Katharina looked down at the two gadgets on the table, curiosity flickering in her eyes. Though she said nothing, she couldn't help but She couldn't help but feel intrigued by the functions Alexander had just described.
Has the world really become that fantastical?
She watched him pick up the one he called a tablet, press a button on the side, then tapped the screen a few times. To her surprise, voices began to come from the device.
Though her curiosity had peaked, her expression remained unreadable—except for the intensity of her fixed, almost heated stare.
Thankfully, Alexander didn't keep her in suspense, and handed the tablet over.
The moment her eyes caught the colorful, moving images on the screen, wonder sparkled in her gaze—subtle but unmistakable.
When the video ended, she mimicked the scrolling gesture she had seen and moved on to the next one.
Watching her become so engrossed, Alexander felt a weight lift off his shoulders.
Truth be told, he didn't know much about modern gadgets himself—just the basics. That was why he'd pulled Jaxon aside earlier, asking him to install interesting apps that were bound to grab a newbie's attention right away.
Now, seeing it works so well, he shot Jaxon a silent thumbs up.
Then his gaze drifted back to her. There was still something that bugged him—he still didn't know her first name.
He couldn't keep addressing her as that woman forever.
But then he remembered the last name from the prophecy—Haven.
"Miss Haven?" he called out, his tone careful and respectful. After some thought, he'd settled on Miss as her honorific—no way he was calling her elder, venerable, or ancestor. Regardless of how long she had lived, she was still a young woman outwardly.
She looked up from the tablet, her eyes as cold as winter.
"Don't address me by that name."
She hated it.
Alexander noted that carefully. The last surviving Haven—mentioned in the prophecy—despised the very name. Another layer of mystery
He hadn't even told her about the prophecy yet, but could already foresee the resistance he would face.
Then how should I address you?" he asked, brushing aside the unease.
"Katharina," she said curtly, before returning her attention to the screen.
Katharina.
Katharina Haven.
The name rolled silently off his tongue. It suited her.
Now that he could put a name to the face, he felt slightly more grounded in her presence.
But then another concern surfaced—her living arrangements.
The manor had two floors. The ground floor was fully occupied: housing the living room, kitchen, dining hall, the grand library, the wine cellar, and the bedrooms of the younger werewolves.
The upper floor held six rooms in total. Of these, three were already in use: the master bedroom he occupied, his private study, and the room Jaxon lived in. That left three rooms still empty.
Even if there had been space downstairs, placing a vampire queen—one whose threat level remained unknown—next to the young wolves was unthinkable.
The only reasonable solution was to keep her nearby, under watch.
The room next to his would be a perfect choice.
With that, Alexander stood and signaled to Jaxon. Then he turned to Katharina.
"Excuse us. We need to make your living arrangements."
She didn't look up or acknowledge him, but Alexander knew she heard.
"We'll leave you to it," he added, then left with Jaxon at his side.
***
In the library study, Alexander sat opposite Jaxon, leaning forward as he asked.
"Did you hear my conversation with Katharina in the crypt?"
Jaxon nodded, then hesitated and shook his head.
Alexander frowned. "Yes or no? Which one is it exactly?"
"What I meant is that we heard some of it, but only fragments. Nothing clear or understandable."
Alexander exhaled, an expression of relief on his face.
"That's good."
Jaxon's brow lifted. "Why do you ask? Is something the matter?"
"Only the Council of Elders and us know about the prophecy—or that Katharina's a vampire. I want to keep it that way."
Jaxon frowned.
"I agree with you on this. But the kids might not be so easy to fool."
"Even before today, rumors and haunting stories about the wine cellar have circulated among them," he continued to say. "They didn't personally witness her awaken, but they did enter the crypt and also saw her walk out from within. Over time, it won't take much to put the pieces together."
"Let them guess," Alexander said calmly. "As long as no one confirms anything, it'll stay that way—until the time comes to reveal the truth."
Jaxon nodded slowly. "Fair enough."
Then he leaned forward with a mischievous smirk. "So, what did you two talk about? You haven't told me yet. Just dragged me to download some apps."
Alexander's eyes flickered with a strange color.
"Not much. In summary, after I introduced myself, she tried to go back to sleep. So I told her about humanity's rebellion, and the fate of the three races."
"And her reaction?" Jaxon asked expectantly.
"One word—bland."
Jaxon blinked, his tone was filled with incredulity. "No reaction? Are you sure?"
Alexander nodded. "Completely."
"But she's the one mentioned in the prophecy, isn't she? It might be farfetched to expect her to pick up a sword to battle the humans right away, but indifference? That makes no sense."
"I had the same thought. I even wondered whether the ancestors found the wrong person."
"But they couldn't have," Jaxon reasoned. "It took them a thousand years to locate that crypt, even with help from the hermit witches. With the sheer amount of time, effort and resources they put into the search, and before building this entire manor to guard it, they must have verified it again and again."
Alexander agreed silently.
"So," Jaxon asked, "when do you plan to tell her about the prophecy?"
"Not anytime soon," Alexander said, shaking his head. "Right now, she couldn't care less. Telling her might only drive her to sleep sooner—or worse, vanish and find another resting place."
Jaxon murmured softly. "So you want her to get interested and attached to this world first."
"That, and I want to learn more about her—and her time. Our ancestors barely escaped with anything. Most of what we know comes from oral history or scattered documents. She might know things no one else does."
Seeing that he had everything well thought-out, Jaxon asked after a brief pause.
"So where do you plan to have her stay.
Alexander laid out his plan.
"Sounds good," Jaxon nodded thoughtfully. "With the two of us close by, she won't get the chance to try anything questionable."
With that, the topic of Katharina was set aside for the time being, as they went on to discuss other matters.