Title: Fledgling
Author: HigherMagic
Pairing(s): Dean/Castiel
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~5,200
Warnings: vampires, blood drinking, violence
Summary: Dean has been a vampire for a year and a half now, and while Castiel likes the idea of Dean staying by his side forever, he has bigger plans for Dean. Unfortunately, that means weaning the fledgling off of his blood, and Dean is strangely resistant to the idea.
Notes: Also, guys, there has been a request for this group of stories (Not to the Wasted, Ocean Spray and this one) to be moved to a separate story, like I did for the Snapshots. If you have a vote yay or nay (or don't mind either way), leave a review or PM me to let me know! Thank you!
Although Castiel long ago gave up the need for sleep, he cannot deny there is a certain contentment one can find in lounging around on a bed, heart slowing, breaths coming longer and deeper. His companion's relative warmth is a pleasant sensation against his side, Dean's head nestled into his shoulder, and the fledgling's fingers are curled into a loose, relaxed fist against his chest. One of Castiel's hands is cradling Dean's, the other stroking through his Child's soft hair, nails catching against the nape of Dean's neck in a way he knows never fails to relax Dean.
It has been a year and a half since Castiel changed Dean, since he finally sank his teeth into his own wrist and allowed the poison in his blood to wreak havoc in Dean's body, transforming and changing him into one of Castiel's own. Granted, Dean has belonged to Castiel well before that, but even so, the instinctual, animal part of him that makes him more monster than human thrives off the knowledge that Dean has given himself so willingly over, body and mind, to Castiel's dominion.
Castiel shifts in place, pushing so that he is sitting up against the headboard of his large, luxurious bed, and allows his eyes to drift over his Child's body. Dean doesn't stir, used to resting for long periods of time while Castiel would shift or speak over him, as he still does when Dean perches at his feet in the Meetings. Instead, the fledgling sighs, eyes still closed though Castiel doubts he is asleep – he, like Castiel, no longer needs it – and nuzzles against Castiel's thigh, settling again, his hand dragging down from Castiel's chest, arm thrown across the Alpha vampire's lap instead.
Dean really is beautiful – Castiel had known he would be when he first saw the boy, aged two, with his mother – but Dean really has excelled under Castiel's tutelage and care. His body is still young, lightly muscled, a softness around his face and throughout him that puts strangers at ease. His smile, Castiel is sure, could charm the sun from the sky.
Castiel smiles to himself, thinking about that, and reaches down to resume stroking the side of Dean's face. Dean leans into it, still with his eyes closed, but Castiel can see the corner of his mouth quirking up in response.
"Dean."
The fledgling's eyes flare open at the name, the unspoken command written into his Alpha's voice, and he stares straight out, licking his lips.
"Look at me."
Dean obeys, turning onto his back, another swipe of his tongue wetting his mouth. He is distracting, almost unbearably so, and Castiel allows himself to fold, to place a kiss against Dean's lips, his second hand joining the first in cupping Dean's head to allow the motion. Dean meets him with eagerness, soft sound of want falling from him when Castiel withdraws, his pupils flaring wide.
He licks his lips again. "Alpha?"
Castiel smiles, motioning for Dean to sit up, which the fledgling obeys just as quickly as he had the first order, turning and sitting to face his Alpha. The sheets twist around his legs and middle, just barely conserving his modesty, as he crosses his legs and sits, eyes attentive and waiting.
The Alpha pauses, cocking his head to one side, appraising his newest and favored Child. "You have been in my care for many years, Dean," he begins, suddenly unsure of how to proceed – his plans for Dean are vast, unlimited, and he knows that this will be in both of their best interests. Dean is still addicted and heavily reliant on Castiel's blood, and while he would trade that feeling – of Dean needing, so desperately, crawling into Castiel's lap and wringing pleasure from his Alpha with his body until Castiel finally tilts his head, bares his throat, and lets Dean in, the breathless gasp and wet 'thank you' kissed into his skin – for absolutely nothing, he cannot be of use if he cannot go long periods of time without Castiel, cannot turn to humans for sustenance.
Dean's eyes are darkening, and he's pressing his lips together like he is trying to hold his tongue, but Castiel doesn't seem to notice. He reaches forward, two fingers trailing across Dean's jaw, watching his Child's face. "Your future is so bright to me. I know you will do great things."
