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| Luan—Aegisguard, Dor-Sanguis, The Caederian Temple |

There was so much to process, so much that Luan wasn't expecting to hear. Alucard told them everything; the origin of the virus, Lyca Corp.'s involvement, the Diabolus. Despite learning that he wasn't the wolf who Cyrus was looking for, he still felt cautious about him—about all of them. His duty was to his pack, and he'd continue doing whatever it took to keep them safe.

Now that he knew and understood more, he felt far more cautious than before. Sure, he might not have been the wolf that they were seeking—that was patient zero, the phantom, Tokala, whatever they called him...or it—but Lord Caedis was still talking about using him and his clanmates to understand how Lyca Corp. had changed the virus to create them, and he even mentioned studying them so that the Nosferatu could give their unique abilities to other lycans to help them fight the cadejo.

He looked around the table at his clanmates. Half of them looked relieved to hear that there was some hope, that there was a way to stop the cadejo, but like Luan, the rest appeared skeptical. They'd fled from Cyrus to avoid becoming lab rats again. Was that going to happen here?

"We're not lab rats, you know," Luan retorted, glaring at Alucard, who stood at the other end of the table. "We're not here to be poked and prodded and cut open. If that's what finding an upper hand against the cadejo and Lyca Corp. involves, then we're not interested."

Alucard shook his head. "Zhere vill be no cutting and prodding, Luan. Like ve did vith Jackson, ve vill take samples of your blood and ethos. Zhat's all."

Luan glanced around at his clan again.

"How do we know you ain't lying?" Deimos questioned.

"You 'ave my vord, and Jackson is living proof of my promise."

"What if it doesn't work?" Feray asked. "What if you can't give our powers to other lycans? Are you expecting us to be your little squad of cadejo killers?"

Alucard sighed and said, "No. Vonce ve've taken your blood and ethos samples, you're vree to go. I can send you anyvhere in zhe vorld you vant to go. Or you can stay 'ere, vone of zhe safest places in zhis vorld, vhere you vill be given vood and shelter. Zhe option to vork vor us is also available, and you vill be paid very vell."

Luan still felt suspicious, but then again, everything he'd heard about the Nosferatu had come from the mouths of Lyca Corp. workers, and Lyca Corp hated the Nosferatu. Should he be being a little more open-minded about all of this? He felt conflicted because on one hand, the idea of fighting back against the undead creatures out there was almost comforting—to make the place he and his clan lived safe again—but on the other, he didn't know very much about the Nosferatu, Alucard, or Jackson.

And then Sadavir's words echoed around inside his head. The imprisoned, deranged Alpha in Cyrus' cellar had infected him with so many questions that he still didn't have the answers to. "Who is Sadavir?" he asked, and he tried to focus on Alucard's heartbeat to see if he'd lie...but he was shielding himself.

"Sadavir Ardelean is a divect descendant of Ada Ardelean, who vas, vonce upon a time, considered a god or queen among zhe volf valkers. 'E vas cveated using anozzer of Ada's descendants and very dark ethos by zhe volves who decided to turn zheir backs on Greymore, ozzervise known as Venrisúlfr, during zhe virst vorld war betveen 'umans and Caeleste," Alucard explained, and he deactivated the ethos he'd been using to block his aura and heartbeat—clearly, he wanted Luan to know that he was being honest.

"Okay, so..." Luan drawled, still taking it all in. "What about the ancient power that Cyrus' family tampered with? The one that the humans wanted."

"Zhat vas vhat started zhe war. Zhe 'umans vere getting dangerously close to a tomb zhat ve, Cyrus' vamily, sealed off several millennia ago. Zhe Nosveratu 'ad to stop zhem and move zhe tomb to a divverent location. Zhe 'umans accused us of vanting to keep zhem mundane and powerless so zhat Caeleste-kind could take over zhe vorld and use 'umans like cattle—zhis, of course, vas not true. But zhen zhe 'umans killed a noble Caeleste vamily; zheir velatives vetaliated, and war started," he answered.

Luan nodded slowly. "And what did Sadavir and Cyrus do?"

Alucard frowned. "Vhat are you reverring to?"

"I heard Sadavir tell Cyrus that killing him wouldn't undo what he'd done, and Cyrus said that Sadavir was the one who did it, not him."

After a moment of tense silence, Alucard nodded, leaning back in his seat. "Avter zhe war, Sadavir came to zhe Nosveratu begging vor membership. Ve gave 'im a chance, and 'e became vone of our best agents. But as soon as 'e vas close enough, 'e vound out vhere a documented vhantom vas—zhe same vhantom ve know is in'abiting Tokala's body. 'E vas zhe vone who voke zhe vhantom up long bevore I sent Sebastien to investigate zhe area."

"Sadavir said that Cyrus' family woke it up," Luan said with a frown.

"No. Ve contained zhe vhantom. In order to contain power like zhat, 'as to be avake. I do share blame in zhe vhantom's escape, zhough; I sent Sebastien out zhere knowing zhat zhe vhantom vas likely zhe cause of zhe disease I asked 'im to investigate, but I still sent 'im anyvay,"

Deimos scoffed. "So, Sadavir was practically right, then? You did cause all of this zombie shit."

"Zhere are equel shares of zhe blame."

Luan wasn't done. "What about the white wolf with the ability to heal others? Sadavir said that Cyrus' family thought a wolf like that could help stop all the decimation."

Alucard tapped his clawed fingers on the desk. "I 'ad a prophecy zhat a vhite volf who could 'eal ozzers vould 'elp us stop zhe cadejo virus vrom spreading across Aegisguard. Ve did, at vone point, vink zhat might be you, as explained. But you 'ave tried to 'eal cadejo bites, no?"

