In case it isn't clear, this chapter occurs chronologically right after chapter one.
Ruby froze, skidding to a stop from a full sprint and almost running into a tree. Something wasn't right. Something was very, very wrong. She sniffed at the air, wary of any signs of trouble. As her gaze lifted towards the sky she heard it again, a long low howl lifting toward the full moon as it carried throughout Storybrooke.
Ruby's heart pounded as she turned and ran back towards town in a panic. That howl was unmistakably not from any ordinary wolf.
Ruby stood utterly still at the edge of town, ears perked, waiting for another wail that would help her hone in on where exactly the other wolf was. She took off at a run straight down main street when she heard a howl coming from the library. Shit, she thought. Belle!
The fur on the back of her neck bristled when an answering howl rose on the other side of town. Her blood pumped with adrenaline as she sprinted towards the library to check in with that situation before figuring out who else she'd turned. Apparently I got around last night, she mused with shame.
Ruby trotted to stop in front of the library, sniffing at the doors. Her astute ears noted a creak and a quiet squeak, and then suddenly an empty book cart hurdled towards her. Ruby leapt out of the way as Granny stepped into view, brandishing a chair.
"Back! Back, beast! I didn't survive forty years of turning furry every full moon, raising two rebellious wolf-kids, and a goddamned curse to be eaten by a small-town wolf pack in coastal Maine!"
Ruby stepped back, mentally clamoring for a way to show Granny who she was. She quickly decided that appearing as friendly as possible would be in her best interests, so she lowered the front half of her body and wagged her tail playfully. She then started chasing her tail, much to Granny's confusion. Finally she flopped onto the ground, panting, and wiggled her legs in the air in a manner that suggested a demand to be petted.
Granny slowly set down the chair. "Ruby?"
Ruby jumped to her feet and nodded vigorously.
"Well then," Granny admonished, "did you lose your hood already or did you just decide to go for a joy run and scare the heavens out of an old lady?"
Ruby lowered her head apologetically and let out a low whine.
"Don't you start trying to guilt-trip me now. You know I'm not falling for the cute little act." Granny sighed. "Regardless, we have bigger issues right now. I don't know how much longer those chains are going to hold."
Granny turned and led Ruby through the library to the captive werewolf.
The hairs on the back of David's neck stood on end as the wolf standing over Henry howled in answer to the wolf on the other side of town. He watched nervously as Henry stirred, woken by the sound. He stepped forward, ready to defend his grandson with his bare hands if the wolf were to turn on the boy.
The wolf's amber eyes met his. Their gaze locked for a breathless moment before, in one fluid movement, the wolf leapt from Henry's bed and landed a foot away from David, teeth barred.
A twinge of fear surged through David as moonlight glinted off the wolf's pearly whites. Its fur was backlit by the moonlight filtering in through the window and David could clearly see the outline of raised hackles and whiskers that fluttered around powerful jaws as the wolf breathed.
He stepped back slowly, the wolf's eyes tracking him warily. Once back into the hallway he began to backtrack towards the living room where the red hood lay on the sofa. One large step took him out of the unmoving wolf's line of sight and he broke into a sprint, tumbling down the spiral staircase from the lofted area into the living room. He could hear the wolf racing after him as he tripped toward the sofa.
David grabbed the cloak and turned to see the wolf launching off of the balcony, lunging for him. As the wolf's lithe form barreled toward him David desperately swung the cape. It wrapped around the wolf just before it landed on top of David, knocking him to the ground.
David flinched, bracing himself with eyes closed against the mauling he was sure he was about to recieve. Instead, he received a punch to the shoulder.
Regina stood up, straightening the cloak on her shoulders and fastening it under her chin. "I thought you were an intruder. You should have announced yourself instead of sneaking around like that," she chastised. "I could've killed you, or worse- frightened Henry."
David stood, rubbing his shoulder. "What were you thinking, hanging around Henry in wolf form? How did you even get that way?"
Regina glared at David, her hands on her hips. "I would never harm my son in any form, if that's what you're implying. And I became a wolf in the way most do; I was bitten."
David opened his mouth as if to respond but was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He answered it immediately but before he could say "hello" the voice at the other end of the line barked out an order and hung up.
"That was Granny, with Ruby. We need to get over to the library."
David started towards the door but Regina grabbed him by the shoulder and as a cloud of purple mist dissipated he found himself standing next to Granny amongst rows of bookshelves.
"That's convenient," David noted as he took stock of his surroundings.
Granny was eyeing Regina. "What've you got Ruby's hood for?"
"Someone doesn't trust me in wolf form," Regina replied with a glance towards David.
"Wolf form?" Granny went unheard as David retorted.
"Yeah, because you almost ripped my throat out!"
"In wolf form?" Granny was again ignored.
"You came sneaking in unannounced in the middle of the night! I was protecting Henry."
"Are you a werewolf?"
"I came in 'unannounced' because I didn't want to wake Henry. It's my apartment!"
"Since when are you a werewolf?"
"I believe you mean it is Ms. Blanchard's apartment. And don't you forget that I don't need to be a wolf to rip your throat out, or your heart."
"Well I…"
The three were startled into silence upon a loud, impatient bark from Ruby.
Granny turned to Charming. "Okay, this time without the arguing: why is the queen wearing the hood?"
"I threw it on her when she lunged at me. She was a wolf!"
Granny turned to Regina for an explanation.
"Ruby bit me last night. For the record, I was perfectly cognizant of my actions and was no danger to Henry. What's the emergency?"
Granny seemed to want to press for further explanation, but instead she swung open the door to the room where the other wolf was chained.
To her surprise, however, the chains lay empty on the floor.
There was a pregnant pause wherein the group stared in shock into the room until, out of the shadows, lunged a very angry wolf.