Chapter Text
Lucifer’s entire world narrowed to only Alastor as he eased the Omega onto his back and straddled his hips. His scent, his taste… The breathy, needy sounds he made as he pressed searing kisses along the column of his throat, trailing ever closer to his mate mark…
He was vaguely aware there was someone else in the room, but they wisely hightailed it out of there once he made his intentions with his mate clear. The cat, too.
“A-Alpha!” Alastor panted, the scent of fresh slick hitting the air. “Mine,” Lucifer rumbled, nuzzling the mark and causing him to squirm and gasp underneath him. Just as his hand strayed to the Omega’s waistband, someone cleared their throat and Lucifer gave a startled jerk, head snapping toward the doorway.
Alpha. Threat.
A warning growl bubbled up in his throat before the man’s scent and appearance finally registered.
Satan, of all fucking people, stood there, studying the two of them with a deep frown. His shoulder length red brown hair was in its usual braids, pulled back into a half up, half down style. His skin, normally a closer match to Alastor’s, was a shade or two darker than the last time he’d seen him. Lucifer swore he’d gained more muscle mass too.
As if he needed more!
Had it been Satan in the room with them before?
No. That person hadn’t set off Lucifer’s instincts…
Fuck, who had it been? Why couldn’t he remember? “Really, Lucifer? Too busy playing with a pretty Omega to focus on finding Fizz?”
Satan’s rich baritone had his hackles raising all over again. The words barely registered over the competing voices of Lucifer’s Alpha and dragon, demanding he defend his territory and stake his claim.
His cousin wasn’t here to steal his mate. Satan might be a narcissistic ass, but even he had his limits. Alastor shifted beneath him, hazy eyes drifting to the doorway when he finally realized someone else was there. Upon catching Satan’s scent, his brow creased and he made a soft, distressed noise in the back of his throat.
The sound hit Lucifer like a punch to the gut and he bared his teeth at the intruder, crouching protectively over his mate.
This was exactly why treasure should be kept in the hoard! It was the only place inaccessible to other dragons! The only place his Omega and their pups would be truly safe!
Lucifer’s fangs lengthened, crowding his mouth before his face elongated to accommodate them.
He wouldn’t let this unmated bastard try to harm or abduct his Omega!
The other dragon’s eyes shifted into their reptilian form, his tongue darting out to scent the air. While he didn’t back away, he didn’t advance either.
Maybe he didn’t need to kill him after all.
His Omega, however, remained tense beneath him. That wouldn’t do at all. He had nothing to fear from the interloper. Lucifer would prove as much to him, that he could protect him, in addition to reasserting his claim.
Lucifer kept his eyes on the intruder as he lowered his head to nuzzle the mate mark. His pretty Omega tentatively tilted his head to bare more of his throat to him. He nipped and mouthed at it until Alastor gasped, arms tightening reflexively around him.
The scent of fresh slick quickly replaced the sour tinge of anxiety, soothing Lucifer’s Alpha and dragon. He made to climb off of him, but Alastor held fast, panting softly and pupils blown.
Lucifer felt as if he were drowning in the Omega’s pheromones and, if so, it was exactly how he wanted to go.
He shot a final glance to the other Alpha, whose nostrils flared. He stared hungrily at Alastor, but remained rooted to his spot in the doorway.
Alastor coaxed Lucifer down into a kiss, moaning into it and parting lips lips for him. He shifted over him, pressing closer as he deepened it. As he did so, his knee brushed against his Omega’s core and Alastor threw his head back with a gasp. It hadn’t been intentional. His mate was just so godsdamned tall, yet Lucifer could hardly argue with the results. Not with Alastor eagerly rocking his hips and every desperate sound that escaped his lips going straight to Lucifer’s already straining cock.
There was…a reason they shouldn’t be doing this, wasn’t there? Damn if he could remember what it was though.
It was impossible to think when his Omega so clearly needed him. Needed the reassurance that Lucifer was able to provide for him and put the upstart Alpha in his place. Needed him to prove who he belonged to and leave no doubt of that whatsoever in anyone’s mind.
Claws sprouted from the tips of Lucifer’s fingers, easily slicing through Alastor’s shirt. The fabric parted, revealing more of the gold and jewels he wore beneath, along with his small breasts.
Small for now, but they would grow alongside their pup once he was pregnant. Lucifer dipped his head to take one of those pert nipples between his lips, nipping at it before soothing the ache with his tongue. Alastor’s eyes screwed shut as a loud groan escaped him, fisting Lucifer’s hair in his hands to hold him there.
His fierce, headstrong Omega, so different from all the others he’d laid with over his many centuries. He would do his utmost to show Alastor he was worthy of him. He’d worship him, adorn him in the finest gold and jewels he had to offer. His mate deserved only the best.
Lucifer needed anyone who saw him to know he was trusted and cherished, even if the thought of removing his most jealously guarded pieces from the hoard disconcerted him.
Treasure belongs in the hoard.
Although… He could keep both his Omega and those pieces there, couldn’t he? That would be easier. Safer.
Frightened hazel eyes flashed in his mind’s eye. Alastor’s eyes. So different from how they were now. This Alastor would go willingly into the hoard, of that he had no doubt.
Is that really how you want to treat your mate?
