Fic: Warlock's Bond: Warrior by kyrdwyn [NC-17]
Title: Warlock's Bond: Warrior
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Alternate Universe
Pairing: John Sheppard/Radek Zelenka, hints of Carson Beckett/Rodney McKay
Betas: rosewildeirish, zortified
Summary: John moved forward, taking the collar out of Radek's hands and throwing it to the side, his eyes never leaving Radek's. "I set you free now, Radek Zelenka of Earth."
Notes: This is the first part of what is probably going to end up being a series, set in an as yet untitled alternate universe. For those interested in Carson and Rodney's story, rosewildeirish has written the companion piece Warlock's Bond: Healer
The first day of the six month was trading day, when the member planets of the Furling Alliance would gather on the neutral world of Dunaven to trade goods and formalize new trade agreements. Interplanetary marriages were celebrated, friendly competitions were held, and the leaders of all the worlds would hold a great feast at the end of the day.
One of the lesser activities on trading day was the auction, when slaves from Alliance and non-Alliance worlds would be sold to the highest bidder. It was never formally approved by the Alliance, but no one put a stop to it. Slavery was still legal on several Alliance worlds, and it brought in too much money.
Standing on the edge of the crowd, watching the women salivate over the latest offering - a pleasure slave from Genii - John Sheppard was disgusted. He'd never understood the concept of owning another sentient being, and he didn't think he ever would. His world had outlawed slavery thousands of years before. If he bought one, the person would be free as soon as he set foot on Atlantis.
Tapping his fingers against the hilt of his sword, he ignored the looks from the people around him. A few sneered until they caught sight of his rings - eight of them, on all fingers but his two thumbs, proclaiming his status as a Lord Warlock of Atlantis. The blood rubies set into the rings on his middle fingers indicated he was warrior of both steel and magic, and there were few in the Alliance who would willingly tangle with him. Only the Lord of Life and the Lady of Death, who wore nine and ten rings respectively, were more powerful than a Lord Warlock.
Next to John, Carson Beckett made a noise of disgust as the winner of the Genii pleasure slave wasted no time in claiming her prize. Carson was also a Lord Warlock, but he wore the black diamonds of a warrior of healing and magic.
John was about to suggest that he and Carson find some other way to pass their time -- perhaps by entering another competition -- when two men were brought up on the platform. The larger and darker haired of the two men was bruised and defiant; his mouth was moving as he said things John was unable to hear. The smaller, lighter haired man was looking at the ground, a odd glass and metal shield over his eyes. Both wore black pants and jackets with black shirts. There were designs on the sleeves of the jackets that John couldn't make out from where he stood.
The auctioneer took the card from the slave master and began to read. "This pair will be a fine addition to anyone's collection. They were found with two others trespassing on the planet Proculus, though only this pair is being offered. They are from a non-Alliance planet called Earth, and are untrained to allow their owner to determine what their new role will be. Who will start the bidding?"
John looked at Carson, who was similarly startled. Those men were from Earth. The Atlanteans had had an alliance with Earth over ten thousand years ago, until the Wraith war had destroyed the only gate to planet. To most Atlanteans, Earth was a myth to tell their children. John couldn't recall if any other Alliance planet had ever made contact with Earth. But under Proculan law, if you came through their Ring and weren't in the Alliance, you were trespassing on their planet. Slavery was a mild punishment for that offense. Still, as former allies of Atlantis, they deserved better treatment than this public slave auction.
The bidding was getting fierce, as those who prided themselves on having the most exotic specimens serving them tried to gain these two. John wondered what happened to the other two from Earth the auctioneer had mentioned when the smaller man looked up, and met John's eyes.
Fire raced up John's spine, his cock throbbed painfully, and all eight of his rings pulsed against his fingers. Something within him reached out for the other man, for his mate, and John felt the connection almost instantly as the man met him on the psychic plane. The blond man felt startled by the connection, but not frightened of it. The same fiery need raced through his veins.
Carson nudged John, having felt the mating connection through their s'gan bond. John nodded, every instinct in him telling him to go up and claim his mate. Mating claims were always recognized, even at slave auctions. Warlocks weren't the only ones with that instant knowledge of their mates, after all. He would be allowed to take his mate, and the bidding would continue for the other Earther.
Then John realized who was winning the bidding - Kolya of Genii. The man was ruthless, and rumors of the perversions his slaves were subjected to ran rampant through the Alliance. John couldn't condemn any slave to Kolya's 'care', but especially not someone whom his mate knew.
"Ten thousand marks," John called out before the auctioneer could declare Kolya the winner. It was an extravagant sum, considering that Kolya's bid was a mere four thousand, but it showed that John was serious about the purchase.
*Are you missing a ring? All you have to do is claim your mate, not buy him,* Carson hissed through their s'gan bond.
*And leave his friend to be bought by Kolya? I wouldn't be worth my rings if I did that,* John replied calmly. *I can afford the price.* He ignored Carson's continued grumbling as he watched Kolya. The auctioneer hesitated, seeing if there were other bids. Finally, Kolya turned and stalked away from the auction, and the auctioneer's hammer fell, declaring John the winner.
*I'll go make sure we have an extra room in the manor for our guest,* Carson told John. *Try not to jump your mate until you get there.*
Carson left, and John walked over to the accounting table, handing over the ten thousand marks. He usually didn't have so much money on him, but he'd fought and won in a sword match that morning, which was why he'd bid that amount. Slave auctions were hard currency affairs, to ensure the seller wasn't cheated by a rigged credit crystal.
The bursar counted the money and handed John the purchase papers and the remote crystals to the slave collars. The papers showed their names as Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka. Idly, John wondered which name belonged to his mate.
A guard brought the men over to him. The dark haired man waited until John had dismissed the guard to start yelling. "You can't do this, we're not slaves to be auctioned off as you please, we have rights the same as --"
John silenced him with a painless spell, instead of using the more painful collar to shock him into silence. "Slaves are permitted in the Alliance, and the man who was going to buy you would be a much harsher owner than you'll find I am." Especially since the man would be freed as soon as they returned to Atlantis. The other, well, he would be freed sooner, but still bound by the mating bond as much as John would be bound. He might return to Earth, but only with John at his side.
John gestured for the two men to follow him, and the spell-silenced one looked as if he wanted to refuse. John's mate pulled on the man's arm. "Come on, Rodney, before the man decides to put us back on the auction platform."
