#alpha jake

“Sweet words aren’t going to change my mind, Neteyam.” Kxolo countered and Neteyam knew that was true based on the lack of pet name tacked on to the response. Still, looking behind him he found Vamai giving a gesture that urged him to continue. This was a rare opportunity after all, it wasn’t every day that a new abandoned hovercraft was found in the forest. The omega was more than surprised that Lo’ak and him had ever missed it during their adventures as children. They had scoured anywhere near the battlefield for hours, without their parents’ knowledge of course, and gleefully took in every piece of Sky People technology with wonder and delight. 

Vamai seemed to share the same curiosity as she kept sending him pleading looks. The common consensus appeared to be that this negotiation was up to him. 

“It’s been abandoned for years. Most likely one of the ships that went down during the first war.” Neteyam grabbed at the alpha’s battle band, forcing him to stop walking and face him once more. One look at those pleading eyes and Kxolo was already letting out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Neteyam then let his boldness come through, slipping a few fingers underneath the bands of his loincloth straps and using that to shuffle the taller man closer.

“I’m not sending the two of you out there alone-”

“We won’t be alone. Lo’ak will be there.” Vamai chimed in, although her ears dropped back when she realized she had cut the Olo’eyktan off.

“That’s not making quite the argument you think it is.” Kxolo muttered, almost too low for them to pick up on. 

“Please yawnetu. We would be so careful.” Neteyam’s whispered words cut through the tension with grace. The alpha’s expression softened as he looked down at the pouting male, and for a moment it appeared that the battle had been won. However, Kxolo was carefully prying the omega’s hands away from his loincloth straps. His long fingers wrapped around them easily before bringing them towards his lips for a gentle kiss. 

“Baby boy,” Neteyam allows himself to get lost in the pools of affection draping from his mate’s lips. “You know I just want to keep you safe.” Kxolo rubbed his cheek tenderly along the inside of Neteyam’s wrist, effectively scent marking his little mate. The omega’s tail however was already lowering in disappointment. He knew where the conversation was heading.  

“These abandoned war sites are no place for my sweet omega.” His tone dripped like honey and Neteyam could already feel himself shuffling closer in response. “Even your father has said so.” 

Kxolo softly ran his thumb over the omega’s bottom lip but Neteyam’s nose was already scrunched and eyes slitted into daggers. 

“He says that about everything!” He ripped himself from the embrace, almost staggering over the curving roots along the ground. “You two always choose the most annoying shit to agree on.” 

From behind he could hear Vamai’s footsteps racing over, preparing to do some damage control but it was too late. 

“Neteyam!” Kxolo’s tone cut through the air like a knife and unfortunately the omega was all too familiar with interpreting the threats woven into one word. 

“I think what Neteyam is trying to say-”

“This Sky Demon technology can be dangerous and unpredictable. Eywa only knows what it is-”

“No you just don’t know what it is. I do. Like I said it’s a hovercraft that crashed-”

“It does not matter what it is.” Kxolo's voice was slowly rising to follow Neteyam’s own. “Your father already explained about the tracking…capabilities of these machines.” 

This made Neteyam’s eyebrows furrow for a moment. It was always an interesting conversation when discussing technology with Kxolo who had very limited knowledge or experience with such things. 

“Are you talking about trackers? Like tracking chips?”

“They could find you. Snatch you away…”

Kxolo’s words droned on in the background that Neteyam could no longer hear over the blood rushing in his ears. Of course his father would opt to tell his mate only about the worst parts of these ships. It seemed that the only times the two of them appeared to be getting along was when they were rambling on about the omega’s safety and the dangers present out there. Naturally, his father seemed to have realized that painting technology in a certain light to Kxolo would keep the boy from wandering into forbidden territory without Jake even raising a finger. 

It was genius. 

And it made Neteyam’s hands clench into fists. 

“You don’t even know what you are talking about!” Neteyam screeched and Vamai was already pulling his shoulder back. 

“Nete” She whispered in a pleading warning. Things were already spiraling out of control but so was his mood. It was taking a downward drop that was far from being able to rectify itself. 

“The answer is no, Neteyam.” 

Kxolo continued down the path and Vamai was already running after him, ready to make her own case and clean up Neteyam’s mess. 

“Fine, I don’t need your permission anyways.” His words came out as hardly more than a whisper but Kxolo’s tail flicked to attention. Within an instant the alpha had turned on his heel and stomped over toward his mate. 

“Neteyam te Suli Tsyeyk’itan if you go out there without my permission, you and I will have a problem! A big problem! And I don’t just mean a little swat on the bum. Do you understand?!” The alpha’s deep voice boomed across the forest. The noise was enough to flit several swarms of birds to the sky. Neteyam couldn’t help but curl in on himself as his mate’s large frame created a looming shadow over him. 

“That goes for you too.” The Olo’eyktan sternly pointed at Vamai who was already raising her hands in surrender. 

“Neteyam.” Kxolo pressed for an answer once more.

“Yes alpha.” The omega weakly whispered, unable to lift his gaze away from the muddy forest floor. He watched as his mate’s feet came into his line of view. He bit his lip in anticipation. Anger had swiftly scrambled away and now all that remained was the pressing desire to submit and cry all rolled into one. 

A flat nose traced along the edge of his cheek but the omega still refused to meet those golden eyes. He kept his focus firmly planted on the ground, even bothering to shut his eyes when Kxolo had stooped to bring them nose to nose. 

“Yawntutsyìp, look at me.” Kxolo’s large hands bracketed either side of Neteyam’s face. It brought a warmth that always settled low in the omega’s gut. “Come on.” 

He reluctantly obeyed, trying to push back the gathering tears. 

“Come now, baby boy. Please don’t cry.” Kxolo whispered against his lips then placed a kiss there. And another. And another. Neteyam’s own lips were slow to respond but that didn’t sway the alpha away. “I know you are upset…” He sighed but Neteyam wasn’t sure if that was the correct word for his feelings. More than anything, he felt overwhelmed, bubbling up a desire to be held and comforted. “But I promise to make it up to you.”

Neteyam allowed his eyes to close this time when their lips met in a passionate but languid kiss. He seeped into the male’s arms and took every bit of physical connection possible. It slowly eased his tears away. Subconsciously he chased after the male’s lips when they finally pulled away. 

“I promise.” Kxolo’s hips smoothly sealed against his own. Heat coiled at the pit of Neteyam’s stomach. Truly he knew that the alpha had a plethora of creative ways to make it up to him, ways that had his nerves tingling in anticipation. 

Out of the corner of his eye Neteyam could just barely make out Vamai’s small form, her arms crossed and hip popped. Even with that one look he could practically hear her voice say, “We need to work on your negotiation skills.”

Jake longed to please her. It was instinct as well as desire. It also helped that any pleasure she received he felt as well, deep in the center of his chest where his bond with her resided. It was a feeling he couldn’t get enough of. And she was more than happy to let him take from her whatever he wanted.

When he brought her to release for the fifth (sixth?) time, Ronnie barely had the strength to grind against his tongue. Her moan sounded more like a sob as he drew it out with a gentle suck against her clit.

Her voice came out as little more than a whisper, “Jay…”

“Need somethin’, little one?” he spoke directly into her still fluttering cunt.

Yeah, she did. But now that she had his attention, she couldn’t remember what. All of her thoughts too distant and floaty as she tried to come down from her high. What was it again? But then it hit her like a bus as he pressed his lips against her swollen clit once more. 

She felt so fucking empty. 

Ronnie whined as she tried weakly to wiggle away from his mouth. A gasp slipping past her lips as he bit gently into the meat of her thigh, instantly stilling her. 

“What’s wrong? D’you wanna stop?” Jake asked as he moved away completely from her dripping cunt, chuckling at the insistent shake of her head. “Use your words, baby. What d’you need?”

“Wanna — mm — wanna be full.” 

Jake could never deny her that. He growled low in his throat as he moved her legs off his shoulders and moved up to kiss and suck at her throat. Dragging his teeth along her pulse point, a shudder running through him as his scent bloomed. 

Mine, mine, mine — the beast inside him screamed until he sheathed himself inside her completely. 

She sobbed again, nails digging into the back of his neck as she felt him everywhere. Simply feeling him inside her was all it took to make her release around him once more. 

“That’s it, little one, that’s what you needed. Just needed my cock fillin’ you up.”

Her lips parted slowly as she stared up at him with hazy, love-filled eyes. “Want your cum…”

“My little Luna,” Jake groaned as his face dropped into her collar, hips rutting into her. “I’ll fuckin’ give it to you. Gonna fill you up till you can’t take it anymore.”

Neteyam felt lost. Where was his teacher? Wasn’t someone supposed to show him how to do this? He idly wondered if his parents were simply waiting to teach him this skill later down the road when they anticipated his mating. Now, he was struggling through the task alone with a mate that couldn’t bother to leave one piece of clothing with his scent on it for Neteyam to enjoy. 

The eldest Sully dug through one of the baskets again and was pleasantly surprised to come across a navy poncho. He ran the smooth leather material along his fingertips. The material caressed his skin perfectly, lighting a flame of optimism in the omega. Bringing the material to his nose, that hope died instantly. 

He hissed, throwing the scentless poncho to the ground. 

Tears gathered at the corners of Neteyam's eyes but he fought them back with a stubborn intensity. His frustration quickly swallowed sadness and had Neteym chucking the first fabric his fingers touched across the room angrily. It was only when the omega heard the soft sound of the fabric hitting skin that he looked up and saw his alpha standing in the doorway. 

Hands now clutching the poncho he stared back at his omega with a raised eyebrow. For a moment Neteyam considered apologizing but the burning irritation that bubbled relentlessly fiercely drowned out other concerns. Instead, he simply crossed his arms and glared back at the alpha, channeling all of his annoyance and frustrations at the taller male. 

“Not my color, huh?” Kxolo attempted to joke, gesturing to the poncho but he was only rewarded with a small huff. Neteyam’s angry scowl only translated into a persistent pout that had the alpha holding back a deep chuckle. He was tempted to pinch those soft cheeks fondly but then he noticed the bundle of fabrics beneath Neteyam’s feet. Realization dawned. 

“You making a nest, little one?” Despite the tranquil caress of his mate’s voice, Neteyam didn’t respond. Further shame and humiliation yanked at his composure as he saw the alpha observing the horrific nest. He yearned to rip it up or hide it away. His natural hindbrain screaming at him to not let the alpha see what a poor excuse of an omega he was being. Tears once again prickled at his golden orbs but Neteyam was determined to keep them at bay. 

Kxolo on the other hand smiled warmly at seeing his sweet Neteyam trying so hard to put together a proper nest for them. His proud smile faltered slightly when he saw the glaze of threatening tears covering Neteyam’s eyes. The Olo’eyktan quickly approached, ready to comfort and soothe but the omega’s glare intensified followed by several steps backwards. His own footsteps slowed into that of careful precision, one used when approaching a prey that could easily be scared off. 

“What’s wrong, baby boy?” 

Neteyam scoffed, with a tough demeanor trying to mask the oncoming tears. 

“It’s such a fucking mess!” Kxolo flinched slightly at the foul language he had never heard from the omega before. Were it not for the glistening tears that now trailed down Neteyam’s cheeks he would have been tempted to put the smaller male over his knee. 

“I think it looks great.” Two more steps closer and the Olo’eyktan could almost reach him.

“Don’t lie!” Neteyam hissed, a small sob coalescing with the sound. Tired of the pretense, Kxolo crossed the last bit of distance between them and pinched the boy’s chin. Forced to look upwards, Neteyam fought back another sob at the stern look his mate held. 

“Don’t yell.” The rough timber had the omega’s tail tucking itself between his legs. Kxolo’s deep sigh drifted through the silence. “Baby boy I know you’re feeling a lot of new emotions right now but I don’t appreciate the attitude. I’m trying to be patient here.” 

