As soon as the teacher finished speaking, the laughter of other parents filled the bus.
Some couples exchanged smiles and naturally kissed in front of their children.
Some wives took the initiative and kissed their husbands.
Some couples seemed uncomfortable showing affection in front of their kids, looking a bit awkward and hesitant, delaying their actions.
And then there were others...
"What's with all this talk from that teacher? We're both old married folks—what's the point of all this kissing?" The man's sharp voice carried a hint of impatience.
"We're at school, with other parents and kids around. Just play along."
Catriona paused. The voice was coming from the row behind them—the fifth family.
"She's just saying it casually. Does everyone have to listen? Look, the sixth family in front isn't doing anything either."
Catriona:...
How could she kiss him?
Why not ask if she even dared to kiss?
Neither of the two rows moved, and the man's voice was loud, with a not-so-pleasant tone, which caught the teacher's attention.
Catriona lowered her gaze, wanting to avoid the situation but it was too late.
The teacher looked over, microphone in hand, "Family five, family six, expressing love isn't shameful. We were all born out of love, and we're all seeking it. You're already surrounded by love with your partners and children here—just take that step to show it."
"Moms and dads, please don't feel shy, and let's avoid arguments."
As the teacher spoke, everyone on the bus turned to look.
Catriona:...
Who knew that this parent-child outing would involve things for them as "parents" too?
But in the parents' line of sight, sitting still felt awkward, especially when a little girl in the row to their left piped up, "Mom, what does 'old married folk' mean? Does it mean they can't kiss and have no love?"
The mother pondered for a moment and replied softly, "Uh... when you put it that way, it doesn't seem wrong, does it?"
The little girl giggled, "I get it! They're all old married folks now."
Catriona:...
She and Roderick were not old married couples; they weren't even a couple at all!
They weren't too familiar; they were far too unfamiliar!
Roderick remained unfazed by the chatter around him, his expression distant, though a fleeting shadow passed through his deep, amber eyes.
Then, in the next moment, Catriona suddenly moved, reaching out to loop her arm around his neck with a gentle pull.
Roderick's pupils constricted, and he lowered his gaze, his body instinctively leaning toward her as he complied with her gentle force...
The unique floral fragrance on the woman became even stronger.
Was she... was she about to kiss him?
Roderick couldn't help but swallow, his body stiffening slightly, but his eyes lit up with anticipation as she leaned in closer.
And then...
He heard Catriona's low voice, "Partner, position mismatch—play along."
Roderick: "...Alright."
He tilted his head slightly, their breaths drawing closer together. To onlookers, it certainly looked as if they had kissed. Catriona then pulled back and returned to her seat.
The word "partner" snapped Roderick back to reality.
He deeply understood what it meant to shoot oneself in the foot.
For the rest of the ride, Roderick couldn't focus on anything the teacher was saying.
They arrived at the camping park on the edge of Capital. Behind the park was a forest, well-preserved with abundant flowers, trees, and interwoven foliage.
The Kindergarten had reserved a large area long in advance.
After an hour's drive, both Catriona and the cub had fallen asleep.
Roderick didn't sleep; he turned and kept his gaze fixed on the mother and son.
His sharp, upturned eyes softened slightly.
For a fleeting moment, he reveled in this warm family atmosphere, the scenery retreating outside, the background chatter of parents and children blending together. Amid the gentle bumps of the bus, he felt an illusion of happiness wash over him.
This was his mate, his cub; they were a family of three on a normal outing.
But then, the bus stopped.
The bitter reality returned.
The teacher took the microphone, saying, "Moms and dads, please keep an eye on your children and disembark in an orderly manner."
The microphone was quite loud.
Catriona woke up.
The little cub trembled in fright, his eyes wide open. His tuft of fur on top quivered, and it looked like his little ears were about to pop out. Roderick raised an eyebrow and reached out, ruffling his hair with a big hand.
As the tips of his tiny ears peeked out and brushed against Roderick's hand, they snapped back in a flash, wary and alert.
"I don't want to be carried. I'll walk by myself."
Cedric declined his dad's offer to carry him; all his classmates were walking, and he wanted to keep up appearances.
As soon as they got off, a fresh breeze greeted them.
Catriona took a deep breath, feeling quite refreshed.
After everyone got off the bus.
The teacher announced, "Now that we've arrived at the camping park, parents, here's our first family activity competition: which family can set up their tent the fastest? We all know how powerful cooperation and teamwork can be."
