TwistedRevenge (10 page)

For a brief second, she worried if her grandmother would
approve of her and fear knotted in her stomach with thought of her how her
grandmother would take to Luc, but she would think about that later. She couldn’t
wait to enjoy the feeling of a loving embrace, the smell of home-cooked meals
and long talks about what her parents had been like. Tears welled up in her
eyes as she took off running. All her life she’d told herself she didn’t need
her grandmother, the one family member she had left but who had never come to
visit her. All the bitterness and resentment washed away as her hand curled
around the door handle.

Luc was shouting something at her, but she couldn’t hear
anything with the sound of her heart thumping in her ears. He was racing to
catch up to her but she’d made it to the door long before him. She threw the
door open and stepped inside. Turning around, she saw Luc an arm’s-length short
of the cabin when the door suddenly slammed shut. Luc hit the door with enough
force to shake the entire cabin. Rowan jumped back, “What the—?”

The door handled jiggled, he pounded and yelled but she
still couldn’t figure out what he was saying. A shaky voice called out from
another room in the cabin, “Who’s there?”

“Grandma?” Rowan wrapped her red cloak around herself and
cautiously made her way through the cabin. “Grandma, is that you?”

“Rowan, my dear. Yes, yes it’s me.”

There were no lights in the cabin and only a faint glow
emanated from the wood-burning stove. “Where are you? Are you all right?”

“Oh, I’m fine, just resting in the bedroom.” There was a
pause and a shuffling sound. “First door on your right, my dear.”

Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness far better than they
ever had before and she found the door with ease after she had her bearings.
Entering the room, she gasped. Her grandmother was lying in bed, fully dressed
for bedtime. She was sprawled out in a nightgown and sleeping cap with a pair
of glasses perched neatly on the tip of her nose. She didn’t look as old as
Rowan had imagined, appearing to be in her late forties at most. “It’s nice to
finally meet you, Grandma.”

The older lady beamed. “The pleasure is all mine. I’ve
missed you dearly.”

Rowan frowned. “Then why did you never come to see me?”

“It’s a treacherous path to get from here to there.” She
waved her hand. “Well, you know, you’ve already traveled it, but it’s much
harder for an old woman than it is for such a young girl like yourself.”

Rowan smiled and rushed to her grandmother, flinging her
arms around her neck and hugging her tight. “It’s so good to see you. You have
no idea how worried I’ve been, thinking we’d be too late.”

“You’ve been listening to stories, haven’t you? I’m
perfectly safe here and now that you are here with me, you will be safe too. I
promise.”

Rowan smiled and then remembered Luc stuck outside. “Oh, my
friend, he’s outside but the door is stuck.”

Her grandmother narrowed her eyes. “The door is not stuck,
it is a protection spell. That wolf may not enter my house. I am saddened to
hear you’ve been traveling with him.”

Rowan shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. He’s good.
He’s helping me to take down Ulric.”

“Child, all wolves work for Ulric. They are liars and
deceivers. Just because he’s told you differently doesn’t make it true.”

She winced as if the thought of someone now calling her wolf
a traitor hurt like a physical blow. “Luc isn’t a liar, he saved me. He
protects me.”

“And what, my dear? Do you think he loves you?”

“No… I mean…” She glanced toward the front door and frowned.
“No.” Fear twisted in her stomach. This wasn’t right. Something was way off
base here. “He’s a good person.”

“None of them are good people, Rowan. Do you know why?”

She chewed her bottom lip and looked down. “Why?”

“Because they are evil. They love the taste of blood. They
love to toy and play with their prey and most of all, they love to hunt.” Her
grandmother drew her in for another hug. “Now forget about the whelp outside
and come tell me all about your travels so far.”

Her grandmother slid over on the bed, making room for Rowan
to slide in next to her. She did as she was told but something still didn’t
feel right. The older woman patted Rowan’s leg and smiled. “Don’t be nervous,
it’s not as if I bite.” Rowan laughed and her grandmother smiled big and
bright. Rowan swallowed hard—big teeth. She looked up and met her grandmother’s
gaze—big eyes. Sweat beaded Rowan’s forehead. She had to get out of here. Her
grandmother growled, “What’s wrong, my dear?”

