Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/10171604. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: M/M Fandom: Fantastic_Beasts_and_Where_to_Find_Them_(Movies) Relationship: Original_Percival_Graves/Newt_Scamander Character: Theseus_Scamander, Newt_Scamander's_Mother, Newt_Scamander's_Father, Leta Lestrange Additional Tags: AU, Alpha/Beta/Omega_Dynamics, Omega_Newt, Alpha_Percival, Arranged Marriage, Age_Difference, Masturbation, Scent_Marking, Scent_Kink, Mating Cycles/In_Heat, newt_in_heat, Bottom_Newt, Top_Percival, Femininity, Tiny bit_of_Normalized_CrossDressing, Virgin_Newt, First_Time, Knotting, Impregnation, Mpreg, Newt_Wants_It_Bad, Dirty_Talk, Bit_of_Semen_kink, come_tasting, Innocent_Newt, Naive_Newt, Percy_Wants_it_Real_Bad, Fluffy, Happy, Lactation_Kink, Male_Lactation, badass_newt Stats: Published: 2017-03-08 Completed: 2017-04-30 Chapters: 2/2 Words: 27068 ****** Promised ****** by Miss_Lv Summary Omegas have to be arranged to marry young Newt learns. When they go into heat their bodies need to mate, need an alpha to sooth the ache or it won't go away. So Newt's parents chose Percival for him and sometimes people think it's cruel but Newt never had, it had been a comfort, to know Percival was waiting for him. Notes Have some adorable Alpha/omega fic. <3 See the end of the work for more notes ***** Newt ***** Newt is five when he meets Percival Graves. His daddy brings two men over and Theseus tries to sneak Newt out through the garden. “I wan’na play,” Newt protests but his big brother won't let go of his wrist. “We got to hide Newt, there’s a man here to steal you away.” Newt blinked, tears welling in his eyes at such a terrible thought. “I don’t wan’na,” he sobbed. A wail starting in his throat that brought their mum out. Newt reached for her insistently and her warm and comforting arms helped soothe his upset. “What is going on here?” she directed at Theseus and Newt sniffled as his brother admitted they were running away so no one could steal Newt. “I don’t wan’na be s’old’n,” he hiccupped and his mum gently moved his hair from his face and wiped his wet cheeks. “No one is stealing you, darling. Theseus was eavesdropping, which he shouldn’t be,” she added to Newt’s brother firmly. “Mr. Graves and his son are here because your daddy thinks you would be a good match.” “Match?” “If everything works out, when you grow up, very high,” she exaggerated and Newt giggled. “Mr. Graves’ son will come and marry you.” “Mar’ry me, like you and daddy?” “Very much so. When I was very little my mum and dad picked your father for me and when we grew up we married. After that, I had Theseus in my belly and then once he was running all around, we had you.” “I’ll have babies?” Newt question brightly, kicking his legs and warming up to the idea. The Hippogriffs his mum trained had their babies every spring and Newt was very keen on a fluffy baby to call his own forever. “Babies,” Theseus wrinkled his nose in disgust and Newt kicked at him from his spot on their mum’s hip. “Why haven’t I gotten someone to marry me?” “Because you’re an alpha dear,” their mum began walking, carrying Newt and leading Theseus by the hand through their gardens. “When you come of age you and your father will do the same thing, going off to find an omega for you to marry one day.” “But how come Newt’s so little, why does he get to first?” With his brother looking cheated, Newt decides he likes being married after all. Their mum sits on the side of the fountain and uses the clean water to wash Newt’s face, his tears and snot wiped away with a handkerchief. “Newt is an omega dear, he is the one who must be married when he comes of age.” “Why?” His mum huffed and pushed his hair from his face. “I’ll explain when you’re older,” she promised and both the boys groaned at the excuse. “You always say that,” Theseus whined and Newt noticed someone walking, turning his head curiously. Wiggling from his mum’s arms he jumped down and hurried after his daddy. Rushing around the corner he bumped into someone, a hand stopping him from falling. Newt blinked up at the stranger, feeling scared but then he saw his daddy standing with him. Ducking his head shyly he hurried around the man so he could throw himself at his father’s legs, pressing his face against his thigh. “Well, well, speak of the little one. This is Artemis,” his daddy said, picking Newt up and turning him so he was facing the two men. “What do we say dear?” his father rumbled at him, tone gentle and encouraging. “Hullo,” Newt squeaked shyly, turning to hide in his father’s face immediately. One of the men chuckled. “He…he’s very young,” the other said, voice strange. “Yes, well you’re very young yourself. You wanted a late marriage, didn’t you? Time to establish your career as an auror?” The older man replied with a stern tone and Newt peeked from his daddy’s neck. The younger man nodded his head, glancing at Newt and then away, his face a bit red. “Is he going to marry me?” Newt whispered to his father curiously. “Yes my dear, if he can prove himself, he might very well marry you one day.” “Not for a long time,” Newt reminded and his daddy and the older stranger both chuckled, his daddy pressing a kiss to Newt’s hair. “Exactly.”   Percival would visit every year, usually with his daddy but sometimes alone. He’d have tea with Newt’s mum in the garden or talk in the study with Newt’s daddy. Theseus didn’t like him but Newt thought he was ok. He brought Newt nice things when he visited. “What is it?” Newt asked curiously, holding up the shiny rock. “A sun catcher, an opal fire stone from one of the best mines and the wood frame was carved by the best in America,” Percival explained, he always spoke so calmly but Newt could see he was unsure, often looking to Newt’s mum or daddy when he talked to him. Newt only met with Percival when one of them was with him. “What do you say Newt?” His mum prompted and Newt flushed for forgetting. “T-thank you,” he mumbled, his gaze looking around instead of meeting the man’s eyes. Newt would get scared when he had to stare at people too much. His gaze fell on some books Percival had with him, one book with a puffing dragon on the spine. “What’s that!?” Newt jumped and only his mum's hand on his waist kept him from falling. “This?” Percival seemed perplexed again but he pulled the book from under the pile, offering it to Newt’s outstretched hand. “Research books for my studies.” “You’re finished your schooling now aren’t you?” Newt’s mum asked politely and Percival nodded. “I’m working to make my application to MACUSA’s Auror program.” “Following in your father’s footsteps,” he mum offered and Newt stopped paying attention, the book with dragons dancing on it opening to reveal even more dragons. Great big ones, smoking and flapping their wings in the pictures. Newt turned the pages with rapt fascination.   He blinked up when his mum squeezed him, gaining his attention. “Huh?” “Newt,” sighed like he was being rude but not so much so that he would be punished later. “Percival asked you a question.” “You seem to like dragons?” “Oh! Yes, very much. I’m going to study them. All sorts of magical creatures.” Newt cheered, grinning brightly at the man who finally, finally smiled. “I’m glad you have something you like so much,” he told Newt and for no reason at all, Newt felt his heart thump funnily. He ducked his head turned to hide against his mum’s neck like he hadn’t since he was younger. His mum seemed to find it funny. “Newt has quite the gift with magical creatures, he convinced the gnomes in the garden to leave.” “Didn’t mum, I just explained that the gardens further down were used less so no one would mind them there. Dad was talking about getting a Jarvey to eat them!” “He was just teasing you love. Not many people would sit and have a talk with gnomes you know, and I know you still go and have chats with them. Why, just this spring, a unicorn followed Newt home from the greenbelt!” Newt flushed and Percival made an inquisitive sound.   “Mary was just a bit lost, she wanted something to drink is all,” he mumbled in explanation, his mum chuckling. “You have a gift my dear, I’m sure you’ll be wrangling dragons soon enough, giving us a heart attack like with the Mokes.” “They were just scared,” Newt refused to budge on that. “Why don’t you give Percival his book back dear, it’s growing late.” Newt blinked, realizing he was clutching the dragon book tightly to his chest. He offered it out obediently but Percival shook his head. “I think this would be a better gift than a shiny rock don’t you?” He asked Newt and he couldn’t help but flush, looking at his mum for guidance. She just offered him a smile. “T-thank you,” Newt managed to get out, face flushing so red as Percival smiled at him. Later on, when Percival was gone, Newt flipped through his book in his room alone. As he turned the pages he thought he could smell Percival a bit, pressing his nose to the pages. It was wispy scent but it was there, something warm the reminded Newt a bit of the sandalwood soap his mum used to wash his back. Without understanding why, Newt found he really liked the smell and was sad when it faded away.   Newt was thirteen the first time they ever broke the rules. There were rules of course, many, many rules. Newt’s entire life had been about rules though. When he went to Hogwarts he learned he was different for the first time. Being an omega made him special, made him very rare everyone whispered. Newt was sorted into Hufflepuff but his room was through a special door from the common room that only opened for him and led into a dorm with other omegas. The door was heavily spelled that only Newt could pass through it. There were only eight of them in all of Hogwarts, all different ages, but they all roomed together for safety. “Alphas might come for us, try to steal our innocence!” A Gryffindor girl named Joyce who slept in the bed next to him cried. “I think it’s more about keeping us all locked up every night, no evening walks that’s for sure,” an older Slytherin boy called Joseph muttered. Newt didn’t rightly understand it all, but he did get the idea of it. Omega’s bonded when they mated and they mated for life. Newt liked the idea of it, forever with his one true mate. But that also meant alphas would try and lure omegas to mate with them, to break arranged marriages. But Newt's parents had picked Percival because he was the best and so Newt had promised them he would never let any other alpha trick him. “Alphas get to sleep around,” someone huffed and Newt blinked. “T-they do?” He asked, unable not to. Joseph smirked at him. “Yup. They can mess around with betas and find loose omega whores to fuck,” he explained and the others giggled or cried outraged. “Everyone knows they all do it.” Newt bit his lip, wondering if Percival did such things. They did only see each other a few times a year, always formal visits. It had never occurred to Newt what the alpha might be doing when he wasn’t visiting. When they wrote he only talked about work or everyday things.       It picked away at Newt, like a sliver under his skin it festered. He noticed suddenly that alphas were flirting with betas and the way they would hold hands and go off somewhere. “Alpha’s like a bit of fun,” Joseph teased Newt as he walked by. “Who was that?” Leta asked, looking after the boy. “Just a-another omega.” Leta hummed in reply, watching him go before looking back to Newt curiously. “You’ve been acting weird, what happened?” Newt shook his head. Since he had learned to write properly, Newt had written with Percival. The letters were all checked over but when he was at school a few slipped by. Theseus was in charge of reading them over and he found it utterly boring. So usually he didn’t even check them before pressing the family seal to send the letter off via magic. Newt wasn’t allowed to know Percival’s address in order to prevent inappropriate contact. Usually, they talked about easy things, Newt’s lessons and Percival’s work as an Auror. What sort of house Newt would like to live in when they married, if he would like a house in England as well, where he wanted to go study magical creatures once he was done at Hogwarts. Plans and ideas shared back and forth. Polite and a tad bit formal. Newt wrote his usual replies but at the very end, his quill hesitated. Red faced he quickly asked Percival if he ever kissed others. Embarrassed Newt tried to spell the question away but it refused to go. “Another letter for your one true love?” Theseus asked, finding Newt in the library and scaring him half to death. “W-what? No!” Newt jumped but Theseus was already folding the letter and pressing the seal to send the letter off. He frowned at Newt as the omega despaired inside. “Th-that was only the rough draft Theseus,” he mumbled and his brother rolled his eyes. “Whatever, he won’t care, I’m going out with friends now so I’m not waiting all night for you to write a letter.” he shrugged and left, leaving Newt in a mild panic attack.   “He’s going to think I’m some great baby,” Newt whispered, curled up under the greenhouse window with Leta. She’d found him hiding and coaxed him to confess what had happened. “Well, Newt. You do realize that the alpha probably is sleeping with others right?” Newt blinked and shook his head in negative quickly. “We’re promised,” he reminded her and Leta shrugged. “But you’re not married yet. So it’s not that odd for him to see other people before. It wouldn’t be odd for you either,” she pointed out but Newt shook his head again. “I promised I wouldn’t let an alpha trick me.” “That’s to do with knotting and bonds Newt, holding hands and kissing, touching a bit is perfectly fine.” Newt suddenly realized how close Leta was, her shoulder touching his. “Everyone does it, surely you’ve seen?” Newt had. He’d seen alphas who had omega brides and omegas with alpha mates in waiting, arranged marriages to fulfill, he’d seen them go with others, with people not their mates. “I don’t think,” he breathed, red-faced. Newt had thought it like swans, they came of age and met their mate and that was it. There was no one else for them. He’d liked the idea. “Trust me,” Leta told him simply and he glanced at her, watching her lean in and press her mouth to his. It was warm and wet, slippery in a way he didn’t like. Her breath was tinted with the soup from lunch and she pushed her mouth too hard to his. Newt trembled terribly when she pulled way, licking his mouth. Her eyes were funny, a bit shiny and glazed. “Omegas really do taste amazing,” she told him with a dreamy smile and Newt blinked.   “Omegas are like magic compressed,” an older Hufflepuff omega named Irene explained to him after as they got ready for bed. “We’re like a lightning rod, we pull in and focus magic, alphas who mate with omegas are more powerful because our magic feeds them. We don’t have powerful magic ourselves but we can make others powerful. Not really fair.” Newt knew this already; he took the alpha and omega classes just like everyone else. “He’s asking about the sexy part,” Joyce giggled. “See,” Joseph came to lean against the door as they brushed their teeth. “Alphas are the big strong scary ones and omegas are the weak soft darling. So way back when, we needed alphas to protect us. So our bodies starting smelling and tasting perfect to them.” “Pheromones mostly,” the Ravenclaw, Anne, muttered thoughtfully. “Our bodies and magic are in tune with them, we’re compatible.” “We’re like a drug,” Joseph corrected with a leer. “Smart omegas can get an alpha to do anything they want, willing to throw themselves on a sword just to please. When an omega goes into their heat, they have to mate and all, but they can drive alphas wild, fighting to be the one who gets to mate.” “Like the old stories, where the omegas ask the alphas to prove themselves and they have to fight dragons?” A younger boy asked, wide eyed and looking as curious as Newt felt. “Exactly.” “That’s why they try to trick you or use brute force, because they want you that badly,” Joyce announced with the air of someone well lectured. “You don’t ever trust an alpha until your mated. Then only your mate will want your scent.” Newt didn’t know what to think. He stuck to Theseus side during the week and his big brother picked up that something was wrong. He hung out with Newt without pestering him or complaining once. Newt felt terrible but he avoided Leta, still unsure. “Coming to Hogsmeade?” Theseus offered and Newt shook his head. They were walking down the halls, the Hufflepuff common room around the corner. “I’m going to study, I’ve found a new book on venomous slugs.” Theseus wrinkled his nose but rubbed Newt’s hair affectionately. “Alright, see you later.” Newt was up in his room, digging out the book when the light came. A great bright thing that made is eyes blink. It jumped around the room with a grace, coming to stop in front of him. Newt was kneeling at his trunk and he blinked in wonder as a pretty pale white animal he didn’t know looked up at him, glowing brightly. Some sort of dog Newt thought in marvel. “Please meet Percival at Hogsmeade.” The stunning creature whispered and then dashed off leaving Newt gaping after it. Meet Percival at Hogsmeade? When? Now? Was he at the little village right now waiting for Newt? Because of the letter, he was certain, because Newt had written that inappropriate question. What if Percival wanted to break the arrangement now? “What’s wrong with you?” Joseph asked, pausing by the door to peer at him. “M-My arranged al-alpha wants to m-meet me at Hogsmeade.” The Slytherin boy grinned outright now, coming into the room. “When?” “N-now?” Newt felt a bit dazed, he felt sick to his stomach but Joseph was grinning like this was a wonderful thing. “Come on then!” Newt let the older boy pull him along as they hurried from their dorms and down along the castle. “Have you ever met in secret before?” “S-secret?” “Well it’s not an official meeting, is it? Your parents aren’t here.” Newt stared and then his face burned red. “I c-can’t meet him then!” “Oh come on, have some fun! I’ve met with my alpha on the sly for ages, never let him knot me of course, just enough to keep him wanting more.” “Knot,” Newt’s voice was humiliating high and he tried to dig his feet in making Joseph pause at the Hogwarts gate. “Don’t you want to meet him? You always seemed so stupidly dedicated to him.” Newt stared at the ground, his mind whirling with all the rules he was expected to follow. He was never to meet Percival without supervision; his mum and dad had made him promise. But Percival had come all this way, had clearly wanted to see Newt. “W-will you come?” He suddenly said, staring at Joseph who looked caught off guard. “I’m n-not to meet Percival a-alone but if you c-come,” “Technically you won’t be alone. Alright.” The other omega grinned and winked at Newt. “I want to see this fancy American alpha of yours, I was going to spy anyways.” “Th-thank you.”   