Chapter Text
Strength is everything in an unforgiving world.
Kiyoomi knows this.
Every day is a different fight, and only those strong enough to maintain their grip on victory are allowed to greet the following sunrise.
Strength means having enough food to feed those under your rule, even when the land doesn’t yield. It means conquering new lands and peoples, taking what resources you need for those who depend on you to survive and thrive. Strength means maintaining your position at the top and giving those below a reason to follow you.
It also means killing your enemies if they threaten what’s yours.
Hisui was a greedy alpha who made the mistake of thinking he could press the territories downriver into submission by damming the water supply, endangering their abilities to fish and farm. He might have been safe if only one enemy had come knocking at the city gates, but he was wholly unprepared to face three. Kiyoomi is loathe to join forces with those outside his circle, but as the saying goes, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
That friend will be an enemy once again by nightfall.
Sooner if this blustering whelp of an alpha doesn’t stop fraying the rope of Kiyoomi’s ever-dwindling patience.
“How disappointing,” the alpha gripes, pushing sweat-damp hair from his face. “My warriors barely even got the chance to show their skills in battle. Where’s the glory in such pathetic conquest?”
The muscle in Kiyoomi’s jaw feathers, the only outward indication of his irritation. This alpha is relatively new to power if what he’s heard is true; his lands and army were inherited from a sire who somehow beat the odds and lived long enough to see offspring take up their mantle. The alpha’s brand of arrogant stupidity is common among those who have achieved much without earning it, giving them an overinflated sense of importance. What other reason could there be for sticking around and incurring Kiyoomi’s wrath now that their usefulness to one another has ended?
“Glory holds less weight than the lives of those you command. My losses were minimal today, and I have ensured those under my rule will not bear the consequences of having their water restricted.”
The other alpha, whose name Kiyoomi can’t be bothered to remember, snorts and rolls his eyes. “While that’s fine for you, I’m walking away empty-handed. This city is too far from my territory to manage, and without at least the glory of a hard-won victory, what do I have to show for my efforts today?”
“Your people won’t starve to death or die from dehydration,” Kiyoomi says, turning his back on the other alpha and effectively ending the mostly one-sided conversation. He has no interest in entertaining this foolishness for a moment longer.
“Wait.”
Biting back a growl, Kiyoomi rolls his shoulders, turning to look at the younger alpha.
“Today doesn’t have to be a complete waste. I’ll be happily along my way if you hand over the one suitable trophy this waste of a day has to offer.”
Raising an eyebrow, Kiyoomi unconsciously grasps the hilt of his sword, not that the other man notices. “What trophy?”
“I want the omega. If he’s still alive.”
He was, as far as Kiyoomi was aware. The healer he’d tasked with nursing him would join him soon if he weren’t. Kiyoomi’s canines ache with the intense urge to rip this insolent bastard apart.
“Why?”
“He’s the last one. All the other omegas in Hisui’s harem were killed when the palace guards realized defeat was on their doorstep. This one got lucky, and his murder was interrupted by two of my alphas. Both fell in battle, but not before inflicting mortal wounds on our enemies. Since I’m the one who took a loss, I’ll take the omega as a concubine to compensate.”
Kiyoomi narrows his eyes, coming to stand directly in front of the man, forcing the shorter alpha to tilt his head back. “How do you propose to take the omega when he’s tucked away in my camp?”
Gulping, the alpha backs away, impotently squaring his shoulders and puffing his chest. “I’m entitled to the spoils.”
“Entitled?” Kiyoomi chuckles, crowding his space again and daring him to back away. “You think yourself someone deserving of the spoils of a battle that, by your own admission, you barely fought to win. I suggest you go back to your camp and reevaluate how you choose to speak to me before we break bread tonight and decide where those spoils will actually go.”
