At the large dining table.
The well-fed werewolves watched the cub eating his breakfast.
The little cub's chubby cheeks were puffed out as he held a small meat patty in his tiny hands, taking a big bite and then a sip of milk, clearly savoring every bite.
Sitting beside her son, Catriona softly reminded him, "Eat slowly."
Roderick also watched the little guy, his lips curling slightly. This was his cub.
He had a cub now.
His grandmother, father, and mother far away in the snowy mountains had no idea.
He didn't like humans, and he liked Catriona even less, but that had nothing to do with the cub.
Parental issues should never affect the cub. He was always innocent, as he hadn't chosen to be born.
He would treat the cub well and provide him with everything he deserved.
After Cedric finished his last sip of milk, licking the corner of his lips as his little tail swayed happily. Suddenly, a pair of large hands lifted him up, holding him securely.
"Let's go, to school." Roderick held the cub, reaching up to smooth down the tuft of hair sticking up on the top of his head.
He had wanted to smooth it down for a while.
But the stubborn tuft popped back up again.
Roderick pursed his lips and reached to flatten it again, but as soon as he let go, it sprang back up.
He snorted and decided to leave it alone.
With long strides, he started walking forward.
Catriona followed behind, watching her son with his little face all serious and solemn as he sat quietly in Roderick's arms, lips pressed together without a word. Yet, his small hands clutched tightly to Roderick's shirt.
He clearly loved being held by his father.
Seeing him make that little expression, Catriona couldn't help but laugh.
As she got into the car with a child's seat, Roderick was carefully fastening Cedric's seatbelt, his long, fair fingers pressing down with a satisfying click.
Then.
He looked down at the cub's wolf ears for a moment and said, "Take three deep breaths and pull your ears back in."
Cedric blinked his big eyes, stretched out a chubby hand to touch his ears, gave an "oh," and did as told, tucking them back in.
"Practice at home more often," Roderick said.
Cedric nodded and gave another "oh."
Roderick looked down at him. "Howl once. Let me hear."
Cedric clutched his shirt's edge, opened his mouth, and let out a soft, "Awoooo—"
His voice was sweet and childlike.
"Remember, three consecutive howls is a distress signal."
"Our werewolf, most wolves can hear calls from within two hundred kilometers."
That night, he had heard the cub's call and tracked it down. He was among the few wolves who could hear sounds from as far as three hundred kilometers away.
"How many kilometers???" Catriona finally couldn't hold it in and asked aloud.
Roderick was teaching his son, and she listened in with curiosity.
Hearing this, she was utterly shocked.
"I remember wolves can hear sounds from about ten kilometers away? But you guys are just..."
Roderick lifted his gaze to her indifferently. "Don't compare us to those low-level, stupid creatures."
"Got it."
Catriona thought to herself, You guys are really something...
And so, with that lingering shock, she arrived at the kindergarten.
They got out of the car, exchanged a few words with the little cub, and watched as a teacher took him into the school. Once his small figure was out of sight, they got back into the car.
In the car.
It was just the two of them again.
Roderick thought that if this woman tried to cozy up to him again, he would make things clear.
But as it turned out...
Catriona kept her head down, playing on her phone the entire way, not once looking at him or saying a single word, as if he didn't exist.
Only as she got out did she hurriedly say, "Goodbye, Mr. Nightblade," then opened the car door, walked toward her shop in her heels, and didn't look back.
Roderick:...
Could this woman possibly have mind-reading abilities?
Did she know what he was thinking?
So she was hiding her intentions for now?
