Chapter 1: Wild Inheritance
Chapter Text
The wind had a chill today.
Even though the leaves were still green and the forest still full of life, Kid instinctually knew that this was probably the beginning of the lean season. His ear twitched as he heard a distinct whistle from a tree near him; a long, low note.
Careful not to get his horns caught in the branches, he peeked out of the tree he’d situated himself in and slowly brings his binoculars up to his eyes.
Just in the distance there was a meadow and they’d been waiting for an animal big enough to feed their group to wander into it. It was a doe. Closer inspection revealed two fawns were with it. Kid whistled a short note, asking for patience. Past experience taught him that it was wise to leave the mothers be. Better for the fawns be given the chance to grow up and become a bigger meal than the meager one they’d provide now.
He'd really prefer something big, like a wild boar or moose, but it was hard to keep meat fresh when electricity was difficult to manufacture. A few of his group were working to get a farm, or at least a greenhouse, up and running with what seeds they can find from the abandoned grocery stores.
His spotted tail flicked in frustration as the minutes ticked by while he sat in the tree, watching that field. He settled against the trunk and crossed his arms. Kid hardly had any patience prior to civilization’s collapse and he didn’t have any now. The longer they were out here, the more the sun crossed the sky towards its intended goal.
The night was dangerous.
Even with his enhanced senses, it was dangerous. It would be harder to distinguish human from predator. Especially the Mimics and Hunters.
Another long whistle stopped his train of thought and he peeked at the field again. A stag this time and Kid’s suspicion about the changing seasons is confirmed when he sees the bloody mess of the stag’s antlers.
Kid lets out a few short whistles to confirm his intentions and carefully climbs down the tree. Just before he makes the last jump down, he glances around his surroundings with caution.
All is quiet, all is still. Nothing suggests that any unsavory company has been around recently and Kid hesitantly jumps to the ground.
He grabs his bag and crossbow then begins to make his way to the meadow. Now and again, he catches glimpses of Killer’s long, golden hair through the forest. Sometimes, Kid wished his friend would cut his hair, it was like a bright yellow indicator of where he was.
Killer said it was the principle of the matter. Matter of what, Kid did not know.
Together they picked their way through the forest, taking care to not disturb the silence. When they finally reach the meadow, the doe and her fawns have left but thankfully the stag is still there.
Kid watched the stag, studying it for any signs of the virus; no doubt Killer was too. It wasn’t known if eating infected meat would cause the transformation but neither man was willing to risk the health of their group.
Minutes passed and with the stag not displaying any symptoms, Kid’s tail flicked silently. He knew Killer was watching for his signal. The redhead loaded his crossbow as quietly as possible and took aim.
He didn’t have to wait long as Killer snapped a twig on purpose, which caused the stag to look up in alert. Kid took the shot as soon as possible and thankfully his aim was true, the bolt lodging itself into the stag’s ribs just under a forelimb.
Unfortunately, that didn’t kill the animal and the stag made a ran for it. Kid frowned in frustration, resigning himself to tracking the animal.
He met Killer’s eyes as he silently emerged from his hiding place. The blonde shrugged, conveying “It happens.”
Kid’s nose wrinkled and rolled his eyes, his frustration palpable as the sun dipped further in the sky.
Killer shook his head at the Alpha and approached where the stag was standing. Kid followed suit and nodded with approval that the ground was still wet enough from the recent rain to create perfect tracks.
The stag didn’t get very far before it collapsed, alive but panting since Kid’s bolt pierced a lung. Unwilling to let the animal suffer any longer, Kid swiftly drew his knife and stabbed the heart. The men jolted when the stag let out a dying call before going still.
They stayed motionless as they listened to the forest, their nerves on high alert. Minutes pass before Kid and Killer share a look and quickly get the stag prepared. Staunching the bleeding and wrapping up the antlers so they don’t get caught on anything.
They move through the trees with anxious speed, the smell of death no doubt attracting predators and the undead. Even though they made haste, they were careful to be as silent as they could.
