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The heavy roll of drums reverberated beyond the walls. Vash could feel his heart in his throat. “Has anyone seen a ship land? Do you know if he’s here?”
“Breathe, Spiky. Don’t forget, I’ve got Legato monitoring all incoming traffic. If Millions Knives gets within a dozen light years of the planet, we’ll be the first to know.” Wolfwood’s voice was familiar and soothing, but did little to quell Vash’s nerves. Or his guilt.
Vash shook his head, whipping it hard enough to threaten the laurel headdress nestled in his hair. “Sorry, I know you’re right. I just can’t help it. It feels like he’s breathing down my neck. It’s crazy, I know.” Vash drew his knees to his chest, hunching over in his seat. “He wouldn’t be here. I’m just being paranoid.”
Wolfwood rested a hand on Vash’s shoulder. “If anyone deserves to be a little paranoid, it’s you. But I’ve already made sure everything will be safe, even if you can’t wear your arm in.”
Both of them looked to the gleaming metal arm resting on a nearby cushion. The prosthetic wasn’t allowed in such an ancient, sacred ceremony as this. Vash couldn’t help but feel naked without it.
Wolfwood smiled reassuringly, reaching for a band of flowers nearby. Gently, his warm, calloused fingers pulled it over Vash’s nubbly stump, letting it settle comfortably mid-bicep. Wolfwood’s familiar scent did more for Vash’s frazzled nerves than any words ever could.
“You look great, Spiky. I’ll be beating the others off you with a stick.”
Vash blushed hard. “You’d better. I’ll never forgive you if you get beaten out by some stranger,” he teased.
Wolfwood rumbled low in his throat. “Don’t even joke. I’ll find you before anyone else,” he promised.
Vash smiled, a weak, half-forced thing, but he was feeling at least a little better now. “Go get ready with the others. It’s almost time, you know. Can’t protect me if you aren’t the first one out the gate, right?”
Wolfwood grinned. “Right. Good luck, then, Blondie. See you on the other side.”
Vash took a calming breath as Wolfwood left. The Royal Omega’s Chambers had never felt so stifling before this very moment. Sumptuously adorned in crimson and gold damask, with matching taffeta hangings dripping around the room in gossamer clouds, the excess only made him feel even more small than before, like the walls were closing in around him.
With so much extravagance and heavy fabric around him, it was almost ironic, just how little he wore. Vash himself was dressed in little more than wisps of cloth, with adornments on his arms and legs to match his ceremonial headpiece.
At his throat was a beautiful collar, from which the soft, see-through fabric began. At the back, a long tassel trailed down his spine. When he ran, it would stream behind him, an appealing target for others to seize like a leash.
Vash looked into the mirror, frowning at his reflection. Rem would be so proud of him. If she could see him now, she would coo at how beautiful he looked, how excited she was to meet his mate. Inside, he only felt cold apprehension. The entire city, no, the entire country, awaited today’s hunt with bated breath. For today, on this day of Vash’s birth, was the grandest of all ancient rites— the mating run of the reigning Omega Prince, Vash Saverem.
Now that he was of age, it was required for him to find a mate, a partner, and only the fittest, most powerful and clever of alphas stood even the barest chance of victory.
Meryl put the finishing touches on his makeup, while Vash watched his reflection in silence. He would need to look his best when he greeted his people.
She offered him a smile. “After today, you won’t have to worry anymore, at least. If Knives isn’t here, he can’t do anything to ruin it. He has wars to win and battles to fight.”
“But will he place those battles above me?” Vash asked. It sounded conceited, even to him. He couldn’t help the mix of dread, of longing, of fear.
Knives was the true leader of the empire. More god than man, he had conquered planet after planet by the tender age of a hundred, and a merciless tyrant over those who had once subjugated their people. But above all else, he was Vash’s older brother, and in this respect, his overbearing and overprotective nature overwhelmed everything else.
“His campaign has him half a galaxy away, and the last I heard, the fighting had reached a fever pitch at the capital. He wouldn’t be able to pull himself away, even if he wanted to.” She squeezed his hand. “At least, I hope.”
Vash swallowed hard. Hope was all they had, now. It would have to be enough.
