Wolf and Wishes

-14- Behind the Hood

"Gossamer's a wolf?" Dexter's shriek echos through the woods and Raven clamps his mouth with her hand.

"Shh," she shushes him, and slowly removes her hand. Their eyes lock and they share a 'moment', which makes me cringe, reminding me of how Hunter left me. I speak up.

"Yeah, she is." Dexter looks unsure. "Well, werewolf, we think. Or part wolf. Obviously she's not a full wolf," I say, on the verge of hysteria. After Hunter had left, Raven, Dexter and I had searched for them everywhere- his house, in town- and we'd tried his Mirror Phone seven times. It had taken the rest of the day, and now night had fallen.

"How do you know?" Dexter asks, looking at me like I'm crazy.

It's funny that Dexter still didn't know I was a wolf, but was still willing to help Raven and I search for Gossamer, without needing any reason. Well, willing to help Raven, that is. Once again I flinch at the thought.

"Because I'm a wolf too," I say, and Dexter's gasp is even louder when he found out Gossamer was a wolf too.

Raven clamps his mouth before he can scream again. But this time Dexter struggles and manages to pull away from Raven.

"What?!" He shrieks. "Are you kidding me?" His eyes dart to Raven accusingly. "And you know? Why didn't you tell me?... Are you a wolf too?"

Raven snorts sadly. "No, Dexter." She tries to reach out for him but he backs away. She flinches, hurt. "Listen, you have to believe us- Gossamer's not who she says she is. She let loose the spiders at school, and we think Hunter's in danger."

Dexter who still obviously hasn't wrapped his head around the fact I'm not entirely human, says, "But Cerise, you're a wolf! Have you ever... ever- are you going to... What do you eat?"

I almost laugh at the question, but I don't. Because that would be weird.

"I eat everything you'd eat, Dexter. It's not like I go rampaging on full moons eating human limbs," I say. Dexter doesn't smile.

We stand in silence for a while, before he speaks up. "So... why are we in Hood Hollows?"

It's been forever since I was last in Hood Hollows. Before I Dad started working at Ever After High several years ago, we used to come all the time. It was the one place I didn't have to wear my hood, and it would be even better if Mom could come, but she said she would feel like an intruder. So Dad and I used to come here for three days every three months, although we usually stayed in town, not in the woods where Dexter, Raven and I now stood.

"Well," I begin. "If Gossamer's a wolf, then we think she'd go to the place where she doesn't have to lie about who she is. And there are some areas where it wouldn't be strange to see a wolf walking down with an unconscious human over their shoulder," I admit, and Dexter's look is purely horrifying.

"So," he says, his voice shaking. "Say I do consider this, what's the plan?" Raven and I exchange a look.

"We," she starts, "Don't really have one..."

Dexter's obviously trying to remain calm, and suddenly we hear his phone buzz. He takes it out of his pocket. "It's Daring," he says, and shows us Daring's text. Where r u? Mom's freaking out.

Raven pauses thoughtfully for a moment. "Maybe..." she trails off, and Dexter and I look at her impatiently.

"What?" we say in unison.

"Maybe," she repeats. "He can help."

Daring stands next to Dexter, and they both stare at me in shock. Well, my ears, really.

We had waited for Daring to arrive here (by dragon, actually) and it had taken almost an hour. Dexter and I wanted to leave without him, but we couldn't leave Raven, and she insisted on waiting for him. Anyway, by the time he finally got here, he wanted proof. And so we had debated for a few minutes before I pulled back my hood. Now Daring and Dexter are staring my wolf ears.

"Well," Daring said, sounding quite calm and composed. "What's the plan?" He draws his sword, and I notice his slight British accent.

Raven, Dexter and I all look at Daring. "That's up to you."

So Daring, the supposed 'war hero', as Dexter calls him, drew up a plan. Part of me couldn't help but thinking that between looking for Hunter, trekking to Hood Hollow, convincing Dexter I didn't eat Human, waiting for Daring to arrive and creating a plan, that Hunter was probably as good as dead.

"So you know what to do?" Daring asks me for what feels like the fiftieth time.

"Yeah, Daring," I say, rolling my eyes.

"Sorry, not used to working with inexperienced soldiers," he grins arrogantly.

"Daring, you've never been in war," I reply, trying to hide my groan.

"Keep telling yourself that, honey." I glare at him, but he just winks.

I return my eyes to the street in front of me. We were waiting for Raven and Dexter to return from surveying Hood Hollows (on the dragon, yes) so we could get back to phase two of the 'brilliant' plan. Daring and I had been waiting fifteen minutes, and I was starting to get impatient.

After a few more minutes of silence, Daring spoke up again.

"I think," he says, surprisingly composed. "We need to accept they aren't coming." His tone did not match his words. You'd think we were talking about the weather, rather than the fact he was proposing that his younger brother had been captured by an evil wolf-girl.

I nod, my stomach filling with fear for Raven and Dexter. "Let's go."

The corners of Daring's mouth tilt up slightly. "Time for Plan B."