That is until, they crossed the shallow part of the river and Kid immediately caught the sweet scent of an unmarked Omega.
He stumbled, nearly dropping his end of the stag. He vaguely heard Killer swear but Kid hardly cared. It felt like something inside him had been returned to him. Something he didn’t know he was missing.
A harsh shove from Killer snapped him out of his trance-like state and he looked back at his friend. His ear twitched with irritation as Killer gave him a look, nothing suggesting that Killer had felt the same thing he did from the scent.
Kid breathed in that sweet scent one last time before he started leading Killer towards the cabins.
Chapter 2: Footprints Followed by Shadows
Chapter Text
Sleep was eluding him.
Kid tossed and turned in bed, tangling his feet in the sheets and blankets as he tried to get some rest. His thoughts chased themselves in his mind, centered around one thing.
That Omega’s scent.
He could still smell it. Soft vanilla mixed with a sharp citrus. So different and yet… it felt right to him.
Before the collapse he’d often been told he smelled like car grease and oil no matter how much, or thoroughly, he showered. According to the Omegas of his group, he still smells like an old car but it’s mixed with the sharp scent of salt, like the ocean, and some sort of berry.
The young Alpha finally sat up and looked out the window, his eyes drawn to the fence around the perimeter of the camping ground. It was a shoulder-height iron wrought fence embedded in concrete, with spikes and barbed wire wrapped around the top.
Kid wished he could take credit for how well made it was, but that honor went to the previous inhabitants of this place. When the outbreak was first being reported they must’ve fortified this place with the best solutions. He wasn’t sure why the campground was abandoned; they had plenty of water with the nearby river and the forest was filled with life.
Realistically they had everything they needed to survive but when Kid and his group came upon this place there were no signs of human activity.
His brows furrowed as he stared outside. Kid couldn’t explain it but it felt like something was calling to him.
He needed to find something.
No, Kid thought with a start, someone.
Slowly getting up from his bed, he walked over to the window and put his hand on the glass. He knew for a fact that Omega was out there, beyond the fence. He didn’t know why but his instincts, the new ones anyway, were screaming at him to find this Omega. Find them. And protect them.
He rolled his shoulders, muscles tense, before he made up his mind. With a hurried rush, he grabbed his boots and coat.
The chill in the air was more prominent now that the sun was gone and his tail lashed with the idea of the oncoming winter. He glanced quickly at the moon and noted it was just a tiny little sliver of a crescent. Halfway through the month then, he deduced the new moon would be within the next day or two.
Swiftly making his way through the campground, he could hear crickets and the telltale signs of the various people in his group sound asleep in their respective cabins.
Heat was talking in his sleep; about how if you peel back the bark on trees it’ll taste like human flesh. Something cursed like that.
There was a rhythmic thumping noise as he passed by Bubblegum, Reck, and Compo’s cabin. No doubt Bubblegum was sleep-walking again, bumping into walls.
Kid could see the front gate and his pace unconsciously sped up; his heart started to race. He didn’t understand why it was so important to him to find this Omega. He wanted to know why he felt the way he did earlier. Why it felt like a piece of himself had been returned.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Killer’s deep voice cut through the night air, stopping Kid in his tracks.
His amber gaze looked over to the tree just inside the fence, it had a reinforced hunting platform far off the ground; allowing the person on the platform a wide view of the surrounding area. Kid could see Killer’s bright, blonde hair stand out in the dark shade that the tree sub-canopy provided.
Having been caught off-guard by the question, Kid blurted out “No where!” It was a weak defense, and Kid knew it. He could feel Killer’s judging eyes and it made Kid’s ears pin themselves against his skull.
“Kid-”
“I know, I know. Don’t go outside the fence at night. I know, Killer.”
“Do you though?” Killer questioned his friend as he hopped down from the platform with grace.
Kid was starting to get annoyed, “Yes.” He said through gritted teeth, his eyes flicking to the forest just outside the fence. His tail flicked restlessly back and forth as his instincts were screaming at him. Find that Omega. Find them.
