Chapter 16

Abella hesitated, so Carlisle asked once again.

“Are you saying we can never…… together again?”

Her eyes and voice were so vulnerable, that she couldn’t force herself to spit out the words of refusal.

He sounded like a child for a man of his size.

“I would have to say no”

She had a fleeting idea that Carlisle was crushed by the rejection.

After a moment of hesitation, Abella nodded.

“Let’s take a bath…… together.”

Carlisle’s expression brightened instantly.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

After sobbing for so long, he rubs the puffy corners of his eyes with a sheepish smile.

“Then, Mom, we can take a bath together tonight.”

Amazingly, although appearing like a mature man, he had a cheery smile and had the aspect of an innocent child.

“And I’ll give you a shoulder rub.”

Abella noticed Carlisle had a smile from ear to ear, and she experienced an odd feeling, as though his short words had cheered her up.

So, even though she felt a little uncomfortable about Carlisle touching her, she couldn’t help herself.

‘Why are you so uncomfortable……’

Carlisle is simply Carlisle.

She almost blamed herself for feeling uncomfortable around him.

“Then be gentle.”

Abella finally responded, striving to shake her discomfort.

She felt strong hands caressing her shoulders through the thin linen as she lay down on the bed. Carlisle’s massage was milder than she’d imagined, despite her nervousness. It put me to sleep.

“What the…? Aren’t you better than I thought?”

Carlisle’s massage skills were beyond Abella’s wildest fantasies; he’d been ghostly discovering spots she’d felt were tight and softly stroking them with his thumbs.

As her exhaustion faded, she let out a tiny sigh of pleasure.

“Wow…… “That’s intriguing.”

“What is new?”

“Honey, you’re good at massages, aren’t you?”

“Really?”

As she complimented him, his cheeks flushed and the corners of his mouth turned up. In delight, his tail, which was now protruding, wagged vigorously from side to side.

“I’m glad……. I’ll do it often from now on.”

If this had happened before the massage, I would have been put under pressure by the promise of frequent……

“Isn’t it hard?”

Abella, who had become accustomed to his touch, inquired, her face relaxed, as if she didn’t know when she was uncomfortable.

“Helping my mom with anything is not difficult for me.”

Carlisle was happy to see her that way.

“I’m glad…….”

“Huh? What were you saying earlier?”

“I keep growing, eating more and more… and yet, I still feel useless… So I considered getting rid of it, but it’s proving to be helpful.”

Abella’s brow furrowed slightly as she silently reprimanded herself once more. She believed that despite Carlisle’s imposing stature, he remained a child at heart.

“Baby.”

“Ah……”

Carlisle responded, his ears flopping down when Abella addressed him.

“I’m sorry…….”

“You shouldn’t say that…….”

“It’s just… I’ve been on edge lately, I guess…….”

Abella’s conscience pricked at the following words. She observed Carlisle’s expression for a moment, then turned back and opened her arms.

“Come here.”

Carlisle’s eyes opened like an idiot, unable to comprehend what she was saying. The first to respond was Abella, who wrapped her arms around his neck.

In a second, his dark head was in her arms.

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh…….”

“Mommy…… didn’t think fast enough.”

Carlisle’s mouth dropped open, taken aback by the suddenness of her embrace, and he timidly blurted out what was going on.

“No… no… I’m fine. I really, really… think I’m fine.”

“You’re lying. You were crying like that earlier.”

“No, it’s just that, now that I think about it… honestly… I think I’m disgusting, even to me… I can see why you are uncomfortable….”

“You’re talking nonsense!”

As Carlisle lowered himself again, an irritated Abella snapped.

“I told you not to say that; it’s upsetting….”

“Well… but you’re not wrong… I’m fine.”

“That’s fine, I said you’re not okay….”

Abella remarked, gently pinching his cheek.

“You’re not disgusting at all. You’re so pretty, what’s disgusting about you….”

“I’m disgusting.”

Carlisle laughed and ran his palm over Abella’s cheek as he pinched her.

“You’re so pretty.”

He lowered Abella’s hand softly to the center of his breastbone.

“I’m all flabby here too…… and it’s ugly.”

When he first met her, her hand stroked the wound she had healed. It was all healed now, but it had been a terrible wound with a massive scar.

“……Not ugly.”

Abella arched her brow and brushed his scar across her chest.

“It’s not ugly at all.”

“But you know, other people won’t think so.”

Her words trailed off, and Carlisle scratched his cheek, shrugging.

“It’s okay.”

“…….”

“As long as it’s not ugly in my mom’s eyes, I don’t care about other people.”

Carlisle had scars all over his body, not just on his chest, but on his forearms, back neck, and sides.

“So, mom, like you promised me when I was little… you’re going to keep me this pretty for the rest of my life.”

Once again, Abella found herself vulnerable in front of Carlisle.

Once again, she wrapped her arms around him and stroked his hair.

“You are, Carlisle. You are.”

“What?”

“You keep your promises.”

“What promise?”

“You promised to live with me for the rest of your life.”

Carlisle shook his head slightly at her words.

“Of course, I’m going to live with you forever.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying……”

“Don’t you dare tell me you’re getting married when you’re all grown up?”

For a moment, Carlisle’s ears perked up as he let out a silly sound.

“Marrying off?”

“Yeah, she said it’s useless having a son.”

Carlisle’s eyes narrowed as if he still didn’t understand what Abella was saying.

“Yeah, she said it’s no use having a son.” “They say you can’t have a son until you’re married.”

“I, I’m not… I’m not!”

He leaped to his feet, recognizing the gravity of his words.

“I’m just saying I don’t want to meet another woman”

“You’re lying. I told myself not to believe anything my sons say.”

“I don’t…….”

“I don’t know, just bring me a girl anyway. I’m going to be a terrible mother-in-law.”

Carlisle softly grinned at Abella’s pointless muttering.

“So, to keep you from being a bitch, do you want me to bite every woman who talks to me?”

“……what?”

Carlisle smiled innocently, his fangs bared.

“If I bite them all to death, you won’t have to be a bad mother-in-law.”

Abella stiffened as she couldn’t determine if he was joking or serious. Carlisle then gave her a playful smack on the back.

“I’m serious.”

“……I mean?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

“I know you will hate me if I kill a human.”

Abella was perplexed by the manner he was speaking about her and the humans. But she remained silent.

“Yeah…… that’s right, and you get caught doing that.”

“Yeah, I know, I read about it in the books.”

Abella tenderly touched his hair.

“Ai, good boy…….”

Carlisle bowed down, thrilled, despite her infantile demeanor.

“Shall we get ready for your bath?”

“Yes, let’s.”

Carlisle stood from his seat, casually kissing her cheek. It was something they’d done when they were younger, but something he hadn’t done in a long time.

Abella flushed and pursed her lips at the suddenness of the gesture.

“Ah…….”

“I’ll get the water in the tub for you.”

“Ugh, ugh…… please.”

Abella thought to herself, “It’s strange that I’m self-conscious about this.” She looked across at Carlisle, who was smiling innocently.

He was indeed casually walking to the restroom as if he hadn’t felt anything from the kiss he’d just given her.

* * *

Abella remained there, perplexed, staring at Carlisle in his wolf form, her gaze shifting between him and the tub.

“Holy…….”

Carlisle’s stature had increased to the point where he could no longer fit into the tub in his wolf form.

Carlisle was massive as a human, but even more so as a wolf.

As she watched him grunt and struggle, Abella couldn’t keep a straight expression.

“He’s so big…… he can’t fit in the tub anymore…… what am I going to do?”

Carlisle’s face dropped as his tail fell to the floor.