After a night of heavy drinking, Catriona woke with a faint sense of discomfort, thinking she could brush it off. After all, her son was looking up at her with those hopeful eyes, eager to go out and play.
Now that she had weekends off, she just wanted to spend more time with her son.
Roderick's presence had indeed eased her stress to a great extent. Regardless of her relationship with him, her son would never have to worry about food, clothing, or even future expenses for a home or a wedding; everything was covered by his well-off father.
This made her feel much more at ease mentally.
Before, though she had some savings, she worked late and was reluctant to close up, fearing missing even a single sale.
Because she couldn't be sure what the next moment would bring, her modest savings felt fragile—just one serious illness could take everything from her and her son, leaving nothing behind. Others had siblings to lean on, but she had no one. She only had herself, and her son only had her.
She felt insecure, always thinking it was best to earn more money.
But ever since Roderick came into their lives...
These worries and anxieties had greatly lessened.
Now her son wore a simple little T-shirt worth thousands, and his small shoes casually priced in the tens of thousands. That tiny backpack was the most outrageous—one hundred thousand. She couldn't tell if it was made of gold or silver.
These were things she'd never dreamed of before, but now, no matter what financial crisis she faced, her son still had his father to rely on.
Catriona thought to herself: this silly wolf may have his quirks, but when it came to having money, he was certainly... useful.
Roderick wasn't her friend; friendships, no matter how close, would start to feel strained if she leaned on them constantly. But Roderick? He was her son's father. Anything he provided for their son was perfectly natural, his rightful responsibility, and she bore no guilt accepting it.
In matters concerning her son, he truly was a reliable ally and partner.
For these past two days, they'd both tacitly set aside work to spend time with their son.
So, she could brush off that little discomfort.
Dressed beautifully, she went downstairs and, surrounded by the werewolves, took her seat at the dining table as the last to start breakfast.
Roderick sat at the head seat, impeccably dressed. His crisp, neatly pressed shirt was buttoned up to the collar with diamond buttons fastened meticulously. His broad, muscular chest filled out the fabric, hinting at the solid physique beneath.
On his slender, fair hand was an expensive watch, with veins visible on the back of his hand.
The cub sat on his lap, and both father and son were watching Catriona.
Ruby, wagging his tail, stood beside Catriona. "Catriona, did you get drunk last night? Are you feeling terrible?"
Directly in front of Catriona, Black leaned back in his chair and sighed, "Catriona, you should drink less. Just look at Draven; drinking has turned him into a mess."
Most of the werewolves at Luna Palace didn't drink because everyone had seen what Draven's drinking had done to him: unkempt, scruffy, a mess. It scared these werewolves who had only been out of the mountains a few years.
They were still young; each of them still wanted to find a mate.
They couldn't let alcohol turn them into that kind of lonely creature!
Sapphire, a bit more petite, usually sat quietly in the center of the group, rarely speaking up.
At the moment, seeing the slight fatigue in Catriona's eyes, she couldn't help but say, "Catriona, you should drink less from now on."
Catriona listened to everyone, curving her lips into a slight smile and nodding. "Thank you all for your concern. I rarely drink."
Her eating motions were slow and graceful, her smile warm and lovely, but upon closer inspection, one could see a slight stiffness at the corners of her mouth.
Anyone would feel immense pressure being watched by so many werewolves while eating.
And then there was the silly wolf beside her, silent, staring at her with an even stronger presence than Black and the others, as if he were trying to bore a hole through her.
Catriona...
Catriona really felt speechless.
What was so fascinating about watching her eat?
The more she ate, the slower she became, feeling embarrassed with everyone watching her, until she didn't feel like putting any more food in her mouth.
Her stomach began to feel a bit uncomfortable.
At first, there was a heavy, sinking pain, but soon, it felt as if her stomach and intestines were twisted into knots, the pain sharp and intense. She frowned, a cry escaping her lips as her fork fell to the floor with a clatter.
The werewolves, who had been chatting and laughing, froze at the sudden sound.
Roderick's expression changed slightly. He set the cub down, got up, and went to Catriona's side, frowning, "What's wrong?"
"Mom!" Cedric frowned, his eyes full of worry as he moved closer.
"I..." Cold sweat quickly broke out on Catriona's forehead, her face turning pale as she clutched her stomach tightly.
Roderick frowned, bending down to scoop Catriona up in his arms. "I'll take you to the hospital."
"I'll get the car!" Black ran quickly toward the door.
