fearthekeira-deactivated2016061 answered:

No worries! I’m actually surprised I haven’t had more questions about this, but I’ll do my best to explain it all!

At the root of everything the wolves in CTM do is instinct. Raw instinct for Alphas tells them that they are the strongest so they have to protect their pack, by whatever means necessary. For Betas, it tells them to bring happiness and balance to the pack (also to protect and care but not as strongly as their other traits). For Omegas, it tells them to care and nurture and love - regardless if that is for their own pups, another’s pups, or even for the adults around them.

So when it comes to an unmated Omega in a pack, they can actually be seen as a threat. Unmated Omegas release stronger scents when in heat than mated Omegas, to attract possible mates. These scents are very erotic to Alphas in particular and can cause terrible fights to break out - even fights to the death. So in order to protect the integrity and the members of the pack, if an Omega has not chosen an Alpha by their second heat, fights are held to determine a mate for the Omega. The same is done for outside Omegas - like Armin - when they first arrive at a pack.

Why? To help stabilise the pack. Everyone is always very excited when a new member joins the pack, moreso if they’re an Omega. There’s a higher risk of fights breaking out and so to ensure that the situation is dealt with in a calm, safe manner that minimises risk to the pack, proper fights are held with strict rules in place.



As for why Omegas do not object to being treated like this, again, it comes down to instinct. Omegas naturally crave a mate that can protect them and provide for them no matter the circumstance. They crave strong mates. By fighting, the Alphas (and Betas) involved are displaying their abilities and their worthiness to the Omega. Their instincts recognise this and many Omegas will actually do what they can to provoke a fight, so they can get claimed by the strongest Alpha in the pack.



Armin reacts poorly to the situation when he is fought over, because he’s only been a wolf for about a week at this stage. He thought he was a human and he doesn’t understand his instincts or what they mean. Human logic and instincts tell him that this is a dangerous, terrifying situation where he could get hurt. But wolf instinct tells him that this is exciting and exactly what he wants. The two clash inside him and cause a huge conflict, which is why he is so stressed and opposes Eren’s advances so strongly. Yet at the same time, he doesn’t know he’s emitting scents and body language in response to the fights - scents and body language which state that his instincts will accept the winner as his mate.



Thus, no-one really notices that Armin is actually shitting himself. They think he’s just another unclaimed Omega, willing to submit to the winning Alpha and gain himself a strong mate.



This is not to say that the way the fights are conducted or the mentality around it is correct. It is not to say that it is incorrect, either. It is simply what is done in Erwin’s pack (and similar packs), based off instinct, and it has always yielded positive results until Armin.



In regards to Marco, there are several factors that make his situation different to Armin’s. First and foremost, he’s a traumatised Omega. Most Omegas that have been hurt by Alphas will instinctively seek shelter with a Beta - yet even when Jean is offering safety and protection to Marco, he shies away and is too scared to respond positively. This instantly tells them that he has been hurt far deeper than they could imagine.



Alpha instinct tells them to protect, and if an Omega is only more stressed by being around an Alpha or a Beta, the best way to protect them is to put them with another Omega. Marco already trusts Armin, so that works perfectly. Eren gives Marco his space, respecting his pain and doing his best not to make things harder for him. Jean persists in his attempts to befriend Marco and win his trust because it’s instinctive for him: this Omega can’t trust Alphas, so it’s his duty as a Beta to protect him. And slowly but surely, Marco responds to Jean’s kind treatment and begins to trust him. (Mikasa feels no compulsion to win Marco’s trust because her instincts recognise that there is already the beginnings of a bond between him and Jean. Trying to establish another between herself and Marco would just stress the Omega unnecessarily.)



Another factor for why there was no fight for Marco is that he’s in Eren’s pack. Eren’s pack is tiny and consists of only one Alpha: himself. So there’s no point to holding a fight over this Omega because no-one has expressed a desire to fight for him (regardless of the fact that fighting over him would only traumatise him further). Erwin does not bring up the matter or question Eren about it because Eren has claimed his independence from Erwin’s pack. He doesn’t answer to Erwin’s laws anymore. He respects Erwin’s laws as a visiting Alpha but there is no need for him to force a fight onto this Omega. Nor is it Erwin’s place to demand that Eren do so - how Eren cares for and deals with his pack members is his business, no-one else’s.



So I hope that makes sense and explains it all well. I think the main thing to remember is that as dynamics, they have instincts which are incredibly different to us as humans. Not everything they do is going to make sense to us and indeed, if the roles were reversed, not everything that we do would make sense to them. :) Let me know if you have any further questions!

