Chapter Text
It has been nearly a hundred years since nuclear war wiped out all life on earth. Fortunately, a small portion of the population survived by coming together, pooling their resources to create what is now known as The Ark. Originally, The Ark was the product of the combination of every operational space station at the time of the bombs, a merging of the world’s technology, ingenuity, and people. Over the years The Ark has grown and developed far beyond its initial hasty construction. As the remainder of the human population settled in their new way of life The Ark was expanded upon, new rules and regulations were put into place, and with the passing of the older generations the old ways too began to fade. As life between Alphas, Betas, and Omegas became strained the balances of power shifted.
In the new world, created out of necessity, the classes became more separated than ever before. Alphas had always been the strongest, but now they were the upper class, the sole leaders, the privileged. There may have been less of them but several generations of relying on blockers and suppressants had left the wolves more distant and less compassionate than ever before, protective nature gave way to a desire for power and control. Omegas, on the opposite side of the spectrum, were treated like shit. Omegas had always been the more docile, the compassionate, the caretakers. Now they were hardly even treated as proper members of the community, expected to breed, care for the young, or be out of sight. The Betas had it slightly better, they were the solid middle class. Once soldiers, overseers, officers, regarded for their grit and determination. Now reduced to grunt work and general overseeing of The Ark’s production and welfare. They were rarely given positions of power and not held to the same standard as the Alpha's. As the majority of the population, Betas made up the bulk of The Ark’s manufacturing, security, and maintenance. In terms of numbers they had a three to one ratio over the Omegas and nearly a ten to one over the Alphas.
Now all of this wasn't to say that life was completely horrible. There was a system, and for the most part it worked. Alphas were the leaders and the decision makers, Betas were the peacekeepers, guards, and workers, and the Omegas were the breeders, nurses, and teachers. All played their part.
The population was one of the strictest issues aboard The Ark and pregnancies, while praised and honored, were monitored closely and limited to just one pup per woman. Expecting mothers were also required to remain under constant surveillance and care during their third trimesters. The growing babies were too weak to handle the suppressants, a truth discovered at great loss, but a mistake that would not be repeated. Thus, expecting mothers had to go off their suppressants while pregnant. There were other, less aggressive, methods used to keep the women calm and docile, but these methods were not as effective and could often result in volatile and/or harmful behavior. The breeding laws were very strict, and ignoring or subverting them in any way was a capital offense, often resulting in not only the death of the parents but also of the second child. Though a crime of this nature had not been recorded for nearly twenty-five years.
The suppressants, standard medical requirements for all Arkers, also served another purpose. While it was naturally possible for Alphas to sire children with Betas, Omegas, and other Alphas, the suppressants made sure that an Alpha couple would never be able to bear a child. So, as Omegas naturally did not breed with each other, that left every pup born on the Ark the offspring of either an Alpha/Beta, Alpha/Omega, Beta/Beta, or Beta/Omega pair. These strict breeding regulations also made sure that the majority of offspring were born either Betas or Omegas. Omegas were preferable as, once the Arkers returned to the ground, it would be the Omegas that would be essential for repopulation.
Then there were the soul mates. Soul mates were those individuals that were born as part of a whole. While it was not particularly uncommon to not have a soul mate, the majority of people did; an unexplainable link, someone with whom they were destined to share their lives. Rarer were those with two soul mates, three people linked by fate. Three entwined souls were usually the most that was seen. However, in extremely rare cases, individuals had been known to be born as one of four. The number of soul mates a person had were identified by their soul marks. Birth markings that were imprinted upon the skin, akin to tattoos. These marks were dark reddish-black in color and served as a direct tie to one's mate, or mates.
A soul mate could be anyone of any class. However, soul mates were rare between two Alphas and almost as rare between two Omegas. One such pair of soul mated Alphas were Abby and Jake Griffin. Each leaders in their own respect they, like every Alpha, held positions of high-authority aboard the Ark. They had found each other young, and grown to love one another romantically in their later teen years, growing and rising through the ranks together. Yet, despite their success and happiness, they had recently been harboring feelings of something missing. Eventually their discussions had led to the realization that what they were missing was a family. Abby’s parents had died a few years back, many of the first Ark-Born generation had found their lifespans cut short. Jake’s own father had died when he was only a baby, one of the many to have been found with extremely high levels of radiation in their systems. Jake’s mother, Seyna, still lived; but of course, neither Jake nor Abby had any siblings. So it was that they came to the decision that it was time to expand their small family.
Their decision made, passion flared, and the pair had instinctually been more active at night. Falling in love with the idea of a child, falling more deeply in love with each other. Abby had even submitted the form and abstained from her last suppressant shot, just in case. They both knew that, due to the suppressants, their activities, while enjoyable, could only be fruitless. It would take a lot more than one missed month for a union such as theirs to take hold. This certainty was why the pregnancy came as such a shock.
