Disclaimer: All characters, character names, worlds, and world names belong to their respected companies, authors, producers, etc. I do not benefit money from writing this story. I do not own any of the characters or places.
Warning: Yaoi and mpreg.
Author's Note: Merry Christmas, everyone! I was hoping to have a Christmas posting, but I just missed it. oh, well. It's finally up and I hope you enjoy it. I know some you think I'm going to give up on this fic but I have no intention of doing that. Everyone say hello to Koumei and Rikuson! Please let me know your thoughts and enjoy! ~~~~~Look me up on LiveJournal for other fics and pics of couples from this story. My name there is fallindeath.
Chapter 9
Seifer ducked his head back from around the corner. The snow in the narrow alley was past his knees. On Nel it came to her mid-thigh. He sighed and a long stream of visible breath flowed past his lips. He rubbed his arms for heat. This was ridiculous.
He looked to his side at Shiki, wondering how the wolf ever kept warm. He was so thin. But the other seemed completely undisturbed by the cold.
"What'd you see?" Nel asked him, giving him a sidelong look and a smirk.
The blonde huffed. "Guards. Soldiers. Everywhere. Every damn road to the capital—barricaded and patrolled by small armies. You were right."
Shiki watched as the other seme went through his small tirade before returning his cool eyes to Nel.
"I'm always right. It's my job to be," she said, but there wasn't any arrogance behind her words, only weary truth.
"So what do we do now?" Seifer asked looking at his dark companion. "All roads are blocked and guarded like this, and the Dragon Brigade circles the skies over the wilderness."
"We almost have our answer in that alone," Shiki said. "Airyglyph is certainly up to something huge to protect all passages to his city like this—to cut off this entire side of his country."
Seifer agreed, but that wasn't a solid enough answer to return to their chief with. As much as he longed to see Squall, to know that his uke and their pup were all right, he had to accomplish their task before he could feel right about returning.
"We'll keep an eye out for a weakness in their patrol today, then head out through the forest as wolves(1) under the cover of night. We are close enough, if what Nel says is right, we'll be there by morning," Seifer said. Shiki nodded his agreement.
"You are forgetting my network of informants," Nel spoke up. "I have spies in this city looking for the same answers as you. You should keep a low profile. I will let you know what passage may be safest through the wilderness."
Seifer pursed his lips. Of course Nel's group, the Crimson Blade, would be investigating for her majesty, Queen Romeria(2). Airyglyph and Aquaria were on eggshells with their call for truce anyway. Any news of such disturbing activity like this would be in their best interest to try to uncover. Chief Beele had an unofficial alliance with the queen that their pack would protect the country, but her majesty certainly did not expect them to do everything. She had her own ways of protecting her lands and its people as she had done before the welves arrived on this continent.
"Nel is right," Shiki said. "A big, dumb blonde walking around is drawing attention."
Seifer shot him a glare. "Oh, and the prince of darkness over here doesn't attract any at all," he said indicating Shiki's black leather outfit from head to toe. Shiki smiled at him, his tongue running along the bottom of his top teeth in a small, quick swipe. Nel chuckled behind her hand.
"Just remember," she said turning to leave. "My husband is one of those 'big, dumb blondes'. I'll come to your room before dark." Then she was gone, slipping from the alley and vanishing instantly in the crowd.
Seifer stared after her for a moment before turning and retracing their footsteps back to the inn they stayed in when they arrived in the city the night before.
"Damn it," he muttered. "After we've come so far in…Well, I guess I knew nothing would be so simple."
Shiki followed quietly behind. He understood Seifer's frustration. He did not like the idea of sitting and waiting for an entire day while someone else did their scouting for them. But amidst their enemy like this, he knew Nel and her people would be better to do it. They had little choice now. They were now so deep in their enemy's territory all they could do was keep going till they found what they needed. He just hoped it was soon. He had an uneasy feeling. He was an excellent fighter with the blade, Seifer was as well, but they wouldn't have the help or the strength of their pack behind them if anything went wrong. He didn't like that at all.
General Albel Nox kept a quick pace through the labyrinthine ice caves. His soldiers kept up with him without complaint though the way was slow and treacherous with ice, drop-offs, and fierce, cave-dwelling beasts. They were traveling light with nothing more than their lighter leather armor, small packs with basic provisions, their weapons, and furred cloaks for warmth. No one had ever ventured to map out the twisting tunnels of the aqueducts and so they followed what appeared to be the main tunnel. Every time a path or tunnel intersected theirs or veered off their current path, he would send Emba and Yuuen to scout it out. Those two were the best trackers he'd ever known, and he thanked the gods almost every day that he'd found them. Their sharp eyes and incredible senses of smell and hearing had almost miraculously kept their brigade from harm and disaster on many occasions.
He never questioned their skills, and now was no exception. When they came back to the group claiming that a tunnel led to lurking beasts or deeper, darker pathways he simply nodded and continued down the tunnel they said led to fresh air. He didn't know how they did it. All he could smell was the foul, stagnant, cold air of the tunnels. But he trusted them.
Yuuen was approaching him now from the dark cavern ahead of them. Albel didn't hear a sound as his tracker moved even though he was moving very quickly.
"There is something potentially very dangerous ahead," Yuuen whispered to his General. Then, before Albel asked, he continued, "And this is the only way that continues to lead outside that we've found."
Albel nodded.
"What is it?" Captain Drake Nyor whispered next to them.
The slender youth glanced at the Captain then smirked at his General. "Something rather surprising," the blonde said cryptically. He gave his General a look. "I think you might already know, sir."
Albel's face showed no sign of any emotion. He was a little annoyed with his young tracker, and a bit curious. But he knew Yuuen would never waste his time with guessing games. He was giving him a chance to decide what was best without the influence of his men. Suddenly Albel knew.
Nodding to Yuuen, he said, "I will speak with him alone."
"Of course, General," Yuuen bowed his head. "There is another as well," he warned. "One I have never met before." Albel noticed the look of concern in Yuuen's eyes. But as he thought about it walking purposefully without stealth into the dark tunnel, he began to think it was more of a look of utter confusion. However, he didn't think on it too long, writing it off as frustration at not knowing the identity of the other one.
After quite a walk he came upon a bend in the tunnel where it curved around to the left and widened into a larger cavern. Crouched there behind a frozen rock was Emba. Albel walked up to him and stopped. His eyes were sharper than most, but even he could not see what his tracker could in the pitch black ahead.
Without taking his eyes off the targets, Emba whispered very softly. "The other is not as powerful, but he is no less a threat. Be careful, General." Then he slipped away like a shadow slinking away from the sun and was gone.
Albel put on his signature smirk and moved into the open cavern and stopped, his hands held out at his sides away from his weapons. His eyes strained against the darkness, but still could not see them until one moved to approach him.
"It's about time you caught up, General Nox."
"I didn't expect to run into you in here," Albel said, his tone guarded. "Lord Kagekiyo."
There was a spark of light, then a crackling flare as a bright flame danced from the sorcerer's palm and rose to hang in the air above them. Albel immediately took in the travel clothing and packs. He studied Kagekiyo's companion. Yuuen was right. He'd never seen him before either. He was beautiful, though, no doubt about it. Like Emba and Yuuen were beautiful. It was a fierce, tribal, almost animalistic beauty. There was also a strange scent radiating off the other—sweet and alluring, not unlike Yuuen's scent. It was so strange that no one else ever seemed to notice it, other than Emba perhaps.
He smirked at the young green-haired thing before looking at Kagekiyo.
"One of your harem, Lord Kagekiyo?" he said lewdly.
The lord's face darkened. "I'm flattered you think his majesty held me in such favor," he said. "But, no. This is Akira of the Sanmite Republic. More specifically, the only survivor of that first humanoid village."
Albel blinked and stared at the beautiful youth. Finally, he said, "He looks Human."
"Yes, he does," Kagekiyo said. "Now, anyway." The lord waved it off. "That is not your concern. What is, is that you've killed General Vox and are now a fugitive to the entire country." The dark man smiled. "Like me."
