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Day 4~
Underwater~
Castiel had been running for two days now, resting only for a few minutes at a time, but now he was exhausted and starving. His feet were bleeding and he was thirsty by the time he saw water in the distance, and he staggered over to it. It was more like a small lake and he dropped to his knees along the west bank, bursting into tears at the sight of the water. He was finally free. His captor hopefully couldn’t find him now, but he was lost. He would die here, lost in these woods, forsaken by the gods he had been praying nonstop to since escaping his master’s house, and he was no better off than he had been before. Sniffling, he laid down, reaching down to touch the smooth surface. It rippled as he looked down at his reflection. Except it wasn’t his own blue eyes looking back. These were green. He stared for a moment and when they blinked, he gasped and quickly sat up.
The figure in the water rose up from under the surface, green eyes still trained on him as he scrambled back from the shore.
“W-what are you?”
The creature looked like him, save for greenish scales along its shoulders and as it climbed out of the water, he could see them stretching down along its stomach until they disappeared beneath the white fabric of the tunic it wore.
“I am a spirit of the water. You are human?”
Castiel nodded, not trusting himself to speak again.
“Then your people would call me a Naiad.”
Castiel frowned. Naiads were female, everyone knew that. They were the daughters of Zeus, and of the river gods.
“But…”
He glanced at where its tunic had slid aside, revealing that despite the lack of breasts and deep voice, this creature was most certainly not female. His scent was pleasant too, under the smell of the lake itself. It was a deeper floral scent mixed with something woodsy, and Cas found himself wanting to breathe deeply of it.
“Yes, the ancients wrote that the Naiads were all female, but that’s not true. There are males. We do not procreate with humans like your stories would have you believe. At least, most of the time we do not. You are an Omega.”
Castiel refused to cower under this creature’s penetrative stare.
“I am. What of it?”
“I have never met a male Omega before. Alpha males would bring their Omega daughters or Alpha sons to the rivers or lakes as tribute, or to entice the Naiads to take one as their mate. They were rarely ever accepted. My name is Dean. What is your name?”
“I am Castiel.”
“Castiel, why are you here? Are you my tribute?”
Castiel’s eyes widened.
“N-no! I ran away from my master’s house. My father sold me to an awful Alpha that made me his concubine and threatened to beat me endlessly. He already hurt me. I escaped before he could knot me.”
“Hurt you how?” Dean knelt down in front of him, his expression morphing into one of deep concern as he took in the Omega’s poor condition. He caught sight of blood on Castiel’s thigh and pushed his tunic up revealing an angry red gash. “Did he do this to you?”
“Y-yes. He promised to do much worse if I ever disobeyed him again.” Castiel whispered. He trembled under the Alpha’s touch.
“If you stay here, I will keep you safe, but you will be mine. If you go back, that Alpha will find you and most likely kill you as punishment for leaving.”
Castiel eyed the Naiad who was plucking plants from along the edge of the lake. As he watched, Dean chewed them into a pulpy paste and pressed them against the gash. The Omega hissed but soon the pain began to dissipate.
“You will heal under my care, and I will never raise a hand to you. Naiads love and respect their mates.”
“Why are you not mated already?” Castiel asked.
“I did not want another Naiad for a mate. We are…a dying race. There are very few of us, and my refusal to take a female as my mate earned me a banishment. I am alone here. I’ve been alone here for a very long time.” Dean looked sad as he untied Castiel’s sandals and began washing his bloody feet. When he finished, he applied the same paste to the sores and cuts on them.
“But you want a human?”
“I prayed to the gods to bring me a human, male Omega, and here you are. You are beautiful, Castiel. The gods have favored me this day.” Dean smiled when Castiel blushed.
“W-what do you expect of me? What would you have me do?”
“Anything you want. All I ask is that you stay and be my mate.” Dean brushed the Omega’s long, dark hair back from his shoulders, revealing smooth, unbroken skin. He next lifted the edge of the tunic to inspect the insides of his thighs but aside from some bruising, the skin there was unmarred as well.
“You are as yet, unmated.”
“Yes. I received this for resisting him when he tried to take me. He does not mate his concubines, he already has a mate.”
“I will have no one, save for you, Castiel. Our children will become kings. Well, maybe. I might just be bragging.” Dean grinned as he leaned closer. “I am no danger to you, but these are Athena’s woods, and she has gifted these as my waters. Anyone that dares to harm you will face my wrath.”
“I knew these were Athena’s woods. That was why they were so reluctant to come after me. I was more willing to face the goddess’ wrath than King Alistair’s.”
“King. You were concubine to a king?” Dean asked.
