Teru emerged from the darkened confines of the cave. The others covered their faces as their eyes tried to adjust to the light, but Teru welcomed the pain as his pupils constricted from the early morning sun. He stepped out without hesitation, letting his brown eyes bask in nature's glory. The dense forest surrounded them.
Although he'd been awake for hours, he stretched his arms and legs as if he just woke up. It was refreshing to get out of the stuffy tunnels. Still, it was better than staying in the bomb shelters built nearby when the war began. In emergencies where vampires were suddenly in the area, they would have to hide there if the caves were too far to reach, sometimes up to a month.
Eating 150-year-old cans of peaches and beans was no joke. He had a weaker nose than most, so sometimes the ancient goop's smell would make him sick.
"You're always the first one out of the caves," an amused voice commented from behind. Lucas, his childhood best friend, came up beside him. He was an alpha. His ocean-blue eyes were also straining from being exposed to the warm light. "We were in there a little longer this time."
Two weeks ago, vampires were spotted a few miles away. Some of the spotters, the pack members whose job was to watch out for threats, had been captured, but most had returned to deliver the news. They all scrambled inside of the caves. Because the vampires were so close, the leader of their pack made the call to hide longer. If it hadn't been for the fact that they were almost out of food and water, they would've stayed longer.
Oh, and they all freaking stank like heck. It was drier than usual this season, so there hadn't been fresh water flowing below into their watering holes. Teru's black hair was greasy from not washing it.
"The vamps have been coming around here more often. I overheard we might have to move to a different cave mouth again. The Styx Pack will probably fuss about it," Teru said. Mammoth Caves had two groups living within it—the Styx Pack and Valley Pack. They were part of the Valley Pack where they have the advantage of more hiding places, but the Styx Pack had better access to the river. The leaders from long ago used these names after the tours that humans used to do for fun here. Why would anyone want to voluntarily go into the caves for FUN?
Lucas scoffed. "Styx can just suck it."
"Watch your language."
"You're not my guardian, omega."
Teru held up his middle fingers and ran ahead.
Lucas ran after him. "You're such a hypocrite!"
They raced through the thicket. While tumbling around on the forest floor, they'd nip at each other's heels during the game. Their light growls disturbed the quiet woods. When alphas play together, and apparently omegas too, their actions and games closely resembled wolf behaviors. It had been so tense recently that they couldn't help but act like pups again.
During their play, Teru whiffed Lucas's lavender scent. It was comforting, like smelling family. A brother he never had.
The fun came to an end when Teru's beta mother, Kari, stood nearby, tapping her foot on the ground. Her face was full of concern. "Please stop with the puppish games, Teru. We need to be quick and go back inside."
"Don't be so dramatic, Mom. The most dangerous thing out here is you," he joked. His mom was unbearably protective over him because of his gender. None of the other packs in the area knew of his existence. It especially worsened when his father, Rei, was taken by the vampires four years ago and was considered to be dead since blood slaves didn't last long. He was also a beta like his mother. If the alphas in the other packs saw that the Valley Pack had an omega, a young, fertile one at that, there would no doubt be a civil war to mark him and be his mate for life.
Teru hadn't experienced his first heat yet, but it wouldn't matter to the alphas.
"Haha, you're a funny one. Go to the lake and wash up. You too, Lucas. Everyone is already there. Now, what's the rule?"
He sighed. "Only wash with the betas."
She smiled. "Good boy. Go on!" Mom waved him away. She still had to retrieve their dirty clothes from the cave to wash in the river.
Lucas held his hand. "Let's go. Ya kinda smell."
Teru chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll protect you from the scary vamps."
"PFFT, I doubt it."
They arrived at the lake. The pack was separated into two groups—one side was for the betas and the other for alphas. Men and women bathed together. If someone wanted to wash privately, they could go to a more secluded spot up ahead.
Since Teru was an omega, he was always forced to wash with the betas for obvious reasons. Even though his pheromones were weak from not having a heat yet, an alpha who would approach their rut could lose their rationality from seeing him naked.
"Hey, why don't you wash with me today on the alpha side? No one is scheduled to have their rut anytime soon. You just had your 18th autumn season, so you can technically do whatever you want now," Lucas suggested. His friend turned 18 months earlier. Their close ages helped them grow close since they were the only ones born that year. It was difficult to count the exact days of one's birth, so they estimated age based on the season. Since Teru has been alive for 18 autumn seasons, he was 18 years old.
Teru thought about it. For once, he wanted to make his own decisions without the guidance of his mom or the elders. "Alright, let's do it."
Teru followed Lucas to the alpha's bathing area. Once on the sandy beach, Lucas started stripping off his grungy clothes. The alphas looked at him curiously.
"Did your mom give you permission to come here?" one of them asked.
"He's an adult. He's not a pup anymore!" another replied, splashing the questioner.
Lucas was now naked. Seeing him bare as the day he was born didn't faze Teru. They were best friends, after all, like siblings. "Are you coming?"
Teru nodded. He took everything off. Once he was nude, Teru was aware that all of the alphas were eyeing him. Their eyes zoned in on his clear skin, feminine body shape, and the overall glow of an omega. It made him self-conscious. Teru never had an issue exposing everything with the betas, but under the watchful gaze of alphas, rut or no rut...
He began to wonder if this was a mistake. "Maybe I should go—"
"It's okay, I got you," Lucas said warmly and grabbed his hand to guide him into the cool water. It was early fall, so the water was getting chillier by the day. When he was submerged, Teru scrubbed the grime from his armpits and other crevices. It felt wonderful to finally get clean.
The people around him continued their conversations.
"Yo, Teru, wanna know something I learned from my grandad?" Sawyer said. He was one of the bigger alphas in the pack whose job was to cut trees for the firepits. The guy was harmless, but then again, Teru didn't talk to him that much. The friendly talk came as a surprise.
"Like what?"
"I heard omegas only have a 10 percent chance to conceive a baby."
"I-is that so? That's interesting." Out of habit, he rubbed the birthmark on the back of his neck. While birthmarks were normally brown or red, his was white like a scar in the shape of a swirl.
Sawyer didn't notice Teru's nervous gesture. "But other types of omegas have a higher chance of conception. Did you know back in the day, there used to be omegas who could change into an actual wolf?"
This wasn't the best conversation to have while everyone was naked. Teru was growing anxious and wanted to disappear under the water. Still, he didn't want to show any disrespect towards Sawyer's grandad, who died last year from pneumonia. "What a knowledgeable guy."
"Can they give birth if they're in wolf form?" someone else piped in. "Are you going to be mates with the pack leader? It's obvious he wants you."
Lucas was getting mad. "Stop with the alpha locker room talk. Can't you see he's uncomfortable?"
They grumbled in apology.
Just then, a booming voice rang through the air. Everyone froze. "Teru! What are you doing?"
His mom held his clothes in the crook of her arm. She stood under the tree line with a horrified face.