Percival was truly waiting for Newt, leaning against the old wood fence and looking distinctly out of place in his American coat and fine suit. The dark grey suited him though and Newt’s face was burning. “I don’t see anyone,” Joseph mumbled and Newt blinked, Percival was right there. But then no one was looking at him really, everyone walking by without a glance. “I think he’s using a spell to hide,” Newt mumbled and Joseph made a curious sound, looking harder now. “Artemis,” Percival greeted when they reached him and Newt’s entire face flushed red for no real reason. Joseph stood by his side, arms crossed as he looked Percival up and down. “Bit old for little Newt,” he commented with a sharp tone. “Jo-Joseph,” Newt hissed. “Some arranged marriages are,” Percival replied smoothly, his attention on Newt. “How are you?” “F-fine,” he mumbled, recalling Leta and her mouth on his, he felt dirty, like he had betrayed Percival. “Go for a walk Newt,” Joseph suggested, gesturing to the crowds walking down the street. “I’ll follow but let you have some privacy.” The usual teasing about him wasn’t in full force and Newt wondered how bad he must look that the boy was being nice. “A good idea,” Percival added and pushed away from the fence, waiting for Newt to join him. “Will you tell me what’s going on?” He asked once they were walking along, no one seeming to pay them attention, none of the students noticing them. It had to be a spell, one Percival was maintaining easily. Newt stared at the ground. “A f-friend, she…” His twisted his hands in one another, squeezing until they hurt. Percival reached and brushed his knuckle lightly making Newt start. It was the first time they had ever touched skin on skin before. “Your friend,” he prodded gently when Newt didn’t continue. “She said most alphas spend time with o-others,” Newt rushed, his confession trapped in his throat. “I wanted to know if you did too, with betas I mean.” “Are you talking about sex?” the older man asked and Newt’s face burned horribly. Joseph made a muffled sound, too far to hear them but probably using a spell. Percival put a hand on Newt’s shoulder and guided him from the busy street, leading him into a small park. When he waved a hand behind them, Joseph seemed to walk into an unseen wall. Before Newt could protest going somewhere alone, Percival stopped and turned to face Newt. He ducked down, going on a knee so he was the one looking up at Newt. “I won’t lie to you, I have spent… time with others,” he admitted with a grimace and Newt suddenly felt a great pain rushing in his chest. He blinked his eyes quickly, feeling them water. “O-oh,” he breathed, suddenly so hurt unreasonably, for some reason he had thought Percival might not. “I s-see.” He stared down at the snow under his feet and felt terribly young and stupid. “I guess it won’t matter then.” “What won’t? Please don’t cry Artemis.” Percival’s warm, large hand cupped his face and his thumb rubbed at the tear running down his face. Newt felt like such a child, a little fool. Here was his alpha, a grown man having to comfort him, still a baby. “My friend L-leta kissed me. She said everyone does. B-before they're married.” Percival peered up at him but Newt couldn’t meet his gaze at all. When the alpha tried to tip his head to look at him Newt pulled away. “Someone kissed you?” Newt nodded. “But you kissed someone too,” he added and Percival frowned. “I did. But I can’t say I like the idea of someone kissing you.” Newt shrugged, feeling petty. “I don’t like that you kiss others either.” Percival sat back, looking up as Newt stared at the ground silently. His mind turned over the thought that omegas were supposed to be able to ask alphas to do things. Would Percival stop if Newt asked him? “Well perhaps we can come to an understanding,” the man suggested softly and Newt blinked, daring a glance at him. “An understanding?” “Yes. I won’t kiss anyone else and neither will you?” “What about sex?” Newt blurted, mortification burning his face. Percival looked surprised, blinking once and then he smiled, a deep chuckle in his chest. “No sex either. No kisses and no sex.” Newt nodded, feeling relieved, the aching in his chest suddenly not there, a warmth filling its place. “A-alright.” “Alright,” Percival echoed, lifting a hand to cup Newt’s face again. “We have an understanding then?” Newt nodded, feeling a bit dizzy, Percival was close now and Newt could smell something heavy and good. He didn’t have a way to describe it, like food when he was hungry but somehow utterly different. The alpha had touched him more than all the times they met over the years, bare skin on skin. “Very well,” Percival announced and he moved off his knees, rising to stand. He leaned over though and pressed a warm lingering kiss to Newt’s cheek. It should have felt like a kiss from his mum but it didn’t. Newt felt something heavy rush through him and settle in his belly. It was nothing like his mum’s kiss and nothing like Leta's either. Percival unwound his scarf from his neck and placed it on Newt. The omega blinked and realized he had forgotten his own in his rush earlier. “Is everything alright then?” Percival asked and Newt nodded his head. He felt warm and fuzzy, Percival’s scent pressed under his nose and the scarf warmed from the man. “May I walk you back?” Newt nodded, unable to meet Percival’s gaze but for a new reason.   Joseph, the terrible omega that he was, called all the other omegas to their room that evening and told on Newt. Everyone giggling and asking about Percival and what they had said. Joseph offered everything he knew but once Percival put up the block, Joseph couldn’t hear them. Embarrassed, Newt fumbled through the story with everyone listening intently. “He kissed you!” Joyce hissed, scandalized. Anne smiled, not looking like her usual stern self. “I think it’s sweet, that he would promise you that.” “Do you think he’ll actually do it, though?” Joseph snorted and Newt frowned. “Yes. Percival is an Auror now and he was never one to lie before. I believe h- him.” Anne sighed a bit. “You’re lucky to have such a nice alpha, Arthur is my age and he goes to Hogwarts too but he want’s to ‘see other people’,” Joyce complained and the focus left Newt, the group talking about their alphas until bed.   “Come along Artemis,” Joseph called out, slinging an arm around Newt’s shoulder and dragging him away from Leta. “Boy’s got a fine alpha waiting for him,” he told her with a wink. Newt flushed, but let the older boy lead him away.   “Mum sent you new gloves. What's with the handsy Slytherin?” Theseus asked as he dropped the package and took a seat beside Newt. Sensing something was going on and with the other omega hinting, Theseus had wheedled the story from Newt. Not about Percival but just that Leta had kissed him. Theseus seemed to think it was a bad idea and between him, Joseph, and the other omegas that caught on to the game, Newt barely saw Leta anymore. They never kissed again.   In the summer when they arrived home, Newt curled up in his own big bed and sighed happily. Hogwarts was wonderful but Newt would always prefer home with its comforts and his family close by. He managed maybe half an hour before he was jumping out of bed and digging through his trunk from school. Percival’s scarf was tucked away and Newt chewed his lip before taking it to bed with him. It had been just to help him sleep at first. The smell of the alpha made Newt feel safe. But then the dreams started and Newt would wake up feeling too warm, his pajamas wet and his thighs sticky. He understood what was happening; Newt knew he was growing up, his body beginning to turn into a proper omega. But for some reason, Percival’s scarf became so much more than comfort. Newt would press his face against it, the warm scent in his lungs as he rubbed against the bed. He never dared to do anything more at the school, he didn’t know the right charms to make the bed soundproof like the older omegas did. But now that he was at home in his own room, Newt could explore a bit. Joseph had teased Newt about the scarf but he had also charmed it so the scent never faded. “You’ll thank me,” he winked and Newt flushed to realize he had known Newt would do this. Pressing the blanket down around his ankles, Newt rubbed his thighs and felt the slick there, his omega cock hard but his backside feeling more sensitive, a tingling from inside. Newt carefully rubbed his finger over his opening and he whined at the sudden spark of pleasure. Pressing his face to Percival’s scarf, Newt imagined the man there, watching Newt, touching him, pressing his fingers instead of Newt’s. He pushed a bit more and his finger sank, sliding into himself, his body warm and very slippery. Putting a hand over his mouth to muffle himself, Newt rubbed his finger back and forth until he couldn’t stand it, his thighs trembling as he slumped to the bed, panting for air despite not running. Newt laid there feeling a bit dazed. He spent all summer learning about feeling good and working on his silent charms so he could spell his bed when he returned to school.   When Percival visited Newt couldn’t stand to look at him, hiding away with his face burning red. “Gross Newt,” Theseus complained and Newt jerked, staring at his brother as he covered his nose. Horrified he looked to his mum who was smiling but waving a hand so the windows all opened. Percival stood with Newt’s father at the door, standing very still. Newt couldn’t really scent himself but it was obvious his body was humiliating him. “Well, I suppose that settles if Newt and you are compatible,” he dad huffed and Newt wanted to die. He slunk from the library and down the balcony into the gardens, face burning red.   The bowtruckles he had found during a bad rainstorm squeaked at him as Newt fed them bits of apple. “I might never be able to face him,” Newt lamented to them. “That’s too bad,” Percival commented, making Newt jump and turn to face him. “We’re having lunch on the balcony,” he explained, motioning to where Newt’s parents and brother were rearranging furniture to set up a table just up the stairs. His dad keeping a close eye on them. “S-sorry,” Newt whispered, feeling humiliated because he could feel himself going slick again, just looking at Percival in his nice suit. “I’m so sorry.” “Don’t be, it’s a very good thing, sweetheart,” the endearment made Newt duck his head and pet the bowtruckle in his palm, his hands needing to do something suddenly. “I was worried actually,” Percival stood a bit away formally, too far to touch for obvious reasons, Newt’s family watching them openly. “When you mentioned kissing others.” “I haven’t done that since that one time. I don’t see Leta anymore. Besides. S- she wasn’t. It wasn’t like…I liked your kiss more.” Percival stood still before Newt before stepping back a touch. “I’m glad,” he breathed, his voice low in a way that ran up Newt’s spine. Newt could feel himself shiver and when he dared to glance up at Percival’s face the man was starting intently, his eyes dark in a way they had never been before. Newt could feel something in him answer, a hunger twisting in his belly. “Newt!” His mum called and they both started a touch, Percival stepping back hastily. He gestured a hand and Newt hopped up from the bench trotting up the stairs with Percival following.   “You should send him a picture,” Joseph grinned, holding up a camera. “W-what?” Newt stared at the contraption. They both had a free block on Tuesday mornings and they both liked to waste it lying in, Newt reading books and working on letters to Percival while Joseph slept or read things he wasn’t supposed too. “A picture, like this,” he tossed Newt a book, a small pink book with a winking omega on the cover. Curious, Newt opened it and then snapped it closed, face burning. “Why?” He cried as Joseph laughed and jumped up from his bed, crawling onto Newt’s and shoving his book on occamys away. “Isn’t it terrible? My alpha had it and I confiscated it. I told him if he was good I might send him a picture of my own and then he sent me a camera!” Joseph flipped the book open and half dressed omegas winked up at them, their legs bared and shoulders on display, a few women were even topless. “That’s filthy.” “I know,” the other omega replied like that was a delightful thing, peering at the pictures. “Look at him, all twisted like a pasta noodle.” Newt muffled a laugh as Joseph tried to turn like the man in the picture, his bare backside to the camera but his upper body twisted around so he was looking at the camera as well. “Come on, you did make your alpha promise not to touch anyone else. He hasn’t had anything but his hand in years now, why not give him something to look at?” “Absolutely not,” Newt breathed, face crimson. “I could never do something so d-dirty.” “You’re so mean to your alpha Newt,” Joseph teased. “You have his scarf and he has nothing!” Newt dragged his study book back and ignored the other omega taking photos of himself on his bed, stripping down increasingly more with each snap. “I’m going to the library,” he finally huffed, unable to sit there with the omega taking dirty photos, Joseph’s laugher following him.   The following Tuesday he woke to the now familiar snap of a camera and Newt yawned, sitting up. He idly pushed his nightshirt down; it had ridden up in the night, almost at his waist. However when he realized the front laces of his shirt were all undone, the neck opened so wide it was hanging off a shoulder, he realized something was amiss. His blanket was pulled to the side as well, so he wasn’t covered at all. The second snap of the camera and a bright flash made him start and he whirled to find Joseph running from the room. Over the past week, the omega had been taking photos of everyone, following the omegas around the castle and snapping nice pictures of them. A few had even followed his suggestion and sent pleasant, proper photos to their alphas, ones where they were all dressed and just smiling. Newt fumbled from the bed and hurried to change, trying to find the other omega before he showed anyone but Joseph was nowhere to be found. “Newt! Can I talk to you?” Theseus threw an arm around Newt’s shoulders and dragged him off before he could even reply. They ended up walking along the lake with his brother struggling to ask something and failing repeatedly. Newt didn’t press, letting Theseus work himself up to it. But a part of him was huffing, he had to find Joseph and his dirty photos of Newt. “Are you happy?” The alpha suddenly blurted and Newt looked away from the giant squid to stare at his brother. “I mean with your arranged marriage. You barely know the man but you’re going to marry him soon, barely a year away now.” Newt tried to think of what had brought this all up, Theseus looking genuinely frustrated by it. “You’re only fifteen and he’s twenty-six. I never really thought about it before but now…” “Lots of people are different ages, mum and dad are fifteen years apart,” Newt reminded him but Theseus shook his head. “I’m not asking about them, I’m asking about you.” Newt stopped walking and looked up at his big brother, watching Theseus look back at him. “I love Percival, Theseus, I’m excited to m-marry him, I’ve always been. He’s been so kind to me and we write a-all the time as well. I’m not…this is my choice.” “But it was arranged when you were five Newt. Five.” “But I wasn’t married then. It was just decided we might match well. I grew up learning about Percival. Honestly, if we didn’t want to get married we wouldn’t.” Theseus picked up a flat rock, wiping the dirt off it before skipping it down the lake. “Because that happens all the time,” he grumbled and Newt felt a touch annoyed. Theseus meant well but he wasn't listening to what Newt was explaining. “It does actually. I room with eight omegas, three of them broke off engagements because when they began to grow into a proper omega their alpha's scent didn’t seem right.” “How can it be right?” Newt shrugged. “It just can. Some people think an omega can tell if someone had ever practiced dark magic just by scenting them, that if they’ve ever taken a life their scent would reveal it.” “Can you?” Theseus looked curious now. Newt shrugged. “There’s no real proof of all that, but I do know that Percival has always smelt…right, I’ve never really thought about not marrying him. I have to mate when I go into h-heat. You know that. All omegas need to mate when they go into heat or the heat won’t stop.” “And they get weaker and weaker until they die, I know Newt.” Theseus huffed, flipping a rock before throwing it. “I’m graduating next year Newt, and you’ll be moving off to America.” Oh. Newt blinked. He leaned on his brother and Theseus huffed again but hugged him. “It’ll be fine I’m sure. It’s exciting really. You’re off to be an Auror and I’m going to attend an academy in New York to study magical creatures. Percival wants to buy a flat in London and have a port key door put in so we can travel between easily. That way I can visit often.” “Really?” Theseus looked a bit relieved and Newt nodded. He felt a bit strange, being the one to comfort his big brother when so often it had been the opposite. Still, he stood with Theseus watching the giant squid and skipping rocks until the sun faded.   When he woke the next morning, Newt found a photo of himself on his pillow, a note telling him to ‘send it to him’ taped to it. The photo wasn’t terrible; he didn’t look like the omegas from the dirty book. It was just Newt, waking up, sitting up a bit with his back to the camera, his shirt slipping down a bit on his shoulder. The nightgown was up high but not too high, his thighs were showing and the curve of his backside could be seen, the nightgown tucked a bit under him. But it still wasn’t appalling. With his back to the camera, it wasn’t obviously Newt either. Joseph winked at him when he passed him in the hall and Newt couldn’t help but think about what he said. Percival had promised not to be with others for Newt and he did believe the alpha had honored that. “Come take a picture, Newt,” Joyce called, the omegas all sitting for nice pictures to send their families or alphas. So Newt sat and took a simple photo of himself offering a meek smile. Feeling a touch scandalous, he charmed the second photo to the back of the proper one, if the charm worked, the second photo would only reveal once Percival held it. If not, well, then no one would ever see the thing. Theseus barely glanced at the photo before closing the letter and putting the seal on it. “As long as you're happy,” he told Newt who smiled in reply.   Percival thanked him for the photos politely in his reply letter and Newt’s face burned for days. He kept re-reading the letter and staring at the ‘photos’ rather than ‘photo’.   