Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It wasn’t that Techno had planned to be a loaner. No one ever wakes up and decides they want to be alone for the rest of their lives. Those things happen naturally, over time. And in Techno’s case, without him even noticing.

His first pack had fallen into chaos when he was still just a pup. Their alpha had been a dumb fool, and everyone had known it. But no one expected him to go and make enemies of the other packs for fun. His life had ended suddenly, and messily. As had the life of Techno’s father.

He remembers being small, and afraid. His mother scruffed him and ran, pausing only for a moment at the sight of her mate, torn to pieces on the ground but the wolve who had attacked them. But it was long enough for Techno to see. For him to remember. She fled into the forests. Running for days until she collapsed from exhaustion.

Another pack had found them, tried their best to save his mother but in the end, they failed.

No one had been ready to adopt a new pup into their pack, especially one with a bloody history behind him, so instead Techno became the responsibility of everyone, rather than a single mother or father. They fed him as a group, played with him as a group, and took turns sleeping with him to keep him warm, when he shivered in the night without a mother, or father, or siblings to keep him warm.

He showed no interest in much else except his will to survive at all costs, and so they assigned him the role of protector. He took that role seriously, all the way into his young teens. Until he was out hunting with another pack member, and something had gone terribly wrong.

To this day he’s still not sure how it happened. But his fellow hunter lay bleeding and dying, and instead of running for help, Techno panicked at the sight of blood on another wolf. Of the reminder of what had happened to his first pack. And so, he ran.

And ran.

And ran.

And never looked back.

Techno tried to meet other wolf packs after that, even stopping to chat with the occasional vampire who felt inclined to humor him instead of immediately hissing and baring their fangs at the sight of him. But none of them stuck, so Techno moved on. Eventually he traveled so far, he found a stretch of land with no scent, and hesitantly stuck his claim. And just like that, Techno became the lone wolf, with no pack, and no intentions of finding one.

By day, he farmed there, finding that tilling the ground was a reassuring and calming task for his nerves. He found some wild potatoes, and watched over them carefully until he could harvest the crop, setting some aside and planting all that he could. One day he stumbled upon some carrots and he did the same with those until he had a significant farm going.

The forest was rich with game, though he was careful to never kill to many of the animals and risk losing the dense population. He would patrol at night, in the shape of a hulking wolf, five feet tall at the shoulder and covered in dense white fur. He mapped his territory in this way, staking his claim and making sure everyone who might pass by would know the land was protected by him.

It was on one of these nights, months after living in his new home, that he met his neighbors. Some of them at least. He had already discovered the massive lake to the East and the human village that lay on the other side of it. He stayed as far away from it as he could. No, these neighbors were less lively. A coven of vampires lived in the north, where the game trails turned into rocky paths and led into the mountains.

Techno figured they must have some crazy huge mansion built into the stones, all dark and brooding, like some of the other coven homes he had been unfortunate enough to happen across.

When he first realized they were there, he almost moved on, abandoning the beginnings of his hard work. But he didn’t. Instead, he continued to patrol and mark his claim, until one of their numbers came out to meet him.

It was a few nights after the full moon. Techno, in his wild and natural state, drunk on the full light of the night had undoubtedly strayed across the boarders many times, and had honestly expected someone to come and confront him much sooner. So, when he saw the foreboding figure of a dark man, and heard no breath from him, he wasn’t entirely surprised.

The stranger stepped into the light to reveal his features. He was short and altogether not what Techno had expected from a vampire. His hair was blond and swayed by his chin. His eyes were silver, betraying his species, when most vampires he had met had red or gold eyes. There were lines on his face from – yup, from that. Smiling.

The man smiled at him, and it was almost disarming how kind and gentle it was. Techno tasted no dishonesty on him, so he let him approach, though he stopped a few steps away from the boarder, no doubt seeing Techno tense when he got to close.
He met Techno’s eye, no fear for the wolf who toward above him, and held out a hand. Although, what he expected Techno to do with it was anyone’s guess.

“I figured it was time we finally met. My name is Philza.”

Techno stared at him in bewilderment. He had met Vampires before, but they only tolerated him at best, they never introduced themselves and treated him as an equal.

Despite the stereotypes, Vampires and Werewolves didn’t hate each other. There was just a general dislike between the groups and they each chose to stick to their own.

Vampires thought werewolves were far to wild and beastly, more like dogs then men who never kept their noses out of everyone else’s business. Were werewolves just thought vampires were pretty rude, and never felt the need to prove otherwise by seeking them out.

Philza the vampire waited with his hand stuck out, tilting his head to copy Techno when he tilted his head in confusion, one big ear flopping to the side. He scented the air again, trying to get a better read on his intentions, but he was met with nothing but honesty and eagerness, the man smiling on patiently.

Unwilling to shift back into his human form, Techno simply took a half step forward, sniffed Philza’s hand once, and then pushed his nose into it briefly as a greeting. He stepped back quickly, and the vampire seemed satisfied.

“It’s nice to know one’s neighbors, I think. I hope we can stay friendly.”

Techno tilted his head again at the words, but Philza simply turned on his heal and walked back up his own path, back the way he had come, on silent feet. Techno watched him go until he had fully disappeared from sight before resuming his patrol of his boarders.

After that, Techno met Phil much more frequently. He would start his walk around his boarder, twice or maybe three times a week, always at the same spot, and when he reached the place where his boarder touched Phil’s, the vampire would be waiting for him. Phil would walk with him until their paths split, Techno going to the right to continue his march, and Phil to the left, to return home.

Sometimes they walked in silence, simply enjoying each other’s company. Other times, Phil would prattle on about his coven, or their home, or what it was like to live in the mountains and how he liked the forest so much better, but the mountains were safer for his family. Techno learned that Phil’s coven was rather large, and was made up mostly of young vampires that Phil had welcomed in long after their turning when they had nowhere else to go.

The man lovingly referred to them as his band of misfits, and he smiled every time he said it. He would tell Techno about things in the mountains that he thought the wolf would like, although Techno had never bothered to speak to him. He stayed in his wolf form, padding next to the vampire with one ear angled towards his long-winded stories and one ear angled towards the woods, always keeping watch.

Not to say that he was silent, definitely not. He huffed and growled and even once howled at the stories Phil told him. He would cock his head to the side when he wanted Phil to explain something better, or bob his head up and down whenever Phil ended a sentence with, “You know what I mean?”

It was refreshing, that Techno could simply be, and his silence never seemed to bother Phil. One night, when Phil was suspiciously quite, Techno had glanced over to see that his friend (for that was what Phil had slowly become) had his face scrunched in deep thought, and he looked troubled. Techno huffed warm air at him to get his attention, but he just received a distracted hum.

So, he shuffled closer until their shoulders were touching, walking slower to keep instep with Phil’s steps, and taking extra care to watch for anything that might sneak up on them while Phil was preoccupied with his thoughts. Phil raised his arm over techno, burying his hand in his dense fur, and they continued that way. When they reached the end of their time together, Techno sat instead of carrying on, pushing into Phil’s side to remind him that he was there.

When the vampire finally managed to shake himself out of his thoughts, he gave Techno a tired smile.

“Thanks mate.” He whispered.

Techno lowered his head until they were at eye level and huffed warm air into his face. Phil chuckled before pressing their foreheads together, eyes closed, both hands on either side of Techno’s fluffy face. The position shocked him, and he stood dumbfounded for a moment, surprised that the proximity sparked no apprehension in him. A rumble started in his chest.

Something much warmer than a growl.

When Philza pulled away he looked like himself again, and grinned. “Same time tomorrow?”

Techno only huffed in response.

The next day, when they had walked shoulder to shoulder until their paths split, they stopped again instead of immediately pulling apart. Techno settled into the grass and let the shift roll over him. His shoulders shrank and came down to size, arms returning to him, hands and opposable thumbs attached, Techno’s favorite part of this form. He sat cross-legged, now with only two legs to cross, and began to pull up pieces of grass from the soil, weaving them together to avoid meeting Phil’s eye.
Phil sat beside him, although still at a distance, and watched.

“Where did you learn to braid?” Phil asked, casually and with zero expectation, as if he was afraid to frighten Techno with his request to hear his voice.

But Techno was tired of being silent, and he trusted Phil.

“My old pack.” He cleared his throat when his voice cracked from little use. “It was vital that we learn young in order to weave rope and baskets properly. But many of the wolves who kept their hair long also treated it as a bonding experience.”

He risked a glance up after finishing and saw nothing but pure wonder on Phil’s face. The vampire searched over every one of Techno’s features, bright silver eyes reflecting the moon.

“Can I braid your hair?”

Techno looked at the flat, and quite frankly greasy strands of white hair that matched his fur and fell to his waist, before shrugging, as if the implications of Phil’s request and his consent meant little to him.

“Knock yourself out.”

And Phil did, braiding and re-braiding his hair until the sun kissed the horizon the next morning, and he was forced to run home, lest he be burned.

Chapter Text

They were making their normal rounds, walking deeper into Techno’s territory than normal as he began to trust Phil with more and more of himself, even his home, when Phil first asked him if he would be willing to meet some of his coven.

“They’ve all heard about you mate.” Phil said, running fingers through his mane. “Some of them are very eager to meet you.”

Techno hummed, which in his wolf form was felt more than heard.

“You don’t have to of course. And it would only be one at a time. I wouldn’t want to overwhelm you with them all…” Phil kept talking, steps slowly picking up speed, unaware of how his own nerves effected their walk. Techno decided to take pity on him and stopped moving to shift.

His hair was in a long braid between his shoulder blades, complements of Phil, and the dark bags that used to take permeant residence under his eyes were gone as well. Also thanks to Phil, though Techno would never admit it.

“Who will you bring first?”

Phil stared at him a moment in surprise before his face lit up and he smiled brighter than Techno had ever seen before.

