I joined a werewolf group online, and the group leader is organizing a camping trip this weekend.
We agreed to show our true forms when the moon rises.
“Crack, hiss…”
Suddenly, I heard the terrifying sounds of bones breaking and skin tearing.
I watched as my friends in the group transformed one by one into werewolves over two meters tall.
Once they finished transforming, they looked at me with eager expressions, seemingly puzzled as to why I hadn’t changed yet.
I nervously pulled out the rabbit ears from my bag and put them on.
Werewolf: “???”
“Caw!”
A crow flew overhead…
The atmosphere grew tense.
“Hehe, I think I might have taken a wrong turn. You all continue!”
I grabbed my backpack and took off running.
After just a few steps, my way was blocked by a furry wolf leg.
The werewolf’s eerie green eyes were locked onto another wolf behind me.
“Look at the mess you’ve caused! How did you let a regular person’s group request get approved?”
“Burp~” The wolf behind me let out a loud belch.
“Huh? Was that the request for the werewolf group? I thought it was for a beauty contest!”
The admin wolf staggered on its four legs, circling around me to inspect.
“Hehe, I think the young lady looks quite tasty…”
It drooled uncontrollably, its speech slightly slurred.
“Oh no, she got approved just because she was cute!”
The leader wolf’s brow furrowed in frustration; for the first time, I saw impatience on a wolf’s face.
It kicked the admin wolf down.
A slightly weaker wolf nudged the fallen one with its head.
“Alright, leader, Jason is young and has been drinking; it’s normal not to understand.
Setting aside the facts, doesn’t this group itself have any faults?”
The leader wolf covered its face and sighed: “So what do you all think we should do now?”
I had planned to seize the moment to escape while they were thinking.
I didn’t expect them to sit down around me directly.
I felt like the sacrificial meat on an altar, frozen in place, too scared to move.
“If you ask me, just eat her!”
“Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is eating! Is a modern buffet not enough for you?”
“Do you know how troublesome it is to lose a human? Recently, a girl went missing from J University, and they already suspect it was us werewolves…”
Upon hearing about the missing girl, my fists clenched instinctively.
That missing girl is my best friend, Clara.
Three days ago, she disappeared without a trace, and I found a tuft of well-preserved wolf fur in her diary.
But the color of wolf fur varies by body part, and it’s too dark to tell which one it came from.
Or maybe the murderer isn’t even in this group of wolves.
Discovering that werewolves truly exist has already been a huge shock to me.
Right now, the priority is how to escape.
The werewolves continued to bicker, and I slowly raised my hand and said, “Um, if you let me go, I promise I won’t tell anyone about tonight. How about that?”
“No way!”
The werewolves, who had just been chattering, suddenly formed a united front.
“The words “no way” were delivered with absolute certainty and perfect synchronization.
“My mom said that little humans are the craftiest creatures; we can’t rely on your promises for the survival of our clan.”
I nodded in agreement.
“So what do we do now? We can’t just sit here wasting time, can we?”
“Actually, there’s a way!” The leader’s emerald green eyes lit up.
As expected of the leader, so reliable! “You should marry a wolf!” The leader waved his paw with flair.
“That’s right, if humans and wolves marry, we become one family! If you leak our secrets, you could face execution under our wolf clan’s laws.”
“What laws does the wolf clan have?”
The werewolf bared its fangs: “The law that makes you vanish from this world.”
Meaning if I don’t choose, I won’t survive?
I shivered and looked around.
No wolf was willing to make eye contact with me; it was as if they had “don’t choose me” written on their faces.
Only that wolf cub named Jason was drooling and staring at me.
I closed my eyes, steeled my heart, and thought, whatever, I’ll just grab any one!
I dashed forward and hugged a wolf:
“This one!”
But why did it feel so off?
Shouldn’t wolf fur be soft and fluffy? I instinctively reached down, but a hand pressed down on mine.
A calm voice came from above: “Where do you think you’re touching?”
