virgin omega will and lord of the land alpha hannibal (4 of 3)
The bedroom across from Hannibal's suite was possibly the most luxurious, besides the suite itself. It wasn't quite as large, and it wasn't equipped with as big a fireplace, but the window looked out over the back gardens, and instead of a giant claw-foot tub, a smaller and less ornate cast iron tub sat in front of the fire. There was no real seating area--but there was a small sitting room down the hallway that Will had been welcomed to use.
It felt strange to be lying in this bed, by himself, in the familiar keep.
William's return to the castle was met with a quiet surprise and wonderment. Laszlo was standing by the inner gate, beaming brightly as the two men rode in together, side by side. He held the reins of both horses while they dismounted, and Hannibal took the old man by the shoulder. "Our friend is going to be staying the evening with us. Please see that the guest chamber across from mine is properly prepared, and send word to the kitchen."
The old man tried not to cackle. "Of course, my lord. Welcome back, Master William."
"Thank you, Laszlo," Will said softly, smiling softly at the servant's obvious enthusiasm.
"Follow me, please." Hannibal led the way through the halls, boot heels clicking on the stone floor. "I saw that you were wearing your cape today." But he kept walking, as though he didn't expect an answer. "I was also quite glad to see you sitting with Sofia. She is not your responsibility, and yet, you were there. Thank you."
Will shook his head as they walked. "They were all kind to me; I'm glad to have the chance to return that kindness."
Hannibal paused fractionally by the door to his bedroom, but kept walking until they were at a private reception room. He entered first, and by the time Will came in, Hannibal had poured a savory cider into a pair of wood and horn mugs from a kettle by the fireplace. "If I remember correctly, you became quite fond of our cider here."
Will took the mug gratefully, letting the scent of apples and mulled spices surround him as he took a sip. The warmth spread through his body, and he sighed. Though Hannibal's tone was easy and measured, every word sounded like an accusation. Was it really only a day or two since he'd left the keep? It felt like years.
"I became fond of a lot of things here," Will admitted.
"The household became quite fond of you as well," Hannibal answered easily. "It has been… different, since you left."
"Different how?" Will sipped from the mug again as he asked the question.
In truth? Quieter. Less lively. Hannibal himself was growing more melancholy since Will had left, and it was infiltrating the entire keep. "Slower."
That made William grin honestly. "I have a hard time imagining that. There was always something to do when I was here."
How to explain that Hannibal had made an effort to make it happen that way? That he'd gone out of his way to include Will in everything, to give him a glimpse of the life they could have had together? "As I said. Without you here, things have been different," was all he explained.
"There'll be another Omega in heat somewhere soon," Will said, aiming for calm and even, but coming off jealous.
"No. I have done with that, and made it known through my lands that I will entertain no one else." Hannibal was looking into the fireplace as he said that, and he missed the double-take.
Will's eyes widened, and he stared at Hannibal as he digested that. "You can't!" he burst out.
"I most certainly can, and have."
"No, I mean you <i>can't.</i> What you taught me, Hannibal, it was invaluable. I don't know what I'd do without it, and you can't stop teaching other people what you've shown me." Will was a little passionate about it. "You can't stop, people need you. Need what you do."
"There are other Alphas, William, and I have no urge to entertain others." <i>Not after you</i> was the implication, and Hannibal let it remain unspoken. "I am getting of the age where I will either settle for a mate, or remain alone. The constant merry-go-round of affection and lack of it is… tiring."
"You aren't that old," Will scoffed. "You're what, barely forty?"
Hannibal's lips curved into a small smile. "Thank you ever so much for the compliment, dear boy. I am, in fact, fifty-one years of age. I have perhaps two decades left to me, and I have no urge to spend them with progressively younger Omegas who will expect more from me than I can provide. You are my final masterpiece, and I prefer to end it on a high note, rather than a low." As he called Will his masterpiece, Hannibal let his fingers trail over Will's cheekbone, then drop quickly.
Will tried to turn into the nuzzling caress, frustrated when Hannibal's hand moved too quickly. "Settle for a mate?"
"I will no longer seek a bonding," Hannibal answered casually. "I will settle for an Omega that is willing to share my bed and bear me an heir, and that is all I shall ask of them."
