Chapter 26: Dog Dreams
Sega looked out the windows, golden curtains pushed aside. He peered down the cobblestone path at the young man running down it towards his pristine castle. He smiled at the picture. His visitor could never walk. He had to run everywhere he went.
"You two are so gross. What do you even see in that brat? He's not the brightest bulb, you know."
Blue eyes cut to his brother, who looked as astute as ever as he read and talked at the same time. Ever a multitasker, Leion looked like the little genius that he was in his scholarly little outfit, with his hair pulled back as tightly as he was wound up. Over the years, Leion had grown terse. They were both budding young men, but their personalities had truly started to differ.
"Just because your only social interactions are with books, do not tear down my relationships, you prude."
"I'm a prude who's smarter than both you and your little boyfriend combined." Leion's blue eyes cut to his brother, who stood just taller than him. "Besides, you should know better than to like other males."
Sega laughed, leaning against the windowsill and crossing his legs, which had seemed to stretch overnight. "You may be full of knowledge, but you're ignorant of the real world, and that can cancel out the keenest minds. Besides, who is the one who blushes and stammers around Rafeo whenever he comes around? What do you think he has between his legs, huh? I know what you two do in the study room."
Leion's eyes widened and his face flushed with pink. He slammed his book shut to glare at his brother. The door to their study opened with an announcement, and a breathless young man stood in the doorway, half slumped, his curly tail swishing happily about.
"I'm leaving before my brain suffers from so much stupidity stuffed into one room."
Sega smirked as Leion gathered his things, completely ignoring Aiden, who slumped over, looking as rough as ever.
"What crawled up his butt?" Aiden asked as he pushed his mop of curls from his face, a light sheen of sweat coating his forehead. "I don't think he likes me."
"Don't feel bad. I don't think he likes himself. He'll grow out of that haughty phase, I'm sure."
Aiden smirked. "Like you aren't haughty," he asked sarcastically.
"I am merely confident, Aiden, not conceited. I know that there is a fine line that straddles both, but I walk the humbler side of them."
Aiden smiled in return, righting his wayward clothing. Although he ran over every day after practice with his brother, Sega never seemed to mind his no doubt less than pleasing smell and unkempt demeanor. The rough training clothes seemed out of place in the castle full of riches. He ruffled his hair so that the curls fell in a neat order rather than a crazy mop. Within the castle, he at least wanted to look as if he were the noble son of the Head of the Hunters. Sega said he looked equally acceptable in training clothes.
He joined Sega at the window, peering out the spotless glass and watching the small figures play below. "Cerise plays with that little urchin as if he is the only other one in the pack. Surely he could find far better friends. You would think after this many years they'd grow bored with make-believe games in the grass."
Sega turned to Aiden with an arched brow. His black features clashed heavily against pale skin, yet somehow matching beautifully with the frosty depths of his eyes. "Who better for him to play with than your stepbrother? Blood son or not, he is still considered the son of Phillius. No man is held in higher esteem next to my father. It's only natural that our families are close, right?" He leaned against the tall and slim window, his slender shoulders gracefully sloping into crossed arms. "You certainly have no qualms with our friendship."
Aiden narrowed his eyes at his fake 'brother' playing below in the fields, refusing to give any more thought to the bumpkin. Naki was nothing more than an add-on. "I am not a freak from some faraway lands. I am a pure-born noble Shashiva, and we," he growled, giving Sega's long ponytail a yank, "are not friends."
"I think he's a rather fancy-looking little thing, unique, not weird, and you should know that I know my way around unique things." Sega stood up, circling around Aiden with a wolfish look. He'd just come from studying, decked out in a dark blue vest and pants combination, but always decked out in glittering accessories. "I recall that you are none too normal yourself, my curly-haired runt. Who has hair like this anywhere in the Field?" He stopped behind Aiden, leaning down, his nostrils picking up the scent of the salty sheen coating Aiden's tan skin. "And if we are not friends, then what are we?"
Golden eyes rimmed with a deep chocolate brown snapped to meet Sega's, "I-I don't know, but we aren't just friends, that's for sure!" The things they'd done behind close doors...outside... Friends no longer summed things up.
