Sarah Elliot Author Creations

Chapter 2 – Fire, Air, Water, Earth

 The long grasses scratched gentle across the plain fabric trousers that Jack wore but he did not really notice them anymore. His entire focus was on the pressed down circle in the centre of the field where he would learn his fate. Nerves were playing throughout his body, a sense of anticipation but also a high degree of worry present as well, but he had been told that this was perfectly normal. No one could predict what sub gender they would present as, though those older sometimes had a fair clue about it in advance. Though no one had any idea about which of the four potential sub genders that Jack would present as, but generally it was presumed that he would follow the trend of most Trion’s and present as either an omega or delta.

 When he had first come into the wolf society, it had been very confusing to learn about the four sub genders and the roles that they played within a pack but now at the age of maturity he knew and understood them all pretty well.

 Deltas were the lowest rank but were never really looked down upon as they were the secret protectors of the packs. They were silent movers, able to blend into the world around them, scout out the best hunting grounds and kept the borders checked. They could be fast and sharp in their movements, making fighting them tricky as they seemed to almost dance around their intended targets but when it came to hunting, they were swift and precise in the kill. Most Delta’s were quiet by nature, slightly introverted and rarely wanting to be the centre of attention unless they felt that it was absolutely necessary and were otherwise the chief artisans of the pack, seeming to take their slight solitude as an opportunity to create all sorts of different crafts that could be worn, or displayed to show the pack off to the best of its abilities. In the Jurisa pack there were three Delta’s sisters, who spent their nights patrolling the borders of the territory with frightening precision and then spent the day making or mending clothes, setting up their own brand of ‘protection symbols’ which took on the form of dolls and tending to sick cubs, as the youngest had a flair for medicines and had become the pack healer with little formal training. Jack always liked their Earth based scents, reminding him of the quiet little glades that could be found in the middle of summer and knew that all Delta’s had an undercurrent of Earth and nature as their primary scent which always mixed pleasantly with their personal and pack scent.

 Which was why he always found that omega’s having water scents was a little strange but refreshing. Mostly they smelt like the freshness of the land after a good shower of rain or else the clear river water that ran through their lands. Two in the pack had unique scents, one a male omega by the name of Gus who smelt like a raging storm and the other a female by the name of Kira who smelt like the ocean. Jack had come to learn that omegas were probably the most diverse of the sub genders and whilst they all shared some traits, they were all unique in their own way. Omegas were soft and delicate but built with bodies that could sustain young through to term with little to no problems. They were the true mothers of the pack, able to be gentle and caring in times of need but were fierce as hell when they felt that one of their own was in danger. Some of the strongest fighters in the groups were omegas, which had confused Jack no end when he was younger but now, he came to accept that omegas would die for those that they cared about. In the past they had been nothing more than breeding machines, seen as the only ones who could be bred and with their yearly heat cycles that made them extremely fertile for around two weeks, but they were also at their most vulnerable and weakest during this time. Now that mentality had generally been wiped out, with the exception of a few cases, and omegas could choose to be whatever they wanted in a pack. Though most stuck with more traditional roles on account of them actually being particularly good at them. They all still went through heats, but only true mates were allowed to be with them or else mated omegas who could help sooth the ache until mates came along. Only once had Jack come across someone in heat, which was around a year ago and he had been praised for simply helping the omega to the correct hut and stepping away. He was still underage, but the smell of heat had affected him as his wolf began to mature but sense won out over everything else. Male omegas could also carry cubs and were treated no different because of this little situation.

 The Head Beta of the pack had patted his head, after going up on his tiptoes in order to do so correctly and had praised his good sense. Betas were essential for a pack to run correctly, at least when it got big enough to be a full pack, as they were the most level headed of the sub-genders and always seemed to know exactly what to say and do in any situations. Primarily they were healers, or liaisons between packs or else enforcers of the rules and in some of the more human city based packs, they took on jobs as lawyers and shop owners to provide for their living expenses and ensure that no one got screwed over. Betas were the least violent of the four sub-genders, despite being sharp with their tongues, and had more lean builds that made them surprisingly good for dancing and performances of all kinds. Jack had always presumed that this was something to do with their air based scents, which was hard to explain as all betas smelled like the wind blowing something around or else in the case of the Head Beta, like a hurricane landing unexpectedly in the middle of a corn field. It probably explained why his mate had a scent of a rainstorm. Secretly Jack wanted to be a Beta, as it meant he could provide for his pack in some form and already he had spotted an area of land which he thought would make for an excellent farm. Yes, it would be going back to his human routes but if he could get it going and maintain it, then he would be able to take the produce to the city markets and get things the likes of which he had not seen for years.

 Though he was aware that the city had probably hugely changed since he was last there. Whilst on the surface he looked no older than eighteen, Jack’s wolf had literally grown from being a tiny cub to a mature adult inside a human body. Wolves aged slower than humans, typically having a lifespan of two hundred and fifty to three hundred years, and the old saying about dogs ageing seven years for every one year had applied to Jack. Just in the reserve. So, for every seven years that Jack lived in human terms, his wolf only aged one year in turn which slowed him down considerably. At last track he had worked out that in human terms he was actually around twenty five, but he looked eighteen, so it was not so bad. Apparently, he would slow down further in the aging process once his wolf matured, and Jack was pretty much at the point of just giving up trying to work out the age difference because it would probably drive him insane.

 But it was a dream to present as a Beta for Jack. Most Trion wolves like him only ever presented as deltas or omegas, as their intended mates typically did not turn them until they were at an age where they could cope with it all. Jack was a rare case, as no child was supposed to be turned, willing or not as they feared what would happen. There had been children turned into vampires before and the results had been horrendous put mildly, so there were strict rules. Many considered it a miracle that Jack had survived as long as he had, especially with the way that his body transformed every full moon.

 About the only gender that Jack knew he would not present as, was an Alpha. They were the strongest, the fighters, the brawlers and the start of any pack. In the past they were always the ones in charge, the absolute rulers who could get away with anything and with their fiery undertone of brimstone to their scent it was a fool who took any of them on. Most had been brutes, deadly and power hungry with little or no regard for anything when they ruled with iron fists. They had dictated everything and caused so much misery that Odin himself had come down to smack several shades of sense into the alphas and teach them the correct ways. Or so the legends went of course. Alphas were still strong and a bit head strong, but they could also be goofy, adorable and some of the best playmates for cubs. They protected everyone in the pack, not caring for rank or position and it was rare these days for an alpha to even be in the highest position of power. Michael and Hazel were because they had formed the pack from the remains of their old one, but they had an odd balance between all sub genders, and each had their own Head. Jack found it strange that they ran everything by committee, but it worked for the pack. He had met outside alpha’s before, and they were all a mix of old, new and unique thinking. To become an alpha meant leaving the family you came from, because fighting for land and rights to pack mates between family always ended badly. Female alphas were as common as male alphas, and it was more than possible for them to impregnate their mates regardless of gender or sub gender.

 Multiple Alphas could form a pack together, but it was rare that blood relations ever stayed in the same pack once they matured and presented. They stayed close sometimes or were always just around then corner at the next glen but generally they broke off to form their own place in the world. Jack loved his pack so much and wanted to do whatever he could to give back to them for everything that they had done but he knew that the choice was not in his hands.

 The Goddess of Night, Nyx, choose the sub gender that each wolf would become whilst Odin, God of Wolves, would be there to guide through the initial change to ensure that all accepted what they were to become.

 Reaching the circle with the rest of the six who were maturing tonight, Jack found himself letting out a sigh as he glanced up at the black sky and seeing the full moon begin to peak out from behind the clouds. His wolf was present in his mind, watching also but not desperately stretching at his skin to be released and Jack lowered his eyes, “You really want to present, don’t you?” the whisper was only meant for him to hear and if anyone else heard it they did not comment aloud.

 Michael smiled softly to the six gathered and opened his arms wide, “Take a place where you see fit, this is a moment only for yourself and we have given you all the directions that you need to know. We will be here for you when you come out of the other side.”

 The six unpresented wolves seemed to pause for a moment, each taking their time to remember everything that had been said. Suzanne was the first to step forward, looking strong and confident as she hugged her father and then lay down on her back near to the centre of the grass circle. Her eyes closed and she exhaled once before taking on a serene look of someone who had slipped into a trance. Jack cast his eyes around the remaining four who were beginning to move into position, not copying Suzanne and not lying close enough to touch one another. They were all soon on their backs, tranquil and at peace with themselves as they exhaled.

 Jack looked up towards Michael, suddenly feeling very small and very alone. “What do I do if I don’t present.”

 “You will present Jack,” Michael smiled, “I’ll be waiting for you, when you do.”

 Gulping a little, Jack thought of stepping closer to the others but instead found himself falling to his knees and looking back up at the full moon one more time. He closed his eyes, clasped his hands together and sighed, “Please…guide me correctly through the night.”

 A call of an owl made the cub turn his head to the side and he blinked at finding himself at the bottom of a driveway which led to what could only be described as a mansion. It was old stonework with multiple layers and several different colours to suggest that it was a place which had been revolted over the years. The smell of wood fires brought a strange calmness to his slightly panicked mind and the meticulously kept gardens made him think of someone who tendered to their lots in life with a devotion that very few would have ever been able to master. There were many large windows in the building, some ancient looking with thick iron edges and the more up to date ones probably being some kind of carbon fibre copy. There were several neatly trimmed bushes and a pruned hedgerow that circled around the wooden gravel that provided a barrier. A couple of large outhouses that were probably a garage and some other kinds of storage were off to the side, but Jack only felt a gentle familiarity with the place despite having never seen it before.

 Turning his head away from the house, he found he was no longer in the glade where he had been and, in the distance, there were the lights of a city that seemed to sprawl for miles. It was only around a mile away, but it must have been a grand sprawling metropolis with cars rushing around and so many humans that it was almost mindboggling to behold. Faintly he could see the coastline and knew that there were ships coming in and out too, but Jack had to take a step back from it all as this was just a touch overwhelming.

Whatever he was expecting from the presentation haze, it certainly was not this.

 His dark ears swivelled around at the sound of a door opening and Jack turned abruptly, feeling his senses go onto high alert. Instead, he was met by a smug expression of a male vampire who could be no older than himself in terms of appearance. He was slender and tall, not quite yet finished going through a growth spurt as of yet but it would come with time. There was a surprising amount of light in the electric blue eyes and his honey-comb blond hair was worn in a style that was probably supposed to be a mullet, but it had been styled back into a more period style of framing the face. Bow shaped lips completed the look, along with a ruffled sleeved white shirt over a pair of stylish white trousers and black shoes.  “Well met we are tonight, Jack, even if our destiny is a long way into the distance,” Lucan spoke softly though with just a hint of a tease to his words, “Come in, before your tail freezes off in the bitter wind.”

 Jack had not even noticed the bitter wind which was blowing around them and he nodded aimlessly before shaking his head and then letting out a confused sound, “I don’t understand…”

 Lucan laughed at him, “Yeah, when they told you that presentation is personal to each and every one of you wolves it really is. Come on, you’re safe here. Or you will be one day.”

 “Who are you?” Jack asked, stepping forward regardless and blinking towards the vampire, feeling nothing but an urge to hug the youngster even if part of him was fully against the idea.

 “I’m Lucan, but you instinctively know that” Lucan replied, guiding Jack through a series of lavish rooms to what appeared to be a grand office with a large desk, shelves teaming with books and paperwork that had yet to be sorted properly and just a general mess that suggested someone who worked way too hard. “I think we’re…friends or allies or something…a while from now but for some insane reason they chose me to be the one to guide you to the presentation so here I am. Coffee?”

 An old, chipped mug appeared next to Jack who took it gingerly in his hands and took a long sip out of the drink. It was exactly the way he liked it, though it had been years since he had actually drunk coffee. Smiling, he set it back on the table, “Here was me thinking that I’d just go into the trance and then come out on the other side knowing what I am.”

 “What are you Jack?” Lucan asked with a curious head tilt, a knowing smile on his lips, “Or more correctly, what can you surmise about your presentation from all that is around you?”

 The werewolf blinked, taking in the room with it’s too stuffed contents and the familiarity of the house and the location of the city. It was far away from where he had originally come from, it was also far away from the pack but here he knew was safe. Here he knew instinctively that he was home. There were many memories tied up in this old building, in the gardens, in the woods around the area, though they were only hazy shadows of what possibly could be and there were so many scents and smells that he wasn’t entirely sure where to even begin. He knew that if he went out of this office and down the left, he’d be in the kitchen where there was a mixture of meats and blood packets available, including the ones he had to hide from their little baby otherwise she would be bouncing off the walls for hours.

 If he went upstairs, he knew that the second floor held Lucan’s master bedroom, the baby’s one right next door and his own personal but he rarely slept there as he preferred to be in the lodge with the pack or in his own private cabin just on the edge of the woods where he maintained a farm that not only brought in fruits and vegetables but animals to help with the feeds for everyone and visitors who would pay good money for experiences the likes of which only his farm could provide. The money was put into the upkeep of the main house, for paying for school fees for cubs and kindree alike and for a multitude of other purposes.

 There were selected times of the year when everyone would bundle up and head into the city, for interaction sakes with everyone and to shop for essentials that couldn’t be purchased easily online. Plus, Lucan and Jack had to attend the council meetings which were generally dull and boring, but it was always worthwhile coming home to find his mate standing on the doorstep, smiling wildly and waiting to greet them.

 Jumping back slightly in shock as he pulled himself out of whatever visions he was having, Jack turned his attention back to Lucan, a little surprised to find himself unable to recall any of the images that he had just seen moments ago. But that did not matter because as he looked at the young kindree vampire opposite him, his sharp eyes picked out a mark on the others neck. It was not a bite mark, nor was it a drawing. It looked like some kind of tattoo, similar to the kind that would cross his body when he matured and presented. The mark looked something akin to a circle with two crescent moons in the centre that touched at the tips of each end, one was the colour of blood, the other the colour of the moon and the surrounding circle a dark black. Instinct had Jack raising his hand to his own neck, in the same area as Lucan’s mark where he could just feel the slightest of changes. He knew already that there was a mark of a black moon with two crescent moons either side of it, one the colour of blood, the other the same colour as the moon. Nyx’s inverted mark, which meant that he was bound to protect the vampire who held the Odin’s inverted mark.

