I watched him walk ahead, carrying clothes in his arms.
But not for me.
For her.
He went straight to Chiara and carefully helped her into a thick protective suit, pulling it over her shoulders, adjusting it like she was something fragile. He slipped gloves onto her hands, fixed the helmet over her head, every movement slow and careful.
Then he leaned in and kissed her cheek, soft and full of affection.
“Chiara,” he said gently, “don’t push yourself too hard. You and the pup… you’re what matters most right now. Nothing else is more important than you.”
The wind carried his voice straight to me.
The moment Chiara pulled the cloth off the cage, my whole body went stiff.
Inside were two beasts. A massive bear and a shadow lynx, both fully grown, both restless, their claws scraping against the metal bars like they wanted out.
The second the cloth dropped, they froze… and then their heads snapped toward me.
“Rawrrr—”
The bear roared, low and hungry, its black eyes locking onto mine like it already chose me.
My heart dropped.
Why are they looking at me like that…?
I took a step back without thinking, my chest tightening. And then it hit me. The bouquet earlier. That weird, sharp smell.