No. No, no, and no. Will shook his head wildly. "You're being an idiot, Hannibal." The lord was still handsome and virile, and would be a prize any Omega would be lucky to have. "You're giving up already and--"
"Excuse me, sirs, but dinner is ready." Laszlo's interruption cut off whatever insult Will was about to give. "Master William, your Lordship."
"Thank you, Laszlo. I believe I shall retire after dinner; could you see to it that baths are drawn in both chambers?" Hannibal rose from his chair and swept imaginary dust from his trousers. "I believe you remember the way?" he added, holding out his hand to indicate that Will should precede him.
Dinner had been a quiet affair, much different from the boisterous meals he remembered just days ago. The food was just as elegant, just as delicious, but the atmosphere was somber and quiet. It didn't seem like the same household at all, and the food stuck in his throat with every bite.
After dinner, Hannibal did retire to his bedroom, and Will found him there reading. He was wearing a pair of round reading glasses, and when he saw Will standing in the doorway, he tucked a velvet shred between the pages and folded his glasses on top of the book. "William."
"Hannibal, I meant what I said before. I didn't mean it quite so horribly, but I'm serious when I say that you've got a lot to teach people like me. And I'm not just talking about the sexual parts." He was able to say that without blushing--thanks to Hannibal. "I'm talking about the life part of it. Explaining what a mating is, what a bonding is, what adult life expects from you, how to find your place in a household. Why it's good to have your own wealth, what it means to be a leader, to take care of people. There are other Alphas, yes. But none of them do what you do, and you can't stop."
Hannibal sighed, and put the book to the side. "My heart is no longer in it, William. I could not do any better than I did with you; if you think what I have taught is so valuable, you pass it on. Find other Omegas and show them what you know. You may not be able to fill their sexual needs, but you can pass on the things that you have learned from me."
"No. Because the sexual needs are a part of it, too. You showed me that my father was wrong, that he told me things that were not true, that he made me afraid of something that I should have had no fear about. With you, because of you, I found that I didn't need to be scared. Not of you, not of what we did, not of the urges I felt. Not of my feelings, not in the least." He paused for a deep breath. "Maybe other Omegas know more. Maybe they've already been knotted by their chosen Alphas. But maybe they haven't been. Maybe they're like me--"
"No, William. No one is like you." He put the book he'd been reading on the table, and sighed. "When you came to me, untouched and unspoiled, I knew that there was no one like you. You were afraid, but it didn't stop you from speaking your mind. You weren't a passive learner; you asked things of me, you initiated sex when you wanted it, and you made such an effort to participate in the world around you. While you were here, I made an effort to include you in everything, to show you what kind of life you could have. You wanted to learn, so I taught you."
"You offered it, and I took it." Will looked earnestly at Hannibal. "You can't stop. And you shouldn't settle."
"What I do or do not do is no longer anything you should worry about," Hannibal reminded gently. "Outside of the bounds of our friendship, that is, which I do appreciate. And you have fulfilled that obligation, which pleases me. Rarely is friendship offered by the lord sincerely returned." He got to his feet then. "But there is nothing that can change my mind." As he walked by William, he squeezed the young man's shoulder in obvious affection. "Sweet dreams, Will."
Even though it was Hannibal's bedroom, he left Will there, sitting by the fire.
"His Lordship's been quiet since you left." Laszlo was carrying hot water into William's bedroom when Will came into the room. "Lots of people in the household have been. Nobody really thought you'd be leaving."
"I didn't either." Will sighed, and sat on the side of the bed. "Is there a way to send a message to my father? I'd like to let him know I'm sleeping here tonight so that he doesn't worry."
"Course, we've got a few boys around who're always willing to take a message. I'll fetch you one, paper too."
"If you need anything else, just ask. You're still our guest." A shake of his head, and he walked from the room, back straight as he hauled the empty buckets. "Bath's ready for you, Master William."
Will decided to wait his bath until after he'd written a letter to his father.
