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Sweat trickled down Wriothesley's brow as he struggled to put words on the page of his report. It was for Monsieur Neuvillette, he kept reminding himself. For Neuvillette.
His breath came heavy and labored, fingers trembling, reflected in the shakiness of his handwriting.
“Shit,” he hissed, running one hand back through his hair. He could feel his cunt leaking uncomfortably, his cock aching, the feeling not helped by the sensation of his piercings rubbing against cloth.
The suppressants weren't working. Again.
Wriothesley closed his eyes, set down his pen, and pressed his face into his hands, trying to get his body to calm even if he knew it would be no use.
His heat was coming and the old bond mark on his neck throbbed and burned, his body seeking a mate who was long gone, a mate he'd never wanted in the first place.
There were plenty of rumors throughout Meropide about that mark. That he had a long lost lover, maybe from childhood, maybe from Meropide, someone who had died and left him devastated. That the mark was from his father or his uncle, something to keep an unruly youth in control. There was even some wild rumor that it was from the previous administrator.
But no. It was much more simple than any of that.
Pankration. His earlier days in prison, desperate and hungry. An Alpha he’d known he could take down but... that Alpha... that man had surprised him in the worst way possible.
He’d only recently presented as an Omega. Hadn’t even fully realized he was hitting his first heat, had been too afraid of what it meant to admit to himself that it was happening. There was no penetration, but there didn’t need to be. He was going into heat, and an Alpha on the verge of rut pinned him down and sank his teeth into his scent gland.
The bond between them had never really been a full bond. It was a tenuous, nascent thing, needing that penetration to be fully sealed, but Wriothesley never would have allowed it.
He’d killed that man. Killed him in cold blood, then and there, choking him out and breaking his neck before he even had a chance.
The crowd had roared at his victory as he stood, not fully realizing what had happened. When Wriothesley pressed his hand to the aching mark on his neck, it came back covered in blood.
Sigewinne had her concerns, but as usual, Wriothesley mostly ignored her nagging. He carried on and pretended it wasn’t there. The Alpha was dead, and it was better for him in some ways, to be partially bonded. It meant his scent wasn’t as likely to draw in others. Even better, it meant that Alphas tended to stay far, far away, especially when they realized his supposed mate was nowhere to be seen. It frightened them.
Except for one.
Neuvillette, the man known to be the Prime of all Alphas, hadn’t been put off in the least. He’d treated Wriothesley not as a paired Omega with a missing mate, but as a man. Why Neuvillette held him in such high regard, he could never fathom, but he appreciated it nonetheless.
That appreciation had grown over the years, forming something like a friendship between them. Once, and only once, had Neuvillette tried to tentatively bring up the topic of his ‘mate’. It had been nothing more than a polite inquiry into their wellbeing, but it was a conversation Wriothesley shut down as soon as it began, changing the subject entirely.
He wondered, sometimes, if Neuvillette could sense the incompleteness of that bond. If he wondered what had happened. If he...
But no, it was foolish to wonder any further. It didn’t matter. As far as Wriothesley was concerned, he would remain Alpha-less for the rest of his life.
There was just one problem. His heats.
They were brutal every time, his body aching like he was being torn in two. He’d tried everything. Suppressants helped sometimes, but not always. Fucking himself helped sometimes, but only temporarily, and sometimes made it worse. He even made himself a fucking maching, something that could piston a dildo into his cunt at frankly inhuman speeds, but it was never enough.
Sigewinne told him it was a hormonal matter. Not a matter of fucking, but of needing the presence of... well, his mate. His ‘mate’ who he’d killed with his bare hands right there in the ring.
As he grew older, it grew worse. He was in his prime years, and his body wanted.
All he could do was leave his desk and lay down, try to sleep it off, masturbate and hope it helped instead of leaving him dissatisfied and aching.
It was hours before Sigewinne arrived. She had a sense for these things, but she was a busy nurse. Every time, she scolded him, saying, “You should have called me sooner.”
This time, she sat beside his bed and held his hand, his breathing heavy, his skin flushed and sticky with sweat. He’d torn his clothes off, naked but for a loose pair of boxers as he tried to maintain some sense of dignity.
Her scent was soothing. Not the scent of his ‘mate’, but pleasant. Like a nice day at the beach, warm in the sun. Her tiny hands held one of his, cool little fingers running over his scarred knuckles.
He’d tried to nest. He always tried to nest, but it was a terrible, frustrating act, his bed covered in his own clothes, his own scent, but not the scent of another. Sometimes, it made the heat better. Sometimes, like everything else he tried to do, it only made it worse.
“Oh, Wriothesley,” she sighed, standing on her stool to lay a cool cloth over his head. “Please let me call him. Please.”
“No,” Wriothesley said, voice hoarse as he gasped for breath. “No.”
This was her newest attempt at a solution. She claimed another Alpha in his space might soothe his heat, but they’d tried that before with Clorinde. It had only made him anxious and angry, and when he shouted at her to leave before he did something stupid like attack her, she’d left.
He’d apologized, later. She assured him it was no issue. Just a favor she’d wanted to do for a friend, though she, too, had pressed on him that he needed to find a solution to this. That he couldn’t just keep suffering every six months like clockwork.
The thing was...
Well.
There was one other option. If the presence of an Alpha alone couldn’t fix what was broken, there was only one thing left to do. Another Alpha would need to override the incomplete bite. Claim him as an Omega was meant to be claimed and wash away any trace of that other Alpha’s mark on his body with their own.
And there was only one Alpha he wanted. An Alpha he couldn’t have.
Monsieur Neuvillette.
He was... perfect. An Omega’s dream. Every Omega in Fontaine had probably lusted after him at some point in their lives, except for Wriothesley.
But when they became friends... well. He couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander. To wonder what it would be like to be his.
Dangerous thoughts.
He knew very well such a relationship could be detrimental to them, to all of Fontaine. Even so... sometimes, during his heats, he imagined those gentle hands on his skin, soothing him. Soft lips against the scars on his throat, warm breath over the old bond mark. Neuvillette, whispering sweet words to him, or firm orders with a voice that left him shuddering and hot.
He felt disgusting for having those fantasies. For even entertaining that idea, for assuming that Neuvillette would ever want him like that. The Iudex had been single for hundreds of years. There was no way he would want to be with a man like Wriothesley, out of all the people in Fontaine.
Sigewinne remained quiet but respected his wishes and, like always, tended to him as his heat ran its course.
During its final days, he was feeling more himself, and though his skin still burned and his bond mark still ached, he was back in his office, dealing with problems, handling paperwork, trying to catch up on what he’d missed. He had a meeting scheduled with Neuvillette too, and...
