I'm giving y'all a heads up that I'm going to be more focused on this story, than on "The Wolf's Company" because there's some stuff in here that will play a role in the later chapters of "The Wolf's Company", you'll see what I mean. I'll still update chapters on TWC but it'll be slow.

So there's two parts in this story, the first part mostly deals with the budding romance between Red and Bigby and in the second half is about Adversary; and you'll see why the story is split in half in the end. This story will be short, at least 5 chapters per part, not including the prologue and epilogue.

See if you can spot the other Fables. ;)

A light snowfall dusted all across the Hesse and especially the Black Forest, due to being close to the mountains. Night had fallen and during this time, everyone would stay in shelter until spring, but not him.

He trudged through the deep snow, and then shook his fur to rid of the snowflakes that landed on him, but it kept on falling. His golden eyes stared up into the sky which was as black as his fur and the full moon shone brightly.

It's been nearly a year since he was blown away from his father's castle, and he's been living a solitary life in these woods. He no longer went out and hunted humans, for he was twice the size of the human man, but he would devour foolish men who would think that they could slay the Big Bad Wolf. It was a lonely life, but he was content because he was able to enjoy the youthful scent of Little Red Riding Hood…

But he'd been restless for the past few nights and he didn't know why. His instincts were telling him to seek out, but seek out what?

A howl echoed into the forest. He knew that he wasn't the only wolf that roamed these woods. Like every creature, the wolves dared not confront him due to his large size and reputation of eating anything that crossed him. Being a wolf, he'd recognized the howls and often paid no heed it.

But this howl was different; the howl he just heard was feminine, full of need and desire, and the scent of arousal soon filled his nostrils. Before he knew what hit him, his carnal instincts emerged and demanded him seek her out and claim her. That's must've been why he was restless, he wanted to mate!

He found her on a cliff that overlooked a good portion of the forest. The she-wolf was lean with pale gray fur that matched the moon; he'd never seen such an alluring creature. His instincts were urging him to go over her and mate her, but there was a problem: His large size would be physically impossible to mount her properly.

He then remembered his mother telling about his father's powers, where he could command the winds and change forms. He was able to discover his abilities without the aid of his father, so he experimented and learned that he could shift his size. He then approached the she-wolf in heat as his true form, for he didn't want to deceive her like how his father did with his mother.

He saw her turn toward him and noticed her green eyes, which reminded him of Red Riding Hood's, become fearful and she positioned herself to fight.

"I'm not going to harm you." He soothed; his voice was guttural but her stance relaxed slightly. "I've heard your call and want to relieve your frustration." He said as he changed his size where he was small enough to mate her, but still larger than an average wolf.

"Do you wish to mate?" He asked huskily; he wanted her so badly but he didn't want to force himself upon her. He pleasingly saw her green eyes looking at every part of him and smelt that her arousal was overpowering her fear,

"Yes…" She moaned and offered her stomach. He'd never been around other wolves other than his mother and brothers but it was a short time, so he didn't know very much about his own kind. However, the sight of her submission made his body move to its own accord.

He nuzzled and licked her face affectionately before repositioning himself from behind. From there, he followed his instincts.

Bigby roused from his slumber when his stomach rumbled in hunger. He opened his eyes lazily and gazed at outside where the early morning sun shone over the snow-covered ground. He got up and stretched the kinks from his body, and then stepped out from the cave before changing back to his 8-foot tall size. He glanced at the sleeping pale gray she-wolf and smiled.

Her name was Selene, a fitting name for her he thought, and he's been with her every winter since that night. He would've left soon after, but he enjoyed the companionship. She was now middle-aged (but she was still sexually attractive to him) whereas he still looked the same despite being over three decades old.

Another reason why he didn't leave her back then was that she was pregnant. He was initially shocked at becoming a father, but he didn't want to abandon her and their litter like his father did. When she gave birth to their first litter, he fell in love with them. While he could never truly love her, he deeply cared for her and their children. He knew that her feelings were mutual, but she stated to him that he was a good father and provider.

He wondered if he would ever find his true mate, but he knew that it'd be unlikely. His thoughts then went back to a conversation from a few years ago…

"Pair-bond?" He looked at his female companion as they lied next to each other. It had been three days since that night and despite her fear of him, she wanted to get to know him; he also enjoyed her company despite feeling no romantic attachment to her.

"Yes." Selene nodded, "It's the deep connection that mates share. A pair-bond is different for every animal, whether is just for the mating season or for territorial reasons. For wolves, it's 'death do us part' and it can be devastating if it's broken."

