My Encounters with Werewolves

Unexpected Betrayal

As I drifted in and out of sleep, the sound of an alarm clock echoed faintly, alternating between near and distant. I ignored it, yet I knew it was time to get up.

I had arranged to meet Ouyang Jing and another friend for breakfast at eight, and with that thought in mind, I turned over in bed, wrapping myself snugly in the blanket. After a few moments of tossing and turning, I felt the chill of the air-conditioned room. It was still a bit cold. I pulled my legs back under the blanket, reached for my phone on the nightstand, and saw it was 7:30—just enough time to get ready.

After lying still for a moment, I took off my nightgown and put on my underwear. As I fastened it, I glanced up and saw a Czech Wolfdog at the foot of the bed, its back turned toward me.

I was momentarily stunned, then remembered last night's events. I had woken up in the middle of the night to give it water and even interacted with it by giving commands.

After putting on my clothes, I pulled my long hair out of the turtleneck sweater and walked to the foot of the bed, crouching beside the dog.

“Good morning, sweetie.”

Once I was dressed, the dog turned its head to look at me as if acknowledging my greeting.

It was so well-behaved that I couldn't resist petting it. After a while, I went to the bathroom to wash up.

When I finished, I wanted to put on my glasses but couldn’t find them on the nightstand. I searched everywhere possible but still couldn’t locate them.

If only glasses had a tracking feature like phones, where you could call out, and they’d respond.

Could they have fallen under the bed? I lay down to check.

I felt a nudge on my calf and carefully pulled my head out of the gap. Turning back, I saw the dog holding the arm of my glasses in its mouth.

Surprised and impressed, I took the glasses, relieved to see they weren’t covered in slobber.

“You’re amazing! Where did you find them?”

The first part was praise, the second was a rhetorical question, but it seemed to understand, nodding its head toward the pillow.

With my vision clear, I rubbed the dog’s head, saying, “Lie down, let me check your wound.”

It obediently lay down, allowing me to pet all but the crucial parts it covered with its tail.

Though initially unaccustomed to my touch, it had grown used to it.

This dog was exceptionally obedient and quiet, not prone to hyperactive destruction. The homeowner really knew how to raise a dog.

Perhaps it was the injury that kept it from causing trouble, I thought, as I parted its fur. The wound, visible yesterday, had already scabbed over. Dogs really do have incredible healing abilities.

I reapplied iodine to the wound. At this rate, the scab would fall off in a couple of days. It seemed unnecessary to inform the homeowner about the injury.

I was about to have breakfast, and of course, the dog needed to eat too, but I didn’t have any dog food.

I thought for a moment; it wouldn’t be appropriate to keep someone else’s dog for too long, lest the owner worry it was lost.

After stepping out, I took the dog with me.

I was initially concerned about controlling it without a leash, but it followed me all the way to the restaurant, neither barking nor getting distracted.

Following me to the third-floor restaurant, I couldn’t help but praise it.

Seeing me and the dog approaching, Liu Mei exclaimed, “Where did such a big dog come from?”

“Wow! This dog is so handsome! And it’s huge, bigger than the ones the homeowner has!” Ouyang Jing was equally surprised. She wanted to pet it but hesitated, unfamiliar with the dog.

Their reactions made me realize something was off.

“Mei Mei, Xiao Jing, isn’t this the homeowner's dog?”

“No!” they both replied in unison.

Now it was my turn to be shocked, staring at the dog glued to my leg. A creeping fear climbed up my spine.

So, is this a stray dog? Without an owner? The resort is near the woods; could it have come from there?

I had assumed it was a domesticated pet, large but smart and obedient, well-adjusted to people.

But now, they tell me it’s not the homeowner's dog?

Silently, I sidled a meter away from the dog, trying to distance myself. Noticing my movements, the dog’s ears twitched, and its usually drooping tail swayed slightly.

Ouyang Jing asked, “Isn’t this the dog you found?”

“I thought it was the homeowner, so I let it into my room last night. I even fed it during the barbecue,” I explained, a little unnerved but maintaining a calm demeanor as I adjusted my glasses.

Liu Mei looked at the dog, then at me, half-amused, half-exasperated. “Azi, you’re really brave. You could have at least told us!”

“I was going to say something, but it came to my balcony in the middle of the night. It seemed so well-behaved, and it was cold outside, so I let it in. You were all asleep in the group chat, so I didn’t mention it. In hindsight, I was careless.”

Replaying last night’s events in my mind, I now worried if the dog carried any diseases. Fortunately, I had restrained myself from leaving it on the bed and avoided excessive cuddling.

“But it does look well-behaved and beautiful! Its coat is stunning. Can I pet it? Have you touched it?” Ouyang Jing couldn’t resist asking.

Liu Mei interjected, “Don’t pet it. Let’s go in for breakfast first, or you’ll have to wash your hands.”

That put a damper on Ouyang Jing’s enthusiasm. I looked at the dog, still amazed at its impeccable manners despite being a stray.

Initially, I thought its eyes looked wild.

It was paradoxical: an educated stray.

“What about the dog? It can’t go into the restaurant,” Liu Mei pointed out.

Having spent the night with it, I thought for a moment. “You two go ahead. I’ll take it back to the room.”

Ouyang Jing suggested, “Maybe we should inform the front desk. It might belong to another guest.”

“Good idea. I’ll do that now.”

Initially thinking it was the homeowner dog, I could have returned it, but now I knew it wasn’t.

I took the dog to the front desk. After communicating with the lobby manager, he agreed to keep the dog temporarily and took a photo to post in the staff group to see if anyone had lost a dog.

“Miss Yuan Zi, don’t worry, we’ll take good care of the dog.”

“Alright, it haven’t had breakfast yet. Do you have dog food?”

“Yes, we do. Our boss keeps dogs, so we have plenty of high-quality dog food.”

Leaving the dog at the front desk, I felt it was no longer my concern. I mentioned its injury and asked the lobby manager to keep an eye on it.

I had done my due diligence.

After taking a few steps, I couldn’t help but look back. I expected the dog to be reluctant to see me go, but it was interacting well with the lobby manager, not missing a beat in following commands.

I was at a loss for words.

How should I put it? There was a faint sense of betrayal.

A dog is just a dog.