 All mature wolves had marks on their shoulders and arms to show packs and family lines but only one of the sub genders ever had a mark on their neck.

 Jack stood up abruptly, knocking the chair over but not really caring, “What?”

 “Yes, Jack,” Lucan replied, “Though you’re not the only one who will be surprised.”

 “But…it’s impossible,” Jack stated, shaking his head, “I’m human! I was born of human parents, I come from a human linage, I was turned at the age of elven, I had to learn everything about being a wolf…I’m not…I can’t be…”

 Lightly Lucan laughed, “Well you’ll have to accept it because you are. That is the only reason that this place exists, that we are marked as we are. As only an Alpha can join forces with a Vampire Master to make the running of a Clan.”

 Shaking his head, Jack thought about denying it all again and just turning and running away but he took a moment to just settle down a little bit and think logically. Everything was there, it was all plainly in front of him, and it was just a big scary feeling that was driving him insane right now. Slowly he exhaled and looked up towards the boy, “How do I even begin to walk away from them? After everything they’ve done for me?”

 “With your head held proud like you know what you’re doing,” a smile, genuine and soft was sent his way, “Because that is half the game, showing the outside world one thing when you’re quaking in your boots. But the outside world will not know that if you don’t show them, Jack.”

 A snort came from the Trion’s nose, “Why do I get the feeling that I’ll be saying that to you one day?”

 “Maybe because you will,” Lucan replied, grinning again, “Though not yet. It’s time to go back.”

 Letting out a breath, Jack nodded and sighed, “Guess I’ll be seeing you then?”

 “Guess you will,” Lucan replied.

 A blade of grass brushed against his cheek, immediately waking Jack up and he sat bolt upright in the field that he had gone into trance in. For a moment things were a little disorientated, the world coming back into focus, into the present but he was more aware of the surroundings. Of the lingering scents, of the lack of the other five who had presented with him. Of Michael standing watching him, a bag at his feet with enough supplies to get him started on whatever path was going to force the newly presented alpha to take.

 Jack took stock of the area around him, taking in the various grasses and trees before pulling himself up from his seated position and staring at the other alpha across from himself. He could feel the tension between them, the natural sizing up that occurred between alphas from different packs and realised that he could not feel the pack bond anymore. For a moment he was scared and wanted to turn back into the frightened little cub but the words that the figure in his vision had said came back to him.

 Straightening out his shoulders, Jack stepped towards Michael with all the confidence that he could master and grabbed the bag at his feet, almost casually throwing it over his shoulder. He looked up at the older alpha and found that the feeling of threat had gone, instead he was staring at a man who had given him the best possible start into a life that he had no right to really claim as his own.

 Without thinking, Jack threw his arm tightly around the other alpha in a hug, smiling when it was returned with two strong arms in what could be best described as a bear hug but for once it did not hurt. “Follow the river to the south,” Michael said as he pulled back, “It’s your best chance and finding land that you can claim as your own.”

 “Tell Hazel I said goodbye,” Jack said and then glanced to the place where he had seen Suzanne laying before. A gentle whiff of a waterfall caught his nose and he looked back towards Michael with a raised eyebrow.

 “She is safe and will go to the Summer Solstice with everyone else,” Michael replied, stepping closer, “Though my little wildling may want to journey far herself…She’s like the running river that one, never staying still.”

 Jack nodded, allowing Michael to walk away from him back into the pack territory. He waited until the wolf’s footsteps had faded away and then turned to look at the last place, he had seed him. Walking back to the spot where Suzanne had been, Jack lent down and gently brushed his fingers over the area, a smile on his face when he came across the thin chain of tarnished gold that instinctively he knew would be there. Pulling it up, he found himself staring at a pendant of a crescent moon made out of polished white gold and on the back was the letter S. He already knew that the girl had the conjoining disk of the full moon which he figured would be jet black like his wolf though with the little white tip on the edge of his ears and tail. Slipping the pendant over his head, Jack stood up, took one final look over the lands which he had called his home before sending a final prayer of thanks towards those who had taken him in.

Chapter 1 – Naming Ceremony

 A soft breeze caressed Jack’s bare back and caused him to stir a little from the slumber he had managed to fall into. For a few seconds he grumbled, wanting nothing more than to turn over and go back to sleep as it was comfortable in his bed. But the breeze washed over his back once again and stirred his mind into thinking that there was something special about tonight which meant that he had to get him. Blowing out a sigh, the young Trion opened his dark blue eyes and allowed his vision to focus.

 The first thing that came into view was a calendar, with a large full moon sticker covering the date with a scrawl of marker pen proclaiming, “Naming Ceremony.”

 Sitting upright, the young man grinned to himself and hurriedly glanced about his room. It was simple and basic, nothing too much of personalisation or importance, but more out of a sense of not really belonging here even though he was welcomed. Jack was fully aware that he was still considered to be an outsider to the pack that he lived with, but unlike the day he had collapsed by their fireside with only tiny pleas for help on his lips, he was now more of an odd sheep of the family, rather than a thing which no one knew what to really do with.

 Werewolves rarely abandoned cubs, it was seen as a horrendous thing to do and only acceptable under extreme circumstances. With Jack though, things had always been different. Jack had started off life as a human, had been born to human parents and lived out in the wilderness on a farming community that was seeking out the new world with hope and gusto. They instead found a new level of darkness when by accident they crossed over into the lands of the wolf and were slaughtered by a rouge wolf who had gone rabid.

 Jack had been eleven at the time and should have been slaughtered along with the rest of his family but either in a moment’s clarity or extreme madness, the rabid werewolf had spared the child’s life. Though he had bitten him harshly on his right arm, leaving behind a scar and passing on the lunar kiss of life before leaving to never be seen again by the boy. Jack had spent two long days burying his family by hand and just when he thought he had no tears left to cry, the full moon had risen and Odin, god of winter and wolves, had brought a new cub into the world.

 A Trion wolf cub, a human turned into a wolf who was too young to understand what was happening to him.

 Adapting to the new life had not been easy, for at least three years Jack had wandered the wilderness lost and alone, changing painfully every full moon against his will whilst picking up instincts in the most random of manners. He had stumbled across a few wolf packs, but they feared his human scent and chased him out of their territory until he became too sick and hungry to even care. After wandering unsuccessfully through a brutally cold winter, Jack had finally given up on all notions of hunting any kind of prey and had followed the smell of woodsmoke when it registered in his brain.

 The Jurisa Pack were spending the winter up in the mountains and were praising the goddess of night with a fire dance when Jack had stumbled into the clearing, collapsing to the ground, pleading to just be allowed a little food and water. Chaos had followed of course, and for a few moments the lost cub feared that he would be chased away but Hazel, the female alpha, had taken him under her wing and fed him more than he could have ever dreamed of. As he had slept, the pack had tried to decide what to do with him, until his body started to change to his wolf form just as painfully as it had done every time for the last few years.

 Michael, the pack alpha, had not even blinked an eye before allowing the omegas to coo and protect the cub, agreeing with his mate that clearly Jack needed all the help, guidance and love that they could provide him as no one else was going to do it. The rest was history, as even though there were many issues, many things that did not fit with the normal span of a wolf’s life and more than a number of occasions where it was clear that other packs did not approve of the Trion’s presence, Jack grew up and became the wolf that he was today and tonight, he would finally reach maturity and learn where his standing was going to be in the pack.

 Stretching his long arms high above his head, Jack let out a yawn and clicked a few muscles in his neck just to be certain that they were all gone before grabbing a long shirt and some shorts before heading down to the stream to wash up. By wolf standards, he was tall, by human standards he was huge. Standing at just a little under six foot six, Jack appeared to be very wolf like in build and appearance, with a firm jaw, high cheekbones and a predatory look to his eyes. Dark brown hair fell about in a mess around his shoulders and his midnight black wolf ears were smaller than most of his kind but freckled with white dots like stars in the nights sky, which matched on his tail which at base was the same midnight black save for the tip which was a dazzling white. There was a certain softness about him though, which toned down the aggressive stance and somehow made him appear more like a fluffy husky than a werewolf though there were enough scars on his body to show that he had fought with kin and enemies alike. It was almost impossible to tell what rank he would be at a casual glance and Jack himself admitted that he had no idea but secretly he hoped that he would come out as a Beta. Omega would be fine as well; Delta was more than probable too but there was no chance in hell that he was an alpha.

 Trion’s did not become alphas, that had been made very clear to him from an early age.

 It was still early enough that most of the omegas would still be curled up in the safety of their mates’ arms or in the omega hut for those who were not mated as of yet, but just a little bit past the time when most of the alphas would have been finished and would be starting the preparations. It was a gamble to see if Glenn and his cronies were around, but for once Jack did not care. He never cared for their presence anyway, they were nothing more than gabbling boys who were jumping the gun and making presumptions about what they were going to present as, and they always seemed to have a particular enjoyment of teasing the ‘freak’ of the pack.

 Especially Glenn, who always seemed to have a certain hatred towards Jack, but the reason was long lost to time and history.

 Grabbing his wash things, Jack made his way quietly out of the cub hut and into the early evening air. The ground was still warm under his feet and there was the smell of a hazy day drifting across from the corn field where he normally worked which brought a smile to the Trion’s lips. A hot day meant a cool night and the most perfect conditions for the full moon ceremony. He would be lying to say that he was not just a little nervous about the whole affair but for the most part he was looking forward to it.

 “Are you really going to stand there, staring up at the sky like a lost puppy all day or are you going to move your tail?” a voice spoke behind him. It was teasing but in a gentle manner, feminine but with an edge to it that spoke of someone who knew how to hold her own. Turning, Jack politely nodded his head towards the girl and stepped aside with a slight bow.

 Suzanne was the eldest daughter of Michael and Hazel and she commanded respect from everyone in the pack. Just a little above average height, she had a slim build but long flowing locks of red hair with dark brown eyes and hundreds of freckles upon her face. Like all of her kind, her wolf ears were on top of her head, the colour of white gold and silken to touch and appearance. Her tail matched though with just an undercoat of white. Jack knew that in her wolf form, she also had white patched on her stomach and feet like she was wearing booties and he thought that she looked ethereal and cute. Her form hid strength, her tongue was sharp, and she had wisdom beyond her years. Everyone had her pinned to be an alpha, to be the next in line to take over when her parents wanted to step down and Jack always felt highly jealous of the wolf who would eventually claim her.

 He stood no chance, even if he got lucky and presented as a beta, there was no way that Suzanne was going to even remotely interested in him. But at least they had a form of friendship, “Forgive me Princess, I was just thinking of what is to come tonight.”

 Suzanne rolled her eyes, and stuck her tongue out towards him, though grinned back, “Stop calling me Princess, you toad.”

 “I promised to call you Princess every day until you presented, Princess and that’s not going to change,” Jack said smugly back, trying his best not to burst out into laughter.

 As per her usual response, Suzanne shook her head, “We were like, thirteen when you made that stupid promise. You don’t have to keep it, toad face.”

 Jack chuckled, “You like it though.”

 “Shut up,” Suzanne huffed back towards him, away from the boy, “You’re so damn annoying. Why are you even heading towards the river anyway, it’s not like you’ll be able to wash out your lying tongue with soap anyway.”

 Snorting a little, Jack followed after Suzanne with a smile on his face, “Same reason as you. Avoiding the noisy riffraff who can’t keep their noses to themselves and then seeing what I can do to help with the set up.”

 “Ugh, Jack, you don’t help with the set up for the ceremony when it’s your ceremony,” Suzanne replied, shaking her head, “We go and see Mama and get made ready. You know this.”

 “Which means that I’ll be doing everyone’s hair,” Jack replied smugly back, “So helping with set up for tonight.” Jack had helped assist Hazel and Michael prepare those who were presenting for the Full Moon Ceremony for the last four years due to the Trion’s surprising ability with styling hair. It was something he had initially kept hidden as it brought back painful memories of his human life and how he would plat his mother’s hair when she was too weak to do it on her own and how he had practiced on the other children whilst he waited for his little sister to arrive. Once she did, he always made sure that her hair was beautiful and pristine but when she was taken away, he never wanted to do it again.

 Until one long night, several winters ago, one of the boys had pulled another girl’s hair out and left her in a sobbing mess because her mother did not want her hair to be messy. Without prompting, Jack had taken the girl by the hand and gently restyled her hair. Hazel had found out through the girl’s mother and promptly punished the boy who had hurt the girl before seeking out Jack to ask him to help with others as styling hair was something that very few males possessed.

 Since that day, Jack had styled the hair of most of the pack members at least once. Suzanne sighed softly, “There is room in this whole night for you as well you know, you don’t have to be at everyone’s beck and call.”

 A shrug of the shoulders was her reply, “Tell that to everyone else.”

 The freckled girl snorted in reply, “What will you do if you actually turn out to be an alpha, toad face?”

 “Never really thought of it,” Jack replied honestly, looking up to the sky again. “But if I was, then that’d mean I’d have to leave and start my own pack and….” For a few long moments Jack was silent before he let out a sigh. “It’s a dream I can’t have.”

 Suzanne punched him lightly on the arm, “Don’t say that. You’re allowed to dream.”

 “Dreams break your heart, Princess,” Jack replied, tilting his head up ever so slightly as the sound of splashing water caught his attention and he chuckled, “Though it looks like we may be helping out with bath time.”  

  The river that flowed just past the small huts that made the tiny hamlet which the Jurisa Pack called down, was wide and deep, glistening in the daylight and calm in the moonlight. There were plenty of rocks that could be used for washing clothes or drying oneself out on after a good soak and small naturally occurring pebble beaches that made personal bathing easier. Usually at this time in the morning, it would be a quite place but it seemed that several of the mothers in the pack had decided it was also the best time to be giving the cubs a proper wash. Probably in order to give those who were due to present tonight enough time to use the river in general peace and quiet but for Suzanne and Jack, their joint timing was off.