Albel's eyes narrowed. "What have you done?" he demanded. If Kagekiyo had anything to do with what happened to Tifa, he would slaughter him then and there—sorcerer be damned.
Without any hesitation, Kagekiyo said, "I killed Airyglyph."
The boy, Akira, looked at the lord in surprise, Albel noticed. So, he kept it hidden from his companion. Albel stood trying to figure out the man's motives. He was not proud, or boastful as Albel would have expected from any other man. He was simply unmoved by any emotion, simply stating a fact. It unnerved Albel a little. Not that Kagekiyo killed the king, but his own complete inability to understand this man was a little frightening.
"I cannot say I am sorry," Albel said finally with a glint in his eye. It was well known that Albel, like his father before him, had always clashed with the king. Their ideas too different, yet the skills of the noble Nox family(3) were never wasted despite those many differences. His majesty was always very good at exploiting his every resource—using every person, every weapon until their usefulness ran out.
A thought suddenly occurred to him. Kagekiyo was too clever to be seen, which meant...
"How did you—"
"They will believe it was you," Kagekiyo interrupted with a nod, again without any guilt or remorse. Just honest and straightforward as though he'd commented on the weather rather than informing Albel he'd framed him for regicide. After killing Vox, there would be no question in anyone's mind that Albel then murdered the king.
Albel nodded slowly. It was strange, but it did not really bother him, that Kagekiyo did this. Not at all. He only wished he'd had the personal pleasure of killing the royal maggot himself if he was going to be blamed for it anyway.
"I suppose you have a reason for that," Albel said, not really expecting the lord to tell him.
Kagekiyo smiled, however it seemed more like a baring of teeth than a smile. Albel couldn't help but notice how abnormally sharp the man's incisors were.
"I grew tired of Airyglyph's frosty prison," was all he said. There was a pause of silence before Albel broke it. He had to know one last detail.
"Did you…?" he began, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"No," Kagekiyo said softly. "I should have suspected, but didn't know Vox and his majesty would stoop so low as to use Tifa." Albel looked sharply away with a quick nod of his head. "I am sorry for that." It was nearly a whisper.
Akira looked between them confused, but knew these were important matters being discussed. People had died. The king—though Akira could not make himself feel any remorse for that lost life—and it sounded like this Tifa woman. She must have been something special to this man. He looked at Albel. The man smelled strange. Not like other humans, but not quite like Kagekiyo, either, though the man was obviously an alpha among men. What bothered him most was Kagikiyo's admission to killing the king. The seme had been very adamant when he told Akira he'd never personally killed a man. What did King Airyglyph do to make Kagekiyo break his own self-appointed rules?(4)
"Where are you going, then?" Kagekiyo asked, and Akira was pulled from his confusion.
Albel looked him in the eye again.
"Aquaria," he said. "They won't like the idea of the entire Black Brigade marching into their territory, but word of Airyglyph's death and my hand in it will travel quickly. Hopefully, we will speak to someone with some sense when we reach their borders."
Kagekiyo nodded. "I knew you would. They are the only ones with an army large enough to harbor a small army of traitors." The lord smirked. "You might as well summon your men, we must hurry if we want to leave the protection of the caves under the cover of night."
"You intend to join my ranks?" Albel was, to say the least, a little surprised.
"At your leave, of course," Kagekiyo bowed with an amused smirk. Both knowing that it was the lord who would win if Albel refused.
"Fine," Albel growled and turned away to find Emba whom he knew would never leave him alone entirely.
"And Albel," Kagekiyo spoke up behind him. Albel stopped but didn't turn. "There are a few in your ranks who interest me greatly. I wonder if I might speak with them more privately."
Albel believed he knew exactly who these individuals were. "There will be plenty of time for that after we escape the caverns," he said with a disinterested air before disappearing down the dark tunnel.
He smirked to see he was right. Emba was not far at all from the large cavern where Albel and Kagekiyo spoke. By the sweet vanilla scent in the air he knew Yuuen was with him. Undoubtedly they heard everything.
"General," they said and snapped to attention at his approach. Albel could just barely make out their silhouettes in the dark with the light from Kagekiyo's flame so far away.
"Lord Kagekiyo and his companion will be traveling with us," Albel said, and they nodded. "You heard, no doubt." They nodded again. "Stay here, I will speak with Captain Nyor." They bowed as their general walked past them.
"Emba."
The brunette looked up and caught the eye of his general. Albel glanced at Yuuen with a subconscious smile before looking back to Emba.
"Don't let our lord get too close to Yuuen," he said quietly. Then the trackers saw their Black General do something they did not see often. He frowned. "I don't know, or understand why…just don't let him." Then, he walked away, his footsteps growing more distant with every step.
Once he was gone Emba looked down at his lithe companion. Yuuen stepped closer to him and immediately Emba's strong arms were wrapped securely around him.
"Do not worry, my love," Emba said, caressing his thumb over his uke's soft cheek. "As powerful as Lord Kagekiyo is, if he has any humanity left, or respect for the way of the Ancient pack, he will not try to take you from me."(5)
Yuuen looked up at him. His large blue eyes misty.
"What if he does?" the youth's soft, sweet voice filtered up to him.
Emba leaned down and kissed his beautiful mate. Both of them knew Emba could not stop a wolf as powerful as this Kagekiyo who smelled so much like their king—the king who exiled them not so very long ago. They didn't understand who Kagekiyo was, only that he was dangerous, an extremely old and strong seme.
"I will die before I let him touch you," Emba whispered fiercely against his lover's mouth.
Yuuen whimpered softly. The truth, it wasn't a comfort. Emba would fight Kagekiyo if the seme had any intention of taking what rightfully belonged to him. He would fight, and he would lose.
Shiki ducked back down the dark alley between the castle wall and the closely surrounding city. Melting into the shadows like black ink in a moon-lit lake, he moved swiftly and silently back the way he'd come. It was two weeks since he'd last seen Nel. They arrived in the capital city about a week ago and had been trying to find what they needed ever since. He held his black hood in place when a gust of wind snapped at him, but kept moving. If what he heard the old general say was true, his and Seifer's work here in Airyglyph was done. Seifer would be relieved. After five long weeks they could return to their pack and Seifer to his heavily pregnant (by now) mate. Besides, the white-haired general had no reason to lie. It seems only those within the castle walls and the Dragon and Storm Brigades were aware of what had transpired. A secret that big could not be a lie, and in that case, there was no longer a reason to fear what Airyglyph was doing.
Shiki slithered amongst the shadows and through the evening crowded streets without attracting a single gaze from a single soul. He quickly made his way to the large inn in the center of the city. The place was busy with all the locals since no one was allowed entry into the city, the rooms full of mercenaries. The music was loud, the drunken crowds obnoxious and boisterous. It was the perfect place to hide and blend in open sight of their enemy. When he slipped inside and removed his hood he saw Seifer had already returned from his own scouting and was holding a small table in a darker corner of the large, lively hall. Shiki made his way to him through dancing, drunken, brawling men without so much as being touched and sat down silently across from the other seme.
"You want one?" Seifer asked him. On the table in his hand he was nursing a hot mead. Shiki shook his head with the slightest hint of a scowl. He never touched the stuff. He watched Seifer take a drink in calm, patient silence. "Tell me you found something because the guards I trailed never even spoke more than direct orders to each other. Not a single word of typical guard gossip. I mean, what the hell?"
At this Shiki smiled that half smile of his that normally pissed Seifer off. However, this time he hoped it meant the swordsman had found something useful.
"I have what we need and more," Shiki said fluidly. He leaned forward and Seifer did the same. "Apparently, Walter and the others heard right. The king was expanding into the Sanmite. But I'm certain that idea is moot now."
Seifer frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The Black Brigade general killed King Airyglyph and now his entire regiment is on the run, toward Aquaria, I would guess. It is likely that the white general, Walter, I believe is his name, will take over until a better solution is found— Where are you going?"
The blonde had drained his mug, laid coins on the table and was already headed away from the table before Shiki finished speaking.
Seifer turned back to him with a cheeky grin. "I'm going home, damn it."
