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Uther was going to kill him .
Arthur realised this with a severe frown as he bent over the cold spring, scrubbing his soiled hands in the water until he could scarcely feel the tips of his fingers. And still he rubbed his hands together more furiously, as if friction alone could distract him from the rage that lingered.
Alpha nature was not such an easy thing to overcome.
Even now, the body of Alpha Prince Odin was being carried to King Odin’s palace, a hole in his chest where Arthur’s sword had sunk to the hilt. It would only be a matter of time before the Odin army appeared at Camelot’s gates, seeking retribution and bringing with them the threat of war.
Arthur cringed. Uther was going to kill him.
Alphas challenged each other all the time. Uther had even encouraged the test of strength now and again, if only to remind the surrounding kingdoms of Camelot’s might. It wasn’t so uncommon for things to get a little heated, and it wasn’t even unheard of for one Alpha to kill another. Alphas were possessive, ferocious creatures by nature. More so in the presence of an Omega, especially when said Omega was on the brink of a heat. Those pheromones could entice even the most timid Alphas into a brawl. Uther knew that. But Camelot’s Alpha heir must show restraint. If Arthur rushed off into a brawl every time an Omega was in heat, he’d never be allowed to leave the castle, and he certainly could not be trusted to run a kingdom as mighty as Camelot.
Uther might have been persuaded to forgive him if this whole mess had been over a noble, or a princess, or even a knight.
But it hadn't been.
“Arthur?”
“I thought I told you not to call me that.”
“We’re alone.”
As if that was reason enough. For Merlin, Arthur supposed that it was. Arthur pursed his lips, but let the issue go when Merlin continued talking.
“Please Arthur,” Merlin’s voice was tight, desperate in a way Arthur hadn’t heard before. It made Arthur look at him, his eyes narrowing on the red neckerchief, darkened with fresh blood, and bobbing with the Omega’s nervous swallow. “I’m sorry-”
“Don’t,” Arthur’s tone was clipped, harsh. “Don’t say you’re sorry.”
The strange, awful scent of the other Alpha lingered. A challenge Arthur had already won, but whose mark lingered on Merlin’s skin, and whose scent Arthur could smell mixing with the familiar scent of Merlin’s new heat. A scent that shouldn't have the effect it did on him.
Although it was not merely pride that had driven Arthur to take the other Prince's life. Arthur snapped his clenched fists from the spring. Fists formed by hands that had not - would never! - make the purple bruises that encircled Merlin’s throat. For anyone to do that to his Omega manservant… Arthur’s actions could be considered merciful.
With effort, Arthur exhaled through gritted teeth. He was not used to being so controlled by his Alpha nature, and it took every bit of restraint he had not to lunge across the narrow space. Although he wasn't sure if he did if it would be to hug Merlin close or to reclaim him.
He wasn't pleased to realise he truly didn't know which he wanted more after a moment of considering it.
”Arthur-” the Omega inched closer, seemingly unaware of the danger he was in simply being near Arthur.
Restraint came easier when Arthur’s eyes finally met Merlin's. There was terror in the pleading, azure depths. Terror that tugged on something warm and protective deep inside Arthur’s chest.
Arthur had always thought of Merlin as pretty; at least pretty enough to make up for the rest. His manservant had been gifted by the gods with a lean, muscular build that was not nearly as graceful as it looked but arched and bent beautifully under Arthur’s skilled hands. He possessed the most beautifully freckled cheeks that hollowed so enthusiastically around Arthur’s cock, and dark azure eyes that would flash the most intriguing gold when the light hit them just right. He was pretty enough that Arthur had refused his sale to more than one visiting noble in the past few months, including King Odin’s Alpha son. And Arthur had made a point to remind Merlin often of what a great charity it was that he did so; for Merlin’s skills on his knees fell drastically short when it came to any actual work, and the grace Merlin lacked was somehow outdone only by his completely reckless disregard of anything resembling good sense. Arthur knew no other Alpha who would tolerate a manservant who constantly ridiculed, questioned and commented on his every move. Truly Merlin’s only other redeeming quality outside of his heats was his steadfast loyalty, which until now Arthur had never had a reason to question.
Arthur’s nostrils flared with a frustrated inhale. He had thought they were past this. He had Merlin’s word. And yet the other Alpha’s scent permeated the air like smoke, the mix of Omega heat and Alpha pheromones making Arthur question the tentative bond they'd shared.
“Did he lock you?”
Merlin’s ears reddened as he dropped his head. Self-consciously, he wiped at the wet mud still clinging to his torn blue tunic. Mud that matched the stains on his knees and forearms. Mud that was smeared across his cheeks and blended into an awful orangey red where the oozing cuts mixed with dirt.
Alpha nature was a wicked thing. “I must know.”
“He tried.” The answer was somehow quieter than anything Merlin had said before, and he blinked quickly, trying to hide the shimmer of tears behind his dark lashes. “If you had gotten here a moment later…” Merlin trailed off, letting the unspoken say the rest.
Arthur felt the rage bubble up as the image of Prince Odin rutting overtop of Merlin sprang to mind unbidden. The Prince's trousers around his ankles as he pinned the struggling Omega into the mud, taking what he wanted. Which would have been more if Arthur hadn't arrived when he did, lured by Merlin's panicked cries.
Merlin's head bowed in defeat.
