A Little Rebellion
By: Delilah deSora
Characters by: Alice Montrose

Boisterous laughter echoed out around him, deep voices making his chest thud with the vibration. He smiled and laughed too, though he did not understand their slurred words and thick dialect. Instead he laughed for the sheer freedom he felt at being out alone in the wide world. Oh he wasn’t truly alone, he knew that, for somewhere out in the city his mate was lurking, probably furious with him for sneaking off as he had but he did not care.

Let his mate seethe until worry began to chew at him. Perhaps then he’d rethink his words and demands. And when he return to their home healthy and hale perhaps then the sire would stop treating him as some weak thing to be kept behind glass or chained to his side. He was perfectly capable of spending a night on his own, finding and luring his own prey, and returning safely without having his mate stalking his every movement.

He scowled into the wooden jug he was pretending to drink from, his reflection scowling back at him. The man at his side jogged him and he had to catch the edge of the bar to keep from toppling over, forcing a smile at his companion as the man laughed and shakily attempted to help him right himself.

“Having fun, Deikan?” He asked far too loudly. 

Deikan nodded.

The man smiled and flung a shoulder over his arms, pulling him up against his chest. “See? I promised to take you somewhere fun! 

The man’s breath reeked and Deikan turned his face to the side. “Yes, yes you did.”

Hot breath touched his ear and he shuddered, unused to the heat human bodies produced. “I’m glad you decided to ditch that friend of yours. He was getting in the way.”

Licking his lips Deikan laughed weakly, wishing the man would release him. He was uncomfortable being held so intimately and it had nothing to do with the knowledge it would make his mate furious. Turning in the man’s arms he gently but firmly pushed him back, laughing as he swayed drunkenly on the stool. Just because he was angry with his mate didn’t mean he wanted a drunken human hanging on him.

“Do you come here often, James?” He asked, biting back a sigh of relief as his companion refocused on his drink rather than on him.

The man snorted and tossed his head. “Nah. Who would want to come to a cesspit like this often? I just come to slum now and then. Live a little you know? I bet that fop you’ve got tied to ya wouldn’t ever sully himself down here.”

Deikan laughed softly. “No, he probably wouldn’t come here.”

James grinned, showing teeth that Deikan found both shockingly dull and fascinatingly rotten. His kind relied on their teeth being sharp and strong to feed, indeed one of the first things a sire did when a child had been born was check to make sure its teeth were well rooted, yet the humans seemed not to care if their teeth were yellowed or missing. Even with such a defect everyone thought James handsome.

And he was handsome otherwise. It was one of the things that he and his mate had argued about the night before. Greyan did not want him associating with the human any longer and he, in his anger, had accused his mate of being jealous. The reminder of the argument made him sigh and rest his chin on his hand. He was not a child to he led around by the hand and when his mate had expressed misgivings over his continued relationship with James he’d reached his breaking point and had shouted out his frustrations at his mate’s overprotective nature.

Back in the city he’d had no freedom at all. As an unmated father and a young one at that his sire had been sure to saddle him with ‘guardians’ to keep an eye on him. When he’d gone to Greyan he had assumed he would free of such things but now it seemed as though he’d merely traded many guardians for one. True, Greyan gave him more freedom then anyone, following with good humor as he moved them from place to place, city to city. They’d gone many places, seen many things, but always Greyan was there, a step or two behind him, watching him with piercing red eyes as though at any moment some horribly calamity would occur and his mate would need to jump in and save him.

Most rankling of all, however, was the fact that Greyan practically hunted for him. He had hated it when potential suitors had brought him humans as gifts and, though Greyan rarely lured someone back to their home for him, he hated the fact that Greyan trailed after him, practically forcing him on this or that human. It was as though his mate thought him incapable of making a decent choice!

It was all so frustrating!

And it was why he had sent someone to distract his mate that evening at the boring proper party and slipped away with the very person his mate had warned him away from.

Deikan grimaced, resisting the urge to flash his fangs in annoyance. It had not been hard. The humans were celebrating the day before All Souls and many wore masks and hoods to hide their features, pretending to be creatures of the dark. With a young lady mooning over the chance to meet the strangely colored man she’d been secretly admiring to distract his mate and a hastily supplied cape even the Executioner hadn’t seen him slip away out the servant’s entrance and into the dark night.