Dean's jaw clenches, and he lowers his eyes from Castiel's. One of his hands is curling tight in the sheets, knuckles whiting out. But still, he is saying nothing.
It is then that Castiel notices; his brow furrows a little, surprised at his fledgling's response to Castiel's offer. He ducks his head down, fingers curling under Dean's chin to lift him to eye level. "What do you think, Dean?" he prompts, his eyes flashing in Thrall, in an attempt to compel Dean into giving him an honest answer. "Would you like to serve me in this way?"
Dean takes a deep breath, ducking his head down again, eyes squeezed tightly shut for a moment. His exhale shudders, and his other fist has mimicked its brother, fingers tight and pressed to his thigh. "I don't…understand," he says after a moment, like the answer is being punched out of him. He sounds upset and Castiel blinks, not understanding why. Dean's eyes – his beautiful, dangerous eyes – flash up to meet the Alpha's. "Have you tired of me?"
Castiel blinks again. "What?" he demands, almost angry for a moment. "No!" Dean laughs, then – a short, sharp sound that is forced and bitter, and he looks down again. "Dean." Castiel takes Dean's chin in hand again, forces their eyes to meet. "No."
"Then why are you casting me aside?" Dean demands in reply, his eyes brightening with more than just venom and power, now – those are tears, fear and sorrow and anger burning deep in Dean's eyes, and Dean bares his teeth at the Alpha. "Why are you sending me away?"
"I am doing no such thing," Castiel snaps, earning another bitter snort from Dean.
Castiel bares his teeth in answer, letting loose a snarl. It causes Dean to go still, shoulders tensed and drawn up to protect his neck. "Dean." Their eyes meet without prompting again. "This is not me freeing you, or sending you away. I am doing no such thing." He reaches out, then, pulling Dean close to him and forcing the fledgling to give up his position on the bed. Dean is caught in Castiel's Thrall, his Alpha's power turning his bones to lead, when Castiel presses him onto his back on the bed and leans over him. "You will go out, and keep my influence amongst my covens, and recruit new ones to our side, but you will always return, to me, and to my bed, whenever I summon you."
Dean swallows, reaching out to press his fingertips against Castiel's collarbone, palm splaying out along his still heart. "Alpha," he whispers, his voice shaking and unsure, and he swallows. "Please, Alpha, I'll do whatever you ask of me, just don't send me away."
Castiel smiles down at his favored Child, brushing some of Dean's hair back from his face, and leans down to kiss him again. He can feel Dean's urgency, thrumming through his body and out of him in a shaky exhale, and keeps himself slow, poised, controlled, letting his presence and his scent and the weight of his body calm Dean from his hysteria.
He can feel it the second Dean relaxes, allows himself to breathe out slowly, his muscles unlocking from underneath Castiel. The Alpha is quick to take advantage, leaning back and rolling Dean onto his stomach, only to flatten himself out over his fledgling again. Dean struggles briefly, stops when he feels Castiel's teeth at his neck, breathing hard and trying to twist to look at his Alpha out of the corner of his eye.
"It would please me if you would accept this task I am giving you," Castiel says, running his hands down Dean's flanks, fingers splayed out wide until he reaches Dean's hips, where the sheet still stubbornly clings, and he pulls it down, exposing Dean to his demanding touch. Dean's body, altered so by Castiel's blood and too finely-tuned to his Alpha to ignore it, begins to respond to the touch, and soon enough Castiel can feel and smell the satisfying slick of Dean's arousal, wet on his fingers and coating the air in a thick fog. Dean lets out a quiet sound, burying his face in the sheets and pillows when Castiel's fingers breach him, his body arching back against Castiel without his consent. "You do want to please me, don't you, Dean?"
The fledgling's response is lost in a moan, as Castiel braces his arm next to Dean's body, and uses his free hand to guide himself into the lesser vampire's slick, warm hole. Dean is still loose from earlier, his legs spreading once again now to make room for Castiel, his Alpha, whom he will never deny, and then Castiel's nails dig into Dean's throat, hand wrapping around the front of him and hauling his head up so that he cannot muffle his responses into Castiel's bed, no matter how much he wants to.
