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Little Red Wolf - 09 - Control

Hands become claws

feet become paws

the animal grows inside

Within Red furs

the lunatic stirs

the hunger of the mind

Passion and lust

sex and trust

the wolf it does not hide

Heat of desire

love and fire

the longing of our kind

Mind and emotion

strength and devotion

with trust we do confide

Stand in the middle

relax a little

control you might yet find

The sun set as Scarlett fought with herself. Emotions ran on impulse and she grappled with herself for control of her mind. She could grow her fingers, but not her arms. She could grow her fur, but not her body. She could focus her instincts but her mind would be smothered in a red haze of rage and desire.

She could not make any traps. Traps required hands to construct and her claws would revert back to paws before she could bend a branch or fasten a spike. Tools were also useless. Anything more complicated than a large rock was too complicated to construct and most slipped from her grip anyway.

She had found a good place where the rocks were loose so she compromised on that place for tools. The terrain around the place was a mixture of mountain and trees with loose rocks and lots of uneven ground. She memorized the terrain and figured out a good ambushing strategy. This was her best chance at killing the alpha. The only thing left was for her to resist the urge to raise her backside to the monster and allow him to fill her belly with his pups.

Gray clouds thickened over the sun and darkness came early. Luna took to the sky but she was covered. Scarlett stepped back into the pack's presence. They were happy to see her and she almost lost herself in their joy. There was yelping and acts of submission to remind her of the position she had earned. They accepted her with their whines and their bodies offered warmth and comfort. The red wolf wanted them to be happy and free. She focused on their leader. He was their protector as well as their oppressor. He was mighty, uncomplicated, and powerful.

The great gray wolf came into view and the other wolves stepped away. His mass increased slowly as Luna pushed through swirling clouds. Scarlett's body also grew and twisted as desires burned like fire. She wanted him to conquer her, she wanted him to win. Her will fought a losing battle against her body.

Her front legs shifted into arms as she came face-to-face with her master, her desire, her enemy. His musk caused her heart to thunder. Blood swelled with need as his hard muscles rippled under soft skin. Bones shifted and he seized her. Their torsos widened into a humanoid likeness and he pushed her to the ground. She was on her back and her breasts were swelling back to her chest.

The mighty alpha ran his claws down the flanks of his desired mate, causing her to arch her back and scream. His body stiffened and rose to meet her embrace. She softened, becoming moist and eager. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled through the night.

Scarlett felt a cold droplet of rain fall between her eyes. It seemed to sizzle from the intensity of her fever. The storm was upon them and nature's rain cooled the irresistible lust. Scarlett twisted hard and took the alpha's throat in her jaws. She bit hard but he was already moving. With a shift of her body, and a leap of his, they separated.

A rain cloud moved over Luna's eye and she lost her grip. Their bodies fell back into more privative forms. Paws tore at the mud and propelled them into the night. Only padded paws could keep the runners from falling and only heated intuition could drive them forward. Brush whipped their faces and flanks as various creatures of the night fled the oncoming predators.

Luna peaked out from her blanket and Scarlett regained her claws. She turned into her opponent and swiped at his flanks. He threw his body out of her reach so she bit his leg instead. He growled and kicked her away.

Scarlett snatched up a rock the size of her large fist and launched it. Her body was deflected but her aim was true; the rock crashed into the gray wolf's muzzle. He stumbled back and she was upon him. Claws descended and drew blood. With a lunge he tossed her off.

Luna's gaze fell back into fog and her children's bodies began to twist and lose their bulk. Speed was granted once again and the gray wolf dashed off after the red. His eyes blazed and his teeth snapped in anticipation. Scarlett knew she had worked him into a frenzy. Her paws touched stone. Wolf pads slid on the hard surface.

Luna's power was still inside of her and Scarlett seized it with her mind. The two warriors grappled for control and Scarlett forced the power of the moon goddess into her limbs. Coiling her body like a spring, she grew in length, and struck like a snake, releasing all of her momentum at the same time. Her leap was far greater than her pursuer's and she landed on top of a cliff face as he crashed into it.

The gray alpha was stunned from his collision and his opponent was above him. Luna's shroud fell away again and both grew into beasts of humanoid atrocity. Scarlett grabbed a large bolder that she had set aside for this exact moment, and raised it above her head. With all of her strength she hurled it down upon the alpha. She missed his head and he took it in the torso causing ribs to crack with an audible snap. As he fell to the ground Luna began to slip back out of sight.