"Now?" Shiki was a little surprised. It was dark now and freezing outside.
But Seifer was already half way to the door and Shiki had no choice but to follow quickly in his wake, avoiding sprawled limbs of drunken patrons pushed out of the blonde's way.
They decided on a westerly route out of the city, over the Bequerel Mountains to avoid the danger of being caught or sighted by the Dragon Brigade. Though the mountains could be treacherous, crawling with wild dragons, it was still safer than running into armed and angry soldiers riding dragons that were trained to kill first, ask questions later.
A few miles outside of the city walls Shiki held his black wolf head high as he sniffed the air. There was something—there. He trotted over to a recently man-made path and sniffed around. His blonde wolf companion joined him and together they sniffed the trail, mapping out in their minds each individual's scent and how many had passed by here. The black wolf turned cold red eyes to the other. This was the path the Black Brigade had taken to escape. But there was something even more extraordinary. There had been wolves among them. There was one scent of a uke they'd never smelled before that was older than all the others. Then one of a seme they did not recognize but it felt so familiar. Seifer barked happily when he caught the scent of two others they both knew very well. But there was a fifth, a uke. His scent tickled, teased and kissed Shiki's senses; sent blood pooling to his groin and made his skin prickle with warm energy. He had to meet this one, this wolf whose scent made his head dizzy and drowned his senses in warm delirium.
At once the two large wolves sped off through the snow and rocky terrain. Racing each other in instinctual sport, chasing the scents of new wolves and old companions.
Akira walked beside Lord Kagekiyo during their arduous marches each day. Never did the great seme let him stray far from his side—when they stopped, when they ate, slept, attended personal business, kept watch, Kagekiyo was never more than a few feet away. They had emerged from the maze of the aqueduct caverns two weeks ago. The sight of fresh snow, even in grayed, overcast daylight was a relief to all of them. He could smell the anxiety slip from the human men in waves when they emerged and breathed in fresh air. It was a great relief to him as well. He was a wolf after all. There was nothing he'd longed for more while in Airyglyph castle than to be outside in the fresh air, even if breathing it in froze his nose and chilled his lungs.
Akira might have been able to enjoy it more if it were not for the fact that Kagekiyo seemed…quiet. There was no other word for it. The lord spoke only when he needed to, but never to Akira. He conveyed his orders to the uke with simple gestures and looks ever since they entered the caves. Akira grew timid over the weeks just waiting for the silence to end because he did not know if Kagekiyo's quiet was the repressed-till-something-set-it-off exploding kind of quiet. Especially since he didn't know the cause of the lord's silence. He began to wonder if Kagekiyo smelled his brother's scent. It had been faint, often covered and smothered by the scents of other beasts that lurked within the caverns, but Akira knew his little brother's scent better than his own and never lost track of it as they made their way to the exit near the Bequeral Mountain range. Had Kagekiyo smelled Link as well? Could he smell the blood link in the scent that told of Akira's and Link's relation? Did he know Akira was trying to keep that information from him? If so, that could explain why the seme was giving him the silent treatment. The thing was, though, that Akira couldn't tell if the lord was angry.
He sighed quietly as they walked, his arm tingled as it brushed against the powerful seme. He didn't really know for certain that Kagekiyo knew. But one thing that made him happy was that so far they were following the path his younger brother had traveled before them. Akira found himself thanking the gods each and every mile they traversed that his brother's scent continued. At least that meant Link was alive…weeks and weeks ago, anyway.
Akira sighed again and lowered his gaze to watch his weary feet. He looked up when he felt a hand on his head and was surprised to see Kagekiyo looking down at him.
"What distresses you, young one?" he asked.
Akira swallowed and was annoyed to find that his cheeks heated so easily with only a simple question from the seme. The warmth he felt frustrated him, it's not as though the seme really cared about him, right?
Akira looked back down at the ground. "It is nothing," he said softly, but firmly and was surprised when the seme simply nodded and did not press the issue.
Soon after he turned his attention to the other two that were like him and Kagekiyo. Emba and Yuuen, he heard them called by the other men. With Kagekiyo's silent orders to stay by his side he did not get the chance to so much as speak to them, but he liked them. Yuuen was extremely beautiful, he thought. Hair so fair it was almost silvery, and eyes bluer than the skies before a storm. The other uke was thin and delicate, but also strong and fierce as Akira had witnessed when Yuuen chased down and killed a stag for their dinner a couple nights back with nothing more than a small bone blade. Akira could only imagine that Yuuen must also be an excellent fighter considering he and his mate were valued members of the infamous Black Brigade. Emba was a handsome seme; a seme Akira would have been more than happy to recognize with…that is before he met Kagekiyo. Emba was tall and broad-shouldered, strong and powerful. But his power seemed insignificant when compared to Lord Kagekiyo(6). However, Akira believed that if Emba were as old as Kagekiyo then it was very possible that his power might be able to rival Kagekiyo's.
He watched the pair as they trotted back to the marching army to report to their general. The man, Albel, called a halt for the night since the way ahead was too treacherous to maneuver in the dark. When the mated pair felt no one was looking they stole quick kisses and light, gentle touches that always seemed to make Yuuen blush beautifully. It made Akira smile and wish…wish that he had someone who made him feel that way all the time no matter how long they were together. He glanced at Kagekiyo. It wasn't like he was hoping to recognize with Kagekiyo. After all, with the appearance of Emba and Yuuen there must be others out there, but Kagekiyo was definitely a mate a uke would be proud to call their seme.
It wasn't long before camp was set and dinner was distributed. Akira nibbled at a piece of dry meat before tossing it aside. This was not food. It was a mockery of food. Kagekiyo watched him quietly for a moment from atop his sleeping furs. He was used to the way humans ate their food on the run. If it was just he and Akira they would transform and hunt fresh meat. But it seemed the uke had no experience with the tortured pieces of dry, hard meat. Kagekiyo thought the uke was looking thinner. He wasn't eating his fair share. Kagekiyo stood and began to transform. Shouts rang out from among Albel's men, but other than watching warily with their hands on the hilts of their swords, none of them panicked or moved against him. By the time Albel emerged at the front of the assembled crowd, Kagekiyo stood before them in his enormous black wolf form.
Albel chuckled suddenly and his men stared at him bewildered. Emba and Yuuen frowned. They did not understand what the lord was doing. They worried how the Black General was going to react. The fact that he was laughing was not any real indication. The wolf was massive. His shoulders loomed above Albel's head by several inches, his width was three times that of the thin general, yet he was laughing.
Finally, Albel smirked up into the wolf's face that was so close to his.
"I knew it," he said. "I knew there was something about you. I'm glad to find out I was right." The wolf seemed to smile at him before it turned and ran from the camp into the darkness beyond the few small fires they dared to build. Akira sat there in shock watching Kagekiyo long after he'd disappeared from his sight. Was the seme leaving him?
"I suppose you're just like him, eh?" Albel said, and Akira jumped nearly out of his skin. He hadn't noticed the general move let alone crouch directly in front of him. Akira swallowed and just stared at him in silence. He didn't know what this man would do to him if he found out he was a wolf. His da always told him humans would kill him if they ever found out. Albel didn't do anything to Kagekiyo, but the lord was so powerful this entire brigade would not have been able to stop him. But Akira was not as strong as the seme.
He jumped when he felt a thin arm slip around his shoulders and looked to find Yuuen sitting next to him. Emba stood just behind them.
"We are all like him," Yuuen said without any fear, looking his general in the eye.
Akira was surprised when all Albel did was smirk.
"I knew you two were too skilled to be human," he said. "You smell different."
Emba frowned at that statement, but did not say anything. However, nothing else needed to be said for Kagekiyo returned at that very moment with a giant saber tiger dangling by its neck from his teeth. Well, giant compared to the humans. The dead beast looked like a play thing in the wolf's mouth. Kagekiyo dropped his kill in front of Akira and began to transform again. The lord crouched naked behind the dead saber once his change was finished. Then he looked up at the uke and smiled. Akira was stunned. Kagekiyo brought him dinner. In a nutshell, that was what this was all about. He risked exposure as a wolf to this small army of men and brought him dinner.
