They rushed to the scene where the incident involving Vampires hunting humans had occurred, and indeed, a car had crashed into a large tree. Two humans lay lifeless, their blood pooling beneath them, while the Vampires perched mockingly in the branches above. Cander's two Betas immediately felled the tree where the bloodsuckers were perched.

"What more do you want, huh?" Harry shouted, ready to attack.

"We just want to eat... what's wrong, Alpha?" the Vampires replied in mocking tones, their disgusting faces twisted in amusement.

The sound of cracking bones echoed painfully in their ears. In an instant, they all transformed into wolves, and many of Cander's pack members arrived. He noticed the faces of the four Vampires turn pale as they began to retreat, and he smiled proudly at their fear.

The Vampires fled, quickly pursued by several wolves. Suddenly, a pleasant aroma pierced Cander's nose. He saw a petite girl running toward the abandoned car; thankfully, his bodyguards had already taken the two humans away, or his mate would have panicked.

He watched as she searched for something, and his wolf roared inside him, tensing at the sight. The girl glanced at his imposing wolf with a frightened expression, making her look even cuter. Cander approached her slowly, and she remained frozen until he was right in front of her. He couldn't help but chuckle when she muttered, "Don't eat me!" It was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

Lowering his head to the snow below, he watched as she slowly opened her beautiful eyes. Her shocked expression, mixed with fear, made him smile. When she called him a dog, he couldn't help but grin. He began to playfully engage with his mate, but when she named his wolf "Black," he couldn't resist kissing her cheek.

"Wow, you're smart, huh," she exclaimed happily.

"Then I have to go home... bye," the girl waved and disappeared into the trees. Cander immediately raced back to his palace, eager to prepare everything his mate might need.

Elsewhere...

Elvina walked home, still thinking about the big pitch-black dog she had encountered in the forest, with her cat, Scarf, following closely behind. As she opened her door, the house phone rang, and without hesitation, she answered it.

"Hello?" she said.

"Darling, it's Auntie. Can you pick up some medicine?" her aunt requested.

"Is Auntie sick?" Elvina asked, concern filling her voice.

"Just a headache, honey," her aunt replied, and Elvina could hear the smile in her voice.

"Okay, Auntie. I'll buy it," Elvina said before hanging up and heading to the pharmacy.

As she walked toward the city, a beautiful, tall woman bumped into her. Elvina stumbled, surprised at how she had fallen despite the woman's slim frame.

"I'm sorry... are you okay?" the woman asked softly, pulling Elvina from her reverie.

"Uh... yeah, it's okay," Elvina replied, and the woman helped her to her feet.

"Are you new here?" the beautiful woman inquired.

"Yes... I'll excuse myself now," Elvina replied, starting to walk toward the pharmacy.

"Hey... the drugstore over there is closed. There's another one just left around the corner," the woman suggested.

"How did you know I wanted to buy medicine?" Elvina asked, curious.

"I saw someone rushing with a worried face... of course, someone must be sick," the woman answered with a smile.

"Thank you... hope you feel better soon," the woman called as she walked away.

Elvina smiled and continued toward the pharmacy that the woman had recommended. She bought some pain medicine for her aunt and other supplies that might be needed.

Glancing at the wall clock in the shop, she saw it was 5:30 PM. After getting the medicine, she headed home, but at the crossroads, she noticed a tall, muscular man covered in tattoos leaning against the wall of a building.

A feeling of discomfort washed over her. The man smiled and waved, and she quickly looked behind her, realizing she was alone on the street with this tattooed stranger she had met at the cake shop.

"What are you doing there, honey?" the man called, closing the distance between them.

"You... how... were you there?" she stammered awkwardly.

"Don't you want to go home? It's getting late," his deep, gravelly voice reminded her of someone from her dreams.

"I-I’m about to head home," she replied, trying to suppress her fear.

"Do I look scary?" he asked, crouching down to her level, aware that her small stature only reached his lower chest.

"I have to go home," she insisted, trying to step away from him.

She ran as fast as she could to escape him, but he was right behind her. The discomfort intensified as he continued to follow, prompting her to quicken her pace into a half-run. Suddenly, her right foot slipped, and she swayed, but he caught her before she fell into the snow.

"Take it slow when walking, honey. You could get hurt," his voice sent her heart racing.

Their faces were now very close, and she took in his handsome features. She noticed the tattoos around his neck but felt too intimidated to think about it. His aquiline nose, full lips, and striking eyes made her forget everything else.

"Uh... t-thank you," she managed to say.

"It’s nothing," he replied, surprising her when he kissed her right cheek. As she turned to look at him, he smiled sweetly.

"I have to go," she exclaimed, stepping back.

Her body felt weightless as he caught her again, and she was sure her face was now flushed. The cold air no longer made her shiver; she felt warm next to him.

"D-Drop me... put me down," she protested, trying to squirm away, but he held her securely.

"Relax... your feet will hurt more!" he insisted, and oddly, she felt comfortable in his embrace.

"Sweetheart... where's your house?" he asked.

"Can you stop calling me that?" she responded, loving the term but feeling shy about it.

"Hahaha... okay, little girl, where do you live?" he asked again.

"There... you can turn at the end of the street," she pointed.

When they arrived at her house, he gently set her down on an outdoor chair. After she handed him the key, he opened the door and picked her up again, placing her on the couch. Scarf jumped down from the sofa and eyed the man with disapproval.

"What are you doing?" Elvina asked in surprise as he began to remove her shoes and massage her sore feet.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"N-no. Ahhh..." she gasped as he pressed her bruised leg. Tears streamed down her cheeks, the pain overwhelming.

"Sorry..." he murmured, his voice low as he wiped her tears away with his thumb.

He left her speechless, kissing her forehead before walking toward the door and disappearing. She couldn't understand her feelings; for some reason, his departure left an emptiness in her chest. Yet, she felt a sense of happiness at how gentle he had been with her.