CHAPTER TWO: THE WARRIOR

Every fairy tale had a bloody lining. Every one had teeth and claws.
-Alice Hoffman

Once upon a time, there was a man who could walk on four paws instead of two feet.

For the last two days he has been stalking through the woods in his fighting form- -a giant brown, snarling wolf- -and killing things to eat.

At no point after Little Red had found him, did he shift back -as he knew instantly she was there.

Blythe wasn't exactly trying to hide, if she was then chances are she wouldn't have been found.

Observing him on edge, him knowing he's being followed is a key factor for the half-witch.

To recruit someone for the mission they need good skills, great senses, decent morals (but not ones good enough they won't do some shady shit) and someone that is a nobody. Dead to the world, could vanish in the blink of an eye and not a soul would notice. A ghost, especially.

The prefect person to help her.

First on the list for her team?

A warrior.

Something a Russian werewolf will have no problem being.

Blythe never walks into something blindly, she already knows the wolf's name.

Dimitri Ivanenkov.

To her, he seems like the perfect warrior for her mission. A man with brains, brawn and a hidden monster.

Of course, she knows he's aware of her presence and she has to admit -the wolf is handling her stalking him a lot better than she would if someone was following her and she knew it.

Taking a break from observing him to go collect more water from the river, Little Red jumps down from her tree and silently walks to the water edge -unaware in doing so she had switched roles.

The observer became the prey.

Shifting back into his first form- -a 6'7" Russian man with stretch marks on every joint from how often he's shifted, all too obvious on his brown skin as scars would be. A man with keen black eyes and brown hair, canines sharp and lethal- -he is silent.

And completely bare, his only decoration his left pierced ear.

This wolf man, as he sheds clothes each time he shifts, isn't shy.

Coming up behind Little Red, Dimitri wraps a large hand around her throat and pins her down to a tree -his other hand clenching on her thigh over the golden knife strapped there. This all done in a single, swift motion.

"You know, my Dear," The wolf says, smugness lacing his tone. "It isn't safe for a girl to walk through these woods alone."

"Says the indecent man who's just pinned me to a tree," Gasps out Blythe, not quite knowing what the expect. This was on the list, yes, but not quite so high up as being the first reaction. "I want you to join me."

"Hmm," The wolf leans forward, making Little Red squirm as he sniffs her then licks from her jaw to her cheek bone. "Well you do already have me naked."

"Not like that." Blythe snaps, cheeks nearly going as red as her cloak.

Telling herself it's anger instead of the wolf affecting her, Little Red nearly scoffs to herself.

Lie.

Already knowing that she's not there for sex but wanting to mess with her mentally, Dimitri's body stiffens in anticipation. "Then explain." His tone- -which is thick with his rolling Russian accent- -reminds her instantly of the thumb pressed into her jugular that can sharpen into a claw without warning.

"Having someone good under pressure, fast on their feet and reacting well-" Blythe gasps again as his hand squeezes her harder. "You think clearly in bad conditions. It's good."

"Good for what?"

"For my mission," Little Red's eyes shine as she says this, intriguing the wolf even more. "I'll explain, first put me down."

"Introduce yourself first, tell me how I can trust you." He demands, voice now half growl.

"Red," She winces, startled by the noise. "You can call me Red. And you shouldn't trust me, ever, if I have to choose between you and the mission I will choose the mission ten out of ten times. But it's worth it."

I like how she thinks, Dimitri admits to himself.

While still staring the girl down, he decides to test her -see if she tries to run or stays and sticks true to this little recruitment of hers.

"Do they actually call you Little Red?" The wolf sneers at Blythe, so close to her that she can feel his warm breath all over her neck.

"Do they actually call you the Big Bad Wolf?" Comes Little Red's snarky reply, hands clutched around his wrist in a futile attempt to loosen his grip on her neck. "Medium and Cocky Wolf is more realistic."

A growl sounds out in her ear, Dimitri's back stiffens as he realizes just how beautiful the girl is beneath her red cloak. "Watch your mouth."

A twisted smile plays on her lips, "Whatever for, Wolf?"

"Well Red," Leaning down over her indeed little frame and forcing her chin up so their cheeks slid together, the wolf speaks against her skin. "If you keep antagonizing me I may have to take a bite."

"With those sharp teeth? You'd tear me up." A spark of fear enters her system but it's only momentarily before Blythe realizes he's not even holding her hands down, nor restraining her legs.

If she truly felt threatened, she could fight back.

It was quite telling to the wolf, that she wasn't fighting back. Well, that and the smell of her attraction.

