“Don’t be afraid, Seraphina. Although they may look terrifying, they usually take on human forms. They only transform into wolves under specific circumstances.”
“But this monster has always appeared before me in such a horrifying form,” I said. “Werewolves aren’t supposed to be like this, are they?”
“Some werewolves transform into wolves during a full moon. Others are less skilled and have weaker control over their bodies. When they catch the scent of something sweet they like, they lose control and turn into wolves.”
I couldn’t help but feel surprised. “Could the werewolf following me be one of the latter?”
After all, I remembered that the moon hadn’t been full these past few days. And when I encountered it today, it was still daytime.
“Possibly,” Magnus replied.
“So, what is this sweet scent? Perfume?”
I glanced down at my outfit. I wasn’t wearing any perfume, just my club uniform. I didn’t think I had any strong scent on me-certainly nothing as overpowering as Vivienne’s perfume. Her fragrance was so intense you could smell it from meters away.
“It’s hard to explain,” Magnus said, staring at me. Then, suddenly, he leaned in close to my neck and took a deep breath.
We were so close that I could feel his body heat and his warm breath. The sensation sent shivers down my neck, and my heart raced with a mix of fear and an inexplicable excitement.
In a low, husky voice, he explained, “Seraphina, it’s not perfume they’re drawn to. It’s the natural scent that comes from someone’s body.”
I couldn’t quite describe how I felt, but I suddenly realized that the relationship between Magnus and me was becoming somewhat ambiguous. I tried to pull away from his embrace.
I picked up the glass of water on the table and took a sip, trying to mask my inner turmoil.
Magnus continued, “Don’t worry. Generally, werewolves won’t harm you. They might just be… intrigued by you.”
“By me? I don’t have anything special.”
“Or perhaps you’ve had contact with a werewolf before?”
“A werewolf?”
“I…”
Wait. Suddenly, I thought of Keal. No, that couldn’t be! Although he had many strange traits, I wasn’t ready to accept the existence of werewolves.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that Magnus’s words were somewhat leading. I decided to change the subject.
“Magnus, you seem to know a lot about werewolves,” I said, finally realizing this. “Aren’t you afraid of them?”
Magnus paused for a moment, then turned to put away his tablet.
“At first, I was scared,” he admitted. “But I couldn’t help but learn more about them. The more I learned, the less frightening they seemed. In fact, I think werewolves might be the most perfect creatures in the world.”
His words shocked me. I never expected Magnus, a medical student, not only to believe in such creatures but also to describe them as “perfect.”
“They live like humans most of the time, but they possess extraordinary abilities-like teleportation and mind links. Don’t you think that’s cool, Seraphina? Humans can’t do those things, but werewolves can.”
“That’s true… but… wouldn’t they hurt humans?” I took a step back, unsure of what I was afraid of.
“Not necessarily. I think they’re like wolves-they have their own territorial instincts and rules. Harming humans or getting involved in the human world would expose them.”
“What I’m saying is, humans could potentially unlock their own physical potential by becoming werewolves.”
“Plus, even if they get injured, their wounds heal instantly,” Magnus added, pointing to the cut on my face. “For example, that wound on your face could heal in an instant.”
His words made my heart skip a beat. It felt as if he had seen right through me!
This speculation weighed on me like a massive stone, making it hard to breathe.
Magnus’s comment was probably just a coincidence. What I should be questioning was the wound on my face. Had it healed because of the werewolf? Had that red-eyed monster helped me?
Magnus had just said that the werewolf might be interested in me… If it saw me injured, maybe it would help…
No…
The thought of that ugly, terrifying creature filled me with dread. That couldn’t be possible, right? It couldn’t be as Magnus said.
“Seraphina, are you okay? You don’t look well. Maybe you should lie down and rest for a bit?” Magnus noticed my unease and stepped forward, taking my arm to guide me to the nearby hospital bed.
“I’m fine… but…” I wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out.
