Chapter Sixteen
Nemiah
A child… Nemiah had known it was the intended purpose of his union with Virion to produce an heir, to leave a bloodline for mechathalmy to continue toward. He didn’t expect it so soon, and part of him rejoiced, not at the immediacy of it but the fact that Virion, bearing his child, could not be taken from him. The Silver Prince , as the advisors had decided to deem him, became bearer of next in line to their throne.
Their throne. They’d been together such a short time that the declaration seemed strange, but he felt the urgency in his heart. Virion was his forever. For the next few months, though, he’d have to make Virion understand that he was as strong, intelligent, and worthy as he was.
Walking up the tower that night, Virion yawned as if he longed for their bed once more, another pleasant sign of their potential child. With a hand rested gently on Virion’s back, Nemiah guided him to the window where the moon shone her fullest.
“Kneel.” Nemiah drew Virion to kneel next to him and gestured for him to bear his wings and horns.
Virion did so with a sigh of exhaustion, stifling a polite yawn. It pleased Nemiah far more than it should have, as he lit the candle and took Virion’s hands.
“Speak with me.” Nemiah leaned into Virion’s side for a slight nip to his ear, letting his teeth hit that pressure point that would ease his nausea.
“Don’t do that kind of stuff here .” Virion pushed at Nemiah, his cheeks going that brilliant pink.
“Then speak with me—Mother Goddess, moon above.” Nemiah smiled when Virion’s hesitant timbre joined him. “We seek your answer.”
Nemiah smiled as the flame went blue and cast his eyes skyward. Virion turned his head up, and from the corner of his eye, Nemiah beamed when he gasped in awe.
Such sweet lovers. Greetings, my new child.
Nemiah chanced a glance over and tears streaked his eyes.
“She—you sound so beautiful. Go—Mother Goddess.”
Few have told me that, child. I’m glad my sister sent you to us. You two are finding your love well, I see.
“Thank you, Mother Goddess. I treasure him dearly. He is the greatest gift you’ve ever given me,” Nemiah said, sitting up a little straighter when Virion gasped at his side.
“Th-thank you.” Virion tilted his head to stare down, but Nemiah nudged him to stare up once more at the moon. “I’m happy.”
I’m glad. You’ll be happier when you hear the things my sister whispered to me. She says she picked you special to bless the springs with Vitalis, as I blessed Drashil to harness thalms in metal. It is a shame your father neglected you, but my sister kept your father from forcing you away. She gave you to me, and together, you two will create something beautiful.
“I think we started that path.” Virion’s weak voice wavered.
Our two gifts will combine. Life and metal. You have given his machines purpose. Your ideas will bring a new age. And your children, the one you bear and more to come, will all take the places in your two kingdoms as great thinkers and creators alike.
“I doubt my children will go to Liaberos and be welcome.” Virion’s voice shrank.
Seidrik and Saria are not blessed to produce true heirs. Seidrik has never once spoken to my sister in prayer. And Saria has never once praised the sun. She thinks she deserves her place, and neither of them has any humility. And Alluin prays only for power, money, and perfection. The blood for the springs ends and begins with you. Your mother prayed to my sister so diligently, spoke to her as a friend, and promised you in service to her. You were a treasure from the beginning, Virion. Blessed of thalm.
Virion choked on a breath, his next noise a soft whimper that he couldn’t turn into words. “The springs are… I loved those springs as a child.”
And of all the things I told you, your only concern is for those springs. Treasure him, Nemiah, my child. He is sweet. When he returns to bless the springs, the clerics will have the missives. You will be respected or Liaberos will fall.
Virion swallowed hard and nodded. “Thank you, Mother Goddess. I do not feel worthy of your praise.”
Nemiah reached over to grab Virion’s hand. “I am so very fond of him so far. I treasure him and will continue to do so. I made the deal to save my people and bring peace and prosperity to my country, but I am quickly falling deeply in love.”
Virion gasped softly. He trembled at Nemiah’s side before his tiny words barely breathed over his lips. “As am I.”
