Archive of Our Own

As Elizabeth speed walked the last corner, her head throbbed with the weight of a day full of frustrations. Each step leading to the Advent house, to Nerissa’s home, felt heavy, as if the world around her was blurred by a tunnel of pent-up stress she was trying her hardest to keep in check. The chill of the evening turned her shallow breath into bursts of fog that rose to the sky, and she couldn’t focus on anything but the desperate need to unwind in the sanctuary that was Nerissa’s warmth. That girl always knew exactly what to say or do when Elizabeth was worked up like this.

But, well, the thought that Nerissa might not be home never crossed her mind. When she reached the door, her knock had been more forceful than she intended. Her knuckles were stiff from the cold, and they stung a little when they struck the wood with a sharp sound, echoing the ricochetting thoughts lingering in her mind. They come to a halt when the door opens and it isn’t Nerissa the one behind it.

Curious, half-struck golden eyes peered at her from a narrow gap before fully opening the entrance, needle-point pupils making Elizabeth’s alpha senses snap into sharp focus and straightening her back. The pressure of Shiori’s presence cut through her anger in an instant.

To tell the truth, Elizabeth still wasn’t quite on best terms with everyone from Advent, though they never seemed to mind her being around, despite her being the leader of a rival pack. And not just any pack, but Justice.

Both groups have confronted each other in the past, multiple times even though they had grown “out of it” now that they lived in different areas, yet Elizabeth was keenly aware the aura she must be giving off, and Shiori out of everyone would probably be the most perceptive of it after Nerissa. Except that unlike Nerissa, Shiori’s alpha instinct might read Elizabeth’s demeanor as threatening and set her off, which is why she immediately took a step back.

Yet either way, nothing really happens. For a heartbeat, they both stood there, surprise mirrored in their expressions. Elizabeth’s anger and stress, while still present, were momentarily overshadowed by caution.

“Uh… Hi?” Shiori began with a confused frown that formed in the center of her forehead, looking over at Elizabeth as if she was unsure whether she was actually there, or maybe trying to gauge whether she was dangerous or not, the other alpha couldn’t really tell.

“...Good evening,” she slowly replies. “Is… Uh, is Nerissa home?”

Shiori withholds her answer for a few seconds too long, finally saying a “no” that makes Elizabeth feel even worse than before. She looks down, dreading her solitude as the last thing she needed was for Nerissa to be absent.

“Do you know when she’ll be back?” she tentatively asks, her voice steady though her energies were clearly deflated.

“Not sure, she didn’t say. Probably out for a while, though,” Shiori explains. She then tells her what she was doing in town, but the words don’t really register in her mind. Elizabeth couldn’t afford to let her composure slip in front of another alpha, especially Shiori.

“Thank you,” she muttered instead, her eyes darting briefly past Shiori into the house as if willing Nerissa to materialize behind her, though obviously that wasn’t going to happen.

She barely notices Shiori’s eyebrow shooting up curiously, not saying anything for a while. Shiori’s silence was unnerving as it is, since the woman is quite the chatterbox whenever they’ve interacted, but something about the way her eyes shine communicate some sort of worry, perhaps pity. And Elizabeth didn’t have the energy to fight against that.

“You look… stressed.”

Elizabeth barks out a bitter laugh without intending to, she dissimulates a cough to mask it though it was meaningless at that point. “You could say that,” she replied, her eyes finally looking back at Shiori. “Is there anywhere quiet I can wait for her? I just… need a moment.”

The shift in Shiori’s expression was pretty clear now. Her curiosity was tempered with a hint of sympathy as she gave a nod, opening the door and moving aside to let Elizabeth in. “Sure, be my guest. You can wait in the living room. Just… don’t mind the mess. We’ve been redecorating.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, her voice mellowing down a little. She stepped in, and she’s immediately hit with five different scents in an instant.

There’s the sweet pastry and caramel scents of the twins coming mainly from the end of the hallway, and as she walked past the couch in front of the TV, she got a whiff of bubblegum coming from one of the cushions, which she quickly identified as Bijou’s. Of course, the citrusy scent of Shiori was most prominent given she’s the only alpha in the house, but the one Elizabeth is more attracted to is the blueberry perfume leading her to the opposite end of the couch, where a blanket was.

She doesn’t dare to reach for it. It felt improper, and like a violation of privacy. Not to mention Shiori was right behind her right now, and she could feel her sharp stare on the back of her head. So, as much as it pained to move away from the blanket, she looks instead for another suitable place to take a seat. Only then does she realize the meaning of Shiori’s “don’t mind the mess.”

The smell of fresh paint was almost pungent now that she’s aware of it. Most of the gothic style furniture in the broad living area was covered by white waterproof sheets to keep them from getting dirty, while many patches on the wooden floor were covered by newspapers, especially under the walls that seemed to be freshly painted in lavender. Elizabeth hadn’t been in this specific room for too long before, but she could clearly notice the missing paintings on the walls as well.

Elizabeth’s eyes scanned the disarray with a sense of curiosity, which momentarily made her forget her initial intention to look for an uncovered chair to sit on. She’s weirdly comforted by the chaos, comparing it to her own headquarters which was always spotless, though in contrast to that, everything else was mayhem.

“Here,” Shiori’s voice snaps her back to her immediate surroundings, turning her head behind her to where she had left the blanket, which Shiori was now holding on her arm. “You can sit there if you want to. Do you want tea or coffee?”

Elizabeth doesn’t react for a second or two. She catches the subtle twinkle in Shiori’s eyes a moment before reminding her she didn’t like either, a knowing glint. Elizabeth lets her gaze linger on Shiori, lips pressing into a line. The tension is quickly broken by an airily giggle from the other alpha. “Just joking,” Shiori said, walking to the adjacent corridor but still talking, “Rissa insists on having Coke Zero in the fridge even when she doesn’t drink it, I can imagine the reason why she’s so adamant!”