As the memories came flooding back in, Luan's heart ached in his chest. "Yeah."

"Nova," Mani mumbled.

"How did you know that?" Luan questioned.

"Ve've been vollowing your vhereabouts 'ere and zhere. You're all very good at 'iding, zhough."

"So, who's the prophecy white wolf?" Raith asked.

"Ve zon't know."

Luan interjected, "One more thing."

Alucard waited.

"Sadavir also said something about Cyrus offering this white wolf to a god like a lamb. What does that mean?"

"I believe Sadavir vas reverring to me as zhe god in zhat case. Sadavir 'as alvays 'ad zhis little idea zhat I ask people to sacrivice children and virgins to me, and in veturn, I'll answer all zheir prayers. But zhis isn't true. People sacrivice sacred animals only; any 'uman or Caeleste sacrivices are only met vith my vrath."

The door behind Alucard's chair then opened, and a man walked in. He whispered something indistinct into Alucard's ear before disappearing back through the door, closing it.

"Do you 'ave any ozzer questions?" Alucard asked as he stood up. "If not, I vill leave you all to talk and make your decision."

Luan looked around at his clanmates.

"What happened to Aysel and Tarkik?" Mani asked.

"Zhey're still at Cyrus' pack'ouse, but ve can 'ave zhem brought 'ere if you vant."

Desperation smothered Mani's face as he looked at Luan. "Can we?"

He wanted to say yes, but they had to discuss their options first. "We should talk first," he replied.

Although he looked disappointed, Mani nodded.

"If you need anyving, ask Jaqob zhere," Alucard said, pointing at the silent vampire who'd been standing in the corner by the huge, closed curtains since Luan and his clan had arrived. Then, he turned around and left the room, closing the doors behind him, offering only a glimpse of what looked like a weapons vault on the other side.

The clan looked around at each other, all with the same conflicted, unsure stares. But their eyes eventually settled on Luan because ultimately, it was his call.

"I don't know," he said frustratedly. "It's a hell of a lot to take in."

"I thought this whole zombie virus came from an experiment gone wrong at one of the labs," Raith muttered.

"To think that it's like...over a hundred years old?" Deimos added. "That shit's a whole new level of fucked."

"Stop cursing so much," Lusine muttered.

"I'm freaked out, okay?" he snapped back. "I can't help it."

Feray sighed loudly. "Luan, what do you think we should do?"

Luan shook his head, trying to decide what the best, logical move was. Alucard had answered his questions honestly and with more detail than Cyrus ever had; there was a part of him that felt as if he could trust this man, but he'd made the mistake of trusting Cyrus before, and he didn't want to risk doing something that would put him or his clanmates at risk.

But...they were in the Caederian Temple, they were in Dor-Sanguis, one of the safest countries in the world, safe from the war, the zombies, and Lyca Corp.—or so he'd heard from all the stupid radios and televisions that his pack had caught upon the wind when close to human settlements. Would staying here be such a bad idea? They could see Aysel and Tarkik again, and giving Mani his twin brother back was something he'd do anything to make happen.

However, the word of his clanmates mattered, too. "What do you all think?"

"I...just wanna see Tarkik again," Mani answered immediately.

"I've heard stuff about him," Deimos said, nodding at the door that Alucard had disappeared into. "You know he's Lord Caedis, right?"

"The Numen?" Lusine questioned.

Deimos nodded. "On All Hallows' Eve, it's said that he answers people's prayers and performs miracles and shit. I mean a god who actually shows his face and helps his followers? Green flag, in my opinion."

"He was telling the truth about Sadavir and Cyrus, too," Luan said, resting his arms on the table.

"And he offered us somewhere safe to stay," Judith said. "I don't know about you guys but having that after being out there in zombie-infested woods since we escaped...that sounds pretty good to me."

Luan nodded, sitting up straight. "All right, show of hands for everyone who wants to stay."

Everyone raised their hands.

"Okay, and what about being sent somewhere—anywhere we want once we have Aysel and Tarkik back?"

Only Lusine and Feray raised their hands.

"Really, guys?" Deimos muttered. "We can help fight, and we can get paid."

"Why do we need to get paid?" Feray argued. "We're not going to be living among humans. We're wild."

"But we don't have to be," Judith suggested. "We've seen what it's like out there, zombies or not. We could live like other Caeleste do. We can...have homes and cars and live—"

"Live like humans?" Lusine interjected anxiously. "I don't know if that's a good idea. What if we got discovered?"

"We'd go somewhere where people like us are welcome," Deimos said.

Luan shook his head and said, "I think we ought to wait to make this kind of decision until Aysel and Tarkik are back with us."

"He's right," Raith agreed. "This is the kinda decision we need to make as a clan—a complete clan."

Everyone nodded in agreement, although some seemed hesitant.

Luan looked over his shoulder at Jaqob. "Can you tell Alucard that we've decided to stay—for now."

With a nod, the silent vampire headed for the door and left.

"Do you think that...Tarkik and Aysel have been...well...healed or whatever?" Lusine asked unsurely. "That they have their memories back?"

"I suppose we'll find out," Deimos said, leaning back lazily in his seat.

"I miss him," Mani murmured sadly.

Feray placed her hand on his. "You'll see him again sooner than you know."

Luan really hoped that he was making the right choice...for his clanmates and Ascela. He was anxious—of course he was—but he was determined. If cooperating with the Nosferatu could help deal with the cadejo and Lyca Corp., then he'd do his best to work with them.

But he'd not let his guard down.

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