Yes, absolutely, as far as his dragon was concerned. If he’d found him a few centuries earlier, there would be no doubt in his mind. That was how things were done, how they were supposed to be. Otherwise another dragon might try to take him away. It wasn’t uncommon back then for packs to steal Omegas and pass them between one another, breeding them over and over again.
It was a fate most Omegas (and their mates) considered worse than death. To be ripped away from their mate and pups and turned into a broodmare for every Alpha among them. Many took to carrying a dagger or other means of rapid self-immolation, if they found themselves in danger of capture.
Mammon had made yet another small fortune selling discreet and fast-acting poisons. Ozzie’d called it blood money. Lucifer was inclined to agree, but Mammon hadn’t cared. He was the type to sell both a poison and its antidote just to make double the money.
They’d never gotten actual confirmation, but Ozzie suspected Mammon had sold the antidote for his poison to the very Alphas who he claimed to want to protect the Omegas from.
“A-Alpha!”
Lucifer blinked, the frustrated cry yanking him back to the present, to the Omega squirming beneath him. At some point, he’d seated himself on his mate’s legs, holding him in place despite his continued efforts to buck his hips.
His face was still buried between his breasts, lips brushing against his sternum. He’d also pinned his wrists at his sides, each held securely in his hands.
What…?
What was he doing? Hadn’t they just been talking about…something…?
“Thinkin’ a li’l clearer now, Luci? Or d’you need some more air?” a familiar female voice prompted.
Lucifer slowly lifted his head and turned toward the door. It took him a long moment to recognize the Alpha now standing in front of Satan. His grip loosened on Alastor’s wrists and he buried his hands in his hair, forcing his face down against the mate mark.
The next thing he knew, he’d flipped the Omega onto his belly and hiked his hips up. His claws were poised to shred his shorts, to fully bare him. His Alpha and his dragon roared for him to show the intruders firsthand how Alastor fell to pieces while speared on his cock. For him to sink his fangs over and over into his mating gland until he came untouched. To bring his mate off again and again, until he was a sobbing mess and his cunt was so full of Lucifer’s seed that it dribbled down the insides of his thighs…
“Alpha,” Alastor whimpered as he rocking back against him as he spread his legs further apart. “Need you! Please!”
Just as he was about to give him what he begged so beautifully for, a breeze swept through the room, dissipating the building pheromones.
“Assumin’ this isn’t some good old fashioned exhibitionism, Satan, go cool off outside. And Luci? You better start thinkin’ with your actual brain and not your dick. Is this the kinda thing your Omega’s even into?”
Lucifer leaned back, fighting against his raging instincts to put some distance between himself and Alastor.
“Oh my fucking gods, is that a soul mark?!” Bee demanded. Satan jolted from the aggressive stance he’d fallen into, the hungry look he had fixed on the Omega shifting to one of confusion. “What?!” Alastor’s torn shirt pooled along his nape, giving them an unobstructed view of the mark in question from where he was doing his best to present for his Alpha.
Were it not for the continually circulating air in the room, Lucifer might not have been able to abstain at the sight.
Satan’s gaze fell on the mark and he scowled, turning on his heel and heading out of the room. “Why don’t you go get your head on straight and I’ll take care of your Omega? Help him come down offa all these Alpha pheromones an’ shit,” Bee offered once he was gone.
He wanted to protest, to insist he was more than capable of taking care of his mate, but… Was he right now? He’d almost fucked him in front of an audience.
And then realization dawned on him. The person who’d been in the room with them before was Charlie.
He’d almost fucked Alastor in front of his own daughter.
Fucking hells.
He could trust Bee. He did trust Bee.
Lucifer moved slowly from the bed, breathing through his mouth instead of his nose. Alastor turned to look at him over his shoulder, eyes glassy and unfocused, and his lips parted as he panted for breath. A damp patch had formed at the crux of his thighs and the Omega squirmed, breath stuttering at the resulting friction. Fuck, he was completely out of it… His poor, inexperienced Omega was helpless against his own instincts, having relied on suppressants his entire life.
Not that Lucifer had fared much better when confronted with his soulmate’s undiluted pheromones… “Alpha,” Alastor protested, sitting up to reach for him. Bee intercepted him before he made contact, scooping the startled Omega up into her arms. Lucifer tensed, eyes locking on the two of them as he forced himself not to rip Alastor away from her.
She was helping. This seemed more in line with what Alastor might want, were he in his right mind. More in line with what Lucifer wanted too.
He…hadn’t been acting like himself either. Yes, he was an Alpha, and yes dragons were possessive as fuck on a good day, but he genuinely wanted to make his Omega happy. Alastor hadn’t been the only one driven by instinct during his heat.
Under normal circumstances, Lucifer would’ve taken him to the nearest registry, his secret be damned. It would’ve ruined the life Alastor built for himself but it would’ve been the right thing to do, wouldn’t it?
Instead, unknowingly confronted by his soulmate at the start of his cycle, Lucifer’s dragon and Alpha had taken the wheel. It’d been just about all he could do to make it back home and get what consent he could, rather than fucking him in the backseat…
He’d wanted to go after him when he realized Alastor left. To hunt him down and bring him back, but he’d abstained. Then he’d seen him at Ozzie’s and lost control all over again… Then Alastor showed him his soul mark, and the next thing he knew, he’d woken up in the hoard with the Omega purring and wrapped securely in his arms.
