He's not dead. He's not dead. He's not dead.

Kieran repeated these words over and over in his head as blood slaves kept pummeling him with hand-sized stones. They've been at it for days now. His fast-healing wounds would reopen with every rock that landed on his black-and-blue body. Honestly, the hits didn't hurt that badly; he's been through much worse.

And when Lust and Wrath told him Teru had been crushed under the rubble caused by Kieran's sinful outburst, they thought he had lost it when he didn't react the way they thought he would. Rather than go berserk with grief, he was mostly calm with a hint of shame for hurting Teru:

Charles smacked Kieran's head. "Why? Why don't you care? That omega is dead. Don't you feel any guilt?"

Kieran, still reeling in from Pride taking over, was indifferent to the news.

"Teru isn't gone."

His brother scoffed. "I saw the damage. It was all destroyed by you."

"Did you find his body?"

"What?"

"I asked if you found his body."

"Well...no."

The king's guards placed pure silver handcuffs on Kieran's wrists. He was being sent to Times Square to face punishment for taking down a high-ranking vampire. "He's alive. Trust me."

Charles shook his head, thinking Kieran was in heartbroken denial.

The sun was rising. Just one more day and he'd be free to find Teru.

Another rock struck the side of his head, slicing open a deep gash. His dark red hair clumped from the oozing blood.

Oh, and he'd kill all the bastards that dare partake in this. They just had extra courage because his hands and throat were bound by silver shackles and chains to the stage, which hurt more than the stoning. The metal restraints dug angry, red burn marks into his skin, sizzling it off.

There were faint whispers in the distance, growing louder every minute. Kieran looked up from hiding his face behind his crossed arms where he sat. The spectators were murmuring and pointing at his younger brother approaching the beta-selling stage. Charles climbed up the stairs and joined Kieran next to him, sighing heavily.

Charles snapped his fingers to get the guard's attention. "Let's go, let's go. Get this over with." They placed a collar and wrist straps on him. Rocks flew at both vampires.

Kieran was very confused. "Why are you here? Did you walk all the way yourself?"

"I did. Dear 'ol Dad sentenced me to finish the punishment with you." Charles rubbed his temple from a migraine. "I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?"

He hated these types of games, but it was moot to argue about it. "Good news."

"Well, you were right. Teru is alive. I came across him running around near my office. It turns out he had entered hibernation from his wounds after you wiped out your penthouse."

His chest hurt upon hearing Teru had hibernated. At least his instincts were correct that he was alive. "Bad news?"

"You-know-who has him now. He found him with me and thought I was 'stealing' him, hence why I'm here."

His words echoed in Kieran's head. Abaddon. That snake. He never could let any of his stepchildren have nice things; he always wanted the best for himself. The way he 'played' with his vampire and human toys was sadistic, unleashing his sick kinks on them until there was nothing left but an empty shell. Kieran knows because he's seen it firsthand. Many green-collared victims have tried to run away. Most were caught and disciplined severely for betraying their Master.

And Teru was certainly a top-tier omega. Hopefully, Abaddon won't find out his true dominant gender. His stomach twisted when imagining Teru being forced by the king, probably crying by now...

The crowd took a step back, anxious. Charles kicked him in the leg. "Calm down," he hissed. "You can't afford to go on another killing spree."

Kieran couldn't help it. When thinking about his omega being used by someone other than himself, Pride had revealed itself again by half-transitioning into his sin. He breathed in and out slowly to control it, able to stop it from fully developing.

The next few hours were long.

So long.

Half-Pride didn't go away. It stayed which scared the blood slaves from throwing any more stones at him, thinking he'd fully turn and murder them all. That didn't stop them from aiming at Charles, though, who was now a bloodied mess, too. Both of their eyes were gleaming red from blood deprivation.

"Well, this sucks," Charles complained.

Kieran gruffed in agreement.

This was taking too much time. Teru was in trouble. He could sense it. Fear and horror festered in him. These were not his emotions.

Pride became stronger. His body trembled with rage. He pulled hard, causing the silver restraints to tighten more. Flesh-smelling smoke hissed off his body from the burns. Just a little more and he'd be free.

