This was a fun Chapter to write!
Renard's eyes shot open when he heard the man next to him gasp for air. The Grimm sat up, his body glazed with sweat and shaking from his ragged breaths. "Nick?" Renard asked tentatively, his voice raspy from lack of use.
Nick rubbed his face, trying to wipe those horrid images from his mind. But he couldn't. Every time he blinked, that woman's bloodied, beaten body lying on the ground. Then, out of nowhere, he heard someone call his name. He figured it was Renard, so he answered, "Yeah, Sean?"
But, at the same time Renard asked if he was alright, another voice said his name once more. "Nick."
A sudden movement made him turn towards the door. Standing there, clear as day, was that woman from his dreams. The moment he looked into her eyes he felt it. The compulsion. He had to follow her. He needed to know what happened to her. As if in a trance, he stood and followed the woman towards and out the door.
Meanwhile, Renard was calling for his Mate, but the man either wasn't listening to him or couldn't hear him. He feared it was the latter. Either way, he had to follow Nick. Wherever he was going he knew he couldn't let Nick go in alone.
An absurd thought crossed his mind. It was the memory of his mother's story. Only those who are led by the Witch can find the grave. With that in mind, he got out of bed and followed Nick outside of the safe house and into the Black Forest, hoping nothing bad happened to them while they were out.
With Nick's luck, however, they would probably die out there.
They walked for almost an hour before Nick stopped. He turned to back to Renard, a worried expression on his face as he stared at him. "Nick?" He called again.
But the Grimm wasn't listening. His eyes began to follow something Renard couldn't see. "Who did this to you?" Nick asked.
Renard thought he was talking to him. Confused by the question, he asked, "Nick, what are you talking about? No one did anything to me."
But again Nick wasn't listening. "You're the Hexenbiest, aren't you? You're the Hexenbiest from the story, right? You came to me because you saw that I knew the story." Renard watched as Nick's brow furrowed. "How did you know that?" A pause, and Nick laughed. "That guy was Philipp? He's got quite the beard, doesn't he?"
Renard snorted indignantly. Only Nick could have a conversation with a ghost and laugh about his ancestor's beard with said ghost.
Nick's pose tensed. "No. He can stay. I don't care if you don't trust him, but I do." Another pause, and Nick really looked at him for the first time that night. "Yeah, I do. With everything that I am."
Renard suddenly really wanted to hear the other side of the conversation.
When Nick's face turned bright red, Renard was silently begging to hear what was being said. "Y-yeah… We do… But that doesn't matter. The point is I want him to hear this. I want him to know firsthand. He's my Mate. He deserves to know."
Nick glared at whoever he was speaking to. "Yes, I know he's a Royal, but what happened between Philipp and the Royals happened a long time ago." A pause, and Nick's expression grew more frustrated. "I know how the Royals are today, but you have to trust me. Sean isn't like that. He's different. He's… Well, he's Sean. If you knew him, you'd understand." Nick smiled at his feet at that. His head turned back to the mystery ghost and he said, "If you're really so against him hearing this, I'll ask him to leave, but I'll just tell him everything as soon as I get back." Nick said honestly.
A final pause and Nick smiled triumphantly. "He won't. I promise. Thank you so much."
Suddenly, a blinding light flashed and in front of the Royal and the Grimm stood a woman that Renard recognized from old paintings in his father's home.
"You're Philipp Grimm's wife." Renard said in astonishment. Suddenly, pieces of his mother's tale started to fit in with history. The spell that was cast in the aftermath of the war was "The Veil." After the war was finished, Renard knew of stories about Philipp Grimm, but nothing more was said about his wife. "You were killed in the war, weren't you?"
She nodded. "Your story was a little off," she explained. "The Veil wasn't cast over my wedding veil. It was cast over my grave. I also wasn't killed by a human. I was killed by the wesen King, your ancestor."
"Is that where we are, then? Your grave?" Renard asked.
Nick nodded. "She led me here."