Kiyoomi leaves before the younger alpha can stutter out a response, crossing from the forgiving shade of the canopy into the blistering warmth of the midafternoon sun. The wind seems to be on their side, blowing a cool breeze over his camp and keeping the stench of the battlefield from reaching them. Everyone stops and bows their head as he passes, but he gives them the same notice he would give a house spider. His sole focus is reaching his tent, washing the blood off his skin, and seeing if the lucky little survivor is awake yet.
The sentries flanking his tent open the flaps at his approach, and he shucks his bloodied leather armor to the ground as he goes. One of the attendants will have it out of sight before he can even think of it again. The grime feels thicker once he’s stripped down to just his pants, but it’s nothing a hot bath can’t fix. Instead of going straight to where he knows a steaming, herbed-filled tub awaits him, he veers right into his sleeping room. The healer at his bedside already has her head bowed, but her presence is irrelevant to him.
Softly diffused light illuminates the omega in his bed furs. His blonde hair is stained pink from blood, and the signs of his struggle to survive bloom along the tanned skin of his arms and chest. Dark purple handprints ring his throat like a macabre necklace, and the mating mark on his wrist has already begun to fade with the death of his former alpha. The man’s blood sits crusted under Kiyoomi’s fingernails.
“How is he?”
“He will make a full recovery, my Lord.”
“Does he require any further attention for the time being?”
“No, my Lord.”
“Leave.”
She disappears from the room and Kiyoomi’s mind entirely. Taking a seat at the bedside, he watches the gentle rise and fall of the omega’s chest. Time tends to become slippery on days filled with fighting and death, so he isn’t sure how long ago it was that he first laid eyes on the man in his bed. After killing Hisui, he did a sweep of the palace grounds to ferret out any remaining combatants.
The harem quarters were filled with over a dozen dead omegas, all executed in an act of brutal cowardice. Any alpha worth even the faintest measure of respect would leave their omegas alive to make the choice for themselves. If an alpha is incapable of protecting their omega, the omega is well within their rights to seek out a stronger one, and if the omega didn’t want to submit to a new alpha, they had their options too. Hisui couldn’t handle the idea of his failure outliving him, so he had those he was tasked with protecting killed, ensuring no one else could have them.
Despicable.
Kiyoomi ordered the omegas buried immediately and with full dignity. He’s never been one to tolerate the desecration of the dead, even of those he defeated as enemies, and he holds his warriors to the same standard, promising bloody retribution for those who disobey.
It was in the last room he discovered this omega, unconscious but alive. The same couldn’t be said for the two palace guards and the two from the young loudmouth’s army. The working theory is that the omega’s murder was interrupted, and the two sets of alphas killed each other, leaving the omega as the sole survivor of the harem. Kiyoomi has a theory of his own, but only the man in his bed can confirm his suspicions.
“You can stop pretending. I know you’re awake.”
The omega stops mid-inhale, slowly opening one stunningly beautiful gold-hued eye. The color is unusual, reminding Kiyoomi of a deadly predator lurking in the shadows, looking for an opening. It’s nature’s way of warning him not to underestimate the man, not that he had any intention of doing so. The second eye opens, equally striking as the first, and the alpha finds himself on the receiving end of something not quite a glare but certainly not what he’s used to when it comes to omegas.
The man pushes himself into a sitting position, the bed furs falling to his waist. The well-defined muscles and broad shoulders are also unusual for an omega, but Kiyoomi isn’t put off in the slightest. The man felt solid in his arms when he carried him out of the harem quarters, and if he had to make a guess, he would say the man might rival him in terms of height. Kiyoomi keeps his focus on the man’s face, his instincts warning him against potential distractions.
Taking a cup and a pitcher of water from the side table, he pours, offering the drink to the man eying it like it might bite him. “It’s not poisoned.”
Unconvinced, the omega returns those piercing eyes to his own, keeping his face carefully neutral. Kiyoomi downs the water with an over-exaggerated swallow, showing the empty cup before reaching for the pitcher again. The omega snatches it from the table, flicking the lid off and guzzling the contents until it drips down the side of his neck. Occupied as he is with drinking, Kiyoomi indulges in watching a few of the water droplets race down his tanned skin.