Sega chuckled. It was cute, the little bit of innocence Aiden still had, but he knew better. He knew the fire Aiden had in him, the drive, and the fight. But it was that little bit of innocence that made Sega love Aiden.
It was the flustered blushes he received if he mumbled an eloquent but dirty bit of language in Aiden's ear. The little gasp he still got if he kissed Aiden the way his seasoned partners had taught him. It was the fact that in their little relationship; he was always ready and willing to learn something new. It was odd how all of the siblings had grown close. Sega was disciplined, astute, but mischievous. Aiden was also a bit of one of those, in a sense, but he slacked off and always wanted to please his father. How did their opposites turn into attraction?
Sega looked at the other, who wouldn't meet his eyes. In his ever-expanding world of what it meant to be the successor of a Pack, Aiden was his little headstrong rock that kept him anchored to reality. Aiden let him be himself, with no judgment or expectations. With Aiden, he could still be just Sega.
"We," he said with nothing but sincerity, "are lovers, you runt. Have we not exchanged affection for nearly two years?" Chilly eyes lit with a lusty shine. "Recently, have we not explored our desires?"
Aiden went red from head to toe, although his tail flicked happily back and forth at a nervous pace. "You shouldn't say things like that. We can't be lovers. Both our fathers would not agree. I don't want a title from you that I cannot keep. If you say it, then I'll crave it and I'll want to keep it forever... I'll want to be with you forever."
Sega brought Aiden to him, leaning against the desk so that Aiden's shorter frame fell against his. He was somewhere between lanky and firm, but certainly in the awkwardness of adolescence. "You don't need to think deeply about those kinds of things. Where are either of us going? The world will be mine and I will have everything I want, you included. Besides, I meant what I said. You are my lover, and I told my father as much before we returned to the Fields."
Aiden looked up in shock, eyes widening. "What do you mean you told him? Told him what?"
"I told him about us," Sega stated plainly. "I told him that we are lovers and that I am smitten with you, so no matter how many she-wolves he tried to force upon me, I would not court them. Because I'm courting you. Because I love you."
Aiden pushed away from Sega, a sense of dread creeping over him. "You told the King? Are you insane? You are the heir to the Field Pack Sega, and you can't tell your father that you don't want a female... How will you have offspring? How will you keep the family line going? Who has heard of a Prince with a male Beta? One that can't have babies! He will... my father will castrate me!"
Sega chuckled, "I know a lot of..." He shook his head. "Never mind, there is a lot about the world you don't know. You and I are not so uncommon. For now, I have no need or want for anything like offspring. I am a young warrior wolf who does not want to further my skills with a docile female. And your father won't do anything. I'll raise hell, the likes of which my father hasn't seen."
Sega began to shed his jewels, placing them upon the table and easily discarding his clothes before, with ease, he shifted into his proudest form. He shook himself out, his sleek black fur shining in the bright sun outside. "Now are you done being a worrying brat, or we will go and play?"
Aiden wasn't as carefree as Sega, but with the other's charm and silver tongue, he was just another slave to Sega's will. Plus, they played like adults, and that kind of play he could never turn down. He beamed and rushed from his clothes. He became a furry mass of gold bolting past Sega.
Sega chuckled, shaking his head, before sending a howl after Aiden. His father was away on a business trip, so they could play to their heart's content.
They cut through the towering grass, appearing to be no more than a blur of force splitting the tall blades as they playfully crossed each other. Deep enough into the fields where they knew no one would be, Sega tackled Aiden, and they both went stumbling over the soft sea of green.
Aiden playfully grabbed a mouthful of fur around Sega's neck as they landed in a heap. Shifting together when their rolling came to a stop. Aiden laughed breathlessly as the other planted kisses all over his slightly sweaty body. Laughter quickly turned into moans as a skillful tongue danced over his skin.
Sega was his first, and Aiden was glad about it. Where other young males might sing of their conquest throughout the pack, Aiden was content with only one person. With Sega, there was no need to seduce anyone else, male or female. Sega came with enough knowledge and tricks to satisfy every curiosity that came with being a boy becoming a man.
"You need to hurry and learn to put these away," Sega teased as he gently nipped a golden ear. "Otherwise, I feel like a pervert."
