The next day, Mathias had not slept much, because his mind was still very marked by the revelations he had learned yesterday in the Dimitrescu chapel. His family, the Derunes, were not what he thought. This had been kept from him all his life, but what he wanted to know was why. Yet, as far as he knew, no member of his family had been shown to be a monster or to have supernatural abilities, and he himself had none of those things. But what he would like to know so much is ... how did this woman, Miranda, manage to create this parasite, the Cadou? How could she have created such a genetic mutation, with the scientific means of the 1950s, capable of transforming humans into beings endowed with extraordinary capacities? It wasn't just simple science ... for Mathias it was almost magic, or maybe a mixture of the two? Science mixed with witchcraft? He almost wanted to laugh at such a thing that wasn't even meant to exist. He had seen so many inexplicable things since arriving here, in this cursed village ... a whole new worldview had opened up before him. A view that would drive the majority of mankind totally mad if they knew it. What if they knew that while they are sleeping, somewhere, beings like vampires, lycans or other monsters roam the forests, the mountains, or maybe even the cities, unbeknownst to them?

On that graying morning, where outside some snowflakes fell softly against the windows, Mathias had returned to see the Duke in the small room which served as his booth for his business with Lady Dimitrescu. As usual, the obese merchant had been very polite and welcoming to the young man, hoping perhaps to see him make a purchase. Always on the lookout for future profit, this Duke, Mathias thought. The merchant, seated in his large chair, was busy counting the silver coins he had recently acquired.

_ "Lady Daniela bought me one of the vinyl albums. A copy she had been looking for for a long time. If you had her face ... it was Christmas before its time." The Duke laughed cordially as he finished counting his money which he put back on the table in front of him.

_ "Did you know that?" Mathias asked, changing the subject, as he glanced at the merchant's stand. "Did you know that my great-grandmother Alice Derune was one of the lords of this village?"

The Duke looked at him with a slight smirk and his usual mischief.

_ "I could tell you no, but I never liked lying." The Duke replied calmly, leaning his back against the back of his chair. "I even knew Lady Alice. A really lovely woman, and who knew how to have a good business sense. And smart besides, very open-minded. I had a lot of respect for her. And that spark of spirit, I recognized it in your eyes, Mathias. That's how from our first meeting, I knew who you were and that will mean big changes to come."

Mathias turned to him, still wondering how this merchant could know so much ... one of the mysteries he would surely never be able to unravel.

_ "If you knew who I was, why didn't you tell me?" the young man then asked, even if he guessed the answer in advance.

_ "You already know why ..." confirmed the Duke without surprise. "Lady Dimitrescu told you that herself. Here the only prevailing law is Miranda's, and I myself can't do anything about it."

Like Alcina, the Duke had been forced to remain silent or face reprisals from Miranda. This woman had total power over this region.

While he was thinking, lost in his thoughts, Mathias then noticed a pile of newspapers near the Duke's table. Newspapers, and some appearing to be several years old. So the Duke was getting information about news from the outside world? But by what process did he obtain these newspapers?

In the pile of newspapers, Mathias noticed one in particular, from 2017. The front page article, he had heard about at the time. A very curious and tragic incident which had occurred in Dulvey, Louisiana, in the United States. A very ordinary family had died under strange circumstances. Among the victims was Jack Baker, 57, a former Marine. His wife, Marguerite, and their son, Lucas. Only two family members were found alive: Zoe Baker, Jack and Marguerite's daughter, and Joe Baker, the family's uncle and Jack's brother. But also, two unknown survivors had been found at the scene of the incident: a couple of strangers, Ethan and Mia Winters. The area of ​​the incident was placed under government order. To this day, the nature of the incident has never been found, or perhaps, never disclosed to the general public. At the time, the incident had made the rounds of networks on the internet around the world, and many theories, each more eccentric than the last, were born. The Bakers had become something of a local urban legend, with several witnesses claiming to have seen their wandering ghosts without finding rest, still haunting their home in the swamps.

