Pride's hair breezed around his face, like a lion's mane caught in a windstorm. He was a wild beast by the way he paced and panted. His crazed, red eyes never looked away from the person who didn't smell of decay. Such a pure aura gave him a breather from the tainted stench of the city's sins.

Teru wasn't afraid of Pride despite his aggressiveness. He walked closer until the smoke thinned out between them. Seeing Kieran's condition was heartbreaking. It looked like he bathed himself in blood. His body hadn't completely healed, either. The skin was working overtime to sew itself over the infected bullet holes from weeks ago, including the new wounds inflicted by the soldiers. The blood loss was too severe. At this rate, he'd heal just as fast as a human, if not slower.

When Teru was within arm's reach, the vampire chuffed and stepped back, unsure of what to do. This was nothing more than a frightened creature that needed to calm down.

"My alpha."

The sound of his voice prompted Kieran to stop the twitching, anxious movements. He gave Teru his full attention.

"I missed you."

Kieran furrowed the extra thick muscles between his eyes. Did he not understand?

Piercing screams from an attack somewhere else provoked Pride. He growled and turned to go there, towards the rotten flesh scents that were calling for him.

Teru's humility birthmark shot tingles down his spine.

No!

He reached up without thinking and gently grabbed Kieran's face between his hands, not giving a shit about the blood from the prior killings smearing on himself, too. The skinship between fated mates made them sigh. Though it had been only a month, it felt like a year. The aching pain slowly receded, but it wasn't enough to disappear 100%. They had to touch more. They needed to love each other more, mentally and physically. It couldn't be done when one of them wasn't aware enough to consent.

"Please," Teru begged tearfully. "You have to listen to me. Aren't you my alpha? Aren't I your omega?"

Kieran's red eyes gazed intently into his. Snowflakes speckled their hair, reminding Teru of the night they marked to complete their bond. He was homesick for that connection.

I need to keep talking.

"And I'm your virtue, right? You changed my birthmark, remember? It was snowing back then, too."

Yes, Kieran's alpha rumble said.

Thank heavens he responded.

Teru had to act quickly before another interruption came and ruined the moment. If his partner slipped through his fingers, he wasn't positive he could chase after him in his sensitive condition. The effects of shifting while pregnant were uncertain, so he wanted to avoid the risk.

Pride waited for Teru to say something, not showing impatience or desire to find more prideful souls to send to the afterlife. See? Show him mercy and he'll comply. What was so hard to understand? Stabbing, burning, and shooting at him would only aggravate Pride more. All of this unnecessary damage did not have to happen.

Teru freed his sweet pheromones, hoping it would have the same effect as an alpha calming their distressed omega. His gender didn't have such an ability since it was strictly for alphas, but they were fated mates, so why couldn't it?

"You know, it's okay to admit you're weak. Everyone has weaknesses. You're not an exception as much as you want to be."

Kieran blinked, taking in his words. He scowled at Teru, not liking the harsh truth. There was no point in beating around the bush.

"I've always thought I was worthless; someone who had nothing to bring to the table. It's different now. You helped me realize I'm stronger than they believed me to be. Even when I thought little of myself, you saw my true potential, as I see yours. You are strong, perhaps the strongest person in the world. Isn't that just for show, though? To save your pride? I see you, someone who has some of the biggest weaknesses I know."

He skimmed his right hand's fingertips past Kieran's ear and felt the start of the pink burn. The alpha flinched and growled at the exposure therapy, but Teru kept going until his entire hand covered the smooth-skinned nape. The scar wanted to share its horror stories with the world; make judgemental people understand. Kieran's sin wouldn't allow it, though.

It didn't have to explain the torturous ordeal. Whenever Kieran made a new mark, Teru could sense a fraction of what the hunters did to him. He heard the scar's cries. He'd catch a glimpse of them skinning him alive with dull, silver knives, branding their names on his body, how they'd leave wooden stakes in his chest for weeks but not piercing his heart....

Bastards.

Pride's nape was his most sensitive spot, which he always hid under his hair. Kieran considered it shameful. How ironic, because Teru also used to do the same with his birthmark by covering it. Nolan's constant bullying and sexual harassment about being an omega without a bite was still something he had not gotten over yet.

"Put your faith in me, alpha. You don't have to tell me in words when you're falling. I'll know anyway, so...just do what you have to do. I'll give you my strength when you can't get up from the weight of your duties as Pride. If that's my role as your virtue, then I want to share your burdens. You're not alone anymore."

Kieran's mock marked hand slipped around Teru's lower waist and pulled him closer. They were chest to chest. Ever so slowly, Pride's true form withdrew. The protruding fangs sunk back into his gums. Monsterous muscles shrunk.

"The hunters...," Kieran rasped, now capable of speaking a few words.

"Honey, there are no hunters," Teru explained. His ears reddened when he heard himself call Kieran a pet name. "That man, Van Helsing, is gone. His bones are dust in the ground, being shit on by vermin. You've been trying to maintain a stable environment by abandoning your responsibilities as a deadly sin. It helps with the trauma temporarily, but you're avoiding anything that would make you remember your ordeal. Look what happened when you drank my blood. It made you go berserk. You need to redefine who you are and come to terms with your past. You're not the same person as you were before they captured you, but I'm here. I'll help you."

Pride was almost gone. It didn't vanish completely. His cat-eye pupils didn't expand.

Teru had an idea. He somehow knew it was what Kieran needed. He looked to the side and brought his neck closer, making it obvious what he wanted Kieran to do.

"I believe in you, my alpha," Teru assured. "It would also help me, too. It hurts." He referred to the dark crimson veins on his nape, stained by the bite mark when Kieran was dying. Traces of venom remained, which would have to be surgically cleaned if Kieran couldn't do it.

