Chapter 24

"Why isn't it working?" Red whispered, eyes growing wide with fear as she stared at Wolf, who remained in his near-human state. He made no movement, only staring at the water as Red came up to him, grabbing his arm. "Did you get enough? Maybe you should swim in it!"

Wolf kept his eyes trained on the water. "Red, I-"

"No!" She reached up, grabbing his shoulders, one of her hands twisting in his hoodie so she could stare him right in the eye, pulling him down to her eye-level. "Strip. Now."

He rolled his eyes to her, giving her a casual, lenient smile. He wiggled his eyebrows, "As much as I know you'd love to get your hands all over me, it's not necessary. It worked."

Red furrowed her eyebrows, hands beginning to slacken. "What do you mean? You aren't changing."

"Because I didn't choose to change," he said softly, tears brimming his vision. He pulled down Red's hands so he could hold them loosely before him, eyes gleaming happily. "Red," he started, "I wished for something else."

Silence held them. Red gaped at him, wondering if she should hit him or hug him. She did neither, only sputtering, "Oh, but Wolf, why would you-? But now you can never-! Why would you choose that?"

A soft, beautiful laugh slipped through his lips, making her heart flutter. He gently brushed his finger down her cheek, making her skin flare at his gentle touch. "Red, I chose to stay in this form, because I know it's what you want."

She pressed her lips down. "Wolf, I can't make you stay in this form just because it makes me happy!"

He laughed at her, squeezing her hands before responding, "Well you can't now. This time I'm choosing to stay in this form."

She smiled at him through gentle eyes, her heart aching with kindness. She brushed some bangs from her face, giving him a shy glance. "You- You're really sweet, Wolf."

He lifted one of her hands to kiss it, earning another blush from her. Gaining her sense back, she asked, "But, what did you wish for?"

Wolf lifted his face in a broad smile now, pointed ears curling forward. "I wished to remember my past."

Red blinked, not really understanding. Her heart jumped when he whispered, voice choking with tears, "I remember my parents, what they look like, their voices. . . I had an older brother, a younger sister." His breath caught as he whispered, "And I remember my name."

The girl jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly, holding him close as he held her, long limbs keeping her close. Red felt empathy wash through her to him, her eyes dancing with happiness. "Oh Wolf, I'm so happy for you!"

He let her down so her feet touched the ground. With one hand he fingered a strand of her hair. "Well?" Red asked, eyes shining.

"Well what?" he raised an eyebrow, smirking devilishly to her.

She bit her tongue down playfully, giving him a play bump with her fist, meeting his shoulder. "Come on. What's your name?"

Wolf laughed again, still a soft, gentle sound. He placed a hand over one side of her face, the only signs of happiness was his smile twining up his features, eyes crinkling as he whispered, "My name is Bane W. Lupin, named after the wolf god."

Bane. Red smiled, testing out the name on her tongue, "Bane. Let me guess, your middle name is Wolf?"

He laughed, "How did you know?"

She giggled to herself, eyes brightening.

"Bane," she said again, her mind sparking when she said it. She remembered the night on the hill, him confessing how he regretted not remembering anything of his family or himself.

He glanced to her, smiling, "Yes, Anne?" he whispered her name softly.

Red laughed, jumping up into his arms, "Oh I'm so happy right now! I can't believe this is all working out!" She reached up, holding his face, "Wolf, Bane. I could just kiss you."

A familiar devious smile curved right up his lips, showing his sharpened canine teeth. "Well, don't mind if I do." He leaned down, opening his mouth, eyes closing-

"Sorry to interrupt."

The couple hastily parted form each other, giving off embarrassed looks. Wolf smoothed out his hair, "Uh, I'm sorry, yes?"

A flash of blue light revealed a beautiful lady before them. She wore an exquisite gown of sparkling cyan, large fiber webbed wings attached to her back. Gentle blonde hair flowed down her back. She smiled sweetly at them, "I apologize, I do not mean to intrude. It's just that, I couldn't help but overhear. You are the agents who defeated Jill and the witch named Gertrude, correct?"

