The challenge was technically over.

Kieran had won by default when his stepfather retreated, but the predator within him was on high alert, too hyped up to realize this. As soon as he saw that fucker run, his inner personalities were excited about the chase:

His alpha wanted revenge for hurting Teru.

Pride didn't like the idea of the challenge finishing so easily without causing some sort of permanent damage.

The vampire side saw prey trying to escape.

The thought of pouncing on Abaddon from behind and ripping his throat to shreds had him foaming by the mouth, salivating for some blood that should have been spilled decades ago.

If only Kieran had stopped to think about what he was doing. He should've taken that opportunity to take Teru and leave when they had the chance.

If only...

They played a game of cat and mouse, leaving devastation in their wake. As to who the cat was, it honestly depended. Sometimes it was Abaddon. Sometimes it was Kieran. Back and forth, they aimed at one another, making this fight seem more like an impasse because their strength was equal. They were getting better at dodging attacks, as both alphas had centuries of wars, battles, and death under their belts; it was becoming easy to read the other's moves and patterns.

Kieran was getting frustrated, feeling his face shift into Pride again. It was desperate to see some action. At least he had a better grip on its powers...

Unlike earlier when waking up from the silver-poisoned coma.

Unlike drinking Teru's blood and accidentally hurting him from his rampaging PTSD.

Unlike the past three centuries of suppressing his sin.

The lion tattoo on his nape became animated, floating around his neckline. In his core, aggressive energy spread through his veins, making him sense the sinners scrambling around them and their rotten flesh scents. Abaddon reeked the most, putting a bullseye target on his back. Once Pride had your scent, you'd never escape from him.

He felt invincible, a newfound purpose igniting the forest green in his eyes. There was no dread, no anticipation of his consciousness being pushed to the side so Pride could take over and go berserk. It listened to his command, obeying its master.

This was how it was supposed to be, not a prisoner to his sin.

Only I can control it. It can't control me.

They were well within the central part of the city. Kieran growled when Abaddon backtracked and released a downpour of thrashing punches at his chest, attempting to get to his heart. A few knicks here and there, but he defended his body well from the onslaught. He couldn't help but smirk a little when he saw an opening in between Abaddon's throws. It was barely there and not noticeable without decades of training, but Kieran caught it.

I can break his spine. That would give me plenty of time to eat his heart and end things once and for all. NOW.

Kieran went to wrap his leg around the bastard's waist and-

BANG.

He gasped mid-kick and missed Abaddon, tasting an explosion of iron in his mouth. Blood trickled from his lips. An intense burning made his lion writhe on his jugular. Kieran coughed up a bullet. When he spat it out onto his hand, the metal sphere sizzled the skin on his palm like radioactive matter. He dropped it, letting the crushed ball clang on the road. Silver.

Nearby, he noticed a sniper behind a burned vehicle, the barrel of the gun aiming at him. The soldier was no one he knew personally, but given the many insignia patches on his sleeves, the vampire was a trained professional in this field.

BANG.

The second silver bullet pierced his lungs, making him wheeze. No. He wasn't going to do this again. He refused to leave Teru alone in this cruel, fucked up world.

His body struggled to heal the poisoned bullet holes. Abaddon lept at his neck, fangs pulling at Kieran's skin into submission. The sudden weight caused Kieran to trip with Abaddon landing on top, straddling him. The cement road shattered into pieces.

"You fucking...cheater...," Kieran rasped. "Accept that...you lost...honorably..."

"Honorably, huh? You're the one who went on the offense first. No better than a rabid mutt. What a hypocrite son of mine."

Abaddon haphazardly pressed his sharp fangs into Kieran's esophagus. It was messy and had aimed completely wrong. Blood rushed into Kieran's throat. He gurgled and couldn't breathe. He was drowning. Pressure built up where Abaddon bit, sending a surge of unwanted euphoria through his body. This was a side effect of a vampire's bite-

No fucking way. Is he-?!

Kieran clawed at Abaddon's back, who was drinking his blood in large gulps. The sucking sounds were revolting. Every draining swallow made him feel weaker. Despite shredding through Abaddon's shirt and muscles, he refused to release Kieran. Similar to how Kieran threw away his pride by attacking first without properly accepting it, Abaddon threw away his own to bring in outside help. Both had broken the rules.

Kieran saw spots around his vision. He was so cold. His lips were probably blue. The image of Teru waiting for him at Central Park with bare feet in the snow flashed through his blackening mind.

