Vop Lena.

After I had dressed in my warm clothes and jackets, it was clear that I was once again nervous about meeting Lathan. The man had a way of making my world shift instantly. I wanted to resist, but my heart was unwilling.

I walked to the closet mirror and tried to smile faintly at my reflection. Suddenly, the scarf had slipped around my feet. I looked at the cat and then lifted it, meeting its blue eyes.

"You know, the man in the kitchen, who is using all my cooking utensils, is a shameless person. He always makes my heart ache repeatedly. And now he’s coming back into my life—how sinful," I muttered to myself.

"And it's even more foolish that I accepted him and intended to accept his presence as well as the relationship!" I continued.

"So what do you think, scarf? What should I do?" I asked the scarf still in my arms.

"Meow…" answered the cat, making me feel like a fool for talking to an animal. I lowered the scarf from my arms.

"Now, I look like a crazy person. What should I say and do in front of him?" I asked, tugging at my own hair.

"I can't be like this. I need to go out," I said, forcing a smile.

Determined, I opened the door to my room. From here, I could already smell a delicious aroma that made my stomach growl. I tried my best to appear calm, even though my stomach was in turmoil.

"Hi, do you like omelets and sausage?" he asked coolly, placing his cooking on a plate.

"No need to go to any trouble. I eat anything!" I replied, sitting down at one of the dining table chairs.

"Just like before," Lathan murmured, taking a seat beside me.

"I don't like discussing the past during breakfast," I said curtly.

Lathan smiled, and I remained silent, staring at the food on Lathan's plate. It wasn’t bad, but the taste was always delicious. In the past, Lathan used to make lunch for me, and my heart began to pound loudly.

"Eat! After that, we'll go to one of the places," Lathan said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Hey, I don’t know if I want to go with you. Besides, I’m not interested in inviting you," I answered softly, cutting the sausage.

"Then I'll stay here. With you," Lathan declared with his trademark smile.

"No… I’ll join, but don’t do anything," I warned.

After we finished eating, the two of us left my house. I noticed a large motorcycle parked in front of my door. Instead of heading toward his motorcycle, he turned toward the forest that my niece and her cat had entered.

"What are we doing there?" I asked in surprise.

"Of course, I want to show you something!" Lathan replied, holding my right hand.

"Let go of my hand," I ordered, trying to free my hand from his grasp.

"No, I missed you too much," he said, and this time I saw his eyes turn green.

The strangeness about Lathan no longer surprised me. Initially, I thought he was the weirdest person, but after a while, I didn’t feel that way anymore, especially after he confessed his feelings and ended it dramatically.

"You have to believe me..." he muttered, and I saw his eyes starting to return to normal.

"All right, but don’t touch me," I cried, slapping his hand.

"Okay, fine. Don’t fall behind," he said, and he immediately walked very quickly.

We entered a forest that was very cold and densely wooded. Even though I was wearing a jacket, it was still freezing. I glanced at Lathan, who was walking ahead without seeming to care about the cold.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my hands, trying to warm up. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my body. I opened my eyes and looked to the side. The owner of those strong arms was Lathan; he smiled and kissed my forehead.

It felt like a beautiful turmoil inside me. My cheeks flushed, and the warmth immediately spread to my ears as we continued walking through the snowy forest.

"Do you believe in myths?" Lathan asked seriously as we reached the middle of the forest.

I glanced at him. "What do you mean? You’ve suddenly become so interested in history. You used to hate it," I joked, nudging him.

"What if I’m a monster?" he asked, his tone very serious this time.

"What do you mean?"

Honestly, I was scared and confused by his words.

"What if you’re afraid of me, or what if I hurt or kill you?" His suggestion made me shiver with fear.

"You… Lathan, I really don’t like jokes like this. Please stop," I replied, panicking and trying to pull away, but his grip was like iron.

Suddenly, my body was lifted, and I found myself lying in a snowdrift with my head resting in his palm. Lathan was above me, and the position made my body go numb. I struggled again, but my hands were still held tightly by one of his.

"What if I were a werewolf? Would you still wait for me?" he asked again, and I was still unsure of the meaning behind his bizarre conversation.

"What if I’m a monster? Would you still accept me?" he asked once more, showing a pleading expression.

"I… I will accept you. And if you ever leave me again, I’ll make sure to hang you!" I threatened him.

"Okay, don’t be afraid or shout. Promise me," he said, pulling away from me.

I nodded slowly. "I… I promise," I mumbled.

I saw Lathan start to smile and take a step back. I stood up and took a step back as well. Lathan began to remove his shirt, revealing his muscular, tattooed stomach.

"What are you doing? Are you out of your mind? You could freeze to death, Lathan," I exclaimed, unable to hide my thoughts as I watched him strip in the snow.

"You’re about to meet another side of me," he said with a smile that left me stunned.

I turned my face away, trying not to look at his muscular stomach. The cold had faded, replaced by a warm sensation that made my skin boil.

"Come on, I’m not that bad!" he exclaimed.

"Okay… hurry up, where is this other side of you?" I asked, a bit mockingly.

"Look," he ordered, and his body began to make cracking noises that made me nervous for a moment.

Slowly, Lathan's human legs transformed into fur and became wolf paws. I backed away, stumbling over a rock and falling to my knees. The large, dark brown wolf before me sniffed around, and I tried not to show my fear, though my body was shaking. The wolf licked my left cheek, and I quickly closed my eyes to avoid getting drooled on.

"What are you doing, Lathan?" I shouted.

I opened my eyes to see the wolf embracing me, and my heart raced. The wolf resembled Lathan so closely, even down to the scent. In an instant, Lathan’s furry hands turned back into strong, tattooed hands.

"Now you see why I had to let you go!" Lathan exclaimed.

"I understand… but I still need time to process all this," I replied.

"Do you want to accept me back, not as a lover but as a companion for my life? To be the first and last in my life," Lathan whispered in my right ear.

"No," I insisted.

Lathan immediately released his embrace and looked at me with a difficult-to-define expression, a mix of disappointment and devastation. I tried to suppress my laughter at his expression, and when I laughed, I glanced at Lathan again, who looked annoyed.

"Is this all a joke?" he asked, his tone a mix of frustration and disbelief.

"Hahaha… I’m not joking. I seriously said no," I answered, trying to control my laughter.

"Okay, I understand," Lathan said, standing up and retrieving his clothes before walking away from me.

"Not in a literal sense. I can’t refuse you, and I can’t say no to you. I accept you, Lathan," I said with a smile.

The man who had started to walk away stopped and looked at me before running back. Lathan embraced me, and I hugged him back. We felt united once more after years of separation, bringing laughter and joy back into this complicated love story.

But one question remained: if Lathan is a wolf, does that mean Cander and his friends are wolves too? Does Vina know who they really are, or is she hiding it from me? Maybe Vina knows about my feelings for Lathan and has orchestrated everything.

"Does Vina know you’re a werewolf?" I asked.

"Of course. She’s our Luna. And she’s getting married in 3 or 5 days," Lathan said, leaving me in shock.

"Married?" I repeated in disbelief.

"That’s right, they’re getting married," Lathan confirmed, putting on his clothes.

"Why didn’t that little girl say she was getting married? She might want to marry without my permission. I’m her aunt, but my niece is already moving ahead. This is absolutely unbelievable!" I scolded myself.

I felt Lathan hugging me from behind and kissing my cheek repeatedly. "If you want… we can get married tomorrow or this afternoon," Lathan joked, making me freeze.