untitled: The Less Appealing Side of Mating

 

 

As Ceata crawled into his bed for miserable fitful dreams, Falcon was already waking to a new day. He stood at the balcony and stretched, staring out into the coming dawn as his husband slept soundly on the bed. Nearly a fortnight of endless lovemaking...He had not expected Eos to be so fervent, but he hardly complained. There was so much he wished to get off his chest, all the stresses of holding back melting away into a beautiful session of desire and passion. He smiled back upon his sleepy beloved, padding over lightly, and then getting dressed. He would go make breakfast and be back before the little one woke...How he wanted to surprise Eos with plenty of sweet delights. 

 

 

The little male slept happily in his warm spot on the bed, a little sigh leaving him as he curled tighter. He felt so good right then, warm and fuzzy in a way that made him happy. Stretching, he gripped tighter at a pillow, a little smile touching at his soft lips. Those lips had so fervently sucked at Falcon's cock, had cried his name and given as many endless kisses as he could between moans and cries.

 

It was only hours later when Eos peeked his eyes open to the bright morning sun. He whimpered and turned over, groping the bed for all that firm muscle he had enjoyed just the night before. It surprises him when he can't find his husband, sitting up sharply in shock...only to greatly regret his choice.

 

Eos was not at all happy to find the spot beside him empty after waking up. He frowned, groping at the spot with tension, whining in annoyance before he sat up, blankets flying off him as he sat up in shock and surprise. Where the hell was----

 

The door opened then and Eos looked up suddenly, his back aching painfully from having sat up so quickly. There is his beloved, surprised to see him up. In his hands is a tray of delicious home cooked food. Ah...so he was making breakfast. "Oh...I didn't think you would be up yet. I thought breakfast in bed would be more suitable, since it must hurt for you to move around much," Falcon says as he shuts the door behind him and walks over to the bed table, setting down the tray with all the goodies on it. 

 

Gods, his lower back hurt like a bitch. Eos winced, but twisted it into a warm smile for his mate. "Ohh.... you sweetheart..." He purred and flopped back with a groan. "You did a number on me, Falcon. I don't think I'll walk right for weeks!"

 

Falcon smirked. "As I recall, little one..." he says as he leans over and looks down at the other, his fingertips brushing Eos' kiss-swollen lips, "you were the one that kept telling me to do it harder." His words make Eos blush, especially since they're true. He never expected he'd be so veracious, but, then again, he's denied himself sex for so long...As it is, he's way overdue for mating.

 

Eos squished up his face and gave Falcon a nip. "And you listen to everything I say?" He asked coyly, pressing up closer to give more of his sweet little kisses. He sighed, happily snuggling Falcon before stealing his plate of food.

 

"Of course I do. You're the person I love...I serve you above all others," Falcon replies as he unbuttons the top button of his shirt to get comfortable. Eos is so pleased to see him wearing normal clothes today. He looks good in just his white shirts and jeans, dressed casually to make him look all the sexier. His other clothing just doesn't do him justice, though it's nice to see him in a military uniform once in a while. "I've been thinking, Eos........I've been thinking about resigning my position as Sahenna's Second."

 

Eos blinked, food in his mouth as he looked up in dismay at his mate. "Buh, buh, he neehs joo!" He mumbled around a mouthful, frowning at his lover before swallowing his food and taking a drink of his juice before speaking again. "Who would be appointed Second if you left? I thought you enjoyed your job?"

 

Falcon looked down when the other asked that, his stern face so handsome in the morning light. He looked like his father, but he had a softness around his ice-blue eyes that was so like his mother. Eos liked Kite. Kite accepted him happily into her family, loved him like another little son, and was generally a good person to have fun with. Stannis, however...well...he was cold and cared little for things like that. He only cared about duty.

 

Suddenly Eos realized what was bothering Falcon so much. There was a genuine fear in his eyes as he sat there with his hand to his lips and staring nervously at the bedspread. He was afraid to be like that...to put everything before the person he loved. Such a good man was Eos' husband. He loved Eos enough to give up even something he enjoyed intensely just to be sure he would always be by Eos' side. "It's not that....it's just that..." Falcon goes silent, unable to say it.

 

"You don't want to put me through what your mother went through... is that why?" Eos asked softly, tipping up his mate's chin, smiling gently upon the expression on his mate's face. To think that anyone would give up something they loved for him! It was touching, very much so and Eos bestowed a little kiss upon Falcon's lips in adoration.

 

Falcon blushed faintly at the kiss, looking to Eos as the other moved away. How he loved the darling creature...not just because of his innocence or his playfulness, but there was something inside Eos that made him feel so strong. By being near the other, he felt such a power in him, one that promised he would protect the other's smile until the end of his days. Falcon never wanted to cause the other to feel sadness - he would rather die than that. "I have seen her cry countless times for my father...I just...I don't want to abandon Sahenna, but....you are all I love now. I can't make room in my heart to be the way my father or my uncle are. I can't give my whole soul to anyone, to follow their orders without hesitation, because now I have you to protect." He reaches out and grasps the other hand gently. "And I need you to protect me."

 

Eos smiled warmly and caressed Falcon's cheek, sighing faintly. "If it would make you feel better, then do so, my love." He uttered softly, caressing the others hair as he leaned closer to nuzzle closer. Such warmth from this man who could manipulate cold. "I will protect you always, lover. You are precious to me."

 

"I trust in your strength...it is my own I worry about." He grasps the other's hand and presses it to his cheek, loving those smooth delicate hands that can command such power. Falcon knows he is the weaker of the two of them, but could care less for it. He loves depending in these hands as well as protecting them. "If ever a battle should look too dangerous in your eyes, only one word and I will not fight. My life and your life are bonded now," he says with a smile, knowing he sports mating marks to prove it. "I will not waste myself needlessly."

 

"If you died, I do not think I would be able to live." Eos murmured softly, lips ghosting over Falcon's. "You are my only mate and the only one I want..." He smiled coyly and snuggled close before turning his attention back to the food before him. "I will watch your back, love." He purred softly.

 

"Thank you. You know how I appreciate it," Falcon chuckled as he kissed the other's cheek and then turned to pick up his own plate. He sat there cross-legged beside his lover and the two ate breakfast quietly together. Falcon delicately brushed away the crumbs from the other's mouth now and again, using any excuse to kiss his lips. Ah, newlyweds...how sweet. "So, I guess we're going to have to tell our parents eventually. My mother will be very happy."

 

"Yeah... I hope daddy Rughal doesn't freak." Eos grumbled, "And Grandma either.... she'll have to know about it too. I know the rest won't mind at all." He smiled warmly and leaned his golden head against his lover's shoulder, peering up at him with big, happy lavender eyes. "But I will stay with you no matter what anyone says, Falcon. You're precious to me."

 

"As will I with you, no matter what objections my family will have...I know my father won't be pleased that I didn't go through the proper channels to gain permission...but, I suppose he's guilty of a similar offense," Falcon chuckles as he pets the other's soft golden hair and lets him press close. How in love Falcon feels...He's never been happier in his life. Eos is the part that he was missing all this time, something to warm his usually cold manner. 

 

Purring, his little lover curled against him and smiled. The tighter the bonds between the children of Death and the many lovers they had, the better. Perhaps people would learn a lesson from their examples. "We will deal with it when the time comes." He breathed.

 

"For now, after you finish your food, would you like me to take you into the bathroom for a hot bath and massage? I imagine you're still in quite a bit of pain. I've already called for some salves to be sent down," Falcon says with a little smile, liking just the quiet of the morning and his lover's warm body against him.

