Chapter Text
Steve had been a disappointment since the moment he was born. As the first-born son to the king, he might have been destined for glory and the crown. A privileged childhood, where he was spoiled, every whim catered to, everything his nation could offer his for the taking. If only he wasn’t born an omega.
Now his destiny was at best to become an omega bride for a treaty, a bargaining piece for his father. At worst, a dirty secret for his parents to keep locked away, ignored, and isolated. He supposed his mother had loved him at first, she must have. At his age, all he got from her were cold looks, as if she could stare at him hard enough she could will him out of existence. If he were never born, she would have done her duty as a queen, a wife. A first-born alpha son, a true heir. Instead, she had Steve, and a few years later would give his father the alpha he had wanted.
What was the saying again? An heir and spare? Steve certainly was treated like a spare. Everything he did was never good enough, his mom wanted him to be a shadow, his father wanted him to submit, and Jason wanted him to suffer.
They were quite a perfect royal family if you could ignore Steve’s existence. Steve’s mother certainly did that well enough, though he wished his father and Jason would adopt the same strategy.
Instead, they always looked for new humiliating ways to put him in his place as an omega. Steve’s right forearm itched, underneath his wrapping. He had worn them for over a year, the skin underneath scared from a cruel act from his brother. He didn’t…like to look at it. It was a reminder, Jason had said, of who he was. What he was. His destiny.
He idly played with the worn fabric there, staring out at the courtyard. He had been ordered to stay in his room, just his presence was enough to piss his father off lately. The whispers of war and the border treaties had made his alpha father quick to anger and the punishments grew crueler. He winced at the thought, remembering the interaction that had him confined to the room in the first place.
He had been to visit a neighboring country, called Hawkins. When he arrived he had greeted his father alongside his mother and received a harsh backhand for his efforts.
Apparently, peace talks had not gone well. After all, everything he has heard about Hawkins pointed to them rejecting gender stereotypes. The King and Queen were upstarts, and if that was bad enough they were wealthy and their kingdom had little conflict within its borders. He had even heard the study of magic wasn’t prohibited and creatures of all races were welcome within their borders. He snorted a bit. Of course, his father had hated them, he was a traditional asshole.
God he hoped their omega queen had challenged him, he giggled just laughing at the thought. He would probably turn purple in anger. Steve sighed, blowing his hair out of his eyes. He slumped further over the windowsill, feet kicking in his chair. It was mind-numbingly boring in here, but yet infinitely better than being subjected to his father’s ire.
“Steve!”
Steve leaned over the window and smiled at his favorite people. Dustin, the son of his father’s physician, waved aggressively, shouting something indistinguishable. He was a loud beta boy, smart but stubborn.
Next to him was Max, the younger sister to his brother’s knight of the guard. God her brother was an extreme ass, a true knothead through and through. He had never had a conversation with the man without being thorough. creeped out. He had a thing for pinning Steve to the wall and taunting him. Jason thought it was funny, and they often worked in tandem to make his life a living hell.
But Max was one of the sweetest alphas he had ever met. She waved less animal, rolling her eyes at Dustin’s antics. They were both 6 years younger than him but truly were his only friends in the castle. He had taken care of them, and by now they were practically packed. Truly they were the only people in the castle who treated him like a human instead of an annoyance.
“Henderson!” Steve shouted back smiling.
“Come down! Me and Max are going to hunt frogs!”
Steve made a face, “Didn’t you hear? I’m on house arrest buddy!” He flung his arms up to make a point.
Max stuck out her tongue, “Hasn’t stopped you before!”
“Just jump down!” Dustin retorted.
Steve sighed and looked to his locked door, weighing the pros and cons. The pros: spend a day with his friends and get out of this boring room for a few hours. The cons? Risk a beating if his father found out he had disobeyed.
“Come on!”
What were the chances someone would be by to check on him anyways? Steve shrugged. He was already dressed anyways, his casual brown pants and gray shirt perfect for an adventure with the pups.
He pulled on his boots and threw his leg over his windowsill. “Hold on, wait for me, you little shits.”
