Sean twisted and kicked out at the Alpha pulling him away. He managed to twist enough to bite his arm, causing the Alpha to hiss and growl in pain. Sinking his teeth deep enough to draw blood, he wanted the Alpha to let go, but he didn't. Hefting him up by his waist, the Alpha simply removed him from the throne room. Going out into a hallway that was lined in beautiful windows, the Alpha started to take him up some steps, until another Alpha quickly approached and asked him. "Where are you taking them?" The Alpha gestured upstairs with his chin, snapping back. "We're taking these Heatless mutts to the Omega quarters. Where do you think?" The other Alpha groaned, pointing farther down the hallway as he retorted coldly. "No, you idiots. Those without Heats got to the separate quarters below. Hurry. You can't put them back in circulation with the others. Great Luna's ghost..." The Alpha holding Sean, rolled his eyes but changed his course.

Sean refused to stop biting the Alpha's arm but was distressed that the man seemed to barely feel it or care that he was bleeding. Behind them, other Omegas and Deltas whimpered or cried out to their packmates in heartbreaking voices. Taking a turn down a set of dark stairs to a cold basement that was barely lit, the Alpha pointed to individual rooms and told them. "One per room and don't forget to tag the room." Two Omegas behind Sean screamed as they were separated from each other and shoved into separate rooms with little sympathy. As the Alpha holding him unlocked a cell, another darkly teased out. "You know... I bet we could jumpstart the Heat. All we'd have to do is-" One of the alphas farther away cut him off by snapping out. "Don't even say it! It's bad enough that happened in the first place... Come on. Let's leave them to the Zetas before we cause another incident." Getting the room open, the Alpha dropped Sean's waist and ordered him sternly. "Let me go, little wolf."

Sean snarled, his teeth still drawing blood from him. Part of him wanted to let him go, but the wolf in him was so distressed that biting was more of a comfort. Grinning, the Alpha reached out to stroke the back of his neck, purring out. "You've got a lot of bite for an Omega. Not as strong as a Delta, but you've got a good grip and some determination. I like that." Sean whined as the Alpha stroked his neck. He didn't want to be touched like this. Not by him. Disengaging from the Alpha's arm, Sean swatted the Alpha's stroking hand away and sneered out angrily. "Don't touch me!" The Alpha glanced at his bleeding arm, before challenging back with bright yellow wolf eyes. "Or what, little wolf? You'll bite?" Sean closed his mouth for a moment, then spit the man's blood back into his face. When the Alpha flinched and shut his eyes, Sean bolted for the open door behind him. From the little barred windows on the other doors, the other Omegas encouraged him to run. So, he did. The other Alphas turned around to see the commotion, but by the time they did, Sean had run past them and was heading back up the steps.

Just as he reached the hallway at the top, someone slammed into his back, tackling him to the floor. Pinning his arms down to the floor, the Alpha he'd spat on, snarled against his ear. "Oh, no you don't, little wolf!" Sean struggled beneath him, growling and trying to bite him again. He only stopped when the Alpha let out a powerful growl neck to his throat. The sensation sent fear running down his spine, prompting him to still. The Alpha pressed his head against his, his nose inhaling his neck in a way that made Sean shiver with disgust. When the Alpha suddenly shifted his hips to slam against Sean's, a distressed yelp burst from his lungs. The Alpha's teeth grazed his throat, before he growled into his ear. "You smell nice. And just the smell of that Alpha on you..." Sean whimpered and tried to twist his arms out of the Alpha's iron grip. He didn't feel safe and was seconds from screaming for Mark, when a powerful voice ordered darkly. "Corey! OFF HIM!"

The Alpha stayed over him like a dog trying to protect his favorite toy, until the man got closer and ordered in a much darker and more challenging tone. "I said. GET OFF HIM!" With a snarl, the Alpha backed off and Sean scrambled up to his feet and nearly ran into the newcomer while trying to flee. The man grabbed his arms, trying to calm him down as he told him in a gentler voice. "Whoa! Whoa. Easy now. You're ok." Sean shook his head, then got a look at the man. Clayton. Clayton glanced back down the hallway toward the throne room. The Omegas and Deltas were being led up the steps by Betas now. Sean tugged against Clayton's grip, trying to join his friends, but Clayton's Alpha grip was just as strong as the other man's had been. Glaring at Corey, Clayton snarled back. "I think you need some air, Captain. Go for a walk. NOW." Coery bowed to him, then stalked away from them. The other Alphas in the stairway frowned and shifted uneasily, before one of them said coolly. "We were going to stop him, Highness. You didn't have to interfere."

Clayton huffed, gesturing to them to move out of the stairway as he said. "You think I'm afraid of getting hurt? A leader doesn't send someone else to do what he can. I'm more concerned that my father feels the need to send Alphas to escort Omegas without Heats... Then our own Zetas." The alphas shared guarded looks before quickly removing themselves. Clayton pulled Sean to the steps but snapped out at the Alphas. "Whatever your arrangement with my father is. It's done. I don't want to see ANY Alphas around the Heatless. Got it?!" A few frowned, while others nodded. Clayton then walked Sean back down the steps and Sean pleaded to him. "Please! Don't do this! If I'm Heatless, I'm worthless to you! Just send me home! Please!" Guiding him back to his room, Clayton released him and blocked the doorway as he honestly told him. "If it was up to me, I would. But it's not. My father... doesn't want me to overlook anyone until my mate is found."

