After confirming that Grey was still alive, the werewolves were as happy as they were remorseful toward Catriona.
They became even more enthusiastic toward her than before, to the point that it frightened Catriona.
The house was already missing two werewolves, all because she had casually mentioned, "Snow rabbit meat tastes pretty good" that morning. When they reported to Roderick, Catriona thought he would stop them.
After all, if fallen lone werewolves appeared in Capital, they would need to go out at night to catch them. While things were usually quiet, if anything serious happened, they couldn't afford to be short-staffed, could they?
But Roderick simply said nonchalantly, "Go ahead, bring more."
?
She was about to say that she didn't want it that much, but the two werewolves had already dashed off after receiving his permission.
At the time, she didn't know they would be gone for three months.
Last night, when leaving Eulalia's place.
She had returned with Roderick, who, after getting in the car, sat across from her and stared at her with an expression she couldn't quite understand.
Those golden eyes no longer held their usual cold hostility or hint of mockery.
A werewolf's heart is like an iceberg beneath the ocean's surface—impossible to gauge just how deep it truly goes.
She wasn't interested in what he was thinking, nor did she want to look into his eyes for too long. She didn't want this narcissist to misinterpret anything.
She simply tilted her head, gently leaning against her son, silently gazing at the scenery passing by outside the window.
When the Luna Palace residence came into view, she straightened up, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over to see Roderick awkwardly look away.
Had he been staring at her the whole way?
What was he thinking, not saying a word?
Catriona frowned slightly, slowly turning to him. "Do you have something to say?"
"No," Roderick replied, unbuckling his seatbelt without looking at her. "There are flowers from the snow mountains in the trunk."
"Huh?" Catriona was startled, not following his leap in topic. What flowers? Who prepared flowers?
Why would he bring flowers?
Her hesitant gaze fell on Roderick, her expression gradually turning to horror. "Is you who prepared for..."
"You're overthinking," Roderick said, seeing her expression and involuntarily tugging at his lips. "The cub brought them for you."
Hearing that her son had brought them, Catriona relaxed, a smile tugging at her lips. "Got it."
That made sense. If this silly wolf had brought her flowers, just thinking about it gave her goosebumps.
Roderick frowned at her changing expressions. What did this woman mean?
The flowers were indeed from the cub, but what if he had brought them himself? What was that look she had just now?
It was as if she had seen a monster.
Roderick ignored the uncomfortable feeling in his heart, opened the door, and gently lifted the sleeping cub into his arms.
He should have headed straight into the house without looking back.
But he inexplicably paused, watching as Catriona walked over to the trunk.
The trunk slowly rose, and a wave of cool air drifted out. Catriona saw a large white box inside, a faint, delicate fragrance wafting up from within.
"Mr. Nightblade, are the flowers in here?"
"Yeah."
Catriona couldn't wait to open it, and as she did, the coldness intensified, leaving her stunned.
"Wow... it's so beautiful."
The white flowers, nestled among clusters of ice, appeared tender and vibrant, each bloom pristine and radiant. In the cool air, their fragrance grew richer, filling the space with a captivating aroma.
"What... flower is this? I've never seen it before," Catriona murmured. "So beautiful... just like snow."
Roderick stood five meters to her side, holding the cub, watching her.
The woman wore a black and white fitted dress, her waist cinched elegantly. As she bent slightly, the skirt lifted just so, accentuating her slender waist. When she leaned down to inhale the flowers' fragrance, her chin appeared delicately pointed.
Roderick's throat tightened involuntarily. "A flower from the snowy mountains, called 'Snowfall.'"
"Snowfall? The name sounds lovely too."
As Catriona spoke, she suddenly turned, her eyes curved in a smile as she looked at him.
Roderick's heart tightened inexplicably.
The next second, he realized she was looking at the cub in his arms.
Then, Catriona walked over, bent down, and kissed the cub's face, speaking softly, "Thank you, darling. Mommy loves it."
Roderick felt his whole body go numb.
He stood frozen, holding the cub.