"Do you not want me, Dean?" Castiel hisses, nails pressing tight enough that Dean chokes and whines, arching to hilt himself against Castiel and allow his Alpha fully inside. The fledgling nods, breathless, voiceless, one of his hands desperately grasping Castiel's to relieve the pressure on his throat, and he hopes Castiel understands. "What is it, then? Have you outgrown my kindness, and wish to disobey?"
Dean frantically shakes his head, letting out a sound that is suspiciously like a sob when Castiel growls, rolling his hips to pull out of Dean, only to thrust in hard enough that the bed rattles. Dean whines, baring his teeth, struggling against the pressure at his throat, and reaches back with his free hand, finds Castiel's thigh, digs in and holds tight in an attempt to placate his Alpha.
"I like to think I have been very generous towards you, Dean." The Alpha vampires words are a low snarl against his fledgling's neck, now, the lesser vampire falling silent as he realizes that Castiel does not want a response – he wants submission, and acceptance, and Dean does his best to relax despite the too-human instinct to fight for breath. He tilts his head to one side, baring his throat for Castiel's teeth, and the Alpha vampire snarls in victory and opens his jaws wide, teeth sinking into Dean's neck. Dean's pulse is beating wildly in fear and lust, and his blood floods Castiel's mouth like it is eager to sate him.
Fucking Dean had not been about pleasure, this time, but about dominating the fledgling vampire. Castiel's orgasm comes quickly when he does not try and draw out sex for his mate's pleasure – his hips stutter to a halt, flesh pressed tight to Dean's as he comes, spilling inside of Dean even as he draws more and more of his mate's blood into his mouth, swallowing down eagerly like an animal at its mother's milk.
He lets Dean go with a gasp, Dean falling back onto the bed, head hanging down between his shoulders as he is, braced on his elbows and carrying Castiel's weight shakily. The Alpha vampire is breathing heavily, still hilted inside of Dean, before he pulls away roughly, grabbing Dean by his shoulder and flipping him around so that they can look each other in the eye.
Castiel's expression, Dean thinks, is so much like when they would look at each other during the Meetings, when Dean was human – so stern in the presence of his Children but so tender towards Dean, gentle even, but Dean flinches when Castiel reaches down, traces the rise of his cheekbone and the strong line of his jaw with his fingertips, before he leans down and kisses Dean, kisses him hard, passionately, desperately, like he has yearned for Dean for years and can finally touch him, and kiss him. Dean is shaking, weak from the bloodletting and hot with unsatisfied arousal, but he has denied himself before for Castiel and he can do it again.
"We will begin your training tomorrow," Castiel whispers against Dean's mouth, smearing the fresh blood from Dean's own neck against his mate's skin, one hand lightly knotted in Dean's hair to keep him from turning his head away. Dean sucks in a breath, swallowing hard, and says nothing in reply. "Never doubt my love for you, Dean. I will punish you if you do it again."
Dean swallows again, before he reaches forward and touches Castiel's chest, fingers splayed out, only his fingertips touching Castiel's pale skin. Then, he kisses those fingertips, and presses them against Castiel's neck, never taking his eyes from those of his Alpha.
Castiel smiles, crookedly, affectionate, and kisses Dean again.
"I…I don't think I can do this."
Dean looks sick – Castiel has been bloodletting him for three days now, hardly letting Dean have a mouthful of his own blood in return, and he must be thirsty. There are dark circles under his eyes, and his lips are chapped and pale, and his eyes – normally shining with power and danger and more beautiful to Castiel than all of God's green Earth – are shadowed and flat. For a brief moment, Castiel allows himself to feel sympathy for his favored Child, but he pushes the thought aside very quickly – he cannot show weakness, even to Dean, because Dean needs to learn if he is ever going to become independent.
Castiel rolls his eyes, taking another swig of beer. "It's simple, Dean," he says, stepping close to the other man, and he can hear Dean's pulse quicken in anticipation, the lesser vampire's eyes zeroed in on his neck, and Castiel reaches forward, digging the nail of one finger under Dean's chin to lift his head so their eyes meet. "Find someone you like, take them out back, and drink." He tilts his head to one side, brow furrowing for a moment. "Why do you hesitate? Surely there is someone here that strikes your fancy?"