Well, it would be good to get some fresh air and a change of scenery. His eagerness to attend definitely didn’t have anything to do with his passing heat. But the thought of catching just a little bit of that man’s scent... it brought him a sense of peace he couldn’t quite put words to.
Files tucked under his arm, he made his way to the surface, and to Palais Mermonia.
Neuvillette greeted him kindly, as he always did, but Wriothesley didn’t miss the slight furrow of his brow, the flare of his nostrils.
As they sat across from each other, lounging on opposite couches, enjoying tea and water and discussing production numbers, Neuvillette’s gaze drifted over his body. Or... maybe he was just imagining the way the Iudex’s eyes lingered on his lips, on his throat, on his collar bones.
The intensity of that stare as Neuvillette asked if he required any assistance from the Palais had Wriothesley’s breath picking up. His heart racing, he tugged at his collar, beads of sweat trickling down his brow.
“Your Grace?” Neuvillette asked when Wriothesley didn’t answer his question.
“Sorry,” he said, and belatedly realized his fingers were trembling, the teacup shaky in his grip, tea licking up the sides, threatening to spill over. “I just—” He set the cup down, took a deep breath, cleared his throat. “Do you mind if I—”
Neuvillette stared at him as he pulled his heavy coat from his shoulders, letting it fall to the couch behind him. The relief it offered was minimal. The cool air of the room against his back only barely quelled the heat welling up inside him.
This wasn’t right. His heat was supposed to be over.
“Wriothesley?” Neuvillette asked, alarm laced through his voice, filtering out through his scent into the room as he got to his feet.
Wriothesley’s vision blurred, his head spinning. His entire body burned with sudden heat, his nostrils filled with an almost overpowering scent as Neuvillette approached. The scent of the sea, of romaritime flowers, of deep water. It was like he was drowning and— and his body burned in protest, punishing him for wanting.
But no, maybe... maybe that wasn’t right, either. Maybe it wasn’t a punishment. Maybe... his body wasn’t burning because he’d grown too close to an Alpha that wasn’t his ‘mate’, but because this man... this man was supposed to be—
When he blinked his eyes open again, he was cooler. Gentle fingers brushed his cheek, that touch like a balm to the raging fire inside him. Those fingers... they were soft, but there was something rougher there too, like little scales.
They slid through his hair as he let his eyes drift closed again, gently lifting his head as the edge of a cup was pressed to his lips.
Neuvillette’s goblet.
Cool water trickled into his mouth, and Wriothesley drank eagerly, his entire body humming with pleasure at the intimacy of it. This... feeding another, especially during a heat... that was an act reserved for mates.
A whimper escaped his lips before he even realized it. His bond mark burned.
“Wriothesley?” Neuvillette asked hesitantly. He was close... so close, sitting on the edge of the bed right beside him.
Without even letting himself think about it, Wriothesley reached for his hand, fumbling around until he found his fingers. Neuvillette laced them together without question, squeezing his hand tight.
“I’m okay,” he breathed, even if he was far from okay. “I’m... I’m fine.”
“May I strip you down?” Neuvillette whispered, fingers brushing the buttons of his waistcoat.
“Yeah,” he swallowed, nodding. “Yeah, please. I’m so hot... fuck.”
“You’re in heat,” Neuvillette said, a little shocked, a little disbelieving. Gently, he let go of Wriothesley’s hand to work on his clothes. “You should have told me, Wriothesley. I would have cancelled the meeting.”
“I wasn’t supposed to be.” His brow furrowed, and he groaned softly as he felt Neuvillette’s fingers brushing his aching chest. “It was... supposed to be over.”
Neuvillette paused at that, then continued undoing buttons. “I see. Then... I apologize. It must have been my scent.”
Yeah, it was his scent, but... fuck, he had no idea just how intoxicating it was. Now, with Neuvillette so close, it was hard not to feel like he was swimming, drowning in the best way possible.
“Not your fault,” he muttered as Neuvillette gently opened his waistcoat, then started on his shirt, baring his burning skin to the cool air of the room.
Every brush of Neuvillette’s fingers left him gasping, longing. If he didn’t keep his eyes closed, he knew he was going to look up and catch his gaze, and then he’d be done for.
As those perfect fingers unbuttoned his shirt all the way, pushing it off his chest, he couldn’t help letting out a soft moan. And as Neuvillette’s palm rested on his bare stomach, he found himself trembling, aching, longing for more. His scent must have been just as enticing and overpowering to Neuvillette, but he was so patient, so gentle.
Neuvillette moved down to his trousers, unbuttoning them and pulling them down around his hips, and Wriothesley shoved his underwear with them, not caring at all what Neuvillette saw. He needed it off, all of it off.
“I’m so hot,” he moaned, “Fuck.”
Neuvillette obliged, not saying a word as he helped him strip, getting his shirt off too, then pulling the sheet up over his hips to give him some privacy. Only when he was finally bare did Wriothesley relax, his body just a little bit cooler.
“Alpha,” he found himself whispering, soft and pained, the word escaping his lips before he could think clearly enough to swallow it down.
This was....
He’d never felt this way about an Alpha before, never. Every other Alpha made his hackles raise, even Clorinde made him angry and anxious when he was in or near his heat. Maybe it was because... because he’d already started thinking of Neuvillette as his Alpha, even though his bond mark burned and rebelled at the idea, his stomach twisted up tight.
He just needed... needed Neuvillette to make it right. Needed...
“Wriothesley,” Neuvillette said, sitting back. His voice had dropped low, still gentle but cold. The voice he used in court. “I need you to tell me about your bond mark.”
Wriothesley whimpered in protest, and Neuvillette let out a low thrum, a growl. His palm still rested on Wriothesley’s stomach, claws curling into his skin, and Wriothesley gasped for breath. There was a heat in his bones from that voice, that touch, but it was... it felt good. That heat had never in his life felt good.
“Tell me,” Neuvillette said, and Wriothesley let out a shuddering sigh. “Was it from your parents?”
Wriothesley let out a hoarse laugh at that. “No... no. They wanted to keep this intact, to be claimed by... whoever they sold me to.” He pressed his fingers to the mark, shifting in discomfort. It was wrong... wrong for it to be there, and his breath picked up again.
“Wriothesley...” Neuvillette said, firm, but softer this time. Understanding. “That’s right... it was intact when you were sentenced. So...” His voice grew softer as he realized, and yes... Neuvillette deserved to know, as much as he still feared telling him the full truth.
“Pankration,” he muttered. “I was young and... I had just presented.” He still didn't dare look at Neuvillette's face. “I was going into heat. And during the match, he—”
“Wriothesley.” Neuvillette took his hand. “You don't have to say more.”
But Wriothesley shook his head, swallowing hard. “No, I... I want to. Anyway, it's not what you think. I never let him get my clothes off, never let him get that far.”
