This is How It Happened (This is What Followed)

By: AndiKaneUnderwood

A/U: Modern Royalty, Alpha/Beta/Omega

Benjamin Francine "Benji" Gates: Alpha (Quirk: Superior intelligence that makes her smarter than a super computer.)

Riley Andrew Poole: Omega (Quirk: Anything pertaining to computer, hacking, taking apart, putting together, etc.)

Abigail Rachel Chase: Beta

William Garret Sudusky: Beta

Ian Howle: Alpha (Quirk: None)

Mitch Wilkinson: Beta

NT~NT~NT

Benji was a Princess that was good at her job. Ruling a kingdom came easily to her, choosing her court was easier that breathing.

Her court consisted of her parents, her court sorcerer, the dock master, and several of her knights.

Benji's parents where the former king and queen, Patrick Gates and Emily Appleton-Gates. Benji would be stupid not to rely on their wisdom and experience.

Benji's mate was the court sorcerer, Riley Poole. Riley's position as court sorcerer not only gave him insight into the magical side of the kingdom, but he was also always up to date on the goings on of the kingdom.

The dock master's name was Abigail Chase, who was up to date on trades coming in and going out of the kingdom, and had intimate knowledge of several of the other kingdoms shady marketers.

The knights: William Sudusky, Mitch Wilkinson, Ian Howle, and Shaw Hawthorn where all loyal to Benji and the throne.

At least, Benji thought they were.

Until Ian Howle betrayed her and took half of the dock workers, a third of Riley's helpers, and a fourth of Benji's knights with him when he left.

NT~NT~NT

Ian laughed as he watched Benji struggle against his stronger body guards. He lifted a crystal ball. "So..." He began. "The good Princess wishes to see her court?" He asked.

Benji bit at his arm when he came close and he jerked back with a dark laugh. "Your court has been contained. Your knights, Sudusky and Wilkinson are being tormented by my goblins. The Lady Abigail is in the dungeons, an executioner is on his way down there now." The former knight showed an image of the three in the crystal ball.

Benji snarled at the man, snapping her jaws and struggling against the guards. She growled low.

Ian was threatening her Pack Mates.

"Your parents have been locked away in a falling tower that will crumble to dust within the hour." Ian continued and Benji struggled harder.

Those where her parents!

"And your precious sorcerer, Riley?" Ian chuckled darkly and lifted the crystal ball to Benji's eyes. "Take a look."

Benji looked inside the crystal ball, the smoke clear and the image focused and Benji saw a sight she wanted to burn from her brain.

Riley, Benji's Riley, was strapped to a broken bed by heavy, long chains. He lay in the middle, curled on his side, panting like he'd just run a 5k race. His skin was flushed, cheeks pinked, and coated in a thin layer of sweat. His pupils had expanded so they covered sapphire irises and his eyes where fever bright. There was a mix of sunflowers, sage, metal, and magic in the air.

(Don't ask Benji what magic smelt like, she just knew it was something undeniably Riley.)

Riley had gone into Heat.

This was not necessarily the problem or the image to be burned from Benji's mind.

The image was the clearly Alpha male looking at Riley like he was a prize or, more accurately, a slab of meat.

The Alpha male was stepping slowly forward and his intent was clear.

Benji got tunnel vision; the edges of her eyesight got blurry and went dark.

In that moment, all that mattered was getting to Riley, getting him to safety.

She wasn't clear on what happened, but when she blinked, she was standing straight and Ian was staring at her with something akin to annoyance in his face while the rest of his guards lay on the floor unconscious.

Behind him, Shaw slipped out the door and ran.

Coward. Benji snarled in her head as she lunged and snapped her teeth at Ian's neck.

When Ian had gone limp and was no longer an issue, Benji rushed to the door and began following her nose to find Riley. This quickly became problematic because Riley's scent was everywhere in the castle, this being where he spent hours upon hours every day.

The South and West wings where all out of the question because they were the staff and Royalty housings and where kept magically locked so they only opened for the staff and/or Royal family.

If they wanted to torment Riley, they'd take him somewhere far from the place he lived and far out of his comfort zone. Where he couldn't scent Benji anywhere.

That would be the lower levels of the castle where the staff worked. The kitchens where out, as where the dungeons.

There was the basement and storage halls, which were most likely as Benji never, went down there unless it was an absolute necessity due to the floors being unstable because of flooding.

(The castle architect was on vacation and would be back soon. Until then, hardly anyone went down there unless there was no other option.)

Benji wouldn't have cared if it wasn't her Mate down in the basement, that was her Pack and she was getting them back.

NT~NT~NT

Riley, Abigail, and her parents where in the most danger, rape and death being high on Benji's scale of dangerous things to avoid.

Riley, being closer, was first to be saved. The Alpha did however sent several of the staff down to stall the executioner as long as possible and a team of her most trustworthy knight to find the falling castle and save her parents while she got Riley up to her scent and sound proofed bedroom.

