by J. R Fox
“I suppose we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Wolfric sat up gingerly, then used the wet cloth to wipe the sweat from his face and neck. “I have to get back to work, before someone comes looking for me.”
“Of course. I expect you’ll be in mild pain for some hours, but I’d prefer you didn’t take anything for it. If it’s more severe or you feel weak or ill, come straight back to me. I don’t think it’s likely, but you never know.” Edhel smiled what Wolfric assumed he imagined was a reassuring smile, but in reality looked very unsure.
All the same, Wolfric trusted him. Edhel wouldn’t have tried something on a human subject that he felt was truly risky. As he’d said, it was only a case of rearranging parts that were already there.
“Thank you, Edhel. For everything.” Wolfric said as he stood, preparing to go. “I am forever in your debt.”
“Wait until you’ve got a healthy baby bouncing on your knee. Then thank me.” Edhel’s smile changed to something more distant, as though he were imagining the picture of Wolfric with a baby and enjoying the idea. Wolfric liked that, and if Edhel was to be the child’s parent as well, Wolfric wouldn’t keep that from them. Nor would he stop Edhel from seeing the child whenever he pleased.
In the back of Wolfric’s mind, a scenario wherein he and Edhel became very close as a result of this played over and over, each version ending in Edhel kissing him softly. He wasn’t sure what to think of it, so he resolved to ignore it.
Edhel was also not exaggerating about mild pain continuing for hours. Though it was no worse than indigestion or the overall discomfort of a hangover, by the time Wolfric’s shift was over, all he wanted to do was sleep.
He was snoring before his head hit the pillow on his bed, and when he dreamed, it was of a grey-eyed wizard with pointed ears.
***
Though Edhel had said he’d wait until they knew for sure whether the spell had worked as intended, he found himself going over his own side of it again after Wolfric left.
Becoming an alpha was a much more straightforward process, and the effects of it were ones almost no man would refuse. A higher sex drive and larger equipment to act on it with were the sort of thing that Edhel could set up shop and charge for, if they worked as intended.
He’d never thought of himself as under-endowed, and he’d never had any complaints, but that was beside the point.
His side of the spell wasn't going to hurt, as far as he could tell, and it would be more easily reversible if he decided he needed to reverse it.
It couldn't do any harm to get it done early, and if Wolfric's modifications hadn't worked out, then he could just correct it later.
That was what Edhel told himself as he prepared the spell, anyway.
Despite being sure it wouldn't be painful, Edhel settled on his battered couch before he started work. Precautions led to fewer accidents, after all, and he wanted to avoid any possible missteps in this.
Edhel braced himself, closed his eyes, and began to concentrate on what he was doing. As the magic started to work, he felt his groin tingle, then a stretching, full feeling not unlike arousal, but without any hardening.
It was strange, uncomfortable even, but not painful. All the same, he was glad when it was over.
Closer inspection of the changes revealed that he was thicker all over, with a decided swell at the base. The literature had called it a knot, which Edhel could understand now that he was seeing it. It looked like a complex series of muscles.
He’d read about what it was supposed to do, and now he understood how it might work.
When he stood, he could feel himself hanging differently, though he imagined his awareness of it would fade with time. He did notice that in the light garments he wore under his robes, he looked significantly better-endowed than he had been before.
Perhaps he’d take to wearing better-fitted trousers after this. It might improve his chances of finding someone to settle down with once and for all if he was bringing more to the table than a vocation which terrified most not involved with it, and made the rest see him as more opportunity than man.
Though Wolfric had asked him for this favor, Edhel didn’t feel used by him. He and Wolfric had a strange friendship, brought about by proximity, but strengthened by mutual respect and a shared sense of humor. Wolfric may not have understood magic, but he respected it. He wasn’t afraid of it and he didn’t think it was the solution to every possible problem. That made him practically unique among non-magical people, as far as Edhel was concerned.
