They were on a deserted, dusty road when it happened, just returning from a stay with Dean's parents, while Sam was left in charge of the pack for the weekend. The sun was setting in the gold-pink sky and the last glitters of light faded fast along with it, but they still had a good quarter of an hour to go before they were home.

Castiel was curled up in the passenger seat with a tattered map of Kansas blanketing his lap, voice barely louder than the soft hum of the radio as he gave out directions. Dean had gone quiet a while ago, now fighting the urge to fall asleep at the wheel (although he still had the energy to argue back when Cas had offered to drive- three times already). The last drops of the coffee they'd picked up at the gas station had been drunk and now he was working on nothing but fumes.

Despite adoring their pack, Cas was glad for the weekend off. He was happy to finally meet Dean's parents, but even more so for the time he got to spent with his Alpha, alone. Even though they had been mated for four months, it was hard to find any privacy, what with Cas adjusting to his new pack- and vice versa- and Dean working together with Michael more often. It was hard to get used to, especially when a pair was newly mated and unwilling to let the other out of sight. The only time they were really alone was at night, and while Cas was certainly not complaining, it was nice to have his Alpha be attentive to him and only him in the light of day, fully clothed (though that part was optional).

"Take the next left," Cas instructed, "then the first right, and we'll be back on the highway."

Dean answered with nothing more than a simple nod. Things went quiet again for all of two minutes, until the Impala violently swerved to the left, sending red dust into the air and the map across the dashboard. Vaguely aware of Dean swearing beside him, Cas' hands were clutching his seatbelt in an instant and his feet pressed against the floor, preparing to meet some sort of force of impact.

None came. The car was back on the road and righted in seconds, but the experience had caught Cas completely off-guard and sent his heart rate into a frenzy.

"Dean," he grumbled, because he was seriously getting tired of his I'm-driving-because-I'm-the-Alpha-and-I-said-so crap. "Pull over and let me drive the last stretch-"

"Cas, shut up," Dean interrupted. His voice was shaking, but not with anger. "Just- Shut up for five seconds, okay? I'm gonna- I gotta stop the car."

At the Alpha's sudden urgency, questions piled on the tip of Cas' tongue, but all faded from his mind when he fully took in Dean's behaviour. White knuckles clenched around the wheel. Muscles tense, shoulders hunched. Teeth bared slightly, the smallest hint of fangs showing.

Castiel rubbed a hand over his eyes, groaning.

Dean's rut had come two days early.

"Are you sure?" the Omega asked, but there was little room for doubt, not with the way Dean smelt. His scent had turned sharp and musky, his usual hint of pine and leather mixed with pheromones, overwhelming Cas' senses. Already, he could feel himself becoming slick. Every primal instinct told him to rub up against his Alpha and literally roll over on his back.

"Yeah," Dean said as he rolled the car to a stop on the side of the road. "Fuck, I really thought we'd sync up by now."

Once two werewolves were mated, their respective heats and ruts would occur off-schedule until they began overlapping, until they eventually coincided altogether. Usually, it took about two, sometimes three, cycles for them to even out- for some pairs, even one was enough. For Dean and Cas though, it just wasn't happening.

Cas' doctor believed it was due to his consistent, long-term use of heat-suppressants. In time, it would happen, she had said, or it might not happen at all.

Which really didn't excite Castiel, because the prospect of having to deal with his own heat and then Dean's rut consecutively made his head hurt. Dean was resolute though, positive that it would happen eventually, no matter how long it took. He was eager to see how their wolves would act on each other when biology took over and all control was lost. Cas, on the other hand, was apprehensive on that subject, considering the two seemed to like each other a little too much. Dean was unrelenting when he rutted, and Cas was his own polar opposite in heat. Their combined cycles would be a destructive force, to say the least.

Dean turned the Impala's engine off and before Cas could suggest how to act next, the Alpha had him pinned against the side window as he snuffled along his jaw and down to his neck. His moans mingled with half-formed demands and profanities that slurred against the Omega's skin. It tingled where Dean nosed at, by the shell of his ear. Cas felt like he was burning up inside. He reacted in turn, pressing every inch against him and touching everywhere, eager to take in as much musk as he could. Dean's scent was dizzying, made specifically to push Cas' control to the very limit, to bring his wolf close to the surface and take anything his Alpha gave him.

Cas managed to find his voice and rasped, "Dean- Wait." When his mate didn't respond, he placed both hands on his chest and pushed, though it did very little to deter him. "Alpha-"

Dean's head shot up, but his expression showed he was less than pleased about being interrupted. "What," he grunted, his green irises reduced to thin rings around his lust-blown pupils. It was obvious by his tone that he was demanding whether Castiel was challenging his authority. In response, the Omega tucked his nose beneath Dean chin in a show of submission.

"We should move to the back seat," Cas breathed into his neck. "You'll have to knot me, it will be more comfortable there."

