This place has got to be the most amazing house I have ever seen. The walls and floors are made of red cedar wood and the ceilings are cemented and painted burgundy. There are no windows, which makes me feel a bit trapped, and the only way in and out is through the small door we had entered last night. However, the lack of openings would make sense as they are underground and are literally surrounded with dirt. As for the furniture, appliances and interior design, I'd say they are very retro. It's not very fancy, but they've got a few decorations like art works, photographs, and candles. The house almost has nothing that require a power source, other than some turntables, a stove, refrigerator and lights that are all LED, which are powered by underground heat source. I'm impressed to say that they are very energy efficient.

I have spent the last twenty minutes exploring the 'wolf cave' as Rami named it, though Lysander said his pack called it 'Canis Major', which is very clever. Last night, we all had slept in the living room, which is as big as my apartment's kitchen and living room combined. Because the house has been abandoned for a year and became dusty and mucky, we have decided to give it an update. My job is to start cleaning while Rami and Lysander visit the markets to get some necessities. As I said, so far all I've done is explore and not clean like I was supposed to, and I haven't even seen the whole place! It's only one level, but it has like three different hallways! In one, there's the living room with the cute couches and tables, the kitchen, which is not that big (just the fridge and a few seats and table), and two other ones that hold rooms, each one being different from the others. Lysander said this was his pack's house, so the rooms must have been where they stayed. All rooms are simple. Each contains a bed, a nightstand, a chair and depending on the owner, some objects for entertainment whether it be books, music, or toys.

My favorite room has got to be at the end of the second hallway. It's about the same size as my room, maybe a little bigger, but it's absolutely great. It has nothing but books: a library. Of course, they don't have modern books, not even the Harry Potter series, but they have the classics such as Don Quixote, Pride and Prejudice, and 1984. There are also some graphic novels, which include a few Marvel and DC comics. They do not have any films -- they don't even have a freaking TV, so that explains why Lysander doesn't know who Robert Downey Jr. is. Tragic.

Right now, I'm snooping around the library while listening to Respect by Aretha Franklin using a turntable, while cleaning the room at the same time. I am technically cleaning, I just get distracted by the things I find. There are a lot of books about supernatural beings such as witches, vampires, fairies, mermaids, centaurs, and especially werewolves. Having realized that I know very little about Lysander's being, I pulled out a book about werewolves on the black mahogany shelf.

Werewolves live for a long time. They are not immortals like vampires, but their appearance age slower than humans. Werewolves are born as werewolves. They are shapeshifters. Humans cannot turn into a werewolf, despite the myths. Werewolves cannot be killed by silver, but it inflicts unbearable pain, like burning their skin. Although they heal fast if wounded, they can still be killed if heart is damaged. Wolfsbane, a poison for werewolves, burns the insides of a werewolf and causes vulnerability. If too much is consumed, it will lead to death. Werewolves cannot control their shifts during full moon. It is unknown why it is so, but werewolves must shift.

These things basically give me the same information that Rami, the Lycanthropy expert, shared with me. But, there is a particular section that no one has yet to tell me about. Werewolf mates.

"Every werewolf has one destined mate. Mates may or may not exist in the same place and time as the werewolves, which is why it is uncommon for them to find their mates. Because they age slow and live long, most spend their time traveling with the hopes of finding their mates. Mates provide love, support, and comfort for werewolves, which make them stronger. If a werewolf's mate dies, the wolf either dies along and therefore killing the human host (on rare occasions, the human host survives but loses their memory and sanity), or the wolf completely takes over the human host's consciousness and spends the rest of their lives as a wolf, a wild animal. A wolf without humanity.

Even though mates are commonly another werewolf, it is rare but not impossible for werewolves to have human mates. On most cases, werewolves who have human mates choose not to chase their mates, for the reason being humans have shorter lives than wolves and will not live long together. In addition, werewolves keep away from humans, who are known to be violent and have killed werewolves over the years. The werewolves who have given up their human mates do not become weak, but will feel a sense of lost and emptiness."

