I had a love-hate relationship with rain, and it was mostly hatred. I appreciated the rain for bringing me Tsuki- but not damaged and unconscious for three days. And the only good thing about the rain was that bittersweet fortune.

Rain was annoying. Loud, wet, and the scent of it was too strong, especially when I was hunting a rogue, heartbroken omega. The rain was washing the traces of his intoxicating scent faster than I could follow it. I found myself backtracking several times through town to find a whiff of scent which led me in completely different directions than I’d thought to go in. Tsuki didn’t know the town, and it was clear in his wild weaving until it came to the border of the buildings.

I didn’t have to be even slightly intelligent to know an upset wolf would have made a mad run for the trees.

It was a little easier to track his scent in the forest. The lush foliage protected the ground from the rain, and the trees had built a thick enough canopy that what had been significant rain was a soft drizzle. With Tsuki more intent on escape than concealing his tracks, it was easy to track him there. I could even tell where he began to slow- and could guess it was because thunder was rumbling, and he’d told me how much he hated it.

I couldn’t judge how much time passed, but it had to be at least an hour before I finally found him. The forest was drowning in his scent; it took an amount of restraint I didn’t know I had to keep myself thinking clearly. My instincts were screaming to roll over, to bare my throat, and none of them made any sense because Tsuki was just an omega. Omegas were important, females treated like queens, but they didn’t demand respect as a child of the stars did.

This was different. Tsuki was different. Was this why Alyx had wanted to save him?

I shook that thought from my head, slowly approaching the fallen tree where the scent was strongest. A soft growl emanated from the hollow between the tree and the cliff where it rested against; it froze me in place, ears perked up and one paw raised.

Tsuki? I cast my mental voice out, accompanying it with a soft whine.

I was met by silence, the air thick with it. Go away. The response I finally received was flat, dejected, and my heart ached.

I won’t. Taking the renewed silence as approval, I padded closer. Tsuki’s growl sounded again, deeper and louder, but I ignored it along with my trembling instincts. I’m here to help, I promise.

I don’t need help. Something rustled, and a few steps further had me close enough to see what; Tsuki had curled in on himself, wrapped in a tight ball with his tail covering his eyes. With his white fur pasted to his skin from the rain, he looked small and a pathetic.

The urge to protect surged with new strength, and I battled the instinct to drag him home by his scruff if I had to. Fine. Then I’m at least going to keep you company. I know how much you hate thunderstorms.

Viktor… Tsuki’s tail twitched enough for me to see the blazing silver of his eyes, which glowed slightly in the dim near darkness of the forest.

He hadn’t said no, and that was all the permission I needed to force my larger frame under the fallen tree. We were in close quarters, because I was much bigger than Tsuki, but I managed to squeeze myself in and curl up around him. It should have been awkward. Kissing was one thing, but cuddling close to a vulnerable omega as he shivered with each clap of thunder was different- intimate at a deeper level. And it was strangely pleasant.

We stayed in silence for a long while. The storm only grew worse, the wind blowing the rain sideways into our shelter every so often. Though I tried to protect him, Tsuki took the brunt of it, and I worried about him. Despite the chill, his shivering lessened the longer I stayed with him. Though I might have been narcissistic to think it was my presence which calmed him.

Eventually, he untucked his paws from under his muzzle and stretched out a little, resting his weight against me. Knowing he was comfortable gave me more freedom. I lowered my head so my nose was next to his ear and huffed hard, knowing the heavy breath of air would irritate him. Tsuki predictably shook his head, giving me an evil look; his paw smacked against the side of my head, a playful reproach. With his ears perking up and his eyes lighter, I thought I might have helped.

Then his head drooped again, and my heart fell- only to sing when I heard the soft sound of his mental voice as he reached out to me. I’m pathetic, aren’t I? So useless even my father wishes I wasn’t born.

I winced, remembering Ian’s words and realizing how Tsuki had taken them. I don’t think that’s what he meant. He was just angry at Haruka, he wasn’t thinking about what he was saying.

Haruka… Tsuki shook his head sharply, before pawing at his muzzle and ears in an irritated motion. Haruka is my mother. My mother is alive. The things she said- were they true?

I held my silence, considering the answer. Some of them. But I think that’s a conversation you need to have with Ian and Haruka. I only know what Alyx told me.

Tsuki huffed out a breath, dropping his head down on his paws and glaring daggers at the rain. Neither of us spoke while he worked on making sense of the things he had learned. I understood it had to be hard on him; he’d told me how much he loved and relied on his father, so being told their relationship was built on lies was a tough blow. It was going to take time for him to come to terms with it, and I was more than okay with letting him have it.

