The werewolf community had experienced stronger effects from the Blood Moon the previous night, leading to outbreaks of rogue violence and restlessness among the pack.
The most severe incident involved a fully grown wolf that had transformed in the heart of a bustling street, attacking humans. It left three people seriously injured. The human police had resorted to high defensive measures, opening fire on the ferocious black wolf. However, the black wolf managed to overpower the police and savagely bit the vulnerable neck of one of the officers. Terrified screams filled the street, and intense flashes of white light illuminated the scene. Suddenly, the black wolf halted its attack and fled.
Video footage of the incident went viral on social media platforms, accumulating hundreds of millions of views and shares. Authorities were still investigating, but the werewolf community was on edge. Charlie anxiously waited for Aldrich’s response.
Inside Barrett Manor, it was equally turbulent. Maggie, usually in good health, was suddenly plagued by morning sickness. Not only did she react violently to the scent of fish but even desserts caused her intense nausea.
Maggie leaned over the sink, retching uncontrollably. Aldrich, deeply concerned, gently patted her back. “How did this happen? You didn’t have such severe morning sickness before.”
“It’s terrible…” Maggie’s face was deathly pale, devoid of color. “The ingredients at Barrett Manor are all fresh and clean. There should be no problems.”
The silver wolf within Aldrich was equally anxious. “Think of a solution quickly!”
“I’ll ask the babies what’s going on.” Aldrich attempted to establish a link with the babies. “Hey, little wolves, how are you feeling?”
“Why is Daddy suddenly interested? It’s strange!”
“Because he lied to us using our connection last night. Daddy, I heard everything!”
Aldrich cut off their banter. “Did you feel uncomfortable, like hating the smell of food?”
“Nothing of the sort. Everything is normal. We’re well-behaved. We won’t make Mom’s childbirth difficult!”
Knowing the babies were safe, Aldrich offered a few more words and then severed the link. He helped Maggie to the couch. Charlie had observed the conversation and, in his anxious state, approached Aldrich. “Boss, did you see the message I sent? We need to act quickly to resolve the chaos. This time, the situation has implications for humans, and the riots are taking place in our BlueMoon Pack territory. Ethan and the others are just waiting for us to run into trouble.”
Aldrich signaled for Charlie to wait. Maggie, weakened, inquired, “What’s happened?”
“I don’t want you to worry about these issues. We can’t determine the cause of your morning sickness, but I can confirm that our babies haven’t been affected.” Aldrich tenderly brushed Maggie’s disheveled hair. It was only morning, yet he felt that morning sickness had already made Maggie lose weight significantly.
“As long as the babies are unaffected…” Maggie’s voice trembled as she covered her mouth to suppress another wave of nausea.
“The problem doesn’t seem to be at Barrett Manor, then it must be at the flower shop. Maggie, think carefully, was there anything unusual yesterday?”
Mrs. Jenkins’ touch!
The image flashed in Maggie’s mind as she realized it. When Mrs. Jenkins had touched her, there had been a momentary change in her feelings. It wasn’t easy to explain, but the babies hadn’t been affected, and this was Mrs. Jenkins, the only family Maggie had found so far. She couldn’t possibly suspect her.
Maggie shook her head frantically, feeling frustrated at her subconscious speculations. “It can’t be…”
“What’s wrong, Maggie? Tell me.” Aldrich asked with concern.
Maggie raised her head and saw the anxious Charlie standing behind Aldrich. She knew there must be a significant issue that required Aldrich’s attention, and she couldn’t let Aldrich waste his time at home because of her.
She weakly pushed Aldrich toward the door. “Human pregnancies come with morning sickness; it’s a normal reaction. Aldrich, you should go where you’re needed.”
Charlie added to the urgency. “Boss, we need to respond quickly.”
Aldrich took a deep breath. “Maggie, I’m sorry I can’t stay with you, but I hope you’ll feel better.”
His figure disappeared from the doorway. Maggie urgently waved for Elizabeth and rushed to the nearest bathroom. The head butler, Thomas, stood outside with a worried expression. All the staff members wore concerned looks.
Maggie lay on a chaise lounge, exhausted, and the sunlight streaming onto her body. The flowers on the table glistened with dew, and these were all silent gestures of affection from the staff.
Elizabeth attentively watched over her. “Would you like something to eat? Oh, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s alright, Elizabeth. You don’t need to be so careful. Perhaps if we divert our attention away from the morning sickness, it will quietly disappear.”
“You’re an optimistic person,” Elizabeth commented.
Thomas approached with a small notebook. “Madam, I found some methods on the internet, suggested by Mr. Barrett, to alleviate morning sickness in human pregnancies.”
“Thank you, we can give it a try,” Maggie replied with a smile.
“Perhaps you need some soothing music as well.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“The sunlight needs to be just right-not too intense, but not entirely absent either. We need to create some shade here.” As soon as Thomas had spoken, some of the staff began taking action.
Maggie expressed her gratitude. “Thank you all.”
“Madam, we’re more than happy to do this if it eases your discomfort.”
With everyone’s diligent care, Maggie finally drifted off to sleep.
In her dream, Maggie once again saw the silver wolf. This was the first time she had dreamt of the silver wolf since moving to Barrett Manor, and she felt that the wolf’s aura had completely changed. It no longer watched from afar or seemed surprised. It rushed towards her, and its thick fur enveloped her.
“Aldrich, is that you?” Maggie crawled out from under the silver wolf.
“I am his wolf, but we have reached a high degree of unity. We even share the same name.”
“Isn’t that different from other wolves?”
The silver wolf gave a proud, haughty snort. “Wolves do not submit to humans. They have a savage, bloodthirsty nature. Some wolves resist the control of werewolves, causing them to lose their senses and commit acts of violence against their own kind, loved ones, and partners.”
“That sounds terrifying…” Maggie seemed to understand the cause of the wolf pack’s violence.
“But Aldrich is different; we acknowledge each other. We share the same ambitions and mission until we met you…”
Maggie struggled to push aside the heavy and enormous head of the silver wolf. “Enough talk. Can you stop being so… passionate?”
The silver wolf greedily licked Maggie’s face and neck, and its paws roamed restlessly, sliding over Maggie’s skin. She was indignant. “Stop it, you pervert!”
The silver wolf reluctantly moved its massive body and said, “Why don’t you have a wolf, Maggie? I really want to mate with you…”
Maggie was taken aback. The silver wolf was incredibly direct, and she could sense Aldrich’s desires, but he would never express them so plainly. He would always respect her, unlike this wolf, whose paw had ventured toward more intimate areas.
“Stop, you jerk!” Maggie shouted at it.
Finally, it ceased its advances and nuzzled Maggie’s neck with its head. “I’m very worried about you, and I want to make love to you…”
“Sorry, I don’t see your concern,” Maggie replied.
“Yes, I’ve been bombarding Aldrich with words all morning. He didn’t take good care of you, and that’s why you’re suffering!”
“He’s been more than fine,” Maggie retorted.
“And what about me?”
Maggie hesitated to respond.
The silver wolf began to get restless again, and Maggie sighed. “Or maybe you can be quiet and let me hold you. In my heart, you’d also become better.”
“Really?”
Maggie nodded. “I really like the feeling of being surrounded by your fur, like being protected. It feels very safe.”
The silver wolf stopped causing a ruckus. In Maggie’s dream, she and the silver wolf found themselves on a vast grassy plain. The blue sky, white clouds, and gentle breeze over the grass created a beautiful scene, temporarily relieving the weariness and endless worries in her heart. She drifted in and out of sleep, thinking that someday, she would bring her family to a place like this.
But would such a future truly come to pass?