Rules of a Fairytale

My eyelids were heavy as I forced them open. I was sore but my ribs felt like acid had been poured over them where I’d been stabbed. I cried out when I attempted to move.

“Please, my lady, don’t move.”

The soft voice with a Scottish accent made me jump and my head snapped toward the sound. That hurt more than waking up and I groaned. A girl’s oval face swam into my field of vision. She looked young, maybe nineteen, with dark blue eyes set evenly spaced from a thin, regal nose, a plump pink moth, and high cheekbone. A wild mess is burgundy curls feel over one shoulder. She pressed a cool rag along my forehead and brushed away my damp hair.

“You’ve been badly injured, my queen. Just relax and let me take care of you. My name is Castella. I am in your service.”

I did what she asked and let her tend to my side. I was in a large cavern lit by a dozen thick candles that showed off pictures and tapestries of wolves. A few large chests were pulled against the walls that had clothes in some and food in others. I was laid out on a soft, feathery mattress with a thick blanket pulled up to my hips and my shirt was riding up so that my stomach was exposed.

“You’re part of the pack Bo was telling me about. Is he here?”

Castella bit her bottom lip. “No. He’s been away on some business for the pack. He left two days ago after bringing in some wolves that were being hunted by the Riding Hoods.”

I jerked up and sucked in a sharp breath at the pain that shot through me. I ignored it. “Ryder! Tate and Brooke and my grandpa. Oh, shoot! He’s hurt. Where are they?”

The older wolf frowned. “Your grandfather is being attended to. And your brother has been welcomed as one of us.”

“But Brooke and Ryder...?”

Her silence was answer enough. I jumped to my feet despite her warning and ran out of the cave. It was cold here with a layer of snow on the ground. Towering trees enclosed a massive yard with clusters of people doing all sorts of things, like women hanging up laundry or kids playing. Guards stood sentry along the rim of the field.

“Tasha!” Tate yelled as he ran up to me. He made a move to hug me but thought better if it at the last second, which I was grateful for. “Thank god you’re okay. I was worked about you.”

I smiled reassuringly. “Thanks. Now tell me what happened.”

He took my hands and led me over to a wide tree stump and helped me sit. “After the troll stabbed you, Ryder killed it but the brother got away. We were all worried about you because you wouldn’t stop screaming. A minute passed before the other wolves showed up to your call. One of the soldiers thought Ryder was threatening you and almost killed him right there. I was able to diffuse the situation enough that they brought us all here instead and got you help right away. Grandpa’s getting medical care, I’ve been with him most of the time, but the others are being held prisoner. They really don’t like the Riding Hoods and Brooke’s a human outsider.”

“And where exactly is here?”

“Inside the Obscur Forest, your highness. Part of the Beast’s kingdom. I am Lady Versa, your handmaiden.” I turned to the new voice. The girl had a soft voice that came out of her very red lips. She had brown eyes and hair and her ears were pointed, like a wolf’s, not an elf’s.

I blinked in confusion at her. My what? “Um, okay,” I responded slowly. “Well we’re going to see our companions.”

“My queen, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

All these titles were going to give me an aneurism. “Well that’s fine if you don’t think so, but I need to see my friends.”

“You realize you just called Brooke and Ryder your friends, right?” Tate murmured as I stalked away from the girl who was probably my age.

“Don’t remind me,” I grumbled back.

I followed him to the side of the mountain that housed the cave I’d woken up in. Eyes followed me, but I ignored them until I could see the beauty queen and Red prince. They looked bad. Unlike Tate and I who had been given fresh clothes, they still wore the same thing as in Canyon City, but you could tell they’d been through the ringer. Ryder’s shirt was ripped in several places and it looked like Brooke’s hair was caked in mud. They were bound by their wrists with long ropes to a tall wooden stake. It all reminded me of the Salem Witch Trials when people were burned. A lumbering wolf stood guard over them, glaring at Ryder. I don’t know what he said, but the guard smacked him and he stumbled.

My blood boiled and I stormed to the other wolf. “Hey!” I grabbed his shoulder and spun him toward me and landed a solid punch to his jaw. Fire licked at my wound. I cried out and bent over with my hand pressed to my side and held my breath to ease the pain. Tate rubbed my back to comfort me but it took a long minute for the pain from the poisoned blade to subside.

“My queen! Please, sit and recover,” the guard’s gruff voice sounded concerned. I glanced up at him. He was probably forty-something with red hair and beard and hazel eyes. It was hard to guess his height while he was kneeling. It was weird having this guy older than my dad defer to me with respect. There was a red spot where I’d hit him, but it was a little depressing that that was the only damage.

