Roderick's brow furrowed as he reached the end.
To him, the little hippo deserved its fate—weak, foolish, doing nothing but cry. What good was crying? It solved nothing.
Clinging to its river and waiting for its friend to come back on its own—what a fantasy.
If it were him, and he truly cared that much, he would search every corner of the earth to bring his friend back.
He'd never just sit there, foolishly crying.
The cub had already fallen asleep on his mother's lap.
Catriona pinched her son's little cheek, her gaze soft and doting. "Who wouldn't envy your quality of sleep?"
She looked up at Roderick and softly said, "Mr. Nightblade, could you carry him to the room to sleep?"
The cub was sound asleep.
In the room, only two adults were awake, one man and one woman, and that awkward feeling crept back again.
Catriona watched as the man in black sleepwear approached, his features sharp and handsome, his expression calm. He leaned down and gently lifted their son. She instinctively leaned back, creating space between them to avoid any accidental contact.
They were very close.
Neither of them looked at each other.
Roderick, slightly uncomfortable, turned and took the cub back to the room.
Catriona wrinkled her nose slightly, thinking to herself, Hmm, this silly wolf's scent is... quite nice.
With Roderick watching over her son, she felt reassured and soon fell asleep herself.
Roderick, however, was in the adjoining room, wide awake.
Catriona was on the bed outside.
If he wanted, he could see her anytime.
Such a good opportunity, and she was asleep again? Couldn't he look openly now? What was he lying here for?
Her long hair lay spread around her, her skin was snow-white, her delicate face nestled into the pillow, breathing softly.
Catriona had turned off the lights in the room, finding it too bright to sleep, leaving only a soft, warm glow.
The werewolves' eyesight was excellent, making night no different from day.
Roderick stood by the bed, his gaze lingering on the sleeping beauty.
He wanted to reach out and touch her soft, flowing hair. He wanted to kiss her forehead. He wanted to nip at her neck, to trace her collarbone with gentle bites and licks...
Of course, he was only thinking.
Catriona hadn't agreed to be his mate, so some things had to be kept in check.
Suddenly, a noise came from the balcony: "Click!"
Roderick's dark gaze sharpened instantly, and he looked toward the balcony.
This was the eighth floor of the hospital ward. Anyone coming onto the balcony from outside in the middle of the night was unlikely to be human.
There was no reason not to enter through the main entrance.
Roderick's eyes darkened as he shielded Catriona, his eyes glinting with green as he looked sharply toward the balcony.
The balcony door clicked as it opened.
A tall woman dressed all in white stood at the doorway, her long white hair pulled into a high ponytail. Bathed in the moonlight, she appeared almost to glow, her pale presence radiating an ethereal light.
She greeted Roderick, "Hey! Don't get worked up; it's me."
Roderick frowned. "It's you."
"Surprised? Didn't you catch my scent?"
Seeing that it was someone he knew and not a threat, Roderick's eyes gradually returned to black, and he replied flatly, "I forgot."
Why would he bother remembering the scent of an insignificant female werewolf?
"What are you doing here at this hour?"
The woman stepped inside, smirking, "Just to satisfy some curiosity."
She walked to the bedside, looking at the sleeping human woman.
The next second, she leaned closer, almost whispering, "She's quite pretty; you're not missing out."
Roderick frowned tightly, lowering his voice in displeasure, "Stay away from her."
The woman wrinkled her nose, sniffing the air. "Such a strong floral scent."
Roderick's gaze turned sharp and cold. "Snowheart! That's enough."
"Oh, come on, I'm a female werewolf; what's got you so worked up?"
Roderick scoffed. "Sorry, but I don't see a trace of a female werewolf in you."
"It's been years, and you're still just as blunt." Snowheart shook her head. "Hopeless. Just wait and see."
She leapt lightly, her toes touching down as she headed to the adjoining family room.
The cub was fast asleep, his soft scent of milkiness adorable.
Snowheart left the room, clicking her tongue. "Used to think you were pitiful, but now it seems you've hit the jackpot."
Roderick had lost all patience. "If you're done, get lost."
Catriona was a light sleeper, and at that moment, for some reason, she woke up, slowly opening her eyes.
She watched as a figure leapt gracefully onto the balcony. Bathed in moonlight, the woman appeared pale and stunningly beautiful, almost like a vision.
For a moment, Catriona thought her drowsy eyes were playing tricks on her, that she was seeing some kind of goddess.
Then, the ethereal woman spoke, "I'll be staying at Luna Palace for a while. Be grateful—a birthday with my presence should be an honor for you."
Catriona froze, realizing who she was.
Snowheart, the female werewolf that Roderick liked—she had come to find him at the hospital.
Snowheart had likely gone to Luna Palace, only to discover Roderick wasn't there, prompting her to seek him out here.
The figure of Snowheart vanished from the balcony, leaving.
Catriona slowly sat up.
"Actually, you could go keep her company; you don't need to stay here."