 

"Yes, I would like that." Eos replied with a pleasing flush on his face. He peered coyly at the other, lips curled in a little smirk of pleasure on his face. "I would love to enjoy a hot bath and massage, especially if it has to anything to do with you." He winked and kissed him gently.

 

"Anything you like, Eos. You know that I am your slave, don't you?" Falcon chuckles as he caressing the other's cheek and slipped a hand into his long blond hair. "I couldn't deny you even if I wanted to."

 

"Mmmn… sexy slave." Eos grinned and nipped his lover's bottom lip, the smug look on his face adorable and cheeky. Sliding into Falcon's lap, he gave the angel kiss after kiss, growling happily as he enjoyed the taste of his lover's kisses.

 

Falcon smiled against the kisses, caressing up and down the other's body as he flung the sheet away from it. Eos shudders and cooed, finding the other's warm hands more than enough of a blanket for him. "You're asking for more pain..." Falcon whispered as he nipped the other's lips, feeling desire curl in his stomach.

 

Eos giggled deviously. "Ooh baby, sounds kinky." He smirked and rolled his hips against his lovers, eyes glittering like jewels in his rounded face. If there was one thing he really, really loved doing, it was teasing Falcon as much as possible! He adored the look that got into his mate's eyes, oh yes, it was so sexy.

 

Of course, Falcon could always turn the tables as he grasped the other's cock and then suddenly turns his hands very cold. Eos squeaked and tightened his little cheeks as what little of an erection he had gained was now lost, the frigid feeling making him shudder all over in his nudity. "What were you saying? I think your teeth are chattering too much to speak clearly..." Falcon chuckled, getting the other to frown and pout at him. He only kissed the other's lips and pressed his forehead against Eos'. "Now, now, don't tease and let me get up so I can make you that bath...Who knows? I might have some warm oil I can use afterwards for an even DEEPER massage..."

 

Eos shivered and bit his lip, making the silliest little face of delight before nodding and slipping out of his mate's lap. "Ok, but you better." He demanded and rolled over to sip at his juice with a pleased little smirk twitching at his lips. "Mmmn... nummy, nummy juice." He churred.

 

Falcon had to restrain himself from spreading those soft thighs and giving in anyway, loving it when Eos was being cute. Still, he fought the urges and kissed the other's shoulder gently before getting up to go ready a bath. Eos watched him, enjoying the tautness of his ass in jeans. Oh, yes...casual clothes were definitely good on him.

 

Especially those tight jeans. Oh hell yes. Eos watched him walk away with a smirk tugging at his lips, delighting in how lovely his mate was. Such a sexy, sexy man. Sighing blissfully, he arched and rolled over to stare out the window and relaxed while he waited for the promised bath. Life was good for him right now, so very, very good.

 

Still, there were other problems bound to show up...mostly in the form of a pretty young dark-skinned healer knocking on his door with her little hybrid assistant. They had come with the salves, the pretty young Rena and the tall gorgeous healer that had helped Urius before. It was hell for Eos to try and wobble to the door.

 

He managed, with the sheet about his lean hips and he peeked out. "Oh! Hello Phera, Rena, did you bring me something?" He asked, yawning and peering at the two curiously. The death angel smiled coyly and nodded, offering him the salve that Falcon had asked for. Eos looked at it and flushed a bit before thanking her.

 

"We're here to give you a full check up as well..." she says, holding up some tools. Eos recognizes them - they're usually used to determine if there's a pregnancy or not.

 

Eos raised a brow. "Oh.... ok?" He uttered and let the two inside. "I'm not in heat or anything..." He grumbled and stretched, letting them follow him in lazily, brushing his fingers through his hair and beginning to braid it back from his face.

 

"Even then, you have to be careful. Sometimes your body can play tricks on you without you noticing...Many pregnancies have resulted from that," Rena says as she puts down her tools as Falcon comes back from the bathroom.

 

"Ah, Eos, what are you doing up - Oh......Hello Miss Rena, Miss Phera," Falcon says as he looks to both of them with a smile. Rena, the red-headed beauty that looks SO MUCH like Rughal, smiles in turn at him. 

 

Eos smiled wryly. "They are here to give me a full check up."  He grinned slightly at the other with a twitch to his lips. Phera smiled slightly, looking amused by all this as Falcon came in and said hello. Eos cocked his head. "Do you have anything to do with this?"

 

Falcon blinked, looking to Eos with surprise. "No...I merely mentioned you were aching from THAT activity and that you needed help. Phera, what is the meaning of this?" Falcon asks lightly as he looks to the woman in confusion. He can't wholly say he is unhappy with Eos getting a full check up to make sure nothing is torn, but he can't imagine they would infer that the other might be pregnant from what he said. 

 

Phera smiled slightly. "Sometimes first matings can trigger a heat, we'll be checking to make sure that has not happened, or if it has, to give advise." Her smile was warm and gentle, making Eos relax even if he was a little annoyed. Oh well, better safe then sorry, yes? The angel was already putting thin latex gloves on and looking expectantly at Eos to lie down.

 

Falcon felt himself flinch, Eos feeling the whole room get cold when he realized that Phera would be touching HIS husband in the most delicate of places. "Is this really necessary?" the jealousy was practically oozing from his voice as he said it. It gave Eos some satisfaction, knowing that, were it a man, Falcon would have kicked him out of the room in a second. Only because he knows Phera is uninterested in Eos entirely allows him the ability to restrain himself. 

 

"Yes, I cannot tell early on unless I check his womb, my lord. Besides, what if he has a rip? I must check for that as well." Phera smiled gently at him, Eos sitting and laying back to allow her to check him over. "I can assure you, it's nothing pleasurable. He's going to want to kick me for poking about."

 

"Another reason for me to dislike it, Phera..." Falcon says with a grumble as he moves a chair over to where Eos' head is. He settles down and looks to the other, gently caressing his hair as Eos bites his lip and waits for the examination to begin. He's still rather sore, but at least Rena is taking out the salve in order to heal some of his aches.

 

Phera attends to him in the most professional of manners. Normally this is not needed, but since Falcon mentioned it, she decided to check it. Poor Falcon was new at this too, so it was for the best. "Everything feels healed up all right..." She murmured as she applied salve to the tender inner passage, making Eos squirm and pout.

 

Falcon grasped the other's hand gently and tries to calm him with gentle touches. He was a very attentive lover, Phera noticed - hardly like his father who sat there so stoically as she stitched up his leg and his wife fretted over him constantly. He would likely make a better husband, by her judgment. "Are you almost through?" Falcon was very defensive though.

 

"Just need to check the womb. Eos, you may feel a little pinch." She murmured, her other hand on his lower belly, pressing in against it as she worked. The womb felt a tiny bit enflamed, but not enough to make her think that Eos was going to go into an early heat.  Smiling, she withdrew her fingers and gave him a clean bill of health in the reproductive area. "All of it looks perfect."

 

Falcon quickly helped his lover to press a sheet about his lower half when it was all done, cradling the cute little lovely to him as Eos whimpered about his sore buttocks. "So he's alright? He's not going into heat?" Falcon asks as his fingers entwine with the other's golden hair and he pets it gently.

 

"It would seem so. He's a little swollen inside, but it's to be expected." She replied and smiled at the concerned mate. Falcon really was a very loving, passionate mate. That would be good for the young hybrid. "If that is all? He appears healthy, as do you, my lord Falcon."

 

Falcon had the sense to blush, realizing that Rena was giggling behind her hand. obviously, getting to fumble around inside Eos, she must have known how swollen the little hybrid was. He had sex for nearly four days straight - anyone that could keep up with a Shadowshifter for that long was certainly in good health. "Thank you..."