The poor thing had looked exhausted, so he reluctantly stepped out to give Ozzie a call to see if there were any updates on Fizz and to let him know what’d happened between him and Alastor. He was in the process of getting some breakfast together and returning to the hoard to wake him, but Alastor woke before he could, trapped inside.
Fuck, had he really threatened to lock him back in there?
It took more effort than Lucifer would’ve thought possible to back out of the room and leave Alastor with Bee.He didn’t want to let him out of his arms, let alone his sight.
“It’s all good, I’ve gotcha,” Bee murmured with a subtle touch of Alpha Voice. Alastor sagged in her hold, the scent of his desire fading.
Lucifer reluctantly closed the door behind him, taking a deep breath and heading to one of his many guest baths. He took Bee’s advice, getting his head back on straight while he freshened up. He changed his clothes with his magic for good measure, lest the lingering scent of his mate pull him back under, before heading into the living room.
Charlie, Vaggie, and Satan were already there. His daughter pointedly looked anywhere but at him as he entered.
Oh, this was fucking awkward…
“…uh, sweetie…?”
“Let’s just pretend that never happened, okay, dad?”
“…right.”
Satan shot him a baleful look. “When your pup asked us to stop by on our way to Ozzie’s to pick you up, she didn’t mention you’d found your soulmate.”
Lucifer rubbed the back of his neck, gaze dropping to the floor as his face warmed. “…yeah. Kinda found out last night.”
“Perhaps you should stay here, if he’s going to be such a distraction. Ozzie needs us focused on finding Fizz.”
“I’m focused!” he protested. “…besides, I think Al could use some breathing room. Fuck, I really need to apologize to him for…all that.”
“I hope you plan on apologizing to me too.”
Lucifer’s eyes snapped up to meet his. “You’re the idiot Alpha who walked in on me with my brand new mate!”
“Maybe if you’d bothered to mention you had a mate, we all could have avoided that unpleasantness.”
“I’m sorry, Uncle Satan… I figured dad would want to be the one to tell you. I should’ve said something,” Charlie interjected.
“No, it’s my fault,” Lucifer said with a shake of his head. “This whole soulmate thing is…a lot harder to get used to than I thought it would be.”
Fuck, how long had his Alpha and his dragon been calling the shots? He was starting to worry it’d been since he first clapped eyes on the Omega at the restaurant…
Satan scoffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You’re as bad as Ozzie was with Fizz. No, worse. Knotheaded fools, both of you.”
Lucifer’s eye twitched. “Yeah? Well, I hope you find your soulmate too, because when you do? I’m gonna make sure you remember running your mouth.”
“Dad?” Charlie prompted, cutting off the next round of bickering before it could begin.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“D’you think Aunt Bee would mind staying here? Or does Uncle Ozzie need her more?”
“I’m sure we could ask. Why?”
She sagged in her seat, leaning heavily against Vaggie, who wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Thanks, dad. I just…” She trailed off, chewing her bottom lip.
“It’s all right. I know it’s a lot to ask. Besides, you’re still young and have your own Omega to protect too.”
“…I don’t know if I’m comfortable ordering around Professor Hartfelt either,” she admitted. “He can be kind of…intimidating.”
Satan snorted. “An intimidating Omega? Ridiculous.”
Charlie sat up, glaring at him. “You take that back right now, Uncle Satan!”
The man looked genuinely stunned by the outburst. “What?”
“That’s a stereotype! There’s a lot more to Omegas than the Registry and all wants us to believe! Professor Hartfelt works at my school and is one of the best teachers there! And Vaggie isn’t weak either!”
Her girlfriend blushed, but a small smile came to her face. “Thanks, babe.”
“He works at Pentagram University?” Satan demanded, brows shooting up. “Lucifer, is he even registered?”
He paused, eyes widening. “Shit, I thought he looked familiar! There’s no way he’s registered. They’d never allow an Omega to witness an Alpha in rut breeding another Omega.”
A low growl escaped Lucifer, smoke curling from his nostrils. “What the fuck did you just say? Why would my mate be anywhere near an Alpha in rut?”
“…oh, I never even considered that,” Charlie said, more to herself than the rest of them. “…Professor Hartfelt sits in on breeding research to study the psychological side of it.”
His budding self-control went straight out the window. “He what?! Breeding research?!”
“Professor Vandergelder studies how well different…er...positions and all work when it comes to pregnancy and secondary designations on resulting pups.” Charlie’s brow furrowed as she considered her uncle. “Wait, how did you know that?”
Lucifer didn’t think he’d ever seen Satan look flustered before. It was almost enough to distract him from the fact his mate was regularly around Alphas in rut.
Almost.
“…I spent some time with a Registry Omega who was asked to participate in it,” Satan finally said.
Lucifer arched a brow. “What was their name?”
“Yogirt.” He startled upon realizing what he just said. “…I think. I could be wrong.”
Uh huh.
Unfortunately his teasing was cut short when a flushed Alastor (and Bee) reappeared. Lucifer perked up on seeing him, despite the death glare the Omega sent his way.
