Phantom

Teru tried to wake up so many times.

He really did.

In between his nightmare-stricken dreams of Tristan chasing him through the forest, he could distantly hear what was going on around him in random episodes. Although Teru attempted to open his eyes, his body lay there motionless, wherever he was. It was actually frustrating because he didn't remember this happening the first time he hibernated.

But unlike then, Teru desperately wanted, no, needed, to be with Kieran. Even while under his comatose sleep, his instincts were screaming to go help him. The meaning behind this sense of purpose was still unknown to him and why it suddenly sprouted now.

The surrounding conversations were mainly about his health. It was always between the same two people – the villain-like man who had discovered him buried under the rubble and someone else he's never heard before.

"I'll send a sample of his blood to the lab. You'll get the results soon."

"This is abnormally long for hibernation, but not surprising. He's taken a lot of injuries that were borderline fatal. No stitches were needed. Thankfully, I wouldn't categorize this as an omega drop. He should be able to wake up on his own."

"How is he doing? This is the sixth day. Force him to wake up. Now."

"Have you done a body inspection? He is likely not a virgin, no?"

"He recently began his heat cycles…"

Yeah. You get the gist of the sort of topics they discussed.

But whenever Teru was secretly awake, he wished to hear a specific voice. Where was that person? When was he coming to take him back home?

Home...

Teru spent his awareness thinking about that word. He missed his family and the forest, but could he go back alone? After all, he worked hard spreading his pheromones around the penthouse until it was just the way he liked it. He wanted to read and write again. Maybe watch another documentary.

Wait, was he really justifying why he should stay here? Pheromones were the best excuse he had?

That's not the reason why you want to stay, his inner gender whispered. Don't lie to yourself.

Teru silently growled to himself before sleeping some more.

His mind woke up again when someone came into the room. Given the number of footsteps, it was two people, probably the same individuals. Their pace suggested his alpha was not one of them.

"Your Majesty. His vitals have been rising since this morning. I think he'll wake up anytime."

"Good. When he does, transport him to my floor and put a green collar on him. I don't want anyone knowing he's still alive. Especially Pride," the accented voice ordered. "He finally came out of his sin's influence yesterday while confined and insists that the omega isn't dead; some nonsense about sensing it. This needs to be quick before his scent returns. If that happens, my wife's other two bastard sons will surely smell him and notify Kieran."

Pride…Kieran…

Teru's finger twitched.

"Yes, King, but I recommend keeping him here under supervision for another day after he awakens. It's been a week and a half–UGH!" The stranger was being strangled. Disturbing gurgles tuned out the machine beeps that measured Teru's heart rate.

"When the omega wakes up, transport him to my floor," he said again with venom. It was laced with control pheromones. He let go of the other's throat and left, his heavy footsteps fading away.

They coughed from being in a chokehold and complained, "Were the pheromones necessary? I'm a beta, for fuck's sake." There was shuffling of papers before analyzing the information. "Hmm, reproductive system is ready, no mark, no obvious illnesses, not a virgin but that's not an issue…still waiting on bloodwork to confirm gender and any predisposition to future health risks. A fine specimen despite the unknown bloodline. That mainly concludes his history, it seems."

A hand slinked up Teru's chest and brushed his markless nape. He wanted to cringe at their violating touch.

"I can't wait to see the show while the alphas I've chosen for you breed you. I'm excited to see the results."

Teru wanted to puke at the suggestion of being with another alpha like that. Hold it in. Hold it in.

The door banged open, almost making Teru flinch.

"Doctor! We need your assistance. We've got another vampire seriously injured by the Zhang's alpha slave. He needs immediate surgery."

The supposed doctor who has been inspecting Teru's hibernation progress sighed. "Again? They should put him down already. The thing is too dangerous to keep alive. Alright, prep operating room #4." He left and shut the door behind him, leaving Teru alone.

His eyes slowly flitted open. It took a few minutes to open them fully because of the blinding lights above. Teru looked from side to side, eyeing the machines with glowing buttons and screens. There were no windows to see if it was night or day.

He was confused. Where am I? What time is it? What day is it? Where's Kieran? Is he okay?

Teru gripped the bed's metal sidebar with a weak grip and sat up. His stomach rumbled from hunger. After he let the temporary headache subside due to laying down for so long, Teru's alertness gradually returned. He remembered Kieran destroying the penthouse, the explosion, and…

That man. He was the king. The exchanges between him and the physician made it clear they had a plan for Teru.