Another round of hearty calls announced the reappearance of the ale wench and Deikan closed his eyes against the noise. He hated the tavern. He hated the noise and the smell of the alcohol and the humans. Truly all he really wanted was to be back home curled up against his mate’s chest as Greyan read to him and relaxing before the taxing night coming upon them.

But, he reminded himself, he would not be treated as a child and, though he would not be able to resist Greyan’s advances on All Souls Night, he would make his point this night and prove that he could chose his friends and find his own meal.

He momentarily played with the thought of finding another place to sleep that night but quickly pushed the thought aside as being as childish as he was trying to prove he wasn’t. Greyan would have torn the city down looking for him and, though he was angry with his mate, he did not wish to make him drown in the panic such an act would produce. Sires, Deikan knew, could be horribly destructive if they suspected their mates were in danger and he had no wish to sit through the tongue-lashing that would earn him.

An arm dropped heavily about his shoulder making him hunch even though he was far stronger then the man that leaned over him.

“Come on, let’s get out of here. I’ve got somewhere else I want to show you.”

Deikan saw the man’s eyes glitter with some unspoken secret and inwardly smiled. “Alright.”

They stumbled out into the cold night, the man beside him shivering uncontrollably. Deikan nodded at his complaints as though he too were suffering from it. These humans, he’d discovered, got cold so easily. It was a wonder to him that the small civilization of humans that had set up their homes so close to the velassi city had survive. Oh he knew that they’d not come willing, that it had been done through thousands of years of manipulation by the velassi to lure the humans ever northward and make them content to stay in the freezing arctic but only now could he truly appreciate the work that must have gone into molding their minds and banishing the human sensitivity to the cold.

His human companion lured him into a dark area between two stonewalls and Deikan was not surprised when he found himself back up against one, reeking breath blowing across his face as the other man leaned into him.

“What did you want to show me, James?” He asked, making his voice a touch breathless.

The human laughed softly and leaned closer into him, crowding him back against the stone. “I’ll show you in a minute.” He murmured.

Deikan turned his face to hide the smile as large hands traveled over his body. He could tell from the way the man’s heartbeats quicken his companion thought him being coy and to be true he was. He playfully tried to push the man away, taking a moment to enjoy knowing that another found him desirable. Greyan would not allow him to play such games. In fact Greyan didn’t seem to like him feeding off of other males. To be honest, though, he had seen the same thing in both his sire and his brother’s mate.

It too made him angry for it wounded him to think that his mate would worry that he would give his body to another.

“What are you doing?” He asked teasingly, sliding away from the man’s hands and purposely enflaming the man’s want as he denied him access to what he sought.

It was all a game to cloud his prey’s mind so that when he struck there would be no resistance. He would have to kill for he did not possess the ability to alter memories as others of his kind did but he had no wish to be chasing his frantic prey through the streets if the human suddenly realized what he was doing.

His companion caught him about the waist, pushing him back a bit too firmly and driving the air out of his lungs as he connected with the wall. Lips smashed against his cheek, trailing wet kisses down to his throat. Instinctively Deikan jerked to the side for, in a species where a kissing mouth hid sharp fangs, the throat was an erogenous area for only a mate to have access to.

His sharp movement did nothing to deter his companion and he struggled a bit in the crass embrace. “Stop!” He pleaded because he knew it was expected of him.

The human mumbled something he couldn’t understand and tried to capture him in a kiss. Deikan turned his face at the last minute, bringing his mouth down towards the bared neck. His fangs slipped into the man seamlessly and he smiled against the fountain of blood as his companion groaned and pressed more firmly against him. The man’s blood tasted strange but he enjoyed it, savoring it as he drank. However before he could finish his companion was jerked from his grasp. He stumbled forward, crying out in pain as sensitive fangs were wrenched, and fell to his knees as James’s hands dragged him forward a bit before releasing him.

The human screamed once but the sound was drowned out by a primal growl of rage and then the sloppy sound of flesh being torn apart. Deikan rose, folding his arms across his chest as his mate reduced his former companion to little more than a broken puzzle, flinging pieces here and there as he worked out his rage. Finally there was nothing left to tear and Greyan paused, snarling a final time at what was left.

Tapping his foot in irritation Deikan met his mate’s golden-eyed stare.

“I was going to eat that, you know.” He scolded.