When Percival visited in the summer his gaze felt heavy. Newt could barely stand to be in the same room with him without getting a bit wet. His mum and dad were polite enough to charm the scent away but it always drifted back. No other alpha made Newt scent so badly, it was only ever Percival. “I thought about potions, to mask it,” Newt admitted; face a bit red as his mum talked to one of her assistants. Percival and Newt walking along the stable fence in clear view. “It’s rather humiliating.” “I like it,” Percival replied simply, looking out at the Hippogriffs on the other side of the fence. “It smells lovely.” Newt’s face burned and he stared at the grass as they walked. “You mask yourself,” Newt noted and Percival frowned a touch. “I have too, for work. Aurors need to be able to hide, few spells can hide an alpha from an omega so we have to take potions.” “Do omegas?” “Far more than me, their scents are meant to be clear and alluring.” Newt glanced and jerked when Percival was already peering at him, the hungrily look in his gaze. Looking back, Newt noticed his mum trailing after them now and stopped to wait for her. “I wanted to thank you, for your photos,” Percival said lowly and Newt struggled not react to obviously with his mum walking towards them. “Oh M-merlin. My f-friend took it, I shouldn’t have s-ent that.” “As I said, I wanted to thank you, they’re both lovely images, they’re very dear to me,” he rumbled, something about his tone making Newt feel himself slick. He glanced at Percival and could see the man reacting to Newt’s scent, his gaze so fixed on Newt that his knees felt weak. “I don’t think I’ll make it to the w-wedding,” Newt confessed in a whisper.   Newt didn’t make it to the wedding. In January, after coming back from Christmas break, Newt woke one morning, soaked in a damp bed of sweat. The wedding was four months away but Newt was in heat now. Joseph had graduated and left but Joyce noticed him still sleeping late and checked on him. Professor Dumbledore oversaw the omega dorm and while the man was hard to find, he was always there when needed. He carried Newt to the hospital wing, casting a protection charm to keep Newt’s omega scent from the wafting down the halls. Alphas would be pulled towards it if they caught scent and it could start fights. The healer looked Newt over once and then had him isolated in a private room with a locked door enforced with magic. “You’ve entered your heat now,” the older man told Newt kindly. “We’ve contacted your family.” “P-Percival,” Newt breathed, feeling scorched and needing the man, wanting his alpha there pressed up against him. “We’ve contacted your intended as well,” Professor Dumbledore added reassuringly. “For now, I’ve mixed a potion to help ease the worst of it and let you sleep for a bit,” the healer offered and Newt felt a glass put up to his mouth. He drank down the blissfully cool liquid and almost immediately slept. He woke to the scent of Percival. Newt had never noticed it before but as he fumbled to sit up and push the blankets back, he knew utterly it was Percival’s scent. Even as muffled as it was. Stumbling on the cool stones of the floor, Newt pushed himself up, his plain nightgown clinging to his skin, soaked. The door creaked loudly as he pushed it open and Newt felt a knee jerking relief that Percival was there, turning towards him. The alpha moved to come over but a sudden spell stopped him. “I’m afraid that until the student’s parents have arrived to grant permission, you two must remain apart.” The headmistress proclaimed calmly. Professor Dumbledore and the healer were with her. “I n-need,” Newt tried to explain and professor Dumbledore looked sympathetic, as an omega he understood. “We must wait,” the headmistress repeated but Newt knew his mum and dad were off on some sort of vacation, watching wild Hippogriffs somewhere far away. It could take days. “Thee-theseus.” “That’s right,” Percival cut in, the spell freezing him wearing off. He was staring at Newt, not looking away for a moment but not moving forward. “Theseus is Artemis’ elder brother and an alpha. The arranged marriage contract will show that he is permitted to stand in if Artemis’ parents cannot.” “Stand in?” someone asked, Newt felt too dizzy to know who. “We’ll marry of course, immediately.”   Theseus was white-faced when they brought him in but he agreed once he saw Newt. Trembling and struggling to stay upright, lost in a heat fever that would only grow worse the longer they waited. Technically Newt could wait a week before it became dire, but it was considered cruel to do so. The healer gave Newt another potion, something that pushed back the fire licking at Newt’s skin. Sweat still trickled down his face but he felt less lost, more focused. There was a little stone church just outside Hogsmeade and they went there. The priest welcoming them and seeming to understand the urgency without judgment for it. Newt had a fine suit for his wedding being made and instead, he wore a plain but clean cotton summer dress. Joyce had brought it to the hospital wing at some point, knowing what was going to happen. It was just like her to worry if Newt looked pretty for his wedding, heat induced of not. He didn’t wear dresses often but he had little choice. Theseus spelled it to fit Newt, the laces up the front adjusting as he struggled to stay level headed, floating in that place between awake and asleep it felt like. Talented at magic, Theseus made Newt a long white veil with a pink and green flower crown. Omegas always wore crowns of flowers when they married, a show of their close bonds with nature. “Newt,” poor Theseus looked like he might cry and Newt fumbled to hug him reassuringly. “Come along now,” someone said and Theseus tucked Newt’s arm in his own. There was a row of pews they walked between, a soft music playing as Percival, the priest, the headmistress, and professor Dumbledore all waited. Percival wore the plain shirt and trousers he arrived in but had spelled them clean and honestly he could wear anything and look dashing Newt thought privately. Theseus walked him to Percival ceremonially, carrying Newt’s unsteady weight and trying not to cry as he clutched Newt’s arm. He hugged Newt too tight when the got to the end. But after a moment he stood back and smiled, watching Percival offer his arm to Newt. Together they knelt at the altar and began the ceremony to wed them. The priest comprehended the need to be quick, but still spoke beautiful words about commitment and starting a future together. Newt fumbled to nod his head in the right places and they didn’t have their rings yet but Percival pressed a soft kiss to Newt’s ring finger. Dizzily, he wondered if it had been intent or mistake that no one gave him any underthings. His slick running down his thighs in fine warm lines. Once it was done, Newt was too weak to stand and so Percival lifted him up right off his feet, cradling him close and Newt whined. A full omega whine in a church, a needy call to mate standing before a priest and altar. Someone chuckled softly. The headmistresses talked about a room and Newt heard little, pressing to Percival, his nose rubbing at the spot where his jaw and throat met. Magic twisted around them and then they were somewhere else, Percival walking down a hall. Newt was soaked, his thighs dripping, the need to mate burning through him, his magic thrummed through him as well, making the fires in the hallway lighting brighter and every bit of magic near them spiking up. Newt’s magic wanted to connect, wanted to feed another. Newt bit at Percival’s jaw now, sweat running down his back as he crooned, there was no shame, only the hunger. “You smell good,” Newt mumbled and Percival seemed to walk faster. “Fuck,” Percival hissed and a heavy door banged shut. The older man thumped them against it and Newt was being twisted, turned all around until he was chest to chest with the tall alpha. Newt’s feet didn’t quite touch the floor but Percival held him tightly by the waist, keeping him up. He kissed Newt finally, properly. Nothing like the soft little kiss on his cheek or the chaste thing he pressed to Newt’s mouth in the church. He kissed him on the mouth, pushing against his lips and it was wet and slick and Newt whined in exhilaration. He pulled at Percival’s nice shirt, fisting his hands and wrapping an arm around the man’s neck. Newt doesn’t know how to kiss, not really, but Percival’s mouth tasted so good and when his tongue pressed into Newt’s mouth, a big thick thing, he opened up immediately. Percival licked at the roof of his mouth, tasting and stealing Newt’s breath. When the alpha broke the kiss Newt was breathless, panting a bit, head tipped back. Percival kissed his neck, open, wet touches of his warm mouth that leave his skin wet and tingling. “P-please,” Newt begged, barely understanding. But he needed it, needed it so bad, his body was too sweltering, everything felt like too much. But he knew deep down that Percival could stop it, could fix everything. Percival was moving, Newt felt the cold stone on his feet and then his knees, they slide down the door until Percival was sitting and Newt was settled on his lap. He could feel the man under him, could feel Percival’s erection and Newt would be embarrassed but he just wanted. His mouth hung open, pink and shiny as he gasped and pressed down on the fat bulge. Percival groaned, head thumping on the door. His hands were pulling at Newt’s dress, bunching it at his waist and then Newt’s bare backside was rubbing against the front of his trousers. He was drenched and eager, body wracked with shivering, and his eyes unfocused as he just tried to ride Percival, hips rolling with desperation he barely recognized. “Morgana, sweet little thing, Oh bloody hell,” Percival has never cursed but he chanted things now, terrible words as he struggled to open his trousers without lifting Newt off his lap. The entire time he did that he was kissing and licking at Newt’s skin, pushing the dress neck open wider, the delicate laced up front ripping when he tugged so he could lick a line along Newt’s shoulder. He pulled at his waist and made him sit up so he mouth could reach Newt’s chest. Wet pressure soaked the material of the dress, his nipple hard and responding when Percival mouthed at it. It makes Newt tremble and cry out, pushing his body down and Percival shoved up in answer. Everything was dizzy and happening so fast but Newt was eager and willing. “I’ve been so good for you, I made a promise and I kept it, waiting for this, waiting to feel you,” Percival growled at Newt, his voice so low and rough and Newt adored it. He closed his eyes tight and clenched his teeth shivering as slick trickled down his thighs, Percival’s nice trousers were sopping too, wet with it. When his bare cock touched Newt’s thigh he jerked and cried out. The scent was heavy and strong and Newt was giddy with it, lost in the delicious desire. His mouth watered and his body rocked, he dropped his head back instinctively baring his throat as he squeezed his thighs as close as he could on the man’s lap. He trapped Percival’s cock between his thighs and the man cursed again, shoving up hungrily and pressing Newt down onto him. His cock slid against Newt’s thighs, feeling so thick and hot. “Please, please,” Newt chanted and Percival chuckled, rumbling like thunder. “You pretty thing, so sweet and innocent, you don’t even know what you want.” “Y-You,” Newt replied and Percival lifted Newt a touch, an arm wrapped around him crushing his chest to the other man. Percival was so much bigger than him, a grown alpha while Newt was slender and small, an omega who was still growing. One body meant to give and the other to take. Percival’s fingers touch his hole suddenly and Newt cried out, shamefully loud as he pressed back immediately. Two fingers dip and then slide up into him. Percival’s jaw was clenched tightly, his eyes half closed, he looked as dazed as Newt felt. Cupping the man’s face Newt pressed soft kisses to his cheek, little fae things that grow lewd as the two fingers move in him, opening up and feeling his slick insides. Newt trembled, panting open-mouthed against Percival’s skin and then he licked, tasting alpha sweat and wanting more. Three and then four fingers press in and Newt’s never had so many before. Percival’s fingers were wider and longer than his, they dig deeper and Newt whined, shoving back on them eagerly. “Pretty omega, tight little thing, tight little cunt,” Percival panted and Newt shivered, whimpering as the fingers slid away from his body. But Percival was pressing something bigger, a slick blunt thing pushing insistently. It feels too big, too much, but Newt wanted it. The desperation clicked into place and Newt knew this was what his body wanted so badly, it wanted to be taken, mated and bred. Percival pressed up and pushed Newt’s waist down, more and more, increasingly the pressure carefully and Newt trembled, hiding his face in the man’s neck. It was too big, it won’t go, but then with a sudden rush it did. The fat head pushed into Newt’s hole, the first cock inside him, the only one that ever will be. Percival’s head thumps on the door again; his eyes clenched shut in concentration as he nudged Newt down a tiny bit more. When he goes, more sinks up into him and Newt’s making loud terrible sounds, high whimpering sobbing as he felt tears trickle down his face. There’s a burn of being too full, stretched so far open, his poor hole. But Newt was crying because it felt so perfect, just what the clawing in his belly needed. Newt’s thighs quivered and he pushed down on his own, Percival grabbed at him but he’s not ready to do so and so Newt sank almost all the way and he sobbed out. “Slow darling, slowly, we have to be careful, have to treat you right,” Percival muttered and Newt shook his head. “Want it,” he mumbled and pushed down a bit more, until his thighs and the curve of his arse were in Percival’s lap again. “Want it in me, all the way in me.” Newt thought Percival’s cock might be up in his throat, it felt so huge and deep. But everything in him lit up, wanted it. He lifted and dropped a bit and Percival seemed to come alive under him, pushing up in little motions. He rocked up and down in tiny circles, his cock sliding inside Newt. He had thought his fingers had been wonderful but they were nothing. The too big feeling amazing now, the stretch so perfect as the pain fades. Newt moaned and Percival pushed up a bit harder, the sliding motion making Newt’s thighs jerk as something inside him utterly surged with pleasure, like a sudden ember glowing hot. When Percival moved he hit that spot again and again and Newt was being noisy, hips rocking enthusiastically. He clutched Percival’s shoulders for balance as he bounced himself, pumping up and down and feeling everything in him burn so good. “Gorgeous,” Percival breathed and licked at Newt, pulling at the dress, the lace front ripping more until it was hanging off Newt’s shoulders, his chest bared for the alpha to lick and bite at him. Every touch seems to build on the pleasure, bringing it higher and higher. When Percival’s teeth clamp on his nipple Newt nearly howled. The world tilted suddenly, Newt clutching at Percival as he moved them, pushed off the door to lay Newt on his back without pulling out. Newt spread his thighs eagerly and gave a happy sound as the alpha pumped into him even faster. His hips move with a precision Newt can’t replicate, everything too shaky and his body not really listening to him. Percival kissed him again, mouth rough and his tongue licking. Newt broke away when he needed to breathe, gasping for air as a bit of saliva hung between their mouths. Percival’s cock felt marvelous now, each time he pushed in a spike of heat hit Newt, like being burned, a split second too much but in such a good way. Newt felt out of control, like he would do anything to keep feeling so amazing. He gripped at Perceval’s shoulders, fingers twisting him his shirt as the man lunged into him. He slammed so hard Newt was pushed up along the cold stones under his back. His veil is still on his head, a spell keeping it in place and it covered Newt’s bare shoulders. Percival grabbed his waist and yanked him back down each time he was shoved up. Newt hooked his thighs over the alpha’s middle and clings to him as they rutted feverishly. “Darling, little sweet, my Artemis,“ Percival panted, looking wild, eyes so dark, his hair falling out of place. Newt’s never seen him like that before but his heart was pounding in a strange delight, he liked it, liked seeing his alpha so feral. Looking how Newt felt. “Be good now,” the man crooned, “be good and take my knot.” “I will,” he answered, shaking apart. “Please, I’ll be good, I’ll be so g- good.” Newt shivered as the spark hit him over and over, coming faster as Percival fucked into him, slamming up into Newt, pressing as deep as he could. It hurt a bit but Newt pushed into it eagerly, urgency welling. He could feel it all building, the pleasure and the need, the fever that was making him drip sweat, Newt could feel his own magic humming, alive and pounding in a way it never had before. Percival yanked back and shoved back in a long hard thrust but he couldn't get to the hilt. Pain burned as he pressed roughly, not letting Newt escape. “Take it in, just let me in,” he growled and Newt doesn’t know how to. “Please, yes, please, all the way, as far as you can,” Newt begged without thinking, there’s no room for embarrassment within his heat. He spread his thighs as wide as he could, whole body trembling on the edge of fall. Newt was panting and sobbing, a tear trickling down his face. Percival was so much bigger and pushing hard, forcing his way in and Newt loved it. He choked out a weak cry and he felt something give. Percival’s cock slid in with a sudden motion, slamming all the way into him as Newt howled. His magic twisted and he could feel Percival’s own power, spilling into him, hot and pulsing as it filled Newt. He couldn’t stop trembling, fingers clutching at Percival’s hair and neck as he whined and arched his back up against the alpha. “Please, oh Merlin, please, Percival, please, I c-can’t,” Newt’s tongue was heavy and his words were slurred. It felt so good, everything felt so perfect, Newt’s heart thumped with the pleasure, each pulse burning brighter until he could barely stand it. It felt like the second was somehow drawn out, magic suspending the moment. Newt never knew his body could feel so good. His body tensed up and it was overtaking him, thundering through him. Newt slumped with a moan, time restarting and his body suddenly ached terribly, he could barely get his breath back. His fingers hurt to relax and his limbs felt heavy, Newt felt like he ran around the lake and then hiked through the forest, as if he was running all day long. His body ached with it but a good sort of ache, like something was accomplished. Percival was buried in him, Newt’s backside shoved all the way up on his lap, tightly pulled against him. His knot was inside Newt, filling him, echoing the magic. Newt thought he might be floating a bit, distant from the world. Percival kissed his neck sweetly and Newt turned his head, kissing the man lazily, tongues sliding over one another. The pulse died down but didn’t fade, remaining