I am pleased to see you two have matched well. You two do me proud, and my sister sends her love, Virion. When you go to Liaberos, pray to her. She will speak with you before the clergy, but remember, young one, you are mine first. She may have blessed you, but your own people turned you away. So my sister’s blessings come at my behest. Remember that, Silver Prince. And welcome our young one with pride.
And at that, the candle went out. No words were left unsaid and Virion broke down into soft sobs. His rounded shoulders pitched forward, hair spilling down. He reached toward his stomach as if he wanted to hold it but drew his hand back. Nemiah completed the gesture, though, bringing his hand in to cup Virion’s, resting both their palms there. “Promise me, by the time our young one is born, you will say you love me and mean it.”
Virion’s shuddering breath subsided, and he nodded. “I promise.”
Nemiah, caught up in his emotions, brought Virion’s face to his, before his prayer spot and in full view of the goddess, and kissed him. Their entwined lips brushed softly at first, locking to trade peeks of tongue before the heated, breathy noises between them evolved into soft groans of want.
Nemiah couldn’t say he detected desperate need from Virion, nor the heated scent of slick. Something about his vulnerable posture and whimpers drew Nemiah to him, drawing them away from the window to the small rug on the bare stone floor.
Going willingly, Virion bowed to Nemiah’s touch, drawing the strings of his trousers open to pull free the omega’s stiffening cock. Through his tender whimper, Nemiah deepened their kiss and grasped his shameless erection for a firm stroke.
The glands that made an omega slick resided where an alpha and beta’s testicles lay, and the gentle swell of them told Nemiah he could be coaxed quite easily into a state of indecent slickness in moments. All he had to do was… Nemiah adjusted his grip to cup the mound of his omega’s sac and squeeze with featherlight pressure.
With every fiber of his being, Nemiah fought the moan that wanted to curl in his throat when Virion tore his mouth away and hissed through his pleasure, thighs tensing and trembling against him. With a response like that, Nemiah couldn’t refuse touching him more, repeating the gesture until the fullness swelled and subsided, bringing with it the scent of arousal and slick. “That’s a good omega. You know who your body belongs to.”
“You.” Virion’s whisper drew the lightest, almost feral growl from Nemiah’s throat. “Only you.”
“That’s right. Only me. Your belly is mine to fill. Our children will be beacons of beauty, strength, and raw power. Your skin is mine to mark.” Nemiah leaned in, teeth brushing down Virion’s jaw to his neck to bite firmly, making him writhe and stifle a bleating moan.
“Please.” Virion’s tiny whimper made Nemiah snarl with pleasure. He wanted nothing more than to give Virion whatever it was he wanted. He drew Virion’s trousers away and brushed his nails gently along his pale flesh, drawing goose bumps and lightly colored downy hairs into standing on end.
Nemiah groaned as his hand grazed Virion’s thigh, circling his soft ass to draw fingers along his slickening crease, relishing the pucker as it twitched and pulsed a fresh wave of slick, inviting a single finger in with a gentle press. “Please, here?”
Virion nodded enthusiastically, spreading his legs wider in invitation. “I don’t need preparing. I want to feel you own me.” At that moment, something in Nemiah’s mind snapped. The feral energy of his alpha drew through his mind. He wanted to fuck his mate raw, to make him bear child all over again, to bend him over every surface in the castle. None of that would do though.
Fingers flicking, Nemiah had his breeches open and sliding down as his cock drew free into the coolness of the tower. The slickness coating his fingers glided down his cock before he braced himself over Virion and guided his cock home.
If Virion hurt, he said nothing about it, eyes rolling back as a strangled noise wheedled free of his throat and silenced under a punishing kiss. The tight ring of his entrance stretched pliant around Nemiah’s cock, swallowing him inch by inch as he sank and withdrew a dozen times or so to soothe his intrusion.