Greyan rose and stalked towards him, anger evident practically radiating from him. Deikan tensed and bared his fangs, earning an angry growl in return.

“Leave me alone!” He shrieked, whirling on his heel and fleeing before his mate’s hand could snatch him. “I am not a child!”

He ran out his frustration, though without having fed that night he could not go far before his mate, who evidently had, caught up to him. With a shriek he whirled, jumping at the startled sire and clawing at him. Greyan’s arms came up to protect his face as the father tore at him, driving him back.

Claws and fangs pierced him in numerous places, tearing both cloth and skin as the father worked out his rage. Normally prepared and graceful in their people’s Executioner stumbled and struggled to find a moment to collect himself and fend off his mate’s attack. There was no relief however and the best he could do was try retreat from the sharp claws and fangs. A father in a rage was a merciless creature and by the time Deikan gave him an ear piercing shriek and bounded off back the way they’d came he was on his knees struggling to stand despite the stinging pain from the hundreds of wounds.

Shaking his head to get the hair out of his face he watched as his mate climbed the hill to the city beyond. He scowled, licking at the bites on his arm as he considered what to do next. He wanted to pursue his mate, to stay near him and make sure he was safe but he knew his presence would spark another fit and even one as strong as he wasn’t stupid enough to try an enraged father’s patience until his rage had burned out.

He followed slowly, glad to find that his mate had retreated to their home. Inside he was not surprised to find destruction but he was glad to see that even in his anger Deikan had refrained from breaking anything, though Greyan was wounded to find the box of jade gifts upended on the floor and the fur cloak flung over an upended chair.

Gently he gathered the courting gifts up, returning them to their rightful places. He reminded himself that All Souls Night was only a night away and always made their kind’s emotions run high the nights preceding it. Besides, his mate was young and did not understand many things about sires and their needs. Mentally he growled at his mate’s sire, reminding himself to have a little talk with him about better raising his future children, before gathering the courage to approached the closed door, behind which he could hear quite an interesting assortment of sounds.

Placing his palms against the door to their bedroom he wasn’t surprised to find it locked.

“Deikan.”

Something struck the door with enough force to make him jump back.

“I hate you!”

Greyan closed his eyes against the pain those words caused him. “You do not mean that.”

“You treat me like a child!”

Scowling Greyan gripped the door’s latch, rattling it in frustration. “No,” he corrected, “I treat you like a mate!”

“I can take care of myself!” Deikan snarled, his voice cracking as the continued hollering wore on his vocal chords.

“I know that!” Greyan growled, earning a stunned pause from his mate. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “I know that you can take care of yourself."

There was a moment of silence before he heard a hesitant footstep. “Then why do you treat me like I cannot care for myself? You coddle me like some prized pet. Sire, Edran, all of you have!”

Resting his forehead against the door Greyan sighed. “We treat you like that because that is what we do. We protect and provide. I can no more change that need then you can stop being so stubborn.”

He heard a soft snort from behind the doorway and smiled faintly. “Let me in.” He coaxed, opening his eyes.

“Stop following me all the time.” Came the demand, his mate’s voice free of the angry snarls and back to its normal cadence.

Grinning fully he shook his head. “Let me in and we shall discuss this.”

“No. You’re sleeping on the couch tonight!"

Sharp nails dug into the door, tearing deep furrows as Greyan leisurely dragged his  hands down the oak panels. “Let me in, Deikan.” He cooed, his voice low and sensual.

Inside the room Deikan shivered, his body reacting to the dark promise in his mate’s voice. “No.” He whispered, hating how young his voice sounded.

The sound of wood being carved from the door made him shudder. “Let me in or I’ll let myself in.” His mate warned, though his voiced was light.

Perfectly aware that Greyan would do exactly as he said Deikan sighed and stood but the sudden movement made his head swim strangely and he stumbled, gracelessly falling over the upturned table .

Greyan frowned as he heard the sudden ruckus and cry of pain, staring at the offending door in annoyance. “Deikan?” He asked.

There was a faint ‘ow’ and his hand went to the latch, pushing on it angrily.

“Let me in Deikan, right now.” He ordered, voice devoid of any playfulness.

There was the sound of movement and more graceless tripping and his frown deepened. After a moment there was only silence. “Deikan.” He growled.

From just beyond the door he heard a sheepish voice. “I can’t open it.”

“Why not?” He demanded.

