In the town that Betty lives in, there are three rules that everyone is taught from the day they are born.
1. Always carry a weapon
2. Never go out at night
3. Do not go in the woods at night without a weapon
The woods are perfectly safe during the day. Men go hunting, woman pick wild berries and flowers, children play in the trees. But come dusk, everyone knows the woods are a dangerous place. The trees whisper, and twist and turn. Up becomes down, east becomes west. Wild animals stalk through the night, looking for prey. It's even said that on the full moon, werewolves roam the forest, turning victims into pack members. Of course, Betty knows that werewolves aren't real. It's just a myth to scare little children.
Betty's mother, Alice, packs cookies and a loaf of bread into a basket, and firmly closes the lid.
"Now, Elizabeth," Alice says, handing her daughter the basket. "You should have plenty of time to make it to your cousin's house before dark. Do not get distracted, and make sure you're well out of the woods come nightfall. Especially since it's a full moon tonight. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mother," Betty rolls her eyes. She's not an idiot. Everyone in town knows the rules.
"You have your knife?"
Betty nods. There's a dagger strapped to her thigh should the worst occur. Alice regards her daughter fondly. She reaches over and tightens the blonde ponytail before pulling the red hood of Betty's cloak over her head.
"Be safe," Alice says, before shepherding Betty out the front door of their cottage.
Betty skips towards the forest, glad to be out from under the watch of her overprotective mother for a few days. Her cousin Cheryl can be a little dramatic and bossy, but it's a small price to pay for a few hours of freedom in the woods.
She ignores her mother's advice about not getting distracted. She has hours before nightfall. She plans to take her time, pick some flowers, maybe sit in the forest and eat some cookies while she reads her book for a little while. She knows where there is a pretty clearing by the creek, not too far from the path, and she makes her way there, meandering slowly, enjoying the fresh air and the greenery around her.
She finds the clearing easily, and she settles herself down by the creek, amongst a patch of forget-me-nots. She removes her cloak and lays it down to sit on, so as not to get her pretty white dress dirty. She pulls a cookie and her book out of the basket, and starts to read.
It's so peaceful out here, the only sounds are of birds chirping, and the creek bubbling beside her. That is until she hears the crack of a stick, and she looks up, startled, scanning the trees around her for some sign of movement.
The woods are perfectly safe during the day, she reminds herself. Still, her heart beats rapidly, and she shuts her book, reaching for the dagger under her petticoat.
She hears more crunching, footsteps coming towards her. She brandishes her dagger just as someone bursts through the trees and into the clearing, pointing an arrow at her, the strong on the bow drawn tight. He quickly lowers it when he sees who it is.
"Betty," Archie breathes. "I thought you were a deer."
Betty breathes a sigh of relief at seeing Archie, her neighbour and friend. She lowers the dagger and Archie politely looks away while she tucks it back into the garter on her thigh.
"What are you doing out here?" Betty asks, and Archie turns back.
He raises an eyebrow. "I'm hunting," he says. "What about you?"
"I'm on my way to my cousin's house. I thought I'd enjoy the serenity a while."
"It's not safe out here alone, Betty," Archie says nervously.
Betty tilts her head, then looks up at the sky. "Archie, it's broad daylight. Everyone knows it's safe until dark."
"Then why did you have your knife out?" he points out. Betty bites her lip. She shrugs.
"Let me walk with you," Archie suggests. "I'm going that way anyway."
"Sure," Betty agrees immediately. It's not exactly a hardship to have Archie walking with her. She enjoys his company, and she also enjoys looking at him. He has a nice face, the kind that gives her butterflies.
Betty puts her book back in the basket, and Archie helps her up. Betty picks up her cloak and swings it over her shoulders, sending forget-me-nots flying. She's perfectly capable of fastening the cloak herself, but Archie steps forward to help her, and she lets him. She likes having him so close to her.
"Red suits you," he grins.
They make their way back to the path and head in the direction of Cheryl's house. It only takes an hour to walk there, and it feels like less with Archie by her side. Their hands brush a few times as they walk along the narrow path, and she hopes he might take her hand in his, but he's far too much of a gentleman for that. She's sure she's given him a million obvious hints that she likes him, but he's never had any interest in her beyond friendship anyway.
