Chapter 18

Leaving my mom's cottage,I walked into a totally unexpected environment. It was as if the Black Forest in Germany had teleported my mom's cottage to nestle amongst its gloomy trunks and boughs.

When I'd arrived at her place, the skies showed not a cloud in the sky and the sun shone. Now, however, I found myself in twilight, barely able to see more than a few feet, the shadows almost thick enough to gather.

It might work to my advantage if it could conceal me from Walden. I raced from the cottage, with the psycho following and not even trying to hide. He whistled and sang as he tracked me.

"Where, oh where, has my Red Riding Hood gone? Oh where, oh where could she be?"

He sounded close. Too close. Some might have argued the impossibility. I'd emerged before him, sprinted in a random direction. Still ran. But the Grimm Effect was out in full force. It wanted me to die, most likely retaliation for having evaded it.

Fuck the curse. I wasn't about to concede, a fervent vow that didn't go unnoticed. As I sprinted, I suddenly found myself wearing my red cape and holding my gram's knitting basket. I halted abruptly and glanced into the woven container to see it packed with muffins and a loaf of bread instead of something useful.

Jeezus.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Walden chirped, again closer than expected.

I ran again, only to suddenly emerge to the left of my mom's cottage, somehow having managed to go around in a circle, that or the curse really wanted to force a confrontation.

It wanted us to face off? Then so be it.

I planted my feet and held tight to the basket. A slight breeze ruffled the fabric of my cape. From the forest, Walden emerged, wearing a maniacal grin, axe in hand.

"What do you say we put this story to bed?" Spoken with a spin of the axe, and me with a fucking wicker basket.

As he came for me, I used it, swinging it to smash into the swinging blade. The tip of the axe dug into the crispy fibers, and as he pulled back, it tore apart my only weapon.

The goodies fell to the ground, and Walden laughed. "Guess grandma isn't getting her treats."

He came at me again, and I feinted, dodged, ducked, but it would be only a matter of time before he connected.

As my cape fluttered, it gave me an idea, and I whipped it from my shoulders. "Here, psycho, psycho!" I crooned as I dangled it like a picador. Like the bull when it saw red, Walden came in a rush, and I swirled the fabric, wrapping it around his arm and axe, giving me leverage to pull.

Walden leaned back, intent on regaining control of his weapon, and missed the boot I aimed at his junk. And I didn't hold back when I kicked.

"Argh." He grunted and recoiled, releasing his grip on the axe.

Holy shit, it actually worked. I scrambled to try and untangle it while he groaned in pain. Only to pause when I heard a click.

I looked up and saw Walden holding my gun.

My fucking gun. I didn't know how or when he'd grabbed it. I'd not seen it when bolting from the house, but he now aimed it right at my face.

"Not exactly how I wanted to end things,but dead is dead. Goodbye, Red Riding Hood."

I didn't beg. Didn't cry. Didn't even breathe.

Didn't want to give Walden any warning as the massive wolf stealthily crept from behind. It had to be Aidan. I'd recognize those eyes anywhere.

I smiled as the wolf coiled its hindquarters to pounce and said, "Have fun in hell, brother."

Before Walden could figure out where I got my renewed confidence, the wolf slammed into him from behind, knocking the gun from his hand. However, my lover, while looking ferocious, appeared to be only pinning Walden to the ground, not ripping out his throat.

Just more proof Aidan was never a killer.

But I was.

I snagged my gun from the ground, and when Walden heaved Aidan from his back and would have fled into the woods, I shot him.

In the leg.

He tried to crawl anyhow, so I shot the other one.

As he lay on the ground, cursing me out, "Fucking whore. I'll kill you. Kill your mother. Your grandmother. Your neighbor. Your—"

I shot him in the head.

Twice.

You should always double-tap pure evil.

And before some said I could have bound him and brought him to the office for arrest… Walden was a dead man the moment he started killing. A trial would have cost taxpayers money. Not to mention leaving him alive, with the curse so heavily invested in him, might have resulted in his escape.

So I handled it. Cold? Yes, but necessary.

Grr.

The wolf growled, and I turned to see him standing, expression wary.

"I'm not going to shoot you, Aidan."

The wolf cocked his head.

"Yes, I know it's you, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry I thought for one second you were guilty of those crimes. The question is, can you handle the fact that I'm the violent one in this relationship?"

The R word emerged, relationship, kind of bold seeing as how we'd only fucked once and met, like, less than a week ago. Still, there was something about this man that made me want to try.

Aidan shifted from massive wolf to man, fully dressed, I might add, because, unlike in the movies, the Grimm magic that caused the transformation didn't ruin clothes.

"Does this mean we're a couple?" he queried.

"Guess you're rethinking our compatibility after this." I waved a hand at the body lying at my feet.

His lips quirked. "Not really. I've seen how you play COD. No mercy. No hesitation. It's one of the things I like about you."

"Oh? And what else do you like?" I purred.

"How you're fearless and focused and sexy as fuck."

"You're not bad yourself. Although I do wonder how you found me." I waved to the forest around us. "The curse seemed pretty determined to isolate me with the huntsman."

"Call it instinct. When Hannah parked outside the woods, everyone else was yapping about getting a drone and calling in dogs. But all I could think of was you alone and in danger. So I shifted and followed my nose and instinct."

"I'm glad you found me." I closed the distance between us and reached up to cup his cheek.

"I guess now the question is, how do we find our way out?"

"We don't. While we wait for the curse to get bored and find someone else to play with, why don't we go inside?"

And by inside, I meant my old bedroom. Might as well pass the time pleasurably, as it might be a while before we were found.

We spent hours in my bed. Fucking for part of it. The sensual glide of body on body, the huffing pants, the clenching orgasmic pleasure a welcome to the stress and fear of before.

We also talked. Me revealing my history with the Red Cap curse and how Walden tied into it. He told me how the wolf thing hit him suddenly on a camping trip.

By morning, we'd explored every inch of the other's body and revealed all our intimate secrets. While I knew people worried about me, I wished we could have remained lost a while longer.

Alas, a pounding on the cottage door just after dawn indicated our interlude was finished.

Levi and his Knights, along with Belle and Cinder, came barging in demanding answers. Boy, did we have a whole lot to say.

Aidan had to go to the bureau to give a statement. I had to fill out too many reports, including one that told how I'd eliminated Walden. Then I had to deal with my hysterical mother and my proud Grams, who hugged me and whispered, "That's my tough girl. I knew you could handle him."Unlike my mother, who wailed, "I can't believe you sent us away. Do you know how scary it is to have your grandmother drive?"I would have said exhilarating. After all, she'd taught me how to ride a motorcycle.

My boss gave me a pat on the back and said good job. Levi offered me a spot with the Knights. Belle fist-bumped me and said, "Way to go!"Whereas Cinder sighed and said, "Wish I could meet a wolf who loved me as much as yours does."

Love?

Was that why I grinned widely when I arrived at the apartment building to find Aidan waiting for me outside?

As he swung me around in his arms and kissed me soundly, I'd have sworn I heard a book slam shut.