Author's note: this chapter is from Seraphina's point of view

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When I reached the dining room, Aldus was there, greeting me with a tight smile which told me that he still didn't forget that I didn't handle his precious books properly.

However, I was more concerned about the invisible dark cloud that hovered above my head after the chat I had with Maria.

I forced myself to dispel that lingering anxiety by chanting how no matter what Aldus is, he is treating me well and I should not be rude and fear him because so far, he didn't give me anything other than protection and kindness. OK, there are tests, but he is doing them in order to understand what is going on, and that is beneficial for me as well.

Aldus held a chair for me, and it seems that we resumed from where we stopped before Lazarus arrived.

However, Lazarus's arrival marked the opening of the door I am unable to close.

Ignorance is bliss, but not when it can kill you, I told myself. Take this one thing at a time and you will be OK, Serina.

Aldus and I sat at the table while maids brought out the food, like many times before. It was a familiar sight. However, this time, my mind was filled with stories that came from myths, legends, and nightmares, and I knew that those are much more than superstition and imagination.

Things will never be the same. That should be a good thing, right?

"In the library, you mentioned that you are doing research. What is it about?", Aldus asked when the food was on the table and the maids left.

I saw him stare at the books, so he definitely knew what I was reading about, but I still answered while guessing that this is his way of giving me an opportunity to ask questions. "About creatures."

"Anything specific?", he continued probing.

"I'm trying to learn about whatever is out there. But my current focus is on werewolves."

"Is it because of Lazarus?"

"Yes and no." I didn't want Aldus to misunderstand, so I clarified: "I needed to start somewhere, so I decided to start from werewolves because I met one. At the same time, it can help me understand his unreasonable behavior."

Aldus was amused by my choice of words. "Unreasonable?"

"Yes. The sniffing part and how he looks at me creepily and… Are all werewolves the same?"

Aldus narrowed his eyes as if he remembered something. "Other than the incident in the garden, was there another time when you met with him without me present?"

I sighed. Why is he not answering my question?

"Yes…", I confirmed and told him about the incident with Maria.

Based on Aldus's reaction (or lack of it) I guessed that he knew about this already, but he wanted to hear my version.

"When you interacted with him, did you feel anything different about yourself?", Aldus asked.

"Other than feeling uncomfortable and upset, there was nothing else."

"Hmm...", Aldus hummed and looked at me for some time before answering my previous question. "Lazarus's behavior was unusual. I would like to do more tests on you."

I was surprised by this last statement. Why would his behavior toward me require more tests? Unless… "You think that he acted out of character because of me? Is that some ability I have?"

"It's just a theory. We will know for sure after tests. But to explain my answer to your first question, when werewolves are in their human form, they don't act differently than humans, as long as they are in control of their beast."

"So… you are saying that not every werewolf will hug me as a greeting and smell my neck?"

Aldus confirmed. "That should not be the case. And Lazarus is not behaving like that normally, so…"

"You want to do more tests." I finished his sentence.

Aldus smiled, disregarding my apparent lack of enthusiasm about extra tests.

I hate that I feel like a lab rat, but if that will help me understand what is going on, I will go with it. The last thing I want is to have random guys hugging and smelling me.

"Did you learn anything useful about werewolves from the books?", Aldus asked, obviously wanting to switch the topic and I didn't mind. The inevitable tests are coming and there is no point in talking about them and stressing in advance.

"There is a lot of contradiction and I thought of asking you for clarifications."

Aldus gestured for me to go ahead.

I thought about which one to start with. "When do they shift? Is that a voluntary thing or do they react to the moon?"

"It depends. Some werewolves were born as such, and some were bitten but no matter how they came to this world, all shifters have a beast inside them, and the human and the beast are fighting for dominance. The ones who were born as werewolves, grew up with their beasts and they are at advantage when it comes to controlling their shifting and urges. However, with the right stimuli, the beast can take over."

"Are they like humans with a split personality disorder?"

Aldus chuckled. "Yes. You can say that, but not to a werewolf, because he would not like it. As for the moon… I'm not sure why they are obsessed with the moon. Lazarus does not care about it, while some will act like teenagers in heat who are looking for trouble during the full moon. Keep in mind that werewolves are prideful creatures and protective of their status. Sometimes emotions get the best of them and the beast takes over."

I took a mental note not to piss off a werewolf.

"Was Lazarus born as a shapeshifter or bitten?"

"He was born from parents who were bitten.", Aldus responded like it's a totally normal thing.

"If Lazarus bites me, will I become a werewolf?"

"Not every bite creates a werewolf.", Aldus responded. He saw invisible question marks around my head and explained: "Werewolves have poison on their canines that can be released on demand. That poison contains information about their beast, like DNA, and it serves several purposes. It can kill an enemy, transform a creature into a werewolf, or mark a mate."

My head was buzzing with questions. "Werewolves can control if they will release their poison and how it will act?"

"Most of them, yes. But nothing is for certain. To release the poison, the beast needs to be in control. Sometimes even with the intention to transform or to mark, the person receiving the poison can't handle it and dies."

I found that unsettling. Imagine you want to turn your human-friend into your werewolf-friend, and you end up killing him by accident. It seems that werewolves are not the best friend material.

I noticed that other than killing and transforming a person, Aldus said something about marking which I didn't find in the books so far.

"You mentioned marking a mate. How does that work?"

"Creatures like Lazarus have one mate for life. Think of it like a soulmate, love at first sight." Aldus saw that my eyes widened in wonder and he lifted his hand, indicating for me to calm down and hear the rest. "It is not guaranteed that he will ever meet his mate, but if he does, it will be magical because they are made for each other. When a male werewolf marks his female mate, he injects his poison inside her and their bond strengthens. It can allow them to communicate telepathically, sense each other's emotions, and sometimes it will grant them other powers as well… Why are you smiling?"

I knew I had a goofy smile on my face, but I couldn't help it.

"I think that it's romantic. Soulmates and only one for life…", I said dreamily.

Two seconds later, my fluffy mood dampened when I remembered Lazarus dragging Maria down the hallway.

"If Lazarus has one mate, why is he sticking to me or getting handsy with our maid? Is she his mate? Oh, God! Am I his mate!?"

Aldus saw that I am about to enter a state of panic, and he responded quickly: "No, no! Lazarus didn't meet his mate. Remember, not everyone finds his. Without the bond toward his mate, he is just a guy with needs."

"You wanted to say that he is a horny guy."

Aldus chuckled at my choice of words. "You can say that. Any other questions?"

"You said that werewolves can bite a human with an intention to turn him into a werewolf, but it can kill him." I paused and glanced at Aldus who looked at me intently as he waited to hear where I'm going with this.

"Is it wrong to think how that is similar to my cells taking over others?", I shared my thoughts. I clearly remember my cells converting others, making them identical, and then they self-destructed. I thought that it was similar to how a werewolf wanted to convert a creature, but the process failed.

The small movements of Aldus's eyes told me that he is already conducting experiments in his mind.

"It's a theory worth exploring.", Aldus spoke after some time and my heart swelled from the joy that I gave him a good idea.

For the first time since I woke up in Aldus's lab in Venice, I felt useful. It was a good feeling.

Wait! Does that mean that I can inject my cells into other people and transform them into my clones? Oh! We need to do more tests!

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