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“Jiang Cheng .”
No answer.
“ Jiang Chengggg!”
Still no answer. If it wasn’t for the annoyed huff and clenching of already shaking fists, Wei Ying would have believed that Jiang Cheng somehow hadn’t heard him. But he clearly had, nothing could make Jiang Cheng go from his usual state of being mildly annoyed by everything to full-on teeth-grinding fury in a manner of seconds. Why was he ignoring him?
“Jian-”
“ What? ”
Finally a response. Wei Ying didn’t want to gloat about it, but it was impossible not to. Having the future leader of the Jiang clan of Yunmeng, an alpha who was infamous for having a short temper and never giving in to anyone, regardless of their status, wrapped around your finger against his own will was hilarious, according to Wei Ying.
“Did you decide yet? Did you decide who is going to be my alpha?”
It was an age-old tradition that had refused to fall into forgottenness, even though it’d had thousands of years to do so. It was in the likes of a bad rash that refused to heal. At least that was what Wei Ying compared it to, and he was certain that the vast majority of his fellow omegas would agree with him. How could such a law continue to stand the test of time?
Sure, their earlier ancestors might have been so bad at flirting and finding a partner to mate with that the only way for omegas to end up pregnant was for the families to arrange anonymous matings in their stead.
It was a simple enough tradition, it was just old-fashioned and dumb.
Any alpha that was interested in mating with a certain omega would present their wishes to the omega’s closest family. The family would then choose which of these suitors they wished their omega to marry. Usually it was a simple enough task- the most powerful alpha would get their omega.
After an alpha had been selected, the claiming would take place soon after, with the omega blindfolded and the alpha forbidden to talk, leaving the omega in the dark with no idea who their mate was until after they had officially bonded, and the omega was hopefully (according to the old teachings, at least) pregnant.
The rule had been set in place due to a large number of unwanted matings, most omegas getting claimed by a random alpha as soon as they presented. This had angered the higher-up alphas, who- surprise, surprise - thought that they were the ones who deserved to mate with these omegas. And what parent could say no to the big sacks of gold they got in return for giving away their omega children to the rich and powerful? And the tradition had stayed, continuing to make it hard for alphas and omegas to meet and fall in love on their own terms.
Wei Ying had heard a lot of stupid rules in his life, the majority of which he had learned during his summer at the Cloud Recesses a few years prior, but the old-fashioned views of omegas as nothing but baby-makers whose minds were too fragile to handle anything other than being submissive to their alpha.
Wei Ying refused to be such an omega.
And he did have a plan to keep that from happening. Kind of.
The only way to stop a mating from taking place once an alpha had been chosen was for the alpha to change their mind during the mating. If the omega wasn’t marked on its scent gland or properly knotted, the bond between the two would, according to the rules, be broken.
It was still a risky move. If the bond was broken, the alpha would be the one to take the blame, because omegas were such sweet and fragile creatures, who could never be able to refuse a bond from an alpha. Getting fucked and bitten and bred was what they were designed to do, after all. the omega from an unsuccessful mating would be coddled and cared for, with a promise of finding them a better match who would appreciate them. While the alpha would be an outcast, for bringing shame onto something as weak and precious as an omega.
Unsuccessful bondings were uncommon, but not unheard of. If the alpha had been forced into the arrangement rather than choosing their omega willingly, more often than not, the bonding would end up a failure.
But such situations had gotten rarer over time. While an omega was expected- or rather forced- to be mated to the most suitable alpha as soon as they reached adulthood, an alpha could still wait for several years, searching for the best match for themself. Nowadays failed bondings were therefore more a legend and a thing of the past than something that could realistically happen to Wei Ying during his mating. But Wei Ying also had a card up his sleeve.
Wei Ying was the first disciple of Yunmeng, and he had been trained to be a powerful cultivator long before he had presented as an omega. Traditionalists might expect that he put the fighting behind him to instead start training to become a good mother and wife, but that had not been the case. In fact, presenting as an omega had the complete opposite effect. Wei Ying had trained harder than ever before, learning all the tricks of how to make an alpha, however much stronger or bigger than him, regret ever being born.
If Wei Ying didn’t want to be mated to the alpha the Jiangs had chosen, he would stop it from going through. And if it were to happen again, he would stop it once more, until every single alpha in the realm knew that attempting to make Wei Ying their mate would bring them nothing but shame.
“Jiang Cheng!”
“Fine! Yes, we’ve decided who’ll be your alpha.”
Wei Ying stopped dead in his tracks, his usual smile melting off his face. Although he had known that this day would come, that there was no avoiding having an alpha chosen for him, it still felt unreal. An uncomfortable knot in his stomach made itself known, due to the uncertainty than was not his future.
“Oh. Can you tell me who-”
“No,” Jiang Cheng’s curt reply cut him off before he could finish his sentence. “You know very well it’s forbidden to know who your alpha is until after you’re mated.”
“Can’t you just give me a little clue? A hint? A suggestion?”
“Those are all the same things, dumbass,” Jiang Cheng said. He came to a halt, voice lowered, which gave Wei Ying an inkling of hope.
“Please,” Wei Ying begged with the best puppy eyes he could muster, the ones that not even Jiang Cheng could ignore.
Lo and behold, Jiang Cheng let out a final, deep sigh before giving in.
“Fine, what do you want to know?”
Wei Ying barely managed to bite back a self-satisfied smirk. The uncomfortable knot in his stomach loosened a fraction, knowing that he didn’t have to go into all of this completely blind. But first, his curiosity needed to be settled.
“How many alphas came to ask for my hand?”
Did said question have anything to do with who would end up being his mate? Not at all. But if Wei Ying was forced to go through this stupid ritual with one of them, he at least wanted to know how many alternatives there had been. What if he had only had a single suitor? What if everyone thought he was so brash and annoying that not even a single person wanted him? What a dream that would be!
Suddenly an image of the one and only Jin Guangshan haunted his mind, the clan leader making sure that Madam Yu knew just how important it was that Wei Ying was added to his already far-too-big harem of omegas. The worst part was that Madame Yu would love getting such a proposition, as it would mean that she’d never have to see Wei Ying again.
