Trapped in Ashes

Returning Tyler’s rumble with a softer one of his own, he continued to nuzzle and kiss at his jaw. As he sucked a fading dark mark onto his pale skin, letting out a small whine as he watched it slowly vanish. ” ‘s so unfair. You get to mark me up all you want and they last nearly a week.” He mock complained. Though one of the benefits of quickly fading marks was that he just got to redo them more frequently. 

A soft gasp left his lips at the lips and suction on his skin, Tyler's eyes fluttering shut as Tristan whined softly. His arm tightened around the other, pulling the other closer as he inhaled deeply and released the breath slowly. "I'd apologize if I knew you didn't like it so much," he whispered into the stillness in the room, the corner of his lips twitching upward in a small smirk, "Besides, you've left a mark deeper than my skin." His cheeks flushed lightly again at the sappy words but he didn't try to recant them for they were the truth.

A small huff of laughter left him at the thought of Eli dropping the young pup. "Well maybe Liam is durable but I can only hope Eli is durable in return to survive the beating he'll most likely receive. I can't see Stiles taking too kindly to someone dropping his child," he nudged his nose gently against Tristan's cheek with another small laugh, "Or you for that matter. Though I can't say I would be too pleased either."

Ducking his head, he rubbed his cheek against Tristan's, a smile upon his lips as he listened to the other speak. "I wouldn't doubt it. You two have an uncanny resemblance to each other," Tyler reaffirmed his earlier statements. It was almost eerie how much Liam looked like a combination of Stiles and Tristan but he assumed it was because Liam and Tristan shared the same father-- it was only natural that they shared some family resemblance. "I can imagine the look on Stiles' face at that. I'm sure it was hilarious," he laughed at the shocked look he'd seen on the other omega's face a few times when the other was visiting to drop off Liam, "He does have the most amusing facial expressions I've ever seen." 

Tyler hated the amount of time he spent away from home on account of work. Even with a general manager the club required his almost constant attention in order to get it off the ground and running— meetings, ordering, event planning, security details, account balancing, and the list went on. It was always with great joy that the alpha returned home, always looking forward to spending time with the man who had slowly become the most important person to him— in more ways than one.

Setting his briefcase by the door, he dropped his keys on the side table as he made his way further into the house. He made his way up to his room in order to change out of his suit, trading the expensive material for a pair of well worn jeans a t-shirt before making his way toward Tristan’s room. As he hadn’t seen or heard the man downstairs he only assumed that was where the younger male was at the moment.

He knocked on the door but received no response though he heard the male’s heart beat and what appeared to be another heartbeat from the other side of the door. Knocking a second time with no response, Tyler slowly eased the door open and stepped inside. The sight of the omega lounging on his bed with a baby resting on his chest certainly wasn’t what the alpha had been expecting, the sight throwing him for a bit of a loop.

With a delicate sniff as he stepped toward the bed, he let out an answering rumble as he stopped by the side of the bed. The baby had a scent slightly similar to Tristan’s but imbued with that of another male, a scent he’d smelled around the house before when Tristan’s father’s mate Stiles had stopped by for a visit.

“But it’s my fault. It’s all my fault and I am so sorry…” He moaned grimly as he held the other tightly. He folded into his intended mate as the younger wrapped his arms around him. He moved to hold on to the front of his shirt panting slightly as his limbs shook. It was all too much, too soon. He was overwhelmed. He was going to be leaving this hellhole with his mate, the man that he truly loved. “I’m sorry…” 

Ian tensed when the door opened and the alpha that had trained and owned him stepped through the door. With a whimper he stayed close to Tyler, his eyes begging that the other wouldn’t let anything happen to him. He took the clothing with shaking hands and waited until the other left. 

Tyler kept Ian close until the other alpha left, his face impassive and his gaze narrowed to make sure the other knew his presence was appreciated or needed. The cool look only broke as the door shut behind the strange alpha, glancing down at Ian with a concerned gaze as he stepped back. He tried to give the older male a reassuring smile as the other took the proffered clothing.

