As sleep slowly began to fade, Teru nestled his face in the pile of stuff.

I know this smell...

He inhaled and sat up quickly when realizing it was his wolf plush. When did he get it back?

The outfit his mom made for him years ago was mixed in with the blankets. His ring, too. Although it was dark in the room, the faint forest scent lingered on the items. Teru placed the necklace around his neck and hid it under his oversized shirt.

Actually, were these the same pair of pajamas from the day before? He also didn't remember wrapping his fingers with bandages. His memory was foggy from the past few days. Regardless, he was just relieved to be back to normal.

Teru saw a light shining from underneath the closet door. He opened it and squinted his eyes from the brightness reflecting on the walls. The bedroom was void of any people. Alone again.

There was food waiting for him. It must've been delivered recently since steam still wafted from the eggs and other mysterious new foods. He didn't feel like eating but if he was going to escape from here, he needed his strength.

The yolk glistened from the sun glaring through the window. A sorrowful pain hurt his stomach. Lucas loved eggs, whose peculiar hobby was to take care of the pack's chickens. He always showed Teru the most recent baby chick and would awe, "It looks like you!" There were countless times when the two of them were chased by the territorial roosters.

Teru took a bite. He chewed awkwardly because the runny egg felt like sawdust in his mouth. It was difficult to swallow. While trying to eat, the door's lock clicked. Someone was coming in, and lo-and-behold, it was the tall vampire with dark red hair. When did he return from his trip?

Teru was on guard when Kieran stood near him, crossing his arms. "Is the food to your liking? I told the chef to prepare red fruit."

"..."

"Not going to talk again," Kieran muttered. He went over to Teru, grabbing his arm to hold it up. The omega tried to take back his limb, but it was moot. The alpha studied his fingers. "Hmm, this is bleeding through."

Kieran was distracted enough to loosen his hold, giving Teru the opportunity to wrench his hand back.

But...the vamp was right. A spot of blood seeped through the white bandage around his middle finger. He unwound the wrappings, wanting to know why he was bleeding. The skin on every finger was thin, red, and smooth from the tip to the pads. Three nails were missing total; seeing the exposed, fleshy skin where his nails were supposed to be made him a little nauseous.

Thinking back, his memory went blank after making the den in the closet. "How...?" asking himself.

"You were nesting. Every omega is different, but for you, your outlet is to chew on your hands to relieve the stress."

"Nesting?" Teru looked at Kieran.

Kieran rubbed his chin, thinking of how to explain. "It's when a male omega fails to be impregnated after a heat. Some females do it, too. They collect comfortable items and make a circle, as you did, or a fort, a tent, and so on. These are all nests. It's meant to calm your rush of hormones, but it can easily cause you to self-harm if your nest isn't perfect."

Ugh. Why did omegas have to be so complicated? The only thing alphas had to worry about was their rut and learning how to regulate their pheromones. "But I haven't had a heat yet."

"That's why I think you were simply having a bad day," Kieran suspected. "I suppose this is partially my fault for leaving you alone for so long."

'Partially,' Teru mocked in his head. He noticed one finger was wet to the touch. It was bleeding heavier.

Kieran was quiet as he focused on the crimson drop.

The smell of mint floated through the air. It was that scent again – the dominant alpha's pheromones. Teru's inner omega responded by releasing his own sugary smell. He couldn't help it.

Stop it! he mentally told his body. It betrayed him by emitting more. This was the highest amount he's ever given off. Ever since Teru hit puberty, a tiny stream would periodically come out, but it was easy to conceal. Not even Lucas has ever smelled his sweet pheromones. But this...he didn't know how to control this quantity!

Kieran was suddenly on top of Teru, pinning him between his cold body and the bed.

Teru shook like a rabbit that was captured by the big, bad wolf. The vampire's fangs were leaking some mysterious fluid. The clear liquid dripped on Teru's cheek and rolled down into his hair. Kieran's large hand slipped under Teru's shirt, tenderly traveling up from his stomach to his nipple. His thumb brushed against the nub.

He tried not to lift his hips.

Kieran's bared fangs inched closer to his face. The tranced omega parted his own lips to accept whatever was coming...

GURGLE, his belly grumbled. Whatever stupor they were both in lifted. Thank heavens for the interruption. Why didn't he push this guy away?

Kieran stood back up, wiping his mouth. His eyes were troubled. It was subtle and disappeared just as quickly as it came, but Teru saw the uneasiness.

Without a word, the alpha went over to the tray and separated the food into small piles. "I want you to eat this," pointing to the two strawberries, followed by a handful of eggs and a sausage. "Nesting takes a lot of energy."

So, they weren't going to talk about that weird energy between them? That was fine with Teru. Everything about this place was already overwhelming. It was affecting his body. Yeah, that's what it was. Nothing more. "I already ate."

Kieran picked up a strawberry and forced it into Teru's mouth, not accepting the refusal. He wanted to reject the food, but he swallowed anyway with a tight throat. He tried not to grimace at the sand-like texture scratching his throat.

He begrudgingly ate a few more bites. As he went for the sausage, Teru saw a tiny love mark on Kieran's neck. The pink bruise wasn't big, and it was easy to miss. He only knew what it was from seeing betas with them after their alpha partner's rut. His mom skirted around his questioning when he first asked what they were. When Lucas told him later, she was angry with his friend, thinking her 12-year-old son wasn't ready to know anything about sex.

Teru stared at the mark more.

Wait...

