"I may have had Emi have her friends keep an eye on you after we first met. From a distance," he confessed.

"Oh?" Nos pressed, pleased at the thought of Cal being curious about him even when he was avoiding him.

"How was I supposed to know you were the only orange-eyed dhampir on campus?" He grumbled. "Kind of hard not to spot." He then shot Nos a double glance. "Wait, are you actually happy I was practically spying on you?"

"I'm happy you were more interested in me than I thought you were back then."

Cal rolled his eyes. "Vamps and their egos. Don't let any of that get to your head."

"I won't if you tell me what you have in mind for lunch."

"Always the opportunist," Cal said, bringing another smile to Nos's face.

The days that followed passed quickly. Nos and Cal grew comfortable together, settling into a domestic routine and even sharing a bed, but their intimacy never went beyond passionate kisses and tentative, curious touches. Nos was aware he hadn’t advanced far enough to meet Zuma's ultimatum.

The residents of Helderlus bustled about doing last-minute chores on the morning of the Glass Moon Festival. Some of the locals hosted family and friends from other areas, to the point that the line outside Sven's restaurant curled around the entire block.

By evening, the park glowed with banners, streamers, and lights.

The stalls, especially the food vendors, were ready early. Nos, walking beside an ecstatic Cal, had to watch his spending, though every food scent tempted him to splurge.

As if they didn't want to be outdone by the incubi and succubi's traditional festival garb, the ame-onnatachi wore intricate robes that glimmered beneath the lanterns strung overhead. Cal hadn't been jesting when he insisted they wear matching outfits. Nos saw more than one family in similarly themed outfits. The festival goers without partners stood out painfully in the crowd.

Cal nudged Nos gently when they neared one of the food stalls. "Come on, this kebab stand gets busy really quick. If we don't get some now, we'll be out of luck."

Just as they left the stall with their kebabs in hand, a live band began to play. Nos didn't recognize the song, but he wondered, in amusement, if it was one of Cal's favorites from the way his tail swayed to the bright, tribal beat. Nos had never seen so many different types of drums in his life. Steel pans, snares, bass, tom-toms, bongos, and even bàtás. The rich sounds of percussion set the rhythm, which the rest of the instruments followed.

By the time they finished their food, they came across a booth that captured the cambion's full attention. Rows and rows of glass pieces were edged with hints of color. But one piece in particular made Cal's hazel eyes light up.

"That's a Blue Moon Magnolia flower," Cal explained as he pointed it out. "They only bloom under a literal blue moon once every ten years. The trees are a week's hike in the woods, but I've always wanted to see them blossom one day."

Nos studied the glass flower. Petals fanned open, a deep blue fading up from the base. The craftsmanship was impressive. While Cal's attention drifted and he walked over to another booth, Nos quickly dug out his pouch, paid for the sculpture with the money Luc had given him the night before, and had it boxed and bagged just in time, hiding it behind his back.

"Nos, you've got to try some of this!" Cal said as he rushed over with a round, gummy-like candy and pressed it to his lips.

Nos opened his mouth to accept the treat, and when Cal’s attention turned to the bag of candy he held, he quickly tied the bag to the sash around his waist. He bit into the sweet. His tongue was coated in a light, airy texture. "That's pretty good."

They moved on, Cal's hand slipping into Nos's without a word. At another stall, a trio of ame-onnatachi performed a rain dance, their movements so graceful that the crowd paused to watch. Nos recognized Cal's friend, Emi, just as she rushed forward to tug a surprised Cal into the dance. She waved Nos over, and the dhampir didn't hesitate to follow along with the steps.

His vampire reflexes were put to good use in making sure he helped Cal shift his weight safely from one move to another. The cambion's feet never stomped on anyone else's. With a smile that Nos couldn't read, Emi gently shoved the cambion into his arms, and Nos didn't hesitate to hold him close.

"Have you and Emi been friends for long?" Nos asked Cal to be heard above the music.

"Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?" Cal teased.

Nos didn't try denying it due to his marking having already broadcast it, but the sliver of jealousy wasn't as prominent as the curiosity.

"We shared one class last semester," Cal said.

"While I've a touch of envy towards her, I must admit I also kind of like her," Nos admitted. "Though I wish I'd known you sooner, as she did."

"She's always on your side, so of course you do," Cal huffed.

Nos steered them away from a reckless couple dancing beside them and stole a kiss. Cal's hands clung to his shirt as they swayed. Their kiss deepened until a sharp, familiar voice cut through the crowd.

