The children snuggle closely together in the elder boy's full-sized bed. They prefer to sleep together when their parents are out, leaving their father to carry his youngest to her room after their return home.
Settled under the warm blankets, they smile at their babysitter, a young woman of sixteen, and beg her to tell them a story. She smiles brightly, her soft brown eyes shimmering with mirth as she tells them to prepare for her own retelling of her favorite fairytale.
-~oooOOooo~-
Dry leaves crackle beneath a distant footfall. His ears perk in the direction of the sound. His lips curl up from his snout in the form of a smile or perhaps a grimace. It's difficult to tell. He moves swiftly and quietly through the trees, making his way closer to it. Laying his body low to the ground, his belly rubs against the moss on the forest floor, where he waits, primed for action.
A flash of red catches his eye; his immediate reaction is to attack. Red is the color of blood and rage, the color that forces his instincts into overdrive. It's the color of the enemy, the slightest imperfection to their otherwise ethereal beauty. Recognition barely squelches his need to pounce. A much greater, more powerful emotion holds him back.
A beautiful young girl emerges from the foliage, her red, wool coat hugging her small frame. She holds a brown cloth bag in front of her as she ducks beneath the falling tree branches, her eyes staying downcast to the ground beneath her feet. The wolf lifts his nose, filling his lungs with the scent of her – only her. It does little to calm him.
They told her not to venture into the woods.
It's not the first time she's disobeyed them. She often takes the shortcut whenever she goes to visit her grandfather. They warned her it was dangerous, that there were creatures in the woods that wouldn't hesitate to attack. She defiantly raised her head and told them she wasn't afraid of bears. Little did she know, it wasn't the bears they were worried about. There were monsters residing in these woods. Monsters like him.
Her steps are loud to his sensitive ears, grating against his nerves as his eyes dart about the trees. She doesn't watch her surroundings as she walks; she doesn't attempt to keep her footfalls from crunching or her hands to herself. She spreads her scent as she goes, touching every limb she crouches under and tree trunk she holds for balance.
He growls low in his throat, deliberately stomping his paw on a dried-out branch. She starts at the sound, her gaze flying over her shoulder with her long mahogany curls whipping around. He stays perfectly still. His intent was to frighten her into submission, making her aware of what else lies beyond these trees and reminding her that she's not the only one in here.
Slowly, she lifts her red hood to her crown, her large brown eyes cautiously going back to the trail ahead of her. Though her stance has become guarded, she still disregards her noises and smells.
He watches her intently, stalking as closely behind as he dares without giving away his presence. She shouldn't be here. The dangers lurking within these woods are worse than she could ever imagine. She should be at home, nestled into her mother's side, where she'll be safe and warm and her father can watch over her. Instead, she's here, and he's left with little choice but to follow. He considers showing his wolf to her, frightening her into running home, but thinks better of it. He gives howling a fleeting thought, though her reaction to run would make it harder for him to trail her. His baser instinct to chase-the-running is difficult to control.
His "sheep suit" has become his last and most regrettable option. Shifting to human form will allow him the closeness he desires but will leave him without his enhanced senses. Defenselessness is not something he takes lightly. The word leaves a horrible taste in his mouth and a terribly unsettling feeling to crawl in his bones.
His hackles rise as he picks up the putrid smell of death laying a few miles to the north - a carcass left for scavengers by another. It's hours old, the rotting flesh just beginning to turn rancid. It alerts his awareness, however, as it smells of deer. There are only so many creatures within the forest capable of taking down such a large animal. He itches to inspect the corpse, to note its cause of death whether it's been mauled by a bear or worse - drained of its blood. The young girl is relatively the same size in comparison, though easier to catch and impossible to miss in her blood-red coat. He wouldn't dream of leaving her unguarded, lest the same doom be dealt upon her. He's unable to repress his shudder.
The carefree girl would never dream that such a fate could exist. To her, blood-drinkers are nothing more than a fairytale told to keep children out of the woods. She'd argue that she's not a child. The large wolf shakes his head at her naiveté.
If only she knew the truth. Perhaps then she'd listen when they told her never to go into the woods.
He grinds his teeth and huffs a snort through his nose. No, she probably wouldn't listen then either.
Minutes pass, and she starts to mumble to herself. It's an odd sort of beginning, as though she feels the need to finish her thought aloud. "…just odd."