 

Yawning, Eos shifted and made himself comfortable. He looked smug; pleased he had a mate able to keep up with him. It was only their brother, Ranmaru, who had yet to mate.

 

And, oh, did Ranmaru feel that acutely. He sat at the kitchen table and glared at nothing as his cereal snack slowly became soggy and warm. He was depressed. His eldest brother was off screwing the brains out of some stupid Angel...and...well....his younger brother was off getting screwed by one. And where was he? No where. Glaring at an empty table with a growl. Why could no one see the evil that was brewing? Were he and his father Rughal the only ones that didn't trust these Angels completely? It was madness!!!

 

Sexy madness. What with all the sex and the mating going on with new people wandering about! The death angels had shown an acute interest in the new angels about, often the younger ones seen spying shyly upon the strange angels, wide eyed and curious. But Ranmaru did not seem to show any interest whatsoever in any of the new visitors! How boring of him. Akito walked into the kitchen and spied Ranmaru, smiling slightly. He was exhausted from going out on missions with his fathers, perhaps Ranmaru would be kind and share some of the drink he had sitting before him?

 

Ranmaru didn't seem to respond though, glaring into space as he thought of all the ways he would kill Falcon for being a jerk and then bitchslap Alpheus for being...well...more of a jerk. Both his brothers had fallen for terrible people! WHY couldn't they see that?! And then of course Ceata, attached to that questionable villain Urius who killed his father's informant so callously...Did everyone just FORGET that? Oh, and Sahenna! HIS Sahenna! Sleeping with his father and reminding him daily how he will never have a lover...it really does break the poor hybrid's heart.

 

Plopping down, Akito raised a brow at his friend and chuckled. "Why are you brooding so much, Ranmaru?" He asked in his sweetly strong voice, face creased in a sweet smile as he sneakily thieved the others drink and took a sip.

 

"Huh? Oh....Akito....when'd you get here?" he asks grumpily, lifting his spoon and staring at the soggy cornflakes upon it. He didn't quite mind that Akito was stealing his drink - far too incensed with the fact that he had brooded so long that his meal was now mushy and unappealing.

 

"We got back today, I'm exhausted." Akito sighed, smiling warmly at Ranmaru. The other looked so pissy, it was rather cute really and he chuckled softly. "Did something bad happen? Did a lover dump you, Ranmaru?" He teased softly, leaning over the table to flick some of the others hair out of his face.

 

"No...I don't have a lover," he replies sternly as he sits there and glares at his cereal. He pushes the bowl away at last, leaving it for the air to consume. "But my brothers do...and all bastards, at that! Angels..." he growls, looking so unhappy.

 

Akito frowned. "And why is having an angel for a lover a bad thing, Ranmaru?" He asked lazily, his bright, glittering rainbow eyes intent on the redhead. He smiled gently, reaching out to caress the others hair with one gentle hand.

 

"Because they're all evil...I know that bastard Rowan pulls their strings." He growls and slams his hand on the table, making his bowl jump. "My father is right! We can't trust them! I mean...look for yourself! An Angel sleeps with nearly every Shadowshifter here...an Angel gets in close with the Death Angels...soon they will be lovers to all here and then what? When Rowan tells them to do something terrible, they'll do it! Look at that man Urius? I mean, what about what he did to my father's informant? What about the whole issue with Sahenna? What about -?!" he keeps going on, Akito sighing as he ponders if he should just shut the other up with a kiss.

 

Which he does. Really, Ranmaru just rambles on far too much. Their lips meet and Akito grins against the others mouth before deepening it and pressing over the table into his friend with a soft, purring sound. Ranmaru, always so fiery, also a good, loyal friend. Akito sighed and pulled back, chuckling dryly. "Really now, Ranmaru, not every angel in the whole place is that stupid."

 

Ranmaru tries to force down a blush, but fails. Still, he manages to glare despite himself and turns his soft mouth downward into a frown. "What about that Falcon bastard who keeps kickin' my ass? And then that annoying bastard Alpehus that Varun is so interested in...DESPITE the fact he was a jerk to Eos before...Does no one see that they're evil?"

 

"Ranmaru, just because someone kicked yours ass or was pissy toward your younger brother does not make them evil." He replied calmly and tipped up the others chin, raising a brow. "I was trained to observe people and know when I saw something odd about them that could be possibly dangerous. I've seen both of them and they don't seem dangerous to me at all."

 

"Then you're losing your touch..." he growls, glaring at Akito then. The other merely smiles, loving how stubborn Ranmaru can be. He's just so set in his ways - just like his father. It makes Akito wonder if he'll end up being just as passionate as Ranmaru when he's older. 

 

A pleasing thought. Akito has not had the time for a proper lover. He has slept around, all young shadowshifters usually do, but there has never been anything there that has clicked. Ranmaru's fire pleases him, excites him, but... he doubted Ranmaru would ever think him anything more then a good friend. "Oh hush. You're just jealous you're not mated and they are."

 

"As though I give a damn if I'm mated or not...Who do I really have to pick from here? They're either my family, A Death Angel - someone who is too busy to really spend time with me - , or one of that bastard's damn lackeys...I don't want to bother with it. I'm just going to spend the rest of my life fucking random people and leave it at that," he grumbles, but it's easy to tell the disappointment in his voice. Almost everyone knew how deeply Ranmaru cared for Sahenna. The fact that Sahenna married Lazarus and now loves him breaks the poor hybrid's heart...Recovering from that will take a very compassionate person. One has yet to appear.

 

Akito smiled gently, leaning over and cupping Ranmaru's face. "You can't hide your disappointment from me, silly." He laughed gently, eyes soft as he gazed at the pouty redhead. He knew that Ranmaru loved Sahenna, had known it a long time and been resigned to letting Ranmaru have the one he loved. However, Lazarus had been Sahenna's special person and now he had at least a sliver of a chance!

 

"Shut up...you don't know what I'm thinking, so don't pretend like you do," Ranmaru growled stubbornly, looking to Akito though with a guilty expression. The other really couldn't lie. His emotions were written so clearly on his face, like a flame flickering and dancing. As with all light, fire reveals truths to the world and chases away darkness and doubt. Such was Ranmaru's expression, filled with loneliness and jealousy and sadness. Akito knew him too well to mistake his gruff nature for truth. 

 

Akito leaned in and nuzzles their noses together, like they had done as children. "Oh? I've been your friend since we were tiny, my dear Ranmaru." He snickered gently, patting at the hair of his companion. Such a silly little brat.

 

Ranmaru looked like he was about to pout, having to fight his own nature not to. However, he did get the other back by nipping at his lips as though to punish him for such words. "Yeah, and you've always been a pain in my ass...Now move so I can get up. I need to get a new drink, since you took all of mine," he grumbles, but with a softer voice than before. Akito always did manage to make him feel just a bit better with his presence, though you would never hear Ranmaru admit it.

 

Akito laughed and leaned back, letting the other get up and get himself more to drink. He watched the man thoughtfully, sighing. How unfair life was a times. Having the job he did made finding a mate hard, ever hard and the one he wanted was very nearly out of his reach. Damn...

 

"So...what's been up with you?" he asks as he rummages through the cold box to find the juice again. Akito watches the delightful view of the young man leaning over to get to the bottom shelf. Indeed, it would be nice to either grope that buttocks or cling to it in passion. Either way, just being with Ranmaru would be great...If only he could get out of this "friend-only" relationship...Gentle kisses were nice, but hardly what Akito craved.

