Is this what it felt like for others when they realized he was an omega? Teru totally understood now. From what he remembered in the pack stories passed down generation after generation, werewolves phased out long before the vampire takeover. Modern civilization didn't need to rely on it for survival and defense. To the individuals who could change into such monstrous animals, it wasn't necessary anymore, so continuing the bloodline wasn't a priority. Purebloods had pups with average people, and the ability muddled out of society.

Jokes on them, though. Werewolves would've come in handy at the time when bloodsuckers took advantage of the apocalypse and attacked. Humans' fate could have been much different.

White collars symbolized your species as a wolf. The gene wasn't dead. Abaddon's messed-up hobby was to find these rare gems. Teru recalled a conversation between him and Kieran:

"I'm scared of the king and his green and white collars."

Kieran was confused. "White? There is no white."

No, there were definitely white collars. "But Abaddon mentioned it before he gave the signal for those alphas to...those alphas to attack that other omega..." His heart sped up again into an oncoming anxiety attack.

So, not even his mate knew of the color. It was truly a secret. He sat down on the floor, practically falling because his legs weakened. Teru hugged his chest, hoping to calm himself from the looming panic. The walls closed in. The room was a lot smaller. He desperately called for Kieran in his head, transmitting his scared emotions so his alpha could feel them.

Please help me!

But the feelings hit a brick wall, not able to reach him. Kieran wasn't awake. Though the destined pair became mates recently, Teru felt more alone than ever. He couldn't do this. Who was he without an alpha?

"Whoa, kid, are you okay? You're pale," Jacky asked. Their wolf features disappeared, making them look human again.

Teru took a big breath before speaking. This pack would definitely not accept him. "This is a mistake. I'm not...like you. I'm not a werewolf."

Lila and Jacky laughed, thinking he had made a bad joke. When they saw Teru's upset face, their amusement disappeared.

"Shit. You're serious."

"I've never met your species before," he confirmed. "I'm just as shocked to see you, as you are with me."

Tae-soo responded, "It's not a mistake. You were put here. There's a reason for it. Besides Zander, who joined us a decade prior, we haven't seen anyone else except Abaddon and green-collared betas. The rules changed eighteen years ago, after an incident with a guard."

A decade?! That was ten years ago!

"How long have you been here?"

"Well," Jacky returned to leading the conversation, "we were all human once. Poachers found Zander caught in a snare trap in Georgia. They reported it to local authorities, and the news quickly reached Abaddon that a red beast would be up for sale on the black market. But Zander is too shy to mate with the betas Abaddon gives him, so he'll probably be bitten before he turns thirty next year. Lila is from a pack, but she got herself arrested when she led the biggest rebellion in Filipino history. She mauled a high-ranking military general in her other form. When did Abaddon turn you?"

Lila pursed her lips, counting in her head. "Sampu, dalawampu, tatlumpu...seventy years ago, stuck forever at twenty-four years old."

Jacky fixed his hair bun. "I came into this world as a blood slave in a middle-class, New England household. I had my first shift when I was sixteen. My owners discreetly placed me in fighting rings with vampire slaves for several years. Very illegal. After my first defeat, my owners lost everything in a gamble and I woke up here after surgery. That was ninety years ago."

Heavens, almost a century!

"But Tae-soo has been here since the start. The last time he saw the sky was right before humanity's downfall. Tae-soo was a young child when he had his first shift-"

"And my parents didn't know what to do with me," the alpha continued his life's story. "They gave me up to foster care, but obviously the Korean government confiscated me where Abaddon worked as the U.S. representative. Long story short, I was a test subject before being transported to this country. I refused to cooperate when his breeding program began. My punishment was when he bit my neck with little blood exchange on purpose, laughing as I suffered a slow, agonizing death before completing the undead process. You need about two cups of their blood to become a vampire after they bite you. The more blood, the quicker the change. That pisshead? He gave me half of one. It took weeks, like I was thrown into hellfire."

By then, Teru was trembling. His voice was quiet, barely loud enough to hear. "Will he turn me, too?"

"It's hard to say because you said you're not a werewolf. Abaddon's intentions aren't clear. Maybe."

Anger boiled in his chest. Teru refused to live in a box. He would not give birth here and have them take his pups to do what they pleased. Raging instincts clouded his rationality. The next thing he knew, he was destroying everything he could get his hands on.

Teru ripped the blanket and mattress. He knocked over the TV, its screen smashing into pieces. The wallpaper was ruined by nail scratches, and the fridge door tore off its hinges. They were so close to escaping! Why did he have to go against Kieran's orders?! He should've remained in the penthouse! After his breakdown, the distraught human stood there in the center of the room amongst the broken chaos, huffing from the workout.

"Let it out," Tae-soo gruffed through the air vent. "Just let it all out now while you can, omega."

Teru landed on all fours, tears dripping to the floor. His nails were bloody. As he played the footage of Kieran getting shot repeatedly in the streets to protect him, he wailed and howled. The others listened to his loud cries, not saying a peep to disturb him. They let him process his situation until he fell asleep from exhaustion.

And that's how it was for the next two weeks, confined.

Abaddon didn't visit. Good. According to the others, he was often absent for long periods, only coming when he wanted to admire their animal forms or for breeding. Since Teru was purely human, there was solely one reason Abaddon would want to see him.

Time was slow. The digital clock on the wall was the only way to know when it was A.M. or P.M. The ticks in between seconds felt like hours, with nothing to do. Teru had destroyed his room on the first day, so there was no entertainment. His only pastime was watching Jacky's TV through the thick window. How did they not go stir-crazy?!