“No… Nothing. I’m tired I guess. It was a long journey here.”

Her grandmother leaned in closer. “Are you sure? You’re
looking at me awfully strange. Say what is on your mind.”

“It’s nothing, just…” Rowan paused as her grandmother took
her by the hand and stroked her palm with her large fingers. She stuttered. “My,
what big hands you have.”

“Better to hold you with, my dear.” The older woman moved
closer, gripping Rowan’s waist and coming face-to-face with her.

“And what big eyes you have.”

The large eyes staring down at her lit up as if she was
enjoying this game. “The better to see you with, my dear.”

Rowan swallowed and focused on the teeth. Those teeth… Fangs
really, they were pearly white and lethal looking. She could barely whisper the
words, “What big teeth you have.”

Her grandmother moved over her body but the form quickly
changed to Ulric in a flash of bright light. He gripped her wrists before she
could get away from him and pinned them over her head. His knees nudged her
legs apart as he pressed himself against her. Lowering his head down, he
trailed his nose against her jaw and down her neck as he whispered back, “The
better to eat you with, my dear.”

* * * * *

Luc paced the cabin, slamming his fists against the doors
and windows. He’d known the moment they’d entered the clearing that his father
was here but Rowan hadn’t listened to him. He watched in horror as she ran for
the house. He cursed himself for not restraining her. He should have known she
would rush in without thinking. Now any number of things could be happening and
he had no way of saving her. His father must have employed some powerful
witches to make a spell to repel him. He threw his head back and howled as he
glared at the door keeping him from the woman he’d sworn to protect. Lowering
his shoulder, he rushed the solid door and hit it with a sickening thud. It
wouldn’t budge and Rowan’s time was ticking away. He couldn’t fail her. He’d
promised her he wouldn’t fail and neither would she.

In the distance, other howls answered his call but Luc
ignored them. They called for their brother to return home but he refused. The
pack wasn’t his home as long as the Big Bad Wolf called the shots and his pack
mates knew it, still they sang to him. Luc focused on the door, pounding his
fists against the thick wood. “Father, I swear to the White Queen I will skin
you alive if you hurt her!”

The door popped open just an inch. Luc pushed it until it
swung completely open. Either his father had dropped the spell or it had worn
off. Whichever it was, he didn’t care. He stepped inside the main living area
of the cabin and scanned the room. There was no sign of Rowan or his father. He
took a step and heard his father’s voice. “Not another step, son. Or I’ll slit
her throat right now.”

Luc turned to see his father standing in the doorway and
holding a knife to Rowan’s throat. He shook his head. “No you won’t. You enjoy
the hunt too much.” Luc met Rowan’s frightened eyes and part of him wanted to
break down, to give his father anything he asked for if he’d let her go, but he
knew his father well enough to know that the only thing the old wolf wanted was
for Rowan to die at his hands.

“Don’t test me, boy. You’ve interfered. You’ve cost me too
much.”

Luc rolled his eyes. “What have I cost you?”

“My allegiance to the Piper. He told me to keep you far away
from her and you ended up fucking the whore.”

Luc growled a low warning but his father continued to press
the knife to Rowan’s throat. “How did she even manage to wrap you around her
little finger? You were on the other side of the Arch and you were supposed to
stay there.”

She was being so brave as his father kept her pinned. Luc
was proud of her resolve. As much as Luc wanted to rush his father, her staying
calm gave him the clarity he needed to control himself. Luc’s grimace turned
into a wicked grin. The only way to get Ulric to drop his guard was to taunt
him. “You haven’t figured it out yet? You have a spy in your pack or should I
say, I have a spy in my pack.”

“Spy? You lie.” Ulric glared. “And the pack is mine. It will
never be yours.”

“Am I lying? Let’s see, Piper paid you a visit and promised
you he’d deliver the one in red to you in exchange for safe passage and your
vow to owe him a favor.” Luc tapped his chin. “Oh, and you were specifically
told to keep me away from her. Does that just about sum it up?”

Ulric narrowed his gaze. “Colin is your spy? I will kill
him.”

“I don’t think you will. Let her go and I might make your
death quick.”

“You don’t have it in you, boy.” Ulric kept the knife pinned
to Rowan’s throat and held out his free hand. He blew across his palm.

