Chapter 14: The Bite And Truth

The weekend haze was shattered the moment Adrian's phone buzzed for the sixth time in a row.

He groaned, finally dragging himself away from the warmth of Kai's body to check it. The screen lit up with a name he hadn't seen in years.

Lucien.

The message was short.

"You've been reckless. He's marked. We need to talk. Now."

Adrian cursed under his breath, his thumb hovering above the reply button. Lucien wasn't someone who reached out unless the situation had already started spiraling. And if he had noticed the mark others had too.

Behind him, Kai sat up, sleepy eyes narrowing. "Everything okay?"

"No," Adrian replied honestly, tossing the phone onto the table. "We might have a problem."

Kai's brows furrowed, lips parting to ask but the words didn't come. He could see it in Adrian's face, in the sudden stiff way he moved. The walls were going back up.

And Kai hated those walls.

"Adrian," he said softly, standing. "Talk to me."

Adrian turned, expression unreadable. "Your scent's been changed, Kai. You're not just an omega anymore you reek of mine. They'll know. The vampires, the ones who want power, who crave bloodlines they'll come for you. Not just because you're rare, but because you're mine now."

Kai swallowed hard. "Then let them come. I'm not some fragile little pet."

"I know," Adrian said, stepping closer. "But I've seen what they do to omegas caught in vampire games. You're cute and cocky, but you're not ready for the bloodbath that could follow."

"Then make me ready," Kai challenged. "Stop treating me like I need saving and start treating me like I'm standing beside you, not behind you."

Adrian's eyes glowed faintly at that. It wasn't just what Kai said it was how. That defiant fire, that unwillingness to be caged, was intoxicating. Dangerous.

And gods help him, Adrian loved it.

But before he could respond, there was a knock on the door. A sharp, deliberate knock that made every hair on Adrian's neck rise.

He stepped in front of Kai immediately, motioning for silence. Then he opened the door.

Lucien stood there in a long black coat, his face pale as bone, eyes cold like a winter grave.

"You've fucked up," Lucien said, stepping inside without invitation. "Do you know what's coming for you now?"

Kai looked between them, posture tense. "Who is this?"

"My brother," Adrian said darkly. "And our people's executioner."

Lucien's gaze slid to Kai with chilling precision. "So you're the mutt that's got him acting like a love-struck fool."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "And you must be the stick-up-his-ass sibling."

Lucien sneered. "Charming. Let's see how long that tongue lasts when the Elders find out what he's done."

Adrian stepped between them. "Enough. Say what you came to say."

Lucien's tone turned lethal. "You've marked an omega, Adrian. That alone is grounds for tribunal. But the fact that you've done it without permission? With him? You've declared war on half the Council without even realizing it."

Kai blinked. "Wait what?"

Lucien looked at him, emotionless. "You're not just a complication, little wolf. You're a fuse."

Kai's heart pounded. He glanced at Adrian, who looked just as pale as his brother.

"Tell me this is fixable," Kai whispered.

Adrian didn't answer.

Because he didn't know if it was.

Kai's head was spinning. He'd expected some kind of fallout sure but this? Council tribunals, executions, threats wrapped in velvet and blood? It was like being shoved into a nightmare with a sexy villain and his icy twin breathing down his neck.

"Wait," Kai said slowly, holding up a hand. "You're telling me that this" he motioned between himself and Adrian "is enough to start a war?"

Lucien folded his arms, expression carved from stone. "A vampire claiming an omega without the Council's blessing is like spitting on centuries of power. And not just any omega a werewolf. You've broken two of the oldest rules in existence, and your ignorance doesn't make it any less dangerous."

Kai's jaw clenched. "I didn't ask to be claimed."

Adrian flinched at that, but Kai wasn't done. "But I'm not sorry it happened. And if your precious Council comes knocking, they better be ready for a fight."

Lucien's lips curled in amusement. "Oh, he's feisty. Maybe that's why you like him, Adrian. Or maybe you've just gotten soft."

"I'm not soft," Adrian growled, stepping closer to his brother. "But I'm done living by rules I didn't write."

Lucien's gaze flicked toward Kai again, this time colder. "Then you'd better be ready to bleed for that decision. Both of you."

With that, he turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him like a final judgment.

The silence left behind was heavy, and for the first time, Kai felt the full weight of the world Adrian lived in. It wasn't just darkness and blood it was politics, betrayal, power plays that left bodies in their wake.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kai asked softly.

Adrian ran a hand through his hair. "Because I knew you'd walk away."

Kai stepped forward, pressing a hand to his chest. "I'm not going anywhere, Adrian. But next time someone wants to kill me, I'd appreciate a heads-up."

A small, bitter laugh escaped Adrian. "Noted."

They stood there, caught in a fragile peace, until Kai whispered, "So… what now?"

Adrian looked down at him, something raw in his eyes. "Now? Now we survive."

And for the first time… they weren't sure it would be enough.