Teru walked through the never-ending meadow, naked as the day he was born. He held out a hand to the side to brush his fingers against the colorful wildflowers that reached his bare hips. The light gray clouds rolled quickly across the sky, covering every inch of blue. The mildewy scent warned it would downpour at any second, but Teru knew it wouldn't rain. That was just how this place was. His inner werewolf preferred this weather, leaving it in a constant state of pre-storm.

He saw the giant black beast ahead. It rested on plants and tall grass that was flattened into a circle. The wolf looked elsewhere towards the ground. Getting closer, Teru saw three wolf pups on the flower bed. Colorful petals stuck to their fur. Two white pups growled playfully and nipped at each other's ears, while the black one stayed closer to its mother for warmth. The poor thing was shivering! It was much smaller than its two snowy siblings, likely the runt.

Teru stepped into the open circle. He sat next to his inner werewolf, feeling like a pup himself because of its immense size. Two of the babies would grow to match the size of their mother, as they were already the length of his arm.

Not the black pup, though. It was only half the size of the other two, who were healthy and boasting with energy.

The wolf whined, trying to tell him that something was wrong. Teru sat on his knees and carefully picked up the dark one. Instead of squirming to be put down, the pup was limp in his grasp. Its condition wasn't good. Back home in the real forest, this sickly offspring would have been abandoned and left to die.

"It's not okay," Teru said sadly. He held it like a newborn, its tail resting over his rounding belly bump. The pup didn't open its eyes or acknowledge him, just remained deadweight and cold.

"Is...it going to die?" A single raindrop plopped on his nose. "Hmm?"

Teru glanced up. The clouds were ominous and dark grey. Was it going to rain? It had never rained here before. Why now? More sprinkles fell on his face. The white pups whimpered as it showered harder, running to hide in their mother's belly fur. The chilly wind gave him goosebumps.

He hugged the black pup tighter, trying to protect it from the incoming hurricane that blew the flowers away. All the while, the wolf stared at Teru the entire time. He met its gaze, but he had to squint because the water was soaking his hair, dripping droplets into his eyes. The wind howled, like it was trying to tell him something.

"What's happening?" he asked.

Lightning flashed across the sky. The thunder shook the ground, rumbling loudly. The werewolf looked down at its dying pup that Teru cradled close. Teru did the same, feeling the life drain from its pitiful body.

CHIRP. CHIRP. CHIRP. CHIRP. CHIRP.

Teru opened his eyes, awake from visiting his werewolf's realm. A small bird sang a song above him in the tree. Flocks must be migrating north. He was lying on a blanket, laid out on the grass. A shoreline was nearby with a lake and red-sanded beach, surrounded by trees that were either barren or blooming with green leaves. The sunset made the horizon a striking orange and yellow color. It would be nighttime in an hour or so.

He sat up in different winter clothes than what he wore earlier before falling asleep in the car. The outfit was making him sweat from the unusually warm temperatures for this time of year. There was no one around, bringing back the terrifying feeling of being alone, like when Kieran was the enemy and left Teru by himself for weeks in the penthouse.

Teru stood and looked from side to side with panic, ignoring the ache in his wrapped feet. With the recent dream of the black pup and waking up in an unfamiliar place, Teru felt anxious; borderline nesting fit anxious, to be exact. His skin itched painfully like a dog with a serious case of fleas. He scratched vigorously at his throat since the sleeves of his sweater were too thick to roll up and aim for his forearms. Scratching and scratching, his neck became an angry red. This wasn't a good habit and Teru knew he should stop, but his hormones were skyrocketing his distress off the charts!

Where am I? Where is the car? Did everyone leave me behind? Teru tightly clenched his eyes shut. Something wet moistened his fingertips, bringing the scent of iron. Not caring that he was now bleeding from self-harm, the omega yelled inwardly, Where is Kieran? Where is my alpha? Kieran? Kieran?!

A firm grip on his wrists made him stop, followed by a wave of mint pheromones. An arm pulled him into the most comforting bear hug. Teru rubbed his face into their chest, inhaling the fresh scent of this person's clean clothes. It smelled like the penthouse, bringing nostalgic memories of watching movies and learning how to read.

"Little one."

Their voice was music to his ears, one that he thought he would never hear again while in Abaddon's custody. He looked up into familiar crimson eyes that were staring down at him with worry.

"You're here with me," Teru said softly.

Kieran's voice was gentle, leaning forward so their foreheads touched. "I am."

Teru reminisced about the past month: learning he was a werewolf, Ryoma, Abaddon's abuse, the disappearance of their starry trail, escaping, finding Pride rampaging, Abaddon bringing Hell on earth, Lilith vowing to return...

The most vivid of them all, though, was the isolation. Believing he'd be trapped in that kennel forever without hope. Thinking Kieran was gone. A single mother. Abandoned. Companionless. Lonely.

"I thought I was alone. I...I...can't be alone anymore. I'm too scared...," his words trailed because the waterworks came in full swing. Kieran wiped away every tear as he bawled over the trauma that he wasn't positive he'd ever get past. It would take time to heal. For now, it was too raw, too recent in his mind. The physical bruises were still there, where Abaddon had been rough with him.

