Shawn is looking deeply at me. My stomach was making nodes. When his gray eyes are looking at me and that his hand are around my waist, I don't know what to say.

"Shawn, what's going on?"
"What I was afraid since a long time," he said while bringing is face closer to mine.

His forehead is touching mine and I feel his black curly hair caressing my skin.

"Diane, what did you say during the exam?"
"That... that I want to go everywhere."
"This must annoy them."

He laugh while closing his eyes, his hot hands on my hips don't move. He's holding me and doesn't seem to want to leave me.

"What else did you say..."

I lower my eyes and softly pull him while whispering:

"I mentioned Red."
"Diane!"

When I raise my head, I see Shawn's jaw tighten's. His hands are grabbing strongly my waist.

"I told you not to talk about her," he said with a white voice. "I took care of everything and you put uselessly your life in danger!"
"But..."
"Red is a taboo subject! When you talk about her you put yourself in danger and you attract the attention on you. What took you? I said that I will bring together the required information, once we're outside. Don't you trust me?"
"Of course! You're the only one to who I... I..."

I can't talk. These words are difficult to say for me. Shawn, you're the only one I believe. The only one I trust. The only who understand me.

He tightens me against him without allowing me to put a distance with him from my heart and my body. I feel his breath in my hair. My hand on his torso sensor his heartbeat.

"They will follow us and track us. You're in danger now."
"What are you saying, the sheep? Who are you talking about?"

I fake to take everything lightly but I feel the worried of my best friend.

"I will protect you!"
"I'm a big girl, everything is going be alright."
"Diane, I'm your hunter. Do you understand what all that involve?"

I hold my breath. We were always talking about that together but before the danger of dying was as obvious as tonight. I didn't took the time to measure our pact.

A riding hood protect the basket. The hunter protect the riding hood. At the risk of his life.

Shawn by choosing me can give his life so that I can escape.

"I will die for you," he announced in a deep voice. "So, don't put yourself in danger for nothing. Tomorrow, we will leave the village."
"The two of us?"
"The four of us!"
"What do you mean 'four' ?"

I get off his arms.

"You're kissing each other in the dark? It's so cuuuuuute!" intervene a feminine voice.

I turn around and see a little girl coming forward us. She's wearing a pink dress with froufrou and tights striped violet and pink. An outfit like that in the woods? She's a townsman?

"Shawn pet!" she intervened with her little voice. "You found you new riding hood? I'm soooooooo jealouuuuuse!"

Gray... white... pink and yellow. The colors of her aura are mixing. A... a mouse?

Shawn gave her a big smile. Shawn smiling honestly to another than me? Hole in my stomach. Who is that?

"Diane! Hi, I'm your new best friiiiiiend!" she shouted while jumping in my arms.
"Out of the question!" I said annoy.
"Oh yes, oh yesssssss!"

She gave me a kiss on the cheek and step back with a few leaps. She' fast. Really fast.

"Shawn pet," she simpered.  Wolwolf is almost done beating the villagers. What do we do?"
"Wolwolf?" I repeated
"Yesssss! My little Wolf will be angry after these fights and me too!"
"You... you're talking about the Master Wolf!" I strangles myself while looking at Shawn and the girl.
"Come on," announce Shawn. "We still have work to do!"

He takes my hand and bring me in the arena.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Hello everybody. We're welcoming a new character. A mouse. In the next chapter, you will meet this character created by readers in the French version.

This is a list of what they choose:

– her name
– her hair color
– her eyes color
– her tics and favorites expressions
– her favorite meal
– her favorite song
– a funny detail about her