 At least three cubs were rushing around in the water, splashing at their friends and wildly screaming at one another, whereas two of the older ones were daring one another to jump into the deeper water from the steppingstones that stretched out towards the centre of the lake. Jack grinned towards Selina, one of the first wolves who had helped him understand what it was to be a wolf and automatically he knelt down to catch the naked running form of Eachan, her little four year old boy, “Uncle Jack!” he tried enthusiastically, “Come and play with us!”

 Selina shook her head, “No, Eachan, I told you before, Jack is getting ready for tonight and does not need to be disturbed by your silly games.”

 “But Uncle Jack always plays with us, don’t you?” the boy looked imploringly up towards the Trion wolf and Jack could not help but melt. Eachan was at that cute stage of being just a little chubby, but with large green eyes and an adorable set of white ears and tails. He was soft, sweet and preferred playing with the girls over the boys but liked to follow Jack around whenever he got the chance to do so. His father had passed shortly after the cub was born, a haemorrhage to his brain claiming him unexpected and Jack had been around to comfort Selina in her time of grief.

 “Of course, don’t see why tonight should be any different,” Jack said, setting the boy down with a mischievous grin on his features.

 “Race me?” Eachan said immediately.

 Jack was already pulling off his shirt, after quickly placing a kiss on Selina’s cheek to show his understanding of her slight frustration with him but knew he could get away with anything. “Yeah, pipsqueak, I’ll even give you a head start.”

 Eachan yelled out brightly before rushing off ahead, whilst Jack finished removing his clothes and easily took off after the boy. It was normal for wolves to be naked around each other, as changing forms usually meant a loss or lack of clothes depending on, but Selina still smirked knowingly towards Suzanne who had yet to open her mouth throughout the whole moment. “One of these days, you’re going to have to admit your feelings to him.”

 Blushing a little at being caught, Suzanne shook her head, “Maybe after tonight…I can finally make the idiot see what’s been staring him in the face for all these years.”

 Selina laughed, “Oh he knows, he just…Jack doesn’t want to hurt anyone or be hurt. Have patience with him, he is a man regardless of his second gender and they are all a bit thick sometimes. Even the ones who have known you most of your life.”

 Suzanne giggled, “He’ll be my good omega, just you wait and see.”

 Flicking her ears, which were white like her songs, Selina kept her thoughts to herself on that matter and instead nodded towards the river, “You best get in now yourself, or there will be eyes on you that don’t look at you with all the love and affection that you rightfully deserve.”

 Letting out a sigh, Suzanne started towards the riverbank and ignored the cat calls that came her way from the familiar punchable faces. Instead, she kept a quiet and contemplative gaze on Jack, watching as he charged through the water with Eachan, lifting the boy up and throwing him into the depths but always just within arms reach and how after a few moments all the rest of the children were joining in. Or else trying to playfully drown the taller man which considering most of them barely came up to his hips was just downright silly. Though Jack played along with them perfectly, happy to let the youngsters win and fall back into the water but always keeping them safe at the same time. There was more water getting splashed around than ever before, but Suzanne noticed how Jack was able to direct it in such a manner that the cubs did all get a wash.

 Even though at one point he had to run around with a sponge filled with soap in a threatening manner which just caused more hilarity, as soap monsters were not supposed to be that attractive to look at.

 A snort broke Suzanne’s attention, “Such a pathetic waste.”

 “There’s nothing wrong with helping to look after cubs, Glenn,” Suzanne stated back plainly, automatically pulling a long woollen cardigan around her body to hide her naked state, “Father helps to bath them.”

 Glenn snarled, “But he’s an alpha of true bloodlines, that monster is a freak who should have been cast out years ago.”

 Suzanne levelled a stare at the other boy, trying to keep her temper in check. Glenn was a packmate but from an early age he had always acted as though he were superior to everyone else. He was rude, sarcastic and downright disrespectful whenever there was not any alpha presence about, and he brown nosed at all other times. His mother, a prideful alpha who had come from Hazel’s sister pack, doted on him and fed into his pride and arrogance, making it clear that she wanted him to take over the pack when the time came.

 Hazel had firmly told her that Glenn would never lead the pack, because there were two older cubs who were in direct line for it who were direct descendants of herself and if Glenn did somehow present as an Alpha then he would be sent away to form his own pack as tradition dictated. Very few newly presented alphas remained with their family packs, usually only the first borns of the main alpha pair so they could continue the family line, but any others were usually sent away.

 All packs needed alphas, that was a given, but most were blood related so that there would be little to no infighting for power and dominance. Back in the annuals of history there had been no strict rules on the matter which had led to many bloody battles and fights with losses of innocents that became too many. Quite when the tradition of having newly presented alphas leave to form their own packs was lost to the mists of time but it certainly saved more than a few problems. But Glenn seemed to think that he was entitled, even though Suzanne was expected to be the alpha to take over and her nearest brother in age, was expecting to become a beta so they both could easily take on the position without causing upset.

 “That is not your call to make, and it’ll never be your call,” Suzanne stated towards the boy, who was lean but stout with a snort nose, blond hair that always looked greasy and hazel eyes. His wolf was a brown colour, but it always reminded the girl of dirty dishwater rather than the earth between her toes. Plus added to his expression was a constant leer as if he were apprising every last girl in the pack, regardless of ranking, as though they were all pieces of meat meant for his entertainment alone. The gaze made her sick to her core each time it was directed at her.

 Just like now when it was very clear that Glenn was staring at her bare legs with an expression that spoke of exactly what he wanted to be doing to them, “One day it will, but by that point it won’t matter because you’ll be so round with pups that you won’t even care what’s going on with the pack.”

 Even though he did not say it aloud, the expression ‘my pups’ was clear, and it caused a shiver of disgust to go through Suzanne. She glared back towards him, “I’ll always care what goes on with my pack regardless of whoever I choose to mate with.”

 Whatever words Glenn was meant to say scathingly back towards her were lost when a bucket of river water suddenly hit him full in the face. The shock was enough to cause the unpresented young man to stagger back and catch his foot on a root which caused him to crash down onto the ground with a heavy sounding thump. A growl left his lips as he threw himself upright and snarled towards Jack who was standing just at the shoreline, looking a picture of surprised innocence whilst Eachan and his fellow cubs laughed loudly at the fallen boy. “You insolent little…”

 “Whoa, dude, sorry,” Jack quickly stammered out, dropping the bucket and holding up his hands, “I was aiming for Eachan, but he moved! I didn’t see you there.”

 “Liar!” Glenn snarled, stepping forward with his teeth bared in anger, “I’ll put you back in your place, you filthy little…”

 A large hand grabbed onto the back of Glenn’s t-shirt to haul him back a few steps and then promptly drop him down to the muddy ground once again. Michael stood tall and strong, his eyes piercing through to the boy on the ground as he folded his arms across his chest, clearly not pleased by the way his silver ears had flattened themselves. “We do not growl at pack mates for innocent accidents, Glenn, you know that.”

 “He threw water at me!” Glenn accused, pointing towards Jack who was half hidden behind Suzanne’s protective stance. “He had no right to do such a thing.”

 “Jack was playing in the water with the cubs and splashing them, as he said,” Michael stated back, just keeping his anger in check, “It was simply a case of mistiming as Eachan did move out of the way of the water. Maybe if you weren’t trying to leer at my daughter you would have noticed and offered to assist or else gone to find your own place to bathe before tonight.”

 For a second Glenn seemed to be this close to answering back or arguing further but he quickly backed down, whimpering a little, “I’m sorry, I meant no disrespect and I was merely talking to…”

 “I don’t want to know,” Michael cut in, “I want you to go back to your hut and think about what you have done before going about your assigned duties. Just because you present tonight, it does not mean that you can act rudely towards anyone in this pack, boy and if I see you doing so again today, I will ensure that you present alone. Do I make myself clear?”

 Glenn nodded and stood up, bowing before retreating away with his tail firmly between his legs. Though he did send a snarl towards Jack as he passed, quiet and as threatening as possible but the Trion merely remained in his position behind Suzanne. Which did look a little funny given their respective heights.

 Once the offender was out of sight, Michael turned back towards the two cubs and nodded with a knowing little smirk on his features before setting off to see to the cubs who were finally behaving themselves for their respective mothers.

 Suzanne let out a breath that she was not aware that she had been holding, “What did you do to piss him off so early this morning?”

 Jack shrugged, “He’s always pissed off at me. Especially when I deliberately stop him from leering at you.”

 The girl raised a slender eyebrow up towards him, “You deliberately stopped him?”

 “Of course,” Jack smirked back, “He was making you uncomfortable, like he does all the girls, so I made sure to give him something else to leer at.”

 “By throwing river water at him?” the words were deadpanned back at him.

 “Would have thrown the bucket at him if I hadn’t noticed your Daddy watching from the treeline,” Jack murmured lightly into her ear, “But you know how crazy it can be playing with cubs.”

 Playfully pushing the much taller figure back into the water, Suzanne snorted, “As if I need your protection, you wouldn’t even go up against Glenn if you had the opportunity.”

 Instead of replying, Jack just picked up the bucket once again and threw some water at Suzanne with a cheeky grin on his face. The girl looked shocked for a second, not believing the audacity before grabbing a nearby sponge and charging after the already running male. “Just you wait until I catch you, Jack! I’m going to really clean your tongue out with soap!”

 Laughing, Jack kept wading through the water, knowing that she would catch up easily enough because he was allowing her to do so. As they tumbled under the water, the Trion took the opportunity of disorientation to pull their bodies flush together and place a kiss onto the girls’ lips. “I would fight Glenn for you any day, I’d fight anyone who tried to take you away from me who did not deserve you. I could just never tell you that because you’re destined for someone far more important and worthwhile than me.”

Handy as we're going into lockdown again

Give me something to do on my evenings off

Im mega happy with it and its so cute

Hows everyones Nanowrimo going?

Summary -  Kris is an alpha. An alpha with Eleven Omegas to find, love, protect and cherish for all his life. One he already has by his side, his second is not too far away and the rest are waiting for him in the big wide world. But there are those who are jealous, those who want to hurt his omegas and they'll do anything to cause harm. Though it's never a good idea to mess with the big bad wolf.

Chapter 1

 Rain thundered down onto the muddy ground below his bare feet, but Kris could barely notice the feeling of dirt as he strode boldly through the gathered circle of alphas. All of them were jeering loudly, making rude comments or else laughing and it made him feel sick to the core for reasons that he could not explain.  

 A clap of thunder had been the thing to awaken him on this dreary night, but it was the noise of these hapless idiots that had made him unable to fall back asleep. For the first few minutes anyway, when his senses were still clogged with the confusion of a disturbed sleep, and then the lingering remains of a flu which had seen the alpha bedridden and confined for the past week. Thankfully, much to Kris’s relief, the symptoms of the flu were finally fading even though they desperately clung to his nose and eyes like leeches, and it gave him a chance to be able to figure out just why the virtually all of the alphas he was forced to share a dorm with were jeering loudly in the middle of the night. During a freaking storm too.

 Once his confused senses had actually caught up with him however, all thoughts of simply pulling the blankets over his head and snuggling back into the pillows, as it was two thirty in the morning, zapped straight out into the rainy night to be gobbled up by the booming thunder and flashing lightening. There was a very sweet smell on the air, one of green tea and orange blossoms that was refreshing and heavenly, but it was infused with a desperation, a spike of musk that allured the senses to salivate. An omega, in heat, smelling absolutely divine. Normally Kris would not be bothered by such a smell, he was one of the few alphas who could honestly be standing right next to any omega who was going into heat with a clear head to be able to get them to safety. Kris never let the sweet enticing smell drive his wolf mad with sudden desire or an unbending will to take the omega without their consent. Many gave him hell because of it, but he could care less about alphas who fucked around with omegas like they were nothing more than precious playthings for them to use and throw away.

 The sweet smell wasn’t what had Kris leaving the warmth of his bed either, to walk barefoot out into the middle of the courtyard where all the stupidly loud, jeering alphas were. There was something far more pressing in that moment and it virtually blinded him to everything else.

 Whilst he knew that he would find an omega in heat in the middle of the jeering alphas and would have probably gone to help them regardless of the situation, the reason why he was shoving his way through the crowd of thick headed beasts was simply the fact that over all the noise, over all the sweet enticing smells, there was one dominating emotion which ripped the alpha’s heart out. The omega in the middle of all these bastards was completely and utterly devastated. Humiliated, degraded, injured, helpless and calling out for help in the tiniest voice imaginable that went unheard by all the leering, horny slobs that were prowling around him like he was a lamb to the slaughter. None of them cared that the omega was hurt or needed to be taken away from all this madness, they only cared about getting laid and that sickened Kris.

 Grabbing hold of someone’s arm, he could care less who the alpha was, Kris shoved him roughly to the side, causing him to crash into a couple of others. “Hey arsehole!” the alpha shouted, “Wait your turn. You’ll get a piece of the little rat soon enough.”

 Kris turned to give the offender a glare, satisfied immensely when the speakers face fell naturally into a look of terror as he quickly stepped back. It was a fool who took on Kris, the cold bitch-faced alpha known to be one of the toughest in the school. He was Captain of the Basketball team, Vice-President of the School Council and rumoured to be the Principles nephew. He towered over most of the alphas in the school, standing at six foot two with broad shoulders and a build that hid most of his strength. He was sculpted like an Adonis, breathtakingly beautiful with dark eyes and his hair dyed a dark blond and always styled up away from his head to add to his already impressive appearance. He was sharp, quick witted and took no prisoners if someone were to piss him off.

 More of the alphas turned away and stepped aside when they felt Kris approaching them, his aura giving them plenty of warning that he was coming and the ones who were too caught up in juvenile emotions, quickly learnt to pay attention when a good hard shove would send them either into one of the other alphas bodies or else the muddy floor. The noise levels had dropped drastically, replaced by frantic whispers of his name and a feeling of worry passing through most of the assembled idiots. Good Kris thought to himself as he strode forward, ignoring the freezing rain which was pelting down his bare back and torso, exposing his muscles and the scars of several fights he had gotten into recently. At least these pups are finally beginning to learn something.

 Now that most of the vile jeering had stopped, it was easier to hear the terrified whimpers of the omega in the centre of the ring and smell the blood.