Hardly thinking about it, he drew Neuvillette's hand to his chest, pressing those cool fingers against his skin, over his pounding heart.
“I thought I could take him, but I let my guard down for one second, or maybe it was the heat, but...” he swallowed hard at the memory of that Alpha's weight over him. The sudden spike of fear, then rage.
“He pushed me down and bit me.” He paused, swallowing hard at the memory and knowing he had to admit to the rest. “It was a big mistake. He was vulnerable because of it, so I killed him.” He said it so simply, he could smell Neuvillette’s shock permeating the air.
A light rain pattered against the windows and Neuvillette’s eyes and rhinophores began to let off a soft glow. The expected result of Wriothesley telling him he’d killed yet another man in cold blood.
“Wriothesley,” Neuvillette said, almost a growl, and Wriothesley braced himself. Despite the reason, he knew how Neuvillette felt about murder. “That man... if you hadn't already ended his life I would—”
Wriothesley finally looked up at him, then. At Neuvillette, with his pupils wide and his fangs bared. He was dressed down to just his shirt and trousers, outer robes discarded, jabot loosened. A little disheveled but somehow still perfect, and so, so handsome.
The scent that filled the air around him now, mingling with his own, wasn’t one of disgust towards Wriothesley, but towards the other Alpha. It was the scent an Alpha let out when his mate was threatened by another, or when he was about to get into a fight. Wriothesley had smelled it about a hundred times when the Alphas in the Fortress squabbled.
“You would what, Neuvillette?” He dared to ask, his heart pounding in his chest.
Neuvillette looked directly at him, gaze narrowed. “He would meet a fate worse than death. I would ensure it.”
Wriothesley shuddered, then let out a breathless little laugh, his skin suddenly far too hot, his cheeks burning.
“Fuck... you mean... you’re not going to try to tell me he was just some out of control Alpha in rut?” Way too many Alphas got away with this kind of behavior using that excuse. It was part of why Wriothesley had never intended to tell Neuvillette.
But Neuvillette hadn’t admonished or judged him. His first instinct had been to protect him, and that made Wriothesley ache for him more than anything else, left him breathless and wanting.
Neuvillette’s expression was like ice, but that glare wasn’t directed at Wriothesley. It was directed at the old bruise over his scent gland.
“We are not so unable to control ourselves, regardless of what others may claim. Regardless of what other judges may claim.” He snorted in derision. “If he was near rut, he was perfectly aware of what might happen.” A low growl escaped him, eyes glowing, rhinophores perked up. “He harmed you.”
“And I killed him,” Wriothesley reminded him, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. “I’m honored, Neuvillette, but... you don’t have to get revenge for me. You can’t, actually, even if I wanted you to.” He grinned up at him. “I’m okay.”
“You are not,” Neuvillette insisted, gaze gentling as their eyes met. “You’re in pain.”
“I’m used to it,” Wriothesley said, rubbing his thumb over the back of Neuvillette’s hand. “And I made peace with it ages ago. He was a bastard and I hate him for it, I killed him for it, and now... well, there's nothing you or I can do about a man who's already dead.”
Letting out a slow breath, Neuvillette ran his palm gently over Wriothesley’s chest. “That is true... but...” He swallowed, clearly fighting those instincts, turning his attention more fully to Wriothesley. “Listen to you, trying to console me when I should be the one consoling you. Wriothesley...”
Wriothesley pressed his hand firmly over Neuvillette's. “I didn't tell you this so that you could console me, Neuvillette, I told you because...” He swallowed, hesitated, but he had to tell him. “Because the bond never sealed. And because of that, and because he's dead, another Alpha could easily...”
Their eyes met as he trailed off and the heat burned through him, so strong he had to stifle a sudden groan.
“You want me to...?” Neuvillette asked softly, disbelieving. “Are you sure?”
“I used to try to claw it off,” he whispered, reaching for that horrible mark. “This disgusting thing on me, that makes my heats go crazy while my body aches for that man. I got used to it, but I hated it. Still hate it. And Sigewinne told me the only thing that can really help, that can make it go away for good...”
He dragged his nails over it, groaning in agony.
“I want you to, but... fuck, I know I could never just ask you to do that, Neuvillette. It’s...” He sighed, frustrated. “No, forget I said anything, I'm in heat, I never meant to ask you—”
Neuvillette's hand gently curled over his own, stilling his fingers where Wriothesley scratched at that throbbing mark.
“Wriothesley,” he said, voice dipping low. “Be still. It's all right.”
Wriothesley stilled, turning his gaze away, and Neuvillette sighed.
“Thank you for telling me. I... I'm honored that you would trust me with this. If I can truly help, you know I would—” As he spoke, it sounded like he was on the edge of his seat, barely restraining himself, but he paused and cleared his throat. “But I should be truthful as well.”
Wriothesley looked up at him, trying not to hope too hard for something he’d been certain Neuvillette would never agree to.
“I,” Neuvillette began softly, shifting a little closer on the edge of the bed. “Have longed to court you, Wriothesley. Have courted you but... I could never be sure if it was appropriate and so I believe I never made myself fully clear.”
“Court me?” Eyes going wide, he started to sit up but Neuvillette coaxed him back down. “Then... the gifts...”
“Courting gifts,” Neuvillette clarified with a slow sigh. “Yes. They were intended to be. But because of your mark, I didn't mean any disrespect and so...”
“Fuck,” Wriothesley breathed. “Neuvillette... I... don't know what to say.”
“Neither do I.”
They sat silently for a moment. Wriothesley cleared his throat. And they both started again with “Maybe—” and “Perhaps—,” knocking into each other before peeling off into light laughter.
Wriothesley felt warm in a way he never had before. Not just his heat, but something else stirring within him. Neuvillettes' scent was... warm. Gentle. Soothing. It should have put him off, having an Alpha so close, but it didn't. Right now, it only brought him peace.
“I think I need you,” he found himself saying. “More than I ever wanted to admit.”
Neuvillette squeezed his hand. “Have you ever...” His rhinophores twitched, gaze darting to the side. “You know. With anyone...?”
“No.”
Neuvillette seemed surprised at that. “But, your heats...”
“I couldn't tolerate other Alphas. Not even Clorinde. Not Betas either. So I just... got by using toys.”
“I see. But... you tolerate me.”
“Yeah.” Wriothesley shrugged. “More or less. I don't know why. But you being nearby always made me feel better.”
“You should have told me sooner,” he said gently.
Wriothesley frowned. “I know.”
Neuvillette shifted a little closer and Wriothesley sucked in a breath. He smelled so good. It was like catching a breath of fresh clean air after years of drowning in filth.
“What do you want, Wriothesley?”
“I don't know,” he forced out, trying to breathe in more of Neuvillette’s sweet scent even as he felt his body rebel just a little, his bond mark aching.
