Abaddon reached over and pressed something to the side, which Teru couldn't see from his view as a prisoner. The glass slid to the left.

It's a door!

The giant window was a door the entire time...

And now nothing was in between them.

He tensed when he realized his pheromones were saturating every nook and cranny. The room was small, so he imagined the unseen sparkles piling up over time. It would make an alpha go crazy. Recently, Teru could finally detect the change in his scent. It became sweeter by the day, a sign of his pregnancy hormones getting stronger as the babies grew. It was sickly sweet, even for him. Anyone would notice that something was off with him by now. Someone who had never met an omega likely couldn't pinpoint the explanation, but those who remembered his gender could make a good guess. It was a distinct scent.

Stupid him didn't think to hide his pheromones while trapped.

Abaddon walked in with purpose, stepping on the pile of books. The corner of the phone was visible, but thankfully the vampire was too star-struck by the new addition to his collection to notice. Before he could get away, Abaddon released his scentless pheromones, putting pressure on Teru's shoulders to remain still. It was the most bizarre feeling of being in the presence of an alpha without a smell. It didn't have the same 'obey me' sensation a dominant should have. Since this visit caught Teru by surprise, he didn't have time to counteract the silent command.

Abaddon's hand gripped him by the jaw, lightly squeezing his cheeks. It didn't hurt, but it was firm. He moved Teru's head to the left to examine his features, then to the right. Move down. Push up to see his throat.

"Not as pretty as Ryoma, but it'll have to do. It's a shame the sire was a mutt of unknown blood, or he'd be the pick of the litter, no doubt. At least he's still show-quality." He forced Teru's mouth open. "Teeth are perfect. No overbite. Skin is a little pale. Let's increase the iron in his diet."

Abaddon inhaled his scent, analyzing it like Blaise did when guessing someone's intimate life.

Oh no...

"The cinnamon adds value to him. Spices are a rare scent. I'm pleased."

Cinnamon? That's only during my heat. I definitely do not smell like cinnamon. What is he smelling to think that?

Teru kept quiet and didn't correct the mistake, tethered in place by alpha pheromones. Okay, this sort of touch was doable. As long as he didn't do anything to trigger the omega's defense-

Abaddon held up the white collar, intending to strap the offensive accessory around Teru's bare neck. It would be a symbol of being a piece of property once more. The unbreakable material would cover his mark. That was enough to ignite his instincts, like he was a cornered dog. Teru would not accept it.

A low growl vibrated in his chest and flashed his teeth in warning. He was about to snap at the hand inching closer when he saw Abaddon's heterochromia eyes. Rather than being angry at the omega's resistance, he was excited by it. Clearly, he wanted Teru to rebel, but why? Perhaps it would give him an excuse to hurt him into submission?

I can't risk getting injured. Kieran told me to take care of my body.

As much as Teru wanted to bite this man's finger off and tear the collar to shreds, he had to think about all the possibilities. Abaddon was certainly a physically abusive alpha, and wouldn't hesitate to smack a petite human around despite the sheer difference in their body size. So, Teru shut his mouth and clenched his teeth together, loathing the feeling of the collar fastening around his throat. The lock clicked. No one could remove it except the new owner.

Abaddon fixed Teru's black hair as he pouted in his unique accent, "Huh, I'm slightly disappointed. I thought you'd give me a hard time, little virtue. It took three years for Ryoma to let me do this without a fight. I guess my stepson broke you in sooner than I thought."

No, it's because I'm pregnant, you filthy asshole.

"Since you did it so willingly, I'll save this for next time," he praised, referring to the white dog muzzle. Thank heavens, because Teru thought he'd actually turn aggressive if that were to be strapped on him today. "When you obey me, you'll be rewarded. When you oppose, you'll get punished. It's quite simple. Do you understand?"

He didn't answer, continuing to stare at the floor. The vampire's hand that gently stroked Teru's head roughly grasped his hair, pulling out a few strands. He gasped at the harsh way he was forced to look into Abaddon's eyes, one red and one brown.

"I asked you if you understood."

What was he supposed to say? "I-I understand," Teru stuttered on high alert, ready to protect his body if necessary.

"I understand, Master," Abaddon corrected.

"I understand, Master." His heart felt empty as he followed the order. Calling this sicko his master was vile and disgusting. Teru wouldn't have minded saying the title to Kieran during their sexy playtime, but to Abaddon? This alpha scum? Heck to the no!

