Anna walked down the hall of the Crimson Castle. Every vampire knight she passed offered her a low, respectful bow, acknowledging her status as the matriarch. She stopped when she reached Reina's private chambers and opened the door. Inside, she found Caden sitting and talking to his mother, whom he had not seen in many years.
When they heard the door open, both Caden and Reina gave a slight, respectful bow to Anna.
"Good morning, Grandmother," Caden greeted her.
"Good morning, My Lady," Reina followed.
Anna walked up to them and gave them both a warm and gentle hug. "You have done a splendid job, Caden. You saved my grandchild."
"Thank you, Grandmother, but I need no praise," Caden replied, always direct. "John is part of the family. He has done remarkably well to survive the chase of a werewolf. Even though that wolf was low-level, for him, it was almost impossible to survive, but he did it."
Anna's eyes softened with teary gratitude. She turned to Reina. "Thank you, Reina, for your training. John would not have made it without your assistance. Zeno made the right choice to pick you to be his wife. I am proud of you."
Reina felt genuinely happy at her mother-in-law's rare praise. "No need to thank me, My Lady. As my son said, John is family, and my husband asked me to train John, and so I did."
"You both make me so happy," Anna said, stepping back. "But I will leave now and give you two space to catch up." Caden and his mother bowed to Anna before she left.
Anna proceeded down the hall until she arrived in a private eating room where Leonidas was already seated at the table. Food and cups of blood had been prepared. Anna came into the room, sat down, and began to drink from a cup, her expression serene and genuinely happy.
"How is the boy?" Leonidas asked, his tone flat.
"He is sleeping next to the maid. John was very tired when he arrived with Caden," Anna replied, taking another sip of blood.
"You probably feel good going against my wishes," Leonidas challenged, his voice hardening slightly. "You even let Reina sneak into the underground to wake up Caden."
Anna set her cup down slowly, her expression hardening instantly. She slowly released a fraction of her formidable energy into the room.
"I did what I had to do to save my grandchild, Leonidas. Sometimes I think you forget that I am not one of these regular bitches. Remember that I also come from a prestigious family that is not that weaker than your own. I can leave when I want, and there is nothing you can do about it."
Leonidas met her gaze, a flicker of respect—or perhaps caution—in his eyes. He gave a light sigh. "Yes, I sometimes forget… When was the last time you spoke to your father?"
"He does not want to speak to me," Anna admitted, the momentary ferocity gone. "But Mother and I often speak through the mirror. I haven't told her about John yet, but she will see him in due time. But I don't know if they would approve of a hybrid."
"That's what I thought," Leonidas conceded, the fight leaving his eyes. He stood up from his chair and walked over to where Anna was sitting. He placed a hand on her shoulder, a rare gesture of sincerity.
"You did good. You are a fine woman, and most of all, a fine wife," Leonidas stated, acknowledging the political and personal necessity of her actions. He then turned and exited the room, leaving Anna alone.
Anna said nothing in response. She simply watched him go, then continued to eat her breakfast, a slow, satisfied smile spreading across her face. She was very pleased with herself. She had won this round, securing her grandchild's safety and confirming her powerful position within the Crimson family structure.
====
Later that day, Carmilla, John's cousin, was on her way to Thomas's room. She paused outside his door and knocked lightly.
Knock, knock
"Come in," Carmilla heard from the other side.
She opened the door and saw Thomas on the ground, sweat glistening on his forehead, diligently doing sit-ups—a clear sign he was pushing his training hard to recover from the ambush.
"Thomas, did you hear that John survived? He's currently sleeping, recovering from the whole ordeal. I'm going to visit him. Are you coming with?"
Thomas immediately stopped his exercise, the mention of John bringing him back to the terror of the attack. He sat up, the memory of the werewolf's strength still a fresh wound to his pride.
"How did John survive?" Thomas asked, the confusion evident in his voice as he thought back to the horrific power of the werewolf who had easily slashed him across the chest. "That guy was so strong."
"I don't know all the details, but we have to go and show him support," Carmilla urged, moving closer. "Big cousin Caden saved him, apparently. We must also go say hello to him and thank him, too."
Thomas sat there for a moment, processing the gravity of the events and the fact that an elite tracker like Caden had to be awakened. He slowly nodded his head. "You're right, Carmilla. But I have to take a shower first."
====
At this time, Caden was on the roof of the Crimson Castle, a quiet, sun-drenched space that offered a wide view of the domain. He was intensely focused on his task: meticulously cleaning and sharpening his samurai sword.
Suddenly, Leonidas appeared next to him like a ghost, his arrival utterly silent, even to the senses of an elite vampire warrior. Caden was momentarily shocked at how his grandfather had managed to appear without him noticing, a testament to the old man's power.
"How are you, my grandson?" Leonidas asked, his voice calm.
Caden immediately stood up and gave his grandfather a respectful hug. "I see Grandfather has not lost his touch," Caden conceded. "I am fine, Grandfather, though Mother woke me up a little early, and I did not manage to recover all my strength."
"Yeah, that was your grandmother. She is a very stubborn woman," Leonidas replied with a touch of exasperation that betrayed a deep affection.