Betty is actually disappointed when they reach the edge of the woods. But then again, the sun is hanging low in the sky now and it's probably for the best. They don't want to get lost in there at night.
Archie stops at the tree line as Betty steps out of the forest, and she turns back to face him.
"Aren't you coming?" she says.
Archie shakes his head. "I still have some hunting to do."
Betty looks to the horizon, squinting into the sun. "It's getting late," she says. "I don't think you should go back in there. What if you don't get out in time?"
Archie smiles fondly. "It's sweet of you to worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise. I know these woods like the back of my hand."
Betty chews her lip. She doesn't want to leave him. "Okay," she concedes. "Thank you for walking with me."
Archie nods. "It was nothing."
Before she can think better of it, Betty leans up and presses a kiss to his cheek. She pulls away, her own cheeks burning. Archie ducks his head bashfully.
"Be safe, Betty," he says, almost like a warning. And then he disappears back into the forest, leaving Betty to make her way to Cheryl's on her own.
Cheryl's family is richer than Betty's. They have servants and paintings on all the walls, and Cheryl always has a new gown to show off.
Betty arrives at the manor, three times the size of Betty's own home, and is let inside by the doorman. Cheryl sweeps into the hall in a scarlet gown, giving Betty a red-lipped smile, and pulling her cousin into a tight hug.
"How delightful it is to see you again, cousin!" Cheryl says. Betty is never quite sure how genuine Cheryl is being, but she hugs her back and takes her words at face value. Cheryl pulls away. "We have so much to talk about!"
Cheryl takes Betty's basket from her and hands it to a hovering servant. She looks Betty up and down.
"I see you've adopted my signature colour," Cheryl notes. "It looks almost as good on you as it does on me."
Betty doesn't have a chance to respond before Cheryl is leading her upstairs to her bedroom. Betty sheds her cloak, and the girls lounge on Cheryl's bed.
"I can trust you, can't I Betty?" Cheryl asks.
"Of course," Betty responds earnestly.
Cheryl turns to Betty, her eyes boring into her. "If I tell you something, you have to promise not to tell anyone."
"Okay," Betty agrees, feelings strangely nervous. She doesn't like the way Cheryl is acting.
"I'm a witch."
Betty stares at her cousin. "A witch?" she repeats dumbly.
Cheryl nods seriously. "I'm making a potion. An immortality potion."
"Why would you want to be immortal?"
Cheryl gives Betty a look of disdain. "Why wouldn't you want to be?" she huffs. Betty shrugs. "I only need one more ingredient."
"And what's that?"
"Mushrooms."
"Well there are probably some in the kitchen," Betty points out.
Cheryl gives a sound of exasperation. "They can't just be any mushrooms. They have to be picked at midnight, under the full moon."
"Cheryl…" Betty says, beginning to understand where Cheryl is going with this.
"They grow in the woods."
"Don't go out there tonight," Betty says.
"I'm going," Cheryl says, "And so are you."
Betty shakes her head. "No."
"It will be safer with two of us."
"It won't be safe at all."
"There's a patch not far from the path. We won't have to be in there long."
"I don't know, Cheryl…"
"Don't be such a baby," Cheryl snorts. Betty says nothing. "I need my beauty rest," Cheryl says, pushing Betty from the bed. "I'll wake you when it's time."
Betty picks up her cloak and heads to her own room. Of course she isn't going to follow Cheryl into the woods. It's a suicide mission. Only the most reckless and idiotic person would go into the woods at night, especially on a full moon.
Betty changes from her dress into a nightgown that she keeps at Cheryl's and lies down on the bed to sleep.
She swears she's only been asleep for a few minutes when Cheryl shakes her awake. She's terrified at first, before she realises it's Cheryl. She's fully dressed, wearing a black cloak and holding a lantern above Betty's face.
"It's time to go."
"Cheryl…" Betty starts, her voice still hoarse with sleep. She sits up as Cheryl begins to walk away.
Cheryl stops by the door, spinning back to Betty, her long red hair fanning out around her. "I'm going. If you stay and I die, know that's on you."
Betty swallows. She only hesitates a moment before slipping out of bed. She quickly dresses and she slips on her shoes and cloak, before following Cheryl downstairs and out the front door.
