Teru assumed this was what it felt like to get hit by a moving car, the only reference being the movies they've watched. His body ached in all places imaginable, every nook and cranny, inside and out. He was over this alignment, or whatever it was called when heats and ruts tried to match up.

Days and nights blurred together. Time didn't matter. The waves didn't care if it was one in the morning or while eating his afternoon snack. When it wanted to start, it began no matter what he was doing or where he was located. The same went for Kieran, whose rut eventually gave him a break by providing 'down time,' just like an omega's heat. At first, they went at it like spring rabbits every few hours for weeks. Over time, the period between their spiked hormones to breed grew longer, allowing them to eat, sleep, and bathe. It was feeling more like a duty between alpha and omega than bonding between destined mates.

He didn't know how long it's been since they confined themselves, drunk on each other.

Obnoxiously loud snoring startled Teru. The sound jolted the vampire awake, too. Since sleeping together every night after they sealed their fate, he quickly discovered a funny habit about Kieran-he would sometimes wake himself with his own snores.

"You did it again," Teru said in the dark.

"I told you. I don't snore," Keiran denied and rolled over, draping his arm over Teru's waist. He pecked little kisses at the fresh bite marks on his nape. Within seconds, his breathing slowed, going back to sleep with his lips still against Teru's skin.

Ugh, I wish I could fall asleep that fast.

The tips of Kieran's fangs grazed the marks with every inhale. Oh, and that was another thing. He learned how to alter his canine size at will, but it was only possible when he had the intention to bite Teru's nape. During any other time, his fangs refused to retract and become human-like. This new discovery would fascinate Dr. Charles, as it did not exist in any medical books known to man. Supposedly, they were the second case of a fated pairing between vampire and human, but the first to complete the bond. They had no stories or case studies to reference, so they had to play this by ear and take their time.

Over the next hour, the incoming sunrise turned the room into a dark blue hue. Teru stared at the window with drowsy eyes rimed with insomnia, thinking about the visions he had after declaring Kieran was his destined mate. They felt too real to be made-up fantasies such as the genuine emotions, the calming tickle of Kieran's fingers skimming over his belly, and the physical tiredness of sprinting past the ice-encrusted trees.

The navy blue became purple. A sliver of light peeked through the curtains, making orange rectangles on the wall behind them.

Kieran stirred. "Did you not sleep?" he asked with a husky voice.

"I couldn't. I feel restless for some reason."

He felt the vampire reach behind him and rummage through the side table drawer before placing something cold in Teru's hand. It was a nickel.

"Penny for your thoughts," Kieran breathed into his hair. This quote became an inside joke between them thanks to his demands for coins. Teru smiled and put the nickel aside. It would make a good addition to his nest. There needed to be more stuff. It had to be perfect. For what, he didn't know. Ignoring the need to go to his fort right this second and rearrange again, he flipped around to face his mate. "Before you marked me, did you see anything?"

"See anything? Like what?"

"I'm not sure. Illusions? Hallucinations? I saw us together doing different things."

Understanding flitted across Kieran's face. "Memories. They're memories that have not occurred yet, but they will eventually. No one knows when it'll happen. It could be tomorrow or in ten years. Destined pairs see them when their paths finally cross."

This was interesting to learn about. He leaned up on his elbows and stared at his red eyes. "What was yours?"

Kieran tucked a lock of Teru's hair behind his ear. The length was getting long again. "That's a secret."

"Please?" he pretended to whine and be as annoying as possible.

"I might reconsider if you tell me one of yours, then."

Got 'em, Teru thought with triumph. "Well-"

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Someone was banging on the front door with a fist.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

"Should you get that?"

"No."

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Whoever it was, they were very insistent.

"Kieran!" a muffled voice yelled from the outer hallway. It was Blaise. "It's an emergency!"

The oldest prince growled and ignored it. This worried Teru. The knocking kept going and going, getting more persistent and erratic. "I think you need to see what's wrong."

"Pass."

Teru sensed Kieran's irritation with his sibling, not caring about the emergency.

"I'll get it." He covered himself with the white sheet, using it to wrap around his nakedness. A trickle of cum oozed down the back of his thighs. Crap. They forgot to clean out the semen from the night before.

His alpha grabbed his wrist. "Do you intend on facing Lust looking and smelling like that? I don't specialize in sex like he does, but even I can smell your stomach full of my scent."