I looked up in shock, and what I saw was Miles’s handsome face.
“Miles? You…what are you doing here?”
Miles was the school’s recognized heartthrob, standing at 188 cm with silver hair and a face as handsome as a European mixed-blood.
Despite rumors that he was aloof, uninterested in women, and loved to be alone, he still dominated the confession wall every year.
“Boss, why did you just arrive?” The leader wagged his tail and said flatteringly: “Look, this is our tribute to you, your wife, please accept it~” As he spoke, he flashed a warning grin at me.
I quickly hugged Miles’s thigh: “I, a humble girl, am willing to marry Miles, even if it means being his concubine!”
Oh no, I blurted that out too casually after scrolling through TikTok too much…
Miles looked momentarily taken aback, his tone turning serious: “Our wolf clan doesn’t do that.” “The boss is right! Our wolf clan is very loyal and practices monogamy!” The pack of wolves nodded in unison.
“Boss, some things are better done sooner rather than later; you should mark your wife quickly, so we can rest easy.”
Miles glanced at the leader and then at the drunken wolf, likely piecing together the situation.”
I couldn’t help but twitch the corners of my mouth a few times.
The wolves with eager, starry eyes urged, “Yeah, boss, hurry up and mark!”
“This counts as solving the boss’s lifelong dilemma; you don’t need to thank us too much~”
I leaned in and asked weakly, “Um, what does marking mean?” Miles’s gaze darted away, and his ears slowly turned red.
His hands were still in his pockets as he coolly rolled his eyes at the group of wolves.
“What are you waiting for? Want to see the marking process?”
“Hehe, can we see it, boss?” the admin wolf asked cluelessly and was taken away by the leader wolf.
“Silly wolf cub, are you crazy! Boss, you guys start; we’ll go play somewhere else for a while!”
The pack of wolves instantly scattered, leaving the area eerily quiet.
“Miles. hmm?” Before I could finish my sentence, everything started to spin.
By the time I realized it, I was already pinned against the tree trunk by Miles.
He was too tall; he bent down to look at me, his handsome face magnified in front of me.
The pressure was overwhelming.
He was still getting closer, his warm breath hitting my face.
I wanted to dodge, but there was the tree trunk behind me, with nowhere to escape.
Just as our lips were only a few centimeters apart, he suddenly leaned in with a mischievous grin and whispered in my ear, “What are you hiding from? didn’t you want to know what marking is?” His magnetic voice washed over me, both thrilling and warm.
My hand had already found the wolf-repellent spray in my bag.
With only one wolf and the spray, what were my chances of getting away? In the next second, Miles suddenly revealed his snow-white fangs.
His sharp teeth grazed my neck.
Just a little lower, and they could pierce my throat.
I swallowed hard and stuttered, “Y-yeah.”
“Then what is this?” Miles grabbed my hand that was reaching into the bag and lifted it up.
A fluffy rabbit tail wiggled in the air.
A flicker of confusion crossed Miles’s perpetually icy face.
I smiled and waved the rabbit tail in my hand, “I thought I’d bring this to add a little fun…”
“Ah, ah, ah! It’s deadly! Miles, you’re so amazing!!!”
My loud shout startled Miles, who swiftly covered my mouth with his hand.
It happened so quickly that my tongue didn’t have time to react.
I accidentally licked his finger, which felt surprisingly cold.
Miles’s pupils widened in surprise, and he leaned in closer to whisper in my ear, “Is this what you meant very vocal?”
I nodded shyly.
“Damn it.”
Miles nudged his cheek with his tongue, his striking eyes filled with exasperation.
His long, fair fingers tapped a few times on the phone screen.
Flirtatious moans filled the air.
In the quiet of the night, it was particularly alluring, making my face flush and heart race.
Could this be an audio recording of Miles and his girlfriend? The thought of this possibility made me break out in a cold sweat.
After a while, I finally steeled myself and tiptoed closer to Miles.