It was early evening, the day before Abby and Jake planned on making their visit to the breeding program to sign up for adoption. The pair were sitting in Seyna’s living room, the three of them drinking tea and discussing the decision to expand the family. They had only told Seyna a few days ago, yet, ever since, Jake’s mother had been pestering them to do things the natural way. Seyna had been one of the last children born before the introduction of the suppressants, one of the last Alpha’s on board to have had two alpha parents. Abby had tried to explain how minute the chances were of her and Jake conceiving naturally, but the woman was having none of it. Initially they had told her because they had been planning to sign up for adoption that same day, but she had made such a fuss that they had agreed to wait another week. So it was that they were now seated in her living room, Senya shaking her head as she told them about how important the bloodline was, and how they couldn’t give up on a child of their own. Abby was having to bite her tongue as her and Jake’s earlier instances that an adopted child WAS a child of their own had only fallen on deaf ears. Senya was mid-sentence, something about her grandfather having been a powerful Alpha and his blood running through her veins, through her son’s veins. But her words broke off, her animated features turned to a frown and she lunged forwards, closing the gap between her armchair and the couch faster than Abby would’ve thought possible for the fifty year old woman. Seyna was at Abby’s side in a moment, her hands then her cheek pressed to Abby’s stomach. Abby jumped, pressing into the couch as Jake moved, though he seemed unsure of how or what to do. Abby sat, tense against the couch cushions, as her mother-in-law pressed against her, a single finger raised. When Seyna pulled away she was smiling ear to ear, her previous hostility and tension completely gone.
“You are pregnant!”
The declaration had been met with confusion and skepticism. Abby had frowned, her disbelief and perhaps some of her distaste showing. She loved Seyna, like a second mother, but she could be stifling at times, overbearing and, in Abby’s opinion, a bit full of herself. Did this woman just think that her hopes and prayers could override the near-certainty of modern medicine? She looked down at the intensity in Seyna’s eyes and sighed, a stupid question. Abby felt her heart flutter, the rhythm jumping. Could she let herself hope?
Twenty minutes later Abby walked out of her bathroom into her and Jake’s own living room. She held a pregnancy test loosely between her fingers. It was actually the third she had taken in the last ten minutes. And they had all read the same.
“I’m pregnant.”
Abby couldn’t even be upset at the half-smug grin on Seyna’s face.
“We’re having a baby…” Jake sounded as dumbfounded as Abby felt. Then Abby was in his arms, the pair of soon-to-be parents staring down at the positive blood test. Her mate grinned and ran a hand down through his short brown hair.
“We’re having a baby!” He laughs. It was all they had ever wanted, more than they could have hoped for. They had celebrated with Seyna for a bit before she had left, giving them space. The rest of the evening had passed in a blur and she and Jake had fallen asleep in each other's arms. It wasn't until the next morning that reality set in.
Their pregnancy was a miracle, a wonderful, amazing, beautiful expression of life finding a way. It was also potentially against the law. In the end they decided that they would have to tell Jaha. Jaha was Chancellor of The Ark, had significant sway when legal gray areas surfaced, and was also an old friend of the family. Their best course was to go directly to him, get him on their side, then together they could argue their case to the rest of the council. They’d have to convince them that one Alpha/Alpha birth would be far from the end of the world. Their pup would likely be an Alpha, the first child of an Alpha pair in decades. But Alpha offspring were kept to a minimum, not outright banned. Alpha and Beta pairs sired Alphas nearly a quarter of the time. The board would be hesitant, they knew, fearful and prideful. Abby and Jake could only hope that their pride would be a stronger pull than their fear. For what had they to fear from one little pup?
9 Months later:
“Push dear, you have to push.”
“You're doing wonderfully Honey.”
“You're almost there Dr. Griffin, one last push.”
Then, just like that, Jake was holding his beautiful baby daughter in his arms. He took but a moment to admire her before a nurse approached with a blanket and aided him in swaddling her into a tight bundle. Jake then lowered his pup down so that she was now resting in his mate's arms; he smiled down at his daughter, wrapping an arm around his mate. It was the happiest moment he could ever remember experiencing.
The nurse walked over with a clipboard and finished scribbling something down, “she appears to have two soul-marks already.”
It was then that Abby and Jake remembered to look for the words that marked their daughter. Moving the bundled blanket carefully they uncovered the first tattoo-like mark. Scrawled diagonally across her left shoulder blade and glowing a faint blue were the words “Wanheda, den chit yu don sad in? Laik yu lukot o veida gon twel kru?” “Wanheda, you have your decision? Are you friend or enemy to the twelve clans?”
