Four pairs of eyes blinked, looking at each other in bewilderment.
CLICK.
The bedroom door opened.
The three little wolves acted as if someone had stepped on a vital nerve. Their tails clamped tightly between their legs, wrapping around their calves.
Holly Wyatt didn't even have time to get a clear look at their ears and faces before the three half-wolf children in front of her completely transformed into wolf pups the size of small dogs, huddling together and trembling.
Holly Wyatt watched the entire transformation process.
Her mouth fell open in surprise.
'So this is how wolves transform?'
'They went from human form to little wolf form in a flash. Did that even take half a second?'
The next instant, a sharp, piercing sound exploded in Holly Wyatt's ears.
'AHHHH!!!! I've searched the whole manor!! Why are all the little pups here!!! And they've shifted into their wolf forms!! AHH!!'
The shriek made Holly Wyatt's eardrums ache.
She squeezed her eyes shut, gave a slight shrug, and wiggled her ears.
'It's over, it's over! The cub must be terrified, right? She's not moving? She doesn't even dare to open her eyes?'
Holly Wyatt flattened her lips in exasperation. To be precise, she was startled by Silas Thornton's shriek, not by the little wolf pups.
Only when Silas Thornton's screaming gradually subsided did Holly Wyatt slowly open her eyes.
She looked closely, but where the three little wolf pups had been standing, not a single hair remained.
*
The living room.
Holly Wyatt and the three little wolf pups stood in a row, arranged by height, looking like a Wi-Fi signal.
The three little wolf pups had all returned to their human forms. Their ears and tails were retracted, showing no sign of their wolf nature.
Two little girls and one little boy.
Silas Thornton sat upright on the sofa, his expression grave. His dark pupils were fixed grimly on the four "cubs" across from him.
Holly Wyatt secretly glanced at the little boy beside her, who only came up to her waist. She couldn't see his ears or tail at all.
She shifted her gaze back to Silas Thornton in front of her. She could see his, though.
His big black tail was ramrod straight with anger, the very tip stretched taut.
She could almost swear the tip of his tail was smoking...
'It's over, it's so over! How do I explain this!!?? The little pups shapeshifted right in front of the cub!! How am I going to explain it!!?? Tell her it was all a hallucination?? Is the cub that gullible?'
'But if the cub finds out I'm a wolf, will she be scared!!?'
'Help me! Someone get a wolf in here to wipe the cub's memory!!'
Holly Wyatt pressed her lips together, her gaze wandering.
'Maybe I should just say I'm not scared?'
'But Silas Thornton hasn't asked.'
'Just ask!'
Holly Wyatt's big, round, grape-like eyes stared intently at Silas Thornton, urging him on.
'It's over, it's over, the way the cub is looking at me is getting weird. Is she suspecting something!?'
Silas Thornton's thin lips parted. His voice was hoarse. "Just now..."
Holly Wyatt stared at him, waiting for him to ask the question.
Suddenly, she felt a tug on the corner of her shirt.
Holly Wyatt looked down. The little boy beside her was clutching her shirt, his voice tiny. "I'm sorry, we scared you."
"Evie!" Silas Thornton's tone grew tense when he saw the wolf pup reach out his 'paw.' "Let go."
'AAAAHH! A wolf's claws are sharp! A human cub's skin is so fragile! I don't even dare to touch the cub lightly, and these little pups don't know their own strength! What if he scratches my cub?!'
The little boy's face instantly tensed. He pressed his hands to his sides and stood ramrod straight.
Holly Wyatt bit her lower lip, seeing the other two little girls also standing rigidly, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and worry.
Holly Wyatt's brow furrowed slightly.
She reached out and gently took the little boy's hand, mouthing the words, "It's okay."
Every wolf in the room froze.
Silas Thornton stared in disbelief at Holly Wyatt's kind little face.
'Huh? The cub isn't scared? Huh? She even dares to touch the little pup? HUH??'
The boy named Evie darted his dark eyes back and forth.
