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Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature who was ever seen. Her mother was excessively fond of her; and her grandmother doted on her still more…
"Allison?" her mother’s voice called, “Allison!"
"I’m coming, I’m coming!" a sharp boned girl called out as she tripped down the stairs, trying to tug on her shoes at the same time, and ended in a heap on the landing.
"Watch where you’re going kiddo."
"I’m fine mom." Allison blushed and sat herself up right. She tied her laces and sprung up from the ground.
"Here’s the package for your grandfather, go straight there and back. No detours, no shortcuts, no funny business" Allison’s mom gave her a look. You know the one. Every mom has one, that look that says ‘I know you’re thinking of doing something you shouldn’t and you should also know, that I know’.
"I know all that."
"Yes well I find you often need a reminder to take precaution."
"Mom it’s no big deal. I take this junk to grandpa and then I’ll be right back." Allison grinned whole heartedly at her mother
"Of course you will." her mom smiled back, and rolled her eyes. “If you see a wolf-" her mom paused.
"I run." Allison said quietly.
"That’s right. You run." Allison can sense the strain in her mother, in her carefully measured words. Her mom gets so serious sometimes, so Allison just tries to make her smile. She’s careful, and she almost always listens to her mom’s warnings about the forest and the wolves. Unfortunately, Allison has no intention of abiding by her mother’s words tonight.
"And don’t forget your coat, Allison."
"I won’t mom."
As she was going through the wood, she met with a wolf, who had a very great mind to eat her up…
…The wolf cried out to her, softening his voice as much as he could…
"Hey there, stranger." Her voice fell from red stained lips, cutting through the misty cold of dusk. Honey colored ringlets framed a face that was soft and girlish, but her eyes gleamed bright. They were golden pools, pits of boiling lava and Allison was balancing on the edge and all she wanted to do was was take a step, fall in, let go. She was feral. She was ferocious.
"Hello, wolf."
"Oh you know who I am?"
"I know what you are." Allison met her yellow stare with her own fierce dark eyes.
"So are you just stupid then? Or you got some kinda death wish?"
"Actually-" Allison hesitated, and the wolf began to grow tense, “I want to make a deal with you"
The wolf just quirked one perfectly arched eyebrow. Allison wasn’t sure what to make of her. This girl, the wolf, it wasn’t what she had expected at all.
"I can help you-"
"Help me do what?" The wolf snapped. Allison froze and fell silent. There was a beastly look in the other girl’s eyes. She stepped towards Allison, who had a sudden thought that this was ultimately a very foolish thing to do. Stupid she thought. Stupid. Stupid. Let’s run off and find a wolf. How could I be so stupid?
Allison suddenly noticed that she had stopped. Directly in front of her, close enough that Allison could feel the puff of her breath, stood the wolf. I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down Allison suddenly thought. She had an overwhelming urge to giggle just then (but she also had an overwhelming urge to not die tonight so she refrained).
"Ok, look kid," the wolf sighed, “I’ll make an exception this once. Forget you saw me and go home."
Allison didn’t move.
"I said LEAVE"
Allison heard her snarl, but she never saw her move. She could have sworn she never saw her move. She could hear her though, and she could certainly feel the five long sharp claws ripping across her cheek. She felt the impact of the ground when she fell, and wow she could see her blood, but she never saw the wolf move. It stayed still the entire time. She could have sworn she saw…
The poor child, who did not know that it was dangerous to stay and talk to a wolf, said to him, “I am going to see my grandmother and carry her a cake and a little pot of butter from my mother.”
"Just WAIT" Allison cried out. “Just wait, please.”
"No I gave you a chance to run and you didn’t take it.”
Allison’s heart was beating at a wild pace. It must have sounded like a jackhammer to the wolf. She looked up at the jack o lantern eyes that seemed to hang in the air. By now the wolf’s face was nearly indistinguishable in the dark except for the dull glint of fangs and those eyes. Allison looked into the eyes of the wolf. And then she snapped.
"Would you just listen to me for one goddamn fucking second."
The rising moon peaked through the branches of the trees and for a moment the wolf seemed to hesitate. Allison seized the opportunity.
"I can give you," Allison scrambles for the right words, “the one thing you want most in the world, the one thing you would give anything, even your life, for." She can’t stop now, it’s do or die, “I can give you Argent on a silver platter"
Allison counts the seconds of silence after she stops talking, one more second alive, one more breath, let this work, she thinks vehemently.
Then, the wolf burst into laughter.
It’s raucous and loud, slicing through the tension in the air like an arrow aimed at Allison’s heart. Of all things Allison never expected to be laughed at by a wolf.
“Gimme a second. I just- Argent on a silver platter, Jesus.” She’s still chuckling and Allison takes the chance to slowly rise off the ground.
“I know he killed your pack.” Allison said.
The wolf’s laughter ceased, caught in her throat.
“Then you know I don’t stand a chance against him on my own.”
“You have me.” Allison can feel her fear fading as it is replaced by a heady elation. She crossed her fingers and hoped.
“He’s a hunter, he’s the hunter. He’d shoot me dead before I even thought about making a move.” The wolf didn’t seem nearly so frightening anymore, she was almost petulant, almost child like.
“Not if he was distracted.”
“And who’s going to distract him? It’d have to be someone he trusts. Someone he wouldn’t even think to question.”
“Well I’m not sure, but I think he might just let his guard down around his granddaughter” Allison couldn’t see the wolf’s face but she could imagine the look of dawning comprehension, slack jawed and eyes bulging, that the wolf was probably wearing.
“You’re, you’re his granddaughter? You’re the Argent heir?”
“Yes?” Allison ventured
“Of fucking course you are,” The wolf muttered to herself, “Listen, this isn’t some joke. You of all people should know that. You can’t just come in here and-”
“It’s not a joke!” Allison protested.
“So what, you want me take out Gerard for you, so you can ascend the throne? Cash in somehow? What do you want? I don’t get it and nine times out of ten the thing you don’t get is what will end up getting you killed.” Allison could sense the wolf’s anger bubbling just below the surface, it was making her own skin crawl and itch.
“I want to be like you.” Allison said.
“What? Alone?” the wolf barked out with a bitter snarl.
“No.” Allison bit her lip, “Powerful. Independent. Free”
“You want to be free?” the wolf asked her.
“Desperately” she pleaded, and she knew the wolf could hear her heart beating out the truth, “You kill Gerard and I become a wolf and I’ll be free, my family will be free. No more hunting, no more killing, no more following orders.”
"Does she live far off?" said the wolf
"Oh I say," answered Little Red Riding Hood; “it is beyond that mill you see there, at the first house in the village."
"Well," said the wolf, “and I’ll go and see her too. I’ll go this way and go you that, and we shall see who will be there first."
“You want freedom.” the wolf mused. “Freedom I can work with.”
“Are you serious?” Allison asked, breathless with anticipation.
“You help me take down Gerard Argent and I’ll get you the bite.”
“Shake on it?”
The wolf laughed again. “Rule number one honey, wolves don’t shake. We just reserve the right to collect your head if you betray us.”
“Then it’s a deal.”
“It is.” Allison could hear the grin in the wolf’s voice. She couldn’t help the one that spread across her own face to match it.