Chapter Text
Alec could hear Alpha Valentine’s pack talking amongst themselves through the locked door. He was too weak to lean forward and hear exactly what they were talking about, but he was aware that they were planning an attack on a Downworlder pack with three female Omegas.
Though Omegas weren’t exactly rare, the pack here was not soft with their Omegas. The Omegas were continuously neglected by the Alphas and Betas. Only to force themselves on the Omegas to get off, and the Omegas would dwindle until they were basically lifeless, unable to eat, drink, talk, perform their Omega duties to the Alphas and Betas. At this point their lives were taken, or rather they kind of just died. Alec refused to think about how many Omegas were actually killed off by this pack he had been held captive by for years.
Alec, the only male Omega that has ever been a part of Valentine’s pack, was a special case. Valentine had brought him in because Alec’s parents wanted him to disappear after he presented at 17. A disgrace to their Lightwood name, whose blood ran pure Alpha for generations. Valentine had taken him in knowing that Alec had been trained and would not fall ill to the same afflictions the other Omegas had. The Lightwood pack were trained to not “fall prey to the needs of emotions,” despite Alec being an Omega, he had followed the rule almost to the letter.
Alec shivered on the concrete floor, the cuffs, surrounded by barbed wire that encircled his wrists, tugging gently against the ripped raw skin. If anyone asked Alec what he thought, he would do his best to get out of the conversation as quickly as possible so that he was punished less. Alec believed that all Omegas were treated in a similar manner to him, he was saddened when a new Omega friend was added to the pack with a bit of wonder in their eyes. When that Omega was taken to be used by another of the pack and came back they always talked about how nice it felt to be wanted. This usually only lasted a small bit and Alec wished he knew how to tell the other Omegas that if they just shut down the emotion highway they would not fall prey to the Omega needs that ruled their second gender. This advice had been a beacon for safety in the time that Alec had been here, even if he did sometimes break and think of his siblings. Even if he felt himself slipping more and more.
He made himself as comfy as he could before trying to get a couple hours sleep. He knew the pack was ready to go help themselves to some new Omegas and while it was nice to have company that didn’t want to use him like a ragdoll he hated watching their lives slip away from them.
-
Alec is startled awake by the door slamming open, two low ranked Alphas dragging two unconscious women into the room. Blearily, Alec scooted closer to the wall and pulled his legs in, wrapping his arms around them as best he could so that the Alphas had more room to move about as the women were chained to the walls. One on either side of the wall he pressed himself into.
The dim lighting showed a small girl with orange fiery hair, small and incredibly pale, the overalls she wore were covered in an amalgam of paint colors Alec could smell even over the stench of the gross smelling Alphas in the room. The other woman had a bonnet over her hair, the ochre pallor of her skin complimented by the orange band tee she was wearing.
Alec frowned as the Alphas let themselves out of the room and locked it behind them. These girls didn’t seem like the kind of Omegas that usually ended up here. They looked like the Betas and Alphas outside, who were allowed to dress and do what they wanted.
Alec sniffed the air, but he could smell that they were both Omegas. The one to his left in the overalls smelled of cut grass and vanilla while the girl in the orange band tee smelled of sweet cream and something minty. There was mild distress in both of their scents and Alec already felt bad for them.
There was no stirring from the women for several hours as Alec made a tune in his head about the events of today, them being the only highlight as the pack had not fed him that day. The one to his right started stirring and immediately struggled against the chains on her wrists.
Her breath deepened and brown eyes pulsed opened with a low whimper as she thrashed around, eyes roaming wildly before staring back and forth at overall girl and Alec.
“CLARY, WAKE UP!” The woman said fiercely and Alec blanched at the loud voice, trying to cower away from the girl before making a gesture for her to be quieter. No sound came from behind the locked door.
“CLARY, SERIOUSLY GET THE FUCK UP!!” Alec whimpered before raising one of his hands and wiggling it a little to get the girls attention before placing a finger over his lips praying she would understand.
The woman stared at him for a minute before huffing out a breath, “Who are you?”
Alec stayed silent a while longer, the look on the girls face becoming impatient, “I-I’m A-Alec,” Alec finally got out in a whisper so low he wasn’t sure she had heard him.
“Alec? Where the hell are we and why are Clary and I,” at this point the girl thrusts her hands forward in their shackles, “tied to the fucking wall?”
“Yo-you’re Omegas, r-r-right?” Alec said, even though he knew the answer, even though he could smell them clear as day.
“Yeah, so? What does that have to do with being anchored to a wall?” The look on the girl's face balked at Alec with baffled rage.
Alec was unsure how to answer that question so he sat silently staring at the girl before she spoke again, “How long have you been here, Alec?”
Alec, not knowing the month looked up to calculate briefly, “I d-don’t know i-i-if I’m tw-tw-twenty yet, if it’s a-a-after S-S-September 12 it will b-be th-th-three y-years.” Alec gulped, his throat felt like sandpaper and he hadn’t done that much talking in a long time.