“Fifteen in total. Somehow,” Jieng Cheng pulled a face, as if the mere thought of that many people finding Wei Ying tolerable enough to bed was disgusting him. Wei Ying let out a low whistle. He hadn’t expected many alphas to find an interest in him, since he was far from the traditional omega that was normally sought after.
“From how many of the main clans?” Wei Ying asked.
Due to the politics of handing an omega over to any of the larger, more influential clans, as opposed to a smaller, less significant one, was not to be underestimated. Especially when Madam Yu was one of the three people making the decision for him. She would undoubtedly hand him off to the most powerful clan, regardless of who it was that asked for Wei Ying’s body in return.
The image of Jin Guangshan returned to his brain, and Wei Ying suppressed an uncomfortable shudder.
“I can’t tell you that,” Jiang Cheng hissed at him.
“Please, I want to know where I’m expected to move! What if I need to buy new clothing?”
“No!”
“Oh god, it’s not you is it, Jiang Cheng? That’s fucking disgusting .” Wei Ying exclaimed in faux disgust, doing his best to act as if the suggestion had even the smallest chance of being truthful.
Jiang Cheng’s eyes looked like they were to bulge straight out of his head. Wei Ying would undoubtedly have started giggling if it wasn’t for the fact that he really needed to get this information out of him.
“Of course it’s not me, what the fuck is wrong with you?!” Jiang Cheng spluttered, his face turning bright red in anger. He was close to cracking under the pressure, but Wei Ying didn’t know if he would end up punching him in the face or telling him the truth. Either way, it was worth the risk.
“I can’t believe you would do this to me, Jiang Cheng,” Wei Ying continued on his mission to piss Jiang Cheng off so much that he spilled his secrets. He had always been the weakest link when it came to such matters “Your own brother ! Just imagine our children, the poor little things would be so fucked up and it would all be your-”
“ Fine, fine! I’ll tell you as long as you shut the fuck up.”
Wei Ying gave him an innocent smile, moving two fingers across his lips as if he was locking them shut.
“There was at least one suitor from each of the main clans that met with us.”
Now that information was something worth piquing Wei Ying’s interest.
That he would have suitors from the Yunmeng Jiang clan and the Qinghe Nie clan wasn’t too much of a surprise, since he knew enough people in both clans that there would probably be at least one poor alpha who’d be stupid or desperate enough to want him.
That someone from Lanling Jin had an interest in him wasn’t very surprising either. The higher-ups in the Jin clan were known for taking many omegas each, and having the loudmouth from Yunmeng Jiang as one of their many personal omegas would most likely give them the ego boost they desperately didn’t need.
The Lan clan of Gusu on the other hand.
Wei Ying knew that they had to take in omegas from other clans somehow, or else they would have gone extinct centuries ago, but it was rare to see the stark-white funeral robes and matching headbands anytime a marriage was in the making.
Would an alpha from the Lan clan even know what to do with their dick? Perhaps it would be for the best if none of them had attempted to court Wei Ying. If, god forbid, someone from the Lan clan of Gusu had been the one chosen as his mate, his alpha , Wei Ying wasn’t sure what he would do.
The Lans’ had thousands of rules, and Wei Ying hated all of them. The Cloud Recesses were cold, both in weather and people, which he also hated. And not to mention having to sit in silence during every meal, having nothing to do but stare at warm, golden eyes and broad shoulders with powerful hands that looked like they’d be able to wreck him with ease, but instead performed their every task with precision and care.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck.
Wei Ying immediately regretted having begged Jiang Cheng to give him clues on who his future alpha could be. It had been a stupid question, with no good outcome. What would he have done if Jiang Cheng had told him that nobody from Gusu Lan had come for him? He’d probably have cried, the tiniest, tiniest amount when alone in his room because he’d never been able to mate with Lan Zhan and have his babies.
But someone from the Lan clan had been there. Someone from the Lan clan wanted him. It should have given him comfort and hope, but it ended up doing the exact opposite. Because there was no way that Lan Zhan would want to be his alpha. Whoever wanted to mate with him was probably some poor alpha Lan who was reaching the upper age limit and needed to find a mate as quickly as possible, and Wei Ying was the only remaining candidate.
If Wei Ying was forced to move to Gusu and face Lan Zhan every day, while both of them were bonded to other people, he would probably die.
“Mom wasn’t the one who made the final decision, just so you know,” Jiang Cheng said. He must have noticed how Wei Ying’s mood soured as soon as he heard the news. “Father and Yanli wanted the best for you. Yanli has been sending me letters ranking alphas by how good they would be for you, making sure that we don’t go against your well-being.”
At that, Wei Ying couldn’t help but smile. Of course Shijie would help him out, even when she was all the way over in Lanling with that stupid peacock of hers. Wei Ying had ranted to her many times about which alphas were annoying, and the few that were decent enough.
Although most of the time he was just talking about Lan Zhan.
Wei Ying trusted Shijie. He wasn’t going to get his Lan Zhan, that much he was certain of, but he would still be fine. Shijie would make sure that he still ended up with a good alpha.
Why did time always move so incredibly fast when one didn’t want it to?
It had all happened in a daze- his hair had been brushed and styled, and some rogue had been put on his cheeks to make him look, according to the words of Madam Yu herself, fertile. Light purple robes och the richest kind had been wrapped around him loosely. It was slightly see-through, and Wei Ying subconsciously covered himself as much as possible as the omega servants made sure he looked impeccable.
His neck and collarbones were still on full display, since the next person to see him would be his alpha. His alpha, whom he knew nothing about.
Perfume was applied to his neck and wrists, both areas completely barren of jewelry, making sure that there would be nothing in the way when the alpha decided that he wanted to bite into his skin and mark Wei Ying for good.
A blindfold was tightened around his eyes, tied and interlocked into his styled hair to make sure that it wouldn’t budge even when he was being rawed by a complete stranger.
Wei Ying felt as if he was about to throw up, but just then he was helped up and gently brought over to another room. One made for this exact purpose, filled with blankets and incense sticks, the walls thicker than normal to block out as much of the moaning and gasping that they expected from him as possible.
