Chapter 7 A Lost Child

• Scott had made up his mind. Ciara was not a dangerous werewolf.
• He had heard about the contrasting personalities of humans and their wolf counterparts, and he saw that in her. She was so different when she was fully human compared to when she transformed into a wolf.
• Ciara looked very weak and frightened. Her body trembled incessantly every time she saw him, like now.
• Scott quickly returned to his house to fetch some food and then came back to the cabin driving his car because it would be impossible for him to carry all this food when he shifted. As he walked into the cabin, he half expected Ciara to be gone from the room, and he would have to search all of Silvercrest forest to find her.
• When he opened the bedroom door and found her still lying on the bed and fast asleep, he sighed.
• He paused for a moment, gazing at the girl, then he slammed the door so hard that she jumped.
• “Let’s eat,” he said, holding a package in his hand.
• Ciara, who still seemed shocked by how Scott had awakened her, nodded slowly. She pulled the blanket to cover her body, and Scott sighed.
• He left the room, went to the living room to snatch a shirt and pants from the closet, and then returned, throwing them into her lap.
• “Put these on,” he ordered.
• “But... I can’t,” she replied, raising both hands and showing the chain wrapped around her.
• He touched the chain, but kept his eyes on her. “I’ll take this off.” When her face brightened, he quickly added, “But, if you ever try to run away or attack me even once, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”
• Ciara nodded, still looking at him with fear. And that look reduced his doubts about her a little. After he was sure she would obey his words, he released the chains from her wrists and ankles. He stood cautiously by the bedside, waiting for her, who could attack him at any moment.
• Ciara rubbed her wrists. There were circular bruises there, and also on both of her ankles. The chain specially made for werewolves caused bruises that couldn’t heal quickly.
• “Stand up,” he ordered.
• “I—I have to put on clothes first,” she replied with embarrassment. She lowered her head, hiding her face behind her disheveled blonde hair.
• “We’re werewolves. Nudity is a common thing.”
• “Not for me,” she blurted. And she flinched when she realized the objection she had just made. Perhaps she thought he would shout at her for talking too much. And indeed, Scott initially intended to do so. What kind of werewolf wasn’t used to being naked? Even though she was a rogue, she had at least once lived in a pack, right?
• However, seeing the frightened girl made him reconsider scolding her.
• “I can wait here all day if that’s what you want,” Scott said. “Or I can yank that blanket off and drag you to your feet so you’ll get dressed.”
• Scott’s threat, although spoken with a calm yet sharp tone, still had a frightening effect on Ciara. It proved true as the girl soon reached for her clothes on her lap and let go of the blanket from her other hand.
• As her upper body was exposed to his eyes, the thing between his thighs reacted, and he wanted to turn around or close his eyes. However, he didn’t want to give her a chance to attack him. He closed his eyes while escorting her to the bathroom because she had been wearing chains earlier. Now there was nothing restricting her movements except for his vigilance.
• Ciara was wearing an oversized white t-shirt, and as she held out a pair of training pants with both hands, she bit her lip and looked at Scott hesitantly. “It’s too big,” she mumbled. “I can’t wear it.”
• Scott reached forward and snatched the pants from her hand. His movement was so rough that she flinched and automatically pulled the blanket closer.
• “Well, you don’t have to wear it,” he growled. He tossed the pants onto a chair and raised his head. “Hurry down from there. Let’s eat. I have a lot to do today, and I don’t want to waste my time just taking care of you.”
• Impatiently, he sighed as he watched her move so slowly. When her feet finally touched the floor, he nudged her arm and led her to the table in the living room.
• “Sit,” he commanded, facing her towards a wooden chair. She complied and sat in the chair. Scott circled the table and sat in a chair across from her. Then he opened the package he had brought and took out a few sandwiches filled with bacon, turkey, and cheese.
• He handed two sandwiches to her, and with trembling hands, she took one of them. She unwrapped the sandwich while occasionally glancing at him.
• “I won’t attack you,” he muttered. “As long as you behave.”
• She quickly lowered her head and bit into the sandwich in her hand. She chewed so slowly that he couldn’t believe the girl in front of him was a werewolf. Because all the werewolves he knew, even the women, had a big appetite and would be wolfing down every food before them when they were hungry.
• After finishing half of her sandwich, she placed the food on the table.
• Scott stared at her. “Why aren’t you finishing it?”
• Ciara trembled and was somewhat surprised to hear the question. “I—I’m stuffed.”
• “What?! What kind of werewolf only eats half a sandwich?!” he scolded her and made her jump in her seat. Scott was almost certain Ciara was about to cry, but she held it.
• Just as he was about to scold her again for wasting food, his phone rang. He reached into his pocket and glanced at the phone’s screen. It was Mila.
• His heart skipped a beat. His gaze fell on Ciara, who looked frightened, like a lost child. While still keeping his eyes on her, Scott answered the call and held the phone to his ear.
• “What’s up?” he asked.
• “Have you found the rogue?”
• Silence.
• “Scott?” Mila called his name, and Scott took a deep breath.
• “Sorry, the signal is poor. What were you asking?”
• “Have you found the rogue? The pack hunting them keeps calling me, and I had to turn off my phone during my sleep hours.” Scott heard Mila exhale deeply. “Please, tell me you’ve found him.”
• Ciara met his gaze, her eyes so clear and innocent. Her necklace pendant swayed as she reached out to grab the remaining sandwich.
• If Scott handed Ciara over right now, he could be free from this problem. He wouldn’t have to take care of her, worry about her when the storms came like last night, or think about providing food for her.
• Scott fell silent. His hand, resting on the table, clenched into a fist.
• Should he hand her over?