Aiden huffed. Sega constantly reminded him that, in the eyes of the community, he was not yet a man. Rafeo had learned to put his wolf features away a long time ago, and he was constantly having to live up to the standards set by his brother.
Sega sensed that he had irritated his lover and brought the other's attention back to the present. "Don't brood. I'm teasing." He placed a gentle kiss on Aiden's pouting lips. "You sulk way too much, you know that?"
Aiden puffed, his slightly broad nose crinkling with disdain. "You make me sulk way too much, you know that?"
Sega chuckled, flashing fangs in amusement but also in arousal. "I can make you do a lot more than sulk..."
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Aiden woke with a start and would have bolted to a sitting position, but his body felt so battered and sore that he instantly fell back into the pillows. He groaned. Whether it was from the reminiscent dream or from the pain, he wasn't sure.
He slung a heavy arm over his brow, his brows set in a stern frown. He hadn't had a dream like that in a long time. It used to be that when Aiden first ran away; it was dreams that kept him sane during the months of solitude and fearful nights. Though his life changed and different people and events became priorities, he'd learned to accept that his old life could no longer exist.
He was not so foolish as to think he'd never cross paths with his family or Sega again. When the old Mountain King asked him to become the heir to his Pack, he was not so willing to accept. It was a fear he always lived with in the back of his mind, having to go back and face his crimes.
The King had never asked, even though he knew Aiden was running from something. Yusiel was that kind of man, the kind that gave chances and the kind of man who let a lost boy like himself find manhood in his own way. When he finally accepted the offer, he accepted his past and his demons.
He never expected to ever have anything with Sega again. That was certain. Aiden sighed. When he first saw Rafeo and Sega again, his outward appearance could not hide the wave of onslaught of emotions. To hear that the kid he had carted around all night was the ghost that had haunted his very existence, it was one hell of a night for him.
Aiden turned to his side, burying his face in his pillow. It seemed like the one part of him that wasn't a part of a throbbing ache. Why had such a dream come to him now, of all times? He didn't know what he was feeling. Perhaps it was nostalgia and a cheerful buzz, or perhaps it could just as easily be bitterness and resentment. Even now, as a grown and seasoned man, he couldn't tell what his heart was telling him about that idiot.
"Ahem."
Aiden nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He hadn't smelled anyone and certainly hadn't heard anyone. Then again, he was as useful as a newborn pup right now.
He rolled over, not quite sure who he was expecting to see. Who he found, though, was the last person he thought he'd see. He stared silently for a long moment, eyes that held a naturally lazy droop, blinking in confusion.
The face looking back at him was less than happy. Truthfully, Aiden wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or say. He didn't even know if he had any words in him that could adequately encompass what he wanted to say.
What did happen, however, caught Aiden off guard. He had never actually been smacked this hard in his life. He had a few fists from his father, and perhaps in his cheeky days he may have tempted a few female hands, but none had ever actually slapped him. Even on their mating night, Naki's hand hadn't made his cheek sting this harshly. He looked over with slightly wide-eyed, feeling almost incredulous at the action.
"Who the hell told you that you could go rescuing me, you ass!"
Naki sat up straight, his brows slanted angrily over equally angry eyes. His nostrils flared with his temper as he made himself appear as big as he could. He had to show a strong front, bandages and all.
"Who are you to go... to almost get killed because of me? I didn't ask you for that! You are a jerk, a giant chivalrous jerk! What if you had died? Then I would be stuck with Sega, and Sega would probably like eat up your pack! He'd just have even more reason to be a jerk! Did you even think about that? How could you be so reckless?"
Naki tucked his knees up to his chest. "Just because you are big doesn't mean you are invulnerable! That was a very poor decision! You should not have come after me alone, even if I wasn't in my right mind! I'd rather have been eaten than to live knowing you died because of me! You're a King, and you are very important to your entire Pack! Don't you ever put my life over yours! I could never live with myself if something happened to you because of me!"