The wolf cocks his head to the side, his constantly alert and twitching ears training forward on her ramblings.
"She said I'd be different …that I'm too much like…" She pauses, her hand waving before her in frustration. Her brows furrow while her lips are adorably pursed and pulled up at the side. "They're just so similar though… it's… odd."
He fights to make sense of her half-sentences and curses at himself, knowing he shouldn't be listening anyway. She deserves her thoughts to be her own; no one should eavesdrop on them without permission. He understands that better than most, but he loves her so much it's difficult to stop. The desire to adorn his "sheep suit" is calling stronger now. He longs to speak to her, hold her, and ask what's troubling her so greatly.
With his thoughts so consumed by the girl, his senses pick up on the intruder too late.
A snarl rips through his throat as he flies out of hiding, placing himself in front of the young girl as she screams and falls back on her haunches. There's no doubt in his mind that her scream could be heard for miles. He flinches, knowing that it's alerted every nearby predator to her presence. Worse, it's frightened the bear heading their way.
Usually, his size and growls will turn a bear around; he's too large to be prey and too aggressive to relish a fight with. A startled grizzly, however, will attack.
Teeth bared, hackles high, and claws dug deep into the earth for purchase, he's poised and ready. Instinct has taken over his actions while his thoughts are still on the girl behind him, mentally begging her not to run. If she flees, the bear will likely chase her. He'd prefer to keep himself between them and his sights on her at the same time. He can't allow the grizzly to distract him from her. He can't afford to have her running off into this predacious wild.
The brown bear rises up on its hindquarters, swatting its arm and roaring in the wolf's face. He hears her shifting behind him, her gasp, and her whimpers of fear. He wants so badly to turn around, reassure her that he will protect her, but he's positive she's as afraid of him as she is the grizzly.
He waits. The bear charges first, as he knew it would, its mouth open and one large paw swiping for his flank. He leaps, jaws attaching to the bear's throat, twisting and pushing it back – away from the terrified girl. The grizzly's skin is tough and unyielding. There's a sharp pain in his sides as the creature wraps one arm around his middle. He snaps at its eyes, pushing with his legs against its chest and twisting free.
They grapple a moment longer. The bear is weary of his size but too engaged to run away now. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches the girl in red. Her hood has fallen back, her mahogany curls blowing wildly in the wind while her chocolate brown eyes are wide and fearful. He attempts to keep their scuffle as far away from her as possible, rounding his opponent and forcing it to follow his moves.
He challenges the grizzly with a snap to its tail; the bear is momentarily between him and the girl. He doesn't like it, but their battle is too close to her for his comfort. The slightest misstep could harm her. With all fur, teeth, and claws, they need more room to fight.
The sound of paws pounding on the dry earth catches his attention; he inhales shortly, smelling another animal in the air. Fear for the girl fills his heart and head; he falters in his attack and is awarded by a swift hit to his side. The brunt force strikes his shoulder, but the claws dig deep into his bicep and forearm. He's thrown to the left, his hide striking a nearby tree and knocking him off balance.
The beautiful girl slowly rises. He's glad that she's cautious in her movements but wishes she would stay where she is. Her coat catches the attention of the bear, its eyes and teeth turning on her.
He rushes forward but doesn't have time to get between them before the grizzly is charging her, claws out and ready to strike.
A light grey wolf leaps from the foliage, its teeth clamping down on the bear's paw and, miraculously, saving the girl. He continues to propel himself forward. Grasping at the bear's neck, he assists the grey wolf in retaliation. His wounded leg is burning and dripping blood, but it's nothing more than a slight complication to him. His love for the beautiful girl renews his determination to take the beast down.
The second wolf is young and inexperienced in comparison to himself. His tactics are sloppy, even if they are effective. Though he's grateful to the pup for stepping in at such a pivotal moment, he finds himself frustrated that he has no line of communication with him. The grey wolf is not one of his but a member of the other wolf pack.
The brown bear is growing weary, its eyes filling with fear and its wounds severe. The animal begins to retreat, backing up and tiredly snapping its jaws at them. He pulls back slightly, allowing it to escape. He sees no reason to kill the brute. He snaps at the pup to do the same, though it refuses, growling at him. He snarls his dominance, causing the young wolf to cower slightly. He may not be the boy's Alpha, but his authority still reigns a certain superiority over him.
