A/N: Hello new fandom!:) I hope you enjoy this totally self-indulgent story that I felt the need to write after watching the 1993 version of A Much Ado About Nothing in English Class.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters in any way, shape, or form.
The mid-day sun is warm against Beatrice's back as she makes her way to the stables, the stones lining the path getting easily kicked aside as she sniffs the air.
The delightful smell of fresh flowers tickles the inside of the Omega's nose, and she must refrain from stopping to pick some as she passes, lifting the bucket of water higher in her arms and squinting against the bright glow of daylight getting reflected back. Stepping into the shade offered by a tall oak tree, the woman takes a quick second to glance around at the countryside rolled out before her, the blue sky seeming to stretch out like a clear ocean dotted with puffy islands.
If only Benedick were here. She thinks with a small sigh, his comforting scent seeming to float around her as she moves once more, no doubt flowing out of her Bonding Mark and claiming her his to anyone nearby.
Shaking her head to clear the hot flash of longing now creeping over her, Beatrice brushes a hand over the dark Mark on the back of her neck, her hair gently blowing in the breeze. Her Omega Instincts are starting to bubble up, and the prideful woman must grit her teeth to stop them from forcing her to turn and run back into her Alpha's strong arms.
Get a hold of yourself, Beatrice! She scolds, giving a sigh of relief when the large door of the horse barn seems to rise up from behind a hill. It's not like you could see him right now anyway.
Benedick, being the brave soldier he is, is required to attend a weekly meeting along with Claudio and Don Pedro to discuss plans for a surprise attack and other war related things. But after all of the mess that went on with Don John and faking Hero's death, well, they were a little behind schedule. Cue a meeting everyday at 5 o'clock sharp for the next week, the whole thing lasting up the 6 hours and even longer if they decided to go get drinks after.
Beatrice knows that Benedick must attend these meetings, she is actually really proud of her mate and grudgingly admits whenever she sees him that he looks quite dashing in his uniform, all regal and sophisticated. But nothing can stop the painful pang she feels deep in her chest when he leaves, the way that she seems to bury herself in his scent and almost forces his teeth into her neck being the only outward sign of the strain this is putting on her instincts as an Omega.
Her Alpha, however, makes his displeasure known to everyone near. His low growls and lingering markings that decorate Beatrice's skin sending a very clear message to the Prince of the way he feels for these meetings. Everyday, he adds a new layer of his scent onto his mate, bathing her in the possessive pheromones and not giving a damn about the sly looks the other Alphas give him once they leave.
Beatrice knows it is only a matter of time before they both snap completely.
Heaving the wooden door open with one shoulder, the Omega flinches as the high squeak of metal against metal rings in her ears, setting the bucket down once fully inside and goes to get a brush and soap from the closet in the back. Her footsteps are light, the horses standing a little ways off not even shifting as she passes, blowing air out of their long noses with a large huff, the squealing of the pigs echoing through the large room.
The smell of them is almost overwhelming, and the woman wishes she brought along an extra rag to tie around her nose.
After rummaging around in the back for a few seconds, Beatrice emerges with a slightly mushy bar of soap and a almost clean rag, the fabric getting draped across one arm. Humming slightly under her breath, the Omega begins the painstaking process of washing all of the saddle equipment, the dirt and grime coating her white dress black and making a small muddy puddle form underfoot.
She is just about done with the third band, her fingers quickly turn an attractive mixture of black and red, when a sudden thump behind her has her freezing.
Ignoring the sudden chill traveling up her spine, the Omega looks quickly back, raising her foam soaked hands up in a poor attempt at self defense. Squinting against the yellow light streaming in from the windows, Beatrice studies the far walls, looking in every corner of shadow and trying to control her now quick breathing. The scent of the pigs makes it near impossible to distinguish between smells and she gives up after a few seconds of sniffing. She turns back around, her humming becoming more breathless the longer she stands there.
She knows that her Fear Scent must have startled something, because a mouse, his white whiskers twitching, darts across the floor in front of her, and she has to bite her lip to hold in a shriek. Huffing out a small, pathetic laugh, the Omega goes back to cleaning, keeping her ears perked for more unsuspected noise and wishing for the millionth time that her husband was there.
He must be getting restless by now. All of that talk of troop placement and defensive strategies would surly bore me to death, and I cannot imagine having to listen to it day after day. Plus, my Fear Scent probably isn't helping his concentration. . .