 Anger boiled at Kris’s very being as he pushed through the few lingering alphas who seemed to be frozen in shock at his appearance. He saw one pulling himself up slowly from a prone figure on the floor, thankfully still clothed and the alpha slightly raised his hands up before stepping away. Kris snarled as the other opened his mouth to say something, “Get away. All of you.”

 There was a beat of silence. “Now!”

 Some of the alphas scurried away in haste, others skulked like boys who had been caught stealing from the cookie jar but three remained. One he wasn’t worried about, having noticed his late arrival in wolf form with pieces of bloodied rope sticking to his limbs and a gaunt that suggested he had been drugged but a fierce determination to rip someone apart right this second. The grey wolf bristled with rage and anger, snarling threats but still too far gone. The second to remain was the one who had been over the distressed omega, his submissive stance was unusual for an alpha however and Kris noted that he was actually quite small and delicate looking with curly hair and eyes that normally shone softly but were filled with anger and fear right now. Kris had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he knew the other but could not place him right at that moment in time.

 Though he didn’t really care as clearly whoever the boy was, he wanted to protect the omega on the floor so that was fine. Kris turned his attention to the only alpha to remain and he snarled. “I gave you an order.”

 “I heard it, but I’m not going to go,” the man replied, a smirk on his lips and Kris had to resist the urge to immediately pounce on the speaker. Deng Yi was the lower schools class president but the way he acted; anyone would think that he was the Student Council President. He was young, spoilt, extremely cocky and took no orders from anyone other than those in his family and if he wanted something, virtually all of the student body would give into him because he could make life very difficult for anyone if he felt like it. “That little omega bitch is in heat, if you hadn’t noticed and there’s only one way to deal with it. So, I’m going to take it whilst I’m here.”

 A whimper came from the omega behind, soft, full of fear and humiliation and a desperate plea to be taken away from this nightmare. Kris glanced back over his shoulder to find himself meeting pair of the softest brown eyes he had ever seen, with small little flecks of yellow in them to make it appear that the omegas eyes would sparkle in the sunlight. The boy was covered in mud, had bite marks and bruises visible on his face and was weeping silently as he clung to the fully clothed boy who had previously been covering him. Kris felt his heartbeat heavily in his chest before turning back towards Deng Yi with a growl, “You’ll fuck off before I kick your tail from here to the other side of school to dump it on the doorstep of your brother.”

 Deng Yi snorted a laugh towards him, “I ain’t afraid of you, Wu, that omega is mine tonight and you can’t stop me.”

 Anger rose up in Kris’s throat, a growl deep a powerful slipping past his lips only once before he charged forward toward the smirking bastard. He didn’t care about the politics of the school right now, he only wanted to make sure that this bastard couldn’t inflict any pain on the already distressed omega and if he had to face expulsion from the school for it, then so be it.

 Clothes tore from his body as he changed, his wolf blending into the storm with its grey and white fur before barrelling headfirst into Deng Yi. A snap of jaws nearly claimed the others smirk before he too turned into a wolf of plain dark grey and snapped straight back at him. Claws tore against flesh, teeth snapped and clashed whilst hard bodies danced back and forth in an attempt to overpower one another. Deng Yi was quick and agile, able to dodge quickly and think fast but lacked the ability to keep track of what was going on around him, which allowed the only other alpha who had turned up with ropes on his body to slam into his side and send him scuttling into one of the fences. The wood cracked and splintered with the impact, but Kris took the opportunity to pounce along with the other wolf, who was a light russet colour and pinned Deng Yi down.

 Sharp teeth dug into Kris’s right hand leg, breaking through the flesh to drawn blood and in return Kris snapped off the others ear before latching his jaws around the others neck. It took a full minute for Deng Yi to go down, the circulation of oxygen to his brain cut off but not enough to kill him but it still felt like an eternity.

 The two alphas remained on top of the downed wolf for a moment or two longer, ensuring that he wasn’t about to jump up and sneak attack them from behind before both let go and moved back. They heaved great gusts of air out into the night air, before stepping back further and transforming into their human forms. Almost immediately clothes were flung their way and neither boy said a word as they pulled them on, but they kept their heads down. Two more alphas had joined them, but these two were alphas who held the real authority over the school. The Headmaster, Han Geng and the Student President, Zhou Mi.

 Han Geng was the first to speak, “What happened here?”

 “Someone worked out that there were omegas due to go into heat,” Kevin spoke up immediately, hoping up his bruised and rope burned wrists. “They must have drugged my food or my drink because I came too tied up in the bathhouse around the back. They had cut off all the call points and the emergency call points and taken my phone so I could only follow the smell of blood and ended up here.” Kevin Shin was a young mated alpha who was one of the regular guards around the omega dorms. He was a force to be dealt with as he was trained in all aspects of his job to be virtually an indestructible force. So, for him to be taken out like that meant someone really wanted to get involved with omegas. “When I got here, it appeared that Wu had ordered most of the alphas away, but Deng Yi refused and said that he would take the omega regardless of the order to leave. Wu warned him again, but he refused and then a fight broke out between them.”

 Feeling the heavy eyes land on him, Kris just about managed to keep his tone polite because he could still feel the distress coming off in waves from the wounded omega and something was telling him that he had to get over to him now. “I got woken up by the storm and heard a commotion outside. I would have left it if not for the smell of a distressed omega and I went to investigate. They were gathered around him like a filthy pack of degenerates and I could smell that someone had hurt him, but I couldn’t tell you who and I went to get there but then…”

 “Enough with the yapping!” a deep female voice yelled from across the courtyard, “Deng Yi is a sick twat who got what was coming to him.” Amber sounded as fierce as she ever did, her blue eyes blazing with fury. “Wu, get your ass over here right now!”

 Not one to argue with the Head Omega in the slightest, Kris picked himself up and hurried across to her, though he wasn’t exactly sure as to why. The Head Omega was clearly pissed off, but her eyes softened considerably as he reached her. Long slender fingers caught his right arm, causing the alpha to hiss in pain which was drowned out by the loud clicking of tongue against teeth. Amber shook her head, “That’s going to leave a scar.”

 Kris just pulled his arm lightly away from the omega, not meaning to cause any offense but now that he was this close to the injured and humiliated omega, protective instincts had kicked in and he knelt down in the mud to gather the weeping boy into his embrace. “Oh gods,” he whispered lightly, pulling the shivering boy closer as he naturally curled up into the familiar protective warmth, “Oh my…I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry.”

 A hiccup was his response, the thin arms wrapping around his neck as more tears continued to flow down from the sweet brown eyes. Long black hair, which was usually as soft as silk was mattered with mud and rough to the touch whilst the tears would not stop. The slender frame was exposed to the cruel elements of the night as only a school shirt remained clinging to the body which offered next to no protection in the slightest. The boy’s bare legs, which were long and graceful and perfect for a dancer with just a little extra build around the thigh which Kris always found adorable, were starkly white in the moonlight, allowing the streaks of red to glisten like knives.

 Guilt ate up the alpha in that moment, all those promises that he made, all the times that he had said he would never allow this precious omega to get hurt and here he was, offering what little comfort he could in the nights sky. Tears of shame built up in his eyes, he couldn’t believe for a moment that he had been so foolish to allow this to happen. It shouldn’t have happened under his watch, it shouldn’t have happened to any omega, never mind one of his own. His precious little dancer, his beautiful Yixing was now crying in his arms after being hurt by another and it made him feel weak and dishonest.

 A growl tore from his lips when a sudden pain shot through his neck and he turned with a snap of his jaws, only to see Zhou Mi standing over him with a small patch in his fingers. “Don’t feel no guilt, Wu, they got to you too.”

 Kris frowned before reaching for the patch, snatching it out of the other hands and softly turning it over. The word ‘blocker’ was the only thing he really managed to discern in the grim light provided by a nearby lamp that was virtually doused out because of the rain. Disgust made him instantly throw it away with another growl whilst shaking his head, “I should be better than this.”

 Zhou Mi sat on his haunches next to him, “Kris, don’t think of it now. Go take care of Yixing, that is your main priority right now.”

 Turning his dark eyes to his student president, Kris took a calming breath before nodding his head towards the other and gently looked down at Yixing. “Baobei,” he whispered.

 “I know,” Yixing murmured back softly, “Only you.”

 Pressing a kiss to the top of Yixing’s head, Kris carefully scooped the fragile boy into a bridal hold in order to keep him as close to the warmth of his body, as well as lessen any possible pain that could be running through the youngers body right now. He once again nearly jumped out of his skin when another figure approached him, but he was quick to recover when he realised that it was an omega approaching with a blanket to cover Yixing. Though Kris was quick to blink his surprise as he realised that the small framed man in front of him was the alpha who had been covering Yixing when he arrived on the scene. Now that he could clearly see him, he realised that the curly haired boy was in fact Luhan, the omega Captain of the Football team who looked to be a delicate little flower but was as tough as nails.

 Kris bowed his head towards the other, “Thank you.”

 Luhan smiled shyly, looking a mixture between exhausted and upset. For a second Kris was sure that he wanted to say something, something important but instead he shook his head and sighed a little before focusing on his task of making sure the blanket was wrapped carefully around Yixing’s shivering body. “Take good care of him.”

 Kris nodded, “I will. I owe you a huge debt of gratitude and I’ll return the favour anyway I can.”

 Stepping around the omega, Kris started off towards the bath house, his attention now focused solely on Yixing so he did not see Luhan silently wrap his arms around his frame caught between feeling elation at finally being noticed, or despair that he already knew the alpha of his dreams was captured by another omega who was far more sweeter than he could ever hope to be. Amber stepped up to her fellow omega and hugged him, “Give it time, have a little patience and you’ll see what you can’t yet.”

 “I feel so happy for them,” Lu Ham replied, hiccupping back the tears, “I love seeing them together…by my heart hurts Jiejie, it hurts so much at the same time.”

 Amber sighed and guided Luhan away, noting that Han Geng and Zhou Mi were towering over Deng Yi and lightly shook her head. She kept her thoughts to herself for the time being and headed back to the omega dorm with Luhan. This was not the time to get embroiled in anything more dangerous than what had already happened tonight, and she was pretty sure that Luhan would not wish to witness the punishment that would be inflicted upon the young alpha. Though it wouldn’t be half as bad as the one which would be delivered to the one who had hurt Kris’s omega, that would be a brutal beating indeed.  

 The bathhouse was thankfully warm and smelt fresh and inviting which was a relief to the senses. Now that they were both out of the rain, Kris could smell the heat that had enticed the alphas so much clinging to his beloved omega and lightly he kissed the top of the other head. “I don’t want to ask but…”

 “They didn’t,” Yixing said, sniffling a little as he curled closer to his alpha, “their claws just caught me when they…” The pause was accompanied by a shiver and the lithe dancer leaned closer to his alpha, taking the comfort that he could from the familiar warm scent. “ripped my clothes off.”

 Kris sighed, knowing that his beloved omega could never tell a lie and plus he would probably see the truth of the matter soon enough anyway. “Who did it?”

 Yixing shook his head, clinging quietly to the other as shivers began to rock through his body. Kris took a steadying breath, “Xing, who dared to touch you?”

 Tears welled up in the other eyes and he whimpered just a little. Kris shifted his position a little so that he could place his long fingers under the others chin and tilt his head upwards to look him straight in the eye. He didn’t even need to open his mouth to state the same question once again before Yixing blurted, “If I say they’ll just hurt Luhan and I can’t…”

 “Right,” Kris said softly, leaning forward to press a kiss to Yixing’s lips in order to calm him down. “I get you, don’t worry. Luhan won’t be hurt.”

 Yixing stared at Kris, his eyes wide and disbelieving for a second before he melted under a gently hand caressing the back of his neck. “I’ll deal with them quietly and if they so much as hurt a hair on the top of Luhan’s head then I’ll kick their arses so hard.”

 The omegas hands latched onto the alpha’s shirt, “Please, don’t. Just leave them be.”

 “Yixing,” Kris started.

 “No, hear me out,” Yixing stated, shaking his head. “If you know really know who they are, and what they can do you’ll stay away for me. Because if you do something to them, they’ll get you kicked out and unable to return and then neither of us will be safe.”

 A deep sigh escaped from Kris’s lips, before he leaned forward to place his forehead on to the omegas, “So selfless, my love.”

 “So selfish,” Yixing replied, shuddering a little more, “I want you here by my side always, I want to know that I can call you to me no matter what happens and if they send you away…where would that leave me?”

 Gently brushing the long strands of hair out of the others face, Kris looked down at his omega who by rights should have been screaming the place down with what had just potentially happened to him and demanding to know where he had been because he had just basically failed as a protective alpha. Yet here Yixing was, sharing all the love in his beautiful heart and thinking about the consequences of not taming the wild beast. Kris knew fine well who had attempted to hurt his omega, and there would have to be some form of retribution dealt by him because it was his right to do so, but it was true that if he got expelled then he would be thrown to the human city miles away and would probably never make it back to the protected school that they attended. That would leave Yixing and Luhan in great peril as they were two of the most desired omegas in the school and whilst everyone was jealous of the fact that Kris had clearly caught the primary’s affections, there were many alphas who were determined to claim Luhan before his marked pair could snatch them away.

 Kris just wished that the other omega would deem to talk to him for five minutes, instead of shying away every time he tried to approach the football captain, so he could show him that there was nothing to fear or feel guilty about; but even though Luhan was clearly infatuated with him, he was being the good omega he was supposed to be and staying away so as not to jeopardise Yixing’s chance with him.

 However, what Luhan didn’t know was that Kris was already wearing Luhan’s mark on his right arm. Just below Yixing’s unicorn, was a series of circles held within an infinity sign and it had only been by accident that the pair had realised that it was Luhan’s mark. All omegas bore their own distinct mark, it was invisible until just before their first heat and even then it merely appeared to be an area of extremely dry skin that appeared on the corresponding body part of where their future alpha would have an identical mark. The mark went through several phases, the first being the dry skin form where it was not really possible to form an idea of what the mark looked like, the second was a more defined shaping to the dryness of the skin, the third phase would see the dry skin smooth and turn an very light alternative shade to the natural skin colour of the omega which usually meant that they had met their mate but not fully connected with them and then finally the colour pigment would become stronger and the mark completely defined to signify that their mate had been found and they had been joined together symbolically as soul mates.