“But it’s all wrong!” Kxolo’s warm hands cradled either side of Neteyam’s face while simultaneously wiping the stray tears away with his thumbs. “It doesn’t even smell like you.” The last phrase came out barely more than a whisper, the Olo’eyktan’s ear twitching to pick up the sound. 

“Trust me, by the end of your presentation it will.” Kxolo chuckled, but the amusement was lost on Neteyam. The jokes did little to lessen the tear-filled glare that pierced up at him. It clearly mattered to Neteyam. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, the Olo’eyktan picked up the abandoned poncho and quickly slipped it over his head to lay across his broad shoulders. “There. At the end of today we can add this garment to the nest. Problem solved.”

Neteyam softened slightly, the solution tempting him into a state of ease, but then his eyes skimmed over the mess of blankets again. Proper essence or not, it was still just a knotted pile of fabric that would never do as a nest. The place they were meant to become one and it was nothing more than a disastrous mess. 

Strong arms went to wrap around his waist but a flash of emotion had Neteyam hissing back at the alpha. His teeth were only bared for a second before a resounding smack echoed through the hut. A familiar burning pain bloomed across his backside. 

“Sorry” He mumbled, suddenly finding the woven floor of utmost interest. 

Instead of the expected lecture for his disobedience, Neteyam was pulled into the circle of Kxolo’s strong arms. He snuggled into the smooth leather of the poncho and breathed in the relaxing essence that had become associated with safety. The anxiety rippled away in the breeze, broken nest forgotten at his feet. 

“Look at it this way. The nest is going to be a disaster after we’re through with it anyway.” The vibrations of Kxolo’s chuckle was infectious and before Neteyam knew it he found his own laughter drifting through him. 

Pandora had always been hot. Even during the nights, it was difficult to escape the musky layer of humidity that encompassed everything in sight. Days spent in the warm glow of sunshine are sure to leave one sweaty and out of breath but Neteyam could not remember a time where the air itself was suffocating. 

Each inhale burned his lungs, coating his throat in a dry heat. Snapping his eyes open he tried again to fill his lungs with the cool air of night but to no avail. The weight of Kxolo’s thick arm around his waist was suddenly claustrophobic and left no room for the breeze to cool down his flaming skin. Neteyam scrambled to wiggle out of Kxolo’s sleeping embrace and rangle himself to his feet. 

He barely spared a second glance to Kxolo who grumbled and stirred but surprisingly did not wake from his slumber. 

He broke through the flaps and climbed down the trunk within seconds. The only thought that controlled his actions was the idea of soaring through the cool wind. Surely being high in the area out of the treeline would bring some type of relief. Even the towering glowing trees around him trapped the omega in a box that he yearned to break free from. 

His knees wobbled with every clumsy step. The burning wouldn’t subside and the beads adorning his neck became too confining. They were carelessly torn off and thrown aside. To his dismay the scorching heat was soon accompanied by a dull ache from his abdomen. The pressure grew until it was comparable to a sharp knife in his gut, stealing the breath from his lungs. Barely staying upright, Neteyam continued towards the clearing in a messy march. 

Strings of jewelry littered his path as he threw them aside. The trees curved and spiraled into a distorted kaleidoscope. It became increasingly more difficult to interpret which way was up and which down. His feet stumbled to navigate this new spiraled atmosphere, blindly hoping to land on the soft mossy ground. His trail of glowing footprints were a jumbled pattern of directions that hardly took him forward. Regardless, Neteyam continued. 

Walking deeper into the forest provided him with a sense of small purpose that he hoped to use as a distraction from the sneaking pain that rippled through his veins. Every clumsy step became heavier, as if gravity had increased its weight on him tenfold. The footsteps soon acted as a thumping rhythm like a drum as Neteyam became consumed with the searing heat that flushed his senses. 

It felt as if there was a burning fire constantly sparking beneath the layer of skin, but it was unreachable. Nothing he did could burn it out. A thin layer of sweat glistened along his azure skin in the pale light of eclipse. His heartbeat greatly outraced the heavy pace of his clunking steps, spiraling into an anxiety ridden frenzy. 

Encapsulated in the middle of this anomaly, Neteyam was confused. Several more minutes of walking and he was more than confused. He was lost. 

Riding his ikran no longer proved to be a reliable candidate for a solution. His original destination was quickly dismissed, pushed away in favor of finding his way back home. Home where his alpha would shush his worries away while petting at his braids. Back in the protective embrace and comfort of their shared hut that acted as a sanctuary. 

The omega struggled to sharpen his vision once more, to make sense of the contorted shapes and colors. The waves of fire and agony inevitably brought forth a relapse of this effort, leaving him stumbling blindly through the thick greenery. Even the sounds of nocturnal creatures prowling the grounds that trickled through the forest was only interpreted as a mess of brash vibrations. Never before had Neteyam felt more out of his element. 

Years of training to become one with the forest, to anticipate what She holds went down the drain. He was no better off than a sky demon wandering the woods for the first time. 

This internal torment had detached himself from the surroundings. Neteyam couldn’t even decipher how far he had veered from their shared home. A new surge of agony rose within him but this time as raw untamed emotion. Utter helplessness weighed him down, his hindbrain crying for the comfort of an alpha. His heart clenched, as if the wire that had always yanked him towards the Olo’ekytan was now strangling him with the alpha’s absence. His breathing trembled with foreshadowed sobs that began to crawl up his throat. 

It was only when the first sharp sob cracked through the air that Neteyam realized his cheeks were dampened with an abounding streak of tears. The dam concealing his unbridled emotion broke. The consistent weeping barely left enough room for air to enter his lungs and when it did the success was only brought down by another surge of burning pain in his core. 

It was impossible to tell if his muddled steps were bringing him closer or further away from Kxolo, but his focus no longer lay on his destination. Neteyam could only think of how much he ached to be back in his mate’s arms. How badly he yearned to see those kind golden eyes and feel the gentle trace of swirling patterns that the alpha would leave along his back and shoulders. The tender kisses that nipped at his skin until there were goosebumps in its wake. 

His instincts prompted Neteyam to believe these touches would be the remedy to his misery. There was an unbounding certainty of this truth that pushed the omega forward even as his knees shook and wobbled with each step. 

Sobs quieted to saddened whimpers, Neteyam finally picked up on the vibrations underneath his feet. The ground thumped in an unbreakable rhythm. Plants were jostled to the sides. Neteyma finally found a grip on his hearing, tuning into these sounds. In his hysterical state he was just barely able to remember these as signs of a predator closing in on its prey. His fear spiked higher when the rumbling pace of the footsteps picked up speed suddenly, sure to be closing in on him any second. 

Neteyam’s tail swatted anxiously as he tried to decipher from which direction this rustling was coming from. A few seconds of failure indicated it was a useless effort so he went to run instead. Still absorbed in the painstaking agony and dulled senses, the omega could do no more than stumble into a pace that barely resembled a light jog. Several tree roots and plants threatened to take him down, but he somehow managed to regain balance and continue. 

The footsteps neared. Dread whittled in his gut, sure that this was the end. He was in no state to fight. This predator would finish him off in the dead of night and Neteyam would never make it back home. The tears blurred his already morphed vision. 

A shriek was ripped from his throat when bands of steel encircled his waist and yanked him from the ground. The sobs came back to take over his breathing, fat tears leaking from the corners of his golden orbs. Neteyam had no more energy to fight back his impending doom. His ears pinned backwards against his head, but then a new sensation overwhelmed him. 

The creature was warm, a familiar scent of pine and timber encased him. 

“-teyam!” The distorted noise finally morphed into something discernable. “Mawey, Neteyam. Mawey.” The deep rumbling originated from the chest Neteyam had his face tucked into. Finally, he realized where he stood, once again safe in Kxolo’s arms. 

“There you go. Deep breaths.” Kxolo’s chest rose and fell to demonstrate the exercise but midway a groan cut into the action. The sweet aroma that filled his senses attacked his composure. The alpha braced one arm against the tree trunk behind Neteyam’s head, eyes shut as he tried to regain control. 

Neteyam on the other hand let himself get lost in the warm essence clouding his judgment. His finger curled around the male’s upper biceps, fingernails digging into the smooth skin. The omega didn’t hesitate to slot his face in the crook of the alpha’s neck, greedily taking in the heavy scent bleeding with possessive pheromones. He didn’t need to see Kxolo’s face to understand the primal emotions that were slowly overtaking him. Lust. Greed. Ownership. 

The blend was an intoxicating concoction that Neteyam was eager to get drunk off of. It took away the edge, the biting pain rippling through his body. He pressed the flat of his nose against the curve of Kxolo’s collarbones, already able to feel the thumping rhythm of the alpha’s heart. 

“Naughty thing running off.” Kxolo muttered, still his tone was hardly a mere facade of his usual lecturing timber. 

Without waiting for a response, the alpha easily hoisted Neteyam into his arms. He instantly cinched his legs around the Olo’eyktan’s waist and clung to the broad shoulders. His skin still pebbled with an aching burn but every point of contact with his mate seemed to cool the pain to a bearable discomfort. 

Their walk through the forest was almost silent, the only ambience being that of purring wildlife and whispering trees in the wind. Kxolo held Neteyam tightly, fingers digging into the plush flesh of the omega’s thighs. Several times his fingertips twitched with the desire to shift his palming to the beautiful curves of Neteyam’s ass but the Olo’eyktan knew that would only end in him taking his mate in the middle of the forest before they could make it back. 

Kxolo’s presence acted as a soothing antidote for the rising emotions that threatened to overpower every thought in the omega, but Neteyam quickly found that it was not enough. Other desires were quickly forming into a whirlwind of catastrophe. An unmistakable longing to be connected once more started to fester and burn at the forefront of his mind. He searched for a physical outlet to this yearning, the flush position of their bodies was not well suited to dampen this appetite. Helpless whimpers began to resurface in his throat. 

Kxolo’s long adorned braids twinkled in the glow of eclipse, carefully crafted beads reverberating off of one another. Then in the mix of their sway, Neteyam’s attention was caught by something else. The Olo’eyktan’s braided kuru lay heavy and thick against the accentuated curve of his spine. Neteyam reached for it blindly, almost subconsciously. 

When his smaller fingers managed to grasp the thickly braided hair there was a minute tremor in their pace. The slight wobble was ignored as the pads of his fingers ran down the length, pulling the kuru carefully over Kxolo’s shoulder. A new found fascination began to form within him. The burning pain became background noise with his entire focus now shifted to the intimate neural que of his mate. 

Kxolo continued forward, his determination of reaching their destination overcoming his sensitivity to the touch. That was, until Neteyam reached the dancing tendrils. The glowing cirruses eagerly wrapped around two of the omega’s fingers. 

“Fuck!” Kxolo growled out, knees almost buckling under the intense sensation. 

His reaction was readily appreciated by the smaller male as he continued to play and tease the end of his queue. Dilated pupils took in the way those tendril gingerly wrapped and danced along his fingers. The omega’s pain was put to the side. There was something so wonderfully intimate about seeing this private part of the Olo’eyktan reaching for him without restraint. He was the only Na’vi that would come to know this secret part of the mighty warrior. This vulnerability belonged to him. 

“Enough play for now.” Kxolo gritted out between a clenched jaw. The touch was too much to handle, his muscular body practically brought to his knees in the process. 

Neteyam mewled out in protest when the kuru was snatched away from him. Grasping hands tangled through the braids in search of the queue. Pain bloomed across his backside in a delayed response to the resounding smack that was delivered to the plump flesh of his ass. Kxolo couldn’t help but watch the plush flesh reverberate in response. 

“Alpha!” 

“What did I say?” The vicious growl cut through the wind, almost tangibly pinning Neteyam’s ears to his braids. The hidden warning encased in that tone was enough to stop the omega’s pursuits. He whimpered and hid his face back against Kxolo’s pulse, sad noises acting as the only response.  