Wolf nearly scoffed at 'Gertrude', but luckily for him, Red decided to jump in, "Yes, we are."

The woman smiled, "Then it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Biru, the Blue Fairy," she knelt in a curtsy to them, both Red and Wolf bowing slightly in return. The fairy held her wand in her hand, "Now, dear sir, you are the product of my sister's spell, are you not?"

"You're her sister?" he asked, eyebrows lifting in shock.

"Indeed I am," she murmured gently. "But that is not why I appear before you. You were once a wolf, correct?"

Wolf (now Bane) nodded, "Yes. It's what I was born as."

"Then you had the chance to kill my sister, or wish for your old self from the Wishing River, yet you did not take the opportunity. Why is that?"

Wolf shifted before answering back, eyes lifted with solidity in his decision, "I know the only other way I can turn back is if Red wishes I change back. I want her to be happy, so I, I just couldn't take that small happiness from her. I swore to do anything for her." Red slid her hand into his, receiving an encouraging smirk from him.

The fairy smiled to the couple, raising her wand, which glowed bright near the tip, "Indeed. I saw all this, how you chose her happiness over your own. So now you reside half-in-half, correct? You wish to be wolf, while at the same time you want to be human for your love."

Wolf blinked, "Well I, I guess so." He blushed slightly when the fairy mentioned "your love".

"So be it." With a rush of magic, Biru lifted into the air, her webbed wings fluttering, "Because of your kindness, I shall grant a spell upon you. While you have the soul of a valiant, noble, loyal wolf, you also contain the heart of a kind, wise, compassionate human. In consequence of your actions, I shall bestow you this gift. While being split between the two forms, you may change between them as freely as you need. When you must hunt for your woman, your feral side shall emerge, but when it is time to be a good-hearted human, that is the form your body shall take. When neither are necessary, your form shall rest in the perfect balance of both. You will never be fully human, nor fully animal."

Biru smiled to the pair, looking to their entwined hands, "And I wish you both luck in your future adventures and your relationship as a blooming couple."

Her wand snapped forward, throwing a beam of light, going directly through the right side of Wolf's chest leading straight to his heart. Knocked down from the sheer force, he collapsed onto the ground, eyes closed as the new magic coursed through him.

Red knelt to his side, slightly fearful as she grabbed his shoulders, "Wolf. Wolf! Are you okay?"

His eyes fluttered open. Red gently touched him, feeling a shudder pass through his body. She watched in awe as his claws grew, his teeth sharpened a little more, and his ears grew higher on his head, turning a furrier shade of gray.

Red grabbed his hands, feeling the underside of his palm harden, the same going for his feet.

Neither were surprised when they heard his pants rip as a tail curled out from his tailbone.

They looked at each other, eyes wide. Both jumped when Biru's voice echoed, "They will call you an angel from Heaven, or a demon from the netherworld. They will shun, judge and misguess you. They will call you halfling, mutt, a freak, but remember this, dear Bane." Her voice fell to a whisper, "You are blessed by the spirits of WolfBane. As long as you live to protect the ones you love, your blessing shall never wear thin."

In a whisk of smoke, her voice disappeared.

Red and Wolf looked to each other, both blinking in shock. He grinned cockily to her, wolf ears flicking, showing his amusement as he asked, "So, Hood, where's that kiss?" He showed his sharp teeth to her with a grin.

Smiling, Red leaned forward, reaching a hand to his neck. Wolf started to grab the hem of her cloak, but with a laugh, she pushed him into the mud, running giddily back to the forest. "Catch me if you can, mutt!"

Wolf laughed, standing to his feet, shaking the mud from his hair. He risked a glance of his reflection in the river, pleased when he saw the triangular, arching ears, the sharpened canines, the tail that naturally curled from his backside. His claws were longer, probably stronger.

Pleased, Wolf's ear twitched when he caught sound of Red calling, "Hurry up fluffy! I'm going to beat you!"

Smiling, content filled his heart as Bane ran back into the forest.

Even agents get a happily ever after.