"What about your parents?" Betty whispers.
Cheryl shrugs. "They don't care."
It isn't far from Cheryl's house to the woods. The full moon lights their way, and they barely need Cheryl's lantern. But they'll need it once they're in the forest. The canopy of leaves will block most of the moonlight from above.
They stop when they reach the tree line. Betty stares into the forest, her heart in her throat, her pulse racing. This is a bad idea. There is no way they go in there and make it out alive.
"Come on," Cheryl says, but she doesn't sound as confident as before. Still, she holds the lantern up high and steps into the forest. Betty takes a deep breath and follows.
It's dark in the woods, and the lantern doesn't provide a lot of light. It's only enough to see a few feet in front of them. The path is winding, and tree roots and rocks provide obstacles for the girls to trip over. An owl hoots nearby. Wind rustles the leaves above them, getting stronger. A branch breaks and falls to the ground, causing the two of them to jump. A wolf howls somewhere in the distance.
"Are we close?" Betty asks. She wants to get out of here as soon as possible.
Cheryl nods. "Here." She points to a small boulder she's marked with red paint. "This way." Cheryl leads Betty away from the path. The crunch through the underbrush until they wander into a clearing. Cheryl moves the lantern around until the light falls on a small patch of mushrooms. Cheryl hands the lantern to Betty and kneels in front of the mushrooms, gathering them and shoving them into the pockets of her cloak.
Another wolf howl, closer this time.
"Hurry," Betty says. Cheryl grabs a couple more mushrooms and then stands.
"Let's go," she says. She sounds as nervous as Betty feels.
Betty shines the lantern around. Everything looks different in the dark. "Which way did we come in?" she whispers.
Cheryl hesitates. "This way, I think," she says, starting to walk. Betty has no idea if that's right, but she has no reason to counter it, so she follows.
They're almost out of the clearing when Betty trips on something, falling to the ground. She drops the lantern but it stays lit, thankfully. She reaches for it, picking herself up. She shines the light on the ground, looking to see what she tripped on. A bow. She picks it up. Her stomach drops, her heart beating rapidly. Archie's bow. She looks around further, and sure enough, there's his quiver, still half full of arrows. Worse, there are ripped shreds of his clothes scattered around.
"What's wrong?" Cheryl asks.
Betty swallows. "My friend Archie…" she says. "I think something might have happened to him. This is his."
Cheryl stares at her a moment. "We have to go." She grabs the bow, and picks up the quiver of arrows.
Betty nods. She tries not to dwell on Archie. Perhaps he's fine. Maybe he dropped these and didn't realise. Of course, Betty knows that's nonsense. Grief wells up inside her, but she pushes it down. Now isn't the time to cry.
"The path should be right here," Cheryl says. Only it's not.
"Cheryl…"
"Just, shh!" Cheryl puts her hand up in front of Betty's face. "Let me think!"
A twig snaps behind them and Betty spins around. Goosebumps erupt all over her body. She swears there's someone out there, watching them.
"Archie?" she calls, her voice shaking. No answer. "Cheryl," she whispers. "There's something out there."
Cheryl nods, looking terrified. She can feel it too. "Betty—" she starts, but before she can finish, a great beast leaps out from behind a tree, knocking Cheryl to the ground. A wolf maybe, but much, much bigger. Cheryl lets out a shrill scream, the sound echoing through the forest. Betty stumbles back and trips on a tree root, falling onto her backside. This time the lantern shatters and the flame goes out.
"Cheryl!" Betty yells. She can hear the growling of the beast and Cheryl's cries.
"Betty!" Cheryl screams, panicked. There's another howl, close but not close enough to be the beast attacking Cheryl. Betty can hear the sound of the beast dragging Cheryl away. Betty tries to stand, but the moment she tries to put pressure on her right ankle it's filled with a piercing pain. She gasps.
"Cheryl!" Betty calls again. Cheryl's screams are getting further away. Betty tries to see something, anything, but she can barely see a foot in front of her face it's so dark.
This night goes silent around her. The only thing she can hear is her own heavy breathing. Cheryl has stopped screaming. Betty doesn't know if that's because she can't scream anymore, or if she's just realised it's not doing her any good.