No, Arthur realised. Not defeat. Shame.
The portrait of a young Omega, used to the protection the Alpha Pendragon’s claim gave him. An Omega who had wandered foolishly into the woods - alone! - on the eve of his heat and had nearly paid dearly.
Merlin’s hand clung to his trousers, for the long tear down the side meant that if he didn’t they would slip from his slender body. His other hand prodded gingerly at his neckerchief and the unmistakable dark patch of red ruining the worn fabric. Arthur’s bites had never bled so much, though Arthur was certain that being yanked apart mid-bite had done no favours to the damage of Merlin’s neck.
“How could you be so stupid, Merlin?” The Omega winced against Arthur's harsh words. “What on earth were you doing out here?”
“Gathering herbs,” his manservant said miserably.
“All the way out here? By yourself? In heat?! ” Arthur tried to keep his voice even, but he knew he was failing when the Omega winced again.
”It was never a problem before…” Merlin shook his head miserably and drew a shaky breath. He straightened his shoulders, daring to meet Arthur’s furious gaze. No humble servant, but something more. “I do it all the time, Arthur! The knights, the guards, they’re Alphas too… they never even look at me!”
”Because they are my men, Merlin!” Arthur was shouting. He shouldn’t be shouting. Not now, when Merlin was bloody and bruised and smelled like Odin’s claim. And yet Arthur couldn’t stop. “Merlin! Do you ever just stop and think? They don’t touch you because you are mine ! They wouldn’t dare cross me! But out here…”
Arthur bit his lip, but not before the last unfortunate words slipped out, “How could you let him claim you?”
Something flashed in Merlin’s eyes. Something raw and hurting, and Arthur realised he’d gone too far, had let his Alpha jealousy carry him into dangerous territory.
The silence stretched for a heartbeat longer when Merlin finally spoke. “I didn’t ask for this, Arthur.”
Arthur pinched his eyes shut, the white hot rage finally draining and leaving behind a wash of his own shame. “I know, Merlin.”
The Omega nodded. As if that admission had solved everything. Except it hadn't. Merlin was still standing awkwardly a few steps from Arthur, his neck damaged, his clothes in ruins, and wreaking of Alpha possession that was not Arthur’s.
An awkward silence stretched between them, broken only by the bubbling of the spring.
“I should try to wash this off,” Merlin said finally, and Arthur had the strange sensation of being dismissed.
No one dismissed him.
No one except for Uther, who was absolutely going to kill him.
“Do you want me to call for Gaius?” Arthur offered, knowing the young Omega would be safer with his Beta guardian than he would be with an Alpha Prince who’s every instinct was to pin him back into the mud and ravage him all over again.
”It’s alright. I’ll manage,” Merlin said.
Arthur knew he should argue the point, but the darker side of him was glad for it. With an inward growl directed at the beast that was his Alpha instincts, Arthur nodded. “Alright. I’ll be just over there. Call if you need anything.”
Arthur wondered if he was imagining the relief he saw in Merlin’s eyes when Merlin followed his pointed finger to a large boulder not even twenty paces from the spring. Gingerly, his manservant nodded.
“And Merlin, stay where I can see you.”
The Omega seemed about to protest, his mouth opening as if to speak, but then it closed wordlessly and he nodded.
Satisfied, though not exactly content, Arthur drew his sword and marched over to the boulder, turning his back under the pretense of giving Merlin some privacy.
In reality he was trying to calm himself. The hand not wrapped tightly around his sword went to the bridge of his nose, pinching hard to distract him. But still his nostrils flared wide, searching for the scent of any nearby Alphas who might come snooping around, attracted by the scent of Omega in pre-heat.
Nothing. Well nothing except for the sour, awful smell of Prince Odin. Despite his best intentions, Arthur found himself looking back at Merlin. He almost wished he hadn't.
The ruined clothes were heaped in a pile on the bank and the young Omega was crouched low over the cold spring. His pale back was to Arthur as he worked methodically at rinsing the mud from his skin and hair, granting Arthur the opportunity to stare at the jagged wound on his neck, leaking red down his pale skin.
The Alpha instinct roared in Arthur's head, threatening a comeback, but Arthur fought it, throwing himself once more into keeping a watchful eye directed to the forest.
Only a few moments later, Arthur heard the splash of Merlin exiting the water. He turned to see his manservant staring at the heap of ruined clothes, frozen. It was in that moment that Arthur realised Merlin would have to readorn the clothes for the ride back. That dark and possessive thing filled Arthur again and he found himself marching over to his manservant, pulling his heavy red cloak free as he did.
“We will burn them,” Arthur said, throwing the cloak around Merlin’s shoulders. It was actually somewhat fortunate that the Omega was so slender, for the heavy cloak was able to wrap around him nearly twice, and covered him from chin to toes.
Merlin didn’t say anything, but his silence was all the permission Arthur needed.
~~~
The blaze roared between them, the worn fabric catching easily and spitting small bursts of fire that floated up towards the darkening sky like lazy dancers. Arthur held his breath, silently counting back from one hundred, pale eyes pinched shut, pointedly ignoring the Omega sitting across from him and the wanting scent of his pheromones that had only gotten stronger as the night progressed. Arthur’s fingers steepled in front of his face, elbows resting on his knees. He neared single digits and his muscles tensed, preparing to draw the needed, painful breath.
