Chapter 7

S carlet's throat threatened to close with emotion. Her ears no longer hung down to her shoulders, heavy and giving her way too many overwhelming sounds.

Now they stuck straight back from the sides of her head where her human ears had been. Even though they were a little longer than her old ears and still felt like small rabbit ears, she sighed in relief.

Above them, on the top of her head, stood two small antlers. She wrapped her hands around them, feeling the long, smooth points as they curved back slightly.

Gone was the wide rack of multi-pointed antlers that weighed her head down and made her neck hurt. Tears filled her eyes as she felt them, turning her head this way and that to get used to the new feeling.

How had she been sitting there, watching his every move, and hadn't noticed? He was too distracting, too mouth-watering for her liking. She was the best Hunter there was, damn it. She had great observation skills, but she'd completely missed the changes within herself.

She let the disappointment in herself go, the overwhelming joy of relief making her eyes mist. It wasn't a cure, but it was definitely more manageable.

Olive's gaze was filled with tears too, and Scarlet jumped up and wrapped her arms around her. "I–I, oh…"

Olive grunted and hugged her back. "Sh, it's alright, child. It's alright."

Scarlet's eyes closed as she tried to get a grip on the stupid emotions. The weight of her antlers was nothing compared to the weight of sticking out and not belonging. The smaller antlers would be hidden with her green and red cloak. She could go back to field work with the Hunters instead of managing teams. For the first time since she'd been cursed, it truly felt like life really was going to be alright.

"Thank you." She squeezed her eyes to stop the tears. She wasn't the crying type, even though her throat threatened to close and her eyes burned. All this emotion was unacceptable.

Olive patted her back. "I'm glad it worked," she said softly, holding her tight just like she'd done when Scarlet's mother had been killed.

By Growlers.

Her jaw clenched as she latched onto the anger and grief swirling inside. When they threatened to burst, she spun on her heel to flee to the washroom under the stairs.

She used the facilities, then splashed water on her face from the sink. She couldn't turn her back on the Growler. There was no telling what he might do.

But she had to get her emotions in check first. Weakness wouldn't do, not for a Hunter.

After a few more deep breaths, she was ready to go back out there and get some answers. Plus, she didn't want to leave her grandma alone with him for long, helpless though he may seem at the moment.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that's the reason.

Her body seemed to yearn to be in his presence, the ache in her chest at just being in a separate room made it difficult to breathe.

She opened the door and strode to the kitchen, carefully avoiding his heavy gaze. The way his golden eyes followed her every move made a shiver run up her spine.

She knew that look of interest, had seen it time and time again when she let herself be noticed by the nobles of Busparia or the tavern boys. Back when she'd been tasked with gathering information for various parties or taking out prominent society members, she'd not been above using her body to get what she wanted.

But there had always been safety in anonymity, the false identities and a sense of belonging when she was treated like any other woman.

This was different. The intensity of their connection was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Every time he gazed at her, a wave of electricity seemed to course through her body, causing her skin to tingle with anticipation. And when she had him pinned beneath her thighs, she could feel herself melting into a puddle of desire.

This level of attraction to the Growler would be impossible to resist, but damn it, she was going to try. There was something about him that was too alluring, too dangerous for her to indulge in fully.

She loved skirting the edge of danger, but she wasn't stupid. She knew when to step back and regroup and when to attack and press her advantage. It's how they'd survived the last mission into Busparia.

She grabbed a drink and guzzled it, deliberating setting her mind to all the Hunters had done last week. It was a needed distraction, and she still had to figure out what reconnaissance the Hunters needed to do next. They had to find out what those monsters were, for starters, and do it without getting killed. When she could breathe again, she grabbed a dish towel to clean up breakfast.

Even as she tried to shake off those thoughts, another danger loomed in front of her—him. She knew she needed to stay focused and keep her guard up, but her heart was pulling her in a different direction. By the gods, she had to find a way to balance these conflicting emotions

She shook her head, and the new lightness of her head reminded her of the changes and how that could affect the next mission. What did she need to know next, right in this moment?

She looked over at Olive. "Why didn't we try the glocken berry months ago when I first came to you for help?"

Olive sighed and joined her in the kitchen, loading another plate with food.

"The dream, child, the dream..." Her voice trailed off as she turned to put the plate on the table. "Sit, child. Eat, then we'll talk. Wulfric, would you like more?"

He grunted, licking the plate like the uncivilized Growler he was. Scarlet rolled her eyes and sat, picking up her fork and watching Olive as she sat at the table with her own plate.