More runny semen came out. Teru blushed. No, he didn't want to see Blaise in this state.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Kieran was angry. He jumped off the mattress, stark naked, and pulled on his briefs and black pajama pants from the floor where they were haphazardly discarded before pleasuring the omega. As usual, no shirt to display his defined abs and arms to intimidate the other intruding vamp. It added to the full effect of a pissed-off alpha post-mating season.

"Stay here." He left and stomped down the stairs. Teru silently slipped out of bed with the sheet and peeked his head out of the doorframe. From this angle, he could see the front door.

Kieran unlocked the heavy bolts and chains. When he swung it open, he seethed, "What-"

They both jumped when there was a loud POP noise. Colorful ribbons flew before landing on everything. The penthouse's owner was so shocked that he didn't have time to register Blaise waltzing in. He took out another tube from his pocket and set off another round of rainbow streamers. What were those for? They were pretty, having the urge to collect them for the nest.

"Happy birthday! Aren't you at least a millennium now?" Blaise yelled and scanned the living room. "Where's my cute brother-in-law?"

Oh boy. Teru shivered when he felt Keiran's wrath. And...did he just say birthday?

He watched him grab the scruff of Blaise's neon green jacket and hauled him to the door. "Get out," he barked. "It's not my birthday."

Blaise wiggled to get free. "Don't you know what month it is? Everyone's been wondering when you'll come out from your love eyrie."

Kieran stopped, considering the question. He didn't know what month it was. They've been too busy easing the heat and rut. Blaise raised his eyebrows, surprised because his question was meant to be rhetorical.

"You don't know?" He pulled out his small phone to show him the screen. "See? It's February 1st. That's your birthday and I'm treating you. Don't tell me you can't go. I can smell your pheromones. His cycle ended...two, maybe three weeks ago. Yours not long after that, because there's no virtue in heat to sniff around."

T-two months?! We've been cooped up for two months?

Pride barred his fangs and shook his sibling roughly by the jacket's collar. "How do you know about Teru being a virtue?"

"We all know. We felt it when humility manifested. Abaddon's been asking about it nonstop. Mother is also curious, requesting to see him. Did you get the invitations regarding the changed date for the-," Blaise paused when he saw the piles of unopened red envelopes and withered, black roses in the corner. "Anyway, let's not worry about that now. There's an outlet mall next to the shoreline. I reserved the entire place for us to indulge ourselves, so dress warm."

"No," Kieran strictly turned it down.

"I know you haven't acknowledged it in hundreds of years, but maybe Teru wants to have fun? Let's-"

"No. It's too soon after his heat."

Teru rushed out of the bedroom and stood at the top of the stairs. "But it's your birthday, right? I want to celebrate."

The two dominant alphas stared at him-one was livid that his bare legs were visible with old sperm streaming down them while the other ogled at said legs. Teru gasped and shifted the sheet to cover the dirtiness.

"Then it's settled!" Blaise gently peeled his brother's grasp from his ugly coat before plopping himself on the sofa covered with confetti. They literally just mated on that spot hours ago! Teru bet he could detect the lewd pheromones on it. "I'll wait while ya'll get ready. I suggest removing your seed from your omega, yes? He'll get the nasty runs later."

Kieran rumbled, disliking the way Blaise blatantly talked about him in a disgusting way. The youngest sin didn't care and snapped his fingers in the air. "Chop chop. We have a reservation in two hours. You know how traffic can be."

Teru knew Kieran gave up trying to chase him away. Blaise was like a cockroach. No matter how many times you flushed it down the toilet, it always crawled its way back.

His alpha marched up the stairs, staring at Teru with unwavering sternness. His crimson eyes glowered that Teru went against him again, this time getting them caught up in plans he didn't want to do. Seeing the prissy man coming for him made him panic and race back into the bedroom. Just when he was almost to his safe haven of hiding underneath the bedcovers, Kieran picked him up from behind and heaved him on the bed, covering his slender frame with his. The thin sheet unfurled, showing his body. An aroma of musk enveloped them, meaning Kieran was not happy.

An old habit of yielding to his pack's leader came out. Teru was mentally transferred to the green forest with Nolan speeding at him. He wanted them to return to the caves together, maybe force a mark on his nape. His gross mushroom scent made him want to throw up. Teru craned his neck out, belly exposed, heart racing, and totally submitting like the inferior omega he was. He clenched his eyes shut and waited for Nolan to place his canines on his throat. This wasn't biting, but a threatening move to make him give up and admit defeat as a lower rank in the pack.