"Why?" Renard asked.
"Simple," she began as she walked around them. "I want him to release the Veil."
Nick blinked. "I can't!" He said frantically.
"Why not?" She said angrily. "I've been stuck here for over a thousand years! I want to move on!"
Nick looked away. "Humans aren't as accepting of things as they used to be. They won't be very receptive to being able to see wesen. Hell, I'm I Grimm and I wasn't ready."
"Not my problem." She said simply.
Nick glared menacingly. "Not your problem? Your husband did this to save humanity and wesen alike and all you can say is 'not my problem?' How inconsiderate can you be?!"
"Inconsiderate?!" She laughed. "How would you feel if you were stuck on Earth for over a thousand years without a bit of human interaction? You know, that's not even my problem! My problem is that I was going to have eternity with my Mate and that was taken from me by an unfortunate side effect of his spell! So forgive me for not really caring about humanity and wesen alike!"
The Grimm was silent for a long moment, considering this. "I would do it if I had to. It wouldn't be about me in that case."
She snorted. "I can truly tell you are a descendant of my husband, what with that self-sacrificing attitude of yours. Well, Grimm. Hexenbiests are very different. You should know that we are selfish by nature. In fact, you should definitely know that, considering you have a half-Zauberbiest as a Mate."
Nick chuckled. "I do know that."
Renard just glared.
The Grimm's expression changed. "What can I do to keep the Veil in place but still allow you to move on?" He asked. "If it's attached to your grave, can't I move the attachment?"
She nodded. "You catch on quickly, but that kind of magick takes a lot of power and an object that can take it. It can't just be something you pick off the ground."
Nick nodded and Renard could see the gears turning in his head. "I've got both of those covered."
She nodded. "Then return when you are prepared. Come at night. It will better hide your activities."
"Are you sure you'll be alright alone again?" Nick asked.
"I've been here for a long time. A few more nights won't hurt me."
Nick nodded. "Okay. Thanks, by the way, for trusting Sean."
She turned to the Royal. "I don't trust Royals, but I do trust the Grimms. Now go. It's almost daylight."
At that, she disappeared and Renard was left staring at Nick in astonishment. "Seriously?" He said. "You attracted the dead ghost of Philipp Grimm's wife?"
Nick smiled sheepishly. "Technically this was your fault. You're the one who told me the story."
They began to walk back to the safe house in silence. Renard was the first to break it. "So, you want to tell me what she said that got you flustered like that?"
Nick blushed. "No."
Renard smirked. "Now I'm curious."
A voice echoed around them, and Renard knew he must've won the silent approval of Grimm's wife. "He was embarrassed by admitting to hot sex with you. He also said he loves you with everything he is."
Nick's eyes widened, telling Renard he heard it too. Once outside the forest the Royal pushed Nick against wall of the safe house and attacked his lips. "Sean!" He cried out when the larger man's fangs reopened the scarred mark on his smaller Mate's neck by biting down.
Renard looked up into Nick's eyes, who was watching him with lust and curiosity. Nick watched as his blood dripped from Renard's lips, making him look the part of the predator. The Grimm pressed his lips to the blood-covered ones of his Mate, tasting to coppery liquid as he did so. Pulling away for just a moment, Renard got a good look at Nick once more. His neck was bleeding from the bite and his lips were covered in his own blood. It was a purely erotic site for the Royal and Nick knew it. The Grimm had to know because the larger man was practically dragging him back into the forest before he slammed him up against the nearest tree and claimed his lips once more.
It didn't take long before their clothes were on the ground, long forgotten. While Renard stripped him, he briefly realized he had stood in front of the ghost of his ancestor's wife in nothing but Renard's large dress shirt and his boxer briefs, but when his Mate gripped his cock in his large hand, he forgot all about the complaint.
Nick would have been cold as well, but Renard's large, warm body encased him in a fiery heat of both physical temperature and heighted passion.