I don't have a choice. I can't go against him as I am.

"Good boy." Abaddon released him and walked out of the bedroom. Before he closed the door, he observed the broken mess. "I'll send new furniture tomorrow. If you destroy the things I give you a second time, expect your room to be empty for one year, except for the table."

So, that's why Tae-soo told him to let it out when he could. The privilege wouldn't arise again.

Their gazes at each other were unwavering as he pushed the button. The glass slid across, closing him in. Abaddon was the first to break contact, allowing Teru to breathe freely without the constraints of scentless pheromones. He took a few steps back so he could sit on the bed and wiped away the sweat on his forehead. Teru craned his neck from side to side to pop his vertebrae, feeling agitated by the tightness of the collar. He sighed and placed a hand on his tiny stomach bump.

As long as you guys are safe, I can tolerate any pain and humiliation.

The sound of the other glass doors opening echoed. Abaddon let the four werewolves out of their rooms. They hustled to the center of the big, empty space. Lila, Jacky, and Zander stood behind Tae-soo, their pack leader. All were wary of Abaddon, especially Zander, who shook immensely from past trauma.

Abaddon sat on the pristine, white sofa in the far corner. "I'm in a particularly good mood. You have one hour. There won't be any kink play today." What he said seemed to calm Zander's anxiety down some, relieved he wouldn't be forced to go out of his comfort zone for whatever fucked up stuff they usually did here.

One hour? One hour to do what?

Abaddon pulled out his smartphone. Teru couldn't see what he was doing on the screen. Within seconds, everyone's white collar beeped and unlocked, except his. It didn't come off like theirs. Collars could be managed through an app? That was not a feature offered to Kieran when he was black collar shopping.

After removing their clothes, too, Teru watched in awe as the naked pack spent the next five minutes shifting. He flinched at seeing their bones break, crack, and adjust. Their faces contorted into beasts. It was a slower process than he thought, and it looked painful as hell. Fur grew out of their skin, each one different from the other.

Four wolves panted after the tiring process was over. They were huge. If comparing their height with Kieran's, they'd reach up to his waist. Tae-soo, the smokey grey wolf, was slightly bigger than the others. He nipped at their heals to make them run, wanting them to get exercise in this form before the hour was up. Lila, a silver-grey color, ran after Jacky. His fur was dark brown and had a white underbelly. Zander was close to Tae-soo. Teru liked the color of the second alpha's fur. It reminded him of the red desert sand he saw in Kieran's nature books. His white paws contrasted against the rustic shade.

Though Teru wasn't familiar with wolves, their postures, yips, and light growls meant they were having fun. Human packs were very similar in that aspect. Homesickness for his mate hurt his chest when he saw them scent marking, rubbing the sides of their bodies together before they had to separate soon.

Occasionally, the three wolves sniffed at Zander's backside. He'd freeze and raise his tail to let them. What was wrong with him? Why just Zander? Without being able to smell their pheromones, Teru had no idea what was going on.

Teru noticed Abaddon wasn't observing them anymore. He was looking at him from afar emotionlessly. Thinking. Calculating. His penetrating gaze was so uncomfortable that Teru got up and went to the doorless bathroom. He lay on the cold shower floor with his arms wrapped around his stomach. No one could see him from this angle and he couldn't see them. It was the only privacy he had.

He stared at the shower head above, leaking a single drop every once in a while. It would land on his cheek, dripping into his hair. Wolf snarls of a fight broke out. The aches of being separated from Kieran flared up again. This felt like a bad fever dream. Absolutely numbing. Unreal.

The fiery star in their bonded link's galaxy was dark. He didn't know how with Kieran being unconscious, but Teru knew for certain that his alpha wasn't well. If he could, he'd switch places so Teru could take on his pain, but Kieran would throw a hissy fit if he did that while pregnant. He smiled, creating a scenario in his mind of them having a petty argument about it. Kieran would probably bite his nape possessively to make him stop talking, holding Teru in a bear hug to protect him from the outside world.

It was quiet. The pack must've returned to their rooms. Wolf time was over and Abaddon was gone. He thought he heard the same vibrating sound, but Teru was too tired to investigate. His fantasies helped him fall asleep in the shower stall.