_ "I heard about this case in the United States." said Mathias, looking at the newspaper article gravely.

_ "A very dark and tragic story, but also very mysterious ..." commented the Duke, lighting a cigar. "Rather strange that the authorities could not, or not wanted, to reveal the circumstances of this tragedy ... almost as if they wanted to hide a truth far too fraught with consequences ... enough to unleash curiosity and passion in people's minds."

Mathias was perplexed on this subject. Why would anyone want to hide the truth about a tragedy like this? Members of an ordinary family had died, it was a real tragedy of course, but incidents happen every day, Mathias thought to himself. Why do you want to hide this one in particular? Yet according to the testimonies of people from Dulvey, the Bakers were a respectable family. Jack was a rather raw-looking man, but deep down was very helpful and kind. Marguerite was a loving and caring wife and mother, and Lucas, although perceived as a distant, cold, and somewhat arrogant young man, was generally low-key and unwilling to seek trouble.

Mathias could have spent hours looking for an answer to this incident, but it was a thing of the past, and he wanted to focus now on the present and on the mystery surrounding his own family.

_ "So ... what do you plan to do now, Mr. Derune?" the Duke asked breaking the silence, blowing a light puff of cigar out of his mouth.

_ "To tell the truth, I don't know at all ..." answered Mathias frankly, sighing and shrugging his shoulders softly. "I've discovered things that I still have to accept as my reality, but I feel like I still have a lot to discover, and in a way, that scares me. Yes ... I'm scared to find out what I could really be without even knowing it."

_ "Who wouldn't be afraid, even a little bit, to find out the truth about their own origins?" said the Duke then. "Of course, it's important to focus on the future, but above all, remember that the most important thing is the present moment."

Mathias looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

_"What do you mean?"

_ "Lady Dimitrescu, my young friend ..." said the merchant with a smirk. "It looks like your relationship has improved a lot since yesterday, and even taken a turn, let's say ... more and more intimate, if you know what I mean."

Mathias swallowed, his cheeks turning slightly red.

_ "But ... wait, how you ..." stammered the young man.

_ "Well, normally, I'm not supposed to tell you, but last night Lady Dimitrescu came to see me, to buy me something ... she said that it would be a gift for you, a way of doing it forgive ... but shhh, I didn't tell you anything, of course."

A gift? For him? Mathias felt his heart leap slightly in his chest. But, what could she have bought for him? Such a gesture from her touched him sincerely, and in his heart, he had again this sensation, this growing feeling towards the countess, and yet he believed he could never have for her ...

In that case, if she made such an effort for him, so would he. Searching right and left among the Duke's wares, he finally found something that would fit. A magnificent rose, preserved in a glass bell on a gilded base.

_ "I think this will be perfect." said the young man, showing the red flower.

The Duke gave him a smart look and gave a small laugh between his lips, having understood immediately what Mathias wanted to do.

************

The day passed without a hitch, and once night fell on the region, revealing a full moon in the dark sky, Mathias had returned to the room that had been granted to him. Sitting on the bed, and gazing thoughtfully at the burning flames in the small fireplace, Mathias looked a little nervous, wiggling his fingers nervously and every second seemed to decide whether to act or stay here. Beside him, on the blanket, was the rose preserved in its glass plinth, which he had planned to give to Lady Dimitrescu. The countess was surely in her apartments in the north tower of the castle by now. He thought back to the Duke's words, telling him to enjoy the moment. His thoughts then turned to Lady Dimitrescu, and immediately, he felt his heart again express this sensation ... at first shy and embarrassed on this subject, not daring to admit it to himself, Mathias ended up saying to himself, that after all ... why continue to want to deny what was now obvious to him ... with this thought, he got up from the bed, looking determined, and left his room to go towards the north tower.