A furious buzz filled the Alpha Room when Wolfwood arrived. This was the gathering place for all alphas taking part in the mating run, hoping to secure themselves one of the many omegas taking part in today’s event.
Some of them might even style themselves as suitors to Vash himself, as if they stood a chance against him. Even handicapped without his arm, Vash was still a dangerous foe. Chasing Vash wouldn’t be like hunting down just any omega.
This is what Wolfwood assumed would be the main subject of discussion amidst the hopefuls. But as he changed into his ceremonial garb to match the others, the whispers spoke of another subject entirely.
“The enemy’s capital has truly fallen? You’re certain of that?”
“I’d never lie about it! It’s supposed to be kept secret until Lord Millions Knives returns home, but my brother was on the front lines when the Lord took the enemy leader’s head! He said he’d never seen anything like it!”
Wolfwood froze in place, just listening. This was a bad sign, but things weren’t falling apart just yet. He pinged Legato urgently. “Have you seen any indication of Knives arriving?”
Legato sneered, lips curling in the video feed. “Not a thing. Worry less about him and more about yourself.” Wolfwood glowered.
Outside, the steady roll of drums erupted into fanfare. Vash would be taking the stage now. In moments, he would lead the omegas on their charge into the hunting grounds. Once they were out of sight, the alphas would be released to chase them down.
It wasn’t hard to imagine what onlookers would see- Vash standing with his head held high, almost entirely bare for his people. The see-through fabric didn’t cover anything, only framed his body prettily. Everyone would be able to see the faint lace of scars Vash usually kept hidden, see the neat trim of pubic hair between his thighs, and the hint of pretty pink just out of sight.
The roar of the crowd drowned out the music. The omegas must have taken off into the woods already. The doors to the alpha room opened, and Wolfwood muscled his way to the front, emerging into the heart of the crowd of onlookers.
The trees rustled as the omegas disappeared within the forest’s embrace. Wolfwood bounced on his heels. Why weren’t they being released yet? What were they waiting for?
He looked around them anxiously. There were four entrances to the sacred hunting grounds: one for omegas, one for alphas, and one each for the royal alpha and the royal omega. Vash would have emerged through the Royal Omega’s chamber door, which explained why that particular door stood open.
It didn’t explain why the Royal Alpha’s chamber door also stood wide open.
Ice crept into Wolfwood’s heart as he saw a figure appear within the doorway. The crowd erupted into deafening cheers.
First came a head of pale, silvery-blond hair, and the icy cold stare of one single, piercing blue eye. The other was hidden behind a severe, black eye patch. Then came the broad sweep of masculine shoulders, draped in a luxurious cloak.
“No, no, no, no,” Wolfwood whispered.
Over the years since his own coming of age, Galactic General Millions Knives could have joined any mating run he wanted, could have claimed any omega he desired. Someone who didn’t know better might find it strange that he would join this hunt in particular, when he was spoiled for choice.
Wolfwood knew better.
Their eyes met. Wolfwood took off like a shot. He didn’t have much time, not if Knives was here. His feet pounded the earth, air rushing through his lungs.
Pain exploded through the backs of his legs.
His knees hit the ground. Gleaming, razor-sharp knives drew back from his body, coiling like malicious vines through the air. Hot, wet blood spilled from his legs. The pain was immediate. He screamed, clutching at the open wounds.
Something vital in his legs had been shredded. He couldn’t stand, could barely manage to drag himself even an inch forward before the pain was too much to bear.
Knives stalked past him, not even sparing Wolfwood a second look. His voice was low, carrying the promise of a threat. “It is the year of your majority, brother. You will participate in the hunt. However… Know that you are running for one alpha, and one alpha only.”
The other alphas were too stunned to move for several long moments. Even the crowd was shocked to silence.
With barely a whisper to betray his passage, Knives disappeared into the woods, following Vash’s sweet, floral scent. Wolfwood slammed his fist into the earth.
He should have never trusted Legato. It was up to Vash, now.
The other omegas scattered behind him. It was madness within the first few moments, a senseless scramble to put as much distance between them and the gates as possible. Something instinctual drove them all, something that burrowed deep in their minds and told them to run.
How could one know that their mate was ideal if one didn’t test them thoroughly? There was too much at stake.
