Chapter 003

Today, the wind was blowing hastily in Midtown Manhattan. As I hurriedly zipped up my jacket to cover the tight t-shirt clinging to my chest, I quickened my pace towards the pharmacy. The sky looked gray above me, and it felt like rain was about to pour down. Sure enough, a few seconds after I thought so, drops of rain fell from the sky.

By the time I arrived at the pharmacy, I was already soaking wet and shivering.

"Anti-nausea medicine, please," I said to the pharmacist. "And... um, medicine for headaches, also appetite syrup for adult."

The appetite syrup felt important. Maybe because this morning I found myself unable to eat the eggs and bacon. Even though bacon is my favorite food. Damn, it is rare I could eat bacon.

The pharmacist, a young woman with her hair perfectly coiled like a ballerina's, looked at me. "May I know what's ails you?"

"Uh," I thought for a moment and shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe just tired from too much classes." Or too much alcohol, yeah.

The pharmacist promptly instructed me to put my arm into the available automatic blood pressure meter. I complied. After a while, the sophisticated device produced a piece of paper with numbers and letters that I didn't quite understand the meaning of. I handed the paper to the pharmacist.

"Oh. Your blood pressure is high. You should rest more and exercise regularly, and avoid alcohol." Well, blood doesn't lie. Alright, I'll avoid alcohol from now on.

"Okay," I replied.

While she prepared the medicine for me, I unintentionally thought about Ikaros, and suddenly my heart ached again.

Have you ever felt so deeply in love with someone, felt so much desire to be with that person, and believed that there was something special between you guys—and you did indeed have an intimate relationship—but it turns out that person hates you for no reason, which you truly cannot understand why, and claims to have a partner one second after making love with you? The feeling is killing me, to the point where I just want to forget everything—if that's possible.

"Your medication is ready. The total cost is..." the pharmacist glanced at his computer screen and stated the amount.

I immediately took out my phone to pay the bill. And as I entered my PIN, my eyes accidentally caught sight of the small, flat object on the display case.

"Do you want to buy a pregnancy test kit as well?" the pharmacist asked, and I quickly shook my head, startled.

Oh my goodness, what is this?

After getting my medication, I exited the pharmacy and waited for a taxi outside. My lips felt dry, and my stomach grumbled from hunger. But even the aroma from the expensive restaurant next to the pharmacy made me nauseous.

I sighed heavily, and then a sleek black luxury car pulled up in front of the restaurant, and a woman and a man got out of the car. The woman was beautiful and had a supermodel-like figure. A ring adorned her ring finger. Meanwhile, the man... the man was Ikaros.

My fists clenched. It turns out he already has a partner. Then why did he touch me a few months ago?

I caught a unique scent from them, and they suddenly looked at me. Ikaros didn't seem pleased, as usual, but the woman lifted her chin and confidently walked towards me, leaving me confused. A bodyguard who had just exited their car made sure to keep shading her with an umbrella to shield her from the drizzle.

"So you're a cheap female wolf who likes to deliberately break rules to get the attention of my future husband?" she asked.

I hunched. "I don't understand what rules you're talking about," I tried to answer confidently. Although honestly, her stunning and elegant appearance, not to mention the expensive beaded taffeta gown hugging her supermodel body, made me feel insecure. Turns out, this is the type Ikaros desires.

"Oh, so typical of cheap women. Pretending not to know and acting innocent," she said.

"Cheap woman, huh?" I asked, ready to confront her. I wouldn't argue with words. With my current condition, hungry, nauseous, headache, and heartbroken—I was more than ready to grab her perfect hair.

Before I could lash out, Ikaros approached us, his hand circling the slender waist of the woman. "What are you doing, Lorelei? It's raining outside, we should go in."

"Wolf-out, now," she said, ignoring her future husband and provoking me instead. "You must be dying to show the world the ugly and lowly wolf within you, right? And to get the attention of my future husband."

"Wolf-out?" I asked, puzzled, while something inside me started to cry from being insulted—something with a different mindset than mine.

