Faun dejectedly examined the brightening sky. The mating run would be over soon and he had not the slightest clue where the hell he was. 

With no other choice, Faun chose a random direction and walked on. 

As he progressed through the cool, misty forest, the doe-like omega let his thoughts stray to the weird way he felt about his Al -no, not his - the Alpha. 

Why was that strange voice telling him to move towards the creature? Stranger yet, why did he actually listen to that voice?

Faun remembered the warm feeling that had flooded him when he let that voice take over. The voices' endless praises as he fought to reach his Alpha. Telling Faun to give himself to his Alpha. Who's large, rough hands would grip Faun's lithe waist. Would trail his hands down the backs of Faun's trembling thighs before lifting him up against a nearby tree. Would ruthlessly tease and tease Faun until he was a writhing, begging mess, and then, and only then, would the Alpha finally take out his- Faun felt his cheeks warm abruptly.

Why on earth did my thoughts go in that direction?

Taking deep, calming breaths, Faun waited until the slight hardness in his thin leggings had disappeared before trekking onwards.

As the time dragged on, Faun's pace grew slower and slower. His soaked pants made him shiver relentlessly, and the cool air felt like dagger-sharp claws against his bare skin.

Faun held back a sob as he noticed he had passed the same gnarled tree for the third time.

Physically and emotionally exhausted, Faun let his head thump back against the rough tree, taking a second to rest and regroup.

Staring at nothing, Faun didn’t notice the strange object flying closer until it was almost at his zenith. 

Wait- was that?

With a sudden jolt of energy, Faun darted away from the cover of the trees out into the open. Faun felt slightly delirious as he watched the pale-haired omega somehow fly above him with great, snowy wings. 

It was a miracle he was going to be saved.

Faun desperately waved his freckled arms, calling out to the airborne Omega. 

Finally, the other man could carry him out of here. Or the other omega could even just show him how to get out of these cursed woods. Either way, he could make it out of here! He could finally go home. 

When the other omega finally noticed Faun, time seemed to stand still.

The blonde omega slowed his flying for half a heartbeat, making eye contact with Faun from above.

The winged omega’s face pinched up like he had eaten something especially tart, before the lines in his face smoothed into a blank facade. 

Finally, after an endless moment, the airborne Omega wrenched his face forward, before flying off at breakneck speed.

Quickly disappearing into the brightening sky and taking all of Faun’s hope with him. 

Faun didn’t know how long he had been sitting under that old gnarled tree. Not even hidden, the doe-like omega was lazing out in the open, just waiting for something. No. Someone.

Faun didn’t know when he had stopped feeling the icy cold of his clothes, or the agony from his aching legs. Faun just felt empty, defeated. 

Faun would never describe himself as headstrong or particularly stubborn.

Faun was a realist. He knew when to give up. 

The omega was a wounded doe with his leg stuck in a trap. Struggling would just be fruitless. He had no choice but to wait for the hunter to decide his fate.

As if his thoughts had summoned him, Faun heard a familiar rustling permeating the still air around him. The small sound was almost deafening in the early morning. No matter how many times Faun told himself he wasn’t afraid, he couldn’t stop the slight tremor in his hands nor the shivers running up his shirtless back.

The sounds of twigs snapping and leaves crunching came from a multitude of directions before eventually surrounding him. 

Circling him like a bloodthirsty great white from one of Faun’s nature documentaries. 

Just when Faun was considering abandoning his “give up quietly” plan, a shimmering green tail inched into his sight.

The slow and sanguine movements once again had that odd hypnotizing effect on the exhausted Omega.

When Faun heard the strange whispers in his mind begin, he embraced them.

When he found the Alpha's tail slowly wrapping around his prone form, Faun made himself relax into the snug hold.

The constricting muscle slowly grew tighter, the powerful tail lazily coiling up and over itself.

It reminded Faun of a childhood story he had heard from one of the older omegas. How if you put a frog in boiling water, it would jump out. But if you put a frog in warm water and slowly increased the heat, it wouldn't know it was boiling until too late.

As the thick tail gently inched its way across his midsection, Faun knew he was the frog.

Faun made himself go pliant, looking away from his eventual demise. 

Faun imagined himself being squeezed to death by the powerful muscle. The pressure constricting him until his airway choked off, and he felt all the bones in his body snap.

Faun dazedly realized he had hyperventilated out of pure terror. The edges of his vision darkened minutely. 

As if sensing his distress, the owner of the powerful tail finally revealed himself, leaning his fit torso forward in order to catch the panicking omega's eyes. 

Faun finally let himself meet the Alpha’s piercing gaze and was shocked to find the concern overtaking the Alpha’s features. 

Faun made himself hold still, as two large hands cradled his face, warm thumbs dancing over his blushing cheeks.

Reverently, the Alpha's hands stroked one of Faun's velvet antlers.

The action sent a bolt of arousal through the timid omega.

Hearing Faun's little gasp, the Alpha just repeated the action. Cruelly running a fingernail down the length of Faun's sensitive antler again.

And again.

And again.

Faun bucked against the thick tail constraining him, desperately chasing friction against his member.

The alpha paused his ministrations.

The muscle tightened until Faun could not even shift his hips. Faun was completely stuck now, to the Alpha’s satisfaction, if his pleased half-smile was anything to go by.

“Good boy,” the Alpha’s voice was deep and raspy, as if he had not spoken words in some time.

The low timbre wrenched a desperate whine out of Faun.

The Alpha only gave Faun a mock pitying look before tightening the muscle around Faun's groin a fraction tighter.

The grip bordered on painful and the sting was enough to vanquish Faun's arousal.

Faun, completely wrung out, let his head tip sideways into the thick tail, cradling him. The hands were back on his oversensitive antlers; the touch calming now instead of arousing.

 Soothing the excited omega.

"Good boy," the Alpha repeated, "my good, little..."

"Faun," the omega finished.

"My good, little Faun," his name on the Alpha's tongue made him shiver. 

The Alpha paused his movements. "You waited right here for me, didn't you, Faun?" 

Faun clumsily nodded his head, seeking another 'good boy' or more head rubs.

The Alpha indulged him.

The heat of scales against his bare chest mixed with the gentle massage of his antlers made Faun's eyelids grow heavy.

For the first time since the hellish night started, Faun finally felt warm.

"My sweet Faun, it's time to go home now."

The inner voice was ominously quiet as the Alpha carried Faun into the dense woods. Yet Faun didn't feel any trepidation about the future. He somehow knew he could trust this dangerous Alpha.

No more running.

Before his Alpha took them under the thick shelter of the trees, Faun caught sight of the rising sun.

Dawn had arrived.

The Mating Run was over.