sitting down on them and inviting them to touch him, not even trying to touch Jem in front of others had gotten him anything other than an admonishment and an order to go away. And when he deliberately said things that he knew would get him into trouble any other time, they just ignored him, too focused on other things. It’s not like he was asking for much, Will thought, pouting.

And they were so busy focusing on the party that they weren’t listening to him either. He had tried to do the paperwork, it was something that he was good at, and enjoyed doing, as it let him take care of the other residents of the Institute, and he could also help keep London and its shadowhunters safe. But he couldn’t focus long enough to do it. And he felt off, not like he was going into heat, but itchy almost, like he didn’t fit in his own skin. And he felt better when he was with his mates, but they wouldn’t let him be around them right now, because apparently, he thought sarcastically, in trying to get their attention he was being too distracting.

Which was the point. He just wanted them to actually pay attention to him, and to make him feel better, like they always did. And the more they ignored him, the worse he felt. Even his attempts at getting into trouble failed to gain their attention, he thought that if he was in trouble at least they would pay attention but that didn’t work either. Will whined aloud at that thought. He felt like he was going to burst out of his skin and his mates were just ignoring him, even when he tried to help them to calm down. He stalked into his sister’s room, looking for Gabriel, because at least Gabriel would listen, but he wasn’t there.

Will finally went back to his room and curled up in his nest, clutching Jem and Tessa’s pillows to his face, keening, trying to use their scents to soothe himself. He must have fallen asleep because he got shaken awake by Tessa, who looked annoyed with him. “Why aren’t you in your office like you’re supposed to be? Do you know how long it took to find you?” Tessa pulled him out of his nest, ignoring the whine he made in response to her anger.

“Guests will be arriving within the hour. Wash up and get dressed, no detours this time William. And later we will be dealing with your inability to listen.” He felt like crying, he wasn’t the one who wouldn’t listen. But he was also having trouble forming the words to tell Tessa that. He decided just to do as she said, it was easier.

He met her and Jem just as the carriages started to arrive, waiting with them near the entrance so that they could greet the guests together. Jem grabbed him by the back of his neck, causing Will to moan, and his knees to think about giving out. He just wanted to be on his knees for Jem and Tessa, because they looked amazing, and the way their scents seemed right now just had him growing wet and hard.

“I am aware that we haven’t had time to spend together Will, but that does not mean that you have an excuse to disobey an order.” Jem sounded angry, about as angry as Will felt at this whole situation. He moved his hand until he was holding Will around the waist, tightly. “We don’t have time to discuss this properly right now, but later, after everyone is gone, you are in for a world of trouble.” at the word discuss, Jem landed a sharp slap, right where Will would feel it when he sat.

The idea of Jem and Tessa finally paying attention to Will made him so happy that he didn’t care that it was only because he was in trouble. “You had best be on your best behavior for the rest of the night Will.” Jem smacked him again. “Or you won’t like the consequences. Am I understand?”

“Yes alpha.” Will mumbled weakly, too busy focusing on where Jem was holding him and the slight sting where his ass met his thighs. It felt good, and then Jem let go, making Will mourn the loss of the contact. He whined without meaning to.

“Enough, Will.” Tessa snapped at him. “The party is going to last for several hours and you are going to wait. Until then, you are going to smile, and be the perfect mate I know you can be. Clear?”

“Yes Tessa.” He said softly, moving so that he could greet the guests as he was told to, and to help direct them to the ballroom where the food would be laid out, even though they would already know the way.

*A few hours later*

The party had been going for a few hours and Will was practically vibrating with a need for his mates that he couldn’t stop. He knew that he should be able to get through the party, he had done it countless times before, but he was about at his limit right now. And it was only beginning to reach its peak, it would go on for even longer after this, taking hours to die down. Will almost groaned at the thought, before catching sight of Tessa, who hadn’t seen him quite yet.