I couldn't read anymore after that as my mind went to Lysander. There is no way we could do this. It would just end terribly for him. I am human and will die earlier than him and I don't want him to deal with all those things that the book had said. The only way for him to avoid that as if he finds another person. Is that even possible? Another mate? The book said one, but maybe Lysander can fall in love with another human, or perhaps a vampire who will live longer than him. Just the thought of it breaks my own heart. It will all just be horrible for everyone. He should have never found me. I should have stayed away from him. We should have never started anything.

"Yo! We're ba-- ah!" I heard a loud crash from the living room. "Damn it, Drew! I thought you started cleaning!"

I quickly returned the book to the shelf and picked up the brown rag from the table and started to wipe it. I noted footsteps coming closer to the room, so I took a deep breath and put on a smile. I started to sing along to Soul Serenade, which is the current song playing from the same vinyl as earlier. Soon, I felt arms wrap around my waist and a weight on my shoulder.

"Enjoying yourself?" Lysander's breath touched my neck like feathers, slightly tickling me. I turned around and slid away from him, standing in front of the shelf to pick up a Marvel comic book.

"So, you've been a nerd all this time and you never told us." I pointed at the cover that has The Avengers.

He shook his head and laughed. "That's actually not mine. The comics belonged to one of my pack members. His name was Charlie." Sadness flashed his eyes for a second before it was replaced by content. "Come on, let's eat before we clean the rest of the house. Clearly, you've done nothing."

"Oh, shut up." I slightly pushed him away as the two of us walk to the kitchen, passing all the rooms from the second hallway. "You just have some really interesting stuff and I can't help but look at them. I am a scientist. We are full of curiosity."

We reached the main hall and caught Rami just laying down on the floor, staring at the ceiling. He must have tripped over my bags that I said I was going to put away.

"Hi." I looked down at him. "How are you doing at this lovely morning?"

"I have to ask." Rami turns to Lysander, who stood next to me. "How do you keep out the creepy crawlies? You are underground and there are weird stuff living underground, and I don't just mean you."

Lysander grinned. "We don't. Sometimes, you'd see them just hanging around. Spiders, worms, it doesn't bother werewolves."

"Alright." Rami stood up. "I'm out of here."

Just as he started walking towards the door, I held out an arm to stop him. "Don't worry. I've checked everywhere and haven't seen anything yet. But if you do see something, just step on them."

Lysander shook his head at us. "That's cruel."

"I know."

"You expect me to step on a spider?" Rami scoffed. "You're overestimating me, Drew." He then moved on to the bags that are set on the counter of the kitchen. Paper bags full of food. I joined him in putting them inside the fridge, which had nothing inside. The first thing that I grabbed is the bag of chocolate and hugged it against my chest, making Lysander roll his eyes.

***

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

While the three of us cleaned the wolf cave, the whole mate thing remained on my mind. I couldn't look at Lysander without my heart falling apart pieces by pieces. I shouldn't get too close. He shouldn't get too attached. It's better that way for the both of us. I couldn't be near him. Every time he joins me in cleaning a room, I make an excuse to leave.

"Drew." Rami stops me as we pass each other between the first and second hall. He had just come from the second hall while I fixed the living room. "I've decided, my room with be the third room on the left side. It looks the safest from creepy stuff and it's yellow so it looks the coolest." I nodded briefly and continued to move along. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly, shooting me a worried look. "I noticed you didn't look so okay when we got back."

Lysander is busy in the main hall. "Let me show you something."

I took Rami to the library, which is now very clean, though the books are still dusty. I pulled out the same book from earlier and showed him the section about werewolf mates. He read the section quickly and flipped the next page. Then, he closed the book and returned it from the shelf before putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Drew. I guess this is just something that werewolves have to deal with." I said nothing and kept my gaze on the floor, suddenly feeling hopeless. Rami gave me a brief hug before observing the rest of the shelf. "These books are pretty old. Maybe things changed over the time." He smiled slightly. "You know, like Alfred Wallace and Charles Darwin found, evolution is key. Not just physically."