He thought that's probably why his mother died; she had pair-bonded with his father and when he abandoned her, it was too much for her handle. He felt his anger rising but he quickly back down, he promised himself to never think of that.

Selene told him that she had pair-bonded with an outsider male but he was killed by humans during the mating season. She later gave birth to his cubs but they were very weak and died. She grieved until the following late winter when she was in heat; her animalistic need to mate overpowered her grief, and that's when he came in…

"How did you feel when your mate died?" He asked.

"I was heartbroken. I don't think I could ever bond with another wolf than him, but I knew he didn't want me to mourn. Even though our time together was short, I'll always cherish those memories." She sighed nostalgically.

"How could you tell if he was the one you were to be pair-bonded with?"

"He was physically attractive and quite virile, but many wolves are like that. What really led me to believe that he would be my eternal mate was his scent."

"Scent?" He cocked his head slightly.

"Yes. When we first met, he actively pursued me and I often rejected his advances, but then I couldn't get his scent out of my mind. It was then I knew that he was to be my lifelong partner. Some wolves will pair-bond with another based on carnal attraction, but scents can indicate who your true mate will be."

He took her words into thought and then he sniffed the air; a bunch of different scents invaded his nostrils but one always stood out: Red Riding Hood's…

"I see you're awake." A feminine husky voice broke his train of thought and he saw Selene staring at him with her caring green eyes as she stretched. Despite looking quite old, she was very wise and motherly. He always thought that she reminded him of his mother, which was probably why he valued her company.

"I haven't eaten anything in a while, so I'm going hunting. Do you want me to bring back something?" In the past, he always fended for himself but he would hunt for Selene and their cubs.

"No." She shook her head, "I must be getting back to the pack for the breeding season is nearly over."

He nodded in understanding, he knew that he really wouldn't be welcomed in the pack so Selene would return to the pack for a while, and then she would give birth on the outskirts of the pack's territory, where he could participate in the raising their cubs. He would stay with them until the fall, where she would introduce the cubs to the pack. It wasn't his idyllic family life, but he wanted his cubs to grow up in a support system that he never had.

He then gazed into the direction of the village and sniffed. His powerful nose inhaled a numerous combinations of different scents, but he was able to quickly separate Red's scent which radiated peace and was many miles from here. He thought that she might be tending to the farm animals for he knew that being with animals always made her feel serene.

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?" He heard Selene ask and saw her knowing look, she knew about his fascination about Red Riding Hood, but instead of answering, he left.

Little did he know that the she-wolf knew that the girl was to be his destined mate; however, she had a feeling that those two would face an uphill battle.

His golden eyes focused predatorily on a full-grown bull moose. He was right behind his unsuspecting prey and was about to go in for the kill…

But then his sharp ears picked up feminine giggling and her scent became stronger. He suddenly jerked from his position, causing his prey to be aware of his presence but he didn't care nor did he feel hungry anymore. Only she could make him forget his hunger…

He followed her scent to a large, frozen lake where he saw two adolescent females wearing fur-trimmed cloaks, one was red and the other was dark green. As usual, he kept his distance and hid within the trees which still provided him good coverage, even in the snow. He watched as the females sat on the edge of the frozen lake and put on strange-looking shoes.

Red took off her red cloak, revealing a long-sleeved mint green blouse with a long green skirt, black boots and a black bodice fitting over her curvy body, and then she slightly primped her long and wavy auburn hair that was tied in a green ribbon.

He then became mesmerized as she glided on the ice, jumping and twirling as she laughed and interacted with the other female, who wore a similar attire but in dark brown; he amusingly took note of the other girl looking nervously into the woods, mostly likely watching out for him…

For hours, he watched her enjoy herself on the ice; he would be somewhat worried that she could break the ice and drown herself into frigid water, but he saw that she was cautious to not stray too far.

Eventually, the girls were out of breath from the excitement, and he knew that they would head back to their village. He was about to leave as Red and the other girl began talking, but something in his instincts told him to stay and listen so he did. Even at this distance, he could hear their conversation as clear as a bell...

"That was a lot of fun!" Seventeen-year-old Rouge panted excitedly as she slumped on the snow-covered boulder. Her companion had skated, not as vigorous as her, and had fun but she was a bit nervous,

"I don't know how you talked me into this Red. The Wolf roams these woods, what if it comes and eats us." Her brunette friend said uneasily as she sat next to her.

She looked at her friend; she had dark brown hair and eyes with a peach complexion and thin figure. She had a very quiet mousy-like personality, but she enjoyed the girl's company better than the other girls.

