At the large dining table.
Catriona was absent.
Cedric sat next to his dad, drinking milk and eating cut-up pieces of beef.
He was clearly happy, his short legs swinging under the table, and the tuft of hair on his head swayed along.
The other werewolves had learned about the previous night's events in the morning. Now, as they watched the cub, they felt guilty and afraid, each one silent.
They were scared, afraid the cub would hate them.
That idiot Grey —he'd ruined things for everyone!
Catriona was so beautiful and easygoing, and he still went after her. In their eyes, even if Grey hadn't intended to hurt her, scaring her like that was already too much.
They ate the Alpha Roderick's food and lived in his home.
Who was Catriona? She was the mother of the Alpha Roderick's cub!
To be honest, they all viewed her as the Alpha Roderick's mate, the Luna of their pack, so they respected her, welcomed her, and treated her sincerely.
Grey was a real idiot. His actions didn't just hurt Catriona and the cub; they also put Alpha Roderick in a difficult position.
Roderick didn't eat much today. Most of the time, he kept his gaze lowered, quietly watching his cub.
After the cub finished eating.
Roderick pressed his lips together and spoke in a low, slow voice, "The human name your mother gave you..."
"It's Cedric." The cub lifted his head, seemingly proud. "My mom gave me that name, Cedric Ashford."
"Mm, it's a good name," Roderick nodded lightly.
Cedric's eyes curved, his lips curling up, "Dad thinks it's good too, right? I think so too! My mommy is amazing!"
Roderick pressed his lips together, his throat tightening slightly, "...Cedric, I need to tell you something. You have the right to know."
The other werewolves, hearing this, froze with their bites, the meat on their plates suddenly losing all flavor.
Here it comes.
It's coming.
Ugh, they really want to crawl under the table and hide.
They don't want the cub to hate them! He's such a cute little guy.
They haven't even given him all the little trinkets they got from the human world.
Hearing his dad had something to say, Cedric let out an "Oh," sat up properly, and looked at him with big, focused eyes.
Mommy said that when others have something to say, he should listen carefully.
"I owe you an apology, Cedric. It was my oversight. Last night, a werewolf injured your mother," Roderick looked at his cub and continued, "She isn't badly hurt, and that werewolf has already left. I promise you this won't happen again."
Cedric froze.
He thought of the strange smell on his mother, like medicine, and her rare reluctance to get out of bed...
Why would they hurt Mom? Do they hate her?
Mom is the best person in the world—why would anyone hate her?
He turned his gaze from the other werewolves at the table to his father, a hint of unfamiliarity in his eyes.
Without a word, he ran upstairs.
In the vast hall, silence settled, broken only by the soft patter of the cub's footsteps.
After a moment, Black scratched his head. "Well, we're in trouble. He probably hates us now."
Ruby let out a small howl, her eyes reddening. "The cub must see us as threats too. Oh no... he won't let me hold him anymore, will he?"
"Injured, even at home... they must be disappointed in us," murmured Brownie sadly.
Roderick's pupils widened slightly. Disappointed?
So that's what it was—disappointment?
So, Catriona's attitude last night had actually been disappointment?
Did she feel so unwelcome that she planned to leave after six months?
...
Cedric ran all the way to the room's entrance, stopping to catch his breath before gently pushing open the door and tiptoeing inside.
His mom had shifted positions in her sleep and was now lying on her back.
A white bandage covered her forehead, and her arms bore bruises.
She lay there with her eyes closed, sleeping deeply.
Cedric stared at his mom, his eyes welling up as his small hand clenched at his side.
There were werewolves here who'd hurt his mom; who could guarantee it wouldn't happen again?
He wanted to take his mom and leave; he'd give up drinking the cold sweet water and endure the pain.
But... he was too little.
His mom wouldn't agree; he was too weak to do much or protect her.
Suddenly, the alarm on the bedside table went off.
Cedric hurried over and pressed the pause button.
The eight o'clock alarm meant he needed to be taken to kindergarten soon.
She still wanted to take him to school.
It was as if he could hear his mom's gentle voice saying, "It's time to go to kindergarten; you don't want to be late."
The school he attended now seemed a bit bigger, brighter, and prettier than his previous one, but it wasn't all that different.
But his mom loved it and was happy for him.
Clenching his small fists, Cedric stayed silent for a moment, then leaned in to kiss his mother's cheek.
He turned quietly and left the room.
Roderick stood by the door, watching him quietly. "If you don't want to go to school, I can get you excused."
"I want to go."
Mom wants him to go.
"Got it."
As they reached the top of the stairs, Cedric paused.
At the foot of the stairs, werewolves were scattered around, leaning here and there, waiting for something.
The moment they saw the cub, their eyes widened, mouths slightly open in speechless awe.
Cedric felt a strange familiarity with the scene before him, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
When he'd first arrived here, the werewolves had acted the same way.
Would other werewolves really hurt his mom? He looked down at the wolves, feeling unsure.
He had grown up with his mom, never meeting any of her relatives, and there weren't many people who treated him kindly. But ever since coming here, these strange werewolves had treated him like he was their moon, cherishing him deeply.
They'd gathered around him, given him little gifts.
Could he... trust them?
He looked up at his father beside him, then lowered his gaze. "Can... I trust you? My mom won't get hurt again... can you really promise that?"
"I can."
Roderick reached out, ruffling the cub's hair. "I can."
The nearby werewolves heard their conversation clearly, and Black couldn't hold back any longer, shouting, "Little cub, we really like humans! We all like your mom and welcome her here."
Brownie added hastily, "Do you understand what we mean? Not all werewolves are the same. Don't be afraid; please don't hate us, alright?"
Ruby let out a small howl. "Little cub, will you still let me hug you?"
Cedric was silent for a moment, then nodded.
He chose to trust.
He had to trust his own feelings.
"Mom says you can't condemn everyone at once," he said, pressing his small lips together and blinking his tear-filled eyes. "If you do, you might hurt innocent people."
His mom had been hurt by a certain werewolf, but not by the ones here.
The werewolves howled joyfully, raising their hands and cheering, their tails wagging wildly.
Only Roderick remained silent.
For years, he had firmly believed that all humans were fickle, shallow, and incapable of genuine love. Was he...
Grey had hurt Catriona, and he'd thought the cub would resent and distrust all werewolves, including him.
He'd even been considering how he might regain the cub's trust.
But the cub had said that condemning everyone at once would lead to innocent people getting hurt.
For the first time, Roderick began to question whether his long-held beliefs were correct.
"The cub is just the best, awoooo!!"
"Exactly, each of us werewolves is an individual. Grey just painted everyone with the same brush!"
"The cub is so good; he didn't follow his example."
"I'll make sure to give Grey a good smack every time I see him from now on!"
Brownie sighed in admiration. "Catriona's amazing. She's beautiful, easy to get along with, and so good at teaching the cub. She's so cool—I just adore her!"
The moment he finished speaking, he felt Roderick's sharp gaze slide over him.
Uh...
Ah, this...
Alpha Roderick didn't seem too fond of humans either. Was he still holding a grudge against Catriona?