"Right." There are some books that are so old, they were written in parchments. Maybe it's true, maybe that doesn't happen to werewolves. After all, humans believed some crazy shit back then. It can't be too different from werewolves. Yet, my heart continues to feel heavy.

"Anyway, we're pretty much done cleaning. There's a library nearby and they have free wifi. We can go to the parking lot and contact Eva."

My eyes widened. Eva! "Yes! I need to know what happened to her. Come on!"

***

Going back to the car is such a drag. We have to walk so much because apparently, putting a car at a random part of the woods is suspicious and would draw unwanted people. Rami drove us to the library around four in the afternoon. Rami connected to the wifi using his laptop while I sat next to him, and the wolf in the back, who keeps staring at me. I know why but I'm not going to say anything. I will probably burst into tears.

"Is it safe to contact her right now?" I asked, not wanting to expose us to any trackers.

"Yeah, we should be good." Rami shrugs, taking a big bite from his donut he got from a nearby donut shop. We waited for a couple of minutes calling Eva's email. Every second she doesn't answer is feeding my anxiety. She hasn't replied to my last email, and I'm worried that something happened to her.

When she finally answered, I almost let out the breath I was holding. Almost. The screen is entirely black, but we could hear noises in the background. We could hear typing noises and the very distinct voice of Nina Harris, talking about how her house plants keep dying.

"Eva? Are you there?" I asked, focusing on the black screen. After a few more minutes of hearing the same noises, the black screen finally disappeared, revealing Eva's worried face. "Oh my god!" I cried, shaking Rami's laptop slightly. "I miss you so much!" She smiled happily. "I haven't seen you in so long!"

Eva laughed. "I know right. It's been twelve years!"

"No, I'm serious. You are like glowing right now!"

Rami chuckled. "What is your secret of looking younger? Don't tell me you've turned into a werewolf."

"Oh, shut up." She narrowed her eyes at the camera. "How are you guys? Good to see you all alive, still in one piece. And Lysander's still there, yeah?" Lysander moved closer to the camera. "Been taking care of my sis, are you?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now, I haven't been replying to you and I'm sorry. Security has been crazy recently. Ever since you left, cops are everywhere. There are even special agents. There is one man who reminds me of Agent Dale Cooper." She grinned. "He's great. You should meet him."

"Are you talking about that annoying agent that keeps talking to you?" Nina came to the view, sitting next to Eva. "Oh! Hello, children. How are you? I hope you know you've caused quite a havoc in West Grove and all the towns nearby. Even this place has some sneaky cops watching people."

"That's why I have to be really careful when contacting you. Just now, I had to get rid of any possible spywares so no one will be snooping in on us. I'm actually surprised I haven't been caught yet. Just a few days ago at work, agents questioned us about what Silverstein's secret project, if we know anything about it, or has seen anything unusual or supernatural. I told them no. Then they asked me about you, Drew, since they know you and Rami are with Lysander. I told them that I haven't seen you since you left, and that we got in a fight because you wouldn't tell me anything. And you know what? They actually bought it. I think I'm a good actress." She says proudly while Nina shakes her head to disagree.

"But you are okay, right? No one's following you around or anything? You aren't hurt?" Rami asked, also concerned. "By the way, have you heard anything from Doctor Rai?"

Eva responded, "Yes. No. Nope. And Nada." Suddenly, they both looked away in the same direction, as if they had heard or seen something. Nina immediately went up to check it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nina's neighbor's cat keeps going here and ruining Nina's plants. But you know, I can't be mad because the cat is so fluffy and loves me." She grinned. "But for reals, we're fine. Don't worry about me, worry about you! You're in the other side of the country! Tell me what happened!"

Rami and I exchanged a look before we started to blurt out, "Everything went great!"