Killer’s sigh drew Kid back to the conversation, “Is this about that Omega you smelled earlier? Kid, you don’t even know if they’re still alive or not.”
“They are.”
“How do you know that?”
“I…” Kid’s voice trailed off as his eyes were drawn back to the forest. He stared at the towering trees for a long moment, thinking about Killer’s question. Truthfully, he didn’t know if the Omega was still alive, but something told him they were.
“I don’t know, I just…” His hand came up to rub his sternum, in a self-soothing gesture he’s never done before. “I feel it.”
Killer watched his friend carefully with an unreadable expression, “Why is this important to you? It’s just an Omega.”
“She’s not just an Omega, Killer.”
“She?”
Kid blinked in surprise, wondering where that came from. How did he know the Omega was a woman?
“Kid you’re acting weird, you ought to stay here and let House look you over.”
“I can’t.”
“And why not?” Killer pressed, trying to understand why Kid was being so strange.
Kid’s hands came up to run through his fiery red hair, taking care to avoid his horns, “I don’t know. I just- I don’t think she’ll still be in the area if I wait.”
Killer crossed his arms, clearly not satisfied with that answer. Kid didn’t know what else to say to him. He did know one thing, though.
“Killer, it doesn’t matter what you say. I’m going to look for her.”
His friend let out a long sigh and uncrossed his arms to put his hands on his hips, “I know. Let me guess, you want to go alone?”
Kid nodded, almost solemnly.
“Fine. Just be careful, there’s not enough moonlight for you to see.”
He wanted to protest against Killer’s mothering but the words died on his tongue. Kid knew Killer was right, anything could happen beyond the fence.
“I will.”
Chapter 3: A Fated Gamble
Chapter Text
The sound of crickets chirping and an owl hooting in the distance served to calm Kid’s nerves as he moved with purpose through the forest. He didn’t precisely know where he was going, he was far off the trail by now. He was just following the scent from earlier by the riverside.
God, he felt stupid on some level; leaving the safety of the base to follow a scent from an Omega he didn’t even know.
One thing he did know is that this Omega did not want to be found.
Kid was sure he had passed by that particular tree at least three times now. A growl rumbled low in his throat and his tail lashed back and forth out of frustration. Part of him wanted to say fuck it and go back to the base, where it was safe.
But he couldn’t get his feet to move in that direction. Rolling his eyes with a huff, Kid resumed his walk through the forest.
Periodically he’d look up through the canopy to see the slit of the moon and judge what time it was; past midnight at this point.
Kid was totally turned around by now and that wasn’t good. It was one thing to be wandering around the forest at night within well-known territory and another to not know where you are.
As he stared up at the sky to try and figure out which way the base was by calculating the position of the stars, he realized that it was quiet.
Too quiet.
His hair stood on end as past experience told him that meant a big predator was in the area. His eyes darted around in the darkness, desperately trying to see what it was that had the whole forest holding its breath.
He turned his head just in time to see a mouth with rotting, yellow teeth opened wide to take a bite out of his face.
“Fuck!” He cursed loudly as his hands came up to grasp the Hider’s shoulders just before those teeth latched onto his face. The Hider groaned and its hands grabbed his arms, the long-chipped nails digging into Kid’s skin like claws.
Kid’s knees buckled under the strength of the Hider as it forced him to the ground. He kicked its legs out from underneath the undead but the thing brought Kid down with it.
He had to get away. If he got pinned beneath the Hider he wouldn’t last long.
The undead’s nails dug deeper into the skin of his arms as it struggled with Kid on the ground, all the while snapping its jaws and drooling hungrily. Looking into the Hider’s cloudy eye, Kid could only think one thing: This is it. This is how I die.
As the Hider slowly overpowered him there was a quiet thunk! And the Hider ceased all movement, going limp on top of Kid.
