The Vampire's Last Omega

Zombie [Announcement]

[Day 9]

Kieran pulled Teru close, arms wrapping around his shoulder. Both watched Blaise dash towards them from the treeline. There were not many things that could truly surprise Kieran nowadays, seeing and experiencing several lifetimes of shocking events.

But Blaise...

He hadn't seen him this disastrous-looking in centuries - not since finding him as a child after murdering village after village to eliminate the scent of lust. His brother was very particular about his appearance, wanting to be his best even in the midst of war and death. Even more peculiar was that he did not seem to care now when he'd usually be complaining up a storm about it.

Given the way Blaise was an absolute mess of blood, dirt, and grime, he had gone through some serious shit in the caves. The wind blew at Kieran. It was the most...interesting mixture of smells, telling him that he did go through animal feces. The rag-doll human he gripped so tightly to his chest was in worse condition.

Kieran thought he was a corpse at first. That was why he held his mate for comfort, because he fully expected him to begin a grieving process that would never quite heal after losing a close friend.

"Lucas?" Teru whispered in horror. It hurt him to hear the pain in his voice. "Is he dead?"

"Little one," Kieran confirmed it gently.

Blaise finally reached them. He collapsed to his knees, wheezing and legs trembling from exhaustion. His death grip on Lucas never loosened. Questions about their awful state could be asked later. Kieran kneeled beside his brother, patted his head, and reached out to take the body away from him. The most respectful thing to do would be to lay Lucas to rest—

The youngest prince suddenly hissed at Kieran to back off, fangs shimmering white. His crimson-almost-black eyes were feral. Teru flinched and stepped back. The jump scare did not startle Kieran. He was more worried by the color of his eyes and skin, signs of critical blood deprivation. If he did not get rid of the black color soon, his vampire instincts would go on a rampage to drink anything with a pulse.

"Brother," Kieran said low, "you need to let him go."

He spat, "No! My virtue is still alive. He's mine!"

"Blaise..."

How long will he be in denial until the end of time, just like Tristan?

"Why can't you hear his heartbeat? We need to hurry! The plane!"

Kieran was about to say there was no heartbeat...

...Until he heard it. It was faint and slow, barely a blip. A human should not be alive with that weak of a pulse. The smell from Lucas's throat was sour. The flesh there was rotten. It obscured the scent inside of his veins Kieran had missed earlier - vanilla.

Yet, Lucas was still a mortal and had no symptoms of turning into a vampire.

He knew what was happening.

"What did you do?" Kieran whispered.

Teru squeaked, "Do what?"

"It's temporary," Blaise barked back.

Kieran growled, "It's cruel."

His mate was panicking. "What's cruel?!"

The vampires did a stare-down. One was desperate and the other livid.

"You need to decide what to do with him soon," Kieran said. "It is not natural."

"I know." Blaise cried, tears falling on Lucas's ashen face. "He just doesn't want it. He didn't want to die, but he didn't want to be turned, either. Lucas was taking his final breath and pleaded for help. What was I supposed to do? He had septic shock. I tried to turn him on the way here, but he fought me. I also don't have enough blood to change him, and I can only give a little here and there. What if he hated me forever for forcing him? I did not want to be the monster I am trying so hard not to be. It was the only thing I could do until he wakes up."