Xavier broke free of his memories of the little wolf.
He looked at Callum and Sterling with obvious annoyance because they had cut short his reminiscences. If he concentrated, he could almost remember her scent which clung lightly to her and her apartment.
After she ran off, he did not follow her. He knew that he needed to give her space because he did not want her to be afraid of him. If he followed, she might assume he was a threat and become resistant to him.
Therefore, he decided to follow the traces of her scent and find where she came from before she appeared at the lake. It did not take a long time to discover her apartment and gain access. He walked around the space for a while, taking in her light scent before leaving.
After thinking for a while, he decided to find out where she had stayed for the night since she did not return to her apartment. For her safety, of course. He did not approach her in the hotel, but he did keep an eye on her from a distance.
For her safety…
"Xavier!" Callum called again.
"What?" He asked coldly.
"You were silent and perfectly still for five minutes while holding your drink with a weird expression," Callum said.
"What weird expression?" Xavier replied before taking a sip of the brimstone absinthe. The drink burned his throat, but it had a sweet taste like a light nectar. It was the preferred drink for vampires.
Most supernatural beings could not get drunk on ordinary liquor. However, the right mix of herbs and spices could be combined to produce an intoxicating effect. Brimstone absinthe contained creeping bloodwort and pepper agave syrup, which affected vampires.
"You were smiling gently," Sterling said with a light cough.
"How is smiling a weird expression?" Xavier asked with irritation.
"It was on your face." Callum retorted.
"Do not take this the wrong way, but I have known you since we were kids, and you only smile when you are planning on killing someone. And the smile is usually evil and filled with malicious intent." Sterling replied.
Xavier snorted, but he did not reply.
For a moment, he considered saying something about the little wolf, but he dismissed the thought immediately. Even if he wanted to share, he did not know how to explain what Leila was to him.
The two of them had not even truly met.
More importantly, he did not want to share Leila, even the idea and thought of her. He knew it was unreasonable, but he wanted to have everything about her for himself. And knowing Callum, he would start looking into her as soon as he learned of a person who Xavier liked. The man could not resist gossip.
Sterling would also look into her because he was ever the protector, always trying to make sure that Xavier was not doing anything that could harm himself or others.
"How long will you be staying in Lake City?" Sterling asked.
"So eager to get rid of me?" Xavier asked with a smile.
"That is the smile we know and fear!" Callum declared. "The other one almost had me calling a priest to exorcise you."
Sterling laughed because of how true the words were before responding to Xavier.
"The opposite. I was going to offer you a place to stay if you are planning on lingering for long. There is no need for you to stay in hotel rooms when you have a friend around. I have been living in Lake City for almost a year, so I am quite settled." Sterling said.
Xavier knew that Sterling meant well, and the offer was genuine, but he sometimes found his desire to come to his rescue quite exhausting. It was a reminder of the darkness to which Xavier was born.
"I will be staying for a while, but I am going to get an apartment or a house. I have not yet decided. Maybe, I will get both." Xavier took another long sip of his drink.
Sterling did not insist. It was not like Xavier could not afford to buy as many houses as he wanted.
"Have you finally discovered the charm of Lake City?" Callum asked. "Sterling was also planning on staying for a month or so, but he became a convert after a few weeks."
"Something like that," Xavier said as he thought about the little wolf. He could not wait to see her again. Maybe, he could drop in at the Campbell house and find out if she was safe. Yes, he was already aware of where she was staying.
"That's it! I am calling Father Simeon!" Callum declared.
Xavier stopped smiling at the words. He needed to control his facial expression when he thought about Leila, or it would only be a matter of time before he gave his secrets away.
"What kind of self-respecting vampire has a priest as a friend?" Xavier asked with disgust.
"In the old days, it was useful for a vampire to have a priest as a friend. Plus, he is a vampire now." Callum said. "And it is not like you are winning the Vampire of the Year award with your furry bestie over here."
Sterling, who had caught a stray bullet while minding his own business, glared at Callum. "I thought you were my friend too, but I am starting to reconsider."
"Of course, I like you now, but when I met you, I was very much against werewolves," Callum said. "I could barely tolerate you without thinking about murdering you."
"Oh, is that why you used to stare at me all the time?" Sterling asked. "I thought you had a crush on me."
Callum slapped his forehead. "No wonder you are chronically single. How can you not tell the difference between the two? And even if I swung that way, you would not be my type. I like my lovers to be a little more fiery."
Sterling scoffed, but he could not deny that he was a little boring. In comparison to other wolves who were passionate, he was an iceberg. He did not like pack activities or even enjoy the full moon.
He was an anomaly, which stressed his family to no end. It was the reason he chose to move and live the life of a lone wolf in Lake City.
"Vampires and werewolves are not enemies anymore. You can relax." Sterling still said. "But I will be keeping a stake with me at all times in case your old instincts kick in. Maybe, I should ask Father Simeon for some holy water. Can priest vampires bless water or carry crosses?"
"You would never see it coming if I decided to off you, wolf-boy. And I was baptised and blessed as a fledgling vampire, so holy water does not affect me." Callum laughed. "As for you, it would be so easy to sneak some wolfnip into your drink."
"Why wolfnip?" Sterling asked since wolfnip was not poisonous to werewolves per se. It just had a psychedelic effect.
"Oh, I would not want to rush your death. I would slowly and steadily break you down, mentally, psychologically and physically." Callum laughed with glee.
"I think we should take a break." Sterling declared flatly.
"Come on! It is just an old fantasy."
"The fact that you had such a fantasy is the problem!"
At the side, Xavier looked at his friends with some interest. Despite their different personalities, they seemed to have become very close friends during their time in Lake City. In the past, he was their common friend.
Now, it seemed like he was the third wheel.
Callum was no longer the overly wild and hedonistic person that he used to be, and Sterling was now more open and talkative, not like the brooding goody-two-shoes person who was always trying to fix everything and anyone.
He did not mind being left out.
He was even a little happy for them.
After all, their lives were completely different from his own. They could choose freedom and do what they wanted with their lives. He, on the other hand, was bound by duty, without the possibility of being completely free.
"Xavier, did you hear what I just said?" Callum asked.
"What?" Xavier stopped his morose line of thought.
"I asked if you want to attend the Farrel banquet next week. All the major families in Lake City are going to be there. Edgar Farrel is going to take a step back and let his son have more free reign of Farrel Motors. He is holding a banquet to celebrate his retirement." Callum said.
Xavier wanted to refuse immediately. He did not have any interest in being a part of human social circles. Just as the words were at the tip of his tongue, he remembered that the Campbel family was likely to be in attendance.
Moreover, he would probably need a human identity to interact with his little wolf.
"I told you he would not be interested," Sterling said.
"That is where you are wrong, my friend." Xavier chuckled. "I am quite interested in enhancing my social life. I need to expand my circle now that the two of you are all cute and coupled up."
"We are not…" Sterling started.
"Protesting will only encourage him." Callum raised his hand to stop Sterling. "What identity will be using for your new social life? I can help you make arrangements."
Xavier smirked. "Let it be known that the founder and CEO of Phoenix Technologies is in Lake City."