Chapter Ten:
Temm realised what was happening only seconds before it occurred to the other fae.
"Cray!" she cried out, "the boys!"
Cray's eyes widened to near comical levels as comprehension dawned and, reacting on instinct, he threw his arms around Zane, whose eyes had begun to darken.
Zane snarled viciously at the older submissive. Not this one! His mind screamed, hysterical, this one has been claimed! Useless! He thrashed in Cray's tightening hold as a low whining growl came from a dominant to his right. This one was being held down by another sub. Taken! His mind howled in blatant confusion and fury as his nose sniffed the air and tried to follow the delicious scent of the unmarked sub.
Temm wrapped both arms and wings around her son, praising the forests when he snarled but remained limp in her arms. Logic warred with instinct in his bright yellow gaze and he glanced up at Temm in obvious betrayal. "Want!" his throat pleadingly rasped out. Temm only strengthened her grip, frightened eyes locking with Tyr as he tried to restrain a snapping, furious, pink-eyed dominant. "No!" Tyr growled harshly at his son, "There was previous claim! Be still!" Dara slumped bitterly just as Krik slumped dejectedly in the arms of his brother, Diomh.
The boys were dragged away from the faelings slowly, back towards the centre of the village. Temm sighed in relief as Harry's wings flared out behind him seconds before he took off into the forest, a snarling Draco not far behind.
A sharp cry made her whip around in horror as Nasta was flung to the side and an enraged Aaro followed the pair into the darker part of the forest.
"Oh, forests," Temm breathed, tears gathering quickly in her eyes, "they'll kill each other."
###
Run his mind breathed the word, pouring it over every thought in a molten shower. Run.
Don't stop, don't get caught, mustn't get caught, run, don't let them see you, not yet, run.
Harry snarled as the dominant's scent flared his nostrils, too close! He spread his wings wide, forcing his body forward with a burst of magic.
Not worthy! His tattered, jagged mind screeched in indignation. Don't deserve me! Not yet, not yet...
He almost stilled as he caught the scent of another dominant. This one was older... stronger... Patient...
The trees!
Harry screeched inhumanly and pulled away sharply as the second dominant dropped down from the tree tops, missing him.
He ran, his stride long, his chest tight and with a merciless sun against his back.
Not worthy!
Haven't caught me!
Neither of you! Not yours!
Harry thrilled silently in happiness, slowly minutely as the snarls and deep-throated growls of fighting dominants reached his ears from a distant.
Stupid!
His mind screamed the word in blind fury.
Me! You fight for me!
With a merciless beat of his wings, he took off once more, this time to the tree-tops. A triumphant smirk lit his eyes and lips as the snarls stilled and the forest was filled with the sounds of vicious breathing, predatory footsteps and a calculated silence.
Stupid dominants.
###
It was dark, pitch, but little had changed. His eyes poured over the forest, now draped in shadows of purple and black. He was still running.
He stopped, at times, in a tree hollow, a lake... hiding... breathing...
His wings now shivered with excited exhaustion.
He had seen them only once. Together, tracking, searching...
He snarled loosely and jumped over a raised tree root.
Together... tracking... searching...
Too close!
Too soon!
Run...
Harry clawed his way into a tree moments before a streak of silver danced through his vision.
"I know you're here, pretty one. I can smell you."
The voice was deep, guttural and laden with lust.
Harry's hackles raised and he bared his fangs in a silent snarl of rage.
Leave!
He screamed internally, wings flaring behind in agreement.
Too busy watching the silver one as he stalked the small clearing below, Harry missed the older one as he climbed the tree.
An unforgivable mistake.
Harry howled in outrage as strong arms wrapped around his middle, moulding his arms uselessly to his body. Harry's wings flared dangerously, jolts of magic making them glow spectacularly in the moonlight.
The dominant growled, ignoring the sharp shocks of magic forcing their way into his system. He plunged into the clearing with the silver dominant.
He looked far too smug.
The silver one threw a hand up, carelessly, forcing the surrounding trees to mould together into one solid mass and effectively cutting off Harry's one escape route.
He grinned at the wild submissive struggling desperately, viciously snarling and magically lashing out.
Beautiful...
He gripped the captive's midnight dark hair and forced his head up, neck straining as those emerald pools glared daggers at him.
The silver one's eyes locked with black orbs as the other dominant gave a low, warning growl. Draco hissed in response.
To share...
Why was he so strangely unwilling?
He needed both to be captured... his mind whispered logically. He deserves both as his own...
They would share.
He grinned swiftly and, with the speed of a striking snape, both dominants lunged forward , fangs sinking into the ivory neck of the captured submissive.
Harry keened loudly before sagging heavily in the arms.
Right...
Felt right...
Mine.
###
Mayca was inconsolable.
"My boy!" she cried as she tried, once more, to break through the arms holding her trapped.
"My child"
Temm whimpered in desperate pity, her own fingers still locked tightly around a shivering Asta.
Luca cradled Dara in her arms, pink eyes distraught as she looked pleadingly at Temm. "He'll be killed," she whispered horrified. "Temm, Draco had previous claim, he'll kill him."
Luca's wings drooped in evident depression at the outraged, mournful howl that seemed wrenched from Mayca's raw throat.