Elizabeth’s heart skips a beat listening to Shiori’s words. She had no idea Nerissa would buy drinks for her in case she visited, it wasn’t something she did often all things considered, so the gesture truly stirred something inside her. A semblance of a smile starts sneaking on her face by the time Shiori comes back. With a casual flick, she tossed a can to Elizabeth, who caught it effortlessly.

“I appreciate it,” Elizabeth says as she cracks open the can, the familiar hiss of carbonation briefly cutting through her thoughts. She took a sip as the other girl let herself fall on Bijou’s side of the couch, landing over an oval-shaped pillow with googly eyes. Shiori gestures to her to sit, and to not be impolite, Elizabeth obliges.

“It’s interesting that you don’t like tea, given your lineage,” Shiori comments casually.

“That I have heard,” she replied, sitting on the edge of her seat, her back not touching the backrest, “I really cannot help it; the flavor isn’t quite for me.”

Shiori grinned, leaning on the armrest with usual mischievous air. “Not your cup of tea, per se?” That actually gets a snort out of Elizabeth, who has a weakness for that kind of jokes. Shiori grows a satisfied grin, probably proud of achieving such a feat as to lift her mood even for a moment. “Well, but that makes you more interesting, doesn’t it?”

Elizabeth rolls her eyes, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she nursed her drink. Despite everything, just being here in the midst of Nerissa’s world was beginning to ground her again. “Thank you, Shiori,” she said, meaning every word. “I really needed this.”

“No problemo,” Shiori says. “I bet I have some vague idea of what you’re dealing with, being a leader and all.”

With the mention of their shared status alone Elizabeth’s smile disappears. It brought a wave of unease that settled in her stomach like a stone, but she didn’t want to drown herself in self-pity and start talking more than she should.

“Right,” Elizabeth manages to get out, forcing her cheeks to tug into a rather stiff smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Shiori quickly brings up, which makes Elizabeth avert her eyes from the ring of the can, glancing at her fellow alpha with wary eyes. She did look kind of guilty. “There, there,” she says, probably trying to mend the situation.

Elizabeth takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She didn’t want to let Shiori see a bitter side of her, because she’s well aware that the amount of responsibilities they both had were very divergent on weight, though that was an assumption she didn’t want to make. So instead, she tries to clear her mind a little. “It’s been a challenging day,” she admitted, that’s all she’d be willing to admit. “I was hoping to talk to Nerissa. She always seems to have a way to help me sort things out.”

“Yeah, that’s Rissa for you,” Shiori snickers, unaware or most likely unbothered by Elizabeth’s cautiousness. “But you know, you’re more than welcome to stay and wait. Doing something else in the meantime can get your mind off things perhaps? Finding a common ground while you’re here.”

Elizabeth tries to resist the urge to roll her eyes again. Finding a common ground with Shiori felt like an uphill battle, in all honesty she couldn’t think of a single thing they could have in common. Other than Nerissa. And for her sake, she’ll be willing to at least try. And in hindsight, Shiori’s company wasn’t unpleasant in the slightest. “I would enjoy that,” she said, trying to mean it as much as possible. “Though maybe we could talk about something other than our groups?”

Shiori chuckled at her attempt to change the topic, and it sounded surprisingly warm. “Fair enough. How about something neutral? Do you like movies?”

A sigh escapes her, a glimpse of relief. “I do,” she said, nodding. “What kind of movies do you have in mind?”

Shiori’s eyes immediately lit up, and it was as if she set up a flag when she wasn’t meaning to. The two of them settled in a conversation that went back and forth a few times. Turns out Shiori is quite savvy on old media, though it doesn’t really come across as a surprise. They discussed mystery movies, and eventually Shiori puts on an old black-and-white movie on the screen, though Elizabeth’s mind wandered far from the screen.

Every few minutes, she’d notice Shiori glancing at the table next to her, where her phone was. It hadn’t rung, not even once throughout the first hour. It was an unusual sight, a newly formed furrow of her brows contorting Shiori’s face into something almost uncomfortable. It’s weird, because Elizabeth was so used to seeing her so carefree and unbothered. She looked almost preoccupied. The contrast only heightened Elizabeth’s concern, the alpha urge of sprinting up and asking where Nerissa, an omega, was and if she was safe being almost overwhelming. But even then, she tried her hardest to keep her grip.

When the phone finally rings, it’s from a message notification instead of a call like Elizabeth had been expecting, and so she watched Shiori typing away on her phone while she was still in the dark. And she didn’t like that, at all.

Elizabeth’s heart skipped a beat at Shiori’s next words. “I think Rissa won’t be here until tomorrow.”

The casual statement hit her like a punch to the gut. She looked at Shiori, expecting to see her mischievous smile, but Shiori seemed almost lost in thought, a small pout on her face signaling just that. It was only when their eyes met that Elizabeth realized how late it had gotten.

The room shrouded in shadows, Shiori’s golden eyes stood out eerily in the dim light coming from the TV. Elizabeth feels a chill run down her spine, knowing that the girls were expecting her home too. She had left quite briskly saying she was going for a walk.

Elizabeth sighed, a deep, weary sound that came out unrestrained and reflecting her inner turmoil. The prospect of going back still carrying this stress was… disheartening to say the least. She needed some release, and without Nerissa in the picture there was barely any other way to appease that. Of course, there were ways but none were… befitting of her as a leader of Justice.

“If that’s the case, I shall head back to my own headquarters,” she says firmly, her past exhibit of exhaustion a mere mirage in contrast.

She was already getting up when Shiori’s expression became unreadable. A moment later, she speaks. “You can stay here for the night,” she offered, her tone pretty monotone all things considered. “It’s better than going off alone.”

“I’m an alpha, I know how to walk myself at night,” Elizabeth says out of instinct. Shiori sends her a look that seemed almost amused.

“That’s not what I meant,” she says cryptically, though it’s pretty clear to Elizabeth as to what she means. Right, Shiori is also an alpha, she’s probably dealt with something similar in her past as well.

Elizabeth nods begrudgingly, after a long pause. It took her some consideration before agreeing, but in all honesty, going back to the headquarters and walking past her office piling up those towers of paperwork was the last thing on her bucket list that night. “Thank you,” she said quietly, a bit surprised by herself since she’s been thanking Shiori quite a bit tonight. “I appreciate it.”