“Oh! Well, that is a good question, isn’t it? I should probably save the youngest of the group for last, since they’re going to be the most energetic and I wouldn’t want to condemn you to a death by to many questions. That means I have to choose which of the older vampires to bring…”

Phil talked on and on for the rest of their walk, thinking out loud and explaining his reasoning behind each choice. Techno stayed on two legs so he could ask questions when he needed too, and remind Phil occasionally, that yes Phil, I am ok with meeting your coven. No Phil, I’m not worried about them getting close to the boarder. If you trust them so do I. I promise to only growl at them a little Phil.

In the end Phil left with a skip in his step, basically running back up the path which was funny to see from a grown man. Techno only huffed fondly (shut up, no he didn’t) and returned to his den with his own, much more subtle excitement.

The next evening when Technoblade returned to their regular meeting place, Phil wasn’t alone. This time there was a woman with him. Just as with Phil, she didn’t fit the stereotype that Techno had in his mind about how all vampires looked. While Phil at least wore dark shades of green outlined in black to give him a darker atmosphere, this woman, or girl really, wore a pair of bright red overalls over a white long sleeve shirt. Her legs were covered in scratches below the knee, as if she liked to crawl around on the ground quite often, which Techno knew had to have come from her time as a human. With how quickly and flawlessly vampires healed, none of those scars could have been recent.

Her deep red, almost brown eyes were full of mischief, as if she held on to those dirty habits that she had when she was human. The sticks and leaves stuck in her hair and the dusting of dirt on her chin only proved that. Which brought up another startling fact about her appearance. Her hair was bright cherry blossom pink.

“Techno!” Phil waved and grinned at him, calling loudly as if Techno didn’t know they were there. His excitement was so thick in the air Techno almost couldn’t pick up the other vampire’s scent. The woman straightened as he came out of the shadows, and smiled when they made eye contact.

Oh good, she was nice too.

“Techno, I would like you to meet Niki, my second in command only after my own son.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Niki stuck out her hand and Techno shook it while trying to process all the implications of what Phil said. Her grip was firm, and cold, like Phil’s.

“And you. I’m Technoblade.”

“Oh, I know.” Niki grinned. “Phil won’t shut up about you. I’m surprised he took this long to introduce you to one of us.”

“Hey now—”

“Don’t worry.” Techno interrupted Phil. “He rambles on about you guys just as much.”

“Oi, you little—”

Niki giggled, and Techno felt every ounce of apprehension left in him dissipate.

“I’m glad we’re on equal ground then.”

They sat bellow a tall oak tree. Niki had brought some of her baked goods for Techno to try and give his opinion on. Apparently, she oversaw the kitchen at the mansion (hah, Techno knew they had a mansion somewhere. Dramatic suckers) and so she spent most of her time baking. Vampires didn’t need to eat human food, but they still could of they wanted to. Apparently, your taste buds changed significantly after you were Turned, and so she had had to adapt many recipes so they would actually taste good for her coven.

“I’m curious to see what you think of them, if you’re willing to try them.”

At this point, after hearing her joke and laugh and watching as she waved at a curious squirrel that had gotten to close to them at one point, Techno had silently decided that he would do anything for her. And if he got a free croissant out of the deal, even better.

She pulled the soft pastry out of a picnic basket that she had brought with her and handed it to him. He took a small bite out of it. Phil and Niki both leaned in eagerly, waiting to see what he would do.

The flavor wasn’t what he was expecting. It was a bit too salty for his taste, but not so much that he hated it. The strawberry filling was sweet and perfect, and the dough was fluffy.

“Well?” Niki asked, near breathless with anticipation.

Techno didn’t know how to feel about how intensely she was staring at him, so instead of answering he just took a much bigger bite out of the pastry and chewed it slowly to savor the flavor.

He nodded once.

Niki whooped, throwing her hands in the air, and causing several birds to scatter with the noise. Phil only laughed. She had him try several other pastries after that, each a different flavor and with incredible fillings inside.

“I made the fillings with fruit from my own garden.” Niki said when he asked. That explained the dirt and twigs in her hair. Then, because he didn’t know what else to say, Techno told her about his own garden, and how so far, he only had potatoes and carrots. Niki promised to bring fruit and a few saplings he could plant when she came again and teach him how to take care of them and where he could find wild herbs growing in the forest.

Time passed quickly, and with it so did Techno’s ability to hold long conversations. Phil picked up on his friends lagging demeanor and decided to call it quits. Niki seemed disappointed when it was time to leave, but she didn’t argue with Phil. She did hesitate when it came to saying goodbye though.

Techno waited patiently for her, and when she glanced up at him (because she only come up to Techno’s chest, her and Phil both so they had to crain their necks to see him) he did his best to return the soft and reassuring smiles that she had been giving him all night.

“Could you show me your wolf?” She blurted out suddenly. And when techno only blinked in surprise she blushed furiously. “I mean—only if you want to, of course. I’m sorry if that’s rude of me to ask, it’s just Phil always said how amazing you would look and I was curious but you don’t have to if—”

Techno chuckled before he could stop himself. She turned even redder at the noise, but he didn’t wait for her to continue her apologies, instead he took a step back and focused on the feeling of fur over his back, fangs in his mouth and paws instead of hands.

Niki gasped, now tilting her head much farther back then she had before to see his face. He lowered his head, rumbling at her, but not moving any closer. In this form his senses were even stronger, and he could smell the dirt and oneness with nature that surrounded her. But he could also smell a sort of determination bellow her skin, a fortitude that made him curious to see how she would act if she was ever threatened.

She took a hesitant step forward. Techno wagged his tail in playful greeting. He knew she had no idea what the action meant but he couldn’t help but see her as a curious pup, especially when she was so small. She lifted her hand and he waited. She hovered her fingers above his head, and when she seemed unsure of what to do next, he lifted his head into her touch.

“Oh.” She said, and then she was scratching behind his ears and his tail began to wag in earnest. She giggled, he chuffed at her, and then Phil was laughing.

“It’ll be morning soon Niki, we need to go.”

They parted ways reluctantly, and although the conversation had been exhausting, Techno found that he wouldn’t mind if Niki wanted to come back again to talk some more.

Over the next few weeks Phil continued to slowly introduce Techno to members of his coven, and Techno guided Phil deeper and deeper into his home, to show him the forest that he was in love with and all the beauties it had to offer.

Phil introduced him to Wilbur next, who was apparently Phil’s son, even though they looked nothing alike. Wilbur was tall and thin where Phil was short and stocky. He had curly brown hair to his father’s straight and light hair and nothing about Wilbur’s happiness was as gentle as his fathers. Wilbur was a musician, and when he played a song for them on his guitar for the first time, Techno could have sworn that the forest stilled to listen. He had a loud personality even when his voice was quiet and he decided upon their first meeting that Techno was now his twin brother, despite the obvious age difference.

Werewolves and Vampires were both immortal, but while vampires stopped aging when they were turned, werewolves continued to age, but at a much slower almost nonexistent rate. Phil and Wilbur were both ancient. When they told Techno that they were both over three hundred years old, he wasn’t surprised. He could smell the time on them, even if Phil wore it as wisdom and Wilbur chose to wear it as energy.

Techno himself hadn’t even reached fifty yet, and when he told Wilbur this after the tenth time he had referred to them as twins, Wilbur simply waved him off and said Techno could be the younger twin then.

Wilbur was exhausting in the best way possible, and just like his father was frighteningly good at realizing when his constant chatter became too much for Techno. He never forced him to talk when he didn’t want to, and on the rare nights when it was just Techno and Wilbur walking without Phil, Techno found that the silence with Wilbur was just as safe as the silence with Phil. They let him drift into his own thoughts without worry of danger, giving him space to relax and be less vigilant.

After all, he had long ago learned that there were no threats on this side of his boarder.

After Wilbur, Phil brought two young vampires that he called fledglings to meet him. Not only did they look young in human years, but Phil also said that they had only been vampires for less than a decade.

Techno noticed how stiff and worried Phil seemed to be when they were there, despite how he tried to hide it, and he figured that the old vampire’s instincts wouldn’t let him relax while his fledglings were exposed and in the open. In an effort to sooth the old man, he had them settle next to the old oak tree to talk, instead of walking as they normally would.

The older of the two, who also happened to be the tallest person Techno thinks he had ever met, was named Ranboo. He was constantly fidgeting with something and simultaneously edged away from Techno with apprehension and leaned forward with undying curiosity whenever he spoke. He had one bright red eye and one twisted silver eye that had an odd green tint to it. He wore baggy clothes and was constantly hunched, trying to make himself smaller.

The younger vampire was a great big ball of energy and chaos named Tubbo. His eyes were so deeply red that Techno wasn’t convinced that they weren’t just brown, and he was always talking. Always. So much so that Techno agreed to shift for them just to escape from having to respond to each of his questions. That didn’t work though as Tubbo only seemed to have more questions.
Techno laid down in the grass bellow the tree. He was so long that he could curl entirely around the two if he wanted to. Tubbo took this as an invitation to crawl on his back and lay across his fur. Techno huffed when he pulled on his ears to hard but otherwise let him do as he pleased. He was more focused on not paying attention while also paying very close attention to Ranboo as he slowly scooted closer to the giant wolf.

Techno almost howled in victory when the frightened boy touched his shoulder as gently as possible, but he remained still and didn’t react. That seemed to make Ranboo even bolder, and he carefully turned to lean against Techno’s side. The feeling made Technoblade’s instincts rear up and he just about purred at the protectiveness that coiled his stomach.

Pups! His instincts cried. Protect the pups. Play with them. So small! But he had a reputation to uphold, and he did no such thing. Eventually Tubbo wore himself out and he slid off Techno’s back to instead slump against his side next to Ranboo. The tall and gentle boy had been running his fingers through the fur of his foreleg absentmindedly, before he had found the long scar that ran down his leg from his hip almost to his paw. He was now tracing the scar up and back, staring ahead at nothing.