Lorelei giggled, but I couldn't find anything funny except for feelings of pity and sympathy for something inside me feeling humiliated.

"You're right, dear, she's ugly and uncultured," Lorelei whispered into Ikaros's ear. And the man nodded.

I stared at Ikaros, shocked. That annoying woman could insult me—but Ikaros...!?

Suddenly, I felt extremely angry. Angry and deeply humiliated, also heartbroken, all those feelings multiplied when I saw Ikaros at that moment. I felt all that rage spreading from my heart throughout my body, and then I saw my nails elongating and brown fur growing on the back of my hands...

"Eh, what's happening!?"

"Aaah!" The sight was so shocking and terrifying, and before I knew it, Ikaros was already stepping towards me and grabbing my hand. I panicked and tried to shake his hand off, but he held onto me tighter this time.

"Stop! What are you doing transforming here—"

But the fur kept growing onto my arms, upper arms, and then onto my face—

you're a werewolf, you're a werewolf, you're a werewolf! something inside me screamed.

—and before I could transform any further, Ikaros quickly opened his tuxedo and enveloped my head.

"Come with us," he whispered in my ear.

*****

I was taken to a luxurious residence in Manhattan Upper Side. The mansion was enormous and grand, filled with numerous servants.

I bit my lip, never imagining that a startup founder like Ikaros, who collaborated with Jay, could own such a magnificent home.

We got out of the car and entered the house. Its hallways were high-ceilinged with ruby red paneled walls and large gold-framed photos, adorned with crystal chandeliers and towering ceramic vases.

They then led me to a room resembling an office for one person. Ikaros sat behind the desk, Lorelei lounged lazily on the chaise in the room, and I sat in front of Ikaros's desk with a man who seemed to be Ikaros's bodyguard.

"She looked genuinely confused earlier," the bodyguard said, now sitting next to me. "Could it be that she really has no control over the wolf inside her?"

"Shut up, Rutherford," Lorelei snapped. "I'm sure that was just her trickery, right, Darling?"

"Sorry, my dear Luna. I agree with Rutherford," Ikaros said. The man glanced at me for a moment, and our eyes met. "I want to scold you. But you look pale. Are you sick?"

I refused to answer. I had suddenly turned into a terrifying furry creature, and I began to believe that Lorelei was a witch, or at the very least, I was being pranked and there was a hidden camera capturing my expression. Now the fur was gone from my skin, but I was still traumatized.

"You should answer when an Alpha asks you," reprimanded Rutherford, and I sighed.

"So, she's Luna?" I said, pointing to the annoying girl who was staring at me with disgust.

"Prospective Luna," Rutherford corrected, while Ikaros answered with a short 'yes.'

"I understand now," I said coldly. So, this guy touched me just for his own pleasure, because he already had that snobbish woman as his partner.

"Do you want some bread, perhaps? You look really pale and unhealthy," Rutherford said, ignoring the cold tone in my voice.

At the same time, my stomach rumbled. And even though I was sure the sound was very thin and faint, all three of them immediately looked at me. They must have super hearing.

Rutherford quickly handed me a slice of plain bread in a packaging that seemed to be a common snack for Ikaros in the office, and I forced myself to eat at least one slice.

"I hate seeing you paying attention to her," said Lorelei. "You shouldn't be so kind to her. Because that woman has transformed in the middle of the city, shouldn't you punish her, Darling?" she asked Ikaros.

Did she saId something about punishing me earlier?

Ikaros looked at me and sighed. "The problem is, I suspect she's an idiot who doesn't know she's a werewolf."

A what!?

"That doesn't mean she's above the law," said Lorelei. "If you can't punish her, let me—"

Suddenly, my stomach hurt badly. I tried to hold it back, but it was excruciatingly painful. It felt like something was stabbing my stomach, and tears quickly filled my eyes.

"Rutherford, take her to the doctor, NOW!" Ikaros yelled, and then everything went dark.

When the world came back into focus, I saw a doctor standing beside me, looking at someone in front of him.

"Congratulations, Mr. Alexandrovich. Your partner is pregnant."