"Yeah, no trouble at all!"

"Piece of cake, getting here."

And then right after that, we just hear the deep voice in the back. "We got attack by vampires."

Eva's green eyes doubled their size. As soon as she opened her mouth, I clicked on the mute symbol and backed away from the camera. "Dude! You're not supposed to say that!" Rami scolds the werewolf. "Think of Eva as Drew's mother." My eyes watered and I looked out the window to hide my face. "If you say that you put Drew in danger, you will never get her approval for marriage and -- "

I've decided, I'd rather hear Eva's screams right now.

"As soon as you get back here, I will not let you out of my sight, young lady! You too, boy!" She glared at Rami, who gulped nervously and smiled awkwardly. "As for you, I don't care if you're a werewolf. You will be dealing with me!"

"Oh, Eva. Molly Weasley would be so proud of you."

She pouted. "I miss your annoying nerd comments. Anyway, going back to Doctor Rai. I've been in contact with Doctor Maxine. I've asked about him, she said that he hasn't showed up in Silverstein and he's not at his house, either. He just disappeared."

"Shit. Well, how do we know what to do next? Do we just.. hide here forever?"

Eva shook her head. "No. They will find you eventually. The hunters, they're working with the law enforcement. I know there are hunters all over the country and if they'd seen you, they will for sure report back to the hunters here and they will go after you. So, as long as you haven't been found there, in your hiding place, you should be good. But you can't hide there forever. We somehow need to figure out how to get the government and hunters off your asses. I'm thinking we talk to the government and make peace with them, you know? Tell them Lysander is harmless and -- "

"The government doesn't want to talk to us and they don't know anything about peace." I interrupted, rubbing my temples as I feel a headache coming. "But we will think of something. For now, I'm just glad you're both okay."

"Likewise. I have to say, we have to keep the contact on the minimum because the NSA and whoever is spying on people will be suspicious about why they're being blocked. But yeah, we'll talk soon. Please be careful!"

"You too."

Eva smiled at us before the screen returned to black. We all sat in silence for a good minute, probably thinking the same. What do we do, now?

***

Going back to the wolf cave, we had dinner and called it a day. Rami went to his new room and rested. I planned on doing the same. However, on the way to my chosen room near the library, I had passed by Lysander's room. I know it's his room because it's the only room with a couple of paintings and little artistic decorations. While I was exploring earlier, I found a sketchbook and I wanted to look, but I didn't.

As I passed his room, I caught him sitting by the mirror, attempting to cut his hair. It has grown pretty long and the dyed parts are already fading. We are already in a good hidden place, so there is no need for his disguise. I was almost able to walk away and leave him alone, but the way he was cutting it really worried me. So, I stepped back and joined him.

"Do you need help?"

He genuinely looked so concentrated. "No."

"Alright." I sat on his bed and crossed my legs, leaned back and watched him go. He tried to ignore me and stared at the mirror while grabbing his hair, but couldn't be comfortable and glared at me. "What?"

"Stop staring at me."

"Ah, but when you stare at me, it's okay?"

His face turned red. "I don't stare at you."

I walked over to him and grabbed the scissors. "Oh, sorry. My mistake, sir." I replied sarcastically, running a hand through his hair. Guilt stung through me, thinking of the book once again. I bit my lip and shook my head. Not now. Just don't think about it, Drew. Just focus on making sure the werewolf's hair isn't messed up. I figured he just wanted his hair short and the light brown hairs gone, so that's what I started to do. I cut off the hair that aren't black. Meanwhile, I feel him watching me through the mirror. "You are staring."

He didn't tear his gaze from me. He didn't say anything either, making me a little uncomfortable. I searched for a distraction and found his tattoos.

"Do those mean anything?" I glanced at the inks on his right arm.

His eyes remained on the mirror, but darted to what I pointed at. "Pack symbol." Dots are spread through his upper arm and are connected to form a symbol. "I thought you'd recognize it."