Chapter Text
If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me a bit more about what 'claiming' entails? Can an Alpha just say "I like this one, everybody else back off"? And it's obviously not permanent, since Roman has been claimed before, so how does that work exactly? As for breeding, I take it that that is sex during an Omega's heat to make them pregnant? Do Alpha's go into heat as well? (sorry for the load of questions) - Nyn
No problem! Please bear in mind that my answers are relevant to my own ABO verse only and do not represent the full spectrum of ways ABO can be written.
Claiming is when an Alpha decides to take an omega into their home and oversee their care. Omegas are considered to be somewhat less than fully human, with their animal features and heat cycles making them unable to take care of themselves easily. A heat cycle without an Alpha to breed them is incredibly painful for an omega.
“Claiming” is not permanent in that Alphas can abandon their omegas, but it’s a pretty shitty thing to do. Sort of like…adopting a pet then leaving it on a street corner, only worse, because omegas may not be fully human but they are completely sentient and experience a full range of emotions and are just as intelligent as humans. So it’s basically a massively dick move and the fact that it’s happened to Roman so many times is a very strong indicator of the kinds of company he’s kept.
Basically when an omega is claimed by an Alpha there are scent markers that become detectable between the pair. Most Alphas also like to give their omegas a symbol of their commitment–usually a collar, though sometimes it might be something different like a bracelet or necklace. Typically, Alphas claim omegas during their heat cycles, as omegas emit certain scents during their heats that are meant to attract Alphas. It’s the time Alphas can sort of go, “Yes, this smells like something I want to make permanent.”
Asshole Alphas will breed any omega in heat, then ditch them when the heat cycle pheromones stop–basically when they can start thinking with their head brains instead of their dicks. That’s what’s happened to Roman several times. Roman’s pheromones during his heat cycles are especially strong, and as such he is very difficult for Alphas to resist, especially younger Alphas who do not yet have their own omegas.
The fact that Logan claimed Roman when he was nowhere near his heat cycle is actually a very strange and unusual thing–most Alphas want to make sure their omegas are…well, the best way I can describe this is they want to make sure their omegas ‘smell right’ during heat cycles. It’s like…looking at a horse’s teeth and hooves before buying it. So Logan claiming Roman ‘sight unseen’ (as it were) is actually a really unusual and very sweet thing to have done. Of course he just sees it as being decent (and he and Roman are incredibly well suited to one another, which is why they were able to fall in love so quickly–they are going to have some hella intense mating sessions when Roman’s in heat).
“Breeding” is what it’s called when an Alpha and omega copulate during the omega’s heat cycle, though it’s not always for the purpose of producing a litter. While many omegas enjoy giving birth, it’s not necessarily healthy for them to be constantly pregnant, so most Alphas will take suppressors that ensure they do not get their omegas pregnant every heat cycle. (Heats are once every four to six months in a healthy omega, btw).
Roman is a bit of a special case, though. He was actually the result of some very targeted breeding programs meant to create the ‘ultimate omega’–his heat cycles come every six to eight weeks instead of every four to six months, and he is especially fertile (his record litter was 12 pups). He carries pups well and generally has easy deliveries.
But he was also the result of some illegal and very unauthorized breeding experiments. He was created by a ring of illegal breeders who were essentially creating custom omegas for wealthy clients by going around laws and ethics codes. He was sort of their prize prototype, but the regulations commission and omega protection agencies were closing in on them, so he was abandoned so as not to be incriminating.
Since then, he’s lived on his own, claimed by a string of Alphas when he was in heat (his heat cycles are incredibly intense and it’s even more difficult than usual for Alphas to resist him) then ditched afterward. He’s given birth to several litters of pups, which he has had to give up to protective services. Omegas aren’t attached to their pups the way a human parent would be, but it was still difficult for him to have to give them up so early (the typical nurturing period before giving them up to a creche* is about 1 year).
And no, Alphas don’t have heat cycles–they simply respond to omega heat cycles.
*Creche - more on that later :)