CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Sunrise was Virginia's most favorite time at the Palace of White. She woke up early and sat in front of the window and waited for the sun. She looked at the Disenchanted forest, which was covering most of the view in front of the palace. The sky was dark blue, and in each minute it was getting lighter. Birds started to sing and fly happily around the castle. Virginia smiled. Nothing can ruin her mood today. She was back to her second home. She closed her eyes and lay back on the chair to enjoy the sounds of the birds and she felt hands on her shoulders. She smiled, "Good morning sunshine." She said.

"Good morning cream puff." Wolf gave her a kiss on her neck. "How did you sleep?"

Virginia opened her eyes and turned back to look at him. "Like a baby. It's always good to be here." She turned to the window. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Wolf looked at the same direction. "Yeah. Huff-puff, I wish I could go back there."

"Wolf, why don't we build a house in the forest?"

Wolf jumped and knelt in front of her, "Are you serious? Virginia, do you really mean it?"

"Well, yeah. Why not? I mean, our babies are going to have a tail, and I don't think that they'll be comfortable about that if they lived in New York."

"Babies?" Wolf forgot about his conversation with Virginia at the tree house, where she told him about her mother's short visit.

"Wolf, we're going to have twins. Two little cutie girls." Virginia smiled.

"Oh, I remember now. Little handsome boy cubs."

"Girls."

"Boys."

Virginia raised her hands as to surrender. "OK, a boy and a girl. How 'bout that?"

"Couldn't ask for better." Wolf said and kissed her lips.

"I'm hungry." Virginia said.

"And I'm starving! Come on, let's go to the dining room."

They both got dressed and hurried to the dining room, which was on the first floor of the palace. As they entered they saw Wendell sitting there alone, at the head of the table and drinking his cup of tea. He looked like he didn't sleep all night, and he sat there staring at the far end of the hall. His hair was messy. Virginia never saw Wendell like that at breakfast. He always took care of his looks. But this morning, she felt that there's something wrong. Wolf noticed the same. He could smell it.

"Good morning Wendell." Virginia said and kissed his cheek.

"Good morning Virginia, Wolf." Wendell replied and forced a smile.

"What's wrong Wendie? You look… terrible." Wolf said.

"Oh, I'm just tired, that's all."

Wolf and Virginia sat on Wendell's both sides, so they were facing each other. "How was your dinner with Queen Riding Hood?" Wolf asked as he helped himself with his favorite breakfast. Bacon.

"Fine. Just fine." Wendell replied. The vase on the far end of the dining room seemed so interesting to Wendell now. He didn't look at any of them at all. He was trying to avoid their eyes. The dinner Queen Riding Hood III left a terrible responsibility on his shoulders. He didn't know how to tell Wolf and Virginia about the letter. How would they react? If only Virginia wasn't pregnant. He could've found a solution. But that wouldn't change anything. He will lose his best friends. The friends whom he loved. Friends who cared about him because of who he is, not what he is. Friends who returned him back from being a dog, and saved his kingdom. How could he forget all that? How could he ruin their relationship?

"So, what do you say?" Wolf asked, and that's when Wendell was brought back to realty.

"Pardon me?" he said.

"Wendell, there's something wrong and we need to know, so we can help you." Virginia said.

"And I was saying that we want to build a house in the forest." Wolf said. "But I see that it can wait. Now, can you at least hint about what's bothering you?"

"Is it Red Riding Hood III?" Virginia asked. Wendell looked at her and nodded.

"I knew it!" Wolf said. "She's… she's… just like a shepherdess! Yeah. They're all alike. Annoying, stubborn, tempting. Well, they can be succulent sometimes… OUCH!" Virginia threw an olive at him.

"It's not that Wolf." Wendell said.

"Then what is it Wendell." Virginia said and held his hand. "You can trust us on anything. You know that."

"Virginia, I know that you will help me in everything. And you two, and Anthony are my only true friends. You are so dear to me. I don't know if I should tell you about this, because I know that it will ruin your relationship with me and between you two."

"Cripes! I knew there was something bad cooked." Wolf said and scratched his temple.