“I think you do,” Neuvillette muttered. “I want you to tell me, honestly. If you can't because of the heat, I want to know that too.”
Wriothesley shook his head a little. “It's not the heat, I’m... I'm fine, Neuvillette, I'm...” but the look the Alpha gave him made him swallow, hesitate, and flush.
“Now is not the time to be stubborn,” Neuvillette said gently. “You're in pain, I can see it. Feel it. But I won't do anything to you unless you truly want it. And you must understand that because of my previous intentions, if we do go through with this, I'm afraid it will not be solely transactional.”
“I want it,” he said without hesitation, his entire body aching at the implication of those words. “Want you. Have wanted you, for way too long. I've dreamed of it, Neuvillette. You... fixing this...” He pressed his fingers to his bond mark, letting out a soft, pained moan from how hot it burned. “And... more than that, too.” He met the Alpha’s gaze. “So much more, Neuvillette.”
Then Neuvillette was pushing the sheet off his body and crawling over him, long white hair tumbling over one shoulder, his eyes bright.
“I should warn you first,” he said. “I am... not human.”
“I know,” Wriothesley said, strained but smiling. “Hydro Dragon, right? I suspected for years—”
He groaned, the pain getting worse now that Neuvillette was so near, another Alpha leaning over him, not his ‘mate’, even though he simultaneously burned to have this man—
“Yes,” Neuvillette said. “Shh, it's all right. If you’re truly certain—”
Wriothesley’s eyes must have said it all. He could feel it, a moan bubbling up on his lips, threatening to spill forth. Instead he said, “I'll struggle. I'll try to throw you off. It’s just instinct, don't let me.”
“I won't have any trouble,” Neuvillette assured him. And fuck, that confidence was hot. Already, he could feel a surprising strength in Neuvillette's arms as he pushed down on Wriothesley’s chest. It made his cunt wet, his cock hard, and that was probably a very good sign.
“Then... please,” Wriothesley groaned, turning his head, forcing himself to bear that incomplete mark to the Alpha above him, gritting his teeth. “Please bite me, Neuvillette.”
Neuvillette leaned down and Wriothesley tried his best to bite back a growl, then a low whine. Strong hands gripped his arms, holding him down.
But Neuvillette didn't go for the bite. Not right away. Instead, a low, soothing purr emerged from his throat, lips pressing to the line of Wriothesley’s jaw in a gentle kiss.
Wriothesley’s eyes flew open, breath caught in his chest as he looked up at Neuvillette in shock. No one had ever...
Well. His parents didn't really count. Every kiss they ever gave him had been laced with lies. Outside of them, he honestly couldn't remember a time anyone had ever... but Neuvillette was. Gentle lips and feather-light kisses moved along his jaw and over his cheek to the corner of his lips, and Wriothesley didn’t know what to do.
He'd gone completely stiff, something he realized only when Neuvillette drew away. “You're uncomfortable,” he said softly, not judgemental or disappointed, only factual.
Wriothesley did his best to relax. “Sorry. It's just... no one has ever... ever kissed me before.”
It sounded almost absurd, but it was true. No one had ever kissed him because they cared about him. Ever.
Neuvillette furrowed his brow. “Then, are you sure it’s all right? Admittedly, I haven’t either, it’s just that... I’ve always wanted to try this. With you.”
Wriothesley looked up at him. At those honest eyes.
“In five hundred years?” He couldn't help but smile. “You never kissed anyone? Really?”
“Yes. Truly.” He looked nervous. Adorable. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and oh how Wriothesley ached for this man. This gentle Alpha.
He reached up, fingers trembling, and pulled them through Neuvillette's soft hair, stroking the side of his head. Neuvillette sighed and leaned into it and Wriothesley was already so far gone.
“Yeah,” he whispered, drawing him closer again. “I want to try. Please.”
Pupils wide, Neuvillette nodded. “All right.”
He leaned down, hesitating as their breath mingled. Then, he closed the space between them.
At first, it was only a gentle brushing of lips. Neuvillette’s were so incredibly soft against his own and Wriothesley sucked in a little breath, heat simmering in his gut. Neuvillette tasted good. Felt good.
“Please,” he whispered again, moving his lips gently over Neuvillette’s. With a quiet, happy trill, Neuvillette tilted his head to get a better angle, kissing him back with the surety of a man who now knew exactly what he wanted.
His scent, so much like the sea, was strong in Wriothesley’s nostrils as they kissed, and he could feel himself fighting between wanting more and some deeper instinct to throw him off, an instinct he did his best to ignore as he wrapped his arms up around Neuvillette's neck to pull him closer.
He moaned as Neuvillette licked at his lips to taste him, dipping inside as Wriothesley’s lips parted to let him in.
His tongue was forked, Wriothesley could feel it, and he gasped and licked back at it before letting him push deeper.
It was intoxicating.
Neuvillette didn't push too far, only licking into his mouth once more before dragging his fangs over Wriothesley’s lips, pulling his lower lip between them and sucking gently. Then he turned to press more open-mouthed kisses to his cheek and jaw, down to the top of his throat.
“N-no—” Wriothesley rasped, instincts getting a hold of him again, his body twisting in protest as Neuvillette neared his bond mark.
Neuvillette jerked back, brow furrowed and pupils wide with alarm, and Wriothesley growled in frustration.
“Neuvillette,” he gasped. “Sorry, it's... It hurts. We can't— you have to just bite me. Before we can go further— I need—”
“Shhh,” Neuvillette breathed, leaning in again to kiss his chin. “It's all right. I see, I understand. Just relax and let me take care of you, my beloved Wriothesley.”
“Please,” Wriothesley gasped, heart pounding wildly at those words. Fuck, he wanted to be Neuvillette’s so badly. So badly. His and no one else’s, definitely not the man who’d marked him all those years ago.
Gently, Neuvillette kissed the corner of his lips, firmly holding him down to keep him from squirming too much. “Relax,” he whispered, trying to soothe him as Wriothesley twisted instinctively, gasping when Neuvillette only pressed him harder into the bed. Fuck, that strength was so unexpected and so, so hot.
“Please, I need you to—”
Neuvillette let out a low warning growl, and Wriothesley whined and quieted. He hated this. Hated the way his body reacted to the man he wanted most now that he was so close. He just needed Neuvillette to bite him and make it all stop.
“Be good,” Neuvillette cooed as he leaned down, pressing soft kisses along Wriothesley’s neck, slowly making his way to his bond mark again. “Be good for me.”
Wriothesley let out a shuddering breath at that quiet command, words that left a new sort of heat bubbling through him.
Long-fingered hands tightened around his wrists and Wriothesley could smell the Alpha's spike of desire.
