A female employee waited for them in the dark, narrow hallway. It was an emergency exit. Upon seeing another vampire, Teru hid behind Kieran.

Lately, Teru's sense of smell has been more sensitive, if that was even possible. It started to grow keener ever since he experienced his first heat. Things he'd never be able to notice before were apparent now. He sniffed. The woman was a beta but...

Teru sniffed again. Her partner was an alpha. His scent was earthy, like the muggy air after a rainstorm. They recently mated. Exchanged blood.

She smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear to suggest she was interested in Kieran. Why was she doing this when she already had a partner? A weird feeling ate at Teru's chest. His inner omega wanted to growl and let it be known he wouldn't hesitate to defend what was his. Watching her attempt to charm him was...

...What was this feeling? Teru suppressed the weird urges.

"My Lord," she greeted. Lord? Just how high up the societal ladder was he?

Actually, it made sense. Teru wanted to smack himself for being so dense. After all, Kieran had an entire floor to himself, had a personal maid and driver, and rented out a busy store just for them to shop alone. His curiosity was sky-high. When they returned later, he was going to ask what Kieran did specifically and his role in the capitol building.

Kieran wasn't moved by her flirtatiousness. "You know why we're here," he snapped.

She was taken aback, not used to being turned down so quickly. "O-of course. Right this way."

After going through a series of doors, she eventually led them to a giant room filled with clothes – it was an ocean of different styles, materials, sparkly jewelry, and even a few new colors that Teru has never seen before. Half of this would be enough to last for generations in his pack.

The best part was how there were no other people in sight.

Kieran gave him a soft push. "Go ahead. Get whatever you want."

This was a lot to take in, especially after seeing those desperate humans at the auction not even fifteen minutes ago. It didn't feel right. "I-I don't really need this stuff."

Kieran was bewildered. "But you barely have anything."

Teru glanced around the large store again. He clutched the ring hidden under his shirt. Although he was feeling guilt for the amount of luck he had for ending up with a vampire like Kieran, the man wasn't going to let Teru leave here unless he chose something, anything. He studied the endless racks of clothes and pointed at an ugly shirt with bananas plastered all over. "Maybe that one? There's a lot of stuff here..."

Kieran acknowledged his uncertainty and beckoned the employee to come forward. "Start with formal wear."

She bowed. "Yes, sir. Understood." The woman gave Teru a fake grin. "Come with me. Let's measure your–"

"No touching," Kieran denied.

The beta vampire was baffled. "S-sir? I need to take his measurements–"

"How long have you been employed at this company?"

"Er, it'll be 91 years next month."

"You've worked here for that long and you can't determine his size without touching him?"

"I-I..." she stuttered, loss for words.

Ah, so that's what this was about. The alpha didn't want anyone else man-handling his partner.

"It's fine," Teru spoke up, his voice cracking from the intense pressure Kieran was giving off. "Let her do her job."

Both vamps looked at him like he grew two heads.

Kieran growled in defeat. "Be quick about it. You might as well change his entire outfit, too. It's outdated."

She ushered Teru to the fitting room section where they were alone. Her hands were shaking as she hustled, trying to write down every measurement possible. She'd go back and forth from the fitting area, fetching different styles and holding it up to Teru's chest. The gears turning in her head were almost visible as she was deciding what would suit him best. Eventually, she finally chose a brand called Burberry and kept raving about how this was popular for high-class humans back in the day.

Teru couldn't figure out why; the undershirt and navy blue jacket were stuffy and the crimson tie squeezed his neck. The backs of the leather shoes scuffed his heels raw.

When she was satisfied with her work, she took a step back. "Hmm, let's do this." She tucked one side of his hair behind his right ear. He tensed at how close she was to his face.

"If I was an alpha, I'd take you home with me and make you mine," she stated. Her nostrils flared, smelling his scent. Spots of red appeared in her irises.

She wanted blood. His blood.

When his fight-or-flight response was about to kick in, someone towered over Teru from behind, blocking out the ceiling lights. The woman's eyes grew wide from fear. "A-ah, sir, is this suitable for formal events?" she backtracked, hoping to cover up her inappropriate comment.

Kieran glared at her. "I'll be making a complaint later," he said. She cowered.

When he looked down at Teru, the omega felt like he was being undressed with that penetrating stare. Kieran examined his outfit from the dress shoes to the shirt collar. He immediately took off Teru's tie, followed by the blazer. "This is too sexy," he growled. "Put him in streetwear."

"Y-yes." She ruffled through the racks, pulling out black trousers that exposed his ankles, a mustard yellow cashmere sweater, and sneakers with a big checkmark on the sides. It was more comfortable, at least.

She asked cautiously, "What else can I get–"

"Nothing. Give me a copy of his measurements. I'll pay for the suit and the clothes he's wearing now," he ordered, making it clear she had broken his trust to remain professional. "I'll be taking my business elsewhere."

The vampire left to do as she was told, looking like she was about to cry any second. Most likely, she'd be let go for losing a big client.

He didn't blame him for being angry; Teru was upset, too.

Kieran made sure they had everything before leaving the store. "We have two more stores to visit. I could not rent them out privately, so we need to be careful about other vampires. Although we can't choose clothes today, I can at least buy pajamas and a few things for your nest at the second shop."

