Forsaken by the one person who was supposed to love her unconditionally, Red must brave the magic and monsters of the Wylds to find her true place in the world.
*****
Plague...
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The bowl of apple-berry crumble was warm enough to make my palms prickle as I shouldered open the front door, nodding my thanks to the witch as I slipped into the night. A balmy breeze toyed with the wispier strands of my hair as I ventured out into the gardens, savouring the soft crunch of mulch beneath my bare feet. The gardens were even lovelier in the night than they were in the day, glowing in the presence of those fat, butter-bellied fireflies that bobbed up and down like chunks of carrot in a soup cauldron.
A memory of a wooden spoon cracked down upon my knuckles, but the rustling leaves in the nearby trees soothed it away. It was strange, to think how much had changed since that night; how much I'd changed, since discovering that Hunter was my mate. There was a time when this short walk would have brought me to my knees, but every one of my steps was sure and steady now, as was the rhythm in my chest, pushing clarity and strength through my veins. The world was so much sharper against my senses, so much larger than I ever could have anticipated. Taking a deep breath of jasmine-laced air, I couldn't help but wonder if Hunter's severing of our ties had been more of an unleashing than anything. I'd never felt so alive.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost bypassed the silver wolf completely. He was reclining in the shade of an arched trellis, looking forlorn with his head resting on his paws. The wrought iron structure was laden with the jasmine flowers I'd smelled earlier, their white petals glowing like little stars against a night sky of deepest emerald. A glimpse of gold beyond the archway showed Eddy fast asleep amidst the lettuces, some of which were missing sizeable chunks. I shook my head with a rueful smile, hopelessly charmed by the filly's audacity.
The Wraith lifted his head to watch my progress. I crouched to meet him at eye level, setting the bowl down between us, two spoons jutting out of the apple-berry crumble in silent offering.
"So it turns out you're not just a wolf," I said, thinking back on our altercation with the witch. When I'd heard all of those bones snapping, I'd thought it was the Wraith being crushed to death by some horrible spell. Now I realised he'd simply pushed the Change to its limits, so come to my defense as quickly as possible with a human tongue. I shuddered to think of what might have happened if he hadn't gone out of his way to paint a target for the witch on his own chest. And then there were the things he'd actually said...
The Wraith whined, an apology evident in his tone, but he made no move to shift or otherwise defend himself.
"I am not angry," I reassured him, reaching out to take his head in both hands. His fur was soft and silky between my fingers, the residual heat of his body seeping into my skin. "Only sad that I didn't get a chance to know you sooner. But that's not what I came out here to tell you."
We looked deep into each other's eyes, the blood of his soaking into the moss of mine. I swallowed hard, already fighting back a fresh wave of tears. Goddess, I was a wreck!