Luc didn’t have time to react. He saw the sand in the air a
second before it hit him full in the face. The sleeping powder took effect
almost immediately. Luc staggered back but his eyes grew heavy and before he
could speak, he was out.

Luc awoke in the clearing, his hands and legs bound and a
collar around his neck. He struggled against the restraints as the ropes bit
into his flesh. It was nothing compared to the pain from the collar. It was a
magical restraint used to lock a shape shifting creature into whatever their
current form was. Being bound like this would be easy for him to slip out of if
he shifted but his father was too wise for that. Ulric had betrayed the pack’s
laws to trap his own son. No wolf was ever to use one of the collars against
their own kind.

Ulric was busy carrying Rowan outside when he noticed his
son already awake. “Comfortable, my boy?”

“I shouldn’t be surprised you used a collar on me. You
always did strike me as the traitor type.” Luc waited to see if Rowan was still
alive and gave a relieved sigh as he saw her chest moving and her eyes flutter.

“I am no traitor. You,” Ulric pointed his finger at his son,
“you are the traitor. This girl is a killer of our kind. She will hunt down and
kill our entire pack and you not only bedded her but you also aided her. It’s
deplorable.” With an umph, he deposited Rowan’s sleeping form against a boulder
in the clearing.

“She isn’t out to kill every wolf—only you.”

“She will turn on you. Give her time. She will see your
beast and she will be appalled by it. She’ll kill you in her sleep, stab you
through the heart, slit your throat and skin you all before she blinks an eye.”
Ulric’s voice shook with conviction. “Her kind is not to be trusted. They are
the monsters, not us.”

Luc had heard this speech more times than he could count. He
shook his head. “No, Father, you are the monster. It’s always been you. You’ve
hunted down innocent people and killed them for nothing more than wearing a red
sash. Your madness has reached its limit.” He tried wiggling his hands to free
himself to no avail. “And let’s be clear on one thing—she didn’t seek me out. I
found her and I convinced her to come here and kill you before you could do the
same to her. Your little friend Piper somehow managed to get Prince Phillip
under his command and actually had the good prince trying to lure her here so
you could get the drop on her.” He smiled as his father glared at him. “Lucky
for her, I found her and convinced her to trust me. She did and I’ve been training
her. I’ve unlocked her abilities.”

Ulric snorted. “And just what does that mean?”

“It means she has the skills to kill you now. She won’t be
so easy to defeat.”

“When will you see the error of your ways? Two seconds
before she turns on you?”

“She is my destiny. She is who will set me free.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Mother told me, right before you killed her.”

Ulric stopped his frantic pacing and stared at his son. “Your
mother?”

“Yes.”

“Lies. Your mother was a treacherous snake. She plotted
against me. She’d say anything to turn you against me.”

“She didn’t need to turn me against you. I’ve never been on
your side and the moment you killed my mother was the moment I started plotting
your death.”

* * * * *

Piper shed his disguise of Theron and returned to his camp
none the worse for wear. With his soldiers readying for war against the wolves,
he knew it was only a matter of time before all of his plan would come to
fruition. All he needed was for Ulric to kill the girl, then his only threat to
gaining the pack’s territory would be eliminated. With the death of the one in
red, Luc would turn on his father. The witch who blessed the Pied Piper with
his special gifts had foretold that if father and son fought, it would be to
the death for both of them. With the contenders for the alpha dead, it would
leave the wolves in chaos and Piper and his soldiers could walk in and make
short work of slaughtering them all and gaining control of the Black Forest.

“Sir, everything is ready. Would you like me to send in the
first wave?”

“Not yet, Aengus. We need to be patient and make sure
everything goes according to plan.” The young man narrowed his eyes. Patience
wasn’t a trait his soldiers were comfortable with. When he’d cursed them with
their immortality, it seemed to short-circuit the rational part of their brains.
The parts that were rational, calm, and kind were replaced with violence,
hatred, and impatience. In most cases, his army was made up of the children he’d
stolen from those people who had wronged him. It was the price they paid for
betraying the Pied Piper. Aengus was a special case though. Piper had stolen
the infant from the Fae king and queen. It was one more piece in the puzzle. All
his plans were falling into place and soon all the kingdoms of the realm would
belong to him. The Fae would play their part later on, just as Prince Phillip
had done with bringing Rowan out into the open.