“Arthur?” The Omega’s voice was timid.
“Don’t call me that...” Inwardly, Arthur cursed the air the words stole from his lungs, especially when he was forced to draw another breath prematurely.
Like mulled wine, the scent of Merlin’s heat slid down his throat, setting his blood on fire so that despite his best efforts all he could think about was how much he wanted the young Omega. How he wanted to run his hands over Merlin’s flesh, and warm his lips in the crook of Merlin’s neck. How it would feel to press himself against the Omega until his every sense was coated in Merlin and Merlin begged to be knotted. How the Omega would yield so prettily when Arthur pushed him onto fours, and how his legs would part, inviting Arthur to fill him with cock, to lock him. And how his neck would bend so prettily for Arthur to reclaim him. Arthur shifted, jerking his thoughts back with a tyrannical force of will, but between his legs he could feel himself hardening and he was forced to bite his lip, lest he lunge across the fire. Pendragon willpower be damned.
Several heartbeats passed before Arthur realised Merlin wasn’t responding with his usual bravado. Arthur’s breath hissed out between clenched teeth as he opened his eyes. The young Omega was studiously avoiding looking at him, his cheeks puffed behind pinched lips as if unspoken words were literally gathering behind his lips, trying to escape.
“Spit it out Merlin.” Each word was agony. Arthur’s steepled fingers pressed deeper into his forehead until they must surely be leaving a bruise; not that it was much of a distraction.
“Did you mean what you said?”
“About…?”
“About sharing…” Merlin flushed, tucking his chin deeper into the folds of the heavy cloak. “...That if I … lay-” He winced at the word, his lip pulling back in disgust. “-with another Alpha… That you wouldn’t… um…” Merlin’s voice faded, his shoulders dropping under the weight of the unspoken words.
Arthur scoffed; the sound making the Omega flinch.
“What happened…” The word seemed drastically lacking in definition, but it was the best Arthur could think of given the circumstances, “...It’s not what I meant.”
“So you still want to…” Merlin’s hands twisted the heavy fabric of Arthur’s cloak as his ears turned nearly the same colour, stammering for a moment before ultimately giving up. “...with me?”
Arthur huffed out a laugh that was more pain than humour. “Not now, but yes.”
“Why?”
Arthur blinked, frowning at the simple question. Why, indeed? Why had he killed Odin’s son over the rights to Merlin’s heat? Why was he now sitting across from Merlin, using a wall of fire to keep from claiming the breeding rights he had killed for? Why did he know, at the very core of his being, that if given the choice to relive the moment he would do it again without hesitation, even if Uther’s punishment was to strip him of his crown and flog him bloody in the town square? He rolled the questions around long enough that Merlin shifted, clearly agitated by the lack of an answer.
“I don’t know,” Arthur muttered quietly, ignoring the Alpha in the back of his mind that snarled ‘ Liar! ’
Merlin frowned, the look on his face telling Arthur that the Omega was of a similar mindset to the Alpha. But his manservant uncharacteristically let it pass, letting Arthur stew in the storm of his thoughts for a couple moments more.
“I can still smell him,” Merlin finally said, his elegant features twisting unhappily.
“Me too,” Arthur admitted softly, inhaling. It was impossible to completely ignore the sour tang of the unsuccessful claim, but Arthur was determined to try.
“Can you fix it?”
Arthur froze at Merlin’s words, studying Merlin intently for a heartbeat. Did the young Omega even know exactly what it was he was asking Arthur to do?
“I can…” His cock filled alarmingly fast at the mere consideration of the idea and he bit his lip. Hard. “But Merlin… you shouldn’t. You need time.”
“Time won’t help me…” The elegant features twisted as he stared into the burning reminder of his shame. “Will you?”
The request was simple. Logical even. Arthur’s scent offered Merlin protection, for no Alpha was stupid enough to challenge a Pendragon claim within Camelot’s walls. Prince Odin’s claim offered no such security and to parade Merlin back, smelling as he did, was sure to invite attention at minimum or more likely another brawl at worst. It made sense to reclaim the Omega - to grant him back his security - though Arthur would be a lying fool if he tried to say his interest in the matter was purely charitable.
Still Arthur hesitated, his bleeding lip testimony to how badly he wanted to pull Merlin to him, to sink his teeth into Merlin’s neck, to knot him. Omega heats were designed by nature to call for the company of the strongest Alpha, inciting the ruthlessness that ensured only the strongest Alphas would sire future generations. It was basic instinct, and history had already proven that Arthur was not above such instincts.
“If I start… I won’t be able to stop.”
The azure eyes finally lifted from the fire to meet Arthur’s, a quiet determination lighting them from within, and Arthur was reminded once more that his manservant was different from any other Omega in Camelot. Where most Omegas were soft, gentle and docile, Merlin was tough, strong and of clear thoughts and desires.
It was why Arthur finally relented when the Omega said softly but with conviction, “I don’t want you to stop.”
“Alright,” Arthur swallowed, his throat tight with want even as his cock gave a conspiratorial jerk in his breeches. “If it’s truly what you want, come here.”
“Yes, sire.”
Merlin rose to his feet, and Arthur would have to be dead to not find himself captivated in the simple beauty of his manservant. His heavy cloak billowed about Merlin’s legs as he circled the fire, bare feet kicking up a mystical cloud of dust. There was something otherworldly about the man. Something about how the firelight danced over the sharp planes of his face, cradling him in warm oranges and yellows that made the Alpha coil possessively in Arthur’s belly.
