Chapter 88: Meeting my childhood sweetheart

•Azalea

"Why exactly are we back here?" I asked Arius as we both entered through the gate of Lorelai.

"Two reasons." He replied, "First I can't leave you back alone since I don't trust you. You might jump on anyone at night."

"Hey!" I yelled at him. What's his problem!

He snickered at my response.

"And It seems the town is facing a serious problem that I need to solve myself."

"What problem?"

"Murder." He said casually.

My eyes went wide at his words, "Murder?! What? There is a killer around?" I shook my head, "But the town has their own police and all."

"I know, but I told you before. Lorelai is under the direct protection of the Alucards so sometimes we have to oversee these things, especially when the police are struggling with it." He smiled, "And I'll help out here anyways." Even with such a serious issue on hand, he seemed relaxed. Just like how he was the last time we came here. He seemed more at ease. I guess he has a special attachment to this place.

"Then, are we going to stay here this time?" I asked as we walked.

"Yea. Maybe for a few days, depends." The towns people noticed him but didn't disrupt yet all of them waved at him and said their greetings. Arius waved back to every person he noticed.

Every single person knows him here.

Well, he is the head, in a way.

"Where will we be staying?" I asked.

"At the castle."

I gave him a weird expression as I tilted my head towards him, "Castle?"

"The Alucard castle."

"You have a castle?" I can't believe this shit. He has a fucking castle!

He shrugged, "It's been here for like two centuries, the Alucards have always owned it." He looked at me, "Me being the only member of the bloodline is what makes me the current owner."

"I see…" About two centuries ago? Why is there something pinching me in my mind. I gazed at Arius as we walked to the police station.

Alucard… Hmmm… Pale skin, sharp teeth…

He glanced back at me and I noticed his honey like sharp eyes and paused.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Are you a vampire?" I gulped.

He wasn't surprised at my question. Not even in the slightest, instead he flashed me a smile, exposing his sharp canines. He turned around and came closer, "Took you long enough to notice."

I stared at him with my mouth open, my pupils shaking and my mind confused.

In that moment he snapped a picture of me, "That's a cute expression."

He put his finger under my chin and closed my mouth, his face centimeters apart from mine, "But I'm just joking."

"Huh?!" I snapped back to reality

He chuckled and turned around, "So these sort of things scare you?"

"N-no! I d-don't believe in such things!" Damnit! Why am I stuttering?

He laughed and continued walking. Embarrassed, I followed behind. Why the hell did I even ask that? I mean, vampires really don't exist. Yup.

"But," Arius spared me a glance, "I'll tell you this."

"Hmm?"

"The castle has this legend about Dracula."

"What legend…?" My voice lowered down.

"That he was the one who built it and took a name that was just his own name in reverse."

"... You're lying again."

He stopped right in front of the station, folded his arms and looked at me, "Am I? I wonder why the Alucards always have this type of appearance then?" He licked his canines, "It's inherited." He smirked and went inside the police station.

…

What?

My eyes followed the path he just took and I stared at the entrance of the station. Then shook my head.

He's probably messing with my mind again. Any person can have sharp teeth.

"Azalea?" I turned around when someone called my name just to see two women. Leah and Reah, the sisters who greeted me and Arius last time along with the town mayor.

"Leah, Reah. Hello."

"Are you here with Arius again?"Reah spoke first.

"Yes." I answered and they both looked at me with annoyance.

"How come? He always comes alone." Leah asked

"Well, I'm his guard so I have to go where he does."

"So you'll be staying at the haunted castle then?" Reah raised her brow at me.

"Haunted?"

"Well, it's so old and barely has anyone working in it. Of course it's haunted." Leah rolled her eyes at me.

"... But ghosts don't exist…" I'm twenty years old and I'm still believing them. I shook my head to myself.

"Well." Leah started

"You'll find out they do tonight." Reah completed her sentence and then they both spoke together, "Oh and welcome back to Lorelai." They waved me a satisfied goodbye and left.

…

Ghosts…?

I snapped myself back to reality. Let's ignore it. Ghosts don't exist!

I went inside the station and looked around. I noticed Arius talking to a guy, just about as tall as him with ash brown hair. I walked towards them and noticed he was wearing his black uniform that was complimenting his good built.

Then I saw his face, which was somewhat familiar. I slowed down my pace as I began to realize who he was.

He noticed me while he was talking to Arius. A huge smile spread across his face and I gasped happily.

"Azalea?!" My ex-neighbour uptil middle school, Matthew Seams called out to me. He also used to be my crush although he's a lot older than me. Maybe that's where his appeal actually was.

"Mathew?" I said and Arius looked back at me for a second.

Matthew turned around to pick up some documents clipped to the clipboard and handed them to Arius, "The case is written in there, if you need anything else ask me." He smiled at him and then came to me, opened his arms and hugged me tight. "My baby~ I didn't think I'd see you again."

I wrapped my arms around him to hug him back, "Me too!"

Then, we heard something break.

Mathew broke off the hug and we both looked back at Arius. The clipboard in his hands had broken into two pieces, although the documents were fine.

"Ah…" Mathew walked back to Arius, "Arius, I know you're strong but how about keeping that strength in control." He took the documents off the clipboard, placed them on another board and handed it to them, "You can take them with you." He smiled and Arius smiled back.

"Sorry about that." Arius apologized. But what's he so pissed about? He may be smiling but I can clearly tell he's annoyed at something.

Maybe it's this case.

"Oh it's fine." Matthew glanced at me, "She's with you?" Arius nodded his head, "She's my personal guard."

"Oh?" He looked at me, "When did my baby grow up this much."

"Stop that!" I looked away shyly, "It's embarrassing."

"You," Arius eyed Matthew, "Seem to know each other."

Matthew smiled his angelic smile and stepped closer to me, "We used to be neighbours." He cupped my face in his hands, "She was the cutest baby ever!" He kissed my cheek and I blushed.

Another hard sound of something breaking made everyone look at Arius.

"Haha, I apologize." He had broken the second clipboard as well, pretty badly and with his hands at that.

But leaving everything aside, he seemed angry and really really pissed off.