The earth was soft underfoot, loamy and padded with thick moss. Vash stumbled once as he ran, tripping over a thick root, then righted himself, looking back the way he’d come. Something deep within his chest felt tighter than before. Something felt wrong.
The wind didn’t carry any new scents. It blew in the wrong direction, and Vash would have struggled to pick out anything unique from this distance anyway. But deep down in his heart, he could feel the presence of someone just out of reach, just out of sight.
He kept running. Wolfwood had to be getting close. They had agreed on this beforehand. If Vash was forced to take a mate, then he’d choose his dear friend, Nico, over some stranger in the woods. It was the lesser of many evils, and a matter of convenience.
Vash lowered his head and forced himself to run faster. His breath came in shallow puffs as he tried to measure his pace. He couldn’t exhaust himself too soon, or he’d have nothing left to bolt if someone surprised him. It was a delicate balance to strike.
The silence was eerie.
Before Vash came of age, he’d witnessed a few mating runs in the preceding years. The first claims often came swiftly into the hunt, filling the air with the sound of moans and the heavy scent of copulation. Instead, there was only the stillness of the forest, the gentle song of the birds, and the sweet scent of the trees around him.
Unnerved, he continued down his chosen path.
The feeling of being hunted crept under his skin. Someone was close. It should have been scary, but he couldn’t help the rush of exhilaration he felt. Was Vash the target? Would he be forced to fend off his first suitor, or would they split off and go for one of the other omegas lurking nearby?
Vash could still smell a few omegas not far from him, their honeyed scents blossoming in the air like spring flowers. But with all the scents around him, he still didn’t smell Wolfwood.
Something felt wrong. He slowed to a jog. Chilly wind blew over his skin. His muscles tensed in spite of himself. A hand closed around his bicep.
Vash whipped his head back, every inch of him seizing up in shock. A familiar, heavy scent suddenly flooded the span of greenery around them. The air went still. Vash slowly lifted his eyes up, following the span of a broad chest, a sculpted neck, and the familiar, piercing eye of his older brother.
“Finally, I can make you mine,” Knives intoned. His words came as a low, throaty rumble, deep enough to bring goosebumps on Vash’s forearm.
Vash’s mouth went dry. “Brother,” he whispered.
“For so many years, I have fought to make this an empire worthy of you, my dearest little brother. And now the time has finally come.”
“What are you doing here?” Vash said urgently. Warmth flooded his body, from his cheeks to his chest to the deepest core of his being. It coiled tightly in his pelvis, where it throbbed with every beat of his heart. Slick began to gather between his thighs.
Knives’s expression was almost pitying. “You thought I would miss this? Today, the most important day of my life? Of our lives? It took everything I had to make it back in time, but it will all be worth it, soon.” His free hand came up to caress Vash’s cheek.
Vash’s heart pounded louder and faster. “But- we can’t- Nai, you know we aren’t supposed to-”
“Not ‘supposed’ to? Is that why you had that dog join the ranks of the vermin vying for you? Misplaced propriety won’t save you, Vash. You and I are destined to be together.” Nai sneered, crinkling his nose in disgust. “I can smell your desire. You can lie to yourself, but not to me. Never to me.”
“Please, Nai,” Vash whispered. He tugged weakly at the hand on his arm. Every one of his instincts screamed at him to run, to lash out, to fight back. Without his prosthetic, he knew he could still fight better than anyone in his guard, even if it had been years since he had fought his brother. He didn’t know who would win out between the two of them, if he tried.
But, despite every nerve flaring up in warning, staring deep into Nai’s icy gaze, he found himself utterly frozen in place. Tears beaded up in the corners of his eyes.
“Will you deny me? After I have conquered the entire galaxy for you?” Nai asked. His thumb swept tenderly over Vash’s cheek.
Vash’s breath hitched. “I never wanted the galaxy. I just wanted you. But it’s wrong, and you know it! We never had a chance. It was always my fate to end up here. If I don’t participate in the mating run, our whole kingdom could perish. Our people need me to do this.”
Rem had told him that it was his role as a Plant. Everything, the seasons, the harvest, their continued existence, counted on it. This sacred rite was more than just tradition—it imbued the very earth with the vitality and fertility necessary to flourish.