 

"Spy missions." He replied with a shrug. "The normal stuff, I can't speak to you about it, but it is very tiring work." He sighed and watched that ass with a pleased expression tugging at his lips. Man, such a glorious ass that was!

 

"Who ordered this one? Death?" he asks as he stands up with the juice in hand, going to the cupboard to grab himself another glass. "Seems like, since this war has started, there's been an awful lot of need for your kind of work...I haven't seen you in a long while."

 

"Yes... I have been in the Sombs mostly...." Akito replied softly, his smile disappearing from his face as he peered at Ranmaru. "It is dangerous... but if you pretend to be the right kind of person, both sides will leave you be." He replied softly.

 

"With you, you can get of disguised as both Angel and Demon...Tell me, how goes the war?" he asks, seeming a little more serious now. Akito sighs, knowing that it is a terrible conflict. He has never seen the two sides so hell-bent on killing each other. The Demons don't care who started the conflict or what for, they are still hurting from the injustices from the previous war. The Angels just believe themselves the rulers of the Sombs, their rightful claim hinged on a handful of battles fought in the Great War with tenuous victories. In many ways, this is just an extension of the Great War, as the rage has never really left both races. However, now there seems to be more at stake. The current Lucifer is dying, the internal struggle of the Demonic government adds to the tension. What's more, with Rowan leaving a large chunk of the Angelic army with Lord Death, the Angels are more paranoid than ever of being overrun by the Demons. Fear and hatred mix together for vicious fighting breaking out everywhere, even the Human world and other realms. 

 

"Badly..." Akito replied softly, rubbing his temple. "At this rate, the fighting will go into all the other realms and throw everything into chaos." He replies, looking up upon the other with a serious frown upon his lips and heavy lines of agitation upon his face. "I am not sure I want to go back... even one who appears to be a whore is being viewed with suspicion and I am not sure I want to find out what they would do if they found out I was a spy."

 

"Who are you working with mostly? I can't imagine the Demons would so readily suspect a whore...but the Angels would. They're all prudish bastards anyway, too uptight to even think beyond their noses," he growls as he sits there and pours his juice, returning the jug then to the fridge.

 

"Demonia and the Jins on the side of the angels. They are much more trusting of a simple cute whore." He made a cute face at Ranmaru before chuckling and shaking his head. "I have heard a lot and it is frightening, I must say. I'm very nervous."

 

"It should be...it's war. Just....don't get yourself in trouble, okay? I don't know if I will be allowed out of here to bail your ass out," he says as he looks to the other as he shuts the cold box door. He walks back over and takes a drink of his juice, the liquid making his lips look wet and delicious.

 

"I'll watch myself." He replied softly and smiled warmly at his friend. Could he simply ask Ranmaru one night together? Just one night... would that be too much to ask? He sighed, gazing down at the counter with a sad frown.

 

"What's the matter?" he asks with a furrowed brow as he looks up over his juice. Those silvery eyes stared into Akito in a manner that caused the other to wish to sigh all the more. The worst part about this? Ranmaru never even once noticed his advances...He was foolishly oblivious, but, then again, considering who he got the majority of his genes from, that should come as no surprise. 

 

"Nothing Ranmaru, you wouldn't care to hear anyway." Akito smiled slightly up at the slightly younger male, his hands folding before him on the counter. Foolish really, to think that Ranmaru would get it through his head that the shadowshifter before him wished for nothing more then to roll in the sheets. Life really was not fair. He stood, stretching and yawning. "I should head to bed... I'm exhausted.

 

"What? But...I haven't seen you in so long and you're just going to run away," Ranmaru complained rather angrily. This was how it was lately, Akito coming back from work and sleeping all day when he was here. It made Ranmaru feel even more lonely than he was. He rarely got his way too. Akito was usually too exhausted to be able to stay with him.

 

"You can always come lay with me." Akito smiled and shrugged. "You wouldn't be lonely than, would you?" He really was tired, but maybe, just maybe he could trick the other into his bed and seduce him? Hopeful thinking, but even if he couldn't seduce Ranmaru, at least he could cuddle with the other.

 

"If that's what it takes to get my best friend to spend time with me, then, fine! I'll chain you to the damn bed to keep you there," he grumbled as he stood and finished off his juice. He put his dishes away and then quickly followed the other to the door. Ah, at last...some time with Akito!

 

Oh? Sounded kinky. Akito laughed and nodded, leading the other along. He had a room close to the death angel wing, near a garden where the outdoor pool was. It was a lovely, simple room with pale cream walls and a warm feeling about it. Akito closed the door and locked it, not wanting anyone to bother them while he rested.

 

Ranmaru stretched as he looked out upon the view of the gardens. Akito stepped up behind him, smiling at how tall the other had gotten. They were pretty near the same height, probably easily allowing them sex standing up. As Akito sized up his friend, Ranmaru took in the familiar scent of the room and smiled. "This is a great room...It smells like vanilla."

 

"Yes, I like that smell, I tend to have them wash my linens and drapes in the essence of it." Akito smiled and leaned into Ranmaru with a faint smile tugging at his full lips. Ranmaru smelled lovely, a spicy aroma that caused him to sigh blissfully as he leaned into his friend. A vase of Oriental Lilies sat on the desk before the open window, the wire-wrought glass doors that led out into the garden were closed and the drapes pulled over them.

 

"Hey, what gives?" Ranmaru asks with surprise as he feels himself pressed back against one of the pillars of a four-posted bed. He blushes, finding the other's firm body nestled up against his. It's not like he's never felt desire for Akito...he just never thought the other would be interested. After all, they're best friends, right? Who really wants to screw their best friend?

 

"You smell nice, Ranmaru." Akito smiled sweetly up at him, nuzzling into the other and taking in more of that spicy scent, delighting in it. So good, it was delightful. He sighed leaning his head up to press gentle little kisses on the jaw line of his friend. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" He asked huskily.

 

"N-not really...I just....though you were tired. Y-you're kinda being more affectionate than a normal sleepy person would be..." the other stammers out, blushing from all the soft kisses against his jaw line. Ranmaru reaches out and pets Akito's soft hair, letting the other do as he likes. It's not as though he should have any worries about getting screwed, right? Not that it wouldn't be fun....he's been having strange desires to fuck someone in the last few days, feeling feverish at times. Akito might just be what he needs.

 

Akito laughed and moved them just so that when he shoved Ranmaru's chest, he toppled back onto the bed. The blond straddled the hips of his companion, smiling down coyly at him as he began to tug off his shirt and tossed it aside. "I want to snuggle, is that too much to ask?" He purred and leaned down to give Ranmaru another soft kiss.

 

"T-This isn't like snuggling...!" he gasps between the other's soft kisses, blushing profusely as he feels their naked skin brush together. It’s rather nice actually, making the heat begin to coil low in his belly. He shudders and suddenly grasps up at the other, pulling him down in a needy fashion. His scent intensifies ten fold, Akito almost drowning in it.

 

The scent surprises Akito, for it grows stronger and makes the lust grow in his gut. Gods, it was delightful and he moaned against the soft lips of the hybrid. "Ahhhh... R-Ranmaru?" he asked with wide eyes, shivering as hands palmed his ass.

 

Ranmaru didn't listen, already nipping at the other's lips harder, his hands slipping inside Akito's pants to caress his firm globes and squeeze them almost painfully. Akito had a hard time registering what it was that made Ranmaru change so suddenly until he saw the gleam in his eyes - that lust-laden gaze Akito had come across before whenever Exodus went into heat. Oh, shit...

 

Akito flushed darkly. No wonder Ranmaru's scent was so much more powerful today, the dumbass was going into heat and hadn't even realized it! Akito gasped, moaning into the mouth of his companion, shaking some as those hands groped and palmed his firm ass. "H-hey! Ooohh!" He gasped, blushing darkly at the delightful attention.

