Red Wolf

Clutching at the crimson fabric of her cloak, Red peered through the branches of a pine. Her destination was within the clearing, a mere twenty yards past the treeline: a stone cottage, with a thatch roof, and a smoking chimney. It stood innocuous, beneath the silver light of the moon, looking to all the world like a simple domicile. There was absolutely nothing setting it apart from any other cabin in the woods. Yet at the same time, it was impossible to mistake it for anything but Grandma's house.

Who but a witch would build a house in the Cursed Woods, after all? A place where monsters roamed. A forest where even the trees were known to occasionally feast on flesh. Even among witches, living in such an area would normally be tantamount to suicide. Yet, somehow, a singular old woman had set up shop in the very heart of the Cursed Woods. That was the entity known as Grandma. A witch among witches, who boasted power enough to treat the Cursed Woods as her personal backyard.

It was said that she used to live among her fellow humans. Supposedly, in her younger years, Grandma treated ailments and curses like every other good witch in the world. According to such tales, there was nothing she couldn't cure and little she couldn't accomplish with her magic. Her clients had included kings and heroes, and she'd appeared in more fairy tales than Red could count. Though she only helped those who proved themselves, she would help any who proved themselves to her.

Yet one day that all powerful witch, who'd spent her whole life helping people, had packed it up and moved to the Cursed Woods. She'd turned her back on humanity, and declared that she no longer wanted to hear requests. That had been a hundred years ago.

Of course, people had come to her cottage in the time since. Braving the terrors of the Cursed Woods, they'd come knocking on her door in search of cures for plagues, protection from monsters and of course the dissolution of curses. Yet even when the king of the country marched an army to her house, the cottage door had remained stubbornly closed. What's more, those who tried to directly attack the house had been blown back by powerful magic. In short, no miracles had been performed by Grandma in the last hundred years.

Did that make Red's current mission hopeless? She'd hired a woodsman to guide her through the forest, and made her way through the woods to Grandma's house, even knowing the stories. Listening to the expert advice of her guide, she'd avoided monsters and pitfalls, and kept the monstrous trees at bay. All so that she could reach this point.

Now, she stood at the edge of the clearing, wondering if perhaps it had all been for nothing. Sneaking out of her father's household, using what little money she had to hire a guide, making her way through the Cursed Woods. It really would all be for nothing, if she couldn't gather the courage to take the few remaining steps toward the house.

Slapping both hands against her cheeks, and taking a deep breath, Red pushed the branches out of her path and walked into the clearing. When nothing jumped out at her, or bit her, she let out a little sigh of relief and started to walk toward the front door of the cottage.

"Where do you think you are going?"

The question was a whisper in her ear, accompanied by a hot breath. Hands slipped around Red's wrists, before she could even think to respond, their grips as strong as iron.

"I..." Red licked her lips, wondering how they'd become so dry. Not just her lips, but her throat as well. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

Had she really come all the way out here for nothing?

"I'm here to see Grandma!" Red forced the words out, in a rush, knees shaking and eyes tearing up. She didn't know what had gripped her, what had stopped her, but if it could speak then surely it could be reasoned with? "Please! If you'll just let me go inside, I'll do whatever you want! I just need to talk to her!"

"...Sorry. But the only thing I want is for you to die. Human."

The pressure disappeared from around Red's wrists, and she stumbled forward a couple steps. Her heart beating rapidly, her breath coming in short gasps, she turned to face the creature that had so calmly demanded her death.

"You're... A woman...?" That was certainly one way to describe what confronted Red. She had a pretty face, with lips the color of blood and cheeks as pale as the moon's light. She wore a simple tunic and trousers, which did nothing to emphasize her body, yet her curves were still evident at a glance. The swell of her breasts, large enough to bury one's face in, and the softness of her wide hips marked her as attractive; at least by Red's standards.

Yet this woman was obviously not human. The woman's tangled hair, which boasted enough length to reach her waist, was silver. Her ears were triangular, and furry; further, they were positioned at the top of her head instead of on the sides. Her eyes were yellow, and her teeth were pointy. Her nails were sharp, enough so that they could easily be considered claws. She even had a bushy silver tail.

