11:11 AM
The monster kept running.
Through the trees, over rivers and rocks, across wide green fields—yet he could not calm down.
"Kill them. Kill them. Kill them."
The voice repeated endlessly inside his head.
"Do you think I don't want to?! We need to wait, impatient wolf! He will die… and they both will."
The human side snapped back at the wolf.
The monster finally stopped in a meadow far away from the village.
He stood there for a long time, admiring the beauty of the flowers and plants, and the small river flowing through the center.
"I thought things like this were beautiful, that nothing could compare to them… but the truth is, nothing compares to her. She is more beautiful than any flower that ever existed."
The human side said to his wolf, smiling at the thought of his mate.
It seemed that the only thing that could truly calm him… was that poor girl.
But the moment he remembered her in that other man's arms, rage exploded inside him again.
So he decided to return to the village, wanting to see if it was close to four in the afternoon.
---
"Are you sure you're okay? If I hadn't been there, you could've been badly hurt," Matt said to Lilian.
He almost smiled at the thought that the one who saved her was the same one who had planned the harm.
"Yes, and thank you. It would've been terrible if you weren't there," she said before hugging him and returning to her work.
His face burned red after the hug. Not wanting Lilian to notice, he stepped outside instead of going back to work, just to get some air.
Working with Lilian every day was a challenge for him.
For almost two weeks now, he had been working on a love confession letter, trying to find the perfect nine words.
Still, he couldn't get the image of that huge man out of his head.
He hated how shamelessly the stranger flirted with her, how confident he was, and how he spoke to her as if he'd known her for years.
It bothered him deeply.
Matt knew many boys in the village could've won her heart if they didn't believe that he and Lilian would end up together one day.
That thought bothered him too. Which was why he needed to confess soon.
A loud growl from the forest suddenly cut his thoughts.
It wasn't the growl of a small wolf—it was loud and savage.
Immediately, he rushed back into the bakery, deciding it was time to get back to work.
"What was that?" he thought as he tied an apron and entered the kitchen.
He looked around and saw only two customers.
"I'll make some extra lemon slices," he said to Lilian, who was busy decorating cookies.
She only nodded and continued working.
---
Outside the bakery, near the unwelcoming trees, stood the monster in his true form.
Not a wolf—no.
This creature stood on his hind legs, towering at 6'7" (200.7 cm), covered in pitch-black fur like the night.
His chest was firm, as if trained for years without rest.
Powerful muscles lined his arms and legs, and his face was that of a wolf.
A human body.
Wolf fur and features.
Strength like a demon.
A true monster.
He almost killed the boy.
The monster was very close—but he missed.
He thought the boy would freeze in fear, but instead, he ran.
He craved his blood.
He wanted to sink his claws into his throat.
He wanted to tear him apart.
Knowing they would get what they deserved… soon.
The human side desperately tried to shift back into human skin, but the wolf took control instead, forcing the monster into the form of a normal wolf and walking away to release his rage once more.
---
Then he heard his angel's voice.
"Nothing happened last time, and the berries were amazing! Stay here or I'll… um… kick you out!" the girl said before running toward the place where she had picked berries before.
She had just finished decorating, and when she went back to prepare her special dessert, she realized she had eaten all the berries by mistake.
The wolf followed her quietly as she skipped along the path, carrying a brown wooden basket covered with a yellow cloth.
He decided to watch her from afar, afraid another wolf might try to hurt her.
He got as close as he could and lay down.
Well… he tried.
Instead, the wolf accidentally lay on thorns.
A painful yelp escaped him, catching the girl's attention.
Because of the pain, the wolf jumped toward Lilian, and their eyes met.
With pain shining in his eyes, he looked—at least to Lilian—like a small, adorable creature. All she wanted was to hug and kiss him.
But she knew wolves were dangerous.
Still, to her surprise, he whimpered and rolled onto his back. She saw two thorns stuck in his belly.
She rushed to help him, hesitating only a little—she had heard stories of a villager who lost his hand to a wolf.
But when she saw his eyes, she knew he only wanted help.
She pulled the thorns out quickly, without hesitation.
The wolf let out soft sounds of discomfort.
Then she gently rubbed his belly to calm him.
After a minute or two, the wolf rolled onto his side and then sat in front of her.
This time, instead of being cautious, Lilian smiled and hugged him.
She felt safe with him—as if she somehow knew he would never hurt her, though she didn't understand why.
As expected, the wolf happily licked her cheek and neck in return.
"You're so cute! I just want to hug you!" she said, laughing.
The wolf turned his head away at being called cute.
"We are not cute at all! We are terrifying!"
The wolf side growled inside him.
"Oh yes, you are! You're the cutest one here! I love cute things, and you're number one on my list!" she said cheerfully.
Lilian adored animals. She thought all of them were cute.
The wolf's ears perked up when she said he was number one—but stubbornly, he still looked away.
"Hm… do you have a name? Can I give you one?" she asked.
"What about Alexander? That was my grandfather's name. He passed away three years ago with my grandmother when they went on a trip."
The wolf looked at her when her voice turned sad.
Without meaning to, she had reminded herself of her grandparents. She lowered her head, lost in thought.
The wolf stepped closer and gently nudged her chin upward with his nose.
She smiled at him and stood up.
"Alright, Alexander. That's your name now. If you can help me gather berries, you can. I'm making a special dessert, and I need a lot of them," she said, trying to smile.
The wolf followed behind her—and "accidentally" bumped into her backside.
Lilian blushed instantly and hurried ahead.
"Stop acting proud. She just gave you a name. What's the big deal?" the human side muttered.
"She didn't give you a name, Zachary."
"Say another word and I'll give you a new name—"
"What happened to the berries?!"
The human side was cut off when they heard their angel scream.
They rushed to her and froze at the sight.
They saw tears in Lilian's eyes.
The wolf let out a low, dangerous growl.
"That damned pack has crossed the line."
---