The Vampire's Last Omega

Swing

Kieran found himself enjoying leisurely activities that week, something he hadn't done in centuries. For example, they played board games. It was an idea he had while they were tied together from his knot.

Teru was having a hard time after an hour passed. He was sweating profusely from the prolonging pain and his thin body tremored under his. It reminded Kieran of a scared rabbit in the jaws of a wolf. They needed a diversion from the stubborn knot because it refused to let go of this omega. What should he talk about?

"What did you do in your free time?" Kieran asked.

"Hmm? When?"

"In the caves. What did you do when you weren't hunting?"

Teru thought about it. "Swimming in the summer."

"Do you like swimming?"

"Yeah, I swam a lot with Lucas."

Not that alpha again; time to change the subject. "What else?"

"We played games, I guess, like tag or hide-and-seek."

A lightbulb switched on in Kieran's head. "What about board games?"

"I've never played one. What's that?" As they conversed, Teru stopped shaking from the distracting topic.

Fast forward to now after they tried all sorts of games. Teru liked the ones involving dice, but wasn't a fan of cards, mainly because Kieran had once laughed at his terrible poker face. It was difficult for the tenacious human to let go of grudges. Whenever cards were mentioned, his nose would scrunch up.

Next, per request, they were reading Black Beauty again on the sofa, illuminated by the warm glow of yellow sunlight. This sad tale became special to Teru since the horse's journey was relatable.

He was trying his best to pronounce the words himself.

"Only ignorance!" he slowly read the text. "Only ignorance! How can you...talk about only ignorance? Don't you...know that it is the...worst thing in the world, next to–" The last word was a new one for him. "W-w-i..."

"Wickedness," Kieran helped.

"Wickedness," he finished. He analyzed the passage's message with furrowed eyebrows.

The alpha smoothed out Teru's forehead to get rid of the wrinkle-forming creases. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Teru held out his hand indifferently, not taking his eyes off the book on his lap. Kieran scoffed and dug through his pocket. He placed a literal penny on Teru's palm, another shiny coin to add to the nest.

That was another thing.

Teru really liked money, not necessarily the paper bills, but the round metal change. It began as a reward for whoever won at dice games, followed by bribing him to eat his green foods. This turned out to be a grave mistake. Whenever the prince requested something from him, he would wait until Kieran handed over a nickel or two.

Teru put the copper penny on the side table. "I'm thinking about what he said about being ignorant."

"Oh?"

"Does it mean ignorance can cause more harm than wickedness? Would I have had an easier time adjusting to the city if I knew how the real world works?"

It was a true tragedy that Teru wasn't born during what humans called the 'Before' times – he would've thrived in college, most likely studying sociology or any humanities major. His insightfulness was mature for a young adult raised in dirt and feces. To think that a fat prick like Count James almost won him. His intelligence would've gone to waste.