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This will all end in flames, but right now, in this moment, David couldn’t give a damn.They’re soft and warm, so fucking warm beneath him, their hands on him, their mouth on him, tasting him, taking all of him, and he’ll give them as much as they want, as much as they need.And they do need him, just as much as he needs them. He’s seen their life, the illusion of their freedom, hidden beneath the opulence of the pretty bars of their cage. Their relationship with the man that would call himself king may have started out as love, but it’s long gone now, a shallower attachment - possession - all that's left in its place.Now it’s his hands on them, his mouth tasting them, swallowing their moans, leaving his marks on their skin in private places, gentle enough that they can be eased away with a little healing magic when it’s time for him to leave.The headache would be worth it, to have his mouth on them now.“Davey,” Their voice is little more than a gasp, clinging to his shoulders, nails digging into his skin. “Don’t stop.”That name on anyone else’s lips would have been an insult, but not from them. From them, it fits into the little space inside his chest that they’ve carved out for themselves and called home. Alongside the name he’s gifted them in return, angel, for all that they’ve saved him.
“I’ve got you. Hold on to me.”
He was drowning before he met them. With the responsibilities of the pack, with his loss - smothered by the weight of all the lives under his care. He still feels the weight of it now, as he learns what it means to be alpha, to care for his people, even when it seems the very world is fighting against him. To keep them safe.(He still has people missing - pack missing - and the knowledge haunts him as much as the rumours of the massmaker that accompanied them.)He’d almost forgotten what it meant to be David before he’d been hired for the royal detail. They’d entered his life with all the force of a hurricane, breaking down his walls, reminding him of who he was, before all this. The man beneath the armour.And they’d rediscovered themself, too.They’ve talked about how much the life they’ve been living has chafed them - the isolation, the boredom, the frustration. They’re smart, and bright, and so fucking kind, and worth so much more than the ornamental side piece the little prince had made of them.And he loves them. He’s been in love with them for months, and it’s exhilarating and terrifying, and all he can think about when they’re like this, moving together, their bodies and hearts in sync.He wants them, all of them – and it’s that thought that pushes him over the edge as they clench around him, reaching their own peak, gasping his name, their fingers tangled in the strands of his hair as he holds them close.He wants them to be his. And he thinks they want that too.It’s in the quiet after, tangled up on the simple futon in the private room that had been assigned to the royal security detail, that he finds the courage to put it into words.“Angel.” He waits until they’re looking at him, seafoam green eyes glimmering in the golden light that filters through the curtains, draping their body in gold. “Run away with me. Please.”He’s already drawn up the plans, and discussed it with his pack. Asher had been hesitant, worried - he's always taken his role as beta seriously, and David had appreciated his honesty. But he'd seen the changes in David, and knew just how much they meant to him. He’d come around, in the end.His angel makes a soft sound in the back of their throat, almost wounded. Their voice is soft when they finally speak. “You don’t mean that.”“Of course I do. We’ll protect you from him.” He needs them to hear it, to believe it. “I’m the alpha of my pack, the biggest in Dahlia. We’re strong. We’ll be enough.”“Even against the King Imperium himself?”“He’s not king yet. Besides, we have our alliances. He wouldn’t want a war.” They look at him, bright eyes wide and unsure, and he holds their stare. He’s serious - has never been more serious about anything else in his life. “He’ll let you go.”Their expression wavers, and there are tears in their eyes, even if they don’t let them fall. “Don’t give me false hope, Davey.”Their breath catches as he reaches out to cup their cheek. Their skin is soft and warm as they lean into the touch, their eyes flickering shut, and they fit just right, as if they were made for him. “I love you. Please. Come with me.”The tears fall, slipping down their cheeks before he presses them away with his thumb. “Okay.”He takes them in his arms as they release a shuddering breath, and he holds them as they shake, the tension in them breaking, and it’s too much, he knows, but it’ll be okay, in the end. They’ll be together, and that’s all that matters. “I love you, angel.”As their grip tightens around him, they press the words into his chest. “I love you too.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It had started simply enough. A job, one of the best opportunities to come by the pack in a long time. Private security for the Imperial Prince. Or rather, as he’d come to find out, the Imperial prince’s mate.A special case, as the prince had emphasized, his dark eyes as sharp as the line of his mouth.