They settle on a somewhat uncomfortable silence. What next? Shiori hadn’t said anything after she did, the only thing interrupting the quietness was the white noise coming from the movie neither of them was paying attention to anymore.

“I gotta ask, though,” Shiori finally speaks. “Why not go to someone from your pack?”

Elizabeth’s shoulders stiffened at Shiori’s question. Or more like, the suggestion. It wasn’t that she didn’t anticipate the question to come up at some point, but the suddenness caught her off guard. She paused, taking a moment to construct a suitable response, fighting the head creeping up her neck.

“We do not have that kind of relationship,” she finally said, her voice measured but a little less controlled. The words were her shield, and they spoke the truth. It is true that she let Raora nest with her clothes when she asked her to, but their relationship had never been more than Elizabeth leading and protecting her and the rest of Justice. That was the extent of their group dynamics, at least, they were her family. She didn’t really know about Advent, though.

Shiori’s frown deepened at that, and her curiosity is evident. Elizabeth could almost see the gears turning in her head. Thinking, analyzing, drawing conclusions. And the leader of Justice is divided. She felt a bit offended, because she assumed she might be questioning her leadership, but also curiosity, because what if she was instead drawing comparisons to her own group?

Elizabeth sighed inwardly. Thinking was tiring. She was tired. She just wanted to rest, pent up or not.

Then, as if as an act of mercy, Shiori speaks again. “Interesting,” she says, her tone neutral but her eyes still sharp. “I guess every group is different.” She shrugs.

“Yes,” Elizabeth replied simply.

“You know,” Shiori follows, looking straight through her, “I could help you, if you really need the… release.”

Elizabeth blinked, caught off guard by the offer. ‘Huh?’ was the only thing she could come up with as a reply, bewildered as to what she was hearing. She studied Shiori's face for a moment, looking for any signs of mischief or ulterior motives, but found none.

“I’m just saying, I could help,” Shiori repeated, shrugging with an air of indifference.

“B-But,” Elizabeth’s flame blazed a little stronger for a heartbeat, and even though she started a sentence, she couldn’t finish it. Bringing up that they were both alphas felt a bit uncomfortable all of a sudden.

Shiori snorts at her blushing. “Don’t take it so seriously, it’s just an offer. Either way, I’ll go get the guest room ready for you.”

And with that, she’s up and left, leaving a very baffled Elizabeth behind.

Maybe it had been a nightmare. By the time Elizabeth opens her eyes, she had already forgotten the contents, but she had snapped awake in an instant, and a moment later she was sitting up, looking around with her heart pounding in her chest. Cold clings to her skin, gluing her clothes to her flesh, damping the sheets below her as well. For a moment she’s disoriented, not recognizing the walls around her, until she remembers she’s not home.

Breathing comes in shallow, rapid bursts. She narrows her eyes, but only a sliver of moonlight could cut through the blackout curtains. Her vision manages to adjust after a few minutes, though, revealing rustic furniture, a drawing on the wall in front of her looking like drawn by a child. Elizabeth focuses on the details, on the five people drawn there, with Bijou in the center. She’s probably the artist behind the picture. Right, she’s in Advent’s place.

She takes a deep breath in and out before removing the blankets off her body, letting the cold air of night seep under her skin. It slowly relaxed her, but her mind was still buzzing with white noise. It was the first time in a long time since she had gone to bed with all the day’s stress and no one to share her laments with. It makes her feel strange, because of how dependent she felt on Nerissa's comfort that moment.

Her fist clenches on her lap. She did not like the thought of being this vulnerable to someone, and above anyone, an omega from a rival pack?

She blinks once, forcefully, catching herself by surprise. A cacophony of thoughts makes her mind race. Where did that come from? It doesn’t take her long until she comes to the conclusion that it was the alpha of her speaking. But once the thought came, something else started riddling her. A rush of emotions, flashing like colors before her eyes. Anger, frustration, anguish, seemingly out of nowhere.

Her flame flickered wildly atop of her chest, protesting, growing and whining, but all in all it felt hotter. She starts sweating again.

It doesn’t take much thought until she realizes she’s going into a rut.

The sheets tangle around her ankles when she lurches upright to get up with a shallow breath stuck in her throat. The floor is cold beneath her skin, moist with sweat, but there’s no time to care. Stumbling forward, she nearly collides with the nightstand, hands scrambling for balance as she moves towards the door.

Her fingers find the lock, she half turns it to lock it, but she’s abruptly frozen in place by the smell coming from the other side of the door.

The scent hits her like a fist, cloying and heavy, drowning her in its sweetness. Lush, syrupy, extremely pleasant. It’s blueberries. It lingers in the air, coming from Nerissa’s room at the opposite end of the hallway, and it calls her.

It was almost like a drunken state as she walked down the hallway, each step unsteady, pulled forward by something beyond reason. The scent had her in its grip. Thick, intoxicating, suffocating.

Elizabeth doesn’t remember opening the door, nor the moments she stepped into Nerissa’s sleeping quarters. The world blurred at the edges, reality slipping through her fingers. All she could think about was that scent.

It consumed her.

The smell clung to everything. The walls, the dresser, the clothes strewn across the floor. It seeped into the fabric, embedded in the fibers, saturating the air with a suffocating weight.

But that blanket, the same from earlier, sitting folded at the end of the bed… that was different.

The scent was strongest there, pulsing, almost alive. The closer she stepped, the harder it was to walk. There was a heat accumulating at the bottom of her stomach, becoming a physical force when her underpants got tighter.

Elizabeth’s fingers trembled as she reached for the edge, hesitating. Something in her gut whispered that she was doing something wrong, but the voice was so small next to her instinct.

She buries her face in the fabric, inhaling deep, the scent alone numbing every other sense that wasn’t required to experience the smell of Nerissa’s heat. Her eyes shut close, and she surrenders to it. The overwhelming sweetness, the way it twists and turns in her lungs like something alive.

