I did not need to ask Monica if she heard that. We both scrambled out of our seats and scanned the little store. I scooped up the book and hugged it to my chest. I was not afraid. Not yet. Customers and the clerk were here. Monica stood next to me. I had never felt so relieved to not be alone. Not that I wanted them to be mauled...by a snowwolf.

The snarls were not coming from behind us. Or our left or right. They sounded as if they were...right in front of us. But when we looked, nothing was there. No wolves. Nothing but tables and chairs and shelves with endless books.

More snarls. Monica and I looked at each other. Before she could say something, I let out a startled cry. I felt a sharp pain in my leg. Something had dug into my skin. I gulped. I did not want to look, but I had to. I clutched the book tightly and slowly lowered my head. I gasped. I put a hand on my cheek. I could not believe the sight.

Monica covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh. It...it is sooo cute!"

Clawing at my leg was an actual snowwolf. But not just any snowwolf. It was as big as our hands. A pup. It was a snowwolf pup. It gazed up at me and started wagging its fluffy tail. Its snarls were replaced by pants. It let go of my leg and jumped up and down.

Monica carefully picked it up and brought it to her face and squealed. "You are super cute! What are you doing here? How did you get in?"

The customers shushed her.

"Oops." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Sorry."

I recalled the puppy in Rufus and Luigi's story. What if the snowwolves were searching for their baby? What if they destroyed the town and killed everybody in it? We had to get rid of it - despite how adorable it was.

"You must put it outside," I said.

She held it in her arm and scratched its back. "No way. It will run away."

"That is the point. It should run off. Return to its home so its family does not rip us to shreds."

The snowwolf pup licked her nose.

She giggled. "Maybe it does not want to return home. I would refuse to live with human murderers. Besides, it is probably starving. It came for food because the adult snowwolves have not had time to feed it or do not care. I assume that they do not care. So I will feed it myself."

Monica wanted to keep it because it was a pup. It loved us and was curious of this world. Innocent. Irresistible. It could be a different snowwolf if taught differently. It would be amazing having a snowwolf as a pet. It would protect me and my brother and keep us happy. But the precious pup could not be ours. Not anybody's because it belonged in the woods with its family. It had to leave so the town and its people would be safe.

I wanted to snatch the snowwolf pup from Monica. But I did not want to anger him or her. She just said that it was a male. Do not ask how she found out. Never will I get it out of my mind. I put said book back on the table and rubbed my fingers on my sweaty palms.

"Monica. Did ya forget what my cousins went through? The only reason that the snowwolves found Rufus and Luigi is because a pup found them first."

My new friend was scratching the back of his furry ears and repeating how he was one good boy. "Sorry, Lucia. Can you repeat that? I am too busy giving the poor pup attention. He needs it if he wants to grow up smart and strong." She kissed his wet nose. "You deserve so much attention. Yes, you do."

The snowwolf pup panted and rolled onto his back and patted his belly.

"I knew that you were starving. Is that why you came?" She set him down. "To grab a bite to eat?"

He nodded and slapped his paws on my legs. He gazed back up at me and whimpered.

"Seems that he understands us," I said. I gave the book to Monica and picked him up. "You miss your family?"

He nodded again.

"Do you know the way home?"

He nodded a third time.

"Will you return home if we give you something to eat? Maybe a juicy steak."

Monica grabbed her mittens and shoved them back on. "Lucia. I will go to the grocery store. Stay with the pup. Do not let anything happen to our baby."

"He has a family. He is not our baby. And we are so not a married couple. All Forlot characters are straight."

"I did not say that we are."

"I was not explaining it to ya. I do not want our fans to get the wrong idea and draw fanart of us...you know."

She adjusted her red hat on her head. "If they do, I will find the so-called 'art' and burn them. I do not tolerate disrespectful minds or plain stupidity."

"I could not agree with you more."

The snowwolf pup and I watched Monica disappearing into the snow. I strolled to a window and admired both the snow and the town. Anybody could be mistaken for a snowman or snowwoman in this snow.

The pup leaped out of my arms and landed on all fours like a cat. He scurried back to the table and jumped on my chair. He opened the book and flipped the pages.

I was confused and slid in Monica's seat. "The heck are you doing?"

He pointed with his paw at a word. The word "follow."

"What about it?"

He pointed frantically at the inky word before pointing at himself.

"Follow...me?"

He nodded.