By the next morning, Edhel had practically forgotten about his new modification, and went to his study inside the university proper to consult with new students and teach the single class he took that day, as well as continue his own, school-funded research. Magic was a respectable business, but it was a business nevertheless. Academia was insulated from some of the worst economic necessities, but not nearly all of them.
Edhel enjoyed his job immensely, mostly for the look on a new student’s face when, firstly, they realized they weren’t alone in the world and people like them actually had a rich history, and secondly, when they first mastered their talent and made something happen on purpose. Even the more detail-oriented things suited him, and he liked to think he was a good teacher. Perhaps some of his ideas were a little unusual, and certainly he’d upset people by meddling in things they felt shouldn’t be meddled with, but he was satisfied with his work.
That satisfaction kept him focused on what he was doing right up until he saw Wolfric walking across the grounds to take up his post at the front entrance. Then everything changed. Edhel felt his heart beating harder and faster, his mouth suddenly dry, and, embarrassingly, his nether regions stirring.
He’d always found Wolfric attractive, but he’d never once reacted like this before. He blushed deeply and forced himself to look away, focusing once more on his work.
No matter how hard Edhel tried to concentrate, though, his thoughts kept going back to Wolfric. He rationalized that this was a side-effect of the spell, but side-effect or not, it was happening. It implied that Wolfric’s side of things had worked, as well. Perhaps they’d just have to move forward a little sooner than expected.
Soon enough, Edhel gave up on trying to get any further work done and gave in to the urge to go downstairs and see Wolfric. He tried to keep himself as composed as possible, but he wasn’t sure how successful he was.
Wolfric turned to him immediately when he opened the door, as though he’d sensed Edhel’s presence. That was a good sign, according to Edhel’s research. An omega in heat should be able to tell when there was an alpha nearby.
“Would you mind escorting me to my rooms?”
“Of course.” Wolfric licked his lips, looking Edhel up and down. They set off across the grounds, neither man saying anything to the other until they were well and truly out of the other guard’s hearing range.
Edhel could smell Wolfric’s arousal, even in the open air. As far as he was concerned, that was confirmation that this had worked, that they’d achieved what they’d set out to. Or at least, they’d laid the groundwork for achieving it.
Conception was the next step, and while Edhel had been concerned in the first place about how they’d accomplish it, he wasn’t any longer.
Wolfric followed him up to his rooms without being asked and hovered nervously once the door was closed, obviously not sure how to proceed. Edhel wanted to pounce on him, take what his new, heightened instincts were telling him was rightfully his, and not stop until he was sure Wolfric was carrying his child.
Before he could get to explaining that he was fairly sure everything had worked as it was supposed to, Wolfric made a low, desperate noise that spoke to something buried deep in Edhel’s psyche.
He crossed the room in a heartbeat, crowding Wolfric against the wall beside a bookcase. His mind told him this was to make Wolfric feel safe, and though Wolfric had an inch or so in height and several more in breadth on him, it did seem to calm him
.
“It’s all right,” Edhel murmured. “I’ll take care of you.”
He wasn’t sure where the sentiment was coming from, but his need to make sure Wolfric was happy was suddenly overwhelming. He couldn’t think of anything outside of that goal. His entire world was consumed by it.
“I need…” Wolfric swallowed thickly. Edhel shushed him, brushing his hair back with his fingertips.
“I know, I know. You’ll get what you need. Go to the bedroom, undress, and I’ll be with you soon.”
Wolfric nodded, and when Edhel let him go past him, followed the instruction without question or hesitation. Once Wolfric wasn’t in the room with him anymore, Edhel’s head cleared a little. He understood that this was an effect of what they’d become, and decided it was best to go along with it. He could turn himself back to normal afterward, and then they shouldn’t have to deal with this anymore. Wolfric would, by all indications, be pregnant after they’d mated, and everyone would be happy.
Edhel took a deep breath and went to follow him into the bedroom.
Chapter Three
Wolfric walked away from Edhel’s rooms as the sun was rising, sore, embarrassed, and dreading trying to explain his absence.