Caden, seizing the opportunity, asked the question that had been lingering in his mind. "Grandfather, if I may ask, why did you not send help to search for John?"
Leonidas looked out over the parapet. "I thought the enemy wanted me to deploy my men so they could sneak attack us when our numbers were low. But I was probably wrong. Your grandmother did good at waking you. You brought John back safely, and you made me proud, son." Although deep down Leonidas did not genuinely care that much for John, he was truly proud of Caden's efficiency and power.
"Did the wolf pose a threat to you?" Leonidas asked, his tone shifting back to combat assessment.
Caden shook his head, running a thumb carefully along the newly sharpened edge of his blade. "No, not much. I finished him quickly. But I could feel that there was pain in his heart, and I don't think he wanted to kill John. I don't know, it's a strange feeling."
"Nonsense," Leonidas dismissed, waving a hand. "I am pleased you killed that wolf. He wanted to hurt one of us, and you did what you are supposed to do."
"Thank you, Grandfather," Caden replied, accepting the compliment and the closure.
"I'll leave you to continue what you were doing. Enjoy the rest of the day, my son."
"Thank you, Grandfather." Caden felt a familiar, quiet happiness and bowed as Leonidas left the rooftop as silently as he had arrived.
====
Later, John and Elena were both awake and sitting quietly in her room, enjoying the simple, shared silence of survivors. Elena's recovery was astonishing; her terrible wounds were already closed, a testament to the strange properties of John's blood.
John broke the silence. "Are you alright, Elena? Does the wound still hurt?"
Elena smiled warmly and shook her head, the relief visible in her eyes. She played with her fingers for a few seconds before asking the crucial question. "Young Master, why did you tell me not to say that the werewolf bit me? And… how did I recover so fast?"
John moved closer and gently took Elena's hand. "Listen, what I am about to tell you must be kept a secret, okay?"
Elena looked at him for a few seconds, seeing the profound seriousness in his eyes, before nodding her head.
"My blood can heal a werewolf's bite."
Elena's composure shattered. She stuttered, finding it hard to swallow. "What… what do Young Master mean?"
"When you were badly injured, I didn't have any more bottles of blood, so I fed you my own," John explained, his voice low and urgent. "The next thing I knew, I saw your wounds slowly healing. I came to the conclusion that my blood is the cure to a werewolf's bite."
Elena's eyes went wide open. Her brain struggled to process the biological impossibility, yet here she was, undeniably alive and healed. "Young Master, must we not tell Lady Anna or Lord Leonidas? They would probably be very pleased!"
"No!" John said sharply, then immediately softened his tone, leaning in. "I mean, no. Do not tell anybody, please."
Elena was silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on him. She did not say anything, but she finally nodded her head, cementing their dangerous pact.
Just then, the door opened and Thomas and Carmilla arrived.
"Hello John, hello Elena, how are you two doing?" Carmilla asked brightly as she came into the room, relief radiating from her.
Thomas walked up to John and gave him a rare, heartfelt hug. "I am sorry I was not of any help, Cousin."
John felt a rush of warmth and happiness at the care his family was showing. "Don't worry, G," he replied, using his familiar slang. "You managed to get help, which really helped me. I wouldn't have made it if you didn't send for help. I probably owe you."
Thomas felt a strange comfort by John's words. Though he still didn't understand the "G" nickname, he had made peace with John's slang. "Nonsense, we are family. I will become stronger, John, so that no one will ever harm you in front of me again."
"Thanks, G."
Carmilla then stepped forward, eager for her turn to greet her rescued cousin. She gave John a warm hug. "Why did you go out hiking without me, John? Don't you like me anymore?"
John scratched his head and gave Carmilla a wry smile. "Well…"
Carmilla laughed softly, cutting him off. "I'm just joking, John. I am just glad you came back safe and sound."
While the cousins continued to talk, sharing the easy, supportive banter of family, Elena remained still, sinking into a trance-like state. Her mind was racing, wholly consumed by the potential disaster of their secret. She considered the consequences if word got out that John's blood was a cure for werewolf bites. He would either be instantly assassinated by enemies fearing such a weapon, or he would be ruthlessly exploited and used as a blood source by his own family or other powerful vampire factions.
This world is unpredictable. It's probably better if nobody knows, she concluded with grim certainty.
She was also still reeling from the personal shock of the revelation—how she would have certainly died without John's blood. The possibility itself was unheard of; how could a pure vampire—or so she thought—possess blood that could cure the ancient enemy's venom?
She was pulled from her deep thoughts when she heard her name being called.
"Elena?"
"Elena!"
Elena looked up, blinking. "Are you okay?" Carmilla asked, concern clouding her eyes.
"Yes, Young Master, I just need more rest," Elena replied, maintaining the necessary formality. She then looked at John as he continued to talk with Thomas. A soft, knowing smile touched her lips.
"You are special, Young Master John. I knew the first time I saw you that you are different from the rest," she thought. With a sense of security she hadn't felt since leaving the castle, she laid her head back down on the soft feather pillow and closed her eyes to take a little more rest.