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"No!" Lars exclaimed. "No. My name is Prince Lars Lyandri."

"Youwerea prince. You aren’t one here."

"Iama prince," Lars said.

Griffin grabbed a spread of paper from the desk and tossed it onto the bed in front of Lars. It was a map of the continent, with Ekdol and much of the surrounding nations shaded in blue, the color of the Empire. The Xyletian Empire's sigil, a bipedal wolf flanked by a fang, a sword, and a sun, was stamped over each region. "Your family is dead," he said, his voice low. "Your house, crumbled. Your nation, conquered. You're the prince of nothing." The way he spoke was calm and flat. There was no animosity, just the statement of facts. "Be thankful. You're still alive to see tomorrow."

"My people," Lars said. "They're counting on me to lead them."

"Your people don't even know of your existence. They're in the hands of Xyletia now. As long as they obey, they too will live to see tomorrow. They'll been taken care of. And perhaps even one day, a young Ekdol Alpha will rise to be an officer in the Xyletian military."

Lars eyed him, finishing the rest of the food. "Like... you. You and your brother are from Maitran."

"We are your Alphas. You will refer to him by his name. Phoenix."

"...Phoenix," Lars repeated, quietly.

Griffin huffed. "Maitran used to be called Adosh, in our father's time and before."

"I know that. Before Xyletia conquered it," Lars said.

"Then you know your history."

"I'm a prince. I was expected to know these things, even though I'm an Omega."

Griffin didn't correct or challenge him this time. "Well," he said, his voice a low rumble. "I've spent much of my adult life in Xyletia. I never met many who would recognize the Adosh sigil.”

"It's a small country," Lars said. "Smaller than Ekdol, if I remember my geography. And beautiful birds, if I remember my ornithology."

"Yes," Griffin said, with just the slightest hint of surprise. "It does."

They stared at each other.

"Why am I still alive?" Lars asked. "Why did you... Why did you take me?"

Griffin stood. He came to the bed and took the empty tray out of Lars's hands and tossed it to the floor. Then he kissed him. His tongue glided against Lars's lips, parting them. Their tongues touched.

"No," Lars panted, trying to writhe out from his touch. "Get away. Please, stop."

Griffin began to strip out of his uniform, tasting the Omega's neck as he did. "I'm your Alpha," he growled. "You do not get to give me commands. This is for you." He pressed his naked body against Lars and brought his lips back against his, silencing any further protests. "You need this contact, or else you'll feel the withdrawals again. And don't lie to yourself." He took Lars's face in his hands and looked deep into his eyes. "You desire this."

Griffin's hand thrust down the front of Lars's trousers, where the Omega's swollen cock was waiting. Lars threw his arms around Griffin's neck, unable to control his own body. He let out a small cry, a sound that was both pleasure and pain as he felt his defenses disintegrate once again. He bucked against his grip, wanting more than Griffin was giving him. Griffin pushed his own trousers down and laid back on the bed, his pillar standing tall. But when Lars moved to mount him, he stopped him.

"No."

"What?" Lars said. He reached down and tugged at Griffin's erection, desperately pulling it towards his dripping entrance. "Please, Griffin. Please."

"I'm not your only Alpha. I'll not penetrate you unless Phoenix is here to share you, as he would do the same for me."

Lars whimpered. His head spun. The humming had again reached a painful crescendo, like a spring coiled too tightly, begging for release.

Griffin slid his hand around the back of Lars's neck and pulled him down to kiss him. "You can satisfy your cravings with other means," he rumbled. "Drink your fill of me."

He slid off Griffin so that he was kneeling at the Alpha's side. Then, like he was bowing down in worship, Lars lowered his head and took the man's cock into his mouth.

The Alpha was right. His whole body had been demanding this, and now everything felt so right.

He hated it, and he loved it.