Teru twiddled his thumbs as he sat on the vanity chair.

His heavy sneakers clacked on the floor from fidgeting his leg up and down. The scent of the hand-me-down clothes he wore made his nose itch. Wherever Kieran had gotten them, the previous owner was definitely a beta.

His hands were on the brink of ripping off the constricting material - a loose-fitted, white sweater and tight jeans with holes in the knees that hugged his lower half in all the wrong places. It felt that way, at least. Running away from danger in this getup would pose quite a challenge.

Plus, Kieran was taking forever prepping him, as if he was a doll. First was how the vampire forced him to shower even though he didn't want to wash off his scent, arguing over why he didn't need to wear a winter coat since omegas preferred the cold, and now styling Teru's freshly washed hair with sticky goop.

This was too much work for simply going out. It's not like he was trying to impress anyone!

"You're impatient," Kieran commented, carefully arranging the black strands to his liking by referencing the hairstyle on the men's magazine in front of them. "It's nothing to look forward to that much."

Says the vampire who can move about freely whenever he wants.

They were going shopping today, finally leaving the small confines of the penthouse. Although Kieran had promised to go just a few days after Teru had woken from his hibernation, the outing was postponed by a week. Like an idiot, Teru had sprained his ankle after tripping over the hem of his oversized pajama pants. After he face-planted the floor, Kieran fretted incessantly about the swollen foot.

And he never did find out whatever the alpha wanted to tell him. Teru didn't push it but he was almost dying to know since it seemed pretty significant.

Kieran finished preparing him, going over to the sink to wash the gel off his hands. Teru looked at his reflection in the mirror as he waited. Upon closer inspection, he examined his features more closely than before - thick hair, straight nose, pink lips...

Huh. Strange.

Kieran came up from behind. "What are you thinking? I can almost feel your puzzlement."

That was interesting to say, considering the intense feelings Teru has been getting himself this week that didn't feel like his own, either. It was likely nothing. But anyway, he might as well say what was on his mind. "It's just...Mom and my older sister, Hina, are identical yet I don't look like her at all. Is that normal?"

"It's common, I suppose." Kieran dried his hands with a towel hanging from the hook, answering casually. A deep-toned rumble echoed through the bathroom, signifying he was happy.

"Are you purring?" Teru asked.

"You finally mentioned your family without me forcing it from you."

That was the reason? What a weird guy.

"Since your sister resembles your mother, perhaps you take after your father?"

Teru recalled the image of his beta dad with his ashy brown hair, amber eyes, and brawny physique; literally the exact opposite of his own skinny frame. "No, I'm nothing like him. I wish I was, though, to remember what he looked like. He died as a blood slave years ago, so I'm forgetting his face."

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

Kieran's soft purring ceased in its tracks.

Their gazes met in the mirror. Discussing the circumstances surrounding Teru's father had brought back that defiant, untrustworthy stare in the depths of his eyes. Thanks to learning this tidbit of information, Kieran could somewhat understand the underlying reasons why he hated vampires so much.

At the same, Kieran's species couldn't care less if their progenitors perished, so it was difficult to relate. He reminded himself that humans were more emotional about their familial relationships.

To prevent their relationship progress from reverting back to what it was, Kieran added, "I did not know my father, but I'm supposedly like him physically. The bloke is probably around somewhere," using UK slang. "Unlike a human's natural instinct to care and nurture for their young, vampires are more...hands-off. If conceived in the womb, the male rarely sticks around after procreating while the mother will likely abandon their offspring before they stop aging as an adult. Before that could happen to me, I left on my own when I was thirteen. Most of the time, a human that was bitten won't even remember who turned them into a vampire because of the dying process."

The spark of interest returned in Teru's expression once more. "So where is your mom?"

The queen quickly flashed through Kieran's mind. Just her image alone sent shivers down his spine. Unlike his stepfather who he plainly loathed and nothing more, Lilith made him and his siblings...

No. Kieran didn't want to admit that he was intimidated by her. "I see her occasionally." This was true. Like Abaddon, it's been a few years since they've talked face-to-face.

"Will...we ever meet?"

He didn't know which would be worse for Teru – meeting the king or his mother. "Hopefully never. She's the most dominant of us all," he said. Kieran could sense the intense curiosity radiating from Teru. After the rescheduled fitting appointment, the truth about his status as prince and inner sin would be revealed. That was the plan.

Also, this annoying scent of another man on Teru's borrowed clothes was making his alpha go insane, but he needed a proper-sized outfit before going out in public regardless. Others would think Teru was a high-quality blood slave and his looks should reflect that. There were enough rumors about why Kieran hasn't revealed the omega yet, and a poor-hygienic human would fuel the speculations even more.

Laying low would be the best situation for them.

Kieran looked at his handiwork at making Teru his best, casual self. Even these clothes were too sexy for anyone else to see. The jeans wrapped around his legs and tiny ass in all the right places. His hair was model-ready, just barely covering his exposed nape. If vampires had not taken over, Teru would've dominated the fashion runways or TV dramas.

Maybe...going out as a slob would be better but there was no time to change. He checked the clock. It was time to leave or they'd be late. "Let's go."