“Fuck fate,” Knives hissed. “Fate means nothing to me if it means you end up with someone else. You are mine, you have always been mine, and I will prove that to you right here and now.”
Something tight lodged in Vash’s throat. His eyes widened as he felt Nai grinding his hips against Vash’s ass. He needed to run. He needed to move. He couldn’t stay here and be claimed so easily.
Nai’s thick, heavy cock slid between Vash’s thighs, bulling its way between the lips of his soaking wet pussy. Vash groaned. Slick gushed from deep within him. He hung his head, sucking down shaky breaths, eyes half closed against the streaming sunlight.
As Nai rolled his hips back, the fat, flared head of his cock caught on Vash’s hole. Vash’s whole body screamed.
He thrashed, suddenly and violently enough to knock Nai’s hand off his arm. In the split second of freedom, Vash started to sprint. Every muscle in his body began to burn hotter.
His feet slipped across the earth in a mad dash. He overcorrected in a panic, almost falling flat on his face before straightening out.
Nai was stunned for only a moment. Vash heard the exact moment his brother broke into a run behind him. A part of Vash’s heart swelled. Chase, hunt, pin, fuck. His brain floundered under the frantic burn of instinct. He wanted to be chased. He wanted to be hunted.
If Nai truly loved him…
No, Vash wasn’t running to be chased, it was to escape. He needed to be claimed during the mating run. What if it didn’t work with Nai? What if their entire paradise fell into chaos because of this? It was too precious to risk. Rem had told him it wouldn’t work, and surely she couldn’t be wrong.
Vash wouldn’t gamble the fate of the world for the sake of his own happiness.
If only his body would agree with his brain. Rational thought struggled to push through the clouds of pheromones and the sheer sensory overload. The riotous colors of the forest whipped past at breakneck speed, the sound of his heart and his footfalls deafening in his ears. The rasp of Nai’s breath came hot on his heels.
Vash ducked a branch, leapt over a rock, and stumbled down a sudden slope. He almost lost his footing. Behind him, Nai crashed down at top speed, tumbling head over heels. He was back on his feet in an instant.
It bought Vash only a precious few seconds. He leapt over a tiny creek, barely as wide across as his forearm, then ducked around a thick tree. His eyes searched his surroundings intensely. There had to be someplace he could go.
He lunged for a massive fallen log, completely hollowed out by time. It was just wide enough for him to wriggle his way inside, quickly hauling his feet behind him and into the heart of the tree.
Nai swore. He crouched at the foot of the log, fixing his gaze on Vash. “Hiding won’t save you. You know how this will end. You need your brother.”
Nai gripped either side of the log in his hands. His muscles flexed, a deep furrow appearing in his brow. The log groaned and shifted.
Vash’s hand flew out to steady himself against the wall. The whole thing rocked dangerously.
There was a deep, eerie creak. Nai’s face turned red, and the groaning of the log grew louder and louder. A sharp CRACK ripped the air like gunfire.
The log split down its length, sending Vash tumbling back onto the ground. His legs were like jelly.
He’d known his brother had grown stronger during his years away. But to see Nai now, it was almost enough to make Vash hesitate. Almost.
Vash rolled onto his feet. Nai’s strength was something to be feared and respected. It would be a very lucky omega who carried Nai’s offspring. Vash envied that future omega more than he’d ever admit.
That envy soured in his gut as he ran. His brother could have any omega in the galaxy, and yet, he was here. He was spitting in the face of fate and Vash could hear him laughing. The sound of it filled the air, the relish of a challenge.
In some of the more dangerous places in their world, thick jungles and eerie forests, there were wild animals that could kill as easily as breathing. It was repeated often: never, ever run from them. The instinct to chase was too powerful, an unstoppable urge to hunt and to kill a weak, fleeing thing.
When Vash turned his head back, Nai looked like one of those creatures. He wore bloodlust in every line of his body, drowning with the need to catch and claim. The predatory gleam in his eye was sharp enough to cut.
A desperate, panicked laugh escaped Vash’s lips. He was delirious. The adrenaline singing in his veins was enough to make him drunk on the rush. Nai was so close, so dangerously close to him. He could practically feel the hot touch against his skin.
Catch me.