Akira's breath escaped in a rush and he smiled ear to ear at the seme. Kagekiyo winked at him, then stood unashamed of his nudity and sat next to Akira on their furs. Akira raised a fur and wrapped it over the seme and almost squeaked when Kagekiyo pulled him close against his naked side. Yuuen smiled at him and Akira felt his cheeks flush. Emba made a silent inquiry of the lord and Kagekiyo nodded his assent.
"Just make sure this pup gets a large chunk of shoulder," Kagekiyo said squeezing Akira a little. "He's been starving himself." Emba nodded and began skinning the beast with quick ease. Yuuen spared Akira a quick look of sympathy before helping his mate with swift, nimble hands. Soon the beast was sliced up and cooking over the fires much to the delight of everyone in the fugitive group. Akira ate his large helping with eager hunger, aware that Kagekiyo watched him. Perhaps he was making sure that he ate it all, but for once Akira did not mind the seme's attention. He spoke with Yuuen and Emba while they ate. He learned of the Ancient pack which he'd carried a child-like curiosity about since he was a young pup at his dadda's knee before his bearer died. He always wanted to take his brother and go there some day; be with their own kind. So he could not help his need to know. The two only laughed at his insatiable curiosity and did their best to answer his questions.
When he asked why they would leave the pack and come to this continent, the mated couple grew quiet and their eyes were unbearably sad though they tried to hide it. To that, Emba would only say that they had lost favor with the Alpha Chief and had to leave. Akira did not press the issue though he had a million questions: like, what could these two have possibly done to lose favor? They were so kind and honest. But he could not stand the pained look in Yuuen's beautiful face and so quickly turned his line of questioning to lighter topics. Akira even began to like the human general, Albel. He was crude, extremely rude at times, and dangerous in words and deeds, but he could sense there was honor and honesty to be found in this man. That was evident in the way he treated his men and valued not only their skills and their lives, but each of them as individuals. He liked that. He still could not believe the humans had accepted them as wolves so easily. But then, there was something different about all these men, and especially their general. They seemed to welcome those who were different rather than fear them.
Afterward, Kagekiyo laid under the furs and held them open in invitation to Akira. The uke only hesitated a moment before climbing in with him, scooting so his back was pressed against the lord's chest. The lord was no longer naked, only a fool would sleep in Airyglyph wilderness without clothes, but Akira still blushed and chided himself. It wasn't as though he had not bathed and slept naked with the seme the entire time he'd been in Kagekiyo's rooms. Maybe it was because now there were other people around—people that kept sending him knowing looks and smirks. It was embarrassing. The men did the same to Emba and Yuuen, but they seemed immune to it.
Akira felt Kagekiyo's arm slip around his waist and the wolf's nose nuzzle into his hair just behind his ear.
Then, just as though he were saying 'good morning', he said, "I know about your brother."
Akira froze. He didn't know what to do. Was the seme angry? Would he hurt Link if they found him? Take him…prisoner? Yes, Akira was still a prisoner as far as he knew. He didn't think Kagekiyo would let him leave. All this time marching the seme never let Akira out of his sight. He was not tied to the man, but captive by him nonetheless.
"Do not worry, pup," Kagekiyo said and breathed in his scent again. "I know he is hurt. We will find him if we can."
Akira choked back a sudden sob that came from nowhere. He turned to face the lord and stared into his eyes to see if he could detect a hint of a lie in them. There was none. He began to shake, and before he knew it tears were sliding down his cheeks. Kagekiyo pulled him closer.
"This is what you worried over in my rooms when I was away," the seme murmured more as a confirmation to himself than looking for a response from Akira. Which was good because Akira didn't think he could have answered him. The release of built up torment and worry and fear for his younger brother was so startlingly overwhelming. He hadn't realized the weight his shoulders were bearing until Kagekiyo in a single moment, with a single promise, relieved him of it. Now all they had to do was catch up to Link; find him…find him alive.
Kagekiyo did nothing but hold him for warmth and for comfort until the uke fell to sleep. He brushed his fingers over the smooth skin of his cheek, noting that the pained worry lines no longer marred his pretty face. Then he followed him into needed rest.
Emba jerked awake with a start. Beside him Yuuen stirred and mumbled something in his sleep, something along the lines of, come back to bed, you idiot, you're letting in the cold. Emba smiled and shook his lover awake.
"What?" Yuuen blinked up at him.
Emba held a finger to his lips. Yuuen watched him, listening. Their ears twitched at the sound when it came again. A long, lowly howl in the distance. Yuuen sat up and looked back the way they came, to the southeast.
"More wolves?" he asked incredulously to Emba. His mate nodded and shrugged. Seemingly there were many exiled from the Ancient pack in Greeton.
The couple stood and moved to wake Albel and lord Kagekiyo. Then they moved to the sentry's on watch and told them to stand down, but be ready for anything. Within minutes nearly the entire camp was awake and waiting when the two wolves reached them over the rocky ground. One blonde and one black. They were both large, but the blonde was certainly larger than the sleeker, faster black. The wolves halted their dead run a hundred yards from the camp and changed. A murmur rose in the camp, but the men were still not afraid, only amused and respectfully amazed even though these strange, new beasts seemed to be far more common than they ever would have thought. Only Albel expressed what they were all feeling.
"Good hell," he said. "You're all sprouting out of the ground now, aren't you? Just how many of you are there?" However, his tone was good-natured and so Emba did not try to answer him. He didn't even know what was going on.
The wolves were dressed when they drew near the Black Brigade. Emba smirked. Not every welf mastered the transformation with their clothes intact. Usually they were ripped off with the sudden growth, but it was possible to meld the clothing with their skin when they transformed so that it became a part of them and was therefore changeable. He was certainly glad these two could do it because he knew one of them would have been very uncomfortable approaching a human army in nothing but his birthing suit.
"Shiki," he laughed out in greeting.
"Shiki," Yuuen echoed in disbelief. "Seifer?" The blonde grinned happily. "Seifer!" Yuuen darted out to them and nearly tackled his cousin in his haste to reach him(7). Seifer laughed as he lifted the young uke into the air and spun around in a circle before setting him on his feet.
"Gods, it's been ages," Seifer said and ruffled Yuuen's hair. "Emba." The blonde embraced his cousin's mate when he approached. Then the Yuuen turned on Shiki and gave him the same treatment, though the seme was a little more reserved. Then Shiki embraced the member of his uncle's sub-tribe. Emba was never a close friend, but there was nothing they wouldn't have done for the other—a pack was a family.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" Seifer demanded suddenly angry.
Yuuen flinched. He looked over his shoulder at his general, then to Kagekiyo and Akira. Shiki followed his gaze and his eyes locked on the beautiful green-haired uke whose scent had tortured him all day and night. He was thin, but strong and meek and sexy as hell. The only thing…the extremely powerful seme who stood at the uke's side. He almost growled at the other seme, and was surprised at his sudden rage of territorial protectiveness. That uke was his. They were not even recognized, but that uke needed to be his. The only consolation was that he did not smell the seme in the uke's scent, so he was unclaimed, unrecognized. Shiki smirked at the uke and noticed the beauty lean slightly closer to the other seme.
Excellent.
"Oh, Seifer," Yuuen spoke up and the remorse was obvious in his voice as he answered his cousin. "There is so much we need to tell you."
The sky all around them was dark with stormy clouds. The rain had been falling all day, a blessed relief from the scorching sun and the burn of salt water drying on their skin. However, that relief was quickly squashed as the seas became wilder beneath their pathetic raft.
Koumei Shoukatsuryou wiped the water from his silver eyes for the hundredth time as he looked into the slanting rain. The worst of the storm was quickly developing behind them to the north toward Greeton shores. He could not be more grateful that the eye of the storm had avoided them. His slightly changing of the winds may have helped, but he knew that if the storm had meant to rage directly on top of them there was nothing all his power could have done to stop it. He turned to the south and willed for the dark shadow of land to appear, but it was useless.
