When they left the treeline, they saw a carriage waiting between the forest and the gate to the palace.

"Whose is that?" Wolf shaded his eyes from the morning sun.

A noblewoman left the carriage and ran toward them. "Father!" she called out.

"Christine?" Wolf shouted and started to run. Stefan followed close behind.

"Father, get in the carriage."

"What happened?"

"He sentenced Maggie to the stocks without a guard."

"What?"

The three of them climbed in and Christine shouted, "Drive!"

Sitting across from them, Stefan could see the resemblance between Christine and her father that he hadn't noticed before. Both had thick black hair that flowed from their faces and bright eyes. Christine's eyes pierced him. "Who is this?"

"Captain Stefan."

She gave him a knowing look and turned to her father. "King Wendell called an emergency council at dawn. He brought Maggie in straight from the dungeon. It was horrible. She was still recovering from her moonlust last night and was hardly coherent. I think he even fed her a live rabbit or something before bringing her up. She had blood all over her but she didn't seem hurt. She looked monstrous. The council condemned her for her crimes and she wasn't able to speak in her defense. And then the king sentenced her to two weeks in the stocks with no guard. Mother and Greggie are trying to hold back the crowds alone."

"That bastard! He won't kill her, but he'll scare the public into doing it for him," Wolf said.

The carriage got bogged down by the crowd two blocks from the executioner's square. Wolf and Stefan climbed out and then Stefan turned back to Christine. "Go back to the Fangs and tell them I need a squad to come here."

"But-"

"Just do it!" Stefan worked his way through the crowd to the square.

Wolf snarled and snapped his way and was the first to reach the stocks. Greg was holding back a group armed with rocks with his sword, and Virginia was fighting a man who tried to get to Greg from behind. She looked so fierce as she defended her children, that Wolf fell in love with her all over again. He pounced on the man and Virginia turned to another group edging from the other side.

After beating him senseless, Wolf helped Greg scare the rock throwers back into the crowd. Stefan finally pushed himself through and went straight to Maggie. Her hair was matted and rabbit blood covered her hands and face and stained the front of her shirt. He brushed her hair from her face and she flinched. She was slightly delirious from the rough night and the noise of the crowd. A rock struck his shoulder and he turned to snarl at the crowd.

The two wolves were exhausted but put up a show, and the two armed humans kept the crowd from rushing Maggie, but bolder people with good aim were able to throw food and rocks from further back. They held up for over half an hour before a squad of the freshest Fangs arrived, washed and in full uniform.

The Fangs stationed a threatening perimeter and the crowd lost a lot of its nerve. Some spectators left, not willing to risk the Fangs' wrath and some stayed to watch in case anyone attacked the Fangs. Another rock was thrown and a sharp-eyed Fang entered the crowd to beat the thrower. That intimidated a lot of people and more left to go home. A few more braved the Fangs but the spirit had left the mob and the immediate danger to Maggie had passed.

Stefan thanked the Fangs and joined the family around Maggie. Virginia was inspecting her daughter.

"Greg, take this and get a bucket, fresh water, a rag and some bread." She handed him some money and went back to soothing Maggie. "She looks dehydrated."

"Wendell won't like seeing the Fangs here," said Wolf.

"That's my problem, not yours," said Stefan.

"Who is this?" Virginia asked.

Maggie certainly took after her mother. Virginia pushed stray strands of brown hair back behind her ears.

"Captain Stefan," he introduced himself.

"The wolf who arrested my daughter?" she accused.

Wolf defended him. "The wolf who brought her in."

"Still. What are you doing here?"

The question rang in his head. What was he doing here? He had been acting without thinking. He had held back a mob to defend a convict. He had ordered his men to defend a convict. Why? Because she was tried unfairly? Because she was the daughter of his hero? The truth lurked in the shadow of his heart, but he didn't admit to it just yet.

"I don't know," he answered.

"It looks like I underestimated wolves' loyalty."

Greg returned with the bucket and bread. Wolf took him back out to buy food for the Fangs who guarded Maggie. They had missed their breakfast and he had heard their stomachs growling.

First Virginia scooped water into her hands for Maggie to drink. Then she washed the blood from her skin. Stefan picked up the bread and fed her small pieces. After a while Maggie regained her senses and pulled her head away from his hand.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm helping."

"Honey?" Virginia entered Maggie's field of vision.

"Mommy?" Maggie started to cry.

