"Casual relationship... what kind of relationship is that?" Bruce was momentarily baffled, stunned.
Black's pupils widened, then slowly drooped downward.
"What kind of casual relationship..." Lightblaze muttered blankly.
Brownie clenched his hands at his sides, giving a short sigh, "A casual relationship means we don't even qualify to be disliked. We're just irrelevant."
"How could that be..." Lightblaze's eyes widened as he looked at Catriona, asking anxiously, "Catriona, is that what you mean? We're not even considered friends?"
Bruce also spoke in a hurried tone, "Catriona, is that right?"
As those words fell, silence filled the air.
Catriona remained silent for a second before raising a small smile, "You're Roderick's pack members. Thank you for looking out for my son and me over the past six months. Thank you for liking Cedric and keeping him entertained."
Not a single werewolf cracked a smile at her answer.
Catriona didn't want to stay any longer. She took her silent son's hand and went downstairs, saying goodbye with the same cheerful tone as always.
She still had to take those two bags of clothes and toys back to her home.
The mother and son disappeared from the hall, and soon after, the sound of a car starting echoed, then faded away.
In the hall, the wolves stood motionless, maintaining their previous stances, like frozen statues.
Bruce's expression was blank. "No way... it can't be... were we really not even friends?"
"I always thought we were good friends, but... we're not..." Lightblaze said, his voice choked, then slowly started up the stairs, his figure looking lonely and dejected.
"True, we hurt her first, so how could we still be friends?"
"Hey, Draven, I want a drink too."
"I want one too..."
Draven took a sip of his drink and said flatly, "No. Don't lose your minds; we'll talk about it in three days."
If they drank now, they'd be howling through the night, disturbing the peace, and maybe even harassing Catriona under the influence.
"Why can you drink, but we can't?"
Draven sneered, "Because I don't go crazy when I drink."
Bruce complained, "We haven't even tried it. How do you know we'd go crazy? Maybe I'd be just like you, sleeping quietly on the couch after drinking."
"Shut up, you bunch of pups!" Draven replied impatiently, "It's because you haven't drunk before that you'd go crazy! Do you think I got my tolerance without drinking a lot?"
"When werewolves drink for the first time, they're as noisy as little chicks, chirping all over!"
"Oh, so when did you first learn to drink, Mr. Draven?"
"I heard you came down from the mountain early, Draven, didn't you? Around fifteen? Were you drinking then?"
Seeing Draven's silence, they knew it was an admission.
"What? You really started drinking human alcohol back then?"
"Did you go crazy too, Draven? Chirping away like a chick..."
"Enough!" Draven cut them off, "You don't know anything, but you talk too much." He got up, not bothering to deal with them further, and went upstairs to his room.
Bruce lowered his gaze, "Hmph, why's he so harsh? Not only does he refuse to comfort us, but he also won't let us drink."
"When that fallen werewolf came into Luna Palace, did you guys see his pure wolf form? It's solid brown, huge, and really handsome. That was my first time seeing his full wolf form."
"I heard that Draven's family has quite a bit of influence in the Snow Mountain region. When he was young, he had quite the temper—competitive, quick to anger, always fighting, and didn't get along with the brothers in his pack. He left the mountain at fifteen and never went back after that."
"Wow, I didn't realize he had such a violent side! When I came to Luna Palace five years ago, he was in the kitchen cooking."
"Sigh, so many things have happened without us even noticing. Now, Catriona and the cub are leaving too."
"We're not even friends. We don't have the right to ask them to stay..."
As those words hung in the air, the atmosphere grew heavy.
The sky darkened, thick clouds rolling in like a great blanket, and the once-vibrant, luxurious Luna Palace seemed to dim under the weight of the moment.
Soon after, the sound of light rain began pattering against the floor-to-ceiling windows.
——
On the other side, Catriona was driving with Cedric in the backseat, strapped into his child safety chair. The car played Cedric's favorite "Wolf Song," the cheerful beat filling the space.
Cedric swung his little legs, gazing out the window at the passing scenery.
Then, a tiny raindrop landed on his nose.
"Mommy, it's raining!"
Catriona smiled and replied, "Yes, it really is raining. We'll be home soon."
At a stoplight, Catriona slowed the car and said, "Sweetie, would you like to close the window?"
"Wait a minute, Mommy." Cedric stretched out his little hand, watching the raindrops land in his palm, a cool sensation spreading through his skin. He stared at the steady stream of raindrops, pursing his lips before whispering, "Mommy, Dad..." His mouth opened halfway, but then he suddenly stopped, as if something held him back.
Catriona didn't quite understand. "Sweetie, what did you say?"
Cedric lowered his gaze, rolled up the window, and flashed her an adorable smile. "Nothing, Mommy."
"Are you hungry? How about we tidy up at home, and then go out for a feast?"
"Sure!" Cedric nodded enthusiastically, his little tuft of hair wobbling. "As long as I'm with Mommy, everything's great!"
Catriona gripped the steering wheel, her thoughts drifting somewhere unknown, but she smiled as if everything was normal. "Thank you, my Sweetie."