It is a well known fact that, once fully mated and properly Marked, an Omega's unique scent can be directed by their Alpha from miles away. Beatrice used to hate the though of that, that an overbearing Alpha could know exactly what she was feeling and thinking during every part of the day. Now, however, it brings her great comfort in knowing that no matter where she is or what she is doing, Benedick is always making sure that she is safe and checking in on her. The though helps to settle whatever lingering fears she kept close to her heart and allows her to walk a little more easily.
Not that she would ever tell her Alpha any of this. No sir. That would just be mortifying. But she can still think it all she wants, and let's herself relax once more, carefully carrying the now clean saddle over to the drying station.
If there was any actual danger, Benedick would practically fly right over and save her.
Letting the tune she was humming die out, the Omega grabs the next dirty equipment with a small grunt, staggering slightly under the weight of the leather and metal. Turning around on shaking legs, Beatrice nearly drops it once more at the sight that greats her.
Don John, looking almost exactly like he did two weeks ago, when he was dragged away and thrown into the deepest, darkest pits of the dungeon, is standing a few feet away.
His dark eyes are narrowed, his blown pupils sliding over Beatrice's body and his dry lips pulling in a sneer. His once immaculate hair is frizzy and clogged with dirt and blood, the red dried and soaked into his ripped uniform in patches, his dark beard longer and tangled. His musky scent, when it reaches the Omega's nose, is enough to make her stagger slightly back, making sure to keep a fair distance between herself and the criminal. Don John just lets out a crackling laugh, leering closer and smirking when all the woman does is step further away.
"Surprised, Lady Beatrice?" He asks, voice ruff and filled to the brim with mocking amusement.
Beatrice shakes her head, eyes wide and Fear Scent now filling up the barn, the smell causing the horses to shift uneasily. Lifting up her head, the Omega tries in vain to act nonchalant, taking another half-step toward the door as she drops the saddle onto the dry earth below.
"About as surprised as a dog meowing like a kitten." She says, watching with barely control disgust as the Alpha licks his lips, his large body seeming to fill up the whole building. "How the bloody hell did you even manage to escape?"
The criminal shrugs, taking another large step toward her and smiling cruelty when she backs up, her hands now held out in front of her and gives a small warning growl. He laughs at the pathetic display.
"When you are trapped by yourself for hours on end, you come up with some pretty creative ways."
He looks around, eyeing the pigs squealing in the corner with a curl of his lip. His Alpha scent seems to coat the room, the offending smell causing Beatrice's eyes to water and throat is itch. She longs to run to her Alpha, to have him beat the disgusting pheromones away from her Mark and to hold her in his strong arms, but right now she must get away from this monster. Before he does something he ends of regretting.
"Did you swing by for a family reunion?" She asks him, nodding her head toward the pigs and snickering at the dumbstruck look that flashes across the other's dirty face.
And then she runs.
She barely makes it three steps, however, before Don John has grabbed her arm, his grip tight and making her gasp in pain. He easily swings her around as she struggles, her sharp chitters of pain and barely held back whimpers of terror doing nothing to ease the Alpha's hold. He slams her against the wall, the wood digging into her dress and poking through the cloth, small droplets of blood ringing the outside of the wounds.
"I didn't say you could leave." He grunts, body getting forcefully shoved against her smaller one, his hands roaming down her stomach and legs as she desperately tries to shove him away.
"Get off me, you bloody ass!" She shrieks, swallowing down bile when the Alpha's musky smell surrounds her, soaking into her skin and making her want to die. "Get off me!"
Her strong will is no match for his brute strength, however, and the man easily overpowers all of her pathetic struggles, his hips grinding against hers and his chest shoving her further against the hard wall. Beatrice tries desperately not to cry, small squeaks of pain and terror slipping from her lips when the Alpha runs his fingers down her side.
Benedick is coming. Benedick is coming. Benedick is coming. Your Alpha is coming.
She thinks it over and over and over again, her Fear Scent now strong enough for her to even smell it, the pheromones seeming to overpower the stark smell of Alpha Arousal now pouring from the criminal above her. Benedick must be out of his mind by now, the overwhelming amount of fear she is feeling getting shoved in his direction, and the Omega can almost picture the way that he has undoubtedly started to sprint in her direction.
"You still mated to that fool Benedick, sweetness?" Don John growls against her, his voice sending tremors through her body as he seems to curl closer around her, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her thighs and making her whine at the pain that sparks up her legs.
