Selene and her team quickly arrived at the meeting spot arranged with Michael.
Opening the Maserati's door, she called out toward the shadows:
"Get in."
Seeing that it was Selene, Michael rushed out and climbed into the car without hesitation.
Once inside, the Maserati roared to life and sped off into the distance.
What Selene didn't know was that not only was the Doctor and his werewolf squad tailing her from afar, but Connor's werewolf unit had also arrived.
The two squads merged, deciding to observe where Selene was taking Michael. If necessary, they would strike.
Selene's convoy was headed to one of the vampires' secure bases.
Inside the car, Selene looked at Michael and said:
"Your safety is our responsibility now. We'll take you to our base."
"Hand over the Dragon Ball."
Michael glanced at her and replied:
"I'll give it to you once the money hits my account."
"But I didn't bring it with me. It's far too valuable to carry on me—meeting you with it would've been like walking into a lion's den."
"Transfer the money first, and I'll tell you where I hid it."
Selene wasn't surprised. She simply nodded.
"Let's get to a secure location first. The werewolves won't give up their hunt for you."
"As for the money, give me your account info. Tomorrow morning, our people at the bank will wire the funds."
Michael nodded silently, offering no further comment.
Soon, the convoy reached a building owned by Zardes Industries. The cars parked out front, and a group of 22 entered the building.
Inside the base, Selene brought Michael into a room and said:
"This is one of our bases. Originally, it was used for interrogations."
"You'll be safe here."
"Now, give me your bank account."
Soren handed Michael a pen and paper. Michael wrote his account details and handed it back.
Selene gave the paper a quick glance, then passed it to a nearby Death Dealer.
"Make arrangements with the bank. Have them transfer ten million dollars first thing tomorrow morning."
The Death Dealer nodded and left with the information.
Just then, a subordinate of Soren's who had been tracking Michael entered the room and shook his head.
Selene knew what that meant—Michael's hiding spot for the Dragon Ball remained undiscovered.
She turned back to Michael—only to notice the blood seeping through the fabric on his shoulder. Her expression shifted.
Without hesitation, she pulled aside his shirt and revealed a bite wound.
She knew instantly: this was trouble.
"What happened to your shoulder?"
The other vampires in the room immediately turned their attention toward Michael. If he couldn't give a satisfactory answer...
Feeling all eyes on him, Michael answered:
"Yesterday, while I was escaping through a drainage tunnel, a man jumped me and bit me on the shoulder."
Soren added:
"That must've been when he was pulled down. My view was blocked—I didn't notice it at the time."
Seeing the mixture of pity and concern in the others' eyes, Michael asked:
"Is there a problem?"
"I already got a rabies shot."
Selene couldn't help but laugh.
"Ha. A rabies shot. That's actually quite fitting—for those wolf pups."
But then her expression grew serious.
"The one who bit you was a werewolf. You've been marked."
She sighed.
"You're now caught in a war that's been raging for over a thousand years."
"A bloody conflict between vampires and werewolves."
She paused and added:
"Let's hope you're lucky. Most people bitten by a werewolf die within an hour."
"The virus they transmit is fatal."
Michael quickly spoke up:
"I've already lasted a full day. That means I won't die."
"If I were going to die, you'd never get that Dragon Ball."
Selene smiled slightly.
"Yes. You've survived the initial adaptation."
"But do you understand what comes next?"
"Now that you've passed the adaptation phase, it won't be long before you turn into a werewolf."
Hearing that, and feeling the eyes of the vampires around him, Michael asked:
"If you bit me… would I turn into a vampire?"
Selene responded coldly:
"You'd die."
"No one survives the transformation from both species."
What neither of them knew was that this moment—if Selene bit Michael now—was the perfect opportunity to grant him the powers of both lineages.
Neither of them realized the werewolves' true reason for pursuing Michael had little to do with the Dragon Ball.
Michael asked quietly:
"If I turn into a werewolf… will you still protect me?"
The silence in the room was deafening. No one responded.
Michael gave a bitter smile.
He had been played.
Selene finally spoke:
"I will."
"As long as you give me the Dragon Ball, I'll keep my word."
"My reputation among the blood clan is unshakable."
Seeing the firmness in Selene's gaze, Michael didn't know whether to believe her—or anyone, really.
But he had no choice.
"I trust you."
Selene nodded, opened a nearby fridge, and tossed him a bag of blood.
"When you turn, you'll need this."
Michael caught the blood pack and stared at it blankly, then read the label:
"Zardes Industries?"
Selene answered:
"Our company. It used to produce synthetic plasma. Now it makes this."
"If it passes inspection, it'll become our next major product."
Michael muttered:
"This is cloned blood…"
Selene pulled up the building's entrance monitor to confirm no one had followed them.
Michael glanced around at the various bullets and tools in the room, asking:
"What's all this for?"
Without looking up, Selene replied while tending to other matters:
"Werewolves are allergic to silver. If we don't remove bullets quickly, they'll die before interrogation."
…
(End of Chapter)
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