"Moms and dads who don't know how to set up a tent, don't worry; there's an instruction manual. Start now! Eighteen minutes!"
In a competition like this, the competitive types took it quite seriously.
As soon as the teacher finished speaking, parents with outdoor experience rushed forward, grabbing their folded tents and starting to set them up.
Some parents, looking a bit lost, slowly picked up the instruction manual and began reading it with their partners.
Family number five hadn't moved either. The man, around 5.63 feet and wearing a white T-shirt, looked thin and muttered, "We have to set up our own tent? What a hassle. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come. What a lousy school event."
Some parents even started bickering. A chubby woman with a smug look complained, "Look at other husbands; they can do everything. Then look at you, thin as a needle."
Catriona didn't really know how to set up a tent. She picked up the manual and glanced at Roderick, "Mr. Nightblade, do you know how?"
"It's simple."
Roderick looked at her softly and said in a low voice, "I'll teach you."
Um...
"Alright." Catriona looked away, avoiding his gaze.
She seemed more used to this wolf's old demeanor—his sulky expression, cold gaze, and indifferent look.
Cedric walked on the grass with his squinting eyes and short legs, watching as grasshoppers and little frogs scattered underfoot.
He walked to the edge of a bush, where a small bird let out a shriek and flew away.
A frog, trying to escape, was accidentally stepped on by the little wolf cub, letting out a "croak."
The little cub looked down at the struggling little frog, its body slick and shiny with mucus. Wrinkling his tiny brow, he pouted in mild disgust—too ugly, too dirty!
Not seeing the little rabbit around, he decided to return and help his parents set up the tent.
Meanwhile, Catriona and Roderick were quietly assembling the tent.
In truth, she wasn't doing much, merely playing a supporting role, while Roderick worked swiftly and efficiently, his strength evident as he focused intently. Before long, their tent began to take shape, swelling up in no time.
Not even eight minutes passed.
"Wow! Family Number Six, have you finished already?" the female teacher exclaimed, surprised.
"Family Number Six is first! The other parents need to pick up the pace. Who will be second?"
The busy parents, drenched in sweat, paused and looked over, blurting out, "Wow! That's so fast! Are they even human?"
Catriona thought to herself, you were right, he's not human...
Cedric looked at the now-inflated tent, finding it fascinating. He took off his little shoes and climbed inside, his eyes curving in delight.
The other children looked on enviously.
Three little girls came over and asked, "Cedric, can I come in?"
Cedric sat in the tent, pursing his lips. "No, you can't."
Seeing this, Catriona: "..."
After setting up the tent, it was time to prepare food.
During this time, Roderick's gaze suddenly sharpened as he looked toward the forest, his expression changing.
Cedric also furrowed his little brows; he smelled something foul, and a sense of threat swept over him.
Something bad was coming.
He quickly ran to his mother's side, baring his little sharp teeth toward the forest and letting out a small howl.
"What's wrong, little one?" Catriona was taking some snacks out of her bag, completely unaware, as were the other parents who were busily occupied.
"Sorry, I need to leave for ten minutes," Roderick said, looking at Catriona with some apology, leaving her to manage on her own.
He had to go take care of it.
"Stay with your mom and keep an eye on her."
The cub furrowed his little brows and nodded seriously.
Catriona began to sense something was wrong as well. "What's going on? Is something happening?"
Roderick's hand twitched at his side; he wanted to reach out, touch her hair, and comfort her, telling her not to be afraid.
Roderick was silent for a moment, then left without a word.
Telling her would only scare her, so it was better not to.
He would handle it quickly and return.
The foul stench disgusted him; fallen lone werewolves, three of them.
But Catriona wasn't foolish; she vaguely guessed something was up.
She remembered the fallen werewolves the werewolves had mentioned before.
He was the only werewolf here now; could he handle it?
Catriona tightened her hold on her son's hand, her brows knitting slightly.
In less than ten minutes, Roderick returned, looking completely unharmed.
Catriona sighed with relief. Although she didn't harbor any fondness for Roderick, she certainly didn't dislike him; she didn't want to see him get hurt.
Cedric ran up to his father, sniffing the air, catching a whiff of blood.
Meanwhile, the weather turned grim, the sky darkening ominously as rain began to fall.
Everyone took shelter in their tents.
"Didn't the weather forecast say it wouldn't rain for the next few days? So inaccurate!"
The heavy rain arrived.
The rain poured down on the tents, but the parents stayed dry inside.
"Wow, this actually feels nice, doesn't it?"