Viktor? He surprised me that time, because he hadn’t moved or showed any signs of coming out of his thoughts.

I shifted to get a better look at him, melting when I saw how his ears were nearly pressed against his head. Yes?

I’m cold. It was a little childish, sad and lonely, and I suspected he was commenting on more than just the temperature.

My answer should have been to take him back to Alyx’s house, but I wasn’t thinking logically. I was being selfish, giving in to my wolf’s need to protect him, and my own desire to be close. My house is close to here. Do you want to spend the night?

Can I? He perked up again, an eager light to his eyes. Is that really okay?

I wished I could have smiled at him; the best I could do was nuzzle against him, daring a comforting lick under his ear. Of course. I’ll keep you safe.

Tsuki simply watched me for a few seconds, and I had a funny feeling he would be blushing if he weren’t covered in fur. Okay then. Thank you. The last words came slowly, as if he struggled with them, and he proceeded to bury his face against my chest.

I rumbled a warm sound, as close to a laugh as I could get while in my wolf’s form. Trust me, it’s my pleasure. My head dipped down to rest on top of his, and Tsuki wiggled so that our bodies were curved into each other’s. His breathing was unsteady for the first few moments, before it settled to match my own, peaceful and even.

It was so comfortable that I let it be for a while. It wasn’t as if I particularly wanted to move, to give up that moment with the sweet omega curled up to me; like many moments with him, it was something I could get used to. Something I feared I could very quickly fall in love with.

That thought had to be headed off, because the last thing I wanted was for any of my feelings to influence any of the hard decisions which were coming for Tsuki. I bumped my head against him, nipping at his ear when he didn’t move. He had the nerve to look annoyed when he raised his head to look at me while I spoke. You know we have to move if you want to go home with me, right?

You didn’t have to say it like that! You make it sound like- god, you’re so- Tsuki gave up, obviously flustered as he tried to get away from me. It took a little bit of uncoordinated flailing, and I took a kick to the stomach which made me wince, but he was standing free in the forest when I regained my breath.

I was lost again for a moment. There was something beautiful about the pure white wolf he had taken the form of. The color wasn’t something I had seen before- I hadn’t even known it was possible. As far as I had been taught omegas were always grey, just as alphas were red and betas were black. And yet here stood an impossible white wolf, staring at me with his head cocked slightly to the side and the rain already working to slick down his fur again.

Are you coming? I can’t find my way back on my own. Or did you want me to get lost? Tsuki’s tone was teasing and a little exasperated; he’d gotten used to me and Alyx getting lost in him, so it wasn’t anything new.

I gave my head a sharp shake, trying to collect myself, and rolled to my feet. Tsuki huffed, turning away from the graceful way I got out from under the tree as if I’d only done it to insult him. He growled at me, letting me know I was irritating, before pacing farther into the trees. He paused after a few steps, and I couldn’t help stopping to appreciate the view as he raised his head, nose lifted in the air as he breathed in the scent of the forest around us, one paw raised slightly off the ground for no reason other than that it made him that much more enchanting.

He was beautiful. Enchanting, amusing, and sometimes frustrating- more than I ever could have expected from the bullied omega Alyx had sent me to investigate. He’d been attractive even then, but had only become more appealing the longer he spent with us. God only knew what would happen if he stayed, which had seemed likely until Ian and Haruka destroyed the peace. I hoped it could be fixed, that we could make him happy again.

Because I wanted him to stay. To stay here, in the pack, by my side- and that was a sudden, crashing realization. I wanted him, and I would do everything in my power to convince him to stay. Little by little, step by step, I wanted to win him over. Kissing him before had been on a whim, because he’d been to close and his scent had been sharpened by fear. Now, though? I was a child of the stars who saw something he wanted, and we didn’t give easily.

Viktor! Tsuki was loud, and I had the shameful suspicion it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to catch my attention; he was right in my face, amused more than irritated, thank god. Today? I hate the rain.

My heart swelled, and I would have been grinning like an idiot if I had a mouth that could do it, so I was intensely grateful for my wolf. Sorry. Let’s get you someplace warm.

Finally, Tsuki huffed, pushing his weight against me in playful reproach before he waited patiently for me to find the will to move. When I did, he was right where I wanted him- by my side, keeping pace with me, our fur brushing as we walked together.

And that was definitely something I could get used to.