 

Ranmaru wasn't listening, his lips were finding places along the other's neck that smelled the sweetest - kissing and nipping at them as if to find the right place to plant his elongated fangs. Akito found himself unable to shake the other off despite the dangerousness of this situation. Were he to be mated, there would be no chance of him returning to his work as a spy. The scent of Ranmaru would be all over him and the Demons or Angels would know at once that something was up. Ranmaru didn't seem to care, slipping his finger into Akito's still-wet anus to find it already loosened for him. He didn't waste time, fumbling momentarily with the cloth of his pants before a thick need brushed up against Akito's ripe ass. It entered in a single fluid motion, causing the other to cry out in surprise as he was spread so easily. 

 

Akito cried out, clutching at Ranmaru in shock as he was speared by the large organ on the hybrid. He cursed and hid his face against the shoulder of the other male, feeling his body pulsing in excitement, shaking and moaning as the other palmed his lush ass hungrily. "R-raaann....." He groaned, shivering and gasping against the shoulder of his friend in both dismay and delight.

 

Ranmaru was not to be stopped for anything. His hot organ pulsed inside Akito and the other' knew he couldn't go back at this point. Telling Ranmaru no now would be so foolish and he didn't even want to! His cock filled him exquisitely, beginning to move in and out of him at an unrelenting pace. It was not long before Akito was on his back, held there by a firm body, his feet almost over his head, and his ass aching from rough deep thrusts. Who knew Ranmaru had this much passion? 

 

Akito cried out loudly, clinging desperately to Ranmaru. He had hoped for this, but it had happened so fast and he was all at once shocked, delighted and slightly dismayed. Well, at least now Death would not be able to send him back until he had the smell of heat off of him! "R-Ranmaru!" He screamed, arching and gasping the name of the other with pleasure on his face.

 

"I...I can't stop, Akito..." Ranmaru croaked out as he held the other down and continued to pummel into him. This was so strange...he felt as if he was outside of his body, looking down at this scene and not being able to stop himself. Akito was his best friend, right? He was the person he cared for most, right? So why...why was he doing this? Akito didn't seem to hate it, but the other never hated sex. Ranmaru didn't know if what he was doing was evil or good, finding himself just drawn into the desire as he stole kiss after hot kiss.

 

Akito cried out for him, clawing at his back desperately. The pleasure was so good, he could do nothing more than to widen his legs and let him in deeper into his clenching body. His hands tangled in Ranmaru's hair, tugging it lightly as he sobbed with pleasure.

 

"A-Akito -!" Ranmaru cried out, unable to control himself. He grasped the other and then flipped him over, needing to get in deeper - if he didn't, he would go mad! Akito found himself clinging to one of the posts of his bed, his best friend ramming into him from behind as a firm hand grasped at his cock that bounced against his belly. This was madness...Hot, fast, hard, and unbelievably wonderful...And that scent! It was everywhere, coating his skin as Ranmaru claimed him.

 

"Ooohhhh.... g-god I love you!" Akito shrieked shamelessly, holding the bedpost as if it were Ranmaru, shaking and spreading his legs wide for the other male to get into him deeper and deeper, wanting to feel Ranmaru coming inside of his tight body. "Oh please!"

 

Ranmaru panted, his mind fuzzy as he leaned against the post as well, blanketing the other's body with his as their sweat-slicked skin moved and rubbed together. Ranmaru couldn't believe what he was doing, merely looking down with glazed eyes at the other's tight ass sucking him in with each thrust, how beautiful that arched body was. And that neck...he stared at it for a long while, panting and grunting with each stroke. At last, he couldn't take it and leaned in, his fangs grazing the soft skin. His...he wanted Akito as his...no one else should get to see this part of him...no one else...

 

Akito panted, arching and pressing up against the other eagerly. He whimpered, wondering if he was simply dreaming this, actually having gone to his bedroom and passed out? Why did it feel so real then? Why was this so real? No, it must be a dream, it was simply too good to be reality and Akito sobbed with pleasure, begging for more as the redhead took him hard.

 

He couldn't take it. He really couldn't take it. He found that sweet spot again, lavishing it with open-mouthed kisses and his wet hot tongue, before sinking the points of his teeth into the soft pale flesh. Akito reeled, his body submitting utterly when Ranmaru ran his half-inch long teeth into his neck. Blood flowed forth, hot and metallic, into Ranmaru's throat as he continued to ram hard into Akito's willing body. His....his and no one else's...

 

Akito submitted, mouth open as tiny soundless cries left him. His whole body arched back to give Ranmaru more of himself, whimpering in utter pleasure as Ranmaru claimed him so viciously. He must be dreaming, this was too good to be true. Akito felt tears well in his eyes, knowing any moment he would wake up and all of this would be a dream, nothing more. He would then go back to the front lines and probably die, never getting to experience Ranmaru's affections.

 

Claws dug deep into the other's soft skin as Ranmaru rode out his passions with Akito beneath him. The beautiful Shadowshifter could barely catch a breath before his orgasm flooded over him with such force that his knees almost gave out. Ranmaru held him up though, thrusting a few more times before, at last, he found his climax. His seed filled Akito's body, dripping down his thighs as Akito's own essence stained the sheets. 

 

Akito panted, eyes tightly closed and body shaking against Ranmaru's. He was afraid to open his eyes, to find him limp and sweaty in bed but with no lover cuddled close and certainly not Ranmaru. Slowly he opened his eyes, frowning slightly as he found himself still clinging to the post.

 

Ranmaru panted, pulling his fangs out slowly as they returned to their normal size once more. His head was still swimming from the overwhelming pleasure, yet the satisfaction that came most often from just one bout of sex was not there. He needed more, his body craving that lithe body beneath him. "A-Akito....w-what's happening...to me...?" he pants against his friend's back, staring at the bite marks with surprise. Did he really do that?

 

"H-heat...?" Akito panted softly, blinking as he realized he was not dreaming, that this was indeed reality and Ranmaru was still buried to the hilt in his tensed body. He peered over his shoulder; neck aching from where Ranmaru had bit him sharply with those fangs... they had felt a lot bigger then normal. "Haven't you ha-had a heat before?"

 

Ranmaru made a soft whimpering gasp as he pulled out, his cock still rock-hard and throbbing. Though he had cum, the desire to mate had not left him at all. He tried to move away though, terrified by what he had just done. "N-no..." he gasps out, looking to the other with his long lithe body all covered in hickeys and shallow scratches. "I....I've never....did.....did I really...? Oh, God..."

 

Akito blinked in surprise, gazing at Ranmaru with concern on his face. He turned, catching Ranmaru's chin in his cupped hands, dragging him closer and caressing his cheek. "Shhh... Don't panic, Ranmaru. Do you want me to talk to your father? It might be different for you since you have fire demon blood in you." He soothed gently, kissing at Ranmaru's face, wanting to calm him.

 

Ranmaru still had tears in his eyes, horror lacing them. "I...I'm sorry....s-so sorry...I........You didn't want......and I...." he was crying despite himself, terrified by what he had just done. His best friend! He had mated to his best friend without even the other's consent! He feels like such a monster, staring at that bite mark as Akito tries to dry his tears with gentle kisses. "I'm so sorry...!"

 

Akito frowned, looking worried as he gazed at the other with wide eyes. "No, no! It's ok, Ranmaru!" He cooed gently, holding tightly to the other now as his friend began to panic. Gods, this should not had been this way! He lifted the others face, gazing at him. "Ranmaru, I have loved you since we were little. There is nothing more I could hope for than to have you as mine."