Scarlet drummed her fingers on the table. "What aren't you telling me?"

Olive pointed at the plate with her fork and frowned, but didn't answer. Instead, she began to eat.

Scarlet sighed. There was no changing Olive's mind once she'd set it to something. It was a shared family trait. Scarlet ate quietly, watching Wulfric out of the corner of her eye.

His aura was stronger today, and though he moved stiffly, he seemed fever free. Or rather, his swirling blue and gray auras were healthier.

But the way his golden eyes had looked up at her when she'd pinned him, like he was just toying with her and letting her have the upper hand...

Her core clenched at the memory, and her legs shifted restlessly. He'd been so solid between her legs, with muscles in all the right places.

A shiver raced through her body as she finished her food. There was no time for that kind of dalliance, especially with a Growler who'd just as soon kill her as fuck her.

The memory of racing through the woods last summer with Eirwyn, Growlers on their heels, made her squirm with unease. She hated feeling weak and vulnerable, but she had to remind herself who and what he was.

It was time to get him healed and send him home, but she couldn't do that without answers from Olive.

Scarlet set her fork down a little too hard and crossed her arms. "Well? I've eaten, so will you tell me what you're avoiding now?"

Olive wiped her mouth with a napkin and glanced at the Growler. "Very well, clear the table and bring a chair to the hearth while I visit the washroom."

Scarlet rolled her eyes at the delay tactic, but did as she was told. She took their empty plates to the sink, but when she spun around, the Growler blocked her way.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. It wasn't often that someone could sneak up on her. She hadn't even heard him get up.

His human legs were covered in that soft layer of gray and black fur, his thighs as thick as tree trunks. He was huge, a head taller than her own petite frame, wide as an oak, and just as solid. Her gaze drifted over his stomach muscles, her mouth watering as she looked up, avoiding looking at his crotch.

He glanced from her eyes down to her lips. Even with bandages wrapped around his shoulder and ribs, pinning one arm to his side, he exuded strength and vitality.

She sucked in a deep breath, and her tongue grew thick in her mouth. He smelled like grass and warmth, of a warm fire and safety. She wanted to melt into his embrace, even as the hair on the back of her neck stood.

He was a Growler. He was dangerous, unpredictable, a killer.

Her mind told her no, but her body swayed toward him as her eyes wandered. Her gaze dipped down to his lips, then her head jerked up, meeting his golden gaze.

Eyes crinkling in the corners, he smiled a wide, toothy grin as he leaned his one free hand on the counter behind her, caging her in and setting his empty plate down. "What's the matter, Red? Cat got your tongue?"

"You–you're naked," she said, fighting back a mewl of surrender and straightening her spine, chin tipped up as she gripped the edge of the counter behind her for support. Her hands wanted to reach out and touch him, but she held back, warring with herself.

Snap out of it, Scarlet!

"All the better to seduce you, my dear."

Her core responded like the hussy it was, but she frowned. "What?"

He wiggled his brows. "Do the smaller ears make you hard of hearing? If that's the case, just look down. The captain is eager to meet you."

She gasped and slid to the left, finding herself trapped in the corner of the kitchen, back against the medicine cabinet. "I'm not hard of hearing. And I'm not going to look down at—wait, did you say captain?"

His brows furrowed in confusion, then he shrugged. "So I did. Don't ask why, because I have no idea."

She blinked. He called his dick a captain but didn't know why? She had so many questions, but so did he apparently, as he turned to the sink and put his plate in the soapy water.

He took a shallow breath with a wince at the movement.

"What are you doing? Your knuckles are still raw and swollen."

He flexed his hand in the soapy water, his Growler nose twitching. "I know, but I thought I'd clean up after myself, so you wouldn't think I was uncivilized. I used to be human, you know, and not incompetent. But I can't seem to clean this one-handed."

She crossed her arms, trying to create a barrier between them. She wouldn't let him know she was rattled at the size of his... She swayed closer and panic made her stomach twist. "Tell someone who cares, Growler."

She scurried to the hearth and grabbed the blanket that had covered him before, ignoring how he made her body ache in places that had long since lost interest elsewhere. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, as if reminding her not to taunt him and turn away.

But she just tossed the blanket at him as he walked slowly back to the fire. The damned Growler walked on his wobbly feet past her, limping slighting, his ass rippling with muscles that she wanted to bite into. She kept track of him out of the corner of her eye as he wrapped the blanket around his waist.

Olive returned from the washroom as he practically fell into the other cushioned chair.

