"A Vampire!"

The exclamation lingered in the air, prompting Pethra to take a step back, her eyes widening with astonishment as she stared at Aurora. The tent descended into an unsettling silence, interrupted only by the soft sipping sounds of Aurora.

Aron and Raum exchanged perplexed glances, uncertain about the sudden shift in the girl's demeanor.

"Are you certain, Freya? I mean She can walk in the sun" Pethra inquired, finding it hard to fathom the equation of the sun plus vampire equal not burn to death.

"I can't say for sure," Freya replied truthfully.

"She doesn't look or smell like a vampire… She appears more... alive?" The uncertainty in Freya's tone mirrored the confusion gripping everyone in the tent. However, her uncertainty didn't hinder the elongation of her left fingernails.

Werewolves and Vampires didn't have an amicable relationship; they despised each other. Well, technically, everyone hates vampires, but werewolves, in particular, would go the extra mile to slay them on sight or track them down.

This animosity stemmed from the past when vampires enslaved werewolves, utilizing them as Sun Watchers during the day or as laborers during the night in their vast castles.

Tension in the tent escalated as Freya raised her left hand, intent on extracting Aurora's heart from behind.

"STOP!" A cold, malevolent voice resonated in the tent.

"!!!" Freya felt an immense weight descending on her shoulders, compelling her to kneel. She struggled to lift her eyes, meeting Aron's gaze, and what she saw made her heart skip a beat.

A colossal shadow loomed behind Aron, a shadow with blazing crimson eyes and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, taking the form of a dragon's head with four curved horns.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aron inquired coldly, looking down at Freya with visible hostility.

"I…" Freya felt an unseen force tightening around her throat, making speech difficult.

The atmosphere grew denser, the shadows dancing in eerie patterns as the colossal shadow Dragon behind Aron seemed to pulsate with sinister energy.

Understanding why Freya acted impulsively, Pethra attempted to speak on her behalf, providing an explanation.

"Aron, she's just—"

"SILENCE!"

The command echoed through the tent, and Pethra felt a heavy weight pressing on her shoulders. Though not as intense as Freya's, it was sufficient to stifle her words and instill a hint of fear in her.

This was the first time she witnessed Aron behaving in this manner. The only other time was when they were enemies, fighting in that forest, but even then, his anger wasn't as palpable.

Aron, still fixated on Freya, commanded, "Speak!"

The oppressive force around Freya's throat tightened, and she gasped for breath, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she struggled to make eye contact with Aron.

Realizing her mistake, she bowed her head in submission.

"Forgive me, Alpha." The tension in the tent reached its peak as Freya's apology lingered in the air.

Aron's gaze remained piercing, and his voice, though cold, carried a weight of superiority.

"Do you realize what you just did?"

Freya, still bowed in submission, responded instantly, "I acted impulsively, Alpha. I believed she was a threat."

Aron's expression remained stern. "Yes, but that's not the only mistake you made."

"Huh?" Confused, Freya racked her mind, searching for the other mistake.

"!!!" Her eyes widened when she realized she was about to commit something far worse.

"Family?"

"Exactly. You were about to attack someone I welcomed into our family not a moment ago. Furthermore, there's a good chance that Aurora is my actual daughter. Even without that, she called me Father and I like her, and I'm going to cherish her like a real daughter."

Freya bit her lips, understanding the gravity of her actions. If she killed the girl and she turned out to be Aron's daughter, the mere thought of his reaction sent shivers down her spine.

Raum and Pethra could only watch from the side, the rapid change in Aron and its intensity scared them a little.

All three understood that if one day, any of the girls—Aron's treasures—betrayed or attacked one another, Aron wouldn't hesitate to mete out punishment or eliminate her, regardless of how close she was to him.

Suddenly, the heavy pressure dissipated.

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"Freya," Aron's usual voice called, warm and kind.

Freya hesitated for a moment before slowly lifting her head to meet Aron's gaze. The menacing shadow Dragon had dissipated, leaving an atmosphere less charged with hostility.

Aron's expression softened. "Our strength lies in unity, Freya. We cannot afford to turn on each other. Aurora is now a part of our family, part of our pack, and we must protect our own."

Freya, still on her knees, nodded in understanding.

"However, a punishment is needed"

"!!!" Upon hearing the word 'punishment,' her body tensed, bracing itself for the consequences of her actions.

"From now on, you'll be responsible for taking care of Aurora, assisting her in settling down with us in the mansion."

"Eh?" Freya raised an eyebrow. "Is that all?"

"Yes, or do you desire something else?"

Seeing the flames dancing in his eyes, Freya shook her head instantly. "N-No, all good, Alpha."

'Phew…' Both Raum and Pethra sighed in relief, glad that Aron hadn't opted for harsher punishment, and the situation concluded favorably.

Throughout this time, Aurora was blissfully engrossed in drinking Aron's blood, oblivious to the outside world. For her, her Father's blood was waaay! better than those purple things that the bad man gave her.

"Now, tell me what happened and where am I?" putting all of this behind, Aron changed the topic.

Pethra stepped forward explaining, "Three days ago, a trading caravan passing near Oakridge came to our aid when they spotted flames in the distance." She paused, letting her words sink in.

"With their help, we relocated you and the surviving villagers to their camp in the fields next to the river. I also managed to contact the guild through the caravan leader's communication orb, seeking assistance."