Betty realises it's not only her own breathing she can hear. She looks around, following the sound, and sees a pair of bright yellow eyes staring at her. She swallows. The beast growls, getting ready to pounce. Betty reaches under her petticoat, only to find her dagger isn't there. She'd taken it out when she went to bed and never put it back. There's nothing else she can do. She squeezes her eyes shut, ready to accept her fate.
She hears another growl, from behind her, and she opens her eyes to see another enormous wolf fly over top of her and land on top of the beast that had been about to attack her. She can't see very well, but she can hear them snarling and growling, fighting each other. Is one of them trying to protect her, or does it just want her for a meal too?
She hears a whimper, and then one of the wolves scampers off into the night. She doesn't know which one won. The winner pads over too her, panting. She looks into its glowing amber eyes. The beast is a beautiful thing, not scrawny like the usual wolves she sees. Big, with deep red fur that Betty wants to run her hands through. She wonders, briefly, if it might be a werewolf. She quickly reminds herself werewolves aren't real.
Her heart pounds. She's still scared, but the wolf doesn't make any moves to harm her. It nudges her with its snout, as if trying to get her to stand up.
"I can't stand," she tells it, though she has no idea if it can understand her. "I hurt my ankle."
The wolf whines a little, almost sympathetically. She has no idea why, but this wolf makes her feel safe somehow. Perhaps because it's already protected her once.
The wolf looks around, its ears pricked. It looks back to her. It tilts its head, like its asking permission for something, but what, Betty doesn't know. She soon finds out as the wolf takes her cloak in its mouth, and begins to drag her away. The terror she felt before returns.
"Where are you taking me?" she cries, though she knows the wolf can't answer. She tries to struggle, but it's no use. But she begins to realise the wolf means her no harm. He's very gentle with her, and he stops when her hair gets caught in a fallen branch and lets her untangle it before continuing on.
He finally stops when they reach a small cottage. Betty has no idea where they are, except that they're somewhere in the woods. She has no hope of finding Cheryl, or of finding her way out of here.
The wolf nudges the door open and drags Betty inside. There are a few candles burning, lighting up the one room cottage. There is a bed on one side, and a fireplace on the other, and a chest by the bed. But other than that, the room is mostly empty. The wolf seems to take up a lot of space with its hulking size. He nudges her towards the bed, and Betty crawls onto it, doing her best to not put any weight on her sore ankle. She's fairly certain she just twisted it, and it will probably be fine in a day or so.
The wolf gives her an approving nod, then goes to sit by the door, at full attention, like he's guarding it. Betty smiles in spite of herself.
"Thank you," she says. The wolf turns back to her, tilting its head in confusion. "For saving me," Betty clarifies. The wolf inclines his head again. Betty licks her lips. "My cousin, Cheryl…" she starts. Then she realises there's no point. The wolf can't answer her. And if the wolf leaves to find Cheryl, Betty will be left alone and vulnerable.
"Never mind," she says, shaking her head. "You don't have to sit there all night," she tells the wolf. "You can come and sleep next to me."
The wolf turns back to the door. Betty is disappointed. It would be nice to have a big fluffy wolf to keep her warm. Betty lays her head on the poor excuse for a pillow. It's not the most comfortable bed, but it will have to do. She unfastens her cloak and puts it over herself like a blanket, then blows out the candle beside the bed.
She hears the wolf leave his spot by the door and pad over to the bed. Maybe he changed his mind. Betty scoots over to give him room and he gets up onto the bed, lying next to her. It's comforting to have something so big and warm curled up next to her.
"Goodnight," she whispers, burying her face into the wolf's soft fur. Somehow, sleep finds her easily.
Betty wakes at dawn, feeling sore all over. There's a warm weight next to her, but she quickly realises it's not the fur of the wolf she fell asleep next to last night. It's skin. A man. She sits bolt upright, her heart racing. Her eyes fall on the naked body beside her, lying face down and still fast asleep. It's Archie. Betty breathes a sigh of relief, both because it means he's not dead, and because she's not sleeping next to a stranger. The sight of his naked body does nothing the slow her heartrate, however.
She bites her lip. She probably shouldn't be looking. But then again, what is he doing here, naked, in the first place?
"Archie," she says, gently shaking his arm. He wakes slowly, blinking at her. Then he jolts out of bed, panicked.