Dean licks his lips, and he casts his eyes down, breaking away from Castiel's Thrall. "I don't want to, Alpha," he confesses, voice so low even Castiel has trouble hearing it – has to bend close with an eager ear to hear Dean. "I…I know what happens next. I feed from others, I get dirty, and you tire of me and cast me aside. I don't want to leave you, Alpha, I -." Dean stops, then, his emotions making it difficult for him to finish the sentence, and so instead of speaking he takes a long drink of his own beer and looks down at the floor.
Castiel sighs, turning away from Dean and resting his back against the bar, drumming his fingers against his previously occupied bar stool in thought.
Dean reaches out, grabbing hold of his arm. He looks so earnest, so young and for a second Castiel remembers that Dean actually is young, a child by both his and humans' standards. He has never known a life outside of Castiel. "Please, Alpha," he begs. "I have never disobeyed you my entire life – never questioned an order or hesitated when given one. Not once."
Castiel cocks his head to one side, sighing and running a hand through his hair. "Dean -."
"I don't want what happened to Gabriel to happen to me!" Dean hisses, standing now, beer forgotten in the face of his anger. Castiel has a moment to be startled at his Child's sudden outburst, before Dean is speaking again: "I know he used to be where I sat, by your feet, and sharing your bed, and then you did the same thing, and sent him away!"
Castiel growls. "Bite your tongue, boy."
It is an order, and Dean knows it. Fire and anger is brightening his eyes, bringing life back to him, but he still defers to the natural authority in Castiel's voice – the power his Alpha has over him will likely never waver, never diminish, and before Dean really realizes what he's doing, he's sitting back in his seat and Castiel is staring him down and his head is tilted just enough to bare his throat and he feels like an insect caught in a web.
"My relationship with Gabriel was a matter of mutual benefit – and, not that you have any right to know this, it was never close to the same intimacy that I have with you." Castiel sighs, shaking his head, and grabs Dean's chin again, tilting the lesser vampire towards his gaze. "I would have you with me, in my bed, by my side, every day from this one onward if I could. However, so would others, and I would be remiss if I did not take advantage of that."
Dean's eyes widened in horror, and he pushes himself to his feet again, ripping his body from Castiel's grip. "You want me to whore myself?" he hisses, still, blessedly, with a lowered voice so that the humans cannot hear them, and Castiel is proud, for a moment, that his Child still manages to remain so tactful, even riled up as he is.
"Give them your blood," he says, closing the distance between himself and Dean. "Give them your words and your pretty smiles and all the promises it takes." Castiel raises his hand, holding it between the two of them until Dean's eyes are drawn to it, and then he kisses his fingertips, and lays them against the smattering of thin white scars against Dean's neck. "But this," he hisses, pleasure sparking in his eyes as he watches Dean shiver, "will always be mine. This body – your body, your soul – is mine."
Dean tilts his head into the press of Castiel's thumb against his jaw, letting it run along his lips light enough to make him shiver again. Then, Castiel's fingers tighten, and he pulls Dean forward. "Now," he whispers, low and dark and Dean gasps. "Choose someone."
She has raven black hair and eyes the color of a cloudless summer sky, rings of maelstrom-ocean navy and grey marring the color towards the middle. Her skin is naturally tanned, slightly pales on her shoulders and around her neck and her lips are full and a little chapped. She is slightly smaller than Dean, but still tall, tall enough that she doesn't need to stand on her tip-toes to kiss at his mouth and her long fingers can easily find their way into his hair, and when she presses up against him just right she can feel his erection against her abdomen.
Dean doesn't care that she looks so much like his Alpha. He hopes Castiel notices.
She kisses like she's hungry for it, lipstick smearing against Dean's mouth as he takes her outside and presses her against the cold stone wall. Her dress has a circle cut into her back, so it's her bare skin against the bricks, but Dean is a gentleman and he cushions her there with a hand – though, truth be told, he's not sure his skin is much of an improvement.
She's breathing hard, arching her body against his, and Dean wraps her lovely long hair around his free hand and tilts her head to one side. She goes, gasping 'Easy, tiger' against his shoulder, long nails painted purple clawing at his back and he kisses at her neck, nostrils flaring wide.
Oh.
