Chapter 745: Killed A Human

Back at the Human Realm:

"Hey, Kelly!" Ken called, jogging after her.

Kelly glanced back once, rolled her eyes, and kept walking.

Ken caught up easily, falling into step beside her with a grin. "Hey."

"What do you want?" she snapped. She clearly wasn’t in the mood for his antics.

"Easy," Ken said, lifting both hands in mock surrender. "I just realized we take the same route home. Why don’t you ever wait for me?"

Kelly shot him a look. "And why would I?"

He hesitated, clearly realizing how ridiculous that sounded, then straightened. "Because I could protect you."

She stopped short. "What?"

"It’s not safe to walk home alone these days," he said seriously. "Especially as a human. But with a werewolf by your side..." He flexed his arm dramatically. "Guaranteed protection."

Kelly tried to keep a straight face but failed.

A short laugh slipped out before she could stop it. She shook her head and resumed walking.

Ken’s grin widened as he matched her pace. He took that as a win.

"This is only for tonight," Kelly warned him. "Don’t bother me tomorrow."

"Okay," Ken agreed easily—though even he knew that wasn’t going to happen. He wasn’t sure when the attraction had started, only that it had. And now that it had, he had no intention of letting it go.

They walked in silence for a while. Kelly greeted a few of their customers and neighbors along the way, but never once addressed him.

"Why don’t you like me?" Ken asked suddenly.

She turned to him, unimpressed. "Or do you mean why I’m not swooning over your annoying, handsome, lover-boy face like everyone else?"

Instead of being offended, his smile deepened. "So you do think I’m handsome."

"Ugh," Kelly groaned. "You’re exhausting."

"Maybe," he said cheerfully. "But admit it, our names even sound good together. Kelly and Ken."

"Keep lying to yourself," she muttered, walking faster.

Thankfully, the bus stop came into view just ahead. A small crowd had already gathered with some seated on the bench and others standing and waiting quietly.

Then her gaze snapped to the hooded figure moving toward them, and for half a second, panic clawed up her spine until she recognized the face beneath the hood.

Noah.

Or rather— What in the name of the Lord had happened to him?

Noah had always been a scrawny kid, probably from overworking and never having time to take care of himself. But this was different.

In just a few days, he had become all bones, and Kelly meant that literally. His clothes hung off him like they no longer belonged to his body.

His pallor was sickly, an ashen gray that clung to his skin, stretched too tight over his sharp cheekbones. His face looked sunken, and aged, like someone who had lived decades of suffering in the span of days. Dark shadows pooled beneath his eyes, which were bloodshot and wild, too bright against his dull skin.

Kelly didn’t realize she had stepped back until her shoulder bumped into Ken’s chest.

Ken’s hands came up instinctively, steadying her. Unlike her, he didn’t flinch. His gaze remained locked on Noah, assessing him while his body subtly shifted into a protective stance.

"Found you." Noah spoke, his voice raspy and dry, as if it hadn’t been used in a long time.

The words sent a chill straight down Kelly’s spine.

"We should get out of here," Kelly whispered to Ken.

She didn’t know why, but Noah frightened her right now and every instinct in her body was screaming at her to run. Something did not seem right about Noah.

But Ken ignored her.

Confident, stupid Ken stepped forward instead, closing the distance between himself and Noah.

"Dude," Ken said, trying to sound casual as he drew closer, "what the hell happened to you? Did you—"

He never finished the sentence because

Noah’s fist slammed into his face with brutal force.

The impact cracked through the air and

Kelly screamed as Ken’s body lifted off the ground, hurled backward as if he weighed nothing. He flew several meters before crashing into the concrete wall beside the bus stop, the sound of bone and brick colliding making her stomach twist.

Her hands flew to her mouth while the people gasped.

What the hell?

Then chaos broke out.

The crowd at the bus stop instead of fleeing came closer instead, with their phones out and began to record the scene with shouts of commotion in between.

Before Kelly could even process what she was seeing, a werewolf pushed through the crowd.

"Hey!" he barked, stepping forward to break the fight. "That’s enough—"

He reached for Noah which was a big mistake.

Noah caught the werewolf’s wrist mid-grab and there was a sickening crack.

The werewolf screamed as Noah twisted his arm with inhuman strength, snapping the bone like dry wood. Before the werewolf could even fall back, Noah kicked him hard behind the knee.

Another crack resounded.

The werewolf collapsed in a howl of pain, clutching his leg as the crowd recoiled in horror.

"What the—" someone shouted.

But another voice laughed. "Is that a human beating a werewolf’s ass?! Yo, this is insane!" he zoomed in closer with his phones.

What none of them understood was that the werewolf hadn’t fought back because he’d gone in assuming Noah was human.

And that assumption had almost cost him his life.

At the same moment, Ken groaned, slowly recovering.

Kelly’s heart leapt as she saw him push himself off the ground, blood streaking down his mouth with fury blazing in his eyes.

"Ken, don’t—!" she screamed.

But it was too late.

With a roar, Ken charged at Noah and the blow that followed sent the bastard flying his turn.

Noah smashed straight into the bus stop shelter. Glass exploded outward in a shower of shards, with metal screeching as the structure buckled. The boy collapsed on the twisted iron and shattered glass.

Immediately silence fell. Then slowly, accusing eyes turned toward Ken.

"He killed him," someone whispered.