That young wolf standing next to Hugrey, looking just like him, was her son. Their son who had transformed into an animal just five months after birth, far ahead of the normal pace.

As her paralyzed reason finally returned from fear, she realized it made no sense that Hugrey or herself, or anyone, would have been sleeping defenseless while someone took Kai away. That curious and adventurous son of theirs must have disappeared while his mom and dad were asleep. After all, he was a child who, even when he woke up, would always observe and touch things to play rather than cry.

Kai must have sneaked off into the forest alone as soon as he transformed into a wolf. How proud and pleased he must have been to be able to run freely as a wolf. He probably came here to play without making a sound on purpose. And then he encountered the pack of coyotes.

The coyote pack that had already been confronting Kai had long since disappeared, frightened by the appearance of the tiger and wolf.

She approached Kai to embrace the most adorable and cute baby wolf in the world. She was proud of her son who had transformed so quickly, and worried about the child who had come to such a dangerous place without his parents knowing, but the strongest emotion was relief. To the point where she couldn’t bear not to hold this adventurous baby wolf right away.

But the next moment, Chloe stopped, feeling as if stones were flying into her heart.

It was because the baby wolf, seeing Chloe approaching, took one step back, then another, breathing roughly as if he had seen a terrifying monster.

Chloe felt like letting out a dejected laugh. Kai wasn’t recognizing his mother. If only he didn’t recognize her, that would be fortunate. That baby wolf was instinctively realizing that the tiger was a stronger predator than him and was trying to run away in fear.

It was understandable since he had never seen his mother as a tiger before… but it still hurt. Chloe, feeling down, looked at Hugrey with eyes that seemed to ask, ‘What should we do in this situation?’ But he was staring at Kai with eyes even more vacant than Chloe’s. His tail was even drooping downwards.

Why is he like that? Ah, could it be…

It seemed Hugrey had really believed Kai would be a tiger shapeshifter. He was shocked seeing Kai transformed into a wolf now.

Chloe felt like biting Hugrey hard. To make such a dispirited expression upon seeing such an adorable baby wolf. Seeing Hugrey’s dazed expression, she judged there was nothing to expect from the child’s father in this situation.

‘What to do…’

In fact, the deliberation wasn’t long. If she had been in human form, she could have naturally explained anything with words. But she was now a tiger, and Kai was a wolf. When animals, there are ways of communication only for animals.

After a moment’s consideration, having made an animalistic decision on what to do, she leapt towards Kai at high speed.

It must have been a speed the young wolf had never imagined, so Kai, unable to even attempt to run away, froze and was caught by Chloe’s front paws. Chloe embraced Kai, restraining him with her whole body so he couldn’t move at all. Only then, as if his survival instinct had activated, Kai resisted, struggling.

But the resistance was very brief, and Kai suddenly, as if lying, relaxed his body and rubbed his face against Chloe’s chest. At last, Kai had recognized his mother’s scent. Feeling fulfilled by her son’s clingy affection and embrace after recognizing her, Chloe hugged Kai tightly.

‘Yes, it’s Mom.’

Chloe, who had been biting and licking Kai, who looked exactly like her husband but much smaller and softer, looked at the full-grown wolf Hugrey, whom she had forgotten about for a while.

At least now, his eyes seemed to have other emotions mixed in besides dejection. Probably affectionate feelings looking at his lovable son and pride in Kai who had transformed into a wolf early?

Since Chloe couldn’t ask directly, she interpreted Hugrey’s expression in her own way and released Kai from her embrace. Kai immediately ran to Hugrey and burrowed into his father’s arms. It seemed he could recognize his wolf father who was the same as him right away, even if his tiger mother was unfamiliar. Somehow, it felt strange.

Hugrey, having completely come to his senses at the sudden embrace of his son wolf, rubbed his head against Kai’s head.

Chloe approached the father and son. It was time to properly enjoy a picnic with the two lovable wolves.