I ignored his advice to take it easy and turned to the two blondes. I pulled out my dagger and cut the rope. The guard made a protesting sound but didn’t try to stop me. Brooke brushed her hair from her face and smiled at me. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’d totally hug you, but I don’t want to make things worse.”

I took a wobbly step back. I wasn’t the hugging type, especially to a girl I hated a school. “I’ll be fine. You guys good?”

“We weren’t the ones to get poisoned by a troll blade. Getting stabbed is dangerous enough without the venom they coat their swords in. Come sit down.” Ryder reached out to me as if to help but the guard let out animalistic growl and he stopped. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t touch me, but I quickly squashed the feeling.

“Well I think the first thing we need to do is find something to eat,” I said without looking at him. I didn’t sit because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get back up again. “Now that I’m not almost dead or whatever, I’m starving. Hopefully food will help perk me up.”

The pretty wolf girl, Lady Versa, came up to us. She bowed to me and fluttered impossibly long black lashes at my brother, but had nothing but scorn for the two humans. She turned back to me with her eyes lowered. “My queen, there is a banquet ready for you. Our hunters brought back a large boar and the cooks made a stew. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you the way.”

Tate and I could probably find the way, but this whole camp kept staring at me and I figured things would go easier if we just played along. I nodded and smiled as Versa led the way. The dining area of camp was right at the tree line. A large cauldron boiled over an open fire while a clothesline stretching between two trees was hung with bunnies and squirrels. Brooke made a gagging noise at the back of her throat and I quickly steered her so the game wasn’t in her field of vision.

“So Tate,” Versa said with an exaggerated lilt in her voice, “I hear that there are no female wolves besides Queen Tasha where you are from. That must make finding a mate so hard.”

I snorted at her flirtations, thinking of how often he panted after the pretty blonde beside me. “We’ve manage without other wolves,” I said sweetly. I don’t know why I was so snappy with her.

She blushed. “Of course, Alpha. I was just making an observation. It’s been increasingly harder here as well to find a partner. Being hunted down doesn’t leave us many options.” She emphasized that last part with a glare in Ryder’s direction.

I changed the subject. All this talk of mates was making me queasy. “So. Do you know how my grandfather is?”

A bowl of boar stew landed on the table beside me. “I just came from there. He is resting.”

“Bo!” I jumped to my feet and smiled. It was nice to have someone here who could help navigate this place.

The Beta wolf smiled back at me and bowed. “Tasha. It is a pleasure to see you again. I am sorry I could not be here for your arrival. I had a very important meeting with Prince Adam III about our continued stay in their forest.”

“The Beast’s grandson?”

He nodded.

“Wait. So you said Grandpa will be fine?” Tate spoke around a chunk of pig meat.

“He should be. However, we don’t necessarily have the proper equipment to care for a human; they aren’t as durable as we are.”

I bit my bottom lip. So he wasn’t quite out of the woods yet- literally. “Is there somewhere private we can go to talk?”

“We can go into the den. It is yours, after all.”

The den turned out to be the cave I woke up in. It was the wolves’ equivalent of a palace. Bo and my three travel buddies followed me in, much to Versa’s annoyance that she wasn’t invited. She shot Brooke a nasty glare before stalking back off.

I winced as I sank into a low, feather soft sofa. My side still hurt but it was getting better. Now I had to worry about a massive migraine, which I massaged with my fingertips. “We keep hitting dead ends and I’m running out of ideas. We found Grandpa, but I don’t think Mom and Dad were ever there. The best bet to find them would to find the stupid cloak, but I have no idea where to start since we’ve run out of breadcrumbs.” Tears pricked at the backs of my eyes. “Maybe we should just get Grandpa home to Sumpter and start from scratch.”

Tate whimpered. “Tasha, you know that won’t work because there’s no more scent. What are we going to find there? We can’t just give up on our parents.”

“That’s not what I’m doing!” I cried out. A few salty tears slipped out and I was glad we weren’t out with the rest of the pack. “I just don’t see any other option.”

“What about the mirror?” Ryder suggested.

I scrubbed at my cheeks to wipe away any evidence that I’d been crying. I was not going to lose it. “It doesn’t work. I can’t see my parents in it, and whoever took your ancestor’s hood is using magic to conceal it. I can’t figure out a way around that.”

Bo’s ears perked up and he really did look like a canine in that moment. “You have a magic mirror?”

I blushed a little and nodded. I forgot that I’d been keeping it a secret. “Yeah. King Steven gave it to me hoping it would be helpful- which it hasn’t been. I guess it was a gift from Snow White to Aurora.”

