She was currently in the car with Cander beside her, while Lathan and Harry occupied the front seats. She glanced at Lathan, who appeared burdened with troubles, while Cander relaxed, leaning against her shoulder. Cander had also intertwined his hand with hers. She wondered what had transpired between her aunt and Lathan.

She began to suspect whether her aunt was aware of Lathan and his friends being werewolves. However, her aunt seemed to harbor a strong dislike for the handsome man. If her aunt truly despised werewolves, it was inconceivable that she would allow her to date Cander or associate with his friends.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Cander asked, kissing her on the right cheek.

“I... I’m curious!” she answered in a whisper, though she knew her voice was likely audible to everyone due to their heightened senses as werewolves.

“Curious about what?” Cander whispered back.

“About Lathan and my aunt,” she said.

“Just ask Lathan yourself, honey. He’s right here,” Cander replied, his voice rising.

She quickly covered Cander’s mouth. “Don’t speak too loudly; Lathan might hear and get upset if he feels we are prying into his personal life,” she warned, trying to keep her voice down.

“No one would dare reprimand their Luna, especially not in the presence of their Alpha,” Cander’s loud voice made Harry smile.

“Luna, I would never scold or do anything that could harm or threaten your safety. I would even die to protect you!” Lathan said with a faint smile in the car’s rearview mirror.

“Hahaha... you don’t need to be so serious. Hmm... you heard, I’m sorry, Cander really didn’t mean to offend. If you have any concerns, please don’t take them to heart, we didn’t intend to offend you!” she quickly reassured Lathan, worried about offending him.

“Quickly, Cander, apologize!” she urged, noticing the innocent expression on Cander’s face.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Cander protested.

“But since you’ve offended Lathan, you should apologize!” she insisted.

“Alright, darling,” Cander said, extending his right hand, and Lathan responded awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, Lathan. We won’t discuss you any further,” she said, and Cander immediately embraced her.

“Ca... Cander, let go of me!” she tried to wriggle out of his embrace.

“Why?” Cander asked, disapproving of her protest.

“Someone’s watching,” she answered shyly.

“It’s fine, they won’t dare mock us,” Cander said, tightening his hug even more.

And so, whether she liked it or not, Cander held her close, and she felt comforted in his arms. Her eyes grew heavy, and she eventually fell asleep in his embrace.

The next day...

She found herself unable to focus at the office. Her work was nearly impossible to complete accurately due to lack of sleep.

Her mind kept drifting to Lathan, the man she had long awaited, who had reappeared in her life. There was a fear inside her that she couldn’t articulate. Call her old-fashioned, but she was scared of falling for the same man again.

She sighed in frustration as she looked at the stack of documents on her desk. By noon, all the documents should have been completed. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then heard a knock on her door.

Knock. Knock.

A tall man with blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes smiled at her as he entered her room. He casually sat beside her, resting his head on the table. She ignored his presence.

“What’s with the paperwork today? It seems like they’re always piling up,” he remarked, glancing at her.

“I can’t focus at all,” she replied angrily.

“What’s wrong with you? It seems like you’re not yourself,” the man named Kevin asked.

“I don’t know, I’m at a loss,” she said slowly, propping her chin on her hands.

“Would you like to go out with me?” Kevin, one of her coworkers whom she considered a good guy, invited. Unfortunately, he was not an ordinary man; Kevin was openly same-sex and often confided in her about his breakups. As a friend, she always listened to his stories. Initially, Kevin hadn’t been that way, but he had been hurt by a woman in the past.

“No... I’ll just stay here!” she replied lazily.

“Oh, come on. You owe me from before, so you have to come with me!” Kevin insisted, making a pleading face.

“You’re a blackmailer, but alright. Let’s go,” she said, and Kevin looked so pleased that he started walking ahead.

They walked to a nearby café. The cold air this month wasn’t too harsh, but there was still snow. She always brought her warm coat, and as usual, Kevin held one of her hands. She didn’t mind, as Kevin liked to make jokes to cheer her up.

She noticed that the streetlights hadn’t been turned on yet, and the snow on the street had thinned. She was glad because it made walking easier. She saw several vendors selling various goods and glanced at a shop selling accessories. It reminded her of the first gift Lathan had given her.

She shook her head, trying to focus on the present. She didn’t hate the past, but she didn’t want to be stuck in it. She looked at Kevin, who was staring at a herbal tea shop.

“Do you want to go there?” she asked.

“No, not now. I want coffee!” he replied with a warm smile.

“Okay, let’s go,” she said briefly and continued walking.

Before they reached the coffee shop where Kevin usually went, he suddenly stopped, causing her to stop as well. She looked at him, and he looked back at her.

“What is it?” she asked curiously.

“Do you know the man over there?” Kevin asked, looking ahead.

She followed his gaze and her eyes widened when she saw that the man Kevin referred to was Lathan. He was now in front of her and was looking at Kevin with distaste.

“No, I don’t know him!” she replied, turning her face away to find something else to focus on.

“But... but it looks like he’s walking towards us,” Kevin said. She looked in front, and indeed, Lathan was approaching them, wearing the same jacket from when they first met.

“Hi!” Lathan said when he arrived in front of them.

“Oh, hello,” Kevin replied with a smile.

“Can I speak to her?” Lathan asked, his gaze fixed on her.

“Are you his friend?” Kevin asked, looking at her and then at Lathan.

“Ah... yes, I forgot. He’s an old friend. Kevin,” she answered before Lathan could.

“Ah... I see. Well, then, I guess I’ll have coffee alone. Have a good time!” Kevin said, releasing her hand and walking away, leaving only her and Lathan.

“Hi!” Lathan said, making small talk.

“Yes,” she replied curtly, still avoiding eye contact.

“I have something to tell you!” Lathan said.

“I don’t want to hear it,” she answered in a low, almost whispering voice.

“You said we were old friends, right?” Lathan asked with a smile.

“T...that,” she didn’t know what else to say, as she honestly didn’t know how to handle the situation.

“You said we are old friends, so you don’t mind accepting my invitation to accompany me somewhere,” Lathan proposed.

“Fine, but no hand-holding. I’d prefer we keep our distance and appear normal,” she replied with an awkward smile.

“Okay, that’s fine. Whatever you want,” Lathan agreed, and they began walking together.

“What are you doing now?” he asked casually, maintaining a distance beside her.

“I have a job, sufficient money, and a house,” she replied, trying to sound content.

“What are you doing now?” she asked.

“Working, nothing else,” he replied with a smile.

“So, where are you headed?” she inquired, glancing at him occasionally.

“For coffee or something warm,” he said thoughtfully.

“Alright, do you know the purpose?” she asked again.

“I don’t know. I’m afraid I might make another mistake,” he said. Her heart ached, and she stopped. Lathan looked at her with a sad expression.

“Can we just appear normal? I really don’t want to discuss this,” she replied, walking past him.

They arrived at a café that was neither too crowded nor too quiet, perhaps due to it being past lunchtime or because visitors were reluctant to come. Lathan held the door open for her, and she entered first, followed by him. He chose a seat in a well-lit area, and she followed.

She liked the atmosphere of the café, with the dominant aroma of cakes and coffee. However, she still felt uncomfortable in front of the man who was blatantly staring at her. She tried hard to look away, but their eyes met by accident.

A pair of reddish-brown eyes she missed looked at her with various emotions. Every time she looked into those eyes, she felt lost. She knew it wasn’t good, but she couldn’t stop herself from turning her head away from him.