He detected a faint aroma of sweetened sugar. His scent was coming back but still muted. If he ran away now, perhaps they couldn't use his scent as a bread crumb trail to find him when they realized he was missing.

I need to go. Escape. Find safety. Hide.

Teru's chest purred in distress when removing all of the wires connected to his body – the air tubes providing him oxygen through his nose, the chest stickers which caused the machines to beep sporadically from the lowered blood pressure until he panickly pressed every button to switch it off, and the needle sticking into the crook of his arm. That last one hurt the most because he wasn't aware it was deep in his skin. When he ripped it out, it must've torn the vein. Blood gushed out of the hole, soaking the side of his white hospital gown. Teru wrapped it with the bed pillow cover. He yanked some wires out of the machines and used those to tie the makeshift bandage in place; if he had to fight, he needed both hands.

As Teru took his first step on the cold, tiled floor, he almost toppled over because of his weak muscles. But he couldn't take his sweet 'ol time to be careful now. He did not know when they would be back.

One step after another until he felt comfortable enough to walk confidently, he peeked out into the hallway. No one was there. The window across the hallway showed it was nighttime with the city lights twinkling up the black sky. Most employees and patients were sleeping. Luck was on his side.

Teru went through multiple corridors without running into anyone, sniffing each one before rounding the corner just in case there were any vampires there. But soon, he became lost. No sight of an elevator anywhere. Plus, where was Teru supposed to go? He had no idea where Kieran was. If he didn't hurry, someone would find him soon.

The hallway split off into a T. Left or right?

"Right."

Teru jumped from fright and flattened his back against the wall. Luck was not on his side.

The most enchanting woman stood there, watching him with gentle, dark brown eyes. She was young with thick, curly chestnut brown hair pulled into a perfect bun, a sleek style that corresponded well with her body-hugging black dress. Her high cheekbones were accentuated with highlighted make-up to match her grey eyeshadow. The dark red lipstick contrasted against her pearly white fangs.

But what made Teru freeze wasn't the fact that she was a vampire.

It was her gender.

At this point, he shouldn't be surprised to meet another dominant alpha.

Except, she was the most intimidating dominant alpha he's ever come across, even more so than Kieran. More than the king. More than when Tristan was about to force-mark him. He couldn't breathe from the pressure. Her scent was muddled with every smell imaginable – sweet, spicy, flowery, woodsy, burning, sour…

It overwhelmed Teru's senses. He's never met a person, vampire and human, like this in his life.

"Right," she repeated again.

"H-huh?"

She nodded towards the right hallway. Teru looked in that direction before glancing back at her.

She was gone. There was no leftover scent. It was as if she had never been there. A phantom.

Teru was perplexed. She wasn't going to capture him? Oh well, no time to think about that. He turned around and went right.

That direction kept going…and going…and going…when would it end? Was he stupid to have listened to a peculiar vamp–

Strong hands grasped his shoulders and forced him to face them. He inhaled sharply.

"You! How…you're here…what happened? No, never mind. Come with me." They pulled his arm and rushed away, dragging him further down the corridor. Teru barely had time to register that this was Dr. Charles. He finally found someone he could trust to take him to Kieran.

Tears welled up in Teru's eyes as the past few weeks' ordeals overcame him in a tidal wave. He hugged the vampire's backside, needing someone to tell him he was safe.

Dr. Charles paused from surprise before patting the top of Teru's head. "We're close to my office. Let's move along, little omega."

They hurried until they reached the familiar room. Teru remembered this office from when he had those annoying physical inspections. Charles locked the door and ran over to his unusually messy desk, pushing and moving things around until he found what he was looking for in a drawer.

It was the black collar Kieran had bought for him at the mall.

Without saying anything as to why Charles had it, he hustled over to Teru and wrapped the collar around his neck. The tiny lock clicked into place. Now, the only one who could take it off was Kieran.

Charles gave a huge sigh of relief. He smiled at Teru, but the grin disappeared when he observed Teru's current condition - the bloodied gown, the haphazardly wrapped arm with blood seeping through the material, fading yellow bruises on his bare arms and legs, and his progressively returning pheromones scent.

They both had so many questions to ask the other.

The doctor went first. "How are you still alive, where have you been, and why the hell can I smell my stepfather on you?"