So, his mate must be Radek, John mused as he led them to the manor the Atlanteans used on trading day. Each world had its own manor, to allow their people to arrive early and leave the next day, after the wine headaches had worn off.
Carson was waiting in the front hall of the manor, his blue eyes alight with mischief. "Lady Warlock Emmagen has given orders for you to have a gray room now," he said. He tossed John the key. "I'm to put the other guest in one of the yellow rooms."
A noise came from Rodney as he fought against the silencing spell, and Carson turned to look at him. John felt it the moment their eyes locked - an echo of the fire that was racing up Carson's spine and the need that hardened Carson's cock. The connection on the psychic plane took longer than John and Radek's had, but finally it did click. John grinned as he pulled out the purchase papers for Rodney McKay and spell-wrote his name on them, 'gifting' Rodney to Carson.
Clearing his throat, he handed his s'gan the papers and the control crystal. *Perhaps you should ask the Lady Warlock for the other gray room,* John sent to him.
Carson nodded, taking the papers and the crystal. John undid the silencing spell, but Rodney didn't speak. Instead he followed Carson down the hall, looking dazed.
"What did he do to Rodney?" Radek hissed. John looked at his mate.
"Carson did nothing to your companion, but they both felt the same thing you and I felt when our eyes met at the auction," John explained with a slow smile.
Radek's eyes widened. John guided his mate to the gray room - a room specially shielded to let mates complete the bond without outside interference. Even a s'gan bond couldn't penetrate the shielding spells.
John left the door open and used the control crystal to open the slave collar. It fell from Radek's neck into his hands, and Radek looked down at it before looking up at John through the glass shielding his eyes. Behind the glass, John could see the questions swirling in the blue eyes.
"What you felt was the first fire of a mating bond," John said softly, his voice pitched to seduce. "I could have claimed you then and there under that right, but I didn't want to leave your companion to be auctioned. That is the only reason I purchased you. Under the laws of my world, I cannot own a slave - you would have been set free the moment you stepped through the ring." John moved forward, taking the collar out of Radek's hands and throwing it to the side, his eyes never leaving Radek's. "I set you free now, Radek Zelenka of Earth. The choice is yours - you can walk out of this room and the Lady Warlock will let you stay in another room until the trading is completed, when you can return to Atlantis with us and we will help you find your other companions." John inched closer, pleased that Radek did not back away. "Or you can stay," he said huskily. "Stay and mate with me, join our lives together and become my Lord Consort. I know you felt the mating fire, the need to sink your cock into my flesh, the same as I did." Radek's eyes were thin rings of blue with larger circles of black in the middle, a telltale sign of lust. "The need to claim me as your mate, your lover, the one person whom death could not part you from."
John stopped, backed away from Radek, leaving a clear path between Radek and the door. As much as every nerve in his body was telling him to lock the door and take Radek, drive his cock into him and complete the bond, John couldn't. He didn't know if Earth had Warlocks, had the mating needs that his people did, the need to possess and be possessed by their mate. He wouldn't force a bond, even if it meant John would always have a gaping wound in his soul for the rest of his life.
"The choice is yours," he said again softly, no tricks in his voice. "You can leave, or you can stay. But know that if you stay, I will never let you leave me. Nor will I ever leave you. If you want to return to Earth, I will return with you, but you won't return alone." John looked down at the floor, not wanting to watch as Radek made his choice.
Footsteps crossed the room to the door, and John closed his eyes against the loss that threatened to overwhelm him. John heard the door shut just as Radek said softly, "I won't pretend to understand all of this, but I know I want this. I choose you."
John looked up, met Radek's eyes, and the fire raced through both of them. John walked to Radek, pinning him against the door and kissing him hard. Radek hummed in his throat as his hands came up to slid under John's shirt, fingers tangling in the hair on their way to John's nipples. They were both hard from the initial mating fire, and when Radek's fingers flickered over John's nipples, John thrust his hips against Radek's.
Radek broke away from the kiss, staring at John. "I don't know your name," he said softly. "I should know my mate's name."
John leaned down to lick at Radek's jaw, nibbling at the skin. "John," he said between kisses.
"John," Radek whispered back. He pushed at John, putting distance between them. Grabbing the bottom of John's shirt, he drew it over John's head and tossed it to one side before removing his jacket and shirt, along with the glass shield over his eyes. John closed the distance between them, pressing his chest to Radek's as he kissed him again, reveling in the taste of his mate. He slid his hands down Radek's back, feeling the muscles under the skin move.
John backed toward the bed slowly, bringing Radek with him. They never let go of each other, kissing lips and throats and stroking skin to skin. John felt the bed against the back of his legs and let himself fall onto it, taking Radek with him. Their cocks rubbed against each other through layers of fabric and both groaned. Radek bit John's lip gently before sitting up, his hands sliding down to the fastening of John's trousers. John raised his hips as Radek slid the trousers past John's buttocks. John gasped as his cock was freed, the contrast of hot arousal and cool air causing him to thrust up at Radek, seeking friction.
Radek undid his own trousers and pushed them down before stretching out on top of John again. Their kisses were almost lazy as their hips thrust against each other. John sighed when their cocks aligned into perfect friction, and the fire built as they moved and kissed, fingers tangling in each other's hair and muscles tensing against the flames.
Radek broke first, ending their kiss to bite John's shoulder as he shuddered in climax. The pleasure/pain of the bite mingling with the wet heat spreading across his stomach shattered John's control, and he arched up into Radek, fingers digging into skin as he whispered his mate's name. Even through his climax, John felt the first layer of the mating bond close around them, a rush of warmth and contentment.
Collapsing back onto the mattress, John wrapped his arms around Radek's back, trailing his fingers lazily along Radek's spine. It wasn't long before the fire began to burn again, the need only momentarily sated by orgasm. The bond wouldn't be finished until they'd both impaled the other, giving and taking pleasure with their mate even as their souls joined. Still, John thought, there was no rule saying when that had to happen.
Radek murmured something in a language John didn't know before raising his head to look at him. "How long does the mating fire burn?" he asked softly.
John shifted and rolled them over so he was on top of Radek, leaning down to kiss him. "Until the bond is complete," he replied just as softly. "For some it takes mere hours, for others it takes days." He kissed the hollow of Radek's throat. "It will only be complete after we've given into the urges to bury our cocks into each other's flesh." John looked up at Radek and gave him a lazy grin. "There's nothing that says we can't enjoy the fire fully before then," he said huskily.