 

"But...I didn't even ask you...Akito...your job...you can't go work anymore because of me...because of what I did..." Ranmaru says as he still looks rather scared. He's such a young hybrid that he can't really wrap his head around why he did such a terrible thing. Akito can't find any reason to complain, however, as he's been needing a mate himself. It's rather interesting to see that, though Ranmaru is nearly the same age as him, he has taken all this time to have his first heat. It looks as though he was waiting for someone to love...

 

"Ranmaru, do you have any idea how much I did not want to do it anymore?" Akito asked softly, tipping up the others chin. "At the rate I was going, I was going to get killed eventually. I was right in the middle of it, so easily I could have gotten caught or been killed on accident during a battle. I am happy I can be here and that this happened. We need each other."

 

Ranmaru wiped away his tears, fearing that he would look too weak for them. Akito could only smile, surprised by the emotion that had welled in Ranmaru's eyes for fear he had done something wrong. "You never told me....you never said anything to me, Akito. Why didn't you say anything?" he asks as he looks to the other, letting Akito move from the pillow and onto the softness of the bed. No doubt his poor ass is aching quite substantially.

 

"Because... I was afraid you would not like me the way I liked you." He replied softly, gazing down at his hands thoughtfully as they sat together in the aftermath. Ranmaru's scent was still so thick and delightful in the air, making Akito shiver and lick his lips longingly. "I did not want to harm our friendship by telling you I loved you. I would have been satisfied just being near you."

 

Ranmaru felt like even more of an idiot hearing that as he pulled the other close to him and pressed Akito against his chest. Akito could hear his heart beating so fast, could smell the sweat and sex upon his skin. It was intoxicating. "I wish you would have told me sooner, Akito....I hate the idea that you had to suffer alone."

 

Akito smiled wryly, nuzzling into Ranmaru with a soft sigh, closing his eyes. "It was silly, I know, but I did not want to lose you as a friend, even if I could not have you as a lover. Things however, have taken a change, haven't they?" He laughed softly, the sound rich and warm. Akito always seemed to have a warm, friendly nature which made people relax about him, made them happy.

 

"Akito..." Ranmaru whispers softly, feeling like he could cry again. Once more, his emotions are written so plainly on his face. The want to hold Akito tightly and never let go, the passion, the happiness, the care...He can't hide them from his eyes or his face, Ranmaru ending up pulling Akito close as he cannot trust his voice to steadily convey his words. "I do love you..."

 

Akito wrapped his strong, lithe arms about Ranmaru and kissed him as he was held, their lips pressing close, tongues sliding together gently. He moaned happily, pressing close and thanking whatever god of fortune brought him home this day and into the kitchen to see Ranmaru.

 

"Uhn...!" Ranmaru suddenly gasps when the other's yielding flesh brushes up against that erection that has been standing between his legs now ever since they stopped having sex. He looks down at it and flushes as red as his hair, his eyes meeting Akito's. "....please?" He hardly needs to ask.

 

Akito chuckled and slid into the others lap coyly, nuzzling him. "Of course, love." The next hours were spent arching and straining upon the bed, locked in passionate love-making till the two of them were spent and exhausted. Akito felt so very happy, nuzzled up close to Ranmaru as the two of them floated down from their high, pleasure still throbbing in his body.

 

"Have you ever had a heat, Akito?" Ranmaru asks, still feeling the coil of desire in his belly despite how much semen he's given to his lithe and beautiful lover. Akito lays against his chest exhausted, their skin slick and sticky. Still, it's a pleasant feeling to just lay there. Neither wishes to clean up just yet.

 

"I have several times. I am mostly shadowshifter, so heat is a normal thing. I just hole up." Akito smiled, leaning his chin in the middle of the others firm chest, gazing adoringly up at his new mate. They will have to announce it, since Ranmaru is a prince and it would simply not do to keep a mating of a prince secret. "I am not too surprised now that I think about it, that you did not have your heat till now. You're only a small bit shadowshifter."

 

"But...there wasn't any warning at all...and neither of my brothers have had their heat," Ranmaru says as he lays back and looks down at the other. It's strange how such an older male can look so damn cute, his sweet face smiling up at Ranmaru in the most loving way. If he didn't already know that Akito was exhausted, he'd flip the beautiful Shadowshifter over and have him then and there.

 

"I guess it depends on the person. Maybe your body decided to take advantage of the situation, hmmm?" He grinned and laughed richly, kissing the others chest with a sweet sigh. Ranmaru still smelled absolutely delicious and he licked coyly at his chest with a little pink tongue.  "You already smelled richly in the kitchen... perhaps you have been going through the beginning stages for days without even knowing it."

 

"But...there wasn't any warning at all...and neither of my brothers have had their heat," Ranmaru says as he lays back and looks down at the other. It's strange how such an older male can look so damn cute, his sweet face smiling up at Ranmaru in the most loving way. If he didn't already know that Akito was exhausted, he'd flip the beautiful Shadowshifter over and have him then and there. 

 

"I guess it depends on the person. Maybe your body decided to take advantage of the situation, hmmm?" He grinned and laughed richly, kissing the others chest with a sweet sigh. Ranmaru still smelled absolutely delicious and he licked coyly at his chest with a little pink tongue.  "You already smelled richly in the kitchen... perhaps you have been going through the beginning stages for days without even knowing it."

 

"How?!" Ranmaru asks, staring down at the other with such confusion and even anger that he never once noticed. "I mean...I haven't been feeling like I need to fuck anything...well.....perhaps that's not true. But..even so!!! This isn't fair...I should at least have been given some warning," he sighs as he lays back and looks down at the cuteness on his chest. He pulls Akito up, kissing him. 

 

Akito grinned and kissed him back, purring. "Some people have very mild heats. I know Absinthe's starts out with barely any signs before going into full bang, you remember his first one last year, right? He freaked out and nearly escaped before they could lock him in his room." Akito yawned softly. "And there have been other cases, it just all depends on the person."

 

"I really hope I'm not like Absinthe...I don't want to flip out and claw at people like that. Even I consider that much unseemly," he says with a bit of a scoff, looking over at Akito. "What about yours? Do you have your signs?"

 

"Yeah, it's a mild heat though until the week I am fertile." He smiled teasingly. "Then I go into super slut mode and rawr!" he bit Ranmaru's nipple to get his point across, laughing happily. He was flushed and eyes glittering as he gazed at the other with delight on his sweet face.

 

"Fertile...Gods, do you think this means, since we're mated, Death is going to ask us to have babies?" he gasps, a little overwhelmed with the idea as he nuzzles close to Akito. The other can only imagine what Death will think of this. He's always rather pleased when those Shadowshifters with powerful bloodlines end up mating. Then again, Ranmaru doesn't have all that much of Lazarus' blood in him.

 

"I dunno." Akito replied with a soft chuckle as he peered up at his mate thoughtfully. Such a shock really... it had happened so fast, but he was still so happy about it. "Possibly. But since you're not of the main bloodlines, probably not."

 

"Hmmm...That's kind of good. I think I'm a bit young to be a dad...or a mother...though I doubt you could top me, being so skinny as you are." He chuckles, nuzzling close to him as the two lay there in the late morning hours, the sunlight showing through the drawn curtains as much as it can. "Ugh...we'll have to go to lunch soon..."

 

"I could to." Akito laughed and snuggled closer to him, sighing softly with pleasure as he cuddled closer to his new mate. "Ahh... yes, we do need to go to lunch, don't we." He pouted a little, sighing and cuddled up closer to his mate.