"Oh, sweetheart." Virginia awkwardly tried to hug her daughter around the stocks. In the end she stroked Maggie's face and wrapped her other arm around Maggie's back."Your proud spirit got you into trouble."

Greg and Wolf returned and the Fangs inhaled the cold meats and bread.

"Hey, she's awake," Greg said. "How's the head? I think a rock clocked you earlier."

"Everything hurts. I didn't even notice."

"I'm sorry about last night, Kiddo," Wolf said.

"Last night wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was."

Maggie shook her head at him, as much as she could. "So," she said, flapping her hands in the armholes, "the stocks, huh? I don't remember a trial."

"It was a farce," Virginia spat.

"How long?"

"Two weeks. No guards."

Maggie mentally digested that.

Meanwhile the carriage returned and Christine descended with a package.

"Wow. I should have been arrested a long time ago. It brings the whole family together."

"Maggie!" Virginia scolded.

"I brought clothes and a hairbrush," Christine announced.

"Why? I'm going to be very rank after two weeks whether I change my clothes now or later."

"I brought you a skirt so you can relieve yourself in private."

"Oh." Maggie had more about two weeks in the stocks to consider. She'd never seen someone there for more than a day, so she never thought about relieving herself on a platform in the public square. "Thanks."

"First you need to get changed into it. Don't thank me for that."

"I'll take care of it," said Virginia, untying the bundle. "I'm her mother, and if I can change in the high school locker room without anyone seeing my underwear, I can get my daughter into a skirt without showing her dignity."

"Mom…" Maggie started to blush and looked at all the people standing around.

"Lift your legs." Virginia helped Maggie get the skirt up and then took off her boots and pants from inside.

"I don't know about your shirt," Virginia said when she was finished.

"I do," Christine held up a blanket, shears and a sleeveless corset.

"Wow. The queen of fashion has a prisoner line. Who knew?"

"Maggie," said Wolf.

Christine stiffened at the jab, and Maggie was embarrassed by everyone standing around. "I'm sorry, Christie. You saved my dignity. Thank you. You are a genius, by the way."

Christine nodded and helped her mother change Maggie's shirt.

Maggie wasn't used to being so humbled so thoroughly. She couldn't even apologize privately anymore. Two weeks in the stocks. She needed help if she was going to simply survive, to be fed and given water. And also for any comforts or else she would bake in the sun, freeze in the night, and have two weeks of refuse at her feet.

The thought of being helpless for even basic needs was almost worse than the threat by the crowds. She looked up and saw people still milling around past the semi-circle of protective Fangs. Without which, she would have probably been stoned to death by now.

After she was comfortably put in the soft corset, Virginia finished rag-washing her and Christine gently brushed the mats out of Maggie's hair. The men stood and talked quietly.

"What are they saying about me?" Maggie asked them. "The people. What do they think happened?"

Greg answered. "You attacked the factory with an army of trolls and killed everyone, and then you blew up the oil pump, killing everything in the swamp. They say that you're a saboteur, murderer, and enemy of the realm."

"I can't reach your wrists," Virginia apologized.

A palace guard approached Stefan. "King Wendell demands the Fangs disperse and that you accompany me back to the palace."

Stefan pointed at the Fangs. "Stay here until I say otherwise. I'll be right back."

After he left, Christine said, "He's certainly handsome."

Maggie replied too casually, "I hadn't noticed."

The women burst into giggles.

"Is there something between you two?" Virginia asked.

"There must be. He ordered his Fangs to stay despite the king's orders." Christine said. "And you should hear the things they say in court about how he brought you in."

"Nothing happened. I came quietly, so he didn't cuff me."

"You came quietly? How disappointing."

Maggie gawked. "That's NOT what I meant."

"I'm surprised that the wild child is more prudish than the courtier," Christine teased.

"There isn't much opportunity for that sort of thing when you're running through the woods by yourself."

"Mm, you miss out on so much. New guards, noble sons…. But you say absolutely nothing happened with that Captain? Whyever not?"

"I was busy with other things."

"You should never be so busy you can't have a little fun with a slab of meat like that."

"Oh, I had fun with him," Maggie said, grinning. She told how she led him on a merry chase through the woods. Virginia and Wolf exchanged glances during the story. That sort of chase was usually considered foreplay between wolves. She ended the story when she knocked him out with the troll dust.

"And that's fun for you?" Christine asked. She rolled her bright eyes and looked at her sister with sympathy.