Nai had been gone for so long. For so many years, Vash had ached to have his brother close to him again, knowing full well the dangerous pull he had felt for decades. The forbidden erotocism of it left shivers racing up and down his spine.
He needed to know Nai that craved him just as bad. He needed to feel desired. He needed Nai to prove his love, here, in one final test of their bond.
The world had never felt so bright, edged in an impossible glitter. Shafts of gold filtered through the leaves, each one a radiant spot of light that burned into Vash’s retinas.
Did Nai need Vash as badly as Vash needed him?
The rush of wind combed through his hair, flowed over his skin, while electricity sparked through his veins with the intensity of a live wire. The scent of the earth and summer air filled his lungs. At the back of his throat, he tasted a slightly sour tang of metal. Nai was so close.
Nai’s scent had always smelled so faintly of crushed flowers, rich amber, and worn leather. Now, there was a foreign edge of iron mixed in, as though his very scent was stained by blood.
It should have left Vash disgusted. A part of him was absolutely furious, left angered by every atrocity reported back home from the war front. His hindbrain, however, preened. Safety , it screamed. Protector, partner, beloved.
Nai’s power was earned by blood and conquest. He would have to take Vash the same way.
With a loud, bellowing roar, Nai flung himself forward.
Vash spun out of the way, twirling like a dancer and changing directions. He leapt over a log, yelping as Nai reached for him again. Vash dodged another tree. His feet skidded over the soft, mossy ground.
Nai was dangerously close now. Vash could taste the intensity of Nai’s desire on the air, a fevered, blazing need to claim Vash. He lashed out again, growing ever closer.
Vash desperately tried to stretch out of reach, tried to twist away from those grasping hands. He fell short. Nai’s fingers closed around the tassel.
Vash choked as the collar dug into his throat, his balance thrown and his feet slipping on the moss. His momentum was shot. The heavy pull at his throat dragged his whole body back, air punched from him like a kick to the stomach.
His body would have collided with Nai’s, but Nai was ready for him, catching Vash in a vice-like grip before Vash could even get his bearings. Immediately, Nai wrestled Vash to the ground, snarling low.
“You’re mine, brother. There’s nowhere to hide. You cannot deny yourself any longer. I know what you truly want, more than anything else.”
“Nai, please,” Vash gasped. He flailed hard against the iron grip but Nai was utterly unyielding. His chest and cheek were shoved down into the dirt, arm pulled behind him to remove any chance of getting leverage. The spongy ground was soft beneath him. It was too slick to wriggle free.
Nai kicked his thighs apart. “Look at you. You’re desperate for this, and still you try to deny yourself. Pathetic.” He pulled Vash’s head back with a fierce tug of the tassel. “It’s time for you to accept your desires, rather than continue to hide from them.”
Vash grunted, barely able to suck in a breath through the stranglehold of the collar against this throat. The tassel was released, and Vash gulped down several breaths.
Nai’s newly-freed hand found Vash’s ass, splaying the cheeks apart with his fingers. A hot, thick gush of slick spilled out from inside him, painting his thighs. Nai sucked in a deep breath. “You smell like heaven, Vash. You have no idea how badly I want to taste you. But there will be time enough for that later.”
Vash kicked his legs out. It wasn’t too late. He could still salvage this, if he wanted to. The fate of the world was riding on this.
Even as his head went cloudy, as desire threatened to overwhelm his being, the tiny voice inside screamed at him to run.
Nai pushed him more firmly into the ground, using his body as a cage.
Vash gasped. He could feel Nai’s erection straining against him, the thick bulge grinding against his ass. “Don’t worry, brother, I will give you everything you could ever want. I’ll fill you so full of my seed that it will have to take.”
“Nai,” Vash choked in a strangled voice. “Please let me go— please!”
Nai crooned out soft, shushing noises as his hips rolled. The thick head of his cock rubbed against Vash’s pussy with every movement. Heat boiled inside Vash’s belly. The throbbing in his pelvis was almost painful.
Off, off, off, he needed Nai off, he needed—
The head finally caught, and with a push, finally breached virgin flesh.
Vash screamed. He thrashed harder than before, trying to throw his brother off of him before it was too late, before they were bonded. The pain was secondary to the fear.