 

"I would rather stay here and just be warm and comfortable...but I think my parents would get suspicious...not that they won't anyway. I smell like I want to be fucked all over the place," Ranmaru sighed as he sniffed his arm and frowned. He did indeed smell like sex - if only there was a way to hide that.

 

"How about a bath? I can supply some oils that might cover it up, eh? We'll still smell highly of heat, but it will be more masked from the masses." Akito grinned at him, caressing his hair gently with an elegant hand. Akito was completely unscarred, skin perfect and soft. How he had managed this, was amazing.

 

 

Ranmaru smiled and nodded, eager to get the other under some hot water so they could rub each other together. It would result in sex, naturally, but who would really complain? Not them, of course! Sex and love had equal standing in the Shadowshifter world and both were very important to everyday life.

 

Laughing, Akito slipped from bed and moved to his bathroom, a slight limp in his step, but not much. He was not complaining, rather happy with life in general right now. The bubbling of the water filling the bath was heard out in the bedroom and Akito poked his head out of the doorway and grinned. "Come on Ranmaru!"

 

Ranmaru smiled and stood, his lower back cracking a bit from the strain of having thrust so hard into Akito. He rubbed it and then followed the other into the bathroom for some nice wet sex. Meanwhile, down at the dining table, lunch was being set out with a wonderful assortment of delectables. Eos and Falcon sat calmly by one another, holding hands under the table. It was about time they announced their secret marriage, though both were intensely nervous.

 

Eos glanced at Falcon, smiling tensely. As soon as everyone was at the table, they should be able to announce it. Hopefully it would not be made a big deal. Both of them were adults and had the rights to act as they wished. Even if Eos was a prince and Falcon Sahenna's second.

 

"It's going to be alright," Falcon whispered, as though to reassure the tense little Shadowshifter. Honestly, Falcon needed some reassuring of his own especially when his father was the first one to hobble into the dining hall. He looked up and saw his son sitting next to his fiancé - or, at least, fiancé to his knowledge - and then directed himself towards a chair.

 

Eos smiled and leaned in, cuddling Falcon gently as they sat together, their hands interlocked under the tabletop. Eos watched his own parents come in, Lazarus with one hand on his belly as he walked, eyes thoughtful. The child would be born any day now it seemed and there was a well of excitement. "Yes, it will be alright, won't it?" He replied gently with a slight smile.

 

Falcon returned the slight smile as people began to file into the room, some dressed casually and others in fine robes. Falcon felt the first twinges of fear when he saw Eos' fathers sitting down not too far away...could he block a fireball at this distance? He was hoping for it.

 

Once everyone had sat down and began to eat, Eos slowly stood up, Falcon beside him. He gulped, watching as everyone became quiet and looked up toward him and Falcon in confused curiosity. "We have something to announce." Eos said, his voice carrying so that everyone could hear him.

 

Stannis delicately put down his fork and knife, his sharp grey eyes seeming to hit his son with such force that Falcon felt as though he had been hit with an arrow. Still, the young man would not let his father's intimidating gaze deter him in the least. He cleared his throat and gently took Eos' left hand into his left hand. They both wore matching silver rings. "We eloped." So simple were his words, but they got an immediate reaction.

 

"WHAT?!!" Rughal roared from his side of the table, making the fireplace almost explode, servants jumping to avoid flying sparks. Falcon didn't flinch

 

Eos shot his father a glower and nodded. "Yes, we did so a few days ago. This was our choice, as we are both grown adults and it was already going to happen anyway." He turned his lavender eyes over everyone, as if daring them to contest him. Rowen smiled slightly beside Rughal, clutching his second mate's hand under the table to try and calm him down. Death was chuckling softly, eyes glittering with amusement. Lazarus looked amused as well, though he did not chuckle, not with Stannis and Rughal both looking upset in their own ways.

 

Stannis was like ice...In fact, the room got perceptively colder. The fire almost died down to a dwindling flicker as Stannis politely wiped his mouth, stood with the assistance of his cane..........and left. Falcon looked as white as a sheet. It was easy to tell when his father was angry, for he had a look in his eyes that could stop a man dead. Falcon knew how to deal with anger...However, he didn't know how to deal with his father's utterly disapproving look before he shut the door quietly behind him and was gone. Kite looked very nervously towards her son before mouthing "I'll talk to him" and then politely excusing herself to follow after her husband. Falcon allowed himself an expression of guilt. 

 

Eos squeezed the hand of his mate, gently looking up at him before shooting a glance at his red haired father. His eyes begged his father to approve, wanted him to approve very much. However, it was unlikely and Eos steeled himself for it. Death, silent through the whole of it, clapped his hands lightly. "I approve." He rumbled pleasantly, cocking his head. "You will hear no protests from me."

 

"That's wonderful, Falcon!" Sahenna smiled brightly, seeming not to understand what Falcon had just done. He went against his family, against tradition, and he had upset his father greatly. Despite Sahenna's brightness and Eos' gentle touch, Falcon felt increasingly guilty about his choices. Stannis had always been proud of the fact that his son did everything by the book. Obviously disobedience was not a part of his father's plan for Falcon's future.

 

"Indeed...congratulations are in order. I suggest we have a feast tonight, Lord Death," Rowan chimed in, though he had kept his opinion to himself about the union. Urius just sat and watched the door, knowing that Kite was probably following Stannis down the hall, trying to persuade him not to damn the union of the two lovers. She wouldn't succeed...at least, not with the wound so fresh. Stannis had gone through his own disobedience before...and he had paid for it. 

 

Death however, was looking at two other couples as well. "Hmmn... I would say we have great need for a feast, since all three of the princes seem to have found themselves mated, hmmm?" Varun flushed, sitting between Echo and Alpheus, but Akito and Ranmaru were more shocked by the fact that they had been caught as well by the skilled eye of the immortal. They had even covered up the mating mark!  "Hmmn.... yes, a feast tonight will do everyone’s moral well, will it not?" Death rumbled cheekily.

 

"A funeral has been planned for this evening...We Starcs will not be in attendance," one of the young Starc soldiers said down the table. Specter nodded as if to confirm that and Death raised a brow. A funeral? But no one had yet died within the compound. Was this for some sort of fallen soldier outside of the Realm of Death?

 

"For who?" Death asked softly, peering at the young Starc curiously. "I have not heard of any deaths in the compound. I would most certainly know if someone died...?" He looked curious, brows furrowed even as Eos and Falcon took the chance to sit again.

 

"Our funerals are not for the dead, they are for the living...though the soon to be dead," Specter returns. The young hybrid smiles gently to Death, his dark eyes kind. He is not like the other Starcs, though half of his bloodline belongs to them. "The old or weak of our kind are sent off into the wilderness to die. It just so happens an old soldier's wife, a midwife that traveled with us, is nearing the time she will ascend to Higher Heaven. Instead of dying what we would consider too luxurious a death in a bed surrounded by her family, I will lead her through your Northern Gate into the snows. Where she falls, I will place a marker as her burial site."

 

The immortal frowned, but nodded slowly. It was not his place to say anything on what he thought of their rituals, for he had seen worse. However, it bothered him that the old woman would not be given the benefit of a bed in her dying hours, but be subject to the aching cold. It seemed the final cruelty in life before going up into the higher heaven. He turned, peering into his wine before sipping it slowly. "May she die quickly and without pain." he murmured softly into his glass.

 

"I'm afraid it's not in Starc tradition to wish such a thing, Lord Death. What you say is an insult," Rowan offers lightly to Lord Death, as the God is being stared at with mild anger by the Starc part of the table. The Angels seem to take mild offense to the words, for it is honorable in their culture to suffer. It means that they will have all the greater happiness when their duties are finally done. Anyone who assumes that they should have any bit of luxury before their time is thought to go straight to hell.