He frowned, however, on realizing Alastor was covered head to toe in something Bee must have conjured up for him. He wore dark jeans a size too big, as well as an oversized sweatshirt.
But where the fuck was the jewelry? He hadn’t damaged that. There was no reason for him to have eschewed it.
“Lucifer. Can I speak with you in private?” Alastor asked in a clipped tone.
Uh oh.
Somehow, it was a lot harder to talk to and apologize to him when directly confronted by Angry Alastor. “…I’m sure whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of everyone here.”
“Charlotte, you may want to cover your ears.”
He barely got the words out before she and Vaggie slapped their hands over their ears.
Uh oh.
Alastor gave him an oddly terrifying smile. “If you ever try to fuck me in front of someone else again, I will rip off your dick and beat you to death with it.”
Alarming visual aside, his dragon had no business being as intrigued by his Omega threatening him as it did.
“…it was kind of an accident…?” he hazarded.
“I realize that, which is the only reason it’s still attached to you.”
Well, that was fair. So of course Lucifer had to go and immediately put his foot in his mouth. “Why aren’t you wearing any of the jewels?”
“Oh, I’ll be happy to wear them. On one condition.”
Godsdamnit. “…oh?”
“You remove the compulsion you put on me.”
Bee rested her hands on her hips, scowling at him. “Luci! Did you really use Alpha Voice to order around your brand new Omega?”
“I wouldn’t have to if he’d stop putting himself in danger!” If he couldn’t keep him safely tucked away in the hoard, how else was he supposed to protect him?
Satan glanced between the him and Alastor. “That sounds about right.”
Alastor turned his glare on him and though Satan didn’t look away, he did look distinctly uncomfortable.
“If I wanted your opinion, I would ask for it, Satan,” the Omega growled. “And yes, I do remember you.” He suddenly paused, an odd look crossing his face. “You haven’t spoken to the Omega you spent your rut with, have you?”
“What does it matter?”
“Speaking of, you weren’t actually in the room with them when they were…” Lucifer cleared his throat, awkwardly waving his hands. “You know…”
Alastor abruptly rounded back on him. “Are you going to remove the command or not?
Lucifer didn’t answer, instead turning to Bee. He needed to get out of here before he got into any deeper trouble. Then, once he had some time to himself, he’d figure out how to best apologize. “Would you mind staying here with my mate and the girls?”
She tilted her head, but seemed unsurprised by the request. “Sure, babes. I’ll have Millie bring Tex over and then she can help y’all look for Fizz.”
His mate bristled. “Lucifer, I am thirty-five years old. I do not—“
“Omega,” he began.
Alastor’s mouth snapped shut.
“You will stay with Bee or Charlie at all times, listen to them, and you will not give them any trouble.”
He clenched his fists tightly at his sides, working his jaw as he fought to pull himself out from under his Alpha’s thrall. Still, his feet carried him to Lucifer and he wrapped his Omega in his arms once he was close enough. He cupped the back of his head, urging Alastor to press his face to his throat, where his scent was strongest.
“Do you understand?”
Tension seeped from the Omega as he inhaled deeply, a plaintive whine escaping before he replied, “Yes, Alpha.”
Lucifer gently carded his fingers through his hair as the rest of the fight went out of him. Alastor leaned into the touch, sighing softly as he nuzzled his throat. And fuck if that didn’t almost pull Lucifer under right along with him…
“Is all that really necessary?” Bee asked as she studied them.
He sighed. “Al tried running off to investigate Fizz’s disappearance on his own. After I ordered him not to.”
She winced. “Big yikes. You really got your work cut out for you with this one, huh?”
“I just wanna keep him safe until we can bring Fizz home,” Lucifer insisted. He wouldn’t lock him away in the hoard, but he had to do something to appease his dragon if he didn’t want it taking over again.
“So you’re goin’ the whole ask forgiveness, not permission route? Sounds like it’s gonna wind up bitin’ you in the ass.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll make it up to him after.”
“Assuming he doesn’t rip your dick off and beat you to death with it,” Satan drawled.
“Fuck off,” Lucifer snapped, reluctantly easing Alastor back. He wanted nothing more than to carry his pretty Omega back to bed, but he should probably get out of there before Alastor came back to himself and attempted to make good on his threat.
He steered his mate toward Bee, pressing a kiss to his forehead, before offering Charlie and Vaggie a wave and hurrying out the door. It rankled, knowing Alastor had refused all the finery he selected for him, but he was trying to at least respect his wishes in that regard. He had enough groveling in his future as it was…
Ozzie looked like he hadn’t slept at all, and Lucifer felt a pang of guilt at having been so distracted. Still, Ozzie greeted them with a weak smile as they settled in the less formal sitting room.
“Congratulations, Lu,” he offered. “I’m glad something good came of all this at least. Though it sounds like you’ll have your hands full with that Omega.”
Satan snorted. “That’s an understatement. Have there been any updates?”
He nodded as he took a sip of the fresh coffee the servants had brought in. Lucifer wondered how many cups he’d had already but thought better of asking.
“Thanks, Oz. And yeah, any updates?”
“They were able to pull footage from the security cameras around the building, but…” he trailed off, frowning.
“But…?”
Ozzie waved his hand and the TV mounted over the fireplace turned on. The footage showed the studio’s lobby. From what Lucifer could tell, the class hadn’t yet started. None of the pregnant Omegas looked as if they were sweating, anyway.