Naki was supposed to be here to... Well, hell, he didn't even know. Half of him wanted to strangle Aiden for being reckless and for almost leaving him to be the mate of only Sega. The other half of him wanted to hug Aiden, but like a strangle kind of hug. The kind where you half shook the other person because they did something stupid, but you still wanted to cling to them because they were okay. Somehow, he had settled on an angry rant and the smack that justified why he should definitely feel angry. Granted, he landed a harder hit than he expected, but what could he do, take it back? Still, through his verbal barrage, Naki had the urge to hug and shake the bastard, so he did.
Aiden rose to a sitting position despite his injured body. He sat silent through the onslaught of words. He didn't quite know what to say.
Naki could be an odd kid, and Aiden could never guess how the other would actually react to anything he said or did. It may have been a lost cause. There were many reasons why Naki should hate him, but none that he could actually remember. All the things he should have put a stop to up until now were beyond icing on the cake.
Though, like typical Naki behavior, the youth did a turn on him and flung his arms around Aiden's neck. Aiden froze, not quite sure what to do. He feared that if he moved, it would be like scaring away a deer that had trusted him enough to take a treat from his hand. He wanted to hug Naki back, though. It was the first time his mate had actually shown him physical affection. Aiden felt suddenly warm inside, like heat was rising from his chest and settling on his face.
Naki pulled away, clearing his throat. His face was a bit red. He stood, looking towards the door, refusing to make eye contact. "T-thank you. Thank you so much... You've been nothing but nice to me, and you saved my life. You've taken care of me when I needed it, so for that, I'll try to hate you a bit less."
His tail flicked nervously from side to side as Naki shook his head. Those weren't the right words. He wanted to say the right words. "I mean, I don't hate you. I don't hate you at all. You aren't that bad, but that doesn't mean I like you either, so just get better and stop doing dumb things! I can't have two idiotic mates. I will be upset if you get hurt again! It makes me unhappy to see you hurt, so... don't!"
Naki huffed. That seemed about right. Those words seemed to encompass his overall feelings, so he'd accomplished his task. He sent a quick look at the big man. "I'll be back later because we're both supposed to be stuck to these beds, but that will bore me. I suppose your company will do." Naki eyed the wild golden curl always on Aiden's forehead and pulled it back from Aiden's brow before awkwardly petting the fluffy head. "Okay."
Aiden stared after Naki, half amused, half shocked. Somehow, he had just been chastised and thanked all in a giant, one-sided conversation. There had also been a resolution of conflict, it seemed, and again, all without him saying a word. Perhaps that was the secret to a blossoming relationship.
He laid back on the bed with a chuckle. "I think he likes me. I won't rub it in Sega's face, though. No, who am I kidding? I will."
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Aiden stood in the open doorway of the practice room, where Riel and Naki sparred. Despite not having much power behind his thrust, Naki was getting rather good. Naki still held a clumsiness about his jabs and parries, but it became evident that the skillful art of swordplay would come naturally to him.
He was supposed to be laid up, but couldn't do it anymore. Though he still had some kinks and sore spots, it was no longer enough to keep Aiden still. Naki was back to pristine condition, it seemed, and it made him happy that Riel had taken his mate under his wing. Riel was a master with the blade, and by the looks of things, Naki didn't have a care in the world when with his best friend. It felt good to see Naki smiling and being young, not sulking and hiding all day. Aiden knew Naki desperately needed social interaction.
Earlier that day, Rafeo bid them farewell. Leiodus was sending him back on more urgent business, and their brother first had to travel to the Field and then to the new lands again. It would take over a month just to get to the new lands. With everything he and Leion needed to do, Rafeo probably wouldn't be back until spring.
For Naki, it had been a long time since he'd seen his brother, and he felt upset since they'd gotten to spend so little time together. Even if he was back home, Rafeo would still have to leave. Naki felt better knowing they'd made up, and hopefully come spring, they would have nothing but time on their hands to figure things out.
Aiden had bid Rafeo goodbye before his departure, and they shared a few parting words. Both men had asked each other for something, and they both had serious matters to look into. With a parting handshake and a promise to keep Naki safe, Aiden watched his brother set off. He felt far better now. Rafeo still didn't like the mating, but his brother seemed willing to sit down and really talk when they met again. It was a heavy weight lifted from Aiden's heart and mind. On top of that, Naki had spent nearly all day with him over several days. They'd talked and at one point, Aiden woke up after falling asleep, finding a smaller body curled on his bed.