"Hey," Charles tried to talk to him. "Kieran–"

"BI SÀMHACH!" he roared in his native Gaelic, telling the annoying vampire to shut up. Kieran stood and yanked on the chains. The collar singed into his throat.

"Brother, please! You'll cut off your hands at this rate!"

"CHAN EIL CÙRAM AGAM!"

"What do you mean you don't care? Listen! Your sentence will get extended if you keep this up!"

They smelled an eccentric scent. It was a mix of every pheromone aromas put together. Both paused at the powerful aura. Everyone watched a beautiful woman wearing a tight black dress walk up the stage's steps towards the disgraced prisoners. Her footsteps were silent. When she was in front of Kieran, she tilted her head and pursed her crimson lips in question at him.

It's been a long time to see her.

There was a good reason why.

"Mother," Kieran grumbled. It was tough to talk because his fangs had grown over his mouth.

Her pheromone scent changed to resemble brown sugar with a dash of cinnamon. The chains rattled when he recognized it. This was the same as Teru's.

"You've met him."

His mother nodded 'yes.' Her concerned eyes told Kieran all he needed to know. His chest couldn't help but rumble deeply in distress, knowing Teru was, in fact, in danger.

With a snap of her fingers, the nearest guard unlocked the silver chains.

CLANG. They fell to the wooden floor. Queen Lilith was releasing him early.

And he didn't need to be told twice. Without thanks, he sped off the millisecond he was free. The viewers screamed and ran out of the way.

When Kieran was out of sight, Lilith made her way off the stage.

"M-Mother? What about me?" Charles stuttered. She ignored him, not intending to free him, too.

"Oh, come on!"

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

After he took Teru away from Abaddon, he zoomed up the capitol building's stairs until he reached the rooftop. The skyscraper was the tallest structure in New York City. The horizon endlessly stretched with the ocean and New Jersey's ruins on either side. The only things up here were an empty pigeon coop and a few benches if anyone near the top floors wanted a smoke break.

Kieran sat on one bench overlooking the marvelous view of the early afternoon sky. He looked down at Teru to ask if he was okay.

But there wasn't a point in saying anything. His words would fall on deaf ears because Teru had fallen asleep while running away – his breaths labored from the stress. Kieran held Teru closer, wrapping his coat over him to provide extra warmth. It was early winter and the warm sun rays beamed down on them, but the wind made the temperature slightly chilly.

They remained like that for hours until the sky darkened, city lights turning on one after another. Sometimes he'd watch the distance and focus on calming down Pride, sometimes he'd watch Teru sleep. Eventually, Pride receded, now back to normal.

He despised Abaddon's scent on him, hating that Teru was forced to witness the sort of play he liked to do. From what Kieran saw on the bed, it was tamer than what he normally did with his harem. That didn't make it okay, though.

I'm going to tear him apart limb from limb.

History's vilest sin tightened his grip on the last human omega, grazing a finger down Teru's nose, over his plump lips, and to his throat. Kieran felt the two scabs that still remained where he bit him a week prior.

The moon's light illuminated his features. The night wind blew his lovely hair over his face, but Kieran brushed it away and tucked it behind his ear. It puzzled him when he found Blaise's diamond-encrusted bobby pin stuck near Teru's scalp, but used it to hold the loose strands in place regardless of the circumstances. Teru mumbled in his sleep, nestling closer to the vampire's hand.

His dead heart skipped. This boy was too good for this corrupt world.

Kieran officially decided. It was going to take time to plan. Months. No, probably a year realistically. Although he had a destination in mind, he wasn't sure how he'd go about getting there without being caught. This was going to be a last-minute getaway or a well-thought-out strategy. He hoped it was the latter.

It was time to put someone else ahead of himself. Abandon his mask. His inner Pride didn't like the idea and boiled his insides at the notion of not being first. Be quiet, he told it. If only he could use his controlling alpha pheromones on his sin.

Prince Kieran was going to disappear with Teru far away from the East Coast.

And when Teru takes his last mortal breath when he dies as an old man, Kieran will return to the city and face the wrath of Avania's king.