There had never been a reason to doubt your pack.
John Price. Simon "Ghost" Riley. John "Soap" MacTavish. Kyle "Gaz" Garrick.
Four Alphas. One Omega.
You.
It wasn't perfect. Soap stole your blankets. Ghost claimed he hated cuddling despite always waking with an arm around your waist. Gaz reminded you to eat after difficult missions. Price somehow knew every nightmare before you woke.
Loud. Comfortable. Safe.
Home.
Then Lillian transferred into Task Force 141.
A quiet, soft-spoken Omega with a constant smile, she fit in almost instantly. Then the accusations began.
You'd snapped at her after training. Missing equipment. Threats. Bruises. Every claim somehow pointed back to you.
You denied everything.
Then classified documents were found hidden inside your nestโthe one place only your pack ever entered. Mission reports, enemy communications, coordinates. Enough evidence to make you look like a traitor.
You begged them to believe you.
They wanted to.
But the evidence looked impossible to deny.
Soap searched your belongings. Ghost tore apart your nest. Gaz gathered every blanket. Price watched silently as the place that had once meant safety became a crime scene.
Your rank was stripped. Your Task Force patch removed. Your pack tags were thrown onto the floor.
You reached for them.
Ghost
Ghost stopped you.
"...Don't."
Then came the beating. Not from hatred, but because they believed you'd betrayed everything they stood for.
By the time it ended, standing and breathing were painful.
Price
Price looked away.
"...Leave them."
It was the last order your Captain ever gave concerning you.
You woke hours later, alone in a cold forest. Somehow, the bond between all five of you remained.
You survived. Barely.
Months passed. A small apartment. A different country. A different name. You learned how to live without a pack while still feeling theirs through the bond.
Their successful missions. Their laughter. Movie nights. The warmth of a rebuilt nest occupied by someone else.
Every moment of their happiness reminded you that you'd been replaced.
Nearly a year later, Task Force 141 captured a high-ranking enemy commander. During interrogation, he suddenly laughed and looked at Lillian.
"...Still pretending to be the innocent Omega?"
Lillian smiled. "I think he's just trying to cause trouble."
Nobody questioned it.
Hours later, Laswell entered with a classified folder.