Nai growled, brutal enough to make Vash whimper once, his body going still as he felt Nai’s cock fuck its way in.
Vash gasped, hand clenching and unclenching, tears dewing in the corners of his eyes. He could feel the immense thickness bull its way deeper and deeper, until it was pushing against his innermost places. Every breath shuddered. He could almost feel Nai in the back of his throat.
It was too deep, too full, too perfect.
Little sounds escaped him, but no words, no protests, no thoughts as his entire world narrowed itself to just this feeling, this moment of being full beyond belief.
Nai’s voice cracked. “Vash, oh Vash, it’s what we always dreamed of.”
A tear slipped down Vash’s cheek. “Nai, please,” he whispered. Even the slightest motion made his whole world tip on its axis, made the massive cock inside him feel impossibly larger.
Nai’s hips bobbed. The slight friction drew a shaky hiss from Vash, followed by a deep, shuddering pleasure. It crashed around him with the force of a tidal wave. Nai’s skin was feverishly hot against his own, hot enough to make him feel like he was melting.
Vash moaned. He couldn’t give in, and yet the thought of surrender called so sweetly. His brother held him in arms that were stronger than the boughs of the sturdiest trees, with a scent like home to make Vash melt.
Nai pulled his hips back, almost withdrawing his cock entirely. Vash clenched. “Nai, Nai, Nai,” he sobbed.
“I’ve got you,” Nai said with a moan. In one fluid motion, he slammed in deep enough to force Vash’s entire body forward.
A startled gasp escaped him, hiccuping as he felt himself suddenly stuffed dizzyingly full once more. His will to fight back crumbled under the onslaught. Another thrust followed the first, and then another. Vash arched his spine like a cat.
He couldn’t stop himself from pushing back into it, chasing each thrust and meeting it, letting Nai’s cock reach deeper inside. “Need it so bad,” he panted. “Fuck me, please, fuck me!”
He could smell the twist of Nai’s vicious delight. “I will, I will, brother. I’ll fuck you so full you won’t be able to crawl away. Your body longs for mine, as mine does for yours. We were meant to be. Can’t you feel it?”
The heat between them radiated up Vash’s spine. His fingers clawed into the dirt. There was something beneath his skin, something he could almost feel but not name. It flowed like heated water through his veins. It spread to the earth.
Dark purple flowers and blooms as bright red as blood began to bloom around them. Their petals unfurled at a rapid pace and swayed in the wind, their scent mixing with that of copulation, of Vash, of Knives.
Something deep in Vash’s heart wept in relief. It would be fine. He could surrender now.
The tightness unwound like a snapping cord, and Vash found himself fucking harder against Nai’s cock, tears streaming down his cheeks, his voice growing louder and more desperate. There was no reason to deny himself any longer.
Rem had been wrong, she couldn’t have known otherwise. This truly was fate, after all. This was what was meant to be.
The brutal fucking continued, but now Vash welcomed it, alternately crooning encouragement and goading Nai on further. It was rougher, animalistic, like animals in the woods, lost to everything except the feeling of one another and the raw instinct to breed.
“Breed me, Nai, fill me up, I need it,” Vash panted. He rested his forehead against the cool earth, sweat drenching his skin. “Nai!”
“I’ll give you all the children you could ever want,” Nai crooned. “As many as you want, again and again. I’ll make sure it takes. My Vash, mine, all mine…”
“Yours!” He sobbed as he came harder than he ever had before, his entire body shaking with the force of it. Slick gushed out around Nai’s cock in a filthy spill.
Nai swore, holding Vash’s hips in a bruising grip. “So good for me, what a good omega you are, Vash.” Praise fell like rain on the parched earth. Vash soaked it in greedily, even as Nai fucked him impossibly harder.
The rough swell of Nai’s knot began to catch on Vash’s rim. Vash clawed at the dirt. “Knot me, please,” he begged.
Nai grit his teeth and forced the rapidly swelling knot to pop inside with one final thrust. The size was enormous, enough to make Vash whine and protest under his breath, until teeth closed around the back of his neck, right over the mating gland.
His breath caught. The teeth sank in, just as thick ropes of cum flooded his insides. Vash screamed, cumming once more.
