"What are you trying to say?" she asked.

"You need to follow me! Come on... let's go, now," he shouted as he prepared to lift her.

"I... I can't. It's late," she said.

"You wanted to know about me and what I am," he said. Suddenly, she felt an intense curiosity about what was inside this man.

"Why don't you talk here?" she offered.

"I don't want to surprise you," Cander's response only confused her more.

"Is it far from here?" she asked again, just to be sure.

"Close... come on, baby," he urged, helping her out of her room.

They walked hand in hand into the forest, which appeared very frightening. She tightened her grip on his hand until he smiled. The sounds of the animals in the forest only heightened her fear.

"Cander... let's go home. I'm scared," she cried, feeling her body shake.

"Don't be afraid... you've encountered bigger animals before," he said, glancing at her.

"How did you know?" she asked, starting to grow suspicious.

"Are you scared?" he shouted, pulling his hand away from hers.

"Don’t joke around, Cander. Please don’t be like this," she said, trying to get closer, but he kept backing away.

"I love you... will you accept me, even if I’m not what you think?" he asked, leaving her utterly confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked, reaching for his hand.

"You love me?" he inquired, not answering her directly.

She closed her eyes, feeling her heart race, "Yes... I love you!" she replied.

"In that case, will you accept me as I am?" he asked again.

"Yes. I accept you for who you are. What’s wrong with all of this?" she said, not fully understanding Cander’s intentions.

He smiled and walked away, putting some distance between them. When she tried to follow, he told her to stay where she was. Slowly, he removed his shirt, pants, and shoes until he was left in only his shorts. She was shocked, his muscular body seemed exposed to the cold, and the shorts did not cover him fully.

"What are you doing? Put your clothes back on quickly," she ordered.

"Don’t scream or run. Whatever you see, please don’t cry," he pleaded.

She didn’t understand what Cander meant until a cracking sound came from his bones. Her eyes widened as his body grew larger and hairier. She wanted to scream, but her knees wouldn’t move. Cander had completely transformed into the black dog she had seen before. The large dog approached her, and she fell to the ground in disbelief. She had never believed in mythical creatures until she witnessed one right in front of her.

The large wolf sniffed her head with its big nose. Her heart pounded rapidly as the wolf licked her cheeks. She lifted her head, their eyes meeting. The wolf's eyes resembled Cander's so much that she found herself unconsciously stroking the large animal's pitch-black fur.

"So you're Cander... that's why my heart flutters whenever I'm around you," she cried.

As she began to understand and believe in Cander’s explanations, she realized why she felt so comfortable around him. The concept of a life partner for every werewolf made sense now.

"So… what do you think?" he asked.

"I accept you... just the way you are," she answered firmly.

"You're not scared of me?" he asked again.

"You won’t hurt me, right?" she responded, reassured by her previous statements.

"Certainly not," Cander said, and then kissed her lips. She remained silent, unsure of how to react, until the kiss ended.

"I have a present for you," Cander said, retrieving a beautiful necklace from his pocket and placing it around her neck. She examined the necklace carefully; it had a picture of a wolf on it. She smiled at him, and he kissed her forehead. Her cheeks turned red from his frequent affectionate gestures.

"You need to go back to your room. I don’t want your aunt to be angry with me tomorrow," he joked.

Cander carried her with his wolf-strength, and when they reached her room's window, he looked into her eyes for a long moment. She instinctively leaned in and kissed his left cheek.

"You can come in if you want," she said softly, hiding her face in his chest.

"Hmm... let’s go inside," he replied, entering her room first and helping her up.

Cander climbed onto her small bed, and she stood beside it, smiling. He gently pulled her hand, and her small body fell onto his chest. It was very warm, and she enjoyed the warmth of his body.

"Do you like it?" he asked, occasionally kissing her head.

"Hmm..." she murmured.

"Are you still cold, sweetheart?" he asked, covering her with the blanket.

"Hmmm... no," she replied, burying her face in his chest, feeling his heart beat rapidly, just like hers.

"Cander... if werewolves exist, do vampires and fairies also exist?" she asked.

"Vampires are everywhere and have become our great enemies. Fairies prefer to hide and are rarely encountered. Unlike us or the rotting vampires," Cander explained.

"Why don’t you like them at all?" she asked, stroking the tattoos on his broad chest.

"Because they are usurpers... both of my parents died because of them. They continue to harass my pack. If they find out I have you, they will use you as bait. If that happens, I won’t stay silent; I will fight them until their blood is shed," he declared, and she looked at his handsome face.

"I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to..." Before she could finish, Cander kissed her right cheek passionately.

"It’s okay, honey. You have the right to know everything about my life," he said.

"Cander..." she called again.

"Yes, dear?" he replied, stroking her back.

"Why did you give me this lovely necklace?" she asked, having been curious about it.

"This is my late mother’s necklace. It can disguise the scent of the wolf on your body. You’re not a wolf, but since I am always near you, my scent mixes with yours," he explained.

"So vampires won’t know I’m your mate?" she asked.

"Yes... it works that way," he answered briefly.

"Now, go to sleep, honey. I’ll take care of you here," Cander said. As drowsiness overcame her, she finally fell asleep in Cander’s arms, with him gently stroking her back.