Thirst sated, the omega tosses the pitcher to the floor, now staring with outright defiance.
Heat curls low in Kiyoomi’s belly.
“Your alpha is dead.”
“Good.”
The single word is spoken with the thinnest veneer of nonchalance, but Kiyoomi can hear an entire rainbow of emotions ranging from relief to delight.
“He met his end on my sword.”
The omega’s eyes flash.
“I hope you didn’t make it too quick.”
His voice is strong and bold, lacking the timidness of a pampered omega raised by a wealthy household in a well-established city. If he had to place the accent, he would guess somewhere along the southern plains, possibly near the ocean. Wherever this omega hails from, he likely didn’t come here by choice. How interesting.
Kiyoomi bites back the temptation to smirk. “He drowned in his own blood.”
Instead of recoiling, the omega lets out a quiet sound, but one the alpha hears all the same. The subtle purr of pleasure sends fire licking up his spine.
“The others in the harem are also dead. You’re the only one who managed to survive.”
He doesn’t respond, those eyes watching Kiyoomi, waiting.
“There were four dead alphas in the room with you, two from another army and two of the palace guards there to kill you. Many seem to think the two alphas interrupted the guards, and after a brief fight, all four were fatally wounded, leaving helpless little you passed out in a pool of their mingled blood.” Kiyoomi pauses, fixing the omega with a look sharp enough to cut. “But that’s not what happened, is it?”
The omega doesn’t blink or give any indication of being rattled by Kiyoomi’s intensity. The alpha’s heart beats a furious rhythm inside his chest, fingers tingling with his growing excitement.
“I think…the two guards were already dead or dying by the time those other alphas showed up. They overpowered you at first, getting their hands around your neck, but you managed to turn the tables on them. The wounds on their bodies were more consistent with someone fighting for their life than two enemy warriors going at one another. You hacked and slashed until they stayed down, but then the other alphas appeared. I’ll admit, I’m curious how you killed them.”
The omega searches his face, giving nothing away. “Would knowin’ make a difference?”
“Indulge me.”
The omega regards him for a moment with a slight purse to his lips as if considering whether the alpha is worthy of his indulgence. It’s scrutinizing, verging on disrespectful, and, most importantly, not a look Kiyoomi is used to receiving. A warlord of his reputation and prowess is looked upon with a combination of awe and fear. He can count on one hand the number of people willing to look him in the eye for a prolonged period of time. This omega’s seeming lack of concern for who he is and what he’s capable of arouses Kiyoomi’s interest in a way that’s entirely new to him. After what feels like an unbearably long moment, the omega’s eyes sharpen, the shadow of a smirk curling his mouth.
“They underestimated me. I let one back me into a corner and caught him under the ribs with my dagger. When the other one came closer, I pushed the dead alpha into him, knocked him off balance, and used the surprise to get him in the neck.”
Kiyoomi hums, lust stirring in his belly. “And you did it without a drop of remorse, didn’t you?”
“I felt it the second that bastard died. I wasn’t willin’ to go with him, and I wasn’t about to become a war prize either.”
Kiyoomi lets out a shuddering breath, his head swimming with the soul-deep urge he feels to make this man his.
“So, what now?” the omega says, a snarl curling at his lips. “I don’t know why you brought me here, but whatever you have planned for me, know I’m not gonna make it easy for you. Don’t expect an obedient omega just cause I’m at your mercy.”
“You’re very much mistaken. The only one here at anyone’s mercy is me.”
“And how the fuck is that?”
“I’m enraptured by you, my vicious creature,” he says, loosening the reins on his desire to let it thread through his voice. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to please you and make you mine.”
The omega’s jaw drops, a deep, confused furrow forming between his brows. “Did you hit your head, or are you just stupid?”
“Neither. I’m a man who knows what he wants, and I want you.”
