Chapter-9: Vampires Do Exist... Might Be Descendants Of Vrykolakas!

There was a humongous room furnished with antique pieces. One was more precious than the other. There were invaluable heirlooms, irreplaceable treasures and some were even relics of ancient history.

No, it wasn't a museum.

But was the office chamber of the head of the Verena family —one of the three indomitable households in Sigor.

The other two were the mighty Ender family and the most puissant of all holding the crown for ages was the Lowell family reputed to be running the underworld controlling the entire Coldbourne nation at their fingertips whose only heir was the carefree Irwin.

The only daughter of Grandpa Esmeray, Aynur fell in love with Ivalo Lowell, the king of the underworld which was quite a sensational love story back then that has been still a gossip over an evening tea to date.

Anyways, back to Verena's office, too bad it was tenebrous inside to distinctly capture the essence of those priceless artifacts.

The long windows were draped by silky heather gray curtains. Maybe due to the slight wind a tiny portion of the curtain at the corner was moved to the side a little letting in some molecules of sun rays which allowed the nervous man in the black suit who entered the room to catch a glimpse of the Verena family head's refined silhouette.

That man felt chilled to the bone in his presence. He gulped his saliva and opened his mouth while trying to control his trembling body.

"Sir, according to our informant, Arik Esmeray and Maven Lucian are in town. They must be here to investigate-" 

The man stopped explaining and was frozen in feet seeing the crimson glint directed at him. 

Till now he was afraid just at the aura of that person but at the moment sensing the suffocating pheromones resembling the bitter chill of the winter, at first hand made him kneel on the spot.

Blood oozed out of his nostrils, he wiped it away in an instant. He thought it was going to be his last day when,

"Alpha..." A soothing yet diabolic voice that resembled a devil's whisper was heard from the back.

The man was terrified as he stared back,

>>>When did she?

The man had no idea how the woman in an opulent black cut-out maxi dress was sitting on the couch cross-legged holding the cup of tea with her long slender fingers which had pointy almond nails painted in blood red got inside the closed room.

She took a sip and placed it on the table gracefully though her scrunched nose showed her dissatisfaction with the liquid tasting on her tongue. 

When she lifted her chin giving her full attention to the head of Verena behind the fearful man, her naturally thick long curly eyelashes fluttered open revealing her deathly eternal caramine irises.

The kneeling man saw the seventh hell then and there. He knew the woman... seeing her and meeting one's demise was almost one and the same thing.

"Morana, you are here," the old Alpha who looked like he was still in his early thirties with a fit physique smiled seeing her.

She stood up like a wave of water. The tuck-tuck of her heels screamed 'quietus' on her every step as she strode spreading the frost flowers in the air along her way.

Even so, the Alpha eyed her adoringly, his irises turned to the shade of mauve indicating an Alpha in love which could only be seen by the mates they marked and formed the mate bond with, and to the others, they looked normal.

[Betas in love - irises turn Lavender, Omegas in love - irises turn Lilac].

The woman's irresistible saunter made the old Alpha smirk even more. He took a quick glance at the kneeling man and ordered, 

"Get out."

That was the call for the man to run out of the room like a rat holding his thumping heart.

"Tsk, why did you send him away? I thought he would be my evening snack," Morana spoke in a slow manner sitting on the lap of the old Alpha with a pout on her luscious red lips.

In the blink of an eye, the old Alpha grabbed her neck and pulled her closer to his face, whispering, "No drinking blood of another man, my little viper."

Her giggle echoed throughout the room, "If you say so, my Alpha," she pulled him into a deathly kiss while the old Alpha started tearing off her black dress.

...

"No, there are no vampires in Sigor. We don't let those creatures enter our premises. They are the cursed entities causing mayhem wherever they set foot in," Irwin answered then questioned him right after, "Why did you ask about them, Hael? Did you perhaps see one-"

Noticing that Irwin became worried and serious about the silly question he asked out bizzarely, "No, no. I never saw one but aren't they cool?"

"Cool? Vampires are the descendants of Vrykolakas, the werewolves who are cursed by the Moon goddess for killing innocent children in the ancient war. They are undead creatures who are banned from Celestia and had to live thirsting for blood they lack, endlessly," Irwin explained with a disgusted expression on his face.

"Woah, it's so interesting, tell me more brother Irwin," surprisingly his mindless doubt's answer increased his curiosity.

Being a manga otaku to the core, the myths of the fantasy world were his cup of tea.

"Hm? Didn't you learn about this in the middle school's history class?" Irwin queried.

Hael tried to remember what he learned in his first life but it was all blurry he was not the best of students no basically he was the worst student with poor grades.

Not to mention he never listened to anything in the classes though when he was living in the streets he envied children going to schools but once he went he regretted it right away.

>>>History class in middle school? I don't even remember what food I ate last night how can I recall what I studied in my first life?

>>>Studied, my foot! I always doodled in classes and in my second life, I never went to school.

>>>Even if I did go there wouldn't be a lesson on vampires and werewolves not to mention that some 'V- dash-dash ancient creatures' cursed by the Moon goddess.

Hael smiled and shook his head scratching his nape.

Irwin had no idea how Hael lived in Lucian's mansion but after knowing that he was an illegitimate son, he was sure of one thing that his life wasn't a walk in the park.