Afraid of being discovered by the other werewolves, I leaned in and whispered softly in his ear, “Um…
if you have someone you like, you don’t have to marry me…”
Miles’s ears twitched, and he frowned.
His index finger pressed against my forehead, gently pushing me away.
“What are you thinking? I don’t have a habit of secretly recording.
I just found this randomly online.”
As he spoke, he irritably tugged at the collar of his shirt.
The moonlight flowed down his collar like water, making it hard to tear my eyes away.
I then noticed that, despite his tough demeanor, his ears were flushed red.
Realizing my gaze, he gave me a mischievous smile.
“Stay away from me.
If you get any closer like that again, I’ll take it as an invitation.”
I quickly shut my mouth.
But in the video, the two people seemed to have reached a critical moment, their cries becoming increasingly unrestrained.
There wasn’t even the sound of mosquitoes around, only the enticing sounds and our breaths, which was agonizing.
Half an hour passed, then an hour, then two hours…
I couldn’t hold back any longer and quietly asked, “Is it good?” Before I could react, Miles pushed me against the tree again.
His cool thumb brushed against my lips.
Miles’s eyes were frighteningly bright: “Did I tell you to stay away from me?”
Come on, I wasn’t even moving…
Miles leaned in closer.
His lips, which looked so kissable, rested on his thumb.
“Don’t move, there are people.”
That’s when I noticed a few figures behind him.
From their angle, it looked like Miles and I were kissing.
“Do you have an eyebrow pencil?” Miles was too close to me, so intimate that it felt like we were sharing the same breath.
His magnetic, deep voice drilled into my ear like a feather, making it a bit ticklish.
I had no idea what he needed the eyebrow pencil for, but I gently nodded and pulled it out from my bag to hand it to Miles.
He quickly dotted two small moles at the corners of my eyes and his own.
Huh? Seeing my confused look, Miles’s lips curled into a slight smile.
“Keep it well.”
He blushed, rubbed his nose, and leaned in closer to threaten me, “Otherwise, there could be serious consequences.”
Suddenly, the bushes behind us rustled softly.
The figures moved closer.
“Miles, you really know how to pick them.”
The man at the front had a buzz cut and a large tattoo on his neck.
I had seen him on the bulletin board; he was Wesley, the school bully.
He gave me a disdainful look.
“Heh, still a human! Miles, haven’t you learned your lesson about mixed heritage yet?”
Miles silently stepped in front of me.
His smile remained unchanged, but the veins in his fists bulged.
Miles’s reaction did not please Wesley.
His bloodshot eyes flicked between me and Miles.
“Oh, what’s that little mole under your eye? Is that your mark?” Wesley laughed loudly, “Hahaha, if it weren’t for my keen eyesight, I wouldn’t have noticed at all!”
He stretched his neck, revealing the large tattoo on his neck.
I had thought they were tattoos.
Wesley pulled his girlfriend closer and pointed to the patterns on his own neck.
“Look closely, this is what a mark really looks like! Miles, you wouldn’t be lacking in that area, would you?”
Wesley’s lackeys laughed uncontrollably.
“Boss!”
The people from the group returned and bared their teeth at Wesley.
They were stopped by Miles raising his hand.
Upon seeing the newcomers, the pretty girl in Wesley’s arms instinctively pulled her collar up, trying to cover the same mark on her neck as Wesley’s.
Later, I learned that in the werewolf clan, when a recognized partner first mates, they leave the same noticeable mark on each other.
You can easily tell if someone is single and who their partner is.
I touched the mole Miles had drawn on me.
“I think it’s pretty good! On a girl, such an exaggerated dark patch would look so ugly! What do you think, sister-in-law?”
When I called her out, she actually looked at me dazedly.
It sent a shiver down my spine.
Turning around, I saw the group leader, a big guy, crouching behind me.
“No way, big guy, you really think you can hide?” The drunk Jason swung his long arm over my shoulder, grinning wickedly.
“Not to mention, that makes it hard for an affair!”