“Please,” he gasped as Neuvillette trailed even lower, trying his hardest to say anything other than no, a protest he didn’t mean in the slightest. “Please—” His fingers trembled, his body jerking as he tried to sit up, but Neuvillette growled again and held him still.
“Omega,” he ground out and Wriothesley whined, trying to pull his wrists up, lifting his legs to feebly kick at his body, twisting his head. “Be good.”
He nuzzled into the crook of Wriothesley's neck and inhaled, growling at the faint scent of foreign Alpha that had always lingered there. Wriothesley whined in both excitement and instinctive alarm, but he turned his head to give Neuvillette access, forcing his body to do it, huffing his scent to try to calm himself.
Then, at long last, sharp fangs bit into that gland at the base of his neck and Wriothesley moaned.
Suddenly, he was eighteen. On his back, the ground hard and cold. Wicked fangs tearing at his scent gland. Growling. Pain.
He tried to move but he couldn't. His assailant was strong, too strong. All he could do was—
Cryo, manifesting around his fists, around his knees as he kicked. He could still turn this around. Throw the Alpha off guard, throw him onto his back, get his hands around his throat, ignore the sounds of his own screams—
And then—
Blue. Bright blue, searing even behind his closed eyes. Growling, but not the Alpha he remembered. A scent, but not of grease and metal. This was... the ocean. The beautiful, boundless sea.
Romaritime flowers.
A calm summer day.
He could hear that other Alpha’s screams at the back of his mind, what remaining hold he had on Wriothesley’s body drowned by sweet, pure Hydro washing through every inch of him, flooding his body with its energy.
He saw a dragon there, in his mind's eye. Pure white scales and long blue rhinophores, fangs tearing into the other Alpha’s very essence and shredding him in two, a long sinuous body curling around Wriothesley until he couldn't hear those screams anymore. Until the aching and the burning stopped.
But in their wake was something else.
A need. A craving like he'd never felt before.
He reached out, clinging to those scales, tears welling up in his eyes, spilling forth.
“Thank you,” he blubbered. And then, “Please, I need you, please.”
A long tongue dragged over his new bond mark, a mark left by a dragon, and Wriothesley trembled and moaned.
With a quiet thrum, Neuvillette pulled back, and when Wriothesley opened his eyes, it was no dragon but Neuvillette above him, eyes and rhinophores glowing bright, wings and a long Hydro tail unfurled, gloves discarded to reveal scaly fingers tipped with claws.
The remains of ropes of Hydro that had curled around him to keep him still evaporated off Wriothesley’s body as he stared up at Neuvillette.
“You really are the Hydro Dragon Sovereign,” he breathed.
Neuvillette nodded. “I am.”
Wriothesley’s mouth was dry, his entire body coursing not with a painful heat but a needy warmth. He felt... strange, he felt... almost intoxicated. His cunt ached. His body ached, and he needed... his mate. Needed Neuvillette.
“Touch me,” he whispered. “Please.”
With a low purr, Neuvillette leaned in again. Legs circling Neuvillette's hips, Wriothesley buried his face into the slope of Neuvillette’s shoulder, breathing in his scent as Neuvillette mouthed at the nascent bond mark he’d left behind.
Basking in the security of his arms, Wriothesley dragged his teeth over his Alpha’s scent gland, moaning softly at the way Neuvillette shuddered against him when he bit down and sucked his own little Omega mark into it. It was nowhere near as powerful as an Alpha’s bite, but it would help the bond, and fuck he wanted anything right now that would make this right.
Neuvillette purred to encourage him, nipping at Wriothesley’s mark again, scenting it over and over, letting himself fall in the rhythm of instinct.
Cool hands wandered over Wriothesley’s skin as he let go of Neuvillette’s neck. Instead of shying away, he arched into that touch, sighing at how good it felt to have gentle palms running down his sides to his hips.
He wanted Neuvillette to grab him there, and as he thought it, Neuvillette's fingers and claws dug into his skin. He groaned, throwing his head back, nearly sobbing in relief as Neuvillette's tongue ran down his throat over one of his thick scars and he felt nothing but unadulterated pleasure.
“Let me show you,” Neuvillette thrummed, licking at the base of his throat where sweat had pooled, purring louder at the heady taste of him. “How good an Alpha can be to his Omega. How it should be. Let me show you what I've craved for years.”
“Yes,” Wriothesley gasped. “Fuck, I want that, yes.” Even without experience, he could feel their instincts raging through whatever semblance of a bond they'd already created. Could feel the heat of Neuvillette’s desire, and it made him dizzy with want.
A part of him wanted to take from Neuvillette just as much. Roll him over and ravish him, make out with him for hours, intimately explore each other. But with exhaustion coursing through him, so much more of him just wanted to let his instincts take hold in a way he'd never let them in his life. Let himself be ravished, treated like a true Omega by an Alpha who cared about him.
There was still some wall inside him that told him that was impossible, that Neuvillette pitied him but didn't actually care. A wall that was slowly being pulled away as Neuvillette pressed gentle open-mouthed kisses to his aching skin, dragging lips and fangs over the top of his chest to scent him.
“If you want to stop, you need only say,” Neuvillette whispered, pausing with his chin brushing the center of Wriothesley's chest between his hairy tits, staring up at him with eyes that still glowed with violet light.
“Don't stop,” Wriothesley breathed, tangling his fingers tight into Neuvillette's hair, leaning his head back and arching his body. “Fuck, don't stop.”
Neuvillette let out a pleased purr at that. His hands reached for Wriothesley’s tits, cupping them in his palms and squeezing, digging his claws into muscle and fat. Wriothesley groaned, dragging his nails over Neuvillette’s scalp.
His mate was touching him. His mate was touching him.
“More,” he moaned, and Neuvillette squeezed his tits again, then slid his hands down to Wriothesley’s waist, tongue dragging over one pierced nipple.
Fuck, he was so sensitive, and he gasped wildly as his body flooded with pleasure, his cock twitching and leaking precum.
His new mate took that aching nipple between his fangs, sucking deeply with full intention of leaving a mark there, and Wriothesley sobbed, letting go of his hair to grab at the sheets with one hand, clapping the other over his mouth. He was— fuck, he was going to come—
Claws dragged over his hips, carving subtle welts into his skin, grabbing him hard as Neuvillette continued his path downward, sucking and licking at every inch of Wriothesley’s skin. Every bite of his teeth, every press of lips and tongue lit up something hot and eager inside Wriothesley’s body, making him want more and more, his cunt gushing slick, his cock throbbing as he twisted beneath Neuvillette’s touch, cursing and whimpering, so close to orgasm he could hardly stand it.
At last, Neuvillette settled down between his thighs, looking up at him with a hungry stare, eyes bright as he licked his lips, hovering just before Wriothesley’s pierced cock.