He woke from his nap slightly when he smelt something being cooked. It was an old familiar scent. One he would often dream about when he tried to escape everything that was going on around him. He licked his lips turning his head slightly. Shepard’s Pie. He smiled a bit, maybe Tyler wasn’t as angry at him as he thought. Maybe they would finally be happy together. God knows the alpha deserved it. 

The sound of someone opening the door caused him to blink his eyes open and he moved to look towards Tyler as he walked in with a plate of Shepard’s Pie. A small smile curled the corners of his lips as he sat up a bit more as he looked at the plate and glass. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do this.” He murmured as he licked his lips and moved to grab a hold of the plate and fork. 

He took a bite from the Shepard’s Pie and gave a hum of delight. “This recipe…it tastes like Mother’s.” The tears welled in his eyes as he looked up at Tyler. “Thank you for making this. Really…really thank you.” His voice came out in a low whisper as he kept eating. “S-So what’s going to happen now?” Ian wanted to know what was going to happen to them in the future, what he had to look forward to, he knew that if he played the part of the sweet and willing omega that he might be able to get out of this unscathed. 

His gaze fell to his knees as Ian spoke of it tasting like the omega's mother's recipe, a sad smile curling his lips upward. "It took me awhile, to get it right," he spoke softly, remembering all the trial and error it took to get the shepherd's pie to taste like Ian's mother's since everything had been lost in the fire. While he took a generic recipe he often tinkered with it until he found the right blend of spices to add to the dish. "I'm glad you like it... I was never sure if I'd gotten it completely right or not but no one else knew what it tasted like, only you and I," glancing up at the other, he gave Ian a grateful smile, "I'm glad you like it."

Ever since setting foot in Beacon Hills, Felician had been trying to find a decent place to work. Honestly this town didn’t have much- at least not compared to what he was use to. Most restaurants didn’t stay open after 10 pm and that was pushing it, stores closed between eight and nine, hell there were some that even closed at six pm. To him, someone who was often up all hours of the night, it was a tragedy. 

He’d just quit his last job not three days ago, and despite the fact that he was currently jobless he was happy. That place had been a hell hole, the second bar he’d worked at since moving here. He had basically run the place, done all the managerial work that had been pushed on him, but wasn’t actually the manager, hence, he didn’t get paid nearly enough for what he was doing. Upon talking to his former boss when the man had all but laughed in his face, he’d quit. The blonde had run his own bar and worked as a manager in several others as well as a club or two over the years and he he wasn’t about to let anyone take advantage of his skills or mess with his paycheck. 

The shifter glanced around as he neared a newly renovated building, a new club that had caught Felician’s eye shortly after he’d quit. From what he understood by the talk around town, the owner owned several clubs around the country and was fairly well off. He was new in town and of course that meant that gossip was flying. 

As he neared the building, the scent of wolf became stronger. Brows pulling together he glanced around again. Felician was well aware of the local werewolf problem, having spent most of his time trying to avoid said wolves. Biting his lip he decided to hell with it, and pushed open the doors to the club. Glancing around he spotted a tall, dark haired man, dressed in a suit and tie that complemented him well. The blonde sent a silent prayer out to the universe for him to be the owner of the place, it never hurt to work for someone attractive. 

"Excuse me, you wouldn’t happen to be the owner of this club would you?" He spoke as he walked over to the man, confidence showing through in both his speech and body language.  It wasn’t his ego showing through, well maybe a little bit, but he knew how to do this kind of job and he wanted to show that, to show that he actually had a clue and wasn’t just looking for a "fun" place to work. Eyes widening slightly as he took in the scent of the other, shifter, wolf, alpha, and…. alone.

That was curious. Even wolf shifters, like their close relatives the werewolf kept themselves in packs. In fact it was rare to find one that had broken from their pack, even more rare to find an alpha without one.  

