rejectedAuthor: Joan Z and Neichen
Summary: Xander has been rescued from his kidnappers, but an overdose of a memory-erasing drug has destroyed part of the mental pathways he used as a guide. The four men struggle to make the cross bonding work while trying to heal Xander.
The group suspects that Xander is still in danger from who ever shot down the
General’s plane.
Warnings: Group sex, a four-way relationship, Hurt/comfort, explicit M/M sex
Acknowledgments: Thanks to my beta Kerensa and to Neichen for her encouragement.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I am only keeping the fandom alive in our hearts.
Chapter 10
The night did not go well for Xander. He was distraught that Spike was not in the nest.
His reaction to being without Spike see-sawed between a guide without his sentinel (Pacing and worried) and a sentinel without his guide (growling and angry). Jim and Blair’s inability to calm Xander frustrated both of them. Jim offered to take Xander to Spike, but Xander refused. He didn’t want to risk attacking Peter the way he had Graham. Finally, with a growl, Jim laid Xander on his back and claimed him. Afterward a glowing Xander latched onto Blair’s neck and a few minutes later Xander had Blair on his back, urgently claiming him as his guide for the first time. Jim let Xander’s action play out without interruption. It was odd to watch a sentinel with guide glow claim Blair, but at the same time he could sense Xander’s overwhelming need and he wasn’t about to deny a pack mate. It was only after claiming Blair that Xander calmed and fell into a fitful sleep. Blair held Xander and Jim held them both as they slept.
The next day wasn’t much better for Xander he paced, growled and paced some more. Jim again offered to take him to Spike and again Xander refused fearing he might lose control. “I have to get through this myself. Spike can’t be with me every minute,” Xander insisted. “He’s made a child, but I’m his mate, his guide and his sentinel. I have to let him come back to me, let him choose me over his childe.”
Blair pulled Xander to him. “Xan, Peter is no threat to you; he is a grown man, there is no child. Graham will claim Peter and keep him for his own. Spike will be back in the nest tonight. You know Spike has to do this for Wesley and you, and all the guides and sentinels that are at risk because of the newly proposed laws. He’s not abandoning you. He would never do that.”
Xander looked up at Blair with pain filled eyes. “Peter is his childe. Blood is how vampires make children, you don’t understand the bond that Peter and Spike have.”
“Spike’s not a vampire, Xander,” Blair said. “He’s a sentinel and a meta-physical guide. He’s your mate and he loves you; he’s devoted to you Xan, I know you can feel it in your bond with him.”
Xander looked down at the floor. “I can feel it and I can feel the bond with Peter, but there is something you don’t know. I lived our past life while I was in the coma and I remember all of it,” he said quietly. “Spike was a vampire. We met in a town called Sunnydale. I hated him. I thought he was a soulless, evil thing. And then he let himself be nearly tortured to death by a hell god, rather than giving up a little girl. All he had to do was give Glorifacus Dawn’s name. What kind of soulless thing goes through horrific pain for a little girl? After Buffy died he fought beside us to keep Sunnydale safe. And when Caleb tried to blind me, Spike saved me. He risked his life to get me out of there. I had never done anything for him, but he came back for me. When he died the whole town collapsed into a giant pit. I stood on the edge grieving for him. I felt as if I was being told Spike was my soul mate and asked if I wanted to be with him in his next life. I said yes.” Xander sighed and looked at Blair. “Spike doesn’t know; I haven’t told him what I saw.”
“It was only a dream,” Blair said, “brought on by the overdose of drugs. None of it was real.”
Jim came over and wrapped his arms around his two guides. “No, Blair, it was real. Spike told us about it at the ceremony.” Jim looked at Xander. “Was Spike sired by a female vampire?” he asked.
“Yes,” Xander said. “Her name was Drucilla, Angelus drove her insane before he turned her.”
“And he said there was another woman, a vampire slayer.”
“Yah, Buffy, she was one of my best friends.”
“Spike said he didn’t realize what you were, Xander, until he got his soul back He said that if he had lived he would have pursued you. But I also know that you’re right too, Blair. Spike’s not a vampire, not anymore; the two parts of him have merged into one being. However, Peter is his childe, Spike said so.”