Meanwhile, Lady Dimitrescu, who was currently in her room, was reading a book by her fireplace. But suddenly she looked up from the book, hearing repeated knocking on her door. Who could it be at this late hour? It was almost midnight. She got up and came to open the door. Mathias appeared on the doorstep, looking genuinely intimidated but yet really wanting to be there. A little surprised to see him here at this hour, the countess met his gaze, and without saying a word, invited him in, which he did.

_ "It's late, Mathias ..." she said closing the door after he entered. "What can I do for you?"

He didn't say anything at first, intriguing her even more, and she noticed that he seemed to be holding something hidden behind her back. Cheeks flushed and still shy in front of her, Mathias, heart pounding, managed to regain his courage in hand and took the first step. He revealed the rose in his hands, before Lady Dimitrescu's eyes. She was surprised at such a gesture on his part, but also touched and approached more to come and touch, with her fingertips, one of the extremely soft red petals.

_ "In what honor do you give me such a present?" she asked, smiling slightly.

_ "Well ... this is my way of thanking you, for everything you have done for me. You could have chosen to kill me or turn me into an undead, but in the end you decided to leave me alive ... and also, because ... I appreciate your company, Lady Dimitrescu."

He had stammered in his words, but at least expressed sincerity and his really shy demeanor made him rather adorable, thought Alcina, who in turn showed her cheeks slightly red.

She came over to gently touch Mathias' cheek with her hand, their eyes meeting.

_ "I am touched, and I thank you for this attention ..." said the countess. "But it turns out that I, too, have something for you."

_ "R ... really?" Mathias answered him, playing the surprise, although he had already been informed earlier by the Duke.

Lady Dimitrescu walked over to her desk, where she took something from one of the drawers. She came back to Mathias and even knelt in front of him to come up to him. Mathias finally discovered this gift she had secretly bought from the Duke. It was a magnificent pendant, made of silver and in the shape of a dragon's head, very similar to that of the coat of arms of the house Derune.

_ "This item once belonged to your ancestor and founder of your lineage, Ivar." Alcina explained, pointing to the object in the light. "I don't know how the Duke managed to get it back, but I think you are the most worthy of wearing it now. It is time for Ivar's legacy to return to his family."

With the permission of Mathias who was to recognize the beauty of this object, Lady Dimitrescu put it around his neck, and let him contemplate a few moments. The silver was so smooth that the flames from the fireplace reflected off its surface, almost like a mirror.

_ "I ... thank you ... it touches me a lot." said Mathias sincerely.

Alcina, who now held the rose preciously in her hands, smiled at him. They both shared a look again in a silence that seemed to last forever, but without the slightest hint of embarrassment ... on the contrary. For a moment, they were just the two of them in the world. Each could read in the eyes of the other, as in an open book. Alcina knew that Mathias had not only come to give her a present just out of politeness and gratefulness. She guessed it ... and deep inside ... she wanted it too. It was her choice, as it was his own.

Still kneeling in front of the young man, their faces being at the same height of each other, it was Alcina who made the first gesture. Very delicately, she came to put her hands on Mathias's cheeks and brought her face to his, closed her eyes. Guessing what she was going to do, he felt his heart beat very hard, but managed to overcome his shyness and accepting, he closed his eyes. Slowly, they felt their lips meet, for a very shy but sincere very first kiss, which only lasted a few seconds. Mathias could have felt the softness of her lips as he had imagined before.

After that very first kiss, the two of them looked at each other and smiled at each other. There were no feelings of embarrassment or regret. Each was happy that the other did. But in their hearts, it was not enough. Suddenly the bedroom clock began to strike several times. It was midnight.

Then, after several seconds of looking at each other, it was Mathias who acted first this time. Coming to place his hand behind the head of the countess, he came to kiss her again, in a second kiss much stronger and more sensual. Alcina didn't try to push him away and kissed him back. Without interrupting the kiss, Mathias wrapped his other arm around Alcina's waist, as if to bring her even closer to him, their bodies sticking to each other. The kiss became more and more sensual over the seconds, and carried away by her excitement and her desire more and more strong, Alcina stood up, lifting Mathias and holding him so that he remained clinging to her. Alcina stepped back and Mathias found himself with his back blocked against the front door of the room, which the countess, while continuing to kiss him lovingly, made sure to lock.