He was leaking wildly, a thin trail of precum dribbling out the slit and down the side. As Neuvillette dragged his tongue over it, licking it up like it was some great feast, Wriothesley sobbed and came.
“Fuck—” he sobbed, arching his hips as Neuvillette took the head of his cock into his mouth, thrumming in delight as he swallowed down the small amount of issue Wriothesley released.
Wriothesley stared at him with wide eyes, unable to keep himself from coming a second time as Neuvillette held his gaze, sucking on his cock like it was the best meal he’d ever had.
One of Neuvillette’s hands curled around his short, fat cock, squeezing until Wriothesley let out a broken moan. That hot tongue dragged over his slit, licking up cum and teasing his piercings, and Wriothesley trembled. He felt like he could have come a hundred more times if Neuvillette kept doing that, but it wasn’t where he wanted to be touched the most.
He rolled his hips, whimpering and whining. “Please,” he whispered. “My... my hole. My cunt. It’s...”
Reaching down between them, he brushed trembling calloused fingers over the base of his cock, spread his legs wide and dipped them lower, pulling the lips of his cunt open for Neuvillette to see.
“So wet... so empty. I need you to fuck me.”
Neuvillette hesitated, looking up at Wriothesley’s face, but that was all he needed to see to know just how certain Wriothesley was.
Gently, he let go of Wriothesley’s cock, dragging his fingers lower to brush over the lips of his cunt, his pupils growing even wider.
That touch alone was like fire in Wriothesley’s veins, and he flushed and moaned, knees falling further apart, thighs open wide. “Yes,” he whispered. “Please, I want you.”
Neuvillette let out a low, hungry thrum and Wriothesley shuddered with want. His mate was pleased. His mate was enjoying this.
He watched through lowered lashes as Neuvillette held his gaze, growled and bit at the ends of his claws where they were just a fraction too sharp, snapping them off and dragging his tongue over the ends to blunt them.
He couldn’t help but moan at the sight, flushed and aching. “Fuck, that’s hot,” he gasped, rolling his hips.
Neuvillette regarded him with cool, glowing eyes as he nudged Wriothesley’s hand aside, holding him open and staring at his wet pussy.
Wriothesley let out a little whine as blunted claws dipped down, gently exploring the opening of his cunt with absolute fascination. Cool fingerpads brushed over his soft, wet entrance, testing the give and collecting the slick spilling out as he panted and jerked his hips into that touch.
“Beautiful,” Neuvillette whispered, spreading him further as Wriothesley flushed and arched his hips, gasping for breath. Then, finally he slid one finger inside and Wriothesley sobbed.
“Oh,” Neuvillette groaned as his finger sank in with ease. “Oh, Wriothesley, you’re so... so open.”
“Fuck,” he gasped, gripping the sheets. “More.”
Neuvillette plunged in two to the base and Wriothesley threw his head back and groaned, clutching the sheets so tight his fingers ached. Before he could even ask, Neuvillette started fucking into him, curving his fingers inside him so perfectly he felt like he was going to come from that alone.
A third finger pushed in and it wasn’t enough but he could at least feel himself stretching around them, moaning at the way they filled him, at how warm and gentle Neuvillette’s fingers were inside him, how rough those tiny scales against his sensitive inner walls.
“Fuck me,” he whispered, his skin hot, pleasure pooling and coiling in his gut.
Blunted claws pressed against the back of his cock, massaging him on the inside, fucking into him faster and faster as his breathing grew heavier and heavier.
Neuvillette’s eyes glowed bright, rhinophores lighting up the room as he stared at Wriothesley, lips parted and fangs showing.
Wriothesley cried out as hit his peak again, his body trembling and twitching. The orgasm was small, but enough to leave his bones singing with pleasure, his eyes rolling back in his head.
Before now, he’d never been touched like this, nevermind brought to orgasm even once, but Neuvillette had already done it twice, so quickly and with such perfect ease, leaving him aching for more.
Clenching up around his mate’s fingers, Wriothesley moaned, still shuddering in the wake of it. Neuvillette’s other hand stroked the underside of his thigh, coaxing his leg back as he leaned over him.
“Wriothesley,” he whispered, white pupils blown wide, translucent wings extended behind him, tail lashing back and forth in excitement. “You... I...”
“You made me come again,” Wriothesley groaned. “Fuck, it felt so good. I want more, Neuvillette. I need more.”
Breath shaky, Neuvillette withdrew his fingers from Wriothesley’s cunt, stretched them apart and stared in wonder at how slick they were, his fingers absolutely coated in it.
Tentatively, he brought them to his lips, sniffed and licked at them, then moaned.
Pressing them into his mouth, he eagerly cleaned them as Wriothesley watched, drinking it down, tongue licking up every last drop. When they were clean, he stared at Wriothesley with those bright, hungry eyes, watching him like Wriothesley was prey.
With a low growl, he shoved Wriothesley’s thighs back, forcing him into a mating press. Wriothesley whimpered, staring up at him, fingers trembling. “Yes, please,” he gasped, though he wasn’t even entirely sure what he was begging for anymore, just Neuvillette, anything Neuvillette wanted to take, anything he wanted to give.
That growl turned into a low, pleased churr as Neuvillette leaned over him, a sound that went straight Wriothesley’s cunt. Holding his thighs still, he leaned down, Neuvillette’s sharp nose pressed against his folds. Wriothesley’s fingers went to his hair, tangling into soft white strands as Neuvillette drew in a deep breath, scenting over his slick entrance and dragging his tongue over it.
Wriothesley sobbed, clinging tighter to his hair as that long, wicked tongue plunged inside.
It slid in deep, licking at his cervix, and he came like a shot, his third orgasm rolling over him, twitching as he tried to fuck himself on his mate’s tongue.
Neuvillette only paused for a moment when Wriothesley clenched up, then resumed exactly what he’d been doing before, licking deep into him and drinking from him, huffing his Omega pheromones as he feasted on Wriothesley’s slick.
A few more short orgasms punched through him before Neuvillette was done, leaving him relaxed and dizzy from the rush of endorphins. Even still, he needed more.
He gasped as Neuvillette pulled out with a low thrum, licking over Wriothesley’s entrance and cleaning his own lips and chin. His mate’s eyes and rhinophores were so bright, his pupils as round as the moon as he stared at Wriothesley’s body, folded perfectly beneath him.
“Fuck,” Wriothesley groaned, trying to drag him closer by his hair, “your cock, I need your cock.”
Neuvillette growled again, crawling over him, then hesitated, gasping for breath. “Wriothesley... are you sure. I—” he swallowed thickly. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself once I—”
Breath picking up, Wriothesley growled back as he dragged him down, hauling him closer until their mouths were mere inches apart. “Neuvillette,” he gasped. “I need your knot. I need it now.”