The exterior of the club, formerly The Jungle, had been completed ages ago but the interior was still in the making. Tyler was known for having a specific design in mind and demanding it be done in the exact manner in which he designed it. The contractors had to tear out the old booths they had put in the first level of the club because they had not been the ones Tyler had ordered. It wouldn't have been such a problem, if the contractors had gone with a cheaper product, but the ones that had been put in were entirely the wrong color. That in and of itself had set the project back by a few days but it was coming along nicely. He could only hope they were ready to open on schedule.

His eyebrows furrowed as the smell of a feline tickled his senses, the presence of another shifter making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Turning toward the scent, he came face to face with a blonde haired male. "Yes that would be me," he told the other cautiously as he turned to face the other fully. His eyes quickly assessed the other, taking in the younger male's attributes and weighing them silently.

The other didn't come across as a threat which allowed some of the tension in Tyler's shoulders to ease slightly. Some of it remained, however, as he couldn't help but wonder why a feline shifter was approaching him. Even though he ran a club that catered toward supernaturals it wasn't often that he was approached on a one-to-one basis especially when he had yet to open his club. "May I help you?" Tyler asked curiously.

A memory flashed through his mind, the man before him younger though and running beside him. They were looking for something, a fairy. His mother told them that the creatures were all over the place. Finally they fell in the field just behind their homes exhausted but giggling. They held hands. A name came to his mind as well as other memories. A fire, a fight. Tears welled in his eyes and fell. 

“Tyler…” He breathed looking up at him, “Tyler, Tyler…” The name was the only thing that fell from his lips as he wrapped his arms around his shoulder sobbing quietly. “Tyler…Tyler you’re here…you’re here.” He sobbed. He couldn’t believe that this was happening. He would dream of Tyler coming to get him. 

“I’m sorry…I’m so so sorry…” The apologies came out of his mouth as he tried to calm himself and let his mate know that he was sorry for his past crimes and that he would do anything to be forgiven. 

A sound skin to a whimper came from Tyler's throat as Ian suddenly started to apologize. "No Ian, don't apologize" he told the other softly, unable to stop himself from sliding his hands down to the omega's shoulders and pulling him into a hug. "C'mon, let's get you out of here okay?" he whispered in the other's ear, soothingly running his hand up and down the male's back. 

:Letting go of the omega as the other alpha came back into the room, Tyler stood up and took the clothes the other provided. He stared at the man as he lingered, his brows raised slightly. "I think you've done more than enough so it you would excuse us," Tyler gestured toward the door, "I no longer require anything from you."

Lifting his head he glanced up at his alpha, a small, playful smile on his face as he caught sight of Tyler’s blush. ” ‘S nothin’ you haven’t seen before after all.” His hand traced over Tyler’s bare chest, drawing random patterns over the warm skin below him. Leaning in he pressed soft kisses to Tyler’s neck, nosing lightly at his jaw. A soft, pleased rumble left him, simply happy to have the other near him again. Giving a small nip to the pale skin before him, he gently sucked a fading mark onto his neck, well aware that it wouldn’t last. 

A small blush painted Tyler's cheeks at the other's comment, knowing it to be true. "I suppose you have a point," he admitted, licking his lips quickly. He had indeed seen what was currently hidden beneath the sheets and had felt it as well. That, however, didn't stem the embarrassment he felt as he remembered that night-- embarrassment over his own reactions, never Tristan. 

His breath hitched slightly at the finger tips dancing over his chest, eyes fluttering slightly before falling to half mast as his gaze falls to Tristan's face. Letting out a pleased rumble as the omega nuzzles at his jaw, Tyler tipped his head back slightly to give the other more room to deliver his attentions. The nip of teeth and the suction of the other's lips on his neck had the alpha letting out a soft surprised moan, finger tips lightly digging into the other's back at the sensation.

The omega’s trembling became even worse as he risked another glance up at his new owner, his breath coming in uneven pants. “He’s been broke for a good ten years now. I know, took us a while but now he’ll do whatever ya want ‘im to do. He’ll be the best damn mate you’ll ever get now.” The alpha explained as Ian moved closer to the man that was now holding his leash. This was his master now. He knew the rules. He kept his arms around his waist in hopes of preserving some form of decency. 