The mating bite stung, but beneath the initial pain, came a deep-seated pleasure that radiated outward, leaving only a fuzzy emptiness in Vash’s head. Nai shifted slightly, and the knot tugged at Vash’s pussy.
Vash hissed. Nai licked the neck wound in an apology and settled in, spooning Vash on the ground amongst the flowers.
“You covet the things you see everyday, and yet you can’t have,” Nai murmured. He combed Vash’s hair with his fingers.
Vash made a quizzical sound. Words were too far away.
“Every time I came home, no matter how brief, every time I saw you with the humans, I wanted to find some way to make you look at me. I wanted you to look my way and smile, the way you used to.”
“Nai,” Vash said softly.
“Every planet, I conquered in your name. The glory I chased, just to make a universe where I could prove myself worthy of your love. And yet you ran away every time.”
Vash was silent. He looked over his shoulder at the storm raging within that single ice blue eye. “I never wanted you to leave. I never wanted you to get revenge.”
“They took your arm!” Nai hissed. “They attacked us first, they reaped what they sowed, and they needed to pay the price in blood.”
“I didn’t need revenge! Not like you! But you… you left, and they took your eye, and they took your gentleness,” Vash replied after a moment, angry tears in his eyes. “I started to worry that you’d never come home. And if you did, I feared the monster that would wear your face.”
“Is that why you were working so hard to ensure I wouldn’t make it here on time for your mating run?” Nai said. Frustration edged his voice, his fingers tightening around Vash’s waist hard enough to bruise.
Vash plucked a single bloom from the thick patch of flowers that had grown around him. His voice grew small. “No, not exactly. I was mostly afraid… afraid that it wouldn’t work. Rem said… brothers weren’t supposed to do this. She said it was wrong.”
“That’s human talk,” Nai scoffed. “That woman filled your head with so many terrible things, but that has to be the worst. We aren’t human. But even if it didn’t work, I’d still claim you, over and over again, before any human dog could get near you.”
Vash was silent for a moment as his blood ran cold. He narrowed his eyes over his shoulder. “Did you hurt Nico?”
“The mutt will live. His pride is severed worse than his tendons.”
“Nai!” Vash struggled to smack Knives in the face, flailing his arm around enough to make them both wince at the pain from their joining. “I’m going to kill you when this knot softens, so help me—”
“He’s fine!” Nai groaned. “It’s nothing he doesn’t deserve, having the audacity to think he can claim you.”
“Someone had to,” Vash muttered. He looked away, staring into the deep green of the newly-sprouted flora. “You could have called. You could have apologized.”
“I’m sorry,” Nai said, sounding almost earnest.
Vash spat. “You will be. But… I am glad you’re home safe,” he said finally. Nai’s arms encircled him, and Vash hugged Nai’s arms to his chest. “Promise me right now! Promise that you won’t leave again.”
“I won’t leave, I promise,” Nai said solemnly. “I’ve conquered all there is to conquer. Anyone left to hurt you has been dealt with. I needed to ensure the world would be safe for our children, after all.”
Vash muttered quietly to himself, even as Nai’s hands started petting his stomach.
Nai crooned in his ear, “Imagine how beautiful you’ll look, heavy with my child. New life blooming inside of you. You’ll be absolutely radiant.”
Vash flushed. “I’ll still hit you,” he muttered. But he closed his eyes and snuggled back in against Nai. “Nico better be okay, or we’ll be spending our bonding ceremony entirely celibate and it’ll be your fault. I know you don’t like him, but he’s kind.”
“As long as he continues to be a loyal, obedient guard dog, he can live,” Nai grumbled. “I don’t want to talk about other alphas while my knot’s inside you.”
“You brought him up first,” Vash said petulantly. Nai’s lips kissed his shoulder. He resisted the urge to melt into it.
Nai murmured soft praises into his ear, pressed kisses into his hair, and straightened out the laurel on Vash’s head that had gone crooked during their chase. “I’m so glad that you’re finally mine.”
The scent of flowers caught the breeze. Vash closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth all around him, inside him, filling him so deeply that it felt like lava in his very core.
“Don’t forget. You’re mine, too, now,” Vash said with a grin. He felt Nai’s smile against his skin.