My Frog Prince (Twilight)

Claire's little hand was swallowed-up by Quil's large one as they made their own trail through the woods, dodging past over-grown shrubbery and ducking under low-hanging tree limbs. During a patrol, Quil had recently discovered a boulder that was shaped like a heart and he couldn't wait to show the large, oddly shaped rock to Claire. Claire loved rocks!

"I read a book all by myself." the 5-year-old bragged as she swung the hand that Quil was holding back and forth.

"No way!"

Quil's eyes were as big as saucers as he gaped at the little girl with the braided hair. His surprise was exaggerated for her benefit, of course, but Quil was, truly, very impressed.

"Uh huh," Claire nodded, proudly, "It was called "The Frog Prince"! It was 'bout a prince who—"

Quil's amused expression quickly faded as his nose picked-up an unfavorable scent. His feet shuffled to a halt and a jolt of fear shot through him as his eyes desperately scanned the trees.

"Quil what's wrong?" Claire asked, confused, as her hand started to shake from the restrained vibrations of Quil's body.

Hot flames shot up his spine as the sickly sweet scent he had smelled grew stronger and he didn't know how long he would be able to hold his shaking body together. Quil's eyes darted wildly around the woods as he held Claire protectively close to him. Too close. And maybe too tight.

"Quuilllll!" Claire whined in response as she tried to pull her hand free from his iron-grasp, pushing at him with her other hand and trying to shake herself free, unsuccessfully.

Quil took-in a sharp intake of breath then and Claire let her hand fall limp in his grasp.

"REPULSIVE!" a strangely high-pitched voice spat and Claire glanced up to see an even stranger looking woman standing before Quil.

Quil growled in warning at the red-eyed female who began circling them. His angry shaking was more intense than it had ever been and his efforts to keep his wolf at bay were weakening—fast! He was terrified for Claire! He was afraid that the vampiress would want to make a meal out of her, but even more afraid of phasing near her. He didn't know what do!

"Where the hell's Jake?" he desperately wondered, not sensing that anyone was on patrol.

The female circled him, curiously, and Quil followed her movements, sending her death glares and letting-out a low, territorial growl that sounded more wolf than human.

"What ARE you?" the vampire hissed as she examined Quil with dark, hungry eyes.

Claire gazed up at the creepy red-eyed woman, whom she believed to be a witch, and then she looked up at her Quil.

"We're Claire and Quil!" the little girl answered sharply as she pursed her lips at the witch.

Quil jerked Claire safely behind him and barred his teeth as the female vampire looked at her. The female's eyes flashed to Quil's then, and a malicious smile spread across her face.

"Delicious." she cooed as she took a step closer, eyeballing Claire again.

Ferocious tremors vibrated through Quil's limbs and he knew he couldn't hold them back any longer.

"RUN, CLAIRE, RUN!"

Quil shoved Claire in the opposite direction of the vampire and she ran like she was told, moving as fast as her little legs would carry her while a loud ripping sound erupted behind her. The sound was like nothing she had ever heard before and she quickly sought-out cover behind the trunk of a tree before turning around to take a peek. A giant brown wolf stood where Quil had been standing and it growled at the red-eyed witch. Claire gasped as she realized that the witch had turned her Quil into a wolf just like that other witch had turned the Prince into a frog! Claire anxiously dug her little fingers into the bark of the tree as wolf-Quil and the witch barreled noisily through the woods as a brown-fur and pale-skinned blur.