Surrounded by the werewolves' worried and frantic voices, Catriona found herself in Roderick's arms as he strode swiftly toward the door, his face tense.
"Mom! Mom!" Cedric followed his father, running anxiously behind him. Amid the tall werewolves, he was so small that his head only reached their thighs, yet his worry for his mom was greater than anyone's.
Draven, following behind, picked the cub up in one swift motion.
"Little cub, don't be afraid."
Catriona gritted her teeth, frowning as she endured silently for a while. Hearing her son's anxious voice, she took a painful breath and said weakly, "Don't... be afraid, Mom's fine."
Did she drink too much last night?
Why did she feel this awful?
A rush of wind swept past her ears—Roderick wasn't merely walking while holding her; he was leaping. By the time Catriona realized what was happening, she found herself staring down at the car roof.
In an instant, she was inside the car.
She lay in Roderick's arms, face pale as she clutched his shirt, trying to pull herself away. "I... I think I'm going to be sick..."
Right now, all she wanted was to get away from him.
She was about to throw up.
She couldn't possibly let it happen on him—his expensive shirt, the diamond buttons, the comforting scent—she couldn't.
"Let..." me down.
Before she could finish the three words, the nausea overcame her. She clung tightly to his white shirt, unable to hold back any longer, and she was sick.
In that moment, Catriona felt a shame so deep she wished she could disappear.
The last thing she'd ever wanted was to show such disgrace before Roderick. For years now, she had lived a life of dignity, a life she had dreamed of in her youth. Her current, respectable days were her hard-won reality.
Whether in front of Lucian, at Luna Palace, or during meals with these werewolves, she'd always minded her behavior. Not because she needed to be excessively elegant, but because she wanted to carry herself with poise, to make no mistakes.
She'd heard enough of those words: "Born but never taught."
She feared any slip on her part would disgrace her son.
But in this single unguarded moment, her loss of composure tore her back to those days so far from dignity. She felt as though her true, monstrous form had suddenly emerged—how absurd... how pathetic... how utterly mortifying and shameful.
Roderick's white shirt was stained with her vomit.
He was still a werewolf, oh no, everyone here was a werewolf; they must have all smelled it by now.
The intense embarrassment was enough to make her ignore the pain as she gripped tightly onto Roderick's white shirt, unwilling to lift her head and face everything.
In truth... she had already bravely faced so many things.
Maybe this time, her physical discomfort held her back, sapping her courage.
Roderick had always disliked humans and wasn't fond of her, telling her multiple times to keep her distance.
Now, she had vomited right on him.
This would bother anyone, let alone a werewolf—even an ordinary human would care.
Just as she braced herself to be thrown away and hear him say something humiliating...
A soft handkerchief brushed gently across her lips as he adjusted her in his arms, shifting her into a position that would make it easier for her to be sick without risking choking.
"Need to vomit more?" Roderick's voice was low, with a hint of tension. "Does this feel a bit better?"
Then, Roderick's voice turned harsher. "Black, what's the use of your license? Get us to the nearest hospital!"
Black nodded firmly. "Got it!"
Catriona was a bit stunned.
Roderick's reaction was the last thing she expected.
After vomiting, she did feel a bit better.
She could smell the vomit herself, and Roderick was a werewolf; he must be uncomfortable with it.
Catriona still didn't have the courage to lift her head. She didn't want to see Roderick's expression right now. "Sorry... I got your shirt dirty."
Roderick's sharply defined brows knit together, a hint of agitation in his expression. He'd been thinking about how delicate human bodies were, their resistance too low, easily overcome by illness and infection.
He hadn't expected Catriona's first words to be what they were. He was already considering how he might comfort her through her pain—after all, both werewolf females and human women tended to become clingy and seek affection when in distress.
Hearing her irrelevant apology, he frowned and said seriously, "It's just a shirt. If it's dirty, I'll throw it away. Do you feel any better after vomiting?"
Only then did Catriona nod.
She wondered if Roderick had been possessed; it was as if he had turned into a different werewolf.
She glanced up at him quickly, surprised, then looked away, utterly baffled. "Don't you... find it disgusting?"
Roderick looked at her steadily. "Yours? No, I don't."
Catriona was absent.
What did he mean by hers not being disgusting?
What was this nonsense? Did she hear him wrong?
Roderick's deep, serious voice came from above her. "Everyone gets sick sometimes. The first thing we need to do is treat the body. The word 'dirty' doesn't belong here."
"You're just sick, that's all."
