Chapter 114: Chapter 114

The rain finally stopped around midnight, leaving the gardens of the Blackwood mansion soaked, dripping, and smelling heavily of wet earth and crushed pine needles. By the next afternoon, the sun had broken through the heavy grey clouds, turning the stone patio into a humid greenhouse.

Kai sat on the low stone wall bordering the rose bushes, his long legs stretched out in front of him. After a brutal three-hour practice under the assistant coach's whistle, his teenage werewolf metabolism was screaming for fuel. He held a massive, steaming porcelain bowl of instant ramen noodles—laden with extra egg, sliced beef, and a generous amount of hot chili oil.

He took a massive forkful, blowing on the steaming noodles before shoving them into his mouth.

"Oh my god," Kai muttered to the empty garden, closing his eyes in absolute bliss as he chewed. "These are everything. Gosh, I am so hungry. I could literally eat a whole cow right now."

Pop.

The humid afternoon air instantly turned crisp. The steam rising from Kai’s noodle bowl suddenly flattened out, turning into a faint white plume of frozen condensation.

The One materialized out of thin air, sitting perfectly cross-legged right on top of the narrow stone wall just two feet away from Kai. His white hair was perfectly dry, his dark school blazer draped loosely over his shoulders. His bottomless black eyes fixed instantly on the steaming porcelain bowl with a look of deep, profound curiosity.

"What are you eating, brother?" The One asked smoothly, his melodic voice carrying that chilling, resonant echo.

Kai didn't jump, but his golden wolf eyes flared to life as his grip tightened around his fork. He pulled the bowl closer to his chest, glaring defensively at the entity.

"Look, I know you just got your body back and wanna try the whole food in the whole world," Kai said, his voice dropping into a firm, competitive growl. "But not my noodles. I worked my ass off on the court today, and these are off-limits."

The One slowly tilted his head, a slow, wicked smirk curling the corners of his sharp lips. He didn't say a word. He simply raised his pale hand and gave a sharp, casual snap of his fingers.

Zap.

The porcelain bowl violently vanished from Kai’s hands. Before Kai could even register the movement, the bowl was hovering perfectly in the air right in front of The One. The entity caught the fork in mid-air, scooped up a massive tangle of spicy noodles, and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, his eyes lighting up as the rich, salty broth hit his tongue.

"Hey! No!" Kai yelled, leaping to his feet, his chests heaving with pure, unadulterated frustration. "What the hell, man?!"

The One swallowed the noodles, letting out a satisfied, chilling chuckle as he held the bowl out of Kai’s reach.

"Share, brother," The One purred, using the fork to twirl another massive portion. "After all, a family is supposed to support one another. Isn't that what Koda told me?"

Kai stood there, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. He looked at the white-haired demon casually stealing his lunch, then looked toward the mansion windows where his father was likely still hiding away with his ancient, useless texts.

Kai let out a long, heavy sigh, the aggressive golden glow slowly fading from his eyes. He realized that fighting the entity over a packet of instant ramen was completely pointless—and honestly, dangerous for the masonry.

"You know," Kai said, running a hand over his face as he sat back down on the stone wall, a few feet away from the entity. "If you're really that obsessed with trying everything this world has to offer, you shouldn't be eating instant trash out of a plastic packet in our backyard."

The One paused, the fork halfway to his mouth. He cut his dark eyes toward Kai, his white fringe shifting. "What do you mean? This... 'trash' is remarkably flavorful compared to the dirt block your other brother gave me."

"That's because you haven't had real food yet," Kai said, a sudden, strategic thought forming in his mind. He remembered his conversation with Harper and Koda about keeping things normal, about integrating the monster into human routines so he wouldn't blow up the territory out of sheer boredom. "Listen. If you give me back the rest of my noodles right now... I'll take you out."

The One lowered the bowl slightly, his brow furrowing in deep suspicion. "You will take me out? Is that a human euphemism for an execution attempt? Because I assure you, your little silver toys will not work."