The room fades, the walls vanish. There’s no bed, no floor, no self. In the darkness there’s only her. And the memory of Nerissa. She hears the soft gasps when Elizabeth’s calloused fingers brush against her softer skin. The scent that is so familiar she could almost taste it on the rims of her lips. The slick dripping from her chin, the warmth of Nerissa’s swollen pink folds. The way her back arches and her legs trap her head in place—

“Oh wow.”

The words slice through the haze, splitting the spell Elizabeth’s been caught in.

Her body reacts before her mind catches up. An instinctual jolt, drawing her from the depths of whatever place she had been drowning in. Muscles sluggish, breath uneven, she turns to Shiori standing under the doorframe.

She blinks hard.

“Why—” Elizabeth’s voice barely works, hoarse, fractured.

Shiori tilts her head, and she looks completely and utterly taken aback. But other than that there was something more. Curiosity, perhaps.

“Girl, that’s what I should be asking! Naughty woman,” Shiori replies, a grin betraying her amusement.

Elizabeth turns, and suddenly, she isn’t sure if she’s awake at all.

The shorts Shiori had lent her to use as her pajamas were down at her ankles, and while she was still holding onto Nerissa’s blanket, her right hand had become very busy with something else. Instinctively, she lets go of both.

“I-I…” words escape her, feeling guilty for a moment at invading another pack’s privacy without consent.

“Shush, shush,” Shiori stops her and, as expected of her, does something unexpected. She steps forward. Her citrus poisons the sweetness of Nerissa’s scent the moment she steps into the room, and immediately Elizabeth feels a rush of the rut boiling her blood again. The other alpha, clearly noticing how the taller woman tensed, quickly lowered her head just a little, enough to appear almost submissive. “There, there. I’m not going to kick you out, relax.”

Shiori kneels before her, retrieving the fallen blanket with deliberate slowness. Each movement feels unhurried in a way that was almost indifferent, folding said sheet of fabric neatly under her arm. Elizabeth remains still, her pulse frantic beneath her skin, every muscle still coiled in anticipation of something— reprimand, outrage, any sign of violence for invading a private space, but nothing of the sort comes out from Shiori’s lips.

Instead, a playful glint in her eye turns them upwards.

“So, are you going to do something about your little friend there?” Shiori asks plainly, using the point of her chin to direct Elizabeth’s attention back to the erect knot that was now in full view for Shiori to see.

Elizabeth’s cheeks burn instantly, her body immediately betraying her lack of composure as she hurries an apology when leaning down to grab the little grace she could recollect from dressing herself back up.

While she’s busy stammering her words and tripping over syllables, Shiori lets out a low chuckle that catches the other alpha’s attention back again.

“That’s not what I meant, you know,” she muses, her laughter warm and utterly at ease. “Now that your girl is in full action it’s gonna hurt if you leave it at that, isn’t that right?”

Elizabeth’s brows knit together, caught off guard by the words Shiori just spilled into the air. The way she says it is also with the conviction of someone who has experience with such a thing, and that’s when she remembers the atrocious suggestion the Archiver had made earlier that evening.

“Shiori… what are you implying?” Elizabeth asks, her voice laced with guarded caution. She instinctively stiffens as Shiori takes a step closer.

“My offer still stands, I promise I will make a good company…” she replies in a softer tone than a moment ago, tethered with a glint of mischief and something Elizabeth didn’t want to name.

Was she… offering herself?

“You want to… bed me?” Elizabeth echoes her thoughts like a question. Shiori's smile grows, and the Harbinger could only stare back because the weight of her own words were settling uneasily in her thoughts.

“You could call it a friendly gesture if you’d prefer.”

That did not make it any better.

Elizabeth’s mind is reeling. The possibility had been so absurd earlier that she hadn’t even entertained it. But now, faced with the same question, why is it that the word ‘yes’ is clawing its way to the surface? The thought alone unsettles her. Surely it was the alpha— the rut— speaking over her rationality, clouding her judgement and twisting her desires. Because there is no way— no imaginable reality— in which Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame would engage in something so… indecorous, with another alpha. Unless she is truly losing her grip with sanity.

“So? What will it be?” Shiori steps forward, closing the distance inch by inch. Elizabeth impulsively tries to retreat, swallowing against the tightness in her throat. A stray current of air carries the sharp tang of Shiori’s citrus scented pheromones, suddenly just as intoxicating as the blueberries mingling with it. Her whole body stiffens, bracing herself for something she can’t define.

The Archiver moves with agonizing slowness, almost as if inviting Elizabeth to halt her advance or reject the silent question posed in the stretch of her arm. But Elizabeth… doesn’t. She let it happen.

The first thing she notices is the cold. When Shiori’s fingers finally graze her skin, the unexpected chill sends shivers up her spine. The touch is light, barely there, testing the waters. Elizabeth flinches, her body screaming for action, but she remains halted in the moment. Not for long.

Shiori pressed Nerissa’s blanket into Elizabeth’s chest— firm, insistent— her voice carrying an unspoken command. “Hold onto it,” she says before settling behind her, fingers poised for their work. Elizabeth’s breath shivered as Shiori’s middle finger and thumb drove across the length of her knot, bringing back the same intoxicating haze from before. The edges of reason blur as she grasps at the soft fabric in her arms, her mind suspended between rationality and madness, teetering over a lust she had been trying hard to suppress, making it into a space where thought and impulse bleed into one.

Comparing Shiori to Nerissa felt unfair in these circumstances, yet with the intertwining scents of blueberry and citrus melting Elizabeth into nothingness, it was impossible to ignore the differences. Shiori’s hands— smaller, softer— moved with the practiced grace of a pianist, moving her hand up and down in rhythmical motions. Nerissa’s touch was different— slower, more tender, steeped in the quiet affection so intrinsic to her and her alone.

It wasn’t that Shiori’s hand lacked care. If anything, she became quickly attuned to Elizabeth’s quiet gasps, instinctively adjusting her pressure and speed, working around the head, circling her thumb just on the way that made Elizabeth’s legs feel weak. Shiori understood her. More than that, she carried a special kind of expertise that Nerissa didn’t share, and maybe that's why she couldn’t muster the guilt to resist the comfort Shiori offered.