"Well, look who's eating one another's ugly faces, and with tacky matching outfits."

Orion, despite wearing a similar outfit himself, stood with arms crossed, his usual sneer a little more forced than before. The large marking around his neck was the vivid red of a completed bond.

Nos tensed, feeling the hairs rise on his arms, but Cal surprised him by stepping forward, chin up, jaw set.

The festival's light cast strange shadows on Orion's face, making his sneer look almost uncertain.

"We're not here for your games tonight," Cal said, his voice shaking only a little. Nos could see the tension in his grip, the way his tail lashed behind him.

A few succubi in the crowd pressed closer, sensing either a confrontation or juicy gossip.

Orion rolled his eyes, but the bravado looked brittle. "Relax, tubby. Nosferatu, tell him I'm just—"

Cal's voice sharpened, his words cutting through the festival's joy like a blade. "No. You don't get to talk to me or Nos like that anymore."

"Why are you getting butthurt over a few words?" Orion challenged. "It's not like I'm actively out to maim you."

Cal's hazel eyes flashed in anger. He stepped forward and pointed at Orion, who'd taken a step back. "Oh, if you do anything to hurt us again, I'm ripping you a new one. Got it?"

Everything felt frozen in place as Nos's heart pounded. He watched Orion blink, caught off guard and, for the first time, appearing unsure. The succubus couple nearest them watched with bated breath as the tension rose.

Then, a dark shadow loomed behind Orion. A tall, broad-shouldered figure with obsidian skin and a calm, unreadable gaze. He wore a similar outfit to Orion, and around his neck was the same vivid red mandala—Orion's mate. The newcomer's soft brown eyes flicked over Cal and Nos, then settled on Orion.

Orion shrank under the incubus's hand, which landed heavily on his shoulder. "If you're not ready to apologize, firefly, we're leaving," the newcomer said quietly; the authority in his voice brooked no argument.

"Jarlan, I just…"

The copper-haired vampire stopped trying to protest. His ice blue eyes darted between Cal and Nos, regret and something like exasperation showing in his expression as he allowed himself to be led away.

As Orion and his mate retreated into the crowd, a hush briefly rippled around them. For all the pain Orion had caused, seeing him subdued, claimed, and even protected by someone else sparked myriad emotions: surprise, resentment, and a strange, bittersweet sympathy. Nos realized that even his worst tormentor would bend for a fated match.

Cal squeezed Nos's hand, grounding him. "Let's walk," he murmured, voice low but resolute.

They slipped away from the area, weaving their way past the dancing crowd. Cal gently tugged Nos past the artisan and food stalls until they came to a path leading to the woods. Strung lights decorated the trees on the main path, but Cal drew them down a path with far less lighting.

As the sounds of the festival faded, Nos's gaze was drawn to the star-studded sky, framed by the canopy of tall trees. Cal stopped when they reached a tree so massive that even with a craned neck, Nos couldn't see the top. The lighting was so dim that when Cal's horns gave off a blue-grey light, it seemed to cast its glow onto them both. Nos became uneasy because the last time he'd seen Cal's horns glowing, the cambion had been transported into another world far from his reach.

"This is ridiculous!" Cal hissed. "Don't you find it ridiculous?"

Nos took a deep breath and tried not to panic at the myriad of emotions that flooded their connection. If he were lucky and patient, Cal would give him more context as to why he was upset. He didn't know if Cal had even been aware of Orion being in Helderlus. But considering how protective Zuma was of him, it didn’t surprise him that Cal was unaware of the vampire’s presence.

"Oscar the Grouch has an incubus for a match!" Cal ranted. "That loathesome, boiled lobster of a leech! And he turned out to be Jarlan's, of all incubi? We were all convinced Jar's fated match would at the very least have a pair of double-D's."

The degree of concentration Nos required to carefully bite his cheek to keep from laughing out loud or letting any of his amusement broadcast through their bond was a feat the dhampir didn't know he could manage. Especially not when a fuming Cal held his hands in front of his chest to mimic that specific breast size with a pout on his lips.

His cambion was apparently outraged on behalf of his friend?

"You know him well enough to wish he'd ended up with a better match?" Nos asked.

"I wouldn't consider us to be the closest of friends or anything," Cal said, the light emanating from his horns dimming slightly. "But he one-hundred percent deserved so much better than that mosquito with crypt breath!"

