Unexpected protector

In her bedroom, Scarlett flipped through the worn pages of the book, stopping at the hand-drawn map. It showed the nearby forest and marked a mysterious place. Curiosity got the better of her, and without thinking too much, she left the house, promising herself she would be back soon. But the hours passed, and lost among the trees, Scarlett could no longer find her way back.

Meanwhile, her aunt began to worry. She tried calling her over and over again, but Scarlett didn’t answer. With every passing minute, concern turned into panic. Finally, she decided to call one of Scarlett’s teachers, hoping that one of her classmates might know something. How was it possible that her niece had disappeared without a trace?

Scarlett’s aunt dialed the teacher’s number with trembling hands. When he answered, his voice was calm, but she rushed to speak.

—Good evening, sir. I’m calling to ask for the phone numbers of some of my niece Scarlett’s classmates. She left hours ago and hasn’t come back, and I was wondering if she might be at one of their houses.

The teacher noticed the worry in her voice and replied immediately:

—Of course, ma’am. I’ll be happy to help. Please let me know if Scarlett shows up. I care about my students.

—Of course, thank you very much —the aunt said, hanging up.

Moments later, several classmates’ contacts arrived on her phone. She began calling them one by one, but no one knew anything. Finally, when she called Alex, she noticed how his tone changed as soon as he heard that Scarlett was missing.

—How long has she been gone? —Alex asked, worried.

The aunt explained, and without saying another word, Alex hung up. He went straight to the school, running to Scarlett’s locker. Without hesitation, he struck it hard, breaking it open, and took one of her sweaters. Then he ran into the forest with a single thought in mind: someone had discovered the book. He transformed into a wolf, sniffed the sweater, and began tracking her scent through the woods. Finally, he found her, wandering alone deep in a dark, isolated part of the forest.

Alex hid and transformed back into a human before approaching her.

—Scarlett! What are you doing here? —he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Scarlett turned around, startled, but held the book tightly in her hands and pointed to the map.

—I wanted to find this place, the one on the map.

Alex’s eyes filled with anguish. Without thinking, he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, looking at her with a mix of anger and fear.

—Are you crazy? How could you come into the forest alone without telling anyone where you were going? It’s dangerous, especially if you don’t know the woods. You got lost and had everyone worried! Can you imagine if something had happened to you?

Scarlett looked at Alex and lowered her gaze in shame.

—I’m sorry, Alex. You were right. I shouldn’t have gone into the forest alone… it was reckless.

Alex sighed, trying to calm the mix of anger and worry still inside him.

—That book, Scarlett… —he said, pointing at the object she was clutching tightly—. You have to get rid of it. You should burn it.

She looked up, shocked, and hugged the book even tighter.

—Never. This book belonged to my mother… it’s all I have left of her.

Hearing that, Alex felt a chill run through him. Now he understood where the book had come from, and the concern on his face deepened. He knew how dangerous it was for Scarlett to have it.

—Alright… let’s get you out of here. I’m taking you home —he said, never taking his eyes off her, as if trying to protect her from something unseen in the forest.

What neither of them noticed was that, hidden among the bushes, a wolf from Alex’s pack had been silently watching. The wolf sharpened its hearing, catching every word about the book and about Scarlett’s mother, and then disappeared into the darkness of the forest to bring the news to the pack leader.

The wolf that had overheard the entire conversation wasted no time and ran to the leader of the pack. He carried important information: what Alex had told Scarlett could change everything.

Meanwhile, Alex walked with Scarlett, taking her back to her aunt’s house. When they arrived, he knocked on the door, and Scarlett’s aunt opened it immediately, her face filled with relief and worry. Without hesitation, she hugged Scarlett tightly.

—Where have you been? —her aunt asked, clearly relieved but upset—. I called you so many times and you didn’t answer. I was so worried!

Scarlett, a little surprised, replied:

—I’m so sorry, Aunt. I don’t think I had any signal. I didn’t get any calls, but I really am sorry.

Her aunt nodded, then looked at Alex with gratitude.

—Thank you for bringing her home, Alex. Why don’t you come in and have dinner with us? It’s the least I can do to thank you.

—That’s not necessary —Alex replied, trying to decline politely.

But her aunt insisted with a kind smile:

—I insist. It would mean a lot to me to be able to thank you properly.

In the end, Alex agreed and sat next to Scarlett at the table while her aunt began preparing dinner.

A few minutes later, Scarlett stood up from the table, feeling a little nervous knowing Alex was in her house, about to have dinner with her after such a long day. She smiled apologetically and said:

—Excuse me, I’m going to go upstairs and take a shower. I’ll be right back.

Her aunt returned a warm, understanding smile.

—Of course, sweetheart. Go ahead.

Scarlett gave Alex a grateful look before heading up the stairs, leaving him and her aunt at the table as she went to her room.

Once in her bedroom, Scarlett grabbed her phone and quickly called her friend Leslie. When Leslie answered, Scarlett couldn’t contain her excitement.

—Leslie, you won’t believe who’s at my house! Alex! —she whispered excitedly.

On the other end, Leslie replied:

—I don’t know about that, but what I do want to know is where on earth you were, girl.

—I’ll tell you that later. This is important —Scarlett said—. Alex is here at my house, downstairs, waiting to have dinner with my aunt and me.

—Alex? I can’t believe it! And what are you waiting for to go back down?

—I don’t know what to wear! —Scarlett replied nervously—. I don’t know whether to stay in this or change into something more comfortable.

Leslie laughed and gave her advice without hesitation:

—Put on a dress, something cute but casual. You’ll look amazing without trying too hard. Trust me!

Scarlett looked through her closet, quickly searching for something that fit Leslie’s suggestion. In the end, she chose a simple dress—comfortable but pretty, perfect for the occasion. She put it on, looked at herself in the mirror, and took a deep breath.

—Done! —she said to Leslie, who was still on the call—. How do I look?

—I’m sure you look incredible. Now shower, go downstairs, and act like everything’s normal —Leslie advised between laughs—. Remember, natural is best.

Scarlett finished getting ready, fixed her hair with a soft, natural touch, and walked down the stairs calmly. When she reached the last step, she noticed Alex sitting there, staring at her intently. His eyes seemed to light up when he saw her; he was completely stunned by how beautiful she looked.

Scarlett walked to the table and sat across from him, trying to hide the slight blush caused by his fixed gaze. Despite her efforts to ignore it, she felt the intensity of his attention, which made her a little uncomfortable.

Just then, her aunt returned to the table, setting down the plates as she began asking Alex questions.

—So, Alex, how did you find Scarlett? —she asked curiously—. And who are you exactly? Are you two a couple, friends…?

Scarlett hurried to answer, noticing the surprise on Alex’s face and feeling the need to clarify.

—No, no, we’re just classmates, Aunt.

Alex nodded, still smiling, while Scarlett’s aunt watched them with an amused look, as if she suspected there was something more than simple friendship between them.

During dinner, Scarlett and Alex chatted casually. At one point, Scarlett reached out to grab the salt shaker in the middle of the table, and at the same time, Alex did the same. Their hands brushed by accident, and they both froze for a second, slightly surprised, before quickly pulling away.

—Sorry —Scarlett murmured, a bit embarrassed, gesturing for him to take the salt first.

—Don’t worry —Alex replied, taking the shaker and passing it to her without making a big deal of it.

Dinner continued peacefully, without that small incident interrupting the conversation.

Meanwhile, Scarlett’s aunt, noticing their reaction, let out a soft, playful laugh, and Alex and Scarlett exchanged an awkward glance.