----
Steve trudged back to the castle, covered in bog water and mud. Max was holding a bucket with her new pet safety inside, she had named him George. Dustin was complaining about what a bust the day had been, the small beta failing at catching any frogs due to his inability to stay quiet. Steve had tried to help him but turns out he was just noisy. Max had laughed her ass off when he had fallen into the creek.
It was worth it.
Steve froze at the sight of his mother standing at the entrance to the castle, arms crossed with a frown on her face. His scent turned sour.
“Your father would like a word.” Her voice made his arms break out in goosebumps.
Max and Dustin both clutched onto his pant leg, and he touched both of their foreheads gently.
“Go, I’ll see you later.” After a reassuring nod, they scampered away. No need for them to be punished as well.
His mother let out a sigh and started to walk back into the castle hall, her heels echoing off the cold walls. Her strong floral scent was of no comfort.
“Honestly Steve, can’t you ever behave? Since the day you have been born you have been nothing but trouble.”
Steve flinched but kept his mouth shut. It wasn't arguing with her anyways, in her eyes, omegas should be obedient and silent. He walked behind her, nervous sweat dripping down his spine. He hoped his father was too busy for nothing more than a verbal beatdown. And he really hoped Jason would not be there. His presence always escalated the situation, he loved to edge his father on.
The doorway to the throne room opened, revealing the displeased face of the king. His father was graying, but his eyes were still harsh. He faltered, but his mother grabbed his arms, his red nails digging into the flesh there, and pushed him into the center of the room.
His father wrinkled his nose, “You smell like a sewer, boy. Why must you be so disobedient?”
Steve stared at his toes, knowing better than to address the king without being asked a direct question. The king let out a growl and Steve flinched, his scent becoming more distressed. The room was polluted with his father’s strong scent, a potent pine smell. It burned his nostrils and suffocated his whole being.
“Down.”
Steve dropped to his knees at the command, gritting his teeth. The king looked down on him with disgust. He raised his boot and kicked Steve in the middle, making him grunt in pain. He hadn’t broken anything, but his ribs stung like a bitch. His mother disinterestedly stared at her nails.
She always had a problem watching this part.
“What do you have to say about yourself?” Another kick, this time on his back, forcing him to bend in half. His father’s boot pressed down on his spine cruelly.
“ Sorry.”
The pressure increased. “ Address me properly boy.”
“Sorry, my lord alpha.” Steve gasped out, forehead on the carpet.
“Since you enjoy playing in the mud like a peasant, you can spend the night like one.”
The king walked back to his throne, pressure relenting. “Guards, escort the omega prince to the dungeon. Maybe a night down there with the rats will fix his behavior.”
Steve let him be dragged out by the guards, passing by Billy and Jason on his way out. Jason laughed loudly and Billy smirked, “In trouble again, my prince?”
God, he hated the way he said that. Steve glared at him, but the guards continued to pull him along. He guessed he was in for a long cold night.
---
This sucked. Steve shivered on the hard concrete of the cell. He couldn’t bring himself to regret the day spent catching frogs, even as his stomach growled loudly. Luckily he was alone down here, well besides the rats. His dad was never one for prisoners, preferring to execute quickly and efficiently instead.
He groaned and sat up. Might as well accept that he would be getting no sleep tonight. The quiet of the night was broken by the sound of shouting and crashing. Steve crawled closer to the door, seeing nothing outside of the dark hall, lit by one torch. The screaming continued and he could make out the sound of swords clashing
Shit, were they under attack?
“Steve!” His head snapped to the whisper and he sighed at the sight of Max and Dustin.
“What’s going on?”
“It's fucking crazy man! There are goddamn skeletons monsters out there!!!” Dustin shouted.
Max shushed him, elbowing him in the ribs.
“Holy shit, why are you here? You should be hiding!” Steve spared a worried glance to the stairs.
Max shook her hand, and Steve heard the metal of the keys jingle. She gave him a shaky smile, “ Swiped these from Billy.”
Dustin nodded aggressively. “We can get you the fuck out of here! This is our chance, Steve!”
Max and Steve shushed him simultaneously.
Max's hands shook as she unlocked the cell, but the sound of someone's heavy unsteady footsteps echoed down the corridor. Steve shoved the pups behind him into the corner of the room where it was the darkest. Hopefully whoever was here wouldn’t look too hard.