The words acted like a bucket of cold water over the head. Dean gathered enough senses to nod absentmindedly, then made space for Castiel to pass to the back of the Impala. He was following suit in seconds, crawling on top of the Omega and caging him beneath his body. Once he was settled, straddling Cas' lap, he began pawing at his clothes and fumbling with the fabric. Cas, for the most part, helped him make sense of the buttons and his belt, all the while soothingly murmuring encouragement in attempt to calm him- but it did little. Dean's mind was more wolf than man at the moment, and his instincts told him to claim and knot.

Together, they discarded the rest of their clothing, left it in a heap on the ground. Cas took a second to press his forehead into Dean's clavicle and just breathe in his scent. He felt the Alpha buzz against him, eager to have his mate on his back again. Dean's fangs were completely on display now, not as a threat but as a sign of strength, dominance. In contrast, Cas' own canines remained concealed and his eyes rarely travelled above Dean's nose, expressing his willingness as the Omega. He moaned as Dean touched him all over- thighs, hips, waist, back. His hold was firm- the hands large and powerful, their fingers calloused- but there was a certain tenderness to it. It made Cas feel safe. His own scent, flared with arousal and desire, told his Alpha just how much he wanted him.

The shift in smell had Dean's pheromones acting up as the rut boosted his sex drive again. It was obvious he was going to have to knot Cas soon, lest his arousal turned into discomfort, which could lead to aggression. Though it was almost physically painful, the Omega pulled away from Dean's touch to lift himself up onto his knees, spreading them apart. When not in heat, Cas had to be fingered beforehand, since his body was no longer naturally open and ready for Dean to have it. He made a move to reach behind himself when Dean snarled in protest.

"What are you doing?"

Cas fell back onto his haunches as he answered, "Dean, I need to stretch myself first."

"Yeah, but I'm usually the one who preps you," the blond said, already moving forwards.

"Dean." Cas stopped the Alpha from reaching out behind him and laid Dean's hand on his thigh instead. "It has to be done properly, and you're hardly a prime specimen for patience at the moment."

"I can be patient!" The promise was accompanied by an indignant grimace, not unlike a pout. Cas had to bite into his lip to stop himself from smiling, because Alphas probably did not appreciate being laughed at when they were attempting to show off their sexual prowess. Dean fixed him with a resolute spark in his eye, then pulled himself higher so he was towering over Cas, immediately putting him in the submissive. Cas didn't fight it: his eyes fled to his mate's mouth again, his back slouched as if to make himself smaller. "I'm doin' it, Cas," he said with a sense of finality, and his tone sent a shiver down the Omega's back and another rush of slickness to slide down the inside of his thigh.

All Castiel could do for the moment was nod. Dean took the chance to brush his thumb along the bite mark he had left all those months ago, pressing in soft, circular motions. He then moved his hand to brace the back of Cas' neck, pulled forward, and pressed their mouths together. The kiss was rough and demanding, everything Dean's previous actions had been, with a promise of more. The second Cas' mouth parted, his Alpha's tongue darted inside, pressing and licking, and elicited a guttural moan.

Cas' fingers came to cup Dean's jaw, before he leaned back and stretched out on the back seat, with Dean caging him from the top. "We've waited long enough," Cas murmured into his mouth, rolling his hips upwards. "Take it, Alpha."

Dean smiled into the kiss, appreciation rumbling deep in his chest. He pulled their lips apart, before bringing a finger to trace the curve of Cas' lips, feel the fullness of them. With a soft prod, he coaxed the Omega to slacken his mouth, let the finger slip inside. A soft sigh thrummed through Cas, while he got to licking along the length of it and sucking on the pad. They didn't have to go through this as Omegas were self-lubricating, but Dean liked to tease. He had Cas continue the treatment with two more fingers, after which he hooked each of his mate's legs over his shoulders. He nipped at the side of one knee as he let the first digit push in and get coated in the Omega's natural lube, all the way to the knuckle. Cas' head rolled back with a whimper as Dean started working his finger in and out- slowly, steadily, as he'd promised.

"So wet for me, baby," Dean hummed into his thigh.

Cas' stomach tightened as another finger was added, drawing out a breathy groan. "All for you, Alpha," he assured him, "only you."

Dean flashed an open, wolfish grin and watched every one of Cas' features intently. The way his fingers curled in on themselves, his lips drew shaky breaths, his eyes flickered when Dean angled his fingers just right. Dean knew every spot that Cas liked, which ones made his back arch deeply and his heels dig into the blond's shoulders.