“Please.” Virion’s throat bobbed as he swallowed a wash of their saliva. Nemiah gave his tongue an extra swipe, finding his husband’s mouth tainted with a faintly metallic aftertaste. While common in pregnant omegas, it was new to Nemiah and drew his mind out of the feral desire to ram into Virion with careless abandon.
He wouldn’t have Virion suffer, but they both couldn’t contain their emotions. Nemiah had little in the way of romanticism to show Virion he cared, but spitting into his hand, he brought it down to grasp the omega’s cock and lavished it with gentle pumping strokes that he timed perfectly with the cautious bob of his hips. Sinking into one another so deliciously, Virion struggled to breathe, choking on whimpering breaths between kisses.
Nemiah eased his tongue to rest their foreheads together and drew free his wings and horns. A quick click of ivory to keratin reminded Nemiah of their differences, their similarities, and the need for omega to melt for an alpha. “Precious Sugarmoth. Please.”
At the sound, Virion whimpered and snapped his spread legs up and over Nemiah’s hips, rocking into him. From the firmness beneath Nemiah’s cock, Virion had angled him to rub over his gland with each stroke. “Come for me, my king.”
Nemiah hated hearing Virion call him king, but the way he said it at the height of pleasure made him tremble with want and need. The base of Nemiah’s cock tingled, his knot engaging as his spine shot lightning through his body. As if spurring Nemiah forward, Virion jerked his hips and squeezed Nemiah’s cock. He bucked wantonly into Nemiah’s fist and tightened his thighs. Each stroke brought Nemiah closer until his knot filled and locked into Virion.
A wounded cry broke free of Virion’s throat as his entire body bowed, inner walls pulsing and milking to the tune of wet stripes of cum that shot over Nemiah’s fist and up his chest. Nemiah’s orgasm slammed into him like the hammer of a blacksmith’s forge, hot seed pulsing in rushes, quenching his fire. In a flash, almost too soon, it was over. Virion’s body went limp and complacent beneath him. His chest rose and fell, body trembling lightly even as his insides clenched and released spasmodically, keeping Virion locked in for those tender minutes. And if the flame of the candle beside them lit itself with a blue flicker and went out in an almost amused tremble of laughter, Virion said nothing of it.
After long, silent moments, Nemiah’s knot relented and Virion exhaled as if he’d been holding his breath the entire time, gasping for air as he tied together his clothing and dress.
“We should get the girls to care for your hair. The way we engage is shameless and does no wonders for their styling efforts.” Nemiah offered his most hopeful smile as he pulled up his pants and fastened them.
“That’s a rather tactful way to say that I look like a well-fucked mess.” Virion sighed and gathered his legs beneath him with a tender hiss.
Nemiah perked to his noise and aided him in standing. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. I—” Virion’s cheeks pinkened. “A symptom of quickening, I’m afraid. Some motions make muscles prick and twist in my belly.” Virion’s pursed-lip smile made Nemiah smile, his cheeks pinching from the unfamiliar twist.
“You’re so very handsome when you smile, you know? You should do it more.” Virion’s pink eyes glimmered as he reached up to cup Nemiah’s cheeks, thumbs exploring the corners of his mouth with little circular gestures, encouraging him to continue grinning.
“I am afraid that my usual expression is unpleasant and dour at the best of times.” Nemiah scoffed and averted his gaze, but found Virion drawing him back into a tender kiss.
“Then smile for me. If nothing else, watching the way you light up when you see me makes me shiver. I owe you a million kisses and will die owing you ten million more.”
“Then I shall collect freely.” Nemiah stole another kiss for good measure and righted his cock. The traitorous flesh perked with middling interest once more. “Now let’s wash up before bed.”
Virion dutifully followed Nemiah as they headed toward the showers, skipping the hot springs, as Virion had been told the hot springs may have not been kind on his belly. After being tended to by a rather smug group of nymphs, they slipped into bed with one another. And if the comforting brush of Clover’s lips brushed Nemiah’s forehead, and the squeeze of Artemis’s hand graced his shoulder, he said nothing. For what more could he say to thank those around him? The smile he wore said it all.