 Yixing had a unicorn on his right hand shoulder, in the same spot at Kris did on his and over the last month the dry itchy skin had been replaced by a more dark and defined skin that was smooth on both their bodies as they had connected. Luhan’s mark had only appeared around a month ago, still incredibly light and little undefined but there. Yixing had squealed on the day when he realised who the mark had belonged to, having helped the football captain with a sprained shoulder, but insofar neither he nor Kris had been able to catch Luhan alone to talk things over.

 Whilst omegas did not get their marks until their first heat, alphas bore the dry patches of skin from the age of twelve onwards and Kris was rather unique. In total, Kris had eleven patches of dry skin on both his arms. Five on his right and six on his left. When they had first appeared, it was thought that he had reaction to a new bathing product, but it later transpired that the young alpha was destined to have eleven mates. Eleven omegas to look after and protect. Not an easy feat to begin even contemplating, but something that strangely always drove the young alpha onwards because he knew that he was going to have to be one of the best alphas in the entire world to just cope with that number of omegas, never mind love them all and ensure their safety and happiness.

 Which was why guilt eating at him heavily when he heard Yixing begin to hiccup as tears slipped once again from his eyes. Gently the alpha pulled the omega into a hug and pressed kisses to his head, doing nothing more than holding onto the other for the time being and allowing the omega to deal with this horrible situation in the way that he wanted to deal with it. There was still rage in his heart, a primal urge to go and rip the monsters head off who had dared to use vile trickery to touch his omega, but it could wait. His primary concern right now was to ensure that Yixing was going to be fine and revenge could come later.

 The bath was filled with fresh water from the hot springs and Kris very gently peeled the school shirt away from Yixing’s skin, after the omega had stopped shaking so much. If he hadn’t been so concerned with trying to protect the other, ensure that he was comfortable and doing perfectly fine, Kris probably wouldn’t have been caught off guard by the others sudden sharp movements. Whilst caught up in his guilt at failing to protect Yixing, Kris had forgotten that his first omega was in heat and even though maybe now wasn’t the right time for anything to be happening, lips found one another in a needful exchange.

 At first it was just simple pecks, which became longer and slowly had the pair twisting their heads to the side so that their noses didn’t clonk together painfully, before tongues slowly got involved. It was slow, passionate and explorative as neither alpha nor omega had ever really kissed this way before but that didn’t matter in the slightest. Yixing let out a little moan when he felt Kris’s large hands slip down his bare back, twisting his body into a much easier position and responded in turn by tugging at the alpha’s shirt. “Kris…” he moaned breathily, his hips cantering forward on their own accord which made the other instinctively reach out to support his thighs and buttocks.

 “Yixing,” Kris somehow just about managed to restrain himself, though it was extremely difficult with the deft little fingers pulling open every button on the shirt that he was wearing accompanied by devilishly little caresses from the sinful fingers. “You’re hurt and someone just…”

 “I know, Kris!” Yixing snapped, his watery eyes glaring into Kris’s, “Believe me I know! But I’m not going to let them win.” His voice was filled with such a determination, such conviction that it was extremely frightening to behold. “I’m in heat, they tried to rape me, but they didn’t and now all I want is you to take away the fear and loathing in myself because you’re my alpha. My one and only and even if I have to share you in the future, right now, I just want you.”

 Kris felt his heart pounding in his chest, those words meaning so much on so many levels, but he knew that he couldn’t push things too far. Carefully he raised his hands to Yixing’s face, caressing his tear stained cheeks with his thumbs before leaning forward to kiss the other again. “I know. I know and understand that my love. But I’m not going to hurt you. I love you too much for that.”

 The omega shuddered as more tears threatened to fall, despair in his reaction but Kris knew that this was the heat taking over Yixing’s brain and making the omega think irrationally. His beautiful Yixing, who had so much love to share that he hardly ever gave into his base desires was currently in a state of shock, having been brutalised and hurt and thrown into a rollercoaster of emotions due to a naturally occurring set of hormones that generally spelt trouble for even the strongest of omegas. Kris wasn’t the type to go abusing his position as an alpha at the best of times, he was certainly not going to allow himself to hurt his omega any further than he had been tonight, but he wasn’t going to leave him feeling alone and unloved.

 “I’m going to help you, Yixing. I’m going to tend to the wounds on your body, I’m going to clear away the dirt and grime and I’m going to wrap you up in the safest part of the school and make sure that no one but me comes near you,” he paused for a fraction of a second, “Well excluding anyone who I deem safe enough to help, and when this madness has passed, then we’ll talk about what exactly we are to do next.”

 The omega blinked repeatedly at him, before breaking down into a new set of tears and threw himself around the alpha as he cried unashamedly. It was so tempting to follow through with what their bodies wanted, to breed the other like the desperate omega he was but Kris wasn’t going to do such a terrible thing. Yixing’s body was ready but his mind was scattered, shocked, frightened and the blond haired alpha wasn’t going to allow himself to mate someone who could easily break whenever they got intimate. Yixing would claim that it would never happen, that the events of the night wouldn’t affect him, but it would only be an idiot who would believe something like that. Sexual assault could not be fixed simply by throwing yourself at an alpha whom you trusted with all your heart. It would only add insult to injury and Kris was not going to have it. Especially if he were going to spend the rest of his life with Yixing. He wanted the day they mated to be special, to be filled with joy and sweetly spoken promises. Not rushed and frantic knee-jerk reactions to something terrible that had happened.

 Though Kris would provide Yixing with all the kisses that he needed, because at the moment it was about the only thing that was keeping him grounded.

 Judging that the omega was in a state that could be considered to be relaxed enough, Kris gently stood up and carried the injured male over to a bench before gently coaxing him to lie on his front. Softly he pulled the blanket away from the skin, apologising quietly at the whimpers which came from the other as some of the fabric had stuck to the wounds. There was a lot of blood, more than he had initially expected there to be and the alpha bit back a growl before carefully picking up a bucket and filling it with water from the bath. He grabbed a spare washcloth, just in time to hear a polite knock at the door. A frown filtered onto his face but there was a smell of an omega on the opposite side so he lightly patted Yixing head and headed across.

 Luhan was once again in his line of vision, looking a little on the bedraggled side as he held out a small box with what appeared to be a selection of supplies from the infirmary, some clean towels and a few other bits and pieces. He blushed brightly at seeing the alpha and looked down, “I…I thought…you would need these. For Yixing.”

 “Thank you,” Kris said, feeling his heart go out to the other as it was clear that he had barely taken any care of himself. Was it a trait of all omegas to care so much about others that they would neglect themselves? [1]

 The blush did not fade any less, and once again Kris knew that Luhan wasn’t able to find the words that he probably needed to speak. Though a sweet smell of lavender and freshly ground coffee did reach Kris’s nose and kicked his alpha senses into overdrive. “Erm, you wouldn’t be able to get us some food and clothes, would you? We should be in the huts by the time you get back…”

 Luhan blinked, looking very much like a deer caught in headlights and boy did the wolf inside Kris want to pounce so badly. Whether he would admit it or not, the other looked adorable and it was only the smell of blood that was literally stopping anything else from occurring because he couldn’t see any open wounds on Luhan. Thankfully, however the omega managed a nod in reply and looked down, exposing a large bruise on his neck. Within the space of a heartbeat, Kris was right next to the omega, hand gently caressing the wounded flesh as more rage built up and there was a sudden shiver to the omega that had the alphas’ guts twisting in fear.

 Disguised by the mud and poor lighting earlier, Kris has not noticed that Luhan’s uniform was askew and dirty, plus some of it did not belong to the fragile looking boy in the slightest. There were several bruises forming on his face, similar to the ones that Yixing was sporting in addition to the one on his neck and there was blood on the pale skin of Luhan’s feet. Feeling the omega shiver again, Kris looked up to see someone who was so close to the point of breaking down that he just knew that he couldn’t leave him alone.

 “Don’t!” Luhan said, pulling back suddenly, “Please don’t.”

 “Luhan…” Kris started

 The scared omega shook his head, “I should have stayed away. I shouldn’t have come! I’m sorry, please, please…just forget about this…forget about me…”

 “Luhan!” Kris tried again, dropping the supplies as he stepped after the shivering boy.

 “No! No, please…I can’t, it’ll break his heart!” Luhan was sobbing now, shaking so badly, “I promised and I…” He turned to run, knowing that he shouldn’t have followed Amber’s advice. It was a mistake to come so close to the pair, even he could smell the warmth and love between them. Who was he to even think that he could take that away or even stand a chance?

 All the words which should have been spoken were suddenly gone, evaporated from the tip of his tongue as the pink curly haired omega found himself in a warm, tight embrace. The muscled chest was matched with powerful arms and large hands that safely engulfed his tiny frame. The hold was secure, tight, protective and loving. Luhan immediately felt as though he could just fall asleep here, safe every single night with no more fears or worries because he had finally found what he wanted. His wolf cooed and rubbed up against Yifan’s larger one, feeling safe, protected and part of the family.

 The slight creak of the door to the bath house broke the spell and Luhan’s eyes opened wide in fear as he realised what he had just done. How could he be so foolish, how could he have allowed this to happen. Yixing was going to hate him. He was stealing the others alpha from right under his nose, on a truly terrible night, and it just wasn’t right or fair in the slightest.

 “Geeze,” Yixing’s soft voice, slightly muffled to Luhan’s ears because Kris had not let go, “You really think too much, you know that Luhan?”

 Peeking up at the other, as Yixing was standing unsteadily in the doorway with just the blanket the other omega had provided him with earlier, Luhan expected there to be some kind of hatred in the other’s eyes, or some kind of retribution or demand for him to let go of his lover. Instead he was greeted with a strained smile before delicate fingers prodded at Kris’s side with a whine of, “Let me in too.”

 Luhan could only blink in complete shock and confusion as Kris raised his arm to pull the other omega into his chest, thankful Yixing had wrapped himself back up in the blanket once again and smiled down at the two who were now resting exactly where they were supposed to be. Luhan still looked completely lost and confused, downright terrified even but wasn’t attempting to run away which was a good thing. Though with the warmth that was surrounding them all, Kris wasn’t surprised. Yixing smiled warmly at Luhan, running his fingers down his cheek even with the tears that were in his eyes, “There we are, right where we’re both supposed to be.”

 “What?” Luhan managed to ask softly, sounding completely unsure of this whole situation which quite frankly, Kris didn’t blame him for.

 However, a sudden rumble of thunder had him sighing and with strength that even he was surprised at, Kris leant down to hook his arms underneath both of his omega’s knees and hoist them up so that they could technically rest on his hips. Both boys immediately shrieked at that action, gripping tightly onto his neck and shoulders as the alpha carried them back into the bath house.

 “Healing, bath, food, sleep and explanations in the morning,” Kris said sternly, though his heart was beating extremely happily in his head as the door clicked closed.

 Only to be opened thirty seconds later when the alpha ducked out into the storm to gather the supplies that Luhan had brought along. Kris could only hope that it would be enough to deal with two injured omegas.

“Congratulations, Kyung,” the midwife said, emerging from the room carrying two bundles, “You have twin boys.”

 Letting a smile grace his lips, Kyung accepted the two children and felt his heart race with a new layer of love and affection as he stared down at his two boys, Nathaniel and Theodore. Adamira was sure to be proud of them because even though they were only a few hours old, they bore the darker colouring of their heritage and were already a good and healthy weight. Looking up to the midwife with his golden eyes, Kyung nodded, “Go back to her, I know that she’s still in pain and will need your assistance.”

 Without pausing to ask any frivolous questions, the plump woman nodded and headed back into the room where the sounds of his summoner’s moans came through a whole lot clearer. It took every last ounce of his willpower to remain where he was and not go rushing to her side because as both her guardian and demon he could literally feel the pain that she was in. His beautiful wife still had another child to bare them that night and they both knew that it could result in a very dark time for all of them.

 To distract himself however, he looked down at his two boys who were happily snuggling against his warmth and let the smile that had been on his face grow. If anyone had ever told him that one day he would become a father then he would have probably laughed at them and said that they were insane but here they were, his first two boys and he couldn’t be more proud of the fact.

 “She wasn’t lying when she said that you would make a good father,” Jahan’s voice cut into the relative silence of the room, “You’re wearing the smile of a man whose very proud of his work.”

 Kyung nodded towards the elder demon, “Did you wear the same smile then?”

 The red eyes cast downwards slowly, a sign that Jahan was trying to hide from the memories of the past as much as possible even though they may bring temporary joy, “Maybe, I don’t remember.”

 Letting out a light chuckle, Kyung shifted the bundles and looked towards the half ice and shadow demon, “Don’t you want to hold them?” his tone was playfully mocking, almost as if he already knew exactly what the other would do, “Since technically speaking they are your first grandchildren.”

 Glaring at the younger man, Jahan clipped him firmly around the back of the head, “Cheeky little scamp...” his eyes fell onto the boys and a sudden softness took over the usually cold and harsh features. Almost as if he were half afraid to do so, Jahan plucked one of the boys out of Kyung’s arms and held him lightly. The babe immediately began to wriggle as if he knew instinctively that he was not in the arms of a parent but Jahan just lightly ran his long fingers over the child’s nose and immediately the child stilled. Jahan laughed, “You used to do the exact same thing when you were a baby Kyung...” the dark eyes blinked back a series of tears, determined to not let them fall, “What are they names?”

 “This is Nathaniel,” Kyung said, indicating the boy that he was holding in his arms, “and you’re holding Theodore.”

 Jahan blinked in surprise, “Theodore?”

 Kyung nodded, “Yes. Me and Adamira agreed on the names before they were born. We’re waiting on our daughter coming into the world.”

 Sitting down suddenly, Jahan almost seemed to pale but he looked down at the little baby in his arms with a new sense of purpose and understanding. “Does she know of him?” Jahan asked quietly, almost as if he were too scared to even speak the words aloud.

 Kyung nodded, “Like I would never tell her the stories of my adventures with my big brother.”

 Jahan smirked a little, “He never remembered did he?”

 “Not yet,” Kyung said with a fond grin, “But there again, neither did I until you happened to find us on that day.”