“Discretion will be required.”David had heard enough rumors of the families that have led the Imperium to know what that means, even as the thought sits uneasily in his gut. A secret relationship. Wolves weren’t in the habit of hiding their connections; but then again, it wasn’t as if it was much of an option within a wolf pack. With their enhanced senses, there was little that wasn’t shared with the whole.The introductions had been short and to the point, which David preferred. The contracts had already been signed, this was just a formality.They’re different than he expected. Softer. There’s a hard edge to the Imperial lineage, passed on from mother to son; a cold, glittering steel in the prince’s gaze, his voice. In contrast, his mate is tempered silver, soft and glittering. The prince himself never strays far from their side, a dark shadow in the wings, his gaze sharp and perceptive.“This is David Shaw. He will lead the new security detail.”Their eyes on him are bright with unbridled curiosity as they glance over him in turn, taking in his height, the broadness of his shoulders and the muscle there, lingering on the edge of the tattoo slipping out from under his shirt sleeve.They’re unempowered, which is surprising considering their partner - although maybe partner wasn’t the right word, not with the careful distance they keep between each other, especially in public.Consort, he learns, is their title, although they don’t wear it easily. You can call me what you like, they’d remarked later, when he’d stumbled on the word, and so he settles on their family name, or Ser, when the company around them demands it. Later, after he’s gotten to know them a little better, it becomes Troublemaker.It fits them much better than anything else.They like to tease him. They’re too smart for their own good, fast with a quick comeback, a witty remark that’s steeped in enough innuendo to make anyone - let alone him - blush. It’s a game they play with him, a battle of wills - and he likes it.He likes the way their lips curl into that infuriatingly attractive smirk when he enters the room, the banter they exchange when he accompanies them through town. It’s just subtle enough that it could be passed as a slip of the tongue, if it wasn’t for the fact that he knows them by now, and they know exactly what they’re doing. (Their lips curled into a grin, eyes dark as they watched him, pupils wide. Aren’t you the big bad wolf?)The flirtations are innocent enough, and the conversation is good. They actually see him, the way his pack members see him, except - more. With them, he wasn’t the alpha of the pack, with all the deference that came with it. He wasn’t a shifter, or ‘half-breed’, limited in his capacity for magic, treated as a second class citizen under the imperial rule.With them, he was just - David.When they kiss him for the first time, it feels natural, like coming together. Like becoming whole.It’s a mistake, but he doesn’t regret it.–The first time it happens is during an attack on the royal apartments. A quiet war has been waging for years between the rebels and the Imperial rule, but it’s only lately that those attacks have turned personal, targeting members of the family in strategic, carefully planned strikes. The latest attacks have been led by a handful of unsanctioned vampires, which means the Monarchs are finally taking an interest in the governing of the nation again, a dangerous idea that could spark a war.But right now, David couldn’t give a shit about politics. A member of his pack - Christian, as of course it was - had been caught unawares, granting an opening for the Freeborns to gain access to the apartments. The rest of his team have been tasked with tracking them down, while David focused on his charge - and keeping them safe.For once, his troublemaker isn’t living up to their name, their expression serious as they make their way through the halls beside him, eyes wide and dark in the failing light. They’re dressed in little more than a simple robe, pale silk embroidered with the dark insignia of the Imperial house, their bare feet padding quietly across the tile floors as they make their way through the halls.If they can make it to the back exit, the secret passages that will grant them a safe passage out of here, then he can join the hunt himself. It’s been too long since he’s used his teeth like this.It's not long before the fight finds them, however.When the attack happens, it happens fast - but David is faster. He shifts in a blink of an eye - fur, claws, teeth - snapping at the dark blur that streaks towards them, forcing them to retreat as he pushes himself to his full height.He’s intimidating like this, he knows; it’s an image he cultivates, his dark coat blending in with the shadows, his lips rolling back until he can show the full extent of his fangs.The vampire hisses, scrambling backwards, his own fangs bared, eyes pitch black. He’s in the middle of a frenzy, blood staining his chin and throat, and that means there will be a body waiting for them in the halls later. Shit.He can feel the way his troublemaker shrinks back at the sight, and they’ve probably guessed the same thing.A low snarl rips from his lips as he positions himself in front of his charge, watching the way the freeblood’s wounds stitch together - preternaturally fast, faster than they should be able to. Very well fed, then. Probably more than one victim. He won’t have another.The seconds tick by, dragging in the silence that’s fallen between them, but David is