As they headed back, Kieran was giving off pheromones to every vampire and human that passed them. It didn't matter if they were an alpha, beta, man, or woman.

Teru wondered what in the world he was thinking when he warned a child with his scent. "Is that necessary?"

He looked down at him. "What's necessary?"

"The pheromones. You're making everyone nervous."

Kieran was taken aback for a second before retreating the smell. "I didn't realize."

When they arrived at the same hallway that would lead them to the penthouse, his heart sunk. He didn't want to be confined for so long again. "You said something about shopping, right? When can we do that?"

"Soon. Like I mentioned, I'm waiting for approval to take you outside without a collar. It was risky just taking you to see Charles."

Collar. Such a derogatory word. Teru wasn't a caged animal; none of the humans were. "Because I'm nothing more than a piece of property, right?" he spat.

Kieran was irked by the sarcasm. He trapped Teru between himself and the wall. The vampire talked so close to his face that their lips were almost touching. "Under the law, yes. You belong to me. Humans are required to wear a collar in public, no matter their status. An omega needs a special type of collar to protect their nape and there's only one store left in the city that has them in stock."

Everything this guy said went in one ear and out the other. Teru gulped as he fixated on the alpha's minty aroma. It was intoxicating and made him dizzy. He barely noticed Kieran unlocking the door before taking him inside.

I need to clear my head.

Kieran didn't say anything when Teru went to the bathroom.

He figured a bath could help. The only other idea he had was watching a movie, but he wasn't in the mood for that. If they were in the forest, he'd go hunting since listening closely to surrounding nature was therapeutic.

Teru spent a while trying to figure out how to turn the two bathtub knobs. When he finally got the temperature he liked, he undressed and studied himself in the mirror. His cheeks were rosy and his skin had a 'glow' to it. Why did he look the same, yet different?

His mind wandered back to Kieran, getting lost thinking about his green eyes...

Trickles of water plopped on the floor.

Damn it! He had a mini heart attack when he saw the overflowing tub, cleaning up the mess the best he could.

His body slowly sunk into the warm depths before being completely submerged, including his head. At least underwater, he couldn't smell anyone's pheromones.

There were times when he went swimming alone in the lake because the mixture of everyone's scents in the caves overwhelmed him. He couldn't say for alphas, but betas were so lucky that they didn't have such a perceptive nose like he did.

And when they were with that weird doctor today, his sense of smell seemed extra sensitive. He didn't make his uncomfortableness known when they were there, but he knew there was an alpha vampire nearby who was about to enter his rut.

Teru held his breath, wanting to erase everything he smelled today.

How long can I hold it? My record is 70 seconds.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...

At twenty seconds, his body suddenly became scalding hot.

Recently when Kieran was out, Teru ignored his warning not to touch the stove. Was it so wrong of him wanting to know? He pressed the same button to switch on the fire. There was a clicking sound followed by the smell of gas, but no fire. Teru poked the circle where the gas was leaking. Flames bursted out, burning his hand.

He tried his best to hide the red skin, but Kieran noticed later that day when he couldn't use his hand properly from the pain. He was obviously scolded like a kid that went against his parent's rules.

The heat that consumed him felt very similar to his hand's injury; this time, it was everywhere, not just his hand. Teru accidentally inhaled water through his nose from the sensation.

He leaned over the side of the tub, coughing up the water that went in his lungs.

The tepid liquid was now boiling. Teru crawled out of the bath, not caring that the hard floor was freezing against his feverish skin. His stomach felt queasy. The room was spinning.

There was a knock. "Are you okay?" Kieran asked from the outside.

Alpha. There's a dominant alpha.

His spine wanted to curve into a downward dog position.

I want to be a good boy for the alpha.

Like a newborn deer, he staggered, naked, over to the door.

Breed me. Make me yours.

He couldn't think of anything else. The rebellious human that wanted to escape from this vampire city was replaced by the omega.

And there was only one thing it wanted.

Teru turned the door's handle.

It was locked. They were inches apart. The only thing between them was this damned piece of wood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the other side, Kieran barely managed to lock the bathroom door as soon as he smelled the cinnamon aroma. It took every ounce of his willpower not to pull the door wide open and take the person inside.