Their time together was much shorter than the others, Phil claiming that they couldn’t be out of the nest for long. Techno had been watching Phil as he grew increasingly agitated, and he wondered why the old man had decided to bring them out into the open at all if he couldn’t handle them being away from home.

He asked Phil, the next time it was just the two of them under the moon.

“Oh, I wasn’t worried about the kids mate.”

Techno furrowed his eyebrows. Phil laughed at the expression. “I knew they would be safe with you. That was why I brought them out. I trusted you to watch over them.”

Techno ignored how that statement made his insides twist and instead asked, “Why did you need me to protect them at all?”

Phil’s mood immediately darkened. “There were…” He hesitated, a silent battle raging across his face before he looked resigned, and he sighed.

“There is a coven of vampires that lives a good ways to the East of us, on the other side of the lake.”

“By the humans?” Techno asked.

Phil grimaced. “Yes, by the humans. They aren’t,” Again he hesitated.

“Phil.” Techno took his arm. “You don’t have to tell me anything. But if there is a danger close to us, I want to know about it sooner rather than later.”

He gave Phil his most determined look and the man caved instantly.

“You’re right, you deserve to know. The truth is, our coven and theirs have had a rough relationship for years now. They’re known for being particularly aggressive and territorial, even toward other vampires. We’ve had issue in the past, and I’ve always tried to remain peaceful, even when they have actively provoked us. Our coven is larger in number than theirs, but that never stopped them from threatening war in the past. Most vampire covens in the area agree to avoid them, just as a general rule, but lately, they’ve been taking from the human village without permission.”

Phil had already explained to Techno once, that yes while vampires drank blood and usually preferred human blood, the blood of animals worked just fine as well. Most adult vampires could go a whole month without feeding anyway, and while fledglings and young vampires needed to feed more often, they drank almost exclusively from their sires, or older coven mates.
Drinking from a human, even when the human gave their consent was usually frowned upon. But drinking from a human without permission? And then leaving them to die? Techno growled just at the thought of it.

“The council decided to hold a meeting with their coven leader.” Phil continued. “I offered my home as a meeting place.”

“And you wanted the pups out of danger while they were there.” Techno finished, finally understanding Phil’s reasoning. He nodded in agreement.

“Wilbur has always been the better speaker and negotiator, so I let him represent our coven in the meeting. But from what he told me, the offending coven didn’t want to explain much of anything.”

Phil went on to explain how their coven leader had gone on and on with his speech about how vampires were meant to feast on humans, meant to trample the lower life forms and rule as superior. He had called himself the king of vampires and demanded that they all bow to him and turn over their territories, since he was the strongest of them all.

“I should have been there.” Phil said. “I could have put him in his place, but instead I underestimated how deeply rooted this problem was.”

They walked in silence after that. Techno knew very little of the way of vampires, despite his wish to help his friend, and Phil was too deep in his own thoughts to realize how deeply this news had effected his friend. Techno knew how important Phil was to the Vampire counsel. He knew that if this issue escalated, Phil would have to be the one to do something about it.

Techno wanted to fight with him. He wanted to offer his fangs and his claws. He wanted to rip away every weight on Phil’s shoulders that made his brow furrow with worry.

Phil had too much to lose. Not to mention his coven couldn’t afford to lose him.

Techno was willing to do anything to keep that from happening.

He just didn’t know how to tell Phil that he was ready to die for him.

Chapter Text

In the mornings, when the sun shone and Techno wasn’t too tired from his night out with the vampires, he would tend to his garden, or work on his house that he was slowly adding to and building into something presentable. When he first settled here he had found an empty den, small and shallow, his instincts settled at the feeling of being covered by the earth when he went down into it. It was hardly big enough for him to stand up in as a human though, so he set to building a house around it.

He bought an axe and a few other supplies during one of his incredibly rare visits into the town and set about building a cabin. It was a basic four walled structure, with a kitchen and a dining room, and a bedroom off to the side. It wasn’t big, but it was sturdy, safe, and was the perfect size for one werewolf, despite how his instincts itched to make room for a pack.

His house was empty though, and he needed some furniture. His first attempts were… interesting, and after the third chair he fashioned snapped under his weight he decided that he wasn’t going to be able to do this on his own. But if there was one thing Techno hated more than admitting his own defeat, it was talking to strangers. Telling those strangers that he had been defeated? And then asking for help?

He shivered just thinking about it.

So, when his box of nails inevitably ran out and he needed to make another trip into town, he did the next best thing. He found a bookstore.

The young lady at the counter eventually pointed him toward the section on carpentry, after staring at his tall and intimidating form for several moments, obviously frightened.

There hadn’t been many books available when he was a pup, but he was still taught to read, and he’d been better than most at it. He was confident that anything he didn’t know, he could discover from a book.

As he was walking up to the front counter again, he passed a few books on gardening that peaked his interest. Almost an hour later and he was leaving with a book on carpentry, gardening, weapon smithing, and a cookbook. As well as several informational books on common gems that were found in this area of the mountains, different types of wildflowers, and a book on vampires that he had debated about getting for a long time before he finally caved.

The lady was kind enough to lend him a cloth bag, and with his new books as well as his box of nails, Techno set off for home.
And it went on like this, where every night Technoblade would walk the outer ring of his territory, keeping it safe and talking with Phil and his coven, then by day, after he had gotten a few hours of rest in the early hours before dawn, Techno would read his books.

The first thing he built with the help of his new book on carpentry was a bookshelf, and then a chair to sit beside it and read in. He found a book on how to cure animal hides and began to cover his home in warm animal furs. He took the strawberry plants and blackberry vines that Niki gave him and planted them under his window.

He found raw iron that he took into town and had forged into a pickaxe that he used to find gemstones in the mountains. He polished the stones until they reflected the sunlight in a thousand different ways and then twisted thin wires around them to create beautiful pendants and pieces of jewelry.

He learned through this whole process that he loved to learn new things, and then create with that knowledge. He started trading necklaces for Niki’s pies when she brought them, blushing furiously when she thanked him and then went on and on about how beautiful the workmanship was.

He carved an intricate cane for Phil after the man explained why he was limping.

“That coven across the lake is getting antsy Techno. One of them challenged me. It wasn’t even a fair fight; I took him down instantly.” He spoke of the vampire’s death with indifference. No pride, no shame.

Phil rubbed his sore knee and hissed. “He still managed to get a good hit on me though.”

Now whenever Phil joined him for a late-night stroll, (something that was happening less and less due to how often Phil was away, trying to negotiate with the violent coven of vampires) he was always carrying Techno’s cane with him.

It settled him, to know that his pa- his friends were using and enjoying the gifts that he made them. It eased a small part of him that screamed at night in that empty den, begging that his pack lay with him.

-//-

Maybe it was because Techno spent so much of his time around vampires now, or maybe it was because he was so used to being alone as he walked through his territory. Whatever the reason, one night just before dawn as he was walking home from his patrol, Techno sensed a presence. He shifted into the form of a wolf and scented the air. Immediately he smelt something stale and oddly dead shifting in the bushes.

He growled out a warning, and the movement stopped. He waited, not moving an inch, daring the intruder to show itself.

Finally, a small whine escaped the underbrush, and Techno was moving before he knew what he was doing.

He had only heard that sound once before, with the vampires.
Tubbo had somehow managed to convince Ranboo to wrestle with him, and the two fledglings were rolling around on the grass as Techno and Niki watched them. It was just the four of them, enjoying the stillness of night (Or at least, Techno and Niki were) when Ranboo managed to pin Tubbo. The smaller boy wiggled around for a bit before he fell limp, exhausted.

Apparently too tired to speak Tubbo had decided words were too hard, so he instead showed his submission by letting out a short and high whine. The sound was obviously a vampire noise, and there was no emotion behind it except maybe frustration. But it was so similar to the sound werewolf pups make when they were afraid that Techno’s instincts went into overdrive.

He jumped to his paws, displacing Niki who had been leaning against his side and lunged for the pups. Ranboo yelped as he was surrounded by a think wall of fur, forced to topple onto Tubbo as Techno shoved them both behind him, and growled at the threat. He cast his eyes around franticly, searching for the danger but nothing appeared.

He sniffed, but there were no signs of fear on the pups and no unfamiliar scent in the air. He checked them both over as well as Niki, who looked very concerned and confused, before he felt like he could shift back into a human. It took much longer than he would like to admit for him to calm down after that, but after Tubbo explained what had happened and why he made the noise, he managed to relax again.

It was the same feeling now, as he heard that quite sound of fear from the bushes that had His instincts rising like an uncontrollable wave. He chuffed, trying to show that he wasn’t a threat as he came forward. Techno pushed his snout into the bushes, moving the foliage around to try and find the source of the noise. Another frightened whine came from his left, and when he looked, he saw a little pair of feet, sticking out from under a thorn bush.

He huffed warm breath over them and something squeaked, the feet disappearing under the brush. Techno stood there, chuffing and rumbling in promise of safety for a few minutes before he managed to get his instincts under control. If the creature was a vampire like he thought it might be, it probably had no clue what any of those sounds meant.

Ignoring how vulnerable he felt in this situation without his teeth and claws, Techno forced himself to shift. Then he took a few steps back and sat.

“Hullo.” He tried, aiming to sound nonchalant and neutral. The bush visibly flinched but no other sounds came out.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to help.”

Still no answer.

“Look, I’d love to sit here and wait for you to come out, but it’ll be dawn soon, and that bush isn’t going to do much for you in the sun.”

More silence, but this time Techno didn’t feel the need to break it. He watched the sky for any hint of pink to signal the rising sun and kept one ear on the bush at all times. When it started to rustle with movement he didn’t react, just kept his face turned away to give the vampire as much space as possible. When the rustling stopped, he waited another few seconds, before slowly turning his face toward the sound.

It was a vampire, just as he thought. But what he hadn’t expected was for him to be so young.

