Little Red Riding Hood

Chapter 15

~
without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins
~

It happened so fast.

One moment Robert was in heaven, the next, all hell descended upon then.

A wolf, dirty and thin appeared from the darkness and knocked them off the horse. The wolf had sunk his claws into the neck of the stallion, and had also managed to claw at Angelica's thigh.

She had screamed, thrown unto her back as the beast sunk his teeth into the horse's neck. Robert jumped to his feet instantly and swung his trusted axe into his hands.

He was on the beast kicking it from the horse.

Angelica felt sickened by the sound of the horse crying, it sounded like a demon ascending from the pits of hell. She crawled to the stallion, attempting to comfort it.

Robert stood over the wolf as it recovered, lifting its frail body to its feet and snarling at the hunter.

"You fucking mutt." Robert hissed as the wolf lunged at him, but the beast did not go for the kill and instead knocked the hunter to the ground.

The air was knocked from Robert's lungs and he gasped as he tried to push the wolf off of him.

Those dead, evil eyes met Angelica's, and it growled. It stepped off of Robert and begun to stalk towards the frightened girl.

Angelica crawled backwards, struggling as her sticky fingers gathered sharp pine needles and rough sand, irritating the skin. She pushed herself onto her feet, her injured leg nearly giving in.

Their eyes held each others and a single heartbeat passed.

Then she ran.

As fast as her leg could carry her , and as long as her body could survive on adrenaline. She dashed between the trees, frightened and lost, but wanting survival.

For the wolf it had turned into a game.

He sprinted closer to her, snapping at her heels before falling back and giving his prey the opportunity to believe that escape was possible.

It wasn't until Angelica reached the river bend that she begun to feel the ache, and her body began to give in. The air had turned cold and the breathe froze as it blew from her rosy lips.

She stopped when she reached the rushing waters. She had no where left to run, the water was too fast, too deep, and the river itself stretched for miles along each direction.

Angelica spun around meeting the pale eyes of the beast as it growled, taking a step towards her. She shook her head in desperation, the pain in her thigh causing her to nearly stumble, while the blood soaked her dress.

"Well, well, well. Little red riding hood, once more confronted by the big bad wolf." Clarissa's voice echoed from the trees as she approached, carrying Scarlet in her arms.

Angelica looked at her, begging her with teary eyes to help her, but the old woman merely laughed. "Once your hunter was able to help you, but now no one will be able to save you."

Angelica wrapped her arms around herself as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. "Do not worry dear, it will be quick." The wolf stalked forward once more until he was so close enough for Angelica to feel his warm breath caressing her skin.

She squeezed her eyes shut, praying to whoever would listen.

And it appeared that someone had listened as a black blur raced through the trees, knowing the pale eyed wolf off his feet.

"No!" Clarissa yelled, clutching the bundle in her arms.

The rival of the pale eyed beast was bigger, stronger, faster. And as the two wolves tumbled to the ground, snow began to fall.

"You bitch!" Clarissa yelled as she ran to Angelica and grabbed her by the hair. "She yanked the young woman, but Angelica's fighting spirit had kicked in and she began to struggle against the older woman's grip.

In the struggle, Clarissa's grip loosened on the bundle in her arms and with one swipe of her elbow, Angelica caused Clarissa to let go of the little corpse. The bundle rolled dangerously closer to the riverbank, and a single moment too late, when Clarissa reached out to grab her, the tightly wrapped infant plunged into the icy waters.

"No!" The old woman yelled, releasing Angelica as she lunged to grab the infant. The bundle sank under the weight of the heavy, wet material and Clarissa's fingers missed it by a hair's breathe.

Clarissa screamed as she suddenly jumped to her feet and charged at Angelica. She tackled her to the ground, slamming her head against the forest floor with the sound of wolves snarling behind them.

At the sound of Angelica's scream, the black wolf pushed himself from his opponent and threw Clarissa off Angelica.

The pale eyed wolf recovered and rushed to protect his mistress. Clarissa rose to shaky feet, her eyes darting from Angelica who laid motionless on the ground, blood marrying her golden curls. The pale eyes wolf had managed to pin the black wolf to the ground, teeth sinking into his neck.

The black wolf wined. "You stupid mutt! You killed her! You killed your Luna!"

Black fur retracted, and tan skin took its place. Bones broke and a cry came from Marcus's lips as his limbs bent and broke to accommodate his human form.

"No!" He snarled, glaring at the old woman as he struggled against the pale eyed wolf who kept him secured on the ground. "You killed my Luna! And now I will kill you." He spoke through clenched teeth.

Clarissa laughed. "She was dead the moment she was born."

Marcus struggled again against the wolf. "Its your own stubbornness and ambition that caused you to become blind." He growled. "She would have been a good successor. Until you fucked it up."

The wounds on Clarissa's face stopped bleeding, puss stopped pouring from the open wounds and the skin began to heal. Clarissa took a shaky breathe as a smile graced her face. "I don't need a successor."

The old woman's features began to change, a instant reversal of the natural aging process. A immortal gene to ensure the line of Lunas will continue on until a new Luna is born.

Clarissa's youthful features resembled that of Marchelle, and represented what Angelica might have looked like had she grown older. She laughed as she ran her fingers through her auburn locks. "Oh how I missed being young."

The pale wolf stepped off Marcus, stepping to his mistress's side. "You have served me well." She said as she touched his head affectionately. "You will be given Marcus's place as Alpha."

Marcus rose to his feet, blood covering his naked skin. "Clarissa this is madness!" He yelled. "Give up the crown!"

Clarissa had a fire burning in her eyes. "No! Never!" She pointed a finger at Marcus. "Kill him! Kill him!" She screamed like a banshee.

The pale eyed wolf set off chasing after Marcus, and soon enough his black hide made its appearance and the wolves set off into the night.