“Stay quiet you two, and let me deal with it. Don’t come out until I tell you to, okay?”
Steve moved outside the cell, holding the keys. He had no weapon, but he would protect the pups with his life.
“I fucking knew the little slut took them.” Steve's fists clenched as the familiar sound of Billy’s voice echoed down the hallway. He stumbled into view, face bloody, dressed in his battle armor.
“What are you doing here, away from all the action?” Steve managed to get out.
“Haven’t you heard prince, hell is breaking loose up there?”
Steve let out a mocking laugh, “And you ran away? Coward.” He spat out the words at the alpha.
Billy growled and lunged at him, pressing him against the wall, “You have no idea what’s up there you bitch.”
“I know you weren’t alpha enough to fight.” Steve smiled at him furiously.
Billy's grip tightened. Whatever was happening up there must have been something, if the alpha was this phased. His eyes seemed haunted, and Steve could scent fear lingering on him.
“ Shut up.” He snapped at Steve, baring his teeth. “Been wanting to do this forever, prince.”
Steve struggled, pushing on him uselessly. Billy’s strong wood scent was putrid like something was rotten inside him. “Let me go!”
Billy laughed, “No one is here to protect your chastity, you dumb omega. The king is dead, you're just another bitch now.”
The prince growled and kicked out, making Billy groan and release him, he punched him in the face with a growl, his nose making a sickening crunch. Billy howled and tackled the omega. Steve was kicking and pushing, but the alpha was bigger than him, and his weight had him pinned. Billy pulled his fist back and punched Steve on his cheek. He cried out and scratched the Alpha’s face resulting in him slamming his head on the floor.
He froze dazed by the blow until the ripping of fabric shocked him out of it. He couldn’t let the pups see this. Steve redoubled his efforts, pushing at Billy’s shoulders now. The Alpha reached one hand up to wrap around Steve’s throat, his other hand pulling down his pants.
“Stop fucking fighting me. This is what all you omega’s want, it’ll make you feel good, little prince.”
Shit Shit SHIT.
Steve couldn’t breathe, he gasped and clawed at the hand, fingernails dragging through the skin not even phasing Billy.
Billy pulled up and smiled at him, “Gonna make you bleed so pretty for me, omega.” Steve's legs kicked out, face turning quickly purple. The pathetic gurgles he was making echoed off the walls.
Billy’s sinister smile crumpled into a look of pain. He opened his mouth and blood spurted out. His grip released and his weight was pushed aside. Steve gasped for air and shuffled away from the alpha in fear.
A man stood over Billy, sword sticking through his chest. He bent down and yanked it out spraying blood everywhere. He was smiling and blood coated his right side.
“Shit. Are you okay?” The stranger asked. Steve pressed himself to the wall, panting. The stranger put his hand up placidity.
“Relax pretty boy, I won’t hurt you, pinky swear.” His voice was loud but had a comedic lint to it. The man was dressed in black armor, leather that shone in the torchlight. His hair was long and black, and his face was angular but still handsome. Steve shook his head, that thought was the wrong time and place. Steve had never seen this man before in his life, was he part of the invasion that was happening upstairs? The man's eyes were wide and a dark brown, as he kicked at Billy's body, pushing him away with a look of disgust.
The man whistled, “Dang, you put up a fight huh?” He was looking at Steve now. His gaze felt piercing.
Sitting there in his torn and dirty clothes, bruised on his neck and face made him feel like really disagreeing with that point.
“What-What is going on.”
The mysterious man smiled at him, eyes wide with excitement. “We’re here on a rescue mission, baby.” He pointed upstairs, where the screams continued. “That’s the distraction.”
There was a clatter from within his cell, Dustin and Max suddenly visible and shaken. Steve pulled himself up and stood in front of them growling. If his father was dead, they might be here to kill him too. It was almost ironic, dead from a connection that had never been acknowledged.
The man’s eyes widened, “ Are those your pups?” He said softly.
“Don’t touch them.” Steve spat out, struggling to stay on his feet, but he would protect those two until his last breath. His head throbbed, blood dripping down his face as he stood off with the man. He wasn’t sure if it was his or Billy’s.