"Wendell, nothing can ruin our relationship with you. As for Wolf and me, we can handle anything. And nothing can separate us anymore."

Wendell smiled. "That's why I don't want to tell you. Why don't we change the subject anyway?" he asked as he took a sip of his tea.

"What did Red tell you Wendell?" Wolf asked. His face expression was serious now. "Is it about me?"

Wendell lowered his head. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Then tell me about it. Tell me everything she said."

"Alright. But promise not to get mad at me. I didn't want to tell you."

"I give you my solemn wolf word. Now say it." Wolf said, almost as an order.

"She gave me a letter to read last night. It was from her grandmother. She says that you can be considered the heir of the thrown of the House of Red only by marrying the girl you are betrothed to."

"Well, I have Virginia here. What's wrong with that? Besides, I don't need anything from her."

"She also said that she will sign the royal pardon, only if you… do as her grandmother wished." Wendell held his head with both hands and stared at the ceiling. "Wolf, I do wish that this is the first and the last time that I say something like this." Then he turned and looked at Wolf. "She also said that if you don't marry the mentioned girl, she will kill all the wolves in the second kingdom."

"That's not fair!" wolf exclaimed and stood up. "She can't start ordering me now! Who does she think she is? I have a woman that I love and she's sitting here in front of me!"

"Wolf calm down." Virginia said, looking terrified. Wolf's eyes were yellow and full of anger.

"She wants to rule my life! Just as her grandmother did to my mother! She always ruled her life! And when she married my dad, she threw her out of the house! And now, THEY WANT ME TO DO AS THEY WISH? AND THREATEN TO KILL ALL THE WOLVES? I'LL SHOW THEM KILLING WOLVES! SHE IS GOING TO PAY!"

"Wolf! Come back!" Virginia called him, but he was already out. She ran after him.

Wendell sat there alone again. "What have I done?!"

"What's going on here?" Tony asked as he entered the room. "Where are Wolf and Virginia?" he saw the look on Wendell's face and understood. "Wendell, don't tell me you told him."

"I did."

"Wendell! What were you thinking?! How could you tell him something like that?!" Tony got angry.

"He didn't care about the marriage part Anthony. It was Red's threat that disturbed him."

"She can't really go and kill all the wolves there. They are more than humans. Her kingdom will become empty."

"That's exactly what she wants."

"And where are they now?"

"Wolf got angry and left the room. I don't know where did he go."

"Well, maybe he went to his room. If he got out, the guards would've told me."

"How do you know?"

"Well, I asked them to inform me if Wolf or Virginia left the palace." Tony said with a proud smile.

"Brilliant." Wendell replied with sarcasm, but Tony didn't seem to notice. "Now you'll keep your eye on them."

"Only when they get out."

"What am I going to do Anthony? How can I correct this situation? Thousands of innocent lives are in great danger."

"This is something that you have to work out with Wolf."

"Alright. I'll go to his room and try to talk to him."

"No. Don't do that now. Wait a little bit, and he'll come to you. He realizes that if he wants to help his people, he has to do it only with your help. If he comes, then he is calm enough to be able to talk."

"Thanks Anthony. I think I'll go to my office now."

"OK. I'll just have my breakfast alone."

Wendell smiled and left the room. Tony helped himself with breakfast. He didn't know how to help Wendell. This kind of situation was new to him. Royal threats from the both sides. First, Wendell with his war threat, and now Red with her threat of killing all the wolves. How was he supposed to help? He didn't know.

"Wolf, will you please calm down?" Virginia said as she entered their room after Wolf.

Wolf was pacing their room back and forth. "I can't Virginia. This is too much for me to handle. First, they throw my mom out of the family. And now they want me to marry the one they chose for me. And if I didn't do it, they'll kill wolves. Virginia, this isn't right. They can't do this to me. To us! I don't want to marry someone else. I only want to marry you!"

"Wolf, honey, I understand. I love you and I want to help you." She hugged him tightly. "You know I care about your people. I want to help. I really do. We can get over this only if we were together."

"You're right. I think that we must bring someone else to help." Wolf said.

"Who's that?" Virginia asked.

"Mary."