sure. Newt was mated. Percival’s knot slowly went down and he carefully sat up, limbs shaking a bit as he moved back gently, testing. His hair was dripping wet, his shirt was too, his whole body sweat soaked, Newt was no better, feeling slick all over his thighs and backside, pools of sweat running down his chest and along his neck. When Percival’s cock pulled back a touch Newt shivered, his legs trying to hold him before he could help it. Percival shushes him and Newt realized he was whimpering. Warm hands comb through his hair and cup his face soothingly as the cock in him slid back more, slowly leaving his body. Newt felt like he was gaping open, like he would never close up again. Calloused fingers caressed up his thigh and gently touch his rim, raising a sob from Newt. His limbs were thrown out carelessly, heavy and useless while he laid out on the cold floor, unable to move. Those warm fingers touched his hole and three easily sank into him. Newt shook his head, his hole tried to clench and push them out. But even then, he could feel the want still in him, still needing more. Newt wanted to mate again, he wanted that knot inside him. “Perfect darling,” Percival muttered, gaze on Newt’s thighs, looking down between them at Newt’s most private part. No one should look there he had been told all his life but if not his mate then who? “Can you get up sweetheart?” He kept calling Newt little names, endearing things while he pressed a kiss to Newt’s cheek and helped him sit up. Newt knelt and then shivered, feeling something in him shift. Newt trembled against the alpha’s chest; looking down and pulling his spoiled wedding dress up to see the white lines running down his pale thighs. For a moment Newt was confused but then it hit him. Alpha seed, Newt was so full of Percival’s seed that it was leaking from his body. It was such a filthy thing but Newt utterly loved it immediately, he wanted to clench down and feel it drip, wanted to smear it on his skin and taste it on his tongue. He trembled when Percival lifted him, carrying Newt the last few steps to the large bed they didn’t make it to. The flower crown he had worn was dropping petals and coming apart, almost all the way off his head. He laid Newt down on the soft covers, his shoulders sore from the unforgiving stone. “Shall we clean up?” Percival asked but he sounded like he didn’t want too, eyes looking Newt over, from head to toe. How he must look, Newt thought. Sweat soaked hair and tear-stained face, his lips felt swollen from kissing. His neck was still wet from Percival sucking on it with little dark marks on the round edge of his shoulder already forming, love marks. His torn sweat and semen-stained dress clung to him, but exposed his chest and bunched at his thighs. His little veil was ripped but still in his hair, the crown was mostly undone, flowers and leaves in Newt's hair. The slick coating his skin with Percival’s own seed smeared there as well. Even Newt’s feet were quivering, not an inch of him unmarked. Newt must look like a debauched bride, used thoroughly. The omega shook his head in negative, reaching out for his alpha and Percival went, coming in close so Newt could wind his arms around his neck and pull him in. “Mate me again,” he requested and Percival rumbled, eyes dark as he slid over Newt, his shirt undoing itself and his skin warm as Newt reached out to touch him. Newt explored, hands splayed out as he felt the smooth firm body, fingers tracing scars curiously. He wanted to know every inch of his mate, eager to learn more about Percival, his husband.   “Do you want me to fuck you darling, to ride and knot you again, breed you up? My pretty little omega, round with my child from our wedding night,” Percival sounded like he liked that idea and Newt felt his own desire answer such a wicked idea. “Mate me until we have a baby,” he mumbled, and later Newt was going to be so mortified, he sounded like a trashy novel. But Percival growled in answer and pressed his lean warm body to Newt’s and he didn’t care anymore.   “Such a wild thing,” Percival teased him once the heat lifted. Newt was hiding in a pillow, laid out on his belly with Percival pressed against him, the man on his side, facing Newt, trailing fingers along the omega's bare back. Their bodies were touching but it seemed silly to be embarrassed after days of mating. “I would have never imaged you to be so… outspoken. But then, you did send me that photo.” Newt clutched the pillow tighter, embarrassment flushing through him. “Y-you wont t-tell anyone will y-you?” He made himself say and Percival scoffed. “Of course not. Our marriage bed is no one's business but ours. I’ve no interest in sharing any part of you I can keep to myself.” That made Newt feel a bit better, it couldn’t be helped if Percival knew. Even when the heat was faded and the sex was because they wanted it more than needed, Newt’s mouth had moved on its own. He’d begged Percival to fuck him, actually said the lewd word, nearly screamed it. Newt had told the man he’d used his scarf to touch himself since he first started to learn about carnal pleasure. “My scarf of all things, so appalling,” Percival teased and Newt blushed harder. Newt apparently was a dirty talker in bed. “If it makes you feel better, I stole your gloves that day, right out of your pocket.” The alpha confessed and Newt blinked, looking up at him curiously. “I thought I dropped them.” “I took them, took them home and memorized your scent off of them, so pure and sweet, a reminder to be good.” Newt flushed, dropping his head back to the pillow but not hiding. “I never realized.” “Imagine my delight when I received a sweet little photo to go with them. But then there was something else, a second one.” Percival was pressing close again, leaning in to nuzzle Newt’s hair. He must reek terribly, two days without a proper shower. Percival seemed to like it, inhaling softly. “Such a wicked image, your perfect thighs on display, those long legs and that pretty ass. Such a sweet little dip for a waist and that pale little shoulder with these soft freckles," He paused to lick Newt's bare shoulder. "You were cleary just waking up, hair all messy as you sat up. I knew I would wake up to that one day, I think I memorized every inch of that photo. I never knew I could want someone so badly.” Newt flushed harder but he felt a smile pull at his mouth, imagining the alpha looking at the dirty image of Newt and wanting him. “And here you are, mine finally. And such a needy thing, so carnal and lewd.” “I’m not,” Newt protested weakly. Percival chuckled against his neck. “Darling I just watched you lick my seed from your fingers like it was a treat.” Newt wasn’t one for dirty rumors, but he had heard about omegas liking the taste of an alpha’s seed before. Apparently, for him, it was very much true. Newt had dragged his fingers through his seed smeared thighs and licked his fingertips, humming at the pleasant flavor, something a touch salty, Newt had always liked salty treats. Percival had stared at him, outright stared, before pouncing on Newt and taking him all over again. Once Newt was ready for another round he would ask Percival if he could use his mouth on him. Joseph had mentioned it once, drinking seed. It was indecent and Newt had thought it was disgusting at the time but the idea of it now was appealing, the thought of his mouth overfilled, the corners of his lips dripping, all down his chin… “Morgan, you’re so bloody eager for it,” Percival muttered, not sounding like it was a bad thing. His fingers dipped down Newt’s spine and over the curve of his arse, his hole slicked and open, eager for attention still. “I’m going to have take time off just to spend a few weeks fucking you, getting you with a child, well satisfied.” Newt shivered, embarrassed but the arousal stirring in his gut was pushing it away, the need for pleasure more important. “My Artemis.” “Call me Newt,” he mumbled, turning on the bed so Percival could climb over him, settle himself between Newt’s spread thighs. “Everyone does, no one calls me Artemis.” “I had noticed and always wondered. Why not Artemis? It’s a fine name.” Percival was distracted, kissing Newt’s throat. “I can’t recall the story, I insisted on Newt when I was very young, my middle name is Newton and I rather liked it. Everyone I know calls me Newt.” “Then I prefer Artemis, more so if I’m the only one calling you by it,” the alpha muttered, licking at Newt’s collarbone. “If you want,” he agreed, willing to agree to almost anything as long as Percival kept licking at him. “My sweet Artemis.”   When Newt returned for his final year at Hogwarts in the fall, his very pregnant belly was on full and proud display. ***** Percival ***** Chapter Summary And now Percival's side of it all. When Percival was a boy a dark wizard broke into his family’s home. He can remember startling awake to an angry voice he didn’t know, his mom rushing into his room and casting a protection spell as she dragged him from the bed. Percival held on to her, terrified as his father’s voice screamed spells he had never heard, that terrible voice snarling back at him. The walls banging and the sound of thing shattering in the hall. Percival had nightmares of the sick thump of someone hitting the floor and the creak of footsteps on the ground, coming towards his room. His mom held on firmly to him and raised her wand, ready to defend them despite the way her hands shook. In his nightmares a stranger entered the room, someone hidden in shadows with a twisted smirk on his face, blood dripping off his fingers. The reality was his father staggering through, his shoulder badly burned. He called for other aurors to come and made Percival and his mom stay in the bedroom until the body was removed. The hallway walls were marked with black spells, pictures of his ancestors damaged and on the floor. Percival and his mom went to visit family and when they returned everything was cleaned and fixed, as if had never happened. But Percival never forgot it, he woke for years from nightmares of that night. When he was older he learned the truth behind it. The dark wizard had been a part of his father’s current case at that time. The man had known he would be caught and had tried to snuff out Percival’s father to silence him before he was exposed. His father’s job had brought the man into their home, creeping through their hallways to kill them all. Percival knew he would follow his father’s footsteps, every generation of his family had at least one auror and Percival’s cousins had little interest in the dangerous career. He would be the one among them and he would do his absolute best to become a respectable auror. But he would never let some dark wizard into his family home. He never blamed his father but Percival also put as much time into defensive spells and warding as he did into offensive spells. Because of that, he had little time for much more than studying. “You’re so boring,” James, one of the other boys in his year complained as Percival lifted his head from his books. “You’re top of the class already and you’re wicked good with your wand, come talk to the girls with me, they all think you’re so mysterious and dreamy.” Percival fixed the other boy with a blank look and with a sigh, James got up to leave. “Don’t come crying to me when you look back on your school days and they’re utterly boring.”   Percival passed the expectations set out for him, he spent hours focusing his magic and turning a natural talent into something exceptional. He gained praise for his power and in the summer he took every chance to work student jobs with MACUSA, learning the world of aurors as soon as he could. Even if that meant delivering paperwork and cleaning floors.   When he turned sixteen his father told him of a rare opportunity presented to Percival. Gawain Graves had worked cases all over the world and as such had met many people. Tomas Scamander was a fellow auror from Britain that he had worked with and during a nasty case. Percival’s father had saved the man’s life in the heat of a fight. Such debts were taken very seriously. Percival was to reap the benefits of that debt. Tomas Scamander had an omega son and was willing to allow Percival to make a case to enter an arranged marriage. He had heard of Percival’s dedication to his studies and had decided Percival might make a good match for his son. An omega was more of a fantasy than anything real. There were a few at his school but they were guarded carefully and kept away from the other students. Omegas were rare, only a few hundred in all the world. They were sought after, desired in a way Percival had never quite understood. But he did know he would be an utter fool not to try. So his father helped him write a letter of Offering, a paper outlining all he could and would give the omega. Everything he would ask for and wish to be given in return. Percival spent most of his summer working on it, revising it over and over. It was a strange sort of thing, to try and sell himself. to try and put into words all his virtues without sounding arrogant. It was sent off in the fall before he left for school and he tried not to think on it, putting his studies first. But when the omegas of his school were out, he glanced at them more, trying to understand what it was about them that made them so appealing. Even from a distance he grasped that there was something unique about them, an omega was always obvious, always eye catching. “Can you imagine?” James sighed and Percival frowned a touch, thinking of the letter he’d sent off. “My dad was hoping to find some omegas willing to consider me but we’re not rich enough for that.” “It’s about more than money, it’s about the quality of morals more than anything,” Percival said without thinking. He winced when the entire table turned its attention to him. “How would you know?” James pressed and Percival sighed wearily, spending the next hour fending endless questions about his letter of Offering.   During winter break he went home and his father had the letter of Reply, his parents waiting beside him with baited breath as Percival tore the envelope open and read the response. “So?” His mother pressed, delighted with this bit of social drama in their lives. “They’ve…they’ve accepted and want to discuss contracts.” Percival felt a bit shocked as his father clapped his shoulder and his mother hugged him. “This will be perfect for you, it’ll open so many doors politically, there are tons of people who are going to want to impress you, desperate to be on the good side of the head of an omega family,” his father grinned. “More importantly,” his mother said with a certain tone and sharp look at his father. “You’re going to have an omega mate Percy, someone born to love you, someone you can bond with to a level most people never get to experience.” Both of his parents were alphas and they seemed to love one another just fine. Percival didn’t know what to think about an instant sort of love. “Mind you,” his mother reminded, straightening his shirt, her nervous habit. “This isn’t set in stone. Arranged marriages like this can change, omegas can be fickle.”   “I heard you’ve impressed some British omega,” a soft voice says to him one day at school. Percival turns and stares at the omega, feeling suddenly tongue- tied. Something about her scent throws him off immediately. It was a strange tingling but good sensation, unlike anything had ever known before. He’d never been so close to an omega before. “I’m curious why they chose you, omega’s don’t pick on magical skills alone,” she added with a sweet smile and Percival watched her walk away, feeling a bit dumb and utterly hard in his pants.   The arranged marriage contract was in place after months of going back and forth, lawyers looking over each version, far more intense than his mere letter. Percival spends all summer with his father working away on the document and in the fall they go to England to sign the contracts officially. Artemis Scamander is a child. Percival is immediately repulsed with the idea of marrying someone so young. The moment after that he feels his chest tingle warmly as the boy curls up on his father’s hip and smiles. It’s not sexual, nothing about it feels like the omega at school. But when the boy grins brightly Percival can feel something light up inside him as well. His father must feel it too, smiling softly at the boy in a way he usually doesn’t allow people to see. Percival begins to realize then what it means to be blessed with an omega in his life. Artemis is a bit like a pepper up potion, each time they meet, he feels renewed by it. His magic become sharper and his mind more clear, he feels powerful but more than that, he feels content in an inexplicable but addicting way. The worries of the future fade for a bit, Percival doesn’t think about his studies and the need to achieve lofty goals, he doesn’t feel that pressure to live up to all the expectations of his mother and father. All he feels is a warmth, a bit like laying the sun and soaking up its light, but in his mind more than body. He feels relaxed and calm, at peace. But nothing about it is sexual. Percival wonders if they’ll be a match in the end, with him feeling no pull towards Artemis beyond wanting to see the boy’s smile and know he’s safe. During his final year at school, it bothers him enough that he experiments. He dates a pretty girl named Annie and her body is smooth and soft and Percival shivers as he buries himself inside her. It’s normal for alphas in arranged marriages to have sex with others before they marry, to work the urges out and to learn how to please. No one seems to care that Percival goes with Annie so he doesn’t think much on it. He keeps visiting Artemis each year, learning about him and bringing him little gifts to make him laugh. There is an addicting feeling to being around the boy, Percival always a touch sad to leave his side. If every alpha feels the pull, he understands why omega families are so protective. The idea that Artemis could be bound against his will is a chilling thought. When Percival begins his auror training he looks over old cases as part of his studies. For the first few months he avoids the ones about omegas but eventually he had to read them all. It makes him sick to his stomach, every case file does in a way, such terrible crimes committed. But the omega cases hit him the worst, the victims reminding him too much of Artemis. “You alright, Golden Boy? You look like you’re about to be sick.” Yaves, another trainee mocks him, peering down at the file Percival is reading. “I heard you’re in a arranged marriage aren’t you?” Percival thinks of Artemis and his sweet smile, his mind suddenly recalling that night as a child, when someone broke into their home. He closes the file and changes the conversation. Percival steadily avoids personal talk at work. He lets others tell them about their life and offers bits of his past without revealing his future. He never mentions Artemis. He dates another