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Additional chapters of Blaise and Lucas finding a way out of the caves (2-3 chapters at one time)
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Kieran ignored the searing wound as they listened to the roaring fire on the surface. Despite being a little blood deprived, a simple third-degree burn was nothing but a scratch for him. It would be gone in a few hours.
Out of all the times...
Out of all the fucking times for this to happen when we are on a strict schedule...
Kieran prayed Lucas knew the ins and out of that cave system. Just like how the two of them were trapped in a bomb shelter that dated at least the beginning of the vampire takeover, he and Blaise were stuck in a cold, underground labyrinth. If Kieran and Teru made it in time to meet with their pilot in Nashville, they'd have to leave by themselves if Blaise wasn't in sight!
How long would it take for his brother to see daylight again? What if they were crushed to death within the collapsed tunnels?
Speak for ourselves. When will we be able to open the hatch?
If it wasn't for the sheer coincidence of stepping on the heavy-duty door meant to withstand shell case bombings, that could've been them up there. Given the history of the one-in-a-million miracles since he and Teru met, this was likely another one put in place by the heavens. Even if they had made it to the van or tried to outrun it, the possibilities of making it out were extremely slim.
Kieran noted it while walking to the caves, but the forest floor was piled with fallen trees, broken branches, dried leaves, and an overall lack of pruning. Though the humans probably used dead nature to hide from vampires, it was all pure fuel if a wildfire were to ever break out.
The only thing they could do was wait it out. That could be tomorrow. That could take days. That could take freaking weeks! The latter was more probable since no one was outside fighting the flames!
So many 'if' scenarios. The future was uncertain.
Kieran cursed to himself, marveling at the dire situation-
He sniffed the air.
The curses in his head habitually turned to Gaelic, which occurred whenever he was momentarily speechless. It was rare; he had to be very stumped to forget his English.
There was a sour scent that grew stronger, now potent enough to be detected by anyone who could smell pheromones.
"Kieran," Teru whispered his name worriedly, knowing a nesting fit was coming. His pretty omega was getting better at recognizing his bodily cues.
"I know, little one. I'll watch over you," Kieran assured, putting Teru down to his feet. It was pitch black. They needed light as soon as possible! "There should be a flashlight in your bag."
He rummaged through it until feeling the long handle and clicked the rubber button, dimly illuminating the small space. His heart sank.
It was what you'd picture a two-hundred-year-old underground room: chipping cement walls with a bricklayer behind it, moss creeping between the cracks, mysterious stains on the cold floor, layers upon layers of spider webs, some creaky bunk beds with somewhat new blankets, barrels of water, and stacks of expired cans with questionable contents for food.
This wasn't even a 21st-century bunker. Oh no, it likely dated to World War 2 or earlier! Absolutely not! Not acceptable!
But what made him most concerned was its condition, worse than Kieran expected. The record-breaking earthquakes had split the right wall clean through, spilling soil from the other side. Brown earth slowly trickled in, making a pile below. Not threatening now, but eventually...
The shelter's safety was compromised.
If the fire were to last weeks, this would definitely become their tomb before then; and there was nothing he could do about it. None. Is this what being utterly useless felt like? It was a knife stab to his sin.
"Hot...," a moan complained.
Teru stripped everything, track pants already off and tossed to the side. He grabbed the end of his t-shirt and was about to yank it over his head until Kieran stopped him.
"Keep this on, little one," Kieran gently pulled it back to cover his belly. Though it was just a thin scrap of material, it provided a false sense of protection. It was better than the slight swell exposed to this disgusting place.
Setting the flashlight and duffel on a dust-covered shelf, he retrieved the discarded pants from the floor. "These, too. I'll help you-"
"No," Teru shook his head and crossed his arms, fingers digging into his shoulders until his nail beds were white. The pheromones were thick. "Hot. It's so hot in here. Hot."
Kieran didn't argue with him, knowing he'd be difficult to negotiate with while in a disoriented state of mind. The vampire also couldn't deny it was warm. The temperature was increasing, almost like an oven set to pre-heat. No wind, no AC, no cool towel to wipe away the sweat beading Teru's skin, wildfire raging feet above them...
"I'll get water from the bins. Do you know long it's been sitting in here? I don't think we should boil anything considering what is happening outside," Kieran said, not expecting an answer. Before doing so, he folded the pants and packed them in the bag. Only briefs should be fine for now-
Kieran flinched. A distinctive smell mixed with his mate's sour scent.
A metallic tang.
One that his fangs ached to taste.
Blood.
His eyes went wide open. He dashed at the human with impossible speed, instantly holding Teru's slim wrists in the air. Kieran examined the long trails of broken skin from shoulders to elbows on both arms. Bright red seeped into the shirt's sleeves. Teru had done this to himself, strips of skin stuck under his nails as evidence of his self-harm.
"Teru...," he sighed in dismay.