patient. He can wait for the bloodsucker to make his move.It doesn’t take long. With another blood-soaked hiss, the vampire lunges toward them.But instead of coming straight for him, he leaps to the side, using the momentum from the wall to push past David’s guard, reaching for his charge - and like fuck is David going to let him take them from him.His teeth connect, clenching down around the arm and wrenching even as the vamp hisses again and swipes at his flank. His nails are like claws as they make contact, streaking down his side, and he can smell the stink of the blood before he can feel the pain.The initial strike is superficial, but then he swipes again, nails pushing deeper, fingers pressing in until they almost reach bone - and this, this David can feel every second of.Still, he has claws of his own, and using every ounce of his strength, he rips the bloodsuckers arm at the joint, tossing the disintegrating flesh onto the ground as he spits out the taste of its blood.It’s enough to make the bloodsucker pull back, his expression twisting as he takes stock of the damage. He’s not the only one; David can feel his blood soaking his fur, even as his magic steals the pain, and he sees the way the vamp’s gaze catches on it, as if unable to look away. He’s still caught in the bloodlust, David realises, and that means he’s a newblood, freshly weaned from his maker. It’s easy, then, to take advantage of his distraction and secure his maw around the bloodsucker’s throat and tear it out.It’s messy. It always is, even as the body dissolves into dust, rotten flesh melting away until only gleaming white bone remains.Then, and only then, does David let himself collapse, his claws and teeth and fur melting away until all he’s left in is his skin. The fact that he’s shredded his livery, the red and black uniform he’d been required to wear during his posting here, and is now naked should concern him more than it does.But fuck, he is tired.“David- no. Nonono.”Small hands press against his chest, applying pressure through the thin material of the hoodie they'd been wearing onto the gashes he can feel along his sides. He can feel his magic working, ripples of heat and energy flowing through his veins, stemming the blood and knitting torn skin.But they don’t know that. “T-Troublemaker.”They draw back with a sharp gasp, cheeks flushed and blotchy as they catch his gaze. “D-David?” “I’m okay. I’ll be okay.” He means it. As if to confirm his words, the bleeding stops, although the gash itself is still a brilliant, livid colour.There are tears in their eyes, leaving wet tracks down their cheeks even as they swipe at them angrily with the back of their hand.“Thank fuck.” He huffs a laugh as they glare at him, dewy-eyed and frantic. He can hear the thundering pace of their heart inside their chest, before they lean down and press their mouth to his.The kiss is chaste, but desperate, their breath shuddering against his cheek. Their lips are slightly chapped but soft, moulding to his as their hand finds his cheek.He’s imagined how their lips would feel against his more than once these last few months.He doesn’t have time to react before they pull away, eyes wide and dark as they flicker between his own. The first words to blurt from their lips is an apology.
“I’m- I’m sorry.”He can’t help the way his eyes are drawn back to their mouth, watching as their tongue swipes across them, before he’s pulling them back in to meet his mouth again, tasting them for himself.Close like this, he can feel the way their breath leaves them, their body tensing before relaxing, slowly. They’re soft and warm against him. They always ran so fucking hot.It’s when they moan, a soft noise that he can barely hear over the racing of his heart that he comes back to himself.Remembers where they are, who they are.He watches that settle in as they draw back breathless, their pupils blown wide, skin hot, a flush riding high on their cheeks. Their fingers slip back down to his collarbone as they take him in, lingering on the arch of his nose, the curve of his mouth, before flicking back up to meet his gaze.There’s a mutual understanding there, a mutual need.But it can never happen again.The thought twists in his chest, edged and sharp, but he shoves it down as they lean back on their heels, hands dropping from his chest.The hiss of his earpiece distracts him from the awkward silence that's fallen between them, and he lifts his hand to activate the mic. It takes him a moment to find his voice.“Ash. Report.”A crackle of static, before his voice comes through. “Building secure. We counted three.”“Four. One got past the perimeter.” Asher curses sharply, and David knows that his reaction will be threefold when he learns who was behind the breach, if he hadn’t guessed already. “I handled it.”“The asset?” In the corner of his eye, he can see the way their lips twist at the title, the hard line of their mouth as they glance away. Their hands are fidgeting in their lap, picking at their nail beds, and this close to a shift, he can sense the way their emotions are whirling inside of them - want, anxiety, fear.Fuck. It isn’t directed at him, but he can guess the cause.Later, he will blame it on the blood loss that is making his head spin when he reaches out to take their hand, squeezing until some of that unease settles. “They’re fine. They’re with me.”They return his grip, a softness in their gaze as it flickers between his. Then their eyes narrow, a flicker of determination entering them as they lean forward and speak directly into his earpiece.