“Eddie, time to go!”
A voice called out from the hallway above, and a young woman's face covered with blood raced down the steps. She skidded to a stop a few feet back.
“Shit. Eds, we gotta go.” She looked behind her worriedly. “Just knock him out, come on!”
“He’s just an omega Rob.” Steve swallowed, They didn’t know who he was. He supposed that made sense, he was in a cell smelling like dried mud, shaking and bleeding, not exactly the picture of an omega royalty.
Her eyes widened. She seemed to take in his disgruntled appearance, eyes shifting from the corpse at his feet and him a few times before her eyes showed understanding.
The man, Eddie sheathed his sword and held both hands out. Steve relaxed at the gesture but kept his protective posture. He couldn’t get a clear reading on their scents, the smell of copper too overpowering for his nose to make it out. They… didn’t seem dangerous. And to them, he was just a hurt omega.
“We're here to help.” He took a step forward. Robin nodded behind him.
“Well not to help you specifically, were we looking for one of her friends, a small blonde omega, captured a few days back? Does Krissy? But we can- uh totally help you too. That is if you need help or maybe you are totally fine being in the fucking backward ass nation and oh god I should probably stop talking.”
Eddie sighed, raising his eyebrow as if to say, see what I have to deal with.
So they were from Hawkins. And they were looking for a prisoner. Shit.
Steve dropped his arms, “I’m sorry, there’s no one else down here. The king- he rarely holds prisoners for long. If she was here, she- she’s not anymore.”
Eddie spat out a curse and Robin’s face dropped. Max and Dustin decided this would be an excellent time to throw their weight on Steve, making him stumble with the added weight.
There was a clattering above, the voices of the guards now distinguishable. “Think our distraction just ran out. Now we gotta go!” Robin reached out her hand to Eddie, scrambling for something in her back before cheering victoriously, holding a rock? A crystal maybe?
Eddie ran his hand over his face, “Shit.”
“Take us with you!” Dustin shouted out, and Steve shushed him. “I’m serious! They’ll just kill us once you're gone, please take us with you!”
Steve was unsure about that. If what Billy said was true, death was the best option waiting for him. That would mean Jason was king, and he wouldn’t cut Steve’s suffering short like that.
Eddie and Robin looked at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation. Steve was sure he made a pathetic picture, blood and dirt caking almost all of him, head wound dripping blood and bruises blooming, two pups in tears clinging to him.
Eddie turned back to them, “You can come with us. If you want. Or you can take your chance with them. Your choice, mama bear.”
Steve looked to where the loud noises of soldiers came from. He turned back.
“Why should I trust you?”
His voice was rough, and it hurt to talk now that the adrenaline was wearing off. He felt nauseous and exhausted. He didn’t want to stay here, but he wouldn't trust these strangers, what if they
Robin laughed and Eddie grinned manically, something feral in his eyes. ( and maybe Steve was seeing things, but he swore he saw the flash of fangs)
“Aw princess, don't be like that. How about this, it’s better than rotting in this cell with him.” He pointed to Billy’s body on the floor.
Steve took a minute. His dad was dead. Who knows what happened to his mother, or Jason? He wasn’t sure which outcome he would prefer. Without his dad, he would be just another omega, and in this country, it rarely ended happily for people like him. Besides, Max and Dustin. Dustin wanted to leave, and Max’s only family was lying there blood pooling on the stone.
Shit.
The noise of wood splintering shattered his thoughts.
“Now or never, baby!” Eddie threw his hand out, one hand already grabbing Robin. Steve stared into the man's eyes, searching for an answer. He found nothing but a dark brown he could lose himself in given the opportunity. Shit. He ran his hand through his hair.
His hand slapped on top of Eddie’s open palm and the man smiled at him.
“Good choice, sweetheart!”
With those words, the world shifted at his feet and everything around him became a blur. Within an instant he was outside the dark dungeon, collapsing into the grass somewhere snowy. His empty stomach revolted and he dry heaved spitting out bile. A warm hand brushed his hair back as he reached miserably.