Alastor, in a similar state, came to mind: His belly round, and his breasts grown fuller to feed their pup. He could sign him up for classes like this. Get him to meet and spend time with other Omegas.
And… Lucifer rapidly shook his head, trying to clear it of the mental images his dragon was all too happy to provide. Ozzie and Satan sent him knowing looks but he ignored them both, face warm as he refocused on the screen.
The Omegas drifted toward the classroom doors. Well, all but one. Fizz didn’t move. Instead, he stared fixedly down at his phone. After a long moment, he lifted his head to look toward the studio’s back doors. He then pocketed the device and headed out them.
“And the exterior cameras?” Satan prompted.
“Weren’t working.” Ozzie said with a shake of his head.
“But that doesn’t make any sense,” Lucifer protested. “I was there last night. There’s no way he went straight up the hill Alastor fell down. And if that’s the case, he had to have gone around one side of the building or the other.
“All of the exterior cameras weren’t working,” Ozzie amended. “For about ten minutes.”
“Right when Fizz went outside? That sounds suspicious as fuck!”
He gave a jerky shrug in answer. “There’s no evidence of hacking or tampering. The detectives said it could just be an unfortunate coincidence.”
“Unfortunate my ass!” Lucifer crossed his arms, sinking back into the sofa. “Is his phone still off?”
“Every time I’ve called it.”
“But he didn’t turn it off before he put it in his pocket. Or…at least it didn’t look like he did.”
“They’re working to find out where all it pinged to see if they can pinpoint when and where it was turned off,” Ozzie answered. His voice lacked its usual boisterousness, coming out as exhausted as he looked.
“Did you sleep last night?” Lucifer asked, frowning.
“How am I supposed to sleep when I don’t know where Fizz is, or if he’s okay? What if he’s hurt, Lu? What if…” He trailed off, voice catching.
“Hey, Fizz is a few centuries old. He’s been around the block a few times. Besides, if I’ve learned anything about Omegas from Alastor, it’s that they’re a hells of a lot more capable and tenacious than we’ve been led to believe.”
Satan gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “Oh? Is that why you made a run for it before he came out of the command?”
“You were moving as fast as I was,” Lucifer retorted.
“I was not. It just seemed that way because of how much longer my stride is.” Surprisingly, he put an end to the bickering himself, instead turning back to Ozzie. “Go try to get some rest. You’ll be useless to your mate otherwise. He needs you at your best.”
Ozzie looked like he wanted to protest, but Satan didn’t say such things lightly. He wasn’t known for mollycoddling.
“But what will you do?” Ozzie hazarded.
Satan shrugged. “Call around the local hospitals to see if anyone matching his description has come in. Check to see if there are any cameras elsewhere that might’ve picked something up. Try to figure out the kidnapper’s motive. Maybe go interview some of the other Omegas and staff present to see if they remember anything that might help.”
“Didn’t the police already do all of that?”
“Won’t hurt to double check. Besides, they aren’t dragons. Our Alpha Voice is more powerful than a regular Alpha’s. And we’ll be aware of things they might’ve missed because they aren’t privy to what we are and what we’re capable of.”
“I guess that makes sense,” Ozzie admitted, reluctantly moving to his feet. “I’ll go check on my girls. Maybe we can all get a nap in. They didn’t sleep well last night either.”
“You do that, Oz. We’ll be sure to loop you in if we find anything in the meantime,” Lucifer said.
He managed another weak smile as he left the room.
Once he was gone, Lucifer gave a heavy sigh, slumping further in his seat. “I don’t get it. If the point is to hold him for ransom or something, why haven’t the kidnappers made contact yet?”
“It’s possible they want to make Ozzie sweat. The more worried he is, the more he’s likely to pay.” Still, Satan didn’t look entirely convinced.
“If they took him for something like that, they have to know the police will be all over the city looking for him. In addition to our private security and hired private investigators. The longer they have him, the more likely they’ll get caught.”
“Yeah, that’s the part that doesn’t make any fuckin’ sense. ‘Course we don’t know if Fizz was targeted in the first place. They could’ve been there for any of them. It’s stupid having the Omegas of so many influential Alphas gathering like that without security of some kind.”
Lucifer didn’t disagree. He had no doubt there were already demands to get security in place from the Alphas in question. Assuming they let their Omegas return.
Fuck, this was doing nothing to quiet his dragon’s insistence Alastor should be locked away in the hoard…
His phone buzzed and he pulled it out, perking up when he saw a text from Stolas, his Beta assistant.
Paperwork went through! I tried to keep it discreet, but there are media outlets requesting interviews… I’ll hold them off for as long as I can.
He shot him a quick thank you in return. That meant Alastor was officially his, as far as the government was concerned. No one could contest his claim to the Omega. Alastor belonged to him through their bond, the soul mark, and now legally too.
Part of Lucifer wished he was there with them, but it was too dangerous. He was much better off being Omega sat by Bee. Though if he ever found out Lucifer called it that (even in the privacy of his own head), he had a feeling the Omega would definitely turn his dick into a weapon…
Of course that left him wondering what Alastor was doing right now. Probably seething and plotting his revenge…
Strong mate. Strong pups, his dragon offered.