<i>I'm writing to let you know that I am spending the night at the Lord's keep. One of the young girls I met during my time with Hannibal has grown ill again, and has asked for me. The apothecary is coming to see her tomorrow, and I have promised to stay until we know what is happening. I may not be home tomorrow night, either, which saddens me because we should say these things face to face. But perhaps it is better if I write them to you, so that I can better collect my thoughts.</i>
<i>I am angry with you, Father. The things that you told me before my first heat, the fears that you put into my head, they were wrong. Hannibal was neither mean nor cruel; there was nothing to fear from him or from my own body. The urges that I felt, before the heat, during and after, are natural things, and Hannibal taught me how to understand those feelings so that they could be handled appropriately. Sex is nothing to be afraid of.</i>
<i>I was not a slave. Hannibal didn't want to enslave me; if anything, he was my slave. He bent over backwards to serve my needs, sexually and otherwise. He fed me from his plate, with his own hands, gave me a chair beside his own, allowed me to participate in the daily routine of his home. My thoughts were given weight, my desires answered, my opinions solicited and acknowledged. I was treated like an adult.</i>
<i>I understand that Mother hurt you. I'm sorry about that. But just because I am an Omega like her, does not mean that I am going to be like her. I know you don't wish for me to leave your home; the time is coming where I must. You made me afraid of Hannibal, Father, and I am angry about that. </i>
<i>It was my choice to say no to his proposal; he asked me to mate him. Not bonded to him, not yet, maybe not ever if I didn't feel it. He merely asked me to be his mate, and I said no. That is a decision I am coming to regret. But I said no because I was afraid. I was afraid because of what you had told me; I was forever afraid of losing myself because you told me how the Lord would force himself on me and take away everything that makes me who I am.</i>
<i>Mother did that to you. Hannibal had no intention of doing that to me. I'm sorry, Father, that she hurt you. I'm sorry that she made you become someone else for her, and I am sorry that she left the both of us. But of all the things Hannibal taught me, he has taught me to be strong. He has shown me, ironically, that I am my own man, and that I am capable.</i>
<i>I love him, Father. I loved him when I said no, I loved him when I left, I loved him while I was home, and I love him now. If he will have me, I will say yes this time. I don't know if he will still have me. But I will find out. I want your blessing, but if I cannot have it, I will be satisfied with your silence.</i>
<i>I love you, Father. I am in all other things your loyal son,</i>
<i>William S. Graham.</i>
Will folded the parchment pages together, and used the elaborate seal provided to mark the wax that held the letter closed. He wrote his father's name on the front of the packet, and gave the letter to the young boy waiting for it. "Here, take this to my father's house, and put it in his hands. When the door is answered, ask if he is Michael, and give it to him only. Repeat that."
"Take it to your home, ask for Michael, and put it in his hands only, no one else," parroted the boy.
"Yes, thank you." Will gave the boy two gold coins, and ruffled his hair. "That's for you, because it is late tonight and travel is unpleasant. He will probably tip you as well."
"Thank you, sir!" The boy pocketed the coins, and darted out.
Will undressed and slowly sank into the tub, luxuriating in the warm water. He rolled a cloth and tucked it behind his neck, letting his head lean back and closing his eyes. He'd told his father that he was going to say yes to Hannibal, but how in the hell was he going to convince Hannibal to ask him?
It was deep in the night when Will got out of his bed and padded across the hall. Hannibal's door was unlocked but closed, and he pushed it open. Hannibal was lying awake in bed, watching the door open. "Come in, Will."
"How did you know it was me?" Will came into the bedroom and closed the door behind him, and pulled one of the chairs over to sit by the foot of Hannibal's bed.
"No one else would dare," he said, and his grin was tiny but there. "You didn't bother knocking, just assumed you would be welcome, which you are."
Will inclined his head. "It feels wrong to be in the bedroom alone."
Hannibal merely looked at Will for a long moment. "It would be--"
"Inappropriate, I know. I'm not certain that I care." Will stretched his legs out in the chair, and then sat up straight. "In fact, I'm positive I don't care."
"I do, though. I care for your reputation even if you do not. That you come to my room in the dark of night is inappropriate enough, but were you to stay the night…"
"I don't understand," Will finally said. "It's known that we were lovers, as you were to all Omegas who came to you and were chosen. Why would it matter now?"