Xander returned Jim’s hug. “Spike remembers?” Xander asked.
“I think he can only access the memories when his eyes are yellow,” Jim said. “But he remembers. He said that you’re his reward for saving that other world.”
“Some reward I am,” Xander said with a sarcastic huff. “A possessive half sentinel and a brain damaged guide.”
“Don’t talk like that Xan,” Blair said. “If Spike had to wipe your drool and change your diapers he would still consider himself blessed to have you.”
“I know,” Xan said. “He’s a pit bull when it comes to love. He holds on and won’t let go for anything.”
“Speaking as your sentinel,” Jim said, “I don’t want to hear you doubt yourself again. You’re doing the best you can and it’s a hell of a lot better then some guides I’ve known. No one can ask more of you.”
Xander looked up into Jim’s eyes. “Really?”
“Really,” Jim answered. “You’d know if I were lying, you’d feel it through our bond.”
A tear rolled down Xander’s cheek. “Thank you, I feel better, now,” he said, “knowing that I’m not just a burden to you and that you believe me about the past life stuff. I think I’ll be able to get through the rest of the day okay.”
Jim licked the tear from Xander’s face.
***
At sunset the next day, Peter awoke, sandwiched between Wesley and Spike.
“What?” he said, confused about being protected. He was an alpha sentinel, a protector; something was amiss.
“It’s okay, childe,” Spike said as Peter tried to wriggle free. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. What I’m concerned about is why my guide isn’t between us,” Peter said. “You know guides always sleep between the sentinels.”
“Exception to the rule,” Spike explained. “I didn’t know if you would wake up wanting to bite. You hungry?”
“Very,” Peter said, “But I’m not interested in biting you or Wesley for food, if that’s what you think.”
“I’ll go make us some breakfast,” Wesley said. He pulled on some sweats and padded off to the kitchen.
“So did it take?” Peter asked.
“You tell me,” Spike said. “Do you feel different?”
“What I feel is damn good, energized, and surprisingly glad that you’re still here.”
Spike smiled and patted his childe. “That’s the sire-childe bond.”
“So you thought I might want to bite you. Does that mean I have fangs?” Peter asked, putting a finger into his mouth and running it along his teeth.
Spike laughed and pulled Peter’s finger out of his mouth. “The fangs come when you need them. You can’t feel them unless they drop. Now go get some breakfast. I have to call Graham and Jim and let them know you’re awake.”
***
Graham hung up the phone shaking his head.
“Who was it?” Riley asked.
“Spike. Peter is awake. He also said Peter is a virgin to being claimed and I better keep that in mind when I claim him or he would find a way to make me regret my loss of memory. He said we have to go through the ceremony of introducing a new member into the pack and suggested we hold it in a nesting room at the Guide Hospital. What’s really weird is he kept referring to Peter as his child.”
“Well, he did say it is how the meta-physical being inside of him multiplies.”
“But a child? I don’t know how Peter would take to that. If it were me I’d slug him in the mouth.”
“Then I guess,” Riley said with a laugh, “Spike’s lucky it’s not you. If you’re going to a nesting room then there will be witnesses to the claiming. Are you okay with that?”
“I’m taking him as a second and we are forming a new pack. There are always witness to that ceremony. I can just do the sentinel-to-sentinel bond at the nest and wait to fully claim him when we return home.”
***
Graham and Riley were waiting in the nesting room at the Guide Hospital when Peter, Wesley and Jim’s pack arrived. Graham stood in the middle of the nest with Riley kneeling behind him. Spike took Peter’s hand as soon as they entered.
Graham’s nostrils flared and he could smell that Blair now carried Xander’s scent as well as Jim and Spike’s. He made fists by his side and continued to open and close them as the little group took places around the perimeter of the nest.
Spike walked forward with Peter on his left and Wesley to Peter’s left. When they got to the center of the nest Graham put his hand behind him in a summons to Riley. Riley rose up from his knees and stepped forward. Graham spoke loud and clear in his best commanding voice. “I am Sentinel Prime Captain Graham Miller and this is my Guide Riley Finn.” Graham tilted Riley’s neck and offered it to Peter.