The birds stopped chirping, letting his cries be the only sound. It made him wonder if the animals were sympathizing. Eventually, Teru calmed. Kieran also seemed troubled, who wanted to remain strong for the distressed omega requiring comfort and safety.

"Shh," Kieran hushed him, cupping the side of Teru's face. "I promise you will never be alone again. I'll always be beside you to defend you until my last breath-"

Teru didn't like those words, reminding him of the fight in the alleyway when Abaddon shot his stepson between the eyes with a silver bullet.

He suddenly lifted Kieran's black turtleneck sweater to expose his front side. One by one, Teru touched every single place where those bullets had struck Kieran, remembering each spot by heart. Were all those hits really healed? No scars? No more silver poisoning? The previous few days felt like a lifetime when, in reality, Kieran had recently escaped death's grip.

The last part Teru examined was between Kieran's eyebrows where the kill shot had been, gingerly skimming over the area with a thumb. Flashes of that heart-stopping moment came to him.

The bang from the gun.

Brain matter and bits of skull scattered in all directions, including Teru's face.

Being kidnapped while crying out for his motionless mate in the snow.

Teru's hand trembled. He paused when realizing Kieran was watching him closely, probably feeling Teru's sorrow himself.

"You still have nightmares about that night," Kieran said, not even questioning it. He knew, maybe even saw, the horrible dreams, too. Did a destined pair's connection have that ability? It wouldn't be surprising.

"...I do. Though I'm always tired, I don't sleep well. My dreams never let me forget."

As Teru lowered his arm, his alpha growled and picked him up, taking him to the base of a tree.

"Oh!" he gasped at the abruptness of being carried.

Kieran sat down and placed Teru on top, making him straddle his thighs. Without saying a word, the vampire nudged his nose above Teru's shoulder, inhaling where the scent gland was.

Kieran's low rumble scolded him, Don't hurt yourself.

Teru's inner omega purred to let him know he had heard it loud and clear. He groaned when Kieran skimmed his tongue over the bleeding scratches on his throat. The warmth of his breath tickled Teru's jaw. They pressed closer, desperate to erase Abaddon's damage on them.

Then remember this to dream of, the alpha purred.

Kieran's hand gently tugged on Teru's black hair near his nape. Teru obliged and leaned his head back, allowing full access to his bending throat. As Kieran kissed his Adam's apple, he shivered. Would Kieran bite him? The hue of his irises meant he was blood deprived, after all.

I need to help my alpha. Give him nourishment. Take my blood, Teru thought hazily. His inner gender was excited, relieved to receive skin-ship, no matter what form. Kissing, cuddling, even offering blood...it was all the same to him now.

But, rather than inwardly thinking this to himself, Teru had accidentally purred his desires out loud. The vampire rumbled deeply at the offer. He opened his mouth wide at the protruding throat, ripe for sinking his fangs into-

GRRRROOWWLL.

It was a different type of growling. They stopped with the tips of Kieran's fangs snagging over the sweet spot. Teru's stomach demanded food. It did it again. GRROOWLL.

Kieran closed his lips and pecked where he was going to bite. "I have dinner for you. It may not be hot anymore," he said quietly.

How embarrassing! Why do I always do this at the worst of times?! Still, my pups must be starving-

Teru gasped, feeling his heart drop to the ground.

My pups...

He had a few incidents of falling during Abaddon's chaos. He had also shifted into a werewolf, and changing body shapes couldn't be good for a pregnancy. Was the sac thing that protected them damaged? What about when Lucas crashed into Abaddon and his seatbelt tightened on his lower abdomen? Can stress itself be bad, too?

Kieran immediately stopped the tender kisses and sat straight up, alarmed by his omega's sudden switch in behavior. "What's wrong? Why do you feel such panic? Did I frighten you?"

"My-my-my-," Teru stuttered. He put his hand on his bulging belly button. "Are they okay? They're okay, right? I got hurt...a lot. What if they're not alive? What if my carelessness killed them? What do I do?"

His string of concerned questions kept going, paranoid he had put them at risk and their little hearts weren't beating anymore. Seeing his wolf's ill pup didn't help his rising fear, either. Was it a sign? Why else would he dream of that?

Kieran caressed the baby bump. "Little one, we don't have an ultrasound...there is one way to tell, though, if you let me. I cannot say if it'll work, but I could possibly ease your mind-"

"Please do it!" Teru frantically agreed. "How can you tell without Dr. Charles's machines?"

His alpha smiled at him. It was more of a bittersweet smile, as he was experiencing the emotional onslaught of Teru's anxiety, too. "Stand in front of me. I'll help you." He supported Teru's hand, guiding him to his feet. Kieran went on his knees and pushed Teru's lower back to come closer, his belly at eye level.

"What are you doing?"

"Vampires," Kieran said, lifting up Teru's thick shirt, "have the keenest sense of hearing."