The Royal stroked the Grimm's hard cock in slow, measured strokes. It was enough to have Nick gasping against his lips and trembling in his arms, but not enough to get him off. When Renard moved to lick at the blood still dripping from the reopened mark, Nick begged, "Please, Sean. I… I need…" He moaned loudly when Renard's thumb dipped into the slit of his leaking member.
Renard's voice was startlingly firm, keeping Nick grounded while he raced towards his high. "What do you need, Nick? Tell me what you want." Renard could make anything sound like an order.
"I-I need y-you."
Renard smirked, knowing what he needed as he could sense it through the Bond, but wanted Nick to say it. "What do you need me to do?"
Even through his dilated, lust-filled gaze Nick glared. "I'm not going to"-
Whatever Nick was going to say was cut off when he cried out. Renard had recently found a sensitive spot just behind his ear and now he was using it to his advantage. The strokes against his cock were making it significantly more difficult to stick with his decision to not beg for Renard.
Of course, his firm resolution went out the window when Renard used his other hand to tease at his entrance. "Fuck!" Nick cried out, his voice higher as he gasped out the word. "Sean, please. I need you. I need you inside me. Please."
Nick felt Renard smirk against his neck as well as the feeling of triumph washing over him through the Bond, but he didn't care. He needed this man and he would take whatever he was willing to give. If that meant he had to plead a little for it then so be it.
He was rewarded when a slick finger breached him. He wondered for a moment when Renard had slicked his fingers, but the merciless movements of his digit inside of him moved that thought to the back and eventually out of his mind.
It didn't take long to prepare him. Three months of daily sex meant Nick could handle more. "Sean, I'm good." He said shakily.
Renard kissed him on the lips before pulling three fingers out of Nick's tight hole, showing he understood. The Royal pulled Nick to the forest floor, knowing that if he pressed Nick against the tree the Grimm would have scratches from the uneven bark.
Nick, in a bold move, flipped them over so Renard was on his back. The Royal growled loudly, not liking the change in position, but before he could return their positions the Grimm was lowering himself onto his cock until he was buried to the hilt inside of him.
They had never been in this position before, but Renard quickly discovered he liked it. He could watch his Mate's expression more closely like this. He saw Nick's face contort with mixed pleasure and pain. Renard had learned of Nick's desire for pain and the sadistic Royal howled in anticipated pleasure at the discovery. The masochist above him started to move almost as soon as he was fully penetrated. Renard watched his expression change drastically in mere moments. He now had this look of ecstasy which was more pronounced with each moan, cry, and gasp. The Grimm had closed his eyes, but the moment he opened them, Renard pulled his Mate down to meet his lips.
The minor shift in position caused Nick to cry a curse and Renard's name, the Royal catching it against his lips. "Fuck, Sean!"
The Royal growled, loving when his Mate screamed out his name. As Nick bounced above him, Renard would meet his downward motion with an upward thrust of his own. Nick screamed when his prostate was grazed, wanting, needing more from the man beneath him. Nick's gaze travelled to his Mate's, seeing the green bleeding into them as well as a swirl of emotions. Lust, desire, and need were prominent, but another emotion Nick couldn't quite place was there as well. He'd never seen someone look at him like that before so he didn't have anything to compare it to. He found it didn't make him uncomfortable. In fact, it drove him closer to the edge.
As they moved together, their emotions flowed back and forth over the Bond, sending shivers down their spines and forcing cries from their mouths. The Bond had significantly intensified sex for them both. Since they could feel what the other was feeling, physical pleasure was heightened as well as the building emotions they had for each other.
Suddenly, the Royal gripped Nick's hips tightly, forcing him to stop his movements. Nick whimpered from the loss of movement, needing to release, but Renard wouldn't let him move. The Grimm had to realize who was in control here. Nick pleaded silently with his eyes to let him move, but the Royal growled, waiting for the smaller man to realize what he was doing. As soon as Nick understood, the Bond helping significantly, he put his hands behind his back and bared his throat. The Royal growled, accepting the submission and grasped his Mate's hands, not allowing him to use them to move his body. Renard used his free hand to hold his hips in place while he thrust into the man above him at a fast pace. "Oh, God, Sean!" Nick cried.
