[Bonus chapter]Weak pup

«Miss Clayton, right?» asked the caretaker of the kindergarten.

«Yes, it's me,» Lara replied. «My kids should start attending today, right?»

«We've been informed. Jaden and Scarlet?»

«Yes.»

«You can leave their bags with me. I'll show them where to leave their things if they don't wish to bring them back home. We have lunch at half past noon and two snacks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.»

«Oh, I will bring them back home for lunch,» Lara said. «I work till noon, after all.»

«All right, then. See you later.»

Scarlet and Jaden hugged and kissed their mommy, greeting her as if she was leaving for a long journey. Then, they accepted the caretaker's hands and walked in.

The instructions were not to let Lara find out too much about the wolves inside. The employees were allowed to lie about educational methods to make her feel better.

Not that it could be dangerous or anything. Just, wolf pups weren't as tame as her cubs. She couldn't know that, and Nate figured it was early to introduce her to his world so suddenly.

She went to work without worries.

In the meantime, the rest of the parents bringing their pups to the schools observed her with more or less discretion. She figured they must be asking what a human was doing there.

In the sales department, she went to work after briefly greeting the agents. Samantha wasn't in there, so Lara continued with her tasks without slacking off.

She didn't know that morning was going to be filled with adventures for the cubs. She thought a kindergarten was a place where they couldn't escape from. Especially if it was built for wolf pups!

Scarlet and Jaden stayed there for a whole hour. Then, they started getting bored. They played with some toys in silence, observing the other pups.

They were sorted according to age, to avoid the younglings getting hurt by the older pups who already had claws. In their section, though, they were the smallest. Most of the other kids were quite tall and chubby.

They weren't skinny, but they looked younger than the others.

When the caretaker made sure they wouldn't cause problems, her attention stopped being focused on them.

The twins took the chance and reached the exit.

They walked into the company for a while before deciding to split. Jaden took the elevator while Scarlet wandered in the main hall of that floor for a while.

She reached the outer wall and stood on tiptoe to peek out of the window. She observed the doors, trying to figure out what was behind. She even took a glance in the trash bins, just in case there was something interesting.

She thought about returning to the school when she slammed into a person. She bounced back and fell on her knees. She sat on her bottom.

She ouched, covering her knee with her hands. Her eyes filled with tears, and she looked up.

«Look at where you step, pup,» a woman said sternly. She barely looked at her twice.

«It hurts,» Scarlet complained, trying to melt that woman's heart. It didn't help much.

«You should have been careful. What can I do to you?»

The woman sniffed the air and frowned.

«Ah, I can't believe you got hurt. I can't believe it! Go look for a teacher to get treated... How can a wolf be so weak...»

She grabbed Scarlet's shirt and pulled up, forcing the girl to get up. The fabric of the cloth tensed, tearing in some points. Scarlet almost started crying at the sound. It was something her mommy prepared for her first day of school. Why was that woman ruining it?

«Go, go,» the woman repeated, pushing her forward.

Scarlet tripped on her own feet, falling on the floor anew.

She didn't even care about turning anymore. She stood there, sobbing like a baby. She was glad her mommy nor Jaden would see her in that state.

Even though hugging her mommy would have been so comforting.

«Don't cry now, you clumsy thing.»

The woman moved a step to leave, but she stopped when she saw the tall figure walking past her and collecting the child from the floor.

«CEO Woods,» she said, bowing her head in a sign of greeting.

«What happened here?» Nate asked, picking up Scarlet with caution.

The little girl hugged his neck and hid her face, hiding her shameful tears from the world.

«The pup is clumsy, CEO. She even tripped on her own feet.»

«Scarlet, why are you hurt?» he asked, ignoring the woman.

«Ah, she hit her knee on the floor. It's surprising that her skin could be cut with just that...»

«You get hurt so easily,» Nate noticed, observing the wound. It didn't seem anything serious, and it was already healing.

«It hurts,» Scarlet pouted.

«I see... We'll make it hurt less, okay?»

He walked away, turning to the woman only once. He barely paid any attention to her, more focused on the crying little girl.

Scarlet wasn't pushed down, so there were no accounts to settle.

They reached the elevator, and he walked in with Scarlet still in his arms.

«Where are we going?»

«To my office.»

«Your office? Do you have an office? Is it far from my mommy?»

«Your mommy works far from me, yes.»

Scarlet sighed. Her mommy wasn't in danger if that man was far enough. She wouldn't have fallen in love while Jaden or Scarlet weren't looking.

Not with Nate, she figured. As for the rest of the people in there... Somehow, no one had Nate's charm. Her mommy wouldn't have fallen in love with anyone less attractive.

«What is your job?» Scarlet asked, then.

She was a little curious about her father. Just a little.

«I'm the CEO.»

«Oh. What is that?»

«Uhm... Let's see... I'm the boss.»

«The boss!»

«It's a secret, though. I haven't told your mother. Should I? After all, women like bosses.»

Scarlet pouted, considering.

«It's a secret,» she said. «I won't tell mommy.»