T he next day, Theo and Sebastian planned how things would go and went their separate ways to get things in order. Theo didn't tell his sisters he was planning to participate in a mating ritual. They all deserved to be spared the embarrassment of that conversation. But he did have them help search for his healing medicines he lost in the initial crash with Adora. He was confident that things wouldn't go awry, but to be safe, he figured anything to help him recover was good to have.

Once everyone slept and the kingdom was dark, the two of them met among a cluster of trees on the castle grounds.

"You're sure about this?" Sebastian asked. He fiddled with a silver collar and chain in his hands. "You're going to get hurt. There's no way around it."

"I'm sure," Theo said, taking the collar and looking it over. It had spikes inside that would poke into Sebastian's neck if it was pulled in any direction. "Did Oliver get this for you?"

"Yes." He groaned and his antlers shined a soft pink. "He and Jacques saw the book. They offered to be present, but I can't handle that. So, they helped me think of this choke collar and leash idea. The spikes should wake me up or tame my leopard side if necessary. Do you think it'll be enough?"

"I think so. We used a makeshift chain before. An actual collar is much better." Theo gently snapped the silver collar around his neck and locked it on with a little key. It was a bit big but when Sebastian shifted, he'd fill it out. Then he took the chain with a padlock on the end and wrapped it around his hand for later. "Are you ready?"

"As I can be," he said anxiously. "Did you put the medicine and cloaks where we agreed?"

"I did." Theo leaned in and kissed his lips.

"And your safe word is?"

"Roses." He moved to Sebastian's neck and nibbled lightly.

"And you prepared your body?" he asked in a shaky voice as Theo made his way down to his collarbone. "I think my knot might hurt you."

"Yep. I spent some time in the tub getting ready before I came out here. That said, I'm a bit of a masochist. A little pain isn't an issue." Theo lowered to his knees in the powdery white snow and looked up at him. "We're going to do fine, so relax and enjoy yourself. Tell me when you're ready to hunt me."

"Do you have to say it like that?" Sebastian was already looking down at him with hungry eyes.

"No, but your reaction is always cute." Before Sebastian could say anything else, Theo undid his pants and took his cock into his mouth. It took seconds for claws to tangle in his hair and force his head down further. He moaned softly as the immediate roughness spiked his excitement. His shifter side is already coming through. This will be fun.

He sucked and stroked Sebastian, drinking in the gruff growls he let out.

Abruptly, Theo was yanked up onto his feet and lips crashed into his. "Wait," he rasped but Sebastian only pulled him closer. His sharp fangs grazed him, and the taste of blood hit his tongue.

Despite wanting to stay, he broke the kiss and leaned into Sebastian's ear. "Give me at least a short head start, alright?"

With that, he darted into the night, ignoring the growls in his wake.

His breath fogged out in front of him, and the winter winds nipped his cheeks as he crossed the castle grounds. The night was quiet aside from his own hammering heartbeat, the light jingle of the chain, and the crunch of snow under his boots. They had discussed a plan but there was still a dash of fear coursing through his veins.

We planned this. I chose to be prey, and I can call this off if I need to . No matter how much he tried to hang onto his logic, inviting Sebastian to hunt him down made him feel vulnerable like a rabbit willingly entering a fox's den.

A twig snapped and he stopped in his tracks. "Sebastian?" he said quietly, hoping it was him and not another creature.

Then he saw two eyes in the brush, one opal and one blue watching him. Sebastian was teetering between nymph and leopard, crouched as his five tails undulated behind him. Without hesitation, Theo sprinted further into the dark. Leaves rustled somewhere in the distance and then he was plunged back into eerie silence. Sebastian vanished like a ghost.

He's toying with me.

He followed the steady trickle of the river and made his way to the greenhouse. As soon as his hands touched the cool door, he was tackled inside. Sebastian sat on the back of his upper thighs, pinning him in place. His clawed hands moved up under his clothes and lightly dragged down his sides as if strumming his ribs.

Theo trembled in his grip and squeezed his eyes shut. "Are you...are you with me at all?"

In response Sebastian leaned in, took Theo’s shaking hand, and moved it to the collar.

"R-right," Theo stammered. Quickly he locked it on. I can try and pull him off if I need to. This is fine. It's going to be okay.

Once Sebastian knew Theo had locked the leash on, all his restraint left. He shredded Theo's clothes like he was a gift presented to him on the greenhouse floor. Stripped bare, Theo shivered slightly under him.

