Author's note: this is from Aldus's point of view

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I was surprised when Serina asked me for defensive arrays around Drago's place. She said that it's for Ash, but I knew that her mind was on the man that captured her heart.

Serina said that she will do most of the work, so I agreed. She needs to practice and I was eager to see her progress with mastery of runes.

Serina's expression was comical when I told her that I will join her to meet with Drago.

I waited for the last moment on purpose because I didn't want to give her time to alert him. I needed him unaware and unprepared.

Serina thought that I'm going to investigate him as her boyfriend, and she was not wrong, but my motives were driven by the information Lazarus gave me.

Serina mentioned that Drago was always athletic, but Lazarus provided me with a perspective that opened the possibility of Drago being much more than just a strong and fast guy. That, together with the Soul Echo made me realize that it's not a fluke.

Drago has or is something, and I need to figure out what.

Lazarus fought with Drago, yet Drago came out without a single broken bone. Even if Lazarus was controlling his strength, a regular human would still suffer, and the surprising part was that Drago was able to keep up with Lazarus.

"I gave him a firm handshake and he matched it.", Lazarus said. "His speed and strength are way above what a human should have."

I wanted to tease Lazarus about how he is sulking because he was unable to defeat a human, but I know about Lazarus's power, and this was no time for jokes.

"Did you tell this to Serina?", I asked.

Lazarus shook his head. "There is no use talking to her. Serina is so enamored with the guy that even if he has horns sprouting from his forehead, she wouldn't notice."

The bitterness in Lazarus's voice told me how hard it was for him to talk about Drago. Well, Lazarus never concealed his interest in Serina, and I was not surprised to hear that Lazarus ended up fighting with Drago.

"Thank you, Lazarus, for telling me this. I will check the boy."

That's how I ended up in the car with Serina, on my way to see if Drago is human or maybe something else.

Marius told me that Drago is a human, but there are many creatures that can conceal their true nature (Serina is the perfect example), and I needed to check myself.

When I met the boy, I gave him a firm handshake. I didn't go overboard with the force, but a human should definitely at least wince under my grip.

Drago felt and smelled like a human and I almost gave up, but then I realized there is something unusual about his aura.

It took me some time to identify his astonishing vitality. I can sense those things (since it's a form of my food) and even though it's not very precise, I was fairly confident that he has at least a few hundreds of years left in his lifespan.

There was no way the man sitting at the table opposite me was a human.

I considered possibilities. He could be a human that prolonged his lifespan with some tonic or an item, but even the most potent elixirs are something that can grant no more than a few decades before the person needs to take it again and items would create energy fluctuations, yet there were none.

Fascinating. Another mystery.

My life is not boring since Serina woke up in my lab in Venice.

I was wondering if Drago can detect what I am, but he was either ignorant or a very good actor.

He claimed that Serina is the most important person in his world and that he will do anything to make her happy, and I wondered if it's the right thing to believe him.

I was aware of the possibility that Drago is keeping his true nature a secret from Serina on purpose, or maybe he doesn't know, just like Serina.

I went with Serina to meet Drago and get some answers, but I exited that sweetshop with more questions.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't!", I teased Serina with the hope that she won't notice doubts that were created in those few minutes I spent examining Drago.

Is it possible that a creature with such vitality is ignorant? Even if he is not aware of his lifespan, he should notice his speed and strength.

Does he have any other abilities?

Why is he sticking to Serina?

I would suspect that Drago is using her to get to me, but he approached her while she was Sanya, so I scratched that scenario off.

However, Serina is not human; did he approach her accidentally, or did he detect her true nature?

I don't want to keep this a secret from Serina, but I need to get some answers first. The last time Serina heard unconfirmed rumors, she blew up half of our house!

I can see that she is happy, and I don't want to spoil it. Besides, she has a lot going on and I don't want to sound like a grumpy, possessive father.

"Drive, Mitch…", I instructed and a second later, I remembered one person that could give me answers. "Stop around the corner."

"Are you coming out, Master?", Mitch asked after parking the car.

I gestured to him to wait, and I contacted Marius telepathically. "Is the werewolf protecting Drago?"

"Yes, Master.", Marius's voice sounded in my head. "He is in the boutique, across the street from the sweetshop…"

…

"Who do we have here?", I asked when I appeared behind the werewolf who stiffened at the sound of my voice. He didn't see me coming, they never do.

He didn't respond, and I could guess that he hoped I was talking to someone else.

"Sergio, right?"

He swiftly turned toward me and frowned, and I smiled smugly.

"If I wanted you dead, wolf, you wouldn't know what happened."

I saw the pure horror in his eyes. It seems he knows who I am.

I was pleased. Werewolves fearing me is like my badge of honor because vampires and werewolves are not on good terms since ancient times, and I don't have a reputation of a benevolent person.

The guy seemed familiar, and his scent was not completely new either. Where did I see this guy before?

It took me a few seconds to remember. "Sergio, the shaman of the Bluemoon pack. Why are you here?"

He visibly paled.

Marius told me that Drago's assistant (and bodyguard) is a werewolf, but there are many Sergios and creatures who can change names and appearances, so I didn't think much about it.

Who would have known that I will end up seeing the famous shaman of the Bluemoon pack in a small boutique in London, next to the rack with men's jackets?

"I thought you perished with Damiano in the great battle, but it seems that one decade turned you into an office boy for a youngster."

I remembered that Serina told me how Drago came to London from Italy with a werewolf bodyguard (aka Sergio), eleven years ago.

Why would a powerful shaman leave his pack with a human boy instead of staying by his Alpha when he needed him? Sergio's loyalty to Damiano was second to his ability as a shaman… Wait! Drago is a human, yet not really one… Drago and Serina are about the same age… Sergio leaving at the crucial moment means that he acted upon Damiano's orders.

Suddenly, all the pieces came together with Sergio completing the puzzle and I realized…

"That boy is Damiano's son."

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