“You’re beautiful,” Arthur breathed, a liquid warmth flooding through him at Merlin’s answering flush.
His manservant dropped to his knees next to Arthur, the cloak offering him a modesty his Omega body was intensely betraying. Arthur could smell Merlin’s want. He could smell the sweet, almost floral scent of Merlin’s slick, calling for him as the sirens of old stories called mighty ships to their shores, and lingering underneath it the whisper of the challenger demanding to be silenced.
Before Arthur could remember himself, he was reaching across the space between them, hand hovering over the cloak’s golden clasp. “You’re sure?”
Merlin's intriguing flush contrasted against the tight line of determination in his jaw and he nodded.
The clasp sprang open and the cloak slipped from his shoulders, exposing Merlin’s naked flesh to the firelight like a living statue being revealed at court; except this was better. Much better.
Merlin knelt on the tail of the red cloak, his tightly muscled chest heaving with each breath, cool air pebbling his skin and hardening his nipples. His cock swung heavily between his legs, filled to interest but not true attention. Even the bite, no longer bleeding but still raw and inflamed, was beautiful in a ghastly sort of way, standing out awkwardly amongst the pattern of white scars on Merlin’s flesh.
Azure eyes, reflecting firelight like burning coals lived within their depths, darted between the ground and Arthur’s face. If it was submission Merlin was going for, the attempt fell drastically short. Submissive Omegas dropped their chins, bared their necks and waited for their Alphas to direct them. But Merlin raised his chin, fire-glowing eyes locked on Arthur as he shifted. His leanly muscled legs parted to allow a trickle of slick to slide down his thighs, the sweet scent catching the air and locking Arthur to their course.
Arthur had the errant thought that he had been born apparently with two destinies; one to be king, and the other to claim the young Omega.
“Foolish Merlin,” Arthur rumbled, biting his lip again, hands fisting tightly at his sides as he took a completely unhelpful steadying breath, “would you taunt a dragon like this?”
Merlin snorted, a secretive quirk tipping up the corner of his lip. “Probably.”
He shifted again, his thighs widening, his head tilting back to expose the long, slender column of his throat. Inviting - no luring, Arthur realised - the Alpha to claim.
“You probably would,” Arthur agreed, his face darkening as the need curled in his belly, demanding satiation. “I’m going to touch you now, Merlin,” Arthur whispered archly.
Something dark and hurting passed behind Merlin’s eyes a moment before they closed. Something that in a clear-headed moment Arthur would have paused to consider more closely, but Merlin tilted his head further back, letting the fresh bite open so that the smell of the challenger wafted into the space between them and set off the instinctual rage that had gotten them here.
Arthur might have been the heir of Camelot, but he was an Alpha first. Lightning fast, he closed the space between them, hands curling around Merlin’s waist and yanking him tight against the fire-warm chainmail.
The whimper - part pleasure but mostly alarm - alerted Arthur that something was amiss, but he couldn’t stop. His mouth closed on the Omega’s neck, teeth grazing lightly on the exposed gland as he tongued hungrily at the gnarled edges of broken flesh.
The Omega’s back stiffened, his hands wrapped around Arthur’s chainmailed arms, stiff and elbows locked, holding Arthur back. A second frightened whimper left Merlin’s lips, and despite the Alpha’s snarl of protest, Arthur pulled off the Omega’s neck.
“Merlin, look at me,” he whispered, breath heaving with the effort of restraint.
But Merlin didn’t respond, frozen instead in his grip. The shiver shook his frame and Arthur felt something soft and warm tug at his chest. Gently, he moved a hand to cup the Omega’s cheek, thumb running warmly along the soft flesh until the dark lashes fluttered and finally the azure eyes opened, meeting his own.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” a knight’s promise, said with all the conviction of an oath to the king.
“I know.” The words were a whisper, but they contrasted awfully with the way his head tilted back once more, movements stiff and jerky in preparation for the bite that would tear the offensive mark from his flesh and rid him of Prince Odin’s claim. “I’m ready.”
Arthur frowned, but his lips descended back to the column of Merlin’s throat. The moan came, somewhat natural but the Omega was frozen in Arthur’s grip, and Arthur found himself unable to bite, teeth instead grazing gently at the broken edges of Merlin’s skin.
The gnarled flesh of the claim needed to come off, Arthur knew that, but Merlin had already been sodomized once this day, and Arthur would be a sorry Alpha indeed if he allowed the young Omega to be brutalized a second time; and by his hands - and teeth! - no less.
The Alpha growled his disapproval when Arthur drew back, though he couldn’t quite bring himself to completely let go of his manservant, “You’re not.”
“Just do it…” Merlin whispered.
“No.”
“But Arthur-”
With a rumble, Arthur cut off Merlin’s protests, his attention returned in earnest to the column of Merlin’s throat. Warm skin passed under his lips, his tongue tracing lazy, familiar patterns over the scattering of white crescents that marked each of Merlin's previous heats, being careful to avoid the newly torn flesh as he worked his way down Merlin’s neck to his collarbone and then lower.
“Arthur-” The Omega whimpered again, his breath catching in his throat as he arched into Arthur’s lips.
