Chapter 22

Red sighed with relief as she landed into her next challenge. She'd completed five already. Now for the sixth one. How long did this go? How much time did they already waste playing Jill's game?

"Now what?" she asked into the flickering darkness.

"This is the last challenge both of you must face together," Jill's voice answered back gravely.

A light appeared at the far end of the confined room. From one end Red caught sight of an array of weapons stacked against the walls. Swords, guns, crossbows, arrows, daggers, everything needed to kill something. Red licked her lips as another light blared on farthest from her.

Under it crouched Wolf.

Something seemed different though.

He crouched on his hands and feet, eyes glazed over, as if he wasn't aware of this reality. His elfin ears were pinned back against his head. Whatever he went through it must have been horrible to make him resort to this level of craziness.

Red called to him, "Wolf!"

He snapped his head towards her, snarling as he did. His eyes focused on her, a growl curling from his throat.

Red began to walk forward when she stopped, narrowing her eyes down with suspicion.

Something definitely didn't feel right.

The way he watched her, the way he crept forward on his hands and feet frightened her. Red narrowed her eyes down when she saw blood covering his hands, coating his nails, splashed across his face.

"Wolf?" she started cautiously, stepping back.

"Your challenge, is for both of you to make it out alive," Jill sneered.

Wolf leaped.

Jumping to the side, Red made it with just a graze. She whipped back to him, eyes wide as he turned back to face her, stalking past as if he were still a wolf. "Wolf!" she cried. "Wolf stop! Wake up! Wake up!"

He snarled at her, growling as he circled the girl. He couldn't understand the useless things she screamed at him. Honestly, she annoyed him, the way her high voice screeched in his wolf ears. Did she not see his tail, his long snout and perfectly pointed ears? He was a wolf, and he would kill her.

He sprang at her right as she whipped around, bolting right for the wall of weapons. She grabbed one, spinning around to face him with a hard, firm glare. She held tight onto a spear, swallowing as he faced her again, his every breath a snarling growl. What was wrong with him?

"What did you do?" Red calls to wherever Jill resides.

"Oh, nothing. I did nothing. He just let himself be overcome by his weakness."

Feeling defensive, Red batted him away with a hard fling of her spear when he jumped at her once again. "Wolf has no weaknesses!"

"Obviously, he does," Jill taunts back to her.

"How do I turn him back?" Red asked the heavens, licking her lips as she faced Wolf once more, crouching in defense.

Jill giggled, "You'll have to figure it out."

Red cursed to herself as she backed away, closer to the weapons. She grabbed a Frisbee, swinging it towards him with the intent of it hitting his head. However with a roar, he jumped up, catching it in his mouth like a dog. He spat it out, slobbery plastic landing on the concrete.

"Oh, come on," she muttered.

Growling down low, Wolf crept closer, ignoring the spear she poked at him.

(**)

The girl smelled good, he needed to admit. Dew in the fresh moonlight. Her smell almost felt as his kind smelled, strong, determined, a fire in her spirit. A she-wolf warrior in the form of a human.

Wolf fidgeted from where he crouched, glaring down at her, she who faced him with a weapon. He breathed in her scent again, craving it.

However the desire for the kill grew stronger than the need to have her, to claim her as his.

He jumped at her, knocking her down with brute strength, pinning her onto the ground. She cried out, forcing the stick of her spear against him, barring him from her throat. He snarled at her, growling, snapping at her, frustrated that he could be held back by this weak human girl.

"Wolf! Wolf stop this! Come back!" she cried, begging he would cease.

With a vicious roar, he grabbed the stick in his jaws, clamping down on them so the wood shattered, splintering into halves. Red tried to back out of his grip but he kept her shoulders down. She wriggled against him, struggling to break from his hold.

Unable to resist, he growled, his hand-paw close, touching her soft neck. She flinched away, trying not to cry as he grabbed her neck, forcing her still.

His aim needed to be perfect.

"Wolf!" she screamed. "Please! Wake up!"

Lifting his head, he lunged.

Breaking her arms free for an instant, Red reached her heads to his face. However instead of pushing him away, she brought him down so in an instant they were face to face.

Before he could break from her hold, she kissed him, molding her lips against his as she poured her emotions into him. Her eyes closed, feeling herself instantly relax when the stiffness in his stance calmed. Red opened her eyes slightly to see the glaze wash from his eyes, his mind returning, becoming his own.

Red closed her eyes, kissing him passionately, knowing this would, could, and will turn him back.

When she felt his lips relax, she leaned back a little, breaking the space between them. She opened her eyes, staring up at Wolf, who looked to her blankly, his mouth opened partly in shock.

"R-Red?" he murmured, heart hammering in his chest.

She laughed, beginning to cry in relief as she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him into a hug, "Oh Wolf! Wolf you're all right!"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he sounded shell-shocked as he let her hug him. What was going on? "Red what happened?"

"I don't know. You just, something in you snapped and you were acting like a wolf and- oh my gosh we almost died," Red breathed out in relief. Wolf sat up, touching his lips with feather-like fingers.

"But- why did you kiss me ?" Wolf blushed as he remembered the feeling of her kissing him, like she actually wanted him.

Red shrugged, now feeling embarrassed, "I- It worked, didn't it?"

He knew she did it only to bring him back to his former self, but, why did he want to do it again?

He drew his tongue over his mouth now, savoring the taste of her lips on his. "Uh, yeah, I guess so." He looked down at his hands, disgusted when he saw the dried blood on them. His mind began to return as he looked over himself, seeing he remained almost completely human. No tail, no ears, no snout.