The kid (because he was a kid) looked around fifteen or sixteen. His fangs were tiny, barley poking at his bottom lip as if they hadn’t finished growing yet, meaning he was young for a vampire too. His hair might have been blonde once, but it was so full of twigs leaves and mud that it was honestly anyone’s guess what color it was. His eyes though, is what startled Techno the most.

They were blue. Almost silver but not quite.

A random fact Techno had learned about vampires came to mind in that moment and his stomach rolled. When a human was turned, their body started to change ever so slowly. First, they died, heart stopped and lungs still. Then, their nails and teeth grew long. Their skin grew tough and cold, and finally, all the color drained from their eyes, leaving them either red, silver, or in some rare cases, gold.

This whole process took only a few hours. And if this vampire hadn’t even lost his eye color yet…

“I’m Technoblade. What’s your name?”

The vampire opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. His face scrunched up in confusion and he whined.

“Hey, it’s ok kid. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.”

The boy scowled at him, although the effect was muted by his curled-up form and how much he was shaking. Techno smiled despite himself. He wasn’t good with kids, but it didn’t look like this one wanted to be a kid anyway.

“Just yes or no questions then. Is your sire nearby?”

The fledgling looked confused again, and tilted his head like he didn’t understand.

“Your sire?” Techno repeated. “The vampire that turned you?”

His eyes widened and he shook his head violently. He tried to scoot back but hit the thorn bush again which made him hiss. Techno reached a hand out, either to comfort him or stop him, he didn’t know. But the kid folded into himself, trembling even harder if it were possible and whined again in fear. The sound had all of Techno’s hair standing on end.

“Ok! Ok, it’s alright. No sire. Got it, we won’t go near any other vampires. You’re ok.”

He continued to talk in a low voice until the kid calmed down and he was only shaking the normal amount. At this point, the sky was turning a rose color. If the kid didn’t have a sire or a safe place to go back to, Techno really only had one choice.

“Look, kid.” Techno ignored the affronted look the boy gave him. “The sun is rising. I don’t know how much you know about vampires or being one, but you can’t be out in the open for much longer.”

The vampire seemed to notice the color spreading across the sky for the first time. His eyes widened and he made to rise to his feet. But he stumbled on trembling legs and fell to his knees again. This time Techno did lurch forward. He caught the boy by his shoulders and in a move of pure instincts, put one arm under his back and the other under his legs, lifting him into the air.

They were both stunned into silence for a moment, and then the kid started squirming. He was weak and tired, so it didn’t do much to loosen Techno’s grip. But he would rather not have to deal with his wiggling for the whole walk home.

“Relax kid. If I was going to hurt you, I would have done it already. We’re not far from the den, just give me a minute.”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, since it only made the little vampire squirm even more. But Techno didn’t have time to put him down and risk him running away. Even if he was sure he could find him again if he did.

They made it back just as the suns tip was peaking over the horizon. The kid had abandoned his struggle in favor of curling up even tighter to Techno, trying to hide as much of his skin from the rising sun as possible. He relaxed as they entered the house, but Techno didn’t have any curtains over his windows, so it was too dangerous to keep him upstairs.

He opened the hatch he had made in the floor for the short ladder that led to the den. It was only to hide from the sun, he told his instincts, that were singing to put the little pup in the den. It was just to keep him safe. He would make sure he was comfortable, and then he would leave. Yeah, that’s definitely what would happen.

He closed the hatch above his head and walked further into the den. There was a lantern here that he almost never lit since he was only ever here to sleep. The ground was covered in blankets and pillows that he had bought from town, as well as animal pelts that were soft and warm. The den was well insulated since it was underground and even if it was a little chilly now, it wouldn’t be for much longer with Techno here.

He stepped inside the mess of blankets, walking from memory in the dark, and set the fledgling in the center. He took a heavy blanket and laid it over the kid, who was still trembling. Techno then went about adjusting the blankets, making little walls at the edges with pillows so that it looked more like a bowl than a flat floor. He shuffled about until his instincts were satisfied. Sparing one last glance at the fledgling (who had been watching him the entire time) he started for the trapdoor again.

He wasn’t sure what to do now that he had a stranger in his house. But he figured the kid was going to need to eat eventually, so that was as good a place as any to start. As he reached for the latch though, the vampire made a low crooning sound. Techno didn’t know this one, but it sounded so sad and heartbreaking that he turned back to look at him.

The kid had one hand slapped over his mouth and he was looking anywhere but at Techno. He didn’t look up as Techno walked back and he didn’t react when he crouched down to be at eye level either.

“What’s wrong?”

The kid still didn’t look at him.

“I’m just going out for a bit to find you some food. You need to drink something eventually. You’ll be safe here while I’m gone.” Then without thinking, he reached forward and ruffled the kids hair. There was a lot of dirt in there, just like he thought. But that was a different problem for another day. When he made to stand however, the kids hand shot out and grabbed his finger. He let go as soon as he realized what he had done, shoulders raising up to his ears.

Techno tried not stare at his hands and how small it had felt when wrapped around his finger. This kid really was tiny wasn’t he. He shook himself out of his thoughts to address the more pressing matter at hand. The kid was shrinking further and further into himself the longer he stayed silent.

“Do you want me to stay?” He asked, as gently as possible.

The kid didn’t react for a moment. And then, so slowly Techno almost didn’t see it, he nodded.

Techno huffed a laugh before he crawled into the blankets, hesitating for just a moment before he decided to shift. He heard a gasp behind him but ignored it. He shook out his fur, now filling most of the den with his hulking wolf form, before bending down to sniff the fledgling. He held very still and let the wolf push his nose through his hair.

Then Techno circled the fledgling, laying down while bending his body around him. His snout could touch his back paws like this, the kid completely encircled in a wall of fur. He waited, tense despite himself, for the kid to move.

He was staring at Techno with those wide blue eyes, still as a statue. Several minutes passed like that, where neither of them moved except for Techno’s steady breathing. Then, ever so slowly, the fledgling started to inch himself downwards. He leaned to the side, pausing when his shoulder touched Techno’s side, then when he didn’t react, he started to slowly put weight on him.

Finally, after a small eternity all the tension left the boy’s body in one fell swoop, and he slumped into Techno’s warmth.

Techno let himself smile as the boys’ eyes closed. He huffed warm air over his still form and he shuddered at the temperature, the line between his eyes slowly evening out as he slept.

After he was sure the kid had relaxed completely, Techno closed his eyes as well.

Chapter Text

When Techno woke up the kid was still asleep, so he crawled out of the den as quietly as possible and started with his daily tasks. He took care of his outside tasks, which mostly consisted of watering the garden before he came inside and started covering the windows. He didn’t have a lot of spare cloth hanging around, but what he did have he hung over the glass in case the fledgling did wake up and decided to venture upstairs, he wouldn’t be burned before Techno could get to him.

Then, he went hunting.

It was well past midday by the time he caught a small doe and dragged it back to the house. He wasn’t sure how much the kid needed to drink, but he figured this was as good a place as any to start. He pulled the carcass inside the house and dumped it by the trapdoor before making sure the living room was well shadowed and protected from the sun. As much as he wanted to take care of the kid, he wasn’t about to bring a dead animal into his den unless he knew that the kid couldn’t come up to get it himself.

Once he was satisfied with how dark it was, he climbed back down the ladder. He landed softly, pausing to let his eyes adjust to the tiny amount of light shining in from through the open trapdoor.

“Kid?” He called softly, afraid to wake him up but also needing to know if he was awake.

There was a faint rustling from deeper into the nest, and Techno moved towards it slowly.

“Hey, kid, I got a doe upstairs for you. I don’t know how much blood you need, but it should tide you over until I find you some help.”

There was no response, just some more shuffling and movement that Techno couldn’t quite place. Techno sighed. He was going to have to go get it, wasn’t he? He grumbled to himself, stepping over the furs and trying not get any blood from his hunt on them.

“Seriously. You could at least come up, so I don’t have to come grab you.” He muttered. He made his way to a little bundle of blankets backed into the corner. The kid was so obviously shaking under the covers, and it sent a little stab through Techno’s heart. He reached for the blanket, an apology or some sort of reassurance on his lips, but the moment his hand touched it, the little bundle surged forward.

It happened so fast he almost missed the flash of small teeth, or the almost silent hiss of a predator. He almost missed the glow of silver eyes, but what he didn’t miss was the sharp pain in his arm. He had raised it to defend himself on instinct, and now the kid had his teeth embedded in it.

For a second, neither of them did anything, the kids eyes widened in shock and all Techno could do was stare. But then the kid swallowed nervously, and Techno watched the realization of what was in his mouth wash across the fledglings’ face in real time.

There was blood pooling around his mouth from the unpracticed bite, sloppy from where he couldn’t get it right. He whined in distress but swallowed the blood all the same. His body started to relax, even as tears weld up in his eyes.

It took Techno too long to realize that the poor thing probably didn’t know how to let go. He reached for his jaw, ignoring how he flinched at the movement. Techno squeezed his face to get him to let off, before pulling his teeth out of his wound. The kid let out a sound that could only be described as utterly heartbroken.

Techno picked him up without another thought, cradling him to his chest as he shook and cried, tears freely streaming down his face now. He climbed up the ladder with one arm, before sitting on the floor by the deer. When the kid saw it, he only cried harder.

“Shh, I know. Hey, you aren’t in trouble kid. I know it’s scary, but you’ll feel better when you get something other than wolf blood in you. I’m sure I didn’t taste very good.”

Despite his kind words, Techno couldn’t get the fledgling to calm down. He was completely out of his element, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t panicking himself each time the kid let out another whine. He glanced around franticly for anything that might help, but he had no clue why he was even upset, and the only thing Techno had laying around his house was books and little Knick knacks from town.

Suddenly, the thought of the town brought back a memory. Techno had gone into town to buy tools that he wasn’t able to craft on his own. While in the market square he had seen a woman holding a baby, inconsolable in its crying. The woman had simply rocked them back and forth, walking in little circles as she talked to her child in a low voice, and by the time Techno was done with his purchase, the child had been calm.