trainee, a man named Jeffery who understands its just sex and that Percival has no plans for a long-term relationship. The sex is good, it feels good, and Percival likes sex he finds. The physical labor aspect of it coupled with the base pleasure work well for him. He doesn’t think of much beyond what’s in front of him, who’s in front of him. He doesn’t think of Artemis, so sweet and pure, so utterly young, still a child. So his entire world turns on its head when Artemis sends him a strange letter. They’ve been writing since Artemis learned to write, mostly formal things but with plans and questions of their future. Artemis talks often about magical creatures, truly adoring them and excited to study them. Percival encourages him and they share ideas of their future home and life together. It’s a sweet sort of thing, that Percival enjoys. But it turns sour when he sees a smudged question at the end of a normal letter, asking about kissing of all things. Percival thinks of Jeffery for a moment, wondering of Newt had somehow found out about him. But then a far more alarming thought occurs to him, what if the omega is asking because someone was pressuring him. Hogwarts is a good school but it’s not unheard of for school aged omegas to be seduced by alphas promising them the world. They break their arranged marriages to be with these alphas, who more often than not, are unfit to care for an omega, not ready for the responsibility of it. Few times do runaway lovers end well. Percival feels sick to his stomach all over, the case files of the omegas flashing in his eyes. So many of them had started with omegas lured by alphas promising to love them. He thinks of the young omega boy lured from his American school eight years ago, turned into a prostitute and used so many times his ability to bond was broken, the boy’s eyes dull and empty in the photo, like a ghost. He doesn’t think it through properly, rushing to use a portkey to travel to England and then steadily tracking the school down. Hogwarts is protected and hidden away but Percival knows enough from Newt’s letters to track down the little village closest to the school. Few things could enter the school unnoticed, but Percival makes a gamble and sure enough, his Patronus slips into the school wards. It’s a light spell, something made of pureness and good and so the wards let it pass. Hiding in plain sight with a concealment charm, Percival tried to remain calm and work through what he’ll say to Artemis. How he’ll convince the boy alphas can be dangerous. It makes sense now to him, why omegas enter arranged marriages as children. It’s been years now and the Scamander family has had plenty of time to learn all about him, to ensure he won’t use or hurt their child. He meets Artemis once a year but he has met both his parents numerous times over the years. They know him well. Percival is so wound up in his worries that it honestly shocks him a bit to see Artemis. The omega hasn’t noticed him yet, talking with someone, but Percival struggles not to stare. Between last summer and this winter, something has changed. Immensely so. Artemis is just as innocent as he ever was, pure and sweet looking. But there is something new, an edge to him, the fullness of his mouth and the curve of his pretty face. Pretty. He’s growing up, Percival realizes a bit stunned. The omega is turning into a beautiful little thing and one day he will be Percival’s mate. In a hand full of years, they’ll be together. It feels both too far and not far enough.   Artemis is shy but sweet, walking with him and his scent is muddling Percival’s brain. It reminds him of the omega from his own school years but Artemis scent is much more familiar and deeply settled within Percival. The pull towards the soft boy is staggeringly strong in a way the other omega hadn’t been. Percival feels like an ass when his omega cries, fat tears running down his face when he learns Percival has been having sex with others. It’s a knee jerking reaction, a twisted guilt to upset his omega so. It’s infuriating to learn some alpha is trying to steal Artemis away from him, playing it as normal as she attempts to lure the poor boy. Percival can’t stop touching him, a hand on his hand, fingers on his cheek, the omega’s scent is making him protective and territorial. He wants to sweep him away somewhere safe but he knows he can’t. So he settled for scent marking him, his own scent a warning to others that Artemis has a protector. He makes a promise with the boy, an unfair thing. Artemis looks relieved and delighted that Percival would agree not to be with others and he feels a touch bad. The omega thinks Percival is giving something up, but the alpha knows now. With an utter certainty inside him, he knows no other will be enough for him now. His omega is everything. Percival steals Artemis’ gloves from his pocket as he winds his own scarf around the omega, marking him with his scent even more. Artemis flushes so fetchingly, face turning red shyly even as the omega accepted the alpha scent. He even pushed into it a touch, rubbing his nose on the fabric and inhaling. It’s clear Artemis likes Percival’s scent and the acceptance from the omega makes him both adoring and terribly turned on.   When he returns home, Percival stumbles to his bedroom and fumbles to get his trousers open, shoving into his hand with Artemis’ gloves pressed to his nose. It should disturb him more, this sudden intense fixation, Artemis is still so young, but Percival only feels certain. The alpha in him feels more present now, more aware. He writes to Artemis a touch more informally and asks about his days at school, tries to ensure no one is sniffing around the sweet boy promised to him. If the omega himself decides Percival is not enough for him, he will make himself accept that. But if some young alpha thinks they can try and take his boy from him, they’ll learn quickly that he’ll not give his omega up without a fierce fight. It scares Percival a bit, how deep the need to defend the omega goes. He presses the gloves to his face, sometimes to jerk off, sometimes to calm himself. Percival returns to his life, he breaks things off with Jeffery and focuses on his training. But everything is different now. Percival has realized he has an omega in a way that was never clear before.     When they meet again in the summer Artemis looks up at him once, only once, and his scent floods the room. It makes Percival freeze up, with how badly he wants to cross the room and curl around him. The heavy scent in the air is divine to him, he can feel his body reacting, his own scent pouring. The omega flees to the garden and Tomas Scamander understands as Percival steps out for a moment. Percival doesn’t try for control; he shuts himself in a bathroom and jerks off quickly, eyes shut tightly, picturing his omega as he shudders and spills like a schoolboy. Tossing cold water on his face, he cleans up and returns to the meeting, heading down into the garden to speak to Artemis. Everything is different now, everything is charged and ready, unspoken between them. The sexual build, his sweet omega growing up, maturing into his mate. Percival can’t help but stare at the curve of his ass when Artemis heads up the stairs ahead of him. He looks lovely, body developing, coming into its own. Percival feels like a pervert. But he can’t stop.   During his first year as an auror, Artemis sends him a photo. It’s a darling image and Percival wonders why he never thought to ask before. His omega smiles so shyly, glancing up at the camera and then back down meekly. Percival is charmed and can admit he’s gone soppy over the boy. He’s eager to marry now, eager to bring Artemis into his life fully, to begin the future they talk about in their letters. The omega wants a big family and Percival wants very much to give it to him. He thinks of his home bright and alive with children and the idea makes him smile every time. He almost misses the second photo. But a spell is there, a tiny faint thing that his trained magic picks up on. Percival presses a bit on the photo and a second one slides from the first. He’s glad he saved the letter for the Friday evening, with two days off. Because he spends all weekend jerking off. He’s actually a little sore on Sunday. But Morgan help him, he’s never seen anything so marvelously pure and yet utterly sinful. Artemis’ bare legs are shown and his plump backside almost on view in a terrible tease. The shirt was pulled taunt so the globes of his ass are just visible through the material. He slender shoulder peeking as the shirt hangs low, hair mused as he sits up from the bed. He looks pure and Percival wants nothing more than to have him, he wants his omega. He can’t stop thinking about taking him, being the only one to do so. About Artemis moaning under him, taking his knot. Percival’s never knotted before, only sex with an omega partner will make him do so. The idea of Artemis locked to him, taking him in such an intimate and binding way makes him hard just to think on.   “How is your omega?” his mother asks with a near tease and Percival nearly slices his hand cutting his dinner. He has been trying to play calm and collected but his mother sees right through him. Last year, his parents had decided to move out of his childhood home. They took a smaller apartment their family owned and left the larger house to Percival and his future family. But only recently had Percival begun to actually change the home, rearranging rooms into something he thought would suit his omega. Into something he hopes Artemis will like. If not, they can change it all. “He’s good,” Percival replies calmly, his parents both seeing the truth and sharing a smirk. They’ve noticed the change in him. His mother had seen the house just yesterday, torn up and in the process of renovation. “Are you excited Percy?” his mother presses and there no point in lying. “Very much,” he confesses because he knows his mother has been worried about the marriage. “I’m eager to start a life with Artemis.” His parents beam happily.     Percival can barely handle walking with the sweet boy, even outside. He knows Artemis’ parents spell him constantly to hide his scent, to keep other alphas away. With the omega on the cusp of his heat, now is the time to be the most cautious. So Percival can feel the spells lingering on the boy, protections spells, tracking spells, charms for defense and illusions to hide him. So much power to keep him safe, to keep Percival’s intended protected. Percival’s gifts from the last few years have been the same, charmed objects to keep the boy safe, books on wards and the like. Keeping the omega protected was everything. Artemis tells him during their summer visit that he doesn’t think his body will wait until they’re married properly. That his heat will come sooner. So Percival prepares. He makes sure he has time off on a moment’s notice, citing a personal matter. Percival knows his coworkers are curious about him but he keeps his life private, he refuses to endanger Artemis in any way. He spends his weekends on the house, working to enlarge the garden and to transform the formal dining room into a vast observatory that Artemis can use as a study. He clears the master bedroom and tries to make it more accommodating to his omega, bright open windows with the walls painted natural earth tone colors, comfortable furniture rather than trendy. He makes sure to tuck away his family heirlooms after reading so many stories of Artemis’ pets destroying things in his letters. He pours himself into his work during the week and then spends his weekends devoted to building a home. “I can’t tell you how happy I am, so relieved,” his mother says when she comes for a visit, bringing new lighter drapes from the country home as she tours the rooms. Percival can see that he’s taken a great deal of the formal aspects of the house away and replaced them with more useful and comfortable things. The Scamander home had been so and Artemis had always said he felt happy there. His mother doesn’t seem to mind her house being changed so much, if anything it seems to please her that Percival has taken the home as his own.   “I used to worry about everything, about you taking no time for yourself outside studies and work. The idea of your marriage being arranged rather than a love match worried me,” she confessed and Percival doesn’t know how to correct her. He does love Artemis, he had always been endeared to the omega. And while the sexual aspect had only just developed, Percival had always cared for him. “But look at you,” she reaches out to cup his face as she used to when he was a young boy. “Building this home, so dedicated and impatient, I’ve seen the way you pour over your letters with him.” Percival manages not to shrug like a little boy, feeling caught a bit. “I’m delighted for you,” his mother says again with a wide smile.   Waiting on edge for months, Percival is almost relieved when he receives notice from Hogwarts. He has the portkey in place and travels immediately, so eager he forgets the suitcase he’s had packed and waiting for months. Artemis’ scent hits him before anything else, like a siren’s call right to his very bones. When to boy comes looking for him, sweat soaked and fevered, everything in him calling to Percival, it’s hard not to take him right there. They have to spell Percival so he doesn’t do just that. They stumble through their wedding, Artemis looks darling in a pretty white dress and pink flowers woven into a crown on his head. Their wedding night is perfect, Percival struggles not to be soppy about it. He can remember it in bits and pieces mostly. Artemis could have asked him for the moon that night and Percival is certain he would have died trying to get it for him. The omega had been heat fevered, his young body calling to breed. Artemis had been so confused by it, so innocent and perfect as he whimpered for more. No one before him even compared, his scent was like a powerful potion, the taste of him like the finest wine, the touch of him more overwhelming than any sort of pleasure before. Like he said, Percival struggled not to be soppy about his wedding night. It was his first time knotting and it was an overwhelming sort of pleasure, it made him cradle Artemis and shiver through the waves of pleasure hitting them both. It made sense, why alphas and omegas bonded as they did. Sharing something so intense had been amazing and deeply intimate. Percival felt like Artemis had been with him for years rather than their first night together. Their bond settled and nothing could break them apart. It left Percival warm and utterly content, cradling Artemis in his arms finally.   Settling in goes both more smoothly than he expects and more troublesome than he plans for. Percival and Artemis live together with a surprising ease, their bond allows them to pick up on one another, to sense emotions. Percival can tell when Artemis is frustrated or struggling to speak up about something. His omega knows his moods as well, understands when Percival comes home from a hard day irritated without having to ask. Their life as a mated pair works wonderfully. Their life as a law enforcer and deviant troublemaker work far differently. “Artemis,” Percival rubs his forehead, feeling it throb with a headache. His mate blinks up at him, looking a touch guilty as he pets the… beast in their home. It’s bigger than the damn couch, ugly as hell, and drooling some sort of acid that’s burning the floor. Percival doesn’t doubt for a second that it’s highly illegal. “I couldn’t just leave him, you see he was lost and ended up in the park. Someone would have seen him and then killed the poor soul.” His mate looks horrified by the idea and Percival pushed back his agitation. Artemis was an animal lover, he had always known that. Both Scamander’s had warned him that every sort of creature ended up in their home at some point while the omega was growing up. “Let’s just…get the paperwork in order,” he sighed and his mate looked so bright and grateful. He was like some sort of fae creature, settled in his observatory couch with beasts of all manners at his heels and all around him. All of these wild things made tame by the omega’s sweet smile. Percival was still working to get half of them approved and had already…adjusted paperwork knowing that would be the only way to get them permitted. Percival supposed he should be grateful that his mate didn’t want to keep them all. Rather Artemis wanted each and every one of them returned to their proper homes. A costly venture but then money was never an issue for the Graves family. Over the summer, a very wide variety of creatures had come through his door and an unspeakably large number of them. Of all of those hundreds, at least hundreds, only five would stay permanently. A tiny little bowtruckle that was certain Artemis was his mother, an orphaned Demiguise from an illegal trade ring that had no idea how to be a demiguise, a blind mooncalf that liked to wander and bump into everything, and a pair of puffskeins that mostly just floated around the room. Compared to all the deadly beasts that had come and gone, Percival was a bit relieved. Honestly though, he knew Artemis would get away with whatever he wanted. He’d just started showing and the larger their baby grew and became more obvious, the more Percival was wound around his mate's finger like a fool. A fool perfectly content where he was. When Artemis had not become pregnant during his first heat they had thought they would have to wait until his next heat. But then in the spring he had woken sick to his stomach for a week straight and a visit to the healer left them both stunned and elated.   “Darling,” he refuses to feel like he’s begging. “Please stop bringing home deeply illegal creatures. Take them to the university, you said the magizoologist there was a nice fellow.” “Oh, he is,” Artemis agreed with a delighted smile. “But they are overworked with little space. Right now, we have the room that they don’t.” Percival convinces his father to donate to the damned university. By the time his mate will attend to his studies there, half the magizoologist department will be named after the Graves family. “A soft touch,” his father comments during a weekly family dinner and Percival snorts as he piles food onto his plate, his mate and mother talking in the kitchen. “Feel free to scold him,” he dared his father. The formal man didn’t bother to reply and Percival fought a satisfied smirk as Artemis smiled at them and both alphas returned it. The omega brought the soft side out of them all, both his parents were endeared to him over the years after all. Now they were the only parents Artemis had close to him as he learned the city and settled into a new life. Both of them had quickly found their protective instincts pushing at them. Artemis was pregnant with their grandchild as well, Percival was an only child and so his omega was providing them with a much-wanted grandbaby to dote on. It didn’t help that Artemis talked about their future children as if they were a sure thing, planning on which rooms which children would use as they grew. It seemed a bit surreal to Percival, his mate and their unborn baby. But in the end the adoration he felt for them only cemented his opinion on keeping his personal life private.   