“Shhh,” Arthur whispered archly, and then his teeth nipped gently at the skin above the young Omega’s heart, drawing a whimper - a true, sensual whimper - from the parted lips.
Arthur knew he was on the right track when Merlin’s hands slid over the steel links of his arms and up over his armoured shoulders. Grasping for something to hold onto and finally finding purchase in the prince’s crown of blond hair.
There was no real pain in the Omega’s grip, and Merlin’s whimper turned breathy, Arthur’s lips trailing down the Omega’s chest until the stiff peak of a nipple was against his mouth. The Omega’s grip tightened to demanding and Arthur’s chuckled a moment before his cheeks hollowed around the sensitive nub; tongue swirling gently and drawing a delightful whine that meant he must be on the right track.
The hand not still gripping Merlin to Arthur’s body slid between them, brushing past Merlin's growing cock to follow the sweet trail of slick to its origin.
“Argh!” The Omega arched when Arthur’s fingers danced lightly against the smooth edges of his opening; teasingly pressing the pad of his finger into the space between his thighs.
Arthur growled, the Alpha enjoying how prettily the Omega bent for him, parting his legs more to give Arthur's hand better access and letting his fingers slide through the slick that would guide an Alpha cock to his opening. An opening that resisted the gentle intrusion of Arthur’s finger.
On a different day, Arthur would have simply stretched the Omega and taken him as he was, but not tonight. Tonight needed to be different.
Arthur pulled back, his lips popping free of Merlin's nipple, admiring how it strained after more attention, seemingly immediately complaining of neglect.
“Arthur?” His name was a question that gusted past Merlin’s lips with his heaving breaths, his chest flushed with the prettiest blush of pink. The warm hands fisted in his hair releasing to trace the warm flush of his skin back down to his armoured shoulders.
“Just wondering how I should make you cum before I knot you,” Arthur told him with a grin, “Any suggestions?”
“I liked what you were doing,” the Omega said, the blush crawling up his neck at the admission.
“Could you cum from that alone?” Arthur asked archly.
“Probably not,” Merlin admitted, the last word punching from his chest as Arthur’s hand shifted to hold the Omega’s stiffening cock.
Even as his hand tightened over the pillar of flesh, Arthur’s lips returned to Merlin’s chest, seeking the neglected nipple with his tongue and drawing a whimper.
“More…” the word was whispered, so quietly that Arthur would have doubted he’d truly heard it, but he knew his Omega manservant well.
“You’re a demanding little thing, aren’t you?” Arthur murmured against the nub.
“Not little…” Merlin grunted, back arching with a moan when Arthur complied with a laughing huff.
He drew the pink tip deeper into his mouth, gripping it between his teeth as his hand worked the Omega’s cock, tugging in methodically slow, strong strokes until Merlin’s cock pressed into his hand like a firm handshake. And still his mouth worked in sync with his hand, flicking the pinched peak with his tongue even as he managed to milk the smallest bubble of precum from Merlin. Not much, but just enough for Arthur to swipe onto his finger.
He pulled off Merlin’s nipple again with a pop, lifting the glistening pearl between them.
“I wonder, Merlin, if you taste as good as you smell?”
“Sire?” Merlin’s hooded eyes darted to the shining pearl atop Arthur’s finger and then to his mouth.
“Let’s see, shall we?”
He knew he should be careful. Omega slick was known to be an addictive thing; there were stories of Alphas who threw away all their riches simply to bury their faces into the breeders at the whore houses. But this was Merlin - a fact Arthur chose not to dive into just then - and the sweet smell called to Arthur until he drew the finger into his mouth, a sinful moan pulling from his belly as his tongue curled around the digit, lapping at the subtle sweetness.
“Better.” Arthur answered his own question, watching Merlin’s liquid stare flick from his spit-clean fingers to his mouth and back. “I could feast on you for hours, little Merlin,” Arthur whispered, wondering if he should be more alarmed by the truth of those words. “But first I’ll need my armour off if I'm to claim you properly.”
Arthur huffed at the indignant arch of Merlin’s eyebrows and the boyish grin that quirked his lips. “On it.”
The words had barely left Merlin’s mouth when the Omega’s hands were on him, making efficient work of the belt and letting it fall to the ground behind them. Then the skilled hands returned. Piece by piece, the metal collected behind Arthur until he was kneeling in just his undershirt and breeches, Merlin’s hands lingering on the hem of his undershirt.
Uncertainty darkened his cheeks as he looked up at Arthur.
“Only if you want to,” Arthur said gently, surprising himself with the realisation that if Merlin called an end to this, that he was prepared to do it, Alpha instincts be damned.
Merlin snorted, as if he couldn’t believe the absurdity of the words and pulled the white shirt from Arthur’s body, laying it reverently on top of the chainmail. The Omega’s hands returned, gripping the edge of Arthur’s breeches.
“Not yet,” Arthur whispered softly, hand wrapping gently around Merlin’s wrist, stilling him.
Merlin’s eyebrow quivered, his lips twisting in confusion. “Sire?”
Arthur chuckled and his arms were back around Merlin, pulling him tight against his battle-hardened chest. The press of warm skin had the Omega exhaling against Arthur’s neck, his breath ruffling Arthur’s hair. The Alpha’s lips returned to the crook of Merlin’s neck, mouthing gently at the tender column of flesh, making the Omega arch once more into the gentle caresses, hardened cock bumping Arthur’s through his breeches. More precum glistened at the tip. More than before, but not nearly enough to satisfy Arthur’s craving.