 The ice demon nodded towards the wind one sitting opposite him, “Nova did say that it would be like that. Oh and drop the technical crap too, I’m their Grandfather regardless of the fact that you’re not my blood son. Nova wouldn’t ever let me live it down if I were to put up with that garbage.”

 Kyung nodded in understanding of the demons words, “I understand Father.”

 “Gah, don’t call me that,” Jahan pouted, “You make me sound like an old man.”

 “You are an old man,” Kyung said cheekily back, just ducking a tissue that was thrown at his head, “What, it’s the truth.”

 Jahan would have argued the latter point that it wasn’t when he felt Theodore shifting in his arms and stared down at the boy once again, carefully repositioning him before blinking as an earlier part of the conversation came creeping into his mind. “Wait, daughter?”

 Kyung nodded, “Yes. We’re due a daughter as well this evening...it’s why they brought these two out of the room so that they don’t get distressed.”

 The demon paled, if such a thing was possible with his already extremely pale skin even after nearly forty years or so in the sunlight of the human realm, “A daughter?”

 “Yes,” Kyung smiled, “Ayana.”

 Jahan looked distinctly worried, “You’ve not really ever dealt with a female demon before have you?”

 “Half,” Kyung said automatically, “Her mother is human, the same for these two.”

 “They’re mother is a summoner, there’s a difference,” Jahan said slowly, glancing towards the door, “Female demons are nothing like us, Kyung, they’re-“

 “Dad,” Kyung tried the word out for the first time, hoping to calm the other down, “We’re not in hell and they won’t be brought up in any style similar to that place. I promise you, my sons and daughters will not be violent and disgusting because both myself and Ada were not brought up that way in the slightest. Plus you have to admit, that even you managed to raise a child to not be overly aggressive.”

 “You never really managed to piss Theo off did you?” Jahan asked, shaking his head.

 Their conversation was cut short by the sudden screams that came from the birthing room. Kyung was immediately on his feet, handing Nathaniel over to Jahan who took the boy without complaint and was in the room before anyone could have thought to stop him. Though it would be a fool who would dare to try to do such a thing as everyone knew that Kyung would defend and protect Adamira until his very last breath. Something which Jahan always felt that he had failed to do with Nova.

 Letting out a sigh, the ice and shadow demon looked down at his two grandsons and let himself be washed over with the feeling of joy and contentment. Here he was a denizen of hell who was supposed to know nothing but pain, anarchy and misery almost reduced to tears by the sight of two new infants who were gently resting in his arms as if they were meant to be there. He couldn’t help but find it somehow just a little ironic given everything that he had ever done and the failures that he had made throughout his life. Still he smiled to himself, “Oh, Aodh, if only you could see this right now, you wouldn’t believe it. Actually when you get your scrawny arse here you won’t believe it but I’m sure that you’ll understand,” he shook his head, biting back a sniffle which was trying to escape from him as he smiled down towards the two boys, “I’ll protect you two though, along with your sister. Those mean men who took away my family won’t affect this one in the slightest, you mark my words and I’ll train you both up to be strong warriors, just like your Daddy but don’t go telling him that I said that because that puppy will believe it and I’ll never hear the end of it.”

 How long passed was virtually undetectable for the demon as he waited for Kyung to reappear from behind the closed door though he had to shut down his ears to the woman’s near constant screaming. Something had to be going wrong with the birth for her to be in so much pain and Jahan worried greatly for the girl, because he did not want to have to deal with a depressed demon if he lost his summoner. Aodh was bad enough, even though the shadow demon had next to no real understanding of emotions at the time, but Kyung would probably be far worse.

 Finally the door to the room opened and Jahan looked up in shock, seeing Kyung standing there with a newborn babe in his hands though it wasn’t moving in the slightest and still held the blood and bodily fluids that indicated it had just been born. “Bloody hell Kyung!” Jahan shouted, watching with growing horror as the sand dancer placed the child down on a piece of cloth near to the fire and the ice demon saw that the babe actually had small wings and was half covered in scales, “What the hell are you doing?”

 “Bringing her back from hell,” Kyung said, picking up a box from the hearth which Jahan recognised with all too clear clarity, “Her soul resides there whilst her body was born here.”

 Jahan blinked, “Just like you?”

 Kyung nodded, “Yes.” Grabbing an old, battered and well thumbed book from the top of the shelf, the wind demon scrabbled through the pages until he found exactly what he wanted and placed it down, face up before reaching into the box in order to grab a couple of the bottles which were carefully labelled and marked in very neat handwriting.

 Within a matter of minutes, the dark skinned man had the additional charms and symbols in place as he had already pre-set the blanket with the markings in order to save him some time and panic. Glancing towards the fire and the bubbling pot of water on the hook, Kyung lightly licked his lips before taking out a ladle, adding a few extra drops of something from one of the carefully marked bottles and turning to look at his daughter. For a moment fear spiked through him, wondering if this would hurt the girl in the slightest or cause her pain before remembering the fact that he couldn’t back down now. If he wanted his baby girl in his arms then he had to do this, ignore the old goat’s cries – as his adopted mother Nova herself had written in the book to him when describing her husband Jahan – and just do as he was told.

 Taking a deep breath, he poured the boiling hot contents onto the prone body and dropped the ladle quickly, pointing a finger towards the already yelling Jahan, “Not a sound out of you! Do not wake my sons.”

 Jahan quickly silenced himself but his eyes were almost fuming with a deadly malice but it was to be understood in the context. Kyung was easily under the impression that the man had not witnessed his own birth into the human realm via this method and it was harrowing enough for him to observe, let alone a newly made grandfather who was the biggest fusspot in both the realms even though he would never show it willingly.

 Placing his hands either side of his daughter’s body, Kyung leant down and whispered the words out of the book and pulled back just a little bit. His golden eyes glimmered brightly and as he stared down he saw the black portal open just underneath his daughter’s body. It was almost like having a sensation of falling yet remaining still, of being dizzy and disorientated but he knew which path that he had to follow in order to reach the required place. There were many dazzling lights and unspoken promises down this tunnel, those who were desperate enough to get out of hell without the aid of a summoner who had got trapped between the realities and were now completely crazy.

 His eyes unfocused themselves and the next thing Kyung knew he was walking down the corridor, holding onto the child and watching as those trapped in the cells screeched and jittered, made motions to grab the body that he held so delicately within his arms and called for release. The wind demon ignored them all, always keeping his eyes straight ahead of himself and not giving into any form of temptation until he reached the small plinth at the end. It was raised up on a few midnight black stairs and seemed to almost be made out of the shadows which Aodh had lived in for so long.

 No fear clouded his mind though as he spotted an familiar looking red haired figure standing waiting for him, a child held in her arms as well. He nodded towards her, “Nova.”

 “You can call me mother you know Kyung,” the woman smiled, looking towards the child in his arms, “The second I laid my eyes on you I knew what had to be done.”

 “I know,” Kyung smiled, “You were always there for us, in your own way and if you were alive I would treat you like some form of divine being.”

 Nova laughed, shaking her head, “Oh you know me. I don’t go in for such things in the slightest. Plus I would be kicking your behind from here to the outer reaches for all the hassle and tricks you’ve pulled my dear son. But I’m glad that you have found your summoner, your soul mate and your wife. I’m almost jealous of the number of children you’ll have.”

 “I’m sure Adamira would have loved to have met you,” Kyung said in response smiling and glancing down to the babe, “Now what do we do?”

 “We swap,” Nova said, handing the bundle over to Kyung and extending her hands towards the little girl that he carried, “Do not fear. They are both your daughter but unlike you they were will reside together throughout the years and she will not go through what you did.”

 Kyung nodded and handed the child over watching as almost immediately the two separate children started squirming and let out a joint cry at the same time. The noise echoed back in the strange place that they were in and the sand dancer felt as though he was suddenly smacked by a large wave of freezing water. Snapping open his eyes, the wind demon just managed to snatch his now screaming daughter from the floor as the pot of boiling water tipped over and clattered to the floor, spilling its contents over the cloth which had previously held the ruins that had been needed.

 Looking down at the withering child in his arms, Kyung couldn’t help but smile in relief as he saw his beautiful Ayana wriggling about in his fingers, the scales gone from her body but on her back were tiny wings in a soft white that resembled those of an angel and were clearly from her father. Placing a kiss to her forehead, Kyung extended his own white and purple feathers wings, wrapping them closely around his body to give the child some warmth whilst he waited on the nurse a maid rushing to find out what all of the screaming was about. “Shush, my little Ayana, my little princess,” Kyung said towards the child, pulling the child close to his chest to give her some of his own body heat, “Daddy’s here for you. You’re safe. You’ll be held by Mummy soon.”

 The door to their bedroom opened not ten seconds after and the midwife stared in complete amazement before carefully taking the child and moving back into the room to clean the girl up, “This is a miracle, a complete miracle.”

 Kyung smiled and turned his head towards Jahan, “Nova says hello and to stop being an old grumpy goat.”

 Jahan scowled, “She would. Next time you see her tell her to mind her own business.” It wasn’t hard to see the pain in his eyes though and he sighed before looking down at his two grandsons before rising, “You best take these two to their mother. I’m sure they’re all worried about one another.”

 Taking the two boys, Kyung nodded and headed into the room. Adamira was lying on the bed, looking exhausted and in desperate need of a good clean up herself but he knew that right now there were more concerns for the children. Plus the small added fact that he could heal her reduced some of that stress. His wife smiled up at him, her dark mahogany skin looking slick and shiny with sweat and her long silvery white hair was mattered and in need of a good sort out but there were more pressing matters. Kyung lent down to kiss her fine plump lips, already feeling some of her pain and discomfort lessening, “You did well my love,” he said to her.

 “My sons,” Adamira said, reaching out tiredly for the pair and cooing instantly towards them, her shimmering blue eyes taking on the gorgeous hews of mother hood as she gazed upon her first two sons, “They’re beautiful, Kyung, I would have never though...”

 Reaching forward to brush away the tears, her husband kissed her forehead and continued to heal her, “I knew that all of our children would be just as beautiful as you, my iblin,” kissing her again to silence any protests, Kyung gently nuzzled against her, “Do you want to see your daughter as well before I fully heal you?”

 “You brought her back?” Adamira asked, sounding a little on the delirious side but after all that she had been through today, Kyung was amazed that she was even able to have the strength to hold onto their two sons.

 “Yep,” Jahan cut into the conversation, “The little brat managed it all right. Here she is, all prettied up. I’ll take this big chap from you for a bit.”

 Kyung gave his adopted father a playful glare but turned his attention back to his wife who had taken hold of Ayana and was staring at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. “She’s perfect, they’re all perfect.”

 “Ayana has her wings,” Kyung said, gently shifting the blankets to show Adamira, “You were right when you predicted that she would be special.”

 “Nova said that,” Adamira smiled, leaning back against her pillows, “In her book. I didn’t want to believe her.” Tears were beginning to roll down her eyes and there was just a slight labouring to the woman’s breath.

 Without needing prompting, Kyung lightly took hold of Ayana and Theodore, placed them safely down on the bed, noting that Jahan moved quickly over to pick the pair up but not commenting on such a thing, and placed his hands on either side of Adamira’s head, “Rest now, my love, I’ll heal you and make sure that everything is how it is meant to be.”

 Adamira nodded and pressed a kiss to his lips in thanks, before allowing herself to rest back comfortably. Kyung closed his eyes and focused, allowing his own healing abilities to pass through the woman’s body and take away the pain that had been caused by giving birth to three half demon children.

Jahan watched silently from the side of the bed, his mind going back to his own love of his life and trying hard to not show any of the hurt and sadness that still lingered. Then he opted to remember the early days when Kyung came into their little family and smiled to himself, knowing that those times were precious and had been the start of something new and wonderful.

“Hyung?” Sunwoo asked Jin one afternoon when it transpired to just be them in the house.

Looking up from his current book which he had been in the process of devouring, Jin blinked up at the youngster, “Everything all right Sunshine?”

Gently Sunwoo bit his lip, managing to look highly cute, “I don’t know.”

Jin smiled and shifted, remembering to place his bookmark at the page that he was reading. When Sunwoo was truly worried about something, Jin would always make room for him and allow the youngster whatever he needed. Lightly he patted the spot on the sofa next to him, allowed the other to sit all tight and rigid for a few seconds before sighing, clicking the back of his teeth and pulled Sunwoo into a hug so that they could both lie down on the sofa. Gently Jin ran his fingers through Sunwoo’s dark hair, “What’s the matter, Sunshine? You can tell me anything you want.”

“Hyung, I don’t even know how to start...this isn’t like the last issue,” Sunwoo pouted a little, “I keep finding things that make no sense.”

“Finding things?” Jin frowned, wondering what was going on and immediately suspecting Kiyeol and Sang were probably playing some kind of practical joke on the other once again.

Sunwoo nodded, “Yeah. They keep turning up under my pillow or else in my school bag or my lunch box or in with my ballet things or just in completely random other places. Stuff has turned up in my coat pockets, on my laptop and even my e-mail on one occasion.”

“Okay, what are these things that keep turning up everywhere?” Jin asked, trying to figure out just what sort of trick was being played right now because it was completely out of character for the other two trouble makers.

“Erm...it’s silly little things like fluffy key chains or little pieces of poetry or that CD which I said I wanted or little boxes of chocolate with pretty bows on top and one time there was even a tape which had all these songs on it which I love but they seemed to be-” Sunwoo continued on for a little while about all of the things that he was getting.

Jin had a hard time not bursting out laughing at how oblivious Sunwoo was being right now. There again considering the fact that it had taken the better part of a year and a half to get the youngster comfortable with the idea that he was gay, this was going to take some explaining. Good thing that Jin had lots of patience when it came to this sort of thing.

“I just don’t get it hyung, it’s like I’ve got a crazy stalker or something and I’m getting freaked out,” Sunwoo eventually finished and looked down, “What do you think it is?”

Gently Jin licked his lips and acted like he was thinking things through even though he had worked it out an age ago, “I think...just possibly, someone is trying to give you some subtle hints that they like you Sunshine.”

“Like me?” Sunwoo said, raising his head to look up at Jin in surprise, “Someone likes me?”