Luckily, there was no more discussion on the matter. Their pace increased until Kxolo was swiftly climbing the curved trunk leading to their home with one hand. Instead of returning to their sleeping mat, Neteyam was deposited on the plush materials of his homemade nest. The significance of this act was lost on the boy as he could only process the aching desire that had returned. 

Kxolo carefully detached the clawing hands from his shoulders, careful to make sure Neteyam’s head was supported at the rim of the nest. The plush cushioning was disappointing in comparison to the warmth of toned muscles his mate offered. Confused and dazed by the overwhelming urges, Neteyam wiggled to regain the embrace of his alpha. 

“Mawey Neteyam.” Kxolo purred, successfully batting away the omega’s attempts. Darkened pools of molten gold stared down at him, but did nothing to reassure Neteyam. The thick scent of his alpha was everywhere, showing the true sinful desires that lurked beneath his controlled composure. He hated that diplomatic mask that Kxolo insisted on wearing. 

There was a beast that lurked beneath it. One that Neteyam knew would give him anything and everything he desired. One that would wreck him, tear him apart for its own pleasure. Brand his body and soul with its mark. Consume him once more in that alluring passion of possessive greed. 

That was what he wanted to unleash. 

That beast would take away his agony. 

“Be a good omega and wait for me here. I will only be a minute.”

“What? No! Don’t leave! Don’t leave me he-”

Kxolo hushed away the sentence into a mumbled whine. The back of his knuckles delicately grazed Neteyam’s cheek with a strangled gentleness. 

Darkness overtook his vision for a moment, followed by the thick weight of the leather poncho resting on his shoulders. The soft fabric was drenched in that musky scent of his mate. Unashamedly Neteyam rubbed his cheek against the soft material, breathing in the essence through flared nostrils. Lost in the comfort of the aura, Neteyam hardly noticed when his head hit the plush edge of the nest once more. 

Kxolo admired the way his small form was swallowed up in the garment. A rumble of satisfaction rippled through him at the sight of his omega eagerly mixing their scents together. As tempted as he was to watch the scene unfold, the flutter of heavy eyelids indicated this was his chance to slip out without another tantrum from his little mate. 

Silently, the male backed away as Neteyam snuggled into the nest and fell back into a troubled slumber.

The ache had transformed. A feeling of torment with a more distinguishable cause at the root of it. Neteyam was empty. So impossibly empty and hollow that it curdled his stomach into a twisted knot. He was unsure of when he became fully conscious again but the only waking sense that he could focus on was that unbridled lust. 

Slick gathered at his entrance, leaking down the back of his thighs that were caressed by the soft material of Kxolo’s poncho. He clenched around nothing, the humid air failing to provide any sort of relief. Disappointment was a tangible weight that shackled his emotions into determined despair. The fabric caught between his legs and that soft friction alone was enough to have the omega rutting back against it. To intertwine his own scented arousal with that of his alpha’s natural perfume on the leather. 

The satisfaction was temporary, only a slight fix that massaged at his pain but failed to cage the raging hormones within him. He needed to be bred. To be filled with his alpha’s cock until the sticky substance of his mates cum leaked from his hole, branding his skin in its wake. 

Neteyam had experienced arousal before. Eywa knows he has had more than his fair share over the past two months, having been surrounded by the ethereal handsome alpha at every turn. He still remembered his confusing times of puberty where glances of toned alphas had turned from innocent looks into memorized gawkings that were used to get himself off later. He thought he had properly received a prelude of his future heats and presentation over the past couple months, but nothing could have prepared Neteyam for this. 

This zealous lust was primal, an uncaged monster that dissipated every other focal point into ash. A raging determination that convinced him he would die without the presence and claiming of an alpha. This was his purpose. This was his only salvation. 

Kxolo’s form overtook the small parted entrance, the expanse of his shoulder hitting each side of the woven fabric. His appearance effortlessly shifted Neteyam’s attention to him without another thought. Kxolo’s long hair was already tied back into a low ponytail, leaving his sharp jawline exposed in the pale moonlight. Jutted collarbones shifted with every heaving breath, drawing Neteyam’s ogling towards the sculpted pectorals and abs that stood out beneath his stripped skin. Even the long veins that stretched along the length of Kxolo’s hands and forearms elicited another pang of arousal to leak between Neteyam’s cheeks. 

Had he always been this handsome?

A pure depiction of sexual appeal in alpha form. 

Neteyam’s heels dug into the woven floor, hips pushed towards the ceiling as a pained whine fell from his lips. Kxolo’s tail swayed in satisfaction, savoring the needy display of submission and desperation. Brooding steps carefully drummed against the hut floor, prowling forward to close in on the helpless male. 

The bag of fruit and supplies was unceremoniously thrown to the side, hitting the ground with a thump that made Neteyam flinch. 

Kxolo’s features were contorted into jagged edges with the shadow of night. The blown out pupils holding storms of passion within them. His gaze seared the squirming boy till that burning fire beneath his skin rolled off of him in waves. 

The mask was gone. 

He was unleashed.

And nothing could save him from the primal being that stalked forward to claim his very being. 

“Look at my pretty little omega.” Kxolo purred. 

His space was invaded with one flowing swoop, Kxolo coming to crouch over the boy. The familiar scent surrounded him, evident in every breath Neteyam took. It seemed that Kxolo too was feeling the effects as he ran the tip of his nose along the omega’s neck greedily. That act alone heightened every pulsating wave of desire till it was unbearable.

Neteyma wasn’t in a mood to be patient. 

His small hands grappled at the first group of Kxolo’s braids it could find, using that hold to pull the male closer. The tickle of strained breath against his neck made him squirms and kick at the soft fabric beneath him. Kxolo traced the curve of his neck with his tongue, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps. Finally nuzzling his nose, Neteyam didn’t wait for his mate to instigate the kiss. He swooped forward, lips crashing together in a messy frenzy of teeth and tongue. 

A dark rumble emanated from the Olo’eyktan’s chest when Neteyam tugged at the decorated braids in order to deepen the kiss. 

Sharp teeth nipped at the omega’s pillow lips until the familiar coppery taste trickled along his tongue. There were no mumbled apologies or gentle caresses to accompany the rough treatment. It was out of turn for the alpha’s usual careful behavior and yet somehow that knowledge made his ache feel that much more present. Dark seated curiosity at what inhibitions these primal desires would wipe away from his mate’s mind. 

With trembling limbs, Neteyam’s legs swung out in search of his mate's hips until they were finally grappled around his waist. His heels dug into the Olo’eyktan’s lower back, effectively pulling the older man’s groin to his own. A puffed exhale was released into the kiss, the omega savoring the long-awaited heat and friction. He shamelessly ground up against the obvious bulge in Kxolo’s loincloth, the slightest touch and shift of the fabric against his cock making him groan. 

Head thrown back against the rim of the nest, Neteyam hardly noticed the dancing hands that trailed along his clothed chest. They shifted the fabric to allow the night air to chill his now exposed stomach. Two fingers slipped beneath the band along his left hip, calloused tips teasing at the sensitive area. Neteyam whined, his hips now bucking aimlessly, unsure of whether to retreat from the tantalizing touch or seek it out. 

“Why is this still on?”

The left band snapped under the force of Kxolo’s calloused grip and tug. Neteyam’s song chord went flying across the room. He had no time to worry about the piece before the right band followed suit. The concealing fabric was tossed away, finally allowing his aching cock to slap against his lower stomach. The humid air felt cool against his flaming skin, trickles of wind against his member was enough to have him twitching. 

He awaited for the recognizable warmth and tingle that always accompanied his mate’s experienced touch, but it didn’t come. Neteyam let a whine escape his lips while hoisting his head up to give Kxolo a heated look. The alpha didn’t meet his gaze. Kxolo had released himself from the circle of Neteyam’s legs and sat back on his haunches. Even from his strained position Neteyam could see the marks that the alpha’s nails left in his own thighs as he took deep breaths with his eyes closed. He was calculating, returning to gain a grip on his control. 

Neteyam flew to his knees, quickly shuffling to straddle the male’s thighs. The added proximity wrapped his senses in the natural musk of his mate. That alone was more than enough to push aside any apprehensions. 

“If you don’t fuck me right now I will find someone who will.” Consequences be damned, he didn’t need gentle fussing. He needed to be filled, to be taken in every way possible until the only thought that could register in his mind would be the unbreakable brand the alpha had upon him. 

His wish was granted. 

Once again toppled to the floor on his back, Kxolo caged him in, veiny hand closing around the front of Neteyam’s neck. Although there was no added pressure, the warmth and weight of his touch stole the air from his lungs. Lips were on his, crushing the soft flesh into a fierce kiss. Trapped between the soft jumble of fabric and promising grip around his throat, Neteyam had no escape from the pointed fangs that scraped along his bottom lip once more. The contrasting taste of blood coalesced in the mix of battling tongues. 

The leather poncho was pushed up higher until it tangled around the braids at the back of Neteyam’s head. Kxolo’s grip tightened around the omega’s throat, just enough to silently command his attention. 

“I have half a mind to keep you choked on my cock.” Neteyam’s hands curled into the soft fabric of the nest, arousal a molten pour gathering at the base of his stomach. “See how well you manage talking about other alphas when my cum is branding your throat.” 

Kxolo hiked one of the boy’s knees around his waist, effectively spreading him wide and leaving his soaked entrance to clench around open air. The shift was enough to spread a warm blush along Neteyam’s body. The possessive anger seated in the alpha’s eyes served to only heighten his anticipation. 

“Look at me.” 

Neteyam’s eyes fluttered to stare up at his mate. Kxolo’s fangs were hardly concealed by his soft lips. The glimmer along the white pearls a reminder of the blood still trickling from Neteyam’s bottom lip. He could imagine the marks those teeth could make along his body. The teeth marks they have made in the past. 

“Omega.” Loincloth pushed to the side, the tip of the Olo’eyktan’s member prodded at his entrance. The muscles naturally spasmed as if to somehow pull the male’s cock inside. “Who does this belong to?”

He slid his cock teasingly soft along the wet slick and smooth skin, several times catching on the rim only to then pull away. 

“You” the answer came out as barely more than a strangled whimper. 

Regardless, Neteyam was beyond delighted to feel the familiar stretch of the girthy length splitting him open. Were it not for the pressure of Kxolo’s hand pushing him down by the neck, he was sure to sate his desire to sink his teeth into the male’s broad shoulder. Neteyam settled for scratching his nails down Kxolo’s forearm as the alpha continued until he was balls deep. 

The ache of unsatisfied lust was replaced by the burning stretch of being filled to the brim. 

“Who do you belong to?” Kxolo loomed over him like a shadow, capturing every mangled whimper and expression to come from his omega. 

Although they had been in the position a fair amount of times at this point, Neteyam could not remember every feeling such an intense ecstasy at simply being filled. It swirled his thoughts to that point of connection, the one part that was finally giving him relief. 

Kxolo pulled out till the tip barely resides in his tight hole then abruptly slammed back inside with one efficient swoop. It was brutal and a sudden shock, Neteyam used to the usual steady preparation and patience that the Olo’eyktan used before setting an unforgiving pace. A ripple of fizzled pleasure tickled up the base of his spine till it seemed to tickle at his twitching ears. 

“Y-you! I’m yours, I’m yours!” The words came out louder than expected. Neteyam was sure that Kxolo could feel the panicked vibrations with the stern grip to his throat. 

A startled gasp was ripped from him when the Olo’eyktan began to pound into him. Each thrust was deep enough to practically feel in his stomach. All preamble was chucked to the side. He set a pace that was merciless. Were it not for the Olo’eyktan holding him to the ground, Neteyam was sure he would have been shuffled off of the nest by now from the powerful buck of Kxolo’s hips. 

“My omega, hm?” Kxolo crooned.

The beads in Neteyam’s hair scraped against one another from the frantic nod he attempted in response. The dizzying pace made it difficult to think, let alone compile together a tangible response. The lewd sounds of skin slapping filled the tent, accompanied only by the almost soundless whimpers coming from Neteyam’s ajar mouth. 

