That night, Adrian couldn't sleep.
He lay in Kieran's arms, listening to the absence of a heartbeat, thinking about Xiao's words. About immortality and loss and the weight of living forever.
"You're thinking too loud," Kieran murmured.
"Sorry."
"Want to talk about it?"
Adrian was quiet for a moment. "What was it like? The first hundred years of immortality?"
Kieran's arms tightened around him. "You don't want to know."
"I do."
Kieran sighed. "The first decade was... bad. I was insane with grief. I killed indiscriminately—vampires, humans, anyone who reminded me of what I'd lost. I thought if I caused enough pain, my own would diminish. It didn't."
"What changed?"
"The monks. They found me after I'd destroyed a village in a blood rage. Instead of killing me, they offered sanctuary. Taught me meditation, control, compassion. They helped me remember my humanity."
"But you still had to watch people die. The monks, eventually."
"Yes. I was at the monastery for eighty years. I watched three generations of monks live and die. Men I considered friends, brothers even. And each death was a reminder that I was outside the natural order of things."
Adrian turned to face him. "Do you regret it? Choosing immortality?"
Kieran considered. "I regret the curse. I regret the pain I caused. But do I regret surviving long enough to see you again? No. Never."
"But if I turn, I'd be choosing what you were forced into. What if I regret it later? What if centuries from now, I hate you for turning me?"
"Then I'd accept that," Kieran said simply. "Your feelings, whatever they are, would be valid."
"That's not fair to you."
"Love isn't about fairness. It's about choosing someone's happiness over your own." Kieran cupped Adrian's face. "If you choose mortality, I'll cherish every moment we have. If you choose immortality, I'll spend eternity trying to make sure you never regret it. Either way, I'm yours."
Adrian kissed him, slow and deep, trying to pour everything he felt into it. "I don't deserve you."
"You deserve everything."
They made love again, slower this time, savoring each touch. Kieran mapped every inch of Adrian's body like he was memorizing it, like he might never get another chance.
"Mine," Kieran whispered against his skin. "For however long I have you, you're mine."
"Yours," Adrian agreed, arching into his touch. "Always yours."
Later, as they lay tangled together, Kieran's phone buzzed. He checked it, then swore softly.
"What?" Adrian asked.
"Marcus intercepted communications. Viktor's followers are moving faster than expected. They're planning a kidnapping attempt."
Adrian's stomach dropped. "When?"
"Soon. Maybe days, not weeks." Kieran was already moving, pulling on clothes. "We need to relocate. Somewhere more secure."
"Or," Adrian said slowly, "we could set a trap."
Kieran stopped. "What?"
"Use me as bait. Let them think they've succeeded. Then ambush them and take out the leadership in one strike."
"Absolutely not."
"Kieran—"
"I said no. I'm not using you as bait. Not again."
"It worked last time!"
"Last time you almost died!" Kieran's eyes flashed red. "I won't risk you like that. Not for strategy, not for politics, not for anything."
Adrian stood, facing him. "This isn't just your decision. It's my life. My risk to take."
"And if something goes wrong? If they grab you before I can react? If they start the ritual early?" Kieran's voice shook. "I can't, Adrian. I can't watch you die again."
They stared at each other, the tension thick enough to cut.
Finally, Adrian backed down. "Fine. We relocate. But we need to end this. I can't spend the next three months running and hiding."
"I know." Kieran pulled him close, pressing his forehead to Adrian's. "I'm sorry. I'm being overprotective."
"You're being traumatized. There's a difference." Adrian wrapped his arms around him. "But we need a real plan. Something that ends this permanently."
"Then we go on the offensive," Kieran said. "We find out who's leading Viktor's followers and eliminate them before they can organize. Marcus has been tracking their movements—we know their key players."
"How many?"
"Seven vampire lords across Asia. Each commands their own territory and followers. If we take them out, the movement collapses."
Adrian pulled back. "Seven? That's... a lot."
"I've killed more for less." Kieran's expression went cold, predatory. "And this time, I have something worth protecting."