He was sat down on the edge of a bed before quick footsteps moved back across the room, a door closing behind the servants.
He was alone, but wouldn’t be for much longer.
Wei Ying fought against the itch in his fingers that wanted nothing more than to rip the blindfold off and bolt out of the doors and into the wilderness. The only thing keeping him from going through with it was the promise he had made to the Jiangs. They had done so much for him, and if he turned his back on them now, they would be the ones who got the blame. Going through all those meetings to find his perfect fit, only for him to bolt and ruin their hard work, and undoubtedly ruin their relationship with whatever clan the alpha was from for generations in the process.
This was his only way of paying them back now that he had presented as an omega. By remaining here, and trusting that they’d chosen a suitable mate for him. Even if that alpha wasn’t Lan Zhan.
Wei Ying realized that he was shaking, small tremors in both hands small enough that nobody but he himself would be able to notice them.
He knew how sex worked, in no small thanks to Nie Huaisang for gifting him all the pornography he could ever need- and more. He knew what was expected of him as an omega. He had prepared for it as much as he could, learning how to move his fingers to produce the most amount of slick, and making sure to finger himself open to know what to expect. But that had been done in the comfort of his own room, with the ability to feel around slowly and stopping whenever he liked.
What if his alpha was the kind that liked causing an omega to cry out in pain? He knew that they existed, he’d both read about them in books and heard omegas discussing their relationships with their alphas in hushed, secretive voices.
Wei Ying could protest all he wanted, but kicking and screaming wouldn’t get him anywhere. The only thing he’d cause with such actions would be hurting the only ones who cared for him.
Wei Ying visibly jumped as he heard a door creak, his head instinctively turning towards it even though he couldn’t see anything due to the blindfold.
The alpha had undoubtedly entered, although he didn’t move from his spot at the door. He was seemingly frozen in place, several moments ticking by before he closed the door behind himself.
It took another few moments before moving closer to the bed, his steps tentative. Wei Ying attempted to get a whiff of the alpha’s scent, but it was no use. The synthetic perfumes he had been doused in had done their job, forcing the alpha’s natural pheromones away and replacing him with a general, woodsy smell that was stong enough to tickle Wei Ying’s nose when he breathed it in.
The bed dipped as the alpha took a seat, the air between them feeling rigid and tense. At least he didn’t have to be worried about it being Jin Guangshan anymore, as that disaster of an alpha would have been on him before the door had even closed.
Wei Ying considered cracking a joke to break the deafening silence, but his mouth felt so dry that he could barely open it. He was trying his hardest to not let his nerves show in his body language. How silly wouldn’t that be? The omega that didn’t even tremble when a sword was pressed against his throat, was now terrified because his future mate was sitting on the same surface as him.
He began planning out a joke, something that would break the tension between them, but he had only decided that he wanted his joke to feature a chicken before the alpha had scooted in closer, gently, as if Wei Ying was an animal that would be spooked if he moved to quickly. All thoughts about chickens and their inability to cross roads flew out of Wei Ying’s head as quickly as they had shown up.
“Hey,” he said instead, forcing his voice to remain steady.
There was no response, of course, since the alpha wouldn’t be able to speak a single word to him until the next time they were to meet.
Wei Ying felt a mix of different emotions swell up in his chest. On one hand, he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, but on the other hand, he appreciated that the alpha was being patient with him and refrained from pinning him down and sticking his dick inside him as soon as he had entered.
Their thighs were nearly touching, Wei Ying remaining still and forcing his body to relax. He wasn’t expected to be the one initiating things, all he had to do was accept the alpha’s advances.
The first contact came in the form of a tentative hand cupping Wei Ying’s cheek. It was big and warm, with mildly calloused fingertips. Definitely a cultivator then, someone that was used to handling swords, and perhaps even gifted in the art of music.
The tip of the alpha’s thumb stroked across Wei Ying’s cheekbone, as if he was contemplating what to do next. Wei Ying leaned into his touch, nuzzling against his hand. This was fine, they were both doing fine.
The alpha seemed encouraged by Wei Ying accepting his touch, and soon enough his second hand has made it to the belt that was the only thing holding Wei Ying’s robe together. It loosened almost as soon as it was touched, the robe falling off Wei Ying's shoulders and pooling over his hips.
Wei Ying could have sworn that he heard a breath catch in the alpha’s throat, but that couldn’t be the case. He knew what he was here to do, would an alpha really get distracted by something as simple as a naked chest?
Wei Ying let out a surprised yelp as he felt a set of soft, warm lips against a nipple, a tongue sticking out to caress the quickly hardening nub. The alpha’s hands had at some point moved down to Wei Ying’s still-covered thighs, giving them both a soft squeeze as if he was apologizing for startling him.
“It’s fine,” Wei Ying said, slightly out of breath. “You can keep going.”
The alpha’s lips immediately returned to Wei Ying’s chest, lips closing around the same nipple as before and giving it an experimental suck. Wei Ying didn’t feel comfortable enough around him to moan just yet, but he did reward him with a sharp intake of breath to make his pleasure known.
The alpha’s lips remained in place, gently sucking and tonguing at Wei Ying’s nipple while his free hand wrapped around his waist. Wei Ying didn’t protest as he was gently lowered down onto the bed, the alpha treating him as if he would have shattered into a million pieces if he wasn’t handled with the utmost care.
Wei Ying felt himself begin to relax as the alpha’s interest in his chest only heightened. He bit the area close to the nipple experimentally while his fingers tugged gently on the other in a way that made Wei Ying shudder. His other hand, still on Wei Ying’s waist, tightened noticeably when he felt Wei Ying shake beneath him.
Did this alpha have sexual experience from before? Although his touches were hesitant in the beginning, he still seemed to possess a lot of knowledge on how to make an omega feel good, and more importantly- safe.
Because that was exactly how Wei Ying felt. He had been so busy preparing for the worst that this stranger's care and gentleness toward him caught him completely off guard. Omegas weren’t supposed to be worshipped like this, they were merely meant to be bred until their bellies grew round with their alpha’s children.