"Betty!" he says. Betty's eyes rake over his muscular arms, his chest his abs, down between his legs. She'd known he was good looking, but she had no idea he looked like this under his clothes. He quickly covers himself with his hands. She meets his eyes again. His face is bright red.
"What are you doing here?" Betty asks. "I thought you were dead!"
"I'm sorry," he says quickly. "I meant to leave before you woke up but—" he swallows. He goes to the chest by the bed and opens it, fishing out a pair of brown pants and pulling them on.
"Leave? But…" Betty trails off, the cogs in her mind turning. The wolf that fell asleep beside her last night. A wolf with fur that was suspiciously close to the colour or Archie's hair. Archie's clothes in the forest, then him waking naked beside her. The wolf protecting her from the other wolves. The fact that this is obviously his cottage, with his clothes, ready for him, despite the fact that he has a home back in their own village. "Are you…?" she starts. She stares at him. "A werewolf?"
Archie nods shortly. He won't look her directly in the eye. "I understand if you want nothing to do with me now."
"Arch," she says gently. "How could you think that?" She shakes her head. She gets up from the bed, putting only a small amount of weight on her ankle. It's already feeling better. Her white dress is covered in dirt and torn at the bottom, but she's not really concerned about that. She puts her hands on Archie's bare shoulders, and he reluctantly looks her in the eye.
"You saved my life," she reminds him. "I could never think less of you for that."
Archie still seems unsure, but he gives her a small smile. It's so sweet and he's so genuine that she can't stop herself from surging up to kiss him. He responds immediately, his lips moving against hers, but then it's as if he suddenly remembers himself and pulls away abruptly.
"Betty," he says, swallowing. "I know you thought maybe you and I would… be together," he pauses. "And I always wanted to court you properly. But this is why I never could. You could never be with a werewolf."
"I don't care about that," she assures him. "You're clearly not an evil werewolf or you wouldn't have saved me. Not like those other werewolves."
Archie shakes his head, like he doesn't believe her. "What about your mother?"
Betty grins. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."
Archie laughs. "Okay," he says. "If you're sure."
"Kiss me, Archie."
He smiles, brushing her hair from her face with both his hands. Betty's stomach fills with butterflies as he leans in, and her eyes close just before his lips touch hers. His hands find her waist and he tugs her close against his bare chest, leaving Betty feeling giddy.
The door slams open and the two jump apart, turning towards the open door. Cheryl stands there, bow and arrow poised to shoot.
"Step away from her," Cheryl says, pointing the arrow at Archie.
"Cheryl!" Betty cries. "Oh my god, you're okay!"
"Don't worry, Betty, this ruffian won't hurt you anymore."
"Cheryl, it's okay!" Betty hurries to assure her. "This is my friend, Archie. He saved my life last night."
Cheryl eyes him sceptically but lowers the arrow. She turns to Betty. "Are you okay?" she asks. Betty nods. "Thank god. I never should have suggested we go into the woods at night."
"It's okay," Betty says. "Are you alright? How did you get away from the wolves?"
"I'm okay," Cheryl confirms. "The wolf only had hold of my cloak so I took it off and then I shot it with my bow and arrow. I managed to find my way out of the forest, but I came looking for you as soon as it was light."
"I think that's actually my bow and arrow," Archie says.
Cheryl purses her lips. "Finders keepers," she tells him. "And why don't you have a shirt on?"
Archie's face turns bright red and he goes back to the trunk for a shirt, much to Betty's disappointment.
"You didn't get bitten, did you?" Archie asks Cheryl.
Cheryl shakes her head. "No. Why?"
"Just… checking you're alright."
"I already said I was!" Cheryl huffs. "Now let's go and see if we can find my cloak. I still want those mushrooms." She marches out of the hut, and Betty turns to Archie with an amused look on her face.
"Your cousin is very… assertive," Archie grins.
"She would kill you if you ever hurt me," Betty warns him, smirking.
"Well," says Archie, pressing a kiss to Betty's forehead. "I best not ever hurt you then."
"Come on, you two!" Cheryl calls back.
Archie laughs, and the takes Betty's hand in his, their fingers interlocking as the head back out into the forest, safe once again in the morning light.