Piper smiled. The good Prince Phillip’s kingdom would fall
eventually too. The end to his happily ever after with the sleeping princess
was already in the works. Piper wrung his hands as a greedy smile played on his
lips. Everyone had their parts to play and as soon as the Big Bad Wolf and his
pack were out of the way, it would be time to move on to phase two of his plan.

Still, Aengus’ tension would affect the other soldiers. All
of them seemed to take their cues from the lost son of the Fae. It was one of the
reasons Piper had picked him. His charisma would lead Piper’s army. The other
soldiers would follow him to their deaths, which was exactly what he would need
when the time came but for now, he needed his soldiers calm and Aengus was
itching for some action. He clasped the young man on the shoulder. “I have just
the job for you, my boy. The Watcher at the Arch, Alad, I need you to make sure
everything is in place for our next phase. Keep an eye on him and alert me if the
witch makes contact with him and for God’s sake keep him away from entering the
Arch if at all possible. The last thing we need is for all of our players to go
jumping the gun and derailing my plans.”

Aengus nodded briefly, a cruel smile curled on his lips. “Yes
sir.”

Piper pulled out his flute and played a few notes as a thick
fog rolled in and Aengus disappeared in its magical mist.

* * * * *

Rowan groaned. She could hear talking nearby. Luc’s voice
stood out and then the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end when she
heard his father. Her stomach churned, listening to the wolf trying to convince
Luc that she would betray him. She glared at Ulric. “Shut up. I would never
hurt Luc.”

Ulric grinned. “Not more than a day ago you would have. It
was so easy for Piper to convince you that Luc was your enemy. Don’t you
remember?”

Her brows drew together in a tight line. She could still
barely move thanks to the effects of the sleeping dust. “What are you talking
about?”

The wolf’s grin widened. “The woodsman, you called him Theron,
he was the Pied Piper. You see, he is the one who put all of this in motion. He
managed to get Prince Phillip to lure you here.” The old man sighed and shook
his head. “Unfortunately my son decided to interfere, but once he brought you
here, Piper set out to lead you to me and I must say he did a good job.”

She glared. “Let me guess, the bridges weren’t flooded out?
He led me to the bridge with the troll on purpose? He turned me against Luc so
I’d be an easier target for you?”

“Smart girl.”

“Screw you.”

Ulric chuckled. “I’m glad you still have your fighting
spirit. It will make this much more fun.”

“Make what fun?”

“Killing you.” He reached down and stroked her cheek just as
her strength returned. “My son won’t be interfering with our fun. He’ll have to
sit there and watch while we play.”

“Play? You are a sick bastard. This isn’t a game. You’re
just going to kill me. How is it a game?”

“You’re mistaken. I’m not going to just kill you. I’m going
to make you hurt until you beg for death. Now on your feet, girl.” She stood
and dusted the dirt from her backside. Ulric stepped in front of her, holding
out her blades. “It’s not a fair fight if you are unarmed. Go ahead, take them.”

She arched a brow. “Are you serious?”

“Oh yes, my dear. I like a fair fight.”

Her nostrils flared. “Fine, you pompous ass.” She grabbed
her knives, twirled them and slashed before he’d had a chance to step back.

Excitement flashed in his eyes. “Not even giving me a chance
to say go? All right then, little mouse, let’s play.”

The flash of light signaled that Ulric had changed forms.
Rowan lunged but hesitated when she saw what stood before her. Instead of a normal-looking
wolf, the elder Marrok was a full-fledged monster. He was wolf-like but
standing on his hind legs. His hands hung down to his knees and ended in hand-shaped
paws tipped in dangerous claws, and his maw was full of sharp teeth. His nose
twitched and lips curled like a dog about to attack. It threw Rowan for a loop.
She was still having trouble wrapping her head around everything she had come
into contact with here. Ulric must have been grinning, his lips pulled back,
exposing more of his deadly teeth. Her stomach churned.