Beneath him, Radek shivered and whimpered. "This could be the death of me," he whispered, even as he thrust against John.
John smiled. "Exactly," he said, leaning down to kiss Radek's lips. "The death of you, and of me, and the birth of us from the ashes of the fire, and the longer the fire burns, the stronger the bond will be." He looked straight into Radek's eyes. "There is no turning back now, Radek. Not until the bond is complete. All we can do is hasten the ending of the fire." When Radek continued to look at him, John sighed. "It would mean a weaker mating bond, leaving us still separate souls, able to partially feel each other's moods. A stronger bond joins the souls, we both feel what the other feels and communicate without speech, even between planets, but will never feel whole without the other nearby. It is said in the strongest bonds, the mates can," he swallowed, "communicate with each other after the death of one."
Radek gave John a long, searching look. John didn't look away, willing Radek to understand that John would abide by Radek's decision if he wanted to end the fire now. If it were up to John, he'd ride the fire until they had to complete the bond before their souls were too scattered to be joined.
After what seemed like an eternity, Radek reached up to pull John down for a hard kiss. "I am not afraid of the fire. Nor am I afraid of us," he said with a light kiss to John's lips. "Let the fire burn to the end."
Radek devoured John's mouth in a kiss, and John willingly followed his mate into the conflagration that would both shatter and join their souls.
Radek was sucking on John's neck, and John leaned back, closing his eyes against the lust in his spine and the spray of water on his face. They'd gotten too sticky for the bed, so they'd moved their mating into the shower, Radek's eyes widening as John had turned on the water and set the temperature with just the use of his mind. Radek's psychic aura had vibrated with excitement, and John could feel the conflicting urges in his mate - the need to mate with John against the need to understand the technology and magic that John used so effortlessly. Sexual desire won out, but John still wanted to give Radek a taste of what it was like to be a warlock, and what he would feel once their mating bond was completed.
John gently tugged Radek's head up and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Come with me?" he asked in a whisper, reaching along their connection to pull Radek onto the psychic plane. Radek blinked in both locations as he adjusted to the unique double vision that came with visiting the psychic plane - seeing a person's physical body and their psychic one, side by side. Radek looked much the same in both, although he was stronger in the psychic one. Idly, John wondered if Radek was a latent warlock.
He leaned down to kiss Radek, and he felt the pressure of his lips on Radek's from both sides of the kiss. Radek gasped, whimpering in his throat.
"Dear god, will it be like this when we're fully mated?" he asked hoarsely.
John kissed him again, reveling in the dual sensations that he'd only felt with one other person, and never in a sexual context. "It should be," he said, "if the fires burn long enough."
Radek murmured something in another language, lowering his head to press his entire body against John's, forehead tucked between John's neck and shoulder and his arms around John. "How do your people ever get out of bed, if it is always like this?"
John chuckled. "If you ask my s'gan, he'll tell you that his father and his father's mate rarely left their rooms for a year after their mating."
"Only a year?" Radek asked archly, one hand coming around to slide down John's stomach and cup John's balls. John hissed at the sensation. *Let me show you something else,* he sent to Radek on the psychic plain.
Radek's head snapped up, eyes wide in both bodies. *John?* he asked hesitantly.
John leaned down to nuzzle at Radek's neck. *I told you we would be able to communicate without speech once mated. A warlock can speak like this with anyone he brings onto the psychic plane, where a warlock's magic is strongest. When we are fully mated, we won't need to be on the plane to speak like this. But this isn't what I wanted to show you,* he added.
Radek closed his eyes in the physical world, but his psychic ones were open. *What did you want to show me?*
John gathered his magic and raised a hand, calling a bottle of scented oil from the bedroom into the shower stall. Radek stilled, and John could feel the magic resonating through his mate. Radek didn't speak, either aloud or mentally, but John could *feel* the hunger that went through Radek, the need of the inner core of magic that had been starved until now.
His mate was a latent warlock. It just remained to be seen if that magic could be awakened once back on Atlantis.
The bottle floated into the shower, and John reached out to take it, letting the magic dissipate. Radek was looking at him now, a different need flaring in his blue eyes. John smiled and leaned down to kiss Radek as he opened the bottle and poured oil into his hand before reaching down to wrap his hand around both their cocks, stroking them together. He let the unbreakable bottle drop and used his other hand to pull Radek close, kissing him deeply and wrapping his power around them on the psychic plane, bringing their psychic bodies into the same space. He felt his soul quiver and start to fracture from the heat and the need, knowing Radek's had to be splintering as well, both souls aching to shatter and be rejoined as one.
Their souls didn't break, but their control did as they came, gasping incoherent words as pleasure overtook them on both levels. It was blinding and beautiful, and John pulled Radek closer with his arms and with his power, desperate to hold onto something he'd always known he was missing, and now couldn't stand to let part from him.
Eventually they slid down to the floor of the shower, still holding onto each other, the mating fires momentarily dampened.
Radek nuzzled at John's neck. *Good thing we're in the shower,* he sent lazily.
John chuckled and kissed him.
Radek stretched lazily, practically purring in satiation. John smiled and stroked his back, feeling his mate's pleasure through their fledgling bond. They were feeling each other's emotions now, light brushes of pleasure and need and lust directing their lovemaking. John knew they were getting closer, he could feel the cracks in his soul widening as each orgasm brought them closer to the joining. The need to be buried in Radek got stronger with each flare of the mating fires, but both John and Radek fought their urges. Since he'd shared with Radek what their mating should be like, Radek had been even more eager to have a true mating.
John marveled that Radek was so accepting of their mating. Other warlocks whose mates were not from Atlantis had talked of having difficulty in initiating the mating, and more than a few had settled for lesser bonds, their mates unable to handle the emotions and the loss of self that came with a stronger bond. A part of John fervently hoped that Rodney McKay was as accepting of the mating with Carson as Radek was with John. His s'gan brother deserved a strong mating bond.
"The man you were with, the one who went off with Rodney, what is his name?" Radek's voice broke into John's thoughts.