"Mr. Nightblade, does Snowfall have to be kept with ice?" she asked, naturally raising her gaze to him.
It was as if Roderick only then came back to his senses. He nodded.
Then, he pursed his lips tightly and turned to leave.
He felt something was off, a wild and uncontrollable sensation bouncing in his heart.
——
The next day at noon, Catriona was still busy in the flower shop when she suddenly noticed a brown-haired young man silently working there, though she hadn't noticed when he'd arrived.
In his early twenties, he kept his gaze lowered, clumsily trying to learn from Sapphire how to wrap flowers.
Catriona:...?
"You're William, aren't you?" she asked softly.
The werewolf who had packed his bags and left Luna Palace voluntarily.
After learning that Grey was still alive, William's initial joy had been followed by a deep sense of guilt toward Catriona.
After visiting Grey, he steeled himself and came to the Flower Shop.
Now, he had been noticed by Catriona.
He lowered his gaze, feeling uncomfortable, and gruffly said, "Sorry for misunderstanding you before."
No matter how she scolded him, he wouldn't say a word.
She was the mother of the Alpha's child, and if she scolded him and forbade him from ever setting foot in Luna Palace again, no one would object.
To his surprise, Catriona just smiled gently. "It's fine. I'm glad Grey is still alive too."
William froze, his eyes widening. He hadn't expected her to be so easygoing. "You..."
"If you can't get over it, just help me out for a week. I won't pay you. Honestly, I was a bit sad when you left that day."
Hearing this, William nodded vigorously, "I'll help you for a month, a year, even two if you need. I don't want any pay."
Catriona responded with a soft "Mm."
She gently curled her lips, appearing to smile kindly, but her eyes didn't follow suit.
The careless, heartless werewolves wouldn't notice the look in her eyes.
A gentle smile had always been Catriona's best disguise; as for what she truly felt, there was no need to show it.
...
And so, a shop that had always only housed the three women—Sapphire, Ruby, and Catriona—now had an awkward young man working there.
He took on all the tasks that required strength.
Luna Palace, which had been quiet before, was lively once again with the werewolves.
They eagerly doted on Catriona, though they never openly asked to hear a story. If she retired to her room early, they'd become dejected, their ears and tails drooping in quiet disappointment.
"Catriona definitely hasn't forgiven us yet."
"Even if she resents us in her heart, she has every right to."
"She must be avoiding us."
The next second, Catriona appeared at the stairway holding a storybook.
The werewolves, standing in the first-floor living room, all looked up in unison.
Catriona smiled cheerfully, waving the book in her hand. "Want to hear a story?"
The werewolves let out joyful howls, and their happiness was clear in their voices.
Ruby darted upstairs, her tail wagging, and scooped Catriona up in her arms. With a joyful howl, she tossed her up slightly before catching her again.
"Ah! Hey, hey, don't do that!" Catriona was genuinely startled, clinging to her tightly.
This playful "tossing like a child" approach felt... well, a bit much.
"Don't worry! I won't let you fall, awooo!" Ruby carried her out to the lawn, with Black and the others happily trailing behind.
Meanwhile, the little wolf cub was perched on Brownie's shoulders, clutching his hair, and piped up in his soft voice, "You all better not scare my mom."
"Awooo, I'll listen to the cub!"
"No worries, cub! Don't fret!"
They were lively and noisy on the lawn.
Roderick was in his study working, but he couldn't get anything done.
With a snap, he shut down his computer and leaned back, his brows furrowed with a somber, somewhat annoyed expression.
He was clearly irritable, but he had no idea where this annoyance was coming from.
There was still work to finish, but at this moment, hearing the lively cheers outside, he thought irritably—weren't they being a bit too noisy?
And besides, did this work really have to be done?
Tsk, he needed a break too.
He stood up, left the study, and returned to his room.
For the first time, he was slacking off on his work.
He resisted the urge to look out at the lively scene on the lawn, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and then sat down on the sofa.
His ears twitched.
He heard that woman's voice telling a story.
