Days later...

Lynsandra rested her jaw on her knuckles, holding a document up in front of her. She was reading it, but her boredom was evident. Then, a gentle tap on her temple made her brows twitch.

When she looked up, Julian was already watching her.

They were both seated on the couch, with him at one end and her at the other. His head was tilted slightly, his eyes quietly studying her.

"Go," he said softly. "You look sleepy."

She chuckled and straightened her back. "You should be careful," she said, handing him the report she had been reading. When he took it, she added, "Something horrible is happening."

Julian began reading what she had been so intensely focused on since his return—the same document that had her looking bored every few minutes.

"An engineered wolf?" he hummed, his brows furrowing. "And it’s only now that it reached the Royal Pack’s radar?"

"It started with small incidents, usually covered up, especially when it was suspected to be a wolf’s doing," she explained, not needing to elaborate further on how the law worked.

Coexisting with humans was nothing but a farce. Even now, werewolves were not widely known to the outside world. Lynsandra hadn’t understood why in the past, but from what she learned in history, it had been a deliberate decision to create a fair world.

If humans discovered that werewolves and other creatures existed, a racial hierarchy could threaten the fragile peace their predecessors had painstakingly built. In return, the Royal Pack would continue to be recognized as royalty by humans.

To preserve the balance of the world, global leaders—including the Royal Pack—had followed this practice. Whenever attacks were suspected to be done by wolves, they were usually attributed to other causes. Then the werewolf police or the special station would quietly take over.

In other words, since the incidents occurred in different places and were relatively minor, they had been overlooked.

Julian slowly placed the document down and fixed his gaze on her. "I will be careful."

"You should hire more security," she suggested, her tone softer than usual—almost like a gentle nag. "Or should I ask Virgo to lend you some of ours? After all, human security wouldn’t stand a chance against even a normal wolf. Unless they’re very skilled... and lucky."

"There’s no need for that," he chuckled, sprawling his arms across the back of the couch and stretching his fingers. He poked her cheek, his lips curling upward. "I can protect myself. Silver bullets—I carry them all the time."

Silver bullets were one of the weaknesses of both werewolves and vampires. They wouldn’t kill them instantly, but the wounds they inflicted wouldn’t heal easily. Normally, that was when healers of their kind would step in.

"That’s not enough—"

"Some of my men carry them as well," he nodded, drawing his finger away from her cheek before playing with a strand of her hair. "If anything, you need to secure your own protection more than I do."

She arched a brow. "Are you saying I can’t protect myself?"

"I’m saying that if these people are truly engineering genes, royalty would be their first target," he replied calmly. "Lynsandra, did you change your shampoo?"

"I told you, don’t get distracted mid-conversation."

"You know everything else is a distraction except you." He blinked and met her eyes. "Your hair feels softer."

Lynsandra drew a deep breath and subtly straightened, turning her head so her hair slipped away from his fingers. He looked up at her, curiosity clear in his eyes.

"Are you avoiding me now as well?" he asked lightly.

"Does it look like that?" she chuckled as she rose from her seat. "I should take a break. My schedule is getting sloppy."

Julian chuckled as he watched her walk away, only for her to stop by the door. She stared at the knob as if contemplating something.

"...."

She blinked, snapping out of it. Reaching for the knob, she looked back at him and smiled. "If Minnie or Virgo comes, tell them I’m calling it a day."

With that, she twisted the knob and walked out without looking back. Julian, left alone in her study, kept his eyes on the door.

A light chuckle escaped him as he finally looked away. "I was hoping she would lock it instead."

*****

Lynsandra stopped in the middle of the hallway and let out a deep exhale. She made her way to a nearby window and leaned against the wall beside it.

Julian hadn’t been around much due to his business trip, so she had been spending more time with him lately since his return. Crossing her arms, she turned her head toward the window. Outside, she could see Minnie playing with Cassian like children.

"Until now... I still don’t get him," she whispered, her thoughts drifting to Julian. "...and until now, I don’t get myself either."

There was something about him that drew her in. It wasn’t just his attractiveness—everyone in this harem had their own charm, even that righteous Evander. But never in her life had Lynsandra encountered a human who intrigued her the way Julian did.

No, she wasn’t in love with him. However, if she were honest, Julian could seduce her more easily than anyone else. Not that she craved him, and he wasn’t even trying. The point was, there was something about him she couldn’t quite define.

"I thought that if I kept him close, I’d satisfy my curiosity and figure out why he feels different from most humans," she murmured, drawing another deep breath. "But I guess I was wrong."

If anything, now that Julian was living under the same roof as her, her confusion had only deepened.

I thought that since he’d been absent, I had already lost interest in him. But I guess that was only temporary.

Lynsandra stretched her neck and watched as Cassian and Minnie poured something into a large drum. Moments later, foam began spilling out like clouds.

"What in the world are those two doing?" she whispered, her curiosity sharpening. "That... actually looks fun."

She watched as Cassian and Minnie squealed like children, excitedly observing their expanding foam monster. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she finally looked away, peeled herself off the wall, and left.