A warning purr sounded from the omega's chest, quick and aggressive. Don't touch me! Teru didn't look him in the eyes, keeping his face cast down. He kept demanding the alpha to let him go and attempted to wrestle away from his tight grip. His wounded animal grunts twisted Kieran's stomach.
His inner alpha woke up, too. If they were somewhere safe, he would've released him and left Teru to do his nesting privately; on standby, of course, in case he scratched again.
That wasn't possible here. Too dangerous. I have to.
Let go!
No.
The pair fought back and forth with growls. It only made Teru's pheromones more spoiled, heightening Kieran's anxiety. It wasn't unheard of for unmanageable stress to harm an unborn pup, either. What if that happened...?
Kieran glanced at the bag. He brought it for this reason, after all. "Do you want your things? Your ring? That silly bobby pin Blaise gave you? The wristwatch I wore for centuries? It's all in there."
Surprisingly, Teru snarled. No.
"Clothes? Do you want the sweater I am wearing? The mint green pocket watch you gifted me is in my-"
No!
"Is there anything in this forsaken bunker that you want?" Kieran's voice rose at the word 'anything' by accident. He wished he could take it back.
No!
Kieran was at a loss, running out of solutions as he watched Teru struggle and kick at his legs. Stubborn, so fucking stubborn! But, he had to remain calm. Think. If Teru didn't want material things, it must be the environment. What if...what if Teru's inner omega was upset? A proper nest needed a strong foundation before adding and decorating to his heart's desire. Could it be that it wasn't up to par as a peaceful place to rest while pregnant? Understandable. It was not appropriate.
I can't just let go of his hands, though. A nesting omega can chew their own limbs off. As much as he hates it, he is stuck with me.
One thing bothered Kieran more than anything else.
Teru still wasn't looking at him, hiding his face. Kieran could only see the top of his hair. It was unusual for nesting; Teru always challenged him without hesitation, not caring that he was telling a dominant alpha to fuck off.
So what was with this skittish behavior? Very unlike him.
"Look at me."
Teru froze, purring going haywire, arms shaking. Eventually, he shook his head 'no.'
"I need you to look at me."
"..."
"Please."
Pride said the magic word that was rarer than gold. No nesting tantrum was strong enough to ignore his mate's feelings towards the pleading word.
He finally looked up, recognizing it.
Teru's nose scrunched up from growling, showing his teeth. Kieran swore he saw his werewolf's spirit behind him to match, drool dripping from its giant mouth.
The prince ignored the killer expression. What broke his heart was Teru's precious brown eyes. Pupils big, showcasing his soul inside. He peered into the black, circle windows, sensing what Teru truly felt.
Anxious.
Distressed.
Tired.
Afraid.
Guilty.
The last one made Kieran curious. Guilty? That wasn't a typical nesting emotion since it was all based on instincts. Animals didn't feel guilt. There was no room for it. An omega would think about themselves and their own survival above all else.
Kieran narrowed his eyes, studying him more, dissecting this guilt piece by piece. He lowered their arms. "My mate, I want to help. I said I'd stay beside you. What is this guilt you feel?"
It was brief. Teru's angry face relaxed into hopelessness. "I'm sorry. I tried to hold it in ever since you left with Blaise to count bodies. It hurts too much now to go against it-," he cried before the nesting fit took over again, reverting into feral mode. Teru returned to squirming once more.
Kieran couldn't help himself, pulling him into a hug. "You held in your nesting all this time?" he choked, feeling empathetic. All Kieran wanted to do was love him physically, not caring that Teru began to bite his injured arm several times.
Let go, let go, let go! Teru snarled.
"Were you ashamed to show that side of you to others? Little one, they would've understood."
Damn it, Kieran wished Teru was coherent enough to respond. What to do? How could he help him in a way that mattered? He continued to hug him, smelling his hair.
My mate is in pain. My mate is hurting. Would this not be injuring my pups, too? Please. Please, someone help him.
A faint breeze ruffled his dark red hair. Wind? Down here? It was gone quickly before he could ponder more.
There was a tingle in the back of Kieran's brain. Like something beckoning him, he entered their celestial trail that connected them as destined mates. He saw Teru's side. Before he could float over to it, the same breeze brushed over his nape. The scent it carried was mint.
Kieran's pheromones.
Ah. I see what this wind is. Teru had mentioned feeling it. It's you. My inner alpha. See, little one? I can have serious discussions and understandings with it, Kieran concluded proudly.
Do what you have to do. He commanded it, allowing his alpha to overcome him. Let's help our mate. Our omega. No matter in what way.
He gasped and finally let go of Teru.
"K-Kieran?" a lovely groan said, but he couldn't talk.
The alpha was feeling the full onslaught of nesting. The urge to dig into his arms was immense, swearing his flesh was tearing itself away from the bone. Nest. Where could he build one? Pups will arrive in months. Not enough time. It was too dark. The scents weren't right. No suitable items to start with. Hated it. Kieran hated it so much. Would scratching alleviate this misery? Yes. Yes, it would.
I'll take away your pain for you, he thought one final time. It's my turn.
My mate.