“Interesting, because I know my omega would never think of another alpha, let alone threaten to lay with one.” 

Kxolo’s hips stilled. He was buried to the hilt, almost touching that sweet spot Neteyam so desperately yearned for him to caress. However, the angle was off, just barely tilted away from his g spot and a simple shift away from pure ecstasy. 

Were it not for desperation that consumed every other inhibition, Neteyam would have been embarrassed by the pathetic mewl that he let out. However, underneath his mate’s sculpted body trapping him with his cock spearing him open without relief, Neteyam didn’t give a fuck. 

“No n-no please! Don’t stop!” Neteyam’s hips jutted upwards, hoping to position the angle to his design but it was useless. 

The weight on his throat left but only to then feel his jaw captured in an unyielding grip. The soft flesh of his cheeks squished together beneath Kxolo’s splayed fingers. Body trembling in anticipation, Neteyam finally looked up at the fierce golden eyes piercing through him. Were it any other scenario, he was sure to get lost in the intricate swirl of color and hidden secrets that lurked underneath those sparkling orbs. 

Now however, all he could see were the dilated pupils that held a darkness his mate usually kept a tight lid on. 

Neteyam could feel the sticky slick coating the base of Kxolo’s cock and running down between their met pelvises. 

“You can do better than that.” Kxolo gently used the grip to teasingly shake the boy’s head back and forth. Despite the amused tone, Neteyam knew better than to misread the situation. This was a punishment. He had finally pushed his lover too far and now he was out and ready to make him pay for it. 

Already in such a vulnerable state, Neteyam scolded mentally scolded himself for choosing now to find the end of Kxolo’s patience. 

Regardless, the emanating power that rolled off of the alpha in waves constantly stirred his arousal into the familiar coiled ball that was moments away from snapping. Here, just pinned and filled, he wondered if the downturned scowl upon Kxolo’s lips would be enough to push him over the edge. A pathetic little omega, bent to the will of his alpha with the simplest of actions. 

“You know what I want to hear.” 

Pleading eyes did nothing to weaken Kxolo’s resolve. 

Neteyam searched through his brain for the right words, grasping at strings that only lead to dead ends. Perhaps he did know what magic words would finally bring him relief but his own lust had blanketed his thoughts into a mess of smoke and mist.

“Please p-please I’ll be good.” Kxolo liked manners, he had been insistent in the past on teaching his baby boy to ask politely. Hole now constantly clenching around the girthy base of the Olo’eyktan’s member, Neteyam prayed that would be the key to his impending orgasm. 

Kxolo ran his thumb over Neteyam’s bottom lip, a dot of blood collecting on the digit. The omega felt so highly sensitive that this act alone sent tingles along his cheeks till they blossomed into a rosy color. 

“Hm I don’t think I believe you, baby boy.” Kxolo drawled, eyes dragging between the boy’s soft lips and sparkling eyes. 

Neteyam could feel the moisture in his eyes gathering. Tears were seconds away from running down his cheeks. It was difficult to locate the source of his surging emotions, whether it was sadness, desperation, overstimulation or all three. On the verge of choking on overwhelmed sobs, Neteyam was reduced to a mewling mess trying to squirm in the plush blankets.

He reached for his mate’s shoulders and dug his nails into the taunt flesh in an effort to pull him closer. The Olo’eyktan was nice enough to haunch forward in response. 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m yours, daddy. All yours! I’ll behave now, I promise. I’ll be a good boy! Please fuck me, please please..”

“Such a dirty mouth on you, baby boy.” He chuckled, running his thumb over the pillow plush lips to silence the rambling. 

“You want me to fuck you, baby? Fill you up with my seed?” His words slowly contorted into a deep growl. Neteyam wasn’t the only one struggling to hold back. 

“Yes d-daddy want it so bad, please-”

“Then present, omega.” 

Neteyam's disappointment from the empty feeling in his hole only lasted for a few moments before he processed the words and scrambled to get into position. The shaking of his spent limbs could not stop him from eagerly flipping onto his knees. He pressed his cheek against the nest and arched his back, hoping to entice his mate by the obscene display before him.  

Kxolo slide him backwards by a harsh grip to the boy’s hips. Neteyam squeaked and arched obediently until he could feel the hardened length resting against his ass cheek. The stripped skin glimmered with the sheen of slick, the consequential fragrance drifting through the air. Kxolo’s nostrils flared, hands quick to grope and spread the omega’s cheeks profanely. 

He thumbed over the twitching rim, smearing the sticky substance in its wake. Kxolo admired the curve of the boy’s smooth ass. The flesh tantalizing him to take a bite. And so he did. Without warning his teeth nipped at a particularly plush part of Neteyam’s right cheek. The omega bucked away from the harsh treatment, but Kxolo kept him in place with a stubborn hold on his hips. He suckled at the skin, till  Neteyam was gasping and crying out. Leaning back, Kxolo was pleased to find a blaring purple mark left behind with indented teeth marks. 

“Must you do that right now?” The reprimanding remark was undermined by the heavy weight of Neteyam’s panting breaths. The omega’s tail swished and flicked at the older male to compensate. 

“I thought you said you’re going to be good.” 

“Kxolo please!” Neteyam let out the frustrated whine. 

Finally deeming the torment enough, Kxolo slid in without another word. He reveled in the accentuated arch of Neteyam’s back and breathless squeak that came from the boy as he once again buried himself to the hilt. The omega squeezed him so tightly, the alpha had to put some effort into sliding in and out. He rolled his hips into sensual patterns, reaching the sweet spot before gliding smoothly out till the head was at the rim again. Although slow, Neteyam could feel every ridge and vein as his hole made room for the male.

The bulbous head nudged at his prostrate at each precipious, sending overwhelming tingles of pleasure. Relief soon morphed into indescribable euphoria. His hindbrain finally soothed by the primal pleasure of being filled and claimed by his mate. The burning edges of pain trickled away into a forgotten memory, the only remnants being that of his building orgasm.

“Aren’t you just perfect.” Kxolo mused. 

“Want more..n-need more.” 

“I know, love. My greedy little omega.” He chuckled but obliged to the request anyway, thrusts picking up into rapid movements. 

Pleasure swelled and crackled across his skin in a symphony of sensations, but there was still one thing that Neteyam needed. One last connection he desired before reaching his tipping point. Images of those dancing tendrils flashed across the front of his mind. Just the simple wrapping of that nerve cord around his fingers was electric. The boy could only imagine how intensely beautiful it would feel to have his own intertwined. 

To feel every crash and pull of emotion that waved between them.

To be connected to his alpha in a way no else had ever experienced.

The last bit of himself that had not been given and the final shred of Kxolo’s soul he longed to receive. 

Neteyam was pulled up and backwards by strong hands. Back arched against the Olo’eyktan’s chest, the new angle had him seeing stars. Kxolo snuck his arms underneath the boy’s thighs and used them to lift Neteyam’s entire body up and down on his cock. 

Neteyam’s wail almost drowned out Kxolo’s own satisfied grunt. 

Small hands reached backwards to search for purchase as his body was completely manhandled and used. They finally tangled into the Kxolo’s soft braided locks that were tied together.

“Look at you. Taking me so well, baby boy.” 

Neteyam knew he looked pathetically fucked out of his mind in that moment, whimpering as he was shoved onto his mate’s cock over and over but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He was so close to finding the Olo’eyktan’s kuru and finally making that bond. He wanted Kxolo to feel the pleasure that was shooting down his spin in merciless waves. He wanted to feel from every perspective the shooting of Kxolo’s seed deep inside of him. 

In the jumble of motion Neteyam somehow managed to untie the band restraining the braids. Immediately he strained his arm back and messily grabbed the que. 

Sharp teeth closed around the shell of his ear like a vice. They clamped down long enough for Neteyam to almost lose his hold on the thick braid. He tried to wiggle away from the pain but that only earned him a harsh thrust to that bundle of nerves inside. 

“Let go.” Kxolo’s voice drawing out in a honey thick timber tempted the omega to obey. However, Neteyam fought the urge. Why would he let go when pure unbridled connection and ecstasy was around the corner? Surely his mate would not deny him of this, deny himself of this. 

“Come on, baby boy. Let it go.” He repeated. His hips rolled up, pushing his cock deeper in the omega’s hold, coaxing him to obey. 

“W-why?” Neteyam complained with a moan lacing his voice. “I n-need-”

“No you don’t, sweet boy. Just focus on me.” His body was lifted once more, accentuating the drag of the thick member along his stretching walls. “Focus on how good I feel inside your little hole.” 

Despite the uncontrolled moans and whimpers that escaped Neteyam every time Kxolo lifted him in a sensual progression up and down his cock, he still ached to feel closer. He had already latched onto the idea of their tsaheylus connecting and now nothing else would suffice in comparison to that fantasy. That awful yearning he had come to recognize was slowly starting to fester once more, this time fixated on the mental image of intertwining tendrils. 

“I’ve got you.” Kxolo reassured him, pacing starting to pick up again. 

Neteyam rapidly shook his head. 

“N-no! NO, it’s not enough. W-want you….mine. Closer…” The garbled string of words was all Neteyam could get out with the increasing fuzziness that overtook his mental clarity. He knew it was a poor excuse for an argument. 

Kxolo laced his throat with tender kisses. The caress of those soft lips coalesced with the pleasure coming from his sensitive bundle of nerves inside. Pleasure that was on the brink of shattering into a mind numbing release. 

“Ma Neteyam” Kxolo purred against his pulse. “You silly boy, haven’t you come to understand yet? I am yours.”

Neteyam subconsciously tightened his grip on the thick braid. Kxolo groaned softly but didn’t deter from his intentions. 

“Mind, body, and soul. I belong to you.” He ran the flat of his nose along Neteyam’s shoulder to the curve of his jaw. The omega accidentally let go of the braided hair when the roll of his mate’s hip drove him painstakingly close to the edge. His azure star freckled skin became warm to the touch. The ache slowly transitioned into fading background noise as his incoming orgasm took center stage. 

“This is yours.” His words were emphasized by the head of his cock teasing at his prostate. Tears began to gather at the creases of Neteyam’s eyes at the overwhelming sensation. Were he not already beyond the point of general awareness he would have recalled the progressive groans of pleasure that came to interrupt Kxolo’s reassuring words. 

“Everything I am, belongs to you.” 

The omega greatly anticipated the warmth of his mate’s seed as Kxolo’s thrust became sloppier. Fueled by a desperate hunger for relief. 

Neteyam tucked his face into the curve of the Olo’eyktan’s neck as he was pounded mercilessly. A soft whine tickled at his pulse.

“C-close. So close!”

“I know, sweetheart. You’re gonna cum untouched for me, aren’t you?” Still lifting the small boy up and down on him, Kxolo managed to nuzzle his own face against Neteyam’s tightly wound braids. A look of pride obvious in his features. 

“Yes daddy!” He whined into his neck. 

“Great Mother, Neteyam!” Kxolo ground out at those smooth velvety walls constricted around him to the point of almost painful bliss. “I love you so much.” 

And that was it.

Neteyam convulsed around his mate and sparks of uncontrollable pleasure consumed his body. Tail frantically swinging back and forth and mouth open in a screechy cry, Neteyam’s orgasm crashed through him. The first rope of cum that filled him was enough to immediately send him into a second release. Each powerful enough to leave his arms and legs visibly trembling. 

Completely spent and still riding the waves of post orgasm, Neteyam fell into the Olo’eyktan’s embrace. The only signs of being awake were that of the whine he let out when he was left empty once again. 

Kxolo carefully laid them down on top of the handmade nest. An exhausted but warm smile was in place as he positioned the omega to be safely enveloped in his arms. Neteyam was pliant and warm, his breathing finally starting to slow down. With the last bit of strength he had left, Neteyam hoisted himself up to lay directly atop his mate. 

