Damn.
Damn.
Damn it all to hell!
Mark leapt forward, slicing his sword at Mika's legs, an attack that the omega dodged easily but still alarmed him. Slaine circled around the back, a short sword gleaming in the light as he turned the flat of the blade against him, but Mika still managed to avoid it, despite the flash of silver arcing back at his chest.
These vampires were obviously more skilled than the commoners he had sparred with before, taught to capture targets rather than just kill them. Mika could tell that their blows were specially designed to disable him, the realization of their intent sending chills racing down his spine.
Damn them!
"Hmm, you're surprisingly fast for a thirst-ridden fledgling." Mark appeared before him again, one eyebrow arched as he looked him up and down. Mika let out a deep, rattling hiss, a sound that promised death to all that crossed him, but all it earned was a laugh. "Dear me, you are pissed, aren't you? No matter, you'll cool off once we manage to subdue you."
Subdue me-?
That sparked Mika's temper, hot outrage at the thought of being forced into submission running through him. He glared at Mark, eyes icy, and kicked Slaine into him when he came around for a second shot, making sure that the heel of his boot ground into his solar plexus as he threw him.
The flash of fear and pain in the vampire's dull red eyes wasn't enough to satiate him. Mika could still taste Krul's blood in the back of his throat, a reminder of his place in the vampire hierarchy that flared the budding progenitor in his mind awake, something dark and ancient and powerful burning with anger at the thought of being crossed by two lesser beings.
The betas managed to minimize the impact of their collision, but they looked shaken at the newly-awakened power behind Mika's blow, pupils thinning to slits as they scrambled back to their feet. The omega saw a chance open up as they turned, and took his shot before they could blink, the hilt of his sword slamming hard into Mark's shoulder as the vampire tried to disarm him.
The hiss of indignant pain was thrilling to him in ways that slightly horrified what bits of humanity he still had left. Mika fought to keep the rage from his face and settled back into his icy mask, disdainful hatred the only thing shining through in his eyes as he looked down at them.
How dareyou suggest that I submit to you? You are lesser beings than I, and I submit to no beta weakling, fools of the underground.
"Subdue me for what, exactly?" He was giving off the aura of a progenitor, and he knew it, the brief panic showing in the faces of his attackers reflecting the extent of his power back to them. They scrambled to get up, but Mika's speed far outpaced any beta, vampire or no; he was out of their reach before they could blink. "State the exact purpose for you wanting to capture me and maybe I'll take mercy and postpone your deaths."
Slaine lunged at him again. Mika dodged his blow (a mimicry of his own- why did these vampires know his fighting style?) and leapt into the air, watching keenly as he slid to a stop underneath him, obviously bewildered. He took advantage of the noble's foolishness as he landed, kicking his legs out to knock him off balance, his sword slashing the vampire's shoulderblade to pieces.
Slaine let out a high-pitched yelp of pain and retreated, the torn muscle and bone knitting itself back together excruciatingly slowly as ash billowed from the wound.
Mark eyed the damage done to Slaine with an alarmed look on his face, his left hand moving to rub at his own shoulder unconsciously. Mika settled into a crouch and held his sword out, watching as rivulets of blood slid down the blade.
The domineering rage was ebbing from his mind, settling down into a cool, calculative chill. As it withdrew, Mika could feel his omega instincts screaming in the backdrop of his consciousness, a nervous, fearful energy humming under his skin as he surveyed the situation.
There are two higher-ranking dynamics out to get you, and you have harmed them.
They will hurt you.
Run.
Mika grit his teeth, but stood his ground. Across from him, Mark was pulling something from a bag at his side, a canister and- was that a net?
"Ah, I apologize, but you see, we cannot disclose any information to our target." Mark grinned coldly, but Mika could see the fearful edge to his smile. "All you need to know is that you are wanted somewhere that we know you will not wish to approach."
That was a fucking net. Mika froze, instinctual fear clouding his mind. His omega was awake, and it was battling with the vampire within him, the desire to run battling the urge to force the bloodsuckers in front of him to acknowledge his rank.
You are an unmarked, unmated, unbonded omega. They will catch you. Run.
You are the progeny a progenitor. They submit to you.Make them fear you.
"That depends." Thank whatever entities above for Krul's lessons on indifference and his own natural aptitude for theatrics, because when he spoke, his voice was steady. "I have special permission from the queen to be out here. Do you dare challenge her orders? Or is your 'mission' worth evoking the wrath of the third progenitor?"
A quick, amused glance between the two vampires made Mika's stomach twist with fear and dread. Apprehension rose in his throat, the faint traces of Krul's blood mixed with his in his mouth no longer a reminder of his strength, but an evoker of something painfully bittersweet.
No.