“Your alpha’s hurt. I’ve done what I can, but you should send for back up.”Another curse. I’ve got your location. I’m sending Miguel.David can’t fault them for their concern, so he doesn’t. He settles for a flat look, which earns him a wet laugh, their grip on his hand tightening.They don’t let go until Miguel arrives.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Their initial introduction is brief.It’s unusual that they’re summoned in an official capacity. Everything about their position and title is kept a secret, albeit a badly kept one. There are enough rumors about the Imperium crown prince that his human consort is the least believable.Even if it’s true.Damien is waiting for them in the foyer. A man stands beside him, a tall shadow with dark eyes and sharp features, the longer strands of his hair tied loosely at his nape. He looks out of place here, in his worn leather jacket and faded jeans, and he knows it, a tightness in the line of his jaw as he meets their gaze.David Shaw. Their interest piques at the way he stiffens at the introduction, the tension in his jaw flexing as their gaze flickers across him, taking in the scruff, the ink, the sharp edges.He was a wolf.A wolf shifter, Damien had corrected them later, his dark eyes creased with that amused fondness that he only had for them. The leader of his pack.And the head of their new security detail.The loss of their freedom chafes, especially since they haven’t been given a choice in it.And really, it’s not as if they were the ones at risk here. They were the unremarkable human, the childhood friend of the Imperial heir, a novelty. So what if they shared a bed - only the members of their staff were aware of their relationship with the prince in the first place, and they’d made their disregard - and sometimes abject disdain - clear.They wish he’d take his own safety more seriously. They wish he’d prioritise it over theirs - after the attempt made on his life last month, they’d been made excruciatingly aware of the fragility of his position, the threats he faced on a daily basis.The thought of it is almost enough to send them into a tailspin - but he catches them, like he always does, his dark eyes on theirs, the heat of his palm against their cheek grounding, pulling them back to earth.
I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. Do this for me.
There was very little they wouldn’t do for him, even after all of this. He was still - Damien. The boy they’d once known, the one they’d fallen for. Their one constant amidst all this change.He’d asked, and so they’d agreed. For you.
–
There’s not much to do with their current position, the Imperial tour taking them far from their usual stomping grounds. Damien’s duties keep him occupied most weeks, and the days feel endless, their rented rooms a gilded cage that sometimes feel like a coffin.Still, they’re not entirely alone.There’s David.Alpha, the others on the security detail had murmured in deference, a detail they had filed away to be examined more closely after the debriefing, after he'd finished explaining his pack’s patrol routes and established perimeter.They’d tried it with him, later, after the others had left and he’d taken up position outside their apartments. Alpha. It’d gotten them the reaction they’d been hoping for, his eyes flashing to theirs, glittering with dark intensity.There’s an edge of a growl to his voice when he speaks. “Don’t use it if you don’t know what it means.”It becomes a game. Poking the wolf. He makes it so easy, and Angel loves needling at his composure, teasing out the personality underneath.Plus, he’s smart, and it’s been too long since Angel has had a decent conversation with anyone that wasn’t Damien, or their hired staff - most of whom won’t talk to them anyway.Still, a year is a long time, and alone together, they grow closer.And after a while, they start thinking about him.Dangerous thoughts. They’re never quite… sure how much Damien can hear. How much he can read of them, with his connection to magic. They know that their mind is not the sanctuary it once was, although maybe it never truly had been.So they’d hidden it away, deep.After the attack, everything changes.They'd kissed him. They’d wanted to kiss him. He’s not been far from their mind over these last few months, idle thoughts and fantasies that they’d never had any intention of acting on, until it happened.His lips had tasted of pennies, but his kiss was soft, welcoming. Warm.Damien had taken them back to the palace, and the security around the Imperial quarters had increased, an additional team brought in to bolster their numbers. The Keaton pack apparently had a good relationship with David’s pack, the Shaws, and the adjustments had gone smoothly, the two teams integrating seamlessly.David’s second in command Asher had taken over the role of their main security detail while his alpha recovered. They like him, even with his edges, his strict professionalism easing over time and allowing them to see the man underneath.He has a better sense of humor than David does, and a grin that seems as if it’s always lingering beneath the surface, just waiting for an opportunity to shine through.The next time they see David is when he knocks on the door to their rooms late one night.Damien was away again on another formal engagement, one of the many he’s had to take as a representative of the royal family. It’s a necessary formality, required by the council to show his devotion to the people and his position, and to establish his succession in the hierarchy. Solidify support, so that no one will question his ascension.Their breath catches at the man waiting outside their door, his eyes lowered, a tightness in the lines of him as he shifts on his feet, waiting. They’d been expecting Ash - they had a standing date for card games, once the rest of the Imperial guard had left them for the night.His dark eyes flick up to theirs, and there’s a heat in them, an intensity that steals their breath away, before he breaks his gaze away from theirs again.