Even with his makeshift sail and his use of the wind—altering it to work in their favor—the journey had taken weeks. With no land in sight he knew it could be weeks still before this nightmare was over.
They were running out of time.
Koumei had been, until a few weeks ago, King Laures' most trusted advisor and sorcerous servant. But he should have seen this coming—should have known that ever since he(8) came along no one would be safe. He most certainly should not have been so confident in his position as to believe he was immune to his majesty's unpredictable wrath. But no, even now he knew it was not truly King Laures who had turned against him—it was him. That man was a constant shadow over the king and his throne now. Koumei tried to remember where he had come from, but his head ached when he tried for that memory. It was as if the man had just appeared one day, but at the same time Koumei's mind told him that he'd been there all along. It was baffling—and aggravating as hell.
Koumei set the small sail. King Laures of course did not give the pathetic planks of wood he called rafts any such rigging. But Koumei had always been particularly good with calling items to him using only his mind. When Laures sentenced him to exile he called rope, half sails and planking for a mast to him from surrounding ships in the harbor after they had drifted far enough away from sight. That was also how he had provided food and fresh water for them over the long weeks of exile on the rough seas.
He had also built a small tent shelter out of the remaining canvas for sleeping and relief from direct sunlight. He heard a small groan and looked worriedly to the flap opening. He cast a spell for a southern wind and the thick canvas cracked loudly as it pillowed out. The raft instantly began moving away from the storm. He knew they were moving swiftly but it felt, with the gigantic, roiling waves, that they were barely moving—even moving backwards at times. Satisfied that everything was in order he stooped down on his haunches and lifted the flap to look inside.
This was the reason he needed to reach land. Now. Curled up on his side, legs drawn up as far as they could be, lay his nearly four month pregnant mate. Laures no longer punished just the "guilty", but their mates, sometimes friends, and now even their children. Koumei was not guilty of the accusations thrown at him but Laures had believed them instantly and sentenced him to exile with a sickly amused smile on his lips. It was painful to leave his home. His sire and bearer had been killed, but to leave his beloved little brothers, his friends, the pack he loved... It ached so much more to know that his cherished mate had to suffer along with him. The separation would have been unbearable, but at least Rikuson and their unborn pup would have been safe. And then when Beele sailed to Greeton for the Hopeful festival Koumei would have come for him. But Laures then sent Rikuson into exile along with him, the intention being (he could only imagine), that they would both die before they ever reached land—or more specifically, that Rikuson would die giving birth and Koumei would be helpless to do anything but watch.
Koumei had been Laures' advisor and friend for over three centuries. The man he knew would have never passed such a despicable sentence nor done it with such amused sadism.
He crawled into the small shelter and knelt beside his mate. His slender fingers brushed the rich chocolate hair out of the uke's face. Rikuson was so young. Barely into his forties. Koumei had waited centuries for him. He couldn't bare it if anything tore them apart now. The weeks on the rough sea were hard on Rikuson, though he never complained, and the nearing birth only made his condition worse. Koumei had only been able to harvest precious little water from the sea and so both bearer and pup were suffering from dehydration among everything else. But thanks to the storm Koumei was able to collect several gallons worth in the large water skins he'd made out of the extra sails and magicked to be water proof.
Koumei pulled his personal water skin from his side and touched the tip to his mate's lightly chapped lips. Rikuson's chocolate brown eyes blinked wearily up at him, and when he smelled the presence of fresh water, he struggled to rise to drink. Koumei moved to support his slighter mate against him and let him drink to his heart's content. When he was finished he helped him lie back down.
Then Rikuson smiled up at him. The kind love in his eyes and his youthful charm was always disarming. Koumei knew he would never be impervious to that smile's effects. He smiled back at his uke and trailed his fingertips down the side of his face, and along his slender jaw line.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
Rikuson kept his smile in place. He felt drained, sick, and his aches and pains were slowly increasing becoming more and more difficult for him to hide. But he tried with all his strength. He knew his mate blamed himself for what happened even though there was no avoiding the king's disfavor these days and nothing could have been done to avoid this.
"I'm all right." He reached for his lover's wet hand and gave it a light squeeze.
Koumei returned the affection. Then he tied back the flaps so that the cool, salty breeze flooded the little shelter. The rain continued around them—lessening as they sailed further from the storm. Rikuson blinked and sighed, his chocolaty gaze falling on the horizon and the purple-gray skies rolling and thundering in the distance behind them. Koumei smiled. His lover looked so serene one would never guess the severity of their situation.
Koumei stripped of his soaked clothes and settled behind his mate. After a shiver from Rikuson he pulled his long discarded advisor's robes over his mate's lithe frame to keep him warm. His arm snaked around Rikuson's swollen belly and held him close.
After a while he felt a single, quick thump against the palm of his hand as if his son had known where it was resting and aimed for it to get his attention. Koumei rose up on his elbow to look down at his mate's belly and Rikuson chuckled softly at the look of amusement on his seme's face.
"Oh, I haven't forgotten you, little one," Koumei smiled, rubbing the soft belly in a gentle circle. In response to his sire's voice, the pup kicked again and Rikuson gasped.
"You always get him so riled up," Rikuson complained, his loving mirth evident in his tone. Koumei's response was a soft kiss to his mate's lips. Rikuson laughed into the kiss when their pup kicked again. Koumei leaned close to the swelled bundle.
"You can't stand it when our attention drifts from you, can you, dear one?" He laughed softly when the pup kicked again and kissed the soft flesh slowly, lovingly over and over until his pup quieted his restless movements. Then Koumei kissed a trailing path over the mound to his lover's chest. Past the tender nubs of his nipples, he suckled against his mate's throat gently teasing the mark he'd placed there when Rikuson became his.
His smaller mate hummed softly in contentment as he worked his mouth against Rikuson's throat. Rikuson relaxed into the sensations rippling in soothing waves through his body. It took his mind off the aching discomforts he'd come so acquainted with over the last weeks—reminded him of home, lying with Koumei in the tall grasses at the bottom of the hill by the lake near their home. Every evening since their recognition they would meet there and make love to the chorus of evening-time crickets and calm, lapping water. Rikuson's back nestled perfectly in a small groove in the earth at the hill's base, as if it were meant just for him, and Koumei loved him there. Relieving stress and worries from his seme lover was as easy as his willing and eager submission in the tall grass…always in the tall grass, where flowers perfumed the air around them and granted them small privacy while adding the thrill of vulnerability.
Gods, Rikuson missed those days. They seemed an eternity away. Everything started going badly when he found them. Though, Rikuson personally felt the man had been spying on them and did not simply stumble upon them accidentally, as he claimed. Just taking a walk, my ass, Rikuson thought. He thought it at the time, too.
Rikuson didn't like him at all. Always lurking in the shadows of the king's throne room, always watching Koumei and his every move when around Laures performing his duties. Was it really so farfetched to believe the man had also watched Koumei when he left the palace to return home in the evenings? Was it so hard to believe that he would stoop to following Koumei when he went to Rikuson by the lake near their home? Watched them make love night after night until he could not stand it any longer? But even as much as Rikuson disliked the man, none of it compared to how he hated the way the man would look at him. When he believed no one was looking those eyes would rake over every contour of Rikuson's body with lecherous intensity and much eviler thoughts.
Rikuson shuddered at the memories. Koumei mistook it for a reaction to his beautiful mouth and smiled against his sweetly abused mark.
Rikuson knew that man was the reason for Koumei's exile. He was behind a lot of what was wrong in the Ancient pack. He knew it. He just couldn't prove it. Anytime he tried to think about it too much or too often he got terrible headaches—headaches that made him forget what he was thinking before, made him lose his grasp on those important details he was trying to piece together. Koumei said it was the same for him. Something wasn't right about that.
He also could not forget that the morning of Koumei's exile was a little strange. When King Laures read Koumei's sentence, he had that cruel smirk on his face—the one that everyone in the pack now knew meant bad news. Then when he'd turned to look at Rikuson his features had become serious. He was calm, collected, and stern. For that moment he was the king they knew. The one they had followed without question for hundreds of years. When he decreed that Rikuson was to join his mate in exile, Rikuson could not help but notice the outrage written all over his expression.
