1: 00 a.m.
The tall werewolf, with his ears and tail exposed, carried the slender woman in white in his arms as he slowly walked toward Luna Palace.
Luna Palace was very quiet.
On the living room sofa lay the scruffy, scar-faced werewolf Draven, passed out drunk.
Roderick walked past him with Catriona in his arms and headed upstairs.
Draven rolled over, his nose twitching as a satisfied smile spread across his face, murmuring in his sleep, "Anna, you came to see me again... I can smell your scent."
Upstairs, in Catriona's room on the second floor.
A little cub lay on the large bed, dressed in bunny pajamas. Tucked snugly under the covers, his soft, round face peeked out, with a pair of fluffy wolf ears perched on top of his head. His tiny hands rested on either side of his face as he breathed softly, his lips pressed together in a gentle slumber.
His sleeping posture wasn't exactly tidy, yet it showed a relaxed and carefree attitude.
Roderick carried Catriona into the room.
The cub's nose twitched, he turned over, rubbed his eyes with his small hands, and sat up instantly. "Mommy."
"Shh, don't make noise." Roderick carried Catriona to the bed, helped her take off her shoes, and let her sleep just like that.
Bathing, changing clothes, and such... he thought with a flushed face, it wasn't his place yet.
Nor was it the cub's.
"She's asleep; you should go to sleep too."
Cedric stared at his mom for a while, his nose twitching.
Seeing this, Roderick said, "If you're bothered by the smell of alcohol, you can come sleep in my room."
Cedric shook his head, climbed to the bedside table, took a wet tissue, and gently wiped his mom's neck and hands.
That would do. He smiled, snuggled into the bed, and got close to his mom.
Roderick brought a box and quietly placed it beside them.
"This is cash for your mom."
"Oh." Cedric reached out his small hand to feel his mom's forehead, checking if she had a fever. "Bye, Dad."
He let out a tiny yawn, his long, straight eyelashes slowly covering his dark eyes.
Roderick looked at the mother and son for a moment, then turned and left.
The next day.
When Catriona woke up, it was already nine o'clock.
She rubbed her temples and sat up in bed.
Not far away, on the sofa, sat Cedric, carefully dismantling a toy. He looked up, his big eyes wide with curiosity. Dropping the toy, he slid off the sofa, his little legs kicking as he toddled over to the bed, his small tail swaying with each step, pattering along:"Mommy!!"
He lay by the bedside, his tail wagging, looking up with his sparkling, moist eyes fixed on Catriona.
Catriona picked up her phone to check the time, smiled at her son, and stroked his hair. "Did you have breakfast?"
"Mm-hmm! We had lamb today. Are you hungry, Mom?"
"I'm okay." Catriona's gaze suddenly landed on the silver box nearby. "What's that?"
Cedric turned around, using his small hands to force open the box. "Look, Mommy!"
Inside the box, stacks of fresh cash were neatly arranged, leaving Catriona momentarily stunned.
She hadn't seen much of the world, but this was her first time seeing so much cash packed into one box.
"This is from Dad for you too!" Cedric picked up the black wallet from the bedside table.
Catriona frowned as some unpleasant memories resurfaced in her mind.
She couldn't remember the details clearly. It seemed she had wanted to get a dog, and Roderick had given her money to do so.
"..."
Catriona never expected that after a night of drinking, she would end up discussing getting a dog with Roderick!
Roderick even agreed!
To raise a dog in a place like Luna Palace, filled with werewolves—that poor dog would be doomed. It was truly crazy.
"Mommy, Dad said once you woke up, we'd go out and have some fun."
But in the end, their outing didn't happen.
Because Catriona fell ill.
