Spoils of War

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

Blake had reason to be glad of good maintenance when the dungeon door opened without a sound. He moved quietly towards the cell, taking the key as he passed, and turned it in the lock. It opened with only the slightest of clicks. Inside the cell, Adam stirred slightly and Blake froze. But the omega didn't wake up.

Carefully, Blake slid the door open enough to admit him and then carefully locked it behind him. This produced another click that Adam slept through. With a catlike stealth that belied the alpha's 6'5 frame, Blake carefully set the keys to the cell door and to the locks on Adam's chain outside of the door. Then he approached his sleeping mate.

Two days away from Adam had been sheer torture. Blake had eagerly made up for lost time, and since then, had been spending every night with Adam. Adam had been becoming increasingly surly as the days went by and Blake continued to rebuff his repeated requests to set up a duel with Pharrell. Lately, Blake could barely speak with him. Every time Blake came to visit, Adam would ask about Pharrell. Once he'd received a negative answer, would curse Blake and curl up against the wall with his back to the alpha.

Blake continued his use of Adam's body, and Adam remained as simultaneously responsive and resistant as ever. Surely, the omega's hormones were activating! But so far, there was no change, no indication of a coming heat. Blake was starting to despair that, true mate or not, Adam's heat would never come. But last night, he'd caught a telltale scent. He'd scented his mate deeply and repeatedly through the night, profoundly irritating Adam, but was unable to decide if he'd imagined it. He needed a second opinion.

Blake's day was full of one tedious administrative chore after another. There were more squabbles over territory, more skirmishes with the ever dwindling number of renegade western alphas, and now more discord among the pack omegas. Even the betas were causing trouble. Blake wanted to scream. The hours seemed to drag as he tended to his duties as Pack Alpha. But finally, he was free.

After a chat with Pharrell, he'd come straight to the dungeon. But when the guards had informed him that Adam was sleeping, Blake had recognized an opportunity.

For some time, he simply stood and looked at Adam. Asleep, Adam's face took on an innocence that was lacking when he was awake. His beauty became almost childlike. His dark lashes rested on his cheeks as he lay on his side, curled up under a blanket on the fur rug, hands tucked under his chin. His lips were slightly opened, offering an invitation that Blake couldn't resist. Carefully, Blake crawled closer, ducked down, and gently kissed those lips.

Adam sighed in his sleep. "Blake... Oh, Blake!"

Blake's heart soared. True mate!  There was no doubt now. He thought his heart would burst from joy as he gently brushed Adam's hair. "I'm here, darlin'," Blake whispered, leaning down to kiss him again.

For a moment, it was everything Blake wanted, his mate calling his name, responding to his kisses, lips curling into a smile as Adam's sweet hazel eyes blinked open. But as Adam's sleepy brain registered what was happening, the omega changed in an instant. With a bestial snarl of rage, Adam kicked off the blanket and shoved at Blake, the lips that a moment ago were eagerly pressed to the alpha's now curled back from his fangs.

Blake moved quickly. He caught Adam's hip with one leg even as he snatched both of the omega's wrists, and in one fluid movement, rolled Adam onto his back. A moment later, Blake was perched on top of Adam, crossing Adam's wrists over his chest to hold the furious omega down. "Whoa, now! And things were going so well!"

Adam thrashed, trying to buck Blake off. "Let me go, you bastard! Get off of me!"

"You sure? Because a moment ago, you were calling my name."