Kxolo let out a loud laugh that had the boy’s ears twitching at the abrupt sound. Their bodies were melded together and legs intertwined sweetly. Finally the raging hormones subsided into a gentle hum. 

It felt as if he was taking his first breath of crisp clear air. His nerves still hummed with aftershock, but the deep thumb of Kxolo’s heart against his ear slowly began to soothe that too. 

“Sweet boy.” Kxolo mused as his omega nuzzled further against his chest. “How are you feeling?” 

“Warm.” 

The Olo’eyktan’s chest vibrated with fond laughter. 

“I think…I can sleep forever.” Neteyam mumbled against the soft skin. Kxolo’s right hand found its way to the omega’s limp tail. In a sluggish rhythm the slender tail curled itself around the alpha’s wrist before ceasing movement once more. 

“Trust me, in a few hours you’ll be ready for more.”

Neteyam groaned in protest weakly, but all he received was a comforting kiss to his temple. 

“Don’t worry, baby boy. I’ll be here to help you.”

The moment of silence dragged on until Kxolo finally recognized the soft and slow breathing of his sleeping omega. Looking down at the beautiful creature sprawled on top of him, Kxolo leaned in to the familiar feeling of his heart strings being tugged. 

The sweet essence of his mate was quick to intoxicate him into a one track mind focus. The experience reminded him of the days he spent as a youth drinking the strong liquor with his friends for the first time and waking up in the morning with a spotty memory. This, however, left him bone-tired yet still yearning for more.

Neteyam was implacable, waking up every couple of hours with wandering hands and whining pleas. Naturally he was more than happy to help his needy little mate, but by day three he was starting to feel the physical toll it had on his body. The two would collapse upon the disastrous jumble of fabric that used to be a nest and Kxolo waned in the afterburn of overworked muscles. 

Regardless, a word of complaint never left the alpha’s lips. One look at the sleeping boy curled up against his side and the Olo’eyktan knew his exhaustion was nothing in the light of his poor omega’s fatigue. Kxolo vowed to endlessly tire himself out pleasing his omega if it meant keeping Neteyam curled by his side forever. He, however, did worry for Neteyam as the days flew by. It took considerable persuasion to get any sort of food and water in the stubborn omega’s system. Some days required a creative bargain to placate him, promises of filling his tight hole in exchange for finishing the water and fruit prepared for him. 

When those bargains still resulted in a pouting omega that constantly tried to get a hand under Kxolo’s loincloth, the Olo’eyktan would change his deal to a well spanked ass as  reward for not taking all of the food like a good boy. One way or another, Neteyam always ended up begrudgingly eating his food as fast as possible. 

Truth be told, Kxolo was oftentimes surprised that he was able to put a stern foot down in these situations. He had never experienced such an insatiable lust in his life before. Even his periodic ruts gave him desires that seemed easier to quench. Naturally he figured it would do with their destined bond, making him wonder what would happen the next time his own rut would come around. He knew if it was the same level of temptation to put health and wellness aside in favor of sexual gratification, he was in for a long ride. 

The one time they were able to bathe had required Kxolo sneaking Neteyam out to the lake while the omega was fast asleep. It was only when the first rush of water brushed Neteyam’s skin that he awoke with a spew of whines. The entire experience was almost laughable as the omega alternated between pouting angrily and trying to kiss along the Olo’eyktan’s body. He had to admit, there were times that the boy’s bratty attitude was endearing. The excursion, however, did not end as anticipated, the smaller male somehow managing to trip Kxolo and straddle his lap. 

“You really like to push your luck, Ma Neteyam.” Kxolo ground out, but it was more of an amused chuckle than a warning. Neteyam didn’t miss a beat, reaching down to stroke his mate’s twitching member. 

“You said this belongs to me, no?” Neteyam’s voice came out surprisingly stronger than Kxolo expected after all of the screaming the boy had been producing. 

“I did say that.” 

“Then let me have it.” Neteyam insisted, already lining the head up to his entrance. 

For the first time, Kxolo was momentarily rendered speechless. Concerns for hygiene evaporated as he couldn’t resist watching Neteyam ride him, large hands guiding the boy through it, slowly teaching him the best way to take him. That spit fire attitude along with the tight velvet walls of Neteyam’s hole had him throbbing and ready to burst in record time. 

Kxolo couldn’t help himself from constantly checking the treeline for passerbys. The floral scent wafting from his mate had him on high alert for other individuals creeping in through the entirety of Neteyam’s presentation. Fucking up into him at the edge of the lake, Kxolo worried that an unlucky stumbling male wouldn’t just get a few hisses but rather the full wrath of a possessive alpha on edge. It’s hard to say whether or not his small omega would be able to save a stranger from such a situation. 

They left the lake almost as dirty as they came, but Kxolo couldn’t find it in himself to care. The omega would be lucky to make it home before finding his hole dripping with a new round of cum. 

Kxolo’s most complexing and yet entertaining discovery was the use of Neteyam’s second language. It came in the heat of the moment, Kxolo’s lips wrapped around his small cock as the boy cried and whined, his small wrists caught in one of the Olo’eyktan’s hands to keep him from reaching for tsaheylu. At first, he had beamed around the shaft, satisfied that his omega was already babbling literal gibberish. However, when a particular word had rained from the boy’s lips over and over, the older male’s ears twitched to try and make sense of the sound. 

The frequency increased until half the words Neteyam would scream during heightened cries spread into wider vowels; it was impossible for it to be Na’vi. He often forgot there was another dialectic swimming in the omega’s brain. The alpha wondered if it ever felt strange to speak exclusively Na’vi within this clan. 

Kxolo tried to find the meaning of these passing words, but Neteyam was either too far gone or too stubborn to give any translations. He promised himself to get it out of the boy someday, perhaps some edging would make him more agreeable. The alpha tucked away the idea for later. His main concerns for the week were satiating Neteyam and keeping the boy from forming tsaheylu while he slept. 

It was borderline impressive how persistent and clever Neteyam had been in trying to form their bond. If there was one thing Kxolo had learned about the omega it was that Neteyam had a knack for finding an angle and exploiting it to get the desired results. Or at least, he never stopped trying. After the third time of waking up to Neteyam messing with his Kuru, seconds away from creating a bond, Kxolo had decided it was time to take precautionary measures. 

The Olo’eyktan’s hand ached from the countless hours of sleep where he held the boy’s small wrists together tightly. He had been tempted to use a smooth rope but the moment the soft twine was revealed Neteyam was blabbering promises of being good. All it took was a few tears from those shining eyes for Kxolo to decide he could handle holding his wrists for a few more days. 

On the fifth morning Kxolo awoke on his own volition and not to the feel of small hands struggling to get out. Wrist still clamped in the Olo’eyktan’s grip, Neteyam was sprawled out beside him, body twisted in a fashion that made the alpha cringe. It was a wonder how the boy managed to contort himself into the strangest positions during his slumber. Hesitantly, he let the boy’s wrists go. They dropped like dead weight. 

Neteyam looked dead to the world, tailed curled around his own thigh as soft breaths blew from his pouty lips. Kxolo was content to watch the boy for a while longer, trying to analyze whether or not his presentation had fully passed. There was a new tang to the boy’s essence, but it was misted over by his own overwhelming scent mixed in. A proud smile curled at the edges of his lips.

As it should be Kxolo mentally affirmed. 

He traced one fingertip gently along the boy’s vertebrae. Neteyam’s tail lashed out, tickling at the alpha’s nose. Tickling touches laced the omega’s back and sides, slowly coercing him to awaken from slumber. Kxolo was patient, murmuring his name softly, watching the boy’s ears twitch as the only form of acknowledgment. It was a stark contrast to the marathon of pounding him into oblivion. There was still a tinge of desire lacing his lower stomach, but the Olo’eyktan held it at bay.

Beneath the overwhelming perfume of their mixed scents, Kxolo could just barely make out the essence of calm washing over the omega. He was content. Exhausted, but content. 

“Ma Neteyam.” He whispered, breath catching the wispy hair at the base of Neteyam’s neck. His tail swatted against the ground, giving away his feigned sleeping. “We can’t stay here forever, my love.” 

“Why not?” Neteyam spoke, lips barely parting to create anything close to tangible words. 

Kxolo grinned, finally pulling the omega backwards to spoon him from behind. His own tail naturally twisted around the omega’s ankle, tracing soft patterns on the skin there. It was a tempting fantasy, staying here while the rest of Pandora continued on to figure out its own problems. 

“I suppose I could keep you here. Keep my precious little omega locked away in my hut, ready and willing to take me whenever I desire.” Neteyam’s huffed laugh coalesced with the alpha’s playful growl, sharp teeth nipping at the back of his neck. 

“And let you go out and have all the fun? What if you are my prisoner for a change?” 

Kxolo’s eyes twinkled with delight. Instinctively, his arms tightened around the male’s middle. 

“Seems only fair at this point.” Neteyam insisted. Their legs tangled together lazily, the remnants of cum sticky along their skin. Face pressed against the nape of his neck, Kxolo’s nostrils flared as he breathed in his scent as if it was the only breathable oxygen left on Pandora. 

He turned the omega to face him before surrendering his own wrists to the boy. 

“Then take me now, omega.” Kxolo was certain there was nothing more beautiful than the wide toothy grin that Neteyam sent him in return. Small giggles threatened to escape the younger male’s throat, but he kept it at bay. The wrists were snatched by smaller hands that struggled to cinch around them completely. Neteyam playfully yanked on them, causing a deep chuckle to rumble from the alpha.

“You may find, however, that I don’t cause as much trouble as you, little one.” Kxolo’s smirk never dropped even as he lifted his arms to protect himself from Neteyam’s weak hits. Laughter bubbled between the two, legs intertwining and wrestling for the upperhand. 

Despite his aching muscles, the Olo’eyktan’s strength still greatly outmatched that of his bone tired omega. He caught the small boy’s wrists, pinning them against the floor before straddling that slim waist and crashing his lips down feverishly on Neteyam’s. 

All remnants of struggle melted into preening arched movements from Neteyam. Their tongues danced in perfect rhythm as the alpha kissed the daylights out of him. Kxolo bit at the bottom lip when he could smell the familiar scent of slick leaking down his omega’s leg. When they finally broke apart, Neteyam’s eyes were dilated and breath heavy. 

“Alpha-”

“You need to heal, Neteyam. Let’s get you cleaned up.” 

Neteyam huffed in protest but apparently was too tired to fight back. It only took a few steps on shaky legs for Neteyam to almost fall out of the tree, therefore landing himself in Kxolo’s arms for the rest of the trek to the lake. Although his inner alpha slightly whined at having to wash away the visual claim, Kxolo meticulously scrubbed at the boy’s skin till all remnants of white were gone. Luckily, he was satisfied to find that their mixed perfume had remained evermore obvious. 

The simple act of putting on clothes again felt foreign after days of primarily nudity. The weight of his carefully carved knife sheathed in its holster held a more present weight than he could recall. The bright side was that with some proper persuasion, the Olo’eyktan managed to convince Neteyam to adorn some traditional color of his clan. The sight made him swell in pride, grin only widening even more when the boy wordlessly added the waist beads. 

“She is expected to return soon. Surely that will take some of the edge off.” Leynyey assured the young Na’vi girl. Vamai already knew first hand that Pulo was a tough trainer. She could easily imagine him running the poor girl through the reps endlessly, especially with the absence of his own mate on a foraging trip. Vamai herself was growing tired of Pulo’s constant presence.

Usually Neteyam’s petty dislike of Pulo was enough to grant Vamai and the Sully boy some proper alone time. However, it had been days since word of Neteyam’s presentation had surfaced and without Neteyam or Epok’s company, the task of keeping the other alpha entertained had somehow fallen to her. To say Vamai was growing restless would be an understatement. 