That man had wanted him; lusted after him. Rikuson was certain of that, and the decision was obviously one he had not been privy to.
Given that, Rikuson could not help but believe Laures had meant to save him by sending him off with his mate. Rikuson was grateful for that at least. He would not survive without Koumei—certainly not when a certain despicable creature hungered for him and had gone so far as to design a way to catch him alone and vulnerable. At least there was a chance at survival if they could just reach the shores of Aquaria. If they couldn't, then at least they were together.
If Laures really did send him away against his new advisor's wishes, then maybe there was hope yet for their king and his pack.
"What are you thinking about?"
Rikuson blinked and realized his mate was looking down at him. He smiled.
"Nothing," he said.
"Nothing?" Koumei touched the center of his brow. "'Nothing' doesn't put these worry lines here."
Rikuson pulled him down for a kiss. "I was just missing some things," he said with a dreamy smile. "The lake, and tall grass…" A look of sorrow passed over Koumei's face.
"I am sorry, beloved(9)," Koumei whispered. "I've taken you from everything you loved."
Rikuson shook his head. "I miss them because they were good." He looked out to the south over the sea. "But there, things will be even better. I know they will." He turned back to his lover. "You did nothing wrong. He needed you out of the way to get to Laures…and I for one am not sorry to be away from his gaze."
At this, Koumei could not stop a low growling deep in his throat. He kissed his mate firmly, possessively before pulling him to him tightly.
"I would have killed him if he ever touched you," he said with a dark tenderness.
Rikuson shivered against him, melting in the carnal sensuality of being so avidly possessed and protected, dominated and loved.
"I know," Rikuson whispered with a calming kiss to his angered mate's frowning lips. The uke pulled his mate into his arms and held him. Resting his cheek against Koumei's soft hair, he said, "Beele is the only one who can do anything now. We have to find him."
Koumei nodded his head and closed his eyes. He was tired, and now that the storm was no longer a threat, he wanted to sleep. With his pup safely nestled between them he rubbed his thumb gently over the precious mound until sleep took him.
Squall turned over for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. He was two months, two weeks, and six days pregnant now. Tomorrow it would be two months, three weeks. He was counting every second now because there wasn't much else for him to do. He was showing quite largely now that he was more than half way through with his pregnancy, and the bump made it nearly impossible to sleep. He looked out the window of the Mink cabin watching the tired trees swaying in the wintry moonlight. Seifer had been gone a little over a month now, and that was about the time his trouble sleeping began.
He blamed it on the pup, and a lot of it was the pup—his constant aches and pains, his discomforts no matter what position he was in. But he knew a lot of it was due to Seifer's absence. He wanted the dumb ass back at his side more than ever. He'd hoped his mate would finish his mission quickly and be back by now. The fact that he wasn't—did that mean he and Shiki were in trouble?
He rubbed his rounded belly and sighed.
His skin twitched when a very large, soft hand slipped around his slender waist and soothed over his belly. He closed his eyes when he felt a soft kiss settle on the edge of his brow.
"You cannot sleep again?" the deep, voice of Iason Mink brushed against his ear.
Squall shook his head and rolled over onto his aching back to look the blonde seme in the eye.
He hadn't wanted to wake his cousin or his mate. He hated feeling so weak in front of them, but there was no one else to confide in. Lately, he found himself more and more drawn to the powerful blonde. Nothing he would be ashamed to tell his own mate about when he returned, just the intimacy of the pack that he hadn't let himself really enjoy since his recognition with Seifer. Though, truthfully, he'd never really felt comfortable in the pack's intimacy before Seifer, either.
"Are you hurting, pretty one?" Iason asked him. Squall nodded, his face pinched slightly with discomfort. His lower back ached so terribly. His hips felt out of place and hurt no matter what position he tried. Then, because his back and hips hurt, his thighs ached. Apparently his body was not taking to the natural widening of his pelvis very well.
At Iason's kind words the dam broke and two single tears slid down his pained face. He couldn't take this anymore. He wanted his mate.
Iason threw the furs away from his naked body and untangled himself from his still sleeping mate behind him. Crawling over Riki surely would have woken the uke, but his soft snores continued as the large blonde escaped the bed and came over to Squall's side. He brushed his fingers through the brunette's hair and kissed his forehead.
"I will be back," he promised softly.
Squall watched the seme disappear into the bedroom bath and close the door. Soon the sound of running water could be heard and he melted. A hot bath sounded wonderful. Why hadn't he thought of it before?
A few minutes later Iason returned and bent to pick of the pregnant uke. Squall couldn't stop the whimper that escaped past his lips at the movement though Iason was as careful as he could be. Resting his head against the seme's chest he closed his eyes and looked forward to the hot, soothing water.
Iason closed the bathroom door with his hip after he passed and went straight to the stone steps that led down into the steaming water. Squall was nude, like the large seme, like his cousin. Riki told him the first night that only 'naked asses' were allowed in their bed. That comment got Riki his first of many bruises. Squall couldn't help if he was violent when he was annoyed. He was wary at first of sleeping naked with other wolves that were not his mate, even if one of them was of blood relation. But his uncomfortable pregnancy helped him through that shyness rather quickly. Now he only put on clothes when he had to, which was usually only to go to his cave…where he would promptly take them off again. They were too itchy, too constricting against his now incredibly sensitive flesh.
Iason lowered him into the water and onto the low shelf that lined the bottom of the bath. Squall couldn't help but think how much the blonde seme sometimes reminded him of Seifer. They didn't look alike really, or act alike. It was in his touch. Sometimes Iason's hands felt like Seifer's hands. Sometimes his gentle murmurs in the middle of the night, asking if Squall was all right brought an ache to his heart.
He winced at a twinge in his lower back when Iason situated him on his knees on the shelf, facing the wall of the large tub, and he let out a low growl(10). Iason quickly pulled his hands away from the uke's submerged hips. Resting his arms on the floor that circled the tub, Squall dropped his face to his forearms.
"No," he sighed in apology for growling. "It's not you." Silently, he added, it's everything.
Iason's hands slowly returned to the pregnant uke's hips, rubbing and soothing the aching bones and flesh. Squall rested his heated cheek against the cold tile and let his eyes drift closed. Iason's hands under the heat of the water massaged and soothed his hurting hips. Their gentle firmness smoothed over his back, hips, butt, and thighs leaving warm, tingling comfort behind. Riki was absolutely a genius with his hands, Iason could testify to that. But the large seme wasn't too far behind in skill. Soon, a low purring-like sound vibrated softly in the contented uke's throat. Iason smiled with a knowing smirk as the uke began drifting to sleep.
Squall let his troubled mind ease, letting go of one worry after another just as Iason eased one ache or pain after the other. He let the gentle trickle of water as Iason moved behind him be his lullaby. He nearly wept each time a tight muscle gave in and went slack beneath Iason's strong fingers, taking with it weeks worth of pain, worry, and stress. Somewhere in his incoherent, tired relief he heard his cousin chuckle from the doorway. But he was so relaxed he couldn't bring himself to be annoyed and he fell asleep.
Iason smiled up at his naked lover leaning with his arms crossed against the door. Riki watched his sleeping cousin a moment longer before walking over and sitting next to him on the side of the tub. With a small hesitation at the temperature of the bath he let his feet dangle into the water.
"You put him to sleep," Riki said softly, his dark eyes watching his mate's hands knead his cousin's flesh. Iason smiled at him.
"I learned from the best," he said and Riki leaned over to kiss him.
Looking at Squall's sleeping face again Riki brushed the chocolate-colored hair out of his cousin's face with a gentle hand.
"He would never let me help him the way he lets you," he said softly, and Iason was surprised to see his mate's face pinched in what he could only think was regret, perhaps a little insecurity.
"If only you did not seek to aggravate him," Iason said gently with a light chuckle, trying to lighten Riki's mood.
Riki didn't say anything. Finally, Iason smoothed his palm over Squall's side in a gentle caress and pulled his hands away. Looking at his smaller lover, he asked, "Help me put him to bed?"