When the tips of Dean's fingers finally brushed against Cas' prostate, sending him keening, the Omega knew it was the breaking point, for both him and his Alpha. Dean took one look at Cas' flushed state and pleading eyes, before he slipped his fingers out in order to position them better. One hand found Cas' hip and held him in place as he shifted on his knees. Then he was pushing forward into the tight heat, sliding in completely with one thrust. Just this was enough to start soothing the burn inside Dean's body. Excitement thrummed through him as his hips found a rhythm to move to, while Cas responded in kind- pushing and grinding against the Alpha, covering the hands on his hips with his own. His fingers danced up Dean's arms, caressed his skin deftly in order to meld their scents together, to remind him that while he did belong to his mate, it most definitely worked vice versa. Each touch felt like fire, like a permanent brand was being made on skin.

Cas' senses were flooding over with delight and awareness, and he saw stars. Sex always felt more intense, more fulfilling during one of their cycles- like a part of him hadn't been whole before, but was now. And it was only Dean, his Alpha, his mate, who could sate him.

Soon, the rut was at its peak, and it was no longer about gaining pleasure, but establishing authority. The most basic and primal of Dean's instincts was telling him to breed his mate, and though Cas couldn't actually have pups, there was still an ardent need in Dean to show him his capability to provide, to protect him. His thrusts were relentless as he leaned forward, spreading Cas' legs and curving his back as far as it went, so he could rock into him deeper, give more. Cas complied- he hefted his pelvis as best he could and put more of his weight on Dean's shoulders. It improved the angle greatly, had him howling in a way he'd be embarrassed about if he wasn't too busy trying to stop himself from sliding off the seat.

Dean seemed to notice, and without slowing down, got a firmer grip on the Omega's waist. "I got you, Cas," he rasped out, "don't worry, baby. I got you."

The sincere tone, coupled with the firm pump of his hips, had heat curling hot and heavy in the bottom of Castiel's stomach. "Dean, please- need it now," his whisper was almost too low to be heard over the slap of skin against skin and obscene groans. There was a certain restlessness in the air, it was obvious that neither was intending to last much longer.

When Dean started biting- chest, shoulders, arms, anything in reach- Cas scrambled for purchase, one arm around the headrest and the other grasping Dean's biceps. He was so close, his vision was reduced to a blur, darkening fast. At the first brush of Dean's knot swelling inside him, white washed over him, and he was coming in hot spurts, the back of his head digging into the leather. He didn't even try to silence his cries as he rode through his orgasm, knowing well how Dean liked to hear him come undone, wholly and undisturbed. He was vaguely aware of earnest praises and his mate fucking him through it with an unsurprising amount of enthusiasm, already locked inside him the way he was meant to.

Cas was almost certain he blacked out for a second from the sheer intensity. His synapses had been fried and his entire being was left an ecstatic, sated pile of post-coital bliss.

"Dean- I... Dean," was all that was coming to mind at the moment. The single syllable seemed to be enough.

The Alpha nodded in response. "Love it when you're fucked stupid, sweetheart." Inside the Omega, the knot shifted as Dean removed the legs off his back, then lifted Cas into his lap, locking his ankles around his waist. He ran warm hands up and down his back, from the nape of his neck to the small of his back. Cas sighed contently as his own arms came to wrap around Dean's shoulders, burying his nose into the crook of Dean's neck. Both were sticky with sweat, come and natural lube, and exhausted beyond all forms of movement.

Outside, night had fallen thick and silent, the moon casting a soft, silvery glow. The woods that stretched all around were still with sleep.

Dean's lips rose to press a kiss against Cas' ear. "You smell so good, sweetheart. I'd knot you again for that scent alone if I could," he teased. The depth of his words didn't settle until Cas looked up to lock eyes with him.

His grin nearly split his face. Only one thing could be cause for that reaction- his heat. "Is it-?"

"No, not yet." Dean shook his head, but he was smiling nonetheless. Snuffling along Cas' jaw, he said, "But it's close. You might even catch me."

Cas pressed in close again and promised, "Next cycle. I'm certain."

Silence swept over them and for the next twenty minutes, nothing else was said.

Cas' heat hit three days later. The bedroom was in ruins by the end of the week.

A/N: Oh, how the tables have turned :D

Okay so technically, wolves don't actually go into ruts. The only mammals that do are deer and ungulates, but I really liked the idea of the situation being reversed so. Yeah. Have at it.

Secondly, hi! I return to you in the midst of IGCSE exams! Sorry for disappearing for a while there! This lil ol' thing is literally the only thing I managed to churn out in all of April. Shame on me, I know. Preparing for exams has been a pain and sucked all the energy and creative juice out of me. Had two tests this week, so I figured I should just post this now to let you know I'm still writing. Sorta.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to go on a writing break again after this, the next two weeks is nothing but exams (those who take IGCSEs are surely aware of the ridiculous schedule Edexcel came up with this year) and there's really no time for anything but studying. I will however, be free by the end of the month, since I'll only have 3 more smaller exams to do in June, so I'll be back to speed again around that time!

Good luck to all on your finals! And congrats on the exams you've already sat for, you rock star, you.