The Royal kept moving in and out of Nick until the man was beyond words. As he moved, the Royal took time in admiring the view. His Mate had his own blood dried across his chest from the bite in his neck. He was covered in a sheen of sweat from head to toe. His eyes were dilated, the silver of the Grimm only a thin ring around the black pupils. He could smell the blood of his Mate rising to the surface of his skin from where he was gripping his wrists and hip hard enough to bruise.
He felt Nick started to tighten around him, so he quickened his pace even more until he sent him over the edge with a final cry of his name. "Sean!"
The clenching and unclenching of his Mate's inner walls, the blissful look on his Mate's face, the way he felt as shown through the Bond, and the smell and sight of his Mate's powerful release on his taut stomach had him thrusting in for a small time afterward before he finally came.
Nick's body was shaking as he leaned down to rest himself into the crook of Renard's shoulder. Whether he was cold or still coming down from his post-orgasm high, the Royal wasn't completely certain. More than likely it was both.
Renard lifted Nick's hips for moment to pull himself out, causing Nick to moan quietly before lowing Nick back down to rest on his body. He pressed a light kiss to the crown of Nick's head before allowing himself to personally enjoy this moment. His Mate was sprawled on his chest looking thoroughly ravished. Their mingled scents created a calming scent that he could have fallen asleep to if they weren't outside where potential threats could harm his Grimm.
It was strange to him sometimes, having a Grimm as a Mate. A Grimm's instincts usually didn't allow for trust on this level. Though Nick probably hadn't considered it, Renard suspected that was why he was a virgin. Well, before he met me. Renard smirked inwardly. He was lucky to have Nick as a Mate. He couldn't imagine anyone else in his position.
"What're you thinking about?" Nick asked. "And don't say 'nothing' because I can feel your smugness through the Bond."
Renard chuckled. "I'm just laying here wondering how I managed to get you as a Mate. I must have either done something very right or very wrong in a previous life, depending on how you look at it."
Nick glared at Renard as he sat up, not removing himself from atop the man's larger body. "Yeah, yeah. Go ahead. Be a jackass. See if you get sex for a week."
"I'm going to call your bluff and say that you'd never be able to hold out that long." Renard challenged.
"Oh?" Nick raised an eyebrow. They stared at each other before Nick caved. "Okay," he said sheepishly. "You're probably right."
Renard smirked. "I usually am."
They snuck back to their room, hoping no one would hear that they were awake or see their state of undress. They also wanted to have a little more time to themselves before they had to talk business.
Nick was lying on his stomach, laughing at something Renard had said while the Royal had his back against the headboard. They were clothed to a point; Renard had broken the buttons on the shirt Nick was wearing and completely destroyed his boxer briefs, so Nick was completely naked under the silk sheets. Renard was wearing his sleep pants, the only pair of clothing that wasn't destroyed in their encounter.
They were simply lying in bed together, just enjoying each other's company when Nick had to say something. "Hey, Sean?"
"Yeah, Nick?"
Nick's face started to heat up which piqued Renard's curiosity. "Your face only gets that red when it's about sex. Tell me what it is so I can reassure you that you did nothing wrong." Renard smirked devilishly, then, "Unless you want to try something different?"
Nick's face went a darker shade of red, but Renard sensed he was not opposed to what he had in mind, but Nick continued with what he had to ask. "You're not usually the exhibitionist type, so what was that outside earlier?"
Renard tensed a bit. It was a bit embarrassing on his part. "I couldn't wait."
"Wait for what?" Nick asked, his head tilting in curiosity.
Nick, you are either naïve or dense. I'm not certain of which one. "The comment the Hexenbiest made about what you said kind of drove me to it." Renard admitted reluctantly.
