Alisa felt like her luck had run out. She hadn’t planned to return to the world of the wolves. It didn’t seem like the right place for her. Even though it was filled with adventure and the natural world, she had never been fond of taking risks. Her journeys had always been forced, and if she could, she would need her own little nest where she could sleep soundly, whether it was summer or winter.
Aldrich’s estate was too luxurious, and she was afraid she’d lose herself there one day.
But Marvin, that ill-advised troublemaker, insisted on following her and stayed by her side.
“I’ve never seen the human world,” he said, acting like a spoiled child.
Alisa couldn’t do much about him and decided to treat him like air, letting him move within her line of sight.
“Don’t act like some naive country bumpkin,” she warned him. “Don’t attract attention, don’t get us into trouble, and especially, don’t wander too far from me. Otherwise, I won’t be able to clean up your mess.”
Marvin agreed to all of it but had his mind on the roadside ice cream.
A small mobile ice cream stand caught their attention. The Mexican vendor behind the counter had a smile on his face as he watched the two of them. Alisa was tempted to drag Marvin away, but she noticed the sign: two dollars for a large cone with sugar needles sprinkled on top, and an extra ten cents for an additional flavor scoop.
It reminded her of her childhood when she and Maggie used to yearn for ice cream from such stalls, yet they couldn’t afford a whole scoop. They’d secretly lick a bit of sugar needle they’d swiped with their fingers.
“What flavor do you want?” She decided to give in, as if making up for her childhood regrets. After all, she never had the chance to buy Maggie one, and when she had grown up, Maggie no longer liked sweets, especially after her taste preferences changed during her pregnancy.
Marvin, with an ice cream cone in hand, looked satisfied. “You could just ask Aldrich for a card. He has these cards that you can use in his shopping centers. Although I’ve never been to the human world, it should work, right?”
Eventually, they both bought ice cream. As they passed the stall, Marvin stared longingly at the ice cream, and the Mexican vendor couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Alisa wanted to drag him away, but the sign caught her eye: two dollars for a large cone with sugar needles and an extra ten cents for an additional flavor scoop.
It reminded her of her childhood, when she and Maggie used to long for ice cream from such stalls. They could never afford a whole scoop and would secretly lick a bit of sugar needle they’d swiped with their fingers.
“What flavor do you want?” She decided to give in, as if making up for her childhood regrets. After all, she never had the chance to buy one for Maggie. When she finally grew up, Maggie no longer enjoyed sweets, especially after her pregnancy changed her taste preferences.
Marvin, with a strawberry-flavored pink ice cream cone in hand, looked content. “You’re definitely a doting sister.”
“If you had grown up with Aldrich from a young age, sleeping together, eating together, running away together, you’d also turn into a doting brother like me. The difference is you have too many choices. You can choose to stay with your father instead of being with Aldrich.”
“But you don’t seem to have any interest in partners,” Marvin observed. “Maggie had a previous partner, but you don’t seem to be interested in men at all.”
“Most of the pain in Maggie’s and my lives stems from men,” Alisa said with determination. “She still has hope and fantasies about men and love, longing to build new families with them. I’m different. If a man can’t provide value to me, he’s meaningless. I don’t crave love. My career is enough to fill my life.”
Marvin nodded in understanding. “So you’re a career-oriented woman. Just like Grace.”
“You can’t forget about Grace, can you?”
“I don’t know. The lifespan of werewolves is not directly proportional to their mates. Many werewolves have only one mate in their lifetime, and some may even die of heartache after losing their mate. My situation isn’t that bad, but I’ve spent many sleepless nights after losing her, and the pain in my heart constantly reminds me that I’ve been abandoned by my mate.”
He vividly remembered the pain that felt like his heart wanted to jump out of his chest. Bones could regrow, and flesh torn apart could heal, but once the heart was gone, that meant certain death.
Alisa, who didn’t understand this kind of system, didn’t know how to respond.
“Can’t that condition be relieved?” She asked cautiously.
“Only the deity can control your pain. You don’t know when the deity will be in a good mood or a bad mood. Some are lucky enough to find new mates, while others are tormented by this pain for a lifetime. I don’t belong to the lucky ones, but I did genuinely love her. It wasn’t just pheromones that attracted me to her; it was her pride, her determination. Unfortunately, I wasn’t worthy of her.”
Alisa patted his back gently. “You’re going to melt if you don’t eat your ice cream soon.”
“Oh.”
Marvin ended up moving into the house Alisa had rented without any good reason. He looked around, somewhat disdainful. “Are all human houses this small? They’re so plain.”
The owner of the modest house rolled her eyes. “Well, my house is for living, not for keeping wolves.”
Marvin flapped his big eyes. “Can I sleep on the bed?”
“No,” Alisa rejected him mercilessly. “There’s only one bed in the house, and you can sleep on the floor or the couch.”
“Is it because you’re afraid of falling in love with me?”
Alisa forced a smile. “Interspecies romance isn’t something I can support as a doctor. There’s reproductive isolation.”
Marvin was not satisfied. “What about your sister? Do they have reproductive isolation too?”
That question caught Alisa off guard. She had never really thought about how those two embryos had formed. However, that wasn’t the most important issue at the moment. Both children were healthy, and Maggie was in good health. It wasn’t something she needed to worry about.
The priority was to order a new bed so she wouldn’t have to see this idiot hogging her precious couch.
“Go ahead, clear the stuff under the window, we’re going to put the bed there.”
Marvin’s eyes lit up. “You’re getting me a bed!” He thought that this woman might be taking revenge on him by making him sleep on the floor indefinitely.
“It’s fine. I’ll send the bed costs to your little brother; let the Barrett Group cover it.” Even if she wasn’t entirely serious about making the Barrett Group pay, she didn’t want to be taken advantage of. “If the movers can come today, you’ll sleep on a bed tonight. Otherwise, you’ll have to make do with the floor for one more night.”
“Alisa, you’re so kind,” Marvin said with a cute puppy-like expression on his face.
Although she knew this man was a master of manipulation and was just trying to win her over, Alisa still found herself momentarily stunned by that face. But she quickly regained her composure. “Just make sure the Barrett Group chips in a little extra for the rent.”