“So take me. I know who you are. It’s not like I have much of a choice.”
“I don’t want to keep you,” Kiyoomi spits, the word dripping with contempt. “What good is forcing my eventual murderer to my side when what I want is a consort? If you do not choose me of your own free will, I would die by your hand. I’d go so far as to say you’ve already considered at least two ways to kill me since I walked into this room. Am I wrong?”
A sharp smile curves the omega’s lips, but there is an undeniable spark of interest growing in that golden gaze. “Three, actually.”
Kiyoomi groans low in his throat, feeling his cock twitch in his blood-stained pants. “You’re incredible. Let me court you and prove my worthiness as an alpha and a mate.”
“You don’t even know my name.”
“I know I’m drawn to you, to your strength. I intend to conquer everything the light touches, but I have no intention to sit atop the world alone. I need a consort who doesn’t shy away at the scent of blood, whose fire matches my own and will keep me warm when the cold winds inevitably come.”
Kiyoomi pauses, doing what most alphas in his position would consider shameful at this juncture, but he knows this is his one chance to make a grand show of his sincerity. Angling his head to the side, presenting his unmarked mating gland to the omega, he hears the omega’s sudden rush of breath and sees his pupils dilate.
“I need you.”
“You would let me mark you?”
“I would let you mark me first,” he says, letting the significance of his declaration land, “if only it meant you would be mine.”
The omega’s stare remains unbroken on his neck, and he fights against the instincts screaming at him to stop making himself vulnerable.
“I want your name.”
Kiyoomi blinks, and the omega waits. “I thought you already knew who I was?”
“Generally, when people meet for the first time, it’s polite to exchange names. And since you wanna court me, I think you should go first, hm?”
“Kiyoomi,” he says immediately, perhaps a tad rushed. “My name is Kiyoomi.”
The omega smiles, guarded but genuine, his entire face softening with the gesture. “I’m Atsumu.”
“Atsumu,” Kiyoomi breathes, getting a feel for the weight of the name on his tongue. It has a melody to it that’s pleasing to his ear, and he indulges in the way his lips form around the different sounds as he speaks the name aloud. “Beautiful.”
The tips of Atsumu’s ears stain red, but his face gives nothing away. “Kiyoomi’s a nice name too, but if you want me to be yours, I want a name that’s only for me.”
“Do you have something in mind?”
Atsumu makes a show of scratching his chin, but Kiyoomi can see a hint of mischief in his eye. Seeing his future mate be playful with him is both endearing and exciting. He’s ready to put in whatever work necessary to make this man choose him, but if the omega is already warming to the idea, he’ll take this as a victory.
“I’m gonna call you Omi.”
“You’ll be the only one. If anyone tries to take what’s yours, their life will be forfeit. No exceptions.”
Atsumu visibly shivers, letting out a pleased hum. “I’ll hold you to that, Omi.”
The way Atsumu’s voice caresses the name sends tendrils of warmth curling through Kiyoomi. Patience and prudence have always been paramount in how he conducts himself, but the omega in front of him has already pushed him near his limit. Taking a centering breath, he reminds himself to tread carefully. He needs to feel Atsumu out and see what he’s receptive to before he makes any moves that could potentially cost him the perfect mate.
“If there’s anything you want, there’s a servant stationed outside the tent with my guards. They will cater to your every need and desire. As soon as you feel up to it, I’ll announce you to the camp and make clear that you’re not to be hindered in any way. Nothing is off limits to you.”
Golden brows furrow, his mouth pinching. “I don’t have to stay here if I’m not with you?”
“Of course not. Even if you choose to be mine, I will never deny you your freedom. I would not see one as beautiful as you chained. I do ask that you not wander until I’ve announced you. I’d rather not kill anyone in my camp for disrespecting you before they know it’s a crime punishable by death.”
Atsumu doesn’t reply; instead, he searches his face, looking for who knows what. Perhaps a small hint of dishonesty. He won’t find it, no matter how long he looks.