The auror desks were set up in a grid system in a massive room that was referred to as the pen. Those of higher ranking were granted private offices along the walls and those of the highest standing had an office on a higher floor. Percival hoped to achieve those offices himself but for now, he was content to manage a desk surrounded by others. But while his co-workers kept family pictures on their desk, he never did. When they talked about their personal lives, he never did. He would keep his family safe in every way possible. So there was no big announcement in the papers when Artemis brought a beautiful little girl into the world. Only the family was privy to the news and only the family was invited to visit. Even with them, Percival wanted to snatch his daughter up and curl over her protectively. She was tiny, he hadn’t expected her to be so small. A tiny bundle in his arms face wrinkled as her tiny lips smacked and her tiny fingers twitched. Percival was suddenly terrified of hurting her, of gripping too tightly, or the world hurting her, of anything happening to this tiny little gift Artemis had given him. His omega was laid out on his back in their bed, pillows propping him as a healer cleaned the sheets and prepared the bed for Artemis to sleep and recover. Seeming to sense Percival’s inner turmoil, Artemis reached out and ran his fingers along Percival’s face, wiping the tears he had realized were there. “It’s all right now,” he crooned and Percival felt a bit like a fool, nodding gently and staring down at the baby they had now. A darling omega girl. Omegas were so rare and prized, sought after by many and so the most common victims of child abduction. He would spend the rest of his life guarding his darling girl. Percival had only just laid eyes on her and yet he loved her more deeply than he could explain. Something in his being had shifted to make room for her, to welcome her. Percival spent days warding the house over and over. Warding Artemis and the baby, making charms and protection objects for them to carry. He learned his wards until his knowledge of them rivaled his understanding of offensive magic. Percival would keep his family safe. Artemis watched it all serenely, smiling sweetly as he carried their babe around the house, talking and introducing her to the beasts that lived with them. The mooncalf was immedatly in love, the blind thing following Artemis and sleeping beside the crib.   A few years seemed to fly by, filled with first steps and first words, first hurts and heartbreaking tears. It seemed so fast through the sleepless nights with his daughter crying to the struggles when she teethed. Percival felt like he blinked and then Artemis was giving him a son, a second pretty omega babe with his mum’s eyes and a fluff of dark but red hair. “This one looks a bit like me,” Artemis teased lightly, still sweat soaked and propped up in their bed as he recovered from birth. The healers fluttered around them, checking the omega and the baby over as Percival held his son. His daughter, Guinevere, peered at her sibling with wide curious eyes. Her aging mooncalf at her side, the beast named Stanford for a reason neither he nor Artemis had ever understood. But Guinevere was serene about it and loved her pet.   She was the mirror image of Percival people often commented. His coloring matching her own with their dark hair and dark eyes, a solemn sort of expression about them both. Until she got her hands on sugar that was, then the three year old was an unholy menace. “Say hello to your little brother,” Percival softly said to his daughter and she looked so sincerely serious, peering down at the newborn. “…Hello,” she whispered. Guinevere was rather taken with the idea of a younger sibling. She’d taken to referring to the baby as her baby and no one could convince her otherwise. Now she looked adorable, shyly watching the little one whimper, wanting his mother’s milk.   The second child came more easier, Percival having an idea what to expect now. He no longer fire called his mother at all hours, worried at every little thing the baby had done. Guinevere proved to be a wonderful sister, seeming to think it a duty to look after her sibling. “Be careful,” she warned little Tristan, the boy puffing out his cheeks in concentration as he waddled after his big sister. The mooncalf at his side and willing to be leaned on as the boy worked on walking. Artemis smiled at the trio from his desk and the demiguise named Dougal trail after them all with a protective air. While Percival would never get completely used to the beasts sharing his home and more often than he liked, his bloody bed, he could see their advantage. They were all terribly protective of the children and wonderful entertainment for them. From the demiguise acting as a constant babysitter to the occamy serving as protective guardians and the mooncalf ever present at Guinevere's side. Even the horrid niffler, Artemis had brought home and then the thing refused to leave, nesting somewhere in the house. It was a nuisance overall but it would sit with the children and show them its treasures, letting them hold it’s shiny findings. More then once it had hidden the children away, Artemis and Percival wandering the halls and calling for them with increasing worry. Eventually, they would tumble out of some closet or hidden space they hadn’t thought to check giggling away. The niffler had taught them to hide masterfully well. It only spoke to that protective instinct inside Percival, that almost desperate need to keep his beautiful family safe and sound. He would keep his career as far as he could from those he loved most.   That hope shattered when Percival submitted for the position of head auror. The current supervisor was retiring and so the position needed to be filled. Of the ten applicants, Percival knew only three contented, himself on that list. Kegley and Farwell were both excellent aurors in their own right. If Kegley went on to surpass him, Percival would accept it. But if Farwell managed to take the position Percival would have to object. The man was a powerful and cunning auror, but that didn’t make him suitable to leading. He was arrogant and didn’t listen to other’s enough to be able to lead well. Hessen, the current head, was a keen man and Percival hoped he saw that Farwell wouldn’t do well as head of anything. If he had to guess, Percival would think Hessen would go with Kegley. The older man had never seemed to like Percival much, a personal preference of some sort. “Graves,” he looked up from his desk to find Hessen there, eyes sweeping over his area and seeming to find it lacking. Which Percival didn’t rightly understand, he kept his space rigidly clean and in order, everything in its place. “There’s a dinner event next weekend, a chance to sit and talk with you, Kegley, and Farwell. I’ll see you there?” Percival frowned in reply. It wasn’t fair to cut into his personal time with little warning. A test of some sort no doubt, Percival was known to avoid social events. He had never cared for them himself and Artemis detested them, crowds making him anxious. Any sort of family event he bowed out of as well, not wanting his children to be known. Beyond keeping them safe, he also found people sucked up a great deal when they learned he had two omegas. Guinevere would be five in the spring, the usual age when her parents would invite families to submit letters of Offering. It seemed ages ago when he wrote his own and he wanted it to be even longer before he had to read any for his darling daughter. At least Artemis was composed about it, certain Percival could use his auror connections to thoroughly look into any American family while Theseus could check up on the British ones. Percival was of the opinion that if some alpha was going to steal his babies from him, they would live in New York and not move more than a block away. “You overprotective thing,” his mate had teased, kissing his cheek and going about his life as if they wouldn’t have to soon pick a future mate for their daughter. Hessen wanted him to go out next weekend but Percival was to take a portkey to London with his family, Theseus eager to see his niece and nephew. They were to attend an exhibit opening; the first one Artemis had helped develop since graduating. He was so adorably excited about it and so very proud while trying to remain humble. Percival refused to miss something that important to his mate. “My apologies, I won’t be able to attend, family matters,” he told the head auror calmly and Percival could see his chance at the position closing. He let it go. There would be other opportunities. “Sorry to hear that,” Hessen told him and he did sound sincere about it. “You’re a good man and with some more dedication, you might succeed.” It was a pointed strike and sitting in the pen with his fellow aurors all around to hear it. Percival had never liked Hessen for this reason, the man seeming to rely on humiliation too much to punish. “Will all due respect, there are things more important than a job, sir.” Percival regretted saying it immediately; he didn’t want attention on his family. But then there was shouting and spells were lighting up the corner of the massive hall. Percival acted without hesitation, making his way over to check the situation. A pair of unicorns, of all things, were currently dancing around, clearly highly agitated. “What the hell?” Farwell barked out, “Whose mess is this?” “I’m sorry, I was checking some charmed boxes we brought in from the Stevens case. They just bloody popped out!” A younger auror explained, taking the blame properly. “Idiot,” Farwell snapped, turning to tear into the auror instead of dealing with the situation. “Can we calm them?” Percival asked, stepping forward and raising a hand. The larger of the two reared up, long horn shining dangerously as it threw its head back. “Where’s Warner?” he questioned and no one had an answer right away. “Never mind that,” Farwell grumbled and Percival frowned at him. Hessen was keeping back and so was Kegley. This was most certainly a test, if a dangerous one. “Let’s just stun them.” “Unicorns can block most magic, omegas will calm them. Is Warner working today?” Of the entire force, Warner was the only omega as it wasn’t common to see omega’s working in jobs with a great deal of risk. Artemis was, of course, the exception. “He’s off this week,” someone finally called and Percival flicked his wand to shove back a few aurors getting too close for their own good. The beasts weren’t calming at all, only growing more upset as more people gathered to stare. “There must be an omega working upstairs or somewhere, find one,” he barked out, focused on the beasts and keeping them distanced from the people. “Give them room, don’t crowd.” “An expert are you?” Farwell remarked snidely and Percival gritted his teeth. “Argue later, deal with this now,” he snapped and the other man backed off. Percival had no patience for bullshit during any sort of high-risk situation and the entire force knew it. “Oh my,” Artemis’ voice remarks lightly, making Percival’s stand taller, twisting around to find his mate of all people. Guinevere and Tristan were with him, Tristan on his hip and Guinevere as his side. “Well, this is far more interesting than I expected,” his mate noted easily. Without any ceremony, Artemis walked over to the nearest unicorn resting a hand on its snout and the beast calmed instantly. The second followed suit, twisting to inspect Guinevere who giggled as the beast sniffed at her. Both creatures seemed to utterly forget anyone else, looking sweet as pie as Artemis pet one and let Tristan inspected them shyly. “There we go, poor things, they’re terrified,” he had a distinctly scolding tone that Percival felt an immediate guilty reaction too. More than a few of the aurors gathered ducked their heads, the omega shaming them so easily. Honestly, a stern omega could bring the entire department under control, perhaps Warner should be made the head. “We didn’t have any omega’s on hand,” Farwell remarks easily, charming smile in place as he moved closer to Artemis. Percival felt everything in him go still, the alpha he had no care for smirking at his mate like that, approaching so rudely. Guinevere was between Farwell and Artemis, peering up at the stranger and taking a step back towards her mum wisely. Percival tried to be casual as he approached the group, intending to put himself between the man and his family. But then Farwell reached out a hand, touching Guinevere’s cheek. “Hello, sweetie.” There were few things more offensive, than an alpha outside the family touching an omega child, marking her with their scent. Percival’s daughter recoiled from the touch and Percival grabbed the other man’s arm, yanking it away with a snarl. Farwell twisted to snap at him but the Hessen was there, deciding to be head auror again it seemed. Fighting the aggression in him, Percival made himself let go of the other man’s arm, twisting to pluck his daughter up into is arms. Without a word, he rubbed his cheek over where the man had touched and Guinevere pushed her face into the touch. Instinct making her want the strange scent gone as much as Percival did. Artemis was watching everything with a worried little frown, Tristan tucked close in his arms. Looking distinctly upset, Guinevere leaned in Percival’s arms towards her mother who immediately lifted his free hand to rub her face, removing the lingering scent. “I’d often thought you exaggerated, about keeping the kids away from here, but now,” he commented, biting his lip. The unicorns shifted nervously, picking up the mood and Artemis looked back to them. “I’m not sure why you have these lovely fellows here, but perhaps I could send word to the university to come collect them?” “That would be most helpful,” Hessen announced and Percival half turned to face him, keeping Guinevere closer to Artemis and his mate behind him firmly. The older man had a strange expression on his face, looking between Percival and his family as if there was something shocking about them. Farwell was nowhere to be seen, sent off somewhere thankfully. Other aurors were peering curiously but a dark look from Percival had them turning away, suddenly heading back to their desks. “I take it this is your family?” Hessen asked and Percival felt pinned, not wanting anyone looking at his mate and children. A warm hand touched his shoulder and he made himself relax a touch. Guinevere was stiff in his arms, sensing his agitation. Artemis drifted closer, standing with Percival now rather than behind him. “Hello, my name is Newt. Formally I’m Artemis Graves,” he offered shyly, not meeting the other man’s gaze as he tucked his son close. “We came here looking for Percy, I hadn’t thought it through though I fear. Bringing little ones here.” “It’s fine,” Hessen was quick to reassure and thankfully he didn’t drift any closer, keeping a distance between them all. “How long will it take to contact the university about this mess?” Percival was made to stay with the unicorns and the children as Artemis went off to send the message with Hessen. It made him uneasy to have his mate out of sight but despite their personal issues, Hessen was a good man. And Artemis was anything but defenseless. “What are their names?” Guinevere asked, walking under and between the unicorns who stood compliant to her, the omega children keeping them perfectly at ease. “I don’t know, they might not have names,” he replied easily, keeping one eye on his daughter and another on the aurors in the room, all trying to be sneaky about staring at him. “Poor things,” she huffed, peering up as one leaned down to blow in her face, making his smile. “This one can be Guinevere, and the other can be Tristan!” Tristan giggled, face pressed to Percival’s vest shyly but one eye watching his big sister. “Would you like that?” Percival asked him, bouncing him a bit so Tristan giggled again. Feeling more of the tension in him fade at his children’s comfort, he pressed a kiss to the top of his son’s head and watched his daughter pet the unicorns. Even if they weren’t docile to omegas, Guinevere knew her way around beasts, learning quickly from her mum over the years. Tristan as well, knew the basics of approaching strange creatures. “How is everyone over here?” Tina Goldstein asked and Percival felt his shoulders go tight again. But he had partnered with Tina for years now, working closely with her and knowing all about her and her sister who moved to England to marry a no-maj. She was as close to a friend as anyone he worked with was. “We’re fine,” he told her, forcing the calm in his voice as Guinevere left the unicorns to press into his leg, hiding her face. “Graves, I thought your little ones might be a bit hungry,” she announced, revealing a little plate with cookies on it. “I don’t normally share, my sister’s husband does make the finest desserts, but I thought they might like one.” Tina offered them and both of Percival’s children hid against him. Feeling a touch bad for the alpha attempting to be nice, Percival took two cookies from the plate. Guinevere peered shyly at the woman as she accepted the cookie and Tristan shook his head stubbornly. So Percival took a bite and immediately his youngest wanted the cookie, taking it from his hands and stuffing it in his mouth. “Easy,” he warned his son, making sure he chewed properly. Tina was watching them all, looking peculiar but with a soft smile. “You have lovely children,” she announced and Percival offered her an odd look. She was staring at him like she’d never seen him before. “Thank you,” he replied after a moment, running his free hand through Guinevere's hair as she nibbled on her treat. “What do you say?” He asked her and Guinevere mumbled a tiny 'thank you' to Tina, who looked like she was witnessing something adorable. “Would you like another?” Tristan nodded, sticky drool coated fingers clutching Percival’s vest as his son eyed the plate. Guinevere looked up to Percival in question and he sighed, taking two more for his children. “Let’s not tell mum about the cookies.” “Because they’re not both wearing them,” Artemis remarked with a sly tone, making Percival turn to face his mate. “When did you get back,” he tried to tease and the omega huffed, eyeing their children as they consumed their sugar. “Really, you are terrible at saying no to them,” Artemis shook his head, wiping cookie crumbs and slobber from Percival’s vest. Hessen was walking down the hall as well, approaching them again. “Bye now,” Tina wisely said, waving at the children. Guinevere managed a shy wave back and Tristan just hid. Artemis watched her go curiously. “Was that Tina?” “How did you know?” “She’s the scent you have when you say your working with Tina,” Artemis shrugged as if it was normal but then Percival supposed he was no better. He liked to keep tabs on anyone who worked with his mate at the university, including looking up their files to make sure they weren’t criminals. The university was very kind with all the money donated by his family as well. Not minding that Percival warded the magical beast wing himself and pushed heavily to make the school a safe place for omegas. With time and pressure, the school had embraced the idea and was becoming known for it, drawing in more omegas wishing for secondary education. Percival would do anything he deemed useful to protecting his family. Which was why he hated that they were exposed to his work life now, aurors watching Artemis curiously and staring too long at his children. “Graves, introduce me to your family,” Hessen said when he reached them, peering easily at the omegas who turned meek. “You’ve met my mate, Artemis,” “I prefer Newt.” “These our children, Guinevere and Tristan.” The man nodded, looking at Percival as if he’d never seen him before again, that same look Tina had worn. Percival’s family exposed for all to see. “A family man, I hadn’t realized.” “Percy likes to keep our family out of the public, he prefers not to have the children linked to his name with the cases he works on,” Artemis explained easily, looking calm as he pet one of the unicorns. Of all things, the bloody unicorns seemed to have faded into the background in light of Percival’s family. “Of course,” Hessen did look like he actually understood the idea, peering at Percival’s children. “I’ve an omega boy and I’ve no interest in people coming around looking for trouble.” Percival nodded, feeling uncovered and wanting to find a way to usher his family home. “Just the two little ones?” “Three!” Tristan shouted in a sudden excited answer and Percival blinked at him before turning to stare at Artemis. His mate flushed and shrugged, smiling softly. “We came to get you for lunch, to celebrate. I saw the healer this morning.” Tristan squealed when Percival leaned in to gather his mate close, gently hugging him and pressing his face into his neck. Artemis’ hands ran through his hair once, his scent warm and comforting. Percival fought the sudden overwhelming emotions threatening to spill over in him. “Congratulations,” Hessen remarked, reminding Percival where he was. When he pulled back, his mate wiped the corner of his eye, smearing the tear away before anyone could see it. “That’s wonderful,” Percival managed to get out and Artemis smiled brightly. “Gwen is very excited,” he said with a touch of a tease and their daughter beamed happily, hugging her mum. “She is an excellent older sister,” Percival commented and his daughter looked so timid but proud.   