That afternoon, after dinner, Catriona hurriedly went back to the shop with her son.
The werewolves who couldn't hear the stories lay on the sofa like wilted bean sprouts, sighing.
Two female werewolves had already gone to help; they didn't need this group of only-strong-in-brawn male werewolves.
"How long will Catriona work overtime?"
"Will she work overtime tomorrow too?"
"Aawoo... wants to hear more... Aowuuuu!"
After finishing his meal, Roderick still had some work to handle in the study. Hearing the werewolves' pitiful sighs, his face darkened as he coldly said, "If you want to hear stories, can't you search online?"
There are plenty of professional human storytellers.
It's not like that woman is the only one who can do it.
Who knew that after he said this, Brownie let out a grievous "aowu," saying, "Alpha Roderick, you don't understand."
"Catriona's storytelling really has a kind of magic; it feels healing. The ones online aren't as good as hers!"
"That's right, you'll know if you listen to her next time, Alpha Roderick."
Roderick sneered, looked at these disheartening pack members, and without another word, turned and went upstairs to his study to handle his work.
Not long into his work,
his phone beeped.
He casually opened it to see a message from Draven.
Sharing a link.
[When Catriona was telling a story, I recorded it. You're welcome.]
Seeing this message, Roderick snorted and carelessly tossed his phone aside, starting to work again.
He wasn't one of those disgraceful pack members.
He had been in this world for so many years; what hadn't he seen? What was so special about a mere woman's story?
Work finished.
The time was nine o'clock, and a car sound came from outside.
The woman had returned.
Roderick lowered his eyes but somehow perked up his ears.
He heard the woman being surrounded by the werewolves, laughing and greeting them, heard her say she'd be working overtime the next day, and heard her go upstairs...
Roderick suddenly stood up from behind his desk, having finished his work; it was time for him to return to his room.
Opening the door, he appeared in the hallway.
Catriona walked up the stairs with her cub, hand in hand. When she saw Roderick, her smile instantly faded. She gave him a slight nod, her expression indifferent, as a form of greeting.
The cub, on the other hand, lit up and called out, "Good evening, Dad."
Roderick gave a brief nod, his gaze softening as he looked at his son.
Then, mother and son went into their room.
Roderick's room was on the third floor. The moment he returned, he pressed his lips together in frustration.
Ever since that night when Grey attacked Catriona, she'd seemed to think that they'd cleared the air, but her attitude toward him had noticeably changed.
She no longer smiled at him, and while she chatted freely with everyone else, she was polite and distant with him.
Just as he had wanted, she kept her distance.
In fact, they were technically the closest of anyone in the palace, yet now, they felt like strangers.
Any random werewolf in the pack had a better relationship with Catriona than he did.
She was doing exactly what he had wanted—and quite well.
Roderick pushed down a hint of irritation within him as he thought about it.
But therein lay the problem: Undoubtedly, the cub was closest to his mother. In the rare moments he was at home, he always stuck close to Catriona, and Roderick couldn't find an opportunity to build a relationship with him.
His relationship with Catriona didn't matter, but it was different with his cub. This was his cub—his only cub.
The mother and son had been at Luna Palace for over half a month, and while the cub no longer looked wary, he hadn't developed any real connection with Roderick either.
The cub smiled at all the other werewolves, even reaching out for Black to hold him, but with his own father? Nothing.
The more Roderick thought about it, the more irked he became.
And what about six months from now? Would she still want to leave?
Given how well she got along with the other werewolves, would she still insist on leaving?
The last time, he had swallowed his pride and tried to be friendly for several days, only for her to dismiss it as a mocking gesture. Humiliated and angry, he gave up on trying to be cordial around her.
He wasn't about to start wagging his tail like Black just to win her over. That was out of the question!
In all his life, he'd never felt the need to try so hard for anyone.
Even if he did like someone, he wouldn't behave like that—it was simply... undignified, not to mention humiliating.
After washing up, he went to the ice cellar to fetch the spring water.
Catriona's door was open for him, as he carried the spring water in his hands. This time, instead of waiting on the balcony, she was standing right at the door.