"It's kind of peaceful."
In the tent of Family Number 6, however, the atmosphere was slightly different.
Catriona looked at the man beside her, hesitantly asking, "How... many were there... The fallen werewolves?"
Roderick paused, realizing she knew.
"Three. It's fine, I took care of them."
He had already called the Bureau, and someone would come to take them away. They'd chosen to appear while he was out, thinking three of them together could defeat him?
They even thought they could eat him. So ridiculous...
How foolish.
Catriona stared at him, pressing her lips together, and asked, "...Are you okay?"
Last time, weren't there five or three fallen werewolves? Luna Palace had sent out several wolves to capture them.
Today, he was the only werewolf here.
Roderick's gaze softened slightly. Was she... worried about him?
A faint hint of pleasure crossed his expression, unexpectedly. The words "I'm fine" were on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't say them.
At that moment, Cedric sniffed again and pointed to Roderick's waist.
"Mommy, I think Dad... might be hurt here?"
Catriona glanced over. Roderick was wearing black, so she couldn't see anything. "Mr. Nightblade, are you injured?"
Cedric pursed his lips, crawled over, and lifted his dad's shirt.
Roderick paused but didn't stop him.
As he pulled his shirt aside, three deep, long red scratch marks appeared on the left side of his toned waist, the blood still oozing from the wounds.
Catriona's eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly, " My goodness..."
To any ordinary person, these would be serious and painful injuries, yet Roderick remained silent, acting as if nothing had happened at all.
"Aren't you in pain? You... should go to the hospital now."
Roderick's lips curved slightly. "It's just a small wound, no need."
He planned to treat it after returning.
Going back for this small injury and missing time with the mother and son—it wasn't worth it.
Seeing Catriona frown, showing worry and care—it was worth it, wasn't it?
"Let's disinfect it with some alcohol first." Out with her son, Catriona habitually carried a small first-aid kit. She was always prepared for any risk—her son was her everything.
"Mr. Nightblade, lie down. I'll clean the blood for you."
Is this what a werewolf is like?
This much was actually considered a small wound?
Roderick obediently lay down.
"Sweetheart, pull your dad's shirt up a bit."
"Okay!" Cedric's little hands grabbed his dad's shirt and pulled it up with an unpredictable amount of strength.
Roderick's strong, sturdy chest was fully exposed, his fair skin contrasting with the pronounced definition of his abdominal muscles.
Catriona froze:"..."
Caught off guard, Roderick's face suddenly grew hot, and his ears turned red.
He lied there, bare-chested, right in front of Catriona.
Especially with Catriona's gaze on him, he felt a sudden restlessness, a parched throat.
Cedric didn't think much of it and whispered, "Daddy, does it hurt?"
He reached out and touched his dad's hair.
In his amber, big eyes, there was a trace of worry.
Roderick cleared his throat lightly to snap himself out of it. "I'm fine."
Catriona, hearing her son's voice, came back to her senses, her expression serious and composed.
With her fair fingers, she carefully pressed a piece of alcohol-soaked gauze against the wound.
Roderick's body flinched slightly.
Catriona paused, saying, "It should hurt a little. Just bear with it."
Roderick murmured, "It's fine. It doesn't hurt."
Catriona thought that this wolf was truly saying one thing and feeling another.
She was cleaning the blood, and his body was trembling. If that wasn't pain, then what was it?
As the blood was wiped away, the jagged wounds became visible, a grim reminder of the ferocity of the fallen wolf's claws—broad and sharp, capable of inflicting such damage.
Catriona frowned deeply. "Once the rain stops, go to the hospital."
"Alright." Roderick's long eyes didn't blink as he stared fixedly at her.
"This is not a small wound. Even though you werewolves are strong, you still have to take care of your body. If something happened to you, how sad would your mother be?"
She thought of her own child, also a werewolf. If he didn't take care of his body like this in the future, she'd be heartbroken.
"Sweetheart, did you hear that? Don't take after your dad. When you get hurt, get treated right away."
The cub nodded emphatically. "Mommy, I know."
Roderick's throat bobbed as he spoke instinctively, "I'll listen to you; I won't do this again."
Catriona froze.
Her son listening to her warmed her heart and made her feel gratified.
And... Roderick?
There was an odd feeling about it.
"You... well, you're a grown wolf. You should understand these basics yourself."
"Yes, you're right."
Catriona: ...
Roderick sat up, pulled down his shirt, and stared at her, his tone low and serious. "Everything you say, I'll listen."