Neuvillette gasped and Wriothesley pulled him into a brutal kiss, Neuvillette’s tongue diving between his teeth. Wriothesley sobbed as he tasted himself on Neuvillette’s lips and tongue, sobbed louder as that wicked tongue pushed at the back of his throat, his senses overwhelmed by the scents of saltwater and the depths of the ocean. His mate’s spike of arousal, his mate wanting him.
And oh, he wanted nothing more than for Neuvillette to take.
Neuvillette’s claws pressed into the undersides of his thighs, pushing his legs back further, coaxing his hips up into the air, and Wriothesley groaned, whispering, “Yes, yes, yes,” into his increasingly hungry kisses. The bulge in Neuvillette’s trousers slid along the crack of his ass, nudging up against his cunt, hot and huge.
“Fuck,” he gasped. “Fuck, fuck, I need that— need it right now, now—”
“Yes,” Neuvillette gasped, reaching down between them to fumble with his fly. “Yes, Wriothesley, Wriothesley...” Their foreheads pressed together, heated breaths exchanged between them.
Their nascent bond was a blur of pleasure, exchanged so rapidly between them it only grew hotter and brighter with each breath. His cunt was leaking like crazy, his cock and his nipples aching hard, and Neuvillette’s thick Alpha scent in the air was absolutely dizzying, making him want to do nothing but lay there and spread his legs for his mate.
“Breed me,” he moaned, leaning his head back to bare his neck, drawing his knees up even further. He could feel Neuvillette opening his fly, withdrawing his cock, and he sobbed as he felt hot flesh brushing his entrance.
If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a blue glow coming from between Neuvillette’s thighs as well, but he didn’t have time to focus on it before the hot, slick tip of that cock was pressing against his open cunt.
That alone was enough to send a shock of arousal up his spine, a sense of rightness flooding through him.
His whole entire life this had all felt wrong. Touching himself was passable, but even fucking himself on a dildo had made his body feel both good and bad at the same time. It sated his needs, but it still left him aching afterwards, longing for an Alpha he’d never wanted in the first place. But this—
This was his Neuvillette. His mate.
He thrust his hips up and both of them groaned as Neuvillette’s cock slid deeper, finally sinking into him.
“Fuck yes,” Wriothesley groaned. “Fuck, you’re so big. Feels so good, gimme more, more—”
Letting out a low growl, Neuvillette sank deeper, little by little. Wriothesley’s cunt stretched easily around him, subtle ridges catching at his entrance again and again.
“Oh Wriothesley,” Neuvillette gasped, chest heaving, cheeks and ears flushed beautifully.
They moaned together as he bottomed out. Neuvillette stilled there for a moment, trying desperately to catch his breath, and Wriothesley locked his ankles around his mate’s hips, pulling him closer.
His arms circled around Neuvillette’s neck, grabbing onto his shirt, holding him there as he started rutting against him, already seeking friction.
“Fuck me,” he begged, and that was all he needed to say.
Neuvillette shuddered as he drew out, then shoved back in, and Wriothesley saw stars.
Another thrust, then another, and Neuvillette started fucking into him hard and rough, their hips slapping together. Wriothesley arched his back, fucking himself onto that thick cock as he moaned nonstop, closing his eyes and letting himself sink into that pleasure.
It was even better than he ever imagined. Neuvillette’s cock was thicker and hotter than he could have dreamed. It was perfect.
Claws sank deeper into his waist and hips, and Neuvillette leaned down, growling as he picked up the pace, fangs dragging over Wriothesley’s throat. That alone was enough to almost make him come, and he groaned as he tried to offer more of his neck, more of his body, anything, anything.
Fangs nipped at his skin, Neuvillette’s huffs and growls surrounding him, the scent of sex almost overpowering. Surely anyone who stepped into the upper floors of the Palais would have been able to smell it. He almost wanted them too. Let everyone know he was getting claimed by their Chief Justice.
It was bliss, absolute bliss. All he could think about was Neuvillette above him, over him. All he could think about was the cock inside him, the inevitability of Neuvillette knotting him and filling him with cum. Filling him with his seed.
It became a pounding, incessant need, and he whined for it, fucking himself desperately onto that thick ridged cock as hard as he could, trying to urge him on.
“Wriothesley,” Neuvillette whispered, stilling after a moment. “I...” His fangs caught against Wriothesley’s collar bones, tongue licking into the dip there, then up over the fresh bond mark. Wriothesley shuddered and moaned, weakly rolling his hips against Neuvillette’s. “I want to take you from behind.”
Wriothesley shuddered and whimpered at that, nodding. “Yeah,” he agreed, swallowing hard, his entire body swimming with pleasure at the mere thought of it, his instincts crying out for it. “Yes. Please.”
“I’ll pull out,” Neuvillette said softly. “When I do, present for me, like a good boy. A good Omega.”
“Yes,” Wriothesley agreed. “Yes, fuck yes. Fuck, I’ll be so good for you.”
Neuvillette groaned, hissing as he pulled away, grunting in discomfort as he drew out.
All at once, Wriothesley’s cunt ached with emptiness, and he gasped desperately as he rolled onto all fours. Like a good boy, he lowered his forehead down against the pillow, his ass pushed high into the air.
Neuvillette didn’t hesitate. Taking him by the hips, he angled his cock up to find that leaking hole and slammed back in, drawing a yelp of delight from Wriothesley, eyes rolling back as he was filled again.
Fuck, he was so open, and this was exactly what he needed. What he craved.
“Good boy,” Neuvillette muttered, fucking into him as Wriothesley groaned beneath him. One hand pressed down between his shoulder blades, holding him there, and Wriothesley moaned louder.
“Mine,” Neuvillette breathed as though he could hardly believe it. “You're my Omega, Wriothesley. Mine.”
“Yes,” Wriothesley moaned. “I’m yours, fuck— fuck, I’m yours—”
The sound of their hips smacking together was intoxicating, the weight of Neuvillette’s cock in his cunt so good his mind was blessedly empty of everything except that singular need to be bred.
His mate leaned down over him, one arm curling around Wriothesley's hip, fingers splayed over his stomach where the shape of Neuvillette's cock distended his belly, moving inside him. It felt like Neuvillette's cock was getting bigger, harder, longer, if that was even possible. It reached impossibly deep inside him, felt like it was going to push all the way into his womb.
Wriothesley sobbed against the pillow, tears tracking down his cheeks as Neuvillette fucked him, fangs brushing over the back of his neck, that sensation so good it left him trembling in need.
He felt like he was going crazy when he felt a second cock sliding between his thighs, slipping into Neuvillette's waiting palm, pressing against his own aching little cock. But no, he wasn't imagining it. There was definitely a second one, ridges rubbing along his own hard length, crushing it against his belly, the tip of that second cock evidence of just how deep the other one was inside him.