He hadn’t spared a thought towards it at the time, but he was glad of the memory now. This teenager was definitely too old for such treatment, and Techno was the last person he would call calm and comforting. But he was battling with his instincts now that wanted to come out to calm the wolf pup. He knew turning into a big wolf wouldn’t help here, but it was getting harder and harder to keep the fur away the longer the kid cried.

So, bighting down his pride, Techno pulled the fledgling to his chest, rose to his feet, and started to walk slowly back and forth through the darkened room. At first nothing happened, the kid would have been to big and too heavy for anyone who wasn’t a werewolf, but Techno managed, mumbling under his breath about whatever came to mind as the kid stared at him in disbelief and he eventually grew confident enough to try and comfort the kid with low and gentle words.

“I’m not even sure what’s got you so upset but I promise it’ll be ok. You’re safe here. I won’t let anyone get to you, and I’m not going to hurt a kid. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

After the third or forth lap Techno started to purr under his words, just a subtle little rumble in his chest. He was so caught up in his own efforts to calm the kid that he didn’t notice he had quieted until the kid shifted so his ear was pressed flush against Techno’s chest.

“Are you feeling better?”

For a moment there was no response, until the boy raised silver eyes to meet his and nodded slowly. Techno couldn’t help the sigh he let out in relief.

“Good. Think you could try drinking something for me?”

Immediately the boys’ eyes squinted shut and his lip wobbled.

“Hey, hey no. You don’t need to be so upset, it’s ok.” Without thinking about it Techno raised his hand to the kids cheek. He was so big that the kids entire face could almost hide inside his palm. He wiped some of his own blood off his face with his thumb and did his best to sound more patient than he was.

“I don’t know what you need. You have to tell me.”

They were silent for a moment, the only sound being Techno’s rumble and the birds singing outside in their last call of the evening. Finally, the kid opened his mouth, and spoke so quietly Techno could barely hear.

“I’m sorry.”

And Techno’s heart shattered.

He could feel his reputation falling out from under his feet. He could see the image of the lone wolf he had built up for himself burn to the ground at the sound of two simple words. He felt all his loyalties shift and in just one second all his priorities became centered around protecting this kid.

Once he was able to say those words it was like the flood gates opened, and he was a stuttering babbling mess of excuses and apologies.

“I didn’t mean to bite you, I promise! I was scared you were someone else and then I was moving before I could stop myself and I’m sorry I drank your blood it was an accident! I swear it was please don’t hurt me I didn’t—”

Techno finally just put and hand over his mouth. The boy looked shocked, but he was silent now and listening to Techno.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, it was an accident, and I’m not upset about it. It was my fault for sneaking up on you anyway, and I’d never hurt you for making an honest mistake. I’d never hurt you at all for that matter. So, no more apologies, ok?”

He waited for the kid to nod before moving his hand away. “Good. Now, are you still thirsty?”

Instead of answering the boy just cast a wary eye towards the deer carcass a few feet away from them.

“Are you going to make me drink from that?”

Techno tilted his head in confusion. “Do you not want to?”

The boy looked back and forth between the deer and Techno’s curious eyes. He looked like he was debating with himself before his eyes finally gave him away when he glanced down at the wound in Techno’s arm that was still bleeding sluggishly.

“Kid, you can’t drink from me. It’s not good for you.”

The Fledgling whined. “But why? Does it hurt?”

Techno sighed before sitting back down into the position they had started in.

“Listen kid –”

“I’m not a kid.”

Techno started at the interruption. The boy was full on pouting now. It was kind of cute although Techno wouldn’t be caught dead saying that out loud.

“What’s your name then.”

The frown on his face grew deeper before he answered. “It’s Tommy.”

“Alright Tommy. You need to eat to survive, and I need you to survive long enough for us to figure out what happened, yeah? So how about you drink as much as you want from the deer and then we can talk about what happened.”

There was another silent stare down as Tommy glared at the carcass with all his might and Techno stared at Tommy. Finally, Techno reached forward and with one sharp claw cut a slit in the deer’s throat so the blood would pool down its neck. Tommy audibly swallowed.

When he still didn’t move, Techno flipped the kid around in his arms, so they were back to chest and pulled the deer up into Tommy’s lap. The closer it got, the harder it seemed Tommy was fighting the desire to surge forward and just take.

“Tommy,” Techno put a gentle hand on the back of Tommy’s neck and pushed ever so slightly so he would bend forward. “It’s ok kid, you’re allowed to drink your fill.”

That seemed to set Tommy off, and in the blink of an eye he had his teeth deep in his prize.

Technoblade waited patiently, occasionally squeezing the skin on the back of Tommy’s neck where his scruff would be if he were a wolf pup. He waited as Tommy took his fill, and he waited as his eye lids started to close and he slumped forward in exhaustion. When it was clear Tommy was at risk of falling asleep over his dinner Techno used the same tactic as before to squeeze his jaw and get him to let go. He whined again, but it wasn’t very affective when his eyes were closed, and his body was limp from being tired and full.

He tossed the deer away to be cleaned up later and pulled Tommy back into his arms. The fledgling curled into himself before snuggling closer to the werewolf’s warmth, sighing in contentment.

Techno felt himself slipping and knew that this time there was nothing he would be able to do to stop his instincts from entirely drowning him.

Back in the den Techno set the pup down in the blankets as the voices crooned and wept at how adorable he was. He shifted, curling all his warmth and fur around the treasure that rested in his den. He licked the blood off Tommy’s face, who barely stirred at the feeling. His purrs and rumbles were shaking the entire foundation of the den. Techno settled himself down to wait out the night and the roll of his instincts.

Chapter Text

The next few days after that were more stressful than Techno was used too. Tommy didn’t say much, but when he did it flipped between loud and brash to small and terrified. He had given up trying to hide how much he hated being left alone in the den, but he also hated being outside of it, and they both needed to eat, so Techno figured he would just have to get used to it. He slept often and deeply. But even asleep he clung to him and made it difficult for Techno to sneak away. He refused to talk about how he was turned, or why he was alone, and when Techno asked if there was anyone he could ask, any family or people who would know him, Tommy would beg him not to, and desperately plead with Techno not to tell anyone that he was there.

So, he didn’t. He still hunted, and went into town once, to find clothes that would fit Tommy. But otherwise, he stayed with the young vampire and did his best to make sure he stayed alive. Which was easy when all he did was sleep, drink, and repeat.

The past few nights as he had been roaming the edges of his territory, none of Phil’s coven had come to walk with him. He was used to that now, since they had been getting busier and busier with their vampire counsel, and the threats looming on the horizon. He didn’t linger on the edge. Instead he pushed down his disappointment and trudged on through the dark, toward the East.

 Towards… a new smell?

Instantly Techno was on high alert. Intruder.

It was a vampire. No, it was several vampires. Ones he didn’t recognize. But these vampire had a scent to them. A Coven scent, like Phil but different. All of Phil’s vampires had their own unique scent, but with the smell of their sire over them all. These vampires also had the same sire. They smelled like…

Tommy.

“We know you are there beast.”

Oh, so they were rude, and they were trespassers, excellent. Techno shifted, but barely. He became a man with claws, ears still high and alert and fangs dripping, too big for his mouth.

“State your business.” He growled, stalking forward until he could see their silhouettes against the trees, but remain hidden.

There were three from what he could see. Holding still and making no sound. He knew they could hear his heart beating. He needed any advantage that he could get.

“One of our own crossed onto your territory. Perhaps you have seen him?”

Did they mean Tommy? They smelled like him, was he part of their coven? But if so, then why had Tommy been so alone when he was turning? Why was he so afraid and why did he panic when Techno tried to mention his Sire? Techno didn’t know what was going on here. But he did know that whatever it was, these intruders had no good will for Tommy. Or any good will at all for that matter.

“There are no vampires on my lands. Leave.”

There was a pause, and Techno watched as one of the vampires stepped forward, and the other two broke off to walk around the sides, as if to sneak past him. Danger! Danger! Intruders! Threat. Pup. Danger. Fight! Death.

The adrenaline that shot through every fiber of Techno’s being was enough to enhance all his sense. He could smell each individual pinprick of death that came from each of them. He tracked them with his nose, watched where they stepped.

“I am sure that you know your lands well, and you could track anyone who crossed and stayed here. But we know our coven well. We can tell he has been here.”

The growl Techno let loose was so deep the earth vibrated. He lowered himself into a crouch, fighting against the wolf in order to speak. “And I can tell that you intend to move past me, putting your scent into my lands, spreading your death and decay. I can smell the deceit on you. I can smell the rage. It’s so strong I could choke on it. Leave. Before I make you. You are not welcome here.”

The pause was so tense it was almost visible. Techno was proud to pick up on just the slightest bit of fear, before the voice that had spoken before signed their death warrant.

“No.”

And the vampire lunged. If Technoblade hadn’t been expecting the attack, he isn’t sure what would have happened. But he caught the offender by the throat as he rushed forward, and spared no thought when he bit down hard. There was a snap and a crack, and his mouth filled with thick cold liquid. He spat the wheezing creature into the grass and turned just in time to dodge the swipe of sharp claws. There was a hiss, an angry cry of rage and then Techno was pouncing on the other.

They cried out as Techno placed all his weight on his front paws. Even for a vampire, the weight of a full wolf is to much. More snapping, more cracking, and they lay still, chest caved in and flat.

The third scent of death was rapidly moving away, and Techno gave chase. Through the trees that he knew well, past the different animal burrows that he had mapped out in his time there, the familiar ground gave him an advantage. They were far enough from his home that by the time Techno caught up with them, they were still a good distance from the cabin.

Good, Tommy wouldn’t have to hear the screams.

Techno ran just behind until he was close enough to snap at their clothes. The vampire was jerked backwards, flat onto his back and staring up into angry, angry eyes. They hissed at him. Techno growled.