Minutes later found the couple lying on a soft furred blanket under the stars outside their home. Curled in each other's heated embrace they mated in the frozen chill of settling winter. With Squall sleeping in well-deserved and hard-earned peace, they did not wish to disturb him.
"Nnng," Riki, lying on his stomach, groaned beneath his larger, beautiful mate. He rubbed his cheek into the soft fur beneath him and concentrated on breathing deeply. Behind him Iason sat atop his thighs, holding them closed between his own knees. This was Iason's favorite position to take his uke, at least for the first time in their often long sessions of love-making. Though Riki was not fond of this position, for it made him tighter and caused him more pain, he never refused his seme this favored pleasure. At least he could take comfort in that Iason took great care in slicking a generous amount of salve over his massive manhood.
When he felt his lover slide past his cheeks he moaned again in anticipation of the pain to come. Iason was so large that he didn't think he could ever really become adapted to his mass.
Iason pressed against his tiny nub of an opening, stretching it gently. Riki groaned again, sucked in a sharp breath which ended in a small, soft whimper.
"You're so big," he muttered, pressing his brow into the fur. He felt Iason's hand massage over one ass cheek before slipping between and rubbing around his tight ring as it stretched beyond its limits to encircle the head. He moaned again.
Iason nuzzled into his neck, kissing the sensitive flesh and whispered into his ear. "I know, pet. And you're always so deliciously tight for me." Another kiss. Then a whispered, "I love you."
Riki could only moan in response.
Iason pushed further into his panting lover. When a pained, keening sound escaped Riki's lips Iason pulled his mate's hips up a little with one hand. Snaking the same hand around to Riki's wilting erection, he made a V with his fingers and slid them around either side of the base; feeling the dark musky curls running beneath his fingers as he rubbed. Riki hummed an approval and Iason could feel him hardening again.
Riki's silky muscles squeezed around Iason's cock, attempting to suck him deeper even as he pulled out to push back in.
Iason groaned and the sound reverberated deep in his chest as he buried his face in his mate's neck. Inhaling deeply he further aroused himself with the familiar and intoxicating scent of his mate. To him Riki smelled of campfires and lightly sweetened cream, the combination of which bewitched him, caused him to lose himself when he buried his senses in the forbidden pleasures that his mate embodied.
The large seme took it slowly at first for the sake of his beloved, and much smaller uke, but before long he could no longer reign in his desire. Riki was so deliciously tight. His inner walls gripped him and slid around him exquisitely.
"Oh, Riki," his voice husked in his mate's ear.
Riki groaned beneath him and his cock twitched between Iason's fingers at the sound of his seme's voice in pleasure.
"You take me, all of me, so beautifully," Iason continued as his mouth roamed and nibbled over the sensitive flesh directly behind his uke's ear. He smiled when Riki drew in a shuddering breath. Leaning over further, Iason captured those trembling lips in a deep, languid kiss. Sucking his lover's breath into him he savored the taste that addicted him.
"Nnngh, fuck," Riki mumbled against Iason's mouth when his lover struck the bundle of nerves that nearly always made him cum. "Iason," he gasped when it was struck again.
Iason smirked.
"You like that?" he asked with a knowing, wicked smile. Riki could only hum his submissive approval.
Iason nuzzled his nose into his mate's hair, inhaling deeply.
"I think I'll cum inside you tonight, pet," he said quietly.
Riki froze beneath him.
Iason slowed his movements, but didn't quite stop—awaiting his love's answer.
"I—But I thought you didn't want pups," Riki's hesitant whisper brushed over their fingers where they rested entwined near his face atop the fur blanket.
Riki waited in agonizing silence barely daring to breathe in fear that when he did he might miss the answer; that Iason would never feel this way again.
Iason pulled out of his lover carefully and rolled Riki over to face him.
"My feelings on the issue have…altered, yes," the large seme conceded. When he saw the emotions play across his uke's face, ranging from joy and relief to uncertainty and disbelief, he kissed the tremors away—felt his lover crumble and relax with the loving distraction.
"I see the way you look at Squall," Iason said looking his uke in the eye. "You are happy for him, but you are jealous of him." When Riki opened his mouth to argue, Iason continued, "You want what he has, I see it in your face more and more every day."
Iason brushed his lips against his mate's and breathed him in. When Riki parted his lips to accept his kiss, Iason's tongue dipped into the sweet, silky mouth with more than love, more than need. But with also perfect understanding, perfect completion, as when two parts of the same soul come together again after centuries of comfortless separation.
They knew each other's heart more than they knew their own.
"You were patient," Iason said. "You argued, but did not press because you were more willing to sacrifice your own desires to satisfy mine." He smiled down at his now speechless mate—a rare thing. "You are more mature than you let the others believe." He raised his hand to his uke's cheek.
"I would like to give you what you want," he said.
Riki stared at him a moment. Perhaps trying to decide if he'd heard wrong. Then his arms wrapped his seme in a tight embrace and he was kissing him strongly, roughly, deeply. Caught up in the reignited passion he spread his legs for his lover and hummed sharply when his mate reentered. Gods, he would never get used to his girth.
"Mmnh, Iason!" Riki panted. His mate's thickness gliding in and out of his bruising but willing sheath was becoming unbearable. He needed just a little—
"Aaaaah," Riki cried out his release when Iason's fingers stroked the tip of his erection; gently easing the strained organ into an explosive surrender. Hot, syrupy streams jetted out across Iason's stomach before falling back across his own heated flesh. The essence began drying quickly in the cold air and their skin became sticky as Iason continued to move deep within him.
Iason watched with a profound satisfaction as Riki collapsed with dreamy enervation beneath him. Looking into that shrouded, love-hazy gaze he became imprisoned by the enrapturing need to kiss his uke until all time in the world ran out. He kissed him until his own strong release seized him. He felt his uke's inner muscles milk his seed from him as if drawing it in, taking it eagerly to where it would serve it's miraculous purpose.
With his beloved mate warm and soft in his arms, it took some time before the frosty cold permeated the waning heat of their love. Riki shivered first and Iason grinned against his cheek.
"Perhaps we should return inside before we freeze," he suggested lazily. A slight tremor caused by the cold made his voice hitch.
"He—ell, yes," Riki shivered. Together they pulled up the fur blanket and returned to their bed. Careful not to wake the deeply sleeping uke, the couple tangled up in each other's embrace and drifted to sleep in the warmth of cozy blankets and soft furs.
Nishi woke to darkness inside the hut he and his mate shared. By the smell of the frosty air outside he guessed it must be the fifth hour of the morning—the slumbering sun would not start to wake for another hour or two.
He glanced down at the dark head resting on his chest just under his chin. Haji had been getting better for a while, stronger. Enough that he was able to continue to convince Nishi not to get the Healer and their chief involved. Also, Haji had even gained a little weight in the belly area over the last two weeks, which Haji contributed to lying in bed so much. Nishi couldn't help but wonder, though. Something else was going on. Two nights ago Haji's illness worsened again, so much that he could not get out of bed for anything. Beele, bless him, had not noticed the strange solitude of his younger brother because it was in Haji's nature to seclude himself. Then recently Sariel came down with a light fever. The chief now never left his mate's side for a minute. Both were terrified the illness might kill their weakly growing pup. Much of Seiji's time was devoted to Sariel's care, and Nishi nor anyone else could begrudge them that. Shuichi's general health was progressing slowly but well. Seiji's own mate, Ryo, and Ryuho were having no difficulties so far with their pregnancies. Only Squall seemed to be feeling discomforts as he continued to progress—Seifer's absence having an obvious negative effect on the uke.
Otherwise, everyone else's seasonal illnesses went to Tachibana, so Seiji could aid Sariel.
But now, Nishi was through placating his mate. Through pretending and hoping that Haji was right and everything would be well; that there was no need to bother Beele when their chief's mind was already worrying over so many other issues.
He kissed the top of his love's head and carefully pulled away from him. Haji stirred and looked up at him bleary eyed and confused as Nishi dressed.
"Where are you going?"
Nishi turned his head away to hide the wince at hearing his mate so weak. He didn't answer.