“Does that change anything?” Castiel worried Dean might banish him and send him back instead.
“No, not at all. I hold favor with the river gods, even if I do not with my own people, and I hold favor with Athena. You will always be safe with me here.”
“What if they do come here? The king is just greedy and controlling enough to want me back, even if it’s just so he can watch me suffer as I die.” Castiel was not as scared now, but he still worried. More than anything, he was exhausted and hungry. The Alpha moved closer and he realized the Naiad’s tunic was dry, though how that was possible, he had no idea.
“I have the magic of the forest and the waters at my disposal, to use as I please. With them, I will protect you and our home.”
“I don’t understand, where will I live? Where am I supposed to sleep?” Castiel didn’t know how Dean expected him to stay up here if he lived in the water. Did he expect the Omega to build a house? He couldn’t build anything!
“I have an underwater castle that I live in alone. You will live there with me. Before you ask, yes, you can live there safely. You can breathe inside the castle. I will feed you and keep you safe and warm.” Dean checked the gash on his leg and Castiel was surprised to see it was healed. Only a light red mark remained when the plant matter was wiped away. The Alpha’s hand slid up the Omega’s leg, making his breath hitch and he looked up at him with wide blue eyes.
Somewhere in the distance they could hear the snap of twigs as someone moved through the forest. In the sky overhead, birds took to flight. Dean scooped the Omega up, holding him close as he listened to the other creatures of the forest.
“There are hunters, they have been following you this entire time and they believe they are close to capturing you. The king has ordered your execution.”
Castiel whimpered and wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck.
“Please, don’t let them take me back!”
“Will you be mine? Let me love you and care for you as my Omega?” Dean asked.
“Yes! I too will love and care for you, Alpha!” Castiel bared his throat, uncertain what Naiad instincts were, but the Alpha buried his nose against his scent glands and inhaled.
“Then trust me to keep you safe. Hold your breath.” He ordered. Castiel took a deep breath and then they were plunging into the water.
Dean seemed to whip through the water, heading directly towards the castle, which seemed to glow from within. They passed through some kind of barrier and then Castiel felt the pressure of the water disappear. He exhaled and sucked in a fresh breath of air.
“You are safe here.” Dean set him down and belatedly he realized his sandals were still lying on the grass by the water.
“My shoes!”
“Fear not, the fae have hidden them from sight. I will go up and collect them later. For now, I will show you around. Are you hungry?”
“Very. I haven’t eaten in days. I am thirsty too.” Castiel confessed. Dean led him into a room with a soft looking bed and a table where a pitcher and a glass sat. He poured water from the pitcher into the waiting glass and handed it over. Castiel eagerly gulped it down and Dean refilled it twice more before his thirst was finally quenched.
“Come, I will feed you now.”
He plucked the empty glass from Castiel’s hand and led him out of the room and through the castle, showing him various rooms. Many stood empty and in disuse, and the Omega assumed it was because there would be no reason for a lonely Naiad to fill all of these rooms if he wasn’t going to use them. Though he wondered over the reasoning behind building such a lovely castle if he lived in it by himself.
“Your home is lovely, fit for a king. I shall be much happier here than in the outbuildings King Alistair intended for me to live in.” He said as they reached the kitchen. Dean fed him before leading him back to the first room they had gone into, the one with the soft looking bed.
“This is your home too, and I created a home worthy of the Omega I knew one day I would find and take as my mate. You are here, and I will give you anything and everything your heart desires.” Dean came up behind him, running the tips of his fingers up the Omega’s arms until they reached his shoulders where they brushed his wet hair back. “You’re wet. That must be uncomfortable.” He ran his fingers over Castiel’s hair and suddenly it was dry. His tunic though was still wet and dripping.
“I’m still wet though…”
“You don’t need that here.” Dean found the knot on his leather belt and opened it, letting the tunic fall open. Castiel swallowed hard as the Alpha pushed it off his shoulder.
“Will you claim me now? Make me yours?”
“I will. Do you trust me, Castiel? Trust that I will take care of you and protect you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“We will be happy here together, I promise. If you wish to go into the city, I will go with. The goddess will protect us. You will be mine, but I will be yours as well. That is the way of my people.”
As Dean leaned in to kiss Castiel for the first time, the king’s hunters were walking the shore of the lake, looking for any sign of the slave they’d been tracking. They never did find him. They also never made it out of the forest alive. Neither did any further search parties the king sent into the woods. Eventually, in her anger, Athena visited her wrath upon King Alistair’s castle, razing it and freeing its people from his tyranny forever. Castiel and every Omega he’d ever bought and tortured was well and truly free.