"Be careful," Scarlet snapped, glaring at him as she dragged a kitchen chair to the hearth and turned it backward. "You'll open your stitches."

She straddled the chair, resting her arms along the smooth wooden surface of the back. The stretch of fabric brought a delicious friction against her clit, and she squirmed against it.

His eyes twinkled even as his lips were pursed in pain. "Aw, I didn't realize you cared, love. If I did bust a stitch, would you kiss it and make it better?"

"When the hells freeze over," she shot back with a glare.

He grinned wider and chuckled. The sound sent a shiver down her spine, straight to her pussy. Damn him, why hadn't she just killed him when she had the chance?

Olive chuckled too but didn't take her eyes from her knitting basket. "I see I made the right choice. That settles that."

Olive pulled out her knitting and sat in the other cushioned chair as she hummed softly, the needles making a soothing click-clack that brought memories of her childhood.

Scarlet's body relaxed at the comforting sounds as she processed Olive's words. "What do you mean, right choice? In saving him?"

Olive waved a knitting needle. "Never mind that. Wulfric, you are going to reclaim the alpha title, yes?"

He nodded, wincing as he stretched his side. She watched him warily, surprised that he fit in the chair at all, and refused to acknowledge the worry about his stiffness and healing.

"Wonderful. You'll take Scarlet with you and convince the Elders to reverse her curse," Olive said.

Scarlet's jaw dropped. "Are you fucking serious? There's no way I'm going into the heart of Growler territory."

Olive frowned, giving her the look, the one that said there would be no arguing.

Not that Scarlet ever heeded the warning. "Come on, Grandma. You just want a human to walk into the Growlers camp and say, hey, help me break a curse, will you?"

Olive shrugged, "Except you're not exactly human anymore, are you?"

Dread settled in her belly like a brick.

Wulfric stroked his chin, the blanket thankfully covering his lower half with his enormous feet stretched toward the fire. They were hairy paws but long like human feet. The dichotomy was confusing and made her head hurt.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Scarlet on this. It's not a good idea. I haven't seen a non-Growler in camp since I joined them ten years ago. I'm not sure what they'd do. Probably turn her into a Growler at the very least."

Panic crept up in her throat at the thought of losing control and causing chaos, yet a small part of her longed for the freedom and power that came with being a Growler. It would eliminate this rabbit's nature to fear everything and everyone. It was a never-ending internal battle for Scarlet, one that left her feeling conflicted and torn between four sides of herself. To be a normal human, to be a fearful rabbit, to run from trouble like a deer, or to face it all and fight like a Growler? Gods, she hated being pulled in all these directions.

Scarlet snorted and sat up, hands gripping the back of the chair until her knuckles turned white. "The hells I'll be turned into a Growler."

"You already are a quarter Growler, child," Olive said softly. "Your tail?"

Scarlet glared. "I'm nowhere near the mindless monster. Maybe a wolf, but not a Growler."

Olive arched a brow and slowly turned to stare at Wulfric. "You're not a mindless monster, are you, dear?"

He smirked. "Only when I have to be. Or when a girl begs for it."

While she didn't want to be seen as a mindless monster like the other Growlers, she also couldn't deny the animalistic tendencies that had been growing inside her the past six months. And now, with Wulfric's teasing smirk and Olive's pointed question, she couldn't ignore the undeniable attraction she felt towards him.

But as tempting as giving in to her primal instincts and desires may be, there would be severe consequences. She was already struggling with being accepted in this world, but adding on a Growler transformation would just alienate her even more.

Even if it would be fun to rut with him in mindless abandon, forget her curses, this human need to fit in, the desire for companionship and partnership.

Scarlet's chest tightened, and an image of him turning into an animal in the bedroom made her cheeks flush. "And that's not even addressing the fact that I'm female. They'll lose their heads! The full moon is next week. No, no, no, no."

Wulfric ran his hand through his hair, the thoughtful expression on his face sending her panic higher. "Actually, it might work."

Scarlet shook her head and pulled out a dagger to clean under her nails. Having the blade in her hand brought her comfort, settling her nerves slightly. She couldn't have them both agreeing.

"By the gods, you change your mind fast," she grumbled.

He shrugged, stretching his shoulder as his gaze was unfocused above Olive's head. "I take a while to process, Red. Let me think this through, but it might work."

Scarlet's breathing grew shallow. She couldn't go with him to the Growlers camp. Maybe she could entice him with something else? "No, it won't. You've been demoted and probably pronounced dead. This is your chance for a new life. Take it and run. Go somewhere new."