Miles frowned and pulled Jason’s hand off my shoulder.
Jason leaned in and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear: “Let me tell you… heh heh…”
He laughed before even saying anything.
“Wesley’s partner is trying to hide the mark to seduce our group leader!”
The group leader pitifully grabbed the hem of Miles’s shirt.
“Boss, I really didn’t know in advance!”
What a great drama of green hats! I watched with keen interest.
The more I watched, the more I thought Wesley’s buzz cut needed a hat.
“Enough!”
Wesley shouted in anger.
“Miles, let’s have a competition! If you lose, this forest will belong to us!”
Oh, I thought it was just to crash the scene for a pretty girl.
Turns out it was just a cover to claim territory.
Miles thoughtfully stroked his chin.
“And if you lose?” Wesley shook his ears and glanced at our side’s “the old and weak.”
It was as if he was giving us a look: you think you can win? He let out a wild laugh, full of disdain.
“If you win, do whatever you want.”
Saying that, he lifted the black curtain at his back.
A large iron cage shining with a metallic sheen was filled with crows.
“The usual rules: two people per team, a total of 101 crows, and whichever side catches more wins.”
Miles nodded.
Wesley smirked.
“Click!”
The chains opened, and one hundred and one crows fluttered away.
It was obvious they were seasoned at this game.
They paired up very skillfully.
Obviously, no one wanted to team up with me, the weak link.
Soon, everyone engaged in a fierce battle for the crows.
Only Miles and I were left standing still.
But for me, this might be the perfect chance to make a run for it.
Miles seemed to see through my thoughts and leaned down to my ear.
“Want to run? Why not take a look behind you first?” I stiffly turned my neck.
I locked eyes with several pairs of glowing green wolf eyes.
They were clearly ready to pounce the moment I stepped out of Miles’s sight.
When I turned back in shock, Miles had already shifted into a massive silver wolf.
His size was even bigger than Wesley’s.
His fur matched the color of his hair in human form.
In the pitch-black forest, he stood out like a beacon.
“Get on.”
His voice was as cool as when he was human.
But after shifting into a wolf, there was a hint of…
shyness in his voice?
I looked into Miles’s eyes, and he surprisingly avoided my gaze.
I climbed onto Miles’s back, straddling him.
Dressed up as a rabbit, I had specifically worn short shorts today.
My legs were immediately buried in his soft fur.
It felt a bit strange.
I barely had time to settle in before Miles leaped with a whoosh, high, fast, and far! The wind whistled past my ears, and I could occasionally hear branches snapping.
With each jump, the moon seemed to swell in the sky, as if it were rushing towards me.
It was even more thrilling than a roller coaster.
I clutched the back of Miles’s neck, afraid he would throw me off.
Everything around me felt both real and absurd.
I secretly pinched myself, afraid it was all just a dream.
Miles caught the crows with precision and skill.
It looked casual, but every move was deadly.
Most of the time, he sauntered like a king in the jungle.
Whenever he made a move, it was always to catch a crow.
On our side, there were those like me who were holding back, and then there was Jason, who was so drunk he could barely walk…
Thanks to Miles’s strength, we surprisingly managed to draw with Wesley.
It all came down to the last crow to decide the winner.
That crow was definitely the hardest to catch.
Once it saw that its companions below had been caught, it desperately soared higher.
Werewolves had strong jumping abilities, but they also had their limits.
Seeing this, Wesley sprang into action, trying to intercept the crow as it flew even higher.
In that critical moment, the crow tapped into its survival instinct.
Just as Wesley was about to catch it, the crow managed to leap a few centimeters higher.
Wesley’s molars were nearly crushed as he spat in frustration.
“Boss is fine, it’s so high up, with Miles carrying a burden, he definitely won’t be able to catch it, a tie at most,” one of the younger guys nearby offered water for comfort.
Wesley glanced at me and Miles, snorting coldly.
“If we can’t catch the last one, we caught fifty first, so we should win.”