“I’m going to take a bath. Please feel free to use the soaking tub at your leisure. The water can be heated or cooled to your liking.”
Kiyoomi rises to his feet, turning his back on the omega and crossing to the other side of the tent where his soaking tub sits, steam wafting off the piping hot water. In his conquests, he’s managed to collect some of the finest minds in the land. Mathematicians, scholars, and engineers all serve within his ranks. Strength comes in many facets, and power is easier to retain when you have your brain and your brawn working in equal measure. One of his most favored talents designed an easily transportable soaking tub for him to take along during campaigns, knowing how he prioritizes cleanliness above all. Just because he’s a barbarian doesn’t mean he wishes to reek of blood and viscera after a long day of fighting.
He peels off his blood-soaked clothes, tossing them to the side. A servant will breeze in like a ghost and remove them before he’s sunk into the water. Using a rough brush and hearty soap, he sets about scrubbing his skin, being extra thorough in removing the dried brown under his nails. Movement registers out of the corner of his eye, and he watches Atsumu slip into the water of his soaking tub, eyes locked on him as if he were a wolf.
“I’m gonna bathe first.”
“As you wish.”
Kiyoomi dunks a bowl into his basin, using it to rinse himself free of suds. When he opens his eyes again, Atsumu is still watching him, but his face twists with confusion.
“Is something wrong?”
“You’re just gonna let me have my way? What kind of alpha are you?”
Ah. So that’s what this is.
“I told you to use the soaking tub at your leisure.”
“But…you said you were gonna take a bath. What if I hog it til the water’s cold? You just gonna stand there drippin’?”
Kiyoomi smiles at him, careful not to move too quickly when he walks over to where his drying linens wait. “I can soak later.”
“Why?”
He stops with his hand halfway to the towel, turning around to face Atsumu. He doesn’t miss the way the omega’s eyes trail down his body, eyes widening at where his cock rests against thickly muscled thighs.
“Why are you doin’ this?”
“I want you to be my mate, and as my mate, it will always be my priority to give you what you want. If what you want right now is to soak, you will soak. If you choose to be mine, you’ll have the best of everything. The best food. The best clothes. The best nesting materials. You strike me as the type who would enjoy a bold nest done up in reds and oranges. Whatever you want, if it’s in my power to give, would be yours.”
It’s faint, almost imperceptible, but he hears the slight whimper that escapes Atsumu’s throat. He declines to acknowledge it, toweling off and tossing the damp fabric in the corner.
“So if I tell you I want somethin’...you’ll give it to me?”
Stepping into a clean pair of pants, Kiyoomi offers him a mischievous smile before tying the laces. “I’ll make this simple. If it’s in my power to give, it will be yours.”
“The city of Inarizaki.”
Kiyoomi’s hands return to his sides, and he appraises the sudden fire blazing in Atsumu’s eyes. “What of it? Shall I conquer it? Destroy it? What would you have me do?”
Kiyoomi knows of Inarizaki. It was a fishing village until an enterprising beta a hundred years back saw the potential for sea trade. In those scant hundred years, it’s grown into a respectable port, bringing in money and rare goods from the lands across the water. Naturally defended by rocky escarpments on the land-facing side and open ocean on the other, the city has managed to avoid falling prey to the territorial disputes common further inland. Some warlords have tried and failed, losing large portions of their armies and reputation. Kiyoomi has never considered pursuing it, not tempted enough by the potential benefits of conquering the city.
“Conquer it,” Atsumu answers, fingers curled around the lip of the tub in a white-knuckled grip. “It’ll become one of your vassals, and in return for payin’ tax to you, it’ll be under your protection.”
Kiyoomi opens his mouth to accept these terms when Atsumu rushes to add more. “I get to kill the current chief. And…and I get to choose his successor.”
Even under his quiet hesitation, venom drips from Atsumu’s words, and Kiyoomi knows well enough that the reason for it will be revealed in due time if he remains patient. “Anything else?”