"Because now you are my guest, not my charge," Hannibal explained patiently. "You came here on your own, and you are protected by the cloak of my hospitality. For me to take advantage of that reflects badly on me, and on you as well. You are not my charge, nor are you my mate. You have no claim on me, nor I on you. Were you to come to my bed, whether you wanted it or not, you would be considered not mate material."
"I don't care." Will was reckless; after he'd sent the letter to his father, he was almost dizzy with the realization of what he'd written. Seeing the words in his own hand; <i>I love him, Father</i> had been the key to opening a dam he didn't even realize had been locked.
"But I care about you, Will. I care about your future. I want--" Hannibal was struck wordless by Will's next words.
"I want my future to be with you." When Hannibal had no words of protest, Will plowed ahead. "I was wrong when I said no. I was afraid of what it meant for myself, that I would somehow lose who I am in who you are. But almost as soon as I said it, I knew I was wrong. You would not let that happen to me."
"No, I would not." Hannibal's agreement was quiet, and his face was grave. "I care about you, Will. And I don't think--"
"I don't care what you think." More strength was behind that declaration than Will even realized he had. "Hannibal, I want you to be my mate. I want your teeth in my neck, I want my teeth in your skin. I wanted it when we were together and you wouldn't give it to me. Give it to me now. We can wake up in the morning mated, and have the ceremony for the household."
Hannibal was dumbstruck, staring at Will sitting ramrod straight at the foot of the bed. A deep breath of his scent proved he wasn't lying, because he was a mix of desperation and want and resolve. "This is highly irregular," he murmured softly. "I should be the one proposing to you."
"We'll tell the rest of the world--"
"Exactly what has happened," Hannibal interrupted. "You are…exquisite, William, and I will not have you diminished. I will be proud to have it known that you asked for my hand, and not the other way around." He scooted over, leaving the warm space open for his Omega and pulled the blankets back.
Will almost dove into the bed beside Hannibal, curling up in the warmth of Hannibal's body and pressing close to him. For the first time since he'd come back to the keep, it felt like he could properly breathe again. His arms wrapped around his Alpha's chest, cheek resting on his stomach. Hannibal's fingers found Will's hair and stroked gently, pressing kisses to the top of his head. "So you're saying yes, you'll mate me?" Will asked into Hannibal's skin.
"Yes. I'm saying yes, I would be honored to mate you." Hannibal brought his arms down and around Will, hauling him up so that they were level together, face to face and shoulder to shoulder, snuggled together with no space between them. "And to bond with you, if you wish it."
"I do, I wish it greatly." Will squeezed Hannibal tightly. "I wrote a letter to my father tonight, and I told him that I loved you. That I was sorry I declined your proposal before, and that if you would say yes, I would mate you as soon as you wanted. And now I need to tell you."
"No you don't." Hannibal kissed William's face softly, then pressed a kiss to his lips. "You don't have to tell me anything." His nostrils flared. "Your scent tells me everything I need to hear."
Will moved into the kiss, deepening it when Hannibal stopped talking. "I want you, Hannibal. You want me, too."
"More than I can actually say," Hannibal admitted, stroking his fingertips over Will's face. "If you will be my mate, you will never want for anything. You are already part of our home and our lives here, and I would be honored to make that permanent."
Will smiled gently. "Yes, please. But Hannibal?"
"Yes?" He tilted his head to regard his mate. And oh, how he adored the sound of that thought in his head. His mate.
"If you don't give me your teeth now, I will bite you myself." Will was almost dizzy with the feelings of heat, want, and need that swirled between them, and their scents were mingling in a heavy cloud of overwhelming desire.
Hannibal kept his head tilted, offering his throat to William's bared teeth. He said nothing else, just waiting, barely breathing.
William struck almost lazily, his teeth sinking into the exposed flesh of Hannibal's neck. A hard bite, blood flowing into his mouth, the feel of skin tearing as he marked his Alpha. His hands braced on Hannibal's chest and shoulder, and he heard a long, satisfied moan sliding out of Hannibal's and vibrating against his lips.