"Carson. Carson Beckett. He is my s'gan." At Radek's look, he smiled. "S'gan is the term for warlocks like Carson and I who were paired together for training. He and I have lived together since we were five years old. It allowed our magic to complement and enhance each other's as we matured. When we turned eighteen, we underwent the final Ritual of the Ring together, cementing our s'gan bond."
Radek ran a hand down John's arm to lift John's hand to his mouth, kissing the skin just above his rings and causing John to shiver. "But your s'gan does not wear the same gems you wear."
John cleared his throat before speaking. "No, we don't wear the same gems, because we have different specialties. Carson is a healing warrior, while I'm a pure warrior." When Radek frowned, John continued. "Yes, it's not usual for warlocks with our specialties to be paired as s'gan, but it works for Carson and I. He's a vicious fighter when he needs to be, and I'll assist him in his healing work to ensure he doesn't burn out."
"You are very close," Radek said. "I can see it when you speak of him."
John pulled Radek's hand to his cheek and rubbed against it. He didn't feel any jealousy radiating from his mate, but he wanted to reassure Radek that Carson was not a threat to their mating bond. "We consider ourselves to be brothers, though we are closer than most siblings are simply because we have been together almost all of our lives. Carson and I even share an apartment, but I think we'll need a larger one now that we have mates," he added with a grin.
Radek chuckled. "I have shared an apartment with Rodney before. I suppose I can do so again, for your sake."
John pulled Radek on top of him, more out of sheer need to touch as much of Radek as possible rather than from the mating fires. "Will your friend be as accepting of the mating bond as you are?"
Radek's eyes darkened. "I don't know. He is not a man who takes things as they are - he needs to understand how and why they work." He leaned down to press a light kiss on John's lips. "While I share in Rodney's need to understand and discover new things, I have also learned that sometimes, things just are and one cannot fight them. In this case," he said with a smile, "I did not want to fight it, anyway."
John reached up to stroke Radek's cheek with his thumb, his fingers sliding into Radek's hair. "I would never have forced you if you had fought, or told me you wanted to leave, that you did not want to mate. I meant what I said, you were free to walk away." He let his emotions flow though their connection, hoping Radek would understand that John was sincere.
Radek nodded, turning his head to brush his lips against John's thumb. "I know, John." He sighed. "I wish I could reassure you that Rodney would not reject your s'gan brother, but I cannot. Rodney can be . . . unpredictable." He laid his head on John's chest. "Although if all matings are like this, then Rodney would be a fool to reject such a gift."
Their mutual exhaustion was dampening the fires for the moment, as their bodies placed the need for rest above the mating need. John kept his right hand in Radek's hair, his left sliding over Radek's back to embrace his mate. Radek murmured sleepily against John's chest and John followed his mate into sleep, knowing that this was a temporary reprieve from the fire.
John moaned low in throat as Radek entered him in one long thrust. The mating fire was still burning hot, still driving them toward the inevitable joining of souls.
John didn't know how long he and his mate had been caught up in the mating fire. It was long blur of pleasure and rest and the times they were able to stop long enough for water and spell-heated meals.
Now they were reaching the edge of their endurance, their souls frayed and fragmenting on the psychic plane, craving the final rejoining into one. John arched against Radek, seeking his lips in a desperate kiss, needing to be as close to Radek physically as they were psychically.
"John," Radek whispered, thrusting hard inside him. "Oh god, John."
John felt the last threads joining the pieces of his soul pull taught, ready to snap. He bit Radek's neck, sucking on the skin, not able to form coherent words, only long moans of rapture as the threads snapped and his body convulsed around Radek's cock, climax overwhelming him.
Radek followed him over the edge, going still as his cock pulsed inside John, sharp gasps his only sound. John felt his mate's surrender to the fragmenting of his soul, and sighed as they collapsed together, murmuring nonsense in the aftermath.
As soon as he could move, John reached for the bedside table and the dish of oil. He coated his fingers and stroked down to Radek's buttocks. His fingers danced against Radek's entrance, and his mate whimpered as he spread his legs in tacit permission. The fire was already burning low in their groins, a slow build up to the final immolating blaze that would fuse them together for eternity.
John went slowly, indulging in long kisses with Radek while making sure his mate was well prepared for penetration. When he was ready, John rolled them over so he was on top of Radek, looking down into the blue eyes, giving them both something to focus on during this final and most intense mating.
He kept his eyes locked on Radek's as he reached for his mate's hands, twining their fingers together near Radek's shoulders. He adjusted his hips and slid into Radek slowly, until he was fully sheathed within his mate.
Never taking his eyes from Radek's, John began to move, sliding in and out, driving them closer together. He could feel the fragments of his soul drifting closer to the fragments of Radek's, sliding in and around each other, seeking the final joining. The fire was burning hotter; they were both gasping now, moving in rhythm as they drove toward climax. Their eyes stayed locked on each other, and Radek's fingers tightened around John's.
The fire was overwhelming, seemingly searing their bodies as well as their souls. John kept thrusting, craving the touch of Radek's skin on and around him. Radek was murmuring in that unknown language, matching John's thrusts. On the psychic plane, John felt the fragments of their souls quiver, reaching for each other.
The fragments snapped together, and John and Radek moaned in unison, the fire consuming them in a shared orgasm. John stilled as he pulsed into Radek, and Radek's hands gripped John's almost as tightly as his body clenched John's cock inside him, his own seed spilling between them.
They were still looking into each other's eyes, and both could see it the moment their soul was completed, with no distinction between what had been John or Radek's separate soul. A sense of rightness flooded through both of them, a sensation of being made whole in a way they had never been before
John collapsed on top of Radek, exhausted, sated, and content. All three feelings were echoed by his mate. John buried his face in Radek's neck, gently kissing the skin. One of Radek's hands gently disengaged from John's to twine in John's hair.
"Miluji tě, John," Radek murmured in that language of his. This time, though, John was able to understand it through their shared soul - the words themselves and the emotion behind them. He kissed Radek's neck again and responded in the ancient language of his own people, knowing Radek would understand his meaning and emotions as well.
"I love you, Radek."
Radek hummed in his throat before pulling John tighter against him. Their exhaustion was great, after untold days of near-constant sex, and Radek was quickly succumbing to it. Still, he surprised John by tapping into his core of magic to dim the lights. *Too bright for sleep,* was the explanation through their bond just before Radek fell into a deep slumber.
John smiled and wondered if Radek had even realized what he had done before he followed his mate into sleep.