He can smell her. Can smell her arousal – different to Castiel's, less intense, less want-it-need-it-fuck-me-raw-Alpha and instead slower, sensual, wisp of smoke in his mouth and burn of whiskey in his throat. He wants it – drags his tongue along her neck, feels the fire of thirst clawing at him, inner animal barely reined in and he feels like he's pulsing with want. His teeth are aching to stretch from his gums, he can feel them, barely held back, and she moans – moans so sweetly, too, high-pitched and innocent sounding but she smells like a wild animal, a seductress, a temptress.
Dean.
Dean makes a soft sound against her throat, kissing her there again. His hands tighten. Cas.
Do it. Do it now.
His teeth slide free with a sickening sound, and his hand pulls at her hair harder, and he opens his jaws wide – just like it's his Alpha, even though it isn't, and she smells too different and her blood will taste so much blander and Cas will -.
He bites down, hears her scream, and instinct kicks in.
She's struggling, but she's no match for him, and he snarls and sinks his teeth in deeper, ripping at her skin as though he was tearing through paper, so easy – so Goddamn easy, and he can feel her blood rushing up to greet his tongue like an offering. Her hands are grabbing at his shoulders, nails digging in deep, feet kicking weakly against him but he is stronger, so much stronger than she is. His thirst blinds him, red tainting the backs of his eyelids, and he drinks – greedy, desperate – until she goes still under his hands and her screams have stopped, and she is barely breathing.
"Dean."
Through the haze, Dean almost doesn't recognize his Alpha's voice. He growls on instinct, sensing another creature nearing his kill, but the answering snarl he receives from Castiel is enough to melt him away. He lets the woman go, lets her drop to the floor, still bleeding, eyes sightless and staring out, and he steps away with a gasp, wiping his forearm against his mouth in a vain attempt to remove the stain of blood from his skin.
Castiel is smiling, and he kneels down next to the woman, gently cradling her head with one hand until it rests in his lap, and her eyes are staring at Dean, flat and dull and gunmetal grey now. Castiel presses his nail against the inside of his wrist, the sharp flare of new blood strong enough to make Dean's nostrils flare wide – the scent of his Alpha cutting through the sated feeling and warmth in his gut from her blood. Then, Castiel turns his wrist towards her open mouth, murmuring soothing non-words as he coaxes her to swallow with soft strokes down her throat, forcing her unresponsive body to take in his blood and begin the change.
Dean smiles bitterly when he realizes what Castiel is doing. "Have I chosen my own replacement?" he asks, and Castiel's eyes snap up to him, almost black with anger, but he doesn't speak until two more higher ranking fledglings melt out of the shadows and take the woman away, putting her in a van and undoubtedly driving back to Castiel's home, where she will be safe and cared for while her body changes.
"This is what you will be doing," Castiel says, pushing himself upright and advancing on Dean. The fledgling's mouth feels dry with a strange mix of fear and desire, and he backs away until he hits the cold wall and immediately tilts his head to one side in submission. "When you are out, without me, you will bring more people to our side – you are a call many will give their lives to answer." The light touch to his face startles Dean, as he was expecting a blow, and a shudder runs through him. "You're a natural, Dean – a born Alpha and leader."
Dean frowns, his teeth finally retracting into his gums as he bites his lower lip. "But…you are the Alpha. There's more than one?"
Castiel chuckles, shaking his head. For all that Dean has lived in and known this world, he still has so much to learn about it. "Any vampire that creates another is an Alpha, Dean – when you have your own children, your own fledglings, you will also become one, second only to me."
With a soft sound, Dean allows Castiel's fingers to direct his head, turning so that he is looking at the older vampire again and his throat is not bared so much. Castiel is standing so close, his touch chill against Dean's blood-warmed skin, and Dean wants to warm him, too.
"Will I be away long?" he asks, sounding small and young, his body tilting towards Castiel like gravity is pulling him there, his fingers curling through Castiel's hair at the nape of his neck, his breath soft against the Alpha's mouth. Castiel blinks, eyes dipping down briefly, and he leans in to kiss along Dean's jaw and neck instead of answering. "I don't want -."
With a sharp hiss, Castiel presses against Dean's chest, upper lip curling back just far enough that Dean can catch the subtle flash of Castiel's second set of teeth, before they are gone and the Alpha has regained his control. "What I want is to be obeyed, Dean, and not questioned by someone who has been alive long enough to barely be called a man, even by the standards of humans." Dean gasps, swallowing hard, when suddenly there is a hand at his throat – not pushing down too hard, not yet, but enough that is it a warning and his body instinctively struggles against the restraint. "You are a child, Dean, and you are my child, and you will obey me as my other Children do, am I clear?"