He choked on the food as he remembered who made it.

It was him.

Memories flashed through his mind - whimpering like a pathetic animal, chewing aggressively at his hands, being embraced by Kieran with a finger up his...

Oh. My. God.

He looked at Kieran with horror, who understood the meaning behind Teru's expression. "Ah, do you remember now? I had to change your clothes from the slick—"

Teru slapped him on the cheek and maintained hostile eye contact. Since he was weak from his current condition, the hit wasn't hard. Regardless, it sure got Kieran's attention, clearly not used to the treatment.

He glowered at the omega and growled.

Teru realized he basically just challenged a dominant alpha. A big no-no.

Kieran grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and hauled him to the bathroom. This time, he allowed himself to be man-handled since his legs lost all their strength. Teru's body had a mind of its own – it was in shock, thinking that the alpha had accepted the challenge.

Once in the shiny room, Kieran ripped the omega's clothes off. Literally, ripped.

The vampire easily pulled apart the buttons. Each one went flying off in all directions. He yanked down Teru's pants and underwear simultaneously. The necklace remained around his neck. Teru's dick, which was still infuriatingly hard from having his chest touched, sprung out.

"Hey!" he yelled, trying to cover himself. Who did he think he was, treating someone like this?!

Kieran saw the swollen member but didn't make a move to touch it. Rather, he switched on the bathtub water. It filled up quickly. He lifted the human from under his armpits and placed him in the hot water. Teru struggled at first, thinking he was going to be drowned or something.

The alpha emitted pheromones that smelled of musk and mint, a sign he wasn't happy but not so angry either. "Sit down and be quiet," Kieran ordered. Water poured over his head. In moments, his hair was being scrubbed with non-scented shampoo. The surprise bath finally made his member calm down.

Kieran handed him a white bar of soap. "You or me?"

He rushed to take it and cleaned himself. "Me," he said. His voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

While washing off the weeks' worth of sweat, Kieran sat on the tub's edge, observing him to make sure he did as he was told. "Why didn't you shower this week?" the annoying chaperone asked. "And you stopped eating."

Teru shrugged, turning away. "I didn't feel like it."

"Hmm. You should at least eat. Do you have a request?"

Why was he being so accommodating? There was no reason for a vampire to care about his well-being. Why didn't he just drain his body already?

"...Raspberries."

"That's it?"

The remainder of the bath time was silent. When he finished, Kieran hoisted him from the tub and dried the water off with a fluffy towel that was as big as he was. He covered the omega with it. If Lucas was here, he'd probably laugh at how Teru looked like a snowman.

"Here," Kieran said, gesturing to the vanity chair.

Teru jumped when there was an abrupt loud sound next to his ear. It came from a red machine that resembled a gun. Kieran aimed it at his head which blew hot air through his hair.

The heat made him sleepy. A gentle purr hummed in his chest.

When the dryer switched off, Kieran asked. "Do you have a last name?"

He shook his head. "I'm just Teru. Most humans don't have last names. I was told we were so desperate to survive when the war began, that useless things like last names were forgotten after a while. Some remember, but my family isn't one of them."

The atmosphere was quiet again.

"Do...do you have a last name?"

Kieran's chest rumbled. It was a deep purr. An alpha's purr was naturally lower than the other two gender's sound. "You're asking a question about me? I also don't have an official last name. I had fake ones in human society since it would've been suspicious not to have one. But if I had to choose, I'd go with Ó Cearbhaill in Gaelic. It's Carroll in English. It was my nickname during the Irish War of Independence hundreds of years ago. They gave it to me because it means 'valorous in battle.' I was good at slaughtering their enemies."

Teru was unfamiliar with what an Irish was. This vampire had years and years to experience the Before times, something he'd never have because they took over civilization for the sake of blood.

Slaughter. That was a good word to describe what they did to everyone.

Kieran was staring at him intently.

"What?" Teru said.

"You."

Teru didn't understand what he meant, but it was weirdly embarrassing. Since his hair was cut shorter, he couldn't hide behind the black strands. Before he could turn away, Kieran kneeled down and kissed him. For being a disgusting vamp, his lips were surprisingly soft.

I shouldn't...

Instead, the mint consumed his rationale.

Their lips pushed harder against the other. For a brief moment, he forgot where they were as Kieran's tongue slipped into his mouth. It was wet and hot which made the omega's insides squeeze with a bottomless ache that wanted to be satisfied.

Lucas, chained with the other alphas at the auction house, popped up in his vision. He's my enemy.

He snapped back into reality. When did he become such a whore? Especially after just slapping this person half an hour ago? Teru was playing right into the omega stereotype. This taboo thing couldn't go on further; it would be an insult to his pack members. So, he pulled back to break the kiss. "I can't."

Kieran lifted Teru's chin so their eyes met. "Why?"

Inside, he was breaking. Pieces were chipping away. Can this alpha see it? He wanted someone, anyone, to notice.

"I can't say. Not to you."

I don't mean it.

Kieran's demeanor turned cold. "I see." He let go of Teru's face. "I'll come back later. Finish your meal." The vampire exited the room.

I don't want to be alone again.

The bedroom door slammed shut. Teru panicked and ran to the door with the towel still wrapped around him. Just before he reached the doorknob, it locked. He banged on the door. "Please let me out!" he cried. There wasn't an answer.

Teru slid down until he was on all fours. "Wait," he stifled.

Eventually, Teru fell asleep in fetal position on the floor.