8. MY WOLF

They accept everything Mrs. Rita offers, which is a lot. They won't need much for a long time. They adapt quickly to their new life. Gil now wears blue glasses that make her look different, but she likes them because people don't give her strange looks anymore. Mrs. Rita has her call her 'Grandma' and treats her as such, constantly gifting her things and taking her out everywhere. She truly feels like her granddaughter.

Nara and Serafín are the ones who practically run the business, especially Serafín, who is very good at organizing things, guiding and directing everything. She is truly happy, to the point where she has even asked them to move into the big house, but they prefer to stay where they are, although they join her for meals every day, enjoying the dishes Nara prepares.

Gil is sitting in her room, gazing out of the window at the forest. On full moon nights, for reasons unknown to her, she feels an overwhelming urge to go outside, lie on the grass, and watch it glow; it appears radiant and beautiful to her. Not only that, there's a voice in her head telling her he will come to see her, urging her to do it. But at the last moment, she gets scared and doesn't go out. However, tonight she's determined to do it.

She hears her parents go to bed after finishing their chores and stealthily slips out of the window. On full moon nights, she has always seen red eyes in the darkness watching her, calling to her. She's very curious to know to whom they belong; they don't seem threatening to her, they look at her with what she feels is love. She walks slowly to the edge of the forest; she knows he's there, she can feel it. Somehow, she can sense the owner of those eyes. For a moment, terror takes hold of her and she wants to run away, but something stronger than fear keeps her rooted to the spot.

She takes deep breaths, one after another, filling herself with courage. She closes her eyes at the sound of rustling leaves behind her; the footsteps approach slowly, cautiously, as if not to startle her, until they stop a short distance away. She hears a snort, turns slowly—still with her eyes shut—fearing what she might encounter, and extends her hand. She doesn't know why she has done it, but she doesn't retract it, remaining still, trembling with terror until something warm and damp brushes against it. She opens her eyes and is astonished by what she sees.

Gil remains motionless, feeling the snout in her hand. She closes and opens her eyes slowly as if she can't believe what is before her, right there in her palm. Startled, she jumps back, landing seated on the ground, and scrambles away as fast as she can, watching as the gigantic shadow doesn't follow her.

It's the largest wolf she's ever seen in her short life!

And there it is, watching her with those red eyes that scrutinise her. How on earth did she think it was a good idea to leave her room? She wants to scream, to call for her father, but not a single sound escapes her lips. She tries to stand and run, but her body doesn't respond; she's at the mercy of this predator that will surely make a feast of her, she thinks. It has been hunting her all this time; surely, as she sat by the window, it was waiting for the right moment to catch her, and she alone came to deliver herself into its jaws! What can she do now? It's three times her size or more. There's no escape. She closes her eyes as it advances towards her, bracing for what will happen next.

The immense black wolf with its crimson eyes is there before her. It advances slowly towards her, but upon seeing her close her eyes and curl up in a clear display of the immense fear she is experiencing, it halts a few steps away from her. It sits back on its hind legs and watches her, doing nothing more, slowly wagging its tail from side to side. Gil is still trembling with fear, and although he has stopped, she continues to back away until her back hits the trunk of a tree, where she remains, unsure of what to do next.

She observes that the wolf makes no move to approach her again; on the contrary, it lies down with its head resting on its front paws, never taking its now golden eyes off her, tail wagging gently. She doesn't know what to think—it's a massive wolf! She notices how it lowers its ears in a clear sign of submission to her. She knows this because of the many times her father has explained what that gesture means in dogs and wolves.

She has always been fascinated by the wolf documentaries she watches on television with her parents. She loves to see all that they do and has always wanted to meet one. The one before her now far surpasses any she has seen on those programmes. None featured a wolf of the size of this one lying before her, seeking her attention. Eventually, her curiosity overcomes her fear. She stands up and takes a tentative step towards where the wolf continues to watch her.

"I… my name is Gil," she stammers. "I always see your eyes. You're not going to hurt me, are you? I'm just bones, I assure you I'm not much of a meal."

Gil speaks nervously as she edges ever closer to the wolf, one small step at a time, just as she has seen the handlers do. Suddenly, the wolf lifts its head and remains still, its ears pricked up as if listening intently. Gil stops, frightened, wondering if it will attack her, and also, why didn't she flee when she had the chance? Now there's no escape, seeing as the wolf rises, towering over her!

She closes her eyes again in anticipation of the attack, which doesn't come. Although she hears it advancing, and when she thinks she'll be devoured, to her astonishment, the wolf licks her face, covering her in slobber. She reacts to this gesture nervously.

"Oi, don't do that, it tickles!" she cries out, still scared but laughing at the same time, "Are you tasting me? See, I don't taste good, do I? Ha-ha-ha... You are... you are... you're the most beautiful and largest wolf I've ever seen in my life!"