Choosing between them felt impossible. So she didn’t.

A grunt gets caught in her throat as a shiver curses through her limbs, and Elizabeth stumbles forward, being quickly supported by Shiori’s left arm as the right one slows its motion. Before Elizabeth could even begin to protest, the orders came clear. “Bed,” Shiori mutters in a way that Elizabeth barely recognizes, the word barely holding any meaning. Regardless, she obeys, leaning forward to grasp onto the rim of Nerissa’s bed, using it as a support to keep standing. It barely works.

“Shiori…” she choked out— whether to slow time or beg for mercy, the distinction blurred.

“I know, I know,” the girl replies kindly. It takes all of Elizabeth’s strength to stay put as Shiori picks up the pace, with the shorter girl still hugging her waist tightly, Elizabeth’s back molded to her chest as she pressed all the right buttons to incite the release the Harbinger so much desired.

Elizabeth shuts her eyes, her head snapping forward when Shiori tightens her fingers just at the base while she comes undone. Her legs shake under the weight of the orgasm, and Elizabeth is so preoccupied with not falling that she doesn’t realize the blanket she had been clenching was not there anymore. Her breathing heaves as her body recovers, and when she opens her eyes she’s greeted with an unholy sight.

Shiori was using Nerissa’s blanket as a makeshift tissue to avoid Elizabeth’s cum to taint the sheets of the bed, with her cleaning the remains from her over-sensitized knot with a care you would show to something precious—

“Are you better now?” Shiori whispers, her breath warm against the alpha’s ear. Silence. Then, softer, “Liz?”

— or fragile.

A yelp.

Thump.

It happened in a moment. The instant Shiori’s grip loosened, Elizabeth turned, seizing the opportunity with a swift yet controlled motion to push Shiori onto the bed. Surprise flickered in the Archiver’s golden eyes— startling, but there was no fear.

Elizabeth leaned in, controlled by an urge beyond reasoning, coming close enough that her breath ghosted over Shiori’s pale skin. Her lips brushed the curve of her throat, lingering there, hovering at the edge of hesitation.

“Liz?”

Shiori’s voice falters, swallowed by a quiet, involuntary sound at the back of her throat as Elizabeth’s lips press against her skin— first soft, just moments before starting to gently suck on such tender skin.

Elizabeth was fighting a losing battle against her instinct, the little reason she kept finally slipped, drowned by the raw, undeniable urge to claim. To mark Shiori as her own. She wanted proof in the morning and the days to follow that this had actually happened. She wanted to be able to see her in broad daylight with teeth marks around her pulse.

Tensing the skin between her teeth, she sucked until she made sure a red mark would be left behind. Shiori writhed beneath her, struggling to reclaim control. But Elizabeth, stronger and unwavering, easily kept her pinned in place as she ran her tongue over the bite mark.

Elizabeth inhaled deeply before leaning back, satisfied with the way her own scent was already weaving itself into the citrus-sweet of Shiori’s. At first, her gaze lingered on the reddened skin she left behind, but it wasn’t long before something else caught her attention.

Shiori looked bothered. Or perhaps embarrassed. The faintest shade of a blush tinged her cheeks, contrasting quite nicely with her sharp glare and furrowed brows.

“That was uncalled for,” Shiori muttered, her tone edged with irritation. There was something else in the mix, but Elizabeth couldn’t pinpoint whether it was anger.

Elizabeth had never seen her fellow alpha like this before. Stripped of her usual smugness for once, her voice absent of its customary wit. Not only that, but having her beneath her— unguarded, lacking the venomous armor of a silver tongue— stirred something strange. A quiet sense of gratification, born not just from overpowering her, but from having control over her.

“Didn’t you offer, poppet?” Elizabeth’s voice came lower than usual, calm but weighty, reverberating deep in her chest like a pleased purr.

Shiori’s eyes widen just briefly before something in her head shifts. A smile… no, a grin, curves at the edge of her lips, slow and knowing. Her arms find the strength to latch lazily onto Elizabeth’s shirt, fingers curling into the fabric.

“I see,” she murmurs, her voice smoothing into something almost amused. The playfulness in her tone is deliberate, a teasing lilt tailored to match Elizabeth’s low. Shiori’s chest hums against the Harbinger’s, vibrating with unspoken challenge as she whispers, “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Elizabeth holds her gaze for a beat, reading the invitation for what it is. Teasing, as usual, but also a provocation. A competitive grin blooms on her face, mirroring Shiori’s, feeling her knot strain where it’s pressed on the Archiver’s stomach.

There was something about the way Elizabeth moved as she helped Shiori get undressed. Her hands were kind, despite the roughness threaded through her touch. Even when her instinct clouded her mind and left little room for rational thought, that innate gentleness remained, woven into her every motion.

“Up,” Elizabeth commanded with an underlying softness that made Shiori chuckle. After all, Nerissa had told her once before. How Elizabeth’s kindness wasn’t calculated or a choice dictated by logic, but something stitched so deeply into her that it persisted even when reason slipped.

Elizabeth was immediately greeted by bare skin once the shirt was discarded. She was so accustomed to seeing Shiori draped in layers that it made her believe she was attempting to obscure what needed no hiding.

Her eyes trace over the lean cut of the Archiver’s waist, feasting over every shift of light revealing something previously unseen— the glow at the curve of her collarbone, the soft shadow of her breasts over the smooth pattern of rib bones and muscle.

“Enjoying the view?” Shiori teases her, tone laced with amusement in a deliberate attempt to fluster her.

Elizabeth doesn’t bite. She doesn’t stumble over excuses or useless explanations. She simply meets Shiori’s gaze again, unwavering.

“I am,” she replies, the smirk in her voice unmistakable.

Shiori doesn’t seem bothered by the lack of flustered reaction. If anything, she looks even more entertained. The amusement flickers deepens, spreading in the slow curl of her grin.

