Chapter 79: The Secret in the Blood

Aria's POV

"The scariest part is..." Serena started explaining; both Draco and I were on edge. After a moment, she added, "The Bloodthirsty Vine doesn't have a set home; as long as there's sunlight, it can grow. But to get really lush and strong, it likes to absorb whatever's around it for food. And the best things for it are blood and tender flesh."

'Blood and tender flesh! These damn vines actually crave that stuff. The baby in my belly is just a tiny lump of flesh, the freshest and tenderest there is. And I'm just a walking blood bag. No wonder the bloodthirsty vines came after me,' I thought.

Serena kept explaining, "The bloodthirsty vine possesses exceptional intelligence and an immensely vengeful nature. If you want to deal with them, you have to wipe them out completely. If you don't, they'll come back for revenge."

I never thought vines could hold a grudge. I looked at Draco and asked, "So, did you completely get rid of their roots?"

Draco looked just as confused. "I don't know, it was you..." He stopped, paused for a few seconds, then continued, "You fainted, and I didn't have time to make sure it was completely eliminated." Then he seemed to remember something and said, "Since you're not very mobile right now, you should stay in the room and rest."

Draco clearly indicated that he wanted to talk to Serena alone. I nodded and wheeled myself out of the room. After closing the door, I didn't leave right away but stayed outside, listening.

At that moment, I was really grateful for my werewolf hearing.

"Why did you send Aria away? You have something to say to me alone, right?" Serena asked calmly.

Draco didn't answer right away; there was a long silence. I guessed he was hesitating again. Lately, he seemed to do that a lot—thinking forever before speaking, which made me wonder what else he was hiding from me.

"Actually, it wasn't me who dealt with the Bloodthirsty Vine, but Aria," Draco finally said.

'What did he say? I dealt with the Bloodthirsty Vine! How is that possible?' I thought in disbelief.

Apparently, Serena felt the same way. "What? Are you sure it was Aria who dealt with it?" Then her voice sounded even more incredulous. "Even if you managed to beat the Bloodthirsty Vine, it would still surprise me. Given its formidable strength, it would be arduous for us to handle it even together. But you're saying Aria dealt with it? How is that possible; she can't even stand up!"

Draco lowered his voice. "Aria transformed into her wolf form to fight, looking completely wild and bloodthirsty. It seemed like she'd kill anything that came near her at that time. After the fight, I had to use magic to calm her down. But when she woke up, she didn't remember any of it."

So that's how it was. No wonder my mind was blank, and I couldn't remember dealing with the Bloodthirsty Vine.

Then Serena's voice got all serious. "If that's the case, then we've got a problem."

Hearing this, I couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with me.

Draco's tone instantly got more intense. "What do you mean?"

Serena calmly replied, "Don't rush. Let me explain everything step by step."

"How can I not be anxious? She's carrying my child—if anything happens to her, I'll lose it!" Draco's voice was full of worry.

"Draco, before I tell you what I know, I need to ask: Who's more important to you, Aria or the child she's carrying?" 

I held my breath, listening closely. Serena's question was crucial to me.

There was a long silence, and Draco didn't respond until Serena spoke again, "It's the child, right? For our dragon clan, having kids is really tough. Aria is the one who can help you continue the lineage. So, you care more about the child, don't you?"

Serena's words were filled with expectation, but each one felt like a stab to my heart. I had thought... I truly believed that Serena considered me a genuine friend, which was why she helped me on numerous occasions. But to my dismay, it appeared she only did so because she knew Draco saw me as just a means to have his child.

As Draco's supposed fiancée, Serena didn't need to compete with me, a mere tool for reproduction! Just thinking about it made my heart ache.

"Serena, you can't say that..." Draco tried to keep his voice down, but there was a hint of anger. He was afraid Serena would reveal his true feelings, so he was warning her not to speak recklessly in front of me!

'God, you are truly just. I never gave my heart to any man, using each one as a tool for my revenge. In return, you've made sure none of them develop genuine feelings for me! Since this is the case, let's all continue to use one another.' I took a deep breath, enduring the heartache as I kept listening.

I still wanted to know why I went berserk and why I forgot everything afterward.

Soon, Serena's explanation came through the door. "In truth, my knowledge regarding werewolves is rather limited. However, I once came across a book that mentioned a particular bloodline of werewolves. These werewolves, when faced with dire situations, can go berserk, and their combat prowess increases by more than tenfold."

"What's even scarier is that they'll kill every living thing in sight. But once the frenzy ends, they forget everything they did."

'A werewolf with a special bloodline! So Serena thinks I'm one of those werewolves with a special bloodline! I'll kill everything I see when I go berserk, even my closest kin? Under what circumstances will I go berserk? No, I can't stay in the dark. I need to find out the secret hidden in my blood,' I thought.