Benji followed the scent of her distressed, Heat-induced Mate until she found the right room.

There was also the smell of aroused Alpha, which made Benji snarl, lips curled up and teeth bared, and Benji prayed she wasn't too late.

A few well-placed kicks broke the door open and the Alpha male Benji had been worried about jumped up and away from the bed.

There was a sharp, metallic smell in the air, something that smelled like burning something, smelled like Riley's magic.

Benji put the pieces together. This man had tried to touch what was hers and Riley had defended himself.

Benji rushed the Alpha male and when she was done, he was no longer conscious and bleeding from several bites and lacerations. And he'd have a concussion when- well, if- he woke up.

Riley had been in fullHeat for... Benji sniffed the air, seven hours. He was dehydrated and needed food, but was otherwise fine. There weren't any other scents on him, save Riley's and Benji's.

Benji came closer with a sigh. "Riley." She breathed, relief crashing into her.

Riley was making noise now, trying desperately to get to Benji. His cut off whines and whimpers made Benji think he was Heat-drunk and delirious with need or injured, the former being preferable.

The chains wrap around Riley's legs and pull taunt as he tried to get out. He tripped and fell face first on the bed with a whine. Benji chuckled and unhooked him from the chains, gathering him into a hug.

"Riley." She pulled him close, hugging him tightly.

"Benji..." Riley sighed, fitting perfectly in Benji's arms.

Benji smiled as she pulled back and pecked Riley's forehead. "Let's get you back to the Nest, hmm?"

NT~NT~NT

Benji got Riley settled back in her bedroom and hurried to go find Abigail and Sudusky, promising Riley to be right back.

Thankfully, one of the Beta staff (Benji thought his name might be Scott, but he wasn't sure) volunteered to watch the Omega, so Benji didn't have to worry too much.

Abigail was relatively easy to find. It was only a matter of checking the dungeons and finding the right one. When she met the executioner in the halls, Benji immediately sent him away.

"But I was told-" The man protested.

"You where misinformed. There is no need for an execution today or for the foreseeable future. We deeply apologize and will still gladly pay you for services and such, but we do not require any additional servicing. Thank you." Benji interrupted.

The executioner grumbled, but still left, being $400 richer.

Benji sighed in relief, and then continued on to get Abigail.

"Benji!" She called when the Alpha managed to get down there.

Benji grinned as she unlocked the doors. "Hi. Oomph!" Benji was suddenly bombarded by blonde Beta.

"I smelt him, Benji. He went into Heat, didn't he?" Abigail asked.

Benji nodded. "Yeah, he's fine, though. I got to him first." She chuckled.

"Your parents?"

Somewhere in the distance, Benji caught the sound of the castle doors opening and her parents calling for her.

"Just got back from the sound of it." Benji replied.

Abigail laughed. "Go on. Hurry up. Riley can't wait forever and nether can your parents. I'll be fine."

Benji smiled and pecked Abigail's cheek. "Thank, Abi." Then she was gone, back up the stairs to make sure her parents where okay, then up to Riley and their Nest for a week.

NT~NT~NT

Benji woke up on the last day of Riley's Heat with Riley's head in her lap and her back against the wall.

The past week had been nothing but Benji being Rut-stupid for her Mate and her knot keeping Riley sated until the Heat dragged him back for another round.

Benji always wakes up before Riley when Heat hits, mostly because Heat is draining for the Omega, taking up energy not always available and creating the desired scent for Alpha attraction.

Riley groaned as he woke up. His eyes fluttered and they irises where still black, meaning Benji had only a few moments to go before the Heat broke it's hold over her Mate.

Benji smiled as Riley's eyes focused on her. "Hey, Riley." She murmured as Riley leaned up for a kiss.

Benji pulled back, watching Riley's eyes in fascination as the black of Riley's pupils drained back to their normal size, creating an amazing show of black ink. Almost like water.

Riley gasped as he came back to himself. "Ian." He breathed, looking around. "What happened?" He got more frantic as the moments passed.

Benji smiled as she took his head in her hands and stared into sapphire eyes. "Calm down, Hellboy*. We're fine." Then Benji kissed him.

She felt Riley stiffen in surprise, then press back and melt.

Benji grins to herself. She lived for these moments. When Riley was worked up, and then melted in her arms like putty.

She didn't know what Ian was thinking bringing the fight to Benji, especially when Riley's Heat was due, but he'd definitely screwed up.

Especially where Ben's Pack was involved.

*Hellboy is a name Benji gave to Riley specifically for this Royalty/ABO AU. In older times, Sorcerers where considers demons and/or Hellspawn. Riley, being a full-blooded Sorcerer would've been considered the same. It's been a running joke between Riley and Benji that Riley's Hellspawn. And so came the nickname Hellboy.