May watched her mate cradle their ashen-faced son as he quivered and wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach. She pulled the weeping healer into her embrace before looking at Temm with hard eyes. "She won't survive the death of her son, she's lost too much."
MAyca seemed to be receding back into her mind, only the occasional whimper signifying to Temm and the others that she was still there.
Mika growled from her post beside her mother and Zane, eyes flashing dangerously. "And who says Draco will win the little sub?" she asked in spiteful tones, "It could very well be my brother! He's older, stronger. He has more of a chance."
Temm regarded the young woman grimly. "Be that as it may, Mika, but should Draco perish, the school will need to be notified. The faeling's wizarding family will not take his demise lying down and we will have lost one of our own." Mika bowed her head in remorse.
Temm raised her steady gaze to glance at the gathered fae.
"Either way," she spoke gently, "be prepared. We will undoubtedly lose a faeling tonight."
The wind seemed to howl in mournful agreement before settling down heavily, as though, it too, could feel the sombre atmosphere.
###
"Aaro?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you mind telling me what the hell just happened?"
Aaro chuckled deeply at his mate's disgruntled tone. He raised dark eyes to Draco, to find the blonde had raised an enquiring eyebrow. "Yes, Aaro, please, share."
Draco's tone was silky and definitely deadly. Though his silver orbs seemed content as the trio lounged on the forest floor, his fangs were lengthening at an alarming rate.
Aaro sighed. "Draco, I told you you would have to catch a submissive. What, pray tell, did you think I meant by that?"
Draco growled lowly. "I had not realised I would have competition."
Aaro lowered his head in shame. "I apologize, Draco, you should not have had to fight for what was yours. I would not allow the others to restrain me." A moment passed and Aaro suddenly hissed in pain when a pale hand gently caressed what must have been a wound on his cheek. "I was not the only one harmed." Draco said softly.
Though a large part of him fought against it, Draco overlooked his spoiled nature and lowered his head to rest his forehead against Aaro's. The taller male breathed a sigh of relief at the gesture of acceptance.
Both males were suddenly pushed aside as Harry sat rigidly up, grumbling darkly. "As much as I adore this little scene of affection, somebody needs to explain now!" His voice was laden with sarcasm and he snarled at the two other men, green orbs malicious and dark in their suspicion and anger.
Draco shifted closer to the enraged submissive. His enraged submissive, his mind whispered helpfully and he grimaced internally. "Harry..."
Green fury was aimed solely at him and Draco gulped, rearing back. "I've no idea what happened." He stated swiftly.
"Coward!" Aaro muttered, earning himself a small snarl from the silver eyed faeling. "Harry," he said gently, "what occurred just now is usually termed the 'chase'. The dominant, or dominants, attracted by the scent of an unmated submissive, will give chase. It usually ends in multiple casualties and one victor. Draco and I had formed a rather close bond through friendship, thus making it easier for our instincts to accept a duel bond, rather than kill one another. It is purely instinctual, Harry, the people we are become buried."
Harry blinked slowly, the anger fading from his features as his face relaxed from its contorted snarl. His eyes flashed, "did you just call me submissive?"
Draco groaned in response and Harry rounded on him. "Don't you dare, Malfoy! You knew more of all this than I did and you still never told me! You're most definitely in trouble!" Draco spluttered indignantly, "I never knew you were a submissive!" he growled back hotly, "I assumed females! Perhaps, I had an instinctual inkling deep down and therefore an inclination to you, but I had no facts." Harry growled and Aaro stepped in swiftly, fearing for the safety of his mate. "It's the truth, Harry. Draco couldn't have known. Temm wished for him to discover his attraction to you on his own. We were hoping he would claim you before you matured, a kiss. The other dominants would have been less affected. I'm sorry Harry."
Harry's emerald eyes steadily returned to normal as he regarded the two males.
Mates... his mind whispered seductively.
Your mates... all yours...
Harry's nerves seemed to smoothen out, soothed by the thought and he sighed slowly. He watched Draco's anxious expression. The other faelings hair fell to his shoulders thickly, shining whitely. Mine. Draco's silver eyes seemed to respond to that thought. Yours, they promised.
Harry turned and regarded Aaro's calm, slender features, so alike and yet so different to Draco's own. His fair fell in twisting waves of melted silver to his back and black eyes gazed into Harry's own Yours.
Harry groaned in defeat and each dominant made their way towards him, arms embracing until he was warm between them.
"Aaro?" Harry whispered suddenly, still grudging even as his mind purred, satisfied.
"Hmm?" Aaro breathed.
"How come we're all men, but I'm a submissive while you and Draco are dominant?"
Aaro stilled suddenly, locking his gaze with Harry's questioning stare, before turning to Draco's curious one. A faint pink blush spread steadily across his nose and cheeks and he coughed, pushing himself up and dragging the other two with him. "That, faeling, is a question best discussed later, preferably with the other females and Cray."
Put-out, Harry frowned darkly, before swiping a hand across what had previously been an opening in the clearing, and taking off before the two dominants. Draco's gaze, however, became calculating. His eyes strayed to Harry's wings as the smaller boy raced off, presumably back to the village, before dropping to study the ground in concentration. Finally, his gaze rested on Aaro. The knowing little smirk which darkened his features sadistically made Aaro's cheeks darken further and he pushed his way past, into the forest, away from the gleeful, knowing cackles of his silver mate.