How could I explain this? Magnus would look at me like I was a monster.
“Are you hungry? It’s almost dinnertime. How about we grab something to eat?”
“Okay…” That sounded like a good idea.
Besides, I remembered that I had promised to treat Magnus to dinner last night. This was the perfect opportunity.
There were plenty of restaurants around the Eagle Club, ranging from fast food like burgers and fried chicken to high-end Michelin-starred establishments.
When I asked Magnus what he wanted to eat, he turned the question back to me. “Seraphina, ladies first. You choose.”
Alright! Since Magnus left the decision to me, I naturally picked the restaurant that served my favorite mac and cheese.
It was an Italian restaurant, already bustling with customers. We found an empty table and sat down to order.
I had planned to let Magnus choose since I was treating him, but he insisted, “You go ahead. I’ll eat whatever you order.”
Magnus was being incredibly polite, but I wasn’t sure what he liked, so I ended up ordering a variety of the restaurant’s signature dishes: tuna-topped beef, pan-seared steak, mushroom risotto, Capricciosa pizza, fruit salad, tiramisu, and, of course, my beloved mac and cheese.
The restaurant was reasonably priced, so I could afford it. I thought the portions would be more than enough for the two of us.
I showed Magnus the menu, and he nodded enthusiastically. “Seraphina, these are all dishes I like. Can we add a Carpaccio?”
“Of course!” I asked the waiter to add it to our order.
Soon, the food arrived, beautifully plated. But I found myself most drawn to the mac and cheese. Just looking at it made all my bad moods vanish.
I had to admit, good food was better than any medicine.
“Wow, this dish is really delicious,” Magnus said as he ate the Carpaccio. His blue eyes sparkled with delight, clearly enjoying it.
“If you like it, you can finish it all,” I said with a smile. I wasn’t a fan of raw beef-medium-rare was my limit.
“Then I won’t hold back,” Magnus said, polishing off the entire plate. He ate every last bite, leaving nothing behind.
After finishing, he turned his attention to the other dishes.
“These all look delicious,” he said, his voice filled with interest.
I noticed that Magnus, at this moment, seemed like a child, fascinated by the food in front of him. It was as if he had never tried these dishes before.
He carefully tasted each one, examining and sniffing them before eating. It was like he was experiencing them for the first time.
I couldn’t help but wonder-did Magnus not eat out often? Hadn’t he ordered takeout in his dorm before?
I was already full after eating some mac and cheese. Magnus, however, had a surprisingly large appetite. I handed him the menu to see if he wanted more.
This was a budget Italian restaurant, so the food wasn’t exactly authentic. Magnus ended up ordering a dish that few people ever chose-braised liver.
After finishing, he said contentedly, “Hmm, the meat here doesn’t taste like meat. I mean, it lacks the natural flavor of meat.”
“Maybe it’s because it’s all frozen?” I knew the meat at such cheap restaurants wasn’t fresh.
“Yeah, I’ve eaten at many places like this, and the meat from takeout always tastes this way. That’s why I usually buy my own.”
“You go to the supermarket?”
“Yes, or sometimes directly to the butcher or a farm. I have a few trusted suppliers.”
Magnus seemed to realize what he had said. “Oh, sorry. I really enjoyed the meal. I just have strong opinions about meat.”
I laughed. “A bit of a picky opinion.”
“It’s just my interest,” he said, wiping his mouth.
I could tell he wasn’t being critical of me-it was just a matter of personal taste. I made a mental note to maybe cook him a meal with fresh ingredients someday.
Wait! I shouldn’t be thinking that far ahead. It was too much.
The rest of our meal was pleasant. He even used the leftover ingredients to share some interesting anatomy facts with me.
But what struck me as odd was that I had dated Lucian for six months, so I had a rough idea of how much a guy could eat. Magnus’s appetite, however, surpassed even that of Lucian, who was a boxer. It was truly astonishing.