So, he made up some imaginative abusive household where Hael wasn't allowed to go to school in his mind and felt guilty for asking such a question thinking that it might have brought back the younger's bad memories.

"Don't worry. Your brother will tell you everything you need to know, Hael."

Irwin patted the Younger's shoulder, "But let's eat while we talk, they will get cold. I just reheated them," he handed over a bowl of rice and a spoon opening the lids of the dishes.

Hael's stomach grumbled as soon as the aroma of the tasty sweet and spicy chicken hit his nostrils.

Gulping his saliva he nodded taking a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and putting it on the spoonful of rice, he ate it in one go.

Seeing Hael eat happily, Irwin smiled to himself and dug in, "So, what do you want to know?" 

"Then are vampires and werewolves related?" Hael stated his doubt.

"No. Though Vrykolakas are undead werewolves after they are cursed by the moon goddess they went insane by their thirst for blood. They started killing humans who didn't have the Moon goddess's blessing so they were weak prey to them. Those humans bitten by Vrykolakas turned into vampires."

"Oh, so there are humans too in this world?" Hael inquired.

"Yes, they used to be but that was centuries ago. Now they became extinct after they were hunted by vampires. So, basically, the undead humans are the currently known vampires so we are not related to them," Irvin responded.

"Ohhhhhh! Then are Vry... ahem! what are they?" Hael found it hard to pronounce.

"Vry. Kola. Kas." Irvin worded out slowly.

"Ah, they... Are they still alive, I mean if they are undead, they are theoretically immortal, right?" Hael asked.

"Maybe, they say the first generation vampires were controlled by the Vrykolakas but after human extinction, it became hard for them to hunt us werewolves cause in strength we are evenly matched and with the weapons blessed by the Moon goddess we can easily kill them so they went into hiding. Many countries including our Coldbourne formed holy barriers which will not let any vampires enter our borders."

"Blessed weapons?" Hael had a question mark on his face.

"Hm. Blessed weapons are those which are soaked in the holy water fountains present below the Moon goddess statues in every cathedral," Irwin elucidated, "Every Alpha of the family receives one blessed weapon on their eighteenth birthday when their second gender is revealed."

"Then Betas and Omegas won't get any? That's unfair," Hael felt disappointed.

"We get a vial of holy water that can burn down vampires when thrown at them," Irwin ruffled the Younger's hair as he put down his chopsticks finishing his food.

"Oh? Then why didn't I get one?" Hael tried to remember.

"Eh? That's not possible didn't you get baptized in the cathedral at your presenting ceremony?" Irwin had a visible frown on his face.

"Presenting ceremony, what's that?" Hael was clueless.

Irwin was now shocked and at the same time he became angry in his heart. He quickly explained that the ceremony was done when they turned eighteen during their second gender reveal in the cathedral.

Then he said to Hael to watch some shows while he washed the dishes. 

"I can help, brother Irwin," Hael was about to get up but he stopped.

"No need. You are already exhausted from everything that happened today. Let my little soldiers rest. I will be back in a jiffy," Irwin insisted and went to the kitchen carrying the dishes.

Hael nodded obediently and turned on the T.V. to watch his favourite show shinchan, coincidentally there were the same programs even in this world.

Meanwhile, a furious Irwin called Maven.

"Where the hell are you?" He snapped as soon as the Alpha answered the call.

"Um... I am at the 'Moonwhale' hotel near your house, why?" Maven noticed that something was wrong with his boyfriend's irritated tone.

"Get your ass at the back of my home in five minutes or else I am going to find you and kill you," Irwin declared and hung up the call.

Maven sat up straight as he heard that. He immediately wore his outercoat and ran out of the hotel in a hurry.

In exactly five minutes he was standing in front of his boyfriend all sweating and panting.

"What... *Huff* happened, Win?" Maven asked gasping for air.

"How did your family treat Hael? They didn't even take him to the annual presenting ceremony on his eighteenth birthday. Even orphans get baptized when they turn eighteen, so how did they never take Hael to the cathedral? It's like he is non-existent for your family."

Irwin growled getting agitated by how unfairly Hael was treated.

"What... that can't be true. Even servants of our mansion-" 

Maven was cut off when Irwin grabbed him by his collar, his eyes turned scarlet, "Hael isn't any servant. He is your younger brother, Maven Lucian."

"Win, calm down. I am not saying he is a servant. I don't have any idea about why my father didn't take him to get baptized. I was away on a business trip when he was presented," Maven calmly answered not minding how the Beta was being rude to him.

However, if it was any other Alpha, their prideful nature wouldn't let any Beta bear their fangs at them they would have released their overbearing pheromones and subdued them.

But Maven was so in love with Irwin that he didn't mind things like that. He even released his soothing pheromones to cool him down.

Irwin's eyes turned normal after scenting his pheromones. He came to his senses, "I am sorry. I was just..." 

"I know, Win. You see Hael as your younger brother and care for him. I know you are feeling anger for him, I understand and I am sorry too. With the excuse of being busy, I too am at fault for never caring about my younger brother," 

Maven apologized in turn as his guilt had been eating him away from inside since morning.

Irwin hugged the Alpha, "Then you should take him to the cathedral tomorrow to get him baptized. You know right only family members can be present at that time."

"If that makes your anger and Hael's awkwardness with me lessen a little, I will do that Win," Maven hugged him back patting him gently.

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