The city's bustling streets faded into the background as Eldora, Alaric, and Serena walked the short distance to Daxon's car, parked discreetly in an alley a couple of blocks behind the rehab center. Eldora couldn't shake the feeling that her world had suddenly shifted on its axis.
As they walked, Eldora occasionally stole glances at Alaric, her gaze drawn to him like a magnet. It was as if she were trying to decipher a puzzle hidden in the depths of his features. Alaric couldn't help but sense her stares, and they made him feel strangely sensitive to her presence.
Her golden amber eyes, like shards of sunlight, bore into him, searching, questioning. Alaric's violet gaze, in return, flickered with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. There was something about the way she looked at him that stirred a sense of déjà vu as if they were both reaching for memories buried deep within their souls.
Eldora's thoughts raced, her mind filled with a whirlwind of questions and anxieties. Alaric's name felt like an echo from a distant past, and his features, so similar to someone she had known long ago, took her breath away. She couldn't deny the uncanny resemblance, the one whom she'd been looking for so long.
With each step, Eldora's anxiety grew. The enigmatic man beside her seemed like a page torn from her own history. Should she ask if they had met before, like centuries ago? Could he be him? Even the way he fought her resembled him. If he's who she wants him to be, then why she hadn't found him sooner? Serena even mentioned how famous the Castellano is! But how come?! She's been looking for so long, trying her best! not for him to go to her like this, out of the blue! The feeling of connection was undeniable, and it left her with an unsettling sense of longing for answers.
As they approached Daxon's car, Eldora's curiosity and anxiety reached a crescendo. She couldn't hold back the burning question any longer. With a mix of apprehension and hope, she turned to Alaric. "Have we met before?" Her words hung in the air, laden with unspoken possibilities.
Alaric's surprise danced in his eyes, but he couldn't resist a playful tease. His lips curled into a half-smile. "Love, that pickup line is a bit vintage, don't you think?"
Meanwhile, Serena was baffled by Eldora's line of inquiry, her playful teasing curtailed by Eldora's swift retort. Annoyed and impatient, Eldora rolled her eyes, signaling her lack of interest in jest. "I wouldn't think you'd interpret it like that. I really meant what I asked. You could've easily said that we haven't!" Eldora exasperated towards Alaric who seemed to enjoy firing her up.
Serena, catching on to her friend's behavior, who had been acting strange since earlier, turned her face towards where Daxon's car was parked. Smiling ear to ear, she started running towards Daxon, who was coming down from the black van.
Eldora's face loosened her stiffness after seeing how Daxon embraced his lover like she was his lost heaven. Daxon was literally spinning Serena who was kissing his face all throughout their embrace.
Eldora couldn't help but smile at the sight of her best friend's happiness. Turning to Alaric, whose gaze had been fixed on her more than the joyous reunion, she was taken aback by the intensity of his stare. Her eyes widened from that. He was staring at her with teasing eyes she knew so well.
"So, Serena's his mate?" Alaric inquired, pointing toward the embracing couple.
Eldora nodded pleasantly, "Yeah, she's his Luna!" her smile widened when she saw surprise in his violet eyes, asking, "You're a friend to a wolf? How come?!"
"Well, it's a long story, but in summary, she kinda saved me." Eldora pointed to the couple who were now waiting for them, "They seem to be done."
Alaric not wanting to take his eyes away from hers which had such magnets in them, nodded in understanding, turned his head, and started walking toward Daxon.
They all went inside the van. The seating arrangement got weird as Serena preferred to sit on Daxon's lap stubbornly, forcing Eldora to sit next to Alaric in front of the couple.
Eldora showed her dissatisfaction towards her best friend, "You could've behaved just for a short time! Weren't you the one who came to me since you were alone?! Now I'm all forgotten, ha?!"
Serena whined, "You just don't understand!! I haven't seen my bae for almost a week! Your single ass could never!"
Alaric smirked quietly. Somehow the fact that the red-haired girl was single pleased him.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Alaric launched his barrage of questions, his tone as strong as ever. "So, tell me, what were you two doing there?" His query cut through the previously light-hearted atmosphere.
Eldora's frown deepened as she shot back, "Don't you think you guys should be the ones explaining what's going on, not us?"
A hearty laugh escaped Alaric, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Hahaha, touche." Her quick-witted clapback seemed to intrigue him. "Yeah, you have a point there." He leaned in a bit closer, his voice tinged with playful curiosity. "But still, you'd better spill the beans, or I might get the wrong idea."
Eldora couldn't help but smirk, enjoying their verbal sparring. "Well, that wouldn't be fair now, would it? You already have a head start on mysteries, Don Castellano."
Alaric's eyes gleamed with amusement as he shifted his attention to Daxon, who was still immersed in nuzzling his partner's neck affectionately with his nose. It seemed odd to Alaric, to witness such a tender moment. "Daxon, why don't you go ahead with the basic explanation? After all, it's your job, isn't it, Wolf?" he quipped, his tone teasing.
Daxon, startled out of his affectionate daze, straightened his posture and wasted no time in launching into the explanation of the situation at hand. While he spoke with a sense of urgency, his luna would occasionally gasp and mutter some cringy Japanese words throughout the conversation.
Meanwhile, Eldora, whose semi-poker face had been her constant expression, showed subtle signs of frustration. Her occasional frowns and shifts in demeanor did not go unnoticed by Alaric, who was keenly observing every nuance of their interaction. Eldora's stoic nature intrigued him, making her all the more enigmatic in his eyes.
Eldora's brow furrowed in thought as she processed the information. "So, you're saying that what I captured on video in that laboratory is essentially a form of witchcraft? They're combining the genes of two supernatural beings with human patients who were admitted to the hospital, effectively turning them into... zombies?" She pondered, her hand resting beneath her chin. Her composure had improved, but a lingering frustration still tinged her voice.
Alaric nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. It appears they've somehow connected the genetic makeup of the vampires, and the werewolves, with these human patients. Their goal seems to be creating a new breed of supernatural, one that possesses qualities of both vampires and werewolves, but without the lethal conflict between the werewolf's venom that kills vampires."
He continued, casually sharing his thought process, "That's why I was at the hospital. My group received information that Viola had been seen there before the attack. I was searching for any trace of her or a clue that could lead us to her whereabouts. I think they are using Viola's genetics in regard to perfecting the mutation that causes them to become zombies. Since, a werewolf's venom won't kill a Castellano, an airbender."