Tamed or Captured

The reason he could transform quickly was that since he was young, people around him had told him in detail about the Kelpies and often demonstrated their transformation into a horse.

If he had known this, he would have wished to inform Melissa more about the kelpies.

Asha had a great idea and suggested it.

 “Melissa’s birthday is coming up soon! How about having a surprise party and subtly letting her know?”

 “On her birthday?”

Jackal pondered for a moment and then nodded, thinking it was the best approach.

The Kelpies had a tradition of receiving congratulations from people parading through town in horse form on the day they could transform into a horse.

On a day when everyone congratulated her, it would be easier to tell her that becoming a horse was something special and blessed.

The two of them exchanged determined glances and nodded in agreement.

To celebrate Melissa’s fifth birthday, they beautifully decorated the house and made preparations to welcome the guests.

In the hopes of familiarizing Melissa with horses, they hung horse-patterned curtains as drapes and placed horse-shaped mobiles in various spots.

The entire house was now adorned with horse-themed items.

With Sonya’s help, Asha worked hard to make bread, cookies, and cakes that Melissa liked, and Jackal asked the Lycaons to prepare a birthday present for his daughter, not out of coercion but by request.

As soon as Melissa’s birthday arrived, they sprang into action.

Guests began to arrive at the house one by one, timed with Melissa’s waking hour.

 “Happy fifth birthday to our beloved honeybee!”

 “Happy birthday, Melissa!”

 “…… Uncles! Aunties!”

Melissa, her mouth stretched from ear to ear, tightly hugged the legs of every member of the Lycaon pack.

The sight filled their hearts, and they placed their hands over their chests with expressions of extreme happiness.

Melissa’s eyes and mouth widened as she gazed at the gift box they had brought.

Inside their boxes were countless gifts that children would love, such as dolls, bags, colored pencils, sand sets, balls, ribbons, hairpins, accessories, and more.

Melissa’s mouth erupted with cheers as she began to unwrap the gifts.

Jackal and Asha stood at the door, laughing joyfully as they watched their child’s arms shoot up in excitement, her eyes and mouth wide open.

After she finished opening the gifts, Melissa curiously looked around the house that had been transformed while she was asleep.

However, as Melissa wandered around for a while, she suddenly tilted her head in confusion and murmured.

 “…But why are there so many horse pictures in our house?”

Jackal was visibly taken aback by her words.

It seemed like the moment had finally arrived.

Asha smiled awkwardly and asked.

 “Why? Don’t you like horses?”

 “Well… I do, but, um, is there something special about today, Daddy?”

Once again, Jackal was taken aback by her question.

Asha exchanged glances with him.

It seemed like the time had come to reveal the truth to their daughter.

 “Melissa.”

Jackal said in a serious tone, and Melissa turned to look at him.

As previously discussed with Asha, Jackal decided to personally have a conversation with Melissa, both as a member of the Kelpie clan and as her father.

 “There’s actually a secret I want to share with you to celebrate your birthday.”

Melissa gulped, sensing the sudden seriousness in the atmosphere. She was a highly curious child who would instantly become intrigued by secret stories, even in their everyday lives.

Jackal gazed gently into Melissa’s blue eyes, so similar to his own, and began to speak.

 “Melissa, you are a proud member of the Kelpie clan, just like Daddy.”

Melissa was already aware of this fact, but she nodded, not fully grasping the exact meaning of his words.

Observing the puzzled expression on her face, Jackal took a deep breath and spoke earnestly.

 “Melissa, the truth is, you can also transform just like Daddy.”

 “……?”

 “Soon, you will transform into a horse like me.”

After uttering those words, Jackal transformed into a horse and rubbed his face against Melissa’s arm, hoping to help her understand.

Melissa’s eyes and mouth slowly opened.

At that moment, Asha raised an eyebrow at the peculiar explanation and was about to step in to provide further clarification.

However, Melissa’s pupils shook dramatically as if she had heard something incredibly shocking, and then she suddenly collapsed to the side, fainting.

 “Melissa!”

 “Mel!”

Jackal and Asha rushed over in surprise, but Melissa was already unconscious…

* * * * *

Asha gently laid Melissa on the bed and cared for her while Jackal stayed by her side.

However, Jackal briefly stepped out to get some fresh air by the lake and never returned.

Worried, Asha went to search for him by the lake but froze in her tracks upon discovering something. She stood still, unable to move.

In the distance, at the water’s edge, Jackal, in his horse form, was lying down and weakly gazing at the lake.

He felt incredibly sorry for his daughter, he didn’t expect her to be so shocked.

He wonders if his explanation falls short…

Perhaps it would have been better to tell her later…

Jackal’s sharp eyes, fixed on the lake, reflected a sorrowful expression.

Being a member of the Kelpies, he also despised that fact, which made him understand his daughter’s emotions even more, causing him even greater distress.

He purposely let his hair grow because Asha liked it, but now he looked so sad that his mane was hanging down like seaweed.

Asha approached him cautiously, placing a gentle hand on his back.

Jackal, already aware of Asha’s presence through his keen sense of smell, continued to stare at the lake.

 “Jackal… don’t be too sad. Melissa will need time to fully accept her own identity. It took me a long time to embrace being a butterfly. And remember, Melissa is still young.”

 “…… Purung.”

He sighed, and Asha forced his face up to look at her.

