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

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As the afternoon trickled away, I found myself growing restless.

Why is Serina not back yet?

I assumed that her experiment with Lazarus will last no more than one hour, yet it's more than three hours since Lazarus went to find Serina in the garden.

What's taking so long?

Serina explained that for ensuring optimal conditions, she needs to be with Lazarus in an unmonitored area, and I suggested the woods in the back of the property.

Did I make the mistake to leave her unattended?

Lazarus shouldn't act out of line, for his own good.

Did something happen?

No. Serina is fine.

I have on my desk an extension that shows measurements that the pheromone-measuring device Serina has is recording, and I can see that her pheromones are within the acceptable range.

It was nearing dinnertime when my patience wore off and I decided to go and check out the situation.

As I made my way through the vineyard, I reminded myself to stay calm and not break into a run.

Be cool, Aldus. Everything is fine. Serina's readings are showing that her emotional state is stable and… Ah! It's stressful to be a parent!

My steps halted as my mind exploded. Are those Lazarus's clothes? Underwear? What the…? Is he… naked?

What about Serina?

Suddenly it occurred to me that there is a possibility my device malfunctioned.

What if Lazarus drugged her? That would explain her flat emotions.

That mutt! I will skin him alive!

I felt a vein popping on my forehead from anger that boiled within me, and I closed my eyes in order to focus on lifeforms in the surroundings.

Found them!

It didn't take me more than a few seconds to reach their location and I had to blink a few times to ensure I'm seeing right.

Serina was sitting on the bed of grass and there was a big gray wolf next to her. His head was resting on her lap and his tail wagged rhythmically in slow movements.

She hummed a tune, and her smiling face told me that she was relaxed.

'Not in danger, and fully clothed…', I released a long breath along with some of my tension.

On a second look, I observed that she was scratching behind the wolf's ear and his left hind leg twitched in pleasure.

Lazarus should be able to pick up my scent. Is it possible that he is so engrossed with Serina that he didn't notice me? Or is he ignoring me on purpose?

I saw Lazarus in his wolf form many times, and he was never this… tame.

How they ended up in this situation, was a mystery.

What's up with Serina and animals?

She wanted to adopt a puppy in the alley at the fair, she named the twin angler (aka Bob) and cried because she killed him, she befriended a wolf (aka Blackie) in the Misty Forest, and now this.

I hope she doesn't want to adopt Lazarus. That's not happening.

I cleared my throat to get their attention.

Serina's head snapped toward me and Lazarus raised his head.

I chuckled at the ridiculous image of a vicious werewolf with a chaplet of colorful flowers on his head.

"I see you and Lazarus are getting along well."

Seraphina's eyes met mine. "Alex."

"What?"

"His name is Alex.", Serina clarified.

I couldn't believe my ears. "You named him?"

"No, no…", Serina said swiftly. "His name is Alex. Lazarus told me before he shifted."

"You understand that no matter how you call him and how he looks like, that is still Lazarus. Right?"

Seraphina looked at me with a complex expression and her gaze softened as she turned to Lazarus.

"In this form, you are Alex.", Serina said, and Lazarus wagged his tail in approval.

I rolled my eyes. When I saw Lazarus this morning with flowers and chocolates, I guessed that he came up with some scheme to get close to Serina. I thought of several scenarios, but I never imagined… this.

Serina stood up and faced me. "How come you are here?"

"It's getting late. I came to fetch you for dinner."

Lazarus narrowed his eyes at me, and I couldn't believe his audacity.

"Do you need a reminder of who I am?", I asked threateningly.

Lazarus's ears fell down and in the next moment, Seraphina hugged him.

"Don't bully him, father. We were having fun. It's normal that he wants to stay here longer.", she turned to Lazarus and patted his head. "Don't be sad. We can hang out again some other time…"

I felt my face twitching in annoyance. Why is she treating Lazarus like a puppy?

The walk to Lazarus's discarded clothes didn't take long.

Serina squatted in front of Lazarus.

"Thank you, Alex, for a wonderful afternoon.", she said with sincerity and grimaced when he licked her cheek.