"Was it the hot sex comment? Because I can completely understand why you'd jump me over that. We do have hot sex." Nick laughed. When Renard shook his head, Nick asked, "Then which comment was it? The only other thing she really mentioned to you was when I told her that I loved…" He trailed off. "Oh, I get it." His face was burning at the admission.
Renard smiled softly, hoping he could say what he needed to say just right. This was all new to him; he'd never felt this way about anyone in the almost three centuries that he's been alive. "Nick, you have to understand something about me. I need you to hear out the whole thing, okay?" When Nick nodded, he continued. "I've never loved anyone in my entire life. I couldn't allow that kind of weakness in my life, so I never wanted it. If someone found out that I cared about a person enough to love them, that someone could use that to his or her advantage. I couldn't live with that, so I've never allowed love to be a factor in anything I do." Renard could see a look of pained acceptance in his Mate's expression and feel the hurt across the Bond, so Renard forced Nick onto his lap, using his inhuman strength to force the Grimm to straddle him so the Royal could press a gentle, hopefully reassuring kiss to his lips. "But there's something about you, Nick. From the beginning I could sense there was something different about you. Even before you knew of your Grimm heritage – Hell, before I knew about it – I could tell you were different from anyone I'd ever met. I tried to stay away. I tried to stay out of your life because I knew one of us would end up hurt in the end, more than likely you.
"But, even knowing that, I couldn't stay away. I knew I needed you in my life and try as I might I couldn't fight it, so I decided to give in and let this take me down whatever path it decided to take me.
"Now? Now I know that fighting it was pointless. I can't live without you, Nick. I've broken a lot of personal rules for you, one of which was letting myself get close to you even though I said I wouldn't give in. I've even helped you when it was against wesen laws to help a Grimm. Now that I think of it, I'm certain that the moment I met you, my rules went out the window. You rewrote my whole damn rule book.
"So when I say I'm not allowed to love anyone, that's because I'm trying to hold onto old rules that don't even exist anymore. I guess what I'm trying to say in this long, terrible speech is that you've changed me into a better person and a better ruler. There's no one I'd rather break the rules with. Besides, what's one more broken rule from a book that doesn't exist anymore?"
Renard took a breath, his speech almost coming to an end. "I love you, Nick Burkhardt. Don't ever think that I don't."
Renard had been absentmindedly tracing his fingers along the marks on Nick's skin during the speech which added a little personal comfort knowing that his Mate hadn't run off. He took this moment to really look at Nick and gauge his reaction.
The Grimm's eyes were wide open, tears threatening to fall. His breathing was picking up, trying to fight the emotional overflow threatening to happen. He didn't know what to do. He knew he loved Renard, so why couldn't he say it back? He admitted it to a dead Hexenbiest, for Christ's sake, so why couldn't he admit it to Renard in person?
He searched his brain for something, anything, and when he found the right answer it scared him. He knew he loved Renard. He knew that with absolute certainty. However, no one had ever told him that they loved him before. He thought back throughout his life and he couldn't honestly remember anyone telling him this. His own mother never said it and what he could remember of his father was limited as Reed Burkhardt was always at work.
So if no one had ever told him they loved him, how would he know for certain that he loved Renard?
Renard was too good for Nick; the Grimm had known this for a while. Nick knew Renard could do better than him. He was a broken mess while the Royal practically secreted perfection. How could he not be a mess when he didn't even know what love was? Renard didn't need that kind of insecurity. Renard deserved better.
Suddenly Nick got up from his position, grabbed some clothes, and ran, leaving Renard to wonder what he had done wrong.
Nick was walking for several hours around the tourist city of Baden-Baden before he decided to turn around. It took him a while to come to terms with what Renard had said. The man loved him. Sean Renard loved him. It was a hard thing to grasp, but the man had proven it on more than one occasion. Nick wasn't sure if he loved Renard, but he wanted to work with the Royal to figure it out. Hopefully he won't be too mad at me for running off… He thought miserably. By now he was certain Renard was royally pissed, not knowing where he was.