Red's words hung in the air, between the two figures, and the woman in question let a low growl slip from her throat. Listening to that sound, there was no doubt in Red's mind that she'd been wrong. This wasn't a woman.

It was a wolf.

"Are you afraid, human?" the wolf in woman's skin whispered, softly, stepping toward Red.

Red flinched back, but didn't take her eyes off the beast in front of her. She got the feeling that a single misstep here would lead to her death. If she backed up, if she showed fear... She wasn't sure they'd even find her bones come morning.

"You are afraid," the wolf declared, a smile slipping across her ruby red lips. "I can smell it: the stench of terror. You are practically fit to collapse, are you not? Desperately putting on a brave face. Do you think that acting tough will save you from me?"

It was true: Red was terrified. Faced by a creature fast and quiet enough to sneak up on her, and strong enough to restrain her movements, with claws and teeth that looked sharp enough to tear her to ribbons... Who wouldn't be afraid? Yet listening to the creature talk this way, something else flickered in her heart.

Anger.

"S-So what if I'm afraid?" Red demanded, forcing her knees to stop shaking through sheer will power. "Show me someone who wouldn't be terrified of a monster! But if you think I'm going to run away from you just because of that, y-you have another thing coming."

The smile didn't shift. Even if her life was on the line, Red would have sworn by all the gods above that the wolf hadn't moved a muscle during that speech. Yet, somehow, the expression the monster was making had gotten a lot scarier. As if before she had been smiling, but now she was simply baring her teeth.

"Are you ready to die, human?" the wolf asked, slowly stretching a hand out toward Red. "You must be, if you are talking to me like that." The wolves fingers pressed against Red's chest, the tips of the claws digging into the crimson cloak. "I really hope you made peace with your gods."

Red was trembling, again. Her entire body was shaking with fear. The anger she'd clung to a moment before was gone completely. She wasn't sure how she was even still standing on her feet.

Even she was surprised when more words came out.

"I... I want to see Grandma!"

"Everyone wants to see Grandma. My job is to make sure that nobody does." The clawed fingers gripped at Red's cloak, and tugged the girl forward a step. Sharp teeth were suddenly bare inches from Red's nose, and she couldn't help letting out a squeak of terror.

Red was on her knees before she knew what had happened; her legs had simply given way. Staring up at the monster who had done this to her, whose hands were still clutching at the fabric of her cloak, she could do nothing more than whimper with fear.

"...Pitiful..." the creature whispered, releasing Red's clothing. "Weak. Even if I let you through, there is no way Grandma would see to the request of someone like you. You do not have what it takes." Saying so, the creature strode past Red, toward Grandma's house.

"E-Even so..." Red's throat felt constricted by terror. Each whispered word was a struggle. Still, she refused to stop trying."Even if t-that's the case... I still want to see Grandma!"

"Then get stronger. If you can... Well. Not that it matters if you can or can not. You will not be able to defeat me, as long as I am here. And I am going to be here for a very long time, human. So you might as well just go home."

Even without looking behind her, Red knew the sort of face that the wolf must be making. Smug, confident, self-satisfied. A predator who knew full well that she was beyond the reach of her helpless prey.

Red's fingers clutched at the grass beneath her, short trimmed nails digging into the dirt underneath. There was nothing she could say. She had been judged unworthy.

Slowly, Red rose back up. Swaying faintly on her feet, she began to walk toward the clearing's edge, away from the cabin. Placing her hand on the branch that barred her exit, she took a moment to glance over her shoulder.

The wolf was kneeling on the cottage porch. One knee pointed toward Red, the other straight toward the air; both hands on the ground, as if ready to push herself up at a moment's notice.

She was smiling. A cruel and vicious smile of victory. This beast thought beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd won.

Maybe she had, for the night. But did that mean Red had to give up? As long as she was alive, wasn't there hope? She was sure being stubborn would only convince this monster to kill her, but...

"That's fine, isn't it?" Red murmured to herself.

The wolf's ear moved, ever so slightly. The smile dropped from the wolf's face, even as a grin spread across Red's lips.