"That depends." Mark's voice was openly mocking as he stepped forward, spreading the net between his hands. Slaine now held the container; Mika's eyes darted to it, but the lettering was faded and hard to read, and Mark's body language was slowly becoming more and more threatening, distracting him. "Our dear queen may not have as much power over us as you think, after all- are you really so naïve as to think she has absolute power? Vampires are fickle things, Mikaela. The sooner your realize that, the better."
Another step.
Sunlight caught one of the vampire's earrings, ruby and gold gleaming as he walked. Mika narrowed his eyes, sure that there was something familiar about it, but he couldn't remember what-
The overwhelming smell of an alpha in rut permeated the air, a strip of white cloth pressing over Mika's nose and mouth as Slaine dropped down on top of him. Mika let out a muffled shriek of anger, enraged by the sneak attack, but he was already shivering, the artificial pheromones sprayed into the fabric replacing his rage with fear and timid obedience.
-No!
"Excellent." Black-and-grey covered his vision as the net dropped over his head, forcing his head down. The submissive posture only exaggerated his predicament; now, with rut pheromones pressed over his nose and in his mouth and something pressing against his nape, Mika was barely able to move, his own instincts shutting down his motor skills in an attempt at self-preservation. Mark's hand descended on the back of his head and stroked down, applying more pressure to the scruff of his neck to ensure he wouldn't be able to get up. "You had us worried for a bit, you know. Ferid wasn't wrong when he said that you had a fiery personality. Of course, all omegas are the same in the end; push them down, cover their eyes, and they turn from a mess of false bravado to a meek little pup in seconds."
The enraged snarl in Mika's throat died at the beta's words, icy claws of dread tearing into his heart.
'Ferid wasn't wrong.'
Ferid.
Ferid was trying to get him.
The memory of Mark's earring surfaced again, and this time, Mika could remember why it looked so familiar; the last time he had seen it had been dangling from the ears of the seventh progenitor, a sun-guarding design that was unique to Ferid's house and faction alone. These goons weren't just any curious vampires, trying to take him for their own amusement; they were Ferid's property, which not only accounted for their arrogance and their dismissal of the queen, but also their knowledge of his fighting tactics as well as the fact that they had an omega neutralizer ready at hand, which had already been illegal before the fall of humanity.
Mika wriggled his mouth open slightly and clenched his teeth down into his gag. The heady wash of alpha scent hit his tongue, leaving him lightheaded, but he forced himself to taste it, even though the unfamiliarity of the scent made him choke. It was clear that this mix was clearly made to force an omega into a heat; the artificial oil was rich with dominance and lust, a perfect combination for triggering an unbonded omega into fertility and obedience. Mika could feel his own starved body trembling with the intensity of the pheromones, the omega in him trying its best to force him to keel over and submit at the recognition of a strong potential mate.
But there was no identifier in this mess of pheromones; no real alpha to promise his body relief. It was an empty scent, devoid of what was most important, and Mika could feel the tremors in his body shifting from submission to anger, disgust at the attempt to subdue him taking over his instincts.
Had there been Yuu's pheromones mixed into the neutralizer, he would have been a goner. Ferid had made a fatal mistake, giving his servants this false chemical scent; Mika would submit to no alpha as long as Yuu was in his life, and long after he was gone.
Filthy, disgusting vampires, blinded by their own arrogance and lust for power.
The angry snarl that ripped from Mika's throat startled Mark and Slaine off of him, the pressure on his neck disappearing at the sudden noise. Mika dropped onto his stomach and kicked his legs out, jerking the net away from his arms, and, with a slight sickening twist in his stomach, he unsheathed his claws, slashing them through the netting so that he could see again.
It had been the first time he'd bared his claws since he was a newly-turned vampire. Mika flexed his fingers, feeling ill at the sight of the sharp points gleaming at his fingertips, but he pushed it down in favor of turning to glare at the betas who had attacked him.
If they hadn't been scared before, they certainly were now. The blood from the Horseman had cracked and sloughed away, and now Mika's scent was thick in the air, rage and killing lust increasing the aggression in his snarling. He could feel the hairs at the nape of his neck bristling, his fangs bared past the gums, a juxtaposition of omega anger mixed with pure vampire hostility.
You may think that you have the advantage, but I know Ferid's game. If he wants me, then he will want Yuu, and I would rather diethan see him lay a hand on someone precious to me.
"I don't think you did your research, beta." Growling had deepened Mika's voice into something rivaling the snarl of an alpha. Both Mark and Slaine stepped back, pupils mere slits in the dull red of their iris, and Mika followed them, raising his sword as he did so. "Didn't you ever hear that an omega cornered can fight more viciously than any alpha? No, you probably haven't. You just think that we're all meek little bitches who will lay down and expose their bellies every time someone waves anything close to an alpha's scent near them."
