Kael’s words didn’t make me particularly happy. For all I knew, he might have said the same thing to every girl before me.
Just as I was about to respond, I noticed Vivienne entering the restaurant with her friends.
God, what a coincidence! How could Vivienne come to such a low-end restaurant? She’s wealthy-this isn’t the kind of place she’d frequent. Could it be that she came here deliberately, knowing Kael was here?
Sure enough, the moment she stepped through the door, her eyes locked on Kael. When she saw me sitting across from him, her expression instantly darkened, cold enough to kill.
I met her gaze calmly, unafraid.
Vivienne grew even angrier. She walked over and said to Kael, “Kael, what a coincidence. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Do you really think it’s a coincidence?” Kael replied, his face devoid of any warmth. It was as if he already knew she would show up, and her presence was no surprise to him.
“Since you’re here, perhaps you can explain why you were holding my clothes this morning and went to find Seraphina, making her misunderstand that you spent the night with me? You know what happened last night-I’m sure you haven’t forgotten.”
Vivienne’s smile froze instantly.
“Are you blaming me? But Kael, you can’t possibly be with her. Even if you don’t date me, you’d still choose Lila…”
Before she could finish, Kael shouted, “Shut up!”
His sudden outburst startled me-it was the first time I’d ever seen Kael so furious. And he wasn’t just angry; he was shouting at a woman.
But… who was this Lila she mentioned? Judging by the name, she was probably another woman.
Vivienne, shaken by Kael’s anger, paused. Her face flushed red, and tears seemed to well up in her eyes. It was the first time I’d seen her look so vulnerable.
After a moment, she said, “Kael, I’m just reminding you. You know things aren’t as simple as you think.”
“I know. I don’t need your reminders. And who do you think you are?” Kael sneered, his tone dripping with mockery. Gone was the gentle demeanor he usually showed to women-toward Vivienne, he was merciless.
Vivienne grew visibly angrier.
“You’ll regret this sooner or later! That woman can’t give you anything!” she said, shooting me a glare filled with fury.
At that moment, the waiter brought out the food I had ordered: pizza, steak, macaroni and cheese, salad, and roasted chicken.
“Vivienne, are you planning to stand here and watch us eat?” Kael asked coldly, glancing at her.
Vivienne turned and stormed off immediately, clearly fuming.
“She’s always been like this. Don’t let her bother you,” Kael explained. “I’ve made it clear to her-I don’t like her.”
“Is she a werewolf too?” I asked.
Kael nodded.
So that’s it. Vivienne was a werewolf as well. But if it weren’t for her connection to Kael, I would never have guessed.
“She hates me now. Wouldn’t it be easy for her to hurt me?” I asked, half-jokingly.
“Don’t worry. We werewolves have rules. We can’t let humans discover what we are, and we’re forbidden from using our abilities in human society. Anyone who violates these rules will be banished from the pack.”
“I see.”
“Is banishment such a terrible punishment?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Have you ever seen a lone wolf survive for long?” Kael chuckled. “Like wolves, werewolves are social creatures. We live in packs, which serve as a shelter for every member. If someone is banished, it means they can be hunted by any other pack, including ours. We’re allowed to kill rogue werewolves.”
It all made sense now-banishment was like being exiled from a country, left to fend for oneself without protection.
That reassured me. Vivienne wouldn’t risk being banished just to harm me. Besides, even when she bullied me before, she used human methods, which showed she couldn’t use her werewolf abilities freely.
After dinner, Kael walked me home. We strolled slowly along the quiet streets, with only the occasional car speeding by.
The thought of this small town being filled with so many dangers sent a chill through me.
Back when I worked at the bar, even if I got off work late at night, I never felt unsafe. But now, everything felt different.
Even in this moment of calm, with only the sound of the wind and passing cars, I couldn’t help but feel a bit on edge.
“Seraphina, stay alert,” Kael said suddenly. Then he called out, “Marek, come here!”
From the shadows, Marek appeared, running toward us.
“Do you feel it? A werewolf’s presence,” Kael asked.
Marek nodded.
“It’s coming from that direction.” Kael pointed toward the end of the street.
Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed from ahead. It was the kind of sound someone makes when they’re gripped by sheer terror.
The chilling cry made my heart skip a beat, as if I were plunged into that same horrifying scene.
Kael dashed toward the sound, his body transforming mid-run into a wolf. It was the wolf I was familiar with-black fur with a white mark on its forehead.
As he ran, he turned back and said, “Marek, take Seraphina and leave.”
Marek grabbed my arm. “I’ll take you back to your apartment.”
Before I could process what was happening, the rush of wind filled my ears. In the blink of an eye, Marek had brought me back to my apartment.
Everything happened so fast that my mind was still spinning.
“Seraphina, you’re safe now. Don’t worry,” Marek reassured me.
“I’m worried about Kael. Was that wolf Leo?” I asked.
“No, their scent is different. Don’t worry. That wolf didn’t seem very strong. I could have taken him down myself, let alone Kael.”
“So, it’s a new werewolf?” I was shocked.
“Yes. But I’m sure Kael can handle it easily,” Marek said.
“It’s strange, though. Even rogue werewolves don’t normally hunt humans. That would draw too much attention. The one we just saw seemed more like a mindless beast than a rational werewolf.”
I was stunned. Everything that had happened lately felt so surreal.