But this gentle treatment of Wei Ying’s chest couldn’t go on forever, and they both knew it. So when Wei Ying started arching up into the touch of the alpha’s lips and fingertips, the alpha’s attention was once more directed towards the robe that was still jumbled in Wei Ying’s lap, keeping him at least somewhat modest.
He lifted Wei Ying’s hips with one hand, displaying his strength in a way that made Wei Ying’s heart beat faster, and slid the robe off with the other, leaving Wei Ying’s body naked to gaze upon.
“ Mn ,”
An appreciative hum could be heard from the alpha, which caused Wei Ying’s cheeks to heat up, a warm feeling spreading in his lower abdomen.
His alpha liked how he looked. He had found Wei Ying’s body pleasing.
Wei Ying didn’t protest when the alpha brought his wrists together, the alpha’s hands so large that he could wrap a single hand around both Wei Ying’s wrists.
Wei Ying frowned as he felt something soft and silky wrapping around his wrists, the motion being repeated over and over. He recognized the piece of fabric as a ribbon of some sort when it tightened around his wrists, and it quickly dawned on him what the alpha was doing. Wei Ying’s wrists were bound together with skilled hands and quick fingers. It wasn’t tight enough to hurt, but enough so to limit the movement of his hands.
Wei Ying’s hands were pushed to rest on the pillow above his own head, an unspoken request for him not to move them until the alpha gave him permission to do so. Wei Ying complied, staying still as he heard the rustling of fabric before him.
The alpha was undressing, the sound of what had to be several layers of robes falling to the bed one by one.
Everything had been progressing so slowly up until this point, but now there was a clear goal in the alpha’s mind. Wei Ying allowed his legs to be parted as the alpha got between them, leaning over him to give him a chaste kiss.
Wei Ying had never kissed anyone before, although he had imagined it often, using the back of his hand as a replacement for Lan Zhan’s lips. In his opinion, they were both very good at kissing, although he was never able to replicate the feeling of Lan Zhan pinning him to the bed, no matter how badly he wanted to. Wei Ying imagined it would feel something like this, a warm, heavy body pushing him further into the bed as soft lips moved against his own, encouraging Wei Ying to part his lips with a flick of his tongue.
It felt nice kissing the alpha, his lips soft and gentle, not deepening the kiss until Wei Ying parted his lips further to allow the alpha’s tongue to slip into Wei Ying’s mouth and push against his own. Wei Ying could feel the alpha’s sharp canines pressing against his tongue as the kiss deepened, if he wanted to it would be almost too easy for him to make Wei Ying bleed. The realization shot a spark of electricity right down to his lower abdomen.
The alpha gave his lower lip a final, teasing bite before pulling back. Wei Ying felt a bit saddened by this, his first kiss ending far too soon, but his disappointment didn’t last long as the next thing he felt was the same soft, wet tongue licking a stripe over his pussy.
Wei Ying’s earlier promise to himself to not moan around the alpha was immediately broken as he arched against his face with a broken cry. A strong pair of hands pinned his hips down with ease as another lick followed the first, the alpha’s tongue circling his clit before repeating the motion once more.
If someone were to tell him that time had stopped at that very moment, Wei Ying would have believed it. There was nothing left in his mind but his own needy moans at every soft lap of the alpha’s broad tongue against his pussy. The wet sound as more and more slick began to drip from his pussy, most of it catching on the alpha’s tongue, but some dripping onto the sheets and creating a wet spot under Wei Ying’s hips.
The alpha let out a pleased hum before diving in for more, this time choosing to attack his clit directly.
Wei Ying didn’t even realize that he had moved his arms from where the alpha had placed them above his head before he had looped them around the alpha’s neck, urging him to keep going. Luckily the alpha didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he had gone against his command, allowing Wei Ying to push his face between his legs and dig his fingernails into his neck as his thighs began to violently tremble around the alpha’s head.
The alpha’s hair was soft where it fell against Wei Ying’s arms, a stark contrast to the increasingly quick and rough laps that were now teasing his hole.
When the alpha’s lips closed around his clit as he sucked hard at the now swollen nub, Wei Ying came with a shout.
He felt boneless, as if his body had transformed into a shaky pile of jelly, unable to even move a single muscle or hear anything other than his own heartbeat, echoing hard and quick in his own ears.
Somewhere in the distance, beyond the shooting pulses of pleasure and calmness that rocked through his body, Wei Ying noticed the alpha bringing his wrists to his lips, giving them both a nibble. The alpha’s face was just as soft as lips and touch, Wei Ying noted as the palm of his hand rubbed against the alpha’s cheek.
A very handsome cheek, no doubt.
The alpha kept kissing Wei Ying’s tied wrists, traveling further and further up his arms, leading Wei Ying to touch more of his face. A thumb gently brushed over closed eyes with thick lashes, low eyebrows, and finally, the alpha’s forehead.
His forehead, Wei Ying noticed with a pained pang in his chest, that was completely free of the Gusu Lan ribbon he had so desperately wanted to find there.
He knew that he shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up, he had been telling himself for the past week that there was no way that Lan Zhan could be his future mate. And he had managed to convince himself just that- until when this alpha had first touched his face in such a gentle manner, and Wei Ying had been stupid enough to hope again.
The alpha shifted his position, the tops of his thighs resting against the backs of Wei Ying’s to get them into the traditional position for mating.
Right. The alpha was completely naked, which Wei Ying had somehow forgotten all about, until now, when there was suddenly something warm and heavy resting against his stomach.
Holy shit , this guy's dick was massive .
“Is that really going to fit?” Wei Ying accidentally asked out loud. The alpha, currently busy pressing Wei Ying’s thighs against his own chest to leave him even more exposed, only let out a mildly amused hum.
Wei Ying couldn’t help but whine when he felt the head of said giant cock rest against his pussy. His arms were wrapped around not-Lan-Zhan’s neck, which made him feel every shift of muscle in his body as he aligned himself up properly with Wei Ying’s hole.
Wei Ying subconsciously tensed up. Sure he’d played with himself using his fingers plenty of times, but the cock lined up with his pussy was much bigger, longer, and thicker than anything he had ever tried to take before.