Scarlett forced her body to stay as it was as her opponent shrank. With all of the strength she could muster she leaped and fell on him with her knees meeting his body first. More bones broke in his rapidly weakening form. Her claws raked, tore, and shredded his softening flesh. Her teeth sank into his throat and his body began to grow again. With a mighty tear she pulled a large portion of his neck free.

His arms regained their mass and his muscles threw her into the rock wall. Blood showered from his wounds and mixed with the rain as it poured form the heavens. He drew his fingers into fists and rammed them into Scarlett's stomach and ribs. She felt her body break under his onslaught, but still countered with an uppercut to his snout followed by several claw slashes to his torso. He stumbled but still countered with a claw across her face. He then put his claw on her throat and slammed her up against the cliff-face.

His massive strength held her in place but his blood was gushing, covering Scarlett and the ground with his life. He tried to wrestle her to the ground again but his strength was fleeing with every beat of his heart. Luna was watching but the wounds had been inflicted by another of her children. The weapons of man could be shrugged aside but the weapons of her kingdom would last. As his life away gushed, Scarlett looked into his eyes.

She could see part of what made him more than a simple beast. Only as the beast died could he see through the anger and the instinct. His grip relaxed and he looked at her. With sad eyes he smiled. His body began to lose its fur and shrink. Pink skin glistened in the moonlight and red blood colored what was left of his pride.

As a few convulsions wracked his body, he came to rest on the forest floor. The beast was dead and the man soon followed. His naked body was so pitiful without the rage of his mother. He was defenseless against the cold and beasts of the world. As he was when he was born, he returned to his mother, naked and crying.

*****

Scarlett did not howl her victory into the night. She did not relish in conquest or boast to herself about her mighty accomplishment. She felt a clarity that she had never known before. Sitting on a cliff, high above the world she had once known, she looked full into the face of her lunar mother. The full glory of the moon was more beautiful than she had ever remembered it being and she was in awe.

Her ribs healed quickly, sliding back into place and mending. Simple impact could not unsettle them for long. Her face, however, was not so quick to heal. A trickle of blood still oozed from the wound and she held it closed. The claws and teeth of Luna's children could cut past their natural ability to quickly heal. She did not know it yet but that mark would scar.

The raging storm had passed and now only a few clouds drizzled across the night. Scarlett's body was strong and she was in control of it. She was certain she would know more by the time Luna was full again but until then she would need to come to terms with what this victory meant.

Lives had been saved but the pack was now without leadership. She would have to go to them and they would have to be divided into smaller packs. It was too big in its current state and the wills of its members were quite weak from being crushed too frequently. It was something that she should not know how to do, but for some reason she did.

The pack was happy to see her when she returned but they were also sad. They could feel the loss of their two alphas. This new one confused them when she told them to leave. It was something they did not think they could do but nature's rules of dispersion still lived in their souls. Once she released them, they fell away from each other. Some in groups, others in pairs, and more than a few wandered off alone.

It was a sad thing for Scarlett to let them go. In their eyes she saw an acceptance she had only felt from one other. Remembering him caused her to face the northwest.

The journey home is never as long as the journey away. She trotted through the woods at a comfortable pace and found a familiar trail.

"Scarlett," a green flicker called from the woods. "You did it! The others didn't think you could do it, but I did! I believed in you!"

"Dewdrop," Scarlett said as she looked around, "I need help!"

"Anything!" Dewdrop cheered, "Now that the trial is over I can help!"

"I need to get back to the queen's court!"

"Oh!" Dewdrop looked a little disappointed. "Is that all? Well... this way!"

The rest of the trip seemed to take only a few moments. Scarlett decided to blame the fairy's influence. The circle awaited exactly where she remembered. As they entered, Scarlett noticed a shimmer of energy that she had not noticed the first time. It was almost as if she could see the barrier between the two worlds. Dewdrop danced along the shimmer in a special pattern and they settled into the fairy court.

Scarlett took in the beauty of the glade at night. Fairies of all shapes and sizes danced with light and grace. The great tree glowed with the magic of pure life. The queen's throne was surrounded in golden lanterns which sparkled as if filled with fireflies.

When Scarlett broke the threshold of the fairy ring, the entire court seemed to scream. Many of the flying creatures gained as much altitude as they could and nearly every ground dweller rushed for the safety of the tree. The queen's guards rushed forward and drew their weapons. Every hostile intention was pointed toward her. In the back, a pair of large trees with faces moved to cover the entrance to the throne with their bodies.

