Chapter 575

The thought alone made Shermaine’s blood boil. There weren’t many people in the world capable of using human and animal bodies for experiments, especially not to this extent. No one but the team behind the Immortality Project in Wallington all those years ago. It had to be them. She even suspected that Jason’s current grotesque condition wasn’t entirely self- inflicted. Somewhere along the way, their research data must’ve leaked, winding up in the hands of people crazy enough to act on it. Jason was living proof of that madness.

“I’ve got your vitals under control,” Shermaine said, her tone calm but firm. “But you should brace yourself. The wolf DNA has fully merged with yours. Removing it completely isn’t an option. Some of it’s going to stay.”

Roy nodded, then hesitated. “How much are we talking about?”

“You’re not going to transform into a wolf again, if that’s what you’re worried about. But the enhancements that came with the genes? Those are permanent. Strength, speed, stamina… and unfortunately, that damn mating season instinct. Spring’s coming. You’ll want to be extra careful.”

Roy let out a quiet groan. He hadn’t been a wolf for long, but his body had already started picking up certain habits, like a constant craving for meat.

Shermaine noticed the twitch at the corner of his mouth and chuckled. “What? You really hate that part of yourself so much?”

Roy looked down. “Yeah, I do.” Being a wolf meant he couldn’t hold Molly the way he wanted to.

Shermaine tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Have you ever read those romance novels where the female lead gets thrown into a world of shapeshifters? You know, half-human, half-animal types like you. At first, she’s totally grossed out, but after spending time together, she softens up. Eventually, they settle down and raise a bunch of cute little cubs.”

Roy shook his head. Those books weren’t his thing. And besides, the way she said it made him feel like he was the punchline to some joke he didn’t get.

Shermaine kept musing, unbothered. “Well, maybe you should read one sometime. Might give you a different perspective.”

Two years without seeing her, and she’d grown sharp-tongued, almost as cunning as Joshua.

Shermaine glanced at the clock. “Anyway, it’s getting late. I’m heading out. If you need to reach me, just call the same number as before. Molly should wake up in about half an hour. Take care of her.”

Roy nodded. “Shermaine… before I go back to normal, could you not tell Molly that the wolf was me?”

Her brow arched. “Why not?”

He shifted awkwardly. “Just… don’t.” He couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud, but the truth was, he felt broken, and someone like that didn’t deserve someone like Molly.

Shermaine, on the other hand, thought honesty might serve him better. If Molly ever found out he’d kept something this big from her, there’d be hell to pay. Women like Molly were strong, proud, and independent, and they didn’t take betrayal lightly. But Shermaine didn’t press. If Roy wanted to keep digging himself into a hole, that was on him. He’d already made enough mistakes, surviving the ordeal, and disappearing without a word, and now he was still hiding.

“Suit yourself,” she said.

“Thanks, Shermaine.”

She left without another word. Not a single guard noticed her arrival, and none of them saw her leave. It was as if she’d never been there at all.

Once she was gone, Roy lay on the bed beside Molly and watched her sleep. He reached for her hand, but even that simple touch wasn’t enough. The ache inside him wouldn’t go away. He needed to be closer. So he slipped under the covers and wrapped himself around her, telling himself he just wanted to hold her for a while.

But maybe it was Shermaine’s warning echoing in his head, or maybe it was something deeper. The second he touched her, something ignited inside him, fast, hot, and impossible to ignore. His breath quickened, and his face flushed red. He nuzzled into her, intoxicated by her scent and the softness of her skin. He pressed his face to the curve of her neck, unable to resist trailing his tongue gently along her ear. Before long, two furry wolf ears poked out from the top of his head.

Molly felt as though she were burning up, her body heavy and suffocating, as if trapped by something pressing down on her, like an octopus wrapping its limbs around her. She could barely breathe. In the haze of sleep, she vaguely heard the sound of a man’s heavy breathing. But when she opened her eyes, the darkness around her was absolute. The chandelier above her swung gently, and there was no man by her side, only the wolf. The wolf was lying next to her.

Her head throbbed painfully, and her body felt weak and limp. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was drinking with Shermaine, but how she got home was a mystery. She slowly sat up, her mind foggy as she tried to piece things together.

Roy whimpered softly, nudging her gently, as if trying to comfort her.

Molly turned to look at him. The wolf’s eyes were wide, round, and bright. She reached out and patted his head. “I’m fine,” she murmured.

Roy whimpered again, then slowly backed away from her, jumping off the bed and settling down under it. Something felt off about him now.

Molly didn’t think too much of it. She got up from the bed, her feet bare against the floor. She was still wearing the dress from earlier that night, which now reeked of alcohol and smoke. She wrinkled her nose at the smell, then tugged the dress off and tossed it aside carelessly. It landed on the wolf’s head.

After undressing, Molly walked toward the bathroom. Roy let out a frustrated sigh, his body burning with unease. He pulled the dress off his head with his paws and sniffed it. He couldn’t help but feel like a creep, his thoughts constantly drawn to Molly, which made him restless and irritated.

When Molly finished her shower, she realized the bathrobe she’d left in the bathroom was gone. With no other choice, she wrapped herself in a towel and headed for the closet. She opened it to find something comfortable to wear, but that was when she noticed something strange. Her wardrobe was a mess. Molly narrowed her eyes, pulling out a couple of clothes and sniffing them. They smelled fresh, almost too fresh. But the wardrobe had been tidy before. It didn’t look like this. She continued rummaging through her clothes and found a single black hair, neither long nor short. She pulled it out, pondering for a moment.

‘Could it have been Shermaine?’ she thought to herself.

She stood there in silence for a moment, then stuffed the clothes back into the closet. Walking out, she found Roy lying on the carpet. She sat down on the edge of the bed and asked, “Roy, did anyone come to my room tonight?”

Roy let out a soft howl.

Molly hesitated, then asked, “Was it a particularly beautiful woman?”

Roy howled again.

Molly nodded and decided not to press further.

Roy, on the other hand, felt a bit guilty, especially after Molly went into the closet. With her sharp, cautious nature, if he kept appearing in front of her in human form, she’d definitely catch on to something. He wagged his tail nervously, hoping Molly wouldn’t notice how uneasy he felt, afraid that seeing him like this would scare her.