He wondered faintly if it was Tyler that had finally come to get him. Some part of him still held on to that dream. It had been so long and he was so tired. He whimpered as he moved to press his forehead against the dirt showing his submission to the alpha and new master. 

He would do whatever this man asked of him only out of fear of returning to the warehouse. They promised death to anyone that returned. He remembered seeing the bodies of the ones that were brought back being dragged through the rows as a warnings to the others. 

He knew the rules as well. Don’t speak unless spoken to. Make sure ‘no’ is never part of your vocabulary. It is always ‘yes sir’ not just ‘yes’. Don’t stare. Do as your told the first time and with no hesitation. He lived and breathed these rules only for the hopes of not being one of the omegas that returned to their death. He saw the alpha collect the money from the floor and then wish his new master luck. 

Slowly Ian looked up at the man and saw the sharp features that seemed so familiar but he couldn’t place it. He bowed his head again and licked his chapped lips waiting for the strike that would follow. He had broken one of the rules, thankfully it wasn’t a big one. 

Looking down at Ian when the omega nervously looked up at him, he gave the older male he'd known since childhood a reassuring smile as he held the leash at his side. The quick manner in which Ian lowered his face and the scent of fear permeated the air had Tyler swallowing back a soothing sound-- he wanted nothing more than to comfort the man intended to be his mate all those years ago but there were appearances that needed to be kept because Tyler couldn't risk not being able to walk out of here with Ian at his side.

"I assure you he was quite perfect the way he was before you and your men got your hands on him," Tyler all but growled, unable to keep the rough notes from his tone at the thought of the horrors Ian had been through for the last fifteen years to be considered broken in to traders. His stomach clenched with guilt, thinking he should have tried harder to find Ian, should have found him sooner. "I need some clothing for him," he told the other alpha curtly, his nose wrinkling slightly as the man scooped the bound bills from the floor with a promise to return with the requested clothes as he left.

Tyler quickly dropped to his knees before the omega as soon as the door shut behind the other alpha. His trembling hands cupped Ian's face tenderly as the other tried to look away from him. "Ian," he breathed out the other's name softly, tilting the other's face up toward him, swallowing thickly, "Gods Ian, I've finally found you," he whispered with a tinge of awe in his voice, fighting the urge to pull the man into his arms and hold him tightly as relieved tears stung his eyes, "It's okay, I promise, it's going to be okay now."

Head raising slightly when the alpha got up again and walked back over to the counter. Green eyes looking up to meet blue, he gave the other a mistrustful look. “Avoiding them is going to be hard, they’re probably already aware of ya and plotting to get rid of or kill ya. If ya have to, talk to the younger one. He’s got the biggest pack and he doesn’t like killin’ people so he’s more likely to listen when he realizes ya aren’t here to kill his friends, family or just random people.” Which this town really had a problem with. They’d just recently lost nearly a third of their hospital staff in an attack and the Sheriff’s was down in numbers since a bomb went off in it. Some times he wondered why anyone chose to live here.

Tyler found himself nodding in agreement with the younger male. Talking with someone who was likely to try and kill him didn't sound like his cup of tea. He tended to avoid confrontations when he could but it appeared as though, in the town of Beacon Hills, that wasn't going to be likely. "I'll make every effort to avoid either of them. If the need arises I'll be sure to try to assuage their worries to the best of my abilities.  I'm not here to harm anyone or infringe upon anyone's territory. My capacity in this town is only as a businessman."

Sliding his hands into his pockets as he stood before the counter, the alpha gave a nonchalant shrug at the other's inquiries. "Well it appears as though you don't have a pack and therefore lack the protection of one, especially the protection of an alpha. I could offer you that protection, make sure other packs left you to your own devices," he explained when prompted, "As for what I would ask in return... Nothing. Think of it merely as a kind gesture from a man who knows how  other alphas treat those commonly viewed as beneath us."