The night was thick, the streetlights outside the hotel casting a cold, lonely glow. Caleb pushed open the door to the suite, his steps heavy. He had just returned from the warehouse, the faint scent of blood and earth still clinging to him. Serena was asleep, the bedroom door slightly ajar, her steady breathing faintly audible. He didn't enter, instead standing by the living room window, gazing at the moon outside as his thoughts drifted far away.
In his mind, memories surged like a tide, pulling him back to a warm summer afternoon when he was ten years old.
In the forest, sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, dappling the ground with patches of light and shadow. Caleb trailed behind his father, stepping carefully on the soft blanket of fallen leaves. His father, Eric Hart, was the captain of the werewolf clan's covert guard—a towering, imposing figure whose eyes always carried an air of quiet authority. That day, their mission was to secretly protect someone: Arthur Voss, the head of the Voss Group and Serena's father.
"Stay quiet, Caleb. No noise," Eric instructed in a low voice, his gaze fixed on a clearing in the distance. Caleb followed his father's line of sight and saw a man and a little girl.
The man wore a simple white shirt and held a fishing rod, sitting by the lake's edge. The girl, about seven or eight, had chestnut hair tied in a ponytail and wore a light yellow dress. Barefoot, she darted around the grass, her laughter ringing out like wind chimes. It was Serena—his first glimpse of her. Her smile was so bright it stung his young eyes, a beam of light piercing his small heart.
"Dad, who are they?" Caleb whispered, peeking from behind a large tree.
Eric crouched down, resting a hand on his shoulder, and spoke softly. "That man is Arthur Voss, the head of the Voss Group. The girl is his daughter, Serena. She's the future heir to the company."
Caleb blinked, puzzled. "Why are we protecting them?"
Eric's gaze softened, tinged with a hint of reflection. "Because we owe them our lives, son. Twenty years ago, a plague nearly wiped out the werewolf clan. It was Arthur's biotech company that developed the vaccine that saved us. He didn't just give us a chance to survive—he helped us blend into human society. School, work, a normal life—it's all thanks to his support behind the scenes."
Caleb nodded, half-understanding, his eyes drifting back to the girl hopping around in the distance. "What about her? Does she know about us?"
"No," Eric said, shaking his head, his tone solemn. "Arthur doesn't want her to know. He wants her to live a normal life. But one day, if she takes over the Group, she'll need someone to watch over her. And that task will fall to you."
"Me?" Caleb's eyes widened as he pointed to himself.
"Yes." Eric stood, ruffling his hair. "You're my son, and the future of our clan. Remember this: protecting her isn't just about repaying a debt—it's because she's worth it."
That day, Caleb lingered behind the tree, watching Serena for a long time. She picked a wildflower by the lake and ran back to Arthur, giggling as she tucked it into his pocket. Arthur smiled and patted her head, the sunlight bathing them in a warm, timeless scene. Caleb didn't fully grasp what "worth it" meant, but he memorized his father's words—and her smiling face.
The memory faded, and Caleb snapped back to the present. He glanced toward the bedroom, where Serena's figure lay in the shadows, peaceful and fragile. In that moment, he suddenly understood what his father had meant all those years ago—she truly was worth it.
But Jack's words still echoed in his ears: "She's human, you're a werewolf—don't get in too deep." Caleb closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Father was right," he murmured to himself, his voice carrying a thread of resolve. "Human or not, I'll protect her."
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating his face and stretching his shadow long across the floor, like a wolf standing tall in the darkness. No matter the dangers ahead, he had made up his mind—Serena was his mission, and his home.