But she never comes.
Pity. It would take a fool not to notice her innocent beauty; her tempting curves, which most of the time are hidden under her cloak. But I am no fool, and that shy look only she can master at every first smile I give her is my downfall.
Of course, this is all just part of the story.
Even if I have to admit that I thought about hooking up with Riley when we were first thrown into the same tale. She shot me down. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked her out on a date right after eating her grandma for the first time.
She never gave me a second chance, and I never asked for one either. There are other girls in town to scratch a certain itch. Gretel has been good company for a while, and she never stayed over when we were done—which I appreciated. As for Riley, I don’t need to put a ring on her finger or take her to my bed. Because there’s one thing she can never change. She’s my girl, and she will be forever.
Bush-wood rustles in the distance and puts me on alert.
Five…four…three… She’s just around the bend. A smile begins to tug at the corners of my mouth. Two…one… Here she comes.
Chapter 3
Riley
As I near the giant oak before the last bend, a round of robins rises from the tree and circles the crown. Magic is in the air… It always is when the robins fly in circles. And the magic they’re announcing waits just around the corner. Jack.
The wolf part of him makes him a special character here in Fairyland. We have all kinds of magical creatures: mermaids, witches, fairies, and elves. Farther in the East, there’s a vampire who hides in a castle during the daytime, and several shapeshifters hang out in the surrounding forests, too. I might stand out from the crowd with my shiny, red cloak, but other than that, I’m nothing special. Not like him. I couldn’t turn into a freaking mouse if my life depended on it.
But Jack is really good at what he does. He can shift shapes back and forth as often he wants. The huge, autumn-colored wolf with snow and sand streaks marking his fur is quite a sight. Even though he’s not allowed to eat me in our story, I like to keep my distance from him. One can never know when a wild animal will suddenly snap and start seeing you as a fine knuckle of pork.
I clasp the basket for Granny a little tighter in front of my belly and bravely lift my chin as I take the last few steps that bring me in sight of the big, bad Wolf. Even though I know exactly what to expect, a tiny shiver of fear zips through my body as our gazes lock for the first time in this new rendition of our story.
Big? Yeah. Jack is a head taller than me.
Bad? Oh, yes! You don’t need to know him personally to perceive the danger he breaths out.
Wolf? Not yet. And still, my steps falter.
“Good afternoon, little Miss Red Riding Hood,” he purrs, tilting his head just slightly.
His dark eyes sparkle sinisterly in the beams of light sifting through the trees. The corners of his mouth lift. For the briefest second, I don’t know whether to smile back or run away. He always triggers this strange reaction in me, in spite of me having this tale down pat. It’s like a reflex I can’t turn off, not even after so many years. But it’s gone the moment I remember why I’m here. Second play today. And I’m still mad at him.
Three steps separate us. Normally, I’d stop by him so he can try to lure me to the dark parts of the forest. Not that he’s ever had any luck before. Today, I don’t care for our routine little chat. I want this tale over and done with. Fast. Harry Potter is waiting for me in my cozy hut.
Jaw set and lips pressed together, I pull up my hood and stalk past him, continuing on the path to Granny’s house. He can hang there and wait for the White Rabbit to have a chat with him for all I care.
Jack laughs out behind me. “Riley! Come back!”
“No.”
“Please…”
Oh, dang it. I hate when he sounds like a poor puppy because he plays it so well. But he won’t stop me. Not this time. “You can bi—” A startled gasp escapes me. Suddenly, I’m whirled around, and the basket slips from my hand, tumbling to the mossy ground.
My back hits a tree trunk, and Jack presses his body flush to mine. I can feel his breath inside my hood as he snarls into my ear, “Say it, and I’ll do it.”
Goodness, telling a wolf to bite you is so not a smart idea. What was I thinking?
In memory of this morning’s encounter with his teeth, I rub the side of my butt, which he doesn’t miss. His gaze drops to my hip and then moves back up to my face. “Still hurting?” he murmurs through a salacious smirk and lets his hand slide down to my side.
What the freak? This is not how our play should run. Angry, I push at his chest. “Get off me and go find yourself a squirrel to play with. I don’t want to talk to you.”
He lets me move him, but not too far. Only a few inches back. At the same time, his right arm shoots out, and he braces his hand next to my head on the tree, blocking my escape. “You know it’s not working like this.” His other hand moves up to my face, and he softly strokes his knuckles across my cheek. Then he carefully brushes back my hood and dips his forehead to mine, capturing my eyes with his. “So, be a nice girl, and let’s have some fun.”
Chills rush through me as I draw in a breath. In all our time, Jack has never touched me like this. It feels…strange. Not uncomfortable. He’s never looked at me like this either, and oddly enough, it’s hard to look away. What in the world is up with him?
“Jack…” I whisper. And suddenly, I notice the sharp smell on his breath. My brows furrow, my voice immediately gaining strength again. “Are you drunk?”
He leans in to my ear, his dark stubble rubbing gently against my skin. “Just a little bit,” he murmurs quietly and nips my earlobe. The sharp sting coaxes a tiny squeak from me, which makes him chuckle. “So, will you come into the shadows with me now?”
Jack Wolf has never once come to work drunk.
I don’t know what he goes off and does after we finish our tale each time, but he takes his job seriously. He’s always at the meeting point when I arrive. He usually makes it easy for me to escape his ensnarement at the beginning. And he never hesitates to swallow Granny, even though I know how scared he is of the moment when the Huntsman comes to free her.
Sure, neither of us imagined we’d be meeting a second time here today, and what he does in his spare time is none of my business, but it’s weird to get a glimpse of his private life for once. I wonder what he had to drink. Does he prefer vodka? Whiskey? Beer? I don’t drink at all so I wouldn’t know the difference. It must have been more than one glass, though. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be behaving so strangely.
A very tempting thought crosses my mind. Since we’re already wandering off the lines of the tale, why not go a little further? What if we…say…slightly alter the plot?
Whatever answer Jack expected from me to continue our usual story—and what was certainly on my tongue a moment ago—is gone now. My stunned expression fades as determination rises within me. I close my half-parted mouth, my heart beating a reckless rhythm. Then I bite my lip and dare a deep look into Jack’s dark and dangerous eyes. “Okay…”
He blinks. Slowly. “What?”
My gaze doesn’t waver, and it probably takes on an excited and hopeful note as a small smile creeps across my face. “Okay… I’ll come into the shadows with you.”
Jack takes a step back and fixes me with narrowed eyes. “Are you crazy?”
His reaction hurts me after ten thousand first encounters where he always wanted to seduce me off the right path. A pout replaces my adventurous grin. “No. I’m just tired of playing this stupid tale over and over again. Aren’t you? Always going the same way, always facing a bloody end? And never getting kissed in all this time.”