Jake looked between the strange words and his frowning wife, his own brow furrowing. What language was that? What did it mean? Abby just shook her head shrugging, and Jake proceeded to put the matter aside for the moment in favor of searching instead for their daughter's second soul mark. It didn't take long for Abby to find it on her right butt cheek just below her hip, it too had a slight bluish tinge and read: “The hell you do that for? I didn't need any help.”
His mother had, at some point, gotten up from the large chair at the edge of the room, because she was now at his side, hovering over her granddaughter. She smiled widely, reaching down to place a hand against the baby’s chest. Jake watched as they both closed their eyes a moment before his daughter’s fluttered open again and his mother pulled away.
“Such vigor, she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
His mother was smiling widely, her hand now resting at his daughter’s leg. Jake shared a glance with his wife. He had long given up on trying to solve his mother’s cryptic words and mystical shows of mystery. But, unlike Abby, he was not entirely convinced it was all a hoax or in her head. She’d always seemed to sense things, about him, about his father, about the world around her. He took a deep breath. Looking back and forth between his daughter, his wife, his mother, Jake smiled; he realized that he didn't much care which language the first mark was written in, nor what her future might hold, all that mattered was that their daughter would be surrounded by people that loved her.
“Is it bad that she isn't crying?”
There was concern in Abby’s voice and Jake frowned, bringing a hand to his daughter’s face, gently cupping her cheek and gazing into her wide, blue eyes. The nurse responded quickly, shaking her head and coming up behind Abby, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. “No no, it happens occasionally, though it does most likely indicate that your daughter is an Alpha. Do you have a name picked out?”
“Means she’s strong.” Seyna gave her granddaughter’s leg a soft shake.
Jake smiled widely as he stared down at the new life he and Abby had brought into the world. He gently cupped his hand over his daughter's light blonde curls. Turning his gaze briefly to his mate he nodded, “her name is Clarke.”
Six Months Later
Clarke had been teething and, despite still having a few years to go, it wouldn't be too much longer before her wolf traits began to show, before she would need to be started on suppressants. The ever improving medication was administered starting at around six or seven years of age depending on the pup, and they were used to keep nearly every part of the wolf contained. The bouts of rage and animalistic tendencies were now all but non-existent on the Ark, barring a few extenuating circumstances with pregnant women off the meds and near the ends of their terms. But even these were minimal and subdued compared to the stories of the old days. And actually shifting form had been completely impossible for a full generation. However, the drugs weren't perfect, and there was no way to truly and completely keep the beast within. Children still grew their sharp canines, there was nothing they could do to stop the pheromones, and during times of high emotion the Arker's eyes still showed their true colors. Alpha's were red, Beta's yellow, and Omega's Blue.
Abby sighed and lay her head in the hand that wasn't supporting her daughter. Between Clarke, work, and the ever worsening tensions between the classes, Abby felt like she was being yanked in a million directions and she was dangerously close to being ripped apart. She looked up as Jake came through the door from their room, towel wrapped around his waist and hair still wet. Abby returned his smile tiredly and moved Clarke to her other knee as he leaned in for a kiss. Abby closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink deeper into him. He smelled like citrus and, well, him. She was grateful that-
Suddenly they both wrenched apart as Clarke began to scream. Happy one moment, completely distraught the next; Abby took Clarke into her arms and cradled her rocking and humming, trying to soothe her daughter. Jake ran a hand down Clarke's back resting the other on Abby's shoulder and Abby just continued to rock and hum as Clarke continued to wail. Suddenly, both parents gasped as Clarke's eyes began to shift. Though perhaps premature, they had been prepared for the normal Alpha red, but no, Clarke's were a bright, piercing purple.
They soon found too the source of Clarke's sudden discomfort. It was Jake who saw it first. “Honey look.” He pointed to their daughter's left leg, where a faint yellow glowing tinge could be seen on the exposed skin. It started at Clarke's inner thigh just below her groin and, as they watched, it sketched its way down towards her knee, wrapping upwards slightly. Once completed their daughter's newest soul mark read: “Oh, just perfect! All that only to be killed by a damn wolf.”
The yellow glow faded almost entirely and now, with both of her parents comfortably holding onto her, Clarke began to calm down and her eyes dulled to their normal dazzling blue. Jake and Abby just looked at each other, eyes wide, each hoping and praying to the gods that this didn't mean what they both knew it did. One thing was for sure, they were going to have to keep the true color of their daughter's eyes hidden, at all costs.
Eight Months Later
Abby sat, collapsed really, exhausted as she slumped into one of the chairs at the dining room table. It had been a long day at work and, despite the relatively early hour, Abby felt herself starting to nod off.
“Mamaa!”
