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

- - -

​​

I was hugging myself to preserve as much body heat as possible, lost in the lush scenery in front of me.

I jolted when a soft fluffy fabric touched my body from behind.

"I'm sorry, princess. I didn't mean to startle you.", I heard Lazarus's husky voice, while he draped a shawl on my shoulders. "You look like you could use an extra layer."

"It's OK. I just spaced out.", I smiled awkwardly and pulled the shawl snugly around me. The much-needed warmth seeped into me, and I had no intention to refuse the shawl. "Thanks."

He stood next to me and his eyes roamed over my face like he was searching for something.

"You are welcome. What were you thinking about?"

If I tell him that I was thinking about him living in a penthouse and ravishing girls, he might get the wrong idea. And there is no way I will mention Duke and my last night's dream.

I shook my head. "Nothing much. I was enjoying the view."

"Do you like the garden?"

"It's beautiful."

Lazarus hummed ambiguously and gestured toward the stairs that lead to the garden. "Walk with me. There are things you can't see while standing here."

We walked in silence that was disturbed by the pebbles crunching under our feet.

The morning mist dispersed under the rays of the rising sun.

"Did you sleep well?", he asked after some time.

My cheeks heated as I remembered the incident from last night when I screamed, and Lazarus and Aldus got in my room. That was embarrassing.

"Yes. I slept well." I did my best to sound cool. "You?"

His smile widened and I prayed silently that his next words are not about him smelling my arousal.

"I was concerned that you will have another…", he paused and pursed his lips while picking the next word. "Disturbance." Lazarus chuckled. "I am glad that your night was peaceful."

I stared at my feet like they are the most interesting thing in the world, not daring to look his way.

"We are here…", Lazarus said several steps later and I lifted my gaze.

"Wow…", a sound escaped me when I saw a pergola with two benches under it that faced each other. The pergola was covered in red and pink climbing roses whose sweet fruity scent pulled me in.

From the stairs, I only saw greenery, and these wonderful roses were hidden by tall thuyas.

I glanced at Lazarus and his half-smile told me that he liked my reaction. He tilted his head, silently inviting me to take a seat.

He produced a towel from somewhere and wiped the benches from the rain and morning dew, so that our bottoms don't get wet when we sit.

I thought that Lazarus might be cheeky to sit next to me, but he surprised me by sitting on the opposite bench. That made me lower my guard slightly.

'What's wrong with me? The guy asked me for a dinner and said that he likes me. There is no point in being tense like he is going to jump on me any moment!' I tried to ease up my nerves and I decided to focus on the surroundings. Besides, Aldus is around and Lazarus wouldn't dare to do anything to harm me.

I observed the roses all around us, thinking that this is some kind of a rose capsule that is detached from the rest of the world.

I lowered my gaze and saw that Lazarus was looking at me with a small smile lingering at the edge of his lips.

"Thank you.", he said.

I didn't understand. Who would understand a thank you that came out of the blue? "For?"

"For not looking at me like I am a monster."

I realized that he was talking about last night and him killing those werewolves.

I wanted to say that it's OK, because if he didn't kill them, they would probably kill more campers, so in a way he saved lives. But I feared that he might say how he would kill them anyway, so I decided not to run my mouth.

"We are different. That doesn't make you a monster.", I responded.

His smile widened. "It's not common for a non-shifter to be so acceptable to my kind."

"You don't strike me as a guy who is concerned with other people's opinions of him."

"Usually I'm not.", he said matter-of-factly, and I sensed this might lead to a topic I was trying to avoid. Am I overthinking?

"But you are different, princess."

I knew it! I swallowed softly while waiting for his next words.

"About our dinner…"

My stomach turned into knots when I realized he was talking about our date.

"Do you have any preferences related to food or the location?", he asked.

"Uhm…" My brain scrambled to come up with something that will help me dodge this date. I know I promised Aldus to face it head-on, but I'm not ready yet. Too many things happened and… that's it! I am brilliant!

"To be honest, it didn't cross my mind. I was preoccupied with thoughts related to Zoe, Ash, and Luca. Can we talk about that dinner after I figure out what to do with them and they are settled?"

His eyebrow arched suspiciously. "How long will that take?"

I shrugged. "I really have no idea. It doesn't sound right for me to go out for dinner while the three of them fear what tomorrow brings. I will talk with them and my father as soon as possible, so it should be settled within the next few days. I will let you know when I'm available. OK?"

I put on my best puppy-eyed look and I released the breath I was holding when he nodded in agreement.

"So…", I stiffened when he spoke. "You are going to talk with a vampire and three pups on deciding what's best for young werewolves?"

I was not sure what he was getting at. "Your point?"

"I think that you should talk to a werewolf who knows a thing or two." He gestured toward himself.

I remembered his offer from last night. "Oh, OK. What do you think I should do with them?"

If he says that I should abandon them, this discussion is over.

"They still can't control their shifting, which makes them slaves to their emotions. They need to learn how to communicate with their wolves before anything else."

To my surprise, Lazarus made sense. It reminded me of my issue with pheromones and how I had to learn how to control them.

"Will you teach them?" I had to try.

Lazarus shook his head. "I offered you my advice, not babysitting services."

I puffed my cheeks in protest. My face must have been funny because he stifled a laugh. At that instant, the tension between us snapped, and I was able to relax.

"Alright. Is there any other advice you can offer, Lazarus-the-wise?", I asked with a mocking face.

Lazarus chuckled, amused by my silly antics. "Many. You might want to take notes, princes."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "My memory is quite good..."

…

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

- - -

The noise told me that the youngsters are awake. It was time for breakfast.

I was surprised to see Serina and Lazarus walking in from the garden. The two of them were talking, and the mood was relaxed.

Serina even laughed, and where did she get that shawl?

Did Lazarus make any progress in wooing Serina? I will need to ask her that later.

Breakfast offerings were more than usually. I could see that Lazarus was trying to impress Serina.

There were freshly baked pastries, fruits, several types of cereal, boiled eggs, a variety of cured meats, spreads, and several hot and cold beverages.

Well, if by an off chance that Serina gives up on Duke and ends up with Lazarus, at least I don't need to worry that she will be hungry.

I said that I will not meddle in Serina's love life, but if Lazarus calls me 'father', I will punch him.

---

If you are not reading this at 'W e b n o v e l . c o m', then the content you're reading is stolen! Please support the author by reading this novel from the original source.