The Animal Within

Chapter 6 - Bargain

As Percy had suspected, it was approaching midday by the time Kronos stalked down the street, surrounded by the usual chaos of the city. He glowered at the demigods whom watched him pass and slunk past the gods - everyone now aware that he'd mated with Percy - and firmly slammed the door into the Security chamber behind him.

Percy blinked at the door. "He's not happy," he guessed.

Thalia snorted. "No shit," she said scornfully. "Gods, Percy. Go after him, he's your omega now."

The demigod instantly shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "No - I'm giving him his space. He's likes his space."

"There's a line between giving him space and giving him room to kill all of us, Kelp Head."

Percy's jaw tightened. "Yeah. I know. I just... can't help but think it was too easy."

Thalia quirked an eyebrow. "Too easy?" She echoed. "Percy, you came back covered in blood."

The demigod huffed. "It looked worse than it was." He took in a deep breath. "But... I don't know."

--

Percy spent the better part of the entire week simply staying in his omega's nest. He wasn't sure what heats were usually like - or what omegas in heat were usually like, but Kronos cuddled. He cuddled and he explored Percy, as if he hadn't done so enough that first night, until Percy either had to leave or he caved in to the omega.

Over the past few days, the gods had been getting more and more anxious over Kronos' waning scent. Percy knew why. His omega was losing the sweetness of his scent, the smell turning bitter and sharp so that it lingered on Percy's tongue whenever he took a breath.

He was coming out of his heat.

Zeus had likened him to a declawed kitten compared to a wild big cat - using Kronos' black jaguar form as a kind of analogy - in saying that when no longer on his heat, Kronos would likely try to murder them all. Percy sort of thought it was an extreme mood swing and suspected that the god was exaggerating.

At least until Kronos felt himself again and proved it by surprising them all in a sudden rush towards the door. Even before the alarm had been raised, the Titan omega was happily trotting down the street and across Queens Midtown Tunnel, also surprising the demigods guarding the bridge from any attempts from the Titan Army - which had been suspiciously silent - to attempt to retake the tunnel and enter Manhattan again.

Percy watched in utter disbelief as the omega left, leaving utter chaos in his wake.

"You've got to be joking," he breathed.

"I told you it was a terrible idea!" Poseidon exclaimed, turning on Athena. "You can't trust a Titan."

"Wait," Athena said quietly. "We wait and see what happens."

"If Kronos returns with his army at his back?" Poseidon growled.

"What army?" Artemis asked dully, fiddling with her bow. "We decimated them."

"If he returns with intentions to attempt another advance," Zeus said flatly. "We kill him."

An involuntary growl rumbled from between Percy's lips. "No."

Zeus blinked. "No...?"

"You won't kill him," Percy said fiercely, "I won't let you."

"You won't...." Zeus' expression abruptly darkened and he uttered a curse in Ancient Greek. "You won't even let us near him, will you?"

Realisation dawned on Percy then, why Kronos had abruptly decided that he wanted to mate with Percy. The alpha was sort of impressed that his omega had been able to plan so well while under the influence of his heat, but found he wasn't really too surprised. "No," Percy quietly admitted, knowing that it was the cold truth.