Assuming he managed to keep his dick long enough to properly breed him…
“Focus, Lucifer,” Satan snapped, making him jerk in his seat.
His face warmed as he glared at him. “I’m focused!”
The bastard looked as though he didn’t believe that for an instant. Which…fair.
He really needed to get his head on straight…
The rest of the day passed in a blur of phone calls, driving around, and talking to as many potential witnesses and leads they could find. Unfortunately, all they managed was to confirm what they already knew. When they finally called it quits for the evening, Satan drove Lucifer home and dropped him off with plans to reconvene the next day. Bee and Tex went back with Satan to Ozzie’s to keep him company and help with his pups in the meantime.
Gods above and below, Lucifer was exhausted. He was also desperate to see his family, belligerent Omega and all.
Dinner preparations were already underway when he wandered into the living room that opened into the home’s smaller kitchen. This area was meant for family, rather than entertaining. The delicious scent wafting from the stove was enough to keep him from immediately panicking when he saw Charlie at the helm. He loved his little girl so much, but her culinary adventures had shaved probably a century off of his immortal life.
His teeth still hurt from her attempt at homemade banana pudding, and every so often he woke up in a cold sweat from nightmares of the Apple Pie À La Mode Incident…
Thank fuck dragons were fireproof.
He cast a wary eye over the kitchen, but nothing seemed to be burning. Or eating through the granite countertops. Or in danger of kickstarting the apocalypse.
Charlie noticed him first with her enhanced senses, glancing up and offering him a wide smile. “Dad!”
“Hey, Char-Char!” he offered, hoping he didn’t sound as drained as he felt.
Vaggie was MIA, but Alastor was there, elbows deep in sudsy water as he washed the dishes. Hazel eyes met his own and narrowed.
Well, that answered the question of whether or not he was still mad about earlier…
“Did you find any new leads?” Charlie asked, a hopeful note in her voice.
“Nothing yet, sweetie,” Lucifer said as he perched on one of the barstools on the opposite side of the enormous island. “But we’re still looking. What’re you making?”
“Oh! Jambalaya! It’s Prof— Al’s mom’s recipe!”
Al? Then again he was effectively her new stepfather. Calling him professor at home would be odd. Although, what would their future pups call him? Daddy? Papa?
As if sensing his train of thought, Alastor leveled him with another baleful glare.
Gods, Lucifer wanted so badly to cozy up behind him and wrap his arms around that sinfully narrow waist… Not even for sex. He just wanted to settle behind him and breathe him in while Alastor purred and they both drifted off to sleep.
Alastor’s brow pinched as he continued to stare at him, mouth twisting down. He’d been washing the same plate for a while now. However, the Omega’s severe expression gradually softened, his eyes going half-lidded as his soothing scent grew stronger.
“Uh, dad? Your pheromones are getting a little strong,” Charlie offered, gaze shifting between him and Alastor.
Oh. Whoops.
“If you two need a minute, we can finish up here,” Vaggie said as she walked back into the kitchen.
Alastor shook himself from his temporary daze, frowning again. “I have nothing to say to him.”
“…not even if I apologize?”
“If it doesn’t involve you removing the command? Then, no.”
Fuck.
“Al…”
“Lucifer.”
“I’m just trying to keep you safe.”
His gaze hardened. “By ordering me around and then having someone Omega sit me? I am a grown man, and you can fuck off.” He paused, glancing to the girls. “Apologies, ladies.”
They both nodded, doing their best to pretend like they weren’t trapped in the minefield between the two adults.
“And if I remove the command and call Bee off…?”
“Don’t make promises you have no intention of fulfilling. Especially if you’re going to continue to treat me like a wayward pup.”
“…maybe we can reach an agreement? Something both of us are okay with?”
“I doubt it,” he retorted, setting a dish in the drying rack with more force than necessary.
“Give me five minutes?” Lucifer wheedled.
“I see no benefit to me, so no.”
Lucifer gave a heavy sigh, sagging against the countertop. It was a gamble, but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to get the Omega’s cooperation any time soon otherwise. “Omega.”
Alastor’s hands stilled. “Lucifer…” he growled in warning.
“I release you from my earlier command. You no longer need to stay with Bee or Charlie, or defer to them.”
His gaze went unfocused, brow furrowing. He blinked as he came back to himself. The look he sent Lucifer was still wildly suspicious, but he dried his hands and made his way around the island.
Lucifer hopped off the barstool, satisfaction flooding him as his Omega fell into step beside him as they went down the hall together to the master bedroom. He closed the door behind them and flopped onto the bed. Alastor remained standing just out of reach, arms crossed.
“…will you lay down with me?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m tired and worried and stressed and could really use the reassurance that you’re safe and here with me?”
He rolled his eyes, but reluctantly climbed into bed with him. Lucifer perked up, his tail manifesting and wrapping around his middle as he settled them both on their sides. He pressed his nose to Alastor’s nape, breathing deeply. The other man shivered, but didn't protest as Lucifer scented him.
“For the record, if you released me from that command just to reinstate it after you get what you want, you will live to regret it every day for the rest of your life.”
Yikes.
“I’m sorry, Al. It’s hard not to feel overprotective. I don’t want to lose you.”