“You make a powerful enemy, you pest! Our Sire will come for vengeance. You’ll see! He’ll come!” They raised both arms as if to swipe at his face, but Techno beat them to it. It takes a lot to kill a vampire instantly, the right tools, and the right execution is needed. But there are a few different ways to shut them up. Ripping their heads off is one way.

Techno dragged the still-twitching body back to the others. They were all in various stages of dying. Again. But Techno didn’t have all night to make sure they stayed down. He dragged their bodies into the clearing by the lake and piled them there. The sun would burn them come morning.

Protect. Protect. Danger! Intruders. Blood blood blood blood.

He shook from the adrenaline and the instincts, pacing back and forth until he was calm. He hadn’t fought like that in years. He hadn’t needed to. He was out of practice, and relied solely on the rush of voices that invaded his mind to guide him. His sense of smell and his need to protect. He supposed they were right when they called him a beast.

He washed himself in the lake since he was already there, rinsing away the blood from his fur, and thought about what the vampire had said. It was common knowledge not to intrude on another’s territory, but especially not when they showed obvious signs of aggression. Techno was innocent, as far as he was concerned. They threatened his land. Threatened the pup.

He shook that thought away, but with it came more questions. Why were they after Tommy? Why had he run? And if he was important enough for them to send three vampires to face Techno’s wrath, who would they send next? He stared out at the lights of the human village, reflecting from across the waters, and decided it was time to get some answers.

By the time he crawled out of the lake and onto the bank the sky was turning pink. He waited just long enough to see the dead vampire flesh begin to sizzle in the sun and left it to burn to ashes on its own.

Tommy was asleep when he got back, but although it had subsided the adrenaline was still there, and Techno needed to know If there was going to be more danger. He lit the lantern in the den, and left the trap door open so that a little light would pour in. Then he took Tommy by the shoulders and shook him awake as gently as he could.

“Hmm? ‘echno?” He rubbed his eyes and yawned widely. “Is something wrong?”

“No kid. Well, not right now nothing’s wrong.”

Tommy tensed. “What does that mean?”

Techno huffed at him, and it sounded a bit funny coming from his human nose. He was having a hard time holding down the urge to rumble protectively over him, wrap him in blankets and stand watch protectively over him. Tommy seemed to pick up on this, and he set his hands over Techno’s where they hadn’t moved since shaking him awake by the shoulders.

Techno sighed and leaned forward to press his forehead against Tommy’s. “I need you to trust me when I say that you are safe here, right now, and currently there is no threat.”

“That’s not actually as encouraging as you think it is.”

“Tommy. There were vampires on my land last night. As near as I can tell, they were searching for you.”

The way Tommy went deathly still would have been humorous in any other context. His expression went blank and still, and the only indication that he had heard was the way his grip on Techno’s hands was getting tighter and tighter. It’s a good thing he didn’t need to breath, or else he would almost certainly be hyperventilating.

“They found me?” He whispered.

“They know that you crossed onto my land, but they don’t know that you’re with me.”

“They found me. Tech, Techno they found me!” He started clawing at Techno’s arms, trying to get closer. His eyes were wide with panic now, and his teeth were bared like he wanted to his but wasn’t sure yet. Techno put his large hands on either side of the pups face, forcing him to look up into Techno’s eyes.

“They didn’t. I killed them before they could even find the cabin.” That made Tommy pause. He still looked afraid, but the urgency was gone.

“Tommy,” Techno licked his lips and tried to think through how to ask this. “I know you don’t want to talk about how you were turned.” And just like that Tommy was tense again. “But they said you were part of their coven, and you were stollen from them.”

This time Tommy really did hiss. “I wasn’t stolen. I ran away! Covens… Everything I’ve heard about covens said that, that they were like families. Pack animals, like wolves! But those guys, they… They did, there was nothing family about it. I saw…!” He gasped, suddenly gripping his chest like he couldn’t breathe, even though he didn’t need oxygen in the first place.

“Alright, slow down I believe you. Just take a minute. You aren’t there anymore. You’re safe, remember?”

Tommy nodded, leaning forward and faceplanting into Techno’s chest. He grunted in surprise before gently wrapping his arms around the kid and pulling him close. They sat that way for a while, with Tommy’s ear over his heart and his eyes wide, staring at nothing.

“They took us from, from our village and kept us in cages.” Techno didn’t react, just smoothed a hand over Tommy’s back and waited.

“They figured that the strongest of us would make the best vampires, but we were strong enough to resist the turn so they... They would starve us until we could barely move. Some of them died. And I only got away because someone I knew from the village distracted them for me. The venom was so strong, I couldn’t tell how far I had run until I couldn’t run anymore. And then you found me.”

Tommy took another gasping breath. Techno let him sit there, trying desperately to push down the growl in his throat. On the one hand, he was proud of Tommy. His little survivor, the strong pup who had not only survived the turn but run away and made it out alive. On the other hand, he was barely holding back the rage.

“Did they tell you why?”

Tommy turned his tear-streaked face up to him. The urge to go tear out the throat of every vampire across the lake that he could, only grew.  

“He said we would be his fighters, that we would help him kill all the other vampires and... and then our village too. If he didn’t turn all the humans first.”

Techno wanted to walk straight into their little vampire coven and demand to see their Sire, just so he could slaughter him in front of his people. He had heard that losing the coven bond was a painful experience. He hoped it was. He wanted them to suffer for what they had done. For what they had planned.

He could feel the growl vibrating now. He could feel his lips peeling back to show his fangs. He tightened his grip on the pup and let the rage seethe out through his teeth. “Bastards.”

Techno had struggled with blood in the past. With shedding it and watching it shed. But he was a protector. Ever since he was young it was drilled into his head that protecting his pack was the most important thing. Watching over the young and keeping the boarders strong.

After so many years alone he finally had a little group of people that he truly called his pack. Not a group that he was told to call pack, but one that he had chosen, that he wanted, and that he cared about. Even if they were all vampires. Even if none of them knew just how much they meant to him.

Techno had failed his last pack. He had run at the sight of blood. This time, he wasn’t running

Chapter Text

The sky was a deep deep blue that showed little flashes of orange in the distance, like it was trying to hold on to the light, but it was failing. The wiser animals had all returned to their burrows for the night and the wide eyed, big eared little night dwellers were starting to appear. They bowed to the owner of their land, the king who kept their territory safe. Even if he had no clue they showed him such respect.

The white wolf was circling, the anticipation of the hunt. Eventually he stopped the restless pacing, glancing up and determining that the last of the light was finally gone. Techno opened the trap door and the little beast was already there, eyes shining, teeth flashing and lines of worry so deep on his brow he appeared much older than he was.

“I still don’t know why I have to go with you…”

Techno huffed, unwilling to continue this argument with the kid. He had managed to convince Tommy that his testimony was important, and he needed to travel with Techno to see Phil so that they would see the proof. But Techno was honestly hoping to get help. Despite the frankly ridiculous situation they had found themselves in, Techno wanted to make sure that he was doing right by Tommy. That he was feeding the little vampire right and that he was healthy.

He had never raised a kid or tried to protect one on his own. Much less a freshly turned, horribly traumatized teenage vampire. The nerves and the worry were starting to get to him. And maybe there was a small (very big) voice in Techno’s head telling him that all his worry and stress would disappear if his entire pack was in the same space. But Techno wasn’t ready to entertain that voice, or what it might imply.

For now, he focused on the present. Tommy pulled on the heavy cape without much complaint and lifted the hood, despite the darkness now. Techno wore something similar, although he didn’t need it. But Tommy took up residence under the protection of it, so who was Techno to complain. They set out together and Techno walked close so that the boy could have a hand on him at all times. He was half tempted to let Tommy ride him, but that would be a new experience for both of them. Instead, they walked, swiftly and silently through the trees, clear destination in mind.

Tommy hesitated at the border between techno’s lands and the Coven. The years of Techno’s patrol had worn a little game trail through the underbrush here. Tommy stared across it and shivered.

“This feels wrong.” He whispered.

Techno wrapped one arm around the boys’ shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’m with you.” But Tommy shook his head, simultaneously stepping away from the border and into Techno’s side. “My instincts feel like I’m intruding. Like this is wrong.”

Despite his bravado and the urgency Techno felt under his skin, he couldn’t help but agree. This wasn’t his territory, and on top of that, he was leaving his own lands unprotected. Would Phil really be able to help? Was this information as vital as Techno thought it would be?

“I don’t turn people away Tech. Some of these vampires… they have nowhere else to go. That’s not how it was meant to be. Covens stick together.”

“I don’t think Phil will mind kid. Trust me.” And with that, they pushed forward.

Techno had no idea where they were going, only that it was a big fancy house somewhere in the mountains. So, he found the mountain trail that led deeper in, and he followed it. Tommy stayed tucked into his side and under his cloak, gripping Techno’s shirt and glancing around as if anything might jump out at him. Nothing did, but that seemed to only increase the tension.

Techno for his part, was too busy rehearsing how he was going to explain himself to Phil and his coven to worry about their surroundings.  Which might be why It startled him so badly when he glanced up and a hooded figure stood in their path. To be fair though, Tommy didn’t see him before Techno did either. The boy bit back a whimper and melted further into him.

“You are trespassing.” The shadow spoke softly, no malice, but no warmth.

“I am here to see your coven leader, Philza.”

That made the figure pause, head tilting. “You are the werewolf on the edge of our lands. He has told us about you.” Techno could see none of his features, but he could feel the vampires’ eyes digging into him. “Why have you come?”

“I must speak to Phil. That’s all I can tell you right now.”

There was a long uncomfortable silence.

“Wait here.”

And in an instant the shadow was gone. Techno sighed. This was not how he thought this was going to go. Tommy whimpered again, and Techno huffed at him, deeply exhaling out of his nose. The fledgling relaxed slightly but didn’t move from his place. Techno glanced down to see him worrying his lip between his teeth.