Sensing keenly that the aura around Silas Thornton had weakened, he cleverly grabbed Holly Wyatt's hand and hid behind her.
The other two girls shuffled behind her as well.
Silas Thornton stood up. His tall frame loomed before the four of them, radiating an imposing pressure.
'Should I tell the cub we're wolves? The cub just saw a pup shapeshift and she still dares to touch one... does that mean she isn't scared? Maybe I should just tell her? I don't want to lie to the cub. Mmm! Right! I'll just tell her!'
Holly Wyatt tilted her head up to meet Silas Thornton's eyes, blinking expectantly, hoping he would hurry up and say it.
'Once he says it, I can pet the little wolf pups openly.'
The three little ones behind her had completely merged into her shadow, wishing they could shrink themselves out of existence.
Silas Thornton glanced at the three mischievous pups behind her and took a subtle deep breath.
Holly Wyatt saw the insides of his ears, normally a pale pink, turn redder and redder with nervousness until they looked like they were about to drip blood.
The corners of her mouth couldn't help but lift into a smile.
Silas Thornton's explanation was as dry as his serious expression. "You saw just now. They're wolves."
Holly Wyatt's eyes lit up, and she nodded joyfully.
'I know! I know! I knew it all along!'
'This is great!! Can I pet the little wolf pups now?'
Seeing Holly Wyatt's reaction, which was different from what he'd expected, Silas Thornton hesitated slightly before repeating, "They're wolves. And so am I."
Holly Wyatt couldn't suppress the smile on her face anymore and nodded repeatedly.
'Huh? So the cub really isn't scared!! Woohoo~'
Silas Thornton's lips remained tight as he confirmed one more time, "You're not afraid?"
Holly Wyatt shook her head like a rattle drum.
'Awoo~ Awoo~ Awoo~ The cub isn't scared! Hahahaha! This is great, this is great! The cub isn't afraid of wolves, isn't afraid of the little pups, and isn't afraid of me!! HAHAHAHA!'
Holly Wyatt's eyes trembled slightly. The voice in Silas Thornton's mind was so loud that she felt her internal organs vibrating along with his laughter.
Perhaps his mood was infectious, because even though it was noisy, she felt happy too.
'This is awesome! This is awesome! The pack doesn't have to hide anymore, hahaha! Everyone, come on out!'
Holly Wyatt's heart skipped a beat.
'The pack? Everyone?'
'Doesn't that mean a lot of wolves?'
Holly Wyatt wasn't ready. She had just raised her hand to stop Silas Thornton.
But Silas Thornton was too fast.
She watched helplessly as Silas Thornton parted his lips, tilted his head back slightly, and seemed to send out some kind of signal.
Then, from all directions, a crowd of Werewolves suddenly emerged.
They were all in human form, but with wolf ears and tails on display.
The three little ones behind her also let out their ears and tails, dashing gleefully into the crowd.
'Oh my god! Are there this many wolves?'
Holly Wyatt's mouth fell open in stunned silence as she stared at the Werewolves who had suddenly appeared.
They approached her curiously, their noses twitching slightly.
She swallowed hard.
'Mom! My social anxiety is kicking in!'
'How can there be so many wolves?'
'As far as the eye can see, there's nothing but fluffy ears of all colors and shapes.'
'The entire living room is packed!!!'
'There even seemed to be some outside the door, jumping up to get a look at her.'
'Am I a monkey in a zoo?'
'I'm not used to this, I've never been in a situation this overwhelming before, help me!! I want to go hide, *sob*.'
'Uh, didn't I only notify the wolves in the manor? I told those who could leave the manor to do so. How are there so many wolves? They're all here!! This is a more complete turnout than when I used to take roll call!!!'
'Are you all treating my orders like they're just wind in your ears?!! Where is my authority as the King of Wolves!? I'm so mad! So mad!'
Holly Wyatt couldn't help but cover her mouth to stifle a laugh. The tension from being watched by hundreds of pairs of eyes was completely washed away by Silas Thornton's inner turmoil.