She was standing close to the table, apart from Jem for a change. He would have been by them but was told to take a few minutes to cool off when they noticed him getting shorter with one of the Clave officials there. Tessa’s skirt was brushing the tablecloth, Will absently noted. And with how large the skirt was, it wasn’t as if anyone would see him...and if it worked then he could finally have one of his mates attention on him. And if it didn’t work, well, he would still have her attention, and maybe she would let him leave, and even go with him, Will thought excitedly. He made his decision.

Will looked around to make sure no one was looking before crouching down and crawling under the cloth, towards Tessa. When he reached her, he peeked his head out, peering around carefully, before starting to lift up the very bottom of Tessa’s skirt so that he could slip his head under it. He got caught before he could do more than that.

“How many times do you have to be told to behave tonight William?” Tessa hissed as she pulled him up by his hair. The sensation of her hands in his hair made him shiver, even as the grip hurt.

Jem appeared by her side, sensing trouble. “Is something the matter?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at their position. Tessa explained and his expression grew darker. “Clearly we can’t let you out of our sights, can we?” He asked rhetorically. “I was trying to be kind, giving you time to gather yourself, but obviously you can’t be trusted without supervision. You are going to stay within arms reach for the rest of the night.” Jem stated. “And Will,” he added, “if you step one more toe out of line then you will be getting punished wherever we are, even if I have to bend you over right here in the middle of this.” He patted Will on his arm. “And you wouldn’t want to disturb their fine night, would you?” Jem raised his eyebrow expectedly.

“No alpha.” Will was still focusing on the feeling of having been pulled up by Tessa. The contact had felt *so good* and he wanted it back, wanted Jem touching his arm back, any kind of contact at all would do, but they were hellbent on being proper and putting on a good show for the visiting members of the Clave, most of whom disapproved of them running the Institute, between all of their personal histories.

The party was still going, showing no signs of winding down. Will was standing with Jem and Tessa, listening to them talk with one of the visiting Clave elders. He knew that he should be paying attention to the conversation, and participating, but all he could think about was how he kept going on and on about how he was involved with such and such decision, that had been years ago and he was still congratulating himself on it. Any political pull he used to have was non-existent these days so Will couldn’t understand why his mates had let the conversation continue, especially when they could be doing better things.

Just when Will thought that the conversation was finally over and that he would have a chance to talk to his mates, and hopefully convince his alpha that if they wouldn’t touch him, to at least let him leave before he burst, which he felt like he was going to burst out of his skin if something didn’t happen, even if he didn’t know what that something was; the annoying elder started going on about something else that had happened 15 years ago.

Will tasted blood as he literally bit his tongue to keep from yelling, but he couldn’t resist anymore, knowing as he opened his mouth that there was no way that he wouldn’t be in trouble and that he was just long past the point of giving a damn, especially since there was no way that Jem and Tessa could ignore him now.

“I don’t know why you keep listening to this drivel, honestly. It’s old news, he tells the same damn stories at every event he’s at because he hasn’t been involved in anything since and is just trying to relive his moment of glory.” Jem was beginning to look angry, with a glint in his eye that spoke of danger.

“Will-“ He began to say before being cut off.

“And you want to know what has me very confused is why you’re listening to him and others like him when you could be doing far better things, such as focusing on me and how badly I want you to fu-“

Tessa covered his mouth with her hand as Jem stepped over to him, furious. “You’re in for it now baby boy. I hope you’re proud of your outburst because you are going to get exactly what you’ve been asking for all day. If you’re going to act like a brat, we’ll treat you like one too.”

Jem was almost fuming as he looked at Will. Will was almost regretting not just biting his tongue more, but he knew that no matter what Jem chose to do it would still result in his alpha’s hands on him, and that was all he wanted. He whimpered at the thought of Jem touching him. Jem and Tessa misinterpreted it as a sign that he was sorry for his outburst.

