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Betas.
The unluckiest secondary sex, the most hated and most feared. Most rare .
Both a blessing and a curse to those who are unfortunate enough to be born this way. Having both the instincts of an Alpha and an Omega, yet harboring none of the frustration of a rut or a heat. No overwhelming scent to disturb those around them, nor being overrun by hormones from the scent of those around them.
Being born a Beta was nothing to be excited about, at least not for many. For Fade, it was a miraculous blessing.
Being only one of two Betas in the protocol made her life easy mode for the most part. Undetectable by scent, she was able to slip in and out of high-security missions with ease. Not bogged down by heat or rut, she was available 24/7, 365 days a year for missions. A great asset to the team.
On the other hand, it did mean she spent a lot of her free time alone. Most Alphas tended to avoid Betas, and the same applied to the other members of the protocol. Most of the Omegas held no issue with her, aside from her rather unapproachable personality. And the nightmare-inducing powers she possessed didn’t exactly help.
This was exactly why she stood alone at the darkest end of the already dimly lit room filled with drunk agents and more food than one could feasibly eat in a month. An after-mission celebration, Brimstone had said. She was forced to attend.
Thankfully due to her powers, she was able to blend into the shadows and enjoy her solitude and spiked punch.
She observed the other agents silently, taking tiny sips of her drink. Viper, Omen, and Sova exchanged words at the farthest end of the room, sitting at one of the several decorated tables. Jett, Neon, Phoenix, and Skye danced as four to the music, Phoenix tripping over Skye several times as they fumbled around drunkenly. Yoru, Breach, and Cypher took turns placing bets on who would land on their face first of the previously mentioned trio. Astra and KAY/O were in control of the music.
It was an anxious habit to keep track of the people around her, to prevent anyone from sneaking up on her. A byproduct of too many solo operations, she always explained.
Reyna, Sage, Chamber, and Brimstone took turns refilling drinks, emptying garbage, and making sure the punch was topped off at all times. Fade rolled her eyes. Why not enjoy the stupid party instead of being mothers over it?
Her brooding was interrupted when laughter erupted from the drunken dancers, calling everyone’s attention to their group. Jett lay face down on the floor, motionless aside from her right hand raised in a thumbs up. The gamblers exchanged credits. Neon ducked away from the group, folding her arms to her chest and keeping away from them.
“Alright everyone,” Brimstone announced as KAY/O turned down the music. “It’s getting late. I think it’s time to call it a night.”
A few of the agents ‘booed’ in response. “You can all go continue your partying, but not here.”
It didn’t take long for most of the agents to clear out.
Fade stayed in her dark corner, her drink long since finished but the red plastic cup still in her hand. Astra jumped down off the stage, approaching a lone standing agent in the middle of the room. Fade narrowed her eyes as she watched Neon and Astra speak for a moment, before Neon snapped, small electric currents jumping off of her into the air. Astra pulled her hands back in a panic after attempting to comfort the distressed agent with a light touch to the arm.
Something… wasn’t right. The air felt electrified, the hairs on her arms standing up at the sudden change. Her body was slowly covered in the Nightmare as she watched Astra leave, but not before turning back a few times to glance at Neon. Then, she was hit in the face by the scent. Taking a quick to inhale, Fade tried her best to stop her eyes from watering at the overwhelming scent she was just assaulted by.
One of the blessings of being a Beta was the total avoidance of these issues; a rut.
Every few months, an Alpha goes into a rut. For an unmated Alpha, it usually went away after a day or so. Just overly aggressive behavior and a quick temper for most. Oh, and extreme horniness. But that’s a given.
Fade quickly glanced around at the empty room. At least no one was around. Of the agents in the protocol, Neon was always one of the more tolerable ones to be around. She wasn’t overly loud, or overly touchy. Not horrible to be around, generally.
Thankful again for the nth time for being a Beta, Fade let out a small sigh of relief. If she were an Omega, she would probably be a wet mess on her knees right now. If she were an Alpha, the hairs would be flying.
No, because she was a Beta she was almost completely unaffected by the scent the Alpha before her gave off. Almost .
Unfortunately for her, she did still have that Omegan desire to nurture someone in distress, no matter how much she tried to hide it. And being the only other Beta - considering Neon had just about maimed the other - she was pretty much the only one who could take care of her right now.
Mentally, as she slowly but loudly approached the Alpha, Fade went through the checklist of things she knew would help. Water, since the Alpha had consumed probably nothing but alcohol for the past six hours. A quiet room, where she could… do her business and rest.
“I didn’t mean to yell at her,” Neon whimpered out suddenly as Fade was about to speak. “I just, I just felt overwhelmed.”
“I know,” Fade gently put her hand on her shoulder, keeping a neutral look on her face as the Alpha turned to her with teary eyes. Clearly, Neon hadn’t had to worry about her rut before now, judging by the waves of anxiety wafting off of her and the tears staining her cheeks. The Beta felt a pang of sympathy in her chest.