Something changed in the noble's demeanor, a quick glance exchanged between them after Mika finished speaking, and, as one, they turned and bolted, obviously not willing to risk engaging him. Mika felt a thrill of satisfaction and irritation rush through them, and he bounded after them, skidding directly in front of them before they could escape.
He could scent their fear now, under that reek of the underworld. Mika's mouth opened slightly, tasting their terror and baring his fangs in one movement.
He never thought he would find so much pleasure in the harm of another, outside of the predator lurking within him.
He was wrong. These vampires were terrified of him, terrified of the pain he would afflict them with, and it wasdelicious.
"News flash," he said coolly, raising his sword. They didn't even have time to draw their weapons. How pathetic. "We're not. We submit only to those who are worthy of our time, and you aren't one of them."
Fast as a striking snake, his blade cleaved them in two. The billowing ash and fire stung his eyes and his nose as they disintegrated, but he basked in it, sated by their deaths.
Threat neutralized.
Mika picked pieces of net off of him and sheathed his claws, looking down at the pile of their clothes disdainfully. Their uniforms weren't even that nice; it was clear that they were dressed in a hodgepodge of Ferid's gifts rather than ones they had specially tailored for them by themselves, as was customary among the vampire soldiers.
The earring glittered in the grass, the smudges of ash left over from its deceased owner blemishing its cheery beauty. Mika contemplated it, biting his lip indecisively, then picked it up and slipped it into his pocket before turning and racing back to the squad's encampment.
After all, it was best to have evidence when trying to convince someone or explain something, and Mika had a feeling that he would have a hell of a lot of explaining to do once he got back. Yuu had never really liked it when he ran off on his own, after all.
.
.
.
Just as he had feared, Yuu was pissed at him.
Mika could hear him yelling two stories down, furious shouts of "Don't hold me back, dammit, I need to find him!" echoing in the silence. Now, standing just behind the door, it was worse; Yuu's screaming had delved into a full-on fight, if Narumi, Kimizuki, and Mitsuba's enraged yelling had anything to do with it.
Mika bit his lip, feeling guilty already, and opened the door.
It was like a bomb had gone off when he was away. The neat circle of sleeping bags had turned to a scattered mess of blankets and heaps of pillows, ringing around the squirming mess of bodies in the center of the room. Kimizuki, Narumi, and Mitsuba were all struggling to hold down a roaring and very angry Yuuichirou, the alpha's aggressive pheromones shot through with panicked, worried undertones. Yoichi was circling the fight anxiously, pleading for everyone to calm down, with no results.
Mika looked up and found Shinoa perched by the back wall, watching the fight impassively. She caught his dumbfounded expression and snickered, but the flat, blank look didn't lift from her eyes; she looked almost as if she was completely detached from what was happening, as if everybody else in the room didn't exist.
"Welcome back," she said teasingly, a hint of exhaustion present in her voice. "As you see, everything went to shit while you were out on your little walk."
Mika's opened his mouth to respond, but didn't get the chance; all the activity in the room stilled for a split second as the others registered his presence.
"Mika!" Yuu threw the others off of him, his scent shifting dramatically, and then Mika's arms were suddenly full of worried alpha, the force from Yuu's pounce knocking him back against the wall. The alpha nuzzled into his neck, scenting him deeply, then pulled back and pinned him down with a reproachful look on his face. "Where have you been?! Narumi said you went off on a walk, but I didn't believe him, and they wouldn't let me try to find you. Why didn't you wake me up so I could go with you?" Yuu looked him over, the anger in his eyes shifting to fear as he took in his appearance. "Wait, you're covered in blood and dirt! What the fuck happened to you?! Are you hurt?! Mika!"
The terror in Yuu's eyes took him aback. Mika stilled underneath him, breath catching in his throat, and then he reached his arm up and pulled Yuu's head to his chest as his instincts filled him with guilt.
You worried your alpha.
Soothe him. Comfort him. Take the pain from his eyes and replace it with love.
The soothing, sheepish purr rumbling in his chest relaxed Yuu immediately, his eyes sliding closed as he held Mika tighter. Mika nuzzled lightly against his scent glands and ran a hand through his hair, relief of his own rushing through him as Yuu's familiar citrine scent washed away the artificial taint still lingering on the back of his tongue.
This is how it should be.
"You idiot. Does this smell like vampire blood to you?" Mika's voice held the faint edge of a happy chirrup to it, and he bit his own tongue, cursing to himself. He would not act like a lovestruck omega, dammit, even if he was exactly that. "This blood isn't mine. I ran into some Horsemen of John, that's all."
Yuu let out a sigh of relief, pacified, but his eyes still held a hard edge to them. "Who am I to know what your blood smells like? I kill most vampires before I bleed 'em, and I have no wish to ever smell you bleeding. I see you covered in blood, and I worry."