Thankfully the university specialists arrived with their own omega and Hessen let Percival take a half-day, gathering his family up and taking them home. Or at least attempting to. “Take the children home, I’ll be along shortly,” Artemis promised, pressing a quick kiss to Percival’s mouth and then kissing Tristan noisily and bending to offer Guinevere one as well. “Will you?” Percival huffed, eyeing the unicorns being loaded into a transport masked as a no maj delivery truck. “I will, I asked your parents to come over for dinner, to announce the baby. I won’t be late.” Percival saw his husband off before heading back in to grab his coat and pack up his desk. Guinevere giggled as his paperwork sorted itself away and watched as his coffee mug cleaned itself and settled back into his personal drawer. “I can honestly say you surprised me today,” Hessen announced, appearing at the desk. Percival frowned, unsure what to say. Guinevere was in his chair and he had to set Tristan on the edge of the desk to pull on his coat. “I hadn’t realized you had a family already, much less an omega to mind.” “Artemis minds himself usually,” Percival replied before he could bite it back. He never liked comments that he somehow owned or was the master of his mate. “I could tell, a magizoologist I believe he said, Theseus Scamander’s little brother.” Percival fought another frown as he gathered his son into his arms. Artemis wasn’t one to talk about their lives to strangers. Hessen took note of his expression and shook his head. “He didn’t say as much but it was obvious, I’ve met Scamander a few times since he took the position of head auror for the Ministry, they look alike and he spoke of a younger omega brother in America.” Guinevere slipped her hand into his own and Hessen stepped back to let them pass. “Papa will work with uncle soon,” she piped up and Percival huffed at her sudden decision to be chatty. Hessen looked questioningly at Percival and Tina had her head tipped in a way the spoke of her listening in at her desk beside them. “Theseus has been trying to convince me to transfer, he’s been hiring on new blood and wants his niece and nephew closer. At this point, I’ve no intention of leaving.” Percival didn’t want to say outright that he would stay for good, even if he intended to. But if poor leaders took power, an office could change rapidly. There might come a day when working for the Ministry became appealing. With two omega children from a British omega, the British government would welcome him. “I see,” Hessen commented, watching Percival with a new piercing gaze. “Well, you have a good evening,” he told them as they made to leave. Percival felt his gaze on his back the entire way out. Whether the slip would prove good or bad only time would tell.   Hessen warmed up to him after that day, interested in how Percival was approaching his daughter turning five soon and having to accept alphas trying to enter arranged marriages. Hessen’s own omega boy was only a year behind Guinevere. While Percival still didn’t like talking about his family at work, he could debate the pros and cons of an arranged marriage. Ultimately, Guinevere would choose but they would arrange for someone for her. If she didn’t like them when she came of age they wouldn’t pressure her. With Hessen so keen on him suddenly, Percival couldn’t be shocked when he was offered the position of head auror. “I bowed out early,” Kegley admitted as he came by to congratulate Percival. “I wanted to see if I would be considered more than anything. Scamander had sent me a pretty letter offering me a position over in Britain.” “He’s been badgering me, hoping to get me and my family to move.” Percival grumbled as he looked over the official offer for the position. “More than family stuff,” Kegley pointed out, never caring about others personal lives, the main reason Percival liked him. “He’s been head hunting, hiring the best from all over the world. When Hessen found out, you pretty much took the position then and there.” “Theseus cleaned out his department, got rid of the weak links so he has to fill the gaps.” “Not a bad plan,” the other man admitted and Percival saw the point of the conversation then. Why the other man had come around to talk with him when he rarely did. “Yes, I will be doing so as well. Theseus can hire all he likes, you and the other Americans he asked after all have all declined. But he did leave me a nice list of people to look into once the positions are open here.” “Smart man,” Kegley grinned and left Percival to his work.   “I wonder if I should decline, with the baby and all,” Percival mused as he pressed a kiss to Artemis’ bare shoulder. They were curled up in their bed together, still sweat soaked from a round of sex. “I don’t think Tristan made that large an impact, beyond more nights awake when he first arrived. Honestly, we have infants coming through all the time.” “This is our child Artemis, not a beast.” “Don’t be rude,” the omega twisted in his arms to press a kiss to his mouth. “I honestly can’t tell you what to do. I know you want that position though, and I know you researched it carefully. You’d never have submitted for it if you thought it was going to make too big an impact on your personal time. I imagine you’ll still take a week off once the baby is born?” “More if I can.” “Well, if we get overwhelmed, your parents will help, your mother has been asking if we would take on one of your family house elves.” “You don’t seem keen on it,” Percival noted, curling his mate in his arms. “No, I know they only have two, Liddle and Mossy are darlings but they’ve worked for your parents all their lives, I don’t want to unsettle them.” Artemis had been a bit unsure about the house elves until he learned they were free and had been for decades, Percival’s family releasing all their servants and slaves long ago. The house elves that worked for them were paid and had worked for the family by choice. Percival snorted. “You do realize they’ve both been begging to come work with us? My parents live in a small apartment that self-cleans and they’ve little needs for two elves to tend to. Mossy helped raise me and she adores children.” Artemis made a surprised sound, blinking a bit. “I hadn’t known that. But then it would be rude to take them both, I’d hate to have choose if they both want to come over.” “Hardly. If my parents want another, they can hire a new elf.” His mate hummed in a partial agreement and Percival left it, there were months left to decide. “Either way, if you want this position, don’t let us hold you back. Honestly, having babies shouldn’t stop you, I do intend to have more than three children.” “Of all the things you’ve done in my life, holding me back has never been an issue,” Percival assured him, pressing a kiss to Artemis’ lush mouth, lingering a bit as they kissed a bit more deeply. “And of course we’ll have plenty of babies, I did promise you didn’t I? A big family to fill this house,” he kissed his mate lazily, the hunger of sex beginning to seep back into the contact. “Another round?” the omega asked and Percival nodded, twisted them so he was looming over his mate. He felt Artemis spread his thighs as he laid out on his back, welcoming Percival. It was about then that Tristan began calling for his papa from the next room, his whimpering tone making Percival sigh before he rolled off Artemis. The omega chuckled softly, curling up into his pillow and watching Percival pull on a sleeping shirt. Tristan would likely be unwilling to do anything less than sleep with them and Percival was terrible at denying him. Hence why he cried for his papa over his mum who had more of a backbone.   Pregnancy truly suited his mate. Artemis was lovely on any day but he glowed with a round belly. With their next child growing within him. Artemis felt it was less magical than that however. His poor feet swelled and his back ached terribly. Percival spent hours rubbing him down and he could feel the knots in his mate’s body, the tension and ache. “I do love our children, but I wish they would come a bit easier,” Artemis sighed, laid out on his side as Percival rubbed his back in soothing circles. He warmed his hands with a heat spell to make the touch more potent. Artemis’ belly was too large for him to roll on his back so they made due, a pillow shoved between Artemis’ thighs and extra ones settled all around him. Percival supposed he was lucky to fit in the bed with them all. Liddle and Mossy were helping with the children and Artemis had taken leave from the university finally, settling back for the last few weeks of pregnancy. As an omega, Artemis got a bit territorial this close to birth. He checked Percival’s wards and trailed his fingers down the walls, spreading his scent. Their bedroom became a haven, their scent mingled and room always dark and quite, a touch warm at all times. More often as the days passed, Percival came home to find his mate and children curled up for a nap in their bed, cuddled up tightly and serenely resting. Percival tried to enjoy it, tried to allow himself to let fears go. Aurors talked often about his family now, everyone knew about them and word had only spread. Percival was a Graves, an old high name, and there were two omega children carrying on that bloodline. Guinevere was overdue to begin receiving letters of Offering and Percival was trying his hardest to hide from the idea. But rumors spread and people he had never spoken to in his life acted like old friends, wanting to ask after his family and his omega children. He hated it. Artemis was his rock in the storm, ever serene. He decided they could accept letters after the birth and not a moment before. He gave Percival time to prepare, to plan. “The right letter will speak to us, and then you’ll have a decade to learn everything about them, to test them thoroughly, the poor soul.” Put like that, it did make him feel a touch better. Percival liked the idea of years to find out every little thing he could about his precious daughter’s would-be-mate. Percival was a damn good auror after all. He’d find everything.   Little Kay came a week early. Mossy appeared at work one day, eyes frantic and Percival had just known. “Go,” Tina called, aware of the impending baby. Percival rushed home and the healers were already there. Guinevere and Tristan were in their playroom, studying with Liddle and unaware of the trouble. “Call my parents, Artemis’ family as well,” Percival request his house elf distractedly, walking down the hall to the bedroom. It broke his heart to see his omega in pain. Artemis was already sweat-soaked and whimpering, someone feeding him a mild potion to help. They had to be careful though, for the safety of the babe. And so Artemis faced a great deal of pain and struggle. Percival felt inadequate, sitting beside him and kissing his hand as he sobbed, tears of agony running down his beautiful face as he breathed and pushed. The healers talked him through it all, three of the best New York had, paid obscenely to come into their home. Artemis struggled to breathe, his pale hand clutching Percival’s achingly tight as a scream welled up in him. Percival swore his love over and over, watching his mate as he brought their child into the world. An omega male had an opening meant for birth and it would tear during labor, the scent of the blood, of Artemis’ blood making Percival struggle to fight down the alpha in him. The need to protect and help his mate but unable to truly do anything. His pretty little omega, with his sweet smiles. Sweat tricking down his face mixed with tears as he screamed. His face tight with pain but more than that, determination. Percival felt weak and humble when Artemis gave birth. A tiny alpha girl, face wrinkled in a frown with a tiny wailing grumble. The healers cleaned her off and handed her to Percival as they checked Artemis over. Once it was done the baby fed, latching onto a nipple and drinking her fill from her mum. The moment she was done, Percival took her back and Artemis was being fed powerful healing potions. His darling omega relieved of his pain as he slumped into the cleaned pillows to sleep the rest of the healing. “We’ll be here,” Percival assured him, smiling and cradling their tiny babe. Guinevere and Tristan came once Newt was sleeping, both straining to be dead quiet as they peered at their newest sibling. “This is Kay,” Percival told them in a whisper and both looked in wonder of their new sibling.   Kay slept like the dead. Both Guinevere and Tristan had fussed for entire nights but Kay drank her fill and slumped into sleep almost immediately, she slept the night through as well. It was a touch alarming but the healer assured them it was as perfectly normal as a fussy babe was. So Percival made sure to angle the crib so he could look over from the bed and see his daughter’s chest steadily rise and fall. “It is a bit off-putting,” Artemis admitted, peering over at their child as she slept soundlessly. “I suppose we were used to Gwen and Tristan keeping us up all night.” “But you really are avoiding the subject,” he added cruelly, waving the letters of Offering in his hand. Despite not telling anyone and reaching out to very few select families to invite them, there were hundreds of letters. “My mum said they received almost five hundred for me, three isn’t that bad.” Percival huffed, staring at the stack in Artemis’s hand. The omega had taken to reading them before bed to see if any jumped out. If they did, Percival was expected to read them over and if nothing offended him, he would look into the family. He might be dragging his heels a bit at reading said letters. “Put those away for now,” he tried to coax and Artemis fixed with him a look that clearly saw through him. But he let Percival wave his hand and send the letters into a neat pile on the dresser. “Now what will I do?” The omega asked lightly and Percival used magic to pull his mate closer to him. Artemis fought a smile as Percival leaned in to gently ease the omega’s sleeping shirt collar open and down enough to him to kiss a bare shoulder. “What indeed?” Giving in to a soft smile, Percival’s mate leaned in and kissed him gently, letting the alpha pull him into his arms. Kissing Artemis was a bit like sipping at a pepper up potion, each contact filling Percival up, changing him. He could feel his magic crackle under his skin and Artemis’ own answered, a perfect union. When the sweet scent of excitement floated from his mate, Percival lifted Artemis to settle him in his lap facing him. They kissed with more need, mouths coaxed open and tongues touching as Artemis cupped Percival’s face and pressed increasingly hungry kisses against his mouth. When he pulled back a touch, their brows still touching, a bit of spit made Artemis’ lip shine. Running his hands up along Artemis’ bare thighs, Percival went under the loose sleeping shirt and caressed the silky skin hidden away. His mate hummed in approval, tipping his head back and letting his eyes drift shut. “I do realize you're just trying to buy time,” he sighed out, not sounding too concerned. “I might be,” Percival agreed, fingers running over the curve of Artemis’ plump ass. “But honestly, any excuse to have you is worth taking.” “Sweet talker,” came the easy reply, Artemis leaning in to kiss harder now. Pulling the sleeping shirt up and off, Percival stripped his mate bare. The omega shifted in his lap, going a touch shy as he self-consciously ran his hands over his stomach. It wasn’t quite flat yet, with faded stretch marks along the skin. Percival took his mates hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. “Your body gave me my daughter, don’t ever think it’s anything to hide.” “Very romantic, but I’m allowed to feel how I want,” Artemis replied and Percival merely nodded. Hands running up his mate’s back and coaxing him to sit a touch closer. Pressing a kiss to his shoulder, he rubbed his lips against the pale skin, scenting Artemis and that dizzyingly good smell that came with him. It never failed to draw Percival in. If he wasn’t already hard he would have gotten an erection from the excited scent alone. Kissing at the bare skin and licking along it, tasting and marking his mate, Percival took his time. Artemis sighing into his touch, work-rough hands carding through Percival’s hair and tracing along the back of his neck. When he drifted a bit lower Artemis’ fingers paused. Percival looked up at him, bent down to press a kiss right above the right nipple, tongue flicking at the freckles there. Artemis regarded him for a moment, looking down before letting out a long-suffering huff. “Really, those are for the baby,” he teased but allowed Percival to run his tongue over his nipple, the faint taste there. Encircling the tender skin, Percival eased Artemis’ nipple hard before latching. A single suckle brought a gush of warm milk. It should have been strange and a bit sordid, but Percival had developed a strong fetish for sucking from his mate. The taste of it was so uniquely Artemis and he wanted it for that. He wanted everything his mate could give him, every feeling, every scent, and every taste. It had started with their first-born and Artemis had little interest in the play. But with Tristan, he warmed up to Percival’s mouth and now with Kay he allowed him his fill. Letting Percival turn them around, laying his mate down on the pillows before pulling up from the swollen nipple with a wet smack. “Such a dirty alpha,” Artemis scolded without heat, watching Percival lick at his pale chest and latch on to the other nipple. Pressing in close to his mate laid out under him, Percival let go of the nipple and leaned back to vanish his sleeping pants. “Come now, you’re going to have none left,” his mate huffed but Percival didn’t care. The idea of pulling away from Artemis, even for a moment, was abhorrent. Instead, he pressed in close, his erection straining as it rubbed against Artemis’s bare thigh. The scent of him was driving at Percival, making him hurry a bit as he lined them up. Gently, he sank into his precious omega. Artemis sighed happily, relaxing against the bed and letting him in. His face reflected not a trace of discomfort so Percival eased into him. Leaning down, he took a saliva-wet nipple back into his mouth and began to move, lazily thrusting as his omega slipped his arms over Percival’s shoulders. “Leave some for Kay,” Artemis instructed and Percival swallowed, taking on last pull before pulling off.   