Leynyey continued to carefully weave feathers into the younger Na’vi female’s hair as Vamai absent mindedly prepared the poison arrows carefully. Vamai had always felt a bit outside of the inner circle, especially when it came to her own gender, but listening to their endless chatter was a welcomed distraction from worrying about Neteyam. Five days was not a ridiculous or unusual amount of time for presentations to last. Some newly presented omegas were cooped up in their huts for an entire week. Vamai herself regretted the length of her own.

Cold but hot. Burning and empty. Shivering across the soft surface of a secluded hut, one that was not meant for her. It was meant for them. Dark webs of these memories cloud her mental presence without permission. 

She shook her head, mentally flinging all residue of that dark time from her brain. Dwelling on the past would get her nowhere. She had learned. She had evolved. Nothing beyond that was important. 

To her dismay, however, Vamai had found that her inner omega took comfort in shifting her thoughts towards the other Sully son. The same male that had given her the best orgasm of her life on a whim. The same who wouldn’t stop trying to contact her through the weird necklace. Although Neteyam's absence was the perfect time to adorn the piece without a hint of suspicion, she had held off. It was kept safely tucked away in her baskets, hoping to muddle any unexpected sounds while her parents were home. She hadn’t blatantly been ignoring the male, but the omega oftentimes let his calls drift off until he had given up. 

On her weaker nights, she had answered. Only with short words and snide comments, but enough to keep Lo’ak chatting away. It was difficult to say whether he was making up for her own short answers or if he was simply that talkative. He spoke of his family and duties mostly. He had learned within the first day that any mention of what happened at the waterfall would result in immediate disconnection. Memories of that day still added to the regular program of Lo’ak lacing her dreams, but explicitly talking about it would be too much. 

Occasionally he would ask about Neteyam, wondering how he was holding up. A tinge of panic would race through her heart at the mere mention of the omega. She didn’t require a specific request from the Olo’eyktan to know that sharing the news of Neteyam’s presentation with his family would not be appreciated. Luckily, her clipped and vague response was nothing out of the ordinary for these conversations. 

Part of her expected him to give up, finding these interactions unsatisfactory. Still, he continued to persevere. Vamai lamented that her nature sent a wave of relief when his smirky voice echoed through her room every night. She fought the urge to answer immediately. A few nights she was stubborn enough to not answer at all, but those bursts of strengthened resolve were fleeting. Inevitably, her hand would on its own accord reach into the basket and grab the strange sky people tech with practiced familiarity.

“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to see Olo’eyktan till the end of the week.”

Vamai’s head snapped up, focus finally coming back to the present moment. Sure enough, off in the distance Neteyam could be spotted shyly walking next to their Olo’eyktan. Relief flooded her system, legs carrying her towards the other omega without conscious thought. Every other clan member was ignored and dodged as she bounded towards her best friend. 

Neteyam nearly toppled over when Vamai sprung at him, jumping up to reach her arms around the taller omega. Thankfully, Kxolo was there stabilizing his mate within a second. She veered back slightly, but only to ensure that the boy’s already shaking legs wouldn’t collapse beneath him. 

“Oh my Eywa! Never leave me with these skxawngs again!” Her grip was merciless, causing Kxolo to shift slightly closer, but Neteyam only laughed at her antics. Still, Vamai could feel the heavy gaze of an anxious alpha holding back the urge to sweep his mate away again. She squeezed him that much tighter, until the distinct smell of Kxolo bombarded her senses. 

She pulled back and scrunched her nose. 

“Don’t you think you overdid it a little?” Vamai sneered at her Olo’eyktan. While Neteyam’s ears twitched and cheeks tinted pink, Kxolo only grinned down at the small female proudly with crossed arms. “I mean my Eywa, putting a baby inside of him would’ve been a lesser effect.”

“Ok that’s enough.” Neteyam groaned, fighting the urge to cover his reddening complexion. 

“Well I thought you would want to spend some time with my mate, but I’d be happy to take him off your hands if it bothers you so much.” Kxolo was already snaking both arms around the boy’s waist and pulling him back into his hard chest. He glowed with the arrogance and pride of a mated alpha. Vamai supposed she couldn’t expect anything less from an alpha still experiencing the lingering effects of omega presentation. She shot forward, snatching Neteyam away roughly. There was no telling how long Kxolo would keep him if given the chance and Vamai was not interested in finding out. 

“Don’t be so selfish.” Her bared teeth glimmered in the sunlight. Although reluctant, Kxolo’s grip loosened before finally parting from his mate. A few words of salutations were whispered affectionately followed by a prolonged kiss, that was sure to have more tongue than necessary, before the Olo’eyktan strode off to join the hunting party. 

Vamai wasted no time in corralling the other omega away from the clan members. They naturally fell into stride along the familiar path that led towards the small river. Teasing comments easily left her lips, amused by the faint glow of embarrassment that Neteyam’s face still held. It was endearing and amusing to see how shy the boy insisted on being. 

However, when the conversation steered away from his presentation and the explicit acts that he and the Olo’eyktan had performed, Neteyam was surprised to find that Vamai didn’t immediately reel it back. She indulged his curiosity about the last few days, complaining about Pulo’s annoying badgering mixed with the boring conversations held by the other clan women. As always, Vamai spoke with a vibrancy and energy that left Neteyam exhausted, but he could sense a missing passion in each of her short stories. 

They lounged along the river, this time Neteyam joined her in sprawling out over the shallow waters rushing along the colorful rocks. Gentle breezes and trickling water down her back sweetly cooled Vamai’s skin. They lay there for a while, staring up at the canopy of trees creating intricate shadows over the landscape. It was comfortable, even relaxing. However, Vamai could not stop herself from peeking over at the boy from the corner of her eyes periodically. 

Neteyam preened under the golden sunlight with closed eyes and an evenly rising and falling chest that made her question whether or not he was asleep. Possessive marks and bites littered his skin. That was expected, but her reaction wasn’t. 

Vamai’s chest tightened as her golden eyes danced over the marks left in a seemingly intimate fashion. Although her first habit was to imagine these marks as possessive branding left in an aggressive heat driven fashion, her mind couldn’t help but conjure sweet images of kind words whispered between those visual reminders of mating. And with Neteyam breathing in the sunlight with the satisfaction and peace of an omega who desired nothing more in the world, it was impossible to spin it any other way. 

“What are you looking for?” His eyes didn’t open, but she averted her own. 

“Nothing.” 

He finally peeked through narrowed slits, studying his friend with a diligence that made her look away. Vamai clumsily grappled for a handful of colorful rocks in the rivers and began to roll them absent mindedly against her palm. 

“We didn’t bond.”  

She could hear the swish of water, indicating Neteyam sitting up and scooting closer. 

“That’s good, right? Isn’t that what you were worried about?”

“Yeah…it’s good.” 

The awkward tension filling the space flipped her stomach into constant summersaults. The rocks dug into the soft flesh of her palms. Electricity buzzed at her nerves, a constant temptation to run off into the treeline. She prayed to Eywa that Neteyam could not sense her sudden apprehension. However, those sparks singed her from the inside until it felt that the only release would be to spit out the words lodged in her throat. 

“You are ok, though, right?” Vamai’ neck strained at the sudden snap turn. Neteyam blinked back at her, bewildered. “You can tell me honestly.” 

Neteyam stilled under her focused attention, eyes darting cautiously along her expression. 

“I actually feel a lot better.”

“Than during your presentation, yeah of course-”

“No, better than before it.” 

Vamai’s tail curled in the air, ears twitching anxiously. Neteyam shifted slightly and rubbed at the back of his neck with a sigh but to her surprise, he didn’t back down from the statement. 

“It’s hard to explain but…” Vamai jerked slightly when a sudden burst of energy had Neteyam shuffling to his knees and facing her properly. “Before it just felt like that voice at the back of my head was a constant annoyance, like some force of nature that worked against my own free will. It’s disorienting and confusing and always bashing in my skull, or at least it was.”

She knew that feeling all too well. Omega instincts were nothing to underestimate, something she had come to accept. 

“And now, it’s less restless. Like it’s been satiated. I can understand the origin of thoughts and desires but they are easier to pick through, easier to comprehend. I suppose that’s what fully presenting is, getting rid of the fight between yourself and your nature. You know what I mean?” He nudged her softly with an eased smile. 

Vamai’s own lips felt physically pained to send him one in return. 

“Yeah, right.” 

Her thoughts turned clumsily with an unleashed vitality. Cold chills raced along her vertebrae as she watched him beam. She wondered if it was wrong to agree with him, to let him think that these feelings were simply effects of omega presentation. It was slightly unnerving to watch him speak of the event with such fondness and relief. Surely, the sexual pleasure and release was not to be underestimated but it was the way he rambled on about alignment with his nature that left a heavy weight on her chest. 

The longer he babbled happily about it, the heavier it became. The tangible strain of smiling and nodding along increased tenfold. His words tangled with her own racing thoughts that constantly worked to decipher the situation. They bounced against the inner walls of her skull until it was throbbing, until it felt as if it was on the brink of shattering. 

“Vamai.” Reality snapped back into place. “I’m boring you.” Neteyam half heartedly huffed a laugh, but there was no mistaking the concern swimming along his features. 

“Of course not.” It didn’t ring true in her own ears and judging by Neteyam’s grimace, there was little hope that he believed her either. Her fingers twisted through the colorful frayed strings of her loincloth, expelling the smallest amount of the zapping electricity. The gaze of sunlight upon her azure skin suddenly felt penetrating, eating away at her until a bead of sweat trickled from her forehead down the slope of her soft cheek. So much for subtly. 

“I know that your presentation was different.” 

Different. 

Curled up alone in a miserable ball of grief and pain, tortured by her own nature. Cursing the name of Eywa for five days, while searching for relief from the aching fire that consumed everything in its wake. The cold slab of the cave floor a hollow and empty contrast to the embrace that she had grown accustomed to. The arms that were meant to be holding her dearly, soothing away every morsel of pain and desire. 

Different is one way to describe it. 

If only he knew. 

“Maybe I should be a little more sensitive-”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Nete.” She sprung to her feet, focusing on shaking the remains of water away from her thighs instead of the threatening wall of tears behind glazed eyes. “I’m not a baby. I can handle getting the inside scoop. In fact, I encourage it.” 

As if caught in a steel trap, her eyes were forced to calmly peer down at the boy. His own tail was around his hip. She couldn’t tell if it was a sign of apprehension or rather pity, but either option caused her stomach to flip. 

“I know…It’s just you don’t really talk about it that much.” 

She knew this story. Knew how it was going to play out. The looks of sympathy, the casually thrown promises of better days. All just shields to the uncomfortable pity that other Na’vi don’t know what to do with. Simply masks that were worn to show support and comfort, while secretly thanking the Great Mother that their misfortune was not as drastic. If only they knew how transparent their feelings truly were. 

Followed by the initial cheer of relief, each familiar face had been painted with those masks upon the morning of her return. Family and friends had constantly reached out, eager to put a hand of consolation on her shoulder or share personal remedies and advice. Kxolo himself had visited almost every day after the occurrence, feverishly promising assistance, or revenge depending on his mood. 

Time had passed. The well-meaning, yet nagging, soothing had slowed until finally ceasing. Still, those looks continued. Her story lived on in the whispered conversations racketing along the clan in her absence, voices dripped in a somber tone. 

Neteyam was immune to this, blissfully unaware and therefore holding the capacity to treat her like every other Na’vi. 

Her best friend for a reason. 

Vamai’s saving grace came in the form of a panting beta, rushing through the greenery with dilated pupils and a heavy chest. Dread fell over the pair. His presence penetrated the atmosphere brashly, swarming Vamai’s initial feelings of relief into a bundle of anxiety at his appearance. She recognized him as Lanil, one of the newer betas joining the hunting party after finally passing his Iknimaya. 

Twin tails perked in alert, watching the male with emploring eyes.

“The hunting party returned but Olo’eyktan-”

Neteyam was gone, racing through the trees with frantic urgency before the male could finish. 