“Then perhaps you should ask the original owner for some help. Maybe her descendants will know more about it than you or any of Sleeping Beauty’s children. I’m sure Snow White’s people will speak with a descendant of Aurora.”

“Huh,” Ryder hummed with grudging respect. “That’s pretty brilliant. But Snow White wasn’t the original owner, was she?”

“You mean the Evil Queen? Was she real?” There was a little fear in Brooke’s voice and her eyes were wide.

“Yeah,” the prince answered. “At Snow’s wedding, they made her wear a pair of metal slippers heated over a fire so they became red hot and she was forced to dance. It didn’t kill her, though. She escaped partway through the ceremony and actually ended up at the dwarves’ cottage, which had been abandoned. A soldier found her and took pity on her. She got some of her magic back and she and her husband are still living in an area of the kingdom that she enchanted to protect them.”

“She’s still alive? She’s got to be ancient!” Someday I needed to get a filter for my mouth. “How do you even know all of this?”

He gave me a sly smirk that twisted my belly. “I’m not the polished jerk you think I am, Tasha. I’m friends with their son, Enrick. He’s only a few years older than me, but not many people know about him. Most tend to stay away from the Queen’s refuge.”

I nibbled my bottom lip. “Then that’s where I have to go. But Grandpa has to get back to Sleeping Beauty’s kingdom to get medical attention.”

“Allow us, Alpha. I will take a small contingency to deliver your grandfather safely to Aurora’s descendant.”

“No,” I said quickly. A fierce protectiveness for Bo and the other wolves settled in my gut. “Absolutely not. Steven likes Tate and me because he’s our cousin. Any other wolves wouldn’t be so openly welcome. He’s still hostile with Dad, but at least they have an understanding. But with you, it’s too big a risk.”

Bo smiled and warmth filled his hazel eyes. Very suddenly, he knelt down on one knee so his head was even with my chest and took my hand in his rough, big one. My eyes widened into giant saucers. Yeah, I really liked Bo, but what the heck was he doing! He surprised me further by placing a gentle kiss on my knuckles. His stubbly chin tickled the back of my hand. “There is no risk too large for you, my queen. You rule this pack with absolute power, as is your right as the Alpha, but it is refreshing to see that you do not abuse this right. My oracles were correct when they said you would bring us prosperity and peace.”

My voice caught in my throat and I choked out his name. “I think you have too much faith in me.”

He barked out a laugh and rose languidly to his feet. “And I believe you have too little. I shall have your grandfather moved in here while I gather up volunteers to return him home. At the back of the den, there is a spring if you’d like to get cleaned up before your journey to Blanshelyn.”

Bo had Grandpa brought into the den. I cleaned up in the hot spring at the back of the cave and came back feeling refreshed. We divided the den into three bedrooms, one of which I’d share with Brooke. Versa sneered at the thought, insisting that it was almost improper for my brother and grandpa to be so privileged to share the den, let alone a couple of non-related humans.

“Hey, Lady Versa, do you know when we’re having dinner? I’m getting hungry again,” I said when she bugged me by complaining about how wrong it was for the Alpha to be stuck with an unimportant female. I might have been flattered that she cared for my wellbeing, but I knew she was only saying something to provoke the blonde girl who looked like she was about to cry.

“Of course, my lady,” Versa said with a bow. “I’ll go check on that.”

I relaxed a little more when she left and flopped onto the cushy four-poster bed; that was one perk of being named Alpha, I got a real bed while everyone else was saddled with cots.

“I’m not that horrible, am I?” Brooke muttered from her twin-sized, feather-padded bed.

“What do you mean?”

She looked down at her lap where she popped her knuckles. “I mean, I know I’m not very nice at school, especially to you, but please tell me that I never made you feel the way she just did to me. I want you to be brutally honest.”

I propped myself up on one elbow and looked over at her. She looked totally crestfallen. I wasn’t sure she could handle my version of honesty. “You’ve tried,” I replied carefully and her face fell even more. “I just really don’t care about what people think. I have one friend back home, Leon, and that’s the only person outside of family whose opinion matters to me.

“But you know why she’s doing this to you, don’t you?”

She sniffled. “Huh?”

“Do you know why she’s trying to make you miserable? It’s because she’s jealous. She wants Tate and you’re a threat to that.”

She rolled her blue eyes. “How on earth am I a threat? She’s a super pretty wolf; she’s like him.”

“Wow.” I stretched the word out into three syllables. “He’ll kill me for saying this, but it’s so obvious. Tate likes you. He’s been into you since he first saw you in first grade. I don’t know if his wolf recognized you as his mate or if it’s his human half that likes you, but he’s been driving me crazy for eight years fawning after you.”

