Catriona never expected her darling son's first hunt in the woods would leave him so stuffed he could barely walk straight.
He was even making gurgling sounds.
Roderick thought the cub was too foolish to watch, but with Catriona there, he dared not comment and remained silent on the side.
Catriona squatted down and patted her son's head. "Sweetie, how did you let yourself get this stuffed? It's not good for your health."
The little cub whimpered and nodded vigorously.
He was even tired of walking, and Catriona noticed it, reaching out to carry him. "Come on, let's go back."
She lifted him.
Hmm? She actually couldn't lift him.
In that moment, the air froze.
The little cub looked up at her, his eyes wide with disbelief and innocent hurt.
Catriona quickly said, "No, no, it's just that Mom wasn't ready. Let's try again!" She braced herself and prepared to lift with more strength.
"I'll take over," Roderick said, bending down to scoop up the damp, plump little cub. He gave it a gentle bounce in the air, making a vague clicking sound with his tongue.
Cedric:!!!
He couldn't stand this humiliation!!
"Awoo awooo!" He let out an adorable growl and bit down on Roderick's shirt button.
He had embarrassed himself in front of Mom, and now Dad was rubbing it in—didn't he have any respect for his pride?
"Awoo!" The little wolf growled.
Roderick let him bite, speaking with a hint of sternness. "If you don't want to end up on someone else's plate, don't expose such foolish weaknesses."
If he ran into an unthinking wild beast, being so stuffed he couldn't even run would be dangerous.
Roderick couldn't help but rub his forehead. To be honest, his little cub had always performed quite well—smart and quick-witted. Whether climbing, jumping, or swimming, it was clear that he had a bright future ahead.
Except for being a bit clingy with his mother, he had never overstuffed himself like this until he couldn't walk...
It seemed... he hadn't had enough raw food and lost control.
Roderick frowned, deciding to designate a section of the backyard for practice with small animals once they got back.
Their child was back.
The two adults composed themselves, pretending nothing had happened.
In the car.
Roderick continued as the driver.
The little cub was strapped in, dozing off on the seat with his fluffy body.
His round, bulging belly stuck out quite noticeably.
Catriona couldn't help but laugh. "It's like I'm starving you all the time and never feeding you."
As she spoke, her eyes filled with gentle affection. She squinted and smiled softly, then looked up, suddenly freezing in place.
In the rearview mirror above the driver's seat, Roderick was watching her.
Feeling a bit flustered, she shifted her gaze out the window.
Was he not pretending anymore?
He hadn't been like this before...
He was being way too unrestrained.
Halfway through the drive, Cedric turned over, seemingly lost in a dream. He licked his little lips, and despite still being fast asleep, he transformed into his human form.
In his pure wolf form, nothing unusual was visible.
But once he shifted to his human form, a light red scratch appeared on his pale, soft face.
Catriona furrowed her brows. "How did you get hurt?" Gently lifting the little one's shirt, she noticed a scratch on his plump belly. Though not too severe, it was already oozing tiny beads of blood.
Catriona felt a pang of heartache, noticing a scratch on his little arm as well. She frowned. "Roderick, our son is hurt. Let's go to the nearest hospital first."
Roderick slowed down, glanced back, and then relaxed.
"It's fine. He'll heal in less than three days without scarring. He won't feel much pain either."
After all, werewolves had a high pain tolerance and strong recovery abilities; such an injury was hardly significant.
Injuries were just a part of everyday life for werewolves.
Finally, after the doctor applied some ointment to the cub's wound, Catriona felt a little more at ease.
During this time, Cedric continued to sleep.
Roderick carried his cub out of the hospital, while Catriona held her bag and phone.
Roderick suddenly looked over at her. "Want to grab a meal? There's a well-rated human restaurant up ahead."
Catriona was absent.
Roderick didn't hold back. "You can read into it if you like. I just want some time alone with you."
Catriona replied, exasperated, "Let's go back to Luna Palace."