“Oh right, this area should belong to us!”
“Hmph.”
Miles scoffed, “Who says we can’t catch it?” After saying that, he crouched down, and I thought he was going to let me down.
“Are you ready?”
“Huh?”
In mid-air, he suddenly bent his waist.
“Let go!”
My reflexes were faster than my brain, and by the time I realized it, I had been launched.
Just as the crow seemed to relax, I grabbed it tightly.
Then, I began to free-fall.
“Miles! You bastard!”
I shut my eyes tightly, expecting pain, but it never came.
Instead, I landed safely on Miles’s outstretched belly, falling into his deep blue eyes.
The result was clear.
Wesley clenched his teeth tighter.
With a wave of his hand, he said, “Alright, this time consider yourselves lucky.”
He turned to leave.
“Wait, did you forget something important?”
Wesley flicked his tongue against his right cheek. “Alright, just say it. What do you want?”
Miles rubbed his chin and pushed me forward. “You say it, after all, the last crow was caught by you.”
I: “???”
Wesley was even angrier.
“Anything goes?” I blinked at Miles.
“You said, there’s nothing Wesley can’t accomplish!”
After receiving a nod of approval from Miles, I gathered my courage.
“Then each of you wolves give me a tuft of wolf fur!”
Miles was stunned, and the other wolves were also taken aback.
The air went completely silent.
I noticed Wesley’s darkening expression and sensed something was off.
“Hahaha!”
Jason laughed so hard he bent over, unable to stand, and gave me a thumbs up with his paw.
“Alright, you’re impressive!”
I was confused and turned to the group leader wolf for help.
The group leader wolf secretly explained to me: “In the wolf clan, giving wolf fur to someone else means the lower-ranking submits to the higher-ranking member…”
Ah, I didn’t intend to! I just wanted to take this rare opportunity to see if the killer was among this group of wolves.
Just as I was struggling to figure out how to explain, a tuft of wolf fur fell in front of me.
Wesley bowed his head, and the other wolves followed suit.
As they left, Wesley still wore a fierce expression.
“Consider yourselves lucky this time! Don’t let me see you again next time!”
I picked up the wolf fur from the ground like I had struck gold.
Accidentally boosting Miles’s reputation, the looks from several wolves in the group held a bit more admiration for me.
Miles leaned lazily against the tree, fiddling with something in his hands.
He chuckled slightly, very lightly.
“Come on, come on, fate brought us together, let’s hug before I go back to school!”
I waved the wolf fur around playfully.
What a great haul! Just as I was feeling pleased, Miles suddenly blocked my way.
His deep blue eyes were mysterious and full of danger: “They all hugged, what do you mean by not hugging me?” For the first time encountering wolf fur, and it was so proactive.
I fiercely grabbed a big handful.
The fur was fluffy; it wouldn’t make Miles go bald, would it? The next day after my early class, I took the collected wolf fur to the best animal research center in the city.
“Hello, what brings you here?”
“Charlotte?” I turned around to find it was Professor George, and I reflexively said, “Hello, Professor George.”
George is a professor of animal studies at our school.
His classes are known for being strict.
However, due to his strong abilities and good looks, he is well-liked by both students and faculty.
George smiled slightly and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, glancing at the wolf fur in my hand with slight curiosity.
“What brings you here?”
“Ah, it’s nothing…”
I hid the wolf fur.
“Is the teacher still working here?” George adjusted his lab coat and leaned in close to my ear: “Let me tell you a little secret: I’m the director of this research center~ Teaching is just my side gig, so keep it to yourself.”
A cool breath brushed past me.
I didn’t expect the seemingly serious Professor George to have such a playful side.
The atmosphere began to ease.
This is the best animal research center, and George had just noticed me holding the wolf fur, so it was hard to avoid him.
I might as well use him to see if he’s trustworthy.
“Teacher, I have something I’d like your help with.”
George tilted his head slightly to the side.
“Let’s talk in my office.”
