Chapter 377: A black wolf
Chapter 377: A black wolf
Lara closed the window and checked the door, turning back to her cubs when she was done.
Luciano Polenta was outside, and Nate had gone to chase him away. She had to stay inside and protect her kids from danger.
However, the twins had no idea of what was happening. They continued to play together on the floor, chasing each other around the couch or jumping over the armchair. They were faster and more active than ever before. Their tails were wagging without pause, and their eyes would glow when they were planning a new stunt.
It had never been so difficult, Lara realised. She had met Nate right in time.
«Come here, kids,» she said while sitting on the sofa.
Scarlet and Jaden turned to her, opened their eyes wide, and then jumped by her side and snuggled in her arms. Overexcited by the Bright Moon, they couldn't notice something war wrong, except because Nate wasn't there. However, their mommy was patting their heads and telling them sweet words. They didn't need Nate for the moment.
«We can play all four together when your father comes back,» she continued, more to comfort herself than them. She needed to listen to words, but the twins couldn't talk at that moment. They were too wolf-ish to do that.
They growled when she said something they didn't like, and they would wag their tails when they agreed. They placed their heads on her lap and let her play with their hair, sniffing her scent and trying to snuggle in her arms when she lowered her guard.
When Jaden managed to sit on her lap and get hugged, he smiled smugly and closed his eyes, getting sleepy. Scarlet was offended, but she didn't push her brother away. She just jumped off the sofa.
Lara caressed Jaden's hair and rubbed his back, telling him reassuring words and praying for the better.
When Jaden fell asleep, quite some time had passed. Yet, she hadn't heard anything from Nate. He had left without noise, and everything had been quiet since then. Was he chasing Luciano Polenta far from them? Was that why Lara couldn't hear a thing?
She hoped it was the case! She hoped she could see Nate appear and tell them everything was over.
When she heard a light snoring come from Jaden, she left him on the couch and looked for Scarlet. She had disappeared into the other room, but Lara couldn't follow her immediately.
«Scarlet?» she called, expecting to find her asleep in a corner. Yet, there was no trace of her. «Scarlet, where are you? Scarlet!»
Instead of a sleeping pup, she found an empty room and a suspiciously open window.
Who had opened it? Scarlet? Could she collect enough brain to do so during a Bright Moon, when her wolf instincts were raging the most?
She started panicking and realised that she had lost one cub while taking care of the other. It hadn't happened before: the twins wouldn't stay apart from one another for longer than a few moments. Yet, since the day Nate had started teaching them how to be alone, they had learned.
«Oh, damn it,» she cursed, running out and reaching the window from outside.
She made sure to close the door - Jaden was still sleeping inside - and she looked for Scarlet near the window.
She didn't find her anywhere for a long while, minutes that lasted forever in her mind.
Lara moved every leaf next to the cabin but couldn't find Scarlet until she walked back to the door. The little girl was nestled like a cat, snoozing in the shadows. Lara hadn't noticed her while running out, but it seemed she hadn't moved away the whole time.
First, Lara sighed, relieved. She slipped on the floor, right next to the snoring bun.
Then, she collected the girl from the ground.
«Hey, little beast,» she sighed. Discover hidden content at mvl
Scarlet opened her eyes and stared at her mother, still lost in her dreams. She blinked a couple of times and clenched Lara's shirt, turning towards the forest with a worried expression.
Then, she whined and hugged her mother.
It took Lara a split second to act. She didn't know what was happening, and she was just a plain human. She had no refined senses and no reflexes; her muscles were weak and slow. She had no hope of opening the door, running inside, closing it behind her back.
She didn't have time to move her slow body. However, using some strength she didn't know she had, she pushed Scarlet behind the door and closed it, hoping wolves couldn't open doors while the Bright Moon was in the sky.
She couldn't get up from the seating position and reach safety, like that. But she could ensure her cubs were safe.
And so she had done, pushing Scarlet inside. She heard the sound of Scarlet's nails on the wood, but the girl didn't manage to open it. She gave up soon enough and trembled behind the door, calling her mommy with low and frightening sounds.
Lara turned back to the forest, and she saw the black wolf. He was standing there, looking at her. She couldn't discern his eyes in the dark, but she knew his attention was on her.
Where was Nate? Had Luciano Polenta won the battle?
She had no time to think about it because the black wolf stepped in her direction. He opened his mouth, showing her the pointy fangs. He growled, and Lara leaned on the door.
She didn't move a muscle, worried that the wolf would attack sooner if she did.
She swallowed, collecting all her rationality and coming to terms with the facts that she was weak, slow, and easy to scare. There was nothing she could do in front of that man. But, at least, her cubs were safe... For the moment.
She closed her eyes and prayed, waiting for the attack. Was that how she was going to die? In such a stupid way?
She thought about her decisions leading her, at that moment, into such a situation.
«If I get out of here alive,» she decided, «I won't complain ever again!» She would have let Nate decide for her safety.
Her cubs needed a mother more than she needed... more than she needed anything, especially freedom and that overrated mental sanity.
She was going to be a better mother, she promised herself.