He heard what sounded suspiciously like a giggle. “I think the chest I threw at it broke it.”

Gripping the latch with both hands he wrenched the door free, making the wood squeal as he torn it loose. The wooden chest that normally sat at the foot of their bed fell, nearly crushing his toes as he jumped back. Tossing them aside he stared at what had been left of their room, glad that the bed was still untouched except for having been stripped.

Sitting on the floor was his mate.

Giggling.

Raising an eyebrow at this strange swing of moods he approached the giggling father, kneeling at his side, watchful for any sudden sign of aggression. Father’s were notoriously slow to come down from their rage and for his mate to go from trying to eviscerate him to giggling in only a few minutes was strange. 

He sniffed, wrinkling his nose. “You stink of human.” He growled.

The brown haired father leaned towards him and made an exaggerated attempt at whispering. “It’s because I was with one all night."

Deikan nodded seriously and Greyan wasn’t entirely sure he was being sarcastic.

He sniffed again and recognized the tangy scent that made him want to sneeze. He blinked at his mate. “Did you feed from that human?”

Green eyes went up as his mate thought far too hard on the question. “Yep!” He finally chirped.

“I told you never to feed from a human  that has taken something to alter their perception! It affects us too if we feed from them with that stuff still in their blood!” Greyan scolded.

Deikan shrugged and leaned against his chest suddenly. “Stop talking,” he demanded, slurring his s’s, “Sleepy.”

Sighing heavily Greyan lifted up his mate, struggling to clear a place upon the bed to lie him down upon. “Don’t think I’m letting you get away with running off on me,” he warned, helping his mate undress. “We’re definitely having a talk about that.”

Deikan grinned lazily. “Not tomorrow.” He pointed out cheerfully.

His mate looked so sloshed Greyan couldn’t help but laugh. “No,” he agreed, “Not tomorrow.”

Deikan arched his back, allowing him to pull off his pants. “I’m gonna show you I’m not a child.”

Greyan smiled. “Oh really?”

“Mmm,” his mate nodded and reached up, wrapping arms around his neck, “I’m gonna make you scream so loud you won’t be able to talk the next day or the next.”

A laugh was startled out of him at his mate’s words. “I think it’s your job to be the one screaming.” He pointed out.

Deikan’s sharp nails pressed against his skin and he arched and gasped as they were drug down his back until his mate’s hands settled low on his waist. The father’s eyes had bled to golden and were watching him predatorily.

“I can make you scream.” His mate purred, and Greyan shuddered as his fingers teased over the waist of his pants.

“I don’t doubt that.” He murmured, brushing the dark hair away from his mate’s face.

Golden eyes closed and Deikan practically purred against his hand. Laughing softly Greyan bent down, pressing a kiss to his mate’s cheek.

“Go to sleep stubborn one.” He coaxed.

Deikan’s hands tightened slightly and the young father scowled. “Don’t wanna.”

Gently Greyan pried the fingers off of him. “Tomorrow you can carve me up and work out all your anger and the night after that we’ll talk but right now is for sleeping.”

A mumbled protest escaped pale lips but was drowned out as heavy lids closed.

Laughing softly Greyan amused himself with running his fingers over his sleeping mate’s face. He knew his words were true. It was difficult to live with someone, even someone he loved. There were times when a sire’s needs clashed with a father’s independence but All Souls Night could heal all wounds. Come the night after there would be apologetic words and gentle touches. Deikan would know he did not mean to stifle his freedom and in turn he would try to resist the urge to leave the young father tied to his bed for all eternity.

Greyan laughed softly at that image and stretched out at his mate’s side. “So much trouble.” He mused, drawing his mate to him.

To his surprise Deikan snorted. “Love you too." 

Kissing the top of his mate’s head he tucked the dark haired man under his chin. “Go to sleep my little moody drunkard.” He teased. “I don’t want to hear any complaining about a headache on such a special day as tomorrow.”

Fingertips dug into one of the furrows his mate had graced him with and he groaned.

“Seems to me like you’ll be the one complaining old man.” Deikan remarked dryly.

Laughing Greyan buried his face in the dark hair as Deikan nuzzled against his neck. “No more talking, little one. Just let it all rest. We have an eternity of nights for you to act out your rebellion in.”

Deikan hummed in agreement and Greyan smiled.

It was a challenge he was looking forward to.