The alpha waited patiently, and Wei Ying felt an unearned twitch of anger toward him. Why did he have to act so gentle and caring? If he’d just gone ahead and fucked Wei Ying as soon as he entered the room, they could have been done by now. And most importantly, Wei Ying wouldn’t have had the opportunity to overthink everything and let his mind run freely.
The alpha seemed oblivious to Wei Ying’s inner turmoil, his thumbs rubbing small, comforting circles against Wei Ying’s waist. Although he didn’t want to, Wei Ying slowly felt the tension leave his body, even though the head of the alpha’s cock was still resting against his entrance. He could even make out the slightest tremor in the hands against his waist, like the alpha was just as nervous about this as Wei Ying was, which was more comforting than Wei Ying would like to admit.
“I’m ready, so start fucking me already.”
Wei Ying received a small, exasperated huff in response. He was almost expecting Lan Zhan’s voice to echo out and tell him how shameless he was being.
But it didn’t. Because the alpha between his legs wasn’t Lan Zhan.
Wei Ying forced himself to stay relaxed as the alpha slowly pushed his hips forwards, his cock inching inside ever so slightly. There was a slight burn, but more than anything there was an overwhelming feeling of shame when Wei Ying realized just how wet he was, how hard and warm the alpha’s cock was, and how he could feel both their heartbeats from where they were now connected.
Wei Ying’s hands balled up into fists where they were still looped around the alpha’s neck. The alpha pushed in further and further, forcing an embarrassing whine from Wei Ying’s lips.
Wei Ying realized he had underrated just how long that dick of his was.
After what had to be several minutes, the alpha’s hips were finally snug against Wei Ying’s. Wei Ying hadn’t felt so full in his entire life. He gave the cock inside of him an experimental squeeze, causing the alpha above him to let out a loud moan.
Wei Ying’s eyes widened under the blindfold, and he subconsciously tightened once more.
The alpha had moaned. Because of him.
The pleasant feeling of arousal pooling in his lower stomach had only grown, and Wei Ying felt as if he was about to burst. He couldn’t handle any more of the alpha’s gentleness and teasing- and not only because it reminded him too much of Lan Zhan.
He needed to be fucked.
Hard.
“ Move ,” Wei Ying whined, in a mixture between a request and a command. “If you don’t fuck me right now, I’m going to die!”
Luckily the alpha seemed to believe him, slowly drawing his hips back, before bucking into Wei Ying’s pussy with an experimental first thrust. He quickly found a steady pace, too slow and gentle for Wei Ying’s liking, but it still had him letting out desperate whines of ‘ah’ and ‘yes’ with every thrust of his hips.
But somehow the squelching sounds his pussy made whenever the alpha bottomed out inside him was even lewder. It made Wei Ying’s mind go blank, knowing that he was wet and desperate enough to make those lewd noises while the alpha’s- hell, who was he kidding at this point - his alpha’s glorious, magnificent cock was thrusting into him.
“Go faster, harder .”
If he didn’t feel the words pouring out of his own mouth, Wei Ying wouldn’t have believed it to be him. Because how could someone like him, so proud and immovable, be turned into this whining, begging mess as soon as he got a dick inside his hole.
His alpha followed his command, and after that Wei Ying was too far gone to know what he was thinking or saying anymore.
He felt as if he was on fire, but in the best way possible. His desperate whines mixed with his alpha’s deep groans and grunts, as if it felt so good inside Wei Ying that he just couldn’t hold them back.
Wei Ying had dreamed of this moment many times, starting only a couple of weeks after first arriving at the Cloud Recesses. Lan Zhan had given him those looks of pure despise from the very beginning, but somehow, Wei Ying’s inner omega always converted them into ones of want and desire.
He wanted Lan Zhan to want him, he had since he first laid eyes on him.
“M-more, fuck me harder, alpha!”
Would Lan Zhan have been gentle or rough with him during their first time? Wei Ying liked to believe that he was so good at riling Lan Zhan up that he’d snap and fuck him on the nearest surface before any mating ceremony between the two had even been considered.
“ Don’t stop! F-feels so good~”
Lan Zhan would growl and bite at his neck, marking his throat so that everyone would know that Wei Ying belonged to him. His knot would be so big that Wei Ying would cry in pain when it locked inside him. But he would take it regardless, because it meant that he was officially Lan Zhan’s and nothing could change that.
“ L-Lan Zhan! ”
The alpha came to a sudden stop, his hard cock still buried deep inside Wei Ying.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
Why had he said that out loud?!
“I- I’m sorry, alpha, I-”
Wei Ying had barely begun formulating an apology before the alpha was moving inside him again. But this time it was different, every single thrust rough and deep enough to knock the breath out of Wei Ying's lungs, the bed creaking in synchronization with his uncontrolled moans and gasps.
Wei Ying saying another alpha’s name during their first time together must have triggered something feral inside him. Because he should consider Wei Ying to be his now, and he would keep on fucking him until Wei Ying’s thoughts weren’t coherent enough to keep thinking about that Lan Zhan of his.
When Wei Ying felt teeth against his neck he should feel terrified, because once his alpha’s canines sink in, there’d be no going back. But he only felt a bubbling excitement, causing him to encourage his alpha one final time.
“ Mark me .”
And his alpha did, teeth sinking deep into a spot just under Wei Ying’s jaw. Although Wei Ying could feel a sharp twinge of pain as teeth pierced his skin, blood flowing onto the bedding, it was quickly overruled by a feeling of pure bliss. It was as if everything made sense now, as if having Lan Zhan’s teeth in his neck was just what he needed to feel complete.
Wei Ying was so distracted by the sharp feeling in his neck that he was too late in noticing how the cock inside him had begun to form its knot, now stretching him wide and making sure that they’d be locked together for at least half an hour, to maximize the chances of Wei Ying getting pregnant.
Wei Ying wasn’t embarrassed to admit that he had thought about becoming round with Lan Zhan’s pups on more than one occasion. And now it could become reality, now that Lan Zhan was officially his mate.
Lan Zhan.