He’d gotten what he wanted, he supposed—Edhel had explained to him after the frantic, needy sex Wolfric had practically begged for that this was normal, though he hadn’t expected the drive to mate to be nearly as strong. If everything had worked as it should—and it appeared it had—Wolfric would fall pregnant.
Edhel had been good enough to do this for him, and Wolfric needed a better way to thank him for that. His own behavior had shocked him, though.
He’d woken up that day to a sticky, wet patch in his underwear that wasn’t quite like the ones he’d been used to as a younger man. When he’d come face to face with Edhel, it had become immediately obvious where it had come from, and he was horrified by how strongly he reacted. Never in his life had Wolfric felt such uncontrolled lust and need.
Worst of all was parting from Edhel. Something deep in his gut wanted to stay and let Edhel pet his hair and take care of him, but he knew he couldn’t do that. Edhel had done so much for him, he couldn’t ask for anything more.
Wolfric stumbled his way into his quarters, scribbled a report that said he’d been investigating a report of a stranger in the grounds to explain his extended absence, and then collapsed into bed.
He woke up hours later with a strange ache in his belly, and panic rising in his chest.
At first, he imagined it was something to do with the spell, an unexpected side-effect of meddling with nature as they had done. As time went on and he tried to ignore it, though, his mind focused on a single idea—he wanted to be near Edhel, so much so that he was beginning to feel as though he needed it to live.
He lasted another hour or so before making his way to the university, doing his best to avoid being stopped in the street on the way. Since the guards on duty recognized him as one of their own, he was admitted onto the grounds immediately, but then realized that the next problem wasn’t so simple to solve—Edhel would be teaching, or in his study consulting or doing research. He wouldn’t have time for Wolfric now.
Wolfric paused, and then headed for the east tower instead. Something told him that if he could just be nearer to Edhel’s scent, he’d feel better, and the best place for him to do that was sitting outside Edhel’s rooms until he came back.
Once he reached the floor Edhel lived on he was out of breath, panting heavily as he leaned against the door.
To his surprise, it opened. Wolfric nearly fell inside the room, having lost his main source of support, but Edhel caught him before he hit the ground, and dragged him inside, slamming the door behind him.
“I knew you’d come,” Edhel said, his voice sounding as strained and desperate as Wolfric felt. Before Wolfric knew what was happening, Edhel had him pinned against the wall, his nose pressed to Wolfric’s neck.
For reasons Wolfric couldn’t possibly explain, it helped. The panic subsided, and though his belly still ached, he realized now that what he was feeling was need. He didn’t so much want Edhel as need him, with every part of his being.
It was an uncomfortable feeling, but one he knew wouldn’t improve by pretending it wasn’t there. He’d already tried that, and it had only made him more desperate.
“So it’s not just me?”
“No.” Edhel sighed contently and leaned his full weight against Wolfric, relaxing. “I couldn’t bring myself to do anything other than wait here and hope you’d come to me. I didn’t think I had any hope of finding you out in the city.”
“I'm glad you were here. I don't think I would've lasted much longer.”
“I'm sorry about this. I thought it’d be negligible. But I can't change what I did to you without killing the baby, and if I only change myself I'm afraid you'll be stuck like this without anyone to go to for comfort.”
Wolfric hesitated. He wanted a child, but this was much more complicated than he’d imagined. He didn't want to put Edhel through it. “Are we sure there is a baby?”
Edhel smiled wryly. “You smell pregnant. Don't ask me how I know, I just know.”
All of Wolfric’s current concerns seemed to fade into oblivion on hearing that. He was finally going to have the child he’d wanted for years; for as long as he could remember.
Edhel chuckled, snuggling closer to Wolfric. “Your happiness feels like the sun coming out.” He looked up at Wolfric seriously, but still with the ghost of a smile on his face. “I signed up for this. My greatest need at the moment is to keep you happy, comfortable, and safe. I want to do that.”