“Let it out, sweetheart. That’s pretty common for portal travel, especially first timers.”
The world felt blurry, the edges fading into black. He felt his arms give out but was saved from a face plant by the same warm arms. The smell of coffee and smoke enveloped him, warming him to his core. His vision was going out, and his ears were ringing. Dustin was saying something, but he couldn’t make it out.
“Fuck-Rob!”
Steve inhaled the delectable scent once more before succumbing to the darkness.
---
Steve blinked awake, and immediately pulled his arm in front of his eyes. The light was too bright and burned his eyes.
“Morning sleeping beauty!”
Steve shot up in bed, eyes wide as he took in the long-haired alpha leaning over him. The events of yesterday caught up to him in a rush. He looked around, desperate for a clue about where he was. It looked to be an infirmary of sorts.
“Shit.”
Eddie’s slaughter boomed in the quiet room. He had changed out of his black armor and instead wore a black tunic opened wide on his chest, showing the black lines of tattoos and tight black pants. “I concur.”
“Where-”
“Are you?” Eddie finished the sentence for him. “Let me be the first to welcome you to the great country of Hawkins! This is our lovely medical ensuite, Castle Byers.” His arms gestured widely as he made a mock bow.
Steve blinked at him “I-I know. I assumed- oh shit. We’re at the castle.” He laughed hysterically, before swallowing. “I meant where are Dustin and Max?”
Eddie blinked back at him before grinning even wider. “Oh, he’s an observant omega huh? Relax your pretty little head, the kids are alright. They are settling now.” He stuck a thumb behind him. “After all you were the only injured one, pretty badass if I did say so myself.”
Steve reached up to his head, feeling the bandage on his temple. “I hit my head.”
“Yeah, beautiful, and got quite a concussion for your troubles. Luckily I was there to carry you to safety.” He flexed his arm muscles exaggeratedly. Steve found himself smiling gently, the other man was so animated. He was nothing like the stuffy court folks he had been surrounded by most of his life, he was sure Dustin would get along with him.
He inhaled deeply, eyebrows furrowed. That scent was back, and he knew it came from the male. He was an alpha, scent strong. It was like coffee, smoke, and something he could not quite place. It was…nice. He felt flush at the thought, but it was true the alpha smelled better than anything he had smelt.
“Oh!” Eddie clapped his hand together, “How rude of me! We never formally introduced ourselves, with all the uh-” He gestured widely.
He threw out his hand, and Steve stared at it. “Hello, I’m Eddie. Eddie Munson. Or if you like, Eddie the Banished.” He leaned in with a grin. Steve accepted his hand slowly, it was skinnier than his but rough with calluses. His hand was also littered with rings.
“I’m Steve. Har-Hargrove.” He stumbled a bit, he couldn’t admit to being the son of their enemy now, Eddie had brought him unknowingly into the heart of their kingdom. They could choose to toss him and the pups out or have them hang for treason and conspiracy. Better hide his identity. Or better yet forsake it entirely.
“Stevie huh? Cute name for a cute boy.”
“Just Steve.” He flushed at the nickname, his scent embarrassingly flaring in pleasure.
Eddie nodded, scent responding in kind, happy alpha and omega pheromones filling the small space. “Whatever you say, Stevie. Let me go get Nancy, she’ll make sure nothing important leaked out through that hole.” He gently prodded at his bandage, with a surprisingly sharp nail. Steve nodded.
“Sit pretty for me sweetheart. Don’t want you swooning on me again.” He waved a ringed hand in front of his face, “I know the sight of this is a lot to take in but try your best.”
Steve felt a laugh burst out of him, and Eddie smiled at the sound. “Be right back.”
With that, he bowed out of the room. Steve waved weakly, this alpha was confusing. There was no demand or cruelty to his words. Just teasing and jokes. His scent never changed from pleasant, with no anger or displeasure. Steve took one last breath, inhaling the smell of Eddie.
He might be a little fucked.
He breathed out. Here he was in a foreign land, not an enemy land thinking about the great smelling alpha and his soft curly hair, and bright but dangerous smile. His hands-Steve slapped his hands to his cheeks.
Focus, Harrington. He needed a plan.