_ "I would not ... that you can escape me tonight ..." she whispered teasingly between two kisses.

_ "How could... I want to leave?" Mathias replied, in an equally teasing voice.

Breaking the kiss that had lasted for several minutes and catching a little breath, the couple then turned their gazes in unison in the direction of Alcina's large four-poster bed. They then looked at each other and smiled at the same time. Yes, they both wanted it and were going to do it.

With her great physical strength, Lady Dimitrescu carried Mathias with great ease and placed him on the bed. Although he was six feet and 2 inches tall, Mathias felt like a dwarf in this giant bed, which naturally had to be large enough to hold the countess size of 9 feet 6 inches.

Removing her hat from her head to let it fall to the ground, revealing her dark hair better, Alcina, with a look and a teasing and seductive smile, came to crawl above Mathias who was waiting for her with the same desire. They kissed again, still with strength and passion, lying on the bed and hugging each other. And while kissing him, Alcina slowly began to take off Mathias's shirt, who helped her to do so. Once the young man was shirtless, the countess stopped kissing to come and place hickeys on his thin neck. Mathias even felt that her vampire nature was showing a little, the Countess nibbling gently on his neck and ear, being careful not to make him bleed. When she saw the three large scars on Mathias' chest, inflicted by herself, Alcina hesitated for a moment, still feeling sorry for this punishment she had given, but Mathias looked at her, making her understand that it was now a thing of the past.

Alcina smiled at him and with that same passion came back to Mathias' face to kiss him once again.

They then decided to take the next step of this first night which marked the beginning of their relationship. Both helped each other take off their clothes, throwing them to the floor around the bed. Mathias helped to remove the large white dress, and was able to admire the magnificent body of the vampire countess, whose pale skin turned out to be very soft when he touched it with desire, which she let do. She still kept her pearls set around her neck.

Now both naked on the bed, the couple slipped under the sheets so they could continue this exciting night that was starting for them.

This time Alcina lay down on her back and Mathias found himself leaning over her. As she had for him, he rested his mouth against her neck, depositing sultry hickeys that made her moan softly. It was the first time that Mathias had sex with a woman, but still he felt very comfortable. Indulging in his desire, Mathias came to touch one of Alcina's breasts, caressing it gently, which made her moan with pleasure again. Mathias moved down her tall, beautiful body, making hickeys against her belly.

_ "You are ... so beautiful ... Lady Dimitrescu ..." said Mathias continuing.

_ "Come on ... call me Alcina ..." she chuckled with pleasure and a passionate smile.

Mathias then gradually moved up of the body, until he returned to the countess's face, and again the couple kissed with all the passion and love they could possibly feel for each other now. Both now feeling ready, Mathias, still leaning over Alcina, was getting ready for the final act of this romantic night. He didn't hide a certain nervousness, but she reassured him by looking him in the eyes.

_ "You won't hurt me, I know that." she said confidently. "We both want it, so let's do it. Let's enjoy every second of this moment."

She was right. Mathias had them too. He wanted to seal their relationship forever with this ultimate act of love.

_ "I would do it softly, I promise." Mathias told her.

Then, with all possible delicacy, he entered her. Alcina moaned, not in pain but in great pleasure. She wrapped her arms around the young man's neck, like a spider trapping its prey, as if to make sure to keep him sticking to her. Once in position, Mathias and Alcina looked at each other then, and she nodded that she was ready.

Although very nervous but managing to keep calm despite everything, Mathias then began to move very slowly, repeatedly, starting to make love to Countess Dimitrescu. Alcina moaned again with that same intense and pleasant pleasure, closing her eyes and almost scratching Mathias's back with her fingernails.

Thus, on this winter night and full moon, after the midnight hour, the last living heirs of the Derune and Dimitrescu families made love for the first time, thus giving birth to a new union and a strong love.