“I want…” Wolfric swallowed. He wanted a lot of things, none of which he felt he could rightly ask for. Edhel was volunteering, though. Perhaps it would be best to let him decide what he was and wasn’t willing to do. “I want this baby, in the long term. In the short term, I need you… like before.”
To Wolfric’s surprise, Edhel grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Without further comment, Edhel began pulling Wolfric’s clothes off roughly, directing him toward the bedroom and finally pushing him down onto the bed, naked. Wolfric watched Edhel undress hungrily, biting his lip to keep from whimpering at the lost contact.
What felt like ages later, Edhel climbed onto the bed and on top of Wolfric. Unwilling to wait any longer, Wolfric lifted his hips up, stopping just short of verbally begging Edhel to take him. Edhel took the hint anyway, sliding inside Wolfric’s body in one stroke, right up to the knot.
Wolfric arched his back and cried out, tears welling up in his eyes, but not from pain. He’d never been so relieved in his life as he was with Edhel’s cock buried deep inside his body, where it felt like it should be.
Edhel shushed him gently, leaning down to place tiny kisses and bites along his neck. “My Wolfric,” he murmured, beginning to rock his hips in shallow circles, providing just enough friction to tease, but not to satisfy.
Though Wolfric had been alarmed at the changes to his body initially, he now accepted that there were advantages to being able to take this so easily. The first time had been too frantic to truly enjoy, but this was different.
“All yours,” Wolfric replied, not sure where the sentiment was coming from, but wanting it to be true. His attraction to Edhel seemed to have blossomed practically overnight into something much, much more serious, and he wanted it to continue.
“All mine.” Edhel bit down on Wolfric’s neck, hard enough to bruise him, and began to speed up his pace. Wolfric felt him reach out to brace himself against the headboard as the whole bed shook, banging against the wall with each thrust.
The world whited out around Wolfric, narrowing down to Edhel’s scent surrounding him and his cock inside him, pulling him closer and closer to the strange but nonetheless intense orgasm he’d only experienced once before. He felt the tension build low in his belly and clung tightly to Edhel, trusting him instinctively to take care of h
im.
Finally, Edhel’s cock hit him in just the right place, at just the right moment, and Wolfric felt that same odd, sweeping orgasm roll through him, his body tensing up at first and then relaxing so completely he could barely keep his legs up.
Edhel shifted to support his weight, then bit down hard on Wolfric’s neck again, marking him for a second time. Wolfric felt him come as well, Edhel’s knot swelling inside him and effectively joining them together. He wasn’t sure how long it had lasted last time—it might have been minutes or hours—but this time, the thought brought him so much joy he could barely contain it.
Once Edhel recovered, he rolled them both over onto their sides. For such a thin, wiry man, he had a great deal more strength than Wolfric would have credited him with.
To Wolfric’s delight, Edhel leaned in to kiss all over his face, keeping his touches light and the rest of his body still, so as not to cause him any unnecessary pain. Wolfric liked the way the knot felt inside him, but moving it was uncomfortable at best.
“I could get used to this,” Edhel said softly. “You need to take a leave of absence, anyway. You should move in here while you’re pregnant.”
“I…” The rational part of Wolfric wanted to say no, that was too much of an imposition and he couldn’t ask Edhel for it, but this new, needy part wanted nothing more dearly than to say yes. Edhel had offered, so he clearly didn’t mind the idea.
“Please.” Edhel pecked him on the lips. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep at night if you’re not here. And it’ll make my research easier.”
Wolfric swallowed, but nodded. He wanted to stay here, and Edhel was right—he needed to take time off work if he was going to be pregnant. It wasn’t dangerous work, but it would raise an awful lot of questions, and soon.
“All right,” Wolfric agreed. “I’ll move in here.”
“Tonight?” Edhel asked.
“Tonight.” Wolfric snuggled a little closer to Edhel and let himself relax. He’d quit if he had to—he’d have to quit once he had a child to care for, anyway. Nothing was more important than that.