Warlock's Bond: Healer
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Alternate Universe
Pairing: John Sheppard/Radek Zelenka, hints of Carson Beckett/Rodney McKay
Betas: rosewildeirish, zortified
Summary: John moved forward, taking the collar out of Radek's hands and throwing it to the side, his eyes never leaving Radek's. "I set you free now, Radek Zelenka of Earth."
Notes: This is the first part of what is probably going to end up being a series, set in an as yet untitled alternate universe. For those interested in Carson and Rodney's story, rosewildeirish has written the companion piece Warlock's Bond: Healer
The first day of the six month was trading day, when the member planets of the Furling Alliance would gather on the neutral world of Dunaven to trade goods and formalize new trade agreements. Interplanetary marriages were celebrated, friendly competitions were held, and the leaders of all the worlds would hold a great feast at the end of the day.
One of the lesser activities on trading day was the auction, when slaves from Alliance and non-Alliance worlds would be sold to the highest bidder. It was never formally approved by the Alliance, but no one put a stop to it. Slavery was still legal on several Alliance worlds, and it brought in too much money.
Standing on the edge of the crowd, watching the women salivate over the latest offering - a pleasure slave from Genii - John Sheppard was disgusted. He'd never understood the concept of owning another sentient being, and he didn't think he ever would. His world had outlawed slavery thousands of years before. If he bought one, the person would be free as soon as he set foot on Atlantis.
Tapping his fingers against the hilt of his sword, he ignored the looks from the people around him. A few sneered until they caught sight of his rings - eight of them, on all fingers but his two thumbs, proclaiming his status as a Lord Warlock of Atlantis. The blood rubies set into the rings on his middle fingers indicated he was warrior of both steel and magic, and there were few in the Alliance who would willingly tangle with him. Only the Lord of Life and the Lady of Death, who wore nine and ten rings respectively, were more powerful than a Lord Warlock.
Next to John, Carson Beckett made a noise of disgust as the winner of the Genii pleasure slave wasted no time in claiming her prize. Carson was also a Lord Warlock, but he wore the black diamonds of a warrior of healing and magic.
John was about to suggest that he and Carson find some other way to pass their time -- perhaps by entering another competition -- when two men were brought up on the platform. The larger and darker haired of the two men was bruised and defiant; his mouth was moving as he said things John was unable to hear. The smaller, lighter haired man was looking at the ground, a odd glass and metal shield over his eyes. Both wore black pants and jackets with black shirts. There were designs on the sleeves of the jackets that John couldn't make out from where he stood.
The auctioneer took the card from the slave master and began to read. "This pair will be a fine addition to anyone's collection. They were found with two others trespassing on the planet Proculus, though only this pair is being offered. They are from a non-Alliance planet called Earth, and are untrained to allow their owner to determine what their new role will be. Who will start the bidding?"
John looked at Carson, who was similarly startled. Those men were from Earth. The Atlanteans had had an alliance with Earth over ten thousand years ago, until the Wraith war had destroyed the only gate to planet. To most Atlanteans, Earth was a myth to tell their children. John couldn't recall if any other Alliance planet had ever made contact with Earth. But under Proculan law, if you came through their Ring and weren't in the Alliance, you were trespassing on their planet. Slavery was a mild punishment for that offense. Still, as former allies of Atlantis, they deserved better treatment than this public slave auction.
The bidding was getting fierce, as those who prided themselves on having the most exotic specimens serving them tried to gain these two. John wondered what happened to the other two from Earth the auctioneer had mentioned when the smaller man looked up, and met John's eyes.
Fire raced up John's spine, his cock throbbed painfully, and all eight of his rings pulsed against his fingers. Something within him reached out for the other man, for his mate, and John felt the connection almost instantly as the man met him on the psychic plane. The blond man felt startled by the connection, but not frightened of it. The same fiery need raced through his veins.
Carson nudged John, having felt the mating connection through their s'gan bond. John nodded, every instinct in him telling him to go up and claim his mate. Mating claims were always recognized, even at slave auctions. Warlocks weren't the only ones with that instant knowledge of their mates, after all. He would be allowed to take his mate, and the bidding would continue for the other Earther.
Then John realized who was winning the bidding - Kolya of Genii. The man was ruthless, and rumors of the perversions his slaves were subjected to ran rampant through the Alliance. John couldn't condemn any slave to Kolya's 'care', but especially not someone whom his mate knew.
"Ten thousand marks," John called out before the auctioneer could declare Kolya the winner. It was an extravagant sum, considering that Kolya's bid was a mere four thousand, but it showed that John was serious about the purchase.
*Are you missing a ring? All you have to do is claim your mate, not buy him,* Carson hissed through their s'gan bond.
*And leave his friend to be bought by Kolya? I wouldn't be worth my rings if I did that,* John replied calmly. *I can afford the price.* He ignored Carson's continued grumbling as he watched Kolya. The auctioneer hesitated, seeing if there were other bids. Finally, Kolya turned and stalked away from the auction, and the auctioneer's hammer fell, declaring John the winner.
*I'll go make sure we have an extra room in the manor for our guest,* Carson told John. *Try not to jump your mate until you get there.*
Carson left, and John walked over to the accounting table, handing over the ten thousand marks. He usually didn't have so much money on him, but he'd fought and won in a sword match that morning, which was why he'd bid that amount. Slave auctions were hard currency affairs, to ensure the seller wasn't cheated by a rigged credit crystal.
The bursar counted the money and handed John the purchase papers and the remote crystals to the slave collars. The papers showed their names as Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka. Idly, John wondered which name belonged to his mate.
A guard brought the men over to him. The dark haired man waited until John had dismissed the guard to start yelling. "You can't do this, we're not slaves to be auctioned off as you please, we have rights the same as --"
John silenced him with a painless spell, instead of using the more painful collar to shock him into silence. "Slaves are permitted in the Alliance, and the man who was going to buy you would be a much harsher owner than you'll find I am." Especially since the man would be freed as soon as they returned to Atlantis. The other, well, he would be freed sooner, but still bound by the mating bond as much as John would be bound. He might return to Earth, but only with John at his side.
John gestured for the two men to follow him, and the spell-silenced one looked as if he wanted to refuse. John's mate pulled on the man's arm. "Come on, Rodney, before the man decides to put us back on the auction platform."
