CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Scarlet was sitting on the bed when Nate came back with the book. She sensed her mother behind the door, and her eyes stood there until Lara sighed and walked in.

«I'll let your father do the hard work today,» she said before pecking the girl's hair.

Scarlet beamed, all happy her mommy found a moment to greet her before sleeping.

«Okay, mommy. I will listen to you and let daddy tell me a story!»

Nate choked, glaring at the pup. She would let him? If she was the one who asked! Scarlet made it sound as if she was listening to the story because of Lara, and not just because of the story.

His pup sure knew how to take advantage of the situation.

«Good night, mommy's girl.»

«Good night, mommy!»

After Lara crossed the door and walked away - for Scarlet senses were on alert and she would have known if she stood there - Nate sat on the bed and noticed how the blanket wasn't covering Scarlet's tummy. Kids needed to be warm when sleeping, didn't they?

He tucked the blanket and made sure there was no way some cold air could disrupt the sleeping. Then, he opened the book and started reading.

Scarlet listened to him, for once. She smiled when the first house was blown by the wolf while imagining the grass flying all over the place. She pouted her lips when the wooden house was destroyed as well, for she couldn't understand how it was possible. And finally, she yawned when the bad wolf failed at getting the pigs. She was sleepy, but the story was interesting. She hadn't heard it before, and she wanted to know who would win in the end.

Only after the final phases, she returned awake and concerned. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at Nate.

«What?» he murmured. That tale had a happy ending, for goodness.

«I don't like this story,» she moaned while the first tear escaped from the eye and rolled down the cheek. «Why does the wolf have to be hungry?»

«Oh, I see...» Nate sighed.

But what could he do? Human tales for kids the twins' age had the wolf as the main villain. Maybe, he could find a few with lions, bears, or other dangerous animals... Choosing one with a wolf hadn't been so smart from his side.

«He just wanted to eat: why does he always fail?»

«Not always,» Nate said. «But sometimes, we lose. It's inevitable.»

«But the wolf didn't eat either of the pigs!»

«Oh...»

He could have changed the words a little, hiding from Scarlet how the first and the second pig escaped. That way, the tale would have been about how being too greedy is not good. It was obvious that Scarlet was going to identify with the wolf.

«The first pig had a house made of grass. The second pig had a house made of wood. The wolf needed more effort to blow the second house away,» Nate started, desperately looking for a way to turn the conversation into something useful. «He then wanted to blow the house made of bricks, but he failed every attempt because it was too much for him.»

«Poor little wolf,» Scarlet murmured, turning on the side and sobbing. «The pigs are three, and he's alone.»

Nate had never said the wolf was little. On the contrary, it was a big, bad wolf. Dark grey in colour and with an evil expression on his face.

His daughter sure had weird tastes.

Why in the world had he chosen that story? Weren't there any with princesses and fairies in Jaden's library?

«He's also wounded,» Scarlet continued.

«Why?»

Where was that written? How could Scarlet reach such a conclusion? Bedtime stories were supposed to turn kids happy, not make them cry while wondering about the meaning of life.

«If he wasn't, the first two pigs wouldn't have escaped from him. He's wounded for sure! And a hungry, poor little wolf.»

Oh, damn it...

«Scarlet, the story isn't over,» Nate said, opening the book at the final pages. «I haven't read this part because there are no images. Do you want to hear how it ends?»

«No. I don't want the wolf to suffer even more...»

«Oh, but it won't happen. Many books don't have this part because humans can't understand its meaning... Do you want to know what happened to the wolf after he came back home?»

She nodded, wiping her tears and nesting on the side. She hugged the pillow with one arm and stared at Nate with her big eyes.

«What happened?»

«After failing at blowing the third house away, the big bad wolf returned home. He was hungry and sad because he couldn't have a meal that day. However, he smiled because he found his pack right where he left it.»

«His pack?»

«Yes. It's a little secret about this tale: the wolf has a pack.»

«Oh, he's not alone.»

«No. His family and friends are with him; just, he ventured out alone that day.»

«Why alone?»

«Because he wanted to feel how it is to be a solitary wolf. And he realised it sucks... Ah, I mean... It's difficult.»

«So he came back?»

«Yes, he did.»

«And?»

«His pack welcomed him back and asked if he was hungry, but the big bad wolf was too proud to say yes. He hid his hunger and said he managed to capture his prey.»

«But he didn't!»

«Exactly, he didn't. But his pack members knew he was hungry, and they split their food with him.»

«Why?»

«Because that's how packs work. Everyone covers each other's back. If one is hungry, someone else can provide food.»

«Oh, that's cool.»

«Yes.»

«But how could they know he was hungry? He didn't tell them!»

«He knew because, between wolves, such things can be sensed. Just like you can sense when Jaden is feeling bad. Or when your mother knows you are hungry or sleepy.. These kinds of things are no secret in a pack.»