"...Once upon a time, there was a black rabbit. In front of its home flowed a murky river, and across the river lay a lush green meadow. The grass on its side wasn't as abundant as across the river, but it was enough to keep it fed. When it got bored, the rabbit would sit by its door, gazing longingly at the meadow on the other side, drooling a little, though it never ventured across the river to the grassy fields beyond."
"See, the black rabbit had once watched a little hamster drown and get swept away in the river. Since then, it believed the river was deep and dangerous and became fearful of it."
"Whenever any animal tried to cross, it would rush out, shouting, 'This river is dangerous! It could take your life! Don't cross!'"
"Many little animals were frightened away. But one day, a white rabbit arrived at the riverbank. Ignoring the black rabbit's warning, it jumped into the river, only to find the water reached just up to its neck. The white rabbit bounced across to the meadow on the other side."
"There, it rolled in the grass and shouted back to the black rabbit, 'Come over! You won't drown; look, I made it just fine!'"
"The black rabbit shook its head, saying, 'I'm not going. I saw a hamster drown with my own eyes.'"
Hearing this, Black couldn't help but interject, "That black rabbit is way too timid! What's the harm in trying?"
Sitting on the sofa, Roderick smirked coldly at Black's remark. He didn't think the black rabbit was timid. What's the harm in trying? If it failed, it would lose its life.
Then, he heard Catriona's voice, tinged with a smile: "I don't think the black rabbit is timid. It shows it loves itself and values its life. The meadow across the river isn't a must. It can be well-fed and survive just fine on this side."
Roderick paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his deep eyes.
Ruby out a howl, growing anxious, "So in the end, the black rabbit never got to the meadow?"
Catriona's lips curved slightly, "It went."
"Wow! Why? Wasn't it terrified?"
Catriona turned a page.
"Because it fell in love with the white rabbit."
"Wow!" Ruby's eyes widened.
"As it turned out, on the other side of the river, a yellow rabbit appeared, and it too liked the white rabbit."
Hearing this, Draven chuckled slowly, "So the black rabbit panicked."
"So, in the very end, did the black rabbit end up with the white rabbit?"
Catriona gently shook her head, "No."
The werewolves sighed, gasped, and felt saddened. "Why? It risked its life to jump in the river. Why didn't the white rabbit accept it?"
"A late confession is pointless. It was too late—the white rabbit already liked the yellow rabbit."
The werewolves all sighed in sympathy for the black rabbit.
Catriona happened to glance over and saw Roderick's room light go out, and realized it was already ten o'clock.
"Alright, that's it for today. Everyone, go rest."
She took her son's hand and headed back to the room, and Roderick appeared at the door with the spring water.
Cedric's eyes lit up, and he called out, "Dad."
"Hmm."
Catriona found Roderick's behavior a bit odd lately. Unlike his usual routine of leaving right after giving the cold spring water, he lingered in the room for ten minutes or so before leaving.
This made it awkward for her to lie down on the bed, so she simply stood out on the balcony, enjoying the cool breeze.
She didn't mind him spending more time with their son.
However, she couldn't shake the feeling that his gaze was occasionally, almost imperceptibly, on her. She resisted the urge to look back.
It's probably just her imagination, she thought. Why would Roderick be looking at her? He hasn't lost his mind.
On the fourth day, Roderick lingered in the room again.
And once more, she felt that unmistakable gaze on her. "..."
She couldn't hold back any longer and whipped her head around, only to see Roderick calmly looking away.
"..."
He was calm, alright.
Catriona took out her phone and typed, "Mr. Nightblade, if there's something you want to say, just say it."
Staring at her all the time without speaking—what was he getting at?
Roderick only saw the message once he returned to his room, his ears still burning from her sudden glance.
He didn't even know why he was acting this way; these days, he was like a madman, wanting to stay wherever the mother and child were.
[Silly Wolf]: Don't forget about the event at the cub's school tomorrow.
Tomorrow was the parent-child event at Kindergarten. Both Roderick and Catriona had cleared their schedules to attend.