His hands ran down Merlin’s back, coming to rest on the soft globes of his bottom, kneading the mounds of flesh and pulling them apart to expose Merlin’s want to the air. The sweet scent set off the addictive craving in Arthur’s belly when his manservant bucked into Arthur’s touch, whimpering.
“Oh, Merlin,” Arthur murmured softly, nuzzling into the crook of the Omega’s neck as his hands flexed into the soft flesh, drawing another breathy whine from his manservant’s lips. A beautiful sound. The kind of sound Arthur would move mountains to recreate. Although there was probably an easier way to do it.
Damn it all to Hell . He huffed. If Uther was going to kill him, he was at least going to make it worth the trouble. His fingers dipped between the Omega’s cheeks, running through the sweet slick, feeling Merlin arch into his touch, and then he brought a finger back to his lips, tonguing himself clean with a breathy moan, inspired.
“Turn around. I want to see something.”
“I told you already, he didn’t lock me,” Merlin said, shifting uncomfortably on the makeshift blanket, his brow furrowing at the implied accusation.
Arthur huffed, feeling the soft pang of chagrin. He should have chosen his words more carefully.
“I believe you,” Arthur assured his manservant. “What I meant is that I want to try something, if you would let me.”
Merlin’s face pinched in hesitation, but Arthur had never given Merlin reason to mistrust him, and with a subtle nod the Omega turned his back to Arthur. Though his head stayed turned enough that he could still watch the Alpha’s movements. Watch Arthur trail his hands over Merlin’s body, a path of pebbled flesh following his touch. Watch Arthur drag his fingers down to that place between his thighs where more sweet, leaking slick gathered. Watch him dip his fingers into the slick and then trace swirling patterns back up his spine until a sword-calloused hand was nestled in his manservant’s black hair, pressing Merlin firmly forward onto fours.
For a moment, Merlin resisted the push, choosing instead to lock eyes with Arthur over his shoulder.
“Trust me,” Arthur whispered, hoping his gaze was steadier than the bundle of nerves coiled in his belly. His father would probably disown him if he knew what Arthur intended to do, and with a servant no less.
Arthur pushed the thought from his mind with a low growl.
And then Merlin bowed his head, finally breaking eye contact to drop onto fours, his opening blooming before Arthur to reveal the source of the dribbling pattern of slick. The Omega’s skin pebbled around the pink pucker, and as Arthur watched, the opening flexed nervously, waiting for Arthur.
The eagerness rose up like a raging beast, and with a growl that made Merlin jump, Arthur descended, his lips finding the tail of the sweet trail on the back of Merlin’s neck. Hungrily, he lapped at the sweet taste, feeling Merlin both relax and arch beneath him, moaning softly when Arthur’s teeth nibbled gently against his spine, his covered erection bumped against Merlin’s exposed opening.
It would be so easy to pull his breeches down and lock Merlin as they were. The Omega would certainly let him, if the way his back arched and the way he rubbed his naked flesh against Arthur’s cock was any indication, but Arthur wanted to give Merlin something more than a knot. He wanted to give the Omega something to return to if ever he got it in his head to go wandering the woods alone again.
And so, Arthur’s tongue traced the sweet path, following the swirling line with licks and gentle nips. Following the path lower and lower until he was kneeling behind Merlin, the source of the slick dribbling ready before his lips.
Merlin was not stupid, despite how often Arthur accused him of it, but somehow he still managed a startled yelp when Arthur’s tongue swept over his opening, arching away and forcing Arthur to grab his hips to steady him back.
“What are you doing?!” Merlin cried, looking back and locking eyes with Arthur over his shoulder. “Arthur!”
Merlin’s breath left him in a begging huff and Arthur echoed the huff laughingly, before dragging his tongue again against the smooth folds of the Omega’s opening, revelling in the surprising burst of sweetness against his tongue accompanied by the somehow sweeter cry of the Omega.
“Want me to stop?” Arthur asked with a knowing chuckle.
“No, sire!”
Merlin arched, more slick already pooling to replace what Arthur lapped up, and Arthur wondered at the phenomena of the Omega’s body. Each warm stroke of his tongue drew more than he lapped until a thin, silver string dripped from the pink opening onto the cloak below them. And still Arthur craved more. He lapped and lapped until it occurred to him that he could latch onto the pucker the same way he did Merlin’s nipples, and Arthur was a man of action.
“Oh gods! Arthur!” Merlin cried out, his hips bucking against the sudden pressure of Arthur’s lips, making Arthur’s grip harden to hold him still as he set to feasting in earnest.
Sucking and lapping and nibbling as Merlin moaned and writhed, hands fisting into the red cloak beneath them. And still Arthur mouthed the Omega’s opening, prodding teasingly with his tongue as he lapped up even more slick. Merlin’s bottom pushed back into Arthur even as he whined and bucked, his legs spreading wider so that Arthur had all the room he could desire and more. Which was more than enough room to reach between Merlin’s legs and grip the steel-stiff shaft of his erection.
“Oh!” Merlin cried. His back arched, bucking into the friction of Arthur’s hand before pushing back into the wet heat of Arthur’s mouth, as if he couldn’t decide which he wanted more.