Dimitri smirks, "All the better to eat you up with."

Little Red just wanted the Big Bad Wolf for her mission, simple as that.

Oh, but the wolf?

The wolf would love to ravage her skin with his lips and peel the red cloak from around her, none of his desire suitable for your average childhood fairy tale.

With that thought in mind, he drops his hold on her and watches as she falls back against the tree. Taking note of just how small the half-witch in front of him is, the wolf keeps their bodies a breathe away from each other.

Now she can't run away.

Though Dimitri did admit, her trying to run from him sounds...exciting to say the least.

"What's this mission of yours all about anyway?" Lips twitching up into a cruel smirk that shows off his canines, Dimitri leans over Little Red even more. "Seeing how many grandmothers you can trick in one sitting? Or wait, let me guess, we're going to steal candy from little girls and instead of eating that we decide them instead. We could always go and blow some houses down-"

"I'm going to kill the Wicked Queen."

Is how Blythe decides to say her master plan, how she said her- -supposed to be best line- -way of getting the wolf on board.

"Alright," Not taking this as a challenge, the wolf nods and licks across his lips. "And what's my job? Keep the bed warm at night."

Little Red rolls her eyes, "You'd be a warrior. First in battle and biggest line of defense. That's where I come in, I'm a mercenary. You take out the brutes, I will kill anyone you can't."

The wolf accepts this without fighting once again, "Who else is on task for this mission of yours?"

"I already know everyone we'll need, I know where they are and how to get to them." She talks faster now, heart racing at the thought this is actually happening. "You're just the first on my list."

Before Dimitri could respond, Little Red glances down from his eyes for the first time and instantly squeezes her eyes shut so tight it hurt.

"You're naked!"

That's literally all she could think of, the wolf and his nakedness.

"Well my dear," Un-bashfully the wolf stretches and winks at Little Red while looks at him through her fingers. "That's part of the appeal."

"That," Blythe motions downwards. "Isn't going to help us complete this mission."

Dimitri laughs, completely unbothered. "If you really are going to do something as massive as kill the queen," His accent thickens. "Why choose me."

Little Red shrugs in reply, "If I tell you it could cause problems, so I won't. If you need to know I'll tell you and you don't need to know. Are you going to be one hundred percent devoted to this mission?"

She won't accept no as a answer for someone who's going to be on her team.

"I'll be a hundred percent devoted to you, Little One. So by default, yes, I will be. Us wolves are loyal."

What the hell is she going to do with this flirtatious wolf?

"It's a long journey, one you won't ever be allowed to come back from. You need to leave everything that you own and can't pack here." Little did Blythe know that she would be saying this line not five more times like she plans, but seven.

"Great," This word sounds somewhere between a Russian slur and a howl and Little Red didn't know why she found that so endearing. "When are we leaving."

"Tomorrow at dawn," Having expected him to agree a lot slower, Little Red decides this as she speaks. "Where is your home?"

"Tut tut my dear," Dimitri turns on his heel, making Little Red get an eyeful of his perfect backside. "I think you meant where is my cave."

"Cave? You plan on murdering me while still indecent?"

The wolf growls at her, black eyes flashing silver. "I might be naked but my body is quite decent, mind you."

"Mind me? Mind yourself, five minutes into our journey and you're already talking about your body ten times more than you should be."

"Says the one who's brought up murder already. Twice!"

The two Ghosts continue to bicker until Blythe calls his dick a pine needle, at which point he shifts causing the two to walk back in silence.

Entering the cave- -which was hidden behind a rolling stone covered in vine that Little Red couldn't move but the wolf slid with one paw- -the wolf shifts back into his first form.

This time, instead of staying naked, Dimitri dresses.

"Ah," Little Red says, picking up one of his shirt from a makeshift shelf dug into the cave wall. "You do own clothing."

"Keep talking smack and soon the clothing you're wearing, will be nothing but a distant memory."

Not knowing if that's a threat or a innuendo, Little Red sticks with a sharp glare and even sharper words.

"Touch my red cloak and your fingers will become a distant memory."

Since he's packing, the wolf doesn't care much for a cocky reply.

He's actually quite happy to leave this cave on the edge of the village, as he has wanted to for a very long time. But he has work here as a butcher's apprentice and not many other places will hire a wolf.

All Dimitri needed was a reason, something Blythe gave him.

Now there was a girl in a red cloak and a man who can walk on four paws.

The next stop?

A tower Little Red knows a certain girl is just dying to get out of.