In the backyard of the Grand House, Laura and Alice lie in a hammock.
It was rare that Laura could be here on a weekend afternoon. Spring was coming to an end, the Barton City High School football league was coming to an end, and the Beavers' game had been played. This was the end of Laura's way of getting extra credits, but with summer approaching, Laura was inexplicably excited.
Unfortunately, none of the men from Grande were there, which made Laura a little disappointed. The two girls chatted while basking in the afternoon sun.
"Something happened again at the bus station." Laura's eyes turned to one side, not knowing what she was thinking.
"What's wrong?" The banshee looked at Laura, and she could already see a trace of remorse on her friend's face.
"Yesterday, the police went to Parker School to investigate, and two people disappeared there." Laura whispered.
Alice thought for a while and carefully discerned where Laura's self-blame came from. After a moment, she realized that this was just the girl's rich association. She patted Laura on the shoulder comfortingly, "It's not your fault."
"Well, I know." Laura sighed, "But there is always a strange feeling. If I hadn't dug that place out, maybe none of this would have happened." Laura's expression became more depressed, "And I know them."
Alice watched her friend's self-blame turn into worry. At least Laura didn't take this matter as her responsibility, and she was a little relieved, "Who is it?"
"Actually, I just met Mr. and Mrs. Quest, who got married on Monday. Do you know?" Laura asked.
Alice thought about it. On Monday, the atmosphere in the Grand House was still very tense. Zach kept pouring blood to help Ian's treatment. Benjamin's transformation was approaching the full moon. The Hayate couple were preparing to face Papa Midnight. Prepare. But Alice remembered that this surname was very famous in Barton. It was located at the junction of the North and South Districts. The 'Q' on the sign of the largest retail market represented this surname.
Alice shook her head apologetically. People at the Grand House were very busy these days, and even Old Hank didn't have time to read the newspaper.
Laura shook her head, putting aside the troublesome things, her eyes fell on a bicycle in front of Benjamin's warehouse, and she seemed to be interested: "Does Benjamin ride a bicycle?"
Alice glanced at the two old bicycles and said, "Oh, that one belongs to Matthew."
"Matthew? Who is Matthew?" Laura asked curiously.
"Well." Alice thought about the choice of words, "Benjamin's apprentice."
The werewolf has an official position in Grande, the stone engraver... Considering that Benjamin was caught with his claws, this is very appropriate.
"Oh." Laura lost interest.
In the cemetery area to the west of the Grand House, not far to the northwest, a 'funeral' is being held in the church here.
Grande is currently busy moving graves at the West End Cemetery. Because it had been anticipated and Zach had already coordinated the client's appointment, it didn't make Grande's people feel really busy. Except for some people who had special requests, such as re-customizing the coffin, which made Old Hank complain a few words, everything went smoothly.
Today's client requested that the funeral be held again, so all procedures had to be repeated. Of course, the process of paying respects to the body must be eliminated. No one can maintain their appearance after seeing the 'relics' in the coffin. The newly made coffin is also surrounded by a large number of flowers, and rich incense is added to the base. To cover up the smell of decay.
Zach and Benjamin were at the back door of the church, listening to the people inside. God knows, they read the previous speech again, and everyone present looked calm and gloomy. After all, this is not a real funeral, but a form derived by the living to express the guilt of the deceased who needs to suffer so much.
Benjamin noticed Matthew's always-prepared look and was a little amused: "Don't worry, after the speech, these people will spend some time socializing. When they leave and only relatives are left, we will take the coffin to the cemetery. Buried.”
Twenty-year-old Matthew is also a tall and strong man, and he meets the criteria for werewolves to select their descendants. After contact, the vampire could understand why Benjamin's wolf body chose him, but what the vampire didn't understand was that Benjamin actually kept this guy by his side.
"Oh." Matthew said with a hint of natural simplicity, which is actually the most common quality among rural people in the South District. Work is hard-won. He is a very diligent young man. In the past few days, he has been following the two seniors, learning the work of the funeral home. This is his first time to participate in the full funeral process. It's the worry that I will do something wrong.
"Don't worry, we won't fire you." Zach narrowed his eyes and looked at Benjamin, he was testing.
"We won't." The werewolf looked back at the vampire, affirming.
Matthew felt a hint of ominousness, "I..."
"You can wait in the car." Benjamin waved his hand to Matthew.
When Matthew left, the ghost and the wolf really confronted each other.