Her knuckle popped especially loud and she turned pensive. “I’m good at manipulating guys, but Tate is one of the few really good ones. I’m just not sure how I feel about him and I don’t want to lead him on.”

I didn’t want to spend the rest of the evening with Brooke brooding so I rolled off of the canopied bed and put on my tennis shoes. “Come on. If we’re going to meet the Evil Queen we should make sure we’re ready. Grab your bow and arrows and let’s go.”

She looked skeptical but followed my orders and we went outside where we immediately ran into Bo. He smiled at us and offered a low bow. “Ladies. Where are you off to?”

Brooke giggled, not that I blamed her because Bo was rather charming without even trying- not counting when he scared us back at the brick house. “Practicing. Maybe a little sparring. Care to join?”

He smiled. “Of course. I know the perfect spot.”

There was a trail that went up the mountain to a plateau right above the den. It was rocky with quite a few spruce trees but it had an amazing view of the forest. I could even see the Beast’s castle looming in the distance. We only ogled the landscape for a second before Bo put is to work. He gave Brooke some target practice to work on and started me on hand-to-hand combat. I think she got the better deal because within ten minutes he’d already flipped me into my back and pinned me to the dirt six times.

“Ow,” I grumped. A rock dug into my butt as the big wolf straddled my hips and held my hands by my head. Dust settled in my hair and I knew I’d need another bath in the cave spring.

He untwined his fingers from mine and sat up but didn’t get off of me. “You’re still holding back, Tasha. Give it everything you’ve got. You won’t hurt me.”

“Told you I could find them,” Tate barked a second before Ryder’s furious voice asked, “What are you guys doing?”

Brooke yanked an arrow out of the tree she was using as her target and perched on a boulder. “Practicing. And Bo’s trying to teach Tasha to fight. It’s cool to watch them go at it.”

Ryder’s jaw clenched. “Sounds like fun,” he said in a clipped tone.

“I’ll say!” My brother’s enthusiasm showed through his eager eyes and I could easily imagine him shaking his rump like an overexcited puppy.

“Their fighting style does look pretty interesting.”

“Have you tried hand-to-hand yet?”

Brooke blushed at my brother’s question. “Uh. No. I’m good with my bow.”

“C’mon. I’ll teach you to throw a punch. Self-defense could save your life one day.”

She blinked slowly as if weighing her choice the nodded slowly with a tiny smile tugging at her mouth. She met him in the space between the trees where Bo and I had been fighting. I moved out of the way and perched on a big boulder to take a break and enjoy the show. The older wolf ran off to do surveillance while my brother showed Brooke the proper way to make as fist, a skill I’d quickly mastered to punch Tate after he broke my nose in a totally human fight when we were four.

“So you and Bo seem to be getting close,” Ryder remarked absently as he sat down beside me.

I arched a brow at him. “Huh? So what?”

“So wolves mate for life, right? Is that what he’s trying to do?”

“Eep!” I squealed in shock, nearly falling off the boulder. “You can’t be serious! First of all, that wouldn’t be your business. Second of all, I’m not looking for a mate and Bo hasn’t shown any sign that he’s interested in me like that. He’s just helping me manage my pack. Why would it matter to you anyway?”

He just grunted. It didn’t matter what species they were, guys were Neanderthals.

I hugged my knees to my chest to watch the fight, totally ignoring Ryder. I had to admit that my brother was a decent teacher, but he couldn’t seem to grasp some of the finer details when it came to women and fighting. His method, like any guy’s, relied on strength. While I’m a firm feminist, girls couldn’t exactly compete in that particular area. I slid off my rock to put my own two cents in.

“I’ll handle it from here.”

“What?” I don’t think Tate wanted me intruding on his time with Brooke.

“Your mechanics are perfect, but we can’t fight the way you boys do. First of all, Brooke, you’ll be punching at an upward angle because your opponent will usually be taller. And you won’t ever be able to hit as hard as a man so go for the weak spots. The nose breaks easily, if you hit them in the throat they can’t breathe, and of course there’s the junk punch.” Both boys winced at that one. “Avoid hitting muscled areas like the stomach and limbs and the jaw isn’t as weak as you’d think. Strike fast and put your body weight into it. And try not to let him get his arms around you.”

She nodded taking it all in. “Okay, but then why were you wrestling with Bo more than boxing?”

“Wolves are different. Besides, I’ve had years of practice. Ready?”