“Hey,” He thumbed over the now bleeding skin, getting Tommy to let go. “Be careful. Your teeth or sharper now.” Tommy pouted, but listened to him.

They didn’t have to wait long before the silent figure was back and beckoning them forward. Together they followed, over more treacherous paths and through thin and narrow spaces until a few sloping roofs came into view. The door was open, and this time Techno did recognize the vampire at the door.

“Tech! I hope you know you are welcome, but we weren’t expecting you to just hop in.”

He grunted, acknowledging the curiosity for what it was, before bowing slightly to Wilbur, the second in command of the Coven. Wilbur looked shocked.

“Accept my apology, and my oath not to defile your lands while I walk here.”

It was an old custom, one that Techno had only seen a few times when he was very very young. When a pack was required to travel through another’s lands, because there was no way around or the journey was too long, they would request entry with a solemn pledge. It was an oath to the wolves who lived here, but also to the ground that they had put so much effort into cultivating. A sacred promise not to ruin or disturb the home these wolves had created.

Wilbur was not a wolf, but the gravity of the oath was not lost on him. He looked on with a soft expression, waiting for Techno to rise. “I trust you.” He answered, and that was all the reply Techno needed.

“Phil will be very glad to see you! He was meaning to talk to you for a while about something he might need your help with, but I’m not sure yet.” Wilbur prattled on non-stop as they walked. Tommy kept in step, hidden and perfectly happy to stay that way. Techno didn’t like how it was going to look like he hid the boy on purpose, but he decided that keeping Tommy comfortable for as long as possible was also important.

“He has this plan see! But we don’t have enough details to put it into motion yet. You could be very useful though!” Wilbur opened a set of heavy wood doors and let them into a frankly ridiculous looking dining room.

The entire walk through the house so far had not been what Technoblade was expecting. From the outside, the manor was dark and brooding, but in reality there were candles and lanterns lit at every opportunity. The wood of the walls and floor creaked and was a dark oak color, but the bright rugs on the floor, and the pictures on the walls were warm and inviting. They even passed a little section of wall that someone had drawn on with crayon. This dining room though, was a different matter.

Vampires didn’t need to eat, so it made sense that instead of food and the appropriate utensils used for eating it, there were papers and photos, large pitchers and glasses filled with something dark that Techno refused to name, even though he knew what it was. The table was long and able to comfortably seat a dozen people, but it was cluttered in hand drawn maps and… was that a dead animal?

The room itself was tall and vaulted, several candle chandleries working overtime to light the empty space in the rafters. There were no pictures on the walls here, just tall thin windows, shut against the chill of night. Phil was standing at the head of the table, long green robes, and shocking silver eyes, pointing at something on paper when the doors opened. There were a handful of other vampires around him, he noticed Niki and then his attention was grabbed by Phil’s overjoyed voice.

“Technoblade! Oh, it’s wonderful to see you. I wasn’t expecting this, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He aimed the question at the werewolf but also shot a glance at his son, who straightened.

“Oh, I didn’t actually ask what he wanted. He just said he needed to speak with you, so I brought him.”

Phil rolled his eyes. “Wilbur, you are meant to protect the lands and you didn’t ask the visitor his intentions?”

Wilbur made an insulted sound. “It’s Techno!”

Philza sighed and looked every bit the thousand-year-old man he was. Techno wanted to tease him for it, but then Phil was looking at him expectantly, and Techno suddenly felt very guilty.

“I’m afraid it’s not good news.”

Phil smiled sadly. “Most things aren’t good news these days.”

Techno hoped he was ready to see the truth of those words. “I learned a few things about the coven across the lake.” The mood in the room soured instantly. “I may have even learned their intentions and their next move.”

That got a surprised reaction out of Phil. “How? Did they speak with you? What did you see?”

Techno had no idea how to answer that without just showing the surprise attached to his hip. He pulled his cloak away slightly and glanced down. Tommy’s eyes glowed, already staring at him.

“It’s ok.” Techno squeezed his shoulder and moved the cloak out of the way. There were a few gasps of shock around the room, a few vampires stood from their seats to get a closer look, but Phil held very still. He stared at the boy, who was honestly close to being taller than Phil if he stood up straight. He shifted forward, as if to step closer and Tommy shrunk, digging his claws into Techno’s arm.

Phil stopped, glancing between the two, swallowed, and took a step back. “Why don’t you two come sit down?”

They got situated in a big armchair that let Tommy sit next to Techno and hide in him again. He had started shaking a little bit ago, and Techno had taken to rumbling gently in his chest. Tommy pressed into the vibrations. Phil sat in another, smaller armchair across from them with Wilbur behind him, some distance and a round coffee table between them. He didn’t bat an eye at Techno’s rumbles but seemed to be desperately trying not to stare at the boy.

Techno cleared his throat when the silence got to be to oppressive. “So, I think I have some things to explain.” He launched into an account of everything that had happened since he found Tommy in the shrubbery. He recounted the fledgling’s hesitance to share his story, and the battle with the vampires who had been hunting him. Phil watched Techno’s face intently, betraying none of his thoughts.

When Techno started to share what Tommy had told him about his turning, and the coven leader, Phil’s eyes grew darker and darker. Wilbur dug his claws into the back of Phil’s chair, jaw tense until a hiss slipped out between his lips. He slapped a hand over his mouth immediately, but the damage was done.

Tommy gasped, shaking growing ten times worse. He turned, and threw himself into Techno, hiding his face.

Phil tensed like he wanted to stand. Wilbur started to step around the chair. “I’m sorry! I—” But before he could finish apologizing Techno had the fledgling in his lap, pressing his ear to his chest, and was rumbling loudly again, unabashed. He pressed his face into Tommy’s hair and chuffed. The boy relaxed despite himself, whining again, and hiding, but relaxed and no longer shaking as violently.

Phil looked absolutely flabbergasted. Wilbur wasn’t much better.

“How did you do that? How did you know that would help him?”

Techno stared for a moment before clearing the purr out of his throat. “He’s lived with me for a while now. It’s just what we learned together.”

But Phil was already shaking his head. “Techno, did Tommy ever say that he drank another vampires blood?”

Techno didn’t understand why that was important. He glanced down at Tommy. The boy met his eye but shook his head slightly. “What are you getting at Phil?”

“This is important, what was the first thing he drank from? Try to remember Techno.”

But Techno didn’t have to remember. He still had the scar. “It was me. He bit me on accident when I startled him and drank my blood. He couldn’t help it.”

Phil nodded, leaning back in his chair. “Of course, he couldn’t. He was probably starving. So he bit the first thing he set eyes on and he bonded with it. A Coven bond isn’t complete unless the fledgling drinks from the sire, as well as the sire from the fledgling. I think it’s safe to say Tommy rejected his sires bond, and accepted you.”

Techno was already shaking his head. “But when those other vampire came in, they smelled like Tommy.”

“They smelled like what Tommy used to smell like. But Techno, the reason none of us noticed you had a fledgling with you in the first place is because Tommy smells like you. That is your fledgling.”

Before Techno’s mind could catch up with the logic his instincts latched on with teeth and talons, refusing to let go. Mine. Mine! Pup pup pup pup. Small boy. Pup. His arms tightened around the kid and his purr kicked back on with vigor. Tommy went boneless at the sound and the wolf howled. He trusts us! Such a good boy. Little pup! Techno shook his head, fighting off the overwhelming noise of the voices. Phil was grinning at him.

“And it looks like your instincts accepted him right back.” Techno scowled at the smug look on his face but didn’t bother to deny it.

“My pup.”

Chapter Text

As it turned out, learning that your friendly neighborhood vampire supremacy movement was creating a massive army, was a pretty good motivator to start building an army of your own. Phil had been listing off names that Techno hadn’t known existed, pointing at areas on the map and showing which covens would fight for them, and which were choosing to stay neutral. There were far too few in that former category. The map covered the surrounding 50 miles or so in each direction, and the only covens that would rise and act were spread far apart. Wilbur was writing up messages for each of those covens now.

“The main concern is how to keep the humans out of this, and where to stage the fight. All our reports claim that the group is set up almost directly next to the village. If we cause to much of a ruckus, they will come to investigate. And the last thing we need is the intervention of a few humans in our battle.”

Phil pulled out another, more detailed map that contained only the lake, the village, and the woods surrounding it. He pointed at the main road that lead from the village and would eventually take any traveler on toward the bigger cities.

“Almost a mile from the village here is a clearing along the road. It’s close to the coven, but far enough from the village to be out of sight. Here is where I propose we make our move.”

Tommy leaned over the map next to Techno to see where Phil was pointing. He had a hand tangled in Techno’s cloak still, but he wasn’t trembling, and he could keep eye contact with the vampires now. He itched his nose and listened carefully.

It made sense that the kid would be interested in the fate of his own hometown, but Techno would just as soon rather keep him out of this. After Phil had made his declaration of Tommy being his, his instincts were wrestling each other to be the first to take over Techno’s control and either wrap the boy and hide him away, or fawn and purr protectively over him. So, about his normal reaction, just dialed up to eleven.

Tommy was taking the news of being bonded to Techno very well, all things considered. He had scrunched up his nose when Phil tried to explain his vampire instincts to him, saying the little voices were stupid, but only when Phil started talking about wanting to nest and be protected. Urges that he denied profusely. His stance shoulder to shoulder with Techno notwithstanding.

“How do we draw them out into that clearing then?” Niki had her eyebrows drawn together in a line, focused and intense.

“Well, that was where I was hoping Techno could come in.” All eyes were suddenly on him, and he wasn’t fond of the attention.

Several hours passed like that, planning, and talking about the best action to take. They decided they would wait until the next night, since the sun would rise soon anyway, and the other covens needed time to reach them. Phil insisted that it would be safer for Techno and Tommy to stay in the mansion with them. So, he had Niki show them to a spare room.