It never came. Instead, he smelled calming pheromones. Gentle lips kissed his Adam's apple. "Who made you like this for you to react in such a way?"

The forest slowly faded, revealing the ceiling above. Kieran's dark, burgundy hair tickled his chin as he nibbled on Teru's throat to bring him back from the momentary PTSD episode. His blood pressure lowered. The wheezing breaths settled.

"Nolan," Teru whispered.

"And what is Nolan's role in your pack?"

"He's the head alpha who wanted to mark me."

Kieran didn't enjoy hearing another alpha had bullied and courted his life mate. "Then, should I bring his entrails for you on a skewer? I can deep fry them with a side of BBQ sauce."

Teru laughed uneasily but stopped when he realized Kieran was serious. "That...might be too much."

"Then tell me how to punish this bastard for hurting you."

"Maybe," Teru thought about it, "a good sucker punch to the nose. He always flaunted his pheromones and loved his face. Some damage might give him a taste of humbleness."

"If my virtue says breaking his nose will give him humility, then I'll split him in half." Nolan better pray he never meets Pride, first prince and worst sin of Avania.

The omega wrapped his smooth legs around Kieran's hips. "Is it really your birthday?"

"I suppose it is."

"How old are you?"

"I don't know. After five hundred years, you stop caring." Kieran's hand traveled up Teru's inner thigh, getting his fingers wet with the leaked semen. Did it not gross him out?

"Can we go? Blaise said we haven't left in two months. Did you know it's been that long?"

"I also lost track of time." The vampire pushed his lower half into Teru's exposed crotch, watching his reaction.

"Ahh," Teru moaned. A soft purr vibrated in his chest. Though the raging hormones governing their lust had disappeared, it didn't prevent the risque noise from leaving his mouth. It could be any time of the year, and this would still feel so good. Kieran's fingers used last night's results of their union as lubrication. He pressed one digit on his partner's bud and teased it by making circular motions. Kieran sucked until he made a hickey on his throat. With his tongue, he slowly made his way to the bites on Teru's shoulder. His saliva did its miracle work by healing the minor wounds; the sole ring to not disappear was the original one, now only red indentations of scars left by his teeth. A fingertip pushed through the slightly swollen entrance. Teru leaned his head back into the pillow and let out an erotic sigh. One finger wasn't enough to make him full.

Hopefully, Blaise couldn't hear.

"Do you still want to go?" the alpha mumbled under his jawline, moving further into him until it touched the spongy area against his prostate. His legs shook. Gosh, it would be a tragedy to stop now, but...

"Yeah. I don't want to wait another year. We only have today."

"Hey!" Blaise called from downstairs. "Stop finger-fucking!"

Kieran growled to signify his displeasure and removed his finger. Teru covered his reddened face, embarrassed.

"Let's clean you up. I don't want anyone to smell any trace of this," he said, holding up his slick and semen-covered hand, "and imagine what we did here. Otherwise, I can't hold myself back knowing someone is thinking of you like that. I'll break their insignificant necks and hang their spines at the beta auction stage. Everyone will witness the consequences if they see you with perverted desire." His fangs glistened with bloodlust.

Teru peeked at him through his fingers that were still over his eyes. This would terrify a normal human. Not him, though, not his destined mate. "You're more possessive than usual."

"I think I'm no different from normal."

"Who would hang spines? No, you're crazier lately."

"Crazy?" Kieran poked his ribs a few times.

He squealed from the tickling invasion and tried to crawl away by rolling over. Teru stopped mid-escape when Kieran sandwiched him between his heavy body and the bed. The alpha sniffed attentively at his scent gland, drinking the brown sugar perfume while purring loudly. When Teru said loud, he meant loud. The sound reverberated through the room. He almost expected Blaise to ask what the hell was happening here.

"You're not in heat. Yet, I'm bothered. I don't want strangers to smell this. It's sweeter recently."

"I think it's no different from normal," Teru repeated Kieran's phrase.

"Hmm." Kieran sat up and helped him off the bed. "Maybe. Go shower. I'll prepare an outfit for you."

"I want to wear my mint green hat."

"I know you do," Kieran said with warmth.