"That was all an illusion," he whispered to himself.

Red shifted onto her knees. "Are you okay?" she asked gently.

Blushing, he didn't meet her eyes, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Let's just get out of here."

Feeling a little brought down, Red bit her lip, nodding, standing up as they walked to the light in the center of the room.

(**)

Wolf helped Red out, her small hand holding his as he brought her into the bright sunlight. They both blinked harshly against the light, blinded by its sudden appearance.

"Where are we?" Red asks as they look around. Wolf squints, examining the cabin they find themselves in. He rolls his shoulders, scenting the air, freezing when he does.

"Red. . ." he starts, his heart picking up speed.

She looked to her partner, "What is it?"

He swallowed. "I smell blood. I- I can smell Jack's blood."

Red gasped, staring at him. He looked to her nervously before easing the door open, spying outside to make sure it was clear before he sneaked out, Red following dutifully behind him.

"Jack wasn't down in the basement with us. What do you think she's doing to him?" Red whispered as they peeked behind a corner of the cabin, eyes widening.

Red nearly gagged at the sight, the smell of Jack's corpse. Wolf crept forward, used to the smell as he observed from a few feet the boy who's body began to put itself together.

Red needed to hide uncharacteristically behind him, holding her breath for minutes to not catch scent of the dead body. Tears streamed down her face at the horror, knowing her (dare she say it?) friend was brutally murdered.

"Is he going to be okay, Wolf?" she asked as Jack's scars sewed themselves together with ease.

Wolf only stared in utter shock, knowing this could only be the work of Jill.

Red gasped, her hand flying to her mouth when she saw Jack open his dead eyes, the once amber glint flying with life almost dead. The girl peeked out from behind Wolf, watching in awe as he lifted his slumped body up, staring straight ahead. Wolf's voice received only a slow eye shift, "Good morning there soldier."

"Oh. You're alive," Jack replied deadly, leaning back his head. He heaved a great sigh, his body racking with exhaustion. His eyes closed, "I'm so glad," he mumbled, as if half awake.

Wolf immediately went to Jack's side, claws tearing through the ropes that held him. When they fell slack, Red caught him from falling forward. She held his arm around her shoulders, heaving him up with all the strength she could muster. All of them were worn out from Jill's taunting.

Jack's head rolled back against Red's neck, breathing hard against her skin. "Red, I love you. I love you so much."

She rolled her eyes, handing him over to Wolf, who easily lifted the blonde onto his back. Red needed to be all hands available if it came to the fight.

"I'm surprised our favorite blonde isn't here to join us," she muttered as she tested the door.

Locked.

The nimble girl climbed to the window overlooking the kitchen sink, popping it from the frame as she placed it gingerly on the ground.

"Way too easy," she muttered as she slid through. Wolf passed the near-limp form of Jack through, Red taking his weight as Wolf jumped through the window with silent ease.

The forest made no sound. Wolf took a moment to look around. He found that he sensed absolutely nothing. He didn't hear a bird singing or smell any kind of life. Even the plants seemed to be cowering before the strong aura the house gave off.

This place is giving me the creeps, he determined, looking to Red as she transferred Jack to her companion.

Wolf took on Jack's weight once more, both snapping their heads over when they heard a high laughter. Without needing to be told they took off into the forest, running as fast as they could. He nimbly jumped over upturned roots and sped through ferns with Red running loyally at his side.

"Follow me!" he whispered as he jumped behind a huge bush, shoving Jack under it with the other two crouching down to squirm into the secluded space. They breathed carefully, holding their breaths when two pairs of feet ran past.

When neither could hear them, only then did they slide from the cover of the bushes. Red prepared to take off but Wolf growled furiously as he let Jack slide from his shoulders, giving him to Red. "Red, take him and run! I'll buy you guys time when they come back!"

Red began to protest but he snapped at her, "I don't have time for this Red and neither does Jack. You need to get out of here!"

"I can't leave you alone Wolf! We stick together, remember?"

"Red! Our lives are at stake here!"

"Wolf we're partners! I'm not leaving you!"

He growled at her, grabbing her shoulder, "Red you need to get out of here! We're running out of time. Jack is running out of time!"

"Well then I'll stay here and you can-"

"No!" He grabbed her face with one hand, pulling her close so they saw eye to eye. "Red, you have your Granny, a family to live for. You and Jack, you can go be happy together, live the life I never got to. I don't have a family. Oh Wolfsbane I don't even know my real name." Wolf gave her a sad look, "You need to go."

"You can't make me go," she glared.

Wolf's ear flicked. With an exasperated groan he pulled her forward, kissing her strongly. Red stiffened for a moment, her face flaming, eyes widening.

Part of Wolf's mind believed she would push him away, then proceed to promptly slap him in the face. However she did the complete opposite of what he expected and feared she would do.

Unbelievably, she kissed back.

Red melted into him, her one arm arching behind his back to pull him as close as possible. Only when she couldn't breathe did they split apart, their breaths mingling together, curling into the other's mouths.

"Wolf," she started, staring into his melancholy gold eyes. He kissed her again, lips pressed to the corner of her mouth. "Wolf I can't- I won't. You can't be alone. You can't make me."

For a brief moment, his eyes glanced over her shoulder, as if seeing something else. The moment ended and once more she formed into the center of his world. "I love you Red."

Without a second thought, leaving her at that revelation, he pushed her and Jack back, sending them falling, falling, falling into the cold river below.

(**)

(sigh) aaaaahhhh, l'amour. . . . .- probably not how you spell it

not one, but TWO kisses :3

howdaya like THAT? XD