Nos couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter that suddenly burst. "Anyone's better than Orion," he quoted, thinking of when Blake said those exact words to him.

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm talking about."

Though Nos wanted to ask if Cal had ever wished Jarlan had been his fated match, he kept his mouth shut. Unfortunately, some of that must have slipped through the bond.

"You really get jealous over the weirdest things," Cal said. "I mean, yeah, Jar's hot. He trained in mixed martial arts and didn't take shit from anyone trying to give someone else a hard time. I wouldn't exactly have been depressed if he turned out to be my match."

Nos's stature stiffened with every praise Cal spoke about the incubus.

"Hey," Cal huffed. "I'm just being honest. Jarlan isn't a bad guy. That being said, I've never wanted to get in his pants. I want in your pants." He winked, and just like that, the tension Orion created was gone.

Nos dropped his forehead onto Cal's left shoulder, feeling defeated. He only had two days left before Zuma's deadline. But he hadn't been able to go much further than what they'd already been doing as a couple. The fear he struggled to put into words, the fear he had yet to face head-on, was keeping him from what he wanted most.

The warmth of Cal's arms as they wrapped around his shoulders made tears of both relief and frustration well in Nos's eyes. His fated match neither pressured him nor pushed him away.

But just as Jarlan did, Cal deserved better.

"Cal—" Nos said.

When the dhampir pulled back, he tried to take in and memorize the image of Cal illuminated by the light of his horns.

Nos saw Cal's tail flick in nervousness before he felt the actual feeling coming through their bond. But there was no fear. Nos's hand rose to Cal's chin as his thumb slid along the cambion's bottom lip. "May I?" He asked him.

"If it's a kiss you're after, you don't have to ask," Cal stated, tugging on Nos's sash to urge him closer.

Nos felt a quiver of relief as he kissed him. If Cal had said no, he'd have complied. But he was starting to realize that everything felt better when the two of them were in agreement.

Then, Cal's tongue slid into Nos's mouth, and their kiss once again went from gentle affection to a voracious hunger. At first, Nos thought that Cal fought for control, but then he realized that the cambion's movements were cautious and limited, especially around his fangs.

Nos felt the marking above his hip burn, just as it did the first time they crossed paths. However, the sting wasn't as sharp and punishing. It radiated heat insistently, like being smothered beneath too many layers of winter clothing. Cal felt the same, but unlike Nos, the cambion immediately undid his sash and tugged his shirt open.

The geometric marking above Cal's hip glowed a bright orange, reminiscent of swords pulled from a forge. Nos was more cautious with his own sash, as he still had the bag with Cal's gift tied onto it, but he, too, bared his chest and marking.

"I'm only going to touch it," Cal warned as he pressed a hand gently to Nos's marking.

"Ugh," Nos gasped, shuddering as the press of Cal's hand above his hip soothed the burning. "Sh-should I?"

Cal nodded, and Nos didn't hesitate to do the same, gently sliding a hand until it covered Cal's marking. The warmth from Cal's skin traveled up his arm as if he were absorbing fire into himself. Nos's eyes began to glow, and Cal's horns lit up brighter.

When the two of them moved in for another kiss, they clutched each other tightly. The more skin-to-skin contact they shared, the calmer their markings became. That calmness contrasted with the stiffening of their lower halves.

For what felt like the first time, Nos's mind followed his body's lead.

What other parts of Cal were as warm and soft as his lips? What touches made their bond flutter as fast as Cal's heartbeat? Was his partner as hard as he was?

"Shit!" Cal gasped as Nos trailed kisses down his neck and flicked his tongue over one of his nipples. One of the cambion's hands clutched the back of the dhampir's head while the other firmly gripped Nos's shoulder.

Nos paused, his eyes latched onto Cal's face. Cal let out a whimper, and their bond quivered.

"Damn," Cal whispered. "Those glowing eyes are going to be the death of me."

Nos smiled against Cal's skin. He applied more pressure to his next swipe, giving the tip a flick, and was treated to the sound of Cal's wings flapping against the tree.

​They were so focused on one another that neither of them felt a ripple of energy opening up behind the dhampir. Neither did they notice when a pale arm reached down to grip the back of Nos's loosened top.

Nos’s concentration splintered as he was abruptly yanked through a portal by his mother. Stunned, he stared at her in disbelief, but her orange eyes were locked on Cal, her expression twisted in open disgust, just as the portal shrank and vanished.

The last thing he saw was the fear in Cal’s eyes as he screamed, NOS!!