"I have come to see your queen," the red furred werewolf shouted at them. They hesitated for a moment and then Dewdrop zipped past them. She hovered on the dais for a moment and then the queen's voice could be heard.

"Let her approach." Her voice created a path in her followers but they still held their weapons at the ready.

Scarlett felt mighty and important, as she strode forward as a werewolf who could walk on two legs, fight like a wild animal, and still draw upon her reason. Her red coat with white markings shined in the moonlight. She felt like she could tear the life from these fools... but it would be uncivilized to be so rude.

Scarlett mounted the dais and bowed shallowly. "I have completed your task, Queen Titania." The impossibly thin throne dweller looked at Dewdrop.

"It's true, your Majesty," Dewdrop said in a more controlled tone than usual. "She met with the the rusulka and reasoned with her. She then went on to track and eliminate the other three werewolves, each of which were stronger than she was. Her victory was won by wit and control in addition to tooth and claw."

The queen nodded and touched her cheek as she thought. Scarlett was growing restless but forced herself to stay still. Her tail gave her away, flicking impatiently from side to side, for she had not yet mastered it.

"I am impressed, young moon-wolf," the queen stated regally. "You have managed to travel into the lair of the beast and yet you have kept your sanity. How do you feel?"

Scarlett was startled by the question but she did her best to keep her voice level. "I am still learning what it means to be a werewolf, mighty queen," she said honestly than she expected. "I see and hear so much more than I used to. It's a different life but I think I'll be fine."

"I see," the queen said neutrally.

"Can I-" Scarlett stopped herself and took a deep breath. She remembered what one of her aunts used to say to her about "can I" and "may I." "Will you please set Sir Arthur free?"

The queen almost seemed to smile for a brief moment. She then took a deep breath. "I did not think he would live as long as he has." Scarlett felt a lump start to form in her throat. "Most moon-wolves burn savagely during a full moon and are dangerous. That is the reason we kill them on sight." Scarlett's claws began to dig into her palms. She was surprised to find she could care this much about another person. She would kill them all if they had harmed him.

"We have no meat for him and he has accepted no water. Sir Arthur has sat in his cage and meditated. Even as a beast, he maintained a level of control rarely displayed by calmer souls." Scarlett began to breath heavily, it was becoming increasingly difficult to stand there and listen. "It would be a great embarrassment to my court if he was to die while in my care. You must take him from this place and hunt, as your kind does."

Scarlett's rage began to cool. Arthur was okay, he had not been hurt. Soon he would be back in her arms. The queen continued. "Unfortunately, I cannot simply allow you to stay and endanger my children."

"You need more proof?" Scarlett blurted out as her anger bubbled over.

"Proof?" The queen sounded amused. "What is there to prove? Yours is a violent people and you cannot live in my territory without eventually killing one of my children. It is the way of your people."

"What about the villagers?" Scarlett stated hotly. "Why hasn't their single minded stupidity called down your wrath yet?"

"It has," the queen stated plainly. "Why do you think they never leave their homes or venture out at night?"

Scarlett remembered the stories she had been told as a child. She remembered how everyone had told her not to go out into the woods. They had more than likely assumed she was "taken by the forest" and were having her funeral as she stood here. "So, you are the reason for all those stories..."

"As you said," the queen reminded her, "their single minded stupidity cannot be tolerated. Left unchecked, men do terrible things. Much like your king."

Scarlett blinked in confusion, "King? We have a king?"

"Yes," the queen said and a small smile appeared on her face. "He is just as mad as a any other man of power I have ever heard of. His tax collectors no longer try to make it to your village because of us. You should be grateful for that."

Scarlett was suddenly very afraid. Queen Titania was far more powerful than she had given her credit for. Her wolf senses told her that she was still surrounded. Her ears rotated and took in the sounds of shifting armor and metal weapons. Her nose smelled their tension and their courage. Her eyes told her there was no where to go if a fight occurred.

"Where would you have us go?" the she-wolf asked in resignation.

"Perhaps you should try Lord Oberon's lands. He has a soft spot for violent creatures with no elegance." Scarlett knew the queen had meant it as an insult, but she was beyond caring at this point. "Dewdrop," the queen said to the fairy.

"Y-yes, my queen?"

"Take our guests to Puck. I am certain he will happily take them to his friends."

"Uhm... as you wish, my queen."