Peter tasted Riley and then took a step back. “I am Sentinel Prime Peter Wall and this is my guide Wesley.” Peter offered Wesley’s neck to Graham and Graham tasted Wesley, but before Peter and Graham could share the traditional kiss, Spike stepped forward.
“This is my Childe, Sentinel Prime Peter Wall, I offer him to you as your second. Do you accept him?” Spike asked.
Graham was surprised and angered by the question; this was different than the usual ceremony. Who did Spike think he was offering Peter as if Peter was his to give or keep from him? There was nothing Graham could do so he fought back his anger and answered. “In the presence of witnesses I, Sentinel Prime Captain, Graham Miller, accept Sentinel Prime, Peter Wall, child of Sentinel Detective, William Spikeman, as my second.”
It was Spike that stepped forward and put his hands on either side of Graham’s face. Spike’s warm energy immediately flowed through him and Graham felt the now familiar pull to claim Spike for his own. When Spike bent forward for the traditional kiss, Graham wrapped his arms around Spike and pull him into a passionate kiss. He opened his mouth, pushing his tongue through Spike’s lips. Spike opened his mouth and let Graham taste him. The drive to claim Spike for his own filled Graham and he growled his intent.
And then Peter stepped in and put his hand on Graham’s cheek. Graham felt Peter’s energy surge through him, pure and untainted by another sentinel’s claim. Graham stopped the kiss and turned his head to look into Peter’s eyes. Peter’s energy was chaste and freely offered to him. There was no need to challenge another sentinel and risk death to have it. His hold on Spike loosened and Spike stepped away.
“Peter,” Graham whispered as his hand came up to stroke Peter’s face. More of Peter’s energy surged through him and he pulled Peter into a kiss. This energy was his to claim. He felt it in his soul. His desire for Spike was erased by Peter’s touch and replaced by the desire to make Peter his own. It was matched by Peter’s desire to cement the bond and make Graham his own. Urgency over came both sentinels and they fell to the floor, the onlookers forgotten.
Peter tore at Graham’s uniform, and then his own, using his new preternatural strength for the fist time; in minutes the clothing lay shredded on the nest floor. They rolled together, two sentinels; growling and patterning each other with taste, touch, until Graham’s mouth found Peter’s weeping cock.
Peter pulled Graham’s head away; he was determined to bond as equals before submitting himself for a full claiming. Graham growled and tried to break the iron grip, but he was no match for Peter’s new strength. ‘He’s too strong,’ a small voice inside of Graham whispered. ‘He plans to take you, lay you on your back and claim you for his own.’
“Sentinel-to-Sentinel,” was Peter’s answer to Graham’s struggle.
Graham lifted his head and lust filled eyes looked at Peter; he pushed the illicit thoughts away. “Brothers,” he said in a breathless whisper.
The two men lay together on their side, head to groin, pleasuring each other until they reached mutual orgasm. The Sentinel-to-Sentinel bond was complete.
Neither man wanted to let the other go so they moved to lie in each other’s arms, both softly purring.
Peter’s warm energy continued to flow through Graham and in five minutes he was hard again. “I need you, Peter, I need to claim you now.”
Peter allowed Graham to roll him onto his back. He understood that he needed to be claimed, but he also understood something Graham hadn’t learned yet, that Graham would be his as much as he was Graham’s. It didn’t matter who topped they would be one and belong to each other. Peter lay still, moaning with pleasure as Graham prepared him.
The driving urgency that Graham had felt at Peter’s first touch had calmed. He was immersed in Peter’s warm energy, secure in their new bond. Graham was a proficient and attentive lover and he reassured Peter with words and touches as he stretched his virginal opening.
When Peter was ready Graham hovered over him. The tip of his cock pushed gently at Peter’s opening and he slid in. The act of entering and claiming a strong alpha sentinel made Graham moan with desire for more. “Sentinel,” he said as he slid deeper with each stroke.
Peter began to moan as his sweet spot was rubbed and electric sparks of pleasure coursed through his body. He wrapped his arms and legs around Graham and rose to each thrust. He could feel the bond growing deeper as the pressure to come built. And then, unable to hold back any longer, he came and he began to glow.
Graham felt Peter’s passage contract and the sudden glow appear. “Guide,” he screamed as he felt the deeper bond lock into place.