"Why keep him?" Zach frowned. When Benjamin hired Matthew four days ago, he thought it was just a joke.
Benjamin asked flatly, "Why did you keep Louise?"
"Louise is not a vampire yet." Zach replied with a frown.
"That's all." Benjamin casually turned the vampire back.
Zach waved his hand helplessly, "You know, I don't mean to express this. I'm not jealous that you have a 'son'."
Believe me, Zach is telling the truth. He is really not his 'son' who followed Papa and left him at midnight. And Benjamin and Matthew have such a good relationship that they seem to never be separated!
"I know." Benjamin raised his eyebrows and looked at the vampire with a chuckle, "I'm just reminding you that it's not appropriate for you to ask me this question."
"But I have to ask." Zack sighed, "You don't know what it wants to do. Matthew's birth was definitely intentional."
'It' is Benjamin's wolf body. You don't think that someone would survive after being attacked by a 'bear-like wolf', right? Moreover, according to Matthew's own recollection, after he was pulled off the bicycle by Benjamin's wolf body, he looked at each other for ten seconds, and then the mouth big enough to chew off his head gently touched his shoulder. A moment, a touch...
So even if honest Matthew swore at the post office that he had been attacked, no one would believe him.
'Did you pierce it yourself with a wooden stick? ! Matthew, you let us down so much! You are fired! '
Benjamin looked at Zach and smiled, "I think he was just taking revenge on me for suppressing it and tearing you apart that morning, so it came out deliberately looking for trouble."
Zach shook his head, "I don't think it's just that simple." Zach looked at Benjamin, "It's your half. As an Alpha, you shouldn't look down on yourself so much."
"Then it just wants to rebuild the wolf pack, it's no big deal." Benjamin said indifferently.
The vampire searched the werewolf's eyes and found that Benjamin really didn't care. He frowned and said, "Ben, you have changed."
"Ben, Jay, Ming. I haven't changed. I'm Alpha, I can control my pack, and I won't let him touch you."
Zach continued to shake his head, his eyes narrowed, "Even if he wanted to touch me, he couldn't. He is not a threat to me, I am his threat."
The werewolf looked at the flash of red light in the vampire's eyes, his fingers twitched slightly, and he said nothing.
Zach returned to normal and looked at Benjamin seriously, "It's pulling you out of the Grand House. This is the first step. When you get used to leading the tribe, the second one, the third one... you will become That Alpha, you’re going to leave Grande.”
Benjamin pursed his lips, he knew this, no one in his wolf body knew it better than him. With every full moon approaching, the beast clamored for him to leave Grande, start his own pack, and once again become the alpha of the pack.
Therefore, werewolves having offspring and vampires having offspring are two completely different things. The vampire just thinks, 'Well, it's a good idea to give this person eternal life. With him or her by his or her side, life may be more interesting in the future.' After completing the teaching, the relationship between the two people can develop in any direction, or it may return to normal. As strangers or even enemies. Therefore, vampires have clans similar to human society in order to restrain themselves.
For Alpha, 'I am the king, let me create my own people.' The connection between werewolves is much stronger than that of vampires. Alpha is their leader and their master. They are a naturally cohesive group. family.
"But now I can remember everything." Benjamin also looked at Zach seriously, "I can feel every thought and every action of it. I won't let this happen."
Zach's brows furrowed again. Is this why Benjamin thinks he can control the curse from the full moon
"No, Benjamin, this is dangerous. You are understanding its behavior, but it does not understand you. In a confrontation like this, you are backing away from its actions, and you will lose."
Benjamin lowered his head, thinking, and then calmly said: "Maybe, but at least now I can know what it is going to do. What do you want me to do, I can't ignore Matthew, he is implicated by us, Grande needs Take responsibility for him.”
Zach thought for a while, but the words 'Throw Matthew out of Barton' finally didn't come out.
The guests at the 'funeral' finished their speeches and exited the church while mingling with each other. After signaling to the family members, the people from Grande House lifted the coffin and moved it to the hearse.
Matthew, who was waiting, wanted to help, but Benjamin stopped him, "You drive."
Matthew yelled, sat in the driver's seat of the hearse, and drove towards the cemetery.
Zach has been paying attention to this new member of Grande, and Matthew is still very blunt with Zach, just like a subordinate to a boss. Zach shook his head, 'Forget it, trust Benjamin's education, wait until Benjamin tells him the history of vampires and werewolves, and then see his reaction. '