Teru learned that their meals were delivered via slot in the wall. A narrow door automatically opened above the table and pushed out a tray of food. It fed him three times a day, plus an afternoon snack. It wasn't nasty jail food, either; even he admitted the cuisine was more luxurious than what Kieran gave him, ranging from the most tender salmon to ice cream topped with gold flakes.

At first, he thought about hunger striking but decided against it for the growing pups' sake. His morning sickness came and went. Some days were worse, some left him feeling mega-tired. What would it take to get some damned pizza, though?

Conversations were rare because everyone had their own sleep schedules. Tae-soo barely said a word. Jacky would occasionally start a game or verbally argue with Lila. Teru fell asleep to Zander's songs, who had a pleasant singing voice. The man may have social anxiety, but he wasn't nervous about showcasing his vocals.

It was day 17.

Teru wasn't good, mentally or physically. He had gathered the torn strips of blankets, sheets, and white clothes, and amassed them into a makeshift nest on the shredded bed. It was where he currently rested with closed eyes, drawing circles on his belly with his fingertips. A small bump was beginning to show at nine weeks. Three pups would be difficult to hide under a slim T-shirt, which was why he continued to wear the pink hospital gown. Every other day, he used the shower water and body soap to wash away the fever-sweat stains.

Teru heard Jacky talking about him to Lila. "I'm telling you, he's not okay. That omega tries to hide it, but I can hear him groaning in pain. The vomiting doesn't stop. What should we do?"

"Nothing. If he wants help, he'll say something," Lila scoffed, returning to her reading.

The female beta was correct. Teru didn't want their aid. He needed Kieran.

When will you be okay? How are your injuries? I miss you, he thought through the silenced connection. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

Sweat soaked his hairline. His body ached, like muscle soreness after a long day of laborious farming. The intense migraines radiated from Teru's temple to mid-back. When the blinding sharpness rang in his ears, he'd gasp, which was what Jacky referred to. The permanent mark on Teru's nape stung and itched, demanding his alpha to give it attention.

These were separation withdrawals. If only his bonded mate could touch him, make the discomfort disappear.

BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ.

His eyelids groggily blinked open.

BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ.

Teru sat up, careful not to strain his abdomen. It wasn't coming from the air vents, nor the food delivery slot. He got out of bed and tiptoed around the disarray made by him. There. Under the pile of fallen novels. Teru pushed the books aside until he found the source of the mysterious sound. Kieran's phone vibrated.

When did-?

I put it in my pocket after Kieran took a picture. It must've fallen out when I went ballistic. How could I have forgotten? The battery only has 25%.

Teru found the contact app and immediately tried to call Blaise, but the phone's notification said, 'No Service.'

It vibrated again, almost dropping it from surprise. The screen showed a map with a blinking blue dot. He read the words, 'Find My Phone,' in the center box.

Is someone trying to look for this? But it's Kieran's.

Teru's hopes skyrocketed and mentally entered the sparkly road to his alpha's consciousness. He saw the star at the end, hardly glowing. It was previously dark for weeks, but it was shining regardless!

He's-!

A door opened on the other side of the window. His heart jumped into his throat, spooked into hiding the phone under the books. He stood up and watched the person enter the circular space. The four prisoners retreated, meekly submitting to their master; all but Teru. Footsteps walked to his cell. The omega and ex-angel had a staring contest through the glass, neither backing down. Abaddon smirked at the willful attitude. His fangs had a red tint from a recent blood-drinking session.

In his left hand was a collar. The right held a white muzzle adorned with black diamonds.

"That's a lovely temper," Abaddon spat. "So much like your father before I broke him. Can you break his streak before I do the same to you? I don't think you have what it takes."

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

Kieran refused to stare into Abaddon's handgun barrel aiming between his eyes. This snake didn't deserve the satisfaction. He growled with bloodthirst, I'm. Going. To. Kill. You-

BANG.

Occasionally, his awareness returned from the black pit of cold death. Dozens of silver bullets lodged in his body burned his organs, arteries, muscles, and bones; everywhere but his heart, the only part keeping him alive. Was his chest being cut open? It sure felt like it. This was on par with his past torture by the hunters.

But unlike then, he had a mate to return to. Find him. Protect him. He had to save him and escape. His omega had to give birth peacefully.

Teru.

His consciousness went black. Sometime later, Kieran awoke in a coma-like state. His body couldn't move, feeling like they had piled a thousand bricks on his limbs. There was distant talking. "Thank you for your hard work. After thirteen hours, the operation is finished. Every bullet has been removed."

Blackness.

"His body isn't healing."

Blackness.

This time, Kieran had a tube shoved down his throat. The beeps of hospital machines blared in his ears.

"Dr. Charles, the silver-damaged tissue is rotting. We'll have to cut off more again. Are you sure we can't do a blood transfusion?"

Blackness.

Kieran's body throbbed. He wanted to mark Teru again. Bite his pretty nape. Lick his birthmark.

"His heart stopped beating for ten seconds this morning. Why is this happening? His heart is fine."

"Well, it's been over two weeks since he was in contact with his bond. At this rate, I won't have a choice but to attempt a transfusion," Charles predicted. "The procedure would be pointless. His body will reject foreign blood that's not his fated mate's. For now, all we can do is treat the spreading infections and pray."

"Do we know where Teru is? Maybe King Abaddon can bring him here to-"

"No, Quinn, that would never happen. Abaddon is avoiding anything related to Teru, even refusing every request to breed him, despite what he said in the announcements. Blaise had an idea today to use the tracker app to find Kieran's phone, but what are the chances of that resulting in anything? It's likely under the snow where the massacre occurred."

Before drifting into the numbing darkness, Teru joined him in his mind. His omega was worried and sick, which turned into hostility for...something not good. It was danger.

Survive this. You can do it. I'll find you.

Blackness.