Chapter 13 The Late Dinner
Evelyn's POV
Shapeshifters make up a large portion of the Lycan Clan. I don't know what Kane thinks, but to me, they're just a bunch of people who don't really matter. From the Lycan shapeshifters I've met so far, I honestly can't say I like them or feel much of anything toward them.
But I won't let myself become biased against them—that would make me just like them.
I lay on the couch, rubbing my throbbing temples. My mind was a mess, like a tangled ball of yarn.
The suffocating exclusivity of the Lycan Clan, Kane's silent and patient figure in daily life, Ambrose's sarcastic remarks full of prejudice in class... These scenes looped in my head like a movie, giving me a headache.
Before I knew it, heavy drowsiness crept over me. My eyelids grew heavy, and my thoughts and vision blurred.
I drifted off, sinking so deeply into a dream that I couldn't wake up. Suddenly I felt someone calling me. I struggled to open my eyes—the starlight patterns on the room's walls gave off a soft glow, not harsh at all.
I suddenly felt like I'd forgotten something. I quickly grabbed my phone to check the time, and the screen clearly showed it was already seven in the evening.
"I actually overslept? Oh my god, Kane!"
Panic set in. We'd agreed to have dinner together, but I had slept right through our meeting time. This was awful.
I immediately sat up, frantically unlocked my phone, and quickly found "K" in my contacts to send a message;
[Kane, I'm so sorry! I fell asleep and just woke up. Are you still at the cafeteria? I'll come find you right away!]
After sending the message, I rushed to check the mirror to fix my hair and clothes, ready to go straight to the cafeteria to find Kane. My phone stayed silent with no notification sound, making me feel uneasy.
Before I could reach the mirror, a familiar knock came from the door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The knocking continued, unhurried and steady. Thinking it must be Kane coming to get me for dinner, and afraid he'd been waiting too long, I quickly walked over to open the door.
Kane stood outside. The hallway light cast his shadow on the floor. I saw him carrying a food container, a chill clinging to him as if he'd just come in from outside.
"Kane, I'm sorry, I..." I started to apologize, but his calm voice cut me off.
"Dinner." Kane looked up slightly, holding the food container, his tone suggesting this had been the plan all along.
I quickly took the container and opened it to find cream of mushroom soup inside, along with some freshly baked bread, still steaming.
"Did you... did you eat?" I felt embarrassed, but still looked straight into his eyes, searching for any hint of his true emotions. He brought me food—if he hadn't eaten either, I'd feel even worse.
"I ate," he answered flatly, his gaze sweeping over my rumpled clothes before quickly looking away. "You were asleep. Eat while it's hot."
I realized he must have knocked earlier, but I was asleep and didn't hear it. So I stepped aside to make room, pointing inside, "Want to come in and sit for a bit?"
Kane fell silent for a moment, seeming to hesitate about how to refuse me.
I quickly spoke again, "Just sit with me for a while and talk. Eating alone is no fun."
Kane looked into my eyes. I quickly looked back at him sincerely. After seeing him hesitate for a moment, he finally nodded and stepped inside. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief.
The room's lighting was soft and warm. The chill around Kane faded a bit under the lights. I sat on the couch and opened the food container to start eating. I thought Kane would sit next to me, but he actually sat in the chair across from me, his back straight, looking very stiff.
I wanted him to relax a bit, so I opened my laptop. "Let's watch a movie. Come sit over here."
He nodded, then walked over to sit beside me, keeping a bit of distance.
The movie was an old one about companionship and protection. I tried to eat quietly, glancing at Kane from the corner of my eye. I saw him just watching the movie seriously, his expression very gentle.
I relaxed, feeling that he'd loosened up now, without the tension from earlier. He'd even moved closer to me, his arm resting on the back of the couch, almost as if his arm was wrapped around me.
The bread was really crispy. I tried to minimize the crunching sounds. Then I noticed a second tier to the food container. I quietly opened it to find a fruit salad. I placed the salad between us. "Kane, have some salad. I can't finish it all by myself."
"Okay." Kane nodded in agreement.
Halfway through the movie, I'd finished dinner. Kane checked the time and said to me in a gentle voice, "I should go. Get some rest early."
I actually wanted him to stay longer, but I was afraid of making him uncomfortable. "Okay, you rest early too."
I packed up the food container and got up to walk him to the door.
The moment Kane opened the door, he stopped. He turned around, looking a bit nervous as he pulled a small velvet pouch from his pocket and held it out to me.
"For you."
Caught off guard when he stopped, I stumbled slightly just as he extended his hand. I took the pouch and opened it to find a brooch inside.
The brooch featured a silver bird with spread wings ready to fly, with smooth lines full of power. The bird's wings were inlaid with tiny rubies, and its eyes were two extremely small pieces of obsidian, deep and mysterious.
"Kane, I can't accept this, and besides, I still have that bracelet." I instinctively refused, raising my wrist to show him the bracelet.
This brooch also looked very valuable. With such craftsmanship and the embedded gemstones, I felt at a loss.
"For you!" Kane's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable firmness. He looked at the brooch in my hand, his eyes showing a hint of tenderness. "I made it a long time ago. It suits you."
"You made this yourself? That's amazing! Then I definitely can't accept it. Take it back!" I looked at the brooch again in surprise, put it back in the small bag, and handed it to him.
I never imagined Kane could be so skilled with his hands. The craftsmanship rivaled anything you could buy in a store. I had even less reason to accept it now.
"Kane, I really can't accept it!"
I refused again, but saw him looking somewhat dejected and hurt, even more than the last time, making it hard to bear.
"For you, please take it!" He kept repeating this phrase. Seeing him like this, the words of refusal stuck in my throat—I just couldn't say them.
It felt like a crime to refuse him and crush his sincere feelings.
"Then... then like the bracelet, I'll accept it, and when you want it back someday, I'll return it to you, okay?"
I caved, meeting his serious gaze as I spoke.
Kane didn't answer this, but his eyes clearly brightened. "Good night."
He looked at me deeply, then turned to leave. I quickly responded, "Kane, rest early."
The moment I closed the door, I looked down at the brooch again, then at the bracelet on my wrist. As I remembered the look in Kane's eyes before he left, I realized there was an emotion in them I couldn't understand.