I brought Marek back to my apartment.
When I opened the door and saw the balcony directly ahead, my mood became complicated.
Back then, Marek had been lying on that balcony, staring at me, and it had scared me half to death.
But now, I wasn’t afraid of him anymore. In fact, I had even invited him into my apartment as a guest.
This was something I could never have imagined before.
Yet here I was, not only inviting Marek in but also pouring him a glass of water. “I like eating mac and cheese. Can you eat that?”
“Of course,” Marek smiled at me.
Remembering he was a werewolf, I also took out a piece of beef to cook for him.
I wasn’t particularly obsessed with meat myself. Sometimes, a plate of mac and cheese was enough for me.
But I figured werewolves must love meat.
Sure enough, when Marek saw me take out the beef, his eyes lit up. “Is this for me too?”
He always spoke carefully and politely, which made me feel like he wasn’t the same species as that red-eyed werewolf.
It also made me wonder if I had been too harsh on him before.
“Yes, this is for you.”
Marek seemed genuinely pleased. He stared at the meat and then asked, “Can I have it a little rare? Not too well-done.”
“Sure,” I replied, then placed the meat on a frying pan.
As the meat sizzled and smoke rose from it, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.
I remembered something!
Wait, Magnus was also the type who liked eating raw meat. So, do werewolves generally prefer their food undercooked?
I turned to Marek. “Marek, do all werewolves like their meat rare?”
“Not necessarily. Some can perfectly integrate into human society and eat the same food as humans. But I’ve spent most of my life outside human society, so I haven’t fully socialized yet.”
Marek scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
From a zoological perspective, animals that need to integrate into human society require socialization training.
Just like pet cats and dogs, their owners train them from a young age to adapt to human routines.
Werewolves, too, need to integrate into human society, so they probably need to learn these things as well.
I thought of Kael. I had never seen him eat particularly raw meat, unlike Marek.
He seemed more human.
So maybe Magnus wasn’t necessarily a werewolf. Perhaps he was just a human who liked his meat rare.
I plated the beef, which still had some blood on it.
I knew this was the kind of meat Marek would enjoy.
Sure enough, when we sat down to eat, Marek immediately dug into the beef.
He ate a lot and quickly, finishing it in no time.
It was as if he hadn’t eaten meat in ages. I even saw a faint red glow in his eyes.
“Have you not eaten meat in a while?”
“It’s been some time. I used to hunt in the forest, but I can’t do that here,” Marek said.
So that was it. He must be worried about being discovered if he acted too strangely.
In a way, Marek’s life now seemed quite cautious and restrained.
Even as a werewolf, he wasn’t necessarily terrifying. In fact, he seemed a little pitiful.
After finishing his meal, Marek was about to say something when he suddenly looked toward the door. “Someone’s coming. I’ll hide.”
With that, he vanished from sight.
I stared at the wall, lost in thought, when the door opened.
Evelyn had returned.
She walked in, frowning. “Seraph, is something wrong? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine… I was just eating.”
“Did someone come in? I sensed a strange scent, not quite human.”
I decided to be honest. “Yes, Evelyn. That red-eyed werewolf is… kind of my friend now.”
Evelyn’s tolerance for such things was high enough.
“God! You’re friends with him? Could he hurt you?”
“No, no, not exactly friends, but he’s… nice.”
I thought about how Marek had comforted me earlier when I was upset. Even though he didn’t fully understand, he tried in his own way.
He made me feel like he wasn’t an evil creature.
Evelyn clearly found it hard to believe. After a moment, she sighed. “But I still think, Seraph, you need to stay away from him. We’re humans, and he’s a werewolf. We’re not from the same world. Speaking of which, I feel like this town is becoming less peaceful. I can sense more and more strange presences. Just don’t stay out too late alone.”
“You think it’s unsafe around here?”
“Yes, but it shouldn’t affect ordinary humans much. Still, it’s better to stick to crowded areas.”
I nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself.”
“Good. By the way, Seraph, Lucian’s been pestering me again, asking me to put in a good word for him. He looks like a pitiful mess now, but I don’t want to help him,” Evelyn said, grabbing a bottle of Coke from the fridge.
She turned on the TV, playing our favorite show, *Modern Family*, but I couldn’t focus.
“Don’t bother with him, Evelyn. If he’s bothering you, just tell him off,” I said.
I couldn’t believe that even after I had humiliated Lucian and wounded his pride, he still wouldn’t give up.
If he knew this would happen, why did he do those things in the first place?
People should face the consequences of their actions.
“Don’t worry, I’ll always be on your side,” Evelyn clinked her glass with mine. “Honestly, Kael is a hundred times better than Lucian. If you like someone, why not go for Kael?”
When Evelyn mentioned Kael, I thought of him and Vivienne, and it hurt.
I had already prepared myself, knowing I was just a toy to them.
But when faced with the truth, I still couldn’t accept it.
I didn’t want to deal with this mess. I wanted to get away from all these annoying people.
Unfortunately, I still hadn’t found a part-time job, and I didn’t know what to do.
Thinking about it, I let out a heavy sigh.