The woman now stared at Alec with a worried look before peering back over at the sleeping girl she’d called Clary. Instead of commenting on what Alec had said she sighed, “I’m Maia, she’s Clary. The last thing I remember is falling asleep in my bed, can you tell me where we are?”
The look Maia gave Alec was indecipherable, but Alec answered anyway with some difficulty, “V-V-Valentine’s Pack.” Alec rasped out as best he could, “you h-had a bed?”
“We were at Mag’s old home, but yes we all have beds,” She seemed confused by his words.
He’d never had a conversation like this with anyone let alone an Omega before. When he was younger he’d had a bed. The Lightwood siblings all slept on one that they had handmade for themselves before Alec had presented. Alec pushed the memory away. Feeling things led to the never-ending shaking and tears he did not have the energy to spare.
He focused back on Maia, unsure if he had missed her saying anything but she remained tight-lipped and contemplating. “Can you use your foot to nudge Clary? Just once?” Alec nodded and gingerly stretched his leg out, connecting with Clary’s hip he jostled her as best he could.
It must have done the trick because Clary’s eyes shot open, her entire being gathered into a ball quickly, immediately sensing danger.
“Oh, thank the fucking Angel, Clary,” Maia grabbed Clary’s attention and Clary’s eyes were wide.
“I suppose you know what’s going on?” Clary’s voice was soft and Alec was thankful.
“Actually not really, but apparently we were taken by Valentine’s pack.”
“My dad took me? What the hell, he never wanted me before.”
Alec wanted to interject that Valentine probably didn’t know who was taken but he was just confused that this Clary person wasn’t already here if she was a sire of Valentine.
“I don’t think Valentine was a part of who was taken, I think they were just taking Omegas. I think it was just us two.” Maia pondered aloud then looked over at Alec, “Was there anyone else you didn’t recognize with whoever brought us here?”
Clary looked over at Alec and suddenly Alec felt like he was under a magnifying glass but he tried to steady his breath and answer with as little rasp as possibly, “n-n-no, it wa-was only you two w-with A-A-Alpha Raj and A-Alpha Vi-Vi-Victor.”
“Mags was targeted because of us, why isn’t Cat here though?” Clary wondered looking over at Maia with eyes wide and watery.
“I really hope she was with Ragnor, I cannot fathom anything else.” Maia’s voice clogged with emotion and Alec grew more concerned. If they weren’t masking their sadness they were going to go quicker but Alec didn’t know how to express that without letting himself feel more than the little fear that spiked through him.
There were footsteps coming down the hallway, footsteps that Alec knew well. He lowered his head pointedly, making himself throw his legs under himself so he was kneeling as best he could before the door was flung open. The ghastly rich smell of herbal tea and burnt toast filled Alec’s nostrils.
There was silence as Valentine observed the group of Omegas, annoyed that he had only gotten two of the three that was promised by his pack trackers. His eyes gliding over the two new ones but stopping to stare at the red head with more precision. The Omega looked exactly like his ex wife and a grin splashed across his face.
“Clarissa, my beautiful daughter, lovely to see you my dear.” Alec didn’t move a muscle but he could hear Clary gasp before the cloud of her scent full of fear was sent his way. The fear was encroaching on his own closed off emotions, threatening to break him. This hadn’t happened to him since the very beginning when he realized the training his parents had put him through was helpful for survival instead of the love his siblings had tried to engrain in him.
“Father. Why am I here?”
“Actually, I wasn’t aware that you were here until just now. Disappointed you had to be an Omega.”
They threw glares at each other, Clary’s filled with hatred, Valentine’s filled with amusement.
“You might be happy to know that your brother is here, I may have to bring him in to introduce you before one of our pack comes to fuck you into submission.” Alec glanced over at Clary to see her eyes fill with tears but she never tore her eyes from Valentine, pure hatred in her gaze.
“He won’t stand for this, you all will be dead by tomorrow!” Clary was so adamant and Alec was unsure what to make of the surety in her voice, something he’d rarely heard since he came here.
Valentine chuckled heartily, “Oh you poor little girl, you are merely an Omega, what exactly would they do for little old you?”
It was Maia who spoke, her voice rich with loathing, and though her voice was strong there was a shake to her shoulders as she talked to the powerful Alpha, “You don’t know our pack leader very well do you? Magnus, he will come for us and defeat all of you with a flick of his finger.”
“Where was your pack leader when we took you so easily last night then, silly Omegas? Surely if he prized you at all he would have been there to defend you at your home?”
Alec could tell that Valentine was playing with these two, he would have used his voice on them had they pissed him off fully. Though there was a hint of annoyance Alec could tell he was rather amused by these events.
“Seems to me he has left you guys to the better Alpha leader. I will treat you guys the way you were meant to be treated.” Valentine stepped in closer to the trio, lowering himself to Alec and raising Alec’s head to look into his eyes roughly by pulling at his long shaggy hair. “My dear Omega, perfectly pliant for me as always, I see. Tell these fine Omegas the rules.”
