No Bonds to Hold Me, but a Wolf to Run With Chapter 05

No Bonds to Hold Me, but a Wolf to Run With Chapter 05

We arrived at the photo studio.

My suitcase was dragged all the way into the studio.

Victor looked back. “We’re just taking pictures, why bring so much stuff? Is it heavy?”

“It’s pretty heavy,” I said.

He turned away to help carry Sienna’s hem, not asking what was inside the suitcase or if I needed help.

Seeing me holding the itinerary and Sienna’s bag on my arm, a staff member handed me a storage tag: “The assistant’s things go in the corner. Stay out of the frame.”

I didn’t explain. I turned and went to check in my bag.

A nanny or an assistant—I had already accepted my place.

The four parents and Sienna changed into the light gray outfits chosen in advance.

The two mothers’ dresses had similar cuts, the two fathers wore ties of the same color, and Sienna stood in the middle with a ring of tiny pearls around her skirt.

No one notified me to try on clothes.

I was still wearing the white shirt and jeans I had on that morning.

Claire came out of the fitting room, and a flash of annoyance crossed her eyes when she saw my clothes.

She rummaged through the clothing rack, pulled out a spare silk scarf, and handed it to me.

“Tie this on for now. At least the colors will match. Why didn’t you remind me?”

The scarf was very soft, in the color she used to pick for me.

I took it in my hand, even thinking—as long as they really saved that chair for me, whether the colors matched didn’t matter.

But she was only halfway through tying it when Eleanor called out to her from in front of the camera: “Hurry up, there’s still space next to Sienna.”

Claire’s hands immediately dropped.

The scarf had only wrapped around once, hanging against my chest.

She said she would fix it for me later, then hurried into the lights.

Six chairs were lined up in a row.

Sienna was placed right in the center.

The two mothers sat on either side of her, and the two fathers stood in the back row.

The remaining chair was pushed all the way to the edge, with a temporarily unclaimed bouquet of flowers sitting on it.

The photographer looked at the list: “Where is the other person standing?”

As if finally remembering me, Claire waved me over.

I took a step forward, but she shoved her phone into my hands instead: “Iris, you have a good eye. Help us check the composition first. Take a couple of behind-the-scenes shots of the five of us before the official portrait.”

I stopped outside the frame.

In the viewfinder, the five of them stood very close together.

That extra chair was bleached white by the lights, looking awkwardly empty.

I pressed the shutter once.

Sienna stood up from her chair: “Big sister, come join us. Behind-the-scenes shots can have six people too.”

Victor glanced at the watch and pushed her back down. “It’s fine, let’s shoot first. Iris isn’t going anywhere.”

The phone vibrated in my palm.

Station alert: The train has started boarding.

I turned off the camera preview and said to the photographer,

“The composition is great. Go ahead and take nice pictures of them.”

I untied the poorly knotted scarf, folded it, and placed it on the empty chair.

Claire frowned: “Stop acting up after we finish. Don’t make everyone wait for you.”

Marcus didn’t leave his spot either, just looking at me from across the light stand: “Family matters can be discussed back home.”

The photographer’s hand hovered over the countdown button.

I pulled my suitcase out from the corner.

Sienna called out my name.

I didn’t look back. The suitcase wheels bumped over the studio threshold with a dull thud.

The lights behind me turned on again.

Looking at my retreating back, the photographer hesitated and asked, “I remember you booked for six. Was that person just now your other daughter? They’ve already left, are we still taking this family portrait?”

Before I even stepped into the elevator, I heard Claire’s voice echo from inside the room.

“Finish shooting first. She’s waiting right outside.”

Waiting?

When the photographer pressed the countdown.

The lonely departing girl suddenly broke into a run.

That foolish white wolf wasn’t going to wait anymore.

She was heading into her wilderness. Maybe she’d be lonely, maybe she’d face danger, but—even if she died out there, she wouldn’t look back!