Moving up to press his face into Artemis’ neck in breathed in the warm scent, moving a touch faster. The omega under him held such power, he could ask Percival for anything in these moments and he would do everything to grant them. Nothing calmed and soothed everything in him like pressing up against Artemis could, like the slick feeling of him around Percival. Carefully picking up momentum, Percival tried to pace himself, not wanting to hurt his mate. Artemis body has healed right away with potions but even months afterward, Percival liked to be careful. His mate had little patience for it though. Insistent hands tugged at his shoulders, pulling Percival in with more urgency, wanting him to go faster. Obediently, he moved, letting his weight press into Artemis each time he thrust in. Swallowing a soft moan, Artemis kissed at Percival’s neck, licking at his skin and muffling his sounds as they moved harder. Clutching the sheets, Percival let himself slam a few times, proper rough motions that his mate loved. A warbling cry his reward as his knot began to fill out. Percival hadn’t had proper sex until he had knotted Artemis. Nothing had felt as good as it could have until he was buried inside his omega. Artemis loved it too, suck a wickedly delightful mouth on him when he was properly excited. The sweet omega adored a good fucking as well, often eager to be filled. If they didn't knot, Artemis liked to suck Percival off, smacking his perfect lips together and drink his seed down. Such a lewd thing on such a pretty face.The pleasure rushed up around him, making his head spin with it, a frantic reach. The bliss throbbed through him, his magic winding with his mate as their bodies locked. Percival rained kissed on Artemis’ shoulder as his mate panted against his neck trembling as they tied. His hot breath bathed over Percival skin and the feeling of it made him hiss out, struggling to be quiet as Artemis let out a single high moan. The pleasure rushed up around him, making his head spin with it, a frantic reach. The bliss throbbed through him, his magic winding with his mate as their bodies locked. Percival rained kissed on Artemis’ shoulder as his mate panted against his neck trembling as they tied. His hot breath bathed over Percival skin and the feeling of it made him hiss out, struggling to be quiet as Artemis let out a single high moan. The knotting let the waves drop down, the pleasure still there but less consuming. Percival gently turned them so he was under Artemis, the omega’s lighter weight more welcomed than his own bulk. Sweat sheened and panting slightly, Percival wiped his hair from his eyes and glanced at the crib. Kay slept on soundly. Artemis curled up under his chin, content as he shivered every now and then, feeling the knot pulse. Locked with his mate and their children sleeping quietly, Percival felt more blessed than he could put into words.   He wasn’t home when his worst nightmare occurred. Percival was in a meeting with the other auror heads when his house elf Mossy suddenly burst into the room, Kay wailing in her tiny arms. “Wizards in the house, attacking the little ones!” She shrieked and Percival slammed his chair back getting up so fast. Kay screamed so loudly as Percival took his daughter, panic gripping him from all sides suddenly. He was trained to be better than this, but the idea of Artemis and their children in danger dragged at him like hands clawing at his skin. “Percival,” Tina touched his elbow, her voice sure among the fear tearing at him. “Let me take her, you need to open the house wards.” After years of working together, months upon months of sharing cases, sitting desk by desk, trusting each other’s lives to one another: Percival felt they were tested for the first time truly. For a moment, indecision gripped him, but Tina looked calm and certain, no doubt or fear. Percival gave her his daughter. Mossy stayed behind with a sharp command as Percival rushed to his home. The gates looked fine at a glance but they were twisted with dark magic, the door of the house ajar in a horrifying way. Eight aurors, all good strong aurors, four of them heads of divisions, followed him in. The house was eerily quiet and Percival felt his heart pounding too hard in his chest. Someone told him to stay back but he ignored it immediately. “Artemis?” He dared to call, it was a stupid mistake to give them away but Percival couldn’t stand a second longer in the still silence. “Percy?” his mate replied back and he went. Someone grabbed at him but Percival’s power pushed him away without trying. His magic threw the doors to the observatory open harshly, his wand raised to kill anyone who would ever dare. Artemis sat against his desk, looking perfectly fine, if a bit worried. “Do you have Kay?” He asked immediately, eyes searching for the baby. “She’s at Woolworth, Tina has her. What happened?” Percival tried to find the wizards, he could feel the dark magic in the house, clinging to the walls. They’d have to have worked for months to break down all his wards, to get into the ancient house loyal to the Graves. “Where are Gwen and Tristan?” “Liddle took them to your mother and father, Mossy panicked and went right to you.” “Are they ok?” Percival took his mate in his arms, hugging him tightly and trying to calm his heart as it thudded painfully hard in his chest. His legs threatened to give out. Artemis’ arms encircled him, the omega pressing his face into his chest. Taking comfort and giving it in return. His scent was agitated but not pained, he wasn’t hurt. Percival repeated it like a mantra into his head until his heart began to slowly believe it. The other aurors spread out, wands up as they searched for the threat. “Did you see them?” Percival asked, pulling back to inspect Artemis. “Yes, three fellows, rather aggressive. I did tell them to leave,” Artemis huffed like he’d had rude visitors rather than an attack. But there was a strain about his face, something lurking in his eyes. “Where are they?” Artemis looked a touch worried then, sad even. “You must understand, they attacked us Percy, we were all in the study here playing and I told them to stop and leave but they refused. And you know Mittens, she adores the children.” Mittens, named by the children, was the hippogriff currently staying with them. Percival had been trying for weeks to have the beast sent somewhere else. It stayed in the observatory, the place long spelled to enlarge so it could house all manners of creatures. Artemis had grown up around hippogriffs and so held a soft spot for them, wanting the children to know the creature. “Merlin’s balls,” an auror breathed, staring down the steps of the observatory to where the creatures stayed. “Thank heavens the children didn’t see anything, I sent them off before the wands even reached me.” “You’re not making sense,” Percival tried to sort out what had occurred, what his mate was edging around, peering at the other auror who looked a little sick. A warning screech lit up the room, the hippogriff coming up the stairs, wings flared aggressively as she shrieked and snapped her beak. The beast was covered in gore. The auror closest raised his wand in defense and Artemis was reaching out immediately, yanking it from his grip with a touch of wandless magic. He rushed in front of Mittens, stretching to pet and calm her. He seemed to ignore the gore on her feathers. It immediately made sense then. Between Mittens the hippogriff, the swooping evil that lived under Artemis’ desk and a protective demiguise the three dark wizards were defeated. Percival thought he should be more upset at the sight of the bodies down the short set of stairs. Three men all crumpled and very much dead. “Mum always said she liked keeping the hippogriffs around me, that they were fiercely protective of children. I never entirely believed her as much as I should have,” Artemis mused weakly, staring at the bodies with a more pale face. “The children?” “They didn’t even know what happened really, it all went so fast. The men came in and Mittens slammed them right back out. I called for their wands to disarm them and the elves took the children to safety. By the time I looked back they were all… well dead. Mittens killed one straight away with a blow to the head and the swooping evil another, Dougal knocked down the third and Mittens only need one hit of her beak to kill him.”   The aurors seemed at a loss, staring at the bodies and back at Artemis has if he had personally killed each one. Percival cleaned the mess with his wand as the bodies were removed and statements were taken. Artemis’ primary concern was the creatures but as they were all properly documented and defending human lives, Percival would fight tooth and claw the see his mate keep them. He felt stupidly grateful for the hippogriff now and he knew it would stay as long Artemis wanted it. Percival might want it around on a permanent basis now himself.   The day felt too long before Percival was taking Artemis to his parent’s home. Their own house would need to be re-warded, the layers of security would be checked to find out how the men had gotten through years of wards. “Perhaps blood seal the house? No one but family ever visits,” his mum suggested and it was extreme but Percival knew he would go along with it. No one but their own blood would be able to enter their house once it was sealed to their bloodlines.   Artemis fretted over the children, speaking lightly and seeming at ease but his hands kept carding through their hair and he kept looking for them in the room. Guinevere seemed to realize someone had come into their home uninvited and was upset, clinging to Percival, but not truly understanding. He kept her on his hip, clutching her close, as Tristan played with toys, blissfully unaware. Kay was only six months and too young to understand. Both his parents fretted and Theseus was heading over immediately to help with getting the house safe. The Scamanders would come as well but wanted to contact old friends with powerful protection artifacts.   Percival sat up late into the night, watching Artemis sleep with the two kids in the bed and baby in the crib within arms reach. Being ever wise, Artemis had taken a sleeping potion while Percival had not. Now he sat wide-awake, knowing he would not sleep a wink. In the morning Artemis wanted to return to the house and check on all the beasts. He had a special suitcase for moving them that he intended to load them up into it while they stayed with Percival’s parents. He had no real idea how long that would be or how long it would take until he felt secure in his own home again. The bedroom door creaked and Percival’s wand flew to his hand instantly from the nightstand. He met his father’s calm gaze and settled back in the chair as he entered the dark room. His bony fingers gripped Percival’s shoulder tightly, squeezing hard in comfort before he motioned for his son to follow him. Hesitating, Percival stared at his family a moment longer before finally going. The room was spelled ridiculously overdone, if one of his children even twitched he would know. In the main study, his father uncapped a dark crystal decanter, pouring a bit into two tumblers. “A unique sleeping drought, enough to put you asleep but not enough you can’t wake if something happens.” “Clever,” Percival mused, picking up the amber liquid. “I found it years ago. I never liked taking sleeping droughts, always certain I would sleep through another attack.” Percival slumped in his father’s lush chair, staring at the potion swirling in his cup. “Did you take it for long after that night?” “Three years,” his father admitted grimly and Percival scowled at the drink. “But in time I realized things and took comfort in them. Now I take some when old cases haunt me.” “Not because you’re worried about an attack?” His father shook his head. “No. I think about it sometimes, about that deranged man in our home, shattering family portraits and screaming nonsense.” Percival felt the old memories echo, recalling the fear gripping him tightly. He had worked so hard to prevent it from happening again and in the end, he had failed. “But then I thought of your mother.” “Mom?” “She had you behind her, wand pointed at the door, her eyes firm and determined, certain. She would have defended you to the last breath. It reminded me that I wasn’t alone. That we were partners.” Percival blinked, tipping his head toward the hall where Artemis slept. “It’s hard to see sometimes, Newt is adorable isn’t he?” Percival nodded. “An omega, his scent makes us think him something innocent and soft. But today, he reminded us he was a wizard.” Percival turned back to his father. The older man looked serene, peering at Percival steadily. “You’ve mated a powerful and cunning man, one who deals with danger every day and as such, is very dangerous himself.” He couldn’t imagine Artemis as a danger. “Percival,” his father frowned at him. “Three formidable wizards broke into your home.” The wretched feeling his stomach twisted furiously, searing his insides with all that could have happened. “And your sweet little mate had them disarmed and dead before the children even knew what had happened.” Percival blinked, staring at his father. “It’s hard not to let fear get the better of you, but you must realize, your mate is strong and fierce. Newt might say whatever he has to in order to protect his creatures, but I don’t believe he couldn’t have kept at least one of those men alive. I don’t blame him of course. But three men came looking for trouble, threatening your children and now three bodies remain.” A part of Percival wanted to reject the idea of it. Artemis was gifted, there was no doubt of that. He was brilliant and the university adored him, they had hired him immediately after he graduated. Percival had thought for a second it because of their wealth or name, perhaps even because Artemis was an omega. But then he recalled the true talent Artemis had, he called beasts of all kinds to heel, worked with them and calmed them when no other could. He knew so much, it could fill books, his knowledge in his field. While he certainly never showed it off, in times of need, Artemis could perform wandless magic. Not much, tiny pulls here and there. But he used it so well, used that touch of power in ways that always paid off. With this attack, he had called the wizards wands from them as the creatures attacked. Focused on the beasts, the men had all lost their wands. Trying to think logically, Percival could see his father’s point, Artemis had successfully fought off three wizards in a blink of an eye. He’d protected their children without thought or hesitation. Lifting his glass, his father waited until Percival mirrored him and then they drank it down together. “Go to bed. In the morning look after your family. But also realize, you are not alone. You have your mate and you have a family that will be there in any way you need. Your department has already contacted me, asking how they can help. The world might have darkness, bit it had good in it too.” Percival felt over emotional, nodding as his father patted his shoulder as he passed by. He watched the older man walk down the hall, pausing to check on Artemis and the children before heading to bed himself. Putting the tumbler on the desk, Percival made himself follow, padding into the dark room with his family. Despite the sleeping potion, Artemis stirred, blinking at him. He was on his side facing the children, one arm out over their heads protectively. When he patted the pillow Percival obeyed, pulling off a sleeping robe before crawling under the covers. Artemis’ warm hand cupped his face soothingly; his hand, rough from years of strenuous work by choice, caressed his skin. There were faint scars on Artemis’ body after years of working with aggressive creatures. He wore them well and for the first time, Percival felt like he might have never realized just how strong his mate was. He’d never thought Artemis weak, but now he was realizing how much he had underestimated the omega. His father’s words rang truer the more he thought on them. Artemis had fought off three wizards, powerful men seeking revenge for a case Percival had worked years ago. They’d come to wreak havoc but were stopped dead by the omega across from him. “Go to sleep,” Artemis sighed softly. “I’m here, we’re all here. Go to sleep my alpha.” Percival obeyed. End Notes Decided to add another chapter to this one! Just because we needed something from Percival's perspective. >:3 The arranged marriage and the wolf/bunny will be next up, the deaged fic after them. Also, the fic where Percival is raised as Newt's brother. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!