Stepping closer, Sean shuddered out. "And if they don't come for several months or years? What then?" Clayton swallowed, answering casually. "I should find my mate before too long. Once my mate is found. You'll be sent home." From another cell, an Omega huffed out darkly. "Ya... You know before they rounded us up. My grandmother cornered me and said that in her time... the heatless were the playthings of the Apex Alpha. It's how he got their Heat started. That was in your grandfather's time. Now I wonder... is your father like HIS father? His mate has been dead for how many years now..." Clayton looked pale and sick, when he retorted boldly. "To my knowledge that has never happened. And if it did... I'm sorry. My mother... didn't raise me the way dad wanted... I'm sure I missed out on the darkest of things he's done. But... I will try to keep you all safe." Clayton closed Sean's door and locked it, before telling him nicely. "I'll have Zetas bring some firewood down to light the braziers. It's too cold and dark down here... I do hope you're comfortable."

Clayton gave him one last pitiful look, before walking away. Sean watched as Omegas and Deltas reached out for him, begging to see their friends or family. Clayton touched their hands as he passed, trying to comfort them but Sean could see the helplessness in his eyes. He was powerless to do anything unless his father stepped down. Turning to face his little cell room, Sean exhaled heavily. It wasn't a bad little room. It had a nice little bed, a beside table, a little desk with a stool. There was even a dresser, a coat rack, and some shelves. All of it was empty and a bit dusty, but it was something to feel like home. Walking to the little square window, Sean put a hand on the freezing glass. Outside the snowstorm was raging on and to his uneasiness... there were bars on the outside of the window. Which something told him was not to keep predators from coming in... but to keep the prisoners from leaving. Dropping onto the bed, he listened to the sounds of the others crying or banging things around in their rooms.

It was well past midnight, when Sean was laying on his bed and enjoying the warmth from the braziers that had been started outside of the rooms. It added much needed light to the dark hallway and the warmth made all the difference for them. Since they had nothing to do but wait. He was wondering where Mark was, when footsteps crept down the stairs and someone shushed the startled Omegas and Deltas. Sean didn't bother to move off his bed, until Mark asked from his door's window. "Sean? Are you alright? I heard what happened." Quickly getting to his feet, he raced over and pushed his arms through the bars to touch him as he pleaded desperately. "Mark, you've got to get me out of here!" Huffing sarcastically, Mark told him bluntly. "I can't even figure out how I'm going to get out of here at the moment. They won't let me leave do to the storm... but I don't think that's the real reason... but I've got to get home."

Curling his fingers into Mark's shirt, Sean pleaded with him. "Mark, please. If you do... take me with you." Mark touched his wrist, casually telling him. "Sean, you'll be ok. Any day now, the prince will find his mate and you'll all be sent home. You have nothing to worry about. But... But I've got to go as soon as possible." Swallowing, Sean blurted out. "You will need me to get home, Mark. You'll get lost. You need my sense of... Mark, please? I'm not clayton's mate. I know it. I can feel it." Mark rolled his eyes, spurring Sean to snap out. "It's true! I don't feel... attracted to him. True mates are at least attracted to each other before they scent them out! It's been proven!" Raising his hands in surrender, Mark tried to calm him down by saying. "Ok. Ok. I believe you. Don't get hysterical on me. Breathe." Sean took a few deep breaths but still felt scared and vulnerable. Placing his hands on Sean's wrists, he told Sean soothingly. "You do have a point... without my sense of smell... I get far. So... when I find a way. I will come for you."

Sean grinned, his body finally starting to relax, but just to help it along, he asked curiously. "How did you lose it anyway? I recall you knowing how to smell when we were pups." Mark shifted uneasily as he noticed the other Omegas and Deltas listening by their doors, but he reluctantly answered. "Alpha training. We were doing a mock rescue mission... the guy on the other side was a sore loser. We fought. He broke my nose... I haven't smelled anything since... The doctor says I should be able to smell... but I can't. Without it... I'll never be able to find my true mate for the rest of my life. As an Alpha... I'm..." Mark couldn't seem to bring himself to say it, but Sean understood. If he couldn't smell, he couldn't smell threats. He couldn't track anything. He was... not a prime choice to be the next Alpha of the pack. Sean wanted to hug him but couldn't. Suddenly voices trailed down from the stairway. The first voice stated aloud. "That is what he said, Highness." Then a second familiar voice replied. "I don't care what that cuckold son of mine says. I still run this castle and I'll be damned if he's going to demand anything of ME. Now stay here. I wanna do this... alone."

Mark pulled away from Sean, removing something from his pocket to spray himself with before rushing off into the shadows. Sean sniffed that same earthy smell that Mark smelled of. He was using more scent blocker. Sean couldn't dwell on Mark though, because the Apex Alpha stepped down into view and hushed the whimpering Omegas and Deltas as he leered into their rooms. As he walked down the row of them, he spoke quietly to himself. "Nice. I don't recall the young wolves of my day being so... fair and pretty." One of the Omegas yelped in distress when he caught his hand to look at it, prompting the Apex to purr out. "Shush, you're alright. What are you scared of?" The Apex sniffed the Omega's palm, then told him softly. "Mmm, softened yourself with lotion. I like that. Vanilla and... strawberries. Very nice. But... not quite what I'm looking for." The second he released the Omega, the Omega fled away from the door.

Knowing he was next, Sean quickly backed away from the door. Turning away to face the window, Sean closed his eyes and hoped the Apex would move on. His hopes were dashed, when the door unlocked, and the Apex excitedly cooed out. "There you are. You're the one that couldn't take your eyes off that young Alpha." Sean inhaled sharply as the Apex grabbed his jaw and turned his head to look at him, when he added excitedly. "Those very pretty... blue eyes of yours." Leaning in to sniff his neck, the Apex whispered almost hungrily. "You and he are very close... I can smell him on you... and now I must know. Has he... touched you? Because... if he has. You're unworthy of my son... but I won't let you go to waste."  To Be Continued...