#alpha!rowan

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The Cambrian Mountains were burning.

Smoke drifted in through the open walls of the palace. Your mother stood beside you, looking worried for the first time in her life.

Mistward had fallen last night, word coming from the only survivor, the one demi-fae with at the outpost with the ability to shift, his secondary form an albatross. Most of the villages dotting the mountains had been seized, all their villagers slaughtered except the rare omega or two.

It was only a matter of time before the armies of Fenharrow marched on the City of Rivers and slaughtered your people, the ones you had been taught to protect. You already knew that you would go down fighting with your mother, each breath spent to save your beloved city and its people.

A call for help had been sent to nearby Wendlyn, though you knew it would come too late. Fenharrow had amassed an army off the shores of the Cambrian Mountains and marched quickly through them, the surprise of the attack and their might too much for your defenses to hold them at bay for even a day. No help would come soon enough.

You didn’t miss that Fenharrow had landed in the same place Adarlan had, back when the Fire-Bringer was staying in Mistward. Or that all of the Cadre was missing aside from Connall, who was somewhere in the palace, hopefully preparing for the long, hopeless fight ahead of you.

Of course, Rowan had been gone long before then, sadness lingering in your heart when you’d heard of his final departure from Doranelle. The last time you had seen the alpha was when he was sent to fetch the woman who would soon go by Aelin, and you missed him. You hadn’t even been able to see him as he was freed from the blood-oath, Maeve having sent you to your rooms while Aelin had been in the palace. Though with how useful that was when her fire had billowed through the city, you wished that you had been able to watch as that weight was lifted from his shoulders.

If only he were here, you might have some hope.

“I’m going to check on the armory,” you sighed, patting your mother on the shoulder.

“Don’t take long, child. I want you to be by my side for as long as possible,” she said with a wry smile.

You nodded in agreement, the train of your dress sweeping behind you. In a day’s time, you would abandon your finery for armor, and deplete your magic in the name of your people.

Somehow, despite your two centuries of life, you wished you had more time.

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A pulse of Maeve’s power pulled you from your bed in an instant, your dressing gown thrown on hastily and feet shoved into slippers, and you were gone.

You were out of breath by the time you reached the throne room, and shocked to see the male standing before you. Your mother, of course, was glaring at him, looking like she was ready to maim him at a moment’s notice.

“Rowan! What are you doing here?” you asked, surprise evident in your voice as you walked to stand beside the throne. Even from here, his scent of pine and snow and alpha washed over you, lulling your senses.

“I’ve come to offer aid on the behalf of Terrasen,” Rowan said, pine green eyes looking you over.

“At a price,” Maeve growled, fingernails tapping against stone. You raised a brow at Rowan, silently urging him to continue.

“Terrasen will save Doranelle from certain destruction, and in exchange, all My Queen and I ask for is a bride,” Rowan said, his eyes on you the entire time.

“A bride?” you asked incredulously. “What would you need a bride for?” Are you and Queen Terrasen that greedy?

“An omega bride.”

Oh.

Maeve hissed at him, and you felt her power readying itself to lash out. You placed a hand over hers, giving her a reassuring smile. “When King Terrasen arrived, he asked me for your hand. I do not approve of the match, though I can see no other way out of our predicament.” Violet eyes turned to meet yours, and the sorrow you saw in them was stronger than you’d ever seen before. “I am sorry, my child.”

So, you were to have the rest of your life sold in exchange for the continued existence of your people. You were to live in a foreign country for the rest of your days, kept as a broodmare for the Queen and King of Terrasen.

Even your deep-buried feelings for Rowan couldn’t erase the fact that he was buying you.

“My Queen is two hours travel from Fenharrow’s forces. If you formally accept our proposal, I will fly to meet her, and with our might we will destroy the enemy.” Those green eyes you knew so well turned to you once more. “So, Y/N?”

Of course he would want the final say to be your own, to act as though you had some sort of choice in this situation.

As if you could damn your people.

“I accept your proposal, King Terrasen,” you said with a sigh. “Now, save my people.”

Rowan gave you a tight nod before shifting, flying off into the night without preamble. With any luck, your people would be saved before the morning sun rose.