“That isn’t an excuse.”
Lucifer sighed. “I know it’s not but, with Fizz missing, all my dragon wants to do is lock you up in the hoard to keep you safe. Seeing as that’s frowned upon nowadays, I’m trying my best to be…more considerate.” He considered saying he didn’t want to frighten him again, but doubted such a comment would be well received right now.
“I don’t want an Alpha, Lucifer. I want a partner who happens to be an Alpha.”
“I know. Humans are just…so fragile. I mean, your lifespan will match mine now were mated, but—“
Alastor abruptly sat up, turning to face him. “Excuse me?”
Lucifer blinked up at him. “What?”
“My lifespan will what now?”
“…oh, uh. Did I forget to mention that…?”
“Lucifer. How long do dragons live?”
He shrugged. “…kinda forever? Fizz and Ozzie have been together for about five hundred years.”
“Five…hundred…?” Alastor managed before his jaw went slack.
“This isn’t their third pup either. This is their seventh. Their other four are fully grown.”
“Seventh?!”
“Yeah. It’s extremely rare for dragons to reproduce. Unless you find your soulmate, that is. There’s a reason I’ve only had Charlie despite being around for two thousand years.”
Alastor stared into the middle distance, his eyebrows having vanished beneath his fringe.
“…are you okay?” Lucifer hazarded.
“…is there anything else I should know about dragons, their mates, and their pups? I can only handle so many surprises.”
He considered that as he coaxed the Omega into lying back down with him. “Um… I mean, we can shift into our full dragon forms? Dragons breed true. All our pups will be dragons. We’re also kind of like Alphas on steroids when it comes to Alpha Voice, pheromones, and all that. Sorry in advance for when I inevitably go into rut… And we have magic!”
“Oh, is that all?” he asked, voice strained.
“There might be more I’m forgetting, but I’ll try to remember to tell you if I think of anything else.”
“And the…jewelry and the hoard?”
A low, pleased rumble escaped him. “Our mates are our most treasured possessions.” He paused. “Er…sorry, that was my dragon talking. You’re not a possession. Well, I mean, it kinda considers you like one? Dragons are…kind of possessive?”
“I noticed.”
Lucifer winced. “Yeah. We’ve gotten pretty good at the whole human thing, but deep down we’re not and never will be. Sensibilities when I was younger were a lot different than they are now. Hells, Ozzie was considered a radical when he didn’t lock Fizz up in his hoard and keep him there on finding him. I know it may not feel like it, but I am trying.”
“So it’s not all just Alpha posturing nonsense?”
Some of the lingering tension eased from the Omega, and Lucifer took that as an invitation to press closer to him, surrounding himself with his scent.
“No. I mean, my Alpha is definitely still there, but my dragon is way harder to keep a rein on. I thought I had it completely under control until… Well, until I saw you at the restaurant and my dragon immediately started a running commentary on how submissive and breedable you were.”
“…please never say those words again.”
“Which ones?”
“Submissive and breedable,” he replied, his grimace evident in his voice.
He chuckled, nuzzling the back of his shoulder. “I’ll try. But…can you try to meet me halfway? I’m not asking you to let me shove you in the hoard for all eternity or anything like that. I… I want to be able to control my dragon and not have it control me like it has been.”
Alastor didn’t reply for so long, Lucifer started to wonder if he’d fallen asleep. Finally he offered, “And if I do, what concessions do you intend to make?”
Lucifer pursed his lips as he considered the question. “…I’m not gonna lie to you, Al, my dragon is going fucking crazy with Fizz missing. It’s hard to ignore, especially when it’s convinced you need to be kept safe at all costs. Finding you at the studio yesterday, where he was last seen before vanishing kinda sent it into overdrive…”
Tension began to seep back into his mate’s lithe frame. “So, what, you expect to order me around and take away every shred of autonomy I have?”
He winced. “…no. Or, well, I’m trying not to? I think if we can come to some kind of an agreement, maybe I can control it a little better?”
“Such as?”
“…such as you staying here until we find Fizz?”
“As in not going back to work or anywhere else? You expect to keep me on house arrest until then?” he demanded.
“…not house arrest. More like…” Fuck, how could he word this without coming off like a complete and total ass?
Alastor released a slow breath, shoulders hiking up. “Allowing myself to be Omega sat?”
“…kinda. Yeah. The fact Fizz went missing in broad daylight from a public place is terrifying. He should’ve been safe there. And if he wasn’t safe there, then where is safe?”
The hoard. Treasure belongs in the hoard.
No. Nope. Not gonna happen.
“Like I said before, dragons are possessive as fuck as a baseline. It’s why I wanna dress you up and cover you in jewels. I wanna mark you every way I possibly can, so no one will have any doubt who you’re mated to or how much you mean to me. Fuck, Al, all my dragon wants is to have you naked in the hoard, full of my seed, and chained to the bed… Gods, I want that so fucking badly…”
“…that is an alarming visual, Lucifer.” Still, there was a hint of arousal in his scent, rather than fear. “Chained to the bed? Really?”