He struggled to sit up, and Mika followed him, hand resting on the back of Yuu's neck to help pull himself up. Yuu barely flinched at his extra weight, which did funny things to Mika's stomach that he decided not to delve into at the moment.
"You shouldn't worry." Mika poked at Yuu's nose playfully, smiling as the alpha blinked and grumbled. "I can take care of myself. It's you that I worry about."
Yuu glowered at him and opened his mouth, clearly ready to interject, but then Narumi cut in, waving his hands with an uncomfortable glare on his face. Mika gave him a long, hard look, then saw the way that he and Yuu were still tangled together and smelled the way their scents mingled in the air and decided that Narumi probably had a right to be uncomfortable.
Actually, if he looked around the room, everyone looked uncomfortable. Mika took one glance at the way Mitsuba's eyes kept flickering from him to the floor, the way Yoichi was wriggling sheepishly where he stood, and the way Shinoa was very pointedly looking out the window, and promptly buried his face in Yuu's chest in embarrassment.
Dammit. I'm so obvious it's not even funny.
"-That's not dirt, it's ash," Narumi was saying, pointing at Mika's clothes. Mika peered up at him, then at Yuu, wincing when the alpha tensed against him. "Vampire ash, to be exact. Just who did you run into, Mikaela?"
The severity of the situation dropped back onto him like a load of bricks. Mika tensed, immediately serious, and struggled to his feet, ignoring Yuu's confused grunt as his momentum knocked him over.
"That's what I came back to tell you, actually." Mika cleared his throat, catching the eyes of the squad, then reached into his pocket and pulled out Ferid's earring, watching grimly as all of the squad (but Yuu's) eyes lit up in horrified recognition.
"I don't get it," Yuu grumbled. Mitsuba slapped her hand against her face, groaning loudly, but Yuu only scowled deeper. "It's just an earring. What's so important about it?"
Mika sighed and shoved the earring in Yuu's face, feeling a slight thrill of humor course through him at Yuu's startled squawk. "It's not just any earring, Yuu. Don't you remember which vampire wore an earring like this?"
Yuu squinted at it and scratched his head, frowning indecisively. "Don't tell me...wasn't it that noble guy? The one with the silver hair that grabbed you?" Yuu's eyes widened, and he drew himself up further, glowering at the earring as if he was going to try to fight it. "Oh, now I remember."
Mika rolled his eyes and tucked the earring away. "Yes, Yuu, it was 'that noble guy'. Very astute observation, thank you."
Yuu frowned at him sulkily. Mika pouted right back at him, then looked up when Kimizuki cleared his throat awkwardly.
"But what does it mean?" the alpha asked. Mika knew he was trying to hide it, but the worry in the alpha's eyes was as clear to him as day. "I remember fighting him in one of our previous battles. He was impossible for us to defeat, and he only retreated when he was tired of us...is he near here?"
"Close." Mika pulled Yuu to his feet and tilted his head at Kimizuki in acknowledgement of his guess. "This earring belonged to one of his lackeys. It's a common endowment among the nobles under his control, and this one was out to capture me specifically."
Yuu's snarl of hatred and fury rose in the air at Mika's words, something possessive permeating his scent. Mika stepped back instinctively and pressed against his side, his own calming pheromones responding to Yuu's enraged call.
"Calm down, I killed them." An unimpressed look over his shoulder changed the aggressive expression on Yuu's face into something sheepish. "They were weaker than me. I had a stronger progenitor, after all."
He turned back and looked out at the crowd, searching for Shinoa's gaze. Her eyes were on him as soon as she registered his presence, mouth pressed in a thin, worried line.
The flatness from before was gone. He still wasn't sure what had taken over her, but he had an idea, and he didn't like it.
"What this means," he said, addressing her directly. "Is that they are tracking us. I don't know what has happened in Sanguinem, but if Ferid is sending out hunters to capture us, then Krul's influence is weakening, and I hate to think of what happens if she loses power completely."
The look in Shinoa's eyes turned from worry to grim resolve. Mika stared her down, and she stared back, the implications behind his words ones that she understood, but didn't like.
Are you going to make your move, alpha?
"Well then, we can't have that." Shinoa pushed off the wall and stalked over to the rest of the group, a sly, tired smile gracing her face. Mika didn't have to look directly at her to know it was utterly fake. "We can't have any vampires on our tail, after all."
She looked around, spinning her demon key between her fingertips. Mika saw the resolve in her eyes and turned towards the door, dragging Yuu along with him before Shinoa could finish her sentence.
"We're no longer safe here. Time to go on the run again, folks!"
The tired, complaining sighs from behind him fell on deaf ears. Mika pulled Yuu to his side, ignoring the protesting whine in the alpha's throat, and raced out, already burning with the need to hide away somewhere no one else would find them.
Hopefully this time we can lose that bastard before he can try to take Yuu away from me again.