He averted his eyes, but his blue eyes glistened with tears.

The tears flowed naturally as a result of his distress.

He was so cute even though he looked so pitiful.

Especially the way he crouched and sat, not matching the seriousness of the situation, was so amusing that Asha couldn’t help but feel the urge to burst into laughter.

Lovingly, she patted Jackal’s butt, finding his demeanor endearing.

Startled, Jackal’s eyes widened, and only then did he look at her.

Asha closed her eyes, smiled, and gently pressed her face against his, playfully brushing her nose against his.

 “I love you because you can transform into a horse. We should show our daughter how wonderful horses are.”

Asha firmly made up her mind and went to the kitchen to prepare a simple snack before setting out to find Melissa.

When Melissa regained her senses, she found her sitting up against the bed, lost in thought as she gazed at the sunset outside the window.

While looking out at the sunset outside the window, her thoughtful figure seemed somewhat dejected.

Having just learned the tremendous secret of her life on her long-awaited birthday, it was understandable that she would be shocked.

 “…… Mel.”

Melissa could feel Asha’s presence, but she didn’t look at her.

Even her behavior was on par with Jackal’s.

Asha moved closer and gently stroked her daughter’s blonde hair, identical to her own.

 “Did you dislike horses that much?”

Only then did Melissa mumble, her arms wrapped around her knees.

 “No….”

 “Then?”

 “Mel… I thought Mel was a butterfly…”

 “What?”

Asha looked up in surprise.

Melissa looked down at the blanket, her voice trembling, as she continued to speak.

 “I thought Mel could transform into a butterfly… That’s why I really wanted to fly high in the sky…”

Upon hearing those innocent words, Asha burst into laughter.

Having struggled to express her greatest concern, Melissa was outraged when her mother laughed at her.

Asha smiled gently.

 “Did you think you could transform into a butterfly?”

 “Yes.”

 “But Mom can’t transform into a butterfly.”

Melissa’s pupils trembled once again upon hearing those words.

Since she was young, she had often heard people around her say, ‘Your mom is a proud Imperial Butterfly’. So Melissa had simply believed that her mom could transform into a butterfly, just like her dad could transform into a horse.

Asha couldn’t help but laugh at her innocent expression. She pulled Melissa’s face against her chest and gently patted her.

 “Horses are magnificent creatures. If I had another life, I would want to be born as a horse.”

Nestled against her mother’s chest, Melissa, her eyes widened, asked.

 “Why? Butterflies are more amazing…”

Suddenly, Asha recalled an old memory, and as she gazed wistfully at the sunset outside the window, she spoke.

 “Horses can go wherever they want. They can carry someone on their back and are very supportive. They have a lot of strength and, above all, they are very fast.”

With each word, Melissa’s eyes sparkled more and more.

Asha warmly looked into Melissa’s blue eyes, so reminiscent of Jackal, and continued.

 “Do you know how amazing your dad is as a horse? There’s no other horse in the world as strong and brave as your dad. When I saw your dad transform into a horse for the first time on the snowy field, I fell in love at first sight. You’ve inherited that blood, so you’ll be strong, fast, and able to run far more than anyone else.”

 “…… Really?”

Melissa’s eyes now sparkled like the sun reflecting on the lake.

Asha smiled and replied.

 “Of course. I’m sure of it.”

Melissa abruptly jumped out of bed and shouted vigorously, clenching her dainty fists by the sides of her thighs.

 “I love horses now! Horses are the most amazing creatures in the world!”

 “Well, well.”

Asha held back a laugh and nodded her head.

 “Then you should go to your dad and ask him to teach you how to transform into a horse! From today on, Melissa is not a lion, but a horse!”

Melissa ran off like a wild horse as soon as she finished speaking.

Asha had a smile on her face as she followed behind.

Feeling the need to apologize to her dad, who must have been disappointed in her initial reaction, Melissa made a quick stop in the backyard before heading to her dad’s study.

After carefully selecting something from the flower garden, Mel hurried off to find her father.

 “Daddy……! Daddy……!”

Jackal, who had returned home and had his head down in the corner of the room, seemingly lost in thought, raised his head at the sound of her voice.

He was so touched when Melissa called him ‘daddy’ for the first time. It was a mumbled ‘dada’, but as soon as he heard that word, tears filled his eyes.

Since having Melissa, Jackal had become more emotional and prone to tears.

When Melissa came looking for him, Jackal’s excitement was mixed with a lingering fear that she might still dislike him.

He cautiously stuck his head out of the room to scan the surroundings, and as Melissa sprinted down the hallway, their eyes met.

Melissa’s face blossomed like a flower.

 “Daddy!”

She hurried over and embraced Jackal’s horse form, holding onto his legs tightly.

Jackal stood there, unsure of what to do, before finally lowering his head and gently nudging Melissa’s body with his nose.

It was his way of showing affection.

With her face buried in his leg, Melissa exclaimed.

 “I love horses the most! Horses are the most amazing animals in the world!”

Jackal’s eyes widened at her words, and he grew so excited that he let out an involuntary snort.

He pushed his nose against Melissa’s face and nuzzled her, causing her to tightly close her eyes and giggle, playfully blocking his nose with her hands.

Asha, who had followed behind them, leaned against the doorframe, brimming with joy as she watched the heartwarming scene unfold.