And still Arthur wanted more. He wanted Merlin reduced to senseless babbling. He wanted the Omega quivering and dripping and whining. He wanted to take Merlin apart, to remind the Omega with something more than words what it meant to be the Omega servant to the prince. Arthur’s tongue was already coated in slick, his chin soaked, and Merlin’s thighs and sack were glistening, and yet it wasn’t enough. He needed a showstopper. And he had an idea of where to find it.
Gently, his tongue prodded the Omega’s opening, feeling the tight ring of flesh loosen as if by magic. And then the soft flesh gave, letting Arthur’s tongue spear into his body.
“Oh! Ah-!” Merlin’s hips pushed back in surprise, pressing Arthur’s tongue deeper. His back arched and a frustrated whine left Merlin’s throat when Arthur’s tongue withdrew only to dive into Merlin’s body again, setting the Omega’s hips to trembling.
“Please! I can’t!” Merlin whimpered, his head wobbling unsteadily on his neck.
“You can.” Arthur pulled back just enough to let the words puff at Merlin’s opening, parting so prettily as it waited for the return of his tongue. “Show me how much you want it, Merlin.”
And then Arthur attacked the Omega’s opening, his tongue diving into Merlin’s body, lapping up more and more slick as his lips sucked and teeth grazed the sensitive flesh. The Omega whimpered, and then he whined, that beautiful, breathy sound Arthur loved, his chest falling as if his arms had simply given up on supporting him throughout Arthur’s attack. And still Arthur continued his assault on Merlin, humming with pleasure as his mouth filled with the wonderful subtle sweetness of Omega slick.
The clench of muscles on Arthur’s tongue was Arthur’s first warning Merlin was close. His whine low and breathy as his cock stiffened in Arthur’s hand, the Omega’s balls drawing tight to his body. Arthur squeezed the stiff shaft, hearing the groan turn into a throaty cry a moment before the flood of slick washed over Arthur’s hand and tongue, drenching him. And then Merlin collapsed.
His hips fell heavy atop his folded knees, still presented to the Alpha as the cloak darkened beneath them with the wide puddle of slick. His shining opening hung loose and ready, waiting to accept Arthur’s cock. The silver strings of slick dripped down his thighs and to the cloak below, his belly pressed low to the ground and hands hanging limp near his head where his eyes had fluttered closed.
Merlin was beautiful. It wasn’t the first time Arthur had thought it, and yet, Arthur thought it might be even more true now.
“What are you waiting for?”
Arthur sat back at the soft whisper of Merlin’s voice. His dark eyelashes fluttered, the Omega watching Arthur contemplate him.
“Just letting you catch your breath,” seemed a more prince-ly response than admitting he’d been fawning over the Omega’s beauty.
Merlin shifted, his hands finding strength enough to roll him onto his side so that he could more properly lock eyes with Arthur. “Since when do you care about that?”
“Didn’t think I’d have to hear you complain about it.”
“Not complaining, just…” Merlin flushed.
“Spit it out.”
“...I want your knot.”
The heat pooled in his cock, and his knot grew soft and ready. “Could have just said that.”
Merlin snorted but the snort was cut short by Arthur stripping his breeches from his body, the Omega’s eyes locking on the jutting point of Arthur’s erection.
In another heat, Arthur probably would have folded Merlin in half, taken him hard and made him wreathe. But Arthur found himself craving the closeness of the Omega almost more than the lock. A feeling Arthur didn’t dare unpack. And so Arthur stretched out next to Merlin, cradling Merlin’s naked body to his, letting his cock line up naturally with Merlin’s opening. Like they had been made to go together, made for this moment.
Gently, Arthur nuzzled into Merlin’s neck, hearing the breathy moan as Merlin shifted back, legs parting as he sought Arthur’s cock. It was a natural feeling for Merlin’s opening to catch on him, the slick guiding him so that Arthur would have to be in a different kingdom to miss Merlin’s opening. And then the Omega was sinking down, Arthur’s groan of satisfaction echoing Merlin’s. The slide was warm and tight and perfect and the Omega moaned as his inner muscles clenched down on the slow drag of Arthur’s cock until Arthur was fully seated inside the Omega’s body. And still Merlin clenched down tighter, as if he might be trying to cut off blood flow to Arthur’s cock.
“Easy, little Merlin, keep that up and I’m not going to last long.”
Merlin huffed, drawing his hips forward only to settle them back against Arthur’s hips, making Arthur groan at the slide of his cock out and then back in. “That’s the point…”
“Always in such a hurry,” Arthur’s hand slid down Merlin’s belly, forcing Merlin to slow. “Can’t you just take a moment to enjoy this?”
Merlin groaned, the sound half complaint, half pleasure. His body flexed, tightening once more around Arthur’s cock, milking Arthur’s cock in pulses of flexing muscles.
Arthur groaned in answer, his lips coming to rest against Merlin’s hairline, lipping gently until Merlin turned his head, letting Arthur get his ear in his mouth, teeth tugging gently at the tender flesh.
“Please, Arthur…”
And then Arthur pushed up, his hard cock seeking Merlin’s core.
Merlin grunted, and Arthur pulled back only to line himself up again and slam back in harder, making Merlin whimper and cry out. Arthur imagined he could feel himself through the thin veil of Merlin’s skin as he hammered into Merlin over and over. Could feel the soft bulge of flesh under his fingers flexing in time with his thrusts and Merlin’s cries. And then Merlin was pushing back into him, back arching, fingers digging into Arthur’s arm.