Dean swallows again, nodding, his hand coming up to wrap around Castiel's hand. It is a paltry move, he knows – would not do more to Castiel than if he were human, for Castiel is much stronger than he is – but he does it anyway, hoping that his touch will calm and soothe his Alpha as it has done so many times before.
"I will obey," he whispers, searching Castiel's face for any forgiveness, any mercy towards him. As soon as Castiel deflates with a nod of his head, letting Dean go, Dean ducks his head and presses his mouth against Castiel's neck. "I'm sorry, Alpha."
Castiel sighs, cradling the back of Dean's head with one gentle hand, the other resting against Dean's shoulder with his thumb running back and forth, over and over, against the scarred, exposed skin of Dean's neck, and he bends to press a kiss to Dean's hair. "Your loyalty makes you very special, Dean," he whispers, forgiveness in his voice. "And I am blessed to have such a loyal and beautiful Child as you are. You must understand, I would be remiss if I allowed your talents go to waste."
Dean's arms tighten around the Alpha vampire, his shoulders tensing. "Will you send for me often?" he asks, hopeful, almost begging for the answer to be 'Yes'.
Castiel chuckles, nodding, and kisses him again. "I promise. And no other." At that, Dean finally relaxes, his fingers digging into Castiel's clothes at his back desperately as he embraces his Alpha, and Castiel smiles, glad that he was able to finally tilt his Child to seeing things as they are, and now how his mind was choosing to see them. "Shall we go home, now, Dean? Unless you are still thirsty…"
Dean shakes his head. "No," he says, finally straightening and releasing Castiel. "I wanna go home."
"Good," Castiel replies, approving, smiling wide enough that Dean ducks his head sheepishly, smiling a little and wiping again at the blood staining his jaw. The sight of it makes Castiel proud, and hungry, and he wants to take this willful, fiery Child home and tear him apart. "You will continue this program with me until I feel you are in control enough to handle yourself without my presence and supervision." Dean nods, lips pressed together and eyes downcast in acceptance, but he doesn't look quite so tense and reserved about the idea, and that pleases Castiel. "But in the meantime, I promised punishment if you doubted my regard and affection for you, and I think tonight qualifies, does it not?"
Dean hesitates – only a second, a heartbeat too long and a step too far back before he continues to follow Castiel to their car – enough for Castiel to notice. The Alpha is smiling when he turns and holds his hand out to his fledgling, Dean's palm sliding into his, and pulls them close together against the cold, mist-damp flank of the car. The scent of Dean's arousal is already so strong and potent, curling around them like smoke, and hot and thick, and Castiel breathes it in deeply, savoring it while he can.
"I don't want to be punished for my love for you, Alpha," Dean whispers, voice a low growl, and Castiel's eyes rise to meet his. Dean's are dark, but there is a spark in them – something mischievous and taunting when the fledgling smiles wide, flashing teeth. "I'm going to run away from you."
It is a game that Castiel instantly recognizes – when Dean was first turned, and soon after discovered his increased speed and light footedness and silence, he would often try and sneak up on Castiel, or run away from the Alpha when Castiel would look for him, forcing him to chase, hunt, and – inevitably – catch him.
The Alpha raises an eyebrow, smile turning dangerous, and he instantly releases Dean. "By all means," he hisses, enough of a threat in his voice to make Dean shiver. "Run."
Dean flees fast enough that even Castiel has trouble following his movement, the echoes of his laugh still audible to the Alpha vampire's sensitive ears, and Castiel allows Dean a small – very small – head start, before he is tilting his head and scenting the air, eager to catch the potent scent of his mate and begin the chase.
He finds it quickly, Dean heading West, and smiles to himself. Dean in a good mood is always something of a treasure for him, knowing that his favored Child finds pleasure and joy in his presence and their way of life. And when Dean runs too fast and too far, relentlessly run down by the time Castiel finally catches him, his thighs will be soaked and he'll be too tired to do more than lay there and take it, and, well, Castiel can always find a certain pleasure in that as well.
Castiel's smile widens, and he takes off running.