“It’s a little too late for you to be attempting to act sorry for yourself William.” Jem hissed. “You knew exactly what would happen if you didn’t keep yourself in check, and chose to ignore it. You’ve had an attitude problem all day and it would be remiss of me to not fix that." He looked at the Clave elder, who had been insulted by Will, who was beginning to realize exactly what was going to happen. “I’m incredibly sorry for my mate’s behavior and he’s about to be as well. If you’ll excuse us for a few minutes?”

Jem grabbed Will around his elbow and left without waiting for an answer, Tessa following them in Will’s other side. Jem walked until they were by the wall, which he propped his foot up against, before using his grip on Will to throw him over his leg. Will could hear people whispering and felt eyes on him as Tessa moved to hold him in place for Jem. “I don’t know what your problem has been today, but it ends now Will. You are going to take the punishment you’ve earned, and then apologize, first to Tessa and I for your poor behavior, and then to the man you just insulted. And later, we are going to have a very long talk about your attitude in general.” Then he landed a hit on Will, square in the middle of his ass.

Jem kept swinging, not playfully spanking him like he sometimes did. Hard this time. And he kept varying where he landed them too. Will didn’t think there would be a spot on his ass that hadn’t been spanked before the night was out. It was already past the point of stinging, and he felt like his ass was on fire when Jem moved him slightly and began focusing along the area near his thighs. Will whined after one particularly hard hit that would have pushed him off of Jem’s leg if Tessa hadn’t been holding him in place. That just made Jem do it again.

By the time Jem wound down and had decided that he had been punished enough, Will was crying and thought that there would be bruises with how sore he felt. He also felt like his clothes should have burnt away with how much heat was coming off of him. Despite all of it, no matter how sore he was, he felt better. More settled than earlier, and he didn’t feel like he was going to burst out of his skin. Tessa let go of him and Jem pulled him up.

“Do you have something to say or do I have to put you back over my knee?” Jem had been staring at Will, waiting for him to start talking, but Will hadn’t spoken yet. Jem’s voice snapped Will out of his head and back into reality though.

“I’m sorry alpha. I didn’t mean to embarrass you and Tessa.” Will sounded a little...off, even to his own ears, which explained the looks that Jem and Tessa shared.

“And?” Tessa asked, moving to get a better look at his face.

“I’m sorry for being rude.” Will was sniffling at this point, having stopped crying. He felt a little out of step with reality almost, like he was in his own little world. All he could really focus on was how his body reacted to his mates touch and his mates. He might have been sore, but the places where Jem and Tessa had touched his arms and back tingled.

He tried to take a step closer to Tessa, but wound up swaying a bit instead. She and Jem grabbed his arms, pulling him into their sides. He felt Jem smell him, likely checking to make sure that he was alright. He was a good alpha. He heard them talking but couldn’t really focus on the words when he finally had them holding him properly.

“-ill. Will.” Tessa was saying. He supposed he should see what she wanted.

“Yes?” Will asked softly, wanting to know what his beautiful mate desired.

“You’re going to apologize for insulting and being rude to-“ Tessa kept talking but Will didn’t hear her, not when the heat from her and his alpha’s bodies was pressed up on his sides, making him feel cocooned between them, safe. He didn’t pay any mind to how sore he was either, it wasn’t really registering right now, nothing was besides his alphas. He felt them walk, keeping him between them, to ensure he kept the same pace as them, and maybe so he didn’t fall over, which he appreciated since his limbs felt funny.

He distantly felt himself apologizing for his behavior without really being aware of much else, before he felt his alpha let go of him and push him into Tessa completely. Then he felt her start walking them somewhere else, away from the party he thought, as the noise grew quieter. “Alpha?” He questioned, wanting to know where Jem was.

Luckily his Tessa was smart as well as beautiful and knew what he meant. “He’s making our excuses Will. You’re in no state to be there, or to be left alone. We’re going back upstairs, alright? To your nest. Where you can rest.”

“Ok. That sounds nice. Thank you alpha.” Will was happy to let his mates tell him what to do. It was nice. He didn’t have to think, he just had to do what they told him to do. He was fine with that. And curling up in his nest with his mates sounded perfect.