“Not… Not like in an imprisoned way? More like…consensually? Like you fully submitting to me because you trust me to take care of you and give you what you need. You being so fucking eager to be good for me…”
He closed his eyes, shivering at the mental image his dragon conjured up. “So blissed out you don’t remember your name. So wet for me, so desperate for my knot… My scent and marks all over you…”
As he spoke, the arm he had wrapped around Alastor drifted lower. Gods, he was tired, but he craved the reassurance of their connection just as fiercely as rest.
Alastor’s breath hitched, but he didn’t pull away.
“I wanna spread you open and fuck you until you scream. Wanna bite you until you bleed… Fuck, I wanna possess you, body, mind, and soul… Never want you to forget who you belong to… Who you gave yourself to…”
His dragon added further fuel to the flames, sending him images of Alastor, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Jewels and gold covering his body and dragging across his skin with each gasp and moan he made. Arms bound behind his back as he presented for him, so wet that his slick dripped and pooled beneath him. Crying from overstimulation, yet begging for more…
And…oh, fuck, he was hard, wasn’t he?
Rather than push him away, Alastor pressed closer, encouraging him to rut against his backside.
“I hope you take full responsibility for breaking my brain,” he groused. “My godsdamned Omega is louder than ever… I could usually ignore it before, but now…”
The scent of his arousal only grew stronger, accompanied now by that of his slick.
“I’ve read that biological urges like this are heightened after the initial marking. Those bastards called it the honeymoon period! I have things to do! I don’t have time to roll onto my back and spread my legs for you every time I catch your scent!”
That was a shame because Lucifer couldn’t think of anything he wanted more.
Alastor continued grumbling to himself, even as he sat up and began fumbling with the fly of his jeans. “For the record, I am not agreeing to any of your dragon Alpha nonsense. However, if you don’t fuck me right now so I can think straight again—“
He cut off with a startled squeak when their clothes abruptly vanished. Lucifer wrapped his tail around the Omega’s wrists, pulling his arms up and over his own head until he was dangling by them.
“Lucifer! What the fuck?!” Alastor demanded, face flushing.
Lucifer grinned as he repositioned them so he was seated on the bed and Alastor hung in the air above him. He hooked his mate’s legs over his shoulders, burying his face in his pretty pussy. While he gave him just enough leeway to squirm, it wasn’t nearly enough to get proper leverage.
And, oh, did he squirm!
Alastor’s breath hitched, as Lucifer swirled his tongue against his clit, a low moan escaping as he pressed two fingers into him, slowly stretching him open as he played with him.
“A-Alpha!” he whimpered, desperately trying to bear down on his fingers and tongue to no avail.
Lucifer grinned against his sex before nipping at the inside of one of his thighs. Alastor jerked in his hold, trembling now with need and frustration.
“Th-That is not fucking me!” he snapped, glowering down at him.
“Looks like it from here,” he teased, adding a third finger.
“Lucifer!”
“If you still remember my name, then I’m gonna have to try harder, treasure.”
His Omega’s eyes screwed shut, color high on his face and throat.
Poor thing…
Lucifer slowly lowered him onto his cock with his tail. Alastor immediately clamped down on him, blunt teeth digging into his lower lip as he adjusted to the increased girth. But when Lucifer didn’t start moving after, his eyes snapped open again to shoot him a death glare.
“Y-You’re already on thin ice and now you want to play games?” he growled in warning.
“As my Omega commands,” he said, grinning. Nipple clamps appeared on his mate’s chest, connected to one another by a gold chain that he crooked a finger under, giving an experimental tug.
Alastor’s breath hitched, back arching. Meanwhile, a vibrating cock ring manifested at the base of his shaft. Lucifer watched with half-lidded eyes as he nearly jolted off of his cock at the sudden stimulation.
“A-Ah…!”
That was much more like it.
He lifted him again, letting the nipple clamps pull with the motion. Just when Alastor looked like he might be able to form another coherent sentence, he dropped him back onto his length, yanking on the chain at the same time.
He swore, desperately rocking his hips in an attempt to take him deeper.
It was all so much for someone with so little experience, and who’d yet to build up any stamina for bedroom activities. Lucifer almost felt bad for him, but his dragon was far more concerned with fucking his Omega senseless. It wanted to break him into pieces so fine that only his Alpha could put him back together.
He kept up the slow, steady torture, leaving Alastor in his lap long enough he nearly reached his peak, only to pull him off before it could crash over him.
Apparently Alastor finally hit his limit, his thighs tightening hard enough around Lucifer’s to bruise. He glared daggers at him through the tears of frustration and need welling in his eyes.
His Omega asserting his own form of dominance made Lucifer’s breath catch as his orgasm ripped through him. He had the wherewithal to drop Alastor entirely, spearing him all the way down to his knot. The moment it breached him, Alastor threw his head back and came with a choked scream.
He greedily watched his mate as they both rode out the aftershocks, keeping the ring buzzing against his clit until he sobbed and squirmed in his lap, trying to put some distance between it and his overstimulated sex. Only then did Lucifer banish it and the nipple clamps back to his hoard.
He rumbled with pleasure as he gently maneuvered his mate to lay atop him while they waited for his knot to go down.
Lucifer stroked his sweat damp hair back from his face, murmuring soft praises as he brushed his tear soaked cheeks with his thumb. The Omega began to purr as he nuzzled closer.
They fell asleep like that, Alastor warm, pliant, and lovingly cradled in Lucifer’s arms.