Atsumu blinks at him, some of the uncertainty fading from his gaze. “Um…no.”
“Very well. Ayano!” he calls, knowing his guard will hear him. “Begin reconnaissance on Inarizaki. We’re setting out on a new campaign.”
“Yes, my Lord!”
Atsumu’s mouth goes slack, his eyes bigger than the moon, and it satisfies Kiyoomi to leave his omega speechless. He searches his trunk for suitable clothes, picking out a soft set of linen pants and a matching tunic. It will have to do until he can provide custom-made pieces for his new mate. Water sloshes, and he sets the clothes to the side, grabbing a fresh towel before facing Atsumu. His jaw is still loose, and Kiyoomi struggles to maintain focus instead of watching the droplets race down his bronzed skin. Holding up the towel, he keeps his feet firmly rooted to the spot.
“May I?”
Atsumu nods, the shock in his eyes giving way to breathless wonder. Kiyoomi approaches slowly, unwilling to risk startling the other man. His hands, capable of the most brutal violence, are tender as they press the fabric to the omega’s wet skin. Atsumu flinches away at the first touch, and rage lights Kiyoomi up from the inside. If he could somehow kill Hisui all over again, he would drag it out for as long as possible. Once Atsumu relaxes, he gently dabs the water away, starting with his arms and chest, before going to his knees. Atsumu’s startled gasp draws his gaze up to the omega’s face.
“You…how can you–”
“There’s nothing shameful about an alpha kneeling before their mate,” Kiyoomi murmurs, pressing the towel against his inner thighs. The faintest hint of slick reaches his nose, and it takes everything in him to bite back a growl. “I think you’ll come to find you quite like me on my knees.”
At eye level, he sees Atsumu’s cock twitch with interest, but he ignores it, finishing his task and rising to his full height. The omega takes the clothes he’s offered, slipping into the pants and tying the drawstring at the waist. They’re a hair too long, but it doesn’t matter once he slips his feet into the hard-soled boots Kiyoomi provides. He chooses to leave his chest bare, and the sight is so pleasing that the alpha follows suit. Slipping on his own boots and tightening the laces, he runs a hand through his damp hair, shaping his curls without using the bronze mirror in the corner.
“I have to settle the matter of spoils before we leave. A once useful idiot seems to think he’s entitled to you, and now that you’ve chosen to let me court you, I won’t allow him to continue with such a ridiculous notion. You’re more than welcome to come set him straight yourself if it would please you.”
Atsumu’s lips pull back into a snarl, and Kiyoomi’s blood runs so hot he feels like it might melt his veins.
“Come with me. We should make this quick so we can move on to more important matters.”
Atsumu follows him out of the tent, pausing while Kiyoomi instructs the servants waiting outside. One is tasked with preparing nesting materials before the sun sets, while the others are to announce their courtship to the assembled army. Anyone unaware of who Atsumu is and what he is to Kiyoomi will not be exempt from punishment once the sun rises tomorrow if they act out of line with him. The alpha doesn’t wait for them to acknowledge his command before heading off through the camp, keeping Atsumu at his right side.
They arrive at a sort of no man's land between the three camps, with several tents erected to protect them from the sun. Kiyoomi spots the mouthy whelp gorging himself on barbecued meat, and beside him, Atsumu scoffs.
“That him? The one who thinks he owns me?”
Kiyoomi’s hackles raise at the implication, but the look of utter disgust on his omega’s face soothes him. “If it weren’t so egregious, I might find it funny. As it stands, I haven’t decided if he gets to walk away from this with all his limbs.”
Atsumu laughs, the sound so light and airy it invigorates Kiyoomi down to his bones. What great feat has he accomplished in this life or the last that persuaded the Gods to put such an enchanting creature in his path? His mood plummets again when the other alpha looks past him to set his eyes on the omega, roving over him with blatant interest. Kiyoomi might take one of them as punishment for the slight. He strolls out into the open, stopping a short distance away and sucking the grease off his fingers, the gesture made lewd by how he stares at Atsumu.