This was fine. "And the third store? What's that one?"

"It's...an item you need."

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

Teru was happy about the stuff he chose for his nest – squishy pillows, thick blankets, fuzzy towels, and stuffed animals. At first, Kieran was frustrated with him because Teru was adding merchandise to the cart not meant for himself; it was for his pack. When the cart was half full, Kieran finally made him stop. "Alright, no more. Only for your nest."

Then it was Teru's turn to be hindered by Kieran, who objected to some items.

For example, Teru wound up in a colorful section with cartoon people. Their eyes were unnaturally large and sparkly. When he skimmed through the black and white comics, Kieran mentioned these were called manga. They came from the country where his ancestors originated from – Japan.

There were posters, something called cosplay, and...pillows that were the length of his body with life-sized characters on them. Teru picked one up. It was almost longer than he was! He eyed the man on the pillow, postured to look like he was laying down, exposing his chest seductively.

He purred, liking this one. A lot.

Kieran came over and saw what he was holding, noting the way Teru reacted to the fake human pillow.

"I don't think so." He snatched it away and chucked it across the store. The sound of breaking glass caused other shoppers to jump.

"You don't have to be jealous of a pillow," Teru objected.

"I'm not jealous of such things. Choose anything else but that."

So, Teru picked up a manga from a random pile. It had two men on the cover. On the first page alone, there was already a sex scene. His cheeks felt hot from seeing the lewd details.

Kieran was quick to take that away. "Go to a different aisle."

And then, just as Teru was about to enter an aisle with a sign above labeled "Sex Toys," Kieran rushed over and made him avoid there, too. "What am I supposed to get?" Teru questioned. It was a constant battle for thirty minutes.

Now, they were back in the hallway with other stores. Kieran wrapped his hand around Teru's nape again, much tighter this time because of the crowd. He felt well-guarded. No other alpha would dare come near them.

Vampires walked around doing their business. Some had blood slaves or servants in tow behind them, attached to a leash. Every human in a red collar was miserable. There was no hope on their dead faces. Teru accidentally met the gaze of a male vampire. Oops. His heart was beating out of his chest.

"Look down," Kieran reminded him. Right.

Unlike the second store which was next door to the first shop, their last stop required them to take many moving stairs. He hesitated each time they stepped on them, bracing himself. The maze of hallways was never-ending. Every vampire they passed stared at Teru. It made him nervous.

"Are we almost there?" he whispered.

"We are." They stopped in front of a small store. Collars of different colors were on display behind the window: red, yellow, blue, and...green? What sort of human wore green? Leashes hung from hooks to showcase the different materials such as leather, rope, metal chains, and others that he couldn't name. One resembled a muzzle meant for a dog.

It all made sense now; why this was saved for last.

Kieran started to go inside. Teru remained where he was. "No."

A vampire nearby gasped. They had heard his defiance.

Kieran went back to him, displeased. "Yes. It's the law for all humans to wear one."

He looked away, not wanting to see the despicable apparel. If he wore one of those, it would be a symbol of him giving up his humanity. "No. I can't."

A warm hand caressed his cheek. Red eyes met his brown ones. "You can take it off when we're alone, just not in public. Think of it as a way to protect your nape from alphas."

More vampires noticed them. They were whispering. Their conversations ranged from Kieran's weird display of affection, Teru's disobedience, or the fact that he was an omega. Maybe all.

Teru bit his lip, holding in a cry. He didn't like this attention. "Okay..."

He followed Kieran inside until an alpha male welcomed them with a fangy smile. These vampire workers were so fake. "My Lord! We heard you would be coming today. It took us a while to sort through our stock since it's been a long time to sell this particular color. I already have the products ready for you to view over here." The man guided them to a glittering counter. There were mannequin busts wearing black collars of various designs.

Black. That was the color for omegas.

"As you remember, these were specifically made to withstand an alpha's bite. It's very durable compared to the other colors. Their teeth can't penetrate the material. Not even the king could mark him."

Kieran inspected all of them. He stopped at the last one. There was a finger-sized button on the side.

"That one is pricier and for a good reason. Unlike the others which require a key to take off, this collar scans your fingerprint here," he pointed to the flat button. "Only you can remove it. And since no key is needed, there's no risk for the key to be copied."

"Hmm," Kieran contemplated. "Can he wear this home today?"

"Of course. Should I prepare the warranty paperwork?"

"Yes."

Before he fetched the warranty, whatever that was, the employee showed Kieran how to set up the scanner. The button made a tiny beep when it successfully scanned the owner's thumbprint. "I'll get the papers. In the meantime, the collar is ready for you to do as you please. A matching leash will also be included." He went to the back room.

They were now alone in the store.

The purr in Teru's chest quickened. His anxiety was at an all-time high. It translated as, I don't want to wear this. Please.

Kieran picked up the collar with his right hand, the one scarred with teeth marks from mock marking himself. Teru took the scar as a sign that he could trust Kieran. But now...he was really scared.

The alpha's own deep purr responded, I know.

Kieran's expression was emotionless as he aimed it towards Teru. The two looked at each other, not breaking eye contact. Time slowed down when he wrapped the black collar around the human's neck. The lock clicked into place. Its sound was deafening. It was a perfect fit.

The last omega was officially owned.