“I wanted to see you. To - talk.” His tone is clipped, although it softens as he meets their gaze again. “Can I come in?”Wordlessly, they step back, granting him access to their rooms. They can see Asher further along the hall, his eyes on David’s back, his expression tense, lips pressed tightly together.They wonder if this is a sanctioned visit. Considering the way David moves, as if he’s still harboring a stiffness in his side, they doubt it.Slipping the door shut and twisting the latch, they turn to see David standing awkwardly in the lounge, his back straight, his hands fidgeting at his sides, as if he doesn’t know what to do with them.“Sit with me, please.”After another moment’s hesitation, he takes the plush chair next to the fireplace. They sit on the edge of the chesterfield closest to him, their body inclining towards him, as if he’s a magnet and they’re drawn to his pull.“Are you alright?” When his dark eyes flick up to meet theirs, they gesture at his side where they can see the edges of the bandages peeking out beneath the dark fabric of his livery.“I’m fine.” At their frown, he releases a slow breath, some of the tension in him easing as he amends. “It’ll scar, but it’s healing.”They can’t help the way their eyes move to the other scars they can see, the one that curves down the side of his cheek, bisecting his brow, narrowly missing his right eye. From what they’ve seen of the rest of him, his skin is littered with them, a burden that comes with his position.When their eyes flick back to meet his again, their heart skips when they realise he’s been watching them. His eyes are even darker than usual, glittering in the ambient lighting, and they can’t read his expression, the emotion lingering there.But they know what he’s thinking about. They’re thinking about it too. They can’t stop thinking about it.The night of the attack. The way they’d kissed him, and he’d kissed them back. The softness of his mouth against theirs, the kiss feverish, hungry.It sits in the air between them, weighted and heavy, until the silence is finally too much, and they have to break it.“What happened that night-”Before they can fully get the words out, he interrupts them. “-we should forget it.”There’s an edge to his voice as he says it, his words sharp, precise. A tightness curls inside their chest, and they clench their hands at their sides, the bite of their nails against their palms helping keep them calm, grounded.Still, they can feel a heat building behind their eyes, rising along their neck, and fuck.“Is that what you want?”He releases a harsh breath, his dark eyes flashing, as if he wasn’t expecting the question. He shifts in his seat. “Does it matter?”“It-” their voice cracks, and they have to swallow, before trying again. “It matters to me.”He holds their gaze, a storm of emotion in the darkness of his iris. He’s just as conflicted as they are, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths, and it takes a long moment of strained silence before he says, “No.”Their heart is in their throat, and they can hardly breathe. “I don’t want to either.”They’re standing on a precipice. They’re aware of the dangers of this choice, this relationship. Of what this means going forward.They will need to leave Damien.But David reminds them of who they are, who they were before they were the Imperial consort. It’s been - years since they’ve felt like more than an accessory, a side piece - since they’ve felt like themself.And they think it’s the same for him.“I know the choice I’m making. I know the risks. You don’t have to take them as well.”He stares at them, dark eyes wide. The moment drags between them, one breath, two.And then, as if he can’t hold himself back anymore, he closes the distance and kisses them.His kiss is soft, sweet, and so gentle. It’s not desperate, or tasting of copper pennies; he tastes of nothing but himself as his hand cups their face, molding to the curve of their cheek.He licks at their bottom lip, requesting entrance, and they can’t help the moan that escapes them when he tastes them, careful and thorough.They’re breathless when he draws back, the taste of him lingering on their tongue. His eyes are on them, and there’s a softness there within their dark depths, his irises limned with gold.“Tell me you want this.”They’re sure he can hear the sound of their heart racing inside their chest, the way it drowns out nearly every other sound. “I want this. I want you.”He kisses them again, and it’s enough.-Angel, he calls them, his voice a low rumble, softer than they've ever heard from him. They prefer it to consort.