A minute passed. Teru waited, waited, and waited. He let Kieran decide, despite the clock ticking away. Nothing else mattered but them in this single, life-altering moment. Be patient. Don't push it.

Finally, Kieran leaned and nuzzled his nose under Teru's jawline. Both purred. He nibbled until finding the sweet spot where the heartbeat pulsed.

Teru sighed, feeling exposed. He gave permission for a hungry vampire to drink from him! When the tips of Kieran's fangs poked the skin but not break from hesitation, Teru's thumb brushed over the old nape scar. The gesture encouraged Kieran that it would be okay, that Teru, as his fated mate, would do anything for him.

Accept me as your source of strength. Don't face this alone anymore. Use my help to overcome your weakness, Humility said to the flickering star in their private galaxy.

Pride heard his virtue.

Kieran hugged him tighter and bit his throat, fangs smoothly slipping in with ease. The oozing blood lubricated the long canines to sink deeper. Teru's tiny moan made the predator in Kieran growl, beginning to drink...and drink...and drink. His tongue lapped up any stray dribbles. Nothing could go to waste. Euphoria replaced the momentary pain thanks to the pheromone venom. Teru's head buzzed with a high. The toxicant in his nape was gone after it was sucked out.

It was a miracle.

Kieran didn't get sick.

His blood didn't trigger Pride to emerge.

The giant star lit up in all of its shining glory, brighter than the sun. Teru's own star behind him was like that, as well, to match. The path of colorful stars and pheromone constellations dazzled the previously blackened space.

If you told Teru a year ago that Avania's eldest vampire prince, who was also his destined alpha, would be drinking his blood in the center of the wrecked capital, he would have cackled in your face.

He silently prayed his thanks to whoever brought them together, that this wasn't a cruel joke of a dream.

Teru was proud of Kieran when he stopped drinking, extracting his fangs on his own accord. Last time, Pride was so stimulated by the blood that he lost control and almost drank him dry. It was an incredible stepping stone to Kieran's recovery.

"I'm sorry. You deserve better than me, my omega."

Teru purred at Kieran's apology, a genuine one made by Pride himself; the sin who never said sorry to anyone, even when he was in the wrong or made a mistake. They hugged, not believing they were actually in each other's embrace after being ambushed.

A wonderful, intense feeling warmed Teru's heart. It ached in a good way. "I lov-OOF."

Teru couldn't finish his confession. There was a tremor. Kieran abruptly cradled him. He ran a few streets over to avoid a line of collapsing buildings falling on top of them. That made little sense! Those specific structures were fine just a second ago! What would make them crumble like that?

When the dust settled, Teru blinked a hundred times in a second to make sure this was the same person. Kieran had the most amazing green eyes. A newfound wildfire kindled in the forest color. This vampire was no longer blood deprived. Kieran was back to normal, but seemed more...confident and boastful, probably a sneak-peek of his long-lost personality. Teru's inner Humility itched to reprimand that excessive self-pride. Yet, the omega side of him purred with need, thinking it was kinda sexy?! How fucking embarrassing! This would be a fun war with himself later on.

Kieran huffed. His breath was visible against the cold. He met Teru's shy gaze.

"Why are you crying, little one?"

Huh? Teru touched his wet cheeks. He was crying. It made him laugh.

"I don't know," he smiled.

The sides of Kieran's mouth twitched, trying not to laugh, too. "You're difficult to understand sometimes."

"Right back at ya."

"I'll have you figured out by morning."

"You're too cocky, alpha."

Their playful banter was short-lived. The ground shook. An earthquake? In New York? Heat lightning crackled in front of the supermoon, an impossible phenomenon because it wasn't summer. Car sirens rang through the night. People yelled with worry. The battles stopped. It was eerie. The sense of doom was crushing.

No one knew this earthquake was anything but natural.

Kieran dashed through the trembling chaos, aiming toward New Jersey's ruins. After weaving by several cracks and minor fissures in the ground, they ended up in the same place where he and Lucas had their playdate. Central Park. It was untouched by the riots, which were mostly occurring in the streets. The dead bushes and pine trees glowed under the moonlight. Geese slept on the sparkling frost. Some survivors, humans and vampires, sought refuge here. All huddled in groups to keep each other safe.

Looks like not everyone wanted violence and blood.

Kieran stopped dead in his tracks. Teru's heart skipped.

Across the frozen lake was a person, glaring at Kieran with hatred and resentment. The dominant pheromones would be musky if it had a scent. Teru shivered, and it wasn't because of the temperature.

Abaddon.

He was challenging his stepson.

Dominant alpha versus dominant alpha.

There was no running from this ex-angel. It was obvious the final showdown had come. Someone had to die. Someone was going to die.

Abaddon made a move first. He started to walk around the large pond towards them. Smell tremors vibrated the ground with every step. So, Abaddon was responsible for the earthquakes? The civilians ran off, realizing the park was no longer their haven.

Kieran put Teru down carefully and kissed his forehead.

Stay, the rumble in Kieran's chest told him. He turned around and left Teru there. Wait a second! This was happening too fast! Just five minutes ago, Pride had just accepted Humility! There was no way everything was suddenly fine and dandy. What if he lost control of his sin again? Kieran wasn't ready!

Or was he?

Teru's hand covered his mouth, shocked at what he saw. The icy wind blew the back of Kieran's hair in all directions, revealing his nape.

The skin wasn't an angry pink.

It had healed.

A black tribal tattoo was in its place.

A lion's head roared, animated to look like it was alive.

Pride's symbol reappeared.

And it was ready to let it be known that the true king had returned.