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The air cleared within the day, the fires Fenharrow had set extinguished by the mighty Fire-Bringer, as well as the entirety of their army. Doranelle was saved, with you as the cost.

The day after, you dressed in one of your finest gowns, made of a shimmering pearl silk that flowed like water around you. Today, your bargain with the rulers of Terrasen was to be called in. Maeve could not save you. Rowan seemed disinclined to release you from your promise.

And you had yet to meet Aelin, your soon-to-be wife.

A husband and a wife. Both alphas, your mother had informed you last night, though you’d guessed that already with the specific request for an omega bride.

You could hardly believe that your life had taken such a drastic turn in the past week and a half - your lands nearly destroyed, your people almost wiped out, and now, you were promised to a royal couple. A sigh left you as you looked yourself in the mirror.

Rowan had arrived late last night and called upon you, letting you know the timeline of your new life. You were to be married the next afternoon, which was now only two hours away, and the next morning you and your spouses would travel to Wendlyn, where their royal armada was waiting to return to Terrasen, a new prize taken with them.

Truly, you’d thought Rowan would want you to be happy, what with your… history.

He had knotted you first, in your second heat. Lorcan had been next, but you’d always come back to Rowan, until he was mated to Lyria - though you’d heard that had been some sort of manipulation put upon him, and the Fire-Bringer was his true mate. And after he’d lost Lyria, you had been the one omega he would take comfort in during his ruts, even if your mother had tried to forbid you from being with him. While he had never been one for warm and fuzzy interactions, Rowan had seemed to care for you on a deeper level, always telling you to find a male worthy of yourself instead of staying with him.

Yet now, he had chosen to shackle you to him.

You paced around your room, waiting for a servant to fetch you for the ceremony. You knew better than to try and run; there was no way that you would jeopardize your people’s safety, and judging by Aelin’s last visit to the City of Rivers, your leaving would likely cause a massacre.

A knock sounded on your door, the noise stilling your feet.

“Hello, dear,” your mother said, entering the room and closing the door softly behind her. Maeve approached you, long fingers stroking over your cheek. “I know better than to expect forgiveness for my role in this, but I do hope you’ll return to visit when you can, my darling daughter.”

“Of course I will, mama,” you said, smiling sadly at her. “If I’m allowed to leave, that is.”

“Do whatever you can to convince them. Even if you have to bring that fire-breathing bitch with you,” Maeve said with a huff. “I do hope you find some happiness, at least with the family you will create. Children are such a blessing,” she sighed, stroking your hair as she pulled you into her arms.

“I do too. I’ll bring my little ones over if I can as well, I will want them to know their grandmother,” you said. a sad smile on your lips as you embraced her back.

“Good. I look forward to meeting them,” Maeve said as she pulled back. She cupped your cheek with one hand and looked you in the eyes. “Be careful around Aelin. She’s temperamental at best, insane at worst. And you know Rowan well enough,” she said with a hint of judgement. She’d never approved of your dalliances with her Cadre, though it had done little to stop you. “Take care of yourself.” Her voice was soft as she said the words, the first goodbye you’d ever had from her.

“I will, mama. And will you be-”

A knock sounded on your door, and a servant entered a moment later. “It is time, miss,” she said, beckoning you to her with a wave of her fingers. You sighed and stepped away from your mother.

The walk to the ceremonial hall inched by, each step feeling heavier than the last as you were led to your new fate. Your train trailed behind you the entire way, clinging to the stones you passed in an effort to stop the inevitable.

The hall had been decorated nicely, with flowers and vines decorating the walls and ceiling and floating balls of fae light dotting the air above your head. At the alter stood Rowan, and next to him a stunning, blonde haired woman with turquoise eyes ringed with gold. They were both dressed in finery in the green of Terrasen, and Rowan had even forgone his bandolier for the occasion.

Your heart stuttered against your will at the sight of them as you began walking down the aisle, and you did your best to not look nervous. You would not show your fears for your future, not to them.

Your feet halted once you were next to them, and the priestess in front of you started the ceremony. The words went in one ear and out the other as you scented both of them - jasmine and lemon verbena paired with pine and snow and the faintest scent of embers twining through had your knees weak without even looking at them. You just barely managed to hit your cues with your mind wrapped in their scents, and before you knew it Aelin was claiming your lips, then Rowan.