She tries again to push him off, her arms moving uselessly against the tight grip he has on her, the feeling of his arousal making her want to throw up and scream at the same time. Don John doesn't seem effected by the added movement, his grip never faltering even as Beatrice lifts her own lips up in a snarl, his touches marking her skin in his filth.
"I don't even know why you bother asking me that," she growls, throwing her weight to one side and is satisfied when the Alpha is forced to shift away. "You can clearly smell him all over me-"
Don John's fist against her face comes at such an alarming speed that she doesn't even have time to flinch.
Her head snaps back, hitting the wood behind her and causing white spots to dance behind her eyes. Her nose cracks, blood already beginning to gush out of the throbbing appendage as the Alpha makes a pleased rumbling sound, licking the red liquid from her neck and pushing her harder against the wall. Beatrice can't stop the tears now, her sobs of terror and mind numbing pain seeming to edge the man on with a sort of sick arousal.
He begins to lick and suck her neck, his teeth against her skin making it crawl, the sheer wrongness of the sensation causing her to struggle even harder, all of her thoughts on her mate and how she needed him to save her right now.
It is when Don John gets to her Bonding Mark that she actually howls.
The sound is high pitched and terrified, seeming to claw her throat like a mess of thorns as she pushes away, his hands grabbing and hurting and pulling and pushing. His teeth are on her Mark again, the sensation snapping something inside of her and she sobs, punching with her limited strength and cursing everything holy that Benedick is not here yet.
"Please stop. . ." She begins to beg quietly, swallowing her pride. Her Pain and Fear Scents are now the most prominent smells in the room and the Alpha seems to like the combination. "Please don't touch me, please."
The criminal just laughs, his hands never stopping their invasive and unwanted touching as he smashes their mouths together hard enough to bruise. His tongue forcefully pushes against hers, nothing Beatrice does seeming to extract the horrible kisses. His growl of pleasure vibrates the inside of her mouth, her own salty tears streaming down her chin and coating their lips, the bite of his teeth tearing her skin as she tries to desperately pull away once more.
No no please stop please pleasepleaseplease don't touch me no no nonononono Benedick please help Alpha please I need you help help Ben help helphelphelp please—
Then, as suddenly as Don John was thrust upon her, he was gone.
Benedick, her Alpha, has him pushed up against the wall beside her, the criminal's struggling weakly in the other man's grip as the normally sweet Ben snarls in his face. Her Alpha looks feral, his pupils a mere slit and his nails long and as sharp as a pointed dagger. They are squeezing Don John's throat, blood leaking out of the wounds and sliding down to coat his already soaked shirt. Benedick's scent is a mass of anger and possessiveness, flooding the room and causing Beatrice to whine high.
Her Alpha's eyes snap over to hers, the bright blue clouded and as dark as a stormy night. She whines once more, the noise seeming to strike something deep inside the Alpha because he suddenly turns back around, bearing his elongated canines like an animal and spits in Don John's red tinged face.
A hand on her arm has her jumping, the Omega slipping to the floor as her legs suddenly give out. Claudio, his blond hair slicked back with sweat and his eyes gentle, lowers her to the floor, stepping back as she weakly growls at him.
"You," Benedick's voice is unlike anything Beatrice has ever heard, the tone as deep and as powerful as the loudest thunder. His rage, the burning magnitude of it, causes his words to shake, the pure savageness seeming to surprise even the Prince as he steps closer. "You have no fucking clue how much I want to kill you."
His face, when the Omega finally gathers the courage to look back at the pair, is pulled in a snarl, the white of his teeth flashing in the sunlight and his arms shaking from the force of his fury. Don John is watching the other man with wide eyes, the whites glowing in the shadows and his mouth opening and closing like a fish as all of the breath gets squeezed from his lungs. Giving a grunt of disgust, Benedick throws the Alpha to the ground, kicking his stomach and making him choke on bile.
Don Pedro, face strained with an emotion Beatrice cannot place, grabs his brother as he starts to rise, forcing the Alpha's hands behind his back and shoving him in the direction of the door. Benedick, breath heaving and a growl vibrating his body, crouches in front of his Omega, lifting his lips in a wet snarl when the criminal looks back at his mate. The man shudders, dark eyes finding Beatrice's in the dim light.
The pleasure the Omega find there will surly haunt her dreams for weeks to come.
