Hours later, they lay tangled together in the ruins of what had been a perfectly good bedroom. Furniture was destroyed, there were claw marks in the walls, and both of them were covered in blood—mostly vampire blood from biting each other, but also some from the healing wounds they'd inflicted.
"That was..." Adrian searched for words.
"Intense," Kieran supplied. "Violent. Probably destructive by human standards."
"Perfect," Adrian corrected. "That was perfect."
Kieran pulled him closer, pressing a kiss to his temple. "Vampire relationships are different. More intense, more physical. What we just did—that's normal for our kind."
"The fighting?"
"The fighting, the biting, the blood exchange. All of it." Kieran held up his wrist, showing where Adrian had bitten him repeatedly. "Vampires who are bonded—who are mates—exchange blood regularly. It strengthens the connection between them."
"Are we bonded?"
"Not fully. A full blood bond requires a ritual, intention, commitment. But we're on our way." Kieran's expression grew serious. "A blood bond is permanent, Adrian. Once established, you'll feel what I feel, know where I am at all times. Our lives become linked. It's the vampire equivalent of marriage."
"Do you want that? To be bonded to me?"
"I've wanted it for a thousand years. But only if you want it too." Kieran cupped his face. "This is your choice. Your immortality, your future. I won't make decisions for you."
Adrian considered this. A permanent bond, their souls linked forever. It should have been terrifying.
Instead, it felt right.
"I want it," he said. "I want to be bonded to you. Fully, permanently."
Kieran's expression was pure joy. "Then we'll do the ritual. But not yet—you're still newly turned. Blood bonds are intense, overwhelming. We should wait until you have better control."
"How long?"
"A few months. Maybe six."
Adrian groaned. "That's forever."
"We're immortal. Six months is nothing."
They lay in comfortable silence until Adrian's stomach—or whatever the vampire equivalent was—growled.
"Hungry again?" Kieran asked, amused.
"Always hungry. Does that ever go away?"
"It lessens. After the first year, you'll only feel genuine hunger every few days. The rest is just... background noise."
Adrian sighed. "I guess I should feed."
"We'll go to the club. Practice controlled feeding again." Kieran stood, pulling Adrian up with him. "And this time, try not to drain the donor."
"That was one time!"
"It was three times."
"Okay, three times. But I'm getting better!"
They dressed in clothes that hadn't been shredded during their earlier activities and headed to Shanghai.
The feeding went better this time. Adrian still struggled with the urge to take too much, but he managed to stop himself before crossing the line. The donor—a different woman named Mei—thanked him and accepted payment with professional grace.
"You're improving," Kieran observed afterward. "Soon you won't need me there at all."
"I'll always need you there."
"Flatterer."
They returned to the penthouse to find Marcus waiting with news.
"We have a problem," Marcus said without preamble. "The winter solstice is in one week. And we've intercepted communications—Viktor's remaining followers are planning to attempt the ritual anyway."
"Without Morgana's support?" Kieran frowned. "They're desperate."
"Desperate and dangerous. They're targeting Adrian, obviously. But they're also targeting other vampires—trying to force them to join or die."
"How many?"
"At least fifty vampires, maybe more. They're converging on Beijing. The ritual site is somewhere in the Forbidden City."
Kieran swore. "The Forbidden City is massive. Finding the exact location will be impossible."
"Unless we have inside information." Marcus pulled up a photo on his tablet. "One of Viktor's lieutenants defected. He's willing to give us the location in exchange for protection."
"It's a trap," Kieran said immediately.
"Probably. But it's also our only lead."
Adrian stepped forward. "Then we spring the trap. We know it's coming, we'll be prepared. And we end this—permanently."
Kieran looked at him, concern and pride warring in his expression. "You've been a vampire for two weeks. This will be your first real battle."
"Then it's a good time to test what I've learned."
"Adrian—"
"No." Adrian took Kieran's hands. "We're doing this together. You're not leaving me behind to worry. We're partners, remember?"
Kieran closed his eyes briefly, then nodded. "Partners. But you follow my orders in combat. No improvisation, no heroics."
"Yes, sir," Adrian said, and grinned when Kieran's eyes flashed red at the title.
"We have one week to prepare," Marcus said. "I'll contact Wei—we'll need her pack. And possibly other allies."
"Who else can we trust?" Adrian asked.
"There are vampires who oppose Viktor's vision," Kieran said. "Not many, but some. And there are other supernatural communities—witches, fae, even some demons—who have a vested interest in maintaining the Accord."
"Demons?" Adrian's voice rose. "Demons are real?"
"Very real and very annoying. But useful in a fight." Kieran squeezed his hand. "Welcome to the supernatural world, little vampire. It's bigger and stranger than you imagined."