Yes. That's right. She had come here knowing she might die. Whether at the hands of monsters, or through a curse laid by Grandmother herself, death had always been on the table.

Failure, on the other hand, was not.

"I'll be back," she swore. To herself or to the wolf, even Red didn't know. Still, she met the beast's gaze with her own. "I'll be back!" she repeated, louder. "And next time, I'm going to see Grandma!"

"I will kill you before you can," the wolf promised, baring her teeth.

"Maybe," Red agreed. "But I'm not backing down!"

Saying so, Red pushed aside the branches of the treeline, and moved away from the clearing. Making her way back to the camp, she did not bother greeting her guide, Anthony, but simply stomped toward her tent.

"No luck with Grandma?" Anthony asked.

"I wonder what your first clue could have been," Red responded back, bitterly, stopping outside her tent and turning her toward the well-muscled man.

He was a hulking creature, even sitting down. Six foot three at his full height, he had a ruggedly handsome face, marred only by a crooked nose and brown stubble, which matched his short cropped hair. If Red had been interested in men, he might have appealed to her.

Though he'd already made it clear that he had no interest in someone with her condition, to begin with.

"Let me guess - ya ran into the wolf?"

"You know about her?" Red asked, turning her attention more fully to Anthony.

"Thought everyone did," Anthony answered, chuckling under his breath. "Damn thing's been guarding the witch for the last five years, and then some. Some people say it's a sign that Grandma's getting on in years, that she needs a creature looking after her now... Might be she's getting weaker."

"Weaker?" Red parroted back. No. No, the witch couldn't be getting weaker, could she? She had to be in full strength to fix Red's condition...

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be able to do whatever ya want, if ya can get to her," Anthony promised. "I hear she's got all sorts of magic knick knacks and treasures. Enough to make a man rich, if he ever got his hands on them. And powerful, beyond his wildest dreams... I'm sure ya can get everything ya've ever wanted. If ya can get past that damn wolf, that is."

"I'll get past her," Red swore. To herself. To Anthony. To the world. "Whatever it takes, I'll get past her."

"Heh... I'll remember ya said that." Anthony poked a stick into flames, shifting the burning wood and sending sparks flying into the air.

Red didn't respond, choosing instead to climb into her tent, and snuggle beneath her blankets.

Soon, the morning would come. Her arms would thicken and grow hair. Her breasts would shrink into her body. Her lustrous black hair would magically shorten itself to a neatly cropped style, while her pussy and clit would shift into balls and a dick.

When the light came, the curse that covered her nightly would fade, until the next sunset. She'd return to what everyone thought of as her natural state.

Everyone but Red. Not even Anthony knew, though, that her goal wasn't to get rid of the curse.

It was to make the "curse" permanent.

***

Monster. Beast. Wolf. The words ran on repeat through a certain woman's head, as she crouched in front of Grandma's house. She was the fierce and loyal guard dog, who had served Grandma for five and a half years.

She still had another six months to go, if she wanted to earn her reward. Half a year more, keeping humans from the witch's door, and she would be granted one of the miracles that had once brought kings and heroes to Grandma.

This being, this monster, this wolf, wasn't like those selfish humans who had pestered Grandma for favor after favor, until she'd finally turned away from mankind all together. She was different from those selfish beings, who sought only to take. She was earning her keep.

Six years of her life, in return for a miracle.

Was it really worth it, though? Sometimes, the wolf had to wonder. Humans were such weak and selfish creatures. They treated members of their own species as monsters, for the simple crime of being born a little different. Even if the offending entity was nothing more than a little girl, they'd throw sticks and stones, mixed with insulting words. They were worthless, weak, and terrible creatures.

"So why, then?" the wolf asked herself. "Why do I want so badly to be one of them?"

***

From sunrise to sunset, Red stayed in her tent. For breakfast, she ate eggs that Anthony had foraged, and tried not to think about what sort of creature those eggs came from. Something large enough that a single yolk was as big as her head. That was already more than Red wanted to know.

For lunch, she had fish that Anthony had caught in a nearby river. Those seemed largely normal, at least, though Red chose not to ask about the bandages that covered Anthony's hands when he delivered her the plate of food.