It was so fucking cute he nearly died of a heart attack. Things seemed to be looking up for him.
Aiden had a lot to do, a lot of things to decide and figure out. There was something happening around him that he didn't understand, something big and something he had a bad feeling about. Beyond the problem of werewolves in their territory, there was the question of why the Cloud Pack chose to show their presence. Why it was the Prince and not the King. Even though he'd called the Council, the Cloud didn't bother. They always sent a representative if it was absolutely required. The representative looked nothing like the two they'd seen.
When he received word that they would attend, Aiden had to admit that, from a political standpoint, there was the question of why. There was also the situation from that horrible night. Things had to be discussed, and things needed to be cleared. What was this power they held, the power to stop the process of death?
They all had power, a sort of unexplained magical force that allowed them to teeter between the worlds of beast and human. It also allowed them to call on their Pack's abilities. In the Forest, it was the power of Far sight. In the Field, it was the power of speed. In the Mountain, it was the power of strength. Lastly, in the Meadow, it was the power of stealth.
The Cloud pack was far superior to them all. It seemed that the Prince of the Cloud Pack had disappeared many days ago. People had been eyeing Naki oddly as of late. He didn't know why. He had yet to be able to find the Meadow King to question him, nor had he seen Sega or the Field King. Even Valas was impossible to find. His only reliable sources had made themselves scarce, which left him with far too many suspicions. Why did a night that should have been random, with their trio being the major target, affect so many people?
Aiden narrowed his golden eyes. He could not wrap his head around anything because there was nothing for him to grasp onto. He had to figure out where to start and what questions to ask. Aiden had a pretty clear idea who his first candidate was.
The very culprit came rounding the corner as if summoned, and Aiden could not believe his luck, or perhaps his rotten luck. Sega appeared dissatisfied as he entered the hall from an opposite-facing entrance.
They were in a training hall made to look like a small arena. There were open arches in a circle and a round hall leading to three entry points. Sega did not appear to notice Aiden's presence. There were a few others around the training hall, but not enough to deter Sega from finding the person he was looking for.
Aiden followed Sega's gaze, wondering if he trained it on Naki. The look on the others' faces screamed displeasure as Sega stared at the duo training on the round floor. He scoffed to himself. Sega had nothing to be displeased about yet, not until Sega came to the realization that he was up and running and had every intention of fulfilling his words.
Pushing off the wall, Aiden crossed the hall. The long path around the main circular room allowed him to reach Sega before he could even make his presence known to Naki. When he stepped in front of Sega, eyes set with an unyielding, annoyed gaze, Sega took a step back, taken off guard by someone suddenly stepping into his path. The tall man's back hit a sand-colored column, and he frowned.
Sega blinked rapidly for a few seconds, having to take in the person who had purposely cut him off. Once his brain realized who it was, his eyes widened. He hadn't gone to Aiden's room since the night the man had deliriously threatened him. He had no reason to actually visit Aiden, no outward reason at all.
Word came to him that the King would be fine, so he kept his distance. There would be no dead king, so all was well. Well, he would have to convince Aiden to see the sense in his father's plan, or there would have to be a dead King. His jaw ticked, and he shook the thought from his head. That was something that required time and delicate wording. Now was not the time.
At this moment, Sega had a bone to pick with that wayward mate of his. No more harm could befall Naki, not by his hand or by another. Naki's safety was essential. Naki was essential. He repeated the mantra over and over in his head. He could not afford to have any other reason to care for Naki's safety.
Sega sent Aiden a disgruntled look before taking a step back because the mass of maintained muscle had yet to budge. He could see Naki's figure darting in and out of view, which meant that he was indeed sparring like one of his little birds had told him.
"Aiden, I see you are alive and well. I'd love to stand here and chat, but it seems that I need to be the one to take our mate's safety into account these days."
Aiden scoffed, his warm eyes portraying the complete opposite of mirth. "Don't humor me or yourself, Sega. Those are the most hypocritical words I think I have ever heard in my life, and no, I won't go into details. The nerve you have to say some things you do. There is no need for you to concern yourself with Naki's personal affairs. I told you that from now on, his well-being will be my concern and mine alone. If he chooses to inform you of his personal choices, then so be it, but right here and right now, that is not the case. You and your input are not needed."