“I would guess,” Jin was so trying to not break into laughter because talk about a bunny caught in headlights, “and plus with all the stuff that’s turning up in the house and in your personal stuff I would hazard a guess that it’s someone we both know very well.”

Sunwoo looked completely oblivious, “But who on earth could have a crush on me?”

Jin almost immediately replied with the person’s name but that wouldn’t be fair in the slightest and they would have to eventually figure things out for themselves. “I’m sure you can work it out if you just think about it Sunshine.”

For a long while, Sunwoo was silent and after a few long minutes, Jin picked up his book and started to read it again because clearly the other was in one of his deep thinking moments.

After being able to read approximately another chapter of his book, Jin felt Sunwoo shift and allowed the youngster up with a slight groan at the loss of warmth. “I think I get it now, thanks hyung.”

“No problem,” Jin half commented, eyes still trained on his book currently though he was aware of the fact that the youngster had headed to the kitchen and grabbed a drink before going upstairs to his room.

A while later, the front door opened and Jin shifted a little at hearing the usual commotion that indicated that Kiyeol and Sang were back from the extra classes that they were taking. Propping himself up properly, the elder smiled towards them, “Sang~” he literally sung the others name towards him.

Sang frowned, “What?” deliberately he elongated the word to match the other but it was delivered in a more gruff style.

“Whilst it’s cute to be giving your crush a load of subtle hints, you’re best just telling him outright because when it comes to love and all of the stuff that goes with it, he’s a bit on the...innocent side of life,” Jin said.

Sang flushed bright red and almost immediately Kiyeol was on his case to find out who the elder was crushing after. Jin chuckled as he heard Sang trying to escape the youngest trouble-maker by hiding in his Den bedroom and resettled himself on the sofa to try and finish the chapter before anyone else got home. Hopefully soon there would be another couple to add to their roster, he’d have to totally find a guy for Kyo soon though just to make everything fair.

Jack! Stop making my boyfriend flustered, you insufferable pup!

 The werewolf could only chuckle at the insult that came through his master as he shook his head and grinned wickedly at Nicholas who looked completely confused. Don’t lie to me, I know that you’d take him anytime, anywhere, even if he were only dressed in a towel. Which, by the way, was a freaking fucking image to have first thing in the morning the other day.

 Will you get out of my thoughts, you pervert.

 You’re the one who keeps forgetting to close the link off, matie, not me

 You do not close your thoughts off to me Jack

 Oh yes I do, if you knew half the things that I wanted to do to Suzy on a regular basis there would be no way that you could even look at me without blushing.

 There was no response to that comment and Jack just smirked at Nicholas who was giving him the look. “Don’t worry, just reminding Lucan of something. Since he’s talking to me, I think Liam will be done faffing with him so let’s get this show on the road.”

 Nicholas shook his head, as he stood up and made sure to grab his wallet and other necessities for the evening. “I’d prefer it if you were at least a little bit of your jackass self and threatening me not to hurt him or something?”

 A raised eyebrow look came his way, before the werewolf gave a long sigh and a shake of his head, “Dude, I practically ripped you apart when I came too all those years ago, how much more of a warning do I need to give you?”

 “You practically threatened half the student council with hurting him,” Nicholas commented dryly back.

 “No, I threatened the student council that if they let that piece of trash near to Lucan without me present, then I would rip them a new one,” Jack replied, looking a bit too smug about it, “There were those who supported the creep and I am still positive that the whole poison episode was done by those two little shits…”

 Nicholas sighed and threw his hands up in the air, “No, you big overprotective lug, why aren’t you threatening me with like not hurting him or something or…I just…being you.”

 For a few seconds there was a silence whilst Jack gave him a look before a very firm snort came out of the others nose, “Dude, I’ve been trying to get you two together properly for decades, why would I threaten you when I already know that you’re Lucan’s mate?”

 Another pause passed between them before Nicholas blinked, “You know that I’m Lucan’s mate?”

 Letting out a series of very long groans as he ran his hand over his face, Jack let out an exhale again before promptly smacking Nicholas around the back of the head with a force which would have floored an average human being but just caused the vampire to stumble forward a few steps. “For the love of…why do I live with a pair of love struck idiots? Bloody…Jesus Christ! I thought that humans were fucking dumb when it came to love.”

 “Okay, I hear the JC exclaimation, what are you doing to annoy my mate?” Suzy’s voice came from the living room where she emerged in only a long sating night gown, a pair of bunny slippers and her hair in two high bunches that were slightly dripping with left over moisture.

Nicholas sighed, “Wondering why he’s not threatening me with some kind of pain or torture because I’m taking his Master out on a date tonight?”

 Suzy blinked and stared at the other for a few seconds, taking in his quite frankly stunning appearance which even she admitted that she wouldn’t say no to or kick out of bed in the morning either. Vampire or not, Nicholas looked like he had walked straight out of a fictional setting and was practically anyone’s dream boat right now. Her grey eyes flicked over towards Jack, who looked positively ready to throttle Nicholas with an ever suffering expression on his face though there was an extreme amount of fondness too as she had come to learn in that group. She carefully ran the others words around her mind before frowning at the vampire. “You’re seriously wondering why he’s not threatening you?”

 “Yes,” Nicholas replied with a frown on his stunning features, black kohl eyeliner really made his eyes so dream worthy, “Because he has not and he threatens everyone at least once when it comes to Lucan.”

 Blinking again, Suzy slowly turned to Jack, “You did tell him that you know right?”

 A silent nod was her answer, along with a confirmation hum as her young mate rubbed at the bridge of his nose with his fingers in clear frustration. “And his response?”

 “To quote ‘You know that I’m Lucan’s Mate?”

 “Jesus Christ,” Suzy replied, shaking her head and punching Nicholas on the arm, “Now I get it.”

 “Get what?” Liam said, appearing at the bottom of the stairs with Lucan in tow.

 Jack sighed, “Nicholas is wondering why I’m not threating him because of tonight…”

 “and he didn’t get it when Jack told him that he already knows that he is Lucan’s mate,” Suzy finished off looking just as frustrated as her own mate.

 Liam blinked and stared at the taller vampire, “Jesus Christ, seriously?”

 “Can we all please stop with the calling of the blasphemy?” Lucan said softly, “It’s giving me a headache.”

 “Then please explain, at some point tonight to your darling boyfriend that he’s an idiot and doesn’t need to worry about getting threatened by me,” Jack said, engulfing Lucan in a great big bear hug and squeezing tightly. “By the way, you look bloody gorgeous and he’ll get a tail kick if you two don’t end up doing something by the end of the night,” the words were whispered directly into Lucan’s ear, for only him to hear and the vampire reacted in the way that Jack knew he would. By punching him on the arm with a very red and flustered looking face. Clearly the other had drunk an little extra blood to keep his stamina up and the knowing smirk the alpha sent to his master was more than enough to be completely unable to cover up that fact.

 Lucan shook his head and latched his hands onto Nicholas’s arm, smiling gently up at the very fine masterpiece that was his boyfriend who looked simply divine tonight. “Shall we escape from thes conspiring trio of troublemakers?”

 There was a slow response from Nicholas as he took in Lucan’s full appearance. Smart black suit trousers, white shirt with the buttons just undone enough to expose some of that very hidden milky skin he adored no end and a black waistcoat which hugged everything nicely together. The others honey blond hair had been styled up and back from his head, modern but yet classically refreshed and there was just the tiniest hint of blush on his cheeks and a tiny spec of red on his lovely lips that was entincing. He looked youthful, dashingly handsome and charming but held a slight rebellious look with a series of earrings in his upper left hand ear in silver and a golden stud in his right hand lobe. It took Nicholas a moment or two to snap out of his dream like daze, noting almost at the exact same time that Lucan did the same thing and they shared a stupidly soopy grin with one another as they chuckled.

 “I wish I could take a picture of this and use it for blackmail material later on,” Liam sighed whistfully, completely breaking the moment and causing the two lovestruck vampires to turn to their friends.

 “Nah, wouldn’t work mate, they’re both so whipped it’s unreal,” Suzy replied, sauntering back into the living room and dragging Jack behind her with a whine about wanting some chips or something. Liam sighed and blew a frustrated sigh from his lips, “Man, what am I supposed to do tonight?”

 “Go hit up Heather?” Jack shrugged, “Or get grossed out by me and Suzy snuggling together watching creepy horror movies until them two come back?”

 Liam pondered for a moment and then clambered back up the stairs to grab the landline and ring to check that Heather’s crazy brother wasn’t over before sauntering over to her place for the rest of the night.

 Jack smiled and snuggled close to Suzy on the couch, enjoying the peace and quiet for a moment. “You’re seriously not going to pry?” Suzy asked, passing Jack a piece of popcorn from a very large bowl she was eating from.

 A shake of the head was her reply, “nah, those two are going to be completely fine. Probably be even more cutely gross and confused by the end of the night to be honest.”

 Suzy chuckled, “And they used to say we were the annoying couple.”

 “We were only annoying because I wouldn’t go near you because my wolf wasn’t old enough,” Jack replied, kissing the woman’s neck gently, “Even you admitted it wouldn’t happen until then.”

 “True, but you could have at least gone to that dance with me as my date,” Suzy quipped back playfull.

 “And get eaten by all three of your brothers? Are you insane,” Jack replied shaking his head, “They were already planning to attack that arsehole if he came anywhere near you…”

 “But you got there first,” Suzy replied, smiling as she turned around to kiss Jack, “and that’s the most important thing.”

For a few long seconds Bradley was quiet before he smirked seductively, “Just how far are you planning on trying to go on our first date, hmm?”

 Realising what he was saying, Jongki flushed a brighter shade of red and looked away in a smart hurry and tried his hardest to get his mind out of the gutter. However, with the look that was coming off the smouldering man in front of him, it was very hard not to. Especially with the way that Bradley seemed to easily pick up on his frustration and taunted him with little movements that to an unsuspecting eye would just be someone moving but Jongki knew fine well what it was that Bradley was doing. A heat flared up under his skin, making him want to leap forward and do something to the other just to get him back for the deliberate tease but Bradley ended up giggling at him instead and reached forward to squeeze his cheeks together in an annoying fashion. “You. Are. So. Cute!”

 Pulling back, Jongki swiped at Bradley with his metal chopsticks, accidentally causing them to go up his nostril and stab him painfully. For a full five seconds there was a panic between the pair as they tried to work out if there was any blood to be falling from Bradley’s nose and once they realised that there wasn’t anything that would result in their date having to be rushed to the hospital, they immediately began teasing one another about the chopsticks. Well Jongki mainly complained, because his chopsticks were now infected with Bradley’s bogies and he did not want to be eating any of them along with his breakfast.

 Staring at the other in complete confusion, Bradley shook his head and grabbed hold of a napkin, taking away the offending instruments which immediately caused Jongki to start complaining that he had nothing left to eat with until the elder pulled out a brand new set from the drawer that was set on the table. “You make the biggest fuss over the most strangest of things you know that?”

 “I do not,” Jongki said, snatching back the offered chopsticks, which Bradley had wrapped in a napkin just to be on the safe side when handing them over, “It’s just a very icky idea to be eating someone else’s bogies.”

 “Icky? How old are you again?” Bradley teased back, waving apologetically across at the girl behind the counter who instead just squealed loudly before disappearing behind the main section with some excited sounding chatter filtering around. “Huh? What’s that all about?”

 Jongki blinked and then glanced up at the clock, “Oh, the pre-tease pictures must have come out.”

 “Ah, congrats on being recognised so early then,” Bradley smiled brightly towards his date with genuine admiration, “This is hopefully a really good sign for you and the group.”

 “Ha-ha, I think they’re more than likely presuming that your part of my group without the pre-teaser image,” Jongki said, “I could practically hear them trying to ship us together.”

 “Hmm, for once it’s a ship that I wouldn’t mind sailing on,” Bradley said, leaning on his elbows a bit, “Especially if you’re still up for some Thai loving.”

 Blushing again, Jongki flicked a pea at Bradley’s face but couldn’t quite hide the smile that came to his face, “What makes you think that I would be interested in…” he stopped short with he felt the foot which had kicked him before beginning to run up the back of his leg and had to swallow a lump which appeared in his throat. He glanced towards Bradley, before remembering something that he read that could be rather useful in situations like these. Very gently and with slow movements he ran his tongue just over the bottom of his lips, all the while he was maintaining eye contact with the other.

 “Oh, look who’s a little sexy puppy,” Bradley whispered back before leaning back and letting out a sigh, “We better change the subject otherwise I’m going to pay up right now, drag you out to your car and give you a taste in the back seat of what it’s liked to be loved.”

 It was very tempting to take up that offer right there and then, bar a moments sensibility kicked Jongki firmly in the back of his head when his phone flashed with a message. Letting out a sigh, he picked up the device and held a finger up towards Bradley, “Hold that thought, just for a second or two…”

 Chuckling, Bradley shook his head and went back to his meal happily, perfectly aware of everything that was going through the extremely innocent young man’s mind in front of him. Normally he would find this level of innocence a real disadvantage in potential partners because most he met were completely faking it and would turn quickly into demanding brats the second that they thought they had control of the situation. With Jongki however, it was easy to see that he was indeed innocent to the grown up ways and Bradley was rather looking forward to introducing him to the many different pleasures of the world. He wouldn’t start calling feelings just yet, they were still only at the very first starts but there was a lot of potential for the other, that much he knew. But there was part of Bradley’s mind that reminded him that he was a hopeless romantic sap and if he fell for this charming, sweet boy then his heart was very liable to get broken once again if he was not careful.

 Though he looked up quickly when he heard Jongki pulling his chair back, “Hey, everything all right?”

It was easy to see that it was not, from the pale face of the singer and the way his hands shook ever so slightly, “I’ve got to get the hospital.”

 “The hospital?” Bradley asked, “Why? Hey, whoa slow down kiddo, you can’t go rushing off in a panic. Take a deep breath.”

 “It’s Kiyeol!” Jongki cried, sounding frantic, “He’s in the hospital.”

 “The little kid who follows you around like a duckling?” Bradley asked, blinking, “But he was in extra classes today.”