On the way, I discreetly split the wolf fur samples into two parts in my pocket—one for George and the other to send to an external testing agency.
If the results don’t match, then I’ll have to reconsider George…
Lost in thought, I didn’t notice the wolf skeleton beside me until I bumped into it.
“Be careful!”
George quickly shielded me with his arms.
His light-colored pupils seemed to hold endless sadness.
It made me want to protect him.
No wonder he could rival Miles on the confession wall; he was almost unfairly handsome.
Just as George steadied the skeleton above me, there was a knock on the door.
Before George could respond, Miles walked in and saw me in George’s protective embrace.
“What do you think you’re doing with her?” Miles grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind him.
“It’s a misunderstanding; I just bumped into the wolf skeleton, and Professor George helped me block it.”
I gently tugged at Miles’s sleeve, trying to ease the tension.
Miles wrapped his arm around my neck, his whole body leaning against me to assert his dominance: “This is my partner, so please act like an adult when you meet her in the future.”
George’s pale, slender fingers carefully placed the last piece of bone.
“I didn’t get any notice about the younger members of the wolf clan having a wedding ceremony.
Right now, you’re just a couple, in the courtship stage, and I still have a chance.”
What does it mean to be a younger member of the wolf pack? Could George be a werewolf too? Miles laughed angrily, gripping my waist and pulling me closer.
“Sorry, but we’re in love, and I suggest you don’t overestimate yourself.”
George looked up, his gaze fixed on me.
He reached out to wipe the mole off my face with his thumb and smiled: “Looks like it’s fake.
Besides, when it comes to feelings, who can really say for sure, right?” The tension in the office thickened.
Miles strolled up to George, grabbing his hand and pinning it against the wall.
Instantly, the cabinet swung open.
Miles picked out a bag of blue serum.
“I took this month’s suppressor for our group.”
He pulled my hand and strode out.
“Wait a minute.”
I handed the wolf fur to George.
“Professor George, could you please help compare the DNA of this wolf fur…”
Just as we stepped out of the research institute, Miles let go of my hand, wiping his hands on his clothes in disdain and warning, “Keep your distance from George.”
Miles turned his head away, “He’s not a good person.”
“What is the suppressor?” Miles hesitated for a moment.
“That’s none of your business, so don’t pry.”
“Oh, then I’ll go ask Professor George.”
One step, two steps, before I could take a third step, Miles pressed down on my shoulder, looking frustrated yet helpless, “To better integrate into human society, purebred werewolves need to inject a suppressor every month.”
“What happens if they don’t inject the suppressor?” “They won’t be able to suppress their nature.”
“Will they eat people?” Miles nodded seriously, his tone certain, “Yes.”
Could Clara’s death be related to a werewolf that didn’t take the suppressor? If that’s the case, George would be a good breakthrough point.
While I was lost in thought, I bumped into Miles’s back, my nose stinging with tears.
“What are you doing?” “Stay out of werewolf matters; the more you know, the more trouble you could be in.”
Miles’s elegant fingers fiddled with the pendant on his necklace.
I had noticed the heavy metal necklace he wore for a while now, tucked inside his clothing, only half visible.
The sunlight glinted off the buildings around us, and Miles stood in the shadow.
It turns out some people can just stand there and look good without even trying.
“Once this blows over, you can get back to your normal life.”
I nodded eagerly, my mind racing with thoughts on how to sort this all out.
I had really fallen behind on my homework lately.
I was burning the midnight oil to catch up on my assignments.
For the group project, I ended up teamed up with the stragglers.
To keep my credits and GPA up, I had to step up.
After two days of cramming, I was worried I might just crash.
Fortunately, there were two easy classes.
The teacher put down the book and cleared his throat: “My son recently…”
I received the signal and fell asleep immediately.
When I woke up, the big lecture hall was empty except for me.
It added a sense of loneliness.
My nose felt a bit tight with emotion as I thought of Clara.
If only she were here…
But there are no ifs.
To be continued