Tripping over his feet when he is pushed forward, Don John gets led out of the barn without another word, his scent quickly becoming stale the further away he gets. His brother's furious yelling can be heard above Ben's continuous growls, her Alpha turning toward her as soon as the door gets thrown shut.
"Ben-Benedick," Beatrice whimpers, not even caring how weak she sounds as her mate's nostrils flare, her Fear Scent still swimming in the air around them.
Shaking his head quickly, Benedick falls onto his knees in the dirt, reaching out with trembling hands and grabbing onto his shivering Omega. Beatrice sobs, moving stiffly over and curls up in his lap, her face getting repeatedly kissed and his hands smoothing down the wrinkle in her stained dress. The Omega lets put a small wail, her voice cracking and shoulders shaking from the force, her grip on her mate tightening.
Burying her face in his chest, Beatrice nuzzles the soft fabric of his uniform, ignoring the flash of pain that shoots through her broken nose, and begins to coat herself with his scent. Ben, seeming to understand what his love is trying to do, gently lifts her up higher in his lap, his tone having gotten softer as he continues to whisper comforting words.
"It's okay now, sweetheart. I'm right here now, I'm right here love. You're mine. You're mine and he can't touch you anymore. You're mine, darling, always."
As he speaks, he begins to nibble at her neck, feeling his burning rage fire up again at the bite marks decorating her smooth skin, his snarl fighting for appearance even as he cuddles her closer. Beatrice just chitters, lifting up her chin to give her Alpha better access, her tears sliding down and dotting the floor with spears of salty liquid. Ben begins to Mark her, biting down where the bastard had touched her and filling up her skin with his loving scent.
They stay like that for a long time, Benedick moving his lips over every spot on his darling's face and neck and kissing away each tear that falls from her red eyes. Beatrice closes the stinging orbs after a while, making small sounds of fear whenever her Alpha shifts. Benedick feels his heart break at the pain etched into his mate's beautiful features, continuing his Marking and Scenting with a new found vigor as his Omega's Fear Scent slowly begins to fade.
Finally, he stands up, pulling Beatrice up with him and tucking her against his chest, his Scent seeming to pour from her very soul and her neck covered in his Marks. It's not enough though, tonight he will fill her with his seed, and make sure that anyone who dares to even look at her will know that she is his and his alone. His rumbling growl of anticipation vibrates his chest and he knows that Claudio can see the danger hidden behind his eyes when he looks over.
"I will make sure that bloody bastard is punished severely for his crimes." The blond says, dipping his head to the other Alpha as he passes.
Benedick adjusts his grip on his mate, cooing softly into her ear when she makes a pained sound, her own grip on his neck becoming tighter with each step he takes. Pressing a burning kiss against her lips, the Alpha forces all of Don John's revolting taste from her sweet mouth, his tongue claiming her's in a possessive kiss that leaves her breathless. Letting out a pleased sigh, the Omega rests her head against her Alpha's strong chest, his heartbeat and Scent filling her head with comfort.
They start back toward the Town, the sun much too bright for what has occurred and Beatrice squints against the offending glow, pushing her face deeper against Benedick's shirt with a small wounded noise. The Alpha frowns down at her, his worried gaze smoothing out once a kiss is pressed to her forehead. Claudio walks ahead of them, making sure to kick any stray rocks out of the way of the couple.
No one speaks the whole way down the hill.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, they reach the edge of Town, the stone walls offering much needed shade as a path is cleared, Don Pedro approaching from the direction of the Castle.
"Sir, Benedick," He says, respecting the other Alpha's warning growl when he steps closer. "My brother is now sitting in the dungeon and is waiting on my order for his faith. What will you have me do?"
Brushing another light kiss onto his Omega's head, Benedick stares at the Prince, his eyes as cold as the early January frost and his tone as unyielding as the rocks surrounding them. Don Pedro feels a shiver go up his spine at his friend's next words, watching out of the corner of his eye as Claudio shifts slightly away from the enraged man.
"Kill him. A slow and painful death. No mercy, not even the slightest amount of sympathy, he must be begging to die by the time he is granted the privilege to see Satan himself."
With that, the Alpha turns around, Beatrice curling up tighter in his arms, and begins to make his way home. Ignoring the stares of the other soldiers behind him, Benedick knows that his top priority now must be to tend to his injured and traumatized mate.
He knows it will be a long night.
A/N: Thank you for reading and don't forget to review!:)