Morning.
Eulalia rubbed her eyes and opened the door, stepping out. Habitually, she called, "Grey—"
Then she looked around at the empty and quiet house, remaining silent for two seconds.
Oh.
Grey had already left.
Eulalia stood still for a moment, lost in thought, before walking toward the balcony. A row of flowerpots, varying in size and shape, held a variety of flowers and plants. The greenery was lush and vibrant, full of life.
Eulalia stood silent for a moment, then slowly knelt down, her hand gently brushing against an orchid.
These were the plants that Grey had taken care of. He just packed his clothes and left—what about these plants?
And where was he now? Had he found a place to stay?
She took out her phone, found Grey's contact, and snapped a picture of the plants, sending it to him.
"Are you not keeping your plants anymore?"
She stood up and walked to the kitchen. Then, as if recalling something, she opened the fridge, and sure enough, there was a lot of lamb left.
She sent another voice message. "Also, you should take the lamb in the fridge with you."
Werewolves only ate meat, and hunting wasn't easy, right? She had seen many documentaries about animals to know that.
Soon, a two-second voice message came back, Grey's low, muffled voice saying, "It's for you."
Werewolves didn't know many words, so they mostly communicated through voice messages.
Uncertain, Eulalia sent another voice message: "What about your plants?"
Grey sent a one-second voice message back, his tone a little faster this time, saying three words: "All for you."
Eulalia couldn't eat that much. She didn't want to eat so much meat. After all, she had managed to lose a few pounds. And besides, meat was what Grey relied on to fill his stomach. Now that he was living elsewhere, she had no idea how he was getting by.
She spoke into her phone, saying, "I'll take the plants, but you need to come get the meat."
On the other side, Grey listened to the voice message three times, pursing his lips. Draven, who had stayed over last night, overheard him. Seeing Grey's hesitance, he sighed. "Don't you want to see her? Just go get the meat, and you'll see her."
Grey's eyes lit up for a moment, then he hummed in response to his phone.
He closed the door, cutting himself off from Draven, and listened to the voice message a few more times. Eulalia's familiar voice came through, and he lightly curved his lips.
Seeing the door close, Draven was left laughing in disbelief.
"You little brat!"
Eulalia clicked open the one-second voice message, hearing only Grey's "Mm."
She then asked, "When will you have time to come get the meat?"
Grey was supposed to go with Draven to look at some houses today, and it didn't seem like a good time to visit her tonight, so he simply said one word: "Now."
Eulalia sat on the sofa, playing with her phone, waiting for him to arrive.
Grey, dressed in a black hoodie, reached the door and, instead of using his fingerprint, gently knocked. As the familiar sound of slippers scuffing across the floor reached his ears, his nerves involuntarily tensed, a wave of unease rising within him.
It seemed that ever since he realized he wanted to be her mate, Grey had become somewhat shy.
But amid his nervousness, there was also a hint of anticipation.
The sound of slippers grew louder until the door creaked open.
Grey pressed his lips together, straightened his posture slightly, and lowered his gaze to the woman at the door. She was still wearing a white nightgown, her long hair cascading loosely around her shoulders, her fair face soft and round.
Grey handed over the sausage bread he had been holding.
Eulalia was stunned for a moment. "...Why did you buy this again?"
Grey replied, "It's my habit." Besides, at this time, she hadn't had breakfast yet, and as he walked down the street, it felt natural to buy a portion.
He knew very well that Eulalia loved the sausage bread from that breakfast cafe.
"Thanks, Grey." Eulalia felt a little conflicted as she took them. This was probably the last time she would eat breakfast bought by him.
This guy... was quite well-behaved.
"Come in. I'll get you a bag so you can take it with you." She took a few steps, then remembered something and turned back, saying, "Oh, right, no need to change shoes..."
She hadn't finished speaking when her gaze landed on the slippers Grey was wearing.
He had been in such a hurry that his slippers were still on the shoe rack.
Eulalia paused for a moment, then turned and went into the kitchen.
Grey followed her and glanced toward the balcony. "Did you water them?"
"I watered them." Eulalia squatted down and took a large bag from the kitchen cabinet. She couldn't help but feel a little strange. This scene... reminded her of a recently separated couple. One of them had forgotten something and came back to collect it, and their conversation, though familiar, felt distant.