Her daughter’s delighted cry yanked her from her stupor and her head whipped up, turning towards the sound. Clarke was peering at her from the other room. Her blonde head bobbing up and down from over the back of the couch, her eyes coming in and out of sight as the little girl held on and dropped in and out of sight. Just beside her daughter was Seyna’s head, and though the woman didn’t turn, she did call out a moment later. “Good evening Abigail, Clarke has been an absolute delight, as always-” Abby couldn’t see her mother-in-law’s face but she could practically feel her beaming smile. “-Though she didn’t really touch her algae much, not that I blame her, she’s probably pretty hungry…”
Abby took a deep breath, her momentary shock abating, she had forgotten that Seyna was watching Clarke here today. She tried not to get upset over Clarke having not eaten, she really had to start getting used to solids, and that meant mush first. Abby sighed and called back to thank Seyna and reassure her daughter, promising that she saw her and that she'd come over soon. But her assurances did not stop the insistent demands for ‘Mamma’ and Abby soon gave in, groaning as she picked herself up and made her way to where her Seyna and her daughter sat on the couch, or, sat and stood respectively, she supposed. Clarke practically launched herself at Abby the moment she sat.
With Clarke clasped to her breast she tried to lean back into a somewhat comfortable position. Seyna stood and pressed a hand to Abby’s shoulder, helping Abby scooch up so that she could place a pillow behind her lower back. Abby leaned back and sighed, thanking Seyna as she settled herself.
Seyna waved her off and for a few minutes the two made small talk about their days, mostly about Clarke. Then they settled into a comfortable silence, Seyna moving to the armchair with a book while Abby simply lay back and rested her eyes, wincing occasionally as Clarke’s teeth found skin.
The three of them sat like this for the next half hour or so, uninterrupted until the front door swung open and Jake announced his arrival. He dropped some of his things on the dining room table before sweeping into the living room, bending over the back of the couch and planting a kiss first on Clarke’s head and then against Abby’s cheek. She half-kissed back as he did so and smiled up at him as she swung around to sit half-off the couch at her side. He greeted his mother and the two exchanged some words that Abby was too out of it to really register. She shifted in her seat, Clarke now fussing and trying to pull up and away from her, reaching for her father. All it took was dad walking in the room, guess Abby had served her purpose. “Little traitor” she grumbled, squeezing her daughter’s sides lightly as she lifted her into a standing position on her lap. Clarke reached out and Jake caught her little hands in his own, smiling at her and nodding as he asked her animatedly about her day with ‘Gam’ (Clarke’s best attempt at ‘Grandma’). He half lifted her as he helped her step up into his lap. And Abby took a deep breath, the absence of Clarke’s weight an admitted relief.
Jake played with their daughter a few minutes more before lifting her and setting her back in Abby’s arms. “I'm going to take a shower, then I'll get her to bed.” Abby just nodded in agreement and let Clarke plop back down against her stomach. But Clarke was not as amenable. She began to fuss again as Jake stood, reaching out further towards the retreating form of her father and making unhappy sounds. “Dada, back.”
Though Abby couldn't see her daughter's face she had no doubt it was pulled into a pleading pout. Jake stopped and turned around with a yawn, “dada has to shower, but I will be right back and we can go bed.” As he said it he pulled a smile onto his face and Abby couldn't help but smile herself.
But as Jake turned back around it seemed that Clarke didn't share Abby's sentiment. Clarke stood, gripping the back of the couch for support and raising her little voice, now decidedly upset. “Dada back!”
It was a surprisingly forceful tone to hear coming from a one year old and, though Jake continued walking towards their bedroom, Abby raised her hand to run it soothingly along her daughter's back trying to calm her enough to sit back down.
Clarke however was having none of it. “DADA BACK!”
Jake stopped dead in his tracks, his head whipped around and he let out a sharp breath of air. Even Abby had felt the power behind her daughter's words, and she was instantly wide awake. She whipped her daughter around just as Jake rushed to their side.
“She stopped me.” He had a stunned look on his tired face. “Abby, I had every intention of walking through that door and she froze me on the spot.”
Abby closed her eyes a moment, “and turning around? Was that involuntary as well?”
Jake shook his head, “no, it didn't last, the only reason I turned was because I was worried.” He frowned. “But she isn't even eighteen months… Most full grown Alphas don't have that kind of power, especially over other Alphas…”
With both her parents next to her Clark's anger subsided and her eyes that had been bright purple returned to their normal blue. Jake and Abby just looked wide eyed at each other, their worst fears had been realized. The real reason that the council prohibited Alpha/Alpha breeding. It was really only a legend, something that happened maybe once every three or four centuries, and that was before there was the ban on Alpha breeding. With the added .01% chance that had to have occurred for Abby and Jake to have a child in the first place…
A soft laughter started to grow, filling the room. Both Abby and Jake turned towards Seyna. The woman had set down her book and her head was tilted to the side as she stared straight at Clarke.
“Our little Alpha is an Apex.”