"Partner, help me out!"
Her fair, beautiful face held a hint of pleading, her eyes slightly downcast in a subtle appeal for help.
She was much shorter than him, and she always looked up at him with those light amber eyes.
Roderick pressed his lips together and tentatively reached out, his movements as gentle as a breeze brushing against Catriona's cheek, softly sweeping aside the loose strands of hair from her forehead.
A naturally intimate gesture.
Everyone present was momentarily stunned, including Catriona.
She was startled for a second before gathering herself, thinking Roderick really understood the situation, already going along with it.
She leaned slightly toward Roderick, her brows relaxing, her demeanor soft, making anyone who saw them believe in their relationship.
She turned to the stunned boy in the wheelchair and smiled gently, "As you can see, he's Cedric's biological father and my mate."
"What...how could this be..." The boy's eyes widened as if he'd seen the end of the world.
Catriona's words slowly extinguished the light in the boy's eyes. She had never given him a chance before, and she certainly wouldn't now.
"Yes, I like him. We're already registered."
"Yes, he's the one I'll be with for life. He's Cedric's father. Do you think anyone else could be more suitable?"
With Catriona's words, Roderick's golden eyes lit up.
She had extinguished the light in a young boy's eyes, yet sparked it anew in the eyes of a werewolf.
Catriona was focused on how to quickly get rid of this little brother figure, wanting him to go home and study properly. She didn't pay much attention to her own words, as Roderick already understood that she was merely pulling him into a charade.
But what she didn't know was that wolves were inherently cunning and sly; give them a hint of an opening, and their inherent wicked nature would stir.
No matter how much werewolves emphasized their difference from regular wolves, their pride, their disdain for unthinking beasts.
They walked through the human world, dressed impeccably, wearing fine watches, appearing as human as possible.
But they were not human; they were werewolves.
Their inherent wicked nature was engraved in their DNA, dating back to ancient times when werewolves hunted, striving to stay fed and avoid starvation by exhausting every ounce of their cunning.
As long as they succeeded in hunting and avoiding hunger, any means was justified; for them, there was no immorality, no good or bad, no right or wrong—only the end result mattered.
The words Catriona had spoken stirred Roderick's latent wicked nature.
"He's Cedric's father. Do you think anyone else could be more suitable?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, seizing upon the phrase "more suitable."
Yes, he was the cub's biological father.
This was an advantage that no other competitor possessed, a unique edge that no one could ever replace.
If Catriona chose him as her mate, she'd never have to worry about him mistreating the cub or harming him.
If Catriona chose him as her mate, the cub wouldn't have to be separated from his parents, wouldn't have to endure the pain of separation, or get used to a new father.
Catriona loved the cub dearly; she wouldn't want him to be the slightest bit sad, would she?
See, weren't these his advantages?
She didn't have anyone she liked right now, so why couldn't he be the one?
They lived under the same roof; as the saying went, proximity brings opportunity.
Roderick's eyes deepened, and the more he contemplated, the more excited he became, his heart racing with a thrilling intensity.
A confident resolve shone on his face, showcasing the innate cunning and fierce nature of a werewolf in full display.
He seemed to have forgotten.
Who was it before, saying he wasn't worthy, that he didn't have the right to pursue her, humbled to the extreme?
And now? How he imagined every detail of carrying this beautiful bride into his bedroom.
Their inherent wickedness was so nakedly present. As long as...the goal was achieved, there was no right or wrong.
As long as they could get the prey.
Roderick had grown up in the human world, interacting mostly with pure humans, always the werewolf who most resembled a human.
He wouldn't lose control; he would remain clear-headed, perfect.
Yet, after encountering Catriona, all of that faded into insignificance.
Since falling for her, his heart no longer belonged to him.
To hand Catriona over to someone else was a torment that gnawed at him, leaving him sleepless, howling in madness, and ready to tear apart everything around him.
So in this moment, he found himself easily ensnared by his darker instincts.
All because of a few lines Catriona had played in her act.
Those words sparked intense upheaval within him, creating an illusion of happiness. He chewed them over and over in his mind, replayed them again and again, savoring their warmth and sweetness in his heart.
She liked him.
They had already obtained a marriage certificate in the eyes of humanity.
They were going to spend a lifetime together.
She would never meet a more suitable wolf.
"Alright, let's go. He should have completely given up by now," the woman's cool voice sounded.
It was like a harsh alarm in a winter morning—melodic and piercing.
Pulling a sleeping person abruptly from their dreams.
Roderick was silent for a long while.
"Thank you. You acted very naturally just now."
Roderick's thin, cold brows furrowed slightly. "Mm."
He wasn't acting.
There was only one actor in this play.
Finally rid of that young man, Catriona felt much lighter, and she flashed a generous smile at Roderick. "Mr. Nightblade, I'll treat you to a meal another day."
Just as he had said, Roderick no longer pursued her. Now they helped each other as real comrades, getting along harmoniously. It was nice.
This was the result she wanted.
She relaxed.
But she forgot she was facing not a human, but a dangerous wolf.
She didn't notice the faint green light flickering in the werewolf's deep eyes.