His words were so genuine and natural that Catriona's embarrassment gradually faded, and she felt convinced.
It was hard to imagine. She had vomited in this silly wolf's arms, and not only was he not angry, he was calmly talking to her... as if... comforting her?
She must have been mistaken. The one covered in vomit was comforting her? Impossible!
But she did feel a bit more at ease.
Her stomach was still unsettled, and upon reaching the hospital, Catriona was wheeled into the emergency room.
Before she entered, Draven arrived with the cub in his arms, letting him see his mother. The little cub's eyes were red, but he tried to keep a brave face. "Mommy, I'll wait here for you."
Lying on the hospital bed, Catriona had Roderick on her left, with Draven, her son, and Black and Brownie rushing over on her right.
Catriona looked at her son and, pale-faced, smiled. "Good boy, don't run around."
Cedric reached out his little hand as if to grab her, but then thought better of it, pulling it back, his golden eyes growing wet. "Mommy, I'll be good, sniff..." He bit his lip, holding back tears. "You have to come back too."
Catriona nodded and looked at Roderick.
Roderick seemed to guess what she was going to say and spoke first, "I'll watch over the cub."
Catriona felt reassured.
The nurse pushed the gurney quickly toward the emergency room.
The doctor diagnosed acute appendicitis and recommended surgery.
In the hallway.
Roderick stood there in his white shirt, the fabric from his chest down to Catriona's stomach marred by unmistakable stains. Despite this, his features remained strikingly handsome, sharp and commanding, lending him an air of resilience even in such a state.
Even in this messy state, passing nurses and family members couldn't help but look back at him.
He noticed the little cub leaning against the corner, clutching his shirt hem in silence. Roderick walked over and crouched down. "Your mom will be out soon, you heard that, right?"
They could hear the doctors' conversation.
An acute appendicitis surgery would only take a few dozen minutes, nothing too serious.
"Mm." Cedric nodded, pressing his lips together, looking at the dirty spot on Roderick's chest. "Thank you, Dad."
He was too small to carry his mom, but his dad lifted her effortlessly into the car.
He felt a bit relieved to be at his dad's house.
All the werewolves from Luna Palace had come, standing in a row along the wall in the corridor.
Watching the humans come and go, they felt a bit uneasy.
After all, they spent most of their time in Luna Palace and rarely came to crowded places like hospitals.
Their bodies were stiff, barely moving, and they only dared to whisper among themselves:"What's appendicitis? Did it come from drinking alcohol?"
"Catriona's going to have surgery. Hope it won't hurt too much, awoo."
"After surgery, we can't make her laugh. The doctor said the stitches might burst open."
"I heard the doctor uses a really big knife for surgery..." Before Brownie could finish, he saw the young cub looking over, nervous and concerned.
"Ahem, I remembered wrong. It's a really tiny knife, so small that you'd lose it if it dropped."
Only then did the young cub relax and look away.
Soon, Catriona was wheeled out. The appendicitis surgery wasn't major; she'd only need to stay in the hospital for two or three days before going home.
The anesthesia left her feeling a bit groggy.
Cedric clung tightly to his mom's hand, not going anywhere, following her to the hospital room and refusing to leave.
Two hours later.
She was fully awake.
Father and son were by her bedside, and the other werewolves had been sent off somewhere.
One big and one small pair of golden eyes were fixed on her.
"Mom! You're awake!" Cedric gently hugged her hand, rubbing his chubby face against the back of her hand, his eyes full of happiness and dependence.
Roderick glanced enviously at the young one, restrained himself, and asked, "How are you feeling?"
Under the effects of anesthesia after her minor surgery, Catriona felt a little out of it. Looking at the two of them, she had a brief moment where they felt like a regular family of three.
For so many years, she had been telling herself to stay strong and carry on.
Now, lying there weakly, her body relaxed, she didn't have to worry about her business, or about no one taking her son to school tomorrow. At this moment, her "partner" was actually helpful.
"Thank you for today, and sorry about earlier," she said, referring to the vomiting incident.
"Catriona, it's what I should do."
After Roderick said this and heard no retort, his mood lifted a bit.
Then he noticed Catriona staring at him with an odd look in her eyes.
"I feel like... you've changed a lot." Could it be that he'd been possessed?
Roderick turned his back, his ears turning red.
Could she have noticed...
Noticed that he had feelings for her.
He pressed his lips tightly together, his hand clenched at his side, his throat constricting as he swallowed. The more he thought about it, the drier his throat seemed to become.