Theo's hips were pulled up, but his chest was kept on the floor with a powerful hand. He flinched as a knee kicked his legs apart, and Theo felt Sebastian's hard cock against his entrance.

He cried out as Sebastian thrust inside with a swift movement. He nearly climaxed on the spot and took shaky breaths to try and calm himself. Thank the stars I prepared before I came out here, he thought as he struggled to adjust to the fullness. He wrapped the chain around his knuckles and tugged. "Be gentle at first, alright?"

There was a low rumbly growl and Theo tensed, expecting a bite. Instead, a soft hand rubbed down his back. He swallowed and peered back and though Sebastian's eyes were hungry, there was concern. Instantly, Theo felt a bit more at ease. He took a deep breath. "Touch me," he demanded. "It'll be a bit easier to get used to this if you touch me before you start moving."

Sebastian carefully gripped his shaft, taking extra care to not hurt him with his claws and stroked.

Theo arched into the heat of his touch. Even with Sebastian's thick member inside of him, he was able to relax and fall into pleasure.

"Better," he said between sighs. "You can move. I can take it now, so don't be too soft."

That was all the invitation Sebastian needed. His thrusts were fast, hard, and relentless.

The heat of Sebastian's breath on his neck sent shivers down Theo’s spine. Pleasure swallowed up all his thoughts and for a blissful amount of time, he didn't have any thought other than more. Then teeth grazed his throat.

Jolted from his lustful haze Theo tugged the chain hard. He choked words out best he could. "Dangerous."

In a flash, Sebastian pulled out and flipped Theo on his back.

He blinked a few times, processing that he was manhandled as if he was weightless. He looked between Sebastian's legs and panicked. In his current state, Sebastian's cock was much bigger than Theo remembered.

Even though it had just been inside him, he instinctively scrambled backward but this only spurred on Sebastian's predator instincts. He gripped Theo's calf roughly and dragged him back like a rag doll.

In a swift motion, both his wrists were pinned over his head by one of Sebastian's clawed hands. He looked up at him with a smile. "I like this side of you," he said looking up at him. He wrapped his legs around Sebastian's waist and lightly pulled his hips closer, making his cock press against his entrance again. "I'm not running. Keep going."

Sebastian growled and slammed back into him, and pleased whimpers were forced out Theo’s lips every time he plunged back in.

Fuck me. I think I like being hunted too much. Theo arched on the floor as he teetered on the edge of climax.

"Let go," he said, trying to twist his wrist free of Sebastian's grip. "I'm close. Let me touch myself."

Sebastian lunged forward.

He snapped his jaws over Theo's shoulder, at the top of his scar. Pleasure and blinding pain shot through his body down to his toes.

The bite sent Theo over the edge, and he came hard. His cries bounced off the glass walls of the greenhouse and tears flowed down his cheeks.

Sebastian slowed his thrusts and hummed with satisfaction against the deep wound.

Before Theo could recover from his orgasm, Sebastian released his shoulder, then snapped down again on the upper left side of his chest. He didn't linger this time, though. Instead, he let go and immediately sunk his teeth into Theo's right side over his ribs.

There was still pain, but the pleasure outweighed it bite after bite until he was enveloped in a euphoric haze. It was as if Sebastian poured an aphrodisiac straight into his bloodstream.

"Sebastian," Theo pleaded as he moaned from his fog, but he couldn't form any other thoughts or words but his lover’s name. The end of the leash slipped through his fingers as his hips bucked forward and his eyes fluttered closed. His second orgasm was ever more overwhelming, and more tears spilled from his eyes.

I'm going to end up letting him eat me every night if it always feels this good.

Hot liquid rolled down his chest. He forced his eyes open and glanced down, expecting red blood, but instead a bioluminescent green was spilling from him. It was like the light of his scar was leaking out into the world. It stained Sebastian's chest and mouth as he bit down harder as if he needed to drink Theo dry.

What is happening? He tried to process the scene but then there was a swelling inside of him. Sebastian was forced to slow his thrust as his knot expanded.

"I can't," Theo said in a small, shaking voice. "I can't take it. It's too big."

Sebastian leaned in and Theo flinched, expecting another bite. Instead, a gentle kiss was pressed to his tear-stained cheek. It was so tender that Theo's heart skipped in his chest. He wrapped his arms around him to be closer.