The healer’s tent was bursting at the seams with Na’vi. The crowd suffocated the outer walls, only shooed away by the young healers in training. A tunnel was forced through the crowd only to allow healers rushing in and out of the hut, carrying baskets of plants and ointments. It was the blood staining their hands, however, that had bile threatening to crawl up Neteyam’s throat. 

The omega didn’t have to push through the crowd, to his horror they parted for him till he had breached the entrance. Out of respect as Olo’eyktan’s mate or out of sympathy, he couldn’t tell. Although he had rushed to the tent with a speed that had his joints aching, peeking through the gap in the tent, Neteyam found his feet planted to the muddy soil. 

The sliver of sunlight illuminating the musky tent only revealed a peak of blue skin, nothing to indicate his mate’s wellbeing. Kxolo’s natural essence was woven too tightly with those of strangers and gushing blood. Who’s blood though? It was a smell that Neteyam had grown well accustomed to. However, back home it was commonly tinged with the perfume of gunpowder and a metallic undertone. It had always twisted his stomach into knots, urging him to check for injuries among his father and mother. Now, however, it rendered him stagnant. 

He swore that Eywa herself had strung an entanglement of roots and vines as a binding for his feet to the forest floor. 

“Neteyam, you can come in.” Tsahik poked her head through the sliver of an opening coaxing him inside with a rushed wave of her palm. He followed reluctantly, but she was across the length of the hut too fast for him to keep up. 

Thick permeated air of smoke and herbal clouds weighed heavy in his lungs. Nai’vi warriors were sprawled across the expanse of the hut. Groans of pain emitted from younger warriors as wounds were patched and sewn while the elder stubbornly suffered in silence. Shriveled into himself, Neteyam trudged along, carefully directed himself around the thrashing tails and rushing healers. 

The scream that broke loose was toe curling. It cut through the atmosphere with a merciless slice, causing a squeak to fall from his lips as the omega shuffled and tripped on his own feet. 

It was then that familiar hands caught him from behind, slowly lowering him to sit. 

A small sound echoed in his throat at the sight of his mate very much alive and not the male screaming beyond the curtain. With a quivered lip and the inability to form words that made sense in the situation, Neteyam geared his energy towards looking over the alpha for serious injuries. Patches of purple and dark blue littered his skin, broken up by small cuts, but they were minor. The only serious injury was the deep wound under his back shoulder blade that a small Na’vi girl worked on patching diligently.

“You’re ok.” 

Kxolo simply grunted in response, eyes barely flashing to meet Neteyam’s for a moment. He sat motionless, still as the stone that Neteyam and his siblings used to jump off of and into the river. Although the girl rubbed a generous amount of ointment along the open wound, he never flinched. 

“Who let you in here?” The gruff rumble of his voice cut brashly. The deep ember of calming affection had dissipated from his irises, leaving only a vacant stare in its place. Kxolo was already moving to shuffle the omega out of the tent, protests erupting from his healer. “I’m fine. Go home, Neteyam.” 

“B-but-”

A shrilling scream whipped at the wind once more, cascading a shiver down Neteyam’s spine. Kxolo didn’t flinch, showed no visual signs of recognition but every muscle tensed and locked into place, the veins of his hands protruding from his tightening grip. A small beta sprinted from behind the curtain, blood scattered along her forearms and hands that held an empty basket firmly. Eyes followed her form till it had been swallowed by the tent’s closing flap. 

“Olo’eyktan…I’m finished.” The small beta behind him quietly spoke, eyes meeting with Neteyam’s for a moment. He searched her expression for answers, foolishly hoping to find an account of today’s events and how it had led to such bloodshed. An explanation as to where the kind glow in his mate’s eyes had gone. 

“Go home.” Kxolo’s voice came out as a distant whisper this time, body curling forward towards the mysterious curtain that hid a gory scene. Just watching his looming frame edge closer to the fabric made Neteyam’s knees shake. Images of wounds and shrapnel embedded in skin invaded his mind. Unwanted visuals that haunted Neteyam’s mind as memories, ones never meant to have been obtained. 

Kxolo on the other hand took long strides laced with firm determination across the space. Although his head was not held as high as usual, the Olo’eyktan never looked down. Dark orbs staring straight ahead, ready to face whatever horrors awaited him behind that thin wall of protection. 

A sudden burning to follow emerged. Neteyam wanted to warn him, to reel him back from scenes that can never be unseen. Memories that linger like smoke in the air, deeply seated in your lungs until there is no more room for fresh air. Having Toruk Makto, the mighty warrior and defeater of Sky People, for a father is a matter of fate. It can’t be escaped because it was strung into his destiny before Neteyam’s first breath. Eywa choses where we weave into the fabric of other’s lives. Neteyam couldn’t avoid seeing these griefs, but he could protect Kxolo. 

The wailing grew intensely, the weight of heavy dread in the air sinking down onto everyone within earshot. 

Neteyam’s hand just barely reached to circle around one of Kxolo’s wrists gently before his broad frame split the soft fabric. Less than two steps, however, and Neteyam realized he wouldn’t have to tug the male back after all.

“You are not needed here.” Tsahik braced an arm across his chest, backing him up until fully out of the secluded space. Kxolo planted his feet, but didn’t dare push back in resistance. Curious gazes fell upon the throuple. 

“He is my student, I’m helping.”

“And now he lies among my wounded, under my care. You will only get in the way. Go home and rest.” 

“Rest.” Kxolo scoffed, nose scrunching up to reveal the tips of his canines. Tsahik was neither bothered nor dettered by the attitude. The undivided attention from those around made Neteyam squirm and tighten his hold on the alpha’s wrist, but he didn’t allow himself to snuggle close for comfort as he desired. Not when he was caught in the midst of a showdown between the clan’s Tsahik and Olo’eyktan. Unspoken murmurs morphed into a frozen tension locking everyone in place, the only sound continuing being that of the injured Na’vi behind the curtain. 

Were it not for his concern for Kxolo, Neteyam would’ve shrunk away, convinced that this was business between the clan’s leaders and not for him. He had been shooed out of enough conversations between his grandmother and father to know his place by now. 

“Neteyam, take him home please.” 

All eyes landed on him. He went to protest, to explain that this was not his place to speak out, but that sentiment didn’t seem to hold true anymore. He did have a role to play in this scene now. He was the Olo’eyktan’s mate, or at least in the eyes of the people he was. Tsahik’s pointed eyes softened upon falling on Neteyam. The slightest jerk of her head and whip of her tail finally gave the omega the encouragement needed to start tugging again. 

Another mewl rang through the air. 

“Get some rest.” She soothed, placing a hand on the alpha’s shoulder. The muscles of his back tightened visibly. “I will keep you updated on any progress.” 

“Kxolo.” He pleaded.

Void of any reaction, the Olo’eyktan’s feet finally began to trudge backwards. Tsahik didn’t wait around to see her orders followed, slipping back past the curtain. The crowd parted for them outside the tent, some curious gazes looking for signs of serious injuries on their Olo’eyktan. Neteyam dared to peek back at the male only to find a stoic expression sunk into place. Eyes dead straight forward, Kxolo maintained a steady pace behind him. 

Halfway home Neteyam finally realized that he was holding dead weight in his grip, an unnecessary urging to get his mate home, but he dared not drop it. His smaller fingers held tighter, cherishing their one point of contact. His hindbrain weeped and begged him to snuggle close, to encircle the male in his arms till that shine and affectionate smile would return. Still, all he could bring himself to focus on was making it back to their hut. Back to the place where answers could be received. 

That is, if he wanted them.

If he wanted to know what had happened on such a short hunt to reduce his alpha into a shell of what he was that morning. The rays of a proud beaming alpha had dissipated into darkness. Netyam felt his own giddy feelings wash away with every glance he sent back at the stoic man. 

Kxolo remained silent as he sat on the woven floor of their home. Although his back was straight as a rod, showing forth the confidence and surety of a true leader, Neteyam couldn’t help but see an invisible deflation. Only the slow occasional blinks over those sunken eyes showed Kxolo was awake. 

“I’m sorry if I scared you.” 

No explanation, no words or traces of comfort.

Neteyam sunk down onto his knees behind him, hands hesitantly placing themselves along those broad shoulders. Blood seeped through the thick bandage upon his left shoulder blade. Neteyam’s fingertips barely grazed the leathery texture of the leaf bandage. Pushing away the tangled braids, the omega fitted his face against the nape of his neck, breathing in the familiar scent. 

It was tainted with riddle emotions. Dark edges clouding over the affectionate acceptance of his touch. Neteyam’s nose crinkled before softly resting his chin upon Kxolo’s shoulder. His expression remained stoic. 

“What happened?”  

No matter how long the silence stretched, Neteyam forced himself to sit into it. His fingers twitched along the smooth skin of his mate’s upper biceps, but he waited patiently for an answer. Solutions were hard to come by without knowing the problem. However, watching the grimace slink across the Olo’eyktan’s face, he had a fair idea of what emotion plagued him. 

“A miscalculation.” 

His tail lay lifeless across the woven floor. Neteyam’s own followed suit subconsciously. Somehow he managed to piece together an attitude of patience even as questions bombarded and swirled around his every thought. That frazzled energy was concentrated and expressed through simple touches along Kxolo’s shoulders and back. So fragile and light it could’ve been mistaken as a ghostly breeze. He didn’t know if it made any difference for his mate of stone as he drew idle circles along the warm skin, but it made his own heart beat slow down into a peaceful rhythm. 

These actions felt familiar, almost practiced, although more times than not it was his alpha creating imaginary drawings along his form instead of the other way around. Nevertheless, his hindbrain purred and settled with every stroke, relaxing into the heat of his skin. 

“The angtsik were meant to be at the drinking hole this time of day. The stampede was there and gone within an instant. Got most of the others relatively out of the way. Sian was less lucky.” He spoke as if in a trance, a flash of memory skating along his eyes. Still, he never turned; never let his rigid posture loosen. 

Unfortunately it was a countenance that Neteyam not only recognized but knew first hand from himself. The weight of responsibility constantly pressed against his chest. Outcomes and solutions would never erase the horror of knowing that the origin of problems lied with you. That you could’ve stopped a misfortune but now the opportunity was lost. 

“It’s not your fault.” Words that had been repeated to him over and over by his sister and grandmother, yet they could never hold the power necessary. 

There were no magic phrases or string of poetic lines that could seep into one’s being until it had finally been accepted as truth. Loved ones had tried, reaching out for heart to heart conversations while he sat along the small river; his hideout. He knew then that nothing could be said to erase the blackened mark on his record with every mistake. Some days words of comfort brought forth a tinge of annoyance, as if no one could understand that the damage had been done. Every mistake saddled him with weighted guilt and reminders of his shortcomings. 

Now, sitting here on the other side of the glass, Neteyam could finally understand the helplessness that must’ve racked his own family. They were the wrong words, but what more could he say?

“I’m Olo’eyktan. That hunting party was under my care. The People are under my care. My responsibility. My duty.” The tuff of Kxolo’s tail shortly whipped against the floor with a soft puff. The usually perked and attentive ears had nestled back against his skull, hidden partly by his dark hair. 

Hair that had lost its shine and neat appearance, decorated braids had wrapped and tangled together into clustered knots. Some had nestled far out of place to the point where Neteyam’s eyes strained to find their origin at the male’s scalp. He wondered what sort of maneuver his mate had performed to put them in such a state. Images of scrambling Na’vi being pulled from the floor by the Olo’eyktan’s strong arms, seconds away from being crushed by the leather skin covered heavy feet flashed to the front of his mind’s eye. Another shot of panic bolted through him at the new onslaught of disturbing images. Although already knowing his state of injury, Neteyam couldn’t help but flash desperate glances along the male’s form in search of further overlooked ailments. 

Hysteria was quickly squeezing his lungs together in a tight grip. His calming touches had stopped and Neteyam struggled to get a grip on himself. Now was not the time to panic. His mate was looking forward with a countenance of haunted death and he had not a single word of solace to pull him back. The omega needed an outlet, something that would feel like helping no matter how small the impact. 