Even when dinner came, Red stayed in her tent and ate mystery meat stew. She tried not to think about how many teeth their dinner must have had, or what it might have eaten in the past. Really, she was just glad she had hired a capable guide.

When the sun sank beyond the horizon, Red emerged from her tent with a smile on her lips. Her black hair had regained its length, reaching a little past her shoulders. Her green eyes sparkled in the moonlight, filled with determination. She had shrunk a few inches, from five foot nine to five foot six. She had left off the red cloak, today, to better show off a blue dress that seemed practically tailored to her curves. It had a deep neckline that showed off her pale breasts, and its hemline descended only a few inches past her knees. An errant breeze caused the cloth to flutter about her legs, almost - but not ever quite - showing off her underwear. She was wearing a pair of black slip on shoes.

She'd put lipstick on. And rouge. She'd been delicate with the latter, creating a relatively natural look. Or it would have been a natural look, if she had been back home at her parent's estate. Instead she was standing in the woods, looking for all the world like she was about to go on a date.

"Ya going out again?" Anthony asked, upon seeing her. His eyes took in her outfit, and her makeup, but if he had questions about either he kept them to

himself.

"Is that a problem?" Red asked, smiling faintly .

"You're funeral," the man replied, with a small shrug.

"You said the same thing last night, and I came back fine then..." Fine might have been an exaggeration, but she certainly hadn't been killed or maimed. Considering how easily the wolf could have managed either, Red could only come to the conclusion that she had been spared. More than likely, she'd been dismissed as too weak and worthless to kill.

Today, Red was determined to make the wolf swallow that attitude. This dress was her battle armor. The makeup was her declaration of determination. She didn't expect anyone to understand, least of all the rough and rugged Anthony, but she was essentially putting her life on the line.

Today, she wasn't going to back down. She was either going to make it to Grandma, or she was going to die. Either way, she'd be doing it as herself.

It was hard to tell what Anthony thought of all this, though. Having said his piece on her likely demise, he had already turned his attention to stroking the flames of their campfire.

Well. It wasn't as if Red cared what he had to say. She knew she was being reckless, after all. She understood that going out into the woods at night was dangerous. She recognized the fact that she was physically weaker in her nighttime form, as well. The combination could easily lead to her death, just as Anthony predicted.

It was less than a dozen yards from the camp to the clearing, though. It was unlikely she'd be killed before meeting the wolf. It was equally unlikely that she'd survive meeting the wolf, again, but still. She had to do this. If she gave up now, if she went back home, she'd never be able to come here again. She'd be cursed for life, changing forms with every sunrise and sunset.

She had to do this. Even if she was so scared that she wanted to cry, she had to make her way to Grandma's house. Because as scary as it was to face potential death, a lifetime of not being herself was even worse.

So she had to do this.

Taking a deep breath, Red walked through the trees, to the edge of the clearing. She did not stop outside the treeline, this time, pushing aside the branches and making her way into the grassy area.

In response to her intrusion, a figure stood up from the porch. Silver hair and yellow eyes marked this inhuman beast; it was the same creature that had stopped her the night before.

"Human..." the wolf snarled, pulling her lips back to bare her teeth. "What are you doing here? I thought my warning was quite clear."

"It was." Red smiled at the wolf before her. Her heart was pounding so fast that she thought it might burst from sheer fear. Her legs were trembling. Staring at this wolf, at this monster, made her feel like she might burst into tears. Yet still, she brought out the biggest smile she could muster.

"You're going to kill me, right?" Red took a step forward, eyes locked on the instrument of her demise. A tear actually did leak out of one eye, but she took another step forward all the same. "It's really unfair..."

"Unfair...?" the wolf asked. Somehow, the creature's gaze seemed more intent. "You think I am being unfair?" Was it just Red, or did the wolf somehow seem angry?

Well screw that. Red could be angry, too.

"Yes! It's unfair! I came all this way, I faced all this danger, and Grandma won't even talk to me? Instead she unleashes her pet monster to come kill me? It's not fair! It's not right! People in fairy tales are always rewarded for their efforts, but in real life I'm just going to die!? How is that in any way fair!?"