As he brushed Sebastian's back, the brittle leaves and twigs on Sebastian's skin he had grown accustomed to fell away.

"Sebastian?" he rasped, pushing him back to get a better look at him. The dry leaves on his chest broke away as new little white leaves and stems grew in their place.

Flower buds swelled, expanded, and bloomed into striking pastel blue roses that smelled like spring rain.

Theo was stunned as he watched Sebastian bloom. He traced a petal with a gentle fingertip. "You are so beautiful."

Finally, Sebastian kissed him hard. He growled on his lips and rocked into Theo with each pulse of his climax.

They lay there in silence, both catching their breath in the dark.

When his orgasm finally subsided, Sebastian looked down at Theo with love and concern. "I tried to hold back but—"

"Don't apologize," he said, taking the prince’s hand and lacing their fingers together. "I agreed to this, and I really enjoyed it. I don't want you to feel guilty."

"I'll try not to." Sebastian kissed his hand. "Stay still. I'm going to pull out."

"Wait, I don't think you can yet. Just give me another minute."

"The knots gone mostly down, you'll be okay," he said reassuringly. "I have to get you the medicine you left in here as soon as possible. Take deep breaths and relax for me."

Theo whimpered and whined as Sebastian worked himself out. When it was done, his legs fell limp on the floor. "That wasn't so bad. I'm still a little sore."

"Good job," Sebastian said, leaning in and kissing his forehead lightly. "You took my knot so well."

"Don't say things like that," Theo stammered as his face went hot.

Sebastian tilted his head confused. "Does praise make you shy?"

"No. I mean...I don't know."

"How cute," Sebastian said with a laugh. "It definitely does. I can do it more if you want."

"It doesn't matter," Theo said his face just getting hotter. "The medicine is over—Ah!"

A blinding pulse of green light spawned out of thin air above their heads, making Theo's eyes burn. It rippled out in a circle and passed through the walls of the greenhouse. At high speed it raced across the kingdom.

"What was that?" Theo groaned as he rubbed his eyes.

As if answering him, the clay pots around the room rattled and clattered. Then the impossible happened. Green vines and leaves sprung out of the long dormant frozen soil. The tree branches that stretched across the ceiling sprouted green leaves, and columns of purple wisteria rapidly bloomed and hung above them. The dried hydrangeas that spilled out the old piano fell away as fresh, soft white ones erupted from it and cascaded down to the floor.

There were loud groans and creaks as the trees outside stretched and filled with leaves and colorful blossoms. The castle grounds came alive in the wake of the rippling green light. Plants burst through snow and ice and reached for the sky.

"It's over?" Sebastian said in disbelief as he stared at the greenhouse now overflowing with flowers.

After the initial shock wore off, Theo sat up and threw arms around him. "We did it."

There was a crack as he held him and when he pulled away, he noticed an opal patch on Sebastian's cheek looked as if it had been shattered. Carefully, he brushed it, and the stone fell away, revealing soft, pale skin. He let out a gasp of relief and hugged him again even tighter now. "We actually did it."

Sebastian kissed his cheek and eased him back to the floor. "Tell me where the medicine is. I'll get you cleaned up best I can before we go back."

Sebastian quickly cleaned the wounds, pressed yarrow into the cuts, and wrapped tight bandages around his abdomen.

"Looks like we're even from the first time I helped you bandage your cuts," Theo said with a tired laugh. "I've been giving out plants for ages and never really used them myself."

"Hopefully they help you just the same," he said, focused on making sure he got every bite mark. "I bit pretty deep. I think healing may take a while."

"I know, but I expected that," he said, caressing Sebastian's arm. Another opal patch cracked and fell away. One of the pretty shards on the floor twinkled in a beam of light, and they both snapped their heads to the roof. Through the snow-covered glass they could see sunlight.

Sebastian helped Theo to his feet, and once the two were wrapped in cloaks Theo had also tucked away ahead of time, they made their way outside.

The sky over Amaryllis was clear for the first time in ten years. It was a gorgeous ombre of light blue and pink as the sun lifted over the horizon. Its rays were subtle, but they could still feel the slight warmth on their skin.

Sebastian broke into heavy sobs and Theo swore he could see the weight of the kingdom finally leave his shoulders.

He wrapped his arms around him and kissed his head between his shrinking antlers. "Let's stay here and enjoy the sun for a minute before we go back."