He circled her, a wolf stalking its prey. He leapt toward
her and she ran, his cries of excitement filled the clearing. This must have
been exactly what he wanted. He wanted a chase and stupidly she’d given it to
him. More yips and howls rose up and Rowan shivered. She was being watched. She
was their entertainment. She slowed down and felt white-hot pain erupt from her
back. Hissing, she spun around to see Ulric swiping his clawed hand toward her
again. Luc yelled, “Duck!”

She dropped down in the nick of time, the Big Bad Wolf’s paw
sliced through the air where her head had been. Her hand moved without
thinking, she sliced low and heard a satisfying yelp as her blade met with the
resistance of bone. She yanked her knife free and fell back, watching Ulric
stumble. His head snapped up with a look of death in his eyes and her breath
hitched. Panic was overloading her brain. All she could think about were those
teeth and claws ripping into her. She scrambled backward along the ground as
Ulric pounced. His body slammed into hers, she could feel the wet drops of
blood from his injury dripping on her leg.

She wiggled but he was too strong for her to fight. His
hands tangled in her hair, she winced as the sudden realization hit her. He
lifted her head. “No!” she cried out as he slammed her head into the ground.
Her vision went dark. Spots of bright light erupted in the darkness. She couldn’t
see, she couldn’t think, but she could hear. She heard Luc yelling for her to
fight, Ulric growling. The birds at the perimeter chirped every few seconds as
if relaying the fight to the other forest creatures. She could hear the gust of
wind picking up. Her entire body stilled, she heard Ulric licking his lips, his
lips curling. He was getting ready to bite. She could hear it and feel it in
her gut. He’d loosened his grip enough so he could turn her head to the side,
readying himself to feast on her neck.

Her hand moved in the dirt, searching for something,
anything to defend herself with. Even blind, she would still fight on. Finally
her fingers curled around the hilt of one of her blades. Ulric lunged and Rowan
rolled and grabbed the knife. Her arm came up from the side, a haymaker swing
with the blade in her hand. His teeth dug into her neck and then stopped. Her
hand hit the side of his head. His entire body slumped, his jaw loosened. Only
then did she realize the knife was embedded to the hilt in Ulric’s temple. He
made a gurgling sound as his body twitched. Thick sticky fluid seeped from the
wound and coated her hand.

She screamed and pushed the body off as her stomach lurched,
expelling the contents all over the forest floor. Tears stung her eyes. She
could barely take a breath. She felt as if the world was spinning. Her
shoulders shook with every sob. She’d killed a man. He was going to eat her and
she’d killed him. Finally her vision started to clear. She blinked, taking in
the scene around her. Ulric lay dead in the dirt with only her knife handle
sticking out of his head. Luc sat in openmouthed shock, staring at his father’s
body. One by one, wolves were entering the clearing. They snarled and snapped
their teeth at her. She spun around, trying to take in how many she’d have to
fight off. There was no way out. She couldn’t win this fight.

Luc was whispering to her, it took several seconds for her
to actually hear him. “Red, untie me. Untie me, now. I can help.”

“No, what if you hurt me? I killed your father. I’m a
murderer like he said.”

“No you are not. He was insane. He was going to kill you.
Untie me and I can calm the others.”

“They won’t listen.”

“Yes they will. They see you as a threat because you killed
their alpha and they think you are keeping me as a prisoner. If you free me I
become their alpha and they will obey my every command.”

“You’ll command them to kill me.”

Frustration touched his voice. “Rowan, look at me. Did I
hurt you? Think about us in the woods, did I hurt you then?”

“No.” She inched closer to him, causing the wolves’ growls
to get louder.

“Ignore them, Red. I swear I will never let anyone hurt you
ever. I’ve gotten you this far, trust me.”

Reality came slamming back into her. He had protected her,
brought her here so she could survive. He’d saved her and touched her in ways
no one else ever had. He was the one person she knew would always keep his
word, he never wavered even when his own father had tried to convince him she
would turn on him, and here she was, playing right into Ulric’s hands. She
shook her head and rushed to Luc. The moment she moved, the wolves started
running. She grabbed the knife out of Luc’s belt and swung it to ward off the
wolves who were advancing, buying herself a moment to try to cut the bindings
before having to pause and scare the beasts off again. Finally she heard the
rope snap and Luc sprung to his feet. The other wolves paused in their advance
and whimpered as if waiting to see what would happen next.