Little Red's Riding

Fade to Black

Dahlia's wolf whimpered and Etan smashed his elbow into Silas' face.

A moment later he was laying at the Alpha's feet bleeding out as the knife clattered on the hard marble. Silas shifted, his skin shredding and his bones cracking as he launched himself over Dahlia's body, trying to put himself between her and her older sister. He managed to hit her with his front paws, just barely, before the bolt of magic struck him in the chest, sending him flying.

Years later he would tell his children that he must have been protected by the Goddess that night, because Lilia Lemps magic had killed a half dozen werewolves already by that day. But Dahlia would always say that she thought her sister's greatest mistake was her lust for blood. If she had killed Silas with the blade that he had dropped next to the King's body she would have gained a great deal of power using blood magic, because she would have had time to cast a spell.

He was laying stunned on the marble and he didn't show any sign of stirring as she walked towards him. He'd landed hard, and she stalked across the room, picking up the knife and cleaning it on Etan's fine tunic before she turned back towards Silas.

"The brave Alpha is finally defeated by a woman. Poor Silas. It was such bad luck that you were mated to my treacherous so-called daughter. Either way, now you both have to die for what you've done."

"But you know," she continued as she polished the blade, before taking it and slicing the tip of her finger and muttering a few words so low that no one in the room could hear, even if they had the hearing of a wolf aiding them, " If our paths had never crossed this day might never have come. Or maybe it would have. I've always hated your kind and you were rising to the top and that is where I belong. However, I can tell you that it would never have happened this quickly. Now you stay put. Because this spell takes a bit of time."

On the floor behind her Dahlia had shifted back to her human form and lay shivering in the darkness. The candles were burning low as she slowly pushed herself up onto her elbows and stared around her. Every part of her body ached, but some parts cried out in agony, as she tried to remember where she was and how she had gotten there. Pressing her forehead forward against the cold marble she tried not to get sick all over herself. But worst of all, was the horrible aching emptiness in her chest.

"My wolf," she gasped out the words silently, no sound escaping her lips as the memories of the previous night came crashing back over her, filling her mind. Forcing her head up, she glanced around too quickly and the room spun, but when it finally stilled her eyes managed to focus on Lilia who was only a few feet away kneeling over someone who was laying very still on the other side of the room.

Dahlia slowly scanned the room, looking for weapons, enemies, allies, anything that might help her. And then she saw the King's body lying only a few feet away from where she had been left, lying naked on the ground. With slow, agonizing movements she managed to push herself over to him, slipping in her own blood, and what she imagined was probably his blood too, pushing down another wave of nausea as she made her way to him.

He had had weapons on him at the ball. She tried to remember what he had been wearing. There had been a knife along his belt, but it was gone now.

Adrenalin had begun to pump through her veins and her hands trembled as she continued to search for anything that she could use to defend herself. Lilia was chanting in a low voice now and Dahlia's heart began to race faster. She couldn't see who she was bent over, but as her thoughts began to focus it occurred to her that with the King here, dead in a pool of his own blood it was very likely that the body-

She froze as the room tilted and swam at the mere thought that she'd just had. No. She didn't have time for such ideas. If Silas was dead then she was certain that she would know. She would feel more than just the emptiness of her wolf being forced back into her unnatural sleep by the wolfsbane and silver that was now poisoning her.