She chatted pleasantly as they walked, not at all like Wilbur’s constant stream of words. She seemed unbothered by Techno’s lack of response or the fact that Tommy hadn’t said a word to her. Techno found it soothing though. Niki had always had that effect on him. And she made the halls twice as inviting. When she finally reached a door at the end of the hall, she pulled it open and frowned at the interior.

“It’s been a while since we had guests, so you’ll have to forgive how dusty it is in here. But the sheets are clean on the bed, and the water works if you fancy a bath.” She took a candle into the room from the hallway and began to slowly light the candles around the room. The space was about as big as Techno’s entire house. There was a massive four poster bed in the center of the room and what looked to be several antique dressers and a wardrobe around the edges. There was a door off to the side that led to the bathroom, and two tall windows, guarding either edge of the bed like sentries.

“This really isn’t helping the whole vampire stereotype.”

Niki snorted but didn’t deny it. “Old habits die hard, I think. Each of our own rooms are a bit more personal than this. But when you let the older-than-time vampires design the guest rooms, they get a bit old fashioned.”

She set the last candle down and made to leave the way she came. “I’ll send someone in with more blankets soon. Sleep well!”

Techno took a deep breath when she left, before looking down. Tommy seemed lost in thought, staring at the bed. His brow was furrowed, and he had gone back to worrying his lip between pointy little fangs. Techno placed a hand over his hair, about to say something to comfort him, when he remembered what Niki had said.

“Alright kid bath time.”

Tommy started. “What?”

“You heard me. Your hair is so greasy I think I could cook with it.”

Tommy’s face twisted into absolute disgust, and then sudden offense. “My hair is not that bad!”

Techno ignored him as he walked off into the bathroom. Tommy shouting behind him, but he was to focused on staring at what he found there. Techno had heard of these things, of course, and he had accidently walked in the bathroom of the bookstore in town once when he was looking for the exit. So, he knew what a bathroom was, he just wasn’t sure how it worked. There was a large basin on the floor that was so big he figured he could sit in it. Maybe that’s what they used to bathe? But more importantly there were several bottles on the ledge of the tub. And even Techno, for all that he was a wild beast, knew what soap looked like.

He turned around to a still ranting Tommy and cut him off. “Do you know how the bath works?”

“Do I- Of course I know how the bath works! I took baths in the village you know!”

Satisfied with that Techno nodded his head and pushed Tommy further in towards the tub. “I’ll go find us some clothes. Don’t come out until you’re clean.”

Tommy threw more curses at him as he left but ultimately didn’t try to follow him out. A few moments later he heard running water.

Techno wasn’t sure if he was going to have any luck finding the dining hall from their room. He hadn’t been paying close enough attention when they walked here and took several turns. So, he decided to go searching through the dressers first. There were sheets and moth balls and one of the drawers had an entire candelabra in it, but most of them were empty.

Techno pulled open a drawer on the last dresser, closest to the bed and found several sets of clothes. They were all sizes and colors. Many of them looked like they were brand new. He found a pair of pants like the ones Tommy had been wearing and a bright red T-Shirt that he figured the kid would like. Then, after looking around a bit more he found something for himself.

Tommy took the clothes without arguing and even seemed pleased by the shirt. He then went over to the massive bed and with a running start, belly-flopped onto the mattress.

“It should be illegal for anything to be this soft.”

Techno smiled but didn’t say anything. It was his turn to figure out the bath now. It only took a little bit of trial and error before he figured that the golden orbs were meant to be turned and that one made cold water spill from the oddly shaped metal, and one made warm water spill forward. He turned the water as hot as it would go and sat in the tub as it filled around him.

The tension he didn’t know he was carrying slipped from his shoulders and all the grime from the day fell away. The stress and anxiety of a new place melted in the heat of the water. He could get used to this.

But he was also tired, and his eyes ached from staring at the maps all night. And his pup was alone in the other room. So, Techno reached for the bottle of shampoo and got to work.

When he left the bathroom, still towel drying his hair he found that they weren’t alone anymore. Tommy was having a standoff with two vampires near the door. The first thing Techno noticed was the obvious tension in his figure, and how harshly he glared at the newcomers. But then Techno saw who it was, and all he could do was sigh.

“Tech! Techno! When were you going to tell us you had a little vamp? We deserve to know!” Tubbo bounced over to him, dumping his load of blankets on the bed as he went. Ranboo was also there, with his own armful of blankets. He seemed to have carried the brunt of it, and he walked carefully as he peeked around the stack in his arms, trying not to trip.

“I was a bit surprised when they told us you had brought someone.” He said, in his gentle voice. Tommy glared up at him, un-swayed by the nervous wave Ranboo gave him.

“He doesn’t talk much, does he? He seems a bit grumpy.”

Tommy bristled at Tubbo’s careless words. “I am not grumpy!”

Tubbo grinned. “But you aren’t happy either! What’s on your mind hmm? You seem a bit upset.”

Techno chose that moment to step in. “It might have something to do with the massive attack coming up, and maybe the fact we’re in a new place with people he’s never seen before. But you know. That’s just a hunch.”

Tubbo seemed to cower at the reminder that he was a stranger and was undoubtedly contributing to Tommy’s discomfort. But then he processed the rest of Techno’s statement.

“An attack?” He perked up, and if he were a wolf, Techno just knew that his ears would be standing straight up at attention.

He nodded. “Mmhmm. Why don’t you go ask Phil about it?”

The small vampire began bouncing on his feet. “Yes! Ran let’s go!” He turned on his heel and made a dash for the exit. Ranboo set his load of blankets down on the bed and went to follow. Techno called after him.

“Ranboo, is there a lock on this door?”

The boy cocked his head. “Yes, it’s one of those old things with a keyhole. Just turn the key and take it out. No one can get in from the outside.” Then he left and closed the door behind him.

Tommy sighed in relief and Techno mirrored him. That was more than enough excitement for one day. He turned to Tommy, grunting, and motioning with his head toward the bed. Tommy obeyed, climbing under the covers with much more subdued excitement than before. Techno went about blowing out the candles and closing the dark curtains against the faint traces of sunrise.

Before blowing out the last candle he took a good look at the bed and surveyed what all he had to work with. There was no way his instincts would let him rest in such an open space. The new delivery of blankets made sense now. He sent a silent thanks to Niki and got to work.

All the blankets were soft, but some were thicker. There was a surplus of pillows on the bed as well, and Techno started with those to form his base. He hadn’t needed to build a nest in many years, since the one back in his den had been there forever. Tommy sat in the middle of the bed and watched him work. Techno didn’t mind, just moved around him, and grunted when he needed him to shift out of the way. Tommy understood well enough and was content to move where Techno needed him.

When he was done, they sat in a bowl shape. It was padded with pillows and soft blankets, with walls built up for structure, and a few loose blankets to be pulled up for warmth. Techno purred again in his throat. He hadn’t built the nest big enough for his wolf form, they would need more blankets for that, so he pushed away the urge to shift and reached for Tommy instead.

The boy’s eyes were dark, and his pupils had completely expanded with the force of his instincts. Techno purred harder at the sight, knowing that his eyes probably showed the same. They curled into each other in the nest and lay there, humming and purring with the force of it all. For a few minutes that was all they did. Techno’s eyes were drooping when the boy in his arms shifted.

“Technoblade?” The wolf only huffed into his hair. “Are you mad at me?

That made his eyes open fully. “Why would I be mad?”

“Because I imprinted on you? Because we have a coven bond now and we’re stuck together?”

“Tommy, that wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know.”

He squirmed, trying to look up at Techno’s face. “But you didn’t get any say in it! I just walked into your house and bit you!”

“Technically, I carried you into my house.”

Tommy groaned, banging his head into Techno’s chest.

“Technooooo!” He was frustrated, and upset, and confused. And honestly, Technoblade couldn’t blame him. He rested his hand on the back of Tommy’s neck, keeping him pressed to his chest, but also hoping to reassure him.

“I’m not mad at you Tommy. I’m glad you showed up. I’m glad we’re here.”

The fledgling whined. Techno’s instincts did not like that, and he purred again to soothe his worries.

“But now you’re fighting a bunch of vampires for me. And we barely know each other!” He was still whining and frustrated, even though his hands came up to grip Techno’s shirt.

“I probably would have done that anyway, since Phil is my friend. But it does help that you are here.” He ran his fingers through the new clean blonde hair that rested on his chest and thought about it all.

It was a strange situation. He had known Tommy for barely two weeks. That was hardly enough time to form any kind of bond with someone. But Tommy had needed someone, and Techno had been there, showing him kindness and keeping him safe. And although Techno hated to admit it to himself, he had needed Tommy too.

For years his instincts had been crying out for a pack. Meeting Phil and his coven had helped to subdue those voice. The lonely cry in the middle of the night. But it hadn’t squashed them. With Tommy by his side, Techno had slept better these last few weeks then he ever had before. But it wasn’t the instincts alone.

Tommy was a fighter, he could tell. He had run from his captors instead of staying and begging, like some others might have. He had pushed Techno away and pleaded his case when they first met. When he did leave with Techno at night, walking with him on the game trails, his eyes had always been full of wonder and curiosity. He listened intently when Techno explained things, and he always wanted to try his hand at something new. Techno had the feeling they were very similar in that respect.

It wasn’t just Tommy who had latched onto a protector. It was Techno, latching on to a reason to keep fighting.

“You’re right.” He settled on. “I don’t know you very well. But I don’t regret meeting you.” Tommy leaned up to look at him again and Techno let him. “I know this is a bit of a mess. But after tomorrow, when this is all cleared away and we have the time, I want to get to know you better.” He rested his palm on Tommy’s cheek and rubbed his thumb under his wide silver eye. “You ok with that kid?”

Tommy’s lip began to wobble and instead of answering he buried his face in Techno’s chest and gripped the back of his shirt in tight fists. “You seem so sure that tomorrow will go well.”

Techno rested his chin on his pup’s head and hummed deep in his bones, surrounding Tommy with the swell of protectiveness in his chest.

“It will. I’ll do whatever it takes.”