Many years had passed since then.
As she grew older, Catriona had forgotten many things, yet, somehow, that encounter remained vivid in her mind.
At that time, the chubby black dog lay motionless, eyes closed, nestled in the weeds. She held it tightly in her arms, reaching to stroke its head: "Doggie, are you sleeping here?"
To her surprise, her hand came away covered in blood.
It turned out that the dog was dead!
The tears she had managed to hold back began to flow again. "Doggie, how did you get hurt? Are you also gone?"
Just as she began to cry, the chubby black dog in her arms woke up, its eyes dark and fierce. It broke free, jumped aside, faced her, and let out a gruff bark, glaring at her.
She felt nothing but joy. "You're still alive! That's wonderful! Little doggie, I thought you were gone."
The little girl hugged the black dog tightly again, refusing to let go.
"I love doggies the most! You're so cute, and you even smell nice!"
"You won't bite me, will you? Don't be fierce, don't scare me."
The sun began to set, and the sky grew darker.
"Doggie, do you not have a home either? Stay with me, be with me—I don't have a home either."
"Doggie, are you hungry? I only have two cookies, but I'll share one with you."
"Doggie, it's dark now. Are you scared? I'm not scared, not at all."
"When I have money someday, when I have my own home, you can come live with me. I'll take care of you and give you good food."
After that, she ran out every day to play with the dog, bringing it any treats she could save.
She didn't know that her frequent outings worried the adults.
"She's run off again? If anything happens to her, won't they blame our family entirely?"
"This kid's a little sneaky. Our daughter can't play with her—they were supposed to be companions."
"Doesn't she have a wealthy uncle, with only one son? Dear, I'm anxious all day; I don't care, you figure it out."
When Catriona returned, her small clothes and toys were already packed.
She knew it was time to go to the next family.
But that dog... she had hoped to take care of it in the future.
Based on her play schedule, she wouldn't see the dog again until tomorrow afternoon.
"Could I leave the day after tomorrow?"
Her aunt frowned. "Your uncle's already here to pick you up; there's no time to wait."
Her cousin stood behind the sofa, smirking at her.
Little Catriona climbed into the car with a heavy heart. As they passed the park, she quickly tossed her pink hairband out the window.
She couldn't stay or do anything, but she left a small gift for her little friend.
She felt that the black dog was smarter than her cousin's Moser, as if it understood everything she said. Being with it brought her immense joy; the dog never rejected her or bullied her.
Sometimes, it even brought snacks to her, though the packaging was untouched—she suspected it stole them from the corner store.
In the end, she broke her promise.
She had promised to take care of it.
Later, she met another black dog, much smaller, with rough, dirty fur, neither sleek nor fragrant.
But this time, she decided to take it home and secretly care for it.
She would probably never meet the dog from her uncle's park again.
Before she met her grandmother, her time with the park's dog was one of her few happy memories.
That's why, at such a young age, she could remember those fleeting moments so clearly.
The clock had already struck ten.
Luna Palace was quiet, as if it didn't want to disturb their slumber.
When the mother and son came downstairs, Luna Palace had returned to its usual appearance.
It was as if everything that had happened last night was merely a dream.
Black and Bruce were mopping the floor again, determined to leave not a trace of the fallen werewolves behind.
As soon as Catriona came downstairs, two young male werewolves turned around abruptly, feeling awkward. The two wolves glanced at each other, their faces turning red.
