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Halfway through his errands, the Alpha-Gheyo pair stopped for snacks and a bloodroot cocktail for Theo, ending up in a small garden that Intendeds often used for courting and to catch sweet moments alone. They’d found a quiet corner and sat side by side, Devrim’s bulk allowing him to shield Theo slightly from the world at large. It was then that the Alpha decided to address one of the matters he’d been wanting to address when there was a bit of time and privacy.
Devrim’s eating.
It hadn’t escaped his notice that Idan and Minh hand-fed their Prince the majority of the time, or that Devrim never took food for himself, only accepting whatever the other Gheyos and occasionally Quinn and the Pareya put on his plate.
It wasn’t for lack of appetite, because Theo could see how Devrim perked up when they found the food vendors.
Which likely meant…
“It’s a hierarchy thing,” Devrim admitted with a nervous shift when Theo voiced his question—very bluntly. The Gheyo whined when Theo picked up another dumpling with his chopsticks and pressed it against Devrim’s lips instead of eating it himself, but he obediently opened his mouth.
Theo held in a sigh. That’s what he’d been worried about.
“Hierarchy,” the Alpha repeated, voice flat. “Gheyo business?”
Devrim snorted. “Definitely not,” he said. “Were-thing.”
“Explain,” Theo murmured, finally eating a dumpling himself as Devrim turned his head away at the sight of another one headed for his mouth. He rested his head on the Gheyo’s shoulder as he waited, enjoying the cool contrast of the armor with the heat of the day and the quiet atmosphere of the garden.
“Hierarchy, more than skill, is everything to mine,” Devrim said softly after a minute. “It dictates quite literally everything, including when and what one eats. I’ve always been amongst the lowest ranked, which has led to habits I didn’t know I had until fairly recently.” The Gheyo scowled as he spoke. He whined as another dumpling poked at his lips. “Must you?”
“Yes,” Theo replied with a small smirk. “I’m done, if it helps.” But despite his words, he didn’t relinquish the chopsticks, preferring instead to feed the Gheyo personally. He could see the appeal for Idan and Minh now.
“It doesn’t,” Devrim growled, purely to be contradictory. He groaned as his magic sparked, the small snack already converting into energy and extra magic.
“Bite?” Theo asked knowingly, moving to unbutton the cuffs of his sleeve. He paused when Devrim tipped his head to the side, baring his neck in a silent request. “Not the other way around?” the Alpha asked for good measure, letting scales surface along his neck and face and running his tongue lightly over his fangs.
“It’s better this way,” Devrim murmured, a small shiver running through his body as Theo traced a finger lightly over his claim mark on Devrim’s neck, in the traditional spot for an Alpha’s mark. “I really don’t need to bring my Vampire instincts into things right now.”
“Ask, if you ever need to,” Theo said, voice firm, He dug his claws into Devrim’s side to make his point. “I’ll be very unhappy if something happens because you didn’t ask for something you needed and no one else knows better. If that ever happens, then you can expect a lecture.” With that, he sunk his fangs into the Gheyo Prince’s neck.
Theo’s eyes had regained their golden hue by the time he pulled away from Devrim’s neck. There was a dark glimmer still contained within them, though, a fact that the Gheyo was barely able to process before lips rose up to press against his.
What followed next was a proper song, though Theo pulled away before things could get too heated and improper, given that they were still in public. A faint, disgruntled whine left Devrim’s throat as Theo pulled away.
Theo patted the Gheyo’s stomach in reassurance but a wicked smirk crossed his face. “We still have errands to finish,” he reminded the other.
“How many?” Devrim growled, huffing when Theo fiddled with the collar of his Flexi-suit to ensure that the three claim marks on his neck remained exposed.
“Just one more,” Theo promised, patting Devrim’s stomach again. He straightened and a flicker of magic rippled over him to smooth out his clothes and hair. “You don’t have to come with.” He arched an eyebrow when a loud growl made Devrim’s feelings about that option known.
Devrim growled again when he noticed the Alpha’s gaze sweeping over everything and anything, refusing to settle on any one spot or person—looking at something without directly looking at it. Upon that realization, he shifted from his casual protective position into a more actively guarding one.
“Theodore Gorgens?” a voice exclaimed across the garden, interrupting the small moment of peace just as Theo gave Devrim’s stomach a third, more deliberate pat. Devrim stifled a third growl. “I don’t believe it! You’re back.”