Sega's brows rose, but his overall expression did not change. There was a tick inside him, even if outward appearances didn't show it. Aiden's demeanor, which was usually laid-back and even-tempered, had suddenly become aggressive. He didn't know what to address the last time that they'd spoken.
Aiden had indeed made it clear that he wanted him to have nothing to do with Naki unless it was Naki's decision. There was also the very blatant threat that Aiden would no longer settle for a power struggle among themselves. It seemed that Aiden had decided that it was time for one of them to reign as Alpha amongst their own trio, and he thought it would be himself.
Sega titled his head slightly, a waterfall of hair hanging freely as he curled a corner of his mouth. "Perhaps you should still be in bed, Aiden. It seems your mind has not fully returned to you. Naki isn't the most capable person to make decisions for himself at all times. Now, at this moment, right here and right now, it seems that neither are you. Sparring the same day he's cleared to be up and about, or even sparring at all? What use does he even have for sparring?"
Aiden squared his shoulders, enormous arms crossed. "He has been cooped up for days. He's restless. He's a young man, not a porcelain doll. Mate to a King, a Prince, or whatever other title he holds, he is a youngster that wants to do what people his age do. Do you not think he would be learning these things even now if we weren't in his life? What is it that you want him to be? A pet who walks prettily by your side? An image to show the outside world so they think that the Field King in the making is as holy as he appears? Do you only expect him to do as you like and never enjoy the things he wants to do?"
"Do not think, Aiden, that because you may already hold the title of King, you can talk down to me or any of my actions. Do not think you can begin to know me or my mind and do not think for even half a second that you can dictate how I interact with our mutual mate. You may have had some epiphanies out in the wastelands, you self-righteous boar, but you may want to return and have another. Your mouth is running faster than the course of action you'll ignite if you dare to keep speaking to me as if you hold any power over me."
Aiden grinned, an action that caught Sega off guard. It was a look Sega had certainly never seen on Aiden's face. The simple action turned his normally handsome yet lazy features roguish. No, wolfish. It didn't help that from Aiden's eyes to his body language; he screamed authority and, at the moment, aggression.
"I did indeed have an epiphany, Sega." Aiden stepped forward, closer to Sega. "I had an entire enlightenment. I came to realize that I may not have power over you, but you hold power over Naki. I realized that it has always been my sole pledge and promise in this life to never wrong another the way I had wronged Naki. The Gods, though, gave me an even better way to honor my pledge. They spared Naki's life, and in sparing it, they gave me a purpose higher than myself. Knowing that my actions will always affect others more than myself, I've come to realize something. The drive to do right by others will always be stronger than the drive to be selfish and greedy. You have become a walking manifestation of both, an arrogant prick of a man who thinks he has the right to play with other people's lives. You are a demon, Sega, and I will act as Naki's salvation from you. If you do not heed my words, I will make you bow to my will, Sega."
Aiden kept Sega pinned to the column, his palms against the flat surface on either side of the other, their bodies only inches apart. His soft eyes narrowed, and their depths heated with an unyielding resolve.
Aiden curled his upper lip, canines bared. "This is a promise, Sega. Cross me, and I will show you that the mountains have made me harder than you think. I'd gladly have you beneath me. Doing so would give me unending pleasure. Test my resolve if you want."
Sega felt his tail flick rigidly, and his frigid eyes slid to it. He hadn't brought it out on purpose. It'd naturally come out of him in defense. His face remained impassive as he locked eyes with Aiden, a deep glow in both of their depths spoke volumes.
"Meet me in the meeting hall detached from the main building tonight. Outside. No one will be present. Words will not suffice here. We will settle this the way two Alphas should. The way we should have originally."
Sega bumped past Aiden, stopping beside him for the merest moment. "Know that when I put you down, Aiden, you will never question my authority again. The mental torment you've come to use as your path into adulthood will be nothing compared to what I will put you through after I place you beneath me in more ways than one."
A/N: They are talking about fighting, guys. Gosh, stop thinking so dirty.