And when Elizabeth’s fingertips brush against her skin, that grin only widens. She knew that Elizabeth’s mission of claiming her wasn’t done yet, testified by the way she traces her hands along her arms with something akin to possession, spreading her scent on their wake.

Hands travel from her shoulders down to her sides, tracing over subtle curves and bumps, sliding her hand underneath Shiori’s shorts and quickly finding what she had been half expecting, the slick head of Shiori’s dick, making it clear she was enjoying this as much as Elizabeth was. Her fingers press lightly into it, and Shiori can’t help the whimper that escapes her. It feels amazing, but it’s far from it being enough.

Elizabeth leans in again, the cascade of red spilling around them like velvet curtains, the blue of her flame illuminating their own private world.

“Is it wrong that I want you to submit to me?” Elizabeth whispers, the question trembling against Shiori’s ear.

That gets her an exhale from the other girl, a quiet laugh, her usual sarcasm mingle with a quiver. “I think we’re far past worrying about right or wrong by now.”

It should have been a smooth transition. A teasing remark followed by more passion. Instead, Elizabeth hesitates and leans back, confusion flickering across those gentle eyes of hers, her thoughts refusing to settle on something ambiguous.

“...So, is it wrong?”

Shiori rolls her eyes at Elizabeth’s obliviousness. Instead of wasting another breath on a reply, she simply lifts her arms, looping them around Elizabeth's neck and pulling her closer— closer than words ever could.

Her lips press against Elizabeth’s and, for a moment, the shock is paralyzing. Thought halts, breath catches, and she doesn’t know how to respond. Or know if she even can.

Shiori, however, is still undeterred. She doesn’t flinch at Elizabeth’s stiffness, doesn’t pull away either. Her lashes lower just enough that the gold of her irises is reduced to the thinnest glimmer, a fleeting silver thread between them.

“Does that answer your question?” she murmurs, their lips still brushing, her voice threaded with a particular challenge.

Elizabeth’s lips part, poised for a response that never comes. The words slip from her mind, lost beneath the surge of adrenaline that sweeps her hesitation aside. Instinct takes the lead again and she leans, taking the opportunity Shiori left for her in the open.

Wrong or not, it matters not.

Although brief, Shiori’s kiss had left a sweet aftertaste that quickly became overwhelming, and Elizabeth was addicted with only a sample. She misses no time when going for seconds, closing her eyes and sweeping her tongue into her mouth, catching her taste buds on the smooth edges of Shiori’s teeth.

Just like her skin, the Archiver's mouth was warm and slightly sweet, citrus-zest flooding Elizabeth’s senses as she bore down to kiss her partner deeper, harder. It’s a claim as much as a kiss, a statement of ownership, even if it were for just the night.

Shiori’s lips are strawberry-pink when she pulls off, a smirk curls them upwards instantly, there’s a hunger in her eyes that lock onto Elizabeth like pulled by strings. It’s as beautiful as it was obscene, watching Shiori’s chest heave up and down at the rhythm of Elizabeth’s wrist moving up and down underneath them, each breath coming out jagged. Her hand was covered in wet slick and precum and sweat, and those shorts couldn’t have come off any faster. Elizabeth dedicates her right arm to fondle Shiori’s dick while her left one serves as a support, the Harbinger’s forearm muscles tensed next to the Archiver’s head.

Elizabeth leans for another kiss, just as rough and wet as the previous one, her hand sliding to the tell-tale swell of Shiori’s knot and, just beneath it, warm folds welcome her. The first thing Elizabeth notices is just how wet they were. That alone was enough for her to feel her own dick throb. And it takes a Herculean effort to keep herself from spreading Shiori’s legs open right then and there, but Elizabeth has always believed in the virtue of patience.

Shiori’s back arches when she slips a finger in, ignoring the choked out moans as she presses in, trying to get as deep inside her as she possibly can. Elizabeth’s heart swells with pride when Shiori rocks her hips to rut herself against her wrist, grunting out the filthiest noises the Harbinger has ever heard coming from her mouth.

“Liz, fuck…” Shiori chokes out, throwing her head to the side and clawing one of her hands around Elizabeth’s wrist— not sure if trying to stop her or guide her. The words she was about to say die on her throat when Elizabeth adds a second digit, curling her fingers in search for a specific spot.

Elizabeth began to move her hips as her attention was brought back to Shiori's fair skin, and the sensation of their dicks rubbing against each other made both of them release a simultaneous groan.

She can tell when Shiori is close, the former gasps had turned into whines that became louder each time calloused fingers pounded into her, walls contracting on her wrist with each time she bent them. Elizabeth doesn't let that deter her from her current goal— continuing to lick and nibble at the alpha's neck, leaving more marks along her skin.

A soft moan brushed into her ear as she nursed her lips around the soft spot on the side of her throat— she left another kiss on soft skin, then a lick, and then her thumb was rubbing the base of her knot.

Elizabeth thought that might have been what crossed the line, because next thing she knew Shiori had rolled her onto her back and it was now Elizabeth’s turn being straddled, her stomach already coated with a thin layer of slick while Shiori held out the hand that was previously inside her right next to the Harbinger's head.

There's a fever-bright shine in her eyes when she looks down on her.

“You're a fucking tease, you know that?” Each word defied that offended expression on her face— they came out ragged, like a gasped breath leaking with need. Elizabeth doesn't reply— she smiles— knowing exactly what the Archiver wanted. She could feel that same desperate throb at the base of her dick and she's so ready for it.

Shiori pitches her hips back, rocking up to angle herself just right, her movements so slow, as if wanting Elizabeth to take in every sight. And, oh, she does. The Harbinger could feel every hateful molecule of the space between the head of her dick and the warm welcome of Shiori's entrance, pulling at her like a magnet.

When Shiori sinks down in a fell swoop, it leaves her heart struck somewhere between her mouth and her throat.

Elizabeth herself is no virgin, and judging by the way Shiori grinds her hips down and starts to lazily stroke her own dick, this wasn't a first for her either. Elizabeth digs her nails into the meat of Shiori's thighs, and a groan escapes her as the other leans back to balance herself, rocking up and down.