"Ewww! Not on the face…", Serina said while wiping her cheek that had some slobber on it.

Wait! Did she say, not on the face? Does that mean he licked her somewhere else?! I will make him beg for death!

Oblivious to my anger, Lazarus whimpered and licked the back of Serina's palm.

She smiled and patted his head. "That's better…"

I frowned at the scene. He was wagging his tail again happily. She really tamed him.

I tugged Serina's hand, pulling her away from Lazarus.

"I hope you continue wearing that crown after you shift.", I said to Lazarus teasingly while gesturing toward the chalet of colorful flowers that was resting on his head.

"We will make our move first."

"Bye, Alex!", Serina said.

"How was your day?", I asked Serina as we walked away from Lazarus.

The scent of a wolf coming from Serina was strong. That mutt rubbed himself on her clothes!

At least he was decent enough to wait for us to be out of sight before shifting into his (naked) human form.

"It didn't go as planned, but I had fun.", Serina responded.

"You had fun with Lazarus?"

"Alex…", she corrected me again. "He is a big ball of cuddles. We were chasing butterflies and collecting flowers."

"Did you throw a stick for him to fetch?"

"How do you know? Didn't you say that there are no surveillance cameras there?"

I stifled a laugh while imagining Lazarus, one of the most powerful werewolves in the area, acting like a trained dog. I knew that Lazarus was enamored with Serina, but I didn't know he was this shameless.

"Just a lucky guess." I paused while realizing that she is calling Lazarus's wolf by his name. "I advise you not to use casually the name of Lazarus's wolf. Shifters don't advertise the name of their beast. That is reserved to the family and closest friends, people they trust."

Serina's eyes flashed in surprise at my words. "Is there a reason behind it?"

"Werewolves are physical creatures, weak to magic, and their strength is tied to their beast. In order for a witch to cast a spell, she needs to know the name of her target.", I responded.

"If Vesper finds out that Lazarus's wolf is called Alex, she can cast a spell and harm him?"

The worry in Serina's voice was palpable and I had to ask, "Does this mean that your attitude toward Lazarus is favorable?"

Seraphina's expression told me all I needed to know. The fun afternoon was with the wolf (aka Alex), not with Lazarus.

I must give her credit for not wavering. I knew that her heart was set on Duke, and I hoped that the boy will not break it. If he does, I will break him.

Now to address the important topic. "Your pheromones didn't go above seven. Are you confident about our trip to London?"

"Yes.", Seraphina responded with certainty. "This afternoon didn't go as planned, but it proved to me that I can handle myself in unexpected situations. I faced my worst fears to the point of not fearing them anymore, and I will continue practicing diligently. I believe that no matter what happens, I will stay in control."

I approved of her attitude. "Confidence arises from within. Whatever comes your way, if you feel your will faltering, remind yourself that you are my daughter, and I am backing you."

Seraphina's face exploded in a dazzling smile and she wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you, father."

My good mood was dampened when I realized that now I smell like a dog. Ugh! I need a shower.

Serina let go of me and glanced behind. I sensed Lazarus approaching us.

"I will go ahead to freshen up before dinner…", Serina said and dashed toward the villa before I had a chance to respond.

I turned to see Lazarus a few steps behind me, his eyes were glued to Serina and he held onto a ring of flowers.

"You are not wearing your crown.", I said mockingly.

"This is a present Seraphina made for me and I will keep it forever." Lazarus smiled smugly. "Did she tell you about the date?"

My eyebrow twitched. "What date? You call a few hours of frolicking as a wolf in the meadow, a date?"

"Oh, noooo...", Lazarus responded in a singing voice. "Seraphina agreed to go for dinner with me."

I was confident that my ears malfunctioned. Serina didn't mention anything about a date with Lazarus.

"What?"

"Mhm…", Lazarus hummed in confirmation. "We didn't agree on a day, but tomorrow sounds good. I need to pick a place. Rome sounds romantic. Or maybe Milan. What do you think?"

Did he trick her to accept? Or is he tricking me now? In any case, I was confident in one thing... "Serina is eager to spend time with Alex. You better pick a place that is dog-friendly."

His outraged expression was priceless.

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