We practiced for the next twenty minutes until Lady Versa appeared saying that supper was ready. We ate pheasant, which is pretty good if a little gamy. After another quick bath, I went back to my pseudo-room with Brooke and passed out the second my head hit the pillow.

I woke up a little before dawn. Brooke wasn’t awake and it sounded like Grandpa, Ryder, and Tate were still sleeping on the other side of the curtain. I climbed out of the big canopied bed and went to change my clothes but my bag was gone. I groaned. Brooke’s stuff was still there so I guess I was the only one that got stuff stolen from.

The air smelled amazing when I walked out of the den, nothing like Miami’s pollution. Dew sparkled on the grass and birds sang high up in the surrounding trees. Most of the wolves were already up and working. It was just a little chilly in the shorts and tank I’d worn to bed and I wrapped my arms around myself.

“Queen Tasha. I hope you slept well?” Castella, the young she-wolf that had taken care of my injuries walked up carrying a plate of some kind of sausage and cheese. She handed the food over and waited for my response.

“Oh, um, fine. Hey, have you seem my bag? I really need to get dressed.”

“Of course. Versa brought it to me to launder your clothes. If I may, you didn’t have much in there. And none of it seemed befitting an Alpha.”

“Well to be fair, I didn’t have a whole lot of time to pack,” I snapped.

Her midnight blue eyes widened. “Oh please, don’t misunderstand me. I was just stating an observation. But if you do want something different, I’ve had the seamstresses make something for you.”

I sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so rude. You really didn’t have to get me something made.”

Her smile was kind. “You’re our Alpha now. You should be treated like a queen.” She held out a burgundy top with black pants. The top was like a tunic that went just past my butt when I held it up with long sleeves and a decent neckline. The cut was A-line and there were designs woven in gold

thread so it liked almost like a dress. The pants were more like leggings but thicker with the same gold threading. They looked tight, like they were supposed to confirm to my body. Both were made of a soft, sturdy material, like some type of leather that flowed easily when I rubbed it between my fingers. A pair of knee-high brown boots made from a slightly thicker leather than the pants completed the outfit. “Oh wow,” I marveled.

“You like them? They’re made if dragon wing and unicorn hair. Those clothes are stronger than armor and impervious to magic. The shoes have no heels and the soles are thick enough to protect your feet, but you still have that connection to the earth that all wolves crave. We all know of your quest for your parents and the cloak. Perhaps then we can live without fear of being hunted.”

I swallowed a sudden lump in my throat. This pack was putting a lot of faith in me, maybe too much when the whole reason I was here was for my mom and dad and not for Red Riding Hood’s cloak. Things would have been so much better for everyone if Bo could be the Alpha instead of just my Beta. I nodded slowly. “I’ll do my best.

And thank you.”

Castella smiled and walked off right as Ryder found me. The majority of the wolves looked ready to rip him to shreds, but he kept his composure well in what was pretty much enemy territory. His blue eyes raked over me in my skimpy clothes and I flushed. “Bo and the wolves he’s taking to take your grandfather are just about to leave. We should get going, too.”

Without thinking, I grabbed his hand and pulled him with me toward the den. “I’m doing the right thing, right?” I needed reassurance and I trusted him to be brutally honest. “I keep feeling like I should be taking my grandpa home. I need to know that he’ll be okay, and I don’t want to put any of the pack in danger. Shoot, if I was smart at all I’d let Tate and you guys take him while I find the stupid enchantress.”

He tugged me to a stop and yanked me around to face him. Ryder’s big hands enveloped my arms and his eyes bored into mine. “They know the risks and your wolves are willing to do this for you. No one would blame you if you wanted to see your grandfather to safety, but there’s no way that I would let you finish this on your own. Your brother, Brooke, and I are not going to abandon you. The wolves and your grandfather are going to be all right.”

“But what if they’re not? Grandpa was a prisoner for weeks and I’m scared he won’t make it. And even though Sumpter isn’t as prejudiced as other kingdoms, my kind are still being hunted and-”

"You’re being hunted, Tasha. This empress or whatever still wants you. You need to worry about yourself before you stress out about anyone else. They’ll. Be. Fine.”

My mini-panic came to a screeching halt as his bright blue eyes narrowed at me. My breath came up short because there was some new emotion under his usual irritation. He was actually worried about me.

I swallowed nervously and nodded. “Okay. You’re right. I have to go say goodbye to my grandpa.”

We started walking again with a foot between us and no touching. I don’t know why I was suddenly so shy around him but I kept shooting him glances from the corner of my eye. He smirked and my face flushed. “I’ll bet that was hard, admitting that I’m right.”

I huffed and walked faster.