Grandma nodded. "Yes, he could come to Hartsgrove or Vidrland with us, couldn't he? I'm sure Knox and Eirwyn would love to have a Growler aid their cause. He could be useful. Who knows?"

"Vidrland?" Wulfric asked, his lips twisting. "You mean that upstart king that's taken over the northern half of the forest? You have to be mad, woman. That's enemy territory, and they have to be pushed back to the mountains."

Scarlet pointed her finger at him. "First, that's my brother you're talking about. He's no upstart. He's a dragon whose family has ruled this forest for hundreds of years. And second, what do you mean pushed back to the mountains? What are the Growlers planning?"

Wulfric's jaw stiffened with emotion. "The argument in our tribe was about which way we would expand. Either east into Busparia or north into dragon territory. We had settled on going north a few days ago, before I was ambushed."

Scarlet pointed the dagger at him. "And you were on the side of invading the dragon's lair? By the gods, you're dumber than I thought."

His eyes flared, and his hand gripped the armrest of the chair, claws growing as his emotions heightened. "I'm not. It's a calculated risk and the better option, considering Growlers are forbidden from leaving the forest."

"Other than to raid the Southern Road, pick off injured soldiers returning from war, turn them into more Growlers, and thus grow your numbers. You know, if you'd just leave them alone, your tribe wouldn't be running out of room."

Wulfric's eyes narrowed and his mouth and nose began to elongate. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, I do. I've seen the reports in Busparia."

"No, you don't. It's not like that."

"Yes, it is."

"No–"

"Enough," Olive laughed, shocking them both enough to turn to her with surprised expressions. "Oh, this is going to be fun to watch."

"What are you talking about now?" Scarlet asked, completely at a loss.

Olive smiled and set her needles down. "Wulfric can come with us to Hartsgrove to see Knox and Eirwyn, or you can go with him to the Growlers tribe. Those are your options right now."

Scarlet frowned. "Why can't he just run home, and I'll take you to Eirwyn? I think that's a much better plan."

Olive's lips twitched again as she looked down intently at her knitting. "Well, you see, the glocken berry only grows in one area of the forest. And the one plant was all I could find. It's very temperamental."

"How is a plant temperamental?" Scarlet asked. Exasperation made her voice higher than normal.

Grandma shrugged and shifted on the chair, still not meeting Scarlet's gaze. A shiver of awareness went down her spine as dread spread.

"Well, this is the Feral Forest, after all. Plants and animals alike don't act like they should."

Scarlet glared at Wulfric, and opened her mouth to be a smart ass.

Olive said quickly, "The glocken berry doesn't release its healing properties and magic without consequences. It clings to itself until the very last moment. Since you both drank the tea made from it, you're tied together until the next full moon."

Scarlet blinked. "What?"

"Tied together? What does that mean?" Wulfric asked, his face now shifted back to the normal human mouth, the claws gone.

"The farther apart you two are, the weaker you'll be. If he goes to the Growlers and you go to see Eirwyn, the distance will literally kill you both."

Scarlet gripped the back of the chair and glared. "That's a load of shit."

"It's really not," Olive said, shaking her head but not looking up from her knitting. "With all magic, there are consequences. This is just the consequence of both of you ingesting the one plant. If I'd added it to my tea too, then we'd all be tied together."

Scarlet's eyes narrowed as she gasped. "You knew! You knew we'd be tied together! Grandma, why–"

"The dream," Wulfric said quietly. "She keeps muttering about a dream."

Scarlet looked from him to Olive who was nodding. "I can't tell you about the dream right now. Not yet, but you both needed to be tied together until the full moon. Which direction you go from here is up to you."

Scarlet's chest ached as she tried to catch her breath. Olive had been doing this cryptic shit all her life. Why couldn't she just bake cookies and heal hurts with magical kisses like other grandmas?

Olive put her knitting back in the basket beside her chair and stood, drawing Scarlet's gaze. "Talk it over while you clean his wounds and check his bandages. I'm going to feed the animals in the barn."

Olive grabbed her cloak by the door and slipped outside, boots crunching on the snow. Scarlet's head spun from information overload. She scratched her now-shorter ear, her mind spinning.

With a frown, she turned to Wulfric. "If she says the magic binds us, there's a fifty-fifty chance that she's bluffing. We could try to separate and see what happens."

His bushy wolf brows wiggled. "I'd rather you get closer. You heard her. Come check my bandages."

She pursed her lips and stood. He wanted her to check the bandages? Fine, she'd check them. But he wasn't going to like it.