Morning...

She woke up from a deep sleep, blinking her eyes several times. However, upon looking to the side, she did not find Cander there, even though he had accompanied her to sleep the previous night. It seemed she had just discovered Cander's habit—he liked to disappear without a trace in the morning.

“Honey, let’s get up! Today is Aunt’s day off; how about we go for a walk?” called her aunt, who must have been standing outside her bedroom door.

She got up from the medium-sized bed and walked to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see her aunt still in green pajamas. “Aunt, why are you still wearing pajamas?” she asked in surprise.

“That’s because today is a holiday, so Aunt won’t be working for the whole day… Maybe we can take a walk together,” her aunt replied, then turned to leave.

“But, Aunt, you still need to take a shower,” she shouted, watching her aunt slowly walk toward the kitchen.

“Yes… yes… but later. For now, you go take a shower, and then we’ll have breakfast!” her aunt ordered.

She simply smiled, understanding her aunt’s nature. She closed her bedroom door and walked to the bathroom. She removed the clothes sticking to her body and let the warm water from the shower hit her face. It felt really nice and refreshing.

After her shower, she dressed in casual clothes and glanced at the clock, which showed it was still 8 a.m. She came out of the room and saw her aunt already seated at the dining table, sipping her coffee milk. She took a seat beside her.

“Don’t you have plans to go out with your lover?” her aunt teased.

“Aunt, Cander is just a friend. I’ve told you already!” she replied nervously.

“As for friends… I usually go out alone, but Cander told me himself that you two are dating,” her aunt exclaimed, glancing at her.

“When did he say that, Aunt?” she asked nervously, as her aunt was unaware that Cander was not a normal human.

“Oh, so my niece is starting to get naughty, huh? Keeping men in her room at night and alone,” her aunt discovered that Cander often slept in her room.

“Aunt… but we didn’t do anything; he just stayed with me,” she explained in awe.

“Alright, Auntie believes you. So relax, dear,” her aunt smiled at her this time.

“Then where is Cander now, Aunt?” she asked, starting to wonder about the man’s whereabouts.

“He went home first; he said he had something to take care of!” her aunt answered, putting a piece of fried sausage in her mouth.

“What, Aunt, do you already know about…” she hesitated, nervous about telling her aunt that she was going to live with Cander.

“About what, dear?” her aunt asked, curious.

“About…” she didn’t finish her sentence and reconsidered.

“Question?” her aunt asked, looking impatient.

“So, Auntie. Cander wants to invite me to live with him. He said I would be safe there, and you could stay there as well,” she said, closing her eyes in fear of seeing her aunt’s reaction.

“Well, if it gets crowded, it’s not a problem. The reason is, it’s too quiet here. I’m planning to sell this house because the residents here are very busy with their affairs. I sometimes feel sorry seeing you sitting alone while I’m working,” her aunt replied calmly.

She opened her eyes and looked at her aunt, who was also looking at her. “So, Auntie… seriously?” she asked, trying to be reassured.

“Certainly… Cander said he has two younger sisters who are the same age as you. You could become close friends. Then, when I’m working, you won’t feel lonely,” her aunt smiled, and she immediately stood up to hug her.

“Hey… hey… don’t hug me, or I won’t be able to breathe!” her aunt teased.

“Thank you, Auntie. I love you very much!” she murmured.

“Auntie loves you very much too, dear,” her aunt said, hugging her back tightly.

Knock… Knock…

The sound of knocking on the door interrupted their warm embrace. She looked toward the door. “Aunt, let Vina open the door,” she called, walking away.

She walked to the door and slowly opened it. She saw Cander, looking very handsome, standing in front of her. He was wearing only a short-sleeved red shirt, making all the tattoos on his arms clearly visible. He smiled and immediately kissed her forehead. Behind him stood two men named Harry and Lathan.

“Is your aunt not working today?” Cander asked after she invited them inside.

“No… my aunt is in the kitchen, probably preparing breakfast,” she replied with a sweet smile.

“Have you had breakfast yet?” she asked him.

“There you go, dear!” he said.

“Then why did you bring your two friends here?” she asked again, and the two men behind Cander slightly bowed.

“We are here on Alpha Luna’s orders. He asked us to pick up Luna’s needs!” answered Lathan, the handsome man who had greeted her when she first visited Pack Cander.

“But my stuff isn’t much; you must be putting your friends to trouble,” she said disapprovingly.

“No, dear. It’s all part of their job!” Cander replied.

“Yes, Luna. It’s our job as well as our responsibility,” Harry added.

“What’s going on? Vina, why aren’t the guests seated yet…” her aunt’s voice, coming from behind, was cut off when she saw Lathan.

“Mines!” muttered Lathan suddenly, and she raised one eyebrow. When she wanted to ask, Cander kissed the palm of her hand, making her cheeks turn red.

She looked at the two people who were staring at each other intently. They seemed to have known each other for a long time. Strangely, her aunt appeared both irritated and nervous. She had no idea what was happening. Cander held her right hand tightly.

“Introducing Auntie. This is Harry and Lathan; they are my two friends,” Cander announced, and she saw her aunt smiling normally at Harry, then starting to smile awkwardly at Lathan.

“Auntie, Cander has something to discuss with you,” she said, trying to diffuse the awkward situation. “Alright, sit down,” her aunt ordered.

They all started to sit down. She sat with Cander, who occasionally played with her hair. She saw Harry busy stroking the scarf and Lathan looking nervous, just like her aunt, who also seemed unusual.

“Here, please eat and drink first,” her aunt brought warm chocolate milk and a few sandwiches.

After the warm talk and finishing the food and drinks, Cander began discussing her goals and reasons for living with him. However, Cander did not reveal the real reason— that she was his mate and he was a werewolf. She glanced again at Lathan, who was paying close attention to her aunt, then looked back at her aunt, who was starting to appear restless. As Cander explained, her aunt seemed uncomfortable with the man in front of her.

“So, what do you say?” Cander asked politely.

“Are they both going to live in the same house with us?” her aunt did not answer directly but instead asked a question.

“No… they have their own homes. Harry is married, while Lathan lives alone. So, what do you think?” Cander asked again, still holding her hand.

“I give my permission for Vina to live with you, but… Aunt still wants to stay home for a few days to think,” her aunt replied.

“I don’t want to go if Aunt is not with me!” she exclaimed to Cander.

“Dear… go with Cander. Auntie will be here for a short while. After that, Auntie will visit you if she has time because she has a lot of work,” her aunt ordered.

After the brief discussion, she saw Lathan leave first, followed by her aunt entering her room. She was even more surprised by the two’s behavior, as if they were hiding something.

“Honey… I’ll wait near the car, so prepare your things,” Cander instructed, and she went to her room to pack her clothes.

“Sort out your issues with your mate, Lathan. Don’t make the same mistakes as before,” Cander said firmly while patting his best friend’s shoulder.

“Alpha, I… I just couldn’t believe he was my mate. I don’t know where to start,” Lathan whispered with a faint smile.

“Try to fix all your mistakes; don’t give up, friend,” Cander encouraged again before entering the house with Lena.

“I’m not sure if Lena still wants to talk to me,” Lathan muttered, rubbing his face roughly with both hands.