​Ren let out a broken, jagged sob. He thought of the months he had spent plotting Cilian’s death. The numerous failed assassination attempts. The hatred.

He thought of how he had looked at Cilian with nothing but disgust, calling him a murderer and a monster. Every time he had spat on Cilian’s love, Cilian had taken it with a smile, staying silent about the truth to protect Ren from the horror of his own family’s betrayal.

​He looked at his hands, stained with the blood of his uncles. He had wanted the truth, and now it was crushing him.

​His father had sold him.

His brothers had cheered for it.

And the monster... the man who had kept him in a ’cage’... was the only person who had actually tried to save him.

​The heavy door at the top of the stairs opened. The light from the hallway spilled down, cutting through the darkness of the basement. Ren didn’t look up. He couldn’t. He just sat there in the silence, surrounded by the ghosts of his past and the truth that had finally set him on fire.

​Cilian’s boots clicked slowly on the stone steps. He was back from the purge, his clothes likely stained with the blood of the Mordecais.

​Ren closed his eyes, the tears falling fast and hot. He had spent so long wanting to kill the man who destroyed his family. But now that he knew the truth, he didn’t know who was left to kill—except the version of himself that had been so blind.

​Cilian stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He didn’t speak. He just stood there, watching Ren in the shadows.

He glanced at the uncles for a second and then glanced down at Ren with slumped shoulders.

​"You found out," Cilian said. His voice wasn’t mocking or angry. It was just... tired.

​Ren finally lifted his head. His grey eyes were red and raw, looking at Cilian through the haze of his breakdown.

​"Why didn’t you tell me?" Ren choked out with a voice that was no more than a whisper. A painful whisper. "Why did you let me hate you?"

​Cilian stepped into the light, his face pale and his expression unreadable. This time, as he watched Ren, he could not put on a smile.

"Because hating me was easier than knowing the people you loved didn’t love you back. I’d rather you point a gun at my heart than have you live with a broken one."

He knelt in front of Ren, finally trying to smile.

"I would be more than happy to die by your hand, Ren. Because... I love you. And your happiness..." he reached out with his bloody hand and swiped Ren’s black hair behind his ear. "Is all that matters."

"Bastard," Ren hissed, his face contorting as more tears began to flow. "You’re a bastard, Cilian. A jerk. A fool. A... Cilian, you really meant it."

"Meant what, Ren?" He asked.

"When you said you loved me." He cried and Cilian hugged him.

"Yes, I did and I always will. You’re the most important thing to me, Ren. But then what about you? There was a time you told me you loved me. What about now that you’ve found out the truth?" He pulled back from the hug and looked into Ren’s blurry teary eyes. "Do you love me?"

Ren couldn’t answer. After living with hatred in his heart for so long, how could he just stupidly say he loved Cilian?

Just then, an explosion erupted and Cilian lifted his head.

"What... what was that?" Ren asked and Cilian smiled.

"Well, Ren, I was just about to come get you because I found myself in quite a bind. You see... I killed the head of the Mordecais," he said, and Ren, as well as his uncle’s eyes, widened.

He really killed the head?

"But now, there are a few vampires, including Julian, and some regular guys from the Mordecais who are after me. I was scared they would come for you so I came to you first before I dealt with them." He got up and then saw the bleeding in Ren’s stomach which made him frown.

"Ren... was the truth that important?" He asked with a low whisper and Ren looked down at his bleeding belly.

"Yes, it was," Ren muttered. Without the truth, he would stay lost forever. But now that he knew the truth, he was even more lost. What would he do now?

"Come, I’ll take you to get treated as soon as we get out of here." He leaned down and scooped Ren into his arms.

"What... What about us?" Mark asked, his voice wet and weak.

Cilian looked at them. They were already dead either way. They’ve lost too much blood and taking them along would just be dead weight.

So, without further ado, he shot them both.

Ren’s eyes widened.

"You..."

"Don’t worry Ren," Cilian said. "There’s no need to worry at all," he pressed his lips on Ren’s temple. "Even if you’ve found out the truth, it’s not going to change the fact that I’m still a monster."

Ren couldn’t really understand him. Did he like being hated by Ren?

"You’re leaking Pheromones, Ren. Are you scared? Are you uncertain?" He asked but Ren could not answer. "I love the smell of it, but you’ll have to tone it down for now so they can’t track us. You can do that, right?"

Ren leaned his head against Cilian’s shoulder, his body trembling from the pain of his wound and the weight of the truth. He felt the vibration of Cilian’s chest as the Alpha spoke, and for the first time in months, he didn’t pull away.

"I’ll try," Ren whispered, forcing his breathing to slow. He gripped the lapel of Cilian’s jacket, his knuckles white.

He concentrated on pulling his scent inward, tucking it away until the air around them was neutral once more. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Cilian moved fast, carrying Ren through a hidden passage that bypassed the main hallway. Above them, the Manor groaned from the force of another explosion.

​"Julian is here," Cilian muttered, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous growl. "He’s been waiting for this. He’s obsessed with your blood, Ren. He has been for a long time."