Red Roses - (FCRAs 2016 Winner)

Big Bad Wolf

"Stay behind me." 

Lorelie glanced up at Grey as he slowly lowered his body, keeping himself close to her, his eyes fixed on the silver wolf that padded out into the field, sunlight bouncing off his fur.

"Well well, Alpha Grey," the silver said, his smile more like a sneer as he bared his teeth. "Rather far from the nest, aren't we?"

"What are you doing here, Roth?" Grey growled, his hair standing on end.

"Aren't I allowed to take a morning stroll?" Roth asked, laughing. That just brought another hair-raising growl out of Grey and Lorelie cringed back at the sound.

"Now now, Grey, you're scaring the lady," Roth chuckled, crouching down so he could see Lorelie through Grey's legs. "Good morning, Miss, I take it you are well today."

Lorelie stared at him.

"Lorelie, don't answer him," Grey hissed.

"Lorelie?" Roth said, looking up at Grey before grinning widely and straightening up. "Lorelie May? Really?"

He started to walk, circling them, eyes on Lorelie even as Grey followed his movements, keeping his body between them.

"Still alive I see," Roth muttered, eyes watching her, ignoring Grey. "How did you survive?"

"Roth!" Grey snarled.

"Survive?" Lorelie copied and Grey let out a breath, closing his eyes as Roth grinned.

"I thought you were killed when you were just a child and yet here you are... somehow still alive and well. Seems the forests didn't claim you back then."

He suddenly sat down, smiling.

"But it's starting again, how many children have the forests claimed so far?"

Lorelie sat up, staring at him.

"Lorelie, ignore him," Grey said, his tone verging on panic but she just stared at Roth.

"What do you know about those attacks?" she asked.

Roth chuckled, looking down at his front paws, slowly extending and retracting his claws. "What indeed?" he said gently, eyes flicking up to meet Lorelie. "I'm sure I could tell you something of interest, but lets do it away from this one. Grey will ruin the conversation."

Grey started growling, hackles shooting up, hair rising, ears pointed.

"See what I mean?" Roth said with a dismissive sigh, "He has no manners. Come, let us talk without him and I'll tell you want you want to know – what he won't tell you." He smiled. "Come, I shan't hurt you, after all, it's not me who's the Big Bad Wolf."

Grey let out a snarl and Roth shot to his feet, fangs bared in reply.

"Leave, Roth! Now!' Grey shouted.

"Or you'll do what?" Roth snarled back, "There's no one here to back you up this time, little prince. You're all alone, what exactly do you think you can do against us?"

Lorelie looked up. Us? She looked around then shrank closer to Grey. There were other wolves, slowly prowling out of the darkness, heads low, fangs bared, all eyes on Grey as he watched them.

"You should know better then to go walking alone in the woods," Roth hissed.

Grey didn't back down however, instead he started to grow, using his new size to step right over Lorelie and completely cover her.

But the other wolves grew as well; they easily matched him in size, some even bigger.

"Grey," Lorelie gasped, scramble back until she hit one of his back legs, eyes wide as she stared at the huge wolves that surrounded them all with eyes on Grey, gaze set to kill.