So, he started his long trek back to the house. He was on a barren, back road when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck start to stick up. He turned, thinking someone was following him. He stood there for a moment before shrugging, seeing no one was there. He turned back around and was going to continue walking, but a large frame tackled him and he fell.
In Nick's hazy vision he saw two other figures come behind him. Do Mouvais Dentes travel in threes? Nick wondered, remembering the attack on Rosalie as he fought to gain some footing, but the creature had him well pinned. He decided to try a punch and he connected successfully, he noted with a smirk. However, when he got up the other two attacked him with two powerful fists and he was down, gasping for air that wouldn't stay in his lungs. When the air returned to him – albeit pained from his now-bruised ribs – he asked, "Who sent you?" He already knew, but he had to be sure.
"You'll be meeting him shortly, Grimm." One of them growled out. "But he did say we could take you by any means necessary. I think if we roughed you up a little he won't be too mad, right?" He smirked, then motioned to the other two to charge Nick, saying something in German in the process.
Nick glared, trying his hardest not to show his fear, and got up to fight. He knew he couldn't run; he didn't know the area at all. So he fought. From the constant training he had with Adalind and Renard, he was pretty adept at using his magick. He reached into his core, using his magick to create a shield that would appear when he raised his hand. He waited for the perfect opportunity to use the spell he'd practiced time and time again.
Nick wasn't very good at using more offensive magick like Adalind was, but he could create impenetrable shields. He'd been using his defensive abilities to turn them more offensive. When the three assassins went to strike at the same time, Nick smirked, knowing he had them. He broke the shield, creating shards that would pierce even the thickest flesh. When they attacked, they all ran their bodies into what would feel like knives. They collapsed in a bloodied heap in front of Nick.
The Grimm was going to run, knowing he had to get to Renard fast, as he'd been spotted and these bodies needed to be taken care of, but he suddenly couldn't move as a large blade was being pressed against his throat. "Hello, Grimm."
Nick was going to struggle against whoever was behind him, but the creature stopped him. "I wouldn't move against the blade too much. There's a special… ingredient in this blade that we've designed to kill Grimms. If it cuts you, you'll die within days. It's expensive, but definitely worth the price on your head."
"Reaper?" Nick questioned. The Royal family sure had a lot of friends.
But the Reaper ignored him. He just answered his phone, saying something in German over the line. When he hung up, he said, "Let's go for a ride, shall we?"
Nick was dragged to a van where the several other Reapers were waiting for him with chains. "Chains? Really?" Nick said sarcastically.
The Reapers smirked. "Not just any chains. These chains can contain a Hexenbiest, so they should work well on you."
Nick tried to struggle, but the blade against his neck was very threatening. So he walked silently to the van while they put these chains against the skin of his arms and ankles. The moment they were closed around his flesh Nick cried out. The chains felt like acid against his skin. "Oh, did we forget to mention that it stings a little?" The main Reaper chuckled.
He forced himself not to make any more pained noises. It hurt like Hell but he kept still, not giving his captors the satisfaction of his suffering. "I'm not going to tell you anything." He spat through gritted teeth.
The Reaper looked pensive. "You don't need to tell us anything. Our job is to hand you to the Royals. We're doing our part."
Nick just sat in silence. He vowed to his silence. He would not say a single word until he saw his Mate again. He just hoped Renard could find him.
Sean, I think I'm in over my head here… I need you… Nick could feel the panic rising in his heart as his energy was drained from his core through the chains. He didn't want to close his eyes, but it seemed to be more and more appealing as they drove. As his mind slowly drifted to unconsciousness, the last voice he heard was the Reaper Groupie leader saying, "Sleep Tight."
I hope you guys and gals liked my gift... I didn't know what to do. I want to thank my reviewers and all of those who read it. You've all been really supportive, so I wanted to take the extra time to write these three chapters so I could give you all a bunch! Happy Holidays! I hope your New Year's was filled with lots of fun and/or alcohol!