Aron listened intently, a mix of gratitude and curiosity in his eyes.

Pethra continued, "The guild responded swiftly. They sent a team of healers and reinforcements,"

"Did you explain what happened?" he inquired.

"No," Pethra shook her head. "I wasn't sure which information you would approve of sharing, so I kept them in the dark under the excuse of taking care of you."

"Good," Aron nodded. "And by the way, Pethra, Freya, thank you for looking after me these past three days."

Pethra nodded, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "You're welcome."

Freya, on the other hand, stood back up with a smile on her face. "It's our duty, Boss."

The recent confrontation with Aron didn't diminish her opinion of him; in fact, it heightened her love and obsession. Aron's dominating presence and aura reminded her of the clan chiefs and leaders she observed and heard about when she was young.

They were known as the true Alphas, leading a pack consisting solely of Alphas, each possessing unique powers and abilities. They rarely showed mercy, earning them the title of the Alpha of Alphas—hence the name, The True Alpha.

"Hey, I helped too," Raum said, pointing to himself.

Aron turned to him, teasingly asking, "Who the hell are you, brat?"

"What!..You–"

"Anyway," ignoring him, Aron inquired, "What about the old man, Darion, I believe his name was?"

This time, Freya replied, "We didn't find him. I searched every corner, but there was nothing. Instead, I found this." She pulled out a small knife made from bones from her pocket.

"I discovered this stuck in the ground where the old man should have been."

Aron examined the knife and, with his dragon eyes, saw a dark energy surrounding it. This energy attempted to invade Freya, but her mana successfully defended her.

"That knife is trying to corrupt you; stop carrying it"

"Oh! Okay." Acting on his warning, she promptly placed it back in her pocket.

"I know someone who could help us with it," Aron said, thinking about a certain dwarf.

"Aron," Pethra called, "the guild investigator requested to speak with you the moment you woke up."

"I see… let's go meet him. I also want to move my legs a little."

Feeling no more pain, Aron decided to get up and stretch a bit. The bed was hard and uncomfortable, yet he knew it was the best available given the circumstances. But before doing that, he glanced down to check on Aurora.

The little vampire lay sleeping peacefully in his lap. Aron chuckled softly, observing her tightly holding him while delicately licking the two tiny fang marks on his arm as if savoring the best candy in the world.

He gently placed her on the bed, allowing her to continue her sweet dreams.

With that, Aron stood up, feeling the stiffness from his prolonged rest. He noticed a tall mirror in one of the tent corners and made his way toward it.

Looking at himself in the mirror, the first thing he noticed was the color change in his eyes. Aron's eyes were now red, no longer able to shift between black and red.

'Hmm? A side effect from my transformation, maybe?... Well, they look great.'

Wanting to examine the rest of his body, Aron turned and asked the girls to help him with the bandages. After carefully assisting in removing the bandages, both Freya and Pethra stared at him with wide eyes.

The wounds were fully healed, and they couldn't believe this was the same man who was on the brink of death three days ago.

The state in which they found Aron was dire, with his body covered in cuts, puncture wounds, broken bones, and a significant crack spreading from his chest throughout his body. But now, none of that was present.

Freya couldn't contain her amazement. "Wow! This is amazing."

Aron examined himself in the mirror, seeing something that really bugged him—or he didn't see.

'I don't have new scars.'

Indeed, there were no new scars, not a trace of any wounds or cuts he received from the moment he woke up in that cave until now. All were healed without leaving a mark. The only scars that remained were the ones he already had when he woke up.

'I wonder what kind of weapon or power could have left these scars on me.'

Making a mental note to gather more information about dragons, Aron closed his eyes, sensing his body from the inside.

'System, are there any more changes in my body?'

"..."

Aron waited for a few seconds, but the system remained silent.

'System, are you here?' he asked again.

Hearing no reply, Aron thought that maybe this was one of the side effects. Unable to do anything about it, he tried to manipulate the mana inside him.

Immediately, he felt something new on his back. Focusing on that spot, he sensed something about to burst out, so he did the most logical thing.

He pumped more mana to his back.

FUSHHH!

From Fire and Shadow, two massive black wings materialized behind his back.

Freya, Pethra, and Raum stared in awe at the two pairs of wings adorning Aron's figure. The tent barely contained their magnificence, and the shadows they cast danced with an ethereal quality.

Only now did Pethra and Freya recall seeing these wings on Aron before, along with the other changes.

The two stared at him with pleading eyes.

"Can we touch them, Aron?" Pethra asked, attempting to look cute in the hope that he would permit it.

Aron, amused by their curiosity, spread his wings wide, showcasing their splendor. "Go ahead," he said, a smile playing on his lips.

Pethra and Freya approached cautiously, their hands hovering just above the black and red scales. As their fingers made contact, they felt a combination of warmth and coolness emanating from the wings

Raum, unable to resist the allure, joined in, running his hand along the edge of one of the wings.

Aron chuckled at their excitement, letting them enjoy his wings for a few minutes before gently retracting them.

"Alright, that's enough wing fondling for now. We have more pressing matters to attend to."

The three of them reluctantly withdrew their hands, their expressions a mix of disappointment and fascination.

"Now, let's go and meet our investigator friends."