The Bunny and the Wolf [A Twisted Wonderland Fanfic]

Chapter 5

The sun had set and the moon had risen, bathing the meadow in its silver glow. Fireflies emerged, owls fluttered by overhead like silent ghosts on the wind, and crickets found perches on the rough blades of grass, starting to sing their chorus. It was a crystal clear night, without a single cloud in the sky, and the people of the meadow lay amongst the grasses, watching as the stars danced overhead. 

But Y/N wasn't thinking of the stars as she lay there beside her friends, hands folded on her stomach as she stared up at the sky. She wasn't thinking of the fireflies as their little lights flickered on and off, she wasn't thinking of the owls or the crickets, or even the way that the forest sang in the deepest hours of the night. She wasn't thinking of the way that the bonfire smelled like marshmallows and melted chocolate. She wasn't thinking of the smell of apple cobbler and rhubarb pie. She wasn't even listening as Linette and Caila spoke of the stars above, pointing out constellations like Orion, the archer, or Cygnus, the swan. 

Her mind was distracted by the constellation of Lupus. The wolf that hung in the sky, bordered by two large oak trees, howling for the moon to give it light. Not that the stars needed the light of the moon. It was the brightest constellation tonight, making all the others seem dim.

"Hey! Y/N!"

At the call of her name, the bunny turned her head and smiled when she saw Ayala running towards her, Linette, and Caila. All three girls looked up and turned to the deer, who tripped over a rock and fell onto their laps.

"Ayala! Are you okay?!"

The deer flipped her braid back and nodded. "Of course! Come on, the dancing is about to start!" She got to her feet and pulled Linette to her feet, while Caila helped Y/N. Then, with a laugh on their lips and a song in their heart, the girls ran to the side of the fire where their friends and family were waiting for them.

𓋼𓍊𓋼

Jack watched from the shadows on the edge of the meadow as Y/N danced before the fire, twirling from one partner to the next. Her skirt spun out around her, the checkered pattern illuminated by the flames of the fire, white and f/c threads shimmering in the light. No longer was she the timid bunny that he had seen in the apple orchard. She was sure of her footing, in simple black shoes with a buckle to hold them secure, and the smallest heel that clicked when it hit a rock just right. The f/c ribbon around her waist twirled tantalisingly as its owner spun, like an artist drawing a line of paint across a dark canvas. There was nothing but elegance in her movement. The way her hands swept across the sky, the way she skipped from one place to the next, the way her hair spun and fluttered in the breeze of the night.

Jack let out a sigh and slumped back against an oak. He understood her hesitation about going near him. He was a wolf after all, and she was a bunny. And bunnies were easy to scare. How many times had he encountered true bunnies at the border of the woods, only able to see them for a moment before they scampered off into the underbrush? Too many times to count. And it seemed as though this bunny girl was the same. Easy to spook, and untrusting of large boys with wolf ears and tails. And it probably didn't help that he smelled like meat most of the time. 

A laugh filled his ears and he smiled as he saw one of the stags twirling Y/N around, her skirt flying out so much that it risked catching the flames of the fire. Jack pushed himself up and carefully crept closer to the wall that bordered the meadow. He took a seat on the wall, leaning against a pine that grew close to the wall, and watched as Y/N was released from the twirl, only to stumble and nearly fall. The wolf chuckled quietly to himself and muttered, "Clumsy bunny", to the wind. 

After a few more dances, everything started to settle down, and Jack saw his chance as Y/N excused herself from the fire, and started walking towards the opposite side of the field. Jack slid from the wall and landed softly in the grasses, pausing momentarily to see if any of the other beastmen had noticed. But when they showed no sign of panic, he crept after the bunny, following her to the opposite end of the field. He didn't dare show himself where her family and friends could still see him.

Only once Y/N had exited the meadow did Jack pick up his pace, speeding to catch up with her.

"I wondered how long it would take you to show yourself," Y/N said, halting in her step. Jack froze behind her. Y/N turned to face him, a sad smile on her face. "You can't be here, Jack."

"Because I'm a wolf," Jack said, taking a step toward her. 

Y/N nodded and wrung her hands out nervously. She couldn't meet his eyes. "My parents..." She couldn't say anything more. There were a thousand things her parents could do, would do, to make sure that their little burrow at the edge of the forest stayed safe, and Y/N knew it. Her mother had carved it into her mind, ever since her first trip alone to the village. Under no circumstances was Y/N allowed to take a true human into the woods, and especially not to their little burrow. And the consequences were even worse if Y/N brought a wolf to the house. 

"My family wants to meet you."

Y/N's eyes widened and she stumbled away from Jack, shaking her head. "Y-you told them about me?" 

Jack immediately wished he hadn't said anything. Of course, her bunny mind would go straight to the worst-case scenarios. His family wanted to meet her so they could rob her blind. His family wanted to meet her so they could gobble her up like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, which was a gross exaggeration of a wolf's behaviour.

"It's nothing bad," Jack said, cursing his rough voice, sharp teeth, and glowing eyes. "I promise it's nothing bad. My mom was the one who told me to bring you the pastries. She just wants to meet you."

"Pastries?"

Jack grimaced and nodded. "Yeah. That's what was in the basket when I came to see you a few days ago. I was trying to get the bunny to call you but..."

"She panicked," Y/N said softly. She took a step towards the wolf. "You're the first wolf we've ever seen. And bunnies..."

"Spook easy."

Y/N nodded. 

"I'm sorry," Jack muttered. "I'm used to my younger siblings. They don't scare as easily." He chuckled. "I guess they're just a little too curious."

"What are their names," Y/N asked.

"Louvre and Rolf," Jack answered. "What about you? How many siblings do you have?"

"Five," Y/N answered with a big smile. "Coella is thirteen right now. Then there's Alder, who's twelve and Dera, who's ten. And then there's Lulu, who was the one that you spooked a few days ago, and Harlan is her twin brother."

"How old are Lulu and Harlan?" Jack took a seat at the base of an oak. Y/N glanced down at the space in the roots next to him. She wasn't quite sure if she trusted him enough to sit right next to him.

"Six," Y/N answered. She shifted nervously from one foot to the other. She did want to sit down, but did she trust Jack enough yet?

"I won't hurt you." 

He said it so gently that Y/N instantly felt her worries melt away. She shuffled over to the tree and sank down between the roots, her shoulder pressed against Jack's. She flushed at the contact and stared at the bed of moss beneath her feet.

For a moment, the two were silent, staring into the trees across the path as they waited for the other to speak.

"Why don't you come over tomorrow," Jack asked. "Louve is dying to meet you."

Y/N shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "I-I don't know... One wolf is one thing but an entire den full..."

Jack looped an arm around her shoulder, fighting back a blush as he did so, and coughed. "They won't hurt you. They just want to meet you."

Y/N bit her lip, nibbling it between her teeth as she thought. "O-okay... But how will I get there? I don't know where -"

"I'll meet you at the edge of the woods," Jack said, turning to face her and unwrapping his arm from her shoulders. "I'll take you there."

Y/N nodded slowly and fiddled with her apron. She was still somewhat hesitant about the idea of venturing into the dark woods. 

"O-Okay... I'll go."