My Arrogant Alpha: My Lover Can't Be a Puppy

Evelyn was running desperately with a small dog clutched in her arms. Her hair was in disarray, her lips stained with blood, and her hands and clothes were smeared with fresh crimson stains. She was barefoot, and the soles of her feet were torn and bloodied from the rough terrain. Behind her, the harsh sounds of a struggle echoed, accompanied by shouts calling her name. "Evelyn, stop! One more step and I’ll make sure you die!" But Evelyn's fear for the little dog's life had long surpassed her own fear of death. She had forgotten the pain she was in, could hear nothing, and was solely focused on running with all her strength to protect the dog. She had to save him! She had to! Her heart cried out in desperation: Darren, please don’t die, don’t leave me like this! Yet no matter how fast she ran, she couldn’t escape her pursuers. An arrow of water pierced her foot, causing her to fall to the ground. The dog she was carrying tumbled out of her arms. Evelyn screamed, scrambling to pick up the little dog: “No, no! Someone, please save us, save my Darren!” But around her were only the menacing enemies, and nothing else. In her dire state, clutching the dog, she forced a bitter smile and thought, Darren, I’m really useless… I can’t save you, and I only ever cause more trouble… With a heart full of despair, Evelyn closed her eyes, her mind flashing through countless memories. Several months ago, she was just an ordinary college student, with worries limited to having her textbooks torn by classmates and figuring out how to earn more money. Evelyn sat alone at the back of the classroom, her eyes fixed on her worn-out notebook. The air felt thick and heavy, like a storm was brewing. She knew what was coming; it always did. “Hey, freak, what are you doing?” Jessica’s mocking voice pierced through the murmur of the class. Jessica, the ringleader of the group, always had a sneer for Evelyn. Evelyn didn’t look up. She hoped ignoring them would make them go away, but it never did. “Look at her, she thinks she’s so smart,” another girl, Ashley, chimed in, laughter lacing her words. “Maybe if she spent more time on her appearance, people wouldn’t think she’s such a loser.” Jessica sauntered over to Evelyn’s desk, knocking her books to the floor. “Oops, my bad,” she said with feigned innocence. “Why don’t you pick that up?” Evelyn’s hands trembled as she bent down to retrieve her books. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, the judgment and scorn almost tangible. “What’s the matter, Evelyn? Cat got your tongue?” Jessica taunted, leaning closer. “Or are you just too weird to talk?” Evelyn swallowed hard, her throat tight. “Leave me alone, Jessica, I don‘t wish to quarrel with you in the classroom.” she whispered, barely audible. “What was that?” Jessica laughed, turning to her friends. “Did you hear something?” The bell rang, but the relief Evelyn hoped for didn’t come. As the class emptied, Jessica and her gang lingered, their shadows casting a long, oppressive darkness over Evelyn. “You better watch your back,” Jessica hissed before finally leaving. “This isn’t over.” Evelyn was bullied for almost two years since she was in the college. She absolutely wanted to fight back, to stand up for herself, but the weight of their words pressed down on her, making her feel small and powerless. She was just a girl with no family, abandoned by three times. That's why Jessica, the daughter from the last family that had taken her in, knew all about her past and therefore continued to bully her. The sky seemed to cry for her, each drop a testament to the pain she endured. Finally, it became heavy rain when Evelyn finished her part-time work and got back home. The heavy rain concealed a small figure crouched by the sewer. “Damn it! Why did it have to happen now?” Darren grumbled, struggling to stand, but failing. Rainy days were his least favorite, a hatred ingrained in his very genes. Rain and nightfall mean he becomes the weakest dog in the world at that moment. Just as he was at a loss, a slender figure approached. She was about to head upstairs when she finally noticed a small dog. “Oh my, poor cute, what are you doing here?” Evelyn exclaimed, rushing over. She scooped the dog up, cradling it in her arms and using her own clothes to wipe the rain from its fur. She had been drenched by the rain, her clothes soaked through. And then she hurried inside, clutching the little one tightly. In the cozy house, Darren finally regains his energy and begins to explore the small house. He leaped lightly off the couch, but nearly stumbled to the ground. For some inexplicable reason, he always transformed into a dog at night, only to revert back to human form by day. Every time he saw himself as a dog, Darren couldn’t help but think, Who would ever guess that this pitiful form belonged to the son of the Alpha King? To make matters worse, today had to be his least favorite kind of weather—rainy. As a dog, he didn’t even have the strength to find shelter on his own. But fortunately he had encountered this woman who had brought him home, sparing him the miserable fate of spending a night soaked in rain. Darren padded across the floor, leaving tiny, paw-shaped prints on the dry surface. Just then, Evelyn emerged from her bedroom, having changed into dry clothes. She looked at the trail of wet paw prints and sighed with amusement, “You little rascal, if you keep running around like this, I’ll have to mop the floor again.” She scooped Darren up and placed him back on the waterproof mat on the couch. Once she was done, she headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner for both herself and the little dog she had just rescued. After they had both eaten, she patted the dog on the head, urging it to sleep on the couch, before dragging her weary body back to her bedroom. Darren had always been proud. As the son of the Alpha King, he had always enjoyed the finest things. When it came to sleeping environments, his standards were particularly high. The mattress had to be soft and comfortable, the pillows just the right height, and even the temperature and humidity of the room had to be perfectly controlled. He had never slept on a couch before. Too proud to lower himself to ask Evelyn to share her bed, yet too stubborn to endure the discomfort of the couch, Darren spent the entire night wide awake. That's why when morning came and Evelyn left for school, Darren reverted to human form and headed to the hospital where he worked, still carrying the rare signs of fatigue on his face. As Darren entered the hospital, he ran into his uncle, Edward, who was also a werewolf and worked at the same hospital. Edward noticed the dark circles under Darren’s eyes and asked, “What happened to you? Did something happen last night?” Darren cast a glance at Edward before walking into the locker room to change into his white coat, “I’m fine. I just got caught in the rain on my way home.” Edward immediately understood--Rainy days weakened Darren’s powers, leaving him frustrated. And then there was that strange curse their kind had to endure. Unable to use his powers and forced into the form of a weak little dog, hiding from human feet—last night clearly hadn’t been pleasant. Thinking this over, Edward smiled good-naturedly with patting Darren on the shoulder, “I’ll head to work first. You can take a moment to rest before starting your rounds.” Darren pinched the bridge of his nose, nodding at Edward before sitting down to rest his eyes. But he didn’t get to rest for long. Edward soon re-entered the room and this time with a grim expression on his face. He walked over to Darren and handed him his phone, “Darren, there’s been trouble in the pack. Another werewolf went missing last night!”