Alec struggled to clear his throat properly before reciting the rules, hoping against hope he would not stutter, “Rule one, keep the A-alpha pleased. Rule two, seduction will be p-punished. Rule three, defiance will be punished.” Alec had said these words countless times over the years and he still could not get through it all the way. He felt the tightening that Valentine wrought against the back of his head where Valentine gripped his hair harder, pulling it back so hard Alec heard something snap and a sharp pain lanced from the side of his neck. Valentine grinned down at him, “Still with the stuttering,” Valentine tutted and released his hair before palming his forehead and smashing the back of Alec’s head against the wall. Alec tried not to cry out but he couldn’t help it, he fell forward, his arms hyperextended over his head as he tried to gather himself enough without his world spinning too much. Blood poured over the reopened wounds around his wrists.
“See that you learn from this Omega before you get yourselves into some trouble.” Valentine stood headed toward the door before he turned, “Oh, here,” He threw a water bottle into the room that was too far for any of them to reach with their hands and left with a smirk.
There was silence for several minutes before Alec could sense that Clary was sobbing. Alec’s head was swimming, this hadn’t happened in a long time, but something about this injury made him want to burst into tears himself. He wanted to rest, he wanted to feel something other than the barbed wire allowing trails of blood to run off his wrists. He wanted to breathe without feeling that out of place rib from where Alpha Mishall had kicked him in the ribs when he hadn’t cum for the Alpha. That had been at the beginning before they realized Alec’s body wasn’t normal for an Omega, his heats had stymied, he hadn’t had one since the day he presented.
He was glad that his cuffs were the only ones made with barbed wire because Maia started struggling against hers with a fury he hadn’t seen since he would train with his sister.
“N-n-no em-emot-emotions,” he gets out as his eyes fill. Something in Alec wanted to cave. He wanted to give in. Maybe it was finally his time to become just another broken down Omega. Maybe it was time for him to give in. After three years something was shattering inside him, he couldn’t be the perfect Omega, he tried and tried and always fell short. Something cracked in Alec’s mind and he felt a tear slide down his face as he tried his best to get into a comfortable position before he passed out in a fitful slumber.
-
Clary had ceased sobbing shortly after Alec had passed out and looked over at Maia who continued to struggle with her cuffs.
“I don’t think its any use, Maia.” Her throat was threaded with sadness as she stared over at one of her closest friends. “Do you think Magnus will come? They weren't supposed to be back for a couple weeks.”
“Magnus will come, Jace will come, Simon will come. There is no way anything would stop them from getting us back Clary. I’m sure they are on their way as we speak.” Although the words were nice and sure Maia continued to struggle against the cuffs. She was determined to get herself free, thank you very much.
“I know, but look at him,” Clary jerked her head to the unconscious boy between them, “He looks so bad, that could be us.”
“He’s been here over three years and from the looks of these other cuffs he wasn’t always here alone. But that won't be a problem because our pack will come get us and we’ll leave this place as the bodies of Valentine’s pack rot where they lay.” Maia pointed out vehemently.
Clary whimpered and curled herself into as small a ball as she could with how far her arms could go from the wall but continued to stare at the boy between her and Maia. He was angular, in a way she knew would be fixed with a consistent diet, the ribs visible from the slightly raised ragged shirt the boy wore spoke of many missed meals that would need to be made up for before the truth of him would be known but Clary couldn’t deny that he was a beauty, his dark hair long and knotted would probably almost be curly had he been allowed to care for it, the blue she had seen of his eyes a beautiful contrast to his dark locks and porcelain skin that probably hadn’t seen the sun in the years he’d been within these walls. There were bruises along the boy's skin but what really stuck out were the red stains around his wrists and running down his arms. She knew one wrong pull and he could knick something important that was irreparable.
“Do we even know how long we’ve been here?” Clary questioned forlornly.
“Not a fucking clue, I wish either of us were full mated, goddamn it. This would be so much easier.”
There was a pause and Clary’s eyes filled with tears, “Me and Jace, we’re so close, if I die please you have to tell him I was going to say yes, I didn’t mean to tease him for so long.” Clary’s eyes filled with regret as tears fell from them again without her permission.
“You aren’t going to die, you will have to tell him yourself and watch his ego grow three sizes.”
Clary chuckled through her tears, but the humor was lost quickly, “What will we endure before we’re saved though Maia, how much of us will be left?”
Maia didn’t quite have an answer for that.
“How did they know where Magnus’ old place was? How’d they know we were there without our fighters?” Maia wondered aloud with a rippling douse of fear through her scent that washed through the old scents of every Omega that had relished in this cell of a room.
“I dont wanna know but I feel kind of hazy, do you think they drugged us to get us here? I don't remember anything about how they got us or brought us here. I don’t think I was even in bed,” Clary's tears dried but the confusion lingered on as she stared at the boy who leaned unconscious between them.