She stayed in a squatting position, looking up at the tall guy by the door. He was too tall—her neck hurt from craning it, and without thinking, she said, "Squat down."
Grey didn't ask why. He simply squatted down, avoiding her gaze, not daring to look her directly in the eyes.
Eulalia felt much better now. Looking at his face, she didn't notice his discomfort and casually asked, "Where did you stay last night?"
"At Draven's place."
Eulalia thought for a moment. "Oh, the one who was here last time? The one with the scar between his brows?"
Grey nodded.
He stole a glance at her, absentmindedly tapping his nose, then lowered his gaze, his ears tinged with a faint blush. Yet, a quiet joy filled his heart, as though simply squatting beside her in the kitchen was enough to make him feel content.
Eulalia was reassured; as long as he had a place to go, that was enough.
She handed him the bag. "You can pack it yourself."
Grey mumbled in acknowledgment, took the bag, and opened the fridge. He silently grabbed some meat.
Eulalia closed the cabinet, stood up, and reminded him, "You... be careful, don't get hurt. Take care of yourself."
Grey, with his back to her, took the meat from the fridge. His fingers were cold, but his heart felt warm. "Mm."
He finished packing, but still stayed crouching there.
Eulalia felt strangely puzzled. "Get up, what are you crouching for?"
It seemed she had forgotten who was the one who told him to squat earlier.
Grey silently stood up.
Carrying the large bag of meat, he hesitated and looked at her, his steps slow. Was he about to leave? He didn't want to leave...
After giving her last reminder, Eulalia had nothing more to say.
Usually, she was the one talking, and when she stopped, the air felt still. Now, it was no different, the silence enveloping them.
Eulalia hadn't thought much of it before, but now, for some inexplicable reason, the silence felt strangely awkward. She then realized that Grey's gaze was fixed on her, bold and unwavering.
As soon as she glanced over, he quickly averted his eyes, his gaze dropping to the floor—his attempt to look away was far too obvious.
"..."
"Ahem... well, if you need anything, just let me know. I'm going for breakfast."
Eulalia nearly forgot.
The night before, the young man had confessed his feelings—he liked her, and wanted her to be his mate.
Tsk tsk, how young he was, already dreaming of a mate.
Eulalia hadn't taken Grey's feelings seriously, as she truly saw him as a younger brother, and so she remained unguarded, even amused by the thought.
It felt... as if an older sister had learned her younger brother had someone he liked, and, with a sense of playful curiosity, watched it unfold—except this time, she was the one being liked.
Though she had initially entertained the thought with a sense of playful amusement, Eulalia now had Alexander in her life, and it was time to keep her distance from this young man.
She didn't ask Grey to stay, merely exchanging a few words before he quietly glanced back at her, his gaze lingering for a moment, before he left with the bag of meat in hand.
He was going to buy a human house!
A house for him and Eulalia.
And... for the cub...
Grey didn't take the elevator; he walked down the stairs, his face getting redder with each step.
Eulalia finished her breakfast and tidied up the house. She had a lunch appointment with Alexander at twelve o'clock at a restaurant.
She tried on several outfits in front of the mirror, and after she was satisfied with her appearance, she headed out.
On the other side.
Grey followed Draven to look at houses. The sales manager, dressed in a suit, was a slender man with fair skin. He showed them a few places, and during the tour, he checked his phone several times. Although he tried to hide it, it was clear that he wasn't in a good mood today.
Suddenly, the sales manager's phone rang. He apologized to Draven, saying, "Excuse me, take a look around. I'll take this call," and then turned to leave, heading to a hallway further away.
This was a three-bedroom apartment with good natural light.
Draven asked, "What do you think?"
Grey hadn't spoken yet when he suddenly heard a voice. He paused, and Draven looked toward the door, as the sounds came from the hallway.
Humans might not hear it, but they were werewolves, and they could hear it clearly.
The sales manager's voice, tinged with suppressed anger, came through:
"We promised to stick together for life! How long has it been, and you're already going on blind dates! Do you really love me?"
"You're hurting an innocent woman! Well! Is it hard for you? Am I not a man? Do my parents not want me to marry and have children?"
"I'll never do such a despicable thing for myself in this life! In the middle of the night, I fear the pain of my conscience tormenting me."