“What do I do?” Neon cried softly, wiping away her tears with her wrist. “I feel so… angry, and,” she paused. “And I don’t know.”
“Neon,” Fade gently patted the shorter agent's head. “Let’s go back to your room. You need rest.”
The Alpha nodded, following behind Fade as they left the large party room.
As a courtesy, Fade sent out her prowlers down the halls before them to ensure a safe passage for the two. She didn’t want anything to happen that could make things worse.
The entire walk to the duelist's room she could feel the Alpha's eyes burning holes in the back of her head. She tried her best to ignore it, recalling her prowlers with a flick of her wrist as Neon unlocked her door with her keycard.
As Neon stepped in, Fade turned to leave, assuming her job was done. But a warm hand gently took hold of her forearm, Neon giving her the biggest puppy dog eyes she had ever seen. She rolled her own.
As the door clicked shut behind them, Neon sat on the end of her bed. Fade kept to the corner of the room, the shadows seeming to converge on her as she stood mostly motionless. She watched for a moment as the Alpha collected herself.
“I pushed her,” she admitted quietly.
“Who?”
“Jett. I-I didn’t mean to, and she didn’t seem to notice, but I just suddenly got really angry and shoved her,” Neon breathed shakily. “Why did I shove her?”
“Neon,” Fade sighed. “Have you never had a rut before?”
At her words, the Alpha's face grew adorably red. She picked at the end of her shirt and shook her head. Fade tapped her fingers on her own forearm, arms crossed over her chest.
“Well, congrats I guess, on your first rut,” the Beta shifted her weight between her legs subtly. “Just stay in here until it subsides, or ask one of the Omegas-“
“No!” Neon cried, startling Fade. She stared at the Alpha in shock, eyes wide. She was frozen in place by the Alphas voice.
“I can’t just ask that of someone,” Neon rubbed her arm. “It’s… embarrassing.”
“It’s natural,” Fade pointed out, walking out of her shadows to sit beside her on the bed. In hindsight, that was probably the wrong move. But as they say, hindsight is always 20/20.
As soon as she sat down, she felt the overbearing weight of the Alphas' fears. It felt like trying to run through thick mud, legs being dragged down deeper and deeper the more one moved. She didn’t really understand it, why would an Alpha be so against something in their very nature?
“Yeah but-“ Neon let out a sigh, resting her head on Fades shoulder. When did she move so close to her?
“Then, just stay in your room until it passes. Can’t exactly have you starting any fights or something with the other Alphas,” Fade laughed half-heartedly, moving to stand up and leave. “I’ll let Brimstone know what’s going on.”
Her hand touched the cold metal of the door handle, the coolness seeming to freeze her body in place.
No, no it wasn’t the cold handle that froze her. Before she could even turn around to face the owner of the hands that gripped her wrist, she was spun around with surprising speed, her back pressed against the closed door and her wrists pinned to both her sides.
“Where are you going?” The Alpha demanded, staring up at her challengingly. Fade couldn’t reply, her mouth parted slightly as she simply stared back at her. Her body felt heavy, she couldn’t move. She found herself not wanting to, either. Warmth spread through her chest, face, and even between her legs. She felt like an Omega in that instant.
After a moment, Neon's face changed and she quickly let go, turning away.
“S-sorry,” the Alpha breathed. Fade blinked a few times, letting her muscles relax.
“I get it,” she rubbed her arm again, uncomfortably hot. She could see the turmoil on the girl's face when she turned back to her.
The two looked at each other for a moment, a silent agreement passing between the two.
Without warning, her back was against the door again, her wrists pinned to her sides. A shiver ran down her spine as she felt Neon's hot breath on her neck and a leg wedge itself between her thighs. She took a sharp inhale as said leg pressed up against her harder, the shorter Alphas body pressing against hers.
When Neon looked up at her, she sheepishly looked away. She wasn’t exactly new to this sort of situation, but the intense look of desire in Neon's eyes for her made her feel incredibly shy. Even as a Beta, she guessed she wasn’t fully immune to the effects of an Alpha in a rut when it was directed toward her. Most definitely wasn’t due to anything else but that. Nope.
A warm hand cupped her cheek, gently turning her head back to face the other agent before her lips captured hers in a searing kiss.
Again, heat spread throughout her face and chest as she let out a soft noise at the intensity of the kiss, a haughty laugh escaping from between Neon's lips. The feeling of hands roaming her body caused another sound to escape her throat which she didn’t attempt to suppress.
Hands fumbled with the zipper of her vest, unzipping it and letting it fall off of her shoulders after a moment of struggling to remove it. Her shirt followed shortly after, being lifted over her head and thrown to the floor.
The cool air hit her skin and sent shivers down her spine. But the cold only lasted a moment before Neon trailed white hot kisses down her chin, down her neck, down to her chest. Her bra didn’t last long either.
