Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Keith snarled as he stared at the baker, blood seeping into his rags of a shirt. The baker grinned, reaching to grab the bread from his hand. Only to get scratched by the claws of the lion hybrid. 

Lion. That is what he was cursed with. Born as an animal. Red fur blossomed from his cheeks and temples, two small ears perking from his messy black hair and a small tail flicked weakly from the scars. 

“You fucking—!” The baker grabbed Keith by his ear, his piercing, and pulled him outside, in the parade. 

The parade, for the newest member of the Royal family, Lance McClain. King Shiro and Prince Lance sat comfortably on thrones carried by slaves.

 Pride-safe-gotothem-notmama—

Shut up, instincts. Keith bristled, his tail raised. He scowled and threw his hood over his head, hiding his traits. 

He blended into the crowd easily, acting like nothing but a peasant. He was a peasant. Right? Right. 

He ignored the feeling of eyes on his back. 

Only the Royal family are lions though—

Shut. Up. 

Keith opened the door to his house, barely a house anyway: just one room with a stove, two chairs, and one bed. His tail twitched, sweeping up dust. 

Home sweet fucking home.

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

“Father?” Lance asked, out of his stupid little dress and into a white button up and brown trousers, fixing his necklace; the blue jewel shining within the rays of the sun. 

Shiro glanced up at him, his white ears rising at the sight of his son. He had been on edge since the parade, since he noticed the cub in the crowd. 

He looked so malnourished, so starved. He needed to be with him. With a pride. 

”Yes?” Pidge glanced up from his seat, from his studies. 

“The guards have found him.” 

Shiro stood up quickly, grabbed his cloak, and left, his instincts going wild. 

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

Keith growled softly as the King’s guards moved into the throne room, the shackles on his hands too heavy. They ripped him of his shirt, put him into a tunic. 

The King smiled, the white beard on his face moving with him. White hair faded into black hair, two, large white ears perked up.

Dressed in a white tunic, the black jewels in his belts shining. The cloak over his shoulders looked so inviting, so— 

He had to stop doing that. 

Keith tensed up as the King stood and moved down the steps, his tail flicking in sync with the other’s. He watched as the King circled him, his ears flattening on top on his head out of pure fear. 

“You’re small for a cub,” he mused, looking Keith up and down. “too small. I thought you were taken care of.” 

“I was.”

“You absolutely weren’t.” 

Keith growled loudly, his eyes widening at the louder growl. 

Submit. Submit. 

He didn’t. And he lunged.

Chapter Text

how we gotta feel if I reworked this like completely rewrite it??