The last time she'd done that, she had stopped him to ask with a cold look: "What's with the constant sneering?"
Roderick glanced at her, and neither of them spoke.
After he finished feeding the cub, he indeed heard her call out to him.
He didn't turn back, but his brow furrowed slightly.
What was she going to say this time?
He wasn't trying to put on a friendly face anymore, so would she still ask why he always looked so mocking?
Catriona, unaware of his inner musings, spoke politely and distantly, "Mr. Nightblade, I need to get up at 5: 30 tomorrow to go to the flower market. I might not have time, so you may have to take the child to kindergarten by yourself. Just a heads up."
Roderick said nothing.
Knowing he didn't want to hear more, she pressed her lips together. "That's all. You should rest now."
With that, she turned and went back into her room.
Roderick's eyes shifted slightly, a strange glint flashing across them. Was she so busy that she'd lost track?
Tomorrow was Saturday.
The kindergarten would be closed.
At that moment, Black and Brownie came up the stairs, chatting as they walked.
"I'm off to bed. Catriona wants me to go with her to the flower market early tomorrow. She said her delivery assistant got injured and took time off, so she'll have to go every day this month."
"Well, well, Black, you sure are close to Catriona. Better be careful around the Alpha—wait, Alpha Roderick, you're here?" Brownie was caught off guard when he saw the tall figure of the Roderick and nearly tumbled down the stairs. "Alpha Roderick, you haven't gone to bed yet?"
Roderick's gaze skipped over him and landed on Black.
Feeling his Alpha's piercing gaze, Black shivered as he recalled what Brownie had left unsaid. "Uh, Alpha Roderick, don't get the wrong idea, I..."
"You're not going tomorrow," Roderick said coldly.
"Huh?" Black froze.
Roderick gave him a chilly glance and, with a faint smirk, added, "I'll go to the flower market in the morning."
Eyes closed in panic, Black stammered, "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right! I promise I'll keep my distance from Catriona... Wait, what? You're going with her to pick up supplies? Right, right! You should go. You're the best one for it!"
It seemed the Alpha did care about Catriona after all!
Black didn't mind missing the errand, as he hoped the Alpha and Catriona would get closer. After all, they were supposed to be the closest pair here.
Could it be that Alpha Roderick was finally coming around?
Black and Brownie exchanged a delighted look of shared excitement, but with one misstep, they both slipped and tumbled down the stairs together.
With their thick hides, they were completely unharmed.
"Idiots." Roderick barely spared them a glance before heading back to his room.
The next day.
Catriona got up at 5: 10, quickly washed up, and got dressed. By the time she finished, it was already 5: 30.
She hurried down with her bag on her back. Outside, the sky was gradually lightening, and the house was somewhat dark. However, with each step she took, the motion-sensor lights lit up, bright as day.
Ever since the incident with Grey, the house had been brightly lit.
The werewolves didn't need lights to find their way; they were more accustomed to darkness. But for her, the house was lit up like a starry sky.
Catriona felt a warm glow in her heart. She stepped out of the house and climbed into the black car. Seeing Black's silhouette in the driver's seat, she smiled and greeted him, "What time did you get up? Sorry to bother you! Thanks! I'll treat you to a nice breakfast later."
As she spoke, she looked down to fasten her seatbelt.
She didn't notice that the man in the driver's seat had a broader and straighter back, his hand gripping the steering wheel long and fair.
"Black, let's go. Ever since I opened the second shop and hired staff, I haven't gone to stock up."
"When it comes to stocking up, you have to get there early to get the freshest flowers."
During this time, she had become the most familiar with Black, and being around someone she was comfortable with made her talk more than usual.
"Isn't business doing well now? I just want to stock up more, so you understand, right? Today, I called you here to help out. Well, sorry about that! I'll tell you stories when I have time."
She had been talking quite a bit before realizing something felt off. Black usually had just as much to say, if not more—so why was he so quiet now?
The next second, she heard a familiar deep voice, tinged with a hint of coldness, asking, "Why did you stop talking?"
Catriona paused slightly.
?
