Belonging

Prolouge

Gerard shifts in Bert's lap. His phone making a dent in his jeans, uncomfortable in the crammed and hot position he's in. He tries shuffling, whimpering under his breath when Bert tightens his arms around his waist, prohibiting movement.

"You're gonna have to stop that babe, giving me problems." A shiver runs down the younger's spine and he huffs, not trying to move anyway. Bert's breath stings the air with the smell of alcohol and Gerard lets his head thump against the cold window.

Black SUVs much like theirs surround them on the highway, making a large black and tightly knit cloud. He's sat in the passenger side, in Bert's lap without a seat belt.

The beta driving doesn't take his eyes off the road, thrumming his fingers on the steering wheel and signaling to another beta driving the car to the left.

Gerard doesn't know his name. Neither the three other betas in the back seat. The only ones he knows are his pack, which drive in the other cars. The sixteen year old figures he's got to know everyone in Bert's pack at some point. His mother had been drilling everyone's names into his head the moment Bert "claimed him." It didn't feel right, nothing did anymore, the names and faces would jumble out through his ears at night anyway. They didn't fit right there, and Gerard knows they never will.

He misses Los Angles and it's Sun filled sky, sure he never saw it, opting for the basement and his sketch book. But, nothing was as dull and gray as Jersey was. Gerard thinks of his human friends, blowing a back stand of hair out of his face at the now sour memories; he misses them.

He might as well burn their photos, which are locked safely in his one suitcase. By full moon, everything would be sealed and he would be forced to stay with Bert in his new home forever, locked away in the pack house no doubt.

Gerard wasn't trusted, it was extremely uncommon for an omega not to have submitted to a alpha like Bert by now. The twenty five year old liked to blame it on the time of the moon. Gerard liked to blame it on the fact Bert was not his real mate. But no one would listen to a omega these days.

He bites his lip, ripping off the top layer of skin and sucking on the blood at welled at the wound. The cars fall into a single line as they take en exit off the highway, filing each other as they come onto a single lane road.

Gerard passed the "Welcome to New Jersey" sign hours ago and all he knows is that he's somewhere in the state.

Ten miles later, the trees start to get thicker and the gloomy Sun disappears behind the foliage as the road becomes dirt. They pass a private property sign and Gerard can feel as they officially pass the pack boarder.

The dirt road tapers off, leading into forest. The cars in front of them stop and the doors unlock. Gerard scrambles for the handle, stumbling out of the car when the door swings open. He gets to his feat, turning and looking around as others get out as well.

Gerard ignores the heavy feel of Bert's stare on his back as he watches Lyn-z get out of a car a bit ahead of him. Gerard scurries up to her.

Lyn-z smiles, opening her arms so the shorter boy can fall into them.

"Hey Geebear." She whispers, running a comforting hand through his hair and kissing him on the crown of his head.

"I don't like it." She sighs in understanding, putting her head on top of his.

People file out of the cars, talking among themselves as the betas driving turn back into the dirt road and start out of the forest.

Gerard sniffs, nuzzling into Lyn-z's chest and squeezing his eyes shut, pretending he's still home.

"We're gonna be okay, Geebee." She says, looking around. Her father, second in command in Gerard's pack, talks to their alpha, Gerard's father. Bert talks to some of his pack.

"No we're not." The omega sniffs, burying his nose into Lyn-z's jean jacket.

                                         *

Gerard stays close to his best friend as they walk through the thick forest. It's about five miles until the square. Here, Gerard's pack is to stay in the pack house for the night as it moves upon them. Then, they'll walk to their new territory, east.

The Way pack was to fit into the small space between the McCracken and Iero packs. They had about two acres for four hundred people, cutting very close to the five hundred acres of land the Iero pack covered, wrapping down and half way around the McCracken territory before stretching very far out to the north-east.

Gerard looks up out from under Lyn-z's arm catching, Bert's angry eyes. He squeaks, tripping on a root underfoot.

"Yeah. We'll be okay."