Lena had just finished dressing in her warm clothes and jackets, but the nerves she felt about meeting Lathan were undeniable. The man seemed to have the power to transform her world in an instant. Although she wanted to reject these feelings, her heart remained unwilling to let go.

She walked over to the closet mirror and attempted a faint smile at her reflection. Suddenly, her scarf fell to the floor. Lena looked down at the fluffy cat playing with it, then picked it up and gazed into its blue eyes.

“You know, the man in the kitchen using all my cooking utensils is a shameless person who constantly makes my heart ache. And now, he’s re-entering my life without any remorse,” she lamented to the scarf.

“And to make matters worse, I’ve accepted him and am trying to accept his presence in my life!” she continued, frustrated.

“So, what do you think, scarf? What should I do?” she asked, holding the scarf close.

“Mew...” responded the scarf, leaving Lena feeling like a fool for talking to an animal. She lowered the scarf from her arms.

“I must be crazy. What should I say or do in front of him?” she asked herself, pulling at her hair in anxiety.

“I can’t be like this. I need to go out,” she resolved, forcing a smile.

Determined, she opened her bedroom door. The delicious aroma from the kitchen made her stomach growl. She tried to appear casual despite the fluttering nerves in her stomach.

“Hi, you like omelets and sausage, right?” Lathan said coolly, placing the food on a plate.

“No need to go to any trouble. I’ll eat whatever,” Lena replied, sitting down at the dining table.

“Just like old times,” Lathan murmured, taking a seat next to her.

“I don’t like discussing the past at breakfast,” Lena said curtly.

Lathan smiled while Lena stared at the food on his plate. It wasn’t bad—his cooking was always delicious. The memory of him preparing meals for her in the past made her heart race.

“Eat up! After that, we’re going somewhere,” Lathan said, sipping his coffee.

“Hey, I’m not sure if I want to go with you. Besides, I’m not interested in inviting you,” Lena answered softly, cutting into the sausage.

“Then I’ll just stay here with you,” Lathan declared with his characteristic smile.

“No… I’ll join you, but don’t expect anything,” she threatened.

After finishing their meal, they left Lena’s house. She noticed a large motorcycle parked by her door. Instead of heading towards it, Lathan turned towards the forest that Lena’s niece and her cat had entered.

“What are we doing here?” Lena asked, surprised.

“I want to show you something,” Lathan replied, holding her right hand.

“Let go of my hand,” Lena ordered, trying to pull away.

“No, I missed you too much,” he said, his eyes now glowing green.

The strangeness of Lathan no longer surprised Lena. Initially, she had found him odd, but his confession of feelings had changed her perspective.

“You have to believe me…” he said softly, his eyes returning to normal.

“Alright, but don’t touch me,” she cried, slapping his hand away.

“Okay, fine. Just don’t fall behind,” he said, quickly moving ahead.

They entered a cold forest with dense trees. Despite her jacket, Lena felt the chill. She glanced at Lathan, who was walking ahead, indifferent to her discomfort.

She closed her eyes, rubbing her hands to find warmth. Suddenly, Lathan’s arm wrapped around her body. She opened her eyes to see him smiling and kissing her forehead.

A warm sensation spread through her, and her cheeks flushed. The cold seemed to be replaced by a comforting heat as they continued walking through the snowy forest.

“Do you believe in myths?” Lathan asked seriously as they reached the middle of the forest.

“What do you mean? You’ve become so interested in history. You used to hate it,” Lena joked, nudging him with her elbow.

“What if I were a monster?” Lathan asked, his tone serious.

“What do you mean?”

Lena felt a mixture of fear and confusion at his words.

“What if you were scared of me, or what if I harmed or killed you?” His words made Lena tremble.

“You… Lathan, I don’t like jokes like this. Please stop,” she replied, panicked and trying to escape, but his grip was like iron.

Suddenly, her body lifted, and she fell into a cold snowdrift with her head resting in his palm. Lathan hovered above her, and she felt numb from the position. She struggled, but his strength kept her in place.

“What if I were a werewolf? Would you still wait for me?” he asked, his voice serious.

“What if I’m a monster? Are you willing to accept me?” he asked again, showing a pitiful expression.

“I… I’ll accept you. And if you ever leave me again, I’ll make sure I hang on to you!” she threatened.

“Okay, don’t be afraid or shout. Promise me,” he urged, pulling away.

Lena nodded slowly. “I… I promise,” she mumbled.

Lathan smiled at her, then took a few steps back. Lena stood up and also stepped back. Lathan removed his shirt, revealing his muscular, tattooed torso.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy? You could freeze to death, Lathan,” Lena exclaimed, unable to stop herself from reacting.

“You’re about to meet another side of me,” Lathan said with a smile that left Lena stunned.

She turned her face away as she had been staring at his toned stomach, feeling the cold replaced by a heated flush.

“Come on, I’m not that bad!” Lathan encouraged.

“Okay… hurry up, where is the other side of you?” Lena asked, trying to keep her tone light.

“Look,” he said, and his body made bone-cracking sounds that startled Lena.

Slowly, Lathan’s legs transformed into wolf paws covered in fur. Lena took a step back, stumbling over a rock and falling to her knees. A large, dark brown wolf stood before her, sniffing around. Lena tried to remain composed despite shaking with fear. The wolf licked her cheek, and she quickly closed her eyes.

“What are you doing, Lathan?” she shouted.

When she opened her eyes, the wolf embraced her, causing her heart to race. The wolf resembled Lathan so closely, even in scent. In an instant, Lathan’s furry hands returned to their muscular, tattooed state.

“Now you see why I had to let you go,” Lathan said.

“I understand… but I still need time to process this,” Lena replied.

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

“No,” Lena insisted.

Lathan released her and looked at her with a mix of disappointment and sadness. Lena tried to stifle her laughter at his expression, but when she laughed, she saw his annoyance.

“Is this some kind of joke?” he asked, frustration evident in his tone.

“Hahaha… I’m not joking, I seriously said no,” Lena replied, struggling to control her laughter.

“Alright, I understand,” Lathan said, standing up and putting on his clothes before walking away.

“Not in a literal sense, I can’t refuse you. I accept you, Lathan,” Lena called out with a smile.

Lathan stopped and looked back at her, then ran towards her. He embraced her, and Lena hugged him back. They felt united once more after years of separation, rekindling their laughter and joy.

However, Lena had one lingering question: If Lathan was a werewolf, did that mean Cander and his friends were too? Did Vina know their true identities, or was she hiding it from Lena because she knew about Lena’s heartache with Lathan? Perhaps Vina had orchestrated it all.

“Does Vina know you’re a werewolf?” Lena asked.

“Of course, she is our Luna. And she’s getting married in three to five days,” Lathan replied, shocking Lena.

“Married?” Lena repeated, stunned.

“Yes, they’re getting married,” Lathan confirmed, putting on his clothes.

“Why didn’t Vina say anything about the wedding? It’s unbelievable that my niece would go ahead with it without consulting me,” Lena scolded herself.

Lathan hugged her from behind, kissing her cheek repeatedly. “If you want… we can get married tomorrow or this afternoon,” he joked, causing Lena to freeze in surprise.