He turns around slowly, facing the young girl. He lowers his body to the ground, his head ducked and his ears back. It's a show of submissive behavior that he would only display to her. He wants her to understand that he would never hurt her.
The grey wolf moves much too quickly. She steps back, her bag clutched tightly over her pounding heart. She's still frightened. The pup tries to go to her, causing her to take a panicked step back. He whimpers, and his form begins to vibrate. The Alpha leaps onto him before he can shift, pinning him to the ground in submission as he snaps his teeth at the young one for being so careless. The grey wolf looks between him and the girl, a whine leaving his throat in a low howl.
A scared gasp raises the large wolf's attention back to the girl. He realizes her fear stems from his own actions. Regrettably, he allows the pup to stand, demonstrating that he's not going to hurt him. The grey wolf rolls onto his belly and begins to crawl toward the young girl. His tail wags while his tongue lolls out the side of his jowl. The older wolf rolls his eyes at the pup's antics, though it causes the girl to smile.
She clears her throat tentatively, watching them carefully as she speaks. "Thank you."
The large wolf's mouth falls open into a smile, and the pup raises his rump, his head still down in a playful position. For the first time, he takes a good look at the young one next to him; what he sees causes his blood to run cold. The pup is looking at his girl in red as though the sun rises and sets with her. He's looking at her in a way that can only be described as love. True, unadulterated love.
No!
Angry and unthinking, the older wolf barks at the younger one, fur on end as he bares his teeth and snarls. Ferociously snapping at his heels, he runs the grey wolf off and into the trees. Satisfied, he stops and snorts at him. The young wolf tosses one last, agonizing glance at the beautiful girl before disappearing into the foliage.
The large wolf stomps his way back to the girl. She tightens her grip on her bag as he comes closer, but he ignores her, still angry from his latest discovery. She stands stiff as he rounds behind her. Dropping his head between her shoulder blades, he forcefully nudges her forward.
She complies, continuing on her journey, though shakily, to her grandfather's house. The large wolf follows closely behind, still agitated, though he remains alert and protective. Her stance becomes more relaxed as they walk; she no longer fears the wolf trailing her. Every so often, he notices her concerned glances falling to his limp. The blood has dried in his fur, the wounds slowly closing, but his shoulder still burns greatly.
He stops at the edge of the forest as she exits into the clearing before her grandfather's house. Finally on safe ground, she turns back to look at him. She melts his heart with her bright, beautiful smile, her brown eyes so like her mother's shining back at him. He yips once and motions with his snout for her to go on. Once she's securely inside her grandfather's home, he slowly makes his way back into the forest.
-~oooOOOooo~-
The children drift off as the babysitter's story comes to a close. She's careful not to jostle them from their sleep as she stands from her perch on their bed and makes her way to the open window. In the distance, beneath the light of the full moon, she can make out the figures of two wolves.
Her father, the larger of the two and a beautiful russet color stands guard, protecting their land, their home, and most importantly, her mother and herself. The love of her life stands at his side, a smaller grey wolf, who allowed her to learn the secret of their tribe and of her father when he imprinted on her just days before her trip to Grandpa Charlie's.
She was confused at the time, constantly rambling to herself about the boy's sudden devotion to her. She'd gone so far as to ask her mother, who seemed both excited and anxious, though she was terribly vague about the whole thing. Her mother explained that love was different for everyone, and even though her own would be powerful, it would vary from that of her parents. But she's so like her father that her mother had no doubt that she'd love with everything she had.
She smiles; it was true. Since the moment he saved her from that bear, she's loved him with every fiber of her being. Dad doesn't exactly approve of him though. She and her mother are still working on that.
His best argument is to point out that she's only sixteen, but her mother is always quick to remind him, "You fell in love with me when you were sixteen, remember?"
He'd growl, "Bells," in retaliation and her mother would laugh. Then she'd promptly flee the room before things got a little too reminiscent for her tastes.
A/N: I thoroughly enjoyed writing this little one shot even though my initial idea was too make it much darker and a little more sadistic. Oh well, it turned out cute and fluffy instead.
Did you expect the Babysitter/Red Riding Hood to be Jake's daughter or was I able to surprise you? Hope you enjoyed it and please, let me know what you think.
Special thanks to Jkane180 for betaing!
*hugs*