So, his mate must be Radek, John mused as he led them to the manor the Atlanteans used on trading day. Each world had its own manor, to allow their people to arrive early and leave the next day, after the wine headaches had worn off.
Carson was waiting in the front hall of the manor, his blue eyes alight with mischief. "Lady Warlock Emmagen has given orders for you to have a gray room now," he said. He tossed John the key. "I'm to put the other guest in one of the yellow rooms."
A noise came from Rodney as he fought against the silencing spell, and Carson turned to look at him. John felt it the moment their eyes locked - an echo of the fire that was racing up Carson's spine and the need that hardened Carson's cock. The connection on the psychic plane took longer than John and Radek's had, but finally it did click. John grinned as he pulled out the purchase papers for Rodney McKay and spell-wrote his name on them, 'gifting' Rodney to Carson.
Clearing his throat, he handed his s'gan the papers and the control crystal. *Perhaps you should ask the Lady Warlock for the other gray room,* John sent to him.
Carson nodded, taking the papers and the crystal. John undid the silencing spell, but Rodney didn't speak. Instead he followed Carson down the hall, looking dazed.
"What did he do to Rodney?" Radek hissed. John looked at his mate.
"Carson did nothing to your companion, but they both felt the same thing you and I felt when our eyes met at the auction," John explained with a slow smile.
Radek's eyes widened. John guided his mate to the gray room - a room specially shielded to let mates complete the bond without outside interference. Even a s'gan bond couldn't penetrate the shielding spells.
John left the door open and used the control crystal to open the slave collar. It fell from Radek's neck into his hands, and Radek looked down at it before looking up at John through the glass shielding his eyes. Behind the glass, John could see the questions swirling in the blue eyes.
"What you felt was the first fire of a mating bond," John said softly, his voice pitched to seduce. "I could have claimed you then and there under that right, but I didn't want to leave your companion to be auctioned. That is the only reason I purchased you. Under the laws of my world, I cannot own a slave - you would have been set free the moment you stepped through the ring." John moved forward, taking the collar out of Radek's hands and throwing it to the side, his eyes never leaving Radek's. "I set you free now, Radek Zelenka of Earth. The choice is yours - you can walk out of this room and the Lady Warlock will let you stay in another room until the trading is completed, when you can return to Atlantis with us and we will help you find your other companions." John inched closer, pleased that Radek did not back away. "Or you can stay," he said huskily. "Stay and mate with me, join our lives together and become my Lord Consort. I know you felt the mating fire, the need to sink your cock into my flesh, the same as I did." Radek's eyes were thin rings of blue with larger circles of black in the middle, a telltale sign of lust. "The need to claim me as your mate, your lover, the one person whom death could not part you from."
John stopped, backed away from Radek, leaving a clear path between Radek and the door. As much as every nerve in his body was telling him to lock the door and take Radek, drive his cock into him and complete the bond, John couldn't. He didn't know if Earth had Warlocks, had the mating needs that his people did, the need to possess and be possessed by their mate. He wouldn't force a bond, even if it meant John would always have a gaping wound in his soul for the rest of his life.
"The choice is yours," he said again softly, no tricks in his voice. "You can leave, or you can stay. But know that if you stay, I will never let you leave me. Nor will I ever leave you. If you want to return to Earth, I will return with you, but you won't return alone." John looked down at the floor, not wanting to watch as Radek made his choice.
Footsteps crossed the room to the door, and John closed his eyes against the loss that threatened to overwhelm him. John heard the door shut just as Radek said softly, "I won't pretend to understand all of this, but I know I want this. I choose you."
John looked up, met Radek's eyes, and the fire raced through both of them. John walked to Radek, pinning him against the door and kissing him hard. Radek hummed in his throat as his hands came up to slid under John's shirt, fingers tangling in the hair on their way to John's nipples. They were both hard from the initial mating fire, and when Radek's fingers flickered over John's nipples, John thrust his hips against Radek's.
Radek broke away from the kiss, staring at John. "I don't know your name," he said softly. "I should know my mate's name."
John leaned down to lick at Radek's jaw, nibbling at the skin. "John," he said between kisses.
"John," Radek whispered back. He pushed at John, putting distance between them. Grabbing the bottom of John's shirt, he drew it over John's head and tossed it to one side before removing his jacket and shirt, along with the glass shield over his eyes. John closed the distance between them, pressing his chest to Radek's as he kissed him again, reveling in the taste of his mate. He slid his hands down Radek's back, feeling the muscles under the skin move.
John backed toward the bed slowly, bringing Radek with him. They never let go of each other, kissing lips and throats and stroking skin to skin. John felt the bed against the back of his legs and let himself fall onto it, taking Radek with him. Their cocks rubbed against each other through layers of fabric and both groaned. Radek bit John's lip gently before sitting up, his hands sliding down to the fastening of John's trousers. John raised his hips as Radek slid the trousers past John's buttocks. John gasped as his cock was freed, the contrast of hot arousal and cool air causing him to thrust up at Radek, seeking friction.
Radek undid his own trousers and pushed them down before stretching out on top of John again. Their kisses were almost lazy as their hips thrust against each other. John sighed when their cocks aligned into perfect friction, and the fire built as they moved and kissed, fingers tangling in each other's hair and muscles tensing against the flames.
Radek broke first, ending their kiss to bite John's shoulder as he shuddered in climax. The pleasure/pain of the bite mingling with the wet heat spreading across his stomach shattered John's control, and he arched up into Radek, fingers digging into skin as he whispered his mate's name. Even through his climax, John felt the first layer of the mating bond close around them, a rush of warmth and contentment.
Collapsing back onto the mattress, John wrapped his arms around Radek's back, trailing his fingers lazily along Radek's spine. It wasn't long before the fire began to burn again, the need only momentarily sated by orgasm. The bond wouldn't be finished until they'd both impaled the other, giving and taking pleasure with their mate even as their souls joined. Still, John thought, there was no rule saying when that had to happen.
Radek murmured something in a language John didn't know before raising his head to look at him. "How long does the mating fire burn?" he asked softly.
John shifted and rolled them over so he was on top of Radek, leaning down to kiss him. "Until the bond is complete," he replied just as softly. "For some it takes mere hours, for others it takes days." He kissed the hollow of Radek's throat. "It will only be complete after we've given into the urges to bury our cocks into each other's flesh." John looked up at Radek and gave him a lazy grin. "There's nothing that says we can't enjoy the fire fully before then," he said huskily.
