Chapter 13

In the complex tapestry of the werewolf - human world, Nathan couldn't shake an inexplicable sense of unease as he absently scrolled through his chat history with Isabella. The digital conversations, once filled with her daily musings, now seemed like a distant memory.

Back in the day, Isabella, a human in a world where werewolves held significant power, would reach out to him almost daily. Her good morning and good night messages were a constant, and she'd eagerly share every little detail of her life—the scenery she witnessed, the food she tasted. To Nathan, a werewolf accustomed to a more reserved form of communication, her openness had felt annoyingly clingy. But ever since he had sent her abroad, it was as if she had vanished into the shadows, much like a human trying to hide from the werewolf gaze. She hadn't sent him a single message since then.

How had he not noticed such a drastic change in her behavior until now? The depth of his neglect towards Isabella was becoming glaringly obvious. In the werewolf - human social hierarchy, where werewolves often held dominance, his disregard for her was a sign of the imbalance in their relationship.

He opened their chat and typed:  

“Bella, what are you doing? You haven’t reached out in ages. Are you mad at your husband?”  

After a moment of hesitation, he hit send, his werewolf pride slightly dented by the act of reaching out.

Moments later, a large red exclamation mark appeared in the chat window.  

Nathan froze. In the werewolf - human digital landscape, such a sign was as jarring as a howl in the night. Had Isabella’s account been hacked? It was a common fear in a world where supernatural forces could interfere with technology.

He quickly found her international number and dialed.  

After several rings, an automated voice message answered: “We’re sorry. The number you dialed is no longer in service.”  

Shocked, Nathan stared at his phone in disbelief. His werewolf senses, usually so sharp, were now clouded with confusion.

His assistant, a human well - versed in the ways of the werewolf - human world, standing nearby, offered a hesitant suggestion:  

“Sir, I think… the madam might have blocked you.”  

Nathan’s expression darkened, his werewolf features shifting between pale shock and simmering fury. In the werewolf community, being blocked was a significant snub, a clear sign of a breakdown in the relationship.

The reality sank in after a long pause: Isabella had blocked him.  

The assistant glanced at him nervously, his tone almost scolding:  

“Sir, if I may, it seems the madam is seriously considering leaving you this time.”  

Nathan burst out laughing, waving off the notion as absurd. In the werewolf - human power dynamic, it was rare for a human to leave a werewolf of his status.  

“Leave me? As if she’d dare.”  

He remembered how Isabella had willingly given up a kidney to secure her position as his wife. In a world where werewolves often used their power to influence humans, he believed she wouldn’t simply walk away from the life of comfort and status he had provided.  

“She might be upset, but she wouldn’t dream of throwing away the fortune she lucked into,” he added confidently. “Cinderella stories don’t exist in the real world, especially not in our world where werewolves set the rules.”  

His assistant sighed inwardly but said nothing more.

Using his assistant’s phone, Nathan sent a message to Isabella:  

“Bella, the company is holding a major celebration, and as my wife, it’s your duty to attend with me. Return to the country immediately.  

—Nathan”  

He conveniently ignored the fact that he had broken his promise to fetch her months ago. To him, Isabella was like a human marionette, expected to dance to his tune without agency, feelings, or the right to disobey. In the werewolf - human relationships, such expectations were often the norm.

After sending the message, he locked the phone, awaiting her response, then turned to his assistant with a smile.  

“Let’s call up my buddies and head out for dinner.”  

Milan  

In the heart of Milan, a city that was a melting pot of human and werewolf cultures, when Isabella’s phone chimed with a new message, she was busy at her sewing machine. She glanced at her younger brother, Theodore Sanchez, a young werewolf with a fierce protectiveness for Isabella.  

“Theo, can you check my phone? It’s probably a client order.”  

Theodore picked up her phone, skimmed the message, and his werewolf eyes narrowed, his face instantly hardening. The message from Nathan reeked of the werewolf arrogance that he despised.

After sneaking a glance at Isabella, he replied tersely, “Sis, it’s just spam. I’ll handle it.”  

“Alright,” she replied without looking up, focused on her work.

Theodore quickly typed a scathing response:  

“Who let this dog off its leash? Next time, learn some basic manners before asking someone for a favor.” In the werewolf - human world, such a direct insult was a bold move, but Theodore's werewolf spirit wouldn't let Nathan's behavior go unchallenged.

When Nathan received the reply, he was at dinner with friends, the atmosphere lively and filled with the jovial chatter of werewolves and their human associates. The restaurant was a popular haunt for the elite of both species.  

Someone teased, “Nathan, I heard your father ordered you to bring Isabella back. You heading overseas soon?”  

“Why should I?” Nathan replied breezily. “She’ll come back on her own. She knows her place in this werewolf - human world.”  

Another friend raised an eyebrow. “What if she’s still upset and refuses to return?”  

“She’s easy to coax,” Nathan said with a confident smirk, his werewolf charm on full display.  

The table burst into laughter.  

“True. She loves you so much she even gave you a kidney without hesitation. A human like her wouldn’t go against a werewolf’s wishes.”  

“Exactly,” another chimed in, laughing.

When Nathan’s assistant held up his phone, his face brightened. “Sir, madam replied!”  

One of the friends joked, “Of course she did. Isabella’s the ultimate simp for you, Nathan. She can’t stay mad at a werewolf like you.”  

Smiling, Nathan lit a cigarette, leaning back leisurely as he opened the message.  

The bold reply—**“Get lost!”**—stared back at him.  

His smile froze, then twisted into disbelief. The laughter around the table died instantly, replaced by an awkward silence. In the werewolf - human social setting, such a disrespectful response was unheard of.

“What happened?” one of his friends asked cautiously.  

Reading the final line in the message, Nathan’s face turned ashen.  

One friend leaned over to read it and recoiled.  

“Whoa. Is this from Isabella? Has she lost her mind? Challenging a werewolf like this?”  

Another quipped nervously, “She’s… threatening Nathan?”  

Nathan threw the phone onto the table, his werewolf features contorted in anger.  

“There’s no way she sent that. Someone must’ve hacked her account. A human wouldn’t dare speak to me like this.”  

His assistant examined the screen, frowning. “The avatar matches hers, sir. But… the tone? It’s like a man wrote it.”  

Victoria, a werewolf with her own interests in the situation, piped up. “Do you think she’s seeing someone else overseas? A human wouldn’t be so bold without some new - found support.”  

Nathan’s expression turned venomous. “She wouldn’t dare. No human would risk the wrath of a werewolf family like ours.”  

Another friend noted quietly, “Her profile name has changed to ‘Thea.’ Isn’t that odd?”  

The group exchanged uneasy looks, while Nathan dismissed their concerns with smug certainty.  

“She’s too loyal to betray me. She knows better than to do anything reckless. This has to be a mistake or a prank. A human wouldn’t act against the werewolf - human social norms.”  

His eyes darkened as he stared at the message, muttering, “Or someone’s behind this, someone who doesn’t understand the power dynamics at play.”