Mate.
Wei Ying had no idea for how long he had been passed out before finally coming to, his mind once again clear.
The man above him, inside him , wasn’t his Lan Zhan. He’d just been lying to himself the whole time without even realizing it.
The alpha must have recognized his turbulent emotions, as he nuzzled against Wei Ying’s neck, hands trailing up and down his sides in a silent attempt to comfort him.
That’s right, one of the main effects of mating with someone was being able to sense their other half’s emotions. So the alpha now knew of the guilt that Wei Ying felt. Wei Ying had been fully prepared to settle for someone that wasn’t Lan Zhan, so he could fit into his role as an omega, and not bring unnecessary shame onto the Jiang clan, but he hadn’t even thought about the fact that his mate would have to deal with knowing how Wei Ying felt.
But it was too late to do anything about that now. All Wei Ying could do was focus on the heavy weight that was his alpha on top of him, inside him, as well as the light stinging from the new wound on his neck. He could sense the same hesitation in his alpha, probably silently wondering why they’d gone through with mating even though Wei Ying had clearly been thinking about somebody else.
“I’m sorry,” Wei Ying croaked, cringing at how hoarse his voice sounded. “I’ll forget about him, I promise.”
The only response he got was a hand stroking against his cheek, similar to what the alpha had done when they first met. A soft kiss was pressed against his lips, and Wei Ying kissed back. It isn’t anything hot and heavy like before, only a kiss filled with reassurance and a promise that they would keep trying for the sake of their new relationship.
How could he hold Wei Ying so softly, so gently, even though Wei Ying had called out for someone other than him? He should be furious, but instead he was carefully unbinding the restraints from Wei Ying’s wrists before laying down next to him.
The calmness that his alpha radiated soon moved over to Wei Ying as well, finally dulling his negative emotions and allowing him to calm down.
He could have sworn that the last thing he felt before drifting off to sleep was the slightest scent of sandalwood.
When Wei Ying woke up, he was alone.
The mixture of slick and cum that had coated his thighs was gone, and the lack of stickiness on his skin made it clear that someone had cleaned him up.
Wei Ying slowly moved to sit up. The feeling between his legs was strange- not painful, but he felt empty and borderline uncomfortable.
It was to be expected, it had been his first time after all, and his alpha’s knot had been locked inside him for probably close to an hour.
It would be two days before the new couple would meet again. After being mated, they would purposefully be kept apart for just enough time for the longing for one another to set in, and if everything went according to plan, both alpha and omega would accept their new bond when meeting again, ready to start their lives together.
Wei Ying wasn’t feeling very optimistic about the chance their newly formed, brittle bond had to survive the next two days. He didn’t feel any desire to see his alpha again. Instead it was Lan Zhan on his mind, stern, golden eyes tormenting him with the fact that they’d never be together.
But there was only so long that a person could wallow in self-pity before getting too exhausted to feel it anymore. Even though he was surely bringing down the spirit of his new mate in the process, he could strangely enough feel nothing but excitement and joy on his part.
Why was he so unaffected by Wei Ying’s actions and feelings? He had to know that Wei Ying was thinking about Lan Zhan and not him, right? Wei Ying had quite literally shouted the guy’s name during sex.
His alpha’s undivided happiness only made Wei Ying feel guilty. Logically he knew that it wasn’t his fault, he hadn’t decided to mate the alpha, hell, he didn’t even know who it was yet. But the negative feelings still refused to leave as he got dressed, standing up on shaking legs.
Being able to finally take off the blindfold and step outside to bathe in the last rays of the day's sunlight before the sun set over the horizon was a better feeling than Wei Ying could ever have imagined it to be. He hadn’t even realized how thick and sweet the air in the room had become until he stepped outside.
It wasn’t often that Wei Ying felt bored, but he did now. He had no more tasks to do, the only thing left for him to do here in Lotus Pier now was to meet up with his alpha and strengthen their bond. After that he would be sent off to live with his new mate, whether it was here in Yunmeng or in any of their Neighbouring areas.
Wei Ying was thankful for the fact that he had been fortunate enough to visit all major cities of the other bigger clans before presenting, as he could at least know what to expect from his future home. Whichever clan he would be bound to.
“You look like shit.”
Wei Ying opened his eyes, looking down at Nie Huaisang, who had seemingly materialized out of thin air right before him. There was a glint in his eye that usually meant trouble, one of his many, colorful paper fans fluttering in front of his face. It was undoubtedly much hotter in Lotus Pier than it was over in the Impure Realm.
“I feel like it too,” Wei Ying replied.
He felt conflicted, not sure if he wanted to hide away somewhere or talk to someone about what had just happened. Huaisang would undoubtedly be the best candidate for the job of listening to his ranting, since he was absolutely not ready to face any of his family members.
“So, how did it go?” There was a small smile on Huaisang’s lips that was only there when he was on the hunt for the newest, hottest gossip. He patted the spot next to him on the ground, and Wei Ying took a seat next to him, allowing himself to slump over.
“Bad,” Wei Ying said with a groan, burying his face in his hands. The moment he had accidentally said Lan Zhan’s name was playing on constant repeat in his head.
“Was he terrible in bed? Did his knot not take? Or was he-”
“No, no! Nothing like that,” Wei Ying quickly cut Huaisang off before he had the time to blame his mate for every conceivable problem imaginable. “The fault was all mine.”
“Were you bad in bed?”
“No!”
“...At least I don’t think I was?”
Huaisang gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.
“Trust me, you’d know if he was dissatisfied with you. I have a source that claims that the chosen alpha for a very high-ranking omega in Lanling was so dissatisfied with her that he couldn’t form a knot and ended up mating one of her servants instead.”
“...Oh god.”
“So tell me what happened, Wei-Xiong, I promise I won’t tell.”
Huaisang was far from the most trustworthy character in his life, but Wei Ying was desperate enough that he didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter. It would be two whole days before he could see his alpha again, and he couldn’t hold it in for that long.
“...I said the name of another alpha while we were having sex.”
Huaisang let out a low whistle, fanning himself even harder.
“So you called him Lan Zhan?”