There's something inherently beautiful on the smooth arch of the Archiver's chest as she bows her back, on the way her stomach stretches flat with sweat and slick making it glimmer under the moonlight. Elizabeth's mouth waters, closing her eyes to focus on the little grunts Shiori makes every time she twists her wrist over the head of her dick. And it gets her hard.

It wasn't long before Elizabeth hit her hard limit, her breath going heavy as she chokes out a quick “Shiori, I'm gonna…”

A warning more than anything, before it was too late. Shiori bends down to meet her, arms and legs circling around Elizabeth as she latches onto her neck, teeth grazing roughly right over her pulse. Each grinding push bears down on the hardening swell of Elizabeth's knot, and her answer couldn't be more clear.

“You're mine tonight, Liz,” she purrs next to her ear. “Give it to me.”

It's already too late to turn back. Elizabeth catches Shiori's mouth and latches to her thighs, buried inside of her with their lips pressed together and swollen. It doesn't take much more until the orgasm comes, not sure who was the first of the last, only that there was a thick warmth spreading between the two of them as they shiver and shudder.

It takes all of Elizabeth's remaining effort to shift them around, pulling Shiori into a semblance of a hug, moving to rest her head on Nerissa's pillow as they both cringe at the burning pull between them. Shiori grabs the discarded blanket from the end of the bed to clean their stomachs so it's less uncomfortable, and she's so nonchalant about it that Elizabeth wonders how many people she has done this with in the past. It's not exactly something documented on her files.

Thinking about it, they’d never been this close before— or close at all, for that matter. Calling them friends felt like a stretch. Acquaintances, perhaps, distant figures orbiting the same space and people without ever truly colliding. But now? Now they were quite literally bound together, skin against skin, limbs pressed in a way that left no room for any sort of uncertainty. The prickly, ever-defensive Shiori who flinched at the slightest invasion of personal space seemed oddly… at ease, between Elizabeth’s arms. And her? She wasn’t exactly resisting either. In fact, her grip around her waist was natural, firm and gentle as though she had done this a thousand times before. It didn’t feel wrong— just unexpected. Then again, she had never quite pictured a scenario like this before.

Shiori caught her staring after she was done cleaning. Amusement flickered to life in her sharp, clever eyes.

“Are you satisfied now?” She says with a smirk that showed no semblance of shame whatsoever, as if the noises she had made barely minutes before were not of the most intimate kind.

Elizabeth flicked her gaze away from her, but there wasn’t much else to look at. Nerissa’s vast assortment of plushies gathered on the walls were not as distracting as the proximity and undeniable reality she was presented with. The realization sent heat crawling up her cheeks, and she already knew it would be impossible to hide it with her flame displaying her facial expressions.

“Uh, yes,” she murmured, barely above a whisper.

Silence.

It was the kind of pause that stretched, painfully awkward, pressed against her like an invisible weight. Curious but still flustered, Elizabeth risked a glance, trying to find the reason behind Shiori’s sudden quiet.

She was grinning. No, more than that— she was on the verge of laughter, eyes gleaming with amusement,

“Gosh you’re awkward,” the alpha teased, and her giggle spread straight into her over-sensitive knot before she could even feel any more shame. And even before that, Shiori had already softened her voice, leaning in ever so slightly. “Don’t worry, though. It’s cute.”

Elizabeth still wasn’t used to being called cute. Nerissa insisted on it, sure, but that was different. This, coming from another alpha, felt… not quite degrading, but something close. Or maybe not close at all, because the truth was, it didn’t feel bad at all. Not even a little. Perhaps it was because it was Shiori who said it… or maybe it was just the moment. She couldn’t be sure, and she for sure wasn’t thinking clearly.

She was unable to muster a reply to the comment, instead opting for the safest route— changing the topic.

“What now?” she asks, her voice quieter than intended. Shiori’s bangs tickle her nose, a feather-light nuisance that she’s suddenly too aware of.

Mercifully, Shiori doesn’t seize the moment to tease her further. Instead, she hums a thoughtful little note, considering the question.

“Well, let’s see,” she muses, drawing out the words. “We’re on a bed and there’s no way we’re getting out of this anytime soon. So… maybe we just borrow Rissa’s bed for the night? Change the blankets tomorrow? I doubt she’ll mind.”

Sharing a bed with Shiori? Elizabeth wasn’t against the idea but that didn’t make it any less difficult to wrap her head around. The thought felt almost unreal, yet undeniably present. She didn’t need to wiggle to know that yes, she was stuck in this situation, but oddly enough it didn’t feel like a trap. Not really.

She wasn’t sure what to make of it. And honestly? She was too tired to keep overanalyzing everything.

“Sounds good.”

Shiori smiles— softer than usual, lacking the usual edge she usually has. And something about it stirs a warmth in Elizabeth’s chest, a sort of affection, an implicit feeling that things are going to work out somehow. Not just tonight, but tomorrow too. The doubt and worry that had been clawing into Elizabeth’s stomach all day dissipates under the force of Shiori’s warm smile, and it beckons a smile of her own.

It takes barely a minute for Elizabeth to sink into sleep, the weight of exhaustion settling over her like a heavy knitted blanket. It comes effortlessly that she doesn’t even hear the distant ringing of a phone, nor does she stir at the faint shift against her arm. The world around her fades into softness, sweetness and citrusy-warmth— except for a quiet, drowsy murmur that linger on the edge of her slipping consciousness.

“Rissa…?”

Shiori’s voice is barely more than a whisper, fragile and fleeting.

Elizabeth doesn’t remember responding. She only remembers the sound.

Elizabeth had to leave before Nerissa came back home.

Sleeping in her arms… Shiori had never expected that. Not before last night, not ever. And yet, she hadn’t felt this safe in a long, long time. Maybe it was just the effect of sleeping next to another alpha? Not that she would know— she’s never done it before. But Elizabeth was one of the strongest people she knew, and somehow that fact quieted the ever-present hum of Shiori’s hyperawareness, allowing her to seep into deep sleep with an ease she rarely experienced.