Beneath him, Radek shivered and whimpered. "This could be the death of me," he whispered, even as he thrust against John.
John smiled. "Exactly," he said, leaning down to kiss Radek's lips. "The death of you, and of me, and the birth of us from the ashes of the fire, and the longer the fire burns, the stronger the bond will be." He looked straight into Radek's eyes. "There is no turning back now, Radek. Not until the bond is complete. All we can do is hasten the ending of the fire." When Radek continued to look at him, John sighed. "It would mean a weaker mating bond, leaving us still separate souls, able to partially feel each other's moods. A stronger bond joins the souls, we both feel what the other feels and communicate without speech, even between planets, but will never feel whole without the other nearby. It is said in the strongest bonds, the mates can," he swallowed, "communicate with each other after the death of one."
Radek gave John a long, searching look. John didn't look away, willing Radek to understand that John would abide by Radek's decision if he wanted to end the fire now. If it were up to John, he'd ride the fire until they had to complete the bond before their souls were too scattered to be joined.
After what seemed like an eternity, Radek reached up to pull John down for a hard kiss. "I am not afraid of the fire. Nor am I afraid of us," he said with a light kiss to John's lips. "Let the fire burn to the end."
Radek devoured John's mouth in a kiss, and John willingly followed his mate into the conflagration that would both shatter and join their souls.
Radek was sucking on John's neck, and John leaned back, closing his eyes against the lust in his spine and the spray of water on his face. They'd gotten too sticky for the bed, so they'd moved their mating into the shower, Radek's eyes widening as John had turned on the water and set the temperature with just the use of his mind. Radek's psychic aura had vibrated with excitement, and John could feel the conflicting urges in his mate - the need to mate with John against the need to understand the technology and magic that John used so effortlessly. Sexual desire won out, but John still wanted to give Radek a taste of what it was like to be a warlock, and what he would feel once their mating bond was completed.
John gently tugged Radek's head up and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Come with me?" he asked in a whisper, reaching along their connection to pull Radek onto the psychic plane. Radek blinked in both locations as he adjusted to the unique double vision that came with visiting the psychic plane - seeing a person's physical body and their psychic one, side by side. Radek looked much the same in both, although he was stronger in the psychic one. Idly, John wondered if Radek was a latent warlock.
He leaned down to kiss Radek, and he felt the pressure of his lips on Radek's from both sides of the kiss. Radek gasped, whimpering in his throat.
"Dear god, will it be like this when we're fully mated?" he asked hoarsely.
John kissed him again, reveling in the dual sensations that he'd only felt with one other person, and never in a sexual context. "It should be," he said, "if the fires burn long enough."
Radek murmured something in another language, lowering his head to press his entire body against John's, forehead tucked between John's neck and shoulder and his arms around John. "How do your people ever get out of bed, if it is always like this?"
John chuckled. "If you ask my s'gan, he'll tell you that his father and his father's mate rarely left their rooms for a year after their mating."
"Only a year?" Radek asked archly, one hand coming around to slide down John's stomach and cup John's balls. John hissed at the sensation. *Let me show you something else,* he sent to Radek on the psychic plain.
Radek's head snapped up, eyes wide in both bodies. *John?* he asked hesitantly.
John leaned down to nuzzle at Radek's neck. *I told you we would be able to communicate without speech once mated. A warlock can speak like this with anyone he brings onto the psychic plane, where a warlock's magic is strongest. When we are fully mated, we won't need to be on the plane to speak like this. But this isn't what I wanted to show you,* he added.
Radek closed his eyes in the physical world, but his psychic ones were open. *What did you want to show me?*
John gathered his magic and raised a hand, calling a bottle of scented oil from the bedroom into the shower stall. Radek stilled, and John could feel the magic resonating through his mate. Radek didn't speak, either aloud or mentally, but John could *feel* the hunger that went through Radek, the need of the inner core of magic that had been starved until now.
His mate was a latent warlock. It just remained to be seen if that magic could be awakened once back on Atlantis.
The bottle floated into the shower, and John reached out to take it, letting the magic dissipate. Radek was looking at him now, a different need flaring in his blue eyes. John smiled and leaned down to kiss Radek as he opened the bottle and poured oil into his hand before reaching down to wrap his hand around both their cocks, stroking them together. He let the unbreakable bottle drop and used his other hand to pull Radek close, kissing him deeply and wrapping his power around them on the psychic plane, bringing their psychic bodies into the same space. He felt his soul quiver and start to fracture from the heat and the need, knowing Radek's had to be splintering as well, both souls aching to shatter and be rejoined as one.
Their souls didn't break, but their control did as they came, gasping incoherent words as pleasure overtook them on both levels. It was blinding and beautiful, and John pulled Radek closer with his arms and with his power, desperate to hold onto something he'd always known he was missing, and now couldn't stand to let part from him.
Eventually they slid down to the floor of the shower, still holding onto each other, the mating fires momentarily dampened.
Radek nuzzled at John's neck. *Good thing we're in the shower,* he sent lazily.
John chuckled and kissed him.
Radek stretched lazily, practically purring in satiation. John smiled and stroked his back, feeling his mate's pleasure through their fledgling bond. They were feeling each other's emotions now, light brushes of pleasure and need and lust directing their lovemaking. John knew they were getting closer, he could feel the cracks in his soul widening as each orgasm brought them closer to the joining. The need to be buried in Radek got stronger with each flare of the mating fires, but both John and Radek fought their urges. Since he'd shared with Radek what their mating should be like, Radek had been even more eager to have a true mating.
John marveled that Radek was so accepting of their mating. Other warlocks whose mates were not from Atlantis had talked of having difficulty in initiating the mating, and more than a few had settled for lesser bonds, their mates unable to handle the emotions and the loss of self that came with a stronger bond. A part of John fervently hoped that Rodney McKay was as accepting of the mating with Carson as Radek was with John. His s'gan brother deserved a strong mating bond.
"The man you were with, the one who went off with Rodney, what is his name?" Radek's voice broke into John's thoughts.
"Carson. Carson Beckett. He is my s'gan." At Radek's look, he smiled. "S'gan is the term for warlocks like Carson and I who were paired together for training. He and I have lived together since we were five years old. It allowed our magic to complement and enhance each other's as we matured. When we turned eighteen, we underwent the final Ritual of the Ring together, cementing our s'gan bond."