He needed time to think about his next move.

Why? Because Teru was in heat; not just any heat, but his first. Kieran has been with an omega vampire during their cycle, but never a human one. They were fragile. Plus, his ruts would be too taxing on their mortal bodies.

The scent was getting stronger. Would Teru want his help? Surely, he wasn't in the right mind. He'd probably want him to stay as far away as possible.

An omega's heat could last anywhere from a few days to a week.

It was bad timing. He planned on talking to Teru later that day about what he wanted when he had his heat. Did he want to be alone? Some prefer it that way. Would he want to experiment with a sex toy?

Too late now. Could Teru handle dealing with his heat himself for that long? The boy had no experience on how to relieve it on his own. Nesting fits were nothing compared to this.

And what about Kieran? The pheromones will get more potent until the heat reaches its peak. That could be tomorrow or the next day after that. It would be difficult to be nearby, hear everything, but not touch.

"Alpha," a voice rasped. The handle jiggled. "Why won't you hold me?"

Shit. Don't say those words.

Kieran grabbed the handle, too, wanting nothing more than to open it. His other hand covered his face to hold in his pained groans as his dick knotted. Again. This was the second time he's done this with nothing to knot to. The size kept increasing. "Jesus...," he couldn't help but say.

Fucking hurts.

"Please help me," the omega cried out.

He yanked the pamphlet from his pocket, the one that Charles gave him earlier. He shakily skimmed over the information.

'If an omega goes too long without help from a partner, they experience chills, migraines, a high pulse, and extreme irritability.'

Kieran heard a distressed sound coming from Teru. By now, he must've been feeling these symptoms.

He exhaled before answering. "I-I can't help you. I'm not strong enough to hold myself back if I unlock it. Get dressed so you don't get a cold. There are clean clothes next to the dryer—"

"It hurts a lot..."

"I know. I know it does, but you don't like me. Your first time shouldn't be with me."

Kieran's body was physically aching from not touching Teru. So, this is what the doctor meant when he asked if he felt agitated, not wanting to leave the omega alone. It explained why he unintentionally put pressure on others with his pheromones. Earlier, he didn't even realize what he was doing until Teru pointed it out.

The alpha in him was instinctually guarding his partner who would have his heat soon.

The signs were there. I guess I am getting stupid.

"I need you, alpha..."

It was futile talking any sense into him. Kieran understood because he was the same during his rut.

His inner dominant alpha was beginning to take over as a wave of Teru's pheromones seeped through the door and filled every corner of his home. Hopefully, the vampires above and below his floor couldn't smell this.

Mate, it whispered. Make him mine.

Thankfully, he wasn't in his season. Otherwise, he wouldn't have any sort of control left. Just calm down...

"Kieran."

Teru said his name. Was this the first time he said it out loud?

His cock was just starting to go down, too, until it swelled again when he heard his name come out of that pretty mouth - a mouth that should be moaning it instead.

Kieran made up his mind. After unlocking it, he almost ripped the door off.

The heated scent was nearly visible in the bathroom. It choked him. Teased him. His eyes looked around wildly for an omega.

The room was empty.

The vampire growled, the sound rumbling deep within him.

Time to go hunting.

He followed the pheromone trail.

It led him to the washing machine room in the back. Towels and clothes were spread everywhere on the floor like a nest. It stunk of desperation.

In the center was Teru. He was on all fours with his ass in the air in presenting position, trying to display the goods in hopes that an alpha will find it attractive enough.

Slick flowed down his thighs.

His skin was the perfect shade, clear of any blemishes. Drops of water glistened on his hair from the bath he took.

The omega noticed him there and whimpered. He lifted his hole higher for easier access. The bud fluttered in anticipation now that an alpha was nearby. His glazed, brown eyes and sweaty skin almost made Kieran knot again.

It was a beautiful sight.

Pheromone venom dripped down his chin. His fangs. If he was going to help Teru in this heat-drunken stupor, the least Kieran could do was not bite him.

He would never go near him again if the vampire bit him without consent.

"Please..." Teru begged again. More slick came out of his pink entrance.

I want to lick his juice clean.

I want to shove it in. Fill him up.

I want his everything.