There was no cheer as the marriage was sealed, no happy crowd celebrating the exchange of their princess to another country. Aelin and Rowan each took a hand and led you from the hall, taking you to Rowan’s old rooms.

The night would begin early, it seemed.

Your nerves grew with each step towards that door, towards the bed that would forever be marked in your mind as the one your marriage was consummated on.

“Oh, calm down, Y/N,” Aelin said once you were in the room, the door shut behind you. “We have no intention of forcing you to bed us tonight.”

You blinked at her in confusion. “You don’t?”

Rowan shook his head, a smile on those lips you knew so well. You took a good look at him, eyes running down the tattoo on his face before settling on his lips, as much as you wished that they wouldn’t. “We would much rather consummate our marriage in Terrasen, after the ceremony we will have there. This ceremony was to keep Maeve from doing anything idiotic.”

“Oh.”

Aelin smirked at you, a devilish look in her eyes. “You almost sound disappointed, dear.”

Heat rushed to your cheeks and you shook your head. “No, I… I’m just surprised is all,” you said quietly. “What, ah, am I meant to do until we leave?”

“You will sleep in our bed. Until then, you should pack your belongings,” Rowan said as he turned away from you, moving to the desk that was still stored here.

“Don’t worry about taking all your clothes, I’m looking forward to taking you shopping in Orynth,” Aelin said with a smile so bright you could only believe that she was telling the truth. “We will also provide anything else you might need, such as nesting materials. Though if you have certain items you’re attached to, don’t hesitate to bring them. We want our pretty ‘mega to be happy, don’t we Ro?” Her words intensified your blush, furthered when Rowan turned to look at you and nodded, his pine green eyes looking over you appreciatively.

“I- I’ll be back tonight, then,” you said nervously, inching back to the door as if they might go back on their word. You slipped out of the room, shutting the door softly behind you, then let out a heavy breath.

Already, this marriage was turning out differently than you’d anticipated.

Packing didn’t take long when it was all you were focused on, all of your precious belongings tucked away first into a smaller bag that you could keep with you. The glass figure that Maeve had created for you when you turned ten, the shawl that Rowan had painstakingly made for you after the first time you’d been together, and a few other, small things would stay with you through the journey to your new home. Next came your nesting fabrics that you couldn’t bear to leave behind, even your favorite pillow made it into the trunk you packed them in. And finally, you picked through your clothes, finding your favorites and carefully folding each piece.

Still, the sun had yet to set.

If this had been a planned wedding, you would have been busy greeting the people and celebrating your union until dark. But that wasn’t your situation, and instead you drifted around the halls of the palace you’d been raised in, saying goodbye to each stone you passed over.

Eventually, night fell, and you found yourself back in front of Rowan’s old room. You could hear two heartbeats inside and the gentle hum of conversation, which stopped once you knocked on the door.

“Come in, dear,” Aelin’s voice said, and you opened the door.

Your heart nearly stopped at the sight of her in lacy negligée, the dark green color perfect against her tanned skin. She smirked at you, as if she could hear every filthy thought that flitted through your mind while you stared at her. You mentally shook yourself from your stupor, turning your eyes to a bare chested Rowan, which wasn’t much better for your heart.

“I, uhm… hi,” you said nervously, not sure of where to look or where to be.

Rowan rolled his eyes playfully, extending a hand for you to take. Tentatively, you took his hand in yours and let him lead you to the bathing room, where a nightgown was hung and waiting for you. His hands undid the laces of your dress, just as gentle as he’d been all those times before.

“I can do the rest,” you whispered, and he left the room silently, leaving you to prepare yourself for the night. Your dress slid off of you into a pool of silk around your feet. The nightgown that they’d left for you fit you perfectly, sage green silk hugging your body in all the right places, though you wished it was a bit longer. It was more modest than what Aelin was wearing, at least.

You did a few more things before exiting the room, finding that Rowan was already in bed, the blankets pulled up to cover half of his torso. Aelin was on top of the covers, her eyes turning to meet yours as soon as you were in sight.