“Oh fuck,” he sobbed, at a loss for anything else. “Fuck, yes, yes,” and in his mind, a litany of Neuvillette’s name and Alpha, Alpha, Alpha.
It was Neuvillette’s growling, tongue pressed to his nape, fangs scraping his skin as he started to bite down that brought Wriothesley to orgasm.
It shuddered through him and then he couldn't stop, eyes wide as Neuvillette's pace picked up, growls growing louder, hips snapping together as he drew orgasm after orgasm from Wriothesley’s aching, needy body.
“Mine,” Neuvillette snarled against his nape, nipping at that flushed, sensitive skin, sucking bruising marks there as Wriothesley moaned.
“Mine,” he ground out, pounding into him so hard Wriothesley saw nothing but white.
“No one else will ever threaten you again, you’re mine.”
Their hips snapped together, hard. Neuvillette's teeth sank into his scent gland, and Wriothesley's eyes went wide as the base of Neuvillette's cock began to swell.
That knot felt huge. So big he whimpered and whined, twisting beneath him, trembling with another orgasm as it inflated in his cunt, pushing on his inner walls. It stretched him so far open it hurt, only to be followed by searing pleasure as Neuvillette came, spilling hot cum deep in his belly.
He could feel their bond searing into his skin through the sharp cut of Neuvillette’s teeth, a permanent mark given willingly that no other Alpha would be able to break as long as Neuvillette was alive. He could feel the blood welling up, his mate drinking it down, could hear himself moaning uncontrollably as they both shattered apart with orgasm after orgasm.
And then he could feel... Neuvillette. His overwhelming pleasure, his desire, his need to have Wriothesley under him, to keep him there, to bond him and breed him and shield him.
He was right... this was how it should be. And it felt so... so good. He’d never in his life known anything could feel this good.
He... he was purring. Purring. He didn’t think he’d ever purred in his life, but there it was, a low rumble drawn out of him as Neuvillette licked over his bruised, bleeding bond mark, gently nuzzling his skin as his cock spilled inside him again.
Wriothesley groaned between purrs, his entire body melting into the bed beneath Neuvillette’s. He’d made a mess between his thighs, and Neuvillette had spilled some from his other cock too, the bed beneath him damp with issue.
Before he could collapse down into it, Neuvillette coaxed him onto his side so that Wriothesley was laying with his back pressed to his mate’s chest. Neuvillette let out a low purr of his own, licking over that mark again and again until the pinpricks of pain began to fade, replaced only by the glow of pleasure and contentment that radiated through their bond.
With a shuddering sigh, Wriothesley slid one hand down his body, over aching nipples to his distended stomach, pressing down just enough that he could feel Neuvillette’s cock and knot inside him, both of them grunting at the pressure.
“Fuck,” he whispered, shuddering and pressing back against him, clenching around that heavy knot. “You’re... we’re...” Bonded. The Iudex of Fontaine, Chief Justice and Hydro Dragon Sovereign, had bonded him.
One warm palm cupped one of his tits, squeezing it, claws sinking into the muscle, and Wriothesley’s purrs choked off as he moaned. He would have never let his instincts take control of him like this, but with Neuvillette he just couldn’t help it.
“How is your heat?” Neuvillette rumbled, nuzzling one of the thick scars along the side of his neck, dragging lips and fangs over it to scent him.
“Better,” Wriothesley muttered. “A little.” Sated for now, but still there. He could already feel his arousal starting to come back, wanting to go again.
“As many times as you need,” Neuvillette promised softly. “I won’t leave you, Wriothesley.”
“But, your work...” Fuck, their meeting. And the Fortress... Sigewinne.
He lifted his head, alarm spiking through him, filling the air between them with a distinct scent that had Neuvillette rumbling to try to soothe him.
“It’s all right,” he assured. “Once we are... untied, I’ll send for Sedene. She will message Sigewinne to inform her of what happened. All will be well, you needn’t fret. And if what you said is true, your heat likely won’t last much longer. Once our bond settles, you may return to the Fortress.”
His words were comforting, but the thought of parting from him brought on a new spike of anxiety.
“Shhh,” Neuvillette whispered, scenting the nape of his neck, biting him gently as Wriothesley whined. “I’m here. I won’t leave.” That gentle palm settled over his belly, finding Wriothesley’s hand and tangling their fingers together. “I won’t leave you until you’re ready.”
“Okay.” Wriothesley swallowed and nodded, working up another jagged purr.
Neuvillette’s purrs were so smooth and beautiful by comparison, trying to soothe him through his frustrations. He nuzzled and scented Wriothesley’s skin until he started to relax into what should have been their nest, but he realized then that he hadn’t properly nested either. Never had.
That anxiety spiked again, this time entirely instinctual, and again Neuvillette soothed him, curling tight around him.
“Our nest is perfectly suitable,” he whispered against the line of his jaw, cupping his cheek. “It’s perfect for us. Perfect.”
Following that, there were other frustrations and anxieties. That he wasn’t a good Omega. That he’d never done this properly before and didn’t know how to. That Neuvillette wouldn’t want him after all, once his heat was over.
To each one, Neuvillette soothed him, until Wriothesley melted into a puddle in his arms, until his body grew hot again and Neuvillette fucked his cock and his knot deep into him, leaving him trembling with another little series of orgasms, enough endorphins that for a few blissful minutes, his mind once more entirely quiet.
“You really wanted me this badly?” he whispered after some time had passed.
“Yes,” Neuvillette assured him, turning Wriothesley’s head gently to face him. “You are remarkable, Wriothesley. I’ve coveted you for so very long. To claim you like this is an honor even greater than I can say.” He drew Wriothesley’s fingers to his lips and kissed them, kissed his jaw and the corner of his lips.
“Wow, Monsieur,” Wriothesley breathed, letting out a soft laugh as he turned his face to catch Neuvillette’s lips against his own. “You better watch out, or I might find myself falling in love with you.”
“We are bonded, Wriothesley,” Neuvillette reminded him. “Willingly and now permanently bonded. That is already one of the highest expressions of love there is.”
“Yeah,” he muttered. “I guess that’s true.”
He sighed as their mouths met in a deep, aching kiss, lips moving together, tongues licking into each other’s mouths. Neuvillette’s knot had begun to soften but he didn’t pull out, and Wriothesley reached down to touch his other cock, running his fingers curiously along those blue ridges.
“All day,” he said as they parted.
“Hmm?” Neuvillette licked at his lips, their faces pressed close. He cupped Wriothesley’s cheek, thumb brushing tenderly over the scar beneath his eye.
“Fuck me all day,” Wriothesley said. “Then I think... I think I’ll be good.”
Neuvillette purred at that and smiled down at him. “Anything you wish, beloved. My beautiful mate. Anything at all.”