The morning after felt like stolen serenity one of those moments that didn't belong in the chaos they'd been living. The light filtering through the curtains in Adrian's safehouse painted golden lines across Kai's bare shoulder, the sheets tangled loosely around his waist. He was still asleep, lips parted slightly, chest rising and falling in a rhythm that Adrian had found himself syncing to without realizing.
Adrian sat on the edge of the bed, shirtless, back tense, one hand gripping the edge of the mattress like it might anchor him to this moment. To Kai.
It scared him.
Not the vampires. Not the blood. Not the enemies hiding in the shadows or the scent of betrayal that still clung to the streets.
No. It was this peace. This fragile, beautiful thing that existed only when Kai was around.
"You're staring again," Kai mumbled, eyes still closed, voice sleep-rough and adorably smug.
Adrian looked over his shoulder, smirking. "Can you blame me?"
Kai peeked through one eye. "Depends. Do I look good, or are you planning to kill me in my sleep?"
"Both," Adrian teased. "You're a menace to my sanity, and I'm not convinced you're real."
Kai reached up lazily, grabbing Adrian's arm and tugging him back down into bed. "Then don't think. Just be here."
And for once… Adrian let himself.
Their lips met gentle, slow. Not rushed. Not desperate. Just a promise.
A soft exhale.
A quiet vow.
But the moment didn't last.
A knock came three sharp raps on the heavy door downstairs.
Adrian was up in seconds, instinct sharp. "Stay here," he told Kai.
"Adrian"
"Please." His eyes softened. "Just for now."
Kai nodded, slipping on a hoodie and stepping into the bathroom just as Adrian moved to answer the door.
It was a messenger. Human. Pale. Breathless. He handed over a sealed envelope and didn't wait for a response before disappearing into the morning light.
Adrian broke the seal with a flick of his thumb.
One sentence. That was all.
"The Council wants a parley alone."
His jaw clenched.
Kai appeared behind him, still barefoot, eyes scanning Adrian's face. "What is it?"
Adrian didn't answer right away. He looked up, catching Kai's gaze. Something told him this was only the eye of the storm.
"We have a decision to make," he finally said, his voice low, unreadable. "And it's going to change everything."
Kai stood there silently, watching the way Adrian's fingers curled tighter around the letter. He didn't need to read it to know that whatever was written had drawn the blood from Adrian's face.
"Parley?" Kai echoed carefully, stepping closer, bare toes brushing the wood floor. "That's vampire talk. Dangerous vampire talk."
Adrian nodded, jaw tight. "The Council doesn't 'parley' unless there's something big at stake. And they never summon someone alone unless it's a trap… or an execution."
"Well that's cute," Kai said dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you planning on walking into it like a good little target, or do I get to tackle you and tie you to the damn bed?"
Adrian arched an eyebrow, amused despite the gravity. "You offering to tie me up now?"
Kai's cheeks flushed, but his stare didn't waver. "Not the time for vampire sass, Adrian."
The smile faded from Adrian's lips. He stepped forward, close enough to feel Kai's breath against his collarbone. "I don't have a choice. If I ignore the call, they'll send hunters. If I go... maybe I can buy us time. Maybe I can keep them from dragging you back to their world."
Kai's throat bobbed with a hard swallow. "You're not going alone."
"I have to."
"Bullshit." His voice cracked. "You're not doing this whole noble martyr thing on me. I've seen what they do to rogues, Adrian. You step into that circle alone, and you won't come back."
Adrian cupped Kai's face, pressing their foreheads together. "Then kiss me like it's the last time."
"Fuck you," Kai whispered, eyes wet. "It's not the last time."
But he kissed him anyway.
It wasn't soft this time. It was desperate. Angry. A claim and a curse all wrapped in one. Adrian gripped Kai's hips like he was grounding himself, like if he let go, the world would tear them apart.
Kai bit his bottom lip, then tugged Adrian closer with a growl, the wolf in him clawing to the surface. "If they hurt you," he whispered into Adrian's mouth, "I'll burn their goddamn palace to the ground."
Adrian smiled faintly. "There's that omega fire I love."
They stayed like that, wrapped in each other, clinging to seconds they didn't know they'd have again.
And when Adrian pulled away and vanished into the mist of morning, Kai stood at the window eyes glowing faint gold, heart racing, whispering a silent promise.
You come back to me, Adrian. Or I'll come find you myself.
Kai didn't move from the window even as the sky dimmed from pale blue to gray. Adrian's scent still lingered on his skin, on the pillow, in the air like a fading ghost. He hated how cold the room felt without him.
Every fiber of his wolf screamed to go after him. Screw the Council, screw their politics adrian was his. And no one, not even the most ancient vampire on that throne, got to touch a hair on his head without going through Kai first.
A low growl vibrated in his throat.
He stormed to the kitchen, too restless to stay still. He'd barely opened the fridge when the scent of blood hit him. Not Adrian's. Something bottled. A peace-offering Adrian had left behind, hidden between the orange juice and leftover pizza.
"Idiot," Kai muttered with a strained laugh. "Always thinking of me… even now."
He turned away from the blood. He didn't want comfort. He wanted Adrian back.
His phone buzzed.
Matteo: Any news?
Kai: He went alone.
Matteo: Shit. I'll get in touch with someone inside. Don't do anything stupid.
Kai stared at the message, fingers trembling. "Too late," he whispered.
Meanwhile…
Adrian's boots echoed off the ancient marble as he stepped into the Council's chamber. Cold. Grand. Smothered in history and old magic. Shadows moved between the columns like whispers waiting to become screams.
The Council sat high above, robed in crimson, eyes like dying stars watching his every move.
"Adrian Duval," the head vampire said, voice like cracked bone. "You have been summoned to answer for your betrayal."
Adrian bowed, hiding the way his fists clenched. "I have betrayed nothing. I've simply refused to kill a man who has done no wrong."
Murmurs rippled through the shadows.
"And yet," the elder leaned forward, "you consort with a werewolf. You protect him. Love him. And that, Adrian, is a crime."
Adrian's eyes burned with rage, but his voice remained calm. "Then charge me. Or let me walk away. But know this if you hurt him, there will be no place you can hide from me."
The chamber fell silent.
A cruel smile spread across the elder's lips. "Oh, my dear Adrian… we weren't planning to hurt you."
The blood drained from Adrian's face.
No not Kai.
Back at the apartment, Kai's chest constricted. He dropped the mug in his hand, porcelain shattering on the floor.
Something had shifted in the air. A tether snapped. His heart screamed with an ache that wasn't his own.
"Adrian," he whispered, voice trembling. "What did they do?"