“Come here, love,” Aelin said, patting the space between them. You moved forward nervously, trying to think of a way to get under the covers that wouldn’t have you crawling over one of them and wouldn’t make you look ridiculous. Reluctantly, you approached Aelin’s side of the bed, worrying your lip with your teeth. “Don’t be shy, I don’t bite. Usually,” Aelin added with a grin.

You let out a sigh and set one knee on the bed, then swung your other over Aelin’s form. You were straddling her for only a second, but heat still shot through your core at the contact, and then you were off of her and laying on the covers between the two of them.

Which didn’t help.

You shimmied beneath the blankets, laying down completely. Aelin let out a giggle when she saw your flushed cheeks, then picked up a book and began to read.

Rowan slid down further so that he was beneath the covers with you, a strong arm banding over your waist. Your breath hitched at the contact.

You closed your eyes, desperate for this night to be over as soon as possible, and sleep would make it pass by more quickly. The sound of Rowan’s breathing in your ear and the occasional flick of a page turning slowly lulled you to sleep, only woken for a moment when Aelin slid under the covers. Your husband and wife caged you between them, holding you as you fell asleep in their arms for the first time.

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Strong hands gripped your waist and pulled you backwards, the squish of the couch your only warning before you were being tugged down. You squirmed against Rowan's lap, half in an attempt to get away, the other half working to continue the punishment you'd settled on- which was obviously working, if the bulge you were moving against meant anything.

"Sit still, omega," Rowan growled in your ear before biting your mating mark. You nearly went boneless in his hold and sighed, anger snuffing out in a moment. "You've spent days parading around in nothing, all because I gave directions to another omega."

It was your turn to growl, baring your fangs at the reminder that your stunning, irresistible alpha had spoken to that bitch, her scent reeking of arousal when you'd come out of the sweets shop with Aelin. "Let go of me," you hissed, fingers trying to pry his hands from your skin to no avail. Your alpha waited patiently for you to still, though his teeth rested on your shoulder in case you tried any more... drastic measures.

"Not until you apologize to me."

You whined, squirming again, this time only to escape- no way in hell would you apologize to him! He was the one who needed to apologize.

"Oo, did you catch our pretty omega for me, Rowan?" A wave of warmth washed over you at Aelin's voice, and you caught her pretty turquoise eyes before she could look at Rowan for the reason why you were naked and pinned to his lap.

"No, he's trying to make me apologize! For being furious that he was looking at that other omega like he looks at me!" You whined, sticking your hands out so that Aelin could drag you from his lap. You'd much rather be in her arms right now, and able to glare at your other alpha until he gave in.

"I did no such thing, Y/N," Rowan said, a warning growl ripping from his throat when Aelin came close enough to pull you away. She merely quirked a brow at him, waiting for him to continue. "I only look at Aelin in the same way I look at you. I would never dare to think to look at another omega the way I look at you, 'mega... Please believe me." The last three words were whispered in your ear, a kiss pressed to your neck a second later. Your resolve was melting at his tenderness, and broke when he said, "You know I don't like to say please."

You relaxed against him, turning your head so you could press a quick kiss to his lips, soft and plush and oh-so-missed over the past three days. "Fine... But if I see you talking to her again-"

Rowan kissed you then, cutting off your threat for a hypothetical situation and easily silencing you, and you didn't fight his hands this time as he pulled you even closer.

"Now I'm feeling left out..." Aelin grumbled, her voice closer than before, but Rowan kept your head tilted away from her, green eyes glinting with amusement. You were just about to snap at him for looking so pleased with himself when warm hands spread your thighs until they rested over the side of Rowan's. You only had time to turn your head before Aelin's mouth was on you, a surprised noise leaving you. "This is for teasing me, Y/N," Aelin said as she slipped a finger, then two inside of you, those pretty eyes holding your gaze captive from between your legs. "I don't blame Rowan for snapping, you're impossible to resist when you prance around the house naked."

"But we- ahh!" you squeaked when she suckled on your clit, head falling back to rest on Rowan's shoulder.

Maybe you wouldn't tell him that you and your alpha had been sneaking outside to indulge in each other when he was busy inside. After all, Aelin hadn't looked at another ome-

A third finger pushing into you had all thoughts leaving your head, leaving only the feel and presence of your alphas.

All yours, forever.

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