"Are you sure? Dining with them?" Roderick suddenly smirked, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "There's something you might not know."
"What?" Catriona felt an inexplicable sense of unease; Roderick seemed a bit too mischievous. "What are you trying to say?"
Roderick probably found it amusing too, his tone laced with a hint of flirtation. "That night... both Black and Grey were there."
Catriona suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"So... so what? It's not a big deal, right..."
"They misunderstood," he said, slowing his words to heighten Catriona's curiosity. "They thought we were...doing some intimate movements."
Catriona's eyes widened in surprise.
"What did you say?!" Catriona couldn't hold back her shock and spoke loudly.
After speaking, she saw her son stir slightly, so she quickly covered her mouth and lowered her voice. "How could they think that?! Didn't you explain?"
Roderick looked at her for a moment, his ears gradually turning red. "I think it's something that will happen eventually, so there's no need to explain."
"You—" Catriona felt her face flush. She really wanted to kick Roderick out of her sight. "Who said anything about it happening eventually! Have you no shame?"
"That's something you humans care about."
He had worked hard to behave like a human in the human world, just to fit in.
But in front of his wife, nothing else mattered.
"So, are you going back to Luna Palace to eat, or coming with me to the restaurant?"
Catriona also recalled how the werewolves had blushed and avoided her that morning.
Oh my gosh!!
They actually...
This was beyond awkward!
But she decided not to play along. "I'll find a random place to eat. I'm not going to your restaurant."
Roderick replied smoothly, "Anything's fine with me."
Catriona:...
Who asked for your opinion?
"Oil fast food—are you sure you want to eat that?"
He's a werewolf; could he even stomach oil greasy food?
In the next second, looking at Roderick's face, she suddenly realized something.
The point wasn't about what to eat.
He just... wanted to spend time with her.
Was she overthinking this?
She opened her mouth, "You..."
Roderick looked at her. "You can think whatever you like."
Catriona fell silent, deciding to just go with it, whatever it might mean.
All she had to do was not care, act indifferent, treat him like air.
Roderick didn't actually order the fried chicken and other else; he wouldn't eat it.
He sat in the little roadside shop, holding the sleeping cub, keeping Catriona company.
Neither of them felt comfortable leaving the cub in the car.
People in the restaurant frequently glanced back at him; he sat there, out of place and jarring. After all, everything about him screamed one word: high-end.
It seemed like high-end restaurants and lavish banquets were the only places he belonged.
Catriona quietly ate her fast food.
On the way back.
She decided that once they returned to Luna Palace, she'd explain everything, then retreat to her room.
But she had an awful feeling that no one would believe her explanation...
Oh...
How embarrassing...
By the way, Grey was there—he wouldn't go back and tell Eulalia, would he? That woman loves stirring the pot... Ugh, adult social death in a single moment!
When the car pulled into Luna Palace.
Roderick's expression shifted slightly.
His family had come down from the mountains.
In the main hall of the Luna Palace.
The werewolves lined up, serving tea and water with respectful demeanor, standing beside the sofa.
In the center of the sofas stood a European-style coffee table.
On the sofas sat five well-dressed, striking, and elegantly noble werewolves, each in human form. From their appearances alone, no one would suspect they were werewolves.
In fact, they could easily be mistaken for aristocrats.
Each of them appeared to be over six feet tall.
Two of them, a man and a woman, looked slightly older, around their thirties, though in reality, they were over sixty. The woman's gaze bore a refined maturity tempered by the years.
Without exception, they were all remarkably attractive.
Especially the woman in a red fitted dress, with voluminous curls and red lips—beautiful, seductive, and highly charismatic.
Though Catriona had heard from Roderick in the car.
She was still a bit surprised.
Roderick's family... they were all so attractive.
The woman in the red dress subtly twitched her nose, smiling as she looked over.
Catriona was taken aback.
Leaning against his father's chest, Cedric rubbed his eyes and let out a small sound as he opened them.
It seemed he, too, sensed the change in the atmosphere.