When Wei Ying narrowed his eyes at him, Huaisang only shot him an innocent smile.
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
“...Yes.”
“It’s not that bad, I’m sure he’ll get over it,” Huaisang reassured him. But Wei Ying wasn’t convinced.
“I feel terrible about it,” he groaned, the palms of his hands pressing so hard against his closed eyes that he saw bright colors flashing by. “And he was so understanding too, which only made me feel worse.”
Wei Ying hadn’t even thought about how Lan Zhan would react if he ever found out that Wei Ying was secretly lusting after him. He’d be disgusted, most likely. Only Wei Ying, his alpha, and now also Huaisang knew, and hopefully the sensitive information wouldn’t leave their small group.
… Why was he telling Huaisang all this again?
“What is he feeling right now?”
Wei Ying allowed the alpha’s feelings to wash over his body. Things hadn’t changed since the last time he had felt them, the alpha’s heart fluttering with overwhelmingly positive emotions.
“He’s happy about it.”
“So, what’s there to worry about then? If he really was upset over it he would be fuming right now. So just go and see him as soon as you can, and if you still don’t like him you can just run away to Gusu and find out what Lan Wangji’s opinion on mated omegas running off to start a new life is.”
Strangely enough, Huaisang’s words helped, at least somewhat. He was also a great distraction as they walked through Lotus Pier together, Huaisang babbling on about things that Wei Ying had no real interest in. He was loud enough that he couldn’t quite zone him out, but quiet enough to not be completely overwhelming.
Wei Ying hated feeling wrong in his own skin, like it wasn’t truly his own anymore. And the worst part was that he still had no idea who he was even sharing his emotions with. But the worst part was the uncertainty of not knowing what would happen next. Where he would live, and who his new family members would be. What would he be allowed to do? How often would he get to go back and visit Shijie and Jiang Cheng?
As if on cue, a familiar voice called out to him during one of Huaisang’s rare moments of silence.
“A-Xian!”
“Shijie!”
It didn’t matter how terrible Wei Ying felt, it could always be fixed whenever he was in his Shijie’s arms. And today was no different- her gentle arms cradling him against her chest like she had done ever since he was little. The comforting, familiar scent of lotus embraced him, making him feel safe.
“A-Xian, how did it go?” Shijie asked him, gently stroking a hand through his now-messy hair.
Wei Ying didn’t answer, only shaking his head where he had buried it in her chest.
But he didn’t have to talk, Shijie didn’t expect him to. She thanked Huaisang for comforting and bringing her little brother to her, the two of them exchanging bows, Shijie doing as well as she could with Wei Ying still wrapped around her.
“Let’s go home, A-Xian, you must be starving.”
Wei Ying hadn’t even thought about food, even though he hadn’t eaten since that morning. But with his Shijie’s pork rib and lotus soup in front of him, who was he to decline?
Shijie didn’t comment as he started shoveling the soup into his mouth, wanting to satisfy his newfound hunger as quickly as possible. But it was a comfortable silence, Shijie gently humming as she began fixing his hair. It had to look like a mess by now, but she didn’t complain as she took out any loose hair pins and brushed out the knots. It didn’t take long for Wei Ying’s hair to be back to its signature ponytail.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Shijie asked when he had finished eating, allowing his eyes to fall shut as she kept playing with his hair, making sure that his usual red bow was tied just right.
“I don’t know,” Wei Ying said. Did he want to talk about it? He had already ranted about his problems to Huaisang, and didn’t feel like making his Shijie worry about him more than she already was. But at the same time, she should know who his mate was, she should be able to comfort him and his fears.
“I’m afraid that he doesn’t like me,” Wei Ying confessed. “I know that doesn’t make sense, since he voluntarily wanted to be my mate and he had been ecstatic the entire night, but I still worry that I screwed everything up.”
“You could never screw it up, A-Xian. He adores you, I can promise you that much.”
Wei Ying’s heartbeat sped up.
“You know who it is, right?”
“Yes, I was the one who gave the suggestion to Jiang Cheng, and convince him to stand up to mom if he had to. We would never allow her to set up a bad match for you.”
They both fell quiet, Shijie’s hands still in his hair, although it was undoubtedly looking immaculate by now.
“Your alpha, he spoke so highly of you. He had so much to tell us, so desperate to convince us to choose him that he was fumbling with his words. He had an answer for everything mom asked, and reassured us over and over again how well he would treat you if he was your alpha.”
Wei Ying let out a loud sob, hiding his face in his hands. His poor alpha wanted to be with him so badly, and Wei Ying had still fucked things up by calling out for Lan Zhan. He didn’t deserve that. He really, really didn’t.
“...Shijie?”
“Yes?”
“I’m already in love with someone else,” Wei Ying whispered into the darkness that was now surrounding them. Shijie’s arms looped around his neck, hugging him from behind.
“I know, A-Xian. it’ll be alright. I promise.”
It had been just under two days since he had last been carefully put into intricate hair and makeup. That time it had been to make sure his alpha was attracted to him, so he had been practically naked. This time he thankfully had a lot more fabric covering his body.
The instructions were simple enough- to head over to a dedicated part of the pier, and wait for his mate to join him there. They would talk about their relationship, their plans, and their dreams, and if they both felt the same way about one another once they left, the mating would be considered a success.
And if they didn’t- well, that would be a problem for the future.
It was a beautiful afternoon as Wei Ying took a seat on the very edge of the pier, partially sitting in the shade from a nearby tree. The water around him was still enough to create an almost perfect mirror. Wei Ying studied himself in the reflection. His hair had been kept simpler today, swept back in his usual ponytail, but with added braids to make him look more dressed up for the occasion. The makeup had been kept minimal, with a natural blush on his cheeks, and some nice-smelling gloss on his lips. Wei Ying felt that it made them look very kissable, and hoped that his alpha would agree with him.
Today he had even been allowed to wear his usual black robes, the neckline low enough that the mark on his neck would be the first thing his alpha saw when he were to arrive.
Whenever that would be.
Wei Ying was beginning to grow impatient. He had never liked waiting, especially when he didn’t even know who he was waiting for.
