Free Snow: The White Crow by Erik Schubach Page B

her wake.”
    She chuckled. “It seems Cinderella isn't all sweetness and light like Jacob and Wilhelm wanted everyone to believe.”  She spoke of the Brothers Grimm like she had known them.  The weaselly self-serving glory hunting bastards.  They had convinced me they were chronicling the stories of the champions of good.  Then they change my story into some children's fairytale.  I grinned at the Red Hood.  I guess they did that to all of us, as this dangerous woman is certainly no Little Red Riding Hood.
    I re-centered myself then asked, “These gypsy witches, how dangerous are they, and what do they want?”  Could this be what had drawn me there and not the kidnappings?
    She looked up at the sun, low on the horizon, and sniffed the air then at me.  “We can talk after Daria changes.  I smell at least ten ferals in the area, can you defend against werewolves or do we need to move?”
    I blinked, I had been sensing the feral movements by disturbances in nature around us.  Since they were not animals I could feel, it had to be humans.  I shrugged. “Weres give me no pause.”  She smiled at that.
    She looked at the sun again then at Fluffy then asked the wolf, “Umm... need some privacy?  I know you hate doing this around people.”  The wolf nodded, a very human gesture then Maireni sat up so the wolf could stand and trot off behind the bushes again.
    Moments before the last rays of the sun disappeared, a howl came from behind the bush.  It was no normal wolf howl, it was filled with power and compulsion.  It was a warning like it was telling the animals of the forest to be on guard, that something evil was coming.  She was warning the world of the full moon?  About the werewolves?  I could feel the forest coming alive, listening to the warning, as the animals around us went to ground.
    I was amazed because even I felt on guard.  Was that like the power of an Alpha I had heard so much about?  Then the sun extinguished over the horizon and the yellow and orange light of the sun was replaced by the silver light of the full moon.
    I saw Maireni's hands ball tightly into fists and her fingernails dig into her skin and the anguished, yelping and whimpering of a canine in extreme pain came from behind the bushes.  It turned into the screams of a woman who sounded like her flesh was being flayed from her bones.  I started to run toward the screams, but the Red Hood placed a hand on my arm and shook her head sadly.  “There is nothing you can do.  It is almost done.”
    I smelled blood and looked down as she removed her hand.  There was blood on her palm where she had cut her own skin with her fingernails.  It was obvious she didn't like what was happening behind the bush.  The four cuts healed in seconds and the screaming stopped.  I heard some rustling and Maireni sat down to wait and I followed suit.
    A minute later a medium height woman with long shiny black hair pulled up into a ponytail came walking out from behind the bush, carrying the wolf's pack.  Her tight t-shirt and jeans clung to her muscular form, she reminded me a lot of Rachel.  Her dark eyes sparkled in the moonlight as she silently sat beside Maireni and snuggled against her and gave her a warm kiss.  The Red Hood murmured, “Hi love.”
    The mystery woman melted into her and held her, “Hi yourself hot stuff.”  Then she looked over at me and held her hand out. “Hello Gretta.”
    Was this the wolf?  My God!   I shook her hand tentatively. “Fluffy?”
    The woman actually produced a wolf growl and said, “Call me that and I'll pee on your shoes.”
    Maireni chuckled and warned, “She'll do it too.  Trust me.”  She wrinkled her face like she had tasted something sour.  Then she grinned and said, “Gretta Snow, meet the love of my life, Daria McQueen.  Also known as Fluffy in her wolf form.”
    I blinked again. “Daria.”
    She nodded once at me then looked at her woman. “Shall we get on the trail before