"Nishi." Haji struggled to sound stronger than he felt. Nishi reached for his heavy fur coat and put it on. "Nishi? What are you doing? Answer me," his mate said in a pleading whisper.
Now he looked at his mate.
"Something I should have done from the very beginning." Then he walked out into the morning disappearing beyond the darkness, ignoring his beloved's voice when he called to him so weakly. Haji might not forgive him, but could he forgive himself if something terrible was happening and they continued to ignore it?
The answer was irrefutably, no.
Sariel was having an unpleasant dream when he woke. One he's had more and more frequently ever since Seiji told him he was pregnant. They were all the same. How it happened was always different, sometimes natural, other times disturbingly creative, but the end was always the same…
…his pup died(11).
Without opening his eyes he rolled from his side onto his back and groaned.
Immediately he heard Beele ask, "What's wrong?"
Despite the dark mood the dream usually put him in an amused sound hummed past his lips.
"Well, for one," he said, his voice sleep-laden. "My legs are hurting. And two, your face is hovering two inches from my own." He felt his mate's breath on his lips when the seme chuckled, and he knew he was exactly right. Sariel opened his eyes and looked into Beele's handsome, worry-lined face. "You did not sleep at all, did you?" he asked softly, reaching up to brush his lover's long hair from his face.
Beele gave a non-committal grunt in answer before sitting up and moving down to uncover his mate's naked legs. Sariel shivered at the cold. Without more than a glance at the dark logs in the fireplace he gave the old, dead coals life with his magical energy. Soon their hut would warm for his lover to lie naked for his viewing pleasure in comfort.
Pulling one of Sariel's legs into his lap Beele smoothed his hands over the lean, muscled flesh before delving into the routine of helping his mate to stretch. Sariel relaxed into the furs trying not to help and let his mate do all the work as Seiji instructed. Sometimes it was difficult. Sometimes he just wanted to jump up and run around with the pack, dancing, hunting, anything. But the end result was more than worth any discomfort. He knew that. More than anyone, he knew that. Beele lifted his leg high and went into easy leg bends, then tucked his knee and moved it in small circles, first one way then the other. It helped to ease the painful ache in Sariel's hips. These types of exercises were all they could do. Seiji still thought it was too dangerous for Sariel to exert himself in anyway.
Beele watched his lover's frowns of discomfort and listened to his gasps of pain—it helped him to figure out where Sariel needed the most relief. Before long with the help of his skilled, massaging hands Sariel's face turned to a relieved smile, and his heart slowed as he timed his breathing to the relaxing stretches.
A soft hum escaped him and Beele smiled down at him as he changed sides to work on the other leg. Once it was soothed and Sariel's gentle moans elicited a reaction from him that was bittersweet, he laughed. Sariel sent him a questioning look.
"You make sounds like sex, when we do this," he said, enjoying how his blonde mate blushed. "Can you even fathom how much I desire you?" Beele lowered Sariel's leg and slid his palm up his lover's thigh toward his swollen belly.
Sariel pretended to think it over, then said, "About as much as I desire you?"
Beele chuckled. "I can only hope," he said. "I doubt very much that I was deserving of recognizing with you." Sariel closed his eyes in contentment, enjoying the feel of his seme's strong hands on his skin. Over the last couple weeks smooth, hard muscle had given way to a beautiful, soft mound of flesh wherein their weak and struggling pup rested warm and protected. There was no feeling better than this. Beele leaned down and kissed over his uke's bellybutton, smiling since the birth scar had started to poke out and he loved it—loved all of it. They were finally going to have a pup of their own—maybe their last and only chance, Seiji had told them. All this, and all Beele could think of was how truly amazing his mate was. He whispered as much as he kissed, licked, and suckled over the precious flesh. Nuzzling his nose into the body he loved and worshipped, he treasured the scent of his mate. The smell of a spring rain and sunshine on a cloudy day. Humans did not know that sunshine had a scent on any day—oh, but it did. It was warm, and sweet, and soothing. It was his mate.
There was the sound of approaching footsteps and then a soft knock on the doorframe.
"Enter," Beele called out and covered his beloved with a heavy fur. Walter, Hiei, and Tetsuya entered their hut and stood quietly waiting for their chief to acknowledge them. Beele fussed a little more over his mate, kissed his forehead, for which he received a patient but loving smile, then turned to face his pack brothers. The three men knelt down and turned their heads to the side in submission. When Beele told them to stand, they stood.
"We have come to report the first complete freeze of the season, Alpha Beele," Walter said after nodding and returning a smile to his alpha's lovely mate. "The crops have frozen and we will get nothing more from them until spring."
Beele nodded.
"Very well," he said. "You three are relieved of harvest duty. Let the lesson be learned and cause us(12) no more trouble with this. Know your place under me and within this pack and we will be at peace." The humbled wolves nodded. Satisfied Beele moved his hand to dismiss them when he heard another frantic knocking at his door. "Enter," he said.
He was surprised to find Nishi approach him nervously, but what worried him the most was the dark pain lining his brother-in-law's face.
Nishi knelt his submission, then looking up into his Beele's face, he begged, "There is something I must tell you, my alpha." Beele's brow furrowed and he nodded. "It's Haji," Nishi continued, then he lost it. Tears brightened his eyes and his kneeling form shook. "I think he's dying."
Endnotes:
1 Remember in one of the earlier chpts that Beele said there were humans who knew about what they are? Nel is one of them, so they don't worry about what they say around her.
2 I think the queen's name is Romeria Zin Emurille. It's been a long time.
3 I don't know if the Nox family were nobles in the game. I assume they were because of Albel's grand family estate in Kirlsa. Either way, for purposes of the story they are nobles.
4 Have any of you read the Coldfire trilogy by C.S. Friedman? The character Gerald Tarrent, who becomes the very symbol of fallen evil when he strikes a deal with an ancient evil to gain eternal life, so to speak, sets up certain rules for himself. The priest, Damien, comes to believe that Gerald did this in order to hold on to his humanity, or human soul in whatever small measure. It doesn't lessen the horrors of Gerald's evil acts, but it allows Damien to think that there may be some hope for the fallen man. Although this concept is not quite so deep and complex in my story, Kagekiyo has also created certain rules for himself in an attempt to keep the beast in him from completely overtaking him. It is possible for a wolf, without his pack, to lose his human side completely to the madness, and animal instinct of their wolf sides. It is a terrifying thought to all Welves to lose everything that makes them human. That is why exile was such a devastating punishment and so rarely used…that is, until now.
5 Again going back to carnal law. The largest and strongest male gets the female, blah, blah. Welves usually never have to worry about this, though because they have recognized mates. This carnal side only comes out when the welf has lost touch with his human side (let the wolf take over completely, which rarely happens), or in some other rare cases, if a seme loses hope of ever recognizing he might revert to the ways of the beast to acquire a mate. Emba fears that Kagekiyo may have become more wolf than man since he has no pack of his own or rules to follow.
6 In a wolf pack top females choose the strongest male to mate with. With welves it is hard sometimes to ignore the instincts of their wolf halves, and so the urge to find the strongest seme is there even though they might not recognize with the strongest. However, who they recognize with is believed to be the one they are most compatible with.
7 Though Albel and his men left earlier than Seifer and Shiki, the two as wolves traveled the entire distance in a single day and night because an army of men in the wilderness travel so much more slowly.
8 Don't wrack your brain over this mysterious "he"—you haven't met him yet. And I'm going to italicize it because I don't have his name yet/haven't decided who the perfect bad guy is.
9 Koumei calls Rikuson "Beloved" more than once in the anime, so there you go.
10 Squall growls on instinct. Just like injured wolves in the wild will growl ferociously to ward off potential danger (to cover up the fact that they are weak and now easy prey), Squall reacts to the sudden pain without thinking. Iason pulls away quickly because 1: he doesn't want to hurt the uke, and 2: there's nothing more dangerous than an angry, pregnant uke.
11 As disturbing and unpleasant as this is, many mothers have a dream like this at least once while pregnant.
12 By 'us' he means the entire pack.