He had given up on sitting still and looking perfect a while back, instead poking at the surface of the water with a stick. Where were all the fish when he needed them? He wanted some company, but not even the koi fish seemed to want to hang out with him.
Just as he was about to start cursing the evil little fishes out, he could hear footsteps behind him.
Wei Ying immediately sat up straight, throwing the stick to the sea and praying that the alpha hadn’t noticed him playing with it.
His hands were shaking as the footsteps, steady yet gentle, were moving closer and closer. His eyes clenched shut as the alpha moved to sit next to him. He was too scared to open them, too scared to find out who his mate was.
His alpha’s hand reached out to take Wei Ying’s much smaller one into his own. His thumb caressed Wei Ying’s knuckles as he waited, patient as ever, for Wei Ying to relax and accept him. It reminded him so much of that night two days ago, that Wei Ying almost wanted to cry due to the guilt.
“Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying frowned. Obviously he had known that his alpha could talk, but he hadn’t expected him to sound quite so… familiar.
Wei Ying’s eyes flew open, his head turning to stare wide-eyed at the man next to him.
Golden eyes met his, a small smile playing at Lan Zhan’s lips.
…huh.
Lan Zhan’s free hand moved to cup Wei Ying’s cheek. The expression on his face was indescribable. He was usually so emotionless, but right now there were so many different emotions swimming in his eyes that Wei Ying could barely handle looking into them.
…huh?
“Wei Ying. You look so beautiful,” Lan Zhan said, smile still on his lips.
Why was his voice so soft ? Why were his eyes so gentle ? And most importantly - why was he even there to begin with?
“ Huh?! ”
“Wei Ying?”
“Lan Zhan? Is it really you?” Wei Ying finally managed to get out. Lan Zhan just smiled, a genuine, wide smile that showed off his teeth. One that Wei Ying had never seen before.
“It’s me. I’m your mate.”
Wei Ying’s brain went from having not a single thought in it, to having at least hundreds of them floating around at the same time, fighting for his undivided attention.
It had been Lan Zhan all along. Lan Zhan was his alpha, Lan Zhan was the one who had mated him, bitten him, knotted him. Lan Zhan was the one who had moaned for him, who had taken such good care of him.
“What the fuck?” Wei Ying sobbed, his arms looping around Lan Zhan’s neck. He was at a complete loss for words.
“Lan Zhan, your dick is so big .”
It wasn’t exactly what he was planning on saying, but it would do. Lan Zhan seemed to still understand him, his arms around Wei Ying’s waist, hugging him tightly.
“ Wei Ying .” Lan Zhan sounded like he would never get tired of repeating his name.
“Lan Zhan, do you understand how worried I was? I thought, I thought-” Wei Ying broke off into a loud laugh, the tension he had held for the last days now completely gone. “I thought I had called out your name when I was with some poor, random alpha. I felt so bad about it!”
“Mn, Wei Ying wanted me,” Lan Zhan said, his voice thick with satisfaction as he nuzzled against Wei Ying’s cheek. “It made me very happy, I wasn’t sure if you’d want it to be me.”
“Of course I did! I only ever wanted you,” Wei Ying exclaimed, pulling back so that he could see Lan Zhan’s face properly, so that he could reach forward and kiss him.
Kissing Lan Zhan was a lot better when he knew that it was him, Wei Ying quickly decided.
“And I only ever wanted Wei Ying. I was afraid that your family wouldn’t think that we’d be a good fit. Jiang Wanyin looked like he wanted to kill me when he noticed I was there.”
“Luckily my Shijie had convinced him that you would be the perfect alpha for me.” Wei Ying nuzzled against Lan Zhan’s chest, taking in his scent. “Oh Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan- ”
“Wei Ying, come to Gusu with me?” Lan Zhan asked, voice breathless. “It would be just you, me. And the baby.”
His hands moved down to Wei Ying’s flat stomach, his eyes filled with so much hope that Wei Ying just had to hug him again.
“The baby? Do you think you got me pregnant on the first try?”
“Mn. But it would be best if we tried again. Just to make sure.”
Wei Ying’s breath caught in his throat. Lan Zhan had already started tugging at the belt keeping his robe together, with a sense of impatience that Wei Ying had never expected to see on him.
“Yes, fuck me again, Lan Zhan ~”
Was the edge of the pier a place private enough to have sex on without the possibility of anyone seeing? No, not in the slightest. But to Wei Ying, it was still very much worth the risk.
“Ah! Lan Zhan! ”
“ Wei Ying! ”
“Harder! Lan Zhan, fuck me harder! ”
There was a hard gasp, Lan Zhan’s thrusts growing irregular.
“I’m going to knot you, Wei Ying-”
“Do it! Put a baby in me! Get me pregnant, alpha! ”
Wei Ying knew that they, or mostly he , had been loud, but he hadn’t realized just how loud until they were back inside Lotus Pier, hand in hand and wearing equally wrinkled robes.
Jiang Cheng had left the room as soon as they arrived, waving off Wei Ying’s shout of thanks with a flick of his wrist before quickly disappearing around the corner.
Shijie, on the other hand, looked delighted, hands clasped in front of her as she took in the new couple with teary eyes.
“You look so good together,” she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. Lan Zhan nodded in agreement.
“That is mostly due to Wei Ying.”
Wei Ying elbowed him in the side playfully.
“Don’t say that! If our kids don’t come out looking at least a little bit like you, I’m going to be so disappointed. But if they do, we’re going to have the cutest kids in the world!”
Both Lan Zhan and Shijie were quick to agree with him.
The celebrations that followed kept going well into the night. Wei Ying had expected Lan Zhan to fall asleep at some point, but he remained surprisingly alert.
People from both their clans came to congratulate them, Lan Xichen getting a bit teary-eyed as he welcomed Wei Ying into their family, and even Jiang Cheng making an appearance to demand that they come to visit Lotus Pier at least once or month, or there would be dire consequences.
But neither Lan Zhan nor Wei Ying paid the guests much mind, as they were rather occupied with looking into each other's eyes, and getting lost in the promise of a long, happy future that they both saw reflected there.