4; NEITHER SHY NOR FEARED

ALBERTO

“No, please!” begged Mariana, closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to see the massive jaguar's claws protruding from his front paws, knowing they would surely tear her apart.

“I won't let you hurt her,” howled Alberto, charging at the great jaguar. He still had other jaguars clinging to his skin, gripping with their powerful jaws. His shove freed Mariana, but he ended up face to face with the shaman, who swiped him with a paw, sending him crashing into a wall, almost knocking it down.

“I'll finish off these impure lovers myself,” growled the enormous jaguar.

“Father, please, wait, don't kill them,” one of the jaguars intervened.

“Pup, that was our plan. Now, nothing and no one will make me change it. They will remain here forever,” he said, baring his dripping fangs.

“Please, Cacique. The wolf said she was his moon. That means we can kidnap her to make them suffer. Besides, we could demand a huge ransom for her.”

“No, it's better to leave their remains as a message.”

“Father, please. We could trade her for money or for a truce. We need to focus on business. This war only brings us losses. It's already hard enough dealing with the government without having to worry about these wolves too.”

“My son, it's not just about money. We need to drive these invaders away. We can't let them keep invading us from across the ocean.”

“Father, now's not the time to talk about ancestral debts. I still don't understand why our ancestors didn't do anything.”

“They caught us by surprise. We were hunted, executed through treachery. And they brought diseases and unknown creatures. Back then, our Cacique decided it was better to hide than to go extinct, something I never agreed with. That's why now my goal is to avenge our people and recover the land they stole from us, to make it an independent republic.”

“Yes, Father, but to realize those goals, we need money. We need to buy weapons and food.”

“Alright. Stop! Leave the wolf and take the woman. We'll demand a large ransom for her or some shipments of weapons. That'll be best, and besides, I have nothing against this human. She doesn't seem like a bourgeois. Let's go quickly. I think I hear howls in the distance.”

“Stop! You're not going anywhere,” said Jairo López, Alberto's personal bodyguard, who arrived shirtless, displaying some wounds. “You filthy scum, you ambushed us and dared to enter our territory. You'll pay for this.”

“You wolves have big mouths. Don't be foolish. You're alone against all of us. You should have run,” growled the shaman, baring his fangs.

“I'm no fool. I know I can't take all of you on; you're a pack of cowards. But I don't need to defeat you. All I have to do is delay you a little while, long enough for the whole wolf pack to arrive.”

“We'll bet that when they arrive, all they'll find are three lifeless bodies, and we'll be long gone.”

“Let's find out, then.” Jairo transformed into a huge wolf, leaping toward the jaguars attacking Alberto, while Mariana crawled over to try to help him. When she could finally embrace him, she whispered: “Love, please, hold on. Remember, we've been through worse, like when we fell in love. Please remember.”

He was unconscious, on the verge of his last breath, and his mind, as a defense mechanism, recreated that sunny day when he saw her looking so beautiful but couldn't bring himself to speak to her. His legs felt frozen, and his throat closed up. That day, he told himself, “Today, I will talk to her. I'll gather my courage, greet her, and say, 'Hello, do you remember me from the parking lot?' No, that wouldn't be right. I'd scare her again. Maybe I should dye my hair, shave my beard, and wear sunglasses so she won't recognize me. I'll also bring my sports car. That'll help her notice me.”

That day, he wouldn't have spoken to her if it hadn't been for her sudden scream tearing through the air.

“Help! That truck is going to run over that boy!”

The driver slammed on the brakes, making them screech like a cat on a roof, but he only managed to leave a trail of burnt tire rubber on the pavement. A four-year-old boy who had slipped away from his mother ran, eager to explore the world, putting himself in danger. If it weren't for Alberto, who dove to grab him, spinning through the air and landing safely on the other side of the street, the boy might have been lost. All the bystanders were frozen by the situation, and the mother's shrieks filled the air.

“That man saved him! He's a hero! Angels do exist!” the onlookers cried, excited. The truck driver got out to check if everything was okay or if he was in trouble. He only saw the mother, who ran to embrace her son, who was now crying from all the shouting. She turned to Alberto and said: “Sir, thank you so much. You saved my son. Please, I'd like to invite you to dinner to thank you.”

“Don't worry, ma'am. Just keep a closer eye on your child. That's thanks enough.”

“Yes, that's true. If it weren't for this man, I would have hit him, and they'd surely throw me in jail for your irresponsibility,” the truck driver said, wiping his nervous sweat with trembling hands.

“You're also at fault. You were going too fast in this residential area,” Alberto stood face-to-face with the driver, puffing out his chest.

“You're probably right. Luckily, nothing bad happened. For your bravery, sir, I promise that from now on, I'll drive more carefully. I have a family waiting for me at home. I don't want to cause them pain.” The driver left, taking a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, knowing he couldn't handle another near-heart attack.

“Please, sir, accept my humble invitation to lunch,” the mother insisted.

“Don't worry, ma'am. I'd feel embarrassed going to a stranger's house for lunch.”

“Come on, accept it! Don't be shy. Or are you too proud?” Alberto frozen upon hearing that voice from behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. It was the person he had been following for weeks. He stayed silent for a moment, prompting the other woman to answer for him.

“It's not pride. He's just shy. Look at his face! He's as red as a tomato.”

This made him feel like his courage was being questioned, which was inconceivable for the future alpha of the pack. So, he inhaled, turned around, and smiled as he greeted Mariana for the second time.

“Hello, miss. I'm neither shy nor proud. I just believe that saving the child isn't something that deserves a reward. It's an obligation to save a pup in danger. Any man should have run to save that child.”

“Sir, you look familiar. I think I've seen you somewhere before,” Mariana said, scratching her head, trying to remember where, as she mentally reviewed all the familiar faces. Alberto responded: “Maybe on TV or in the movies.”

“Are you an actor?”

“No, I'm a shoe model.”

“Oh, how funny. So, I'd only recognize your feet. Wait, now I remember. You're the monster from the parking lot! You've come back for me. Likewise, you're going to kill me because I witnessed something strange.” Mariana turned pale, feeling the ground shift beneath her, cold shocks running over her skin. She nearly fainted but managed to run away, terrified, locking herself in her house.