Pulling his head back, his tongue lapped at the few trickles of blood that leaked from the bite mark, and Will admired the imprint of his teeth in Hannibal's neck. His thumb rubbed over the bite mark, and Hannibal shuddered. Licking his thumb, he tilted his head for Hannibal. "Please," he murmured.
Will was quivering, waiting for Hannibal to bite. Instead, Hannibal kissed first, tongue lapping hungrily at his mouth. "I want you first," Hannibal whispered, sliding his hand down to stroke Will's chest. "Take your clothes off."
Will didn't hesitate. He untied the robe he was wearing, and it fell to show that he was gloriously naked underneath. "Your turn."
Hannibal couldn't help the smile; Will had obviously intended this all along, or at least to seduce him into it. "I love you, Will." He got to his feet, and untied his own dressing gown. His chest was bare, but he was wearing a pair of soft linen trousers, and Will's hands tugged the waistband and helped Hannibal pull them off entirely.
"I love you, Hannibal," he said loudly, pulling hard and helping Hannibal get undressed. It wasn't hard; Hannibal had been wearing very little, and what he did have on was gone quickly. Will pushed him back onto the bed, and Hannibal rolled with him until they were face to face. "This is the way I want you. So I can see your face."
Hannibal scented his Omega; he couldn't help it, and he buried his nose in the crook of Will's neck. He yearned to bite, but wanted to wait until they were knotted. "You can have me any way that you want me, little Omega."
He couldn't help the smile Hannibal's words brought to his face, and he leaned in to kiss his mate again. "Knot me," Will pled against his lips. "Make me yours. Mate me."
Gentle hands cupped William's face, held him in the kiss, stroked his cheeks and tangled in his hair. "Yes, yes, and yes," Hannibal promised, his cock already hard and aching to find a home in his mate.
Will rolled onto his back, and pulled Hannibal on top of him, and his slick was already dripping thick and heavy in the air. His skin was glistening with slick and sweat, and Hannibal rubbed the head of his cock through the dripping from Will's opening. The muscle was twitching and open, waiting for Hannibal, and Hannibal didn't hesitate any longer. Looking down at his lover, Hannibal eased his hard cock into Will's opening.
They both moaned softly, Hannibal's eyes closing as he pressed completely into Will's welcoming body. Will groaned at the familiar feeling of Hannibal possessing him, and lifted his legs to wrap around Hannibal's hips. That let Hannibal slip in deeper, and he surged forward, sheathing himself to the hilt. His knot pressed against the outside rim of Will's opening, and Hannibal started rocking his hips.
The rhythm was familiar to Will's body, and he was no longer afraid or ashamed. He lifted his hips to meet Hannibal's thrusts, and his hands linked at the back of Hannibal's neck to pull him down for a kiss. Their lips met in a blur of wet and hot, tongues thrusting and pressing roughly against each other just as their bodies were.
The great headboard creaked as Will braced himself against it, giving himself leverage as he lifted and rocked into Hannibal. The Alpha growled and bared his teeth, pushing Will flatter so that he could completely cover the Omega with his body like a blanket.
The possessive growl had William melting, body becoming pliant under Hannibal's wandering hands. Sweat stung Will's eyes as he bit at Hannibal's lip, licked his chin, mouthed the bright red mark of his teeth in Hannibal's flesh. His own virgin neck was tilted to the side, baring and begging at the same time in wordless pleas of skin and bone.
Hannibal could hold back no longer; a second, throaty growl preceded the lunge, and Hannibal's teeth sunk deep into Will's neck. Will cried out loudly, a sharp, guttural noise that was almost a howl as he felt the victorious Alpha refuse to release his bite. Hannibal's knot pushed into Will's body at the moment of the bite, and Will came hard, untouched.
A satisfied smirk curved Hannibal's red-stained lips as he finally opened his jaw and let Will's flesh bleed freely. His teeth were sharper; the wound was deeper than the one Will had given him, but both would scar satisfactorily. He lapped lazily at the blood, his own orgasm almost an afterthought as his knot inflated and tied them together without notice.
"When we are free, I'll wash you." Hannibal purred softly, rolling onto his side and bringing Will with him, tucked in close and possessively. "In the morning, we'll make the announcement to the rest of the keep, and then visit Sofia and her family with the apothecary. Should everything go well, the feast will be tonight."
William rested a hand on Hannibal's cheek. "Thank you, my Lord," he said with a playful smile. "For understanding that I had yet one more lesson to learn, and that was to appreciate what was always mine, I first had to be without it."
Hannibal turned into the soft touch and kissed Will's palm. "From the first night, I was yours, and will be yours until the last night of my life." Hannibal's hand came up to rest on Will's wrist, lightly enough to be felt, but not heavily enough to make him drop his arm. "I want you always in my bed, I want you always as my mate, just like you are already in my heart."
Will knew those words had some sort of importance to them, and he was smart enough to guess what it meant. "From the first night, I was yours, and will be yours until the last night of my life. I want you always in my bed, I want you always as my mate, just like you are already in my heart." He reached out and brought Hannibal's hand to his chest, resting it over his heart. Leaning forward, he pressed his hand against Hannibal's heart.
A low-grade current seemed to pass through both men, making Will gasp. It was almost like a circuit completing between them, and Hannibal's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected the bond to actually complete, not so soon, and he hadn't expected Will to echo the words. His breath caught in his throat, and when he brushed the fingers of his other hand over Will's cheek, they both gasped. He could feel the echo of Will's thrill in his own mind, and Will's expression showed that he could feel the same, the echo of Hannibal's exuberance in his.
Hannibal's joyous laughter was met with William's eager kisses, wiggling ever closer despite the fact they were still tied together. William seemed to want to share the same skin, and Hannibal was more than willing. He moved closer to Will, until there was not a shred of space in between them. They lay like that together, gentle touches exploring bits of skin here and there for what seemed like an eternity until Hannibal's knot finally deflated.
As he slipped free, Will dipped his head and lightly sucked one of Hannibal's fingers into his mouth. His teeth dragged along the knuckle, but Hannibal pulled away. "Wait for me."
Rising from the bed, Hannibal took a silver pitcher from the hearth, and dipped a soft washcloth in it. Once the cloth was damp with warm water, he brought it back to the bed and gently cleaned the raw bite on Will's neck. It still oozed a thin trickle of blood, and he patted the wound until the bleeding finally tapered off. Bringing the cloth to his nose, Hannibal inhaled the deep scent of his mate's blood. He did the same to the wound on his own neck, and he trailed his fingers over Will's naked hip. "I wish to give you something."
Tossing the dirty cloth aside, Hannibal opened the drawer of the bedside table, and withdrew the heavy gold medallion of state. The black and red ribbons tangled over Hannibal's fingers, but he smoothed them out as he draped them over Will's head and neck, letting it lay heavy against his chest. "I will have another made for myself, but this one, I wish you to have. As a sign of my affection, it shows you are my mate, but more importantly, my consort and my equal. Will you accept it?"
William's fingers touched the heavy jewelry and the satiny ribbons. "I have nothing to give you in return," he said quietly.
Hannibal's palm pressed against Will's heart, and he brought Will's hand to the bite on his neck. "These are the things you have given me. These are all that I want from you. They are mine now, to protect and cherish, and I swear to you I will do so."
He nodded. "Then yes, I will accept. Not only your token, but everything else that you have offered me."
Hannibal climbed back into bed beside his made, and pulled the blankets up to cover them both. "Of course Laszlo will have a heart attack when he wakes me in the morning," he pointed out with a grin hidden in the nape of Will's neck.
"Or he'll be thrilled and refuse to disturb the newly mated master of the keep," Will suggested, feeling Hannibal's heat at his back and snuggling into the warmth. His fingers wrapped around the heavy medallion as his cheek pillowed on Hannibal's arm. "I don't think anyone will be surprised."
Hannibal actually agreed. "Sleep, little Omega." He purred deep in his chest.
William's eyes grew heavy at the purr. "Oh, that's a dirty trick, Hannibal."
His smile widened against Will's neck, and he nuzzled in close. "Sleep, and dream sweetly."
"You as well," William answered, yawning softly and snuggling his cheek against his mate's bicep.
There was no reply necessary, mostly because Hannibal's dreams had already come true.