She was so wonderfully warm, too. So much that Shiori barely even noticed they had slept without blankets.

Then morning arrived, and Elizabeth prepared a bath for her. A bath. The aftercare alone was unexpected, but the real surprise came when Elizabeth offered to help wash her. Shiori didn’t hesitate to accept, her muscles still aching from last night’s activities, though the way Elizabeth stared at the hickeys covering her neck and shoulders almost made her feel bad. Almost.

Breakfast followed. Eggs over toast. Simple, unremarkable, the kind of meal that should’ve felt completely ordinary. And yet, it didn’t. They were supposed to be enemies, weren’t they? Or at least, opposites. That reality hadn’t changed, but somehow the dynamic between them had.

It wasn’t awkward. Not for Shiori, anyway. Elizabeth was of course drowning in her usual awkwardness, but that was simply a part of who she was. Shiori on the other hand, was having too much fun teasing her to care about the oddity of it all.

Time flew faster than either of them realized, and then Elizabeth was gone. Pulled away by a work call, leaving Shiori alone with her thoughts.

And she was trying so hard not to overthink that she barely registered the sound of the front door swinging open. Conversation crashed through the silence like a wave— familiar and welcoming. She peeked out from the kitchen door, catching glimpses of her four packmates having an animated chatter, their faces lighting up when they spotted her.

“Welcome back,” she greeted, simple and unassuming, before retreating back inside.

Of course, it didn’t take long for Nerissa to pin her down. The others disappeared into their rooms, blissfully unaware over the strong smell of fresh paint, while Nerissa was, of course, fully aware. Her keen sense of smell as an omega was spectacular when it came to spotting things she shouldn’t.

Shiori could feel it before she saw it— her shit-eating grin, the one Nerissa wore like a badge of smug satisfaction. There was no hiding it, Elizabeth’s scent was all over her, the lingering traces of lumber and something faintly floral clung to her skin like a second layer. Denial was pointless.

But Shiori wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction.

She kept her focus on the microwave instead, watching the slow and hypnotic spin of her cup of tea, refusing to acknowledge the taller woman standing behind her. And of course, Nerissa wasn’t deterred.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Shiori asked, still not turning around.

Finally, Nerissa stepped into the room, her presence deliberate next to the unwashed cup Elizabeth had used, sitting perfectly visible on top of the counter. Nerissa leaned toward it with just enough intent to make it a point.

Shiori narrows her eyes.

“Well, Shiorin,” Nerissa crooned, using the nickname like she was addressing something small and harmless. “I’m just surprised you weren’t the one on top.”

The microwave dinged. Shiori retrieved her cup with unshaken composure, testing the temperature before meeting Nerissa’s gaze.

“And who said I wasn’t?” she mused, feigning indifference.

Nerissa smiled. Sweetly, sickeningly. Like the prettiest, deadliest flower in a garden of thorns.

“I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re lying, Shiorin,” she said. “And those bite marks aren’t fooling anybody.”

Shiori hadn’t exactly been trying to hide them. Not really. The ones closest to her jawline were visible enough and there was no point pretending otherwise.

“Okay. Fine.” She shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting her to get carried away like she did. That’s all.”

Nerissa grinned. “Doesn’t sound like you disliked it.”

It was subtle, but Shiori’s jaw tightened. The truth was, she had already said too much. Half-asleep, drifting at the edge of exhaustion between two firm arms. When Nerissa had called in the middle of the night she admittedly let some details slip, more than she probably should have. She was already regretting it, or at least, she thought she should. But the regret never fully settled. Even now it didn’t feel wrong.

“Don’t get cheeky, woman,” Shiori muttered, sidestepping past her into the corridor.

Nerissa followed immediately, practically trailing her like an overeager puppy. “I’m not trying to be cheeky,” she said innocently. “It’s just an observation.”

It was too late by the time Shiori realized where they’d ended up— Nerissa’s room. The space where Elizabeth’s scent lingered strongest, weaving through the air like an undeniable presence. She froze for just a second, barely noticeable but Nerissa caught it anyway.

“So?” Nerissa prompted, gaze flicking over the room with subtle amusement.

Shiori halted, lifting her cup to her lips and taking a slow, timed sip.

What should she share? That she felt safe with Elizabeth? That she’d actually enjoyed their quiet little morning together? That she wanted to see her again— not today or tomorrow, but eventually, once she sorted out which emotions were real and which were remnants of the moment?

She wasn’t sure.

“It was different,” Shiori says with confidence, turning back to open the door. “Not bad. Just… different.”

She steps into the room— elegant as ever, under broad daylight. Yet of course, carrying something unmistakably youthful in the way the deep blue walls were contrasted by a number of plushies Nerissa loved to collect. Her gaze skips past the shelves, barely registering the cozy chaos in the walls. Instead, her focus lands on the bad.

Elizabeth had insisted on changing the blankets herself, even though they hadn’t been used.

“So… good, I’m assuming?”

Shiori hums. A noncommittal note, neither confirmation nor denial. Kneeling before the bed, she reaches beneath it. Her fingers brush against the soft fabric of a blanket that she reveals with a simple pull. The scent is just as pungent as she remembers. It lingers, and it’s distinct to everything else in the room.

She stands, turning towards Nerissa, whose eyes widen the instant she sees it. Just like that, the conversation shifts. Her curiosity about Shiori’s night evaporates, replaced by something far more immediate: the blanket. She looks at it like a puppy would when spotting a prized toy. Except it was way more obscene.

“I had to hide it before Liz threw it in the wash,” Shiori explains, tone flat, though Nerissa is hardly listening anymore. “Have fun.”

With little ceremony, she pushes the blanket towards Nerissa’s chest in a way that was pretty similar to when she did the same with Elizabeth last night. Nerissa fumbles, but catches it and clutches it as though it might vanish if she lets go.

“Bye,” she mutters weakly, already in her own little world.

Shiori doesn’t linger. She shuts the door behind her, sealing off the conversation. Another loose end tied. At least for now.

She sighs, takes a sip from her cup and walks away.