“Please Arthur!” Merlin pushed himself down on Arthur even as Arthur thrust up, the knot bumping against the tight ring of Merlin’s opening. “Please!”
It was in an Alpha’s nature to satisfy his Omega, and Arthur pulled Merlin into him even as he thrust up - hard; forcing his knot past the tight ring of muscles into the Omega’s body.
Merlin cried out. His body clamped down, locking Arthur to him; claiming the Alpha as surely as the Alpha did him. And then Arthur’s lips slid down his neck, seeking the offensive bite.
“Do it!” Merlin whimpered, writhing as far as the lock of their bodies would let him, thrusting his neck back into Arthur’s waiting mouth.
And then Arthur’s teeth sank into flesh, sinking around the other Alpha’s bite, and then sinking deeper. Blood filled his mouth, and then flesh. And Merlin cried out again, his body squeezing tight around the Alpha’s knot, seeking the flood of seed that would see him bred. Arthur groaned, thrusting tiny, barely-there thrusts as he tried to seat himself deeper in the Omega. And then the sweet burn coursed through him. If he wasn’t already on his side, he would have collapsed, and even so, his arm tightened around Merlin, drawing him closer as he emptied himself into the Omega.
On the edge of his consciousness, he heard Merlin’s satisfied whine, and then the forest itself seemed to fall quiet as they both collapsed, Arthur’s hand resting still on the subtle bulge of the Omega’s stomach, bloodied lips kissing gently against the smooth skin of Merlin’s shoulder.
A moment ticked by, filled with only the sounds of the bubbling creek and their breathing, slowly returning to normal. And then the Omega shifted, pulling a whimper from Arthur as his body tugged at the still-connected knot.
“Sorry!” Merlin breathed, settling back against Arthur’s chest.
“S’alright,” Arthur rumbled, breathing in the now-familiar scent of Merlin and with it the undercurrent of Alpha Pendragon claim. He tightened his hold around Merlin’s body, his eyelashes fluttering closed.
Another moment passed, and then Merlin shifted again, drawing another hiss.
“Sorry sire!” But the wiggle of Merlin’s hips and the now-third tug at their connection had Arthur growling in warning.
“Merlin-” Arthur grumbled, the hand on Merlin’s belly running up to the Omega’s chest, forcing him to still, “try to relax, would you?”
“I’m sorry, sire!”
“I’m starting to not believe you are,” Arthur rumbled into the Omega’s shoulder.
The fire crackled, the logs that had formed the base of the blaze collapsing in and sending up a shower of sparks. The sound had the Omega flinching, and Arthur growling at the now fourth tug on his over-sensative knot.
“Sor-”
“I swear, Merlin, say you’re sorry one more time and I’ll throw you in the stocks for a week.”
The Omega’s lips pinched shut, but Arthur could feel the energy building in the young Omega’s chest, and knew any minute now the Omega was going to start wiggling again.
“For goodness sake, Merlin, what is it?”
“Nothing.”
“ Mer lin…” the warning made the Omega huff, finally giving in.
“What are you going to tell Uther?”
Arthur’s eyes opened, landing at once on the bloodied crescent on Merlin’s neck. A crescent he would have never made under normal circumstances. The hand on Merlin’s chest slid up to wipe the longest wisps of Merlin’s hair away from the wound, feeling Merlin settle into the touch.
Even though Arthur couldn’t see Merlin’s face, he could sense the frown on the Omega’s face.
“I’ll think of something,” Arthur promised softly, his fingers threading still through the dark curls. “You have nothing to fear, Merlin.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about.”
Arthur blinked. “Merlin-”
“No, Arthur, it’s my fault we’re here…” Merlin said, voice watery and shaky, twisting as much as the lock of their bodies would allow to lock eyes with Arthur over his shoulder. “If I hadn’t come out here… If I hadn’t-”
“Merlin, stop.”
Arthur’s hand curled around Merlin’s jaw, finger gently pressing against the Omega’s trembling lips to silence his beautiful Omega manservant.
“If there was magic in Camelot, maybe we could change what happened,” the soft lips pursed, but Merlin let Arthur continue, "but we can’t, we can only move forward-” and when the dark eyes seemed to tighten, he added softly, “-together.”
Merlin might have protested, but at that moment the knot released, drawing a satisfied exhale from both Alpha and Omega and allowing Arthur to shift the young Omega in his grip, turning the slender body into him and cradling the dark head to his chest.
“Are you still taking the tonic Gaius made you?” Arthur asked, as much to change the subject as because he found himself suddenly curious in the answer.
“It's a little late to be asking that, isn’t it?” Merlin whispered, his breath tickling Arthur’s bare chest.
Arthur huffed, the breath of a chuckle, ignoring the unexpected pang of regret when Merlin finally answered, “I am.”
“Good,” Arthur nodded, licking his lips before repeating, “That’s good.”
“Is it?” The Omega tilted his head up, looking at Arthur, and something inside of Arthur warmed. Something Arthur decidedly chose to chalk up to the Omega’s heat and nothing more.
“It is,” he murmured, pressing his lips lightly to Merlin’s forehead, “It means I can lock you tomorrow before breakfast, and again after supper.”