Radek ran a hand down John's arm to lift John's hand to his mouth, kissing the skin just above his rings and causing John to shiver. "But your s'gan does not wear the same gems you wear."
John cleared his throat before speaking. "No, we don't wear the same gems, because we have different specialties. Carson is a healing warrior, while I'm a pure warrior." When Radek frowned, John continued. "Yes, it's not usual for warlocks with our specialties to be paired as s'gan, but it works for Carson and I. He's a vicious fighter when he needs to be, and I'll assist him in his healing work to ensure he doesn't burn out."
"You are very close," Radek said. "I can see it when you speak of him."
John pulled Radek's hand to his cheek and rubbed against it. He didn't feel any jealousy radiating from his mate, but he wanted to reassure Radek that Carson was not a threat to their mating bond. "We consider ourselves to be brothers, though we are closer than most siblings are simply because we have been together almost all of our lives. Carson and I even share an apartment, but I think we'll need a larger one now that we have mates," he added with a grin.
Radek chuckled. "I have shared an apartment with Rodney before. I suppose I can do so again, for your sake."
John pulled Radek on top of him, more out of sheer need to touch as much of Radek as possible rather than from the mating fires. "Will your friend be as accepting of the mating bond as you are?"
Radek's eyes darkened. "I don't know. He is not a man who takes things as they are - he needs to understand how and why they work." He leaned down to press a light kiss on John's lips. "While I share in Rodney's need to understand and discover new things, I have also learned that sometimes, things just are and one cannot fight them. In this case," he said with a smile, "I did not want to fight it, anyway."
John reached up to stroke Radek's cheek with his thumb, his fingers sliding into Radek's hair. "I would never have forced you if you had fought, or told me you wanted to leave, that you did not want to mate. I meant what I said, you were free to walk away." He let his emotions flow though their connection, hoping Radek would understand that John was sincere.
Radek nodded, turning his head to brush his lips against John's thumb. "I know, John." He sighed. "I wish I could reassure you that Rodney would not reject your s'gan brother, but I cannot. Rodney can be . . . unpredictable." He laid his head on John's chest. "Although if all matings are like this, then Rodney would be a fool to reject such a gift."
Their mutual exhaustion was dampening the fires for the moment, as their bodies placed the need for rest above the mating need. John kept his right hand in Radek's hair, his left sliding over Radek's back to embrace his mate. Radek murmured sleepily against John's chest and John followed his mate into sleep, knowing that this was a temporary reprieve from the fire.
John moaned low in throat as Radek entered him in one long thrust. The mating fire was still burning hot, still driving them toward the inevitable joining of souls.
John didn't know how long he and his mate had been caught up in the mating fire. It was long blur of pleasure and rest and the times they were able to stop long enough for water and spell-heated meals.
Now they were reaching the edge of their endurance, their souls frayed and fragmenting on the psychic plane, craving the final rejoining into one. John arched against Radek, seeking his lips in a desperate kiss, needing to be as close to Radek physically as they were psychically.
"John," Radek whispered, thrusting hard inside him. "Oh god, John."
John felt the last threads joining the pieces of his soul pull taught, ready to snap. He bit Radek's neck, sucking on the skin, not able to form coherent words, only long moans of rapture as the threads snapped and his body convulsed around Radek's cock, climax overwhelming him.
Radek followed him over the edge, going still as his cock pulsed inside John, sharp gasps his only sound. John felt his mate's surrender to the fragmenting of his soul, and sighed as they collapsed together, murmuring nonsense in the aftermath.
As soon as he could move, John reached for the bedside table and the dish of oil. He coated his fingers and stroked down to Radek's buttocks. His fingers danced against Radek's entrance, and his mate whimpered as he spread his legs in tacit permission. The fire was already burning low in their groins, a slow build up to the final immolating blaze that would fuse them together for eternity.
John went slowly, indulging in long kisses with Radek while making sure his mate was well prepared for penetration. When he was ready, John rolled them over so he was on top of Radek, looking down into the blue eyes, giving them both something to focus on during this final and most intense mating.
He kept his eyes locked on Radek's as he reached for his mate's hands, twining their fingers together near Radek's shoulders. He adjusted his hips and slid into Radek slowly, until he was fully sheathed within his mate.
Never taking his eyes from Radek's, John began to move, sliding in and out, driving them closer together. He could feel the fragments of his soul drifting closer to the fragments of Radek's, sliding in and around each other, seeking the final joining. The fire was burning hotter; they were both gasping now, moving in rhythm as they drove toward climax. Their eyes stayed locked on each other, and Radek's fingers tightened around John's.
The fire was overwhelming, seemingly searing their bodies as well as their souls. John kept thrusting, craving the touch of Radek's skin on and around him. Radek was murmuring in that unknown language, matching John's thrusts. On the psychic plane, John felt the fragments of their souls quiver, reaching for each other.
The fragments snapped together, and John and Radek moaned in unison, the fire consuming them in a shared orgasm. John stilled as he pulsed into Radek, and Radek's hands gripped John's almost as tightly as his body clenched John's cock inside him, his own seed spilling between them.
They were still looking into each other's eyes, and both could see it the moment their soul was completed, with no distinction between what had been John or Radek's separate soul. A sense of rightness flooded through both of them, a sensation of being made whole in a way they had never been before
John collapsed on top of Radek, exhausted, sated, and content. All three feelings were echoed by his mate. John buried his face in Radek's neck, gently kissing the skin. One of Radek's hands gently disengaged from John's to twine in John's hair.
"Miluji tě, John," Radek murmured in that language of his. This time, though, John was able to understand it through their shared soul - the words themselves and the emotion behind them. He kissed Radek's neck again and responded in the ancient language of his own people, knowing Radek would understand his meaning and emotions as well.
"I love you, Radek."
Radek hummed in his throat before pulling John tighter against him. Their exhaustion was great, after untold days of near-constant sex, and Radek was quickly succumbing to it. Still, he surprised John by tapping into his core of magic to dim the lights. *Too bright for sleep,* was the explanation through their bond just before Radek fell into a deep slumber.
John smiled and wondered if Radek had even realized what he had done before he followed his mate into sleep.
Warlock's Bond: Healer