"Oh, Gretchen…" She said to her friend, "He won't come after two maidens that obviously wouldn't be a threat. The ones that get eaten are stupid men that need to prove their masculinity by trying to kill him." She huffed. Ever since Bigby came back to the Black Forest, local hunters and even men from faraway lands would try to hunt him down, either to boost their ego or impress her, but they were never seen again. She saw that her friend still looked worried so she reassured her,

"Look, I've been going into these woods and he hasn't bothered me, since that day." She quickly pointed out the last part, "Given the time of year, he's probably out mating with a she-wolf."

"How do you know this?"

"My grandfather was kind of an expert on animals." She smiled proudly. Her grandfather used to hunt and trap animals and would sometimes take her along. As an animal-lover, it always made her sad it see an animal die, but her grandfather was always respectful and would never dare hunt for sport unlike the hunters these days. He was the only male figure in her life, for her father abandoned her when she was an infant, but he sadly died about a decade ago and she always missed him.

She shook her head to rid of those thoughts and looked at the sunset casting an orange glow on the frozen lake. This lake was known as Schwanensee for the beautiful flock of swans that would come here when it was warm, and she loved coming here to see them.

"So, did you have fun?" She asked her friend.

"I did." Her friend nodded and stared in wonderment at the scene before her, "I've never been to the Schwanensee during the winter, and you're right: it's just as beautiful in the winter than in any season."

"I just wanted to make sure you got a chance to see it. You're getting married this spring and you probably won't see this ever again." She knew that Gretchen was more than ready to settle into domestic bliss, but she wanted to offer her friend a small taste of freedom.

"I can understand why you love coming here Red, but don't you ever want to get married? I mean, nearly every guy in the village wants to marry you. Even some from other countries want your hand."

Ugh, don't remind me… She mentally groaned. She knew that most girls envied her position and she would be lying if she said that she didn't enjoy the male attention, but she knew that her suitors only wanted her for sex. The suitors her mother forced her to meet were no better either; they were incredible wealthy or had nobility but they were too old, fat, unattractive, and all of them very pompous.

"I do want to get married but I want someone who will love me for who I am and won't try to tame me." She explained, "I want him to be strong who can protect me and make me feel safe. I don't think I can find somebody like that here."

"Why don't you marry that Woodsman who saved you?" Gretchen suggested and she looked at her as if she grown a second head,

"I mean, he fits your description: he's strong and he'll protect you like he did from the Wolf. It would be so romantic..." Her friend sighed romantically but she didn't feel the same way.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful that he saved me, but that doesn't mean I'm obligated to marry him. Plus whenever I talk to him, I don't feel anything romantic toward him and he probably still sees me as that twelve-year-old girl he saved."

"Well, you don't look like that twelve-year-old girl." She pointed out, and she knew that Gretchen was talking about her appearance; in the short years after the encounter with the Wolf, her body drastically changed.

She stood up and gazed at her reflection in the frozen lake with mixed emotions; her face was very feminine with high cheekbones, full lips, and voluminous eyelashes, her muscles had become well-toned, due to her ventures into the woods, and her figure was a similar shape of an hourglass. Many would consider her beauty a blessing, but she saw it as a curse.

She didn't want a Prince Charming, she wanted to love someone who loved her for who she was and not her beauty. Then she felt a familiar tingle down her spine, along with feelings of desire and admiration. She knew that it was Bigby's feelings and suddenly she felt her heart pounding and butterflies in her stomach.

Could he be…? She pondered but her thoughts were cut off,

"We should head back." Gretchen said and she nodded quietly, trying to hide her blushing face.

He watched as the females put their cloaks back on and started walking back to their village. After listening to their conversation, he felt his heart swell up at Red's words. He always admired her free and wild spirit and wouldn't dare tame her.

He then became angry as he smelt Red's pacing heart and desire; he thought she was thinking of the Woodsman and instantly became jealous of her becoming his old foe's mate with cubs of their own. He shook his head to rid of such thoughts,

Who am I to tell her whom she mates? He said to himself as he watched the females walk away. Even if I wanted her, it can never happen. Not just because we're different species but our story…

He then saw her turning toward his direction and look right at him as if she knew he was there, and he felt his heart stop.

"What's wrong Red?" He heard her companion ask.

"It's nothing." He sensed her lie as she sent him a lovingly smile before turning away, leaving him frozen on the spot and his heart pounding.

In 'Runt', I've noticed that Bigby had been a lone wolf since he was a young pup, so I added Selene to give him some insight on things he would've never learned on his own, mostly social things in a wolf pack. I found it weird that he would teach his and Snow's children how to hunt in a pack or pack discipline, despite never being in one himself (I don't think his brothers counted).

Next chapter will be mostly Red and Bigby's cubs will appear so stay tuned!