Fade was no stranger to the possessiveness of an Alpha. She had seen how they behaved when another Alpha spoke to their mate or when someone threatened their family. But she had never experienced it firsthand, nor had she experienced it directed toward her. She was a Beta, after all. She couldn’t be claimed or mated as an Omega could.
But the way Neon rubbed her thigh against her crotch, and the way her hand ran hot trails down her sides, she got a small glimpse into the world of an Omega.
Her thoughts were cut off as Neon's hand roughly cupped her breast, teeth sinking into the flesh gently enough not to leave a mark, but hard enough to elicit a groan from the Beta.
The Alpha roughly teased her for a moment pinching her nipple before hooking her thumbs under the band of Fades pants and pulling them down past her knees, underwear included.
Fade felt very exposed as Neon led her toward the bed, directing her to sit. Fade watched curiously as Neon bent down to her knees, parting her legs and kissing her inner thigh.
“W-wait,” she croaked out, gently pushing Neon's face away from between her legs with her palm. The Alpha groaned but looked up at her.
“Why?” She asked, putting her hands on Fade’s knees. “You don’t want me to?”
“It’s-its not that. I’m not an Omega, nor am I another Alpha,” she put her hand back down to her side.
“Okay,” was Neon's indifferent reply. “So?”
“I-“ Fade just looked at her for a moment, watching as she barely contained herself. She herself was unbearably hot and wet, and the uncaring response she received made her chest tighten. Fade inhaled through her nose, looking to the side again and parting her legs for Neon.
She must have taken the hint as hot breath hit her core, followed by a finger sliding between her folds. Fade sucked in air through her teeth, feeling her legs close a little. But Neon kept them open with a gentle push, planting kisses against her thighs again.
“Neon,” Fade groaned, reaching with her hand to the back of Neon's head to hold her in place when she felt her run the flat of her tongue over her entrance. She gripped the back of her hair a little tighter, biting her lip as another run of her tongue sent shockwaves through her stomach.
“You taste good,” Neon hummed, glancing up at her before placing her finger on her clit. A yelp escaped Fade in response as Neon abruptly applied pressure to the bundle of nerves. “And you make the cutest noises.”
Fade's face heated up in embarrassment. Cute? No one called her cute . It was too soft of a word. She was used to ‘ terrifying’ and ‘ dangerous’ and ‘ nightmarish’ . Not cute.
Delicate fingers parted her lips, another lap of Neon's tongue over her sensitive clit and the Alpha slid two fingers inside of her. “Wow, you’re so wet.”
“Sh-shut up,” Fade gently pushed Neon's face back between her thighs and turned her head to the side again. With a chuckle, Neon pressed her tongue to her clit again, slowly pumping her fingers in and out in an agonizing rhythm.
Without warning, that slow rhythm sped up. Mercilessly, Neon pumped in and out of her and Fade let out small moans before biting her lip to keep her voice inside.
She could feel the pressure building up in her stomach like a spring. She was so close, so very close to the edge of a release. So close when Neon slowed down again.
Fade groaned in annoyance, looking down at her with confusion and desire. Why had she slowed down right then ?!
Neon stood up slightly, leaning in to capture her lips in another searing kiss that was more teeth and tongue than anything else. Her pace sped up and Fade felt her add another finger inside her. She moaned into the kiss, granting Neon access to her mouth with her tongue and earning her a taste of herself.
It didn’t take long for the pressure to build up inside her again, threatening to burst when the Alpha trailed wet kisses down her chin and neck again.
Fade tilted her head to the side, allowing Neon better access to her neck. The pressure was unbearable now, her legs closing slightly as Neon continued to thrust her fingers deep inside of her, pulling them out and then pumping them back into her knuckles. The pressure built with each thrust, leaving her panting and feeling like her eyes might roll to the back of her head.
Her teeth clamped down on her shoulder, right above her pulse. She would have let out a yelp if it weren’t for those talented fingers bringing her to release.
Fade came, riding out her release on Neon's fingers as the Alpha slowed her pace down, gently kissing the mark she left behind.
Fade let herself fall to her back, panting heavily as she stared at the ceiling for a moment, just basking in the afterglow of her orgasm.
She lifted herself back up to see Neon peering at her curiously from between her legs, her hands resting on her knees.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Fade huffed indignantly.
“Like what?”
“Like, that .”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Neon smirked.
“I’ll wipe that stupid grin off of your face,” Fade threatened with a red face.
“Mhm sure sure,” Neon stood then, examining her hand before gathering Fade's clothes for her.
Fade watched her for a moment, running a hand over her bruising neck. She hadn’t claimed her, but she did certainly leave a mark - and probably her scent - on her.
When Neon offered her clothes to her, Fade took them and put them down on her lap.
“I uh,” Neon rubbed her hands together. “Thanks for that.”
“Don’t mention it,” Fade replied with a soft smile and started to dress. “Next time, you should be more careful.”
“I will.”
Fade touched the handle of the door. “And, you’d be better off choosing an Omega to claim.”
She opened the door, not turning around when Neon mumbled something out that she could barely hear, and closed the door behind her.