Kai, who could only crawl when in human form, moved his body like a full-grown wolf. The child who could only lie down and crawl seemed excited to be able to walk and run freely, moving without rest even for a moment. As he ran and rolled around like that for quite a while, Joyce could be seen approaching from over there. It seemed almost 2 hours had already passed.

Joyce froze with his lower lip dropped to his chin upon seeing them transformed into animals. Then, as if ice was cracking and a statue was breaking, he suddenly started running straight towards them.

Why is he doing that?

Chloe tilted her head, unable to understand Joyce’s behavior, but when she saw Joyce hugging Kai tightly, she shuddered. Kai had tried to run away even upon seeing his mother. Even if he was a baby, Kai was now a wolf, and she was worried that he might bite Joyce if he acted like that. But making her concern look foolish, Kai not only didn’t bite but licked Joyce’s face with his tongue.

It seemed he recognized Joyce right away. Well, even if Kai’s body had changed, the appearance of others in his eyes would be the same. Moreover, sometimes Joyce seemed to shower more affection on Kai than Hugrey, the child’s father. Perhaps babies respond more sensitively to those who show them affection.

Hugrey, who had approached Joyce hugging and delighting in Kai, tapped Joyce with his front paw. Joyce, with a reluctant expression, separated from Kai and disappeared somewhere, then brought back clothes to change into and disappeared again.

Hugrey approached Kai and made a sound that Chloe couldn’t understand. It seemed to be wolf communication. So they can even talk among themselves. Chloe had to feel that strange feeling once again.

But soon her emotions plummeted for another reason. Kai, after ‘talking’ with Hugrey, immediately transformed back into human form.

‘Kai can do that so easily?’

Chloe, who had been blankly watching Kai and then Hugrey transform into humans, slumped her shoulders. Suddenly, regret about her own state washed over her. Although her reaction speed had become faster than before, this time too, her form had changed not by the will to transform, but by the emotional stimulus of Kai being in danger.

Moreover, returning to human from tiger was even more difficult than becoming a tiger from human. While extreme stimulation could turn her into a tiger, returning to human usually happened after the excitement had subsided, so she could only wait to naturally return to human form. Just as she was sighing, wondering how on earth to return to human form, the naked baby Kai who had transformed back started crawling around on the grass. His knees were getting covered in grass and dirt, and his arms and legs were all getting dirty.

‘His baby skin will all get scratched like that.’

Chloe, feeling anxious, looked at Hugrey with eyes that seemed to say ‘Do something’. But he wasn’t even glancing at Kai and was leisurely putting on his own clothes.

“You should hold Kai!”

Though she shouted this, all that could be heard was a tiger’s roar. Hugrey gave her a brief glance, grinned, and then turned his attention back to his buttons.

‘What, how dare he!’

Chloe angrily pawed at the ground, but Hugrey acted as if he couldn’t even see her, still just buttoning up.

Now Kai’s body was completely covered in dirt.

“Oh, really!”

As she got angry and was about to go to Kai, her body suddenly changed. How on earth did she transform back to human? She looked down at her body in bewilderment, then realizing that Hugrey was also looking at her, covered herself with both arms. By then Hugrey was fully dressed, while she was naked.

“Why cover up? You’re beautiful.”

At Hugrey’s words mixed with laughter, she glared at him once and quickly ran to Kai, picking him up. Kai struggled as if wanting to escape his mother’s hands and go back to the grass.

“No! We have to go home now. You need to get dressed too.”

Chloe returned to the mat to dress the baby, then glared at Hugrey. She couldn’t understand why he was just taking care of his own clothes while letting the child get so dirty. He couldn’t possibly not know what her sharp gaze meant, but Hugrey approached without any change in expression and looked down at her and Kai leisurely.

“Hold Kai for a bit. I need to get dressed too.”

She barely suppressed her annoyed feelings and tried to hand Kai over to Hugrey. For now, she needed to get dressed herself. Even if she wanted to argue about the situation earlier, she first had to resolve the situation of standing naked in front of a fully dressed man.