He let out a slow breath and lifted a shivering arm, barely able to snake his hand in between their touching chests to Abaddon's throat. He squeezed until his nails punctured Abaddon's skin. The holes leaked steady streams of blood, staining Kieran's shirt.

His inner voice was calmer than he expected it to be when he thought, You will not end my life like this. You will never touch Teru again.

Abaddon snarled and took out his fangs. With crazed eyes, he raised his hand with nails elongating, intending to rip out Kieran's heart. Kieran hissed-

A black blob zoomed above him. Abaddon was there. In the next second, he was not. He turned his head, seeing a massive beast pinning Abaddon. Its drooling jaws were centimeters from the king's surprised face. Abaddon held up its heavy weight to stop it from feasting on him. The wolf's teeth snapped loudly with every snarl and lunge. When his hand slipped, it chomped into his head, canines breaking clean through Abaddon's cheeks and facial bones. The bastard screamed.

He stood up, feeling his strength slowly return. The burning from the silver still hurt, but this wouldn't deter him from fighting; he's fought in much worse conditions than this. Kieran couldn't look away from the white spot on the wolf's nape, reminding him of Black Beauty. No one needed to notify him that the wolf was Teru; he automatically knew the moment it dragged Abaddon across the street to give Kieran a breather to recoup.

My omega is a werewolf.

A burst of pride physically pained him, the most he's felt in a very, very long time. Kieran could always tell Teru was special every time he'd mark him, so it wasn't a huge surprise. Seeing his pregnant mate protecting him with such ferocity-

Pregnant...

Abaddon roared and punched the wolf in its temple. It yelped when its head snapped back, scrambling away while scratching at its face with a paw.

Teru is pregnant. He is injured. While carrying my pups.

Kieran felt his heart jump a million stories up. Never had he been so scared in his entire life than when hearing Teru's high-pitched whine. That was a sound he never wanted to hear again. The alpha growled, barring his fangs.

Pride wanted blood. His gender wanted blood. Kieran wanted Abaddon's blood.

He sped over to Teru, who was about to leap at Abaddon for a second round. The king was trying to connect the pieces of his fractured skull together caused by the wolf's strong teeth.

Like hell you'll fight! It's not an omega's job to protect the alpha!

Kieran released his pheromones. Teru stopped when his hand brushed over the white patch of fur.

My virtue's symbol.

The texture was the softest. Kieran found himself face deep into the fur on its neck. The scent was overly sweet, like brown sugar made straight from freshly extracted sugarcane molasses. It overpowered the decaying smell of his sin around him, putting him at ease. His purr rumbled low in his chest.

"You-," Kieran started to say. He was truly at a loss for words. How could he explain exactly how he felt when seeing this most amazing creature? "You...are a miracle." Everything this human was shouldn't exist in this hopeless world. It didn't deserve him, a source of light. He was convinced that Teru's circumstances and Kieran seeing him on stage was divine intervention, because what were the chances of the stars aligning for them to be at the same place, at the same time, at a blood slave auction? He knew the story-Teru shouldn't have left the caves that day.

None of it was a coincidence.

Teru squirmed, forcing Kieran to look into his warm brown eyes. He couldn't help it. Kieran placed his forehead onto the wolf's, stroking its fur from ears to shoulders. The alpha memorized every ripple of muscle.

"Don't fight anymore. Don't put your body at risk. Let me handle the rest."

Kieran smiled when the wolf's tongue licked his lips. Okay, Teru purred.

Suddenly, they both flinched at the electric aura in the air, giving them goosebumps. He moved Teru behind him, spreading his arms out to shield his mate. Teru put his tail between his legs and stepped back, sensing an immense threat. The few survivors nearby gasped and froze where they stood, shocked at what they were witnessing.

Abaddon had most of his skull fixed, skin and hair stitching together at the seams except for a few spots where his brain was visible. He lifted himself from the ground, leaning back like a demon-possessed human. In one spine-popping motion, Abaddon straightened up, looking at his feet, breathing heavily. His fingers were tense as he abruptly looked at the destined pair. His one red eye glowed.

"I never did finish my job. The fifth wave isn't over. Should it end before lunchtime?"

A mound of squirming muscles slithered on his upper back. Abaddon glanced at the skyscrapers, evilly showing the tips of his vampire fangs. His mouth curled into a satanic smile. Kieran eyed the buildings, too.