He wasted no time scrambling away from the undead, breathing heavily as his heart raced with terror. He didn’t have time to examine the body before a stick hit him on the head. He turned to find the source when another stick beaned him on the forehead.
“Get up here before you attract more of those things!”
Kid’s eyes darted up a nearby tree where he could just barely make out two glowing eyes in the darkness. He didn’t need to be told twice and quickly climbed up the tree until he was on the same level as the person who had saved him.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
The panic slowly faded and his rational thought returned, along with his sense of smell. He looked at the person who had saved him with a jolt. Soft vanilla with sharp notes of citrus.
“You! I’ve been trying-“
“Shh!” Those glowing eyes fixed him with a hard stare and speaking in a low, hushed tone, “You’re making too much noise. If you thought that Camouphage was the least of your worries then you got another thing coming; there’s a pack of Relencesant nearby.”
Kid blinked at her confusedly but took her cue and lowered his voice, “I’m sorry what? What the fuck did you call them?”
What little he could see of her, her head tilted inquisitively; as if regarding a small, stupid child. “Camouphage and Relencesant? Camouphage comes from ‘camouflage’ and ‘phage’ which is the Greek word for devour. Relencesant is relentless and incessant.”
“Thanks for the vocabulary lesson, which types are you talking about?”
The nameless Omega was quiet for a moment before she answered, “Well the Camouphages are the ones that use ambush tactics; like the one that nearly bit your face off just now.”
The explanation clicked for Kid, “You mean the Hiders?”
“If that’s what you call them, then yes.”
“What the fuck is a Relentl- re- relen…” He paused, trying to mitigate the frustration of unable to pronounce the word, “whatever the fuck you said.”
“Relencesant. They’re the ones that hunt in packs, the pursuit predators.”
“The Chasers. Got it.”
“Sure, whatever.”
A spike of irritation as she brushed him off, a low growl rumbling in his chest that was abruptly cut off when he felt something furry slapping his thigh; her tail he assumed. Again, she fixed him with that hard stare with glowing eyes.
“You’re going to attract something if you keep making so much noise.”
Kid felt his ears pinning themselves against his head and he stuck his tongue out at her like a child.
Then he felt something cold and sharp resting on his tongue and every muscle in his body tensed with alarm; recognizing the tip of an arrow.
“If you’re going to be a child then I’m going to treat you like one.”
As soon as the cold arrow tip was off his tongue he fired off two questions, “Who the fuck are you and how the fuck can you see?”
“That’s rude; demanding a woman’s name without offering your own.”
“You’re expecting chivalry? In this climate?”
He heard a snort coming from her, no doubt a stifled laugh and some inexplicable part of him preened from hearing the sound.
“Fair point, I’m Mandi.”
“Kid.”
“I’m 28, not a child.”
“No, my name is Kid.”
“Like Captain William Kidd?”
“Who?”
“He was a Scottish pirate captain in the 17th century.”
Kid was quiet for a long, awkward moment; unsure of how to respond to that. Instead, he repeated his other question, “So uh… how can you see? New moon is in a few days and I can’t see a damn thing.”
“The virus gave me wolf features, one of those is being able to see in the dark. I’m guessing you’re some kind of bovine?”
“Fighting bull.”
“I can see it.”
“The fuck does that mean? I literally told you what I am.”
“Calm down cowboy, I’m just ribbing.”
Kid’s eyes narrowed at the nickname, his spotted tail flicking irritably.
“So, what’re you doing outside the fence?”
Her question caught him off guard and he was at a loss for words for a moment; why was he here? He felt embarrassment rising up in him, he came out here on a feeling- a whim! Granted he was still feeling those things; this inexplicable connection to this unknown Omega. It left him feeling raw and exposed; something he hadn’t felt since Victoria.
He had to take a chance.
“Do… do you not feel it?”
Jericho_andromeda_winters on Chapter 1 Sat 09 Nov 2024 06:00AM UTC
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WolfAuthor on Chapter 1 Sat 09 Nov 2024 02:31PM UTC
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