My uncle acted weird until we returned to the safety of the mansion. He did not explain why his face was pale. He pulled my cousins aside and whispered to them. No doubt that it revolved around the snowwolves. I sort of wished that I never mentioned them to him. 'Cause my cousins stopped discussing them for the rest of the day and acted as if there were no such things. Robert must have told them to never bring up snowwolves to me or Louis.

I understand not telling Louis of the snowwolves. He is horrified of monsters unless that they are in his games. But why not me? Why were they hesitant to not tell the truth? Did they think that I was like my brother? Some scaredy-cat? Did they figure that I would do something stupid like what my cousins did? Find any snowwolves during the night. Or was there something that they did not want us to know?

Our next stop was the bookstore. It is smaller than the Forlot one, but it offers more books than I can count. I loooove books. Holding them and flipping their pages. Reading the words creating a story. I could hardly wait to see them. Feel and smell them. I can finish a book in a day, depending on the book. I am disappointed when a story ends. But it never ends if you reread it. All good stories will forever stay in your heart. But some stick to your brain. You cannot forget them. Like the first book that I took out. You can probably guess what it was on.

"A book about snowwolves," I said, staring at its cover. "And this is the only copy. I should hide it from Robert and the boys. They will take it away if they see it. How? How can I read it without them seeing it?"

"You already found a book that you like, Lucia?" Uncle Robert asked with a grin. "Alba and I know that ya love your books."

I spun around and hid the book behind me. "You mind if we stay at the bookstore for a while? I want to read a few books so I know if I am getting good ones."

"You are not going to read them in their entirety - now are you?"

"Oh, no. Just the first couple pages. I promise to not be long."

He glanced at his watch. "How about your cousins and I finish the errands while you read every book that you can get your hands on? You comfortable being here by yourself?"

I could not help but smile. I could read without him or the boys watching. They would never realize that I was learning more about the snowwolves. "I will be alright. Perfectly fine. As long as you guys return for me."

Robert hugged me tightly. "How could I ever forget my favorite niece?"

I hugged him back. "I am your only niece."

"You are my only Lucia. My sweet and brilliant Lucia. I would not forgive myself if something bad happened to you and Louis."

I pulled away from him. "Like what?"

"You know."

"No, I do not."

He held my face. "Just be careful while you are up here - or you will end up like the missing hikers."

My muscles tensed. My eyes bulged from their sockets. I was informed of the missing folks. But it was the first time of hearing that they were hikers. I had this sneaky hunch that they were connected to the snowwolves.

"Hikers have gone missing in these mountains?"

Uncle Robert had on a serious expression and nodded. "In the woods. Always in the woods. Day and night. No trace of them. As if they never existed."

I swallowed a lump in my throat and tightened my grip on the book. I prayed for me and Louis to not be wiped off the map...by the snowwolves?

I peered out the window across from us and spoke. "So someone - or something - is stealing innocent hikers."

He nodded again. "It is easy - too easy - to lose yourself in those woods if you stray off its yellow path. But even then..." His voice trailed off. He faced Luigi and Rufus. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," Luigi replied. He had not made eye contact with me since that Robert chatted with them.

Rufus showed us a book. "Can you buy me this book?"

Luigi zipped back up his coat. "Since when do you love books?"

"Since that I found this one. It is about a boy stuck in a cabin during a snowstorm."

"What is so interesting about that?"

"He is being stalked by this human-like creature trying to break into the cabin - so it can eat him!"

Uncle Robert took the book. He looked at its cover and stroked his chin. "I do not believe that the book is right for you, Rufus. It will give you nightmares."

Rufus snatched back said book. "I am not frightened of some fictional creature."

Luigi crossed his arms. "You do realize that we are in a fictional town filled with monsters."

Rufus hugged the book. "Monsters are better than real worlders."

I pointed to a table. "I will get started on the reading. I will see you guys later."

I walked to one of the furthest tables and slid in a chair and opened the book to the contents. I watched Robert and the boys exit the shop. I sighed happily and looked at the table of contents. I began with the origin. I could only imagine how snowwolves came to be.

A girl around my age scurried in and greeted the clerk. She walked to the same shelf and stomped her foot.

"Dang it. They are all out of snowwolf books. Now how will I do my snowwolf project?"

My ears would have perked up if I were a dog. I looked at her. "Excuse me. I think that I can help."