 “I know…but he’s in the hospital now and I just…” about to go rushing off, Jongki was surprised once again when Bradley caught hold of his arm and waved across a waitress to pay. “All right, take a deep breath and calm down. I’ll drive you.”

 “What? No!” Jongki shook his head, “I’ve got my own car.”

 “Jongki, you’re panicking and are not thinking straight,” Bradley said, pushing the other out of the door, “Your car will be fine where you’ve left it. I’ll drive you to the hospital and not sit here worried that you’re going to get yourself into a car crash because you’re panicking over your friend.”

 About to argue the point, Jongki found that he couldn’t and instead nodded, calling the number which had called him to get more direct information about where they needed to go. He passed it on to Bradley who seemed to know exactly where he needed to go and spent the rest of the journey looking out of the passenger side window, trying his hardest not to give into the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him.

“Hey, we’ve got two other rooms in here,” Luhan said a little later, having taken some time out to unpack some of his things and shower, changing from his sweaty clothes into a simple pair of shorts and a t-shirt which belonged to Kris and had been claimed by Luhan a while ago. “Do you think we’ll have room-mates?”

“That’ll be interesting if we do,” Kris said, also having changed but he hadn’t unpacked as of yet as he was going through the piles of paperwork, “I hope they’ve open minded.”

 “It’s university, most people at least experiment during this time,” Yixing replied, already in his pyjamas which consisted of shorts and a vest top. “I just hope we don’t get stuck with two rowdy alphas. That would be the worst.”

 Luhan nodded, before glancing towards their own alpha and rolling his eyes. Kris was being dutiful in getting the paperwork done for the room, despite the fact that it didn’t need to be done for another week and it was clear that he would be at it all night if they didn’t stop him now and get him to relax. Turning to his fellow pack-mate, Luhan raised his eyebrows up towards Yixing and silently tilted his head towards the alpha.

 Yixing grinned back and nodded, stepping closer to the unsuspecting alpha. Kris continued studying the paperwork, his attention so distracted that he did not notice his two omegas creeping up on him. Not until both of them latched their arms around his waist and started to kiss at his neck and collarbones at the exact same time. “Fucking hell!” he called out, caught completely off guard for a few seconds before letting out a moan as eager hands began to wander around his torso. “Guys…seriously…”

 “Leave the paperwork, Kris,” Luhan whined, licking over a mark that he had just made.

 “Yup, leave it alone. You can play with it later,” Yixing said seductively as he moved his lips to capture the others, “Play with us instead.”

 Opening his mouth to try and resist the temptation, Kris suddenly realised that he didn’t need to worry about the school regulations anymore. They were in university, in the city and if they wanted to ‘play’ around with one another then they were free to do so. It was an interesting thought and the alpha wasn’t about to let it go unanswered for once. Instead of worrying and causing a fuss, he hauled Luhan up by his chin and pressed a needful, hungry and dominating kiss onto his lips, satisfyingly humming when the omega opened up to him in an instant and let their tongues dance together. The alpha’s spare hand roamed straight down Yixing’s toned chest before sliding naturally around to cup and squeeze at the others firm, round buttocks whilst Yixing took the option to grind against Kris’s thigh.

 There was a click and the door to the flat opened suddenly, bringing an abrupt halt to proceedings and the trio looked up in shock and embarrassment at having been caught. Two figures stood in the doorway, one looking rather adorable like a puppy with a devilish smirk on his features whilst the other looked like an angry bazoi with an expression which suggested that he was not happy to find an alpha making out with two omegas in his dorm room communal space.

 Thankfully the beagle looking boy just grinned and stepped into the room with a smile, “Morning,” he greeted with a little too much enthusiasm. “I’m Chen, it’s Xiumin and we’re be betas! Nice to greet you!”

 A side glance was sent his way by Xiumin, but he simply rolled his eyes, “He’s sucks at Chinese.”

 “I do not,” Chen immediately snapped towards the other, speaking in a different language.

 “Yes, you do,” Xiumin said, shaking his head.

 “I understood you then, pabo,” Chen folded his arms across his chest.

 “Only because I’ve repeated that statement to you like fifty times,” Xiumin said, pushing past the other. “Sorry, we’ll be the most annoying roommates ever probably.”

“It’s fine,” Kris replied, “you’re both Korean?”

 Xiumin nodded, “Yup.”

 “I can translate for my two,” Kris replied in Korean and smiled towards the newcomers, “I’m Kris, this is Yixing and this is Luhan. They’re both my omegas and both my mates.”

 “Yeah we got the heads up,” Xiumin replied with a grin, glaring at his friend who was randomly poking at Luhan’s pink hair. “Chen, stop being weird.”

 “I’m not being weird!” Chen replied, “He’s got hair like candyfloss! It’s cute.”

 “Uh-oh,” Yixing went, having only understood one word out of all the babble that Chen came out with.

 Kris groaned, “Erm, Lu…”

 The omega in question glared directly at Chen, with his hands folded over his chest and a look that could kill if such a thing was possible. “Tell him he gets let off this once, if he ever does it again, I’m going to kick him in the balls so hard…”

 “I think he got the general idea without having to translate,” Xiumin called from the spare room he had claimed, “Don’t call him cute, message received and understood.”

 Chen grinned, “No problems, little omega, I won’t call you cute ever again!”

 Luhan glared, “Good.”

 “But I’ll call you pretty,” Chen immediately continued, this time in Korean, “and adorable and squishy and all the other names because you can’t understand me right…ah!”

 Kris let Luhan go, chuckling at the misfortune of the beta who had made a very bad presumption and was not getting his butt firmly kicked. Yixing shook his head as he snuggled down onto Kris, “Well, I think this year is going to be interesting.”

 “Ha, you deserved that you twit!” Xiumin said as he appeared and began cheering Luhan’s beating of his best friend. “Warned you not to be a troll right from the word go, didn’t I?”

So taking part in this writers challenge via instagram because I need to practice writing romance and more heavier scenes. 

15+ reading, this is fluffy not quite smut but you know what is going on. 

So here is prompt 1 : Let’s get it on

Taking a deep breath, though he wasn’t one hundred per cent sure as to why, Kyung squared up his shoulders as he prepared to make his way into the bedroom. Correction, their bedroom. Double correction, the bedroom which he was going to share with his wife. Triple correction, the room which contained the bed which he would sharing with his wife and also contain the bed where he was going to consummate the marriage with his wife.

 Part of his mind thought that maybe they were rushing things and he wasn’t quite ready, despite the fact that really, they had already long gone past the stage of being all shy and bashful around one another. Hell, Adamira had been a mere child when he had first seen her without clothes, because he had been one at the time. They had been sharing a bath at the time and had slept side by side in the same bed, sleeping bag, blankets or even just under the stars together ever since they had been reunited with one another after an enforced parting.

 But something about tonight made the Guardian hesitate for just a few long seconds, as tonight was different. Tonight, was special and that was something he had never really thought of until that moment.

 “Kyung,” Adamira’s voice drifted towards him, “I can hear you overthinking from all the way over here and through the door. Get in here already before I get up and drag you in.”

 Taking a deep breath once again, Kyung shook his head at himself for being so ridiculous and pushed down on the door handle.

 The room inside was plain, with only a large double bed with a simple wooden frame and a straw mattress and bed clothes which had been carefully resewn with new designs but had been passed down the generations as the wedding night covers for as long as anyone could remember. Furniture was present, an old wooden chest for storing clothes, a small table with an odd lilt to it which held a candle in a metal holder and a rug which had probably seen better days but was graciously received to keep some of the chill off the bare wooden floors.

 A simple and humble room, one that would eventually be filled with items and personal affects as the young couple moved on in their married lives and that thought made Kyung smile. But the main reason for his smile was easy to see. Resting on her knees in the middle of the bed, was Adamira. His Summoner, his pillar of light, the woman whom he entrusted his whole heart, mind, body and soul too from the very day they met even if neither one of them had been aware of the bond that they had created.

 For a second he recalled the young sprig of a girl who had first connected with him, how she had been bright and full of life with a keen sense of who she was and where she was going with life. Until the moment that her powers presented themselves, calling forth not only her Guardian but her Demon as well. When everything had changed and the pair had been forced apart, lost to the winds until they were brought back together in the Summoner Trials where their bond reformed immediately. How they had escaped, travelled far across the lands together only to be one again separated, though through time itself, on the simple sacrifice of one for the other. Kyung remembered coming back to find himself lost and abandoned to the wilds which had served their purpose to make him stronger and able to survive before word reached him of a wedding by the sea. There he had found his Adamira, now a broken shell of a lost child, being forced into things that she should have been allowed to enter willingly.

 Now kneeling before him was a woman of power, beauty and belief that could still take his breath away with the merest smile. She had grown into her womanly form, built for surviving all harshness with strong thighs and a tight chest and muscles that were hidden behind years of formal upbringing and grace. Whilst Adamira still held herself like a princess, she was anything but and somehow that made her all the more beautiful in Kyung’s eyes. Her ebony skin shimmered with life, love and a natural enchanting power, her deep brown eyes shone in a similar theme always now but tonight they were aflame with a love so pure that the half-wind demon almost believed that he was looking directly at an angel who had fallen from the heavens themselves.

 Her long black hair had been woven with flowers, soft and precious. He wasn’t surprised to see that the summoners tears diamonds had formed themselves into a thin band just a few inches back from her hairline to keep everything in place. Donned in a simple, white nightgown which was cut in such a fashion as to show off every last beautiful angle of her, Kyung had to reign back his libido faster than ever before. A long, low, satisfied but lust filled sigh escaped him, “You are beauty itself, my iblin.”

 Feeling her heart flutter at those words, Adamira smiled towards her now husband and beckoned him to come closer with her fingers. “My husband,” she purred, as he reached her by kneeling on the bed. “My Kilbren, my darkness, my guardian.” For a moment Adamira found herself pausing, just to admire the form in front of her. Gone was the stick insect of a boy who had first come to her, with no grace, no manners and a habit of dragging her off on wild adventures which were sure to get her into trouble with everyone who was supposed to be looking after her. The boy who had opened up the world, shown her rare creatures and how to play in the mud like a normal child with not so much a care to her status in the world.

 She remembered the young warrior who was anointed just for her, the hours he spent learning to fight, to hunt, to survive. The pain when they were separated by another’s jealousy, the long nights that she had spent alone even though there was always some part of her that knew there was someone out in the world who cared for her. She remembered the awkward puppy squire who had virtually ran into her on the trials, how he had been all limbs and confusion and innocence despite being with one of the most dangerous groups of travellers on the planet. How he had cared for her the whole time, gotten beaten up by his mentor and two demons all of the time but came back smiling from it because he was learning. Her mind skipped over the dark days, when she made the sacrificed to ensure that he would live and instead recalled the moment he landed on the ship that was supposed to be her wedding one.

 How different the half-demon warrior was from the puppy boy she had once known. Yet he was still the same, still her lovable protector, who made silly jokes just to see her laugh, held her through the long nights when nightmares plagued her mind and just somehow made the world a little brighter by always being there. Even now, she marvelled at his strong arms, toned chest, glistening abs and thick thighs which promised her lust filled mind so many things that she was practically salivating at the thought of it. He wore a pair of simple trousers, and nothing else. Except his wings, which ran the length of his back and shimmered in the moonlight from the window. They were large, composed of mainly white feathers though with a few deep purple ones towards the base of his spine and an occasional purple shimmer to the tips of the rest of them. Adamira loved to run her fingers through them, for they were soft and fluffy and excellent for causing a distraction or else snuggling into. Tonight though, she very much doubted that they would be paid any attention to.  

 The oak of his skin had always been a pleasant contrast to hers, Adamira had thought, whereas the uttermost darkness of his eyes capped with the gold flecks made him irresistible. Thick black hair had been cut short and tamed back with the beginnings of warrior braids and whilst part of Adamira did somewhat miss Kyung’s rather wild nest of hair, she understood why many of the town’s girls would sigh wistfully whenever they saw him.

 A smirk crossed her face as her fingers ran over his cheeks, “You’re all mine now.”

 For a second, Kyung looked to be confused by her words but shook his head, “I was always yours, Ada, you know that.”

 “I know, but there were many who wanted to steal you away,” Adamira replied, reaching her hand around the back of her now husband’s head, “But now they can’t, because you are mine.”

 “As you are to me,” Kyung responded, not having to be told anything further as he brought his lips to meet those of his wife’s for probably the hundredth time that day alone. This time there were no cheers, no calls for them to behave in an appropriate manner or else some old wives cooing at them, they were the only two in the room and the silence was beauty itself. Slowly their lips parted, smiles forming just fractionally before they reconnected again, and again. A slow dance of exploration, of trust, understanding and love that did not need to be hurried or rushed or treated with anything else. Lust was present in both their hearts that night, the desire for one another strong but just for a few tender moments, they were content with simple sweet kisses.

 Until Adamira’s hand slipped down the smooth lines of her husband’s chest and easily dipped under the hem of his trousers to caress the already throbbing member. Pulling back from the sweet kiss as she pumped Kyung’s erection further, a wanton groan escaped from her lips, “Kyung…I want you…I need you…will you satisfy me tonight?”

 Pressing forward with his lips once again, Kyung did not answer with words, instead lowering Adamira down onto the mattress behind her until she was lying flat. Gently he pulled back and rid himself of the trousers that he wore, discarding them to the other side of the room with a simple movement before taking hold of the hem of the nightgown which Adamira wore and pulling it off. He was only mildly surprised when the material tore away from her body as if it were made of parchment, but he just chuckled in response towards her and leaned over to stare at her straight in the eyes. “I promise to satisfy you tonight,” he responded in a deep voice, that sent shudders straight down Adamira’s spine, “And every night from now on, my love.”

 Once again, their lips met together but this time it was in a frenzy of need, want, lust, desire and love. Hands moved over one another’s bodies, mapping, exploring, teasing and worshiping and their voices cried out in the pleasure that they received from one another. Whilst their cries were not being heard for the first time, it was merely a continuation of the feelings that they had held for one another for a long time and would forever retain.

Petal with her dragon

Just before she merrily ripped it apart

I got some plush dolls made for my promotional work with my stall

So answering some questions on writing ans the likes

Heres the first 5 answers in handy pic form.