 

"And I have my own views upon death, do I not?" He rumbled softly, smiling. "I have seen more suffering and felt more suffering then any of you, so do not take offense to my words." He smiled serenely, tipping his wine up to savor it a moment before he frowned and stood. "I have something to take care of, forgive me for the suddenness of my leaving." He murmured and bowed politely to them all before he was moving away toward the doors. Lazarus watched him, eyes half closed as he caught the glimmer of gold tinting Death's hair.

 

Urius watched him leave as well, feeling acutely the tension that was left in the room. Rughal was glaring all hell at Falcon, the fires flickering from his anger, and the Starcs seemed a bit miffed still about Death's comment. Then there was Rowan, his covetous eyes following Death with a gentle smile...as though he knew something. Urius wasn't about to say anything. He stared down at his food, finding himself having to force his body to accept it.

 

Lazarus, now head at the table, smiled slightly and leaned over to give an affectionate nuzzle to his mate Sahenna. "Forgive his lordship, he does not like suffering much anymore..." He whispered to Rowan, "He has never liked it, but it is simply a fact of life and he cannot change it." Why the immortal had left in such a hurry, Lazarus knew but would not tell.

 

"Is he alright? I hope our culture doesn't offend him," Sahenna says gently as he smiles upon his husband. A hand reaches out and rubs the bulge of their child in Lazarus' womb. It will not be long now before Sahenna is a father and a new babe is brought into the world...Lazarus' first...It will be interesting to see which parent he shall look like most.

 

"Yes, he shall be alright. It is more does he offend your culture?" Lazarus chuckled softly and leaned closer to Sahenna. Rowan did not appear to care really, which was all for the best since Lazarus really did not enjoy speaking or working with the man.

 

"No...but the Starcs are very particular. Valens don't really care...we measure life by how successful you are," Sahenna replies, blushing as he feels the baby squirming against his hand. How excited he is to be a new father! He can't wait to hold the infant in his arms and feel as though he is then truly connected to his mate through the little life they have created. He prays the birth will go well.

 

"I noticed, a little too set in their ways personally, but not bad people." he murmured softly to Sahenna, smiling as his lover felt the tiny child moving about restlessly. From how much the new life was moving, it would not be long now till he finally got his flat belly back! He chuckled, leaning back to give Sahenna more room. The soft clinking as people ate was pleasing and he sighed happily, enjoying life even if it was currently hard, frightening times. All his mates were healthy, his children were happy and whole and he was going to be a mother soon.

 

"It is how they have survived for so long after repeatedly nearly being wiped out...The Northern area of Tenshihana is an unforgiving place, as well. Thus, they have learned to be just as unforgiving." Sahenna's words are gentle as he glances now and then to Urius. He hasn't seen his former mentor in the longest of time. He can see clearly how haggard the man is looking, seeming almost the ghost of the brilliant warrior he was before when placed next to Lord Rowan.

 

Without the gentle touch of his mate, Urius has allowed himself to become as he looks now. Ceata silently ate, speaking with one of his mates, seemingly the death angel. He looked sleepy, as if he had not slept well the night before. Lazarus sighed, leaning in to give Sahenna a gentle nuzzle. Life had grown difficult for many since the start of this war, he just hoped it would not stay that way. Had they not suffered enough already?

 

 

"Um...dad?" Ranmaru asks suddenly, getting both Rughal and Lazarus' attention as both tend to go by the same title. Ranmaru looks fidgety and shy, glancing to Akito. "I just...uh...wanted to tell you both that I'm mated to Akito now. And...yeah..." Ranmaru admits hardly as elegantly as Falcon did, for he is shy when it comes to these matters. Akito seems to be beaming, rather happy that he can now go around telling everyone that he's mated at last.

 

Lazarus smiled and nodded. "Ahh.... no wonder." He chuckled and smiled adoringly at Ranmaru. "Well, congrats to you as well, Ranmaru. You picked a good one, I can tell." He beamed warmly, making Akito nearly glow with pride that he was thought of as good mate material.

 

Rughal smiled as well, happy to at least see that one of his children ended up choosing an acceptable mate. "Indeed...I'm very proud of you, son," Rughal says, though Eos is glowering heavily for his word. Varun doesn't seem all that happy either, knowing Rughal would never approve of Alpheus, no matter what connections he has with the Shadowshifters of the past.

 

Rowen pinched Rughal under the table, hard, demanding he say something nice to Eos and Varun, both of which had mated to an angel (though Varun had mated to Echo as well, so he was not as bad off as little Eos). Varun smiled at his brothers slightly, "I am very happy for you two." He smiled sweetly. He did not scold either of them, for he himself had been ensnared.

 

Falcon looked to Varun with some manner of relief, happy to see that at least one of his new in-laws did not completely hate him. However, his relief was short lived when Kite came back with a very troubled look on her face. She sat down to finish her meal, Falcon glancing nervously towards her every now and then. This wasn't good...When his mother didn't return with a look of confidence, that usually meant she couldn't help him.

 

They would make it better. Eos gave his lover a reassuring look. Even if his mate's father never approved, Eos would keep trying. He did not want Stannis to be angry with Falcon simply because he went against tradition because of him! Slowly the lunch tables began emptying as people finished up. Ceata left, alone and wandered off. Absinthe was still eating, looking distracted as he seemed to not see the food he ate.

 

Absinthe was staring at Urius from time to time, having remembered Adonis's words from before. They eat away at his time, the jealousy and the desire and the fear...How he wishes he could simply kill Urius without consequence, that all would be well afterward and Ceata's heart wouldn't be broken. How conflicted he was with this! On the one hand, the chance for complete happiness yet at a terrible price, and the other was a tormenting lust that would never be satiated but there was also the happiness of Ceata. What could he do?!

 

The choice was eating at him, making him restless and made him feel sick. He glanced furtively at Urius, wishing that Ceata had never mated to him and what he desired to do would simply be safe to do. He did not want to hurt Ceata. Ceata was family and he loved his family dearly, coveted them and would always protect them. But.... but how he desired Adonis! How cruel this is, ripping him in two.

 

On the one hand his love for his family and on the other the all-consuming lust that had become his most unhealthy obsession. Had the pleasure and the pain become so good that Absinthe felt he would have to harm others in order to let it continue? And just what was the importance of that locket anyway, or even the need to take Urius' life? It was all so curious, making poor Absinthe's head spin.

 

He felt like vomiting. He got up slowly and excused himself, leaving the room looking very ill and once he got to his room, he had thrown up the contents of his stomach into the toilet. He had not eaten well in the last few days, not well at all. His nerves were strung too tightly,  body too exhausted to take what he was doing to it. He shuddered, shakily getting up and washing his mouth out. The others at the table were left frowning and wondering just what was wrong with Absinthe.

 

Only Rowan knew, hiding his smile behind the polite dabbing of his napkin. Urius seems oblivious to it, however, as the red creeps into Rowan's eyes and looks to Urius. Soon....soon, the man will be dead and the monstrosity will not be released. He'll be free to pursue his Godhood without the other in the way. Of course, that was if Absinthe would do as he was told.

 

With how sick he was making himself? Would he even have the strength to kill Urius? However, even though he was ill, Absinthe was plotting for tonight. Somehow he would get Urius alone and would kill him as quietly as he possibly could. This was becoming ridiculous and sick and delirious, he gave in easily to the desire to claim Adonis as his own. For now though, things were quiet.