“Your hair is tangled.” Neteyam whispered in a jumble. He spotted the slightest of nods from the alpha. Another steadying breath filled his lungs, urging his body back into control. The racing of heated blood began to lose speed. “Let me fix it.” 

However, it came out as a declaration rather than a seeking of approval. Neteyam crawled along the disastrous mess of their hut and dug through various baskets that had been toppled over in the heat of lust. Eventually he gathered the necessary tools; moisturizing hair oil and a bone toothed comb. 

Settling himself back behind Kxolo’s towering frame, Neteyam took the first braid between his fingers. Dark silky hair reflected the shimmer of golden sunlight sneaking through the mouth of their hut. Although stubborn at certain points, the dark locks slowly began to unwind into fallen waves. Neteyam lathered his fingertips in the slick oil and diligently smoothed it through his mate’s hair periodically. Braid by braid, the omega found himself settling into the task. 

To his delight, he was not the only one. 

Although minimal at first, Kxolo began to preen back against the touch. Rigid shoulders fell away into a relaxed posture. There was gradually a shift in the tension that originally lay between them. The heavy aroma of troubled emotion laced pheromones slowly slipped into something lighter. The thick air of tension and looming images of bloodied bodies had begun to fade away. 

Neteyam’s movements grew in confidence, falling into a natural rhythm that could’ve been mistaken as overdone routine. An assortment of feathers and beads pooled around Neteyam’s knees, quickly growing into a small pile with every untangling of a braid. 

“Neteyam,” The omega perked up at the splitting of silence. “Tell me something.” 

“Like what?” 

“Anything.” 

Neteyam’s diligence faltered, daring to sneak a peek at the male’s expression. 

“I doubt it’d be useful to hear my babbling stories-”

“I like your stories.” 

And for the first time since coming across his panic stricken mate, Kxolo peered back at him. Their eyes locked, revealing crystal clear vulnerability underneath that Olo’eyktan facade. A softness that was neither shameful nor hidden from Neteyam’s gaze. The strength and trust required to let oneself be seen as you truly are. 

Kxolo was a dominant alpha full of pride and courage. Every decision down to the last of his footsteps was laced with confidence and resolve. He stood by those choices and braced himself for whatever consequences followed. His leadership was humble and focused on those around him, taking on any burden he deemed fit for the good of the People. 

Neteyam would be lying if he claimed to not find his character admirable.

However, he had never been more impressed than upon seeing Kxolo sink before him, opening himself up completely before the omega. 

If there was ever a chance to exploit his captor’s weakness and plot an escape, it was now. 

That thought, however, couldn’t break through the overwhelming warmth that seeped like liquid gold into Neteyam’s chest. 

“I remember the first time I saw you.” The confession tumbled out on autopilot, without a warning thought. Kxolo’s ears perked upwards in tandem with a raised hairless eyebrow. It seemed too late to take the words back now that the Olo’eyktan’s attention had been captured. So Neteyam found refuge instead through concentrating on untangling braids and using the thick hair to curtain his rising blush. 

“A long time ago when you first visited our clan as Olo’eyktan.” He continued, as if the setting would be enough to satisfy his curious mate. Naturally, a spark of amusement was evident in the male’s expression so he continued. 

Neteyam had told himself that he would never tell this story. Not to his family, not to his friends, and especially not to the male himself. So why did the it flow effortlessly from his lips?

“I remember.”

Neteyam could feel his heart in his throat, strangling him from getting out a reasonable reply. The silky strands twirled around his fingers as he sat there motionless. 

“No I don’t mean a few months ago-”

“I know. Almost a year ago now since you first spied on me from the trees above.” 

Heat rose at a rushing pace to spread across his cheek and neck. Although Kxolo remained facing forwards, Neteyam couldn’t help but hide his heated expression between the Olo’eyktan’s shoulder blades. It felt foolish to be mortified being caught spying on his mate such a long time ago after they have now been so intimate with one another, but regardless, the omega felt as if he could curl up into a ball and die. 

“Y-you saw?” Although moments before the alpha’s eyes had been tormented with images of murky death, Neteyam could imagine that signature smirk breaking his composure. Behind his back, the omega was given a moment to breathe, safe from the attentive eyes that diligently followed him to and fro. 

However, a part of him itched to take another peek. No matter how embarrassing, it would be a relief to see a glimmer of warmth return to his countenance after such traumatic events. Instead, Neteyam adjusted the leaf bandages in faux concentration. 

“Rest assured it was not a lack of agility that gave you away, little one.” Although slightly strained, his timber had soothed back into something familiar for his little mate. Caught between conflicting emotions of embarrassment and relief, Neteyam’s small fingers fumbled with the next braid while trying to clear his thoughts. “Even back then your sweet scent knew how to draw me in.” 

Neteyam was starting to regret bringing the subject up in the first place. Nothing could change the fact that his devious spying had been not so secret after all, but that knowledge could’ve been left in the dark, allowing the omega to sleep soundly at night. Allowing him to look the Olo’eyktan in the eyes without becoming bashful. 

All this time, the one card Neteyam felt he held close to his chest had been exposed from the beginning. 

Their official first meeting when they had been formally introduced, how hard Neteyam had worked to school his features into that of pleasant indifference. The first few weeks they had spent with Neteyam denying his attraction towards the older male with every breath. His insistence of hating Kxolo and yet the Olo’eyktan had known. He had known that from the beginning he had captured Neteyam’s attention. There was always an assurance of interest from the young omega. 

“It was more coincidental than intentional actually…”

“Coincidentally following me from your little hideout spots.” 

“N-no. By Eywa, you can’t go two seconds without letting your big head get in the way.” Neteyam huffed before tugging on one of the half undone braids. It seemed to jolt a sound of surprise and cut laughter from the alpha. As if to break him out of the dreary moment finally. 

Neteyam only wished that the laughter was not at his own expense. 

“You knew this whole time and yet you never…” He trailed off into a scoff, but the edges of Kxolo’s lips were already tugging upwards. 

“I figured you would be a bit bashful about it.” As Neteyam’s blush deepened he hated to admit how correct his alpha’s perception of him was. “Besides, I enjoyed spotting such a cute little omega peeking down curiously from above. The most beautiful creature I’d ever seen.” 

Gulping down harshly, Neteyam felt the memories from that day surge forward. The twisted bundle of nerves that had laced his stomach while following the mysterious alpha had almost been enough to make him trip and lose his cover several times. Growing up to be such a responsible adult, practically a third parent for his siblings, Neteyam knew better than to wander off after strangers, especially ones from other clans. So he had been confused by his own persistence in continuing this pointless pursuit. Several times when his father and other Olo’eyktan had stopped and chatted out of earshot, he had turned back with a disappointed huff, only then to reverse his movements at the first twinkling of movement from the pair.

It had been a tug of war Neteyam was unfamiliar playing with himself. Strong desires and attractions for the complimenting genders was normal, he had fallen prey to his own feelings before during the heat of training and random musing he caught of other alphas bathing in the hot springs near his home. However, he maintained a certain level of self respect in quickly turning away and pushing those feelings deep down in his gut. Following this broad shouldered male, however, had felt completely out of his control. 

The scent of pine and rushing stream had infiltrated his focus, luring him forward without a second thought. Although their conversation was hard to depict, he clasped to every rumble of the male’s incoherent voice. It was a ripple that spread over his chest in a deep flush till tickling the tips of his ears. 

That night Neteyam had barely made it home before his father, rushing to throw himself into the hammock and feign sleep at the first moment possible. Jake had roused his son gently, laying a tender kiss to the boy’s forehead to his surprise, before ushering Neteyam to join them for dinner. Lo’ak must’ve been bored without Neteyam’s presence because he made the older brother pray for it at dinner. Not a moment of peace seemed to be afforded between Lo’ak’s stories and constant teasing.

Every time he had dazed off to stare into the distance, traces of the male’s slim form caressing his mind, Lo’ak had been quick to jump in and demand the attention of the ‘mighty warrior.’ That night had ended with their parents breaking the two of them up, Neteyam managing to pin his alpha brother down for once. He could still remember the flare of anger and surprise that curled along the younger boy’s expression. 

Shame and guilt had lingered longer than night after a stern talk from his father. Still, the focal point of his attention had always been centered on Kxolo. The nameless male had infused his dreams that night, waking him up in a heated sweat enough times to leave the boy drowsy and grumpy the next morning. The memory of that secret encounter had conjured a faux essence of the Olo’eyktan until sleep had finally claimed him once more. 

It took weeks to push the experience to the back of his head. He knew better than to lust after a strange alpha, let alone allow the simple experience to interfere with his training and daily duties. At some point dreams had faded and Neteyam had caught a grip of himself. Regardless, he had vowed to never reveal what had occurred.

Now, however, Neteyam was left wondering if that was his biggest mistake of all. 

Silence had pulled a taunt tension between them once more. Silky strands of dark hair curled around his fingers till releasing into gentle waves, but the omega could no longer focus on the task without being pulled in another direction. A certain spice had taken over the alpha’s natural perfume, bleeding into the tightening strain along his shoulders and neck. Kxolo propped up one knee, flexed forearm laying over it with a forced appearance of nonchalance. 

There were many times that Neteyam had found Kxolo hard to read, difficult to break past the forced impression that the Olo’eyktan was so good at projecting to others. Time had passed since then. It would be impossible to pinpoint when exactly that projection had flitted to dust around Neteyam, but regardless it was gone and the omega felt completely insufficient at handling these unbridled emotions. 

Was this how it had felt for Kxolo?

Had he too been letting the true essence of himself slip through, negligent to the promises he had made to himself?

“The impression of you stayed with me for weeks…maybe longer.” Neteyam barely allowed his voice to rise above a whisper, afraid it would crack and let his true weakened composure through.

“And what type of impression did you receive?” Neteyam jumped slightly when the hair slipped from his grasp and golden eyes were trained on him intently. “What did you think?” 

Think about how such an ethereal glow from an alpha could exist, pulling him taunt towards his presence insistently? What that roasted amber essence would feel against his nose, tucked into the stranger’s neck safely? How someone could single handedly take a hold of his heart within just one interaction. How hollow his soul had rung, upon lying alone with only the memory to taunt him.

“I thought you were the most handsome male I had ever seen…and also the most intimidating.” 

Coward. 

Perhaps it wasn’t a lie, but it still would never hold a candle to the truth that remained lodged in his lungs. The charade was up, he had already exposed himself more than he had ever intended, what more would be this last shred of sincerity? The last card he held close to his chest? 

Against all reason however, taking that plunge felt like free falling from a cliff, only a promise to blanket that clash that would await him at the bottom. 

Neteyam’s blunt nails dug into his soft palms, thoughts swarming into inner turmoil, but Kxolo’s expression had much improved. A soft almost imperceivable chuckle escaped his throat, and his eyes softened into a fond look that Neteyam was ashamed to only know from experience of receiving it and never shooting one back. 

“Intimidating, huh?” Kxolo hummed in feigned thought, lips quirking upwards slightly. “I’ll keep that in mind. Perhaps that could come in handy.” 

“Not now, you skxawng!” The omega roughly pushed at his shoulders, although the male barely budged, mirth quickly taking over Kxolo’s expression to swallow the last weight of lingering guilt. “That was before I learned about your empty threats.” 

“Careful there, little one. I can recall more than enough threats I’ve followed through on. But if you need a refresher…” Kxolo crept closer, larger frame quickly overshadowing Neteyam’s till he was trapped beneath him. The soft waves of Kxolo’s hair curtained around them, blocking out the last of penetrating light and allowing the Tanhi across the alpha’s body to glow in spotted trails along the plains of his smooth skin. Neteyam squeaked and struggled to get away, but even he knew it was only for show. The alpha was completely breathtaking, no longer an Olo’eyktan shining forth. Simply his lover. 

His lover.

His love.