Shit...

This was why Abaddon coaxed him to the middle of New York City. It was a trap. Evading what was about to happen unscathed would be impossible.

The squirming on his shoulders moved faster. A lightning bolt flashed through the cloudless sky, followed by a deafening blast of thunder.

"Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" Abaddon yelled, referring to the Bible's Revelation 8:13. His voice enhanced as if he was talking through a speaker.

Teru howled to the sun, sending a warning. Who was Teru howling to-

SCHLIP.

A gruesome sound of splitting flesh made Kieran panic. Buckets of blood flew everywhere. That amount would've been more than enough to empty ten bodies, but Abaddon was not normal. He hunched over with his arms crossed over his chest, feeling the full agony of releasing two extra limbs that had not seen the light of day in centuries, hiding within his body.

The heavens cursed his wings long ago when he turned his back on them.

Once upon a time, Kieran had seen Abaddon's wings in all their glory when he fell like a shooting star, sent here to begin the next apocalyptic wave. Shining white feathers had covered them, their length reaching the clouds when fully extended. Golden sparkles once shimmered on the beautiful appendages, leaving a trail of pureness only an angel could have. When Abaddon took flight, a gust of hurricane-like winds would knock everyone off their feet. Kieran admitted he was in awe the first time saw Abaddon's wings. Don't even get him started on Envy's jealous tantrums upon seeing them.

But now...

The curse had taken its toll. His wings unfurled. Their size shrunk. Burned feathers detached and fluttered to the ground, revealing charred, hole-littered skin underneath. The glorious bird wings resembled more like a diseased bat. Only a few feathers were left, soaked in black, runny tar. Many bones were broken, hanging by thin threads of ligaments. Abaddon forced them to stretch straight out. A tear of blood fell down his pained face, feeling how the heavens had punished him by taking away his symbol of grace and favor.

This was a fallen angel.

It was silent. The ocean breeze quieted. No one breathed. The earth stopped turning. Another lightning bolt zigzagged above, blinding everything. The boom of thunder never came, not daring to disturb the tension. Abaddon's grieving eyes reddened with blood, crying crimson tears.

"Run," Kieran whispered to Teru. The black werewolf didn't move, terrified.

Abaddon lifted his foot.

"RUN!" he roared, grabbing the scruff of Teru's nape and forced him to go. This area would become ground zero-

When Abaddon's foot slammed on the road, a violent earthquake jolted beneath them, likely affecting all corners of the planet. Crevices cracked the ground, revealing pipes, subways, rocks, and soil. Buildings crumbled. Dust choked the citizens. Flying bugs stormed out of the growing fissures, attacking anything that moved to eat their bodies. People shrieked, trying to swipe away the buzzing insects. It wouldn't be long before they were nothing but bones. The sniper who had shot at Kieran earlier was laying lifelessly next to the car. The gun was in his hand, legs already clean of meat. The pests nibbled the soldier's heart to nothing.

Locusts! If I remember the story correctly, the nastier ones will come soon.

The increasing earthquakes made Kieran trip over a forming canyon while trying to direct a giant, anxious wolf. This wasn't working! "Love, you need to shift back-"

A new fissure split between him and Teru, forcing him to let go. It grew wider by the second. Through the hellish smoke, he saw his mate frantically pacing to find him. Kieran cursed when Teru went into a building, probably running on animal instincts than human common sense to stay put. Staying where you are was the safest thing to do! Damn it!

And that high-rise hotel Teru just disappeared into was about to collapse. The wolf howled from the inside. It sounded different. Distressed.

He's hurt.

When the earthquake stopped, Kieran peered over the bottomless crack. The end to go around it was nowhere in sight. He'd have to jump across. It was possible but...

I need more runway than this.

Kieran went farther back in an alleyway, positioning into a sprinter's stance. Before dashing forward, praying for the best to get across, he did something he never had to use before. Not even being held captive for decades by the hunters made him use it, which was simply his pride's stubbornness.

But this was different. Abaddon, the fifth trumpet and angel of the abyss, had made his next move on the chessboard. The outcome wasn't looking good. The lightning storm was more aggressive, signaling the start of the end.

Pride summoned his siblings, the other deadly sins. If he wanted to win this war, he had to accept that he couldn't do it alone.

They would come soon.

Using the next boom of thunder as a starting pistol, Kieran ran.