Kai let out a short, genuine laugh. "No, you idiot. It means I'll take you to the city. To a real diner. There's a place down on Main Street—all-you-can-eat burgers, milkshakes, fries, actual pies with real sugar. Things that make this kitchen stuff look like prison food."

The One remained quiet for a long moment, evaluating the werewolf. He could hear Kai’s heartbeat—steady, honest, and completely devoid of the deceitful panic that usually saturated Alpha Marcus's chest. The prospect of actual human sweets, of exploring the world he had been locked away from for a decade, was a heavy temptation.

With a dramatic, graceful flick of his wrist, The One slid the porcelain bowl through the air, letting it land perfectly back in Kai's lap without spilling a single drop of broth.

"A milkshake," The One murmured, the word rolling off his tongue like an ancient incantation. He stood up from the wall, his dark eyes locking onto Kai with a sharp, possessive glare. "If it does not live up to your description, wolf... I will ensure your next basketball practice is your last."

"Deal," Kai muttered, quickly shoving a final forkful of noodles into his mouth before standing up. "Let me go grab my car keys."

The ride into the town center was vastly different from the tense, silent trip back from school. Kai drove his old, beat-up pickup truck with the windows rolled down, letting the cool evening air circulate through the cabin. The One sat in the passenger seat, his head tilted slightly out the window, his white hair whipping in the wind as he watched the neon signs of the town blink to life in the twilight.

They pulled up outside Marlon’s Diner, a classic, retro establishment with red neon lights, chrome detailing, and the heavy, intoxicating smell of frying grease and vanilla syrup drifting out into the parking lot.

The exact second they walked through the glass double doors, the familiar high school flatline occurred. The casual chatter of the local humans died down as heads turned to look at the striking, pale boy with snow-white hair and an expensive dark blazer. But Kai didn't care this time. He slid into a corner booth, gesturing for The One to sit across from him.

A young waitress approached their table, her cheeks turning bright red as she looked at the entity. "Uh... hi guys. What can I get for you tonight?"

"Two double cheeseburgers, a large basket of loaded fries," Kai ordered easily, then pointed at his companion. "And give him a large strawberry milkshake with extra whipped cream. And a slice of the apple pie."

"Coming right up," she whispered, practically tripping over her own sneakers as she hurried away to the kitchen.

The One sat back in the red vinyl booth, his fingers casually tracing the chrome edge of the table. "The humans in this sector are remarkably fragile," he observed quietly, his dark eyes scanning the room. "They look at me as if they can sense the void waiting to swallow them."

"They're just not used to seeing someone who looks like a villain from an anime," Kai said, leaning his elbows on the table. "Just dial back the freezing air, alright? We're trying to have a normal meal."

Within ten minutes, the food arrived. The waitress set down the heavy plates, along with a massive, tall glass of bright pink milkshake topped with a mountain of white cream and a single red cherry.

The One didn't hesitate. He bypassed the burgers entirely, his hand shooting out to grab the milkshake glass. He didn't use the straw; he simply tipped the glass back and took a massive, experimental gulp.

Kai watched him closely, bracing his hands against the table in case the entity decided to smash the glass in anger.

Instead, The One froze. His bottomless black eyes widened, the dark, volatile energy around him completely melting away into a look of absolute, profound revelation. He lowered the glass, a tiny trace of white whipped cream sticking to his upper lip.

"This..." The One whispered, his voice losing its ancient, terrifying echo for a brief second. "This is acceptable. The coldness... the sugar. It is... remarkable."

"Told you," Kai said, a massive, triumphant grin spreading across his face as he picked up his burger. "Told you I wouldn't lie to you about the sweets, brother."

The One didn't argue the title this time. He simply picked up a long metal spoon, dug deep into the apple pie, and began to devour the sugar, completely content to let the pack territory survive for another evening.