“I’m glad you came to your senses,” he calls to Kiyoomi. “Come, Omega. You’ll warm my cock while the alphas discuss the distribution of the spoils.”
Something sharp bolts through Atsumu’s scent, and the wind carries it to Kiyoomi’s nose, making his knees weak. The omega turns his back on the other alpha, closing the already short distance until there’s only a whisper of space between them. This close, Kiyoomi can feel his warmth, smell sweet apple spiked with the tang of bloodlust, and he’s ready to lay the world at Atsumu’s feet. Golden eyes entrance him, even as his own trace down the slope of his nose to the full pout of his lips.
“You said you'd give me anythin’ I wanted that was in your power to give?”
“Yes,” he murmurs, throat inexplicably dry. Atsumu tilts up toward his ear, resting their cheeks together as he voices his desire. The words are precise and vicious, raising the hair on the back of Kiyoomi’s neck. Atsumu leans away with an easy smile, and Kiyoomi will do anything to earn himself another.
Atsumu takes a single step back, eyes dancing with mischief. “I’m waitin’...Alpha.”
Kiyoomi wills his cock to behave, knowing he needs his blood to remain in his head if he’s going to fulfill his omega’s request. The other alpha’s face twists with impatience, and for one foolish moment, it looks like he’s going to cross the distance and bodily drag Atsumu to him. Kiyoomi steps in front of his omega, subtly loosening his body in preparation.
“My future consort has decided your disrespect warrants death. Remove your armor and face me, alpha to alpha.”
The other alpha chokes on nothing, eyes bulging wide. “Future consort?! You must have lost your mind,” he jeers, tearing off his armor with a manic grin. A circle forms around them, and Kiyoomi kicks off his boots to give him better movement in the grass. The other alpha steps into the ring, lowering himself into a fighting stance. “I hope you know that after you throw your life away for this used omega, I’ll have him writhing on my cock before the sun sets.”
“Take comfort in the fact that your worthless life will be the first of many courting gifts.”
His opponent lunges, inexperience and ego on display, prioritizing a show of strength over an efficient first attack. Kiyoomi sees the right hook coming before the other alpha has even decided on the move, simply based on the way his weight shifts. Years of training and real-life battles have taught him how to read an enemy. He catches his wrist in a painful grip, smashing his elbow with full force into the alpha’s nose, feeling the bone crunch. Warm blood coats his arm, the alpha’s dazed eyes struggling to focus on his face. He considers, for the briefest moment, drawing it out for no other reason than to satisfy his omega’s desire to see this alpha suffer for his insolence, but ultimately, he chooses against it. It’s been a long day, and he wants to tuck himself away with his future mate and relax.
Without releasing his hold on the alpha, Kiyoomi snaps his wrist, using his pain as a distraction to knock him onto his knees. He goes down like a felled tree, mouth open to scream when Kiyoomi grips either side of his head, jerking sharply to the left and feeling the body go limp. The warriors on the opposing side are stunned to silence, which allows everyone to hear when he continues twisting, wrenching the alpha’s head from his neck with his bare hands. Blood sprays across his front, and he takes just a moment to roll the tension out of his muscles before he carries the trophy by the hair back to his waiting omega.
Atsumu looks near feral with delight, his eyes gleaming like a vengeful god, ready for Kiyoomi’s worship.
“As you requested, my vicious creature.”
Atsumu doesn’t bother looking at the head dangling in his hands, closing the distance between them, molding both hands to Kiyoomi’s bloodstained cheeks and